THE BEST OF TIMES:

RETRO STORIES OF THE 20th CENTURY

FIRST ISSUE NOW READY FOR ORDER!!

Issue #1:

1. Good Night Sweet Prince--by Deborah Stevens (the first chapter of Deb's wonderful epic story of intrige and espionage. Set in the 1920s. Destined to become a Best of Times classic!)

2. The Farmhouse--by Shalla Beth Wilson (Shalla's lovely story about love and loss, set during World War II.)

3. The Less Serious Aspects of Driving--by Cathy McDavid (a humorous look at one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of parenthood--teaching a teenager to drive. Flashback to the 1950s story.)

4. The Royal Theatre Adventure--by Emma Redmer (a fun 1940s kid's adventure story of three young girls and how they solve a wartime mystery)

5. Bus Terminal 316--by Derek Fisher (a creepy "Twilight Zone"ish story of the lost crew of a vessel in World War II)

6. Going Home--by Rita Widmer (a sad yet sweet story of a young soldier lost in the last days of World War II)

Price is $9.00 per issue.

To order, please E mail me at Almacks@aol.com for mailing address info.

Sorry I can't handle credit cards. I'm not a business, just a person. : )

Writer's Guidelines:

Would you like to write for The Best of Times? Great! We need some more writers. Just follow these writers guidelines and you have a good chance of being included in an upcoming issue.

The Best of Times is a new amateur short stories magazine which contains stories of the first 2/3rds of the 20th century (1900-1960s).

Are you an amateur writer who enjoys penning stories about previous decades of the 20th century? We need romances, mysteries, horror, science fiction, time travel, western, war, etc. taking place in this story-rich time of incredible literary variety and quality.

1. All stories must be original fiction.

2. All stories must take place within the first 2/3rds of the 20th century (1900-1960s) and should concern situations and character types familiar to mainstream American readers.

3. Any genre is acceptable, including romance, mystery, war stories, horror, science fiction, time travel, western etc. as long as it takes place during the prescribed time period.

4. The stories should have a strong flavor of the "retro" era. It is not a good idea to take a contemporary story idea and simply set it in the past. The essence of the era should be strong in the story and dialogue.

5. The stories must be no shorter than 3 pages and no longer than 15 pages for a one shot story (in 11 point font). Longer stories or novels can be serialized in chapters in several magazines, but only if the entire story is written and submitted in advance. I do not want to start a chapter story, only to have it peter out, disappointing everyone.

6. The stories must be G or PG rated. They should be basically "innocent" in nature. Sexual activity may be implied, but not graphically described, and violence should be kept within the bounds of good taste. The occasional punch, fight or slapped face is fine if appropriate to the story, but explicit or gory violence is not permitted. It is permissible for a character to be murdered but the murder should be described obliquely or should happen off the page. Naturally, this is flexible according to the genre. A war story or murder mystery will of course be more violent than a romance, but any writing should be in good taste. As a guideline, use what really would have been published in a magazine or seen in a movie in the 1930s or 40s. If it would not be acceptable under their censorship codes, please think twice before you write it.

7. This is an amateur magazine. All accepted writers will be paid with a free copy of the issue in which their story appears. No monetary payment for stories can be made at this time.

For answers to any questions about these writers guidelines or to submit a story for consideration, please E-mail Almacks@aol.com