Summer Challenge Winners: “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”

Thanks to everyone who entered the Write On! Summer Contest: Write a  Fictional “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.” Also, thanks, travel writer John E. DiScala (a.k.a. Johnny Jet), for choosing the winners!

1st Place: John Bezpiaty – John’s winning story is posted below!
(Prize: A medium-length (or 21,000 word) one-reader iScript)

2nd Place: Cara Holman
(Prize: 10 Steps to Creating Memorable Characters by Sue Viders, Lucynda Storey, Cher Gorman, and Becky Martinez, compliments of The Writers Store )

3rd Place: Belinda Paez
(Prize: Ebooks, Courtesy of VBT-Writers on the Move. Writing, Publishing, and Marketing – You Can Do It! by Karen Cioffi; plus novels from Heather Paye (A Gift from Above ) and mystery/suspense author Darcía Helle (QuietFury Books, ebook is winner’s choice))

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John Bezpiaty – “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”

For many years I’ve listened, through the distance, to the city of New Orleans , and both her cooking and her music, the blues, have spoken to me.  This summer, though, I finally met her face-to-face, and I loved our charming and witty conversations.

She was an excellent entertainer, and I loved my fishing and boating trips with her in both the sparkling Gulf and the vast Mississippi .  I also had great fun swimming, hiking, snorkeling and water-skiing with her, and of course, on more relaxed evenings, I would step into one of her casinos or simply go bowling.

I was very complementary about her cooking, but her very original dishes earned each bit of praise.  No ordinary mind would add savory honey to hot sauce or stimulate coffee with a pinch of pepper, but her originality made each stop at a restaurant or café a revelation of new tastes.  Though always excited, I purposefully began eating as slowly as possible to savor each unexpected flavor.

Most of our talk was in the language of music, and for the first time in my life I heard the full variety of her Blues, her Jazz, her Dixieland and her Zydeco music, as well as an entirely new sound, a voice of anger called The Reds.  Hearing the bona fide descendents of the founders of her many musical traditions added much texture and feeling to my favorite sounds, and my first encounter with her newest musical expression was an evening of audio adventure.  I ended up with no idea of what to expect at any club, music hall or sidewalk stop, and I often sat in the same club till closing in continuous surprise.

After my two-week meeting New Orleans, I can recommend her as a social contact for anyone with the heart and mind to appreciate her.  She is one of the most stimulating places on Earth, with many talents, skills and experiences to keep a smile on your face.  Drop in on her to see….

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Enter the Write On! September Challenge: Short Fiction & Non-Fiction/Essay Query Contest.Deadline is September 30. Prizes from iScript, Write On Track LA, and VBT-Writers on the Move author Carolyn Howard Johnson. Query Queen Wendy Burt-Thomas will select the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from the finalists! For complete prize info and submission guidelines, check the website.