Schuylkill Haven native nominated for national writing contest

LINDSEY CLEMENTS

Lindsey "Lin" Clements, a native of Schuylkill Haven, recently secured one of 12 nominations for America's Next Author, a national writing contest that "takes a page out of the American Idol playbook," according to a press release. The contest was free for contestants to enter and spans eight weeks.

Clements, now a Virginia Beach, Va., resident, was nominated for her short story "Brown Leather Couch," in which she introduces us to Sam, an Army veteran reflecting on a life dedicated to service. Read the story online here.

"In the end, Sam finds that he has nothing left but a brown leather couch that had been given to him as a gift to commemorate 20 years and a lifetime of loss," states the release. 

Clements said, "I wanted to shed light on life after the service, and dealing with the emotional wreckage that it can leave in its wake."

Clements is a veteran of the United States Navy and a graduate of Ashford University. A former copywriter with a B.A. in public relations and marketing, she is currently working on her graduate certificate in herbal medicine from the American College of Health Sciences. 

She will advance to the final rounds of competition and have a chance to win $5,000,  exposure, and publishing support. A winner will be decided on Dec. 18.

eBookMall's America's Next Author seeks to reward the authors of well-written stories. Unlike in other writing contests, contestants in America's Next Author can influence their chances of winning by mobilizing fans through social media and word-of-mouth promotion. On the contest website, readers may vote for their favorite submissions while a jury of industry professionals oversees the competition "á la American Idol."

Currently the Battle Round of the contest is on. Visitors can vote for favorite stories in head-to-head battles between authors to determine which three will move on to the Jury Round.

Clements attributes her success to consistency in terms of tweeting and Facebook promotion - but she hopes she'll be able to sustain this level of support through the next round of the competition by getting the word out to her neighbors. 

Learn more about Clements and download her story on her author page on the America's Next Author site. You can also post your own review of her work, view her contest ranking and link to her Facebook page.

Good luck, Lin!