Secrets

Florida Writers Association Collection, Volume 15

This year’s Florida Writers Association’s anthology saw the highest number of entries in its fifteen-year history, with over 200 adult entries and twenty-five youth entries validated and judged. The number of entries were a boon to the Collection and raised the caliber of writing that the judges had to read and score. Once the finalists were selected, our guest editor, Ben Sharpton, had the Herculean task of selecting the top ten from a field of creative and well-written stories and poems. Kudos to Ben for his excellent choices!

Lest I forget, I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks to the team that made this year’s Collection possible: judge liaison, Arleen Mariotti; scorekeeper, Lori Palmer; data specialist Elaine Senecal, and FWA VP of Membership, Michael Farrell who sorted the entry forms and submission documents. —Paul Iasevoli, Editor in chief

Top-ten authors selected by Ben Sharpton

Jennifer Reed Cox, “I Will Be Your Memory”
Frank T. Masi, “Rocky and the Green Door”
E.A Russo, “Marriage Secrets”
Andrea W. LeDew, “Narrow”
Lynn E. Welsh, “Paradise Falls”
Lona Smith, “The Yellow Pencil”
H.G. Silvia, “Proteus Ascending”
K.L Small, “Help Wanted”
Joan Wright Mularz, “The Secret Garden”
Donald Jay, “The Toyshop’s Secret”

Other entries in alphabetical order by authors’ last names:

Rose Angelina, “Baptista Psiu! Hush, Hush!”
Monika Becker, “My Father’s Secret”
Paula Benski, “Wedding Day”
Nancy Lee Bethea, “A Secret Is”
P. K. Brent, “Magnar the Armored One”
William Clapper, “Gallery of Secrets”
Scott Corey, “An Unshared Memory”
Lynda Courtright, “Nasty”
Melody Dean Dimick, “Unearthing Dozier’s Dirt”
Lynda R. Edwards, “The Old Chair”
Elena Fowler, “Island Girl”
Lorrie Gault, “The Most Prized Possession”
Carolyn Greeley, “Yard Work”
Mark G. Hammerschick, “Primordial Stew”
Ellen P. Holder, “Inside the Box”
Chris Holmes, “Ramona”
John Hope, “Beneath Comfort’s Shadows”
Bart Huitema, “The Secret Tourist”
Beda Kantarjian, “Truck Stop”
Henry James Kaye, “Fallen Apples”
Tami Kidd, “The Little Tin Box”
Michele Verbitski Knudsen, “An Old Cold Secret”
Linda Kraus, “The Road to Hell”
Joan Levy, “The Drawing”
Kimberly Lewis, “Thistle and Weeds”
Lawrence Martin, “A Well-kept Martian Secret”
Meredith Martin, “The Brother Who Never Was”
Robert E. Marvin, “The Marker”
Phyllis McKinley, “Who Killed Corker?”
Mark McWaters, “Forever”
George August Meier, “Montague’s Obsession–The Lady in Red”
Barbara Meyers, “American in Paris”
Joanna Michaels, “The Empty Chair”
Christopher Myers, “Grandpop’s Trunk”
Mark H. Newhouse, “The Hearing: Inspired by a True Event”
Virginia Nygard, “Where Time Stands Still”
Mary Ellen Orvis, “Life’s Mysteries”
Janet K. Palmer, “Mission: Vanishing Act”
Pamela Peffer, “The Extravagant Infatuation”
Paula Pivko, “Secret”
William R. Platt, “Martha and Jerry”
Stefanie Posteraro, “Hiding Beneath”
Barbara Rein, “Wine and Words”
Allan K. Roit, “The One and Only”
Ruth Senftleber, “French Lessons”
Juli Simon, “Speaking of Clouds”
Tom Swartz, “Through Nana’s Eyes”
Skye Taylor, “Whispers”
Bobbie Thiessen, “The Fairy’s Wheel”

NextGen Writers top-five selections:

Perla A. Anderson, “Baba”
Elizabeth Creve-coeur, “It Will Never Go Away”
Sage Kaleta, “My Secret Winter Wonderland”
Hudson Lowe, “A Secret for You: A Villanelle”
Alexis Ollick, “Danger in the Waves”