There were so many fantastic short stories submitted to our Summer Writing Contest. Thank you to every writer that submitted a story. It takes guts to put your work out there, and we admire each and every one of you.
There can only be one winner. But you can still win next time! We’ll wait until after the holidays to announce the winter contest, so be sure you’re subscribed to the newsletter so that you don’t miss it. Subscribe here.
This contest was judged by Thirzah, to celebrate the release of her debut fantasy novella, The Librarian’s Ruse. This book spent its first week as the #1 YA Christian Fantasy new release on Amazon. Check it out and grab your copy here.
All of the stories submitted to this contest were judged blind, which means that the judge did not know the name of the author. It’s important to us to run a fair contest without favoritism. Winning stories were chosen only due to the merits of the writing.
The theme for our summer contest was “Unlikely Adventures.” We accepted short stories of a maximum length of 1,500 words.
Summer Writing Contest Grand Prize Winner
Stephanie D Bullard is our official grand prize winner for her story titled, “Holes Deep Enough for Our Sins”!
According to Thirzah, “This story kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end, fearing for the main characters.
S.D. has been writing since she was a child. It”s her hobby and passion and, maybe someday, something more. She lives in middle Tennessee with her two kids, three dogs, and plenty of chaos.
Look for it on The Pearl soon. Be sure to sign up for The Pearl’s newsletter so you’re alerted when new fiction is released.
In addition to having her story published by The Pearl, Stephanie has received a $100 Amazon gift card.
Summer Writing Contest Runner-Up
Ariel Keith claims the runner-up prize for her short story, “Unexpected Guest.”
Thirzah said that, “From the very start, this story caught my attention and had me rooting for the protagonist.”
Ariels’ life as a homeschooling mom and freelance proofreader is made glad by her six kids who fill her farm in upstate New York with energy. Ariel dreams of putting truths in story form to reach this broken world.
As the runner-up, Ariel will receive the item of her choice from The Company Store.
Summer Writing Contest Honorable Mention
One other story rose to the top of our stack of finalists. We’d like to formally recognize “The Broom Boy” by Karis Johnson.
Thirzah found this story remarkable, and said, “This story was so sweet! I genuinely enjoyed reading it.”
Congratulations on writing a story of notable quality! We hope that you’ll submit again to our future contests!
Thank you to our judge!
This contest was judged by Thirzah, to celebrate the release of her debut fantasy novella, The Librarian’s Ruse. This book spent its first week as the #1 YA Christian Fantasy new release on Amazon. Check it out and grab your copy here.
From the back of the book:
ONE MISTAKE. TWO EMPIRES. COUNTLESS SECRETS.
Amelia’s peaceful life as a librarian is cut short when she and her older brother Leon are sent on an errand to Eldnaire, the capital city of the vicious Vilnarian Empire. After witnessing a crime carried out in the woods, Amelia and Leon enter the capital only to be faced with an impossible choice: tell the truth and risk imprisonment, or lie and face far worse if they’re caught.
One deception leads to a dozen more, and before she can put an end to the lies, she and Leon are swept up into Vilnaria’s high society. Amelia finds an unlikely ally in Vilnaria’s handsome new ruler, Emperor Kyvir. But as the secrets and scandals continue to pile up and danger closes in on all sides, Amelia must decide once and for all what matters more: the truth…or her life?
Grab your copy of The Librarian’s Ruse on Amazon now and support the work of this emerging author.
Every submission was carefully and fairly considered. Thank you, Thirzah, for your efforts!
Thank you to all who submitted!
It takes real courage to submit your work to a contest. We applaud every writer who took a risk and entered this contest. Please keep writing and submit again!
Make sure you never miss another opportunity from The Company. Sign up for our free newsletter in the box below. We always keep your information private and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you again to everyone who participated in this contest! We hope you had fun and wrote a story or essay that you’re proud of.
The Pearl now open for submissions
You don’t have to win a contest to see your work published by The Pearl. Learn more about submitting here, and consider sending them your most exceptional work today.
