CoffeeBeanShop

Love & Coffee Winners!

The choices for our first short story contest were difficult. The entries were chosen for an unusual slant, appropriate titles, excellent endings, creativity and originality, an international "flavor" and/or just plain ol' outstanding writing. You'll find humor, surrealism, real voices, and love in unexpected places and times in our selections. All the finalist stories are listed to the right. You'll also find five Honorable Mentions below - thirty great stories in all.

The final winners were chosen by Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D. (more about our judge at the end of this page). She wrote, "You should be very proud of yourself because you attracted a fabulous group of stories. The decision was difficult because many of these people can REALLY write."

$300 First Place: Paul Alan Fahey - Dial 'C' for Coffee

Dial "C" for Coffee was chosen for the first round for the following reasons: Intriguing title, interesting opening lead with plenty of fast-paced dialogue. There is an interesting twist to the story, with a believable premise and with just a touch of comedy. Great ending, excellent writing, correct punctuation, no spelling errors. We were caught up with this story from the time it arrived in the email box. Excellent creative approach to the theme.

Paul Alan Fahey is a learning disabilities specialist at Alan Hancock college in Santa Maria, California, and also editor of their new literary magazine Mindprints, A Literary Journal. He is most recently published online in the April issues of The Paumanok Review, Furious Pen, Mocha Memoirs and The Vestal Review. Paul has a short story coming up in both Potpourri and The MacGuffin.

$200 Second Place: Lance Hendrickson - "Eligibility"

Eligibility was chosen for the first round for the following reasons: First, the title pulled us in. After reading the story, we realized the significance of "Eligibility." We didn't realize that Lance was an attorney, so we were impressed with the Latin, as well as with the attention to detail. This serves him well throughout this read, as two tools of coffee serve as metaphors for two marriages. Correct punctuation, no spelling errors, authentic voice. "Eligibility" made the cut with all the above, plus humor and an individual voice. Great ending, and a handsome read. Dr. Rozakis stated, "...the symbolism of the thermos set this a notch above the pack."

Lance Hendrickson, 32, is an attorney who lives in Roseville, California. Lance received a B.S. in Political Science from Central Michigan University in 1990, and a J.D. from the Arizona State University College of Law in 1993. In his career he practiced corporate law on an Indian reservation in western Arizona, he spent five years as a solo practitioner in his home town of Hesperia, Michigan (where he also was elected to the school board), and most recently he litigated complex commercial cases for a Sacramento law firm. Presently, he is deciding on whether to pursue writing on a full-time basis.

$100 Third Place: David Abrams - "Good Morning"

Good Morning was chosen for the first round for the following reasons: Although the title didn't grab us at first, the opening dialogue caught our eye and held it immediately. It was the only story with disjointed dialogue, and - although that's not a reason to be chosen - it was a fine quality about this piece, fitting and natural. It also read very smoothly, just like a good cuppa Joe. What singled this one out? Although there wasn't much of a twist on the theme, this story held excellent writing. The similes, metaphors and descriptive phrases were brewed to perfection. Dr. Rozakis said,"...the writer knows his way around; very skilled."

Stories and essays by David Abrams have appeared in Esquire, Greensboro Review, The North Dakota Review, Fish Stories and other literary quarterlies. One of his stories, "Providence," was included as 100 Other Distinguished Stories of 1998 in the 1999 Best American Stories, edited by Amy Tan. Since September 1999, he has written film and book reviews for the website www.epinions.com (this will open a new window) under the pseudonym “Grouch.” Mr. Abrams lives with his wife and three children in Anchorage, Alaska.

Honorable Mentions:

Love, Latte Style - Randy Sprague
Mornings With Dad - Gwen Morrison
The Coffee Machine - Maggie Mountford
The Romantic - Melaine Ryther
Thursdays - Kevin Self

Bonus:

The Bean Counter - Linda Courtland - Dr. Rozakis says, "I like the handicap theme; not done often. It was done here with sensitivity." Linda wins a "Coffee Lover's" pin from us, for this extra bonus bestowed by Dr. Rozakis.

About our Judge

CoffeeBeanShop was pleased to have Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D. as the final judge for our first writing contest, "Love and Coffee." When Laurie sent us her resume, we were overwhelmed at her accomplishments...We knew she was good, but...wow.

Since her resume fills an entire Web page, we took the liberty of just giving you links to a page filled with her work at Amazon below (each book link below will open a new window). If you don't like what you see, just refresh this page and you'll view more books by this prolific authoress in the box below. Also, be sure to read her article here at CoffeeBeanShop entitled, "What is Creative Writing?"