[TeaVMFan]

As an indie author (https://frequal.com/novels), this makes me glad I haven't submitted my novel yet to any of these contests. The chance that a submission fee could be wasted by chance (not a match for the reviewer's interest or mood that day) is just too great. It seems that the larger publishing houses are more willing to shell out on the chance to win this lottery, according to the article.

[aardvark179]

I don’t mean this to sound harsh, but this post comes across a little like you already assume you deserve to win such a prize and it’s just those fickle judges standing in your way.

I looked at your sample chapter and immediately bounced off a police officer in Maine calling in a murder as a 187 (California penal code).