I was pleased to receive the news that my novella ‘Scam!‘ won the Electric Eclectic Novella Fiction Prize for 2020. which is an international literary competition for emerging writers and Indie authors, and is judged anonymously. The emphasis of the judging was on ambitious, imaginative and innovative approaches which explore/expand creative writing. I submitted my manuscript in February 2020, but because of the pandemic the result had been delayed. The prize is a full paperback publishing package with Crimson Cloak Publishing.

In ‘Scam!’, Lauren West and Ben Hughes are saving frantically for their forthcoming marriage and mortgage deposit. When Lauren sees an advert online from a firm of brokers extolling the profits to be gained by buying and selling Bitcoins, she is interested enough to pursue it further.

Lauren clicks on the advert. She is soon contacted by Paul Cash, a knowledgeable stockbroker whom Lauren trusts straight away. He is affable, plausible, and seemingly genuinely interested in her welfare. Lauren looks forward to making enough money to be able to surprise Ben and bring the date of their wedding forward, and also to put a deposit down on their ideal house.

What could possibly go wrong?

The paperback and e-book will be published in due course by Crimson Cloak Publishing.