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Issue 79, Winter 2025
Welcome to a new year! It’s too early to say how 2025 will ultimately unroll, or perhaps unravel, but here at the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, we have a new issue ready for you. So, draw up your chair by the hearth (if you’re in a climate where the temperatures are dipping for winter) and prepare to be entertained.
The first news is that our 2025 short story award submission window is now open. We’re looking for stories of speculative fiction with a maximum word count of 2,500. Check out our contest page for more details. Our esteemed judge Andre Tchaikovsky will select the winners later this spring.
Now let’s take a quick look at this issue’s contents. Our featured story, “Room Service” by Lisa Finch, tells of travel plans that don’t yield the anticipated results. The featured poetry is “From the River to the Lake,” by Anne-Marie Martin, an exploration of love. We also present two more poems, “Excalibur” by Les Bernstein and “In the Quiet Spaces” by Ari Florkey, as well as a short story, “The Janitor,” by Carla Damron, about a janitor who works in an ME’s offices—and makes a discovery.
This issue also features an interview with mystery author Valerie Burns, done by one of our BWG members, Debra H. Goldstein. In Literary Learnings, A.E. Decker discusses Spiderlight by Andre Tchaikovsky and what makes that novel so surprising and satisfying.
We hope you enjoy this issue. And consider submitting a spec fiction story for our contest!
Issue 77, Summer 2024
Welcome to the summer issue of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable! On the calendar, summer has also officially arrived, as my electric bill can attest, given the recent string of days heavy on the heat and humidity.
I’ll start off this issue by offering congratulations to the winners of this year’s short story contest: First place goes to Rhonda Zangwill for “Oh! Christmas Tree”; second place, to Bettie Nebergall for “Just Ask Santa,” and third place, to Mary Adler for "Nellie the Narragansett and the Transferware Platter.” Honorable Mentions go to A.C. Blake for “A Feast to Die For,” J. Bosley for “A Wintry Mix,” and Joan Mularz for “Cousin Bonnie’s Plus One.”
Our featured story in this issue is Elizabeth Rosen’s “Waiting for Abalone over a Discussion of Favorite Books,” a tale of a first date that ends . . . well, you’ll just have to read it. Our featured poetry is by Peggy Heitmann, whose “June Afternoons with Grandmother Lillie” conjures up a summertime memory when the days seemed to stretch forever.
Also in this issue you’ll find “The Proposal,” a tale of romance by Laury A. Egan. Julian Koslow’s “Sudden Death Overtime” honors a lost friend. For a splashy revenge, you won’t want to miss Ronald C. Paxton’s “Mud Truluck’s Last Drive-in Picture Show.” And Beatriz Seelaender offers a nuanced view of a mountain destination in summer with “The Alps Awake.”
For our interview, Carol L. Wright talked with author Paula Gail Benson, who is also a member of the Bethlehem Writers Group. In Literary Learnings, Christopher D. Ochs shares a confession about his reading habits.
We at the Roundtable hope you enjoy this issue. As a look ahead, the Autumn issue will offer details about next year’s short story contest, seeking stories of science fiction and fantasy.
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!