Speculative Reviewer
Hello All! Last week, we announced our new Junior Fiction Reviewer. This week, we announce our new Speculative Fiction Reviewer! Our own Erin Dydek, formerly our Superhero Reviewer, has requested to be able to do more than Superheroes and jump into the Steampunk genre as well. Thus, we have a new Speculative Reviewer. If you are a Steampunk author, this is your time to shine! Submit your book for a FREE review over on our website, no strings attached! Check out Erin's information below, and scroll down for our new "Story Fodder" section.
Erin Dydek
Speculative Reviewer
erindydek.substack.com
Instagram: edydek15
BookBub: erindydek
Goodreads: Erin Dydek
Erin Dydek is an athletic nerd fueled by positivity and a little silliness. She aims to encourage and inspire readers with light-hearted stories that make the heart smile. She is also an avid book reviewer who loves exploring thought-provoking themes in fantasy and science fiction. When reading isn’t enough, she enjoys running half marathons and mountain biking with her husband and son.
QUARTERLY COVER ART CONTEST: We are now accepting FREE submissions for our next Cover Art Contest (Winter Edition 2025) through October 25. Voting will begin on October 27 and run for 2 weeks (Voting is also FREE). The winner will be announced on November 13 in our Newsletter.
This very popular contest currently has no sponsors. If you would like to be a sponsor for the low price of $25, follow the link below.
Submit Your Cover: https://forms.wix.com/f/7170507267886...
Become a Sponsor: https://forms.wix.com/f/7186034940482...
WINDOWS INTO THE MULTIVERSE WRITING CONTEST: Submissions are open October 1-31. Use the image found on the "Contests" page of our website to write a 1,000-1,500-word micro-story. Submissions are FREE. Winners will be announced on November 6th. The winners will be decided by the Clean Fiction staff, and excerpts of each submission may be used for promotional purposes.
This Contest is Sponsored by the Strangers & Aliens Podcast (StrangersAndAliens.com).
Learn More About This Contest: https://www.sunsetvalleycreations.com...
Submit Your Micro-Story: https://forms.wix.com/f/7158155127763...
For a long time, I have held onto some really great story ideas in hopes that I will someday use them, but I have found over the years that both my chaotic schedule and lack of talent writing outside of the speculative genres has left me full of ideas that someone else would probably make better use of. So for those who may use these ideas to make great stories, here you go!
This painting, called "A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew's Day" has been my cell phone lock screen for as long as I can remember. It is a piece painted by John Everett Millais, created in 1851-1852. It is an image of a Catholic woman attempting to tie an armband on her Protestant love. She pleads with him to wear the armband that would identify him as a Catholic, and his gentle smile as he refuses captured my imagination. The setting of this painting was Paris, France, August 24, 1572, a day that would later be called the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. On that day, 3,000 French Protestants (Huguenots) were murdered in Paris. Behind this man's gentle smile is the knowledge that he will soon be parted from his love by death, but even with this knowledge, he is willing to be sacrificed for his faith. The bitter-sweet flavor of this interaction keeps me coming back to this image again and again. Who were they? How did they find love in a divided France? Did she choose to stand with him in the end? Were they able to escape? So many unanswered questions.
I suppose that this painting spoke to me so deeply because my own parents could have been this couple in a different time and place. My mother came from a strictly Catholic family, and my father from a Protestant family. Both families had long histories in their respective faiths, going all the way back to their pre-American roots. When my parents were finally married in 1982 in a Protestant church, their ceremony had to be a closed one due to the family conflict, and my mother's youngest brother was not even allowed to attend. Now, this conflict was well and truly resolved before I made my entrance into the world 5 years later, but I can imagine that it was really hard for my parents to weather those first few years having both of their families at odds.
This Story Fodder is based on both French history as well as my own. Do you feel inspired? If so, let me know via email or in the comments.
May your day be bright and your reading be epic!
~ Amy Lynn McConahy, Clean Fiction Publisher
REMINDER: We cannot continue to publish our magazine without your help! Please consider either becoming an advertiser, supporting Clean Fiction on Patreon, or directly supporting us with a Yearly Subscription (for as little as $10/year!).
Our Advertising Deadline is November 15th for the Winter Edition 2025.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter HERE! (https://www.sunsetvalleycreations.com...)
Erin Dydek
Speculative Reviewer
erindydek.substack.com
Instagram: edydek15
BookBub: erindydek
Goodreads: Erin Dydek
Erin Dydek is an athletic nerd fueled by positivity and a little silliness. She aims to encourage and inspire readers with light-hearted stories that make the heart smile. She is also an avid book reviewer who loves exploring thought-provoking themes in fantasy and science fiction. When reading isn’t enough, she enjoys running half marathons and mountain biking with her husband and son.
QUARTERLY COVER ART CONTEST: We are now accepting FREE submissions for our next Cover Art Contest (Winter Edition 2025) through October 25. Voting will begin on October 27 and run for 2 weeks (Voting is also FREE). The winner will be announced on November 13 in our Newsletter.
This very popular contest currently has no sponsors. If you would like to be a sponsor for the low price of $25, follow the link below.
Submit Your Cover: https://forms.wix.com/f/7170507267886...
Become a Sponsor: https://forms.wix.com/f/7186034940482...
WINDOWS INTO THE MULTIVERSE WRITING CONTEST: Submissions are open October 1-31. Use the image found on the "Contests" page of our website to write a 1,000-1,500-word micro-story. Submissions are FREE. Winners will be announced on November 6th. The winners will be decided by the Clean Fiction staff, and excerpts of each submission may be used for promotional purposes.
This Contest is Sponsored by the Strangers & Aliens Podcast (StrangersAndAliens.com).
Learn More About This Contest: https://www.sunsetvalleycreations.com...
Submit Your Micro-Story: https://forms.wix.com/f/7158155127763...
For a long time, I have held onto some really great story ideas in hopes that I will someday use them, but I have found over the years that both my chaotic schedule and lack of talent writing outside of the speculative genres has left me full of ideas that someone else would probably make better use of. So for those who may use these ideas to make great stories, here you go!
This painting, called "A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew's Day" has been my cell phone lock screen for as long as I can remember. It is a piece painted by John Everett Millais, created in 1851-1852. It is an image of a Catholic woman attempting to tie an armband on her Protestant love. She pleads with him to wear the armband that would identify him as a Catholic, and his gentle smile as he refuses captured my imagination. The setting of this painting was Paris, France, August 24, 1572, a day that would later be called the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. On that day, 3,000 French Protestants (Huguenots) were murdered in Paris. Behind this man's gentle smile is the knowledge that he will soon be parted from his love by death, but even with this knowledge, he is willing to be sacrificed for his faith. The bitter-sweet flavor of this interaction keeps me coming back to this image again and again. Who were they? How did they find love in a divided France? Did she choose to stand with him in the end? Were they able to escape? So many unanswered questions.
I suppose that this painting spoke to me so deeply because my own parents could have been this couple in a different time and place. My mother came from a strictly Catholic family, and my father from a Protestant family. Both families had long histories in their respective faiths, going all the way back to their pre-American roots. When my parents were finally married in 1982 in a Protestant church, their ceremony had to be a closed one due to the family conflict, and my mother's youngest brother was not even allowed to attend. Now, this conflict was well and truly resolved before I made my entrance into the world 5 years later, but I can imagine that it was really hard for my parents to weather those first few years having both of their families at odds.
This Story Fodder is based on both French history as well as my own. Do you feel inspired? If so, let me know via email or in the comments.
May your day be bright and your reading be epic!
~ Amy Lynn McConahy, Clean Fiction Publisher
REMINDER: We cannot continue to publish our magazine without your help! Please consider either becoming an advertiser, supporting Clean Fiction on Patreon, or directly supporting us with a Yearly Subscription (for as little as $10/year!).
Our Advertising Deadline is November 15th for the Winter Edition 2025.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter HERE! (https://www.sunsetvalleycreations.com...)
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