Love And Murder In Astoria

LOVE & MURDER IN ASTORIA

An interactive mystery romance

How it works:

Our story begins with Portland schoolteacher Julie Thomas finding a strange gun in her handbag as she gets out of her cab at the Astoria Column. When she enters the gift shop to get change for her cab fare, she is horrified to find the clerk lying dead of a gunshot wound. The handsome but mysterious cab driver, Matt, believes Julie's story that a strange woman in her hotel lobby restroom that morning must have planted the gun in Julie's purse, but what connection does he have to the Astoria Police Department and why would he offer to help her?

Now it's your turn!

Write the next chapter in our mystery romance novel. Use the existing characters and plot, and be creative introducing new people, dialog, action and story lines. Don't try to make it too complicated or too clever – remember, other writers are going to continue where you leave off! And please keep your chapter to fewer than 1,000 words.

The one requirement for Chapter 2 is that the setting must include the Capt. George Flavel House Museum.

Submit your chapter by July 15, 2011 by e-mailing it to kstrecker@coastweekend.com or by uploading it through the link below. Only digital submissions will be accepted. Chapters will be judged on creativity, voice and use of local entities.

The contest will run monthly through June 2012 in Coast Weekend. The writer of each winning chapter will receive a gift card to Coming Attractions theaters.

At the conclusion of the novel, the judges will choose three grand prize winners to receive a romantic dinner and overnight stay for two at a local resort – the Shelburne Inn and Restaurant in Seaview, Wash.; the Cannery Pier Hotel and Bridgewater Bistro in Astoria; or the Stephanie Inn and Dining Room in Cannon Beach.

Prizes will also be awarded for writers submitting the Best Love Scene, Best Action Scene, Best Characterization and Best Descriptive Passage.

Employees of the East Oregonian Publishing Company and their families are welcome to enter the contest, but are not eligible to receive any prizes.

Contestants retain copyright to their own work and agree that by entering, they are the owner of the work and are not submitting the work of others. Contestants, you agree that East Oregonian Publishing Company may publish your submission(s) for local promotion of the contest and its winners, to identify you as the text's creator, and for use in any of the East Oregonian Publishing Company's publications, websites or promotional materials.