Pearl Luke's Blog: Pearl Luke's Book and Writing Blog, page 31

Feb 22, Rock Me Gently by Katherine J. Barrett

"What's a dormitory?"

"Are there crocodiles in the river?"

"Will I have to eat porridge?"

My boys are going to camp. Alex and Jon turned six last month, Thomas is seven. They will be gone for three days and two nights. No parents allowed. Their Montessori school values independence and experience-based learning, so every child goes to camp starting in first grade -- and they go in February, a month after the South African school year begins. The camps they attend host school groups all year long, and have well-trained staff and well-supervised activities. Still, most campers are older than six. Our school is one of very few who sends first graders, and some camps have been reluctant to take them. Some parents have been reluctant to send them.

Thomas, now a second grader, went to camp last year. We drove for two hours, through the winelands, over a precipitous mountain pass and into a farming valley. I helped him carry his duffel bag into the dormitory, helped him find a bunk, kissed him good-bye and drove two hours home thinking: I just left my first born in the middle of South Africa! For three days I kept my cell phone close, and then made the return trip. Thomas was glad to see me, not jubilant, not tearful, just subdued and very, very dirty. He said almost nothing on the ride home, but stared out the car window, his saucer-wide eyes encircled with grime. Shell shocked, I thought.

Read more at Literary Mama

Feb 22, £15,00 DUNDEE International Book Prize ends March 1, 2012

The Dundee International Book Prize has established itself as the UK's premier prize for debut novelists. The £10,000 cash award together with publication, make The Dundee International Book Prize highly valued by tomorrow's great new writers seeking to break into the publishing world.

The award, now running for the eighth time, is for an unpublished novel on any theme and in any genre.

Dundee is a city which embraces writers – A.L. Kennedy was born and bred in the city and Douglas Dunn, Kate Atkinson, John Burnside, Bill Duncan and Rosamunde Pilcher are amongst the "glitterati" who have drawn on the City of Discovery for their inspiration over the last two decades.

For this and many other lucrative creating writing contests visit the Creative Writing Contests page.

Feb 22, Creative Writing Contests and Competitions

Creative writing contests and competitions with big cash prizes like the ones below can provide a real step up for writers. Writing competitions can jumpstart a career.

Feb 21, Where to Read Short Stories Online

Read short stories online. Links to high quality online fiction, the best new literary fiction online offered by the Book Trust, publishers, universities, and quality online journals.

Feb 21, Sitemap for Be a Better Writer and Pearl Luke.com

Sitemap for Be a Better Writer and Pearl Luke

Feb 19, Creative Writing Contests and Competitions

Creative writing contests and competitions with big cash prizes like the ones below can provide a real step up for writers. Writing competitions can jumpstart a career.

Feb 16, February 16th Book Giveaway: Island in the Clouds

Ever dream of running away to a tropical paradise? The thought had never crossed Geoff's mind until he fled to Bequia to avoid criminal charges in Canada. But the anonymous, peaceful life he has carved out for himself as an island property manager is thrown into jeopardy when he discovers a dead body floating in a pool.

With Geoff and his girlfriend under threat, and the incompetent local police unable to help, he realizes it's up to him to find the perpetrator and put a stop to crimes that are quickly destroying this little piece of paradise.

Island in the Clouds is travelogue woven through a murder mystery involving expats who must learn to live within a unique Caribbean culture.

Praise for Islands in the Clouds

~ So here we have a dead body in a swimming pool, a fantastic locale, and a cracking good yarn. Ever dreamed of running away to a Caribbean island? Author Susan Toy entertains while providing the inside scoop on what that might be like. And not to worry. You'll exit this mystery with your dreams intact. ~ Ken McGoogan, author, How the Scots Invented Canada, Fatal Passage

To learn how you can win a copy of Susan M. Toy's book, Island in the Clouds, please visit Getting 2 Know Susan M. Toy at BookClubBuddy.com

Feb 14, Creative Writing Contests and Competitions

Creative writing contests and competitions with big cash prizes like the ones below can provide a real step up for writers. Writing competitions can jumpstart a career.

Feb 13, Creative Writing Contests and Competitions

Creative writing contests and competitions with big cash prizes like the ones below can provide a real step up for writers. Writing competitions can jumpstart a career.

Feb 12, Creative Writing Prompts

These interactive creative writing prompts with photographs stimulate creativity and are fun to use for private or classroom use.