Chicken Soup for the Soul Needs Stories About Twins and Multiples

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More

Whether you are a twin, the parent of twins, related to twins, acquainted with twins or just simply fascinated with twins, you’re sure to have an inspirational, humorous, or touching story about this relationship! We are looking for stories and poems that highlight the special bond that twins share, the joys and challenges of raising twins, the unique circumstances of their arrival, the “double trouble” that twins get into, the “multiple blessings” of being a twin or having them in the family, and much more! We’d love to hear about triplets, quads and more, too. As with all Chicken Soup for the Soul stories, they should be told in the first person, not be previously published, and not exceed 1,200 words. Topics may include but are not limited to:

• The journey through infertility, resulting in twin blessings
• The joys and challenges of pregnancy with multiples
• The perils of prematurity and life in the NICU
• Getting the good news and sharing it with others
• Sleepless nights and endless feedings
• The incidents that make twins “double trouble”
• The pranks and “switcheroos” pulled by identical twins
• Being a singleton in a home with multiples
• The chaos and silliness of everyday life with twins
• The special bond that twins share
• Adventures in double potty-training
• Getting out and about with twins, whether it’s to the store or on vacation
• Grandparenting twins
• Twins who arrive under special circumstances, such as adoption or surrogacy
• Single parenting with multiples
• Raising twins in a gay household
• The loss of a twin sibling
• Tackling the teenage years as a twin
• Twin tales from preschool, elementary school, high school and adult life

. . . and more!

If your story is selected for publication, you will receive $200, ten free copies of the book (worth more than $100) and a 50-word bio in the book. We cannot use previously published stories, but you will retain the rights to sell your story after it is published by Chicken Soup.

Please submit your stories through the Chicken Soup web site at www.chickensoup.com (click on “Submit a Story”).

DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15, 2008

“Twice the Love” Wins Best Parenting/Family Book in Reader Views 2007 Annual Literary Awards

(Austin, Texas) Twice the Love: Stories of Inspiration for Families with Twins, Multiples and Singletons (ISBN 1-891846-31-0, Twins Magazine, Inc., 2007) was selected as the best parenting/family book of 2007 by Reader Views Annual Literary Awards. Reader Views Annual Literary Awards were established to honor writers who self-published or had their books published by a small press, university press, or independent book publisher.

“Reader Views reviews more than 2,000 books per year from budding authors who have worked hard to achieve their dream of being published,” Reader Views Managing Editor Irene Watson says. “Our Annual Literary Awards recognize the very best of these up-and-coming authors, all talented writers who we know have very promising writing careers ahead of them.”

The Reader Views Annual Literary Awards are granted in 20 fiction and 30 nonfiction categories, as well as 15 specialized, sponsored categories. The entries are judged by Reader Views reviewers, all avid readers with a wide range of experiences, considered experts in the respective fields.

Reader Views is currently accepting submissions for the 2008 Literary Awards. Entry information, registration forms and further information can be found online at http://www.readerviews.com/Awards.html. Reader Views is an Austin, Texas, based company. They started December 2005 as a volunteer-based book review service. Shortly after the company’s birth they expanded into offering publicity services to authors. Now they are a one-stop center for budding authors. For more information, visit www.readerviews.com.

About Twice the Love: Stories of Inspiration for Families with Twins, Multiples and Singletons

Published in conjunction with TWINS magazine, Twice the Love is a compilation of inspirational stories written by parents and other family members about the joys and challenges of raising multiples. Susan M. Heim, former Chicken Soup for the Soul editor and founder of the TwinsTalk web site (www.twinstalk.com), collected these true tales about the joys and challenges of loving twins. Stories reflect a variety of topics, such as the special bond between multiples, typical crazy days in the life of a family with twins, challenges encountered in pregnancy or childhood, humorous situations created by multiples, adopting twins, and much more.

Twice the Love: Stories of Inspiration for Families with Twins, Multiples and Singletons (ISBN 1-891846-31-0, Twins Magazine, Inc., 2007) may be purchased at www.twinsmagazine.com/twice_the_love.html or www.twinstalk.com/twinsshop.