The 6th annual Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) Fall Fiction Contest brought writers from across the country together for a chance to win a scholarship to SNHU and publication in The Penmen Review. After receiving more than 650 submissions, a panel of creative writing experts considered several factors during their review, including originality, structure, character arc, language and whether it was engaging. Cyndle Plaisted Rials, an…
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Colin Dodds just added a sixth novel to his list of published works. This November, he brought two people with dark secrets together in “Ms. Never,” a sci-fi story that tackles a number of life’s mysteries. Dodds is a poet, novelist and film director and has been…
When Alexandra Z. Lazar isn’t working on her first novel, a re-imagining of the Fairy Godmother’s sister, she’s adapting Disney movies into children’s books. Lazar got her start as a Disney Writer-for-Hire by entering fan fiction contests for her favorite book series, “Kingdom Keepers” by Ridley Pearson. In an interview…
by Rebecca LeBoeuf In the eighth grade, Brandon Sanderson discovered a world of epic fantasy and never looked back. Now he’s a 15-time New York Times best-selling author, and his novels are published in more than 20 languages. Sanderson was short listed for the David Gemmel Legend Award six times in four…
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Emma Chase, a New York Times Bestseller for two series, “Tangled” and “Legal Briefs,” is a writer of “sexy swagger,” with a focus on contemporary romance and romantic comedy. “Royally Endowed,” the third and latest installment of “The Royally” series, centers on the forbidden relationship between a…
By Rebecca LeBoeuf Natalie Haney Tilghman co-wrote “A 52-Hertz Whale,” a young adult novel, with author Bill Sommer. When a juvenile humpback whale separates from its pod, a high school freshman calls upon a young filmmaker who volunteered in his special education program to help him locate it. The plot…
By Rebecca LeBoeuf Much of Vanessa Hua’s factual and fictional writing focuses on Asia and the diaspora. Her debut novel, “A River of Stars,” which follows a pregnant Chinese immigrant, is due out in August and available for preorder now. The novel already appears in multiple booklists for 2018, including…
By Rebecca LeBoeuf Satirist Elinor Lipman, who grew up in Lowell, Mass., is approaching the one-year anniversary of her latest romantic comedy, “On Turpentine Lane.” Reviews written by Oprah.com and the Washington Post praise the novel and compare Lipman’s stories with those of Jane Austen. “Then She Found Me,” one…
by Pamme Boutselis As an actor, screenwriter and author, Aaron Denius Garcia tells stories across broad mediums, drawing upon his skills and experience in new ways. From a bicultural, bilingual childhood to his work on the television show, “Leverage” and other film projects and beyond, Garcia bring diverse perspective and experience…
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Ryan Graudin, a young adult fiction author, just wrapped up her weeklong tour celebrating the Sept. 26 publication of her latest novel, “Invictus.” The tale, which garnered a starred review from Publishers Weekly, follows Far, the son of a time-traveler. Far fails his time-traveling exam, crushing his…