My partner, Robert Hilles, and I began dating in February 1997. Since then, nearly every Sunday for fifteen years, he called his mother and spoke to her on the telephone. I can count on one hand the number of times he missed making that call.

In the early years of our relationship, Hazel Hilles was in her sixties. She had already lost Robert’s father, and she lived in an independent living complex in Winnipeg, Canada. On our visits, her eyes sparkled and the smile seldom left her face. She saved chairs for us at her table in the residents’ dining hall and pulled employees and other residents forward to meet Robert. My son, she’d say. He writes books.

Never was a mother more loving or supportive. She instilled in Robert a passion for poetry, and a desire to write. Without her influence, he says, he may never have become an author.

On January 20th, 2012, Hazel Hilles passed away to the great sadness of her surviving children and their families.

Robert and I have sponsored this short story contest in her memory. We look forward to reading your submissions.

Rules and Prize Details

Prizes:

1st $500

2nd $100

3rd $100

 

Deadline: All entries must be received on or before September 18th, 2012

Length: No minimum. Maximum 5000 words

Entry Fee: CAN $6

Contest Judges: Robert Hilles and Pearl Luke.

Contest Rules:

Entrants must be 18 years of age or older, but there are no geographical restrictions. The contest is open to anyone writing in English.

The maximum length of submissions is 5,000 words. Stories can be in any genre and address any theme.

Authors may enter multiple stories, but entry fees apply to each story submitted.

Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please contact us immediately to withdraw your work should you learn that it is a finalist or winner in another competition.

Entries will not be returned and no corrections may be made after submission to the creative writing contest.

All entries must be previously unpublished.

Entries must be the original work of the entrant. Any entries found to have been plagiarized will be disqualified.

Authors retain all copyright to their work. However, Be-a-Better-Writer.com will have first publication rights to the winning stories, which will be published in Page 47 online anthology.

Winners will be contacted by October 30, 2012. Results will also be posted on the contest website and sent by newsletter to registered members. Only winning contestants will be notified individually. The judge’s decision is final and neither the judge nor the editor of www.be-a-better-writer.com will enter into a discussion about the decision.

Entries that fail to comply with the entry rules and requirements will be disqualified.

Visit the website for details on how to enter: http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/creative-writing-contest.html