One Word On Monday

Since I promised myself I wouldn't start working on my novel again until the new year I decided to do another One Word. I love it because it forces you to just spit out something quickly with a small prompt. The prompt word was: Officers

As I drove through our quite suburban neighborhood I saw 2 officers chasing a piglet. They slipped and fell as it squealed and ran. They were ganging up on it, but it was still faster and seemed to out smart them at every turn.

I don't know where this came from, but the visual in my head made me laugh hard. Happy Monday all.



photo credit: ucumari via photopin cc

Flash Me a Naughty Santa (Mature)

I was jarred by something. I heard a gasp and a thud followed by the sound of things scattering. I looked down to see a beautiful brunette at my feet completely bewildered. As our eyes met, hers deep green, I felt something other than just the embarrassment pass between us.

I reached out my hand and said, “Let me help you up.”

She became even more still than she was and I heard her inhale quickly. “Yes, thank you.”

She took my hand delicately and, with as much dignity as she could muster, let me help her from the floor. I retrieved her tablet and phone as she grabbed her purse. She smiled warmly and put her hand on my arm and said, “I am so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going.”

“Consider it my pleasure to be bumped.” I said with a laugh. It has been so long since I have flirted I am not really sure how anymore.

“Join me in a coffee to make it up,” she offered. She seemed to want to prolong our interaction just as I did.

“I was going to order milk and cookies,” I said.

“That's funny because you look so much like the way I always pictured Santa, tall with jolly features and beautiful blue eyes.” She broke eye contact and blushed.

Was it possible she wanted me as much as I wanted her? I haven't been with another woman in what 50 years. Yes, 50 years, but the Mrs. has cut me off and for the last time.

I smiled and laughed, “Ho, ho, ho.” and I watched her eyes fill with wonder.

“Milk and cookies then,” she said. She ordered every cookie they sold to go with our milks. We sat on the same side of the booth and talked for what seemed forever and no time at all.

Soon she had moved so close I could almost touch her and I wanted to so badly. What the heck, all she can do is say no. I put my arm around her shoulders in the most casual way I could. She giggled a little, but did not pull away. In fact she moved closer into my embrace.

Feeling cozy we didn't find much more to talk about, but mostly held each other. Soon the coffee shop owner came over and said “Alright folks, we are closing up. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.” He laughed at his own joke as he walked away.

We gathered our things and then she looked at me desperately. “Oh, it is late. I only live a few blocks away, but would you mind walking me home?”

Though it was late there still seemed to be a crowd on the sidewalk. I put my hand on the small of her back to lead her through the crowd while she led me to her house. I was very excited to be able to touch her and she responded like electricity was coursing through her where my hands fell.

When we reached her door she unlocked it then turned to look at me. “Wanna come in for a night cap before you head out?”

“I don't mind if I do,” I said so happy for any excuse to stay in her company.

She looked so lovely and I couldn't believe she was looking at me like that. I leaned in slowly and kissed her softly. She took half a step closer and deepened the kiss. I put one hand around her waist and the other on the back of her head as I pulled her closer still. Her lips were soft and delicious as they moved with mine. I slid from her lips to her jaw line and then to her neck. I kissed and nibbled. She sighed in my ear as some of her hair fell over her shoulder. I inhaled her and she smelled like strawberries.

I moved the hand that was behind her waist down her side and back up under her shirt. She shivered as my hand passed over her skin. I reached to the back to undo her bra and was foiled by the hook and eye. She giggled as she easily popped it off. I pulled off her shirt and stepped back slightly to take her in. She was even more amazing than I had realized. Her perky breasts called to me like sirens to a forbidden land.

Her lips gave a disappointed pout at the distance between us until she moved close again. Happy once more, she started to unbutton my shirt. With every button she brushed my body sending little electric shocks through every part of me. After my shirt fell to the floor she started to sway as she slowly unzipped her skirt. In a second it had joined our shirts and she stood there in her thong, knee high socks and black heels.

I kissed her again, more fiercely than before. She was feeling my body and I hers. I kissed my way down her neck again and this time didn't stop. My hands found her breasts and as I turned one nipple back and forth they both became hard. My mouth followed my hands and I licked, kissed and slightly grazed my teeth over every inch I passed.

As I kissed her all over she deftly removed my boxers and grabbed my erection. She made me feel passion I had not felt in so long I was throbbing and felt like a man again. She pulled back and took my hand to lead me to the bedroom as we entered I knew we were both now on the naughty list.

So not sure how long flash fiction is aloud to be, but this is piece is 922 words long. It was originally written for Sweet Banana Ink's Bad Santa Blog Hop, but I didn't read the rules well and it is way too long. You should go check them out because the ones I have read so far are awesome. I am still using this for my #FridayFlash

Santa photo credit: dollen via photopin cc

Woman photo credit: Pensiero via photopin cc

The Great Liebster Award

This author has been given the honor of being nominated for the Liebster Award. I was nominated by Elise VanCise, freelance photojournalist, published in print and digital media. This award is a fantastic opportunity for the nominees to share a part of who they are outside of their usual posts.

Let’s start the fun with 11 questions from Elise to her nominees:

1. In your writing, what do you feel is your greatest strength and weakest point?

I think one of my strong points is that I can get inside the characters head and emotions. My weakest point, besides atrocious spelling, is not finishing the projects that I start. There are lots more, but you only asked for one.

2. Do you have a favorite writing tool?

I love my new laptop! My hubby bought me one and I have been much more productive since. I would also like to say how hard it is to do NaNoWriMo on pen and paper.

3. If you could have a writing retreat anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I think if I could go anywhere I would pick New Zealand. I would want somewhere where you can find a remote place that is beautiful with the comforts of home, but also I would want to see Hobbiton.

4. Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate?

I love dark chocolate. I especially love it when it is combined with almonds.Though I did once have milk chocolate covered potato chips which were unbelievably good.

5. What do you think of the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon?

Oh, she is trying to trap me into admitting I liked them over all. I know there were several editing mistakes and there are lots of people who hate them. However, it gives me hope that I can make it, too. Also, I think it is funny erotica was being sold in such a prominent place in Target and Walmart.

6. Do you have a favorite character, from books (your own or others), movies, or television and what makes them your fave?

My favorite character I have ever read about is in Lord of the Rings. I know what you are saying that is so cliche, but what can I say. Samwise Gamgee is one of my heroes. I bet you thought I was going to go with Frodo or Gandalf. The reason is because he is a supporting character which without his presence the Ring would not have been destroyed. He made many mistakes, but came in at just the right times to save Frodo from opposing forces as well as himself. He also saved the Shire after the Scouring of the Shire by replanting with his gift from Lothlorien.

7. Do you prefer character driven or plot driven stories?

I think i prefer character driven plots. I like to see them change and develop by the end of the story.

8. Kindle or Nook?

I don't have either one, but when I can get one I will probably get a Kindle fire. My friend loves hers.

9. How do you deal with a bad review or critique?

I am not sure. I have not been able to finish my first novel and have only received kindly worded criticism on my flash fiction. Though I would hope that I would take it with grace.

10. What book/s are you reading now?

I must confess that with NaNoWriMo and then the holidays I haven't been reading much. The last book I was reading was Breathless by Tawdra Kandle, which is book two of The King Series. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to move to number 3.

11. Zombies attack, you can use 3 things from where you are sitting right now to defend yourself. What are they and could you survive?

I am sitting at the dining room table and the tree most deadly things near me are a pen, a gingerbread house and oh ya a knife. So I may have a chance, but if I can fend them off for a few steps there are a some swords in the garage that are pretty handy. Though maybe my keyboard would make a good weapon.


11 random things about me:

1. I homeschool my children.
2. I drink Diet Mtn Dew.
3. I love giving presents.
4. I like to bake cookies with my children.
5. I have tamed a wild horse by accident.
6. I mostly prefer YA books.
7. I participate in Renaissance re-creation with the Adrian Empire.
8. I love carving stamps for letterboxing.
9. I am going to start making mead in January.
10. My sister once got bit by a moose.
11. I have known my best friend for 19 years


Now for the fun part passing this prestigious award along to fellow writers/bloggers. My nominees for the Liebster Award are…

Kimberly Kinrade at http://kimberlykinrade.com/
Rose Anderson at http://calliopeswritingtablet.com/
Nicole at http://twistedsense.com/
Michael A. Buccilli at http://mbreventures.blogspot.com/
Kristen Strassel at http://deadlyeverafter.com/
Benjamin X. Wretlind at http://bxwretlind.com/blog/
Steven Vincent at http://trueknights.wordpress.com/
Frances di Plino at http://francesdiplinoreviews.blogspot.fr/
Nicole Pyles at http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/
Donna B. McNicol at http://donnamcnicol.blogspot.com/
Anna Katina at http://www.gayadesigns.com/


And here are the 11 Questions for my nominees:

1. What made you start writing?
2. What is your favorite coffee shop treat?
3. If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
4. What is the loveliest thing you have ever seen?
5. Are the names of the characters in your novels important?
6. What is your favorite bedtime drink?
7. Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or a movie?
8. How much research do you do for your books?
9. What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?
10. What makes you laugh?
11. What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Don't forget to tell us 11 random facts about yourself. Please also put a comment here so we don't miss your answers!

Hobbiton photo credit: suesviews via photopin cc

Zombie photo credit: San Diego Shooter via photopin cc

Help Me Make Love (Mature)

OK so I am working on a sex scene. I have been reading post after post on what makes a good sex scene. So far the consensus is that I should not say penis, which makes me sad. I think the word penis is a sexy word, but it seems everyone else thinks it is too clinical or will make people giggle. On the other hand they were discouraging me to use something called "Purple Prose" which included examples such as: wand of love and dewy folds. These things I do not find sexy anyway so luckily I could easily avoid the purple prose kind of thing. There were lots of other things that had some agreement, but none so overwhelming as do not say penis. So where does that leave me? Cock, dick or wiener? Alright wiener just made me laugh out loud so I guess that one is out, too. Someone suggested just saying me because everyone will know what you mean anyway.

For example: She licked her hands and grabbed my penis.
Versus: She licked her hands and grabbed me.

I guess they are right, that does sound more alluring than the penis example.

Another good piece of advice they gave me was to make sure you don't ignore the emotional for the carnal. That sex is an emotional experience as well as a physical one. This we already know, but it is a good reminder to make sure we are using both sides to engage the reader.

A final piece of advice that surprised me, but makes sense is that sex should be used to develop a character or reveal something that we didn't know. This never occurred to me. I was just going to use sex because it is fun to have and read, but I am now trying to think about what it will reveal about my characters. other than they like to have sex.

Do you have any good tips for making a sex scene better?

Flash Me Fail

Today is #fridayflash :

Friday is full of fail.

5 words

OK so that may not be the kind of story I was hoping for, but it is fiction because I got a lot done today. Just not writing a flash fiction piece.

What Can You Do With One Word

I decided to try the One Word and see what I came up with. The word was available and you have 60 seconds to write as much as you can.

She ran through the forest and wouldn't stop until she reached her destination. She needed to get the available information to the right hands. There are several people who would do anything to get what she had. The old tattered page was safely tucked away in her pouch.

I haven't been writing much, but I have been enjoying the holiday season. Even though it is like 77 degrees we are getting into the spirit of the season. We decorated the house and tree. We went to Disney and saw the lights with family.

I also went to see a movie with a great friend and got to pose with Gandalf.

A Paranormal Year In The Making

So this year I am taking the Paranormal Reading Challenge. The info is below, but I want to make it a little more interesting by only reading books from self published authors. I think that would be a very nice way to support people who are doing what I dream of doing. I suppose I will go by their list and start with vampires. Anyone have any good suggestions?

 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

Welcome to the 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge hosted by Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads! There are so many awesome sub-genres of paranormal books, that it's easy to find one you like and stick with it. So that's why I decided to make a reading challenge with the goal of reading about all kinds of paranormal creatures.

The goal is to read one book featuring each of the following paranormal creatures:

Vampires
Werewolves/Shifters
Fey
Angels/Nephilim
Mermaids
Dragons
Zombies
Demons
Witches/Wizards
Ghosts
Aliens
Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, timetravel etc.)

Guidelines:
1. This challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
2. You must have a blog to able to participate, since reviews must be added to the linky.
3. When you sign up with the linky, please put the link to your post about joining the Paranormal Reading Challenge.
4. You're welcome to list your books beforehand or just add as you go.
5. Sign-ups are open until December 1, 2013
6. At the beginning of each month, I will post a kick-start post, each month featuring a different category of paranormal creature. This post will also include a linky to include your reviews from that month.
7. Each review you link will qualify you for an entry into the monthy giveaway and if your review includes the feature paranormal creature of that month, you get a bonus entry.
8. Each book can only count for one category, even if it contains more than one paranormal creature. For example, Twilight contains both vampires and werewolves, but you can't use it for both the vampires and werewolves/shifters categories.
9. Everyone who completes the challenge will be entered into a grand prize giveaway at the end of the year.
10. If you read multiple books from one category, feel free to add them to the linkies. Don't stop at just one!
11. Book can count for other challenges.

Each month, we'll be featuring one of the creatures on the list at both Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads.

January - Vampires
February - Angels/Nephilim
March - Fey
April - Demons
May - Aliens
June - Zombies
July - Witches and Wizards
August - Mermaids
September - Dragons
October - Ghosts
November - Werewolves/Shape-shifters
December - Other

Flash Me A Letterboxing Quilt

"Hi honey, we're home," she called out as she opened the door holding it wide so a charging toddler could get by unscathed.

The burly man snatched up the giggling girl and crossed the small living room in 3 strides. He took his wife in his arms and they kissed as the little one tugged gently on his beard. His day had just become complete. "You have a package from Canada," he raised his eyebrow, "or Moon Flowers does."

Her eyes lit up and a squeal of joy that mirrored her daughters escaped her lips. "Yay, happy," she gloated as she released her husband and went to the waiting stack of mail. What greeted her eager eyes was a cheerful green envelope with adorable stamps on the outside. She knew what had to be inside, but couldn't remember any wonderful treasures being on the way. She carefully opened the packed little envelope and gasped with wonder. These had been given up for lost over a year ago.

"What is it that has made you so happy dear?" he asked.

"A beautiful quilt," she replied with her attention focused mostly on the contents of her package.

"A magical quilt that will fit in a tiny envelope or a tiny quilt for dolls?" he teased her.

"For dollies," the toddler gushed as she squirmed to get free of her fathers arms.

"No, Gwen it is not for your dollies. It is for mommies wall." she said as she began laying them out on the table in the dining room.

"Cards!" said Gwen. "Can I help, mommy?" 

"Of course you can baby," She said patiently.

Gwen's face wrinkled to a frown and she crossed her arms. "Not baby," she sulked.

Her mother looked up from her wondrous cards and said, "Only babies pout like that." 

Gwen hastily slapped on a smile and the pair began to admire the tiny pieces of art that looked like little quilt squares. Each square had a hand carved stamped image on it. They laid them out, rearranged them several times until they were just perfect and finally glued them to a framing mat. They found charming gilt frame in the craft closet and put it all together. As she admired their work she felt the gratification she had been missing since life had become too hectic to work with her art.

"Daddy look. All done!" Gwen said while looking expectantly at her father.

They held up the finished project. "What do you think Matt? Did we do a good job?"

"You certainly did," Matt replied. He smiled and kissed his family. Seeing his wife and daughter so happily absorbed in eachother's company made him feel like the luckiest man in the world. 

(This was triggered when I received a box of cards the prompt that I followed was to focus on dialog and stay under 500 words)

The finished quilt.

My Card

These cards are over sized Letterboxing Trading Cards. You can find out more about LTCs and Letterboxing at Atlas Quest.

Post NaNo Post

So we already know I didn't win and why, but I was thinking about what I could do better next time. What was my final word count, you ask. Do I still get a drum roll if I didn't win? A whopping 30,070. This is the second time I have made it just over the 30k mark.

My NaNo experience has been rough, stressful and enriching. I have learned many things. Though I would say that my favorite part of NaNo is the awesome bunch of people in The Lake Writers group. I have made some life long friendships. Also, our local Municipal Liaison is particularly amazing. She seems to never get tired of our asking rudimentary questions and by us I mean mostly me.

I think on of my biggest problems was getting behind and getting discouraged. I was able to use Write or Die successfully. Many 20 min sprints took me from 23k to 30k in 2 days, but they were the last 2 and I was out of time. So what tips do you have for getting back on track if you fall behind?