BlogFlash 2012 Day Two: A Furry Friend

After a long day at the school, Eliza curled up on her couch with her pet Beagle laying next to her. She barely started reading the paper she was grading when the dog jumped off the couch, barking wildly, and scratching at her front door. Looking out the window and seeing no one, she slowly opened the door to find a note rolled up and tied to the handle with a scarlet ribbon.

Dearest Eliza,

Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the charity ball hosted at the Barton Estate tomorrow evening

Sincerely,

Rowland Fairton

~

BlogFlash 2012 is a 30 Day challenge to write a 50-100 word post each day based on that day’s prompt. All my posts will be linked as a continuous story, a prequel to the series I’ve been writing: The Transformation.

Be sure to check out Terri Long’s BlogFlash 2012!

All my BlogFlash posts are here.

BlogFlash 2012 Day One: Thinking

Eliza stood at the front of the classroom, her sixth grade students quietly waiting for her to continue the lesson. She had been zoning out… again. Not that she didn’t love teaching her class, she did, more than anything. But it seemed as though her life was falling into a never-ending routine, while everyone else’s was overflowing with excitement. One of her friends just got married, another was going on a tour through Europe. Eliza couldn’t help wishing she had just a little bit of adventure in her life as well…

~

BlogFlash 2012 is a 30 Day challenge to write a 50-100 word post each day based on that day’s prompt. All my posts will be linked as a continuous story, a prequel to the series I’ve been writing: The Transformation.

Be sure to check out Terri Long’s BlogFlash 2012!

Five Sentence Fiction – Perseverance

My name is Violet Blair, and this is my story: a man from some secret agency just tried to kill me by throwing me off a building, but I landed perfectly on my feet.

He fed me some crock story about his brother’s death being my fault, but I don’t buy it.

They’re after me because I can create fire with my mind; in fact, I nearly burned down my school.

People don’t like what they can’t control—that is why they will never stop hunting me, and why I must fight back and endure.

My name is Violet Blair, I am a pyro, and I am coming for you.

[hr]

Check out the Five Sentence Fiction weekly challenge created by Lillie McFerrin.

This is part of a series that you can read here.

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Mortal Book Review

(photo credit: TedDekker.com)

~

Mortal, by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee, is the second in a trilogy called The Books of Mortals. This series is set well into humanity’s future, where, due to a manufactured virus called Legion, every human is stripped of all emotion, save for fear. Fear keeps everyone obedient, while lack of love or hatred eliminates war and violence. What no one knows is, every human being on the planet is actually dead, even though they are walking and breathing. However, a vial of ancient blood, kept safe by a group called The Keepers, allows five people who drink it to have all their emotions restored, and to fully come alive. This life, and also the title of the first book, is Forbidden.

In this second installment, a young man named Jonathan, was prophesied to come to power and bring life to all. His blood can bring that true life to those who are “dead.” His group of followers refer to themselves as Mortals.

In similar fashion as the first book, Mortal takes the reader on a fantastic journey with action, suspense, love, betrayal… and asks the question, “What does it mean to be alive?” Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee brilliantly incorporate their faith in God into these books through an epic display of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us to truly live.

I had the privilege of meeting the authors during their Mortal book tour. And let me tell you, they are genuine, pouring their hearts and lives into these books. Something they always say is that writers bleed on the page. And it shows through their writing that they’ve invested everything to bring us this awesome story of salvation.

I loved this book and, out of 5 stars, I would give it 10 if I could. I’m anxiously awaiting the third and final installment to be released in 2013. There is also a short story prequel to the series called The Keeper. It’s not a required read to understand the trilogy, but it does give you a little more insight into the story. Also, if you’ve read The Circle Series by Ted Dekker, there’s a little tidbit in there that will tie it all together and put a smile on your face. 🙂

To all you Circle members out there,

Dive Deep

~

You can find more information on Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee at…

TedDekker.com or Ted Dekker’s Facebook Page

ToscaLee.com or Tosca Lee’s Facebook Page

TheBooksOfMortals.com

Menage Monday # 40

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I wake up, lying on my stomach. The first thing I see are trees probably fifty stories below me. My stomach drops as I instinctively jump back to a safe distance.

“So nice of you to join me,” a scruffy voice says behind me. I flip around to see a man, late thirties, leaning against a metal post.

“Where are we?”

“Power plant.”

“Who are you?”

“The who is not important. It’s the why.”

“Okay…why—”

“Why did I bring you here? Well, Violet, I’m thrilled you asked. I saw your little pyrotechnic display at your school.”

“How long have I been up here?”

“Ten days. Once your hands started glowing I thought you were going to pass out. Then fire started shooting out of them. It wasn’t until after the explosion that you lost consciousness. I can’t believe you survived. But you know who didn’t? My brother, you filthy mutant.”

He backs me up to the ledge. “Survive this,” he says as he throws me over.

I scream, fully expecting to splat against the ground. But somehow I land gently on my feet.

Wow! I wonder what other neat tricks I can do…

~

This was written for the Menage Monday challenge at caramichaels.com

Rules:

100-200 word story based on 3 prompts:

The Photo

The Phrase: “survive this” must appear somewhere in the story

The Judge’s Prompt: scenario: you woke up…ten days later. What do you do? What do you remember? Where are you? How do you piece everything together?

Five Sentence Fiction – Scarlet

Carlo crept into the dark bedroom of his New York apartment, lit only by the glow of the moon coming through the open window.

Someone was there—he could feel their presence, thick and palpable.

He saw her scarlet lips first, then the rest of her silhouette stepped into the moonlight.

“I love you, Carlo,” Jules said, “sleep now…”

Carlo awoke the next morning alone, accompanied solely by his unrelenting question: Was it a dream, or could she really be alive?

~

Check out the Five Sentence Fiction weekly challenge created by Lillie McFerrin.

This is part of a series, you can read the rest of Carlo’s story here.

Sunshine Award

I was recently nominated for the Sunshine Award by the lovely Lisa Shambrook.

Here’s how it works:

Include the logo and a link to who nominated you.

Give 10 facts about yourself.

Nominate and link other bloggers for the award.

So here are 10 random, interesting, and little-known facts about me:

  1. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve never liked log rides. I’m not really sure why. I like roller coasters, and it’s not the water that bothers me… I think it’s the log. Lol.
  2. Whenever there are hot air balloons in the sky I have to count them. I can’t not count them. And what’s even weirder, is I usually count them more than once. Strange, I know. Maybe even a little OCD-ish
  3. Call me a geek if you want, but I’m a big Trekkie/sci-fi fan. Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Fringe… I fraking love them. Lol, you’ll get that joke if you’re a BSG fan. I also like fantasy… and dragons! The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini was epic!
  4. The very first story I ever wrote was called The Mystery of the Missing Ruby. I was in third grade and had just come to the realization that I could write stories.
  5. I’m always cold. Always.
  6. I’m so cold and pale, my husband and family members think I might be a vampire.
  7. I think Lost was probably one of the greatest TV shows ever.
  8. When I’m nervous I start yawning a lot and I get really cold (more so than usual)
  9. Okra freaks me out.
  10. If I could do any drastic hairstyle in the world, it would be chin length black hair with the layers all flipped out. Oh, and purple peek-a-boo streaks. But my family would probably freak out, and I’m way too pale to pull off hair that dark. So…I gave one of my characters that hairstyle; live vicariously through her, right?
And now, for the bloggers who bring happiness and a ray of sunshine into my life:

Be sure to vista their blogs and follow them on twitter. They are amazing!

Friday Night Write – I Ain’t Superstitious

Carlo refused to cry. The love of his life was dead and he would not mourn until her killer was brought to justice. He clenched his fists and rose from his knelt position over Jules’ grave.

“Carlo Capelletti, may I have a moment of your time?” A stranger said.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“No, but I have a proposition for you.” The man was in his late forties; aviator sunglasses hid his eyes.

“I don’t have time for this.” Carlo swore in Italian, his native language, as he did often. Who did this guy this guy think he was talking to? Obviously Carlo’s bulky, muscular appearance, slick black hair, and sharp jaw line didn’t intimidate him as it did every other sane human being.

“I think you’ll want to hear what I have to say. It’s about Julia.”

“She’s dead, or could you not tell by the grave?” Carlo pointed to the fresh mound of dirt.

The man nodded once as if Carlo’s words were not news.

“If you’re interested in what I have to say, come to this address tomorrow night.”

The man handed Carlo a scrap of paper with messy handwriting then started to walk away.

“I don’t even know your name.”

“You may call me G.”

He had no intentions of going. G—what kind of name was that anyway?

Carlo was not a man given to curiosity, but something about the whole situation wouldn’t let him walk away. He had to know if the guy was legit or just full of it. He had to know what he knew.

So Carlo went to the address, but not without certain precautions: a pistol on his hip, a knife in his boot, and a sniper rifle hidden in his black Buick.

Rottweilers barked viciously as he approached the enormous house. G seemed like the type who took crap from no one. The house was surrounded by security cameras, fences, and guards who escorted him across the premises. What did the man do that required all this?

A knotted firmly planted itself in Carlo’s stomach. He also wasn’t a man given to superstitions. But something didn’t sit well with him, and somehow he knew that things would end badly for him. But still, he had to know.

Once inside, Carlo was instructed to wait in the “living room” which was twice the size of any normal one.

A moment later, G emerged and sat down.

“I’ll get right to the point Mr. Cappelletti. I would like you to come work for me. I’m in need of a certain set of… skills.”

“You’re offering me a job?”

“Do you even know who was actually behind Julia’s murder? The man at the top?”

The question caught Carlo off guard. Something that didn’t happen often. There was no need to answer; G knew he had no idea.

“The fact is, I do know who is responsible, and I can put you in a prime position to take him out.”

~

This is my entry into the Friday Night Write weekly challenge at Sweet Banana Ink.

The Challenge:

  • 1 Song (this week’s song was I Ain’t Superstitious by Jeff Beck)
  • 48 Hours (Friday @ 5pm to Sunday @ 5pm pacific)
  • 500 Words

I wrote about this character last week, but this story line was beckoning me to write more. You can read the rest of Carlo’s story here.

Five Sentence Fiction – Pirates

“Kara, tell me where Randy is,” the hoarse voice said in my ear as his arm tightened around my neck. “I need the two of you little science geeks to find a time portal for me—I’m looking for a particular group of pirates who can lead me to mermaids. You may think they don’t exist, but the truth is mermaids went extinct many years ago and I plan to capture one and bring her back.”

“The portals don’t work like that, I can’t choose the destination,” I said as Randy barged in the room and the man tightened his grip on my neck.

To Randy, he said, “You will take me and my partner Eric back in time to find the mermaids, or your girlfriend dies—am I understood?”

 ~

Check out the Five Sentence Fiction weekly challenge created by Lillie McFerrin.

This piece is a crossover sequel from two other flash fiction stories I wrote: Sweet Home Alabama and Reason.

Friday Night Write – Over My Head

Carlo pulled back on the bolt and heard the bullet click into place. His sniper rifle rested perfectly against his shoulder. A natural extension of his body. Peering through the scope, his target moved right into the crosshairs. It was easy. Well, should have been easy.

Six months ago, Carlo was on a routine assassination. But on the flight home, he was seated next to the most enchanting woman he had ever met. Julia–Jules– as he would soon call her. Despite the little voice in Carlo’s head, telling him his lifestyle was not conducive to romantic relationships, he couldn’t stay away. Jules had a way of bringing out the good in him; good he never knew he was capable of.

After two months he told her what he did for a living. And to his surprise, she did not run away. In the sixth month Carlo was ready to quit and leave with her.

However, even men like him had to answer to someone, and he was not as enthusiastic.

“Is there anything I can do to change your mind?” Carlo asked.

“There is one last target. If you complete this hit, you’re free to go.”

The next day, the all-too-familiar chime on his phone signaled an incoming target. Carlo had been sent the name and picture of the person he was demanded to kill. Carlo’s hands shook for the first time since he took up this occupation. The picture was of his precious Jules. The phone rang shrilly and he answered it with a hoarse voice.

“Hello, Carlo. I trust you received your next target. Don’t get any crazy ideas about running away together. There is nowhere on this earth out of my reach. Her death in that instance would be much more painful than a bullet from your rifle. Am I understood?”

“Yes,” Carlo said.

“You have twenty four hours.”

That brought him here, to this rooftop with his Jules in the crosshairs of his gun.

The bluetooth set in his ear beeped. He pressed the button and the same dreaded voice filled his head.

“Don’t get cold feet, now. I am watching, and if you back out, I’ll finish her… and you.”

Helicopter blades thundered, and a moment later a chopper rose from behind him with a gunman sitting inside the open door.

“You have ten seconds.”

Ten seconds. That was all she had left.

Nine. Could he really kill her?

Eight seconds left. He was in way over his head.

Seven. Maybe he could get to her in time.

There was a storm drain running down the side of the building that he could slide down.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three. He was on the ground and running to her.

Two. “Jules, run!”

She saw him, but a moment too late.

The shot came from above his head, and she dropped to the ground before his eyes.

He had lost her.

Everyone involved in her death would pay.

Carlo now had a new target.

~
This was my entry into the Friday Night Write challenge at SweetBananaInk.com
The song prompt was Over My Head by The Fray