It’s never too late to fall in love

It’s never too late to have a fling . . . for autumn is just as nice as spring . . . it’s never too late to fall in love! (Sandy Wilson, The Boyfriend)

We have had a huge response to our call for short romantic stories. A short list of 44 stories (see below) were judged by a panel of experienced writers and 20 have been chosen to be published in an anthology on November 1st 2011.

Those chosen are (in the order they will appear in the anthology)

Life Class Peter Johnson

A Cat About the House Norma Murray

Copperplate Sue Wilson

Life Without Grace Ed Lane

Spot On Jane Walker

Dancing Round The Med Denise West

Lightning Never Strikes Twice         Paul Chiswick

The Last Verse Margaret Foggo

An Estate of the Heart Brenda Jackson

Collectability Denis Marsden

Predictive Text Heather Shaw

The Secret Life of Madeline Greatorex Patricia Stoner

How Little Time Cedric Parcell

A Good Sense of Humour Margaret Kitchen

Stranger Love Carol Homer

Rendezvous Malcolm Peake

In Sickness and In Health Gwen Anderson

Second Time Around Gillian Lazar

Ménage à Troisième Age Stephanie Richards

Stardust Jean Dorricott


SHORT LISTED STORIES

Gwen

Anderson

In Sickness and in Health

Paul

Chiswick

Lightning Never Strikes Twice?

Howard

Cooley

Caroline and the Widower

John

Dimiter-Murray

No Regrets

Jenny

Dorricott

Stardust

Micky

Dugan

Do you smile to tempt a lover Mona Lisa

Margorie

Fisher

A Secret Affair

Margaret

Foggo

The Last Verse

Jennie

Fursland

Dear Alice

Wendy

Gayler

Never Never Land

Chris

Hazelgrove

Do it Yourself

Barbara

Hendrick

Best of Foes

Anthea

Holland

Deliberation

Carol

Homer

Stranger Love

Brenda

Jackson

An Estate of the Heart

Cheryl

Jeffrey

In Sunshine and in Shade

Peter

Johnson

Life Class

Carolina

Kenealy

No Man Land

Margaret

Kitchen

A Good sense of Humour

Ed

Lane

Life Without Grace

Gillian

Lazar

Second Time Around

John Margeryson

Lord

Dear, Oh Dear

Sarah

Lovett

The Lady and the Knight

Denis

Marsden

Collectability

Denis

Marsden

There’s Always Brian

Norma

Murray

A Cat About the House

Cedric

Parcell

How Little Time

Helen J

Park

Alexander’s Choice

Malcolm

Peake

Losing Harriet

Malcolm

Peake

Rendezvous

Judith

Rhodes

Best Man

Stephanie

Richards

Menage a Troisieme Age

Valerie

Sabir-Ali

The Promise

Jule

Saunders

Easy as ABC

Heather

Shaw

Predictive Text

Ann

Smith

The Flood

Patricia

Stoner

The Secret Life of Madeline Greatorex

Gordon

Thynne

The Autocrat of the Dinner Table

Jane

Walker

Mysterious Ways

Jane

Walker

Spot On

Jane

Wells

Grand Circles and Gowns

Denise

West

Waltzing Round the Med

Beryl

Wilkins

4:20 from Victoria

Deriel

Williams

A Different Time Frame

Sue

Wilson

Copperplate

The Judging Panel

Mary Essinger-Rogers

My first novel, Wounded Bird of Paradise, was published when I was 68; nice things: DO happen to older people. Note the semi colon; I do not use it enough. In My Fashion, about starting work in a dress factory cme next followed by How to be a Merry Widow (published by Third Age Press) but I had to use my maiden name for that, didn’t want men queuing up at the door wanting to marry me. My latest book is Mary Writes Comedy. It has just occurred to me that I have not written any fiction since I became a widow. I wonder why?

Amanda Sington-Williams

Amanda is the author of The Eloquence of Desire published in 2010 by Sparkling Books. She won an award from The Royal Literary Fund whilst writing this novel. Her short stories have been published by Ether Books, Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Writing Raw, Bridge House Publishing and selected for readings at several literary events.  Her poetry has also been read out on BBC radio. She has an MA in Creative Writing and Authorship and teaches novel writing in Brighton.  More information about her can be seen on her website: www.amandasingtonwilliams.co.uk

Maggie Smith

The author of three books on Mid-life Career Change, for the past ten years Maggie has been National Adviser for Creative Writing for the University of the Third Age. She tutors at Summer Schools and study days and has compiled a handbook for U3A Writers Groups. Maggie recently had a story in Story Slam at Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of the Festival of Britain 60th Anniversary. She is attempting to make time for her own writing and intends to complete her memoirs while there is still time.

Alan Wallace

Alan Wallace has a varied background in theatre. Three years ago, he joined the U3A Forest Hill Writers’ Group, which produced Deadline Thursday, a collection of stories and verse by its members. His account of a trip to China is shortly to appear in another U3A anthology, this one devoted to travel writing.

Dianne Norton
Managing Editor, Third Age Press
6 Parkside Gardens
London SW19 5EY
Email: dnort@globalnet.co.uk