Special Category: Joan Barrett Roberts Village Lake Writers and Poets
"Magic Ozarks Moments"
1st
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"Yesterday's Frog" by Nancy Hartney
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2nd
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"The Secret Ingredient" by Margarite Stever
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3rd
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"The Closest Spot" by Ron Smith
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1st HM
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"Wading Into Summer" by Marti Attoun
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2nd HM
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"Soul-Stirring Magic" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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Humorous Short Piece — Sponsored by Russell Gayer
1st
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"Ten Simple Steps to Housebreaking Your Cow" by David Harrison
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2nd
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"The Welcoming Wash" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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3rd
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"Mama's Cooking" by Alyssa Darby
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HM
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"Front Desk" by Susan Whitlock
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Flash Fiction Story of exactly 100 words — Sponsored by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields and Jan Fields
1st
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"Thinkin' Bout It" by Michael Don Fess
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2nd
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"Still the Best" by Margarite Stever
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3rd
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"Neighbors" by Alyssa Darby
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The judge mentioned that a lot of entrants did not follow the directions.
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Inspirational Romance Story — Sponsored by Diane Yates
1st
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"Joshua's Voice" by Susan Whitlock
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2nd
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"Gliding Toward Love" by Marti Attoun
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3rd
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"Snow Bound" by Joy Keeney
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1st HM
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"Patrece's High School Reunion" by Margarite Stever
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2nd HM
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"It's a God Thing" by Gary Rodgers
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3rd HM
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"A Knight in White Buckskin" by Sandy Jordan
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"I didn't see that coming!" O'Henry Style Story — Sponsored by Ross Malone
1st
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"Until Death, They Do Part" by Carolyn Hall
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2nd
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"Escape from Hell" by Gary Rodgers
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3rd
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"The Yarb Doctor's Magic" by Ron Smith
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1st HM
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"The Last Goodbye" by Rose Heaser
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2nd HM
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"Murder in the Fairy Garden" by Margarite Stever
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3rd HM
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"Rayna" by Lauri Mays
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Western Short Story — Sponsored by Duke Pennell and Frontier Tales Ezine
1st
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"The Bounty Hunter's Reward" by Kimberly Vernon
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2nd
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"More Than One Way to Skin a Cat" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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3rd
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"Mercy Ain't No Preacher" by Gary Rodgers
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"Write the Old Stuff" Historical Fiction — Sponsored by Anonymous
1st
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"The Rain Check" by Jan Morrill Vanek
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2nd
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"Soaring Like the Birds" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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3rd
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"Colors and Hues" by Sandy Jordan
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Dear Folks — Sponsored by Richard and Bonnie Tesh
1st
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"Dear Folks Back Home" by Alyssa Darby
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2nd
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"Letter from a Prodigal Son" by Ron Smith
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3rd
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"I Want to Return to My Ozarks Roots" by Diana West
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HM
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"Missing Home" by Linda Runnebaum
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Judge's comment: I had a hard time choosing between 1st and 2nd. Both were excellent.
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Magical Realism Story — Sponsored by Ronda Del Boccio
1st
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"Living Stratoscope" by Susan Whitlock
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2nd
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"The Return" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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3rd
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"Where Dreams Go" by Linda Runnebaum
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Romantic Adventure Short Story — Sponsored by Anonymous
1st
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"Sealed with a Kiss" by Margarite Stever
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2nd
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"Big Macs and Cataracts" by Sandy Jordan
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3rd
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"Love at First Sight" by Rhonda Harvey
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Juvenile Short Story-Fiction — Sponsored by Lindsey Hobson
1st
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"Noah and the Snake Man" by Ron Smith
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2nd
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"The Grey Lady" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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3rd
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"Basketball, Bullies, and Broken Bones" by Kimberly Vernon
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A Christmas Quandary — Sponsored by Michael Don Fess
1st
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"Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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2nd
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"Paying It Forward" by Sandy Jordan
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3rd
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"A Little White Lie for the Holidays" by Ron Smith
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3rd
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"Charlie Elf" by Gary Rodgers
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Short Story set from 1400 to 1900. — Sponsored by Rose Heaser
1st
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"A Good Indian" by Kimberly Vernon
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2nd
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"The Lincoln Contract" by Ron Smith
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3rd
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"Love for the Spinster" by Margarite Stever
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HM
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"Just Come Home" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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Memoir & Creative Nonfiction — Sponsored by Brenda Black
1st
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"The Fallen Soldier" by Kelly Kirby
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2nd
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"Baker Hotel Ghost Tour" by Lauri Mays
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3rd
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"Designated Driver" by Carolyn Hall
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1st HM
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"Adventures in Babysitting a Toddler" by Margarite Stever
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2nd HM
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"You're Not My Real Dad" by Gary Rodgers
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3rd HM
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"The Mane Event" by Billie Holladay Skelley;
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Judge's remarks: Overall, a great representation of OWL talent.
1st Masterfully written,
this poignant remembrance by a military photographer of a ceremony honoring fallen soldiers
brought this former USAF journalist to tears.
2nd I loved this first-person tour of an old
hotel in Texas and the author's description of the white-haired "caretaker." The old man's
image mirrored the history of the hotel as much as the structure itself. Updated restoration
news was appreciated, too.
3rd This beautifully written daughter's remembrance of her mother's
health crisis reflects concern mitigated by love and faith in family, sprinkled with clues of
character and culture in mentions of unlocked doors, wheat harvests and oatmeal cookies.
HM1 This is a heartwarming and vividly descriptive vignette of a grandmother's day with her
grandson. Many of us can relate to every mood and incident.
HM2 This frank reflection on the
challenges and rewards of becoming and being a foster or adoptive parent should be required
reading for anyone considering. The writer shares initial misconceptions, frustrations
throughout the years and the ultimate reward of being considered family.
HM3 I loved this
light-hearted tale, though I was happily tricked by the somewhat mundane introduction,
"I absolutely hated getting perms." Subsequent descriptive passages in the action-packed
"escape" from the salon moved me quickly to the "mane event" by a double entendre describing
the writer's appreciation for "all things natural."
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Travel Article — Sponsored by Larry Wood
1st
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"Fifty-Year-Old Dream Come True" by Kimberly Vernon
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2nd
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"Sail Away Down the Mighty Mississippi" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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3rd
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"US Marshals Museum Opens in Fort Smith" by Diana West
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HM
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"An Excellent Museum for Aviation and American History Buffs" by Margarite Stever
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Humorous Anecdote Prize — Sponsored by John "Doc" by Crawford and Ronda Del Boccio
1st
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"Lucky Me" by Alyssa Darby
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2nd
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"O Holy Date" by Marti Attoun
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3rd
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"Unfit Outfit" by Kimberly Vernon
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1st HM
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"A Slow Start" by Rose Heaser
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2nd HM
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"Talking to Mom" by Julie James
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3rd HM
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"Chester's Demise" by Rhonda Harvey
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Judge's comment: The 1st place entry made me laugh so hard I woke up my dog.
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Hometown Newspaper Column — Sponsored by Lonnie Whitaker
1st
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"Way Down Yonder-Pawpaws" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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2nd
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"Interview with a Legend, a True Cowboy" by Joy Keeney
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3rd
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"Ball of All Dances, No Shoes Required" by Rhonda Harvey
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Creative Nonfiction: My Favorite Hobby — Sponsored by Linda Apple
1st
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"The Ultimate Ride" by Linda Runnebaum
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2nd
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"Tomatoes in July" by Ron Smith
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3rd
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"What I Learned About Writing from a Tai Chi Master" by Mary-Lane Kamberg
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Judge's comments:
1st Place - This is creative nonfiction at its finest!
2nd Place - I loved the humor in this piece. As a gardener, I understood.
3rd Place - While this was not Creative Nonfiction, the concept was interesting
and could be taught in a seminar!
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Ozarks Article — Sponsored by Larry Wood
1st
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"Two Bills and a Bathhouse" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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2nd
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"The Last of the Baldknobbers" by Ron Smith
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3rd
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"Dead Man's Creek" by Lea Ann Crisp
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Growing Up Rural — Sponsored by Carolyn Hall
1st
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"Counting Chickens" by Margarite Stever
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2nd
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"The Bench in Front of the Dime Store" by Ron Smith
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3rd
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"The Killing of the Fence Posts" by John "Doc" by Crawford
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Crawford Poetry Prize — Sponsored by John "Doc" by Crawford
1st
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"To Have Reined in Such a Force" by Alyssa Darby
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2nd
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"The Pirates of 1964" by Ron Smith
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3rd
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"A Neutral Life" by Billie Holladay Skelley
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1st HM
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"Under the Over" by Joy Keeney
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2nd HM
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"Blue and Green" by Farla Steele-Treat
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3rd HM
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"Miracles in Their Touch" by Sandy Jordan
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Haiku — Sponsored by Jan Morrill Vanek
1st
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"In the July Heat" by John "Doc" Crawford
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2nd
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"Bliss" by Linda Runnebaum
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3rd
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"Winter's Greeting" by Rhonda Harvey
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Best First Page of a Fiction Book in Progress — Sponsored by Margarite Stever and Bonnie Tesh
1st
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"Halloween in the Highlands" by Kelly Kirby
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2nd
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"Bloody Morning" by Mary-Lane Kamberg
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3rd
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"Finding Purpose" by Linda Runnebaum
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Best Published Fiction Book of 2022 — Sponsored by Billie Holladay Skelley
Where Shadows Lie by Harold Pelton.
Best Published Nonfiction Book of 2022 — Sponsored by Veda Boyd Jones
Lady Rebels of Civil War Missouri by Larry Wood
See you at next year's OWLies!
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