I'm on a nice little roll with contests this winter. Happily, I placed in Susanna Leonard Hill's annual Holiday Contest—and ended up winning 9th place overall. This year's rules were to write a story of 250 words or less, featuring a holiday "bad guy." My story, The Humbug House, was inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

“How will Santa find us?” Natalie wondered, using a moving box as a table.
“He’ll come down the chimney, of course,” said Noel.
“It’s too small and sooty,” Natalie worried. “Let’s leave the door unlocked, just in case.”
“And slide a window open,” said Noel.
That’s exactly what they did.
Off the siblings went, to bed.

But the house…the house had heard every word.
“Allow an intruder to enter? Never!” creaked the house. “Santa has never been here before. Santa will never barge through my door.”
click-clack
The door locked.
slip-shift
The window shut.
flip-flap
The flu snapped.
The house groaned, “Now, without a doubt, I’ve locked that sneaky Santa out!”

Soon, a distant Ho-Ho-Ho drifted on the snowy air, growing closer.
“I’ll show him!” said the house.
It battened down its hatches, shuttered its stovepipe, and scooted its attic floorboards together.
“If Santa Claus arrives, away he’ll be sent! He won’t slip through my crack or vent!”
All through the night, the house stood alert—a fortress.

But in the dawning light of day, it found…
pretty packages under the tree.
Santa Claus had found a way!
For somehow, Santa is received in any house where kids believe,
and any house where children roam accepts a gift--
becomes…
a home.
“Welcome Christmas day!” squeaked the cozy new home.

     Apparently, I'm on an ironic streak with my Winter Holiday Poem project. Ouch! Itch! Here comes "The Holly and the Ivy"...

The kids are almost home from school. I only had time for a haiku. Here we go...

     Here's another holiday poem from me. (Hooray! I made it to #2.) These are quick writing exercises, so they're bound to be imperfect. But I hope they're entertaining. (I know I'm having fun!)

     I'll be exercising my writing and rhyming muscles this winter with holiday poems. Here's my first one...and I hope there will indeed be a #2, etc. If anyone reads this and likes it, send me an encouraging word, so I'll be motivated to make more.

I love this annual teeny-tiny Halloween story contest! Thank you, Susanna Leonard Hill, for launching and sponsoring Halloweensie—a delightful annual kidlit writing event. And good luck to everyone participating!

As sometimes happens, I couldn't write just one story. Here are my two contest entries, at a max of 100 words and using the key words slither, treat, and scare. And because I'm me, they rhyme (of course). Enjoy!

It's time!
          What time it is?
                    Valentiny time!

     Here's an event I can't resist—Susanna Leonard Hill's 6th Annual Valentiny Contest. This year, kid-lit writers were invited to produce a 214 word Valentine's Day story in which someone feels brave. What a great excuse for writing a sweet rhyming tale for young readers. If there's a kid in the room with you now, please share my little story with them.
     And now, weighing in at 214 words, give a round of applause for my entry—TEENY HOUDINI. Good luck to everyone participating. And thanks, Susanna, for the inspiration!

TEENY HOUDINI
 
In a vole hole tiny-teeny
lived a vole they called Houdini.
She was always disappearing when the neighbors happened by--
being timid, small, and shy.
 
She had heard that Bear was grumpy
and that Hare was awfully jumpy.
Otter badgered, Badger bothered, Jaybird jabbered—so they said.
So the vole stayed home in bed.
 
Through the winter, cold and snowy,
she was never bold or showy.
All alone, she practiced magic tricks that no one ever saw.
Then…the world began to thaw.
 
Buoyant Badger came to greet her.
Active Otter tried to meet her.
Hare and Jaybird thumped the ground and squawked, “We’ve come to pay a call.”
Friendly neighbors, one and all.
 
Bear (who’d once been small and worried
in a world too loud and hurried)
knew a kind and gentle word or two could ease a frightened mind.
So he made a Valentine!
 
Hi Houdini. We may seem to be
a scary bunch of enemies.
But we are gentle forest friends who want play and share.
Will you join us?
Love, the Bear.
 
Filled with magic inspiration
from that heartfelt invitation,
small Houdini started creeping out, with hat and wand and cape--
in a daring,
bold
ESCAPE!
 
Yes, Houdini’s tricks amazed the crowd.
She was brave!
And they were proud.
"Houdini-hip-hooray!"

Eek! An eensy-weensy SPIDER!

Wait. False alarm...

     It's only an eensy-weensy "Halloweensie" STORY—100 words or less, for kids, and using the three challenge words goosebumps, goodies, and glow-in-the-dark (whew! that last one's a doozy). Find out all about it on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog. She runs this wonderful contest every year for those of us who enjoy writing with a prompt, under pressure, for a chance of a payoff of eternal story glory!!! (Oops. I got a little carried away there.)
     I love this contest so much. Better even than the sackful of tiny Junior Mints boxes I buy for myself every year when I'm loading up on goodies for trick-or-treaters. (Hey, what can I say? Halloween makes me hungry.)
     Good luck to everyone participating in this year's contest, gratitude to Susanna for all she does to support and inspire picture book writers, and thanks for stopping by to read my entry, MEAN HALLOWEEN.

Mean Halloween
 
On mean Halloween, the Greedy Green Ghoul
ignored every Halloween trick-or-treat rule.
 
Instead of a necklace that’s glow-in-the-dark…
it carried a torch with a fiery spark.
 
Instead of a “thank you” for Halloween hosts…
it cursed them with goosebumps and cackling ghosts.
 
We offered to share—a candy-corn trade.
It took without asking—a sugar-sack raid!
 
It gobbled my goodies, pilfered your treats,
lifted our candies, robbed us of sweets!
 
We tangled it tight…in a tied-taffy knot.
(That Halloween meanie deserved what it got!)
 
Hey. It’s okay. Don’t worry or pout.
Later, the meanie just licked its way out.

     Awooooo!
     I do love a Halloween-themed writing contest!
     When I got word of this one, I couldn't resist. I plopped right down and spun this yarn in one sitting. Yup. There's nothing that gets my writing-rhyming juices flowing like a time-sensitive challenge. (Reminds me of my Madness Poetry days. *sigh*) And yes, my story/poem comes in at 200 words, on the nose.
     Without further ado (and with many thanks to the contest organizers), here's my entry for this year's Fall Writing Frenzy, sponsored by author Lydia Lukidis and agent Kaitlyn Leanne Sanchez. Also posted are the two photos that served as my inspiration.
     (p.s. Learn more about the Fall Writing Frenzy challenge here.)