Pat D. wins again. First Place

A Big Congratulations to my friend and cousin, PAT D. who won First Place in a contest sponsored by the Abilene Writers Guild. Her story Oysters and Disappointments won the prize in the Memoir/Nostalgia category, and her award was $100. Just a few years ago, it seems, Pat asked me to edit some of her work. She said she was a beginning writer and had never submitted any work for publication, but she wanted to write stories about her life. And her life, like the lives of most of us, is unique. She grew up with a family that traveled from job to job. She lived in a little trailer and babysat her little sister while her parents worked. That is only a smidgen of the background for her stories. She sent her stories to me. She followed my suggestions for the most part, but many times, she stuck with her own instincts. I urged her to submit her work, but it took a while before she decided to do so. Soon she was emailing me about her publications, and her writing awards - memoir, haiku, poems - and I am beyond proud to know Pat and see where she has gone with her work. One day these stories will be published in a book and I'll be shouting from the rooftops where and how you, my readers, can get it and enjoy reading about the life of Pat D. Congratulations, Pat, on another contest win.