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Indie Gold Crime Fiction Award Winners announced
August 7, 2026
James Dain, award-winning crime fiction author and founder of the Indie Gold Crime Fiction Awards, announced the winners of the second annual contest celebrating excellence in Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense writing. Short stories, novellas, and standalone novel chapters are considered, with awards given for Grand Prize, Gold Prize, Silver Prize, and Bronze Prize. A.K. McCutcheon received a Gold Prize for her short story "Cave Man," and a Silver Prize for her short story, "The Blood Stone of Shiva." In addition, "Cave Man" received a special award at the discretion of the Judges for Best Short Story. Contest Judges were authors Jason Cannon and Joslyn Chase. A.K.'s prize package includes a subscription to the Plottr story planning tool and a subscription to the Book Award Pro database.
Prime Number Magazine selects Short Fiction Awards Finalists
May 20, 2026
A.K. McCutcheon was named a Finalist in the 2026 Prime Number Magazine Awards for Short Fiction for her story “The Space-Time Riddle.” Press 53, the publisher of Prime Number Magazine, received 299 entries from writers in 38 U.S. states and 10 countries. Contest finalists were selected by Judge Jodi Paloni, author of They Could Live With Themselves: Linked Stories.
San Diego Public Library Short Story Contest results
May 12, 2026
At the Ninth Annual Short Story Contest awards program sponsored by the Friends of the San Diego Central Library, A.K. McCutcheon received the Third Place award for her short story "The Fountain Garden." This is A.K.'s third appearance as a Top 10 Finalist in this contest for writers residing in San Diego County. A.K. received a $100 cash prize and publication on the Central Library's website. Her story was performed by professional actors in a live reading onstage at the awards ceremony.
Black Fox Literary Magazine awards Fall Writing Prize
March 21, 2026
The winner of Black Fox Literary Magazine's "Liar Liar" Prize for Fall 2025 is A.K. McCutcheon for her short story "Mister Cave." This prize recognizes the submission with the most creative interpretation of the theme of deception in all its forms. A.K.'s story was selected by the magazine's editors from entries across fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. A.K. will receive a $325 cash prize and publication in the Winter 2026 issue.
Local Author Showcase selections announced
December 2025
Now in its 60th year, the Local Author Showcase program invites San Diego County authors to submit books published in the current year for consideration for exhibit at the Central Library, followed by entry into the Library's catalog for public check-out. The program aims to bring exposure to local talent and nurture the pursuit of the writing arts. Local author A.K. McCutcheon is honored that the 2025 Next Generation Short Story Award Anthology of Winners, featuring one of her short stories, was accepted for the Showcase and will be added to the Central Library's collection.
The Write Practice/Short Fiction Break announce Fall Writing Contest Winners
December 18, 2025
Joe Bunting, Founder of The Write Practice online writing community, announced that A.K. McCutcheon placed as a Runner-Up in the Fall 2025 Writing Contest for her short story "Sunlight On Water." A.K. has been an active member of The Write Practice since 2023. Her prize package includes a $100 cash prize, one year of Writer membership to The Write Practice community, and a featured publication in Short Fiction Break magazine.
WOW ~ Women On Writing presents Winter Flash Fiction Contest Awards
May 15, 2025
Kristina Pérez of Pérez Literary & Entertainment, Guest Judge for WOW's 2025 Winter Flash Fiction Contest, awarded an Honorable Mention to A.K. McCutcheon for her story "The Traveler." A.K. was one of 20 finalists selected from a field of 300 international entries. WOW critique editor Ashley Harris commented on A.K.'s submission, “riveting, poignant, and profoundly moving” and “perfectly conceived and executed.”
Next Generation Short Story Awards announces Winners
May 7, 2025
The Next Generation Short Story Awards, a not-for-profit international award program for authors of short fiction, announced the winners of its Second Annual Contest. Entries were submitted by genre into 30 categories. The winner of the "Best Suspense/Thriller" category is A.K. McCutcheon for her story "The Blood Stone of Shiva." As a category winner, A.K. will receive a $75 cash prize, a commemorative medal, and publication in the print anthology of winning stories to be released in July 2025.
A.K. McCutcheon joins Judges Panel at History Through Fiction
August 15, 2025
Following her Top 10 finish in History Through Fiction's Second Annual Short Story Contest in 2024, A.K. McCutcheon was recruited by the publisher to serve on the panel of Judges for the Third Annual Contest in summer 2025. As a critiquing Judge, A.K. provided direct feedback to each author of her assigned submissions, followed by recommendations for the contest's Longlist. Her written critiques evaluated the following areas: strengths and constructive criticisms; historical relevance of the story; quality of character, plot, and setting; quality of voice and point of view; and overall Impact and quality. At the conclusion of her service, three of the stories she critiqued and recommended were selected for the Longlist, and two went on to place in the Top 10 and be published in the print anthology of winning stories.
Friends of Central Library Announce Short Story Finalists
May 20, 2025
In the Eighth Annual San Diego Public Library Short Story Contest sponsored by the Friends of the Central Library, A.K. McCutcheon placed as a Top 10 Finalist in a field of 100 entries for her short story "House Sitting by Betty." A.K. was presented with her award certificate at an evening program held in the beautiful Neil Morgan Auditorium at the San Diego Central Library in downtown's East Village.
History Through Fiction's Short Story Contest Winners to be Published in Anthology
November 1, 2024
Colin Mustful, Founder of independent publishing company History Through Fiction, revealed the Shortlist of authors who placed as Top 10 Finalists in the Second Annual Short Story Contest for historical fiction in any genre. Leading the list is A.K. McCutcheon for her story "The Blood Stone of Shiva." A judging panel of authors and historians selected the Finalists from over 120 submissions from around the world. Judge Jillian Forsberg, historical fiction author, commented about A.K.'s story, “I absolutely loved this story and its twist ending. Atmospheric, timely, interesting. This was the only story I ranked perfectly.” A.K. will receive a $75 cash prize and publication in History Through Fiction's print anthology to be released in March 2025.
San Diego Public Library Short Story Contest Winner
May 30, 2023
The Friends of the San Diego Central Library announced that the First Place Winner of their Sixth Annual Short Story Contest is A.K. McCutcheon for her short story "The Offerings." A.K. received a $300 cash prize and publication on the Central Library's website. Her story was performed live onstage at the awards ceremony by actors from the Write Out Loud company.
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