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The results of the 2018 Novel Opening Chapter & Synopsis Category are as follows:
Winner: Fishermen’s Court by Andrew Wolfendon Runner-up: Behind Me Lies the Desert by Kevin Gerard Neill
Judge’s Report from Steph Patterson senior editor at Crooked Cat Books I’m delighted to be judging this year’s Flash 500 Novel Openings Competition. I always enjoy discovering the variety and quality of the novels submitted, and this year did not disappoint at all. Without exception, I found all submissions interesting in their own way. These included historical fiction, Young Adult, fantasy, contemporary fiction, and crime – both cozy and dark. It was fascinating to see how participating authors have designed whole worlds, made characters come alive, displayed in-depth research (historical and geographical), and created complex, intriguing plots. My compliments go to all shortlisted contestants. It was yet another hard task to find the winner and runner-up, but my congratulations go to: Fishermen’s Court: With its wry sense of humour, the beginning hooks you straight away. Daily chores are followed by fast-paced action, as the protagonist finds his life in danger, quite unexpectedly. Behind Me Lies the Desert: The introductory scene is well-portrayed, and the author’s knowledge of the subject area – life in the Middle East – is apparent. We accompany the protagonist on her journey to the Lebanon. I wish to thank Lorraine Mace for allowing me to judge the Flash 500 Novel Openings Competition again. Stephanie Patterson Senior Editor December 2018
Short list in alphabetical order A Little Bit Broken by Caroline Day A Train on a Beach by Jamie D Stacey Agency by Stephanie Hutton Behind Me Lies the Desert by Kevin Gerard Neill Beyond the Black Gate by Mark Hudson Fishermen’s Court by Andrew Wolfendon French Connections by Beth Wellington How Brave You Must Be by Catherine Browne Kiss/Kill a Monster by Helen Reynolds Locusts by Lorna Riley My Name Is Ten by Colleen MacMahon The Nameless by Stuart White The Princess Murders by Alyssa Mackay The Roses of March by Donna Brown The Trauma Pool by John Kennedy
Long list in alphabetical order 30 Days by Claire Martin A Charm to Mend Lost Causes by Margaret Davies A Little Bit Broken by Caroline Day A River Is Not Enough by Donna L Greenwood A Thousand Days of Red Sun by Elena Croitoru A Train on a Beach by Jamie D Stacey Agency by Stephanie Hutton And the Sea Darkened by V S Lloyd Behind Me Lies the Desert by Kevin Gerard Neill Beyond the Black Gate by Mark Hudson Catch the Wind by Anna Holmes Do Not Exceed Sixty by Lindsay Bamfield Dog by Elspeth Latimer Fishermen’s Court by Andrew Wolfendon French Connections by Beth Wellington Ghosts of Mars by Stuart White How Brave You Must Be by Catherine Browne I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore by Gill Darling If Books Could Kill by April Kopp Junk Folk by Sharon Boyle Kiss/Kill a Monster by Helen Reynolds Locusts by Lorna Riley Lottie and Koosha by E. J. Pepper Metamorphosis by Andrew Bell My Name Is Ten by Colleen MacMahon Riding the High Road by Penny Frances Saint Michael by Angelita Bradney Separation by Jeremy Timmins Seven at Odds by John Greville The Baby in the Box by Anne Hamilton The Blades of Winter by Kinnier Wilson The Bundig by Geoff Aird The Dream Circle by Maire Malone The Hedonistic Imperative by Andrew Bell The House at Knockmarran by E. J. Pepper The Inside Passage Through Time by Nicole McMurray The Killing Streets by David Hough The Knight's Curse by Kristin Meachem The Last Library by Freya Sampson The Nameless by Stuart White The Princess Murders by Alyssa Mackay The Rending by David Pearson The Roses of March by Donna Brown The Shadow Keepers by Marisa Noelle The Shadow Puppet by David Griffiths The Shift by Laura Kuhlmann The Trauma Pool by John Kennedy The Turkish Citizen by Patricia Donovan The Uniter Chronicles – Ascendant by Laurence Paul There Is Always Some Beauty Left by Corie Adjmi Toby and the Silver Blood Witches by Sally Doherty Too Close to the Wind by Richard Attree We Must Give Battle in the End by Sally Craythorne Where Earth and Sky Meet by Tracey Blezard Winterland by Amanda J Evans Wolf Breath by Beverley Harvey
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