2018: Lisbeth L. McCarty, Peppers and Salt, Short Story
2019: Cindy Noble, Worldmakers, Novel
Flash Fiction: 1st, Barbara Sheperd, Old Lawmen Ride Again; 2nd, Mary Brannon,
Blood, Sweat, and Fear; 3rd, Mary Payne, Scandalous Headlines.
Adult Short Story: 1st, Lisbeth McCarty, Take My Word for It, Obvi; 2nd, Barbara
Shepherd, The Tavern; 3rd, 3rd, Mary Payne, Newlywed U-Turn.
Children's Fiction: 1st, Mary Payne, Plums in Glum; 2nd; Debra Chamber, Ben Nevis,
The Great Ice Dragon; 3rd, Lisbeth L. McCarty, Close Call.
Nonfiction Feature Article: 1st, Barbara Shepherd, 3500 Murals and Counting; 2nd, Mary
Brannon, Red Lipstick; 3rd, Lisbeth L. McCarty, To Beep or Not to Beep.
Nostalgic Essay: 1st, Melonie B. Hyland, Impact; 2nd, Debra Chambers, Unconditional Love; 3rd, Lisbeth L. McCarty, Children of a Lesser Brand; Honorable Mention,
Barbara Shepherd, Midwife on Call.
Novel: 1st, Cindy Noble, Twilight Rangers; 2nd, Lisbeth L. McCarty, A Piece of the Puzzle;
3rd, Barbara Shepherd, Just Call Me Jill.
Rhymed Poetry: 1st, Barbara Shepherd, Bouquet of Friends; 2nd, Dan Snell, On a
Quiet Campus June 2022; 3rd, Melonie B. Hyland, Not There; Honorable Mention; Mary Brannon, Petticoat Justice.
Unrhymed Poetry: 1st, Hugh Jeffers, The Organ Master; 2nd, Barbara Shepherd,
Willie's Wild Ride; 3rd, Jennis Raney, Dream of Wild Horses; Honorable Mention,
Melonie B. Hyland, Red Things and Birds.
Bonnie Speer Crème de la Crème Winner: Shelley Anne Richter, The Haircut from Mars
Unrhymed Poetry: 3rd, Shelley Anne Richter, Late So Soon, 2nd, Barbara Shepherd, Ravens; 1st, Lisbeth L. McCarty, Solstice.
Rhymed Poetry: 1st, Barbara Shepherd, In the Land of Make Believe.
Novel: 3rd, Debra Chambers, Breadenhurt Academy; 2nd, Lisbeth L. McCarty, Never Miss an Opportunity; 1st, Barbara Shepherd, None Such Road.
Nostalgia: Honorable Mention, Mary Spaulding, I was a Victim of Internet Fraud; 3rd, Barbara Shepherd, Saturday Shopping; 2nd, Shelley Anne Richter, Fascination; 1st, Lisbeth L. McCarty, Card Shark.
Flash Fiction; 3rd, Jennie Raney, Anger in the Night; 2nd, Lisbeth L. McCarty, Go Ahead; 1st, Mary Payne, The Boy Who Hates Curls.
Short Story: 3rd, Melonie B. Hylan, Quirk; 2nd, Shelley Anne Richter, Goodbye Luncheon; 1st, Barbara Shepherd, Blood Money.
Feature Article: 3rd, Mary Payne, How Adoptees Can Learn Their Pre-Adoption History; 2nd, Lisbeth L. McCarty, Shallow Water Blackout; 1st, Barbara Shepherd, Poems for Profit: Hobby of Business?
2018 Writing Contest:
Contest Chair: Mary Payne
Contest Winners:
Bonnie Speer Crème de la Crème Award: Lisbeth L. McCarty for "Peppers and Salt."
Short Story, Adult:
2nd Place Mary Flowers Brannon — “Saturday Afternoon in 1968”
3rd Place Shelley Anne Richter — “Ring Dance”
1st Place Lisa Duchon — “Mother Irene Was Right All Along
2nd Place Lisbeth McCarty — “Greasy Spoon Boon"
3rd Place Roy Hampton McCool — “Fran and the Lake House”
1st Place Mary Flowers Brannon — “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner?”
2nd Place Shelley Anne Richter — “Saving Bridgett”
3rd Place Lisbeth McCarty — “What’s the Appeal?”
1st Place Lisbeth McCarty — “I Refuse”
2nd Place Barbara Shepherd — “Wanted”
3rd Place Shelly Anne Richter — “The Wolf”
1st Place Lisbeth McCarty — “The Choreography of Chlorophyll”
2nd Place Roy Hampton McCool — “Watching Women Leave”
3rd Place Shelley Anne Richter — “Vainglory”
Honorable Mention Barbara Shepherd — “She’s Always Late”
1st Place Barbara Shepherd — “The Noisy Peacock”
2nd Place Lisbeth McCarty — “I’ll Have That”
3rd Place Roy Hampton McCool — “Heroes of the Fire”Honorable Mention Shelley Anne Richter — “Jim ‘n’ I”
- 1st, Barbara Shepherd, "Octavia's Secret"
- 2nd, Susan Cogan, "Monster for Hire"
- 3rd, Charles R. Richter II, "The Invisible Cop"
- 1st, Mary Spaulding, "My Very Most Unforgettable Character"
- 2nd, Keith Eaton, "Remembering Paul and Jackie . . . Rack 'Em LA 1967
- 3rd, tie, Ariel White, "Sympathetic Feelings"
- 3rd, tie, Lisbeth L. McCarty, "While We Whiled"
- Honorable Mention, Mary Flowers Brannon, "Could He Do It?"
- 1st, Shelley Anne Richter, "Bigfoot and the Latch-Key Kid"
- 2nd, Barbara Shepherd, "Dinosaur Hunters"
- 3rd, Lisbeth L. McCarty, "Wesley Whistled While Working"
- 1st, Lisbeth L. McCarty, "Heads Bowed, Eyes Down"
- 2nd, Salome L. Vaughn, "Heistin's Light of Love"
- 3rd, Mary Flowers Brannon, "Bathing Suit"
- 1st, Stephen Flowers, "A Clutter of Clouds"
- 2nd, Ariel White, "Clear, Crisp December"
- 3rd, Mary Flowers Brannon, "Devil Nun at St. Joseph's"
- 1st, Shelley Anne Richter, "A Dog Named Wide-Load"
- 2nd, Barbara Shepherd, "William Scott Receives Quilt of Valor"
- 3rd, Mary Spaulding, "Get Your Mammograms"
- Honorable Mention, Charles R. Richter II, "Robin Redbreast Family"
2016 Contest Winners:
Bonnie Speer Crème de la Crème Award: Barbara Shepherd for Short Story, "Daffodil Waltz"
Nostalgic Essay:
- 1st, Barbara Shepherd: "Fighting Wildfire"
- 2nd, W. Michael Whaley: "Tale of Two Elders"
- 3rd, Skye Brannon Lucking: "Midnight Potato Salad"
- 1st, Barbara Shepherd: "Daffodil Waltz"
- 2nd, Mary Flowers Brannon: "But, Son, You Don't Need a Pierced Ear"
- 3rd, Rebel Sowell: "Whispering Trees"
- 1st, Shelley Ann Richter: "Suppers on the Farm"
- 2nd, Mary Flowers Brannon: "Ode to a Football Widow"
- 3rd, Lisbeth L. McCarty: "Fumbling at Struggling with Self"
- 1st, Shelley Anne Richter: "Invested Artistry"
- 2nd, Mary Flowers Brannon: "All's Roswell that Emails"
- 3rd, Barbara Shepherd: "The Journey"
- 1st, Barbara Shepherd: "How to Turn Ninety in Style"
- 2nd, Skye Brannon Lucking: "Bag Man"
- 3rd, Mary Payne: "Mapping the Quest for Adoption Records"
- 1st, Barbara Shepherd: "Granny's Gift"
- 2nd, Lisbeth L. McCarty: "Allie Ate an Alligator"
- 3rd, Skye Brannon Lucking: "My Earliest Fine Art Memory"
2015 Contest Winners:
Bonnie Speer Crème de la Crème Award: Sylvia Forbes for Nostalgic Essay, "Tales from the Swamp"
Nostalgic Essay:
- 1st, Sylvia Forbes: "Tales from the Swamp"
- 2nd, Keith Eaton: "Friends Across Time"
- 3rd, Lisbeth L. McCarty: "My Sister's Life as a Taco"
- 1st, Barbara Shepherd: "Ride the River"
- 2nd, Shelley Ann Richter: "The Five Claws of the Dragon"
- 3rd, Sherry Bynum: "Death Came Too Soon"
- 1st, Sylvia Forbes: "A Gardener's Woes"
- 2nd, Shelley Ann Richter: "Wilderness Adventure"
- 3rd, Barbara Shepherd: "Falling 101"
- Honorable Mention, Skye Brannon Lucking: "Lies"
- 1st, Barbara Shepherd: "Power of a River Stone"
- 2nd, Shelley Ann Richter: "Looking up Heroes"
- 3rd, Lisbeth L. McCarty: "Cool, Calm, and Detected"
- 1st Honorable Mention, Mary Flowers Brannon: "The Devil Nun:
- 2nd Honorable Mention, Skye Brannon Lucking: "The Decision"
- 1st, Lisbeth L. McCarty: "The Church of No People"
- 2nd, Shelley Anne Richter: "The Devil's Worship"
- 3rd, Sylvia Forbes: "Out for an Afternoon Stroll"
- 1st, Mary Payne: "Lonely Lilly Needs a Friend"
- 2nd, Lisbeth L. McCarty: "A Ghost Has No Flesh and Bones"
- 3rd, Shelley Anne Richter: "Echo"
(Contest Chair: Lisbeth L. McCarty)
2018: Lisbeth L. McCarty, Peppers and Salt, Short Story
2019: Cindy Noble, Worldmakers, Novel