Writer, Susan Wingate Delivers a "One-Two" Punch For the Week

    MaiMai News - FRIDAY HARBOR, WA, April 02, 2008 - What a week for Friday Harbor writer, Susan Wingate. Not only Monday was she was notified of poem, "Paranoia", winning second place in the 2007 Literary Magic Writing Competition but on Friday she was notified that an excerpt from her latest novel was accepted for the April 28, 2008 publication of the Superstition Review, an Arizona State University press.

Author of mystery novel, Of the Law, Susan Wingate's second poem in two years win in an international writing competition. Paranoia, a free-verse poem receives critical acclaim by the judging panel.

"Poetry with a strong psycholog[ical] background usually causes readers to ponder, to think about the topics that the words express. That is exactly what Wingate has utilized in her poem, "Paranoia." [This] poem ponders what goes on inside of someone's head when paranoia takes control of them. Paranoia makes people suspicious of everyone, usually for no good reason. With exquisite wording and sound imagery, Wingate's poem makes readers ask if they themselves are the ones experiencing the feeling of paranoia." - Literary Magic

When asked about the poem she said, "It's funny, really. I wrote it in the middle of the night when nobody should be awake! I didn't give it much thought until one day I saw this contest come across my desk. There must've been some quirky language to what the publishers wanted because I sent "Paranoia". I really didn't think anything would come of it. Just goes to show, you never know." And, when asked if she had any other surprises in store for us this year, she merely stated that her second novel, Bobby's Diner, was getting a lot of attention. Hopefully, we'll get to read that one in the near future.

But, wait! As if that's not enough of a good week for any writer, Wingate receives a message in her email box at the end of the day on Friday (March 27, 2008) from managing editor of the Superstition Review. Patricia Colleen Murphy, MFA of the Superstition Review notified Wingate that the excerpt from Wingate's latest work-in-progress novel has been accepted for publication in the review's launch journal, Volume 1, Issue 1 this coming April 28th.

"I couldn't believe it! I screamed and my intern, Joyce King, asked, 'What?' After explaining, I ran upstairs to tell my husband, Bob. Not only was I breathless from running the stairs but also from the news. We are ecstatic, really, just ecstatic. It's weeks like this one that make the hard work all worthwhile." Wingate said.

Her third novel (which she declined to give the name of) will be finished by May 1, upon that date, she'll begin the search for a publisher.

Learn more about Wingate at her website http://www.susanwingate.com. Or, visit her blog at http://www.susanwingate.blogspot.com.

Susan Wingate is a novelist, poet and contributing writer for the national magazine called, The Builder's Journal. For more information, please contact Susan at 360/317-5755 or visit her webiste.