Long before the widespread Coronavirus outbreak, Violet Carr Moore wrote her first Sci-Fi short story. In the story, Laura, a travel writer, wanted to leave a protected environment to photograph the Mississippi River, but she was declared terminal and denied government permission to travel. That made her more determined to accomplish her travel goal. Nathan, an appointed live-in assigned to keep her quarantined, became Laura’s ally and planned her escape. While she waited, fresh fruit was lacking because trade with the outside world restricted imports. Her wish, beyond photographing her travels, was to eat fresh blueberry pancakes.
The draft hid in Violet’s computer until the 2020 pandemic. Her critique group helped her polish “Fatal” for submission to the California Writers Club High Desert Branch statewide anthology. Her objective was to be published, but she soared beyond that when she won first prize in Survival: Tales of Pandemic.
A portion of the prize was a donation from the anthology proceeds to the charity of Violet’s choice. The High Desert branch matched the profits and doubled the donation. A check for more than $400.00 was sent to Open Heart Kitchen. Violet says, “Blueberry pancakes may not be in the hot meals or the grocery give-away, but this generous contribution will help feed families in the Tri-Valley.” Kudos to Violet.