2nd Campaign Challenge & Fridays with Fred

First up, today is the last day to post the 2nd Campaign Challenge. I chose Prompt 1, added in a brief poem and wrote in a different genre. I don’t normally this YA Dystopian, but if I did…it might be a little like this.

The Nether's Son


The Rising’s madness descended upon us like a frenzied spirit. Nightly winds carried bomb reverberations and smoke streaks across the blackened sky. The ear-piercing cries eventually ceased, but death’s stench lingered. 

Liam and I found sanctuary under the ruins of Hye's Bridge. We hid there, waiting for the Bellor’s Vars to finish attacking Dridle, our home.

Home. It was gone now.

I read the scribe aloud.

Unite all that is left one by one
Forging on behalf of the Nether’s son
Spirits will guide thee past the iron hand
For the son must conquer the forbidden land

“What’s it mean?” I asked.

“Don’t know.” Liam lied, but I forgave him.  It’s not every day one learns their destiny.

Liam’s efficiently dressed my leg wound again. With the Bellor’s airborne venom, precautions were necessary. Liam sat beside me, his hair slick from crossing the dead infested river. We barely made it. 

“Vars won’t come,” Liam said. He was right. Thank the Nethers. I shivered recalling those gangly creatures–products of the Bellors, like me. Liam gripped my hand, worry marred his angelic face. Was he always like this? Yes. But to me, he was breathtaking.

And as far as destinies go, he was mine.

The End.


That's it.  I'm #94!  It's been a trying week so I hope the darn thing make sense.  Critique if you want.  Thanks for stopping by.


Friday's with Fred

I've almost never captured Fred yawning like this. But what do you know...there he goes!

Remember to stop by and visit Schatze over at Mary’s BookHounds too.

Have a great weekend.

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred & Tag Stuff

The weather is so beautiful lately; I got this magical shot of Fred.  He’s enjoying the outdoors too, frolicking around with his happy face.  Anyway, I thought I’d share.

On another note, this week I was tagged by some of my fellow campaigners. I’ll do my best to get all the questions.  I chose different questions from the three friends that tagged me. 

Carrie Anne Brownian, Traci Kenworth , and KS Collier.

- What is your dream car? karmann ghia – hot pink too! (I know…I know. But I’m one of those girls that actually loves the color pink. My daughter is rubbing off on me.) 

- What is your favorite flavor of jelly? Boysenberry, the kind my Grandma used to make. YUM!

- Do you prefer the countryside or the city? I can take either. 

- What is your favorite amusement park ride? Any roller coaster, baby! 

- What genre is your current WIP? Mystic Deeds and frankly it’s kick’n my a**.

- Do you have someone in your live who keeps you on track with your stories? NO! There’s my problem!

- What are your favorite sweets? Chocolate covered pretzels

- How often do I write? Not often enough.

- Do you write by outlining first, or by the seat of your pants? Both. Usually by the seat of my pants. When I get blocked, I go back and write an outline.

- What is your favorite author? I have so many, I’ll have to stick with the ones that led me to the here and now: Dean Koontz and Jane Austen. I used to be embarrassed to tell people that, because when I did, people looked at me strange. It made perfect sense to me and still does...

- What is your all-time favorite characters? Jennifer Ashley’s Lord Ian Mackenzie. He’s dark, disturbed and wears a kilt. Need I say more? 

And now it's my turn!  I've tagged the following people.  Ty Shaun, Clarike Bowman-Jahn, Sara Flower, Stephanie, Lauren Waters, Mark Murata, Chris K. Empty White Pages, Gilliad Stern.  

Remember to rules: Answer the questions and then go around and tag others.  Here are my 11 questions:

- Where do you find inspiration?

- What’s your favorite TV show?

- What are you reading now?

- What’s your favorite recipe?

- I do a segment on my blog called Creepy Classics.  What’s your favorite Creepy Classic and why?

- Are you a Twilight fan or do you think it’s overrated?

- What’s your favorite children’s book? 

- Are you a half empty or half full person? 

- Tell us something not many people know about you?

- What’s your best writing tip?

- What’s your current work in progress?

Have a great weekend!

Mina B.

First Campaigner Challenge: 4th Campaign

Okay, for the First Campaigner Challenge for the Writers Platform Building, I took a stab at a poem. I haven't written a children's tale in a long time. It felt good to do so. Enjoy.

Mina B.

Nothing

A shadow crept across my wall. 

I swore it was nothing, nothing at all.

A shapeless mass tricked by light,

I ignored its visage, dismissed it outright.

I affirmed it was nothing, nothing at all;

yet I starred at that vision as it clung to my wall.

Attempting to relax, I snuggled in my bed,

My eyes locked on the darkling, as it snuck towards my head.

What I thought was nothing…nothing on my orange wall;

was now indeed something, something terrifying after all.

I shut my eyes tight, pretending to sleep;

Until the haunting image jumped on me in one great leap.

My eyes flew open, trying to snatch a peak,

I prayed I’d keep it together, hoping I wouldn't shriek

The being then breathed in my ear and I felt a wet lick.

I shuddered involuntarily; the sensation made me sick.

The beast then bounced on my now buried head. 

My heart pounded furiously until I realized it was my dog, Fred.

“Go to sleep, Fred” I cried, feeling irritated.

Fred cuddled next to me, comfortable and elated.

My something was nothing…like I originally stated.

All was well again and then everything faded.

Writer Platform-Building Campaign #4

Rachael Harrie is hosting Writer Platform-Building Campaign #4. This is my second time participating so I'm super excited about it. She's help writers to help build their online platform. I love this concept but not just for the platform-building, but for the networking with other writers.

Most of the people that signed up are writers/bloggers looking for a way to connect and support each other in their endeavors. Rachel references this campaign as a “pay it forward” concept which is awesome. It’s not easy coordinating these types of online efforts so she needs an award or something. Bless her. While I muddle my way through this campaign, I wanted to take a brief moment to inform my followers, in case they want to join in on the fun. It’s pretty simple, but so if you' re interested, read Rachel’s post on how to get started. Click here for more details. Sign up deadline is 2/15/2012. 

There’s lots of planned activities, and I hope to have the time to join in on all the fun. Either way, I’m sure I’ll learn a thing or two. Questions? Comment below and I’ll see if I can help or find the answers on Rachel’s blog.

Happy Campaigning!

Mina B.

Writer's Platform Building Second Campaigner Challenge

The Writer's Platform Building Second Campaigner Challenge is here!  Here's my entry:   

         Imago Interrupted 

After two nose surgeries, liposuction, breast augmentation, and a barrage of beauty treatments, Margaret was almost...perfect.  One more treatment and she’d finally be beautiful, breathtakingly so, like her childhood friend, Diana.  No more being Diana’s “plain” friend - the one men ignored.  

After this, they’d want her.  After all this, in Margaret delusional mind, she'd achieve synchronicity.

“Hold still, Margaret. Almost done.” Dr. Frank said, making one last injection.  The miasma of nitro seeped eerily from the cryotank.

The needle’s contents crept through Margaret’s veins.  Laced with stem cells, the treatment promised to regenerate Margaret’s face to a youthful state.

Margaret mumbled.

“Don’t move. You’ll cause damage.” Dr. Frank clipped, blotting blood from her face.

Margaret’s mouth opened in pain. “Ahhhh.”

“Do not oscitate!”  Dr. Frank shouted.

Margaret panicked eyes glanced at his nurse.  Her worried expression mirrored Margaret’s. Not good.

Dr. Frank cursed, snatching more gauze.

Margaret felt her lips become uncomfortably plump.  Her forehead stretched far too much; underneath her tendons felt torn.  She hadn’t planned for this; the horrifying lacuna where everything went terribly wrong.  She wanted to scream.

Too late.

In the end, Margaret's beautification efforts were futile.

Truth be told, they were downright ugly.

That's it!  I'm adding this one to my Hallucinating Housewives #FF.  Fun stuff.  Looking forward to reading the others. :)

Mina B.

Writer Campaign Flash Fiction Challenge

Well, writer campaigners.  I didn’t get my flash fiction piece done on time because frankly, I ran out of time.  Booooooooooo!  I know.  I know.  However, despite not being able to make it in time, I still wanted to support the campaign – which is why I’m posting now.  There were over 300 people that submitted their FF, so if your interested, start here and happy reading! 

 Deadly Whispers

The door swung open, nearly bursting its hinges.  I stared back at an empty threshold.

Confused, I went to investigate, but stopped when a vase near the door crashed onto the floor.

My head jerked to the doorway, but no one was there.

Another step and the coat rack thwacked across the entryway, knocking down a lamp and spilling my glass of Boudreaux over my sofa and coffee table.

Cursing the mess, I glanced at the door suspiciously.  Spidering tingles permeated through me, and I shuddered.  Despite no one being there, something still felt terribly wrong.

My cat then pounced onto the mess, licking hungrily at the puddled wine.

“No!” I said, but she uncharacteristically hissed.

I gasped. Only one person made her viciously hiss, and that was Miles. But there was no way it was him.

It couldn’t be.

My gaze darted back to the door, only to hear a whisper in my other ear, “Hush.”

I jumped; my eyes frantically scanned the empty room.

A horrifying vibe assaulted me, followed by an ice-cold pressure squeezing my throat.

My eyes widened when an unmistakable voice spoke.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Mile’s ghost said. “Love me. Hate me. Kill me. You really are one fickle, bi-"

And then the door slammed shut.

The end.

If you're interested in a few other flash fictions I've written, click my Hallucinating Housewives ff series here.   Anyway, I’m off not to spend some time reading other writer’s FF.

Cheers,
Mina

Writer Platform-Building Campaign

Rachael Harrie is hosting a cool campaign for writers to help build their online platform.   I love this concept but not just for the platform-building, but for the networking with other writers.

Most of the people that signed up are writers/bloggers looking for a way to connect and support each other in their endeavors.   Rachel references this campaign as a “pay it forward” concept which is awesome.   It’s not easy coordinating these types of online efforts so my hat’s off to her.  While I muddle my way through this campaign, I wanted to take a brief moment to inform my followers, in case they want to join in on the fun.   It’s not terribly complex, but in order to sign up, you need to read Rachel’s post on how to get started.   Click here for more details.  Sign up deadline is 8/31/2001. 

There’s lots of planned activities, and I hope to have the time to join in on all the fun.   Either way, I’m sure I’ll learn a thing or two.  Questions?  Comment below and I’ll see if I can help or find the answers on Rachel’s blog.

Happy Campaigning!

Mina B.