Anthology, Millionaire Wills,

On September 2, our fearless leader, and the man who's brainchild was IWSG, Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavenaugh, posted the following exciting announcement:

Today marks four years since the group began and two years since we opened the website. So what better way to celebrate than offer our members an amazing opportunity! Presenting…

The IWSG Short Story Contest 2015

After the success of last year’s IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond, we decided to create another book. This time it’s a short story competition with the top ten stories getting published in an anthology. (Authors will also receive royalties on sales.) 

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebookmember. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free. 

Word count: 5000-6000

Theme: Alternate History/Parallel Universe. That’s right, we’ve decided to go the speculative route. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines, except erotica or graphic violence. 

Story deadline: November 1st 2015

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to TheIWSG at gmail dot com before the deadline passes. Make sure to include your contact details. 

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges: 
Laura Maisano - Senior editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian fiction
Russell Connor – Author and owner of Dark Filament Publishing Startup
Candace Havens – Editorial Director for the Covet, Select, Select Otherworld, Select Historical, Embrace, Indulgence for Entangled Publishing. She is also a nationally syndicated columnist and award-winning and best-selling author. 
Dawn Frederick – Literary agent and the founder of Red Sofa Literary
Alice Speilburg – Founder of the Speilburg Literary Agency
Michelle Johnson – Literary agent and the founder of Inklings Literary Agency
Kendare Blake - Author
Lydia Moëd - Associate agent at The Rights Factory

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. The winners will also receive an exclusive badge to display on their blog. 

Makes me wish I was a writer. I once co-operated on a short story and that is the extent of my writing career. What a line up of judges. Most impressive.

Read an article on Sunday morning about a millionaire leaving $100,000 to her 32 cockatiels to pay for their care. She has asked that they be cared for in her home. Another woman left $12 million to her dog but nothing to her grandkids. The judge pared this down to $2 million. Sorry, I don't think the judge should be able to do this. I am not saying I agree with leaving all that money for the care of your animals, but it's your money and if that is your wish, that wish should be followed. Don't you agree?

The author of The Bookseller, Mark Pryor, has a blog, D.A. Confidential, I have just discovered. And his latest is funny. He is intending to run for President and states his platform therein. Do read it. Gives a lighter side to the interminable US political machine, especially at election time.

Salmon is, of course, a very popular fish. This is a recipe from the New York Times.

Salmon Roasted In Butter

 Mark Bittman

• Yield 4 to 6 servings

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This simple fish dish is best made with wild salmon, but it works equally well with the farmed sort. It's astonishingly easy. In a hot oven, melt butter in a skillet until it sizzles, add the salmon, flip, remove the skin, then allow to roast a few minutes more. You'll have an elegant fish dinner in about 15 minutes. Don't be afraid to play with herb and fat combinations: parsley, chervil or dill work well with butter; thyme, basil or marjoram with olive oil; or peanut oil with cilantro or mint.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 4 tablespoons minced chervil, parsley or dill
• 1 salmon fillet, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the butter and half the herb in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon and place it in the oven. Heat about 5 minutes, until the butter melts and the herb begins to sizzle.
2. Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, then peel the skin off. (If the skin does not lift right off, cook 2 minutes longer.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.
3. Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Cut into serving portions, spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with the remaining herb. Serve with lemon wedges.

Have a great day