Mid-Week Blues-Buster Week 2.48

Welcome to the Mid-Week Blues-Buster Flash Fiction Challenge, Year 2, Week 48.

This is a flash fiction challenge. The prompt is a song. You are not required to write about or even mention the song. It’s there only to get the ideas moving around in your brain pan. If you want to write about the song (or the video- it’s all good here) go for it but don’t feel like you have to.

The rules;
500 words, but it’s a slushy 500, meaning you can go up to 700 or as low as 300.
Post your entry right in the comments section of this post.

MAKE SURE TO PUT YOUR TWITTER HANDLE NEXT TO YOUR WORD COUNT AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR POST. IF YOU’RE NOT ON TWITTER GIVE ME AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR SOME OTHER WAY TO GET A HOLD OF YOU!

The challenge starts whenever I post this on Tuesday and ends at MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME on Friday. You read that right. Pacific Time.

This week’s song prompt is a nasty little tune by the Foxboro Hot Tubs.

The name of the song is, “Dark Side of Night”. Here’s the link; https://youtu.be/XCqSUxyWaMw

This week’s Judge is well-known around the flash fiction circuit.

Say hello to Judge Nick Johns!

The challenge opens the moment you read this and runs through MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME on Friday May 1st.

Now… Go Write!!!

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Mid-Week Blues-Buster Week 2.47 WINNERS

The presence of the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, at the MWBB for Week 2.47 brought out a good crowd.

Judge Miranda Gammella had plenty to read.

Here’s Miranda;

Well, well, well, with Johnny Cash this week I was expecting the stories to be on the dark-side, with a good measure of death. While most of these stories dealt with death, they were all completely unexpected in the ways each author interpreted the prompt. Overall, it was a great turnout which made picking my favorites hard to do. THank you to Jeff for letting me judge again.

Here are some quick thoughts on each entry.

@susanOReilly3 Resurrection This story definitely had the “awww” factor, and a nice tie in to the song. You’d expect something on the dark side considering the song, but she spun this into a heartwarming “aww” inducing story.

@susanOReilly3 Served Cold Loved this, the build up by the narrator, to the just desserts that the fashion advisor is soon to be getting. The story itself was a little harder to read than the other story by this author due to how some of the sentences were set up, but still an enjoyable read.

@harmony77uk Ain’t No Grave A nice visual interpretation of the video and the lyrics, but still with a unique spin. I so wanted the couple to interact with the narrator of the story, but having them give their silent blessing was much better in the end. Great story.

@laurenegreene Salvation I had to fight back the tears on this one. As someone who has lost family members to cancer, I can relate all too well to this story. I really enjoyed the use of the song as the message for the story, and the humorous argument between the siblings on just what the song means. Great story, loved how the dialogue moved between everyone.

@RLAmes Waiting What a sad story, but I think this echoes what most of us fear, waiting for death to finally find us, dying alone in a hospital room (or perhaps that is just me). You can feel his sadness, the misery in what his life has been reduced to, as he waits to rejoin his love.

@PurpleQueenNL Untitled At first, I thought Merrick had been up to no good, but as I read on, indeed he was there for good, an angel of mercy. Makes you ask the question if you would do the same for a loved one, if there was no hope for a cure, but there is still a sinister edge to this. Did she ask for this release or did Merrick take it upon himself? Great job.

@scotsjamaican Will We Have a Watery Grave? Now this was truly a horse of a different color, a story completely different than the others. The descriptions of the sand, the fog, and lighting were just enough. I was able to picture everything perfectly and was really drawn into the story. I really loved that all the whales and other sea mammals were there to give the narrator a message for the abuses the human race has ravaged upon the Earth.

@StacyFileccia Peace Another touching story. I enjoyed Betty’s journey as she said goodbye to everyone, and had the most amazing time until she went up to Heaven. I also really liked the interpretation of Heaven, of a wall to see loved ones that were still living and being able to say a final goodbye. Very sweet.

Now for the good stuff. Here are my picks: 3rd Place: Salvation by @laurenegreene 2nd Place: Resurrection by @susanOReilly3 1st Place: Peace by @StacyFileccia

Congratulations to everyone who participated. It was a hard decision. Johnny Cash makes for some great inspiration!

-Miranda

Mazel tov to all of our Winners.

Stacy – here’s a Winner’s Badge for you;

Thanks to all of our writers & readers, and thanks to Judge Miranda Gammella….

See you on Tuesday!

#SnippetSunday – Hard-Boiled/Noir WIP – April 26, 2015

Snippet Sunday is a Facebook group for writers I’ve been privileged enough to have been accepted into.

From the group guidelines; “Welcome to Snippet Sunday, where writers come together to share a few sentences of their current project–whether it’s a recently released novel, a WIP (work in progress), or an older manuscript that’s being revived. Intended to hook readers, gather feedback and build an author’s fan base, Snippet Sunday is the FB group that does all three.”

This week’s snippet picks up where last week’s left off… Jake has just won his rematch with the big guy who knocked him out back at the hotel when Marisa leaves the scene of the fight in the big guy’s own truck…

“What the hell just happened?” I demanded.

The locals murmured as they reconvened around us.

The big guy heaved himself to his feet.

I dropped my shoulder, ready to resume hostilities, despite the nausea brought on by the adrenaline pooling in my gut.

He threw an open hand out in front of him as he willed his wobbly legs to hold him up.

“What the hell just happened?” I repeated.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” he answered, his voice made nasal and reedy by his damaged nose.

“I’m asking the questions,” I said. “You’re the one with blood on your face.”

The sound of a car rolling to a stop nearby registered, but didn’t take. Muted voices from the crowd of onlookers bounced off my back.

I took a step forward.

“Start talking or we’re going again,” I said. “Right here, right now.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be necessary.”

The voice, a mellow baritone with a trace of southern drawl in it, was new to me. It also had the weight of authority in it– the kind of authority that suggested a badge.

I turned my head.

The cop was about my height, not counting the fine, brown, wide-brimmed hat he had on. He looked to be around thirty, with hard blue eyes and a pointed chin he kept shaved pool ball smooth.

“Are we done here, mister?” he asked, sizing me up from outside of my reach.

I turned back to the big man.

His gaze was trained down Main Street, in the direction Marisa had gone with his truck.

I felt kind of bad for the guy. He was a dying dog away from living a country song.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by, and thanks for any feedback you feel inclined to leave.

Mid-Week Blues-Buster Week 2.47

Welcome to the Mid-Week Blues-Buster Flash Fiction Challenge, Year 2, Week 47.

This is a flash fiction challenge. The prompt is a song. You are not required to write about or even mention the song. It’s there only to get the ideas moving around in your brain pan. If you want to write about the song (or the video- it’s all good here) go for it but don’t feel like you have to.

The rules;
500 words, but it’s a slushy 500, meaning you can go up to 700 or as low as 300.
Post your entry right in the comments section of this post.

MAKE SURE TO PUT YOUR TWITTER HANDLE NEXT TO YOUR WORD COUNT AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR POST. IF YOU’RE NOT ON TWITTER GIVE ME AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR SOME OTHER WAY TO GET A HOLD OF YOU!

The challenge starts whenever I post this on Tuesday and ends at MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME on Friday. You read that right. Pacific Time.

For this week’s song prompt I’m happy to invite the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, back to the MWBB.

The name of the tune is… “Ain’t No Grave”. Here’s the link; https://youtu.be/o0MIFHLIzZY

This week’s Judge is also a returning friend. Say hello to the creator of the Daily Picspiration blog and fellow writer… Miranda Gammella.

The challenge opens the moment you read this post and runs through MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME on Friday April 24th.

Now… Go write!!!!!

Mid-Week Blues-Buster Week 2.46 WINNERS

So…

We ended up with six entries for Week 2.46– not a great turn-out but better than the last time Miranda Kate judged for us.

Here are Judge Miranda’s decisions;

Once again I have been given the opportunity to judge, and six of your came out for me this week. Despite an upbeat music tune, most of the stories were quite serious in tone, although a glance at the lyrics showed why. And everyone incorporated pieces from them, although along very different paths. All were interesting reads, but these were the ones that stood out:

Winner – Lisa Shambrook @LastKyrstallos This piece flowed so well. The story was complete and covered the full arc of beginning, middle and end – hard to do in such a short piece. The story pulled the reader in, held them and then revealed an unexpected horror, leaving them compelled to read on to find out what the MC does. Thoroughly enjoyable read, combined with great writing – that makes a winner!

Second Place – Alicia VanNoy Call @callthewriter I enjoyed this story; it was totally my kind of genre. I loved the tease about what was to come, a compelling trick urging the reader to read on and find out what how it plays out. Then a totally unexpected, unique horror storyline, delivered with a great ending that leaves the rest to the reader’s imagination. Nicely done.

Third Place – Mona Bliss @MissBliss There was a lot here I liked, although I felt the story was a piece of something much bigger and I was left with a lot of questions at the end. But up until that point I loved the description of waking up in a police station, and having no recall about the weekend, trying to piece it – very well done.

Mazel tov to all of our Winners.

Lisa – here’s another Winner’s Badge for you;

Thanks to all of our writers and readers, and thanks to Judge Miranda Kate.

See you on Tuesday!

#SnippetSunday – Hard-Boiled/Noir WIP – April 19, 2015

Snippet Sunday is a Facebook group for writers I’ve been privileged enough to have been accepted into.

From the group guidelines; “Welcome to Snippet Sunday, where writers come together to share a few sentences of their current project–whether it’s a recently released novel, a WIP (work in progress), or an older manuscript that’s being revived. Intended to hook readers, gather feedback and build an author’s fan base, Snippet Sunday is the FB group that does all three.”

This week’s snippet picks up where last week’s left off, with Jake and the mystery big man locked in hand-to-hand combat. Punches have been exchanged and the fight is about to hit the pavement…

He landed first, thank God. His upper back took the brunt of the fall. I followed, using my elbows to make sure his upper front didn’t feel left out. His eyes bugged out as the air rushed out of his lungs.

I reared up and started throwing punches.

He thrashed beneath me, struggling to get his hands up to protect his face and kicking his tree-trunk legs in the air.

I kept on swinging, hitting the target more times than I caught the curb.

The sudden growl of the pick-up truck’s engine commandeered my attention.

The crowd yelped and scattered as Marisa reversed at high speed, then shifted into drive.

I grabbed the big guy by the front of his shirt, and yanked him out of the way as she tore down Main Street in a spray of dust and hot road grit.

When the tail lights were out of sight I let go of the big man, looking him over as my rage receded into confusion.

He had a bad cut over his left eye and a bloody nose. I hoped they hurt at least as much as the knuckles of my right hand did.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and thanks for any feedback you feel inclined to leave.

Mid-Week Blues-Buster Week 2.46

Welcome to the Mid-Week Blues-Buster Flash Fiction Challenge, Year 2, Week 46.

This is a flash fiction challenge. The prompt is a song. You are not required to write about or even mention the song. It’s there only to get the ideas moving around in your brain pan. If you want to write about the song (or the video- it’s all good here) go for it but don’t feel like you have to.

The rules;
500 words, but it’s a slushy 500, meaning you can go up to 700 or as low as 300.
Post your entry right in the comments section of this post.

MAKE SURE TO PUT YOUR TWITTER HANDLE NEXT TO YOUR WORD COUNT AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR POST. IF YOU’RE NOT ON TWITTER GIVE ME AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR SOME OTHER WAY TO GET A HOLD OF YOU!

The challenge starts whenever I post this on Tuesday and ends at MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME on Friday. You read that right. Pacific Time.

This week’s song prompt is an old friend from the 1980’s.

Say hello to Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, folks.

The tune is… “Lost Weekend”. Here’s the link; https://youtu.be/rqCPRGnrBqQ

This week’s Judge is back for a return engagement due to a paltry turnout the last time around… It’s author, friend, and all around neat person… Miranda Kate!

The challenge opens the moment you read this post and runs through MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME on Friday April 17th.

Now… Go write!!!!

Mid-Week Blues-Buster Week 2.45 WINNERS

We had a nice bounce-back week here at the MWBB, generating eight great entries for Judge Cara Michaels-Carey to consider.

Here’s Cara… with TWO Winners this week;

1st place: @LastKrystallos / Through the Glass Darkly – The sad, yet sweet, tale of Erin tugged at my heartstrings fiercely. The understanding that Erin is reliving old memories is gradual and beautiful. The understanding that she is <i>lost</i> in these memories, and has no true comprehension of where she is and why is heartbreaking.

2nd place: Lamora Coons / The Other – A creepy-sweet story of long distance voyeurism. Joyce living vicariously through “Other Joyce” is sad enough, but a rejected marriage proposal and end of a relationship for “Other Joyce” brings Joyce’s rather unhealthy obsession into sharp focus. The closing line of “You’ll never be alone” is at once supportive and terrifying.

Mazel tov to our Winners.

Lisa – here’s another Winner’s Badge for you;

By the way- we have Cara to thank for this nifty new Winner’s Badge!

Thanks to all of our readers & writers, and thanks to Judge Cara Michaels-Carey.

See you on Tuesday!

#SnippetSunday – Hard-Boiled/Noir WIP – April 12, 2015

Snippet Sunday is a Facebook group for writers I’ve been privileged enough to have been accepted into.

From the group guidelines; “Welcome to Snippet Sunday, where writers come together to share a few sentences of their current project–whether it’s a recently released novel, a WIP (work in progress), or an older manuscript that’s being revived. Intended to hook readers, gather feedback and build an author’s fan base, Snippet Sunday is the FB group that does all three.”

I’m jumping ahead a bit with this week’s snippet (which means you guys still don’t know who the big man who kicked Jake’s ass is!). This scene takes place a couple of days later, on the street in town. Jake has been hanging around, making quiet inquiries about Marisa. Then he spots a familiar red pick-up truck. There’s some kind of unpleasantness going on in the cab… and then a familiar large man steps out of the driver’s side…

Note – I’ve changed the name of the town from Caravan Bay to Olson’s Point.

I dropped my lunch and ran across the street, making it halfway to the pickup truck before what was left of my sandwich hit the sidewalk.

“Hey”, I called out, closing the distance.

The big man spun in time to catch my shoulder in his solar plexus. All two hundred pounds of me barreled into his midsection, throwing him backward against the side of his truck.

Marisa bounced around inside the cab, one arm and one bare foot flailing in the air.

The man fought for breath, recovering faster than I expected him to. He grinned when he recognized me.

I moved in and threw a pair of body shots into him that should have staggered a moose. If he felt them it didn’t show on his face.

He tried a wild backhanded left at my head. I ducked it. The wind generated from the swing almost knocked me over.

I countered with an tooth-cracking uppercut that snapped his head back.

I sensed a crowd– or what passed for a crowd in downtown Olson’s Point– gathering nearby.

Marisa started hollering out the open driver’s side window. I couldn’t make out what she was saying.

The big guy blocked my left jab hard enough to throw me off balance.

I ate a pawing right, fed him two rights of my own, then we both hit the pavement, cursing and grappling as we fell.

As always, thanks for stopping by to check my work out, and thanks for any feedback you feel inclined to leave for me.

Mid-Week Blues-Buster Week 2.45

Welcome to the Mid-Week Blues-Buster Flash Fiction Challenge, Year 2, Week 45.

This is a flash fiction challenge. The prompt is a song. You are not required to write about or even mention the song. It’s there only to get the ideas moving around in your brain pan. If you want to write about the song (or the video- it’s all good here) go for it but don’t feel like you have to.

The rules;
500 words, but it’s a slushy 500, meaning you can go up to 700 or as low as 300.
Post your entry right in the comments section of this post.

MAKE SURE TO PUT YOUR TWITTER HANDLE NEXT TO YOUR WORD COUNT AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR POST. IF YOU’RE NOT ON TWITTER GIVE ME AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR SOME OTHER WAY TO GET A HOLD OF YOU!

The challenge starts whenever I post this on Tuesday and ends at MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME on Friday. You read that right. Pacific Time.

This week’s song prompt comes to us courtesy of the incomparable Annie Lennox.

The tune is… “Through the Glass Darkly”.

Here’s the link; https://youtu.be/O2ziG2u-d3M

This week’s Judge is pretty legendary in her own right. Say hello to long time flash fictioneer, acclaimed author, and the current co-host of the FlashMob Flash Fiction Challenge… Cara Michaels-Carey.

The challenge opens the moment you read this post and runs through MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME on Friday April 10th.

Now… Go write!!!!