FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Haunt Jaunts Announces Its 1st Annual Horror Writing Contest
Scary stories wanted! Haunt Jaunts is offering cash prizes for the three scariest tales that keep its judges up at night.
August 28, 2013: Haunt Jaunts, a travel site for restless spirits that specializes in paranormal tourism, is hosting a horror writing contest. They are seeking scary tales of 2,000 words or less filled with crisp, clean prose that crackle with terror. There is a $5 entry fee with three cash prizes being offered: $50 for 1st Place, $30 for 2nd Place, $20 for 3rd Place. Deadline to enter is October 15, 2013. Winners will be announced on October 31, 2013.
Ever since its launch in 2009, Haunt Jaunts loves to get into the Halloween spirit by hosting various events. In years past they’ve thrown online Halloween parties complete with contests and prizes. This year they decided to celebrate in a different way –with a horror writing contest.
“We’re calling it our 1st Annual in the hopes it’ll be a hit and something we can carry on for years to come,” Courtney Mroch, Haunt Jaunts founder and Director of Paranormal Tourism, says.
As to why she picked a horror writing contest, Mroch had this to say:
“I love the horror genre. Horror books, horror movies, horror art…if it’s scary, it catches my eye. And then there’s Halloween….my favorite time of year. I love celebrating and getting my site in the act too. I wanted to do something a little different this year and got the idea of hosting a writing contest. I figured it might be a fun way to discover some new spooky stories and offer writers a new place to send their work.”
Speaking of writers, Mroch has recruited two authors to help with the judging: Christine Verstraete, who writes as C.A. Verstraete, and Phillip Creighton, who writes as P.W. Creighton. Verstraete’s latest release is Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie. Creighton’s most recent is Hysteria.
“I’m really excited Phil and Chris agreed to be judges,” Mroch says. “They’re friends of mine, but they’re also busy people. That’s why I’m going to handle the first round of judging and then pass on the best to them. They’ll really be the final word.”
When asked how she felt about being a judge, Verstraete said, “I love contests and hope I find plenty of stories to keep me up at night!”
Stories can be submitted online via Haunt Jaunts’ site at https://www.hauntjaunts.net/horror-writing-contest/.
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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