In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.
This week continues a series featuring contributors to the forthcoming anthology Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers. Edited by Judy Penz Sheluk and due June 18 from Superior Shores Press, the collection features 22 writers tackling this question: “Desire or desperation, revenge or retribution—how far would you go to realize a dream?” Contributors include Pam Barnsley, Linda Bennett, Clark Boyd, C.W. Blackwell, Amanda Capper, Susan Daly, James Patrick Focarile, Rand Gaynor, Gina X. Grant, Julie Hastrup, Beth Irish, Charlie Kondek, Edward Lodi, Bethany Maines, Jim McDonald, donalee Moulton, Michael Penncavage, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Debra Bliss Saenger, and Joseph S. Walker.
I was grateful to host C.W. Blackwell last week, talking about his story “Making Up for Lost Time.” This week, Bethany Maines steps in with “Front Desk Staff”—with an essay not only offering glimpses into writing decisions but also into customer service . . . and maybe there’s some overlap there, reading between the lines?
Bethany Maines is an award-winning indie and traditionally published author, writing in romance, action-adventure, and fantasy. She’s won numerous screenplay awards and writing awards. Find out more about her work at www.BethanyMaines.com or follow her blog posts at The Stiletto Gang.
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Maines
