Bethlehem Writers Roundtable

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Bethlehem Writers Roundtable

Magazine of The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC (BWG) publishes a bimonthly ezine: The Bethlehem Writers Roundtable.

The magazine includes a Featured Author and short story, an industry interview, Betty Wryte-Goode’s Tips, & More. BWR is accepting submissions for unpublished work in many genres of fiction as well as memoir and poetry. Submission Guidelines at:
http://bwgwritersroundtable.com/

28/02/2026

Tonight, a rare six-planet alignment will occur just after sunset. For those who remember 2004’s movie Hellboy, another alignment was a central theme in releasing the forces of darkness. Since Galileo first used a telescope to discover Saturn in 1609, our eight planetary neighbors (yes, I still include Pluto) have inspired countless works of fiction.

The Bethlehem Writers Group is accepting short story entries for their speculative fiction anthology, Illusive Worlds. The 2026 Contest opened January 1, and the deadline is March 31. The 2026 contest guest judge will be Speculative Fiction Author – Susan Kay Quinn. Susan is an environmental engineer/rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. You can learn more about her at susankayequinn.com.

The winners receive cash and publication, with the first-place winner being considered for our upcoming anthology, Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Click the link below for details.
https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/short-story-award-2/

23/02/2026

It’s a big galaxy out there. Sort of makes that lakeside tree grove minuscule in the broader aspect of the universe. Or our little blue dot in the cosmos as well. Ever wonder what’s out there? The concept has fueled science fiction stories for decades.
The Bethlehem Writers Group is accepting short story entries for their speculative fiction anthology, Illusive Worlds. The 2026 Contest opened January 1, and the deadline is March 31. The 2026 contest guest judge will be Speculative Fiction Author – Susan Kay Quinn. Susan is an environmental engineer/rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. You can learn more about her at susankayequinn.com.

The winners receive cash and publication, with the first-place winner being considered for our upcoming anthology, Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Go to the site below for details.

https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/short-story-award-2/

21/02/2026

Something simple like an abandoned gas pump on a remote road in the middle of nowhere. Just another service lost to times gone by? A rusted fragment left over after an apocalypse that rendered the world uninhabitable? Or something more sinister, like the disappearance without a trace of people from a small northern town. Could be a short story in a speculative fiction anthology.

The Bethlehem Writers Group is accepting short story entries for their speculative fiction anthology, Illusive Worlds. The 2026 Contest opened January 1, and the deadline is March 31. The 2026 contest guest judge will be Speculative Fiction Author – Susan Kay Quinn. Susan is an environmental engineer/rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. You can learn more about her at susankayequinn.com.

The winners receive cash and publication, with the first-place winner being considered for our upcoming anthology, Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Click the link below for details.
https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/short-story-award-2/

20/01/2026

Dianna Sinovic will be at the Doylestown Bookshop's Local Author Expo, where they will showcase a variety of authors from our community.

When: Saturday, January 24, 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM

https://doylestownbookshop.com/LAE012426

Dianna Sinovic is a certified book coach, editor, and award-winning author of speculative fiction, horror, and mystery. She’s the author of the paranormal thriller Scream of the Silent Sun. Her short stories have been published in a number of anthologies, and her flash fiction appears monthly on the blog A Slice of Orange. She’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Memoir Writers, and the Bethlehem Writers Group.

Connect with her via her website, https://dianna-sinovic.com/, or on Facebook and Instagram.

06/01/2026

Happy New Year!

We at the BWG Roundtable, the magazine of the Bethlehem Writers Group, are starting off the year with our annual short story award contest. The submission period runs through March 30. The winner will be included in Illusive Worlds, our 2026 anthology due out this fall.

In our Winter Issue, you’ll find an interview with this year’s contest judge, award-winning author and podcaster Susan Kaye Quinn, by BWG member Marianne Donley. Did you know Quinn holds a PhD in environmental engineering?

This issue’s theme is “Ordinary People”. What you’ll find are some extraordinary tales about these ordinary folks. Our featured story is “Numbed to Death,” by M.R. Lehman Wiens, about loss and grieving. Our featured poem, “The Accident,” by Nancy Wheaton, shares the worry of a parent about an adventurous child.

In our &More section, Adam Stemple’s “Old Man, with Axe” shows us the grit of an aging loner. Poet Sunayna Pal, in “I Cut My Toe,” depicts the often significant way an adult and a child view the same situation. Likewise, Georgene Smith Goodin, in “Behold,” tells a story about looking—and truly seeing. And returning Roundtable author Marie Anderson gives us reason to smile in “Hallmarked.”

Literary Learnings takes us on a deep dive into the world of science fiction, with BWG member D.T. Krippene sharing some of his favorite novels in that genre.

We hope you find this issue an entertaining way to usher in the new year.

https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/

Happy Reading
Dianna Sinovic – Editor

02/01/2026

Happy New Year from all of us at Bethlehem Writers Roundtable.

With the new year comes “round two” for BWG LLC's latest anthology contest, Illusive Worlds, forthcoming in 2026. We are seeking never-published stories of 2,500 words or fewer on the theme of Speculative Fiction (broadly interpreted tales of science fiction and fantasy).

After last year’s contest in 2025, the editorial committee submitted five top entries to a highly acclaimed science fiction and fantasy author, Adrian Tchaikovsky, who selected the first-place winner. The committee also awarded prizes to the second and third-place winners and selected four Honorable Mentions.

The 2026 Contest opened January 1, and the deadline is March 31. The 2026 contest guest judge will be Speculative Fiction Author – Susan Kay Quinn. Susan is an environmental engineer/rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. You can learn more about her at susankayequinn.com.

The winners receive cash and publication, with the first-place winner being considered for our upcoming anthology, Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Click the link below for submission details.

https://bwgwritersroundtable.com/short-story-award-2/

If you missed the 2025 contest and still have a great story concept for Illusive Worlds, fire up that word processor and get started.

07/12/2025

Local authors with the Bethlehem Writers Group will be at the Barnes & Noble - Promenade Shops in Center Valley for a book signing event on Sunday, December 14, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Barnes & Noble
2960 Center Valley Pkwy Ste 742
Center Valley, PA 18034

Last chance to get that perfect gift book, especially the 2024 “Seasons Greetings” collection of holiday stories.

You can learn more about BWG at: https://sites.google.com/view/bethlehemwritersgroupllc/home

03/12/2025

Authors with the Bethlehem Writers Group will be at the Eastview Kris Kringle on Sunday, December 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with all their award-winning titles.

Eastview Community Barn
7503 Oakmont Drive
Frederick, MD 21702

If you’re looking for that perfect holiday book, we’ll have the 2024 “Season’s Reading” available.

You can learn more about BWG at: https://sites.google.com/view/bethlehemwritersgroupllc/home

21/11/2025

Don’t forget to visit authors with the Bethlehem Writers Group at the Bally Holiday Craft Fair at the Bally Mennonite Church tomorrow, Saturday, Nov 22.

Then on Sunday, there will be another book signing event at the Barnes & Noble - Promenade Shops in Center Valley from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Barnes & Noble
2960 Center Valley Pkwy Ste 742
Center Valley, PA 18034

Yet another opportunity to shop for that perfect holiday gift book, “Seasons Greetings”.

You can learn more about BWG at: https://sites.google.com/view/bethlehemwritersgroupllc/home

Bookstore Photo by Michael Newton from unsplash.com

18/11/2025

The Bethlehem Writers Group will join artisans and crafters for a book signing event on Saturday, November 22, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Bally Community Holiday Craft Show & Bake Sale
Bally Mennonite Church
1481 PA 100, Barto, PA

Sat. Nov 22, 9 AM to 3 PM
Sponsored by Bally Area Recreational Development Society (BARDS)
FREE ADMISSION
Food, Music & Fun!

Join BWG Authors along with visiting local area artists and crafters. If you’re looking for that perfect holiday book, we’ll have the 2024 “Season’s Reading” available.

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https://www.bwgwritersroundtable.com/

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