Now it’s time to announce our winners. Hold your breath, the winners of the Wingless Dreamer Motivational Poetry Contest 2022 are:

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CLAUDINE CARMEL – SHINE

Claudine Carmel is an artist, illustrator and author; receiving Kirkus Stars and best book of the year 2014 & 2015 for her first two children’s books. After studying film production and screenwriting for over a decade her writing spans many genres and formats, including children’s books, novels and screenplays. Claudine grew up in a seaside town on the south coast of England, and currently lives with her Boston Terrier on an island in the Pacific Northwest. @claudinecarmelartist

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Beat the drums for the first runner-up:

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THEO DANIEL – TECHNICOLOR PULSE

Theo Daniel is an author and poet living in Clearwater, FL. Theo’s work has been published in several literary magazines including previous publication in Wingless Dreamer’s “Breath of Love” anthology. Most recently, Theo published his first collection of poetry entitled “Natural Occurrences (And All Things Thereafter)”. The collection of poetry is available on Amazon.

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A big round of applause for our second runner-up:

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MANDY SMITH – STILL I RISE

Mandy Smith resides in Florida and enjoys creative writing. She has recently published her work in several poetry anthologies, in the past year. With a Dual Master’s degree, she currently works in Education, assisting others with career choices and life goals.

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Cue the confetti for our top finalists:

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ANDY BETZ – ENTER ALL WHO COME TO THIS PLACE

Andy Betz has tutored and taught in excess of 40 years. He lives in 1974, and has been married for 29 years. His works are found everywhere a search engine operates.

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PAUL GLENN – THE MELODY OF MALADY

Paul Glenn was born and raised in Pasadena, California. His poems have appeared in Prevention at the Intersections, Open: Journal of Arts and Letters, and The Poetry Box.

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SHANNON ACREY – SEEDS OF TOMORROW

Shannon Acrey, from Indiana, holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and an A.S. in Radiography (X-Ray). She worked 10+ years in the medical field, but at beginning of her eldest child’s new school year, decided to put her dusty education degree to good use by becoming a stay-at-home mom and help her daughter with eLearning. This allowed Shannon to have some freedom and time to decide she wanted a career change. She is currently studying to become a Reiki Level 2 practitioner. Shannon is a Jackie-of-all-Trades, loves learning new skills, and spending time with her husband and daughters.

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CASSIE PREMO STEELE – I SEE THREE CROWS FLYING

Cassie Premo Steele is a lesbian, ecofeminist, mother, poet, novelist, and essayist whose writing focuses on the themes of trauma, healing, creativity, mindfulness and the environment.

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SHIELA DENISE SCOTT – MOUNTAINS MOLEHILLS

Shiela Denise Scott, poet with an earned Creative Writing for Entertainment Bachelor of Fine Arts degree has published multiple times in anthologies, magazines and blogs. Her words delve into the image of the art connoisseurs. Follow her on Facebook at Poet Shiela Scott or Shiela Denise Scott

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OSKAR LEONARD – 18TH BIRTHDAY

Oskar Leonard is a trans author, poet, and illustrator from the UK, as well as a senior creative writer at TUGZ Magazine. He has written nine books: four novels, three poetry collections, a short story collection, and a novella. His short works have been featured in publications such as Adoxography Literary Magazine, The Bibliopunk Lit Zine, and Juven. He is studying for a BA in English Literature with Creative Writing at Edge Hill University