Welcome to the November issue of Net Author's E2K!

This issue finalizes our countdown of the Net Author's Third Annual Flash Fiction Contest winners with Ellen Lindquist's Fourth Place flash fiction story, "Gismond, Splash, and Enrico," and we're certain you'll enjoy the read. Remember, if you missed the other winners, please do go back to the last issues (via the Archives link above) and catch them, but do take the time to relax with your favorite cuppa for a few minutes over Ellen's "Gismond."

To recap the results:

First Place (100usd prize): "Shi" by K. Cutter
Second Place (50usd prize): "Orchidae" by Kay Sexton
Third Place (25usd prize): "Dear and Dearly Beloved" by Sarah Brandel
Fourth Place (25usd prize): "Gismond, Splash, and Enrico" by Ellen Lindquist

To all of our participants and readers, we hope you've enjoyed this year's contest as much as we have, and we hope you'll remember to keep an eye peeled for next year's contest in the late spring of 2004.

The frantic chaos of the holiday season has begun again. Five-foot Santas are singing and shimmying at the exit to your local drug store, Halloween ghosts have been replaced by fold-out Thanksgiving turkeys and pilgrims, and every newspaper seems to carry a pound of sales inserts in holiday colors. 'Tis nearing the season to be jolly, but we know what a battle that "jolly" can be; the demands seem to increase and it's difficult to find time to spend with friends and family, or find a few simple moments for yourself. To that end, Net Author is going to grant that bit of extra breathing space to its own staff and shut down for the month of December. We'll still handle submissions, so don't hesitate to send them, but don't panic if it takes us a little longer to respond. In the meantime, we hope that you'll have a blessed holiday season filled with grace and comfort, and that the world will--at least for a little while--share your lives in peace and joy.

In this issue, you'll not only find Ellen's "Gismond, Splash, and Enrico," but you'll have a chance to tickle your imagination with an engaging fairy tale by Marian Allen. Alix McMurray and Allen McGill treat us to a sampling of their poetry, Hasmita Chander gets technical with "13 Tips on How to Tech-talk to Non-techies," and our own Julia Brown shares what she's been reading lately.

• Fiction: "Gismond, Splash, and Enrico" by Ellen Lindquist (Flash Fiction Contest Fourth Place Winner)
• Fiction: "Brave Andrew and the Crop-Haired Lass" by Marian Allen
• Poetry: "Near Xanadu" by Alix McMurray
• Poetry: "In Memoriam" by Allen McGill
• Features: Honing the Craft. "13 Tips on How to Tech-talk to Non-techies" by Hasmita Chander
  
• Features: Book Buzz. Review of Cynthia Kaplan's Why I'm Like This: True Stories by Julia Brown, Staff Writer
  
  
  Next publication date: 15 January 2004