New Ragnarok Issue Published

Due to the large number of entries in our two contests, the judges are running behind schedule in providing feedback to those who submitted works. For those of you who have not yet received feedback, the judges expect to have them all completed by April 15. We apologize for any inconvenience, but rest assured feedback is coming soon.

The Spring 2013 issue of Ragnarok- the e-lit journal of Valhalla Press is available in Kindle form from our website for $3.99. Even if you don't own a Kindle, you may download the issue to your PC or MAC. The Fall/Winter 2012 issue is now available for .99.

For five days, starting March 14, readers may download a FREE Kindle copy of J. Calvin Pierce's The Door to Ambermere from Amazon. For those who haven't read the first in Pierce's trilogy, this is an opportunity to enjoy a light-hearted fantasy at no cost. If you read the original 20 years ago when this cult classic was first published, you have another chance to travel with Daniel, Hannah, and Marcia through the Door to Ambermere to meet such memorable characters as the bumbling magician, Rogan, and the insatiable King Asbrak the Fat. Oh yes, there is a demon and a beautiful lady involved.

Amazon prime members may borrow a copy of Door to Ambermere free. Amazon limits the number of books members can borrow to one per month.

Complete List of Contest Winners

The judgements have all been rendered and the roll will be called in Valhalla. As stated previously, the winner of the Valhalla Press Flash Fiction/Flash Memoir Writing Contest is Robert Robeson for his story of heroism in Vietnam "Doc Drevo's Disarming Decision". Second prize went to Orla McAlinden for her memoir of growing up in Northern Ireland entitled "Control Zone." Two honorable mention winners from the contest will also have their work appear in Ragnarok-the e-lit journal of Valhalla Press. Jo Haraf's flash fiction piece, "Cherry" tells the story of how an old car leads to a new relationship. Satya Khan's flash memoir, "The Absence", explores postpartum depression.

We had a double winner in the Valhalla Press Legal Professionals Writing Contest. Mark Levine took first prize for his work "Margaret Mead". His story, "The Pain Industry" garnered honorable mention as well. Dominic Carew's legal-dystopian vision (a new genre, perhaps?), "The Documents", took second prize. Joel Burcat won honorable mention kudos for his novel excerpt, "The Executioners". Congratulations to all of our winners.

Ragnarok's Spring 2013 issue will also feature three directly submitted fiction pieces. Joseph Peacock's "Old" looks into an aging man's attempt to redefine himself in his later years. Wendy Robert's "Ouroboros" is set in Belgium shortly after the Nazi's retreated. Finally, Benjamin R. Smith's "Two in the House of Happy Air" explores a future where the arts are illegal.

Flash Fiction and Flash Memoir Contest Winners

Robert Robeson has won First Place in the Flash Fiction and Flash Memoir Contest for his story "Doc Drevo's Disarming Decision," which will appear in the next issue of Ragnarok the e-lit Journal. He won $500 and a Kindle Paperwhite.

Second Place goes to Orla McAlinden for her story "Control Zone." Her story will appear in the next issue of Ragnarok the e-lit journal and will receive a Kindle Fire.

Honorable mentions will be selected in the next week or so. In addition, all entrants will receive feedback in the coming weeks.

And the Legal Writing Contest Winners Are:

Mr. Mark Levine won First Place for his story "Margaret Mead." He received $500 plus a Kindle Fire and publication in the next issue of Ragnarok the e-lit journal.

Mr. Dominic Carew won Second Place for his story "The Documents." He will receive a Kindle basic and publication in the next issue of Ragnarok the e-lit journal.

The other writers who entered the Legal Writing Contest will receive feedback on their work in the next few weeks and a few will also receive honorable mention and publication in Ragnarok. We expect to announce those honorable mentions next week so stay tuned for more announcements.

The winners of the Flash Fiction and Flash Memoir Contest will be announced later tonight.

Winner announcement coming very soon

For our readers in earlier time zones, we apologize for the delay. It is indeed March 1 here on the Eastern Seaboard and we will be making the winner announcement very soon. There is heated debate among the judges and we hope to break the deadlock after lunch and maybe a Scotch or Rum and Coke.

Contest Winners Will be Announced This Week

It's going to be a busy week in Valhalla. The judges are looking over the entries in the Valhalla Press Flash Fiction/Flash Memoir Contest and the Valhalla Press Legal Professionals Writing Contest. The winners will be announced March 1. Winners of those contests will have their work featured in the Spring issue of Ragnarok-the e-lit journal of Valhalla Press.

Also, we have begun formatting the works found on our website for the i-pad and other Apple devices. Just this week, we released John Pistelli's Ecstasy of Michaela for the iPad. Other works will be released soon.

Those who want to follow our contests can sign up for our contest e-mail list on our contest page.

Finally, this week's featured e-book is Albert Davenport's short non-fiction piece, In the Shadow of Midnight: Daedalus: A Tale of Savannah. Albert has provided some background details of the story in his blog postings that can be found on our Author Blogs page where you will also find blog postings by John Pistelli and Adrienne Terrell Washington. Adrienne's memoir The Original Party Girl and other (very) personal essays is our featured short non-fiction e-book this week.

Enjoy your week in Valhalla.

Ragnarok, the e-lit Journal of Valhalla Press is now listed on Every Writer's Resource's list of Literary Magazines. This has been quite a month for Ragnarok. Readers are discovering the fine work contained in the inaugural issue as evidenced by increased sales and posted reviews on Amazon, Goodreads.com and other sites. Ragnarok has moved its submission process to Submittable.com, the industry standard.

We stated at the outset that we sought to "showcase some of the best writing in English produced in the world today" and we believe we have done so in our inaugural issue. Currently, we are selecting works for the next Ragnarok issue. Winning entries from our recently concluded Flash Fiction/Flash Memoir Contest will appear as well as those from our Legal Professionals Writing Contest. Winners from both contests will be announced March 1. The Flash Fiction/Flash Memoir contest winners will provide all the short works we need, but we are still looking for quality longer works, from 2,000 to 5,000 words, for the next issue.

We do charge a $3 non-refundable reading fee, but all authors whose works are chosen for publication will be paid $25. Interested authors should go to the Ragnarok page and follow the submission instructions. We look forward to them.

VP Interviews John Pistelli

Here in Valhalla, we know the link between writer and reader can be a magical one propelling the reader to a literary paradise like--well--Valhalla. A successful literary work can spur readers to dig deeper, to find out more about the author, learn how the author crafted the story, and ultimately build a more profound bond with the writer, the story's characters, and the world they inhabit.

This week we have just such an opportunity. John Pistelli, author of The Ecstasy of Michaela, graciously agreed to sit down with Valhalla Press partner, Albert Davenport, to discuss his novella and an article Pistelli wrote for the initial issue of Ragnarok, the e-lit journal of Valhalla Press, entitled The Strange Lanes of Hell: Against Materialist Anti-aesthetics.

The interview gives readers an insight into a talented writer, his creative process and the post-industrial, dystopic world Michaela and Pistelli's other characters haunt.

News from Valhalla

Valhalla Press recently concluded two writing contests, a Flash Fiction/Flash Memoir Contest and a Legal Professionals Writing Contest. We would like to thank all of you who entered your work. The judges will be choosing the winners during February and announcing them by March 1. First prize in each contest is $500, an e-reader, and publication in the Spring 2013 issue of Ragnarok, the e-lit journal of Valhalla Press. Second prize winners will receive an e-reader and publication. An as yet undetermined number of entries will win honorable mention prizes which includes publication. The authors of all works chosen for publication receive $25. All authors who submitted works will receive constructive feedback on their stories. That's just how we roll in Valhalla.

Valhalla Press is also partnering with Submittable to accept future submissions for Ragnarok. Submittable is quickly becoming the industry standard for authors. We charge a $3 reading fee for these direct submissions and provide constructive feedback. We review submissions monthly and just reviewed January's entries--a few gems there, but more about that later in the month.

Those who wish to stay up-to-date on our writing contests have several options. You may sign up for our e-mail list on our contest page, follow us on Twitter (@valhallapress), or like us on Facebook.

Valhalla's minions are busy at work on other projects as well. As they come to fruition, they will be revealed.

The Value of Critiques

We received an ad in an e-mail the other day from a well respected writing magazine offering short story critiquing at $4.00 per page with a minimum submission of 5 pages. The reviewer would accept stories as long as 30 pages. So for from between $20 and $120 authors could have a thorough critique by a professional writer.

Contrast that with any Valhalla Press contest. In Valhalla, all entering authors receive feedback on their work at no additional charge. A professional author's critique of your work is included in the $15 entry fee. Admittedly, our feedback is not the down in the weeds line editing the $4.00 a page folks were offering, but the comments they provided in their online sample were on par with what we provide--and again--it is included in the entry fee. Also, our contests offer authors the chance to win $500 for first prize along with the e-reader of the winner's choice. Second prize winners receive their choice of e-reader and those chosen for publication are paid $25.

Those who do not win still get feedback that they can use to improve their story and they will only have paid a $15 entry fee, not $120. We provide the feedback because our goal is to build a writing community. We also believe it is what makes our contests one of the best values available to aspiring authors. Get all the details at our contest page. Feedback on the stories you submit are just part of the reason Valhalla Press is the e-publishing paradise.

Legal Professional Writing Contest

We are trying something new at Valhalla Press, a Legal Professional Writing Contest. In the past, our contests were open to anyone as is the case with our current Flash Fiction/Flash Memoir contest. However, we know many legal professionals who are closet novelists, bloggers, or even poets. (We have even heard some fantasize about being the next John Grisham or Lisa Scottoline.) Given legal professionals' skills and yearnings, we felt we should create a forum just for them.

We define "legal professional" broadly to include judges, attorneys, paralegals and even law students. Because writing is so integral to the legal profession, we hope our contestants will provide us with some literary gold nuggets. Submissions may be either fiction or nonfiction and must be 5,000 words or less. Click here for complete contest rules (Gotta have rules for a legal writing contest, right?).

First prize is $500, an e-reader, and publication in our e-lit journal Ragnarok . Contestants who wish to get a feel for the types of work we are looking for should download the inaugural Ragnarok issue. To enter the contest, go to our contest page to submit your entry fee and story.