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Sneak Peek: Twilight of the Drifter

Twilight of the Drifter is a crime story with southern gothic overtones. It centers on thirty-something Josh Devlin, a failed journalist who, after a year of wandering, winds up in a Kentucky homeless shelter on a wintry December.

Soon after the opening setup, the crosscurrents go into motion as Josh comes upon a runaway named Alice holed up in an abandoned boxcar. Taken with her plight and dejected over his own squandered life, he spirits her back to Memphis and his uncle’s Blues Hall Cafe. From there he tries to get back on his feet while seeking a solution to Alice’s troubles. As the story unfolds, a Delta bluesman’s checkered past comes into play and, inevitably, Josh finds himself on a collision course with a backwoods tracker fixated on the Civil War and, by extension, the machinations of the governor-elect of Mississippi.

In a sense, this tale hinges on the vagaries of chance and human nature. At the same time, an underlying force appears to be driving the action as though seeking the truth and long awaited redemption. Or, to put it another way, past sins have finally come due in the present.

Twilight of the Drifter, by Shelly Frome
Available in print or Kindle editions from Amazon. Continue reading “Sneak Peek: Twilight of the Drifter”

The Second Revolution and the Authors Guild—by Ilil Arbel

Author Ilil Arbel

City: Mainz, Germany
Year: 1399 CE
Location: A café that caters to scribes, illuminators, and publishers.

A tired looking man walks into the café and joins a group at one of the tables.
“What a day, guys,” he says. “I wrote almost six pages today; we practically ran out of quill pens. I need a beer.”
One of the men sighs. “Soon this will be the last of your problems, Heinrich.”
“Ha? Problems? Why?” said Heinrich. “You all look so gloomy, what’s wrong? And what’s with Friedrich over there?”
Everyone turns to look at Friedrich, who is sitting at another table, his head buried in his hands.
“He is an illuminator, Franz. He is doomed, and he is afraid to tell Magda and the children…”
“What are you talking about? He works for the best publisher in town!” Franz says. “He has nothing to worry about since they just started writing a new Bible for King Zrob of Khazaria!”
“So you haven’t heard, Franz,” said another person. “You remember last year, when Johannes said he was going to invent a printing press, and we all laughed? Well, he did. The first Gutenberg Printing Machine was just set up right here in Mainz, and he has very important, wealthy investors. Scribes and illuminators are a thing of the past.”
“Na,” said Franz. “It’s just a fad. The kids will enjoy it, but real scholars are not going to look at those things they call books. I remember how he described them, they are so ugly, you don’t even roll them out, you flip pages… who can read like that? And what about art? They will never be able to insert art properly since it will break down between those pages. Forget it, we are fine. Herman!!!! Would you bring me some beer already? And take another one to Friedrich over there, he needs to cheer up.” Continue reading “The Second Revolution and the Authors Guild—by Ilil Arbel”

Week 25 Flash Fiction Challenge Poll

The time has arrived for IU readers to begin voting in this week’s Flash Fiction Competition. On behalf of the IU staff, I want to thank all the entrants for doing such a great job with the writing prompt and the merciless constraints of the exercise.

This week, there are 7 entries from which to choose. You may review the entries here. Please spread the word and encourage your friends to vote by using the share buttons at the bottom of the post!

The poll will be open until 5:00 PM (Pacific Daylight Time) Thursday

Which was your favorite entry from this week's flash fiction competition?

  • 7. Ed Drury (46%, 13 Votes)
  • 2. Brian Beam (18%, 5 Votes)
  • 5. Jaq D Hawkins (18%, 5 Votes)
  • 3. Rich Meyer (7%, 2 Votes)
  • 4. Rosanne Dingli (7%, 2 Votes)
  • 1. Diane Stephenson (4%, 1 Votes)
  • 6. Mike Boggia (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 28

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MWA Novel Contest: Great Beginnings

maryland writers associationThe Maryland Writers Association is dedicated to helping writers hone their craft. That’s why they give feedback on every Novel Contest submission. Submit the first 7000 words (max) of your unpublished novel in English, with an optional 200-500 word synopsis of the novel. Three entries maximum. Entries are accepted electronically until June 30, 2012.

Entry fees and prizes vary. For more information, please visit their website.

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Indies Unlimited is pleased to provide this contest information for the convenience of our readers. We do not, however, endorse this or any contest/competition. Entrants should always research a competition prior to entering.