RE: Magic Carpet Ride mentorship winner announced

It's with pleasure that I announce that the first annual Magic Carpet Ride mentorship has been awarded to Oregon resident SHAWN DAVIS.

Shawn is working on a novel, SANDCASTLES, a story about a curse set upon an archeologist in Oregon who has intruded unintentionally upon some old bones. I am thrilled to be working with her to see this manuscript not only to completion, but with any luck, into publication. I feel confident that Shawn is up for the challenge and hope you'll all join me in congratulating her on winning this special mentorship.

Thank you to the dozens who submitted to this competition. It was terribly difficult to narrow down the field; everyone has a need for assistance, whether it's with the MR itself, or whether it's with more editorial or process-related challenges, and I really did not like having to say No to so many. But there is always next October.

For those of you who are interested in the mentorship for 2008, visit http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/MRCentral/mentorship.html. You may submit at any time before Oct 31, 2008, but I will not read applications until Nov 1, 2008. My hope is to have a decision for next year's mentorship finalized before the Christmas holiday in 2008.