I Feel Like A Winner

A day earlier than I've ever "won" before, I hit 50K last night on my NaNoWriMo projects! Hooray!

Yes, there were two. My bad. In my defense, I didn't drop one project and leap to the next, I juggled both. Interface is sitting over 48K (the beginning 11K of which was from 2010 and didn't count), and Trust 3 is at 14K. For the most part,  I plugged away at Interface so my daughter wouldn't keep glaring at me for working on Trust 3. When she wasn't around, I wrote whichever was speaking to me at the time. I'm happy with how both projects are coming along.

Not only did I finish a day earlier than my nine previous efforts, I didn't feel like I spent every available moment having to write and stressing about it. It was great to enjoy writing again and not feel like it was an overwhelming task that loomed over me all month. While both stories are very rough, I wasn't slogging through vast swaths of suck that were never going to amount to something I could work with, which has happened twice. It was great to see that I could return to writing novels again at long last! Not focusing on shorts, and not editing novels I'd written in the past, but birthing new novels. That I enjoyed working on. I was really beginning to wonder if I'd ever get back to this point so this is especially rewarding.

This week, I even took a night and morning off and read a book. During NaNo. Yes, the whole book, because that's what I do. I slept in that twelve hours span too. Okay, I slept a little, mostly I read. Because I could. And it felt great!

What made the difference this year? In order:

Not building a house - had time to think coherent thoughts that were not house building related.

Having help at work - far less stress when I'm not days behind with work

Kids are mostly self sufficient - one is driving so only half the usual mom taxi duty for me

Fallout 4 - thank you video game makers who release games during November that keep my husband occupied.

So what's next? In no particular order:

Finish Interface

Finish Trust 3

Finish editing Sahmara

While I'm working on those three things, I'm also bouncing around on blogs. You can find me here:

Scattergun Scribblings - Nick Wilford was gracious enough to allow me over to chat about A Broken Race.

ElizaGalesInterviews - Where I answer interesting questions like which author should survive a virus that wipes the rest of us out.

Authors Answer - Where we share our other creative pursuits beyond writing.

Lectito - Week three check in for five NaNoWriMo participants.

Writing Challenge: Where do I find the time?

I've been pondering this idea for a few years, but those years, being what they were did not allow for a day to myself, or often, even an hour. However, this year, I seem to finally have my crap (generally) together and can focus on writing. At least a mostly. Life is still there. Which brings me to the challenge.

Write fifteen minutes for each hour for one day. I wanted to see how far this would get me. Would I get burnt out? Would life happen and ruin my plans? Perhaps this was the perfect solution to getting my attention span back and improving my focus. I'm so used to multitasking that just sitting and doing one thing for more than a few minutes at time starts to make me edgy. Surely I should be doing something else, there's so much to do, and here I am writing instead of doing those hundreds of other things buzzing around in my head.

November, being deep into NaNoWriMo as we are now, seemed to perfect time to indulge myself in a day of sporadic writing. And so I enjoyed a leisurely morning (because, hey, I'm indulging myself, right?) and was ready to get the day going at 10am.

At 10am I start the laundry, wash the dishes, check my work email and make and eat breakfast with the family.

Then I slink down to my office and write for fifteen minutes, gaining 662 words.

I lose the next forty-five minutes checking my own email, texting and visiting my usual haunts on the internet. That was fast.

Time to write again. 449 words

I'm going to make an apple pie because the kids keep forgetting to put the now soft apples in their lunches. Oh, homemade apple pie! That sounds so good. I reach for my spare bag of flour, and knock a new glass bottle of olive oil off the top shelf. It shatters on the tile, spraying olive oil and tiny glass shards all over my kitchen floor. I spend the next hour and half cleaning oil and glass off my floor. Though I do get the oven preheating. There's something.

Grumble as I write 480 words

Actually make the apple pie, steam clean the tile, clean up the kitchen, put away the now dry dishes and the laundry.

Write 550 words

Take the pie out of the oven, and make up the fifteen minutes I lost when taking too much time to clean up the olive oil the first time around.

Write 349 words

Take a deep breath of the warm apple pie and drive off to visit with family who live seven minutes away. I can totally squeeze this in. But the quick visit turns into hours because: talking. Check the clock when I get home and swear a little.

Write 368 flustered words while thinking of all the make up time that I now have to do.

Play one quick game on my phone

Write 312 words

Damn, time to do my regular writing fifteen minutes again. 457 words

Write and submit content for the December Authors Answer blog posts.

Another make up session 471 words

Take a break and play on my phone for ten minutes, notice time ticking. Grumble again.

Write 315 words

Check work emails again

Write 399 words

Wander the internet. Yawn and realize now it's after 10pm

Write 430 words and call it a night.

Adding up my efforts, I realize I managed to write 5,242 words without any mad scramble during my fifteen minutes (which was interrupted with phone calls and dogs demanding to go out on a couple occasions). I also still managed to do everything non-writing related I wanted to do for the day.

I'm quite happy with how the day went and how much writing I got done. Would I want to do that every day? No. Forty-five minutes goes really fast when you're watching the clock. However, it feels good to know that I can make the time to do it if I really need to.

Good luck to all you seekers of 50K this month! May the words be with you.

Busy Writing and Trying to Be Good

Over the last two days my NaNo Novel went from fairly organized and on track to spewing out the dialogue in a 'let's figure out out plan as we bounce ideas of what the hell is going on' back and forth nine page extravaganza of ping pong.

That's going to take some work to make readable later on, but it's been great to brainstorm on the page inside these two heads. I've learned a lot about these two boys and their past and how that's going to help them get out of this mine I've sent them to as slaves.

My goals for this story are to keep the swearing to a minimum, not kill anyone, and no sex. It's been hard since that's against my default writing mode. So far we've had mild cursing and overheard sex. Time will tell if I can pull this off. 

Along with Authors Answer - this week we talk about whether we'd jump on the popular genre bandwagon - I'm also participating on Lectito, as one of five NaNo participants sharing our weekly progress throughout November. I hope you'll drop by both blogs and give them a read.

Now, back to this game of dialogue ping pong.

Now available: Taking A Breather

I'm happy to announce that at long last, Taking A Breather has been published! The inaugural issue of Theian Journal, sister publication to Stupefying Stories has been released.

This little mermaid seeks to find a husband to free herself from her tyrant father, but there's a price for freedom and everyone is going to pay.

For a limited time Theian Journal is free to Amazon Prime and is available though Kindle Unlimited. The print issue will be out next month.

From the Rampant Loon Press:
From the creators of Stupefying Stories comes our new sister publication, THEIAN JOURNAL. It’s a bit unearthly—a bit alternative—these are decidedly different from our usual selection of SF/F stories, reflecting an entirely different editorial philosophy, yet brought to you with our same dedication to finding excellent stories by writers you may not have read before. Issue #1 features:
• THE FISSURE OF ROLANDO, by Judith Field
• ADROIT, by David Williams
• TAKING A BREATHER, by Jean Davis
• A SCORPION WITHIN, by Alison Grifa Ismaili
• PLAINFIELD, NEW YORSEY: 2114, by Angele Ellis
• WHEN WE ARE WHOLE, by Gary Emmette Chandler

The Words are Flowing!

NaNoWriMo is here and the words are flowing fast and furious. In hopes of many more words than would normally be cranked out this month, we're at war with Dayton Ohio. May the wordiest region win.

If you'd like to join in the writing fun, create an account and find the region nearest you. There may be a war going on that you aren't aware of, fellow writers that need your words, your story that needs your words. Okay, so really its about your story needing to be written. Go write your story!

Newly Released: A Broken Race

I'm happy to announce that A Broken Race has finally completed my half of its journey and now is waiting to continue on with you.

Available in ebook or paperback, you can order your copy today.

The fortress is home to the last remnants of civilization. The few remaining women live in a vault far below the gardens, while the men stand watch and maintain the walls that protect them all. A virus from long ago, and generations of inbreeding since, has left average men severely outnumbered by Simples. Humanity, as it once was, is broken.

Outside those walls live the Wildmen—starving, poor and desperate for the treasures of the fortress. Seeking women to once again fill their own ranks with healthy children, and something other than rats to fill their stomachs, the Wildmen launch one
last raid.

One-fifty-two is a Simple man. The raid disrupts his calm and orderly world with smoke and fear, the need for the comfort of his mother and the promises of a lone Wildman captive. With his eyes open to the secrets behind the order he had always known, One-fifty-two must find the courage to stop being a cog and take hold of the wheel—or the fortress may be the end of them all.

Cover Reveal for A Broken Race

In the next couple weeks, A Broken Race will be in my hands...and yours if you so wish (and I hope you do).

In a hard future where most of humanity are slaves to a select few, a simple man sees the ugly truth behind the smiles of his masters and stops being a cog to take hold of the wheel.



While I prepare for the release of A Broken Race and NaNoWriMo, I've been busy reading. Gotta fuel the creative engines. In the last two weeks, I've devoured, Stephen King's Under the Dome (and I'm finishing the TV series), Sherrilyn Kenyon's Kiss Of The Night and Devil May Cry, and Guy Gavriel Kay's Ysabel. All were enjoyable. The books, that is. The TV series, well, we'll discuss that as soon as I finish the last three episodes.

This week on Authors Answer, we talk about family support with our writing.

To Be Published: Kick The Cat

I'm happy to announce Kick the Cat, a quirky little fantasy short story has found a home in the 3288 Review and will be published this November.

The cover for A Broken Race should be finalized this week. Watch for a cover reveal very soon.

While we're busy waiting for publishers, how about taking a few minutes to peruse the various quirky rituals of the writers of Authors Answer.

Waiting and Voting

October brings great anticipation of seeing A Broken Race in print. I hope to have cover art very soon so I can share it with you. Brewed Awakenings II will also be out shortly, which means more stories to hold in my hands.

I've heard from two editors this week on other projects. It's nice to have activity going on there as well. Hopefully this means I'll have more announcements in the near future. I'd say I was crossing my fingers, but it's hard to type that way.

While we're sitting around waiting, I'd be grateful if you could take a moment to cast a vote for my short story Late, which appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of Bards and Sages Quarterly. The stories with the most votes will be included in their annual anthology, and as you may have gathered, I'd love to be included.

And now it's back to market hunting for me. I've got a few more short stories in my folder that need homes.

I found time to read a book.

This is a wonderful thing. It's even a book there's no way in hell I can finish in a day. Or two. Maybe three if all I did was read.

I've been saving Stephen King's Under The Dome for over a year. It came to me from a box of books meant for the book resale store, but happened to be on the top and land in my hands before it made it there. Not usually a King fan, I had actually been interested in this one because of the tv show. Another show that I haven't had time to see. I'll get there eventually. But first the book. Because that's how it should be done. (because I said so.)
As I said, I'm not normally a King fan. I've tried. I wanted to be. I mean, he's got a lot of work out there. Unfortunately, after a promising start, it took me two years to finish Pet Sematary. It just dragged. For me, anyway. I'm sure there are readers out there who loved it. I've tried a couple others over the years but just couldn't get into them. This one, so far at least, has been great. I don't want to put it down. But at over 1,000 pages, I have to. It's heavy. And yes, I have a kindle, but I like paper on occasion, this being one of them.

The characterization is excellent. And there are a lot of characters to characterize. I can't imagine the work of getting into each one as the POV changes with every scene. And there are a lot of scenes. And people are dying left and right in all sorts of interesting ways. Even the animals aren't safe.

So while I await cover art on A Broken Race and to see what lands on the cover of the Brewed Awakenings II anthology, I'm just sitting here, percolating my NaNoWriMo project, juggling submissions and reading. Good times.

Looking for more authors to check out? This week on Authors Answer, we discuss our blogs and websites. Who knows, you might find someone new to virtually hang out with.

So you want to write a short story

A friend recently asked how to go about writing a short short story. Short is a relative term, but generally I'd call that 3,000 words or less.

Cramming a plot into a small word count package can seem challenging. Having come from insanely long novels, to more reasonable sized novels, and all the way to cramming a story into 100 words, I figured I'd share what worked for me. Depending on how you write, it might not work for you. We all have our own methods for creating a story and making it work. Or not work. I've got plenty of those virtually crammed in a back burner folder. But length doesn't have to be the reason why they are there.

If you've started with writing novels and want to try short stories, think of a short as a scene from a novel. You're getting the plot from point a to point b in an entertaining and meaningful way. There is a character, setting, uses of senses, opening, middle and ending, and all the same details you'd write in a larger work, but you need to learn to use less words to do it. Every word has to count.

This is also a useful skill to learn if you've never written the synopsis for a novel, because it's much the same process. Write a novel, boil that same novel down to three pages, then to one page, then to one paragraph. Those three lengths will prepare your novel for most standard submission packages.

But for a short story, we need to first write that story and we don't want to sound like a summary. We want a full story with all the necessary details.

Write a 3,000 word story. Keep it simple for this exercise. One or two characters, getting from plot point a to plot point b. It needs to have a beginning, middle and end. Full resolution, no cliffhangers. If starting out with a word count goal feels more like a collar choking your creativity, just write the darn story however long it ends up being. It gets easier to stay within a word count after doing this process a couple times.

Now read that 3,000 word story. Distill that same story down to 1,500 words. This means you'll have to perhaps lose some of the intricacies of the plot, characterization and description. Maybe the story will have to start a little later or end a little sooner, but it needs to be essentially the same story, just more compact. Tighter. Stronger.

Now read that 1,500 word story. Cut it to 500 words. What is the core of the story? Use only the words you need to make it work in a tiny package. It still needs to be interesting and have a resolution. Keep the feeling. Make every word burn with purpose.

For bonus self flagellation points, take those 500 words and make them 100.

Now you can see what really makes the story work at each length. You can focus each and every word, knowing it's there for a reason.

Next time you start a story, think of what you want to say, what needs to be said, as you write. Have a target word count. Knowing your beginning and ending before you start is immensely helpful.

Don't let the constraint of a word goal stifle your creative process, but staying close to the goal will save a whole lot of editing afterwards.

Good luck and happy writing.

Things Are Happening!

Time for another positive post. If you've been following along for awhile, you realize the novelty of this occurrence.

The first good thing: I met with my editor last night to go over the publishing details for A Broken Race. We chatted about books and writing and authory (it's a word, work with me) things. He's working on the cover art. I'm working on the back cover text. Edits are done on my end and getting finalized on his. We're looking at a release in early October in both print and e-book.

Then, we talked about the Brewed Awakenings Anthology, which includes my short stories Mother and Giving Chase. The Anthology is slated for release in late September in both print and e-book.

I'm excited to have two print projects to add to my published works shelf in the very near future.

We have baby grass! Okay, so grass doesn't go through the baby phase. Whatever. I'm giddy to see tiny hints of green in our "lawn" after eight months of staring at dirt. It was a major workout leveling the construction mess and getting it to a point where I could seed and fertilize all the spots that needed to become one with the existing grassy spaces. Soon we can get our land permit signed off on and the house, as far as permits go, will be done!

I got half of the remaining rock work done on the house last weekend. We officially no longer have the work Tyveck visible anywhere on the house. Now I just have some concrete to cover, and that's not near a much of an eyesore.

Other than installing some insulation in the ceiling of the unfinished section of the basement, finishing the rock, spreading the other half of bark mountain, and planting some dune grass on a hill, all the big sweaty projects are done. The end of all-weekend-long projects is on the horizon, and damn, I'm really looking forward to that!

(Yes, this post contains excess exclamation points. It deserves them.)

This week on Author's Answer: How do real world events influence your writing?

What's This? A Hint of Normal?

It's been so long that I've forgotten what a normal day feels like. I think, though, that this week, I've come close. It's a very strange sensation to quit work around 5ish and do normal people things. Things like make dinner at a leisurely pace, eat it, sitting down and as a family and then, the best part, descend into my writing room for not one, but often two or more hours before returning to the family zone to either watch tv or go to bed. I could get used to this.

This week, I've caught up on going over critiques I received over a year ago. I've worked on editing Sahmara, a novel I haven't touched since building the house began. I really like this story. I want to work on it more and get it ready to submit.

I've had time to finally do a thorough read-through of A Broken Race and fix all the typos that resulted in my mad rush to get the revised content to the editor on time while hosting an exchange student and finish up on the house

I've even considered reading a book. Yes, sitting down and just reading. After having time for writing. What is this madness?

It's been a couple years for this too, but I'm actually looking forward to NaNoWriMo this year, the whole diving into writing part, instead of just the seeing all my writing peeps again part. The whole experience. As of this moment, months in advance, I have energy and enthusiasm. It's been a long time since I've had either of those things, even before the house building began.

Landscaping is happening! This is my favorite part. I love playing in the dirt, even if that means encountering snakes. Which is has. Several times. But this part of the making this our home process has taken the longest to get to, so I'll take the snakes and go on my merry planting way.

For this week, at least, life is good.

Patience is a virtue and fiction saves lives

While I'd love to say that I write for a living, I don't. I have a day (and sometimes night and weekend) job, that while it does allow me to do lots of creative things that I really enjoy, mostly that pays the bills and comes with it's share of headaches. Many of those headaches involve writing and reading either in product descriptions or email exchanges, so I'm going to share a few in the hopes that even one of you won't be that person.

Let's say, for the sake of an easy, across-the-board example, I'm selling blankets. I create what I think to straight-forward product description using as few words and sentences as possible because I understand we are all busy and have short attention spans:

Queen size Blanket

Soft, fleece blanket. Fits Queen size bed.  Available in blue (shown) red, white, beige, black and grey. You will be shipped a blue blanket (shown), unless you specify a different color when ordering.

Ships Priority mail within the United States and First Class Mail internationally. Actual shipping rates are shown after adding product to your cart and entering your address.


These are kind of questions I deal with every day, which are the reason I kill so many people in fiction:

1. What is this blanket made of?
2. I like the vase in the photo, where did you get it?
3. What color is the blanket in the photo?
4. I received my order, but was expecting a poster of a blue blanket on a bed like you show. What am I supposed to do with a stupid blanket?
5. I received my blanket in the mail today, but you smashed the box to bits and now it's unusable. How soon can you deliver another one to me in a better box?
6. My order wasn't shipped UPS like I asked for in the notes I put on the order, why?
7. I received my blanket today, but it doesn't fit my king size bed. What are you going to do about it?
8. I wanted a red blanket, but you shipped me a blue one. It says it comes in different colors, but I never saw anywhere to put what color I wanted. How do I get a red one?
9. How much is shipping?
10. How tall is the bed in the photo?
11. Can you show me what that blanket looks like on four poster bed?
12. I received the blanket it in the mail today and when I went to use it, I saw that the disposable bag the blanket came in was wrinkled. Your product is crap. Can I get a refund?
13. I didn't get my blanket that I ordered eight months ago and just realized never arrived. When I went to check the tracking, I see that you shipped it to my old address. I moved nine months ago, but my order shows my old address for some reason. Can you reroute my package to me at my new address?
 14. I didn't get my package and when I went to check my order, I realized I switched to numbers in my address around, and now tracking shows it delivered to someone else. Can you send me a new package? I already paid shipping when I ordered.
15. I ordered a blue blanket like in your photo, but when it arrived, it's dark blue, not baby blue like what I was expecting. What are you going to do about your misleading description and sending me the color I wanted?
16. My blanket was delivered, but someone in the mailroom signed for it and put it somewhere. I can't find it. Can you ship me a new one?
17. I ordered this product - and thanks for shipping it so fast - but I'd emailed you three days after placing my order to ask if I could get two twin-sized, orange blankets instead, but you shipped me a blue queen size blanket. Don't you read emails? I would like to return this blue blanket and get the two orange twin-sized blankets I asked for.
18. I'd like to use this blanket as a table cloth for a birthday party I'm having this weekend, will it repel water and not stain?
19. Is the blanket soft?
20. I'd like to order a blanket in blue. How do I do that?

Other than not dealing with blankets, these are exact questions I have had to respond to.
Please save fictional lives, read descriptions when ordering anywhere, and for the love of all that's holy, double check your mailing information. Thank you.

Guests, Gardening, and Getting prepared

August is here already. That means NaNoWriMo preparation has begun.

Pfft, Prepare? Me? Ha. I mean for my region. (Though I will admit, champion pantser that I am, I'll be working on a YA novel I recently started editing that I gave up on during NaNo years ago. It still needs a middle and and end. And I know where it's going now. Egads, does that mean I've planned for once?)

I've created this year's sticker, the word count chart, a character creation game for the kick off party, sorted give away prizes and silent auction items. I've even considered doing a couple small crafty projects. I haven't had time for those in a while, so I'm rather excited to get my hands covered in glue and paint.

While I occasionally remember to stalk my submissions, I'm keeping busy with projects around the house. Now that we're all settled in, there's all the little things, like sealing the grout for all the floor tile, caulking the guest room tub, finding homes for the few things left in boxes, finishing up the stone work on the front of the house, installing the railing on the deck, and landscaping. That last one is my favorite. I've been waiting anxiously. Since last fall. I'm really sick of waiting. Today, the last load of top soil arrived, so barring rain, I'll be spending my weekend playing in the dirt.

As far as writing, I haven't started anything new lately. I'm waiting on edits on three shorts and a novel, all of which could arrive in my inbox anytime and two of them will require a quick turnaround. Best to save my limited writing time for when I really need it and enjoy expending my creative energy on other pursuits for just a little while.

July passed by in a blur of fun. We had a great time hosting our Spanish guest, who gave us the perfect excuse to visit places around town we hadn't been to in years. Our daughter got to have a month of mostly vacation that we would have otherwise worked through and maybe done one or two things as time allowed. Funny how having a stranger in your house makes you spend so much more time together as a family, and I was surprised how attached we got to her in the few weeks she was here. Sending her off wasn't easy, but we would definitely host another student next year if asked.

For now, I'll leave you with this week's Author's Answer: What scenes do you find difficult to write?

Oh look, a post for July

The blog has been quiet, but I haven't forgotten you. July has been full of doing things!

Our exchange student has been keeping us busy. Or we're keeping her busy. Or both. We spent a long weekend up by Sleeping Bear Dunes, burning our feet on hot sand, catching a little sun (I'd rather forgotten what sitting under that large burning orb felt like), and hiking around South Manitou Island (aka, dodging mosquitos and snakes). We've played local tourist in our own town and others nearby. We've eaten far more ice cream than necessary (yes, there is a necessary amount). And we've done a lot of driving (just 575 miles in the past few days). With only two weeks left, we're trying to pack in as much fun as we can.

Editing. The last couple chapters of A Broken Race are proving to be challenging and my tired brain isn't cooperating. Deadlines are looming.

And now we've come to the part of the post where I can announce my happy news. My short stories Mother and Giving Chase have been accepted into Caffeinated Press's second Brewed Awakenings anthology. Look for it out in print and e-book this fall.

And, of course, I can't close out this post without a dose of Author's Answer. This week: Sex. How do you write it?

Summer is here. Sanity is somewhere over there.

It's June, and that means its lovely outside in my little corner of Michigan. Am I out enjoying every minute of it? Sadly, no.

Why? I'm neck deep in edits of A Broken Race. 102 suggested points from the editors to conquer. Most aren't all that significant in terms of big changes, others add require diving deeper into backstory groundwork while dancing on the delicate tightrope that stretches across the valley of info dump. I have about a week left to finish up.

 We have to take four more small trees out to finally get our business drive put in at the end of the month (yes, also a week away). This means that our towering brush pile mountain from all the other small and dead trees that have come down over the past couple years here, had to be reduced before it turned into a brush mountain range. We burned for three straight days and got it down to a more manageable 'pile' designation...until those four trees come down.

 Then there was the deck fiasco. Let's sum it up by saying I have a deck now. It wasn't built by the original contractor we hired and it was weeks late. It doesn't currently have a railing because the home improvement store ordered the wrong one and now we have to wait three more weeks for the right one. We can't get the deck approved without the railing, which means we can't use it as getting all the stuff out of the garage that is meant to go on the deck so that I might be able to finally park inside. I spent way too much time returning wrong and extra stuff, ordering the right stuff, and on the phone trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

 Work on the outside of the house continues. In this month's installment, I'm working on the rock areas. This means I'm getting a workout, hefting 80lb bags of mortar and hauling buckets of said substance up ladders to slap it on the metal lath we installed last month. Next up: rocks.

A conversation with a friend led to something I've been wanting to try and now we have room for. We're hsting an exchange student for a month. So I spent some time cleaning up ou spare room, buying a bed and all that goes with it and making functional room in the closet I'd intended to use for storage. Since we're supposed to show her around our area, this gave me the nudge I needed to plan our family vacation. Cabin reserved, sights to see have been noted and arrangements for pets have been made.

And yes, that means she'll be arriving in a week and then we'll be busy showing her around.

In between the rocks, trees, and railing projects... Which means I better get back to those edits.

I'll leave you with the latest Author's Answer, where we discuss the writing process.

I'm watching

With life as busy as it has been the past year and some, time together as a couple has pretty much become spending the last waking hour or so each night watching television on the same couch. When we break this cycle, the dogs become angry. We don't want to anger the dogs, who love this quiet snuggle time. And, you know, as a couple, we appreciate quiet snuggle time too.

I'd intended to keep better track of what was before my eyes over the past several months, but I'm just going to come out and admit that I didn't. Why? After a long busy day, I'm busy trying to stay awake to watch the end of whatever we started when I was wide awake.

We'll go down the list until my memory gives out.

Game of Thrones: I'm up to date on this series, and while it still makes me blurt out, "Hey, that wasn't like that in the book!" on occasion, I do appreciate that even though I've read the books, I don't exactly know what's going to happen next, or at the very least, the details of how it's going to get from one important point to the next. This whole season has been my favorite since the red wedding episode. This is a series I have no problem staying awake though each episode.

Wayward Pines: We're having a great time trying to guess what the hell is going on. Speculating has become an off the couch, wandering throughout our day, tossing out theories kind of sport. There's generally enough going on with this show to keep me awake.

Arrested Development Season 5: After binge-watching the first four seasons, we awaited the fifth with anticipation. Then were too busy to watch it. We started to watch it recently, and I honestly haven't stayed awake for a single half hour episode. I can't tell you what happened. I can't even remember enough to guess. However, if I ever have a night of insomnia, I know the cure.

Last Man on Earth: The show started off as amusing, but now that the season has ended, the novelty has worn off.

Quick Draw: If you loved Brisco County Jr (as I do), this show is probably for you. There are some terrific one-liners and the humor is quite adult. So far nothing has topped the episode that made laugh until I cried as the town dealt with the death of Honey's cousin aunt.

Bosch: The first episode of this gritty cop detective series nearly lost me due to the cliches and stiff acting, but it got better and the season ended on a satisfying note so I'll be watching for the next one.

Mad Men: The series wrapped up fairly well. I can't say that I was disappointed nor did I expect detailed happily ever afters or where are they nows from a show that spend the last few seasons with all of it's characters in the chaos of their self-made craptastic lives. I was left fulfilled, which is more than I can say for most series endings.

Walking Dead: I stay awake for survivors outliving zombies and the living who are far worse threats than the dead. I didn't know what to make of this past season at first, but it ended with a satisfied smile.

Jurassic Park: When we heard there was going to be a new movie, we resurrected the first one and made our kids watch it too. Family time! It was just as good as I remembered it.

Jurassic Park 2: Mostly as I remembered it, but the plot seemed much thinner now that the novelty of 'OMG there are dinosaurs!' has worn off.

Jurassic Park 3: I didn't know this existed until we heard there was a forth on the way and looked up the old movies. In summary: People are idiots. Oh, and Pterodactyls!

Project Almanac: Time travel. High school kids. Interesting idea, but meh.

What We Do in the Shadows: I had high hopes. I loved Flight of the Conchords, and for the most part, I like vampires (as long as they don't sparkle). Alas, my love with this vampire mockumentary movie was not meant to be.

Ex Machina: AIs, a very weird programming genius living off the grid and the nerdy guy who thinks he knows what was best. Though it dragged a little in the middle, the end was worth it.

The Maze Runner: Boys with amnesia who are stuck in the middle of a giant ominous maze. They run through it. In the end, they find the way out and there are people who pick them up and take them somewhere. Yep, that's it. Tune in to the next movie to find out why, and if these people are good or bad. Maybe. But probably not until the end of the trilogy. I wouldn't watch the next one. This ending pissed me off.

John Wick: If you wished The Matrix had dropped the plot entirely and was a movie about Keanu Reeves playing a guy who kills people left and right with guns and his fists, your wish has been granted. Me, I'll go for something with a plot, thanks.

Interstellar: Despite staring Matthew McConaughey, which just didn't work for me in a science fiction movie, I quite enjoyed this one. The earth is kicking the human's off by destroying their means of growing food. Who and how many can be saved and where do they go?

Welcome To Me: Would you like to take a nap? Do you have laundry to fold or toilet to clean? You should do that rather than watching this movie unless you are utterly exhausted to a point you can not get off the couch (in which case, that nap is still the better option).

Big Hero 6: Cute and tolerable for a movie aimed at kids. Our teens enjoyed it.

Chappie: Holy Expletive! While I have no issue with the occasional use of profanity, the language in this movie was grating. Robots, AIs, rubber chickens, cops and lots of bullets fired. Entertaining, but would have been much better with less carpet F-bombing.

Outlander: I kept seeing this show all over Facebook, usually accompanied by giddy squeals of delight. The series had good ratings so we figured we better check it out. Portal time travel romance with a highlander? Sign me up. I was not disappointed. This shows was watching a romance novel as it should be done. The season even ended on a satisfying (albeit, predicable if you've read a handful of romance novels) note. I'll be watching for the next season.

Guest Blogger: Nick Wilford

Thanks for hosting me on the final day of my tour, Jean. Today, in contrary fashion, I’m going back to the beginning to bring your readers the opening from my novella, A Change of Mind.

“Hey Reuben, my main man, pass me that stapler, will you?”

The loud, abrasive voice of Guy Borderman jackknifed into me as I blew on my hot milky tea, causing me to spill some on my trousers. I cursed silently, not wanting to bring further attention to myself, and rested the mug on my desk before picking up the stapler and making the journey to Borderman’s desk as nonchalantly as I could.

As it was getting on towards five o’clock, I had hoped Borderman would give me a break today. No such luck. It wasn’t so much the humiliation, but the hit to my pocket that really grated.

I dropped the stapler on Borderman’s desk, not looking the hulking brute in the eyes, and quickly turned to leave, praying the next part would be left out.

“Got any plans tonight, Rubes?” barked that faux-jovial voice as I was halfway back to my desk. I turned, looked at Borderman’s self-satisfied grin, and raised my shoulders slightly in a shrug that felt more like a gesture of surrender. I wasn’t sure why Borderman still made the effort. Everyone already knew I was a massive loser, and most barely looked up from their work.

It was too late today, but tomorrow I would have to request a new stapler, essential for my work, at a cost of £4.99, consuming both my time and money. And at some point, this new item would be “borrowed” by Borderman before disappearing forever into a black hole. This had happened nearly every day I was at work for the past two years.

At five o’clock, I put on my jacket, checking the pockets to find that thankfully there was no glue or other unsavoury items today, and left the office to walk to the bus stop. It started to rain in a torrential downpour that felt like some sort of water-based apocalypse. The bus approached, headlights like hazy red suns glimpsed through the rain. Then I noticed the “Full” sign.

Rather than wait half an hour and take a chance on the next bus having a seat, I started to squelch in my sodden shoes towards home. On the way I passed the Rose and Crown, as I had many times before, always wondering what it was like inside. Rather than continue wading through what felt like a sea with holes in it, I decided this might be an appropriate time to find out.

After all, it was my birthday.

* * *

Title: A Change of Mind and Other Stories

Page/word count: 107 pages, approx. 32,000 words

Publisher: Superstar Peanut Publishing

Author: Nick Wilford

Genre: Speculative fiction

Format: Ebook only

Release date: 25th May 2015

A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine.

In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around.

But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be…

In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone.

The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world.

In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him.

Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition.

The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords
B&N
Kobo
Add it on Goodreads

Meet the author:

Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter or Goodreads.

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What better way to spend a long weekend

...than reading! It's been quite awhile, but I finally managed most of three days of downtime to read. This wasn't for lack of other things I should have been doing, but fate decided to smack me upside the sinuses with a major cold, thereby giving me a valid pass to hang out on the couch. And hang out I did. I can't remember the last time I sat in one place for so long.

My congested head required lite reading, so I went for my usual (lately, it seems) romance-related fare. In three days I devoured Sherrilyn Kenyon's Born of Fire and Bad Moon Rising. Got to love a writer that really knows how to put her characters through hell, literally and figuratively.

That's over 1000 pages between critiquing a short for a friend, spending half a day moving the last of our stuff from the garage and shed of our previous home, and several hours at two home improvement stores ordering everything we need for the deck that needs to be built in order to finish out our building permit.

Good thing I had to go that other stuff or I probably wouldn't have picked up my head from a third book long enough to spend time with the rest of my sick (we all got the cold) family. I was even a good little citizen and attended our local memorial day parade...because I had to transport my son there to play in the school band. Several people I've run into since have commented on seeing me there, but not stopping over to say hi "because it looked like you were really into reading your book." I did put it down once the parade started, honest. I was doing them a favor, warding them away from my cold germs.  

Now, with my sci-fi and were-creature fixes sated, I can get back to trying to figure out this short I've been fighting with. Yes, that means I still don't have that darn thing finished and I'm running out of time.

No Thanks

I seem to be a slump lately, which may seem odd being that I've been announcing published stories for the last few months. Most of those were also sold months ago. In fact, one was sold over a year ago that has yet to actually make it into print. This slump means that I'll have nothing lined up to announce for a while and that's a bit depressing given how well things were going.

Not that rejections are a bad thing. It just means I haven't found the right market for the story yet. The  five shorts currently in my submission juggling routine are good. Not that I'm trying to sound over confident, but I do believe in them. They're good stories. I've pulled a couple others that I feel were rejected with merit and need some further tweaking before they return to submissions. They'll return soon.

Sitting here in my slump, it seems fitting that I revisit a few thoughts on rejection.

Don't take them personally. Yes, they can be depressing. Someone didn't find your baby as cute as you think it is. Writing is subjective and there are a lot of markets out there. As long as you still believe in your story, keep looking for the right one. 

Some of rejections are a long time coming. Don't spend your time watching your inbox for a response. Spend your time writing your next story. And then submit that. And write something else. It's not uncommon for responses to take three months and playing that 'I made it to the three month mark' doesn't mean a darn thing. I've found that submissions that significantly go over the expected response date are more often than not for a reason and it's not good. It's either A - the submission has been lost or B - the market died. And yes, that last one happens more often that I expected, so it's not a bad idea to check up on the market and to send out an email to check the status of the submission, especially if it's not a sim sub market. No need to have your story sitting out there in the cold doing nothing.

Find sim sub markets when possible so your story can be multitasking while it's out there in the big wide world. If none of those are a good fit, look for markets with good turn around times, such as weeks rather than months. If my story isn't a good fit, I'd much rather know sooner than later. 

Don't over think the form rejection. It's a form rejection. It's not a secret code. It's simply a no thanks. Send the story somewhere else. 

Appreciate personal rejections but don't fixate on them. Remember, this is all subjective. Like any critique, read it, digest it and apply the tweaks your gut agrees with. 

Most importantly: a rejection will only become an acceptance when you find the right market. Keep submitting. 

This week's goal

Now that A to Z is over and I've taken a little time to catch my blogging breath, it's time to get back into the weekly routine. Weekly should be easier to manage that daily, right? Right. In theory.

Let's start with where things are in my writing world... because that's what I need to cover for some self accountability this week.

Waiting on developmental edits on A Broken Race. Meeting on these has been pushed to early June, which works for me because I still have to...

Finish The Unmaking of Dennis Gilroy for an anthology submission that is due by the end of May. I'd meant to have it done two weeks ago, but time keeps slipping through my fingers. And I'm not even talking about procrastinating or having fun rather than writing. I'm talking days like yesterday when I worked from 8:30am to 10pm with breaks for running kids to appointments and to school. At least I got to watch the latest episode of Game of Thrones before collapsing into bed.

I spent what little writing time I did have last week editing Sipper down from 5,900 words to 5,000 words for another anthology that asked for a tighter version to fit their word limit. The first 600 words weren't that bad, but the second pass to find those last 300 was tough. Talk about making the remaining words work hard to hold everything together. Whew! We'll see how the story works at the shorter length when that fateful email comes in.

Goal for this week: Finish the Dennis story.
Extra credit: Edit and submit it.

Pretty things

Never have I considered myself a girly girl, but I do enjoy a few pretty things. Sometime around my late twenties I gave up my love for wild earrings, sparkly necklaces and multiple bracelets. That sometime probably coincided with having kids. Since then, you can find me wearing the same necklace for months in a row and the same earrings for years. Bracelets are an on occasion only because they really get in the way for typing and working. The one things that truly remains constant are my rings.

I've always been a little hard on rings, but I love them, and through children, gardening, messy jobs and all life throws at me, I refuse to give them up. I've worn this collection for the past seventeen or so years. Then, within a month, this all happened: 

Not only did building a house take it's toll on my legs and back, my rings suffered. Other than when I was working with mortar or grout, which was really messy stuff, I wore my usual rings. As of this morning, I'm down to two undamaged rings and both of those are simple bands, though, one is hematite -which I've shattered several of in the past- and I wouldn't put it past this one to shatter at any moment. 

I wore a hole in my pearl. I smashed my hand loading heavy stock onto equipment for work and ripped the sapphire out of the second ring. (My hand is fine, thanks for asking, and I found the stone.) I smashed my hand arranging tables in my new work space and lost the diamond from my wedding ring. Searches have not turned up the diamond. Please join me in a rousing chorus of "Doh!"  The last one I caught on a table while setting up for my hopefully last ever annual garage sale and bent it so far out of shape that it now looks like a potato chip. 

Someone has to keep the jewelry repair people busy.

If it's heavy, awkward or large, I'll lift it and I'll move it. I'll do it myself thank you very much. I hate asking for help and even more, I hate waiting for help. 

And this is why I have a hard time writing female characters of the gentle, soft, and proper persuasion. 

A to Z in review

Another year of April A to Z has come and gone. I'm happy to report that I'm still as sane as I was when the month began. Take that for what you will.

First off, I'd like to thank devoted word donors, Nick, David and Hillary. You left me lots of challenges to work with, and I appreciate the time you took to pop over from your own busy blogs to do so.

I'd also like to thank every one of you who dropped by throughout the month with word donations. Having such an array of words to work from each day made this challenge fun, even on my long and hectic days and inevitable Sunday catch up sessions.

Some days yielded a paragraph or two, others grew longer as I traveled where your words took me. Three of my favorites this month were:

D - became a short I titled Water.
R - was a popular post (according to visits) about roses
M - made me laugh, and I always enjoy when I can make myself laugh. It was a silly, exhausted laughter, but it still counts. Enjoy the many multiple M words in the Muffin Loving Moose

If you donated words, I have added each day's story start to the bottom of the post for that day. Please drop in and enjoy. Sometimes a story took a direction where that wasn't possible, but I did try to use them all when I could.

So what's next? Usually, I'd be jumping into A Story a Day In May, but I'm waiting on edits for A Broken Race, which should be in mid-month, and I have a short and a novella I'm in the middle of so I'm set on projects for the moment. And then, of course, there's all those story starts from April if, by some miracle, I happen to have some spare time and need something to work on.

Now that April is over, what will you be working on?

A to Z: Beginnings Z

We've reached the end! Hooray!

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with Z words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

Hank backed away from the lion. "A little help here, Stanley?"

"You're the one who wanted to be zoologist," said Stanley as he also made his way to the door of the enclosure. "You're supposed to know lions, right?"

"I read about them. I've never actually been this close to one."

"You might have mentioned that before we broke into the zoo."

The lion stalked forward, it's head low and eyes intent.

"Maybe it wants something to eat."

"I don't think the lion cares about the zucchini I stole from the vegetable stand on the way over. I told you, I got that for my mother."

Stanley laughed nervously, "You've told me zillions of things, like that you knew all about lions. You zany loser, you're going to get us both killed."

The lion sprang.

A to Z: Beginnings Y

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with Y words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

Tamara pulled her yellow cloak tighter as she huddled in the field of yarrow. The distant yell of the yeti echoed through the surrounding mountains. Moments later the yodel of a female answered. Only the most daring of the gatherers dared ventured into the fields during mating season and Tarmara was determined to be counted as one of them.

A to Z: Beginnings X

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with X words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

"I'm sorry, Xerxes, but the X-Ray doesn't look good." The doctor pointed to the dark pots on his leg bones. "We're going to have to amputate before it spreads."

"You can't do that! He needs legs. Everyone needs legs," Xerxes' mother said in a shrill voice that sent more chills down his spine than the doctor's announcement had. "You'll find a way to fix it."

"Ma'am, there's nothing be to be gained by emulating Xanthippe," said the doctor.

Xerxe's mother scowled. "What did you call me?"

"Clearly you're not a fan of Socrates." He consulted the medical files on his computer. "When I was in college, I studied Socrates and medicine. See, I went to school for this sort of thing." He pointed at the x-ray. "I know what I'm doing. And I know that not amputating his legs now, will mean the death of him."

"But he has to finish reconstructing the xebec for the exhibition next month. If he doesn't finish, he'll lose his funding. The museum won't have the focal piece we need and the exhibition will be a disaster. That disaster will cost me my job." 

She stood up to her full six foot two height and glared down her long slender nose at the doctor. "You'll find another way, and you'll get him back to work by Monday. Do I make myself clear?"

A to Z: Beginnings W

After a very productive weekend with around the house work - as in I'm still moving stuff from the garage and shed at our old house to the new one, yes, two months after moving out, and we still have a ton of stuff there to move - I'm still playing catch up on story starts and visiting blogs. If I haven't been over to visit yet, I promise I will very soon.

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with W words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

As a wizard, Wilbur was used to wandering, keeping out of reach of those who didn't appreciate his gifts and seeking out those who did. On this particular morning, he found himself before a river, watching a family of ducks waddle into the water. The unseasonably warm weather left him feeling like a leaf of wilting lettuce, but dipping his bare feet into the water offered welcome relief. A leaf caught in the current spun around his feet like a whirligig.

He stroked his long white beard and evaluated the land. The villagers nearby had planted an abundance of wheat. The river had enough of a current to support a water wheel. With his wealth of wisdom, he could help them build a mill. They would thank him and welcome him and maybe he could finally settle down. He might finally escape the whammy Harold had put on him forty-three years ago.

A stone hit him in the head. Then another. "Get out of here," a man yelled. More stones pelted him.

There seemed to be no escape from Harold.

A to Z: Beginnings V

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with V words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

Violet stared into the mirror, making faces at the ashen-faced girl with narrow green eyes. Some might have accused her vanity, sitting in front of the mirror for hours as she often did, but that wasn't it at all. The only way to prevent the violence the girl in the mirror promised to reek upon the earth, was to watch her, to make sure she remained visible. It was the times when she couldn't be seen that bad things happened.

Why didn't her parents understand that the days spent at school, the two hours a week they dragged her off to piano practice, even the minutes they demanded she spend doing her chores, those cost lives. The girl in the mirror didn't have any of those obligations. As far as Violent knew, she didn't even have parents.

Her mother yelled something from downstairs. The girl's eyes narrowed even further, glinting with malice as she waved Violet away. Violet turned up the volume on her music and blinked only one eye at a time, always keeping the girl in view.

A to Z: Beginnings U

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with U words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

He stood beside the black swirling stream, watching the wooden boat and its lone robed skeletal passenger drift away. The blood gushing from the gaping hole in his stomach had ceased, a fact for which he was most grateful. He'd never been good around blood. The first glance of it splashing over the ax that had embedded itself in his gut had made him queasy. The manic grin on the face of the wielder of the ax had finished him off. The war was lost.

Without a prince, the kingdom would fall into madness. There would be no hope for unification with the south. His destiny in the living world unfulfilled, the prince tucked his intestines back inside his uniform and traveled downward along the well worn path to see what death might have in store for him.

A to Z: Beginnings T

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with T words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

The totem bearing a likeness to a tarantula fell into her hands. A shudder ran though her body, settling in her stomach like a swarm of bees. Of all the spirit guides to choose from in the basket, why this one? The rest of the acolytes in the circle stared at her, their eyes wide, hands wrapped around the safe totems that had chosen them.

"Treason," said the priest in the middle of the circle. He pointed at her.

Ringing filled her ears and the cave grew black around the edges as if the candles lodged on the ledges had suddenly lost their will to shine.

The circle began to collapse, everyone reaching for her. She ran. Ran out of the cave, past the tents they has slept in the night before. Past the tree where the goat they had sacrificed that morning still hung. Past the two standing stones that marked the sacred place they'd come to discover who they would be. And all the while, clutched in her hand was the totem.

A to Z: Beginnings S

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with S words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

Silence blanketed the sunny seashore wrapping Norma in a relaxing trance that had nearly sucked her into sleep when a scream shattered the moment. She spun around, searching for the woman who had made such a heart-wrenching sound. The body caught her attention before she found the source of the scream. A man, face down in the water, wearing a seersucker suit.

She leapt to her feet. The burning sand reminded her to slip on her sandals before she raced down to the water's edge. Others came running as well, and within seconds, the body was surrounded. A woman wearing a saffron sundress pushed her way through the crowd.

A to Z: Beginnings R

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with R words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

~*~

A thorn ripped into Rachel's finger. She dropped the pruning shears and sucked on the blood, partly to keep three-year old Annie from seeing the blood, but mostly to keep the child from hearing the long string of obscenities begging to fly off her tongue. Damn recalcitrant roses.

She set the red bloom she'd just snipped into her bucket and checked her finger. It was still bleeding. Wrapping it in a tissue from her pocket, she picked up her shears.

"What's that one called?" Annie asked, peering at the lone red bloom in the bucket filled with pink and white.

"Rambling Ribald. Do you remember helping me plant it last summer?"

Annie shook her strawberry-blonde curls. Rachel hoped they stayed that way forever. She looked like a little doll, so adorable.

"Did you get hurt, mommy?" She pointed a chubby finger at the tissue.

"Just a pick. It will be fine." A wet warmth running down her hand begged to differ. She dropped the soaked tissue. Her finger was covered in what looked like rust.

A to Z: Beginnings Q

Are we to the end of the month yet? No? Ahhhhhh! Too. Much. Going. On.

After a couple way too busy work weeks, I'm hoping things are getting back to "normal" a little more, and I'll get be able to squeak some more time in for staying on top of my daily story posts and writing in general because I have a short due at the end of the month for submission and another on begging for my attention.

While we're all being busy and you're pretending to not notice that I'm probably still behind on visiting your blog and posting stories from last week, how about taking a little trip over to this week's Author's Answer, were we have a pretty much hands down answer about brushing up on grammar.

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.


YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.

WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.


Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with Q words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.


Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive A to Z blog challenge list.

~*~

Anna studied her canvas. The paint wasn't cooperating with her quixotic vision of the quail before her. Sure, the bird looked pretty on the screen, but it wasn't the right colors to go with what she'd seen in her dreams. Somehow, she had to meld her imagination with the reality of what the Google search had served her.

Some of the images where of low quality and would be of no use. Others were questionable. She looked through them again and choose one that best suited the pose she'd started with, but in this one, the bird was looking straight at her. Like it could see her. The more she met it's gaze the more she was convinced it could see her. A breeze blew through its feathers. It's beak opened. 

A to Z: Beginnings P

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to leave words for me so far this month. I've had a great time trying to work as many of them in as possible.

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.
YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.
WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with P words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive A to Z blog challenge list.

~*~

The cursor sat there, blinking endlessly while Patrick perused his notes on particle acceleration. He wished he could be on his personal computer, but the power was out. Everywhere. The only computers up and running on campus where in the basement lab which were old laptops with giant heavy batteries. There were only two hours of battery life left and his paper was due in the morning.

A to Z: Beginnings O

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to leave words for me so far this month. I've had a great time trying to work as many of them in as possible.

THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.
YOUR PART: Throw out words from the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.
WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a little challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

Each evening I'll post the beginnings of a short story using some of the suggested words, As to when I'll end those stories...well, that's what the rest of the year is for.

So join in the comments with O words. names, places, moods, genres, things, whatever you want to throw at me. My creative bucket awaits. If you're here later in the day and I've already posted the story start, feel free to leave words for the next day's letter.

Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive A to Z blog challenge list.

~*~

An orangutan sat on a branch next to a stream, peering down at the strange creature in the water below.  It swam about on its back, on its belly and in spirals. When the crazy creature finally slowed on the surface floating on its back, he called down to it. "What are you?"

"Hello there. I'm an otter."

"OMG, I've never seen one of your kind before in all my travels."

The otter cocked his furry head. "You must be occidental."

"What gave me away?"

"The 'Western is the bestern' shirt you're wearing."

The orangutan scowled at his shirt. "Forgot I had that on. Surprised you can read it down there. It was a gift from Orea."

"Who?"

"The Ontario Real Estate Agency. Stopped by Canada before I got here."

"Ah.  I thought you might be into oology, because you were hanging out in the tree. There are a lot of birds in the area. They like the water. I'm sure there must be some nests nearby."

"No. I'm an orthodontist." The orangutan smiled, showing off his perfect white teeth.

"I heard your kind are expensive. I suppose that's how you could afford this trip?"

"Expensive? Why, that's an outrage. My prices are fair."

"Sorry, must be getting you confused with dentists." The otter smiled apologetically.

"Nice teeth."

"Thanks. I eat a lot of onions."

"That helps?"

"No idea. Someone keeps throwing them in upstream and I keep finding them."