Writers sharpen your pencils — Acadiana Writing Project and the Festival of Words offer contest

Students in grades 3-12 from across Acadiana are invited to participate in a writing contest sponsored by the Acadiana Writing Project and the Festival of Words. Students can enter original writing pieces into three writing categories including poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. Writings should be submitted through a supervising teacher or school facilitator online by sending them to kayla_menard@saintmartinschools.org. Parental permission must be granted by filling out the student writing contest entry form.  Awards will be given for first, second and third place winners. Contest winners will also receive an anthology publication of winning entries.

Final Deadline for online submissions is Oct. 21.

The annual Festival of Words literary event will be Saturday, Nov. 5, in Grand Coteau. All entrants are invited to attend the festival and contest winners will be invited to read their original writing pieces on the festival’s Community Stage. For more information, visit http://www.festivalofwords.org/.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. She is also the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Tuesday ebook spotlight: Farrah Rochon

Farrah Rochon, who lives just outside New Orleans, publishes romances in print and ebooks. "Mr. Right Next Door," the Camp Firefly Falls Book 6, is available for only $2.99 at Amazon, Kobo, Nook and other iBooks. 

Here's the book's description: When Leah Cross’s fiancé decides he no longer wants to get married, the hardworking finance analyst is determined to attend the couple’s retreat at Camp Firefly Falls anyway. But after being dumped, the humiliation of showing up alone is too much for Leah to bear. She needs a stand-in ASAP. At the top of her list: her hot next-door neighbor, Caleb Scott. 

For the past four months undercover detective Caleb Scott has been on self-imposed desk duty following an on-the-job incident that shattered his confidence. A weekend fishing trip with his buddies was supposed to be the perfect opportunity for Caleb to clear his mind and make some hard decisions about his future, but after they all bail on him, he’s stuck trying to figure out what to do with his time off. That is, until the neighbor he’s been secretly lusting after for a year invites him to join her at a summer camp for adults.

Can this platonic weekend in the mountains blossom into something more? It will if Caleb has anything to say about it. 

Louisiana Book News is written by journalist Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. The first two books in her award-winning series are free as ebooks! For more information and to sign up for her newsletter visit www.cherieclaire.net.