IN THIS EMAIL
✍️ Flash Fiction Contest for Young Authors. Write a story of 1,000 words or less for a chance to win a $10 gift card! By popular demand, I'm also adding a Runner-up Prize this month. The runner-up may choose one digital item from my webstore.
❓Readers submitted questions about my life, my books, writing, and more. Scroll down to see this month's answers!.👇
👑 Bible verse of the month: Revelation 4:11
Howdy, !
This month I'm offering three story-starter prompts, including a Thanksgiving-themed adventure. The rules are below. Click one of the images or the button to submit your story through the Google Form. I really like these prompts, and I can't wait to see where your imagination takes them!
A few months ago, I sent out a writing survey and received some wonderful feedback. Many of you suggested separate novice, intermediate, and advanced categories instead of age groups. I loved the idea. Unfortunately, I can't afford to award prizes in multiple categories each month. However, I can add a second winner.
Starting this month, in addition to the grand-prize winner, I'll also choose a Runner-Up Winner. The runner-up may select any digital item from the Circle C webstore. Sometimes it's difficult to choose between two outstanding stories, and this gives me a way to recognize another talented writer.
Psst . . . A fun surprise awaits you in the January Flash Fiction Writing (and Art) Contest. Stay tuned.
FLASH FICTION RULES (ages 8-18)
One story per entrant, 1,000 words or less.
Andi (or the Goldtown characters) may be any age, and you may include made-up characters.
Deadline: Monday, November 30, 5pm Central Time.
Submit your entry via the Google Form.
Winners will be announced and stories posted on or before December 8.
Prizes: One winner receives a $10 Amazon gift card (or any digital product from the Circle C Store). One runner-up receives any download from the Circle C store.)
Stories should be entirely your own work. Please do not use AI tools for brainstorming or writing.
PROMPTS:
The Lantern in the Line Shack.
One warm summer evening, Andi rides into the foothills and spots a lantern glowing inside one of her family's supposedly deserted line shacks. Curious, she sneaks closer and discovers someone sheltering there. Who is it? Why are they hiding? And what secret are they trying to keep?
The Pumpkin Pie Disaster.
Andi helps Mother bake two pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. Later, when she checks the cooling rack, both pies have vanished! Certain one of her brothers is to blame, Andi sets out to solve the mystery. But the truth leads her to a very surprising culprit.
The Riddle in the Prospector's Cabin.
While exploring an old cabin, Jem and Nathan discover a strange riddle carved into the wall. Solving it leads them to a hidden box containing something valuable... but also something dangerous. Should they take the treasure, leave it alone, or uncover the mystery behind it?
BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH
If you've followed my newsletters for very long, you've probably noticed that I love Bible verses about our Creator and His mighty works! God Almighty is El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי), and this month's verse is one of my favorites: Revelation 4:11.
This beautiful verse reminds us that everything was created by God and exists for His pleasure and glory. I also love hearing these words sung in worship.
🎵 Listen to the verse in song to help you memorize it. Click the image or the button. Hide God's Word in your heart this month!
Enjoy these reader questions! If you'd like to read more Q&As, visit a previous edition of 👉 ASK MRS. M
OLIVIA S. asked me these two questions a couple of months ago:
How did you get the idea of naming Andi's ranch the Circle C ranch?
This is a good question! I wanted something more distinctive than "Carter Ranch," and I needed a name that could easily become a ranch brand. Since the family's last name is Carter, and I used to see those old Circle K convenience stores around town, I thought "Circle C" might work.
In my mind, the series was called Character Counts (not exactly the most original title! 😄). But when I saw the cover of Long Ride Home, I was amazed and delighted to discover that Kregel had renamed the series Circle C Adventures. They took the ranch name, created a brand mark, and turned it into the series title. Hurrah for my publisher! Thanks, Kregel Publications!
Have you ever seen Little House on the Prairie or gotten inspiration from it?
The TV series aired the year I started college, and I watched it faithfully. At first, I wasn't sure about it because Laura didn't look or act much like the Laura I had imagined from the books I loved. I like to think of Andi as a blend of several favorite literary heroines: Caddie Woodlawn, Anne of Green Gables, and Laura Ingalls from the books. Other than that, no, I have not gotten any storyline inspirations from the TV show.
EMMA A. asked a few questions too.
What was the worst thing that happened to you when writing your books? (Like, did it ever get deleted, trashed, etc.) Thank goodness, I have never lost a contracted manuscript!
For me, the worst writing experience would be signing a contract for a book and not knowing how the story ends. That's a solid 9 out of 10 on my stress meter. I believe this happened with Andrea Carter and the San Francisco Smugglers. It was the first book I had not already finished before getting a contract. I had to work hard and brainstorm with my mentor, Colleen Reece, to figure out some interesting things that could happen to Andi and her new friend Jenny Grant. I am not sure what happens to an author who does not make her deadline, and I never intend to find out!
Were you ever crying over one of your stories while you wrote it out? I don't shed tears easily, but I got a little teary when Andi fell over the cliff in The Last Ride, and I knew Taffy wasn't going to make it. My sister Julie read The Last Ride when it was only half-finished, and she told me later that she bawled her eyes out. This Milestones book almost didn't get published because so many people told me not to let Taffy die! But my publisher had no problem with the idea, and they published it.
KATIE ROSE asked two questions.
In Yosemite at Last', when Riley teaches Andi to shoot, I wondered as I read it if you have a personal experience of shooting. Absolutely! A number of years ago, I received a Glock for my birthday, but I did not like it at all. The first time I went target practicing with it, OUCH! The way it's made grabbed me and pinched the skin between my thumb and forefinger. Also, I could not get the bullets lined up in the clip. Boo. So, I said I'd rather try our six-shooter (a revolver with no safety). Even though it's heavy and I had to hold it with both hands, and I had to pull back the hammer in order to shoot the thing, I liked it much better. Way easier to figure out how to shoot it. Don't ask if I hit the bulls-eye. I can't remember. But I think I did hit the carboard box. 🫣
Also, when you first started writing the Circle C books did you think they would be so popular and loved, and that you would have a blog and a newsletter? Not in my wildest dreams. Looking back, I can see God's hand in every decision I made about writing more books, even when deadlines scared me. That first book (Long Ride Home) landed on a homeschool blogger site as an ad (just . . . wow), and after that I decided I'd better help my publisher promote this book if I ever wanted them to take on any more of my projects. I look back and see God's hand in every decision I made regarding more books (even when I was scared to write them since I don't like deadlines.)
LILY J. asked: Why do you like writing? Because I enjoy pretending I'm somewhere else, whether I'm Andi in the Old West, Jenny in old Tacoma, or a little girl named Jamie exploring space aboard the Enterprise. All of those made-up characters are me in different times and places, and it's just a lot of fun to imagine. Fun fact: I have memories of when I first began to make up stories in my head. I was ten years old, and my favorite show was Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. I SO wanted to ride around in that futuristic submarine, Seaview, that I made up stories that I could. (I've watched a few of those old episodes, and it's a mystery to me now how I even knew what was going on in that show.) I was so "Seaview" crazy that I collected the comic books. I still have this one. It's worth $179 on Ebay, but I would never sell it! 🫣 Here's the treasured comic book I've saved since childhood.
Got Questions? Mrs. M Has Answers!
I'm always looking for fun questions from readers. Ask me about my writing, my life with horses (and goats), or anything else within reason. Reply to this email and your question might appear in the next exciting installment of Ask Mrs. M!
You're receiving this email because you signed up for updates, entered a giveaway, downloaded a freebie, or purchased something from my webstore. Unsubscribe anytime (but I hope you'll stick around!)
0 comments