CyberSmokeBlog wins Giller Prize for best Canadian judicial fiction!"

Mrs. Monica Grant

Private "Dick" Joe McCool

Good Day Readers:

As sometimes happens while looking for one thing something else quite different comes along. Such was the case recently with Malone's White Fedora.

The site http://www.oocities.org/whitefedora/contents1.html is hosted by Tacoma, Washington Publisher John Hathaway (aka Paul Malone) who along with his editor Carolyn Cohen (aka Molly Maquire) specifically created it to showcase the talents of short story mystery writers from the published to the first time. While Malone's reading interests lead toward the hard-boiled genre, all crime, murder, mayhem political corruption, et. al. mystery type short stories are welcome.

The above images are from tough guy McCool a San Francisco private gumshoe who encounters the asset laden Mrs. Grant. It's right out of a Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer novel.

To date Malone's White Fedora boasts 9 authors with stories ranging from The Bluff - In a life and death situation who was pulling the bluff? to The Best Ever Tip - A bartender should know his customers to An Eye For An Eye - Two cops, a perp and a vice in a tale with a twist.

Entry rules are very simple:

(1) Stories can be contributed by e-mail

(2) Stores should not be more than 5,000 words. Longer ones may be serialized

(3) All original copy remains with the author with the exception of one time only web publishing rights granted to Malone's White Fedora

(4) Until advertising sponsorship can be obtained, Malone's White Fedora site can provide no remuneration for works submitted and published

CyberSmokeBlog would like to share with you an excerpt from its entry.

Judicial Scandal on Broadway Avenue - Who was that woman?
By CyberSmokeBlog

Was sitting in my Broadway Avenue cramped, dingy almost furnitureless, windowless third floor office one humid July afternoon in Winnipeg, Manitoba capital of the Canadian Prairies when suddenly the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen walked through the door.

She was dressed in black - her tight, slinky, low cut dress, fishnet stockings, high heels ..... one could only imagine her undies! In a voice that almost cooed she offered her hand dripping with expensive jewelry as though she had done it many times before. What else was I supposed to do but shake it? had mystery woman just stepped out of Vogue Magazine that or Wellington Crescent. 

Before I knew it she'd leaned over my desk displaying her ample assets and after furtively looking around whispered, "You Private Dick CSB?" I seem to recall mumbling, "yes" as I struggled to refocus. "Have I got a courthouse scandal for you it will blow your socks and boxer shorts off at the same time!"

My first reaction was to ask, "Who are you?" After a long pause she leaned over again (Jeezus!) and purred, "Cynthia Muldoon mistress of prominent Manitoba Queen's Bench Family Division Justice ....."

So how say you readers? Please be brutally candid in your comments.The only other part of our Giller Prize winning entry we'll share with you at this time is the ending:

"Sometimes you get screwed without the kiss."

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
Giller Prize Winner In Waiting