Monday, August 13, 2018

WEP - CHANGE OF HEART



WHEN LOVE DIES

it’s sudden

earth shattering

soul-sickening

mind-numbing


when love dies

it’s unrepairable

ashes scattered on hurricane winds

never to be whole again


when love dies

light is diminished

color dull

and music, one melancholy note


when love dies

the soul is scarred

life becomes questionable

the future non-existent



when love dies

the heart weakens

trust shatters

but hope eventually fills the void.

***

Yolanda Renee © 2018

TO READ MORE CHALLENGE ENTRIES
FOLLOW THE NAMES
WITH -DL- AFTER THEM.




Wednesday, August 1, 2018

IWSG - Pitfalls









Question - What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?



Keep track of where you spend your advertising dollars. It’s easy to send money via PayPal on bogus websites promising the moon. Ask questions and get recommendations from other authors who’ve had positive experiences.

One of the best places to ask for advice is on the IWSG Facebook page.



The awesome co-hosts are Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover, Susan Gourley, and Lee Lowery!





CONGRATULATIONS!
WEP – Write…Edit…Publish
For partnering with the IWSG
Starting in 2019!


Hat’s off to Denise and the rest of the team for making such a great move!
Read more about that HERE!
***
In the meantime,
have you signed on for the newest challenge?



Tuesday, June 19, 2018

WEP - UNRAVELED YARN


SNAPPED!

          “I don’t remember! I have no clue. None. Honest!” I shouted. The two men sitting across the table from me just shook their heads. One threw his hands in the air, disgust wafting off him like BO.

          Tears, fear, and rage overwhelmed me. I lowered my head to the table in a feeble attempt to disappear. The kinder of the two pushed a glass of water and a box of tissues towards me. I reached for the Kleenex, desperate to stem the flow of streaming snot before it hit the table.

            I wanted to know what happened, too. All I knew for sure is they found me with a dagger in my hand and my husband’s bloody body sprawled at my feet. Did I kill him? How? Why? What could have pushed me to murder?

Gale and I had been married for twenty years. He was a good father, an excellent breadwinner, sometimes even a great lover. We’d had our ups and downs, but never to the point of …. Sure, I’d been unhappy.  It happens. You get lazy, want something more. Maybe even think that the grass is greener on the other side. Every now and then you get a hankering for adventure, but that’s all. Just fantasy, not something you’d go to drastic measures to make happen. There’s never a reason to kill!

I straightened up, cleaned the hysteria from my face, and blew my nose. “I want an attorney and a doctor,” I squeaked.

          “Fine. That’s your right, but at least tell us what you do remember.”

          I eyed the men individually. They were as desperate as I was to know the truth. I could see it in their eyes. I shrugged. I rubbed my head in a vain attempt to clear the cobwebs. “I remember working all day on the remodel of the kitchen, sanding, painting, and repainting. Then I showered, had a sandwich and tried to read, but I was drained. One of those exhaustions that tend to keep you awake despite how tired you are, so I took an Ambien. Gale had called earlier to let me know he was working late, so I texted him an I love you and wake me when you get home wink before I turned out the light. That’s it. I went to sleep, and woke up, literally, when you found me over his ….” My voice and mind stopped.

          “Body! We found you holding a bloody knife over his dead body!” The detective shouted as he stood. “And now you’re claiming that you were sleepwalking! Shit, lady, nobody sleepwalks with a dagger in their hands.”

          “I told you what I remember.”

            A fresh round of tears and I was done. They’d get nothing more from me. Assholes! I’d seen that show Snapped. It was time to shut up and make them unravel this tale.

477 words
Yolanda Renée © 2018

I wasn't sure I'd be able to participate this month. Health not withstanding, my computer fried when the fan stopped working. so now I have a cooling pad to take care of such a threat. A threat I didn't even know existed before this happened. I am feeling much better and look forward to reading all the entries!





Wednesday, June 6, 2018

IWSG - Stressors



Founded by


Question - What's harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?

The first book had six different titles until I decided. That stress began to taper off with each book. Now it’s become much more straightforward.

For secondary character names, I generally use family, but for the main characters, I stress. I want the name to fit the characteristics and to paint an instant picture of the person. So yes, after 5 novels it’s still a stressor

Thanks for visiting, what stresses you when writing?


The awesome co-hosts are Beverly Stowe McClure, Tyrean Martinson, Tonja Drecker, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor! Be sure to stop by and say hello.


***

The WEP sign-up sheet is up.

What tale will you share the June Challenge







Wednesday, May 30, 2018

SOME VERY MESSY MEDIEVAL MAGIC


 I am thrilled to be part of the announcement for 
C. Lee McKenzie's
 latest release.


Having read much of Lee's work 
I highly recommend this latest!



SOME VERY MESSY MEDIEVAL MAGIC

By C. Lee McKenzie
Pete’s stuck in medieval England!
Pete and his friend Weasel thought they’d closed the Time Lock. But a young page from medieval times, Peter of Bramwell, goes missing. His absence during a critical moment will forever alter history unless he’s found.
There’s only one solution - fledgling wizard Pete must take the page’s place. Accompanied by Weasel and Fanon, Pete’s alligator familiar, they travel to 1173 England.
But what if the page remains lost - will Pete know what to do when the critical moment arrives? Toss in a grumpy Fanon, the duke’s curious niece, a talking horse, and the Circle of Stones and Pete realizes he’s in over his young wizard head yet again...

Release date – May 15, 2018
Juvenile Fiction - Fantasy & Magic/Boys & Men
$13.95 Print ISBN 9781939844460
$3.99 EBook ISBN 9781939844477



C. Lee McKenzie has a background in Linguistics and Inter-Cultural Communication, but these days her greatest passion is writing for young readers. When she’s not writing she’s hiking or traveling or practicing yoga or asking a lot questions about things she still doesn’t understand.  http://cleemckenziebooks.com







Amazon 

Kindle  




Help the author advertise by sharing this tweet!

Available now - Some Very Messy Medieval Magic by @cleemckenzie Barnes & Noble https://tinyurl.com/y8lessr9 iTunes https://tinyurl.com/yaz4sqb6 Amazon https://tinyurl.com/y92g67q5 #middlegrade #magic