Storytime with Writers' Playground

In a brutal and unforgiving north, arranged marriages like this one are key to the survival of the human race... "This Savage Life" won 3rd Place, out of 691 entries, in our Eighth Playground Challenge... Chuck Schading is a talented writer who lives in Geneva, New York, in the heart of the beautiful Finger Lakes region, with his wife, two sons, three dogs and a bird named Tic Tac…. He is a 27-year veteran of the newspaper industry and currently an editor for Community Health magazines. Some of his recently published short fiction can be found in The Literary Hatchet, San Antonio Review, Still Here Magazine and VIA: Voices in Italian Americana. He’s also working on a novel-length version of “This Savage Life,” that will follow these characters where this story leaves off… You can read more of his work or get in touch with him at chuckschading.com or on Instagram @chuckschading… You can also read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

A story about a young girl being raised by her aunt, when her mother comes home during a rainy summer with a pet lizard that this young girl falls in love with... "Iguana Summer" won 1st Place in our Second Playground Challenge... Darcie Johnson is a stay at home mom, an avid reader, and a talented writer from Tallahassee, Florida and you can follow her on twitter @darciewrites - You can also read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

Fleeing through the Maurepas Swamp, a fugitive finds refuge in a child’s treehouse above the floodline. But in a land where nothing stays bound and buried, shelter comes with a price... "Forever Amber" won 9th Place, out of 697 entries, in our Eleventh Playground Challenge... Charles Sayers is a talented writer from Atlanta, Georgia, and he has a novel called Break a Wish that is now available for preorder. You can find it on Amazon, and it will be fully available on September 30th… It follows the protagonist, Gregory the Grey, who is a wizard in every sense of the word – except the magic part… He can identify enchantments, authenticate cursed objects, and tell you precisely how dangerous a magical artifact is. He just can't cast a spell himself.…. So, when Gregory’s great-uncle dies and leaves him Bramblewick Castle—complete with a sentient house, mafiosa gargoyles, a dying dragon named Dave, and enough unpaid HOA fees to risk having the estate seized in a fortnight, his only hope may be a wishing wand, provided he can follow its one maddening rule: Wish From Your Heart, Not Your Head…. Charles has also completed a novel, coming soon, called Soul Eater: Maurepas, which actually takes up right where "Forever Amber" left off... Look out for that to be launched in October, and make sure to check out his website, charlessayers.com - You can also find more of the winning stories from our competition on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

In the faraway land of Flarce, in a faraway time long past, Gumbil Fig prepares himself for the Trial of Wisdom... "No Such Thing as Serendipity" won 10th Place, out of 553 entries, in our Fourth Playground Challenge... Dan Davies is a talented writer from Armidale, NSW, Australia… He was the winner of the 2022 New England Thunderbolt Prize for the Crime Writing Emerging Author Award, and he currently has a fantasy novel in the works… Make sure to check out his website, https://6340bbb317ff6.site123.me/ and read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

A sleep-deprived woman goes to pick up her daughter from the train station after a prolonged absence... "A Mother's Vigil" won 2nd Place, out of 606 entries, in our Seventh Playground Challenge... Zelda C. Thorne is a talented writer from Norwich, UK... She has been published by Northern Gravy, Off Topic, and JAKE, and she was also shortlisted for the Olga Sinclair Prize... Her speculative piece, "Star Status" was featured on the USA science fiction podcast, Tall Tale TV, and it is the title of her debut short story collection.... You can find her collection of short stories, "Star Status," on Amazon or on Zelda’s website, www.zeldacthorne.com, so make sure to check that out… You can also read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

A psychiatrist visits with a patient who believes he is a wizard... "A Suitable Realm" won 7th Place, out of 462 entries, in our Fifth Playground Challenge... Sara George is a talented writer from Concord, North Carolina and she has two novels available, Wish Wrecked and Semi-Psychic Sally. They are both contemporary fantasy, meaning they are set in the present-day world but contain a little bit of magic or mysticism… Wish Wrecked is a modern-day genie tale and it concerns an unremarkable deadbeat who is now the master of an ancient, all-powerful genie. What could go wrong?... And Semi-Psychic Sally is a contemporary romance about a girl who has the power to see what her future would look like with anyone she shakes hands with. But even a psychic can't see everything... You can find both of these novels on Amazon or Kindle so go check those out... Also, make sure to follow Sara:

www.authorsarageorge.com

IG: @sara_tells_stories

FB: Sara George - Author

TikTok: @sara_tells_stories

You can also read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

Alma is forced to confront the meaning of life when she encounters a mysterious bird... "Caballito" won 8th Place, out of 716 entries, in our Tenth Playground Challenge... Kelsey Goforth is a talented writer from Toronto, Canada and you can follow her on Instagram @kgoforth1 - You can also read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

A woman finds strength in an unexpected place after a tragic loss... "Something You Can Touch" won 6th Place, out of 642 entries, in our Ninth Playground Challenge... Cathee Phillips is a talented writer from Barboursville, Virginia and she is currently working on a volume of short stories with the working title: "Spilled Milk." Instead of writing a memoir exploring the generational trauma of her ancestry and life, she is writing stories that explore how such trauma entrenches raw emotions deep within the mind, soul, and body. It is not about the facts and the details, as much as it is about understanding the source of those emotions, and how exploring the roots of these things through her writing and through these stories, can help find even the smallest bit of healing, which is what really matters…. Make sure to follow Cathee on her website, catheejp.weebly.com and you can read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

First published in 1895, and translated into English by Constance Garnett in 1901, “Master and Man” by Leo Tolstoy is set in 1870s Russia, and follows a landowner and his servant as they struggle through a blizzard on their way to a neighboring homestead where they hope to conduct some business… With an introduction and short closing analysis, the actual story begins at 8:05… From one of the greats, it is a suspenseful tale about the struggle for survival and Man vs. Nature...

Sixteen-year-old Eve takes part in the Rite, during which she will be matched with her future husband. All she has to do is prove her worthiness... "Break Glass" won 4th Place, out of 691 entries, in our Eighth Playground Challenge... Sabina Trojanova is a talented writer from London, UK and you can follow her on Instagram @girlvsglobe - Read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com