Celebrating: 20 Years of Sweet, Funny, & Strange Tales
May 31, 2026 by Bethlehem Writers Group in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Contests tagged as Bethlehem Writers Group, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award, Book Birthday, Celebrating, new release, The BWG
Today is the day we are Celebrating!
In May, 2006, what would become the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, met for the first time in Bethlehem, PA, with four people in attendance. In the twenty years since, the group has grown from a fledgling critique group to a robust community of writers and publishers, offering not just a quarterly online literary journal (Bethlehem Writers Roundtable), an annual writing contest (Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award), but also several award-winning anthologies, among our many publications.
To celebrate our twentieth anniversary, we bring you highlights from each of our eight “Sweet, Funny, and Strange®” anthologies of short stories from our varied, award-winning authors. Starting with holiday stories from our debut anthology, A Christmas Sampler (2009), we are happy to present touching, hilarious, and thought-provoking tales. From a second anthology, Once Around the Sun (2013), are tales for all seasons, followed by, food-related stories from A Readable Feast (2015). You will find children’s stories from Once Upon a Time (2017), then tales of the paranormal from Untethered (2018), animal tales from Fur, Feathers, and Scales (2020), mysteries from An Element of Mystery (2022), and more holiday stories from Season’s Readings (2024).
So, come celebrate with us as you peruse these pages that are sure to bring you a smile, perhaps a tear or two, and a whole lot of fun, with best wishes to you from the authors of the Bethlehem Writers Group.
About Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC
The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC (BWG), is a community of mutually supportive fiction and nonfiction authors based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The members are as different from each other as their stories. BWG also publishes quality fiction through their online literary journal, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, and their award-winning A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology series.
Books from Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC
The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC (BWG), founded in 2006, is a community of mutually supportive, fiction and nonfiction authors based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The members are as different from each other as their stories, spanning a range of genres including: children’s, fantasy, humor, inspiration, literary, memoir, mystery, paranormal, romance, science fiction, women’s fiction, and young adult.
See the schedule of meetings and events here.
Featured Author: Denise M. Colby
May 29, 2026 by Denise M. Colby in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Author of the Month, Christian Historical Fiction, Denise M Colby, Marketing, Social Media, writing
Denise M. Colby loves to write words that encourage, enrich, and engage whether it’s in her blog, social media, magazine articles, or devotions. With over 20+ years’ experience in marketing, she enjoys using her skills to help other authors.
She treasures the written word and the messages that can be conveyed when certain words are strung together. She, being an avid journal writer, is often seen with a pen and notepad whenever she reads God’s word. Denise is writing her first Christian Historical Romance Series, and you can find her at www.denisemcolby.com
Denise is a member of OCRW, Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers, ACFW (where she was a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest Historical Romance Category), OC Chapter of ACFW, and Novel Academy.
You can read Denise’s column The Writing Journey on A Slice of Orange, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram. You can also sign-up for her newsletter.
Big news for Denise!
Denise’s fourth novel, A Whole New Plan, was released this month on the 26th. You can also read ALL about Denise’s release plans here.
A Whole New Plan
Denise M. Colby
ISBN: 978-1649175960
May 26, 2026
Sometimes God’s best plan is the one we never expected.
California, 1870. Pastor William Baker has built his life on faith, routine, and safe choices—until Lydia Spencer walks in and turns everything upside down.
Independent, outspoken, and guarded, Lydia is unlike any woman he’s ever known. She has no interest in church… and no intention of revealing the truth she’s hiding.
Because Lydia isn’t just a schoolteacher.
She’s a Pinkerton detective, sent west to track a dangerous crime boss—and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, even if it means keeping her distance from the one man who sees straight through her defenses.
But when unexplained thefts shake their quiet small-town rural community, and a desperate boy appears with ties to a deeper mystery, Will and Lydia are forced into an uneasy partnership.
As danger closes in, so do their hearts.
What begins as a reluctant alliance soon becomes a forced proximity neither of them expected—and neither can ignore.
Yet the very things that draw them together may be the ones that tear them apart.
Lydia’s life is built on secrets.
Will’s is built on truth.
And when her past catches up with her, they’ll have to decide what matters most—holding on to their own plans… or trusting the One who sees the bigger picture.
Because sometimes surrender is the only way to find the life you were meant to live.
Set against the backdrop of the American West, A Whole New Plan is a heartfelt story of faith, courage, and a strong woman learning to trust again—woven with threads of mystery and hope.>
If you enjoy western Christian romances with elements of intrigue and heart, you’ll love A Whole New Plan—perfect for fans of Misty M. Beller and Mary Connealy.
Step into a story of courage, trust, and unexpected love—grab your copy today.
Denise M. Colby’s Books
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Featured Author: Denise M. Colby
May 14, 2026 by Denise M. Colby in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Author of the Month, Christian Historical Fiction, Denise M Colby, Marketing, Social Media, writing
Denise M. Colby loves to write words that encourage, enrich, and engage whether it’s in her blog, social media, magazine articles, or devotions. With over 20+ years’ experience in marketing, she enjoys using her skills to help other authors.
She treasures the written word and the messages that can be conveyed when certain words are strung together. She, being an avid journal writer, is often seen with a pen and notepad whenever she reads God’s word. Denise is writing her first Christian Historical Romance Series, and you can find her at www.denisemcolby.com
Denise is a member of OCRW, Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers, ACFW (where she was a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest Historical Romance Category), OC Chapter of ACFW, and Novel Academy.
You can read Denise’s column The Writing Journey on A Slice of Orange, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram. You can also sign-up for her newsletter.
Big news for Denise!
Denise’s fourth novel, A Whole New Plan, is being released this month on the 26. The ebook is available for pre-order. You can also read ALL about the release plans here.
A Whole New Plan
Denise M. Colby
ISBN: 978-1649175960
May 26, 2026
Sometimes God’s best plan is the one we never expected.
California, 1870. Pastor William Baker has built his life on faith, routine, and safe choices—until Lydia Spencer walks in and turns everything upside down.
Independent, outspoken, and guarded, Lydia is unlike any woman he’s ever known. She has no interest in church… and no intention of revealing the truth she’s hiding.
Because Lydia isn’t just a schoolteacher.
She’s a Pinkerton detective, sent west to track a dangerous crime boss—and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, even if it means keeping her distance from the one man who sees straight through her defenses.
But when unexplained thefts shake their quiet small-town rural community, and a desperate boy appears with ties to a deeper mystery, Will and Lydia are forced into an uneasy partnership.
As danger closes in, so do their hearts.
What begins as a reluctant alliance soon becomes a forced proximity neither of them expected—and neither can ignore.
Yet the very things that draw them together may be the ones that tear them apart.
Lydia’s life is built on secrets.
Will’s is built on truth.
And when her past catches up with her, they’ll have to decide what matters most—holding on to their own plans… or trusting the One who sees the bigger picture.
Because sometimes surrender is the only way to find the life you were meant to live.
Set against the backdrop of the American West, A Whole New Plan is a heartfelt story of faith, courage, and a strong woman learning to trust again—woven with threads of mystery and hope.>
If you enjoy western Christian romances with elements of intrigue and heart, you’ll love A Whole New Plan—perfect for fans of Misty M. Beller and Mary Connealy.
Step into a story of courage, trust, and unexpected love—grab your copy today.
Denise M. Colby’s Books
0 0 Read more
Featured Author: Denise M. Colby
May 1, 2026 by Denise M. Colby in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Author of the Month, Christian Historical Fiction, Denise M Colby, Marketing, Social Media, writing
Denise M. Colby loves to write words that encourage, enrich, and engage whether it’s in her blog, social media, magazine articles, or devotions. With over 20+ years’ experience in marketing, she enjoys using her skills to help other authors.
She treasures the written word and the messages that can be conveyed when certain words are strung together. She, being an avid journal writer, is often seen with a pen and notepad whenever she reads God’s word. Denise is writing her first Christian Historical Romance Series, and you can find her at www.denisemcolby.com
Denise is a member of OCRW, Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers, ACFW (where she was a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest Historical Romance Category), OC Chapter of ACFW, and Novel Academy.
You can read Denise’s column The Writing Journey on A Slice of Orange, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram. You can also sign-up for her newsletter.
Big news for Denise!
Denise’s fourth novel, A Whole New Plan, is being released this month on the 26. The ebook is available for pre-order.
A Whole New Plan
Denise M. Colby
ISBN: 978-1649175960
May 26, 2026
Sometimes God’s best plan is the one we never expected.
California, 1870. Pastor William Baker has built his life on faith, routine, and safe choices—until Lydia Spencer walks in and turns everything upside down.
Independent, outspoken, and guarded, Lydia is unlike any woman he’s ever known. She has no interest in church… and no intention of revealing the truth she’s hiding.
Because Lydia isn’t just a schoolteacher.
She’s a Pinkerton detective, sent west to track a dangerous crime boss—and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, even if it means keeping her distance from the one man who sees straight through her defenses.
But when unexplained thefts shake their quiet small-town rural community, and a desperate boy appears with ties to a deeper mystery, Will and Lydia are forced into an uneasy partnership.
As danger closes in, so do their hearts.
What begins as a reluctant alliance soon becomes a forced proximity neither of them expected—and neither can ignore.
Yet the very things that draw them together may be the ones that tear them apart.
Lydia’s life is built on secrets.
Will’s is built on truth.
And when her past catches up with her, they’ll have to decide what matters most—holding on to their own plans… or trusting the One who sees the bigger picture.
Because sometimes surrender is the only way to find the life you were meant to live.
Set against the backdrop of the American West, A Whole New Plan is a heartfelt story of faith, courage, and a strong woman learning to trust again—woven with threads of mystery and hope.>
If you enjoy western Christian romances with elements of intrigue and heart, you’ll love A Whole New Plan—perfect for fans of Misty M. Beller and Mary Connealy.
Step into a story of courage, trust, and unexpected love—grab your copy today.
Denise M. Colby’s Books
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Neetu Malik: Featured Author
April 28, 2026 by Neetu Malik in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Featured Author of the Month, Neetu Malik, Poet's Day, poetry
Neetu Malik’s poetry is an expression of life’s rhythms and the beat of the human spirit. She draws upon diverse multicultural experiences and observations across three continents in which she has lived. She has contributed to The Australia Times Poetry Magazine, October Hill Magazine, Prachya Review, among others. Her poems have appeared in The Poetic Bond Anthology V and VI published by Willowdown Books, UK, NY Literary Magazine’s Tears Anthology and Poetic Imagination Anthology (Canada).
Her poem, “Soaring Flames”, was awarded First-Place by the NY Literary Magazine (2017). She has also been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, 2019 for her poem “Sacred Figs” published by Kallisto Gaia Press in their Ocotillo Review in May, 2018. She had a monthly column, Poet’s Day, here on A Slice of Orange.
Neetu lives in Pennsylvania, USA.
You can find Neetu’s poetry in these volumes.
Hover on the cover for buy links. Click on the cover for more information.
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