Memories from Maple Street, USA: Leaving Childhood Behind
Theme: childhood memoirLength: 1,500 to 3,000 words
Deadline: September 1, 2015
Growing up is a miraculous time. The journey from the freedom of childhood to the workaday life of modern adults is filled with both poignance and wonder. Along with fond memories of pedaling bikes through honeysuckle-scented streets with a pack of neighborhood friends, playing “kick the can” and stickball on warm summer evenings alight with fireflies, and the inevitable loss of people and places dear to the heart, everyone experiences a seminal moment when he or she knows they’re leaving childhood behind.
Was there a turning point in your life when you realized the world had shifted and nothing would ever be the same? We want your story. From the touching to the humorous, the inspirational to the adventurous, if you have a childhood memory you’ll never forget, now is the time to put pen to paper and recount that special moment.
We seek original manuscripts from women and men across the spectrum and at all levels of writing experience. Unpublished writers are encouraged to submit. All stories must be true, first-person memoirs of 1,500 to 3,000 words. Do not send fiction or “as told to by” accounts.
Attach the completed story to an email addressed to cheryl@prairierosepublications.net and include a brief synopsis in the body of the email. All manuscripts should be in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
A Mail-Order Christmas Bride
Theme: western historical romanceLength: 10,000 to 15,000 words
Deadline: October 1, 2015
Christmas is the season of good cheer, family, and tradition. Imagine leaving the familiar comforts behind to marry a man you don’t know. Would that bring a bride long-awaited happiness or sorrow? Why would a man send for a bride during the season of joy?
Perhaps one or both of them have never known the spirit of Christmas, and they’re eager to discover what they’ve been missing. Maybe they’re desperate to escape the pain Christmas evokes. Did her family disown her? Is he isolated...or alone in a crowd? Whether they’re running to or from all that makes the holiday season special, it’s up to you to give them the most memorable Christmas ever with the best gift of all: love that will last a lifetime.
Send us your tale about a happily-ever-after Christmas in the old west. Manuscripts should be 10,000 to 15,000 words long and may have a heat level of sweet to spicy. No erotica, please. Attach the completed story to an email addressed to cheryl@prairierosepublications.net and include a brief synopsis in the body of the email. All manuscripts should be in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
One Christmas Knight
Theme: medieval holiday romanceLength: 10,000 to 15,000 words
Deadline: October 1, 2015
Many of today’s Christmas traditions saw their genesis during the Middle Ages, when kings, knights, lords, and ladies lived in splendor while serfs and vassals endured squalid conditions.
What would make Christmas special for medieval heroes and heroines? Whether they’re fighting to retain all they own or battling to change their personal circumstances—or maybe the world at large—it’s up to you to unite a hero and heroine with the lifetime love of their dreams.
Prairie Rose Publications wants to see your story about Christmas love in a medieval land. Send your completed manuscript of 10,000 to 15,000 words to cheryl@prairierosepublications.net. Include a brief synopsis in the body of the email. Tales may be sweet to spicy, but no erotica, please. All manuscripts should be in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
Memories from Maple Street, USA: The Best Christmas Ever
Theme: Christmas memoirLength: 1,500 to 3,000 words
Deadline: November 1, 2015
Christmas is a time of wonder and joy—especially for children. Can you remember one special Christmas that stood out from all the rest when you were growing up? Maybe you got a present you’d wanted more than anything else, or perhaps a loved one came home unexpectedly. Amidst all the excitement and good cheer with family and loved ones, maybe you had a quiet moment or two to think about the true meaning of Christmas…and that was the best gift of all.
We’re looking for these stories for the second volume in our Maple Street series: Memories from Maple Street, USA: The Best Christmas Ever. So wander back down Memory Lane and put your pen to paper to recount the very best childhood Christmas you remember. We’d love for you to share it with us.
Please remember: We are looking for true, first-person stories of 1,500 to 3,000 words. No “as told to by” accounts. Women and men across the spectrum, published or unpublished, are encouraged to submit. Attach the completed manuscript to an email addressed to cheryl@prairierosepublications.net and include a brief synopsis in the body of the email. All manuscripts should be in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
PRP enjoys working with both new and established storytellers. We look forward to seeing your short memoirs and holiday tales!
