We are excited to announce our Ghost & Horror Short Story Winners for 2022! This year the stories were different in that they were either a light easy stories, or really REALLY dark. The judges selected a mixture of both! It’s our understanding that form some of you this was your first dip into the ghost and horror genre. That is exciting. Part of defeating imposter syndrome is trying new things even if your head tells you to stay in your land. Way to go!
A special shoutout and thank you to our judges Mae Wagner and KC Loesener. They too felt it interesting that the stories took on extremes of light and dark. Maybe a telling of the time we are living in? Perhaps. As readers and watchers we either want easy, spectacle and fun, or tragic deeply disturbed stories. I believe there may be a study in this!
During Halloween week we will publish all six Ghost & Horror Short Stories from October 23rd – October 30th. Keep checking back and tell us which you prefer for the spooky ghostly season.
1st Place – Clara Olivo, A Night in El Campo – $70 Prize Winner
Clara Olivo (she/her/ella) is an Afro-Salvi poet and author living in diaspora. Born and raised in South Central L.A. to Salvadoran refugees, Clara weaves her history, culture and lived experience into her work, creating transcendental stories that amplify ancestral power and pride.
She steps into her work with the intention of healing the hurts of her past and inspiring hope for the future. Since finding her voice, she has performed in open mics and art receptions from Seattle to Washington D.C., and has been featured in publications such as The South Seattle Emerald, Valiant Scribe, and Quiet Lightning’s Literary Mixtape. Her debut poetry collection, The Whisper, The Storm and The Light In Between was published in April of 2022 by Alegria Publishing with glowing reception.
Clara lives in a quiet home on unceded Duwamish land with her partner, dog, and an ever-growing number of plants. You can follow her on Instagram @HijaDeMilagro and @TheDiasporicConnection and become a part of her journey.
2nd Place – La Rae Randall, The Witch of Misty Hill – $40 Prize Winner
La Rae Randall is a lifelong lover of ghosts, true love, and magic.
As a child, La Rae wanted to be an author, but first took a long detour to her dreams as an early childhood educator, non-profit director, wedding photographer, and manager of an award-winning YouTube show. La Rae uses stories to plant seeds of perspective, wisdom and healing to all who join her characters on their journeys of becoming their best selves.
La Rae lives her dream life with her beloved Chris, and 3 dogs, in a little white former schoolhouse in the Iowa countryside.
3rd Place – Conner Lee, Just Like Me – $25 Prize Winner
Conner Lee is the author of his upcoming debut novel “The Town That Jack Built” and lives in Colorado with his wife and kids. Ever the daydreamer, he spends his waking hours mentally writing stories while working various jobs, typing out as many ideas as he can on his lunch breaks. On the rare occasion he has free time, you can find him spending time with his kids, enjoying narrative-focused video games, or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
4th Place – Kelly Fuller, Can You See Me Now? – $20 Prize Winner
Kelly is a writer, avid reader, and stay at home mom living in the wild west of Wyoming. She has a background in psychology and mainly writes character driven pieces. She is working on her debut novel about a fictional First Lady. This is her first foray into spooky stories.
Instagram: @watchherwrite
5th Place – C.L. Walters, The Invalid – $15 Prize Winner
CL Walters writes in Hawai’i where she lives with her husband, two children, and acts as a pet butler to a plethora of pampered fur-babies. She’s the author of the YA Contemporary series, The Cantos Chronicles (Swimming Sideways, The Ugly Truth and The Bones of Who We Are), the NA Contemporary romances The Stories Stars Tell, In the Echo of this Ghost Town, When the Echo Answers, and The Messy Truth About Love. Her adult romances include, The Letters She Left Behind and the adult romantic fantasy In the Shadow of a Wish written under her Maci Aurora pen name. For up-to-date news, sign up for her monthly newsletter on her website at www.clwalters.net and follow her writer’s journey on Instagram @cl.walters. For the intrepid supporter, join her Patreon page for insider news and access to new stories in-progress.
Honorable Mention – Jessica Woehler, Secrets of the Queen – $14 Prize Winner
Jessica Woehler is currently earning her M.A. in Professional Creative Writing through the University of Denver. She had been previously published by Mytho’s Magazine and is endlessly grateful to have her stories shared with others. She believes storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to convey human emotion and truth and hopes that you are moved by her words!
