June 24, 2010:In the event anybody ever looks for my blog again, this is both an apology and a renewal of communication.  To say I have been busy is true. Long ago I made a vow to write a blog five days a week. However, editing two book manuscripts for "customers," fitting in time for my five workshops, and finding time to work on my memoir, IRON GRIP have forced discontinuation of blogging, but now I am back and hope I can put a few informative or interesting bits of information out for all to consider.This isn't of use to anybody, but my story "Peligro" won first place in the Gulf Coast (Mississippi) Writers Contest.  The is the second time that story has won 1st in a contest. It also won a 3rd place last year.This brings up a problem that has plagued one member of my workshop. He won a 3rd place in an SSA contest  in 2008.  The contest administrators and the Board of SSA insist that the author retains first rights to his work, even though the club publishes a small pamphlet of all winners.  It is distributed only to members of the organization.  I urged the author of his 3rd place winner to submit his good story to another contest.  He did and won 1st place–UNTIL–that organizations contest chair discovered the pamphlet published by SSA. She claimed that since the story had appeared in that pamphlet, it was not eligible fo be entered in their contest.  Bob voluntarily returned his 1st place money. Lesson for us all:  Be sure that any contest you enter spells out all of their rules.  If they consider you have used you first rights by appearing in a club's pamphlet, they need to say so in the rules.Until next time, Willma