Dianna Sinovic Editor's Notes

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Issue 74, Fall 2023

Hello, readers!

The trees have begun to turn on their fall colors, brushing the hillsides with golds and coppers, so it must be time for the Autumn issue of the Bethlehem Roundtable. It’s also the issue you’ve been waiting for: the second installment of our group story, A Fish Out of Water.

In the first installment, we learned that the Jersey Shore was home to a small colony of merfolk who had taken up living on the land. When Clam Shack server Gloria accompanies the merman Hudson into the sea, that act severs a treaty between the merfolk and the creatures of the deep. Read on to find out the consequences.

In this issue, we are also announcing the judge for our 2024 short story contest: best-selling author Marlo Berliner.

Also in this issue is an interview with Yasmin Angoe, author of the Nena Knight thriller series. Courtney Annicchiarico shares her love of books and reading in Literary Learnings.

Issue 71, Winter 2023

With the new year’s arrival, January will likely bring overcast skies and the occasional snowfall to the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, home base for the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. It’s a time for hunkering down near the fire with a good book or movie, while the chimes on the porch clang in the winter gusts.

Here at the BWR, we are excited to announce that our 2023 Short Story Award is now open for submissions. The theme is holiday tales—stories can include any holiday from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. See the Award page on the site for more details.

We’re also looking ahead to this year’s issues. As mentioned in the last issue, we have switched to two three-month submission periods for the year. Our first limited submission period runs until January 31. The second will start June 1 and end August 31.

We look forward to seeing your work while also showcasing our members’ work.

In this Winter issue, our featured story, “For the Love of Dottie” by Ellen Kazimer, took third place in the 2022 BWG Short Story Award. Congratulations, Ellen!

The issue also highlights excerpts of longer works by several of our members. Debra H. Goldstein shares two excerpts, one from her mystery One Taste Too Many, and the other from her recently released mystery, Five Belles Too Many.

Paula Benson shares a chapter from “Candlemas,” part of Love in the Lowcountry, Volume 2. Christopher D. Ochs shares a chapter from his urban fantasy, My Friend Jackson, and Carol L. Wright shares an excerpt from her cozy mystery, Death in Glenville Falls.

Later this year, we’ll unveil a group story told from various points of view, each character written by a different BWG member.

Issue 69, Summer 2022

Summer is a time to unplug from the busyness of the every day and soak up some down time, whether at the beach, in the woods, or at another place that brings you a sense of peace and relaxation. For me, that’s a walk in the forest to hear birdsong, or dipping a paddle in lake waters to explore along a new shoreline.

Whatever summer has in store for you, I hope it’s enjoyable. Which brings me to the latest issue of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. There’s plenty to bring you pleasure.

First, we are excited to announce the winners of the 2022 Short Story Award:

#1: “The Tabac Man” by Eleanor Ingbretson

#2: “Money, Truth and Lies” by Steve Shrott

#3: “For the Love of Dottie” by Ellen Kazimer

This issue’s featured story, “Sales Man” by Zary Fekete, takes us along on a summer job selling door-to-door, in which that next pitch goes a bit differently than planned. Our featured poetry, “Funeral Home on a Friday Afternoon” by Anastasia Jill, plays commerce against grief.

Carol L. Wright interviews mystery author (and BWG member) Debra Goldstein, whose new book Five Belles Too Many was just released in June.

Among our & More offerings, two other BWG members weave entertaining tales: Emily Murphy’s “The Muse” gives a different spin on the concept of a writer’s inspiration, and Carol L. Wright’s “Connecting the Dots” takes us on a treasure hunt into an attic and back into time.

Rounding out that section is Marie Anderson’s story, “Duckles,” about newfound friends, and Liz Chang’s sobering poem, “Why Am I Angry at My Favorite Folk Singer?”

In addition, Ralph Hieb shares his love of good books in Literary Learnings.

So, unplug, put your feet up, and dive in!

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Issue 66, Fall 2021

For many of us, autumn brings falling leaves, crisp nights (and days), and fewer hours of daylight. But there’s still plenty of time to read!

Welcome to the Fall issue of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, with the theme “Falling into place.” News that reflects that theme is the announcement of our 2022 short story contest judge: mystery author Kate Carlisle. We’re excited to have her.

You’ll find plenty to entertain you in this issue. Our featured story, “Fiona Malone’s Fesh,” by Veronica Jorge, is a fish tale of sorts. Our featured poem is “Chanting in the Country” by Marian Rogers, who shares her view of country vs. city.

We also bring you the story “A Bronx Fall,” by Mark Blickley, about a fateful autumn day during baseball season. And there’s “Cicada Shells,” by Yongsoo Park, about playing a violin. “Taco & Hugh” by Marie Anderson offers a tale of next-door neighbors. And rounding up the &More section is the poem “A Charm,” by W.F. Lantry.

This issue’s interview is with author and Bethlehem Writers Group member D.T. Krippene, who’s busy revising the first book of his post-apocalyptic trilogy series. And in Literary Learnings, A.E. Decker discusses Susannah Clarke’s novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

Until the next issue, happy reading!

Issue 62, Fall 2020

This issue's theme is Migration. For birders in the Northern Hemisphere, that means the annual migration of birds flying south to their wintering grounds. But at the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable this year, it means our migration to a new, improved website.

After nearly ten years on Google Sites, with this issue we move to a WordPress-based platform. It's a work in progress, so look for more fun and functionality over the next few issues.

Our biggest news this issue is the announcement of our judge for the 2021 Short Story Award: best-selling author Charlaine Harris. The competition opens January 1, 2021, with the theme of An Element of Mystery. Be sure to check out the contest rules [link to contest page].

This issue includes "Stuff," by our featured author, Joel Fishbane, about a missing creamer with a peculiar shape. Our featured poet, Peggy Heitmann, shares "A View from the Milky Way."

We have an interview with author Mary Anne Moore, and short stories by Jeffrey Hunt and Ramona Scarborough, whose story "Clover" earned an Honorable Mention for our 2020 Short Story Award. Poems by Sherly Guteri and K.M. Black round out our &More section.

This issue's Literary Learnings takes a look at Assassins by Stephen Sondheim.

Here's to a safe and healthy autumn!

Issue 60, Spring 2020

We at the Roundtable selected spring fever as our theme for this issue long before the coronavirus arrived and made fever a critical red-flag symptom. While we sequester ourselves indoors, we take comfort in the season's blossoms--tiny spring beauties, vibrant forsythia, and multi-hued azaleas, among them.

In this spring 2020 issue, our featured author is Laura Dennis, whose story, "A Day at the Lake," mirrors true life in a heartbreaking way. We also showcase captivating stories by Sita Romero ("Jizo") and Ila Das ("Time to Tame").

Janice S. Fuller, our featured poet, brings us "The Siren," and we also have two other poets in this issue: Sravani Singamapalli ("A Man Unknown to the World") and Suzanne Purvis ("Made Up for Life").

You'll find an engaging interview with author Sahar Abdulaziz, whose five books cover a range of topics. In Abdulaziz's contemporary fiction and thrillers, her characters are quirky and unpredictable. She's also co-author of a non-fiction book on mood disorders, and author of a children's book on the flu.

In Literary Learnings, Carol Wright takes us back to the start of the Revolutionary War, when Paul Revere was riding to alert the Colonists about the British invasion.

We at the Roundtable are excited to announce a new feature debuting later this year: We will review books by independent authors. Look for more details in the Summer issue. Until then …

Stay well and happy reading!