Local writers place in publishing contest

Two members of the Perkins Creative Writing Group recently learned they were winners in a children’s book writing contest.

“The Story of Molly Moo” by Marlena Hodson of Carney, Okla. placed second in the Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. contest, under the Kittycat Books label.

“Sassy and the Fairies” by Cindy Sheets of Perkins, Okla. placed third.

The women won certificates and cash prizes for their entries.

The first place winner, Lori Calabrese, of Connecticut, received a trophy, a cash prize and a book contract for her entry, titled “The Bug that Plagued the Entire Third Grade.”

Hodson and Sheets learned about the contest when Dragonfly Senior Editor Pat Gaines earlier this year presented a program for the local writers group. She encouraged all members of the group to enter the contest.

Hodson said “The Story of Molly Moo” was originally written for her granddaughter, Madison, who is now 6.

“We were just sitting in the rocker, telling stories,” Hodson said. The rhyming story tells about Madison being a dancer.

Hodson said she writes personalized stories for all of her grandchildren, and expects she’ll also be writing one for the 18th grandchild, who will be born soon.

“Each one of them has a story,” Hodson said. “There’s Aiden’s Army and Trevor Turtle, to name two. Kids are fun and there’s a story to be told.”

I’ve written since I was a child,” Hodson said. “We’re a family of storytellers.”

Hodson enjoys drawing on her family and life experiences for her stories. She recently won VIP concert tickets to see Alan Jackson with a humorous story about missing curfew when she was a teen.

Lots of interesting jobs, such as employment as a store detective and serving a term as mayor of Carney, have also fueled her stories.

Many area residents will recall “Creations by Marlena,” a business Hodson owned and operated for 13 years. The business sold decorative items all over the United States and in some foreign countries.

Sheets recently became a freelance writer and editor. She was employed with The Perkins Journal for approximately 10 years, serving as editor-in-chief for the past five. She and husband Keith also owned and published The Journal for three years.

“I wrote ‘Sassy’ several years ago, when my son was small,” Sheets said. “The story is based on a real-life event involving Wil and our cat, Sassy.”

“I was so surprised and pleased when Pat contacted me to let me know I’d placed in the contest,” Sheets said. “It was the first time I had ever entered any of my fiction into a contest.”

Sheets has won several Oklahoma Press Association awards, including the ONG/ OPA Editorial and Column Writing Contest, and the Public Service Company of Oklahoma/OPA Public Service Award. She has also served as a judge for the Virginia, Washington and Indiana Press Associations’ Better Newspaper Contests.

In addition to her freelance work, Sheets regularly writes for The Journal and The Corridor magazine.

She enjoys reporting and, especially, writing feature stories, she said. She is also at work on a novel.

“I’ve met some of the most interesting people and learned so much doing the features,” she said. “We have such a diverse group of people living here that it’s easy to find ideas for great articles.”

Gaines said Dragonfly receives more children’s stories each year than they are able to consider for publication.

“We don’t have the opportunity to do many because we’re small,” Gaines said. “We just get too many submissions.”

She said she and Dragonfly Publisher Terri Branson started the contest last year as another way to help some writers get published.

This year, Dragonfly received 55 entries from all over the United States.

“They come from everywhere,” she said. “You would not believe.”

Gaines said she enjoys hosting the contest.

“The hardest part is judging,” she said. “The winner must have appeal for parents and make kids want to read.”

For more information on Dragonfly Publishing books and future contests, visit the website at

This is part of the May 28, 2009 online edition of The Journal.

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