So Much is Happening
- Amy Lynn McConahy
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Hello All! Sorry for the late newsletter this week! So much has been happening with the contests, and I have a fun announcement below to go with all of the contest news, so make sure to scroll to the end. Our quarterly Cover Art Contest will be accepting new submissions through Saturday, January 24. Don't let this FREE chance to advertise your book pass you by! Submit your cover at the link below (sunsetvalleycreations.com/contest). We do still need sponsors for the Cover Art Contest if anyone is interested. The cost is only $25, which is our best deal for size and number of mentions on social media. If you are interested, follow the link below (sunsetvalleycreations.com/pricingguide).
The Paths We Walk Writing Contest: If you are between the ages of 13-17, you are asked to write a micro-story beginning with “Along the path, I saw...” using the image above as inspiration. The only restriction on your creativity is that you keep your micro-story clean. All genres are accepted. Submissions will be accepted January 1-31.
Please keep your submission to between 500 and 1,000 words. To submit your story, have your parent, guardian, or teacher fill out the “Submit to the Paths Contest” form found at sunsetvalleycreations.com/contest. If you do not want your full name announced, please note that on the form.
The winners will appear in our March 20th Spring Edition, along with the image on this page. Depending on the number of submissions we receive, there will be either winners in several genre categories OR an overall winner. Winner/s will be announced on February 5th.
This Contest is Sponsored by Author Heidi Glick (authorheidiglick.com) and Author Tony B. Richards (tonybrichards.com).
Windows into the Multiverse Writing Contest: If you are an author between the ages of 18 and 118, you are asked to write a micro-story beginning with “Through the window, I saw...” using the photo above as inspiration. The only restriction on your creativity is that you keep your micro-story clean. All genres are accepted. Submissions will open January 1-31. Please keep your submission to between 1,000 and 1,500 words. To submit your story, fill out the form found on the “Contests” page of our website (sunsetvalleycreations.com/contest). We will not use your micro-stories without your permission, and the winner/s will be sent pages for approval. The winners will appear in our March 20th Spring Edition, along with the image on this page. Depending on the number of submissions we receive, there will be either winners in several genre categories OR an overall winner. Winners will be announced on February 5th.
This Contest is Sponsored by the Strangers and Aliens Podcast by Ben Avery (strangersandaliens.com).
Fun Announcement: Under the business of Sunset Valley Creations, there are not only my own books and magazines, but also a sub-branch of Sunset Valley Productions (which actually came first if I am being technical). I originally got the name from the actual valley where I grew up (in which you can only enjoy the sunRISE, but I wasn't there when they were picking a name). Anywho, Sunset Valley Productions was the name my father chose when he decided to start releasing his own music in 2001. As his Christmas gift this year, my siblings and I decided to release the rest of his music over the course of the 2026 calendar year. THAT is why the newsletter is late this week. I was preparing YouTube videos and marketing materials for the release of his next CD. It has already released as of January 1st, but this time around, I want to give him the farthest reach for his music that I can. If you are interested in Bible-based music sung and performed by a veteran of over 50 years in church ministry, with not a single autotune in sight, check out Frank Hutchison's Safe Harbor: https://frankhutchison.hearnow.com/safe-harbor This CD is free on all streaming platforms. For a bit more nostalgic background, scroll down to the Story Fodder section.
Imagine with me a young man in his 30's, with a loving wife, and three small children. He had done all that was ever asked of a firstborn son. Grown into a man broad-shouldered enough to handle the weight of a family, obtained a sensible degree in business, and returned to settle into his role in the family business. A family man at heart, he raised his children with love and supported his wife through the normal ups and downs of life. But despite the picturesque, almost mundane existence, there was a sense of restlessness. He had worked hard to allow his parents' business to grow and his family to prosper, but God had given him a heart for creating and the need to make something lasting, even if just to be enjoyed by his children, persisted. His children, too, notice the shift. The same children who would lie underneath the baby grand piano that he had restored with his own hands, listening to him play, now saw him sell his beloved piano in order to purchase an electric keyboard and sound equipment. They saw him pace the house late in the night with a piece of paper and a pencil in hand, stopping only to jot the next lines down and continue to pace. They heard the thumping of the piano keys, now silenced by a set of headphones, at the only time of day he had time to create, after we were all safely in bed. On weekends, they would sit in the living room with him and play with their toys as he played yet another song he had composed while they slept. Songs that made them dance. Songs that made them hum along. Songs that recognized God as the giver of all good things. He would let them help, maybe add their voice to his music, because music had always been a family thing, and they were all too willing to help. If this were truly just a story, the next act would include a struggle that would ultimately end in triumph, but this is not a story, and life as a firstborn and a provider is never that simple. When you are a man who follows the role set out for him in the Bible, you come last. Not that his family didn't support him and encourage him, but eventually, when distribution in our little corner of the world failed to bring fruit, his pencil stopped scratching the page, the keyboard keys thumped along with someone else's music, and life marched on as it often does. Thankfully, this chapter was just an intermission because this firstborn son would someday have a firstborn daughter, a young woman in her 30's, with a loving husband, and three small children who would start a magazine...Now it is up to you to help me write the next chapter.
May your day be bright and your reading be epic!
~ Amy Lynn McConahy, Clean Fiction Magazine
REMINDER: We cannot continue to publish our magazine without your help! Please consider either becoming an advertiser, supporting Clean Fiction on Patreon, or directly supporting us with a Yearly Subscription (for as little as $10/year!).
Our Advertising Deadline is February 14th for the Spring Edition 2026.
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