Announcing The Winners Of The Summer Love Competition!

Thank you to everyone who participated, read, voted, shared the word, and cheered each other on. It's definitely needed! One of the things I love most about the competitions is when the judges use the phrase "I had a really hard time deciding." Please know that if you didn't make the top 10, it was only by mere points. This one was so close across the board. They were all wonderful, and you should all be proud. I know we are.

Without further ado, here are our winners!

1. Whispers Of The Tide by Expressomarkie

2. D*cks, T*ts and Swast*kas by Ping

3. With A Backpack Full of Manga On Top by OpheliaTusk

And rounding out the rest of the top 10...

4. Jelly Belly and Summer Dog by KatarinaTechgoddess

5. Screw Romance by TomEccleston

6. Guardian Angel by TheShyThespian

7. Shrivelled Grapes by Writergirl

8. That One Summer by AnnaMayZing

9. Mate in Two by Betweenthelines

10. I Don’t Like To Speculate by Pnin

Thank you all again. You're the heart and soul of this site. We've got another (big) competition in the works for September to help welcome back fall and routine. So keep that in mind.

To the winners, I will be in touch with you soon.

Congrats to everyone! There were so many good stories, I don't envy those who had to pick the winners!

Congratulations to the winners and runners-up. I'm honored to have a place in the top ten with my story about a dog and his girl. 🐶🥰

Woo hoo! Good list there. Congrats all, especially the top 3!!

I’m honestly still reeling… did this really happen?! 😲
When I saw that Whispers of the Tide had taken 1st place in the Summer Love competition, I had to check the page three times (and then ask my coffee mug for confirmation). I'm genuinely stunned — and so grateful. Out of all the amazing stories, to have mine chosen… wow. I still don’t quite believe it.

A huge thank you to Molly for organising this fun, summery, heartwarming challenge — and for all the work that goes into making these competitions happen behind the scenes. It gave me the perfect excuse to write something soft and romantic (and slightly salt-sprayed), and to fall in love a little with my own characters along the way.

To everyone who read the story — thank you. And to those who left such kind, encouraging, and beautiful comments: your words honestly mean more than you know. I’ve read them all, probably too many times, and I’m incredibly touched.

And of course, massive kudos to all the other writers who entered. The range of stories, tones, and styles was a joy to read through — from heartfelt and emotional to playful and clever. You made it a real competition, and I feel lucky just to be among you all.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to sit on a rock and stare moodily at the ocean like a windswept novelist , or maybe just have another celebratory biscuit.

Thanks again, everyone. 💙
Mark xx

And Expresso with the win! Woohoo! And Ping and Ophelia brightly shined with their stories!

Everyone be proud of yourselves in this one. Such diversity, originality, and well-written stories by all.

Thank you so much, Molly, and judges!

Quote by WriterGirl

And Expresso with the win! Woohoo! And Ping and Ophelia brightly shined with their stories!

Thank youuuuuu 😍😘

Congratulations to the winners, and all who entered. So many great stories, I don't envy the judges who had to narrow it down to just three. Can't wait for the next one.

Congratulations everyone. Fantastic competition. Thank you Molly, the judges and everyone who took the time to read and comment on the works. And of course, the writers, without whose imaginations we'd have nothing to read.

Applause all round.

Congratulations to the winner, runners up, and the rest of the top ten. A heartfelt thank you for Molly for organizing this competition and to everyone who dared write and submit a story for publication in the competition. Spread the word; competitions can be fun. Fun to write, fun to read, and fun to speculate. Looking forward to the next competition, Molly.

Spectacular competition! What delighted me was the number of fascinating interpretations of the theme. No same-old, same-old here. Kudos to all for entering. Sometimes, competition themes can pigeon hole the writers and their entries. Not this time. More kudos to Molly and her merry merchants of mischief for organizing and judging this event. Thank you.

And EM. You and your words captured imagery and emotion. Well done. Congrats on your victory! 🥂

Quote by Ping

And EM. You and your words captured imagery and emotion. Well done. Congrats on your victory! 🥂

Thank youuuuuu sooooo muchos 😁😘

Huge congrats to Markie, Ping and Ophelia 😊- they each brought something very different! I enjoyed all the stories and thought all were very good. As others have said, I wouldn't have wanted to be a judge on this one - some very difficult decisions with the wide range of interpretations on the theme, and with a couple of my favourites not even in the top ten, showing hard it must have been to choose.

Thank you once more to Molly and the hard-working team who put this one together, and without whom we wouldn't be able to enjoy these competitions. Looking foward to seeing what the next challenge is 😳.

Quote by Molly

We've got another (big) competition in the works for September to help welcome back fall and routine. So keep that in mind.

So… Molly… is “welcome back fall and routine” a hint at the next comp theme or are you just casually remarking about fall?

Quote by Molly
We've got another (big) competition in the works for September to help welcome back fall and routine. So keep that in mind.

Ugh, depends on when in September. I'm on the road starting late in September and not back until Canadian Thanksgiving (2nd Monday in October). Travelling on a fairly busy tour schedule so no writing time. Will be watching for it, though.

Quote by WriterGirl

So… Molly… is “welcome back fall and routine” a hint at the next comp theme or are you just casually remarking about fall?

Haha sneaky lady. No, I was just commenting on it was the perfect time to get back to a routine so hopefully we would have time to write a bigger comp.

Quote by Molly

Haha sneaky lady. No, I was just commenting on it was the perfect time to get back to a routine so hopefully we would have time to write a bigger comp.

Aww… I thought you were giving a hint. 😀 Regardless, I’m excited for the next one! It will be a nice distraction from a busy work month.

Congratulations to all who wrote, read, commented and judged. I loved that this competition generated such a variety of imaginative and well written takes on the theme. Huge congrats to Mark, Ping and Ophelia, and thanks to Molly for organizing.

Very well done to the winner: that was a lovely, gentle story. I hope everyone enjoyed entering as much as I did and thanks as always to the judge or judges (I like to imagine a dusty room of sombre experts – perhaps smoking pipes – who argue late into the night about points of grammar. Please don't spoil it).

Quote by Pnin

Very well done to the winner: that was a lovely, gentle story. I hope everyone enjoyed entering as much as I did and thanks as always to the judge or judges (I like to imagine a smoky room of sombre expert – perhaps smoking pipes – who have argue late into the night about points of grammar. Please don't spoil it).

Please stop sneaking peeks into the judging room. They told you the last time, no pipe for you until after the comp is over. 😏

Thought vapes were more the thing these days? Though pipes certainly fit the literary hoidy-toidy image better.

Quote by CuriousAnnie

Huge congrats to Mark, Ping and Ophelia, and thanks to Molly for organizing.

Thanks so much Annie

Quote by Pnin

Very well done to the winner: that was a lovely, gentle story.

Thank you Pnin

Congratulations to the winners, I am just happy to be in the top ten. There were some very good stories indeed and, as I have said before, it always amazes me how many different ideas come from one single prompt. Well done to all those who entered.