Cal Bates, simply called Cal by his friends, lives in a small Suffolk market town in England. At night he likes to drink rum and write the odd story. A man of simple tastes he hopes to write further stories in the future - with a forlorn ambition to be paid oneday. He writes in many genres, his favourite being light fantasy, science fiction and horror.

What Cal likes in a story: In horror : I do not like gore for gores sake -it doesn't matter how much intestines you put in. Without other ingredients it ain't selling to me. I don't like storylines like Vampire bites victim and feeds - That is like writing a story about you have eggs and bacon for breakfast. Even if it was Canadian bacon, it is just plain boring.

The same can be said for slice of life stories - don't tell me about a day shopping at Wal-Mart - not unless it's run by an alien with very unique sales promotion. But seriously, a slice of life story that doesn't either spark wonderment or stop and make me think about something I had previously thought mundane isn't worth the time of sending in.

Fantasy and science fiction, well you are on a winner here. But even I won't like a story where a princess kisses a frog and it turn into a prince or for that matter a princess (and no it doesn't matter what type of frog it is).

Basically make me cry, make me laugh, but don't make me yawn.

In the past, I've lived in Maine, Utah, and California. Right now, I'm settled in the Buffalo, New York area with my husband and children. They do their best to keep me busy, but when I have a few minutes, I write poetry and read voraciously, both fiction and non-fiction.

What Jennifer likes in a story: I enjoy well-written stories in all genres, but I really long for tales that have vivid imagery, believable characters, and something that surprises me.

I was born and raised in St. Paul, MN. After raising my own two sons, my retired husband and I moved to the wilderness of northeastern Minnesota. We live in a log home set on 120 acres of mixed forest, fields and stream. For the last few years we have spent the winters in Arizona. I love to read and write, and have had my poetry and several short stories published in various online and print publications.

What Jeannie likes in a story: Quite often the ending can make or break a story for me. Although the beginning of a story is important and the writer needs to hook the reader and pull them in, the importance of the ending is often overlooked. An abrupt or vague ending leaves me unsatisfied, even if the beginning of the story was really good.

I live in Nottinghamshire, UK with my family and work as a researcher for an information services company. I started writing stories and poetry in 2002 after half a lifetime of dreaming about being a writer. I write for both children and adults in a variety of genres.

What Jan likes in a story: I like a story that lifts me out of my own world and takes me somewhere new and interesting. There isn't a lot of room for description in flash fiction, but a few well-chosen details can really bring a story to life. I want to be able to see the story unfold in front of me, to feel like I'm really there, laughing and crying along with the characters. Presentation is important too, spelling mistakes and poor grammar can trip a reader up and jolt them back to reality, so polish your words until they gleam.

I live in Georgia with my husband and three children. My works of fiction and poetry have received numerous regional and national awards, and my publication credits include several literary journals and mainstream venues—complete listing at http://www.writers.net/writers/40817

What Janet likes in a story: I enjoy reading well-crafted flash fiction that assembles a compelling story in which every word is essential--no matter the genre.

I'm a career military dependent, currently living in San Diego, California, at the whim of the Navy. I write speculative poetry and prose, often rooted in faery tale narratives and imagery.

What J. C. likes in a story: Interesting characters, emotional resonance, vivid imagery, and writing that's solid on a technical level. I like an ending that logically follows from the story's action, so even "twist" endings have to be grounded in what came before.

I have been an English teacher for fifteen years in San Diego, California, where I live with my wife and two daughters. My poetry and fiction has appeared in Exquisite Corpse, Mudfish, Pearl, Main Street Rag, The San Diego Writer's Monthly, and The Pikeville Review. My flash fiction has also appeared in rumble and insolent rudder. Additionally, I am shopping around a young adult novel I've written entitled Godtalk.

What Daniel likes in a story: I like stories that have a strong narrative arc (exposition, inciting moment, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion) and use language economically as well as poetically (i.e., careful attention to detail, diction, and imagery). Although I am impressed by effectively executed magical realism, I favor more realistic stories, figuring that the best stories evolve out of strongly-drawn, sympathetic characters who are experiencing situations that are universal to us all.

Larisa Walk was born and raised in Russia, which is why many of her story ideas come from her "past" life. She became a US citizen in 1996. Her day job is working for a consulting company as a dietitian. She has been writing for publication for about 7 years, but it's only since 2005 that she actually started publishing her short fiction. For the most part her stories have been for adults, but since the end of 2005 she started dabbling in children's picture books. She has a personal muse named Acura that comes equipped with whiskers, a fluffy tail and a musical purr.

Annie Haws, whose middle name ought to be Change, has lived in the Pacific Northwest {Washington State}, the South {Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee}, and the Midwest. Currently once again in Georgia, Annie is a lifelong voracious consumer and producer of words, reading and writing from as early in life as possible. Until Fall 2006, she wrote only for her own interests; in Oct. 2006 she began to self-publish. Writer of fantasy and horror and reader of fantasy, horror, occult, paranormal, mystery-suspense, and historical, Annie is an online reviewer and critiquer in several venues.

I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, went to college in Duluth Minnesota where I received a bachelor's in Studio Art and a minor in Art History. I just got engaged and am moving to Omaha of all places. I love to paint and travel. When I read, I need something that keeps me interested the whole way through or I'll put it down without guilt. I like fantasy stories or anything that makes me laugh.

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