Here is the text from today’s newsletter/email that I just sent out. Most of the time I remember to copy and paste it here, but sometimes I forget. To keep up with everything, you might want to join my email list: https://sendfox.com/circlecbooks
Keep reading to learn about this month’s contests!
Flash Fiction Story and Look-a-Like Contest
Jun 02, 2026 3:41 pm
I wanted to start out with our Bible verse for the month of June. I love this verse, and I learned it long ago in a . . . song. Scripture songs are absolutely the very best way to memorize Scripture. Sometimes the words differ a bit from the translation you are used to, but the point is. You are hiding God’s Word in your heart. I hope you are learning these monthly verses. And yes, I found a song to make it easier to memorize! Click the image above or this link to listen to it.
I hope you have been looking forward to this month’s contest. I’m really excited about the two story prompt images (which you can see further down in this email). And the brand-new component, the Look-a-Like piece. So, are you ready? Keep reading!
June’s Flash Fiction writing contest opens with a pair of unusual (perhaps mysterious?) prompts—one set in the attic, the other shimmering underwater. You can choose whichever scene sparks the strongest “what happens next” impulse and spin it into a 1,000‑word tale.
April’s entries came to me via various emails, and one story even got forgotten (to post) in the confusion. From now on, I’m making it simple. You and other family members can easily submit your ONE ENTRY EACH story by clicking the blue button, which takes you to the Google Form. Siblings can simply click the “submit another response” link and dive right in with pasting their own story. The judge and I will take it from there!
Deadline: Tuesday, June 30th at 5pm Pacific Time. Please don’t wait until the last day to turn in your story. I enjoy them much more if I can read one or two a day during the month of June instead of ten all coming at me at once during the last hour of the last day. 🫣
Anyone may enter, ages 8-18, from any country, as the winner receives an Amazon gift card that can be used at their country’s Amazon online store. I need 10 or more entries to run this portion of the contest.
- Rainy Day Discovery. While searching the attic one Sunday afternoon, Andi uncovers a small, painted cradle tucked beside a trunk–witih a baby’s name handwritten on the side, a name she had never heard anyone in the family mention.
- The Swimming Hole. Will Sterling claimed he could stay undersater longer than anyone alive. Jem was determined to prove him wrong–until Will showed Jem what was hidden beneath the deepest part of the swimming hole.
Next up: The Look-a-Like Contest. It’s loads of fun.
Kids from 8 to 18 who would rather use their phone camera than their keyboard can jump into June’s Look-a-Like Contest, where absolutely any character from the Circle C or Goldtown books is fair game. Dress up as your favorite book’s hero (or villain) or even stage a scene with more than one character. Grab a costume, a prop, a sibling, (or a pet sidekick) and recreate a moment that makes us smile. It’s pure fun, pure creativity, and a perfect way to join the monthly contests without writing a single word.
Go HERE to see past Look-a-Like Contests.
Note: Choose one contest or the other. You may not enter both. I need 10 or more entries to run the Look-a-Like contest. Deadline June 30, @5pm Pacific Time.
For the Look-a-Like contest, you have two options.
1) GOOGLE FORM. If you have a Google Account, it’s super easy to upload your image to the Google Form. Just click the button.
2) If you or your family do not have a Google Account, then the only way to submit your image is by emailing to THIS ADDRESS ONLY and uploading your image: SusanKMarlow@CircleCBooks.com
I can’t accept any images sent to my various Gmail addresses, because honestly . . . I will forget they are there, and your entry will lose out on being part of the contest. And that would be sad. 😪
Happy Writing & Happy Photographing!
Mrs. M
I love the new writing contest, I’m kinda disappointed about the look-a-like contest, but I guess the majority wins the vote.
What are you disappointed about it? It’s the exact same look-alike contest that I’ve done three other times in the past. What were you expecting?
I mean about having a look-a-like instead of an art contest.
Oh! Yes…. I’ve done an art contest before and it’s very very complicated and I’m afraid that I would not be able to get enough entries for it
This looks fun and I love the story prompt pictures! I might try writing a story off the Andi prompt and entering! 🥳🥳🥳🥳
Yes yes yes!
Mrs. M, you accidentally typed undersatar instead of underwater in the idea about Jem. Just thought I’d let you know!
Is what happens when I write too fast there’s also another typo in it Go look at the word cradle. Lol nothing I can do about it now the newsletter already went out That way you know that it’s human and not AI writing everything. Lol
Yay! Another look alike contest!!!
Ive already started writing my story for the contest and I just had a quick question: Is Andi allowed to wear her overalls on Sunday afternoons? I wrote in my story that she wasn’t, but I wanted to know for sure.
It’s totally fine and she probably can’t!
Hi, Mrs. M! I clicked on both links to take me to the song to memorize the verse, but both took me to a part of your website about the Andi books 🤷♀️
Whoops. It worked yesterday. But I think I did something to my website so now it doesn’t work. So sorry!
Here is the new link: https://susankmarlow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/10-Behold-What-Manner-of-Love-1-John-3_1.mp3
Thanks!
Also, Seeds Kids Worship and The Corner Room make songs out of verses, usually ESV, in case you want to check those out. I use them a lot to memorize popular verses, and they’re fun!
Why is it nesacary to put my email in for the story submiting form?
Lol. How else would I notify you if you win?
i don’t have an email. 🙁
Is it ABSOLUTLY nesscery to notify me
Only if you want to win. I will not try to find people to notify them if you don’t want to win the prize that’s fine just send it in as a fan fiction story then.
Wouldn’t i just see it on your blog? does the winner get anything?
I’m kind of wondering if you read the blog post? Or did I forget to write the prize? It’s $10 Amazon gift card for the winner. And no I always contact the winner first before I announce it on the blog or in the newsletter
Will my email be shared, and will you send me other emails, besides the one you would send if i win, like, would it automatically sign me up for newsletters?
No, it doesn’t sign you up for anything. It’s so that I can tell you if you win. I don’t share people’s emails. I don’t have time for that kind of stuff. 😂
If you want to sign up for the newsletter you have to go over to the website and do it on purpose. The only way you get signed up for the newsletter is if you order something from my website if you sign up for it or if you download a freebie, and that only if you know it’s a freebie for a sign up. Have you never guessed with the what am I game? It’s the same thing as that. You have to give me an email so I can tell you you win. Nothing else.
No, even though i read your books for years, i only found your blog 2 months ago! LOL
Howdy Mrs. Marlow, I just saw this now and was wondering if i could put in a relitive andi doesn’t have in the books, i.e, a sister. Is that all right? And is there a minimal word length and do you dock points for gramatical and spelling errors? Thanks!
Do whatever you like so long as it reflects the prompt! Obviously the Andi prompt is going to bring in new characters. 👍
It’s 1,000 words. I do not take off for grammar if it’s a compelling story … Only if my judge gives me a tie. Then I will go with the story that has also worked hard to make it look right, ie spelling, punctuation, etc.
Thanks, when will you contact the winner?
After the stories are judged, sometime after July 1….
Are we allowed to have a parent/friend etc edit it?
Sure. Whatever you want to do!
What about AI editing?
This is a little flash fiction contest for a thousand words for a bunch of kids to write. Let’s not get too complicated and let’s not have AI involved in these little tiny things please
I thought so, I don’t use AI (too complicated and too many mistakes) but i was just wondering, my big sister edits my school papers, so it’s fine if she checks this for gramatical errors?
Yes. You know this is not a one of those big giant contests with lots of prizes and getting published or anything, so just have fun with it that’s what it’s meant to be something fun I don’t even correct anything when I post the stories So what you send is what will be posted on the blog even if you win or do not win.
In past contest that had big prizes and people were getting published and it was a big deal, I formatted and I did I even edited the winners so make him look good on the published book but this is just for fun….
Keep that in mind and have some fun. 😂
Thanks for taking the time to do this! I love your contests!
Sorry, one more question, could i say that Elizabet and James were married 2 years earlier, or justin born a year or so later?
Like I said…. Whatever you want. This is your story…..
Thanks!
I don’t have an Amazon account. Would it be possible to get a $10 gift code for the Circle C Store instead?
You can use the gift card without an account. I don’t sell anything but digital products on my site these days but if you want something digital you could get it, yes
Thanks i would love that!(If i win LOL) i already posted my story, when will i get to see it
You will not be able to see your story until the contest is over The judges have picked the winner and all the stories are posted on the blog so be patient my friend
How many stories have you recived so far, and is there one you really like?
I have received 9 so far and there are a number of them that I really like.
what are the titles of your favorites? (unless you don’t want to share that yet, but i would love to know if you like mine!)
My favorite what?
sorry, i meant favorite stories you recived for the contest
There’s no way on the planet that I’m going to share anything like that So sorry!
The judge will choose the winner and then all the stories will be posted usually in the order in which they were received and no other order.
i figured you wuldn’t want to share yet! 😉
You figured right! And I won’t be sharing anything except the stories themselves and the winner.
For the look-a-like contest is it just people or can i put in a picture of my horse? (I have one that looks just like Shasta!) Do i need to be riding him?
It can’t be just the horse but if you dress up and are with Shasta then yes that would count
perfect! My “Shasta” (His real name is cookies and cream) will love being ‘famous’!
So far I only have to look alike entries and if you’ll remember what it says I have to have 10 in order to run it
do you have 10 stories yet?
Yes I do.
I am super excited for the look a like contest! I’m unfortunately to old but I’ve been trying to get some of my friends and siblings to enter! 😉
Ash H.
Well let’s hope I get the 10 entries! I don’t have that many yet.
And you’re not too old not for the look-alike contest. I’ve had adults on some of the others it was one with a picture of being Andy with a cougar she had killed I mean how cool is that and she was posing as Andy and Riley and then the one with her coug
WOW! Thank you! In that case I would be thrilled to dress up!!
Ashlynn H.
Hey! I was trying to send in my story and it doesn’t let me have Andi’s “thoughts” in italics…..What should I do?
You send it in anyway and that’s the way it goes when the Google forms if I see it obvious I sometimes change them but for the judge she’s not going to it’s not going to affect the status of your story because nobody has italics so if it’s a winner then I’ll go through and brush it up okay?