2020 Celebration of Writers - Fiction
Good news was hard to come by in 2020. In a year of extreme difficulty we needed our writing community more than ever—to support each other during the tough times and to celebrate one another's successes.
That's why in this final week of the year we are championing the good news of our amazing local writers in The Lit Cleveland Celebration of Northeast Ohio Writers!
We asked you about your writing successes this year and boy howdy did you respond. We heard so much good news that we couldn't fit it all in one newsletter. So over the last three days of the year we are sharing your accomplishments by genre—poetry on Tuesday, nonfiction on Wednesday, and fiction today.
Below are the publications, awards, and other accomplishments of our local fiction writers. Many novels and story collections by local writers got national attention this year. We also saw great fiction in Gordon Square Review and are expecting more exciting work in 2021. Although we tried to be as comprehensive as possible, the list below is just the tip of the literary iceberg. We encourage everyone to read these local writers and celebrate their successes.
We have such a talented and vibrant literary scene here in Northeast Ohio. Don't miss out on the great work being produced right here at home!
Resurrecting Rain by Patricia Averbach (Literary Fiction | Golden Antelope Press | Royal Palm Literary Award for Literary Fiction)
Cuyahoga by Pete Beatty (Literary Historical Fiction | Scribner)
We Will Rid the World of You by Scott Burr (Literary Fiction | The Artless Dodges Press)
Egg Drop Dead by Vivien Chien (Mystery | St. Martin's Press)
Peripheral Visions and Other Stories by Nancy M. Christie (Short Stories | Unsolicited Press)
Al Dente's Inferno by Stephanie Cole (Mystery | Penguin Berkley)
A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette (Mystery | Penguin Berkley)
Heartland Calamitous by Michael Credico (Short Stories | Autumn House Press)
The We and the They by Kyra Ann Dawkins (Fantasy | We Degree Press)
Indirect Objects by David Allen Edmonds (Mystery/Thriller | Snowbelt Publishing)
No Life But This: A Novel of Emily Warren Roebling by Diane Vogel Ferri (Historical Fiction | ATBOSH Media)
Ida Finds Her Voice by Kate Anderson Foley (Children's | Print Ninja)
Abstract Clarity: A Collection of Short Stories by B. W. Ginsberg (Short Stories | Self)
Bernie Goes to School by Sally Kurjan (Children's | Self)
Monster Problems by Jason Lady (Middle-Grade Fantasy | Black Rose Writing)
It's Raining Mad by Verna Lee (Literary Fiction | Verna Lee Enterprises)
The Secrets of Bones by Kylie Logan (Mystery | St. Martin Minotaur)
The Magical Cloud Calamity by Linus & Norah Phillips & Patricia Macko (Children's | Dorrance Publishing)
Roseneath by Dana McSwain (Horror | Webb House Publishing)
Ancestry by Eileen O'Leary (Short Stories | University of Iowa Press | Winner of John Simmons Short Fiction Award)
Mistakes by the Lake by Brian Petkash (Short Stories | Madville Publishing)
The Heebie-Jeebie Girl by Susan Petrone (Literary Fiction | The Story Plant)
Imaginary Museums by Nicolette Polek (Short Stories | Soft Skull Press)
An Optimist's Journal of the End of Days by Cat Russell (Short Stories | Venetian Spider Press)
The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz (Literary | Random House)
Vicky Vickity Loathes Icky Ickities by Allison & Mitch Shankman (Children's | Self)
Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures by Tricia Springstubb (Children's | Candlewick Press)
Automatic Reload by Ferrett Steinmetz (Science Fiction | Tor)
Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (Fantasy | Greenwillow Books)
Binny’s Diwali and Sugar In Milk by Thrity Umrigar (Children's | Running Press Kids)
Shhhhhh... It's Bedtime in our America by Brendan Whitt (Short Stories | The OPAL Beatrice Creative Company)
"Katianna Milena Bovinich" by Christine Benedict (Literary Fiction | The Saturday Evening Post | Fifth runner up in The Saturday Evening Post American Fiction Contest 2021)
"Second Chance Run" by Meredith Deichler (Romance | Sweet Romance Anthology)
"I Was There, Too" by Alex DiFrancesco (Horror | Vol. 1 Brooklyn)
"Fast Forward" by Jackie Feldman (Speculative Fiction | Novel Noctule Literary Magazine)
"Life Story" by Lisa Ferranti (Flash Fiction | Lunate Fiction)
"Dr. Cleghorn's Caper" by Anita G. Gorman (Comedy | Red Fez)
"Three (In)visible Cities of the Midwest" by Joe Kapitan (Flash Fiction | Passages North)
"The War Was Over—" by Geoffrey A. Landis (Science Fiction | Daily Science Fiction)
"The Sexers" by Corey Miller (Flash Fiction | Third Point Press)
"Postcard to Past Selves" by S. Elizabeth Sigler (Flash Fiction | Re-Side Magazine)
"Two Artists Trying to Pay Their Bill" by Lucy Wang (10-Minute Play | Applause Books)
Shira Atik's story "Pilgrimage" was nominated for Best Microfiction by The Ekphrastic Review
Lisa Farrenti's story "When Plan A Goes Awry" made the longlist for Reflex Fiction's Winter Flash Fiction Competition
Corey Miller's stories were nominated for Best Microfiction by Lost Balloon and Cleaver
Valli Jo Porter won an Individual Excellence Award for Fiction from the Ohio Arts Council
The Anniversary by JJ Winston was a finalist for the Independent Author Network (IAN) 2020 Book of the year award in the Category of Outstanding Women's Literature
D.M. Pulley's story "The Christmas House" was performed by Cleveland Public Theater
Cat Russell performed at Spooky BOOKtacular, an online Halloween reading
3-Book Urban Fantasy Series by JD Blackrose (Fantasy | Seven Stories Press | Coming 2022)
A Game of Cones by Abby Collette (Mystery | Penguin Berkley | Coming March 2021)
Transmutation by Alex DiFrancesco (Short Stories | Seven Stories Press | Coming June 2021)
"Games for All Ages" by Lisa Ferranti (Flash Fiction | Emerge Literary Journal | Coming March 2021)
The Light in Darkness by Rick Ferrara (Science Fiction | Coming 2021)
Bernie Plays Baseball by Sally Kurjan (Children's | Self | Coming March 2021)
A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan (Mystery | St. Martin Minotaur | Coming May 2021)
For Pride of Country by Brendan Whitt (Historical Fiction | The OPAL Beatrice Creative Company | Spring 2021)
Did we miss your 2020 fiction accomplishment? Let us know!
