Monday, November 3rd, 2008 The "Through My Eyes" writing contest has come to a close, and let me tell you... I may never judge a contest again! There were simply too many GOOD entries. (Darn you people!) Being forced to choose between them was NOT my idea of fun! So, if you entered the contest and didn't win, don't feel discouraged. You were head-to-head with some of the hottest rising talents in this genre. However, there has been a change of plans. I've added a fourth place prize of $5, because... well... because I can! I know it's not much, but I can't envision Issue 4.5 without this story. So here are the winners: FIRST PLACE ($20): "Run" by Natalie L. Sin SECOND PLACE ($15): "The Purpose" by Shanna Wynne THIRD PLACE ($10): "Ice Cream Scoops" by Michael A. Kechula FOURTH PLACE ($5): "Suicidal Tendencies" by John Bruni and Nicole Evans POETRY WINNER ($10): "Life Is The Life" by Richard Fay Thanks again to everyone who entered. It was an honor to have such a response to TMND's very first contest! **************** Tuesday, August 7th, 2008 Hello! Check it out! Bookmarks for sale! I'm selling these "I LOVE HORROR" bookmarks for only $1.25 a piece, and that includes shipping costs! No extra, hidden fees... I promise! After the price of postage and the gratuitous (if you ask me) Paypal fees, all the nickels and dimes left over will be added to the prize money for an upcoming writing contest. I will be announcing the theme of this contest in Issue Four (due out in mid-September). So don't forget to check #4 for contest rules, story theme, and deadline! Here's what the bookmarks look like: Come on! Buy one for $1.25. It won't break your bank, right? Click the Buy Now button, or send $1.25 via Paypal to: LindseyBethGoddard@yahoo.com A quick reminder of what the contest will pay: Short Stories First Place: $20 Second Place: $15 Third Place: $10 Poetry Winning Poem: $10 If you don't have a Paypal account, and you're really itching for a bookmark, contact me on Myspace or at: MonsterEditor@yahoo.com. There are other ways. :::wink::: :D **************** Sunday, June 15th, 2008 ATTENTION: Some of you read bulletins and comments about the donation being $1. I am so sorry. I had to raise it to $1.50. Paypal takes at least 33 cents of every purchase! What jerks! I'll make no money after postage! So $1.50 it is. Anyway: Greetings horror fanatics, fiction fans, poets, dark souls, and fellow dreamers! Have you done a good deed today? If so... would you like to do another? :) I have befriended so many talented writers since starting The Monsters Next Door. There are too many of us struggling to be noticed. It can be discouraging at times. I would like to give something back to the thoughtful writers who contribute their stories to this non-paying market, who provide free fiction to anyone and everyone with internet access. I want to give them... cash prizes! How can you help? Thanks so much for asking! Donate $1.50. One little dollar and some change. A drop of gasoline in your tank. In return for your kind donation, I will send you two stickers for The Monsters Next Door. Every cent earned will go right back into the project. Donation money will not be touched for personal use. With the money, I will buy stamps and envelopes for mailing these stickers... and my ultimate goal: Short Stories First Place: $20 Second Place: $15 Third Place: $10 Poetry Winning Poem: $10 The cash amounts shown above are only a goal. If this idea is a total flop, prizes are subject to change. Don't let it flop!!!! Buy two stickers for a $1.50!!!! Click the Buy Now button, or send $1.50 via Paypal to LindseyBethGoddard@yahoo.com Also, as a token of my appreciation, I've created a special image for those who donate. The Photobucket address and information will be emailed to you upon receipt of your donation. You can put this image on your MySpace profile, website, or just look at it for a moment. That's entirely up to you. It looks like this: Email or send a MySpace message with any complications or concerns. I am here to help in any way I can! **************** Sunday, June 1st, 2008 Hey everyone! Thanks for dropping by. I would reach out and hug every single visitor to The Monsters Next Door, if I could. I've decided to start a "Monster News" section. Relying on bulletins and emails will cause a lot of unkown readers to be out of the loop of information. That's not fair! MySpace is a great way to meet creative people and build an audience, but I don't want it to be my only form of communication with the world. Issue Three is coming along very nicely, thanks to a wonderful amount of submissions! I'm not overwhelmed... not yet... but you guys have certainly kept me busy! No complaints. :) I just placed an order for 250 stickers. I will be selling them 2/$1 (two for a dollar). Every cent of this profit will fund a future writing contest. Every contest needs a prize, right? What's the fun in competing if you don't get a little reward? Well, buy two stickers for a dollar and help me award my contest winners! Think of it as donating to an awesome cause: horror! The stickers will be available for purchase some time in the next four weeks. Here's how they will look: The upcoming fiction contest will have a theme, but my lips are sealed! When I have raised enough money for proper prizes, the contest details will be released. Before I wrap this up, I would like to, once again, stress the importance of our SUGGESTION BOX. I want to make this website visually appealing, but my top priority is to make the written work read smoothly and comfortably. By the time I design each page, I've probably read the story twice. Obviously I'm not reading them after they hit the site. Well, I noticed that the lightning bolt background for "The Stranger" was a little bright and distracting, so I darkened the picture a tad. It literally took me 30 seconds, and things like this are important! Never hesitate to let me know! RIGHT HERE! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to check back for more Monster News updates! Your Editor, L.B. Goddard MonsterEditor@yahoo.com Back To Main Page TMND MySpace Profile