As usual, the Flash Fiction Challenge was held last night.

The rules…

You have 90 mins to write something related to the prompt given.  You have ONLY 90 mins to write and edit your new piece.

Tonight’s prompt was IF.  Here is what I came up with (YA Genre) :

There was a dampness to my skin that could only be recognized by those living in the South. It was humidity, summer sweat and the last remnants of morning dew. The grass shimmered with the stuff, making the half dead blades almost seem inviting. Well, until you tried to sit in it. Then you realized the sharp spikes had been neglected too long because of the drought and the neighbor’s dog had recently fertilized it.

I sat on the edge of the driveway, staring down at the pathetic lawn and wishing I had gone to the beach with my parents. If I had, my skin would have a glowing, fresh tan and the scent of salty breezes would be filling my nose instead of dog turd fumes.

But sometimes things just don’t work out the way they’re supposed to. Then again, maybe things did work out for the best. Mom and dad could be alone to work things out. Plus, I needed a break from all the yelling.

The sound of a mailbox snapping closed made me look up. There she was across the street, Mrs. Cindy Parker, a.k.a. Mrs. I-Wear-Hoochie-Clothes. She played with the mail in her hand, flipping it over and over while she watched me from the corner of her eye. I could tell she was deciding if she was going to talk with me. She might have approached, but I think she reconsidered when I picked up one of my sandals from beside me and began to bash in the dried dirt, over and over to the rhythm of her mail tossing. I had to fight back a smirk as I watched her prance up her driveway with more speed than necessary.

I wouldn’t really hurt her. Not physically.

Yeah, my dad had needed a break from Mrs. Hoochie, too. I thought he’d damn near kill me when I blurted out to my mother how I caught them flirting in our backyard. I said flirting to her, but his ass got off easy. Mrs. Hoochie had been sitting in his lap, her fingers in his hair and his hand on her thigh. If I hadn’t been so quick to rush them, knocking her into the bushes before dousing her with the watering hose, I might have caught them kissing, too.

Well, it could all be better soon, anyway. Mom and dad might fall in love again on some romantic walk along the beach and maybe Mrs. Hoochie’s husband would enjoy the letter I left in their mailbox.

My hands ran through the sharp blades as I waited to hear the yelling from across the street. It might sound as good as ocean waves.

Writer Love. Featuring writers I adore and who deserve to be in the spotlight, even if it’s my tiny little blog of a spotlight.

OK, so this time I’m featuring…ME!  ;) I realized it made sense to show you my little writing space and to answer the questions others have so kindly answered for me.  This is the place in the post where I usually tell you why I love the writer I’m featuring.  I’ll spare you an awkward third person joke description and just jump on into the pic and questions.

Let’s see what it looks like from MY point of view when writing…

Yes, I have candles and tea. The only things missing in this picture are the dog and a bowl of Mac and Cheese.

Now for some get to know ME questions…

What genre of writing do I focus on?

I started out with an adult literary novel as my first book — with a touch of paranormal in it.   But my second is a YA (young adult) book.  I tend to jump back and forth between YA and Adult, while usually including some type of magical element.  But my books are never fully paranormal or magical.  I prefer to take reality and mix in a taste of the odd or eccentric.  Modern magic realism, maybe?  ;)

Tell about my current writing project.

Hm, which one?  I keep going back and forth between two books.  I’m endlessly editing my first book, which had originally been 175k!  Yes, it’s better now…but SO much to edit and change. (Especially after beta feedback.)  This tells you more about it:

My other current project is the YA book.  It was an adult novel, but I realized that it fit better as a YA…and as a series. *cough* Shut up. *cough*  You can read more about it HERE.

What is my biggest writing related goal?

My main goal is to see my book on a shelf in a bookstore. To have a book published and available in stores for my friends to buy.  But my very BIGGEST writing goal?  To make writing my full time job without starving to death.  :D

What’s the biggest thing I’ve learned since focusing on writing?

I’ve learned that word count and fresh writing come very easy to me.  It’s the edits that kill me.  I’ve also learned how taking a break from writing never helps me.  It’s good to step away from my current WIP at times, but I still need to be writing a few lines of something.  My brain shuts down too quickly if I go cold turkey so I need to write every day.

If I could have chosen my own name, other than the one I go by
now, what would it be?

You know, I used to hate my name.  I thought it made me weird and different in a bad way.  Now I’m happy with it.  But if you had asked my 5 year old self?  I wanted to be called Sandra or Samantha. I know cause I have a tape recording of myself saying that.

If I were to get a tattoo for my first published work, what would
the tattoo be?

I want a tattoo. I think I’ve talked about that before on the blog.  I want a small one on the back of my neck, but I’m not sure what I want it to look like.  I’ve considered a small cherry blossom branch.  But if I get a novel published?  I may have to choose something significant to the book…

If I was at a Halloween party, what would I most likely be dressed as?

Every year I want to dress up for Halloween and every year my friends flake on me. It’s just no fun to dress up alone!  Last year I wanted to do a cool Alice in Wonderland.  This year I might have to be a pixie. (With my chopped hair, you know? )  If I had an awesome costume designer and loads of money, I think I’d steal J’s answer.  Lily from Legend.  How completely cool is she?

But which would I be?

The good Lily or the bad Lily?

Song of the day:  Me Myself and I by De La Soul Um, yeah. I said it.

What? No Vlog for an update post? Yeah, sorry.  It’s been one of those weeks. I promise you do NOT want to see what I look like this evening.  (Wrapped up in the bed, no make-up and Twix bar wrappers next to me. I’m a sad sight.)

Technically, that pic is from last night, but I pretty much look the same.

I was doing so well, too.  :D  I plan to start back on the Writer Love series soon and I have a couple of posts in mind that I’ll type up when I’m free this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend, I may get to brush elbows with a few different authors at a festival I’m attending. *Cough* Like Jonathan Franzen. *Cough*  I’m far too excited.

I’ve been reading this week when not exhausted from work.  I read the Hunger Games series, which is wonderful.  Really.  I’m finishing My Name is Memory tonight so I’ll let you know my opinion of it later.  Next up is Paranormalcy, a book by a wonderful fellow writer I know via Twitter.  I also have to read Freedom by Franzen and a book called One Day.  Yep, my book list is full.

What about my writing? I have made movement on both books this week, but not nearly enough.  Maybe I should take up a PayPal account for writer donations.  You donate money for my groceries and I write.  Sounds like a plan to me.

How are you all doing, Blog-o-Friends?  I hope you’re well!

Song of the day: Naked As We Came by Iron and Wine (Because it’s still a fave writing song of mine. )

Another trailer for a friend…

Here is a recent blog post about book trailers, plus the other two trailers I’ve done…

As usual, the Flash Fiction Challenge was held tonight.

The rules… You have 90 mins to write something related to the prompt given.  You have ONLY 90 mins to write and edit your new piece.

Tonight’s prompt was The Knock.

Here is what I ended up with…*warning for bad language*

***So this prompt gave me an idea for a YA thriller. I had to stop midway to write it all down.  Yay! (But the flash may have suffered with less time for it… )***

______
Shelley sat in the only non-broken chair in the run down practice room for the orchestra geeks, running her fingers in and out of her hair while watching Benji.

She whispered, “We’re supposed to wait until we hear the knock.”

Benji kept his hand pressed against the door, but turned his head to whisper back, “Yeah, I know, but we’ve been waiting all damn day. It can’t be that bad.”

Rob rested his chin on the carpet, his forty-fifth push-up complete, and spoke louder than he should. “I’m not going to test it. You saw the way Jimmy’s eyes looked! Nothing scares that kid and he practically shit his pants in front of us.”

Shelley kicked out and landed the heel of her boot in Rob’s shin. “Man, you’re so articulate.”

Smacking her leg away, Rob jumped up, saying, “And you’re so flat chested.”

She threw her pen at him and started to yell, “Screw you”, when Benji waved his arms around to stop her.

“Shut up! Did you hear that? Was that the knock?”

Shelley said, “I didn’t hear anything over Rob’s damn –”

Benji moved to cover her mouth and stare her into silence.

Rob whispered, “I thought I heard it, too.”

Benji gave Shelley one last stare down before uncovering her mouth and wiping his hand on his jeans to remove her lipstick. He said, “You?”

Shelley rolled her eyes and nodded. “Yeah, I heard something. But it sounded more like scratching. I don’t think that was it.”

Rob practically bounced to the door and said, “So what? We wait another eight hours for nothing? I’m going.”

Benji hesitated and looked down at Shelley. “I don’t know. I’m not convinced, either.”

Rob pulled his dad’s pistol from his bag and said, “I don’t need help.”

Shelley stifled a snort and Benji started forward, saying, “I’m not going, yet. And either we all go or none of –”

Rob crouched in preparation and said, “Cut it out, boy scout. Your mama ain’t here.” He grabbed the door handle and turned back to smirk. “Though I wish she were. Your mom’s a total MILF and I bet she’d do me after I take care of this.”

Benji stopped a few feet away and crossed his arms with a harsh, “Fine. Go.”

Rob turned the handle as Shelley darted to Benji’s side, trying to hide herself in his shadow.

***************

Becky stood on the other side of the door, gun in her hand and extra bullets in her pocket just in case. Jimmy had said this is where they would be keeping him. All she had to do was knock and then pull the trigger when they came out to investigate. It would be easier if she weren’t shaking too much to make a fist. Her first attempt was a failure. She only managed to scrape her fingernails along the trim before jerking back in fear.

The door handle started to move and Becky’s arm got a little more straight. Aim between the eyes. That made the most sense.

Writer Love. Featuring writers I adore and who deserve to be in the spotlight, even if it’s my tiny little blog of a spotlight.

My ninth feature focuses on Damien Walters Grintalis, a writer I met through the forums on AW, but who I got to know better from Twitter. (Yes, yes. A Twitter mention again. )  Damien is all sorts of cool.  She’s such a fun person to talk with, but she’s also one of the top people I would go to for writing or query advice.  No kidding, she gives crazy good crits on queries.  Damien’s talent is obvious to anyone smart enough to pause and check her out.  Her story ideas are unique and I’ve even noticed how good she is at giving titles to stories/novels.  (And believe me, it’s a hard thing to do. Hence my MS titles: Mallory’s Story and Hayes’ Story. Lame. )  But like my other featured writers, she is more than a talent.  Damien is a friend and a positive support for those around her.  Check out her blog and get to know her. Really.

Let’s see what it looks like from Damien’s point of view when writing…

Now for some get to know you questions…

What genre of writing do you focus on?

Dark fiction/horror.

Tell us about your current writing project.

The manuscript currently out on submission with editors, Ink, is about a man, a tattoo, and a sailor. Sort of. I don’t want to divulge too many details about my other projects, but the one I’m currently editing involves a disfigured woman and a haunted photo album.

What is your biggest writing related goal?

I’d love to see my work on a shelf at a bookstore, but even more than that, I’d love to know that my work resonated with a reader and took them someplace far away for a time. I’d love it if my characters felt as real to a reader as the characters do in my favorite books. My biggest personal goal is to constantly improve my wordcraft and storytelling skill. I don’t ever want to grow stagnant or become complacent with my own words. I can always grow as a writer. Always.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since focusing on your writing?

Writing a first draft is the easy part. Taking that draft and turning it into something other people might want to read is where it gets tough. It can take a while before you get it to that point, so you have to learn to be patient and not rush through your edits and revisions. That patience will help, too, once you start traversing the wild world of the publishing industry.

If you could have chosen your own name, other than the one you go by now, what would it be?

Nope, I think I’ll keep mine instead; I rather like it.

If you were to get a tattoo for your first published work, what would the tattoo be?

I love tattoos and celebrated accepting agent representation with my third tattoo, the phrase Once upon a time on my forearm. If Ink sells, I plan to have the phrase A paper tiger to swallow me whole tattooed on the opposite forearm and a griffin inked on my upper left arm.

If I saw you at a Halloween party, what would you most likely be dressed as?

Hmm…maybe a belly dancer.

Song dedication of the day for Damien is: (Ok. I have two.  Because my brain isn’t working tonight and I can’t decide.)  First, The Exorcist Theme Song. Why? Because it’s my namesake and Damien once mentioned it on her blog as a great scary movie song.  AND All These Things That I’ve Done by The Killers — as so wonderfully suggested by Harley. On Twitter. Yep.

Writer Love. Featuring writers I adore and who deserve to be in the spotlight, even if it’s my tiny little blog of a spotlight.

My eighth feature focuses on Don Pizarro, another writer I met through Twitter.  Yes, another.  Don is the guy you would always want at the party, spinning the most random tunes and passing around the most random drinks.  I think a shared love for Genoa salami was the first thing that bonded me with Don. No joke.  After that, it was the love for writing, music, and mutual friends.  Don is a great friend and very talented, but his dedication is just as impressive.  I can’t tell you how many times I see him (via Twitter) writing in his spare minutes, no matter where he might be.  Just read his own disclaimer about his writing space:

(A note about my writing environment)
Writing happens anywhere and everywhere I can sit with my netbook, my Moleskine, a Mirado Black Warrior #2 pencil, and a caffeinated beverage.  Work retreats, coffee shops, book stores, friends’ homes… anywhere.

Let’s see what it looks like from Don’s point of view when writing…

Now for some get to know you questions…

What genre of writing do you focus on?

I write short stories where I try to play around with fantasy, sci-fi, and recently, horror conventions.

Tell us about your current writing project.

Right now, I’m doing something a little out of my comfort zone, a horror(ish)-erotica story.  Mind you, it’s my second attempt, the first being a piece that’s going to appear in the anthology Rigor Amortis.  So maybe it’s not so far out of my comfort zone, after all.

Y’know, I’m not sure how I feel about that…

What is your biggest writing related goal?

To write and publish enough short stories to one day, maybe a decade or three from now, have a phone book-sized compilation of The Complete Short Fiction of Don Pizarro released.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since focusing on your writing?

That how much–or how little–I write on any given day is entirely up to me.  And only me.  Period.

If you could have chosen your own name, other than the one you go by now, what would it be?

See, knowing me, I probably would’ve chosen poorly, like one of those girl’s names that used to be boy’s names back in the day.  Like, Marion, or Leslie, or Carroll.  So, I’m more than happy to stick with Don, thank you very much.

If you were to get a tattoo for your first published work, what would the tattoo be?

I’d get one of a character from my first published story, “The Evil of the Recidivist” called The Typhoid Monger. Not that I ever describe what the character looks like, but still–doesn’t that just sound cool?

If I saw you at a Halloween party, what would you most likely be dressed as?

The creepy Burger King.

Song dedication of the day for Don is: Head to Toe by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam Why? Because it was in his head the other day. Example of our wonderfully random Don.

Writer Love. Featuring writers I adore and who deserve to be in the spotlight, even if it’s my tiny little blog of a spotlight.

My seventh feature focuses on Mercedes Yardley, a writer I met through Twitter.  (Noticing how cool Twitter is yet? )  Mercedes is that girl in high school other girls wanted to be more like.  Confident, beautiful, talented and completely down to earth.  She’s a sweetheart with a bite, the little horror writing vixen that she happens to be.  She does everything with style and professionalism, while keeping genuine connections with her colleagues.  I am blessed to call Mercedes a friend and I hope you all visit her site to learn more about her.

Psst..and QueryTracker is going to interview her for their Success Story section soon. Awesome, I tell you.

Let’s see what it looks like from Mercedes’ point of view when writing…

Now for some get to know you questions…

What genre of writing do you focus on?

I call it “whimsical horror”. I like to write about dark subjects in a light manner. I write about sorrow and loss but the focus is usually beauty and hope. I also do nonfiction as well, but fiction is my true love. It’s so free and limitless.

Tell us about your current writing project.

I’m currently working on a memoir about my son’s rare genetic syndrome. I’m hoping to finish the rough draft by September 1st. I have three or four other things in the works, but this is what I really want to focus on at the moment. It’s such a necessary piece to write, and I’m so close to finishing. I’m just going to sprint screaming across the finish line.

What is your biggest writing related goal?

I want to write a story that really means something to somebody. I want to receive a handwritten letter where a reader says, “Wow, this changed things for me.” I think back to all of the books that really impacted me and made me look at life in a different way. I’d love to touch somebody’s psyche like that.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since focusing on your writing?

You can’t do everything well all of the time. If I’m writing really well, then the house goes. If I’m focusing on my manuscript, then my social life goes. I’m lucky enough that the people close to me understand this. “Hey, I’m really in the zone with my manuscript, so you’re not going to hear from me for three days!” My friends are cool with it. My husband definitely understands it. When I’m focused on something, I go full-throttle. It’s necessary to let other things fall by the wayside temporarily.

If you could have chosen your own name, other than the one you go by now, what would it be?

I love my name! It took me a while to grow into it; I went by Sadie until I was twelve. I have a ton of nicknames. A lot of people call me Jei. It works for me.

If you were to get a tattoo for your first published work, what would the tattoo be?

My first piece was called “Show Your Bones” and it was originally published in the Vestal Review. It ran as a reprint in The Shine Journal. If I were to choose from this piece, it would probably be a small rib on my right hip. But if I were to choose from what I hope will be my first published novel, I’d do a small star and a yellow jonquil on the back of my left shoulder.

If I saw you at a Halloween party, what would you most likely be dressed as?

I usually do something fairly dark and slinky. Vampires, broken dolls. I’ve been Malice in Wonderland quite a bit. I have a thing for aprons and butcher knives.

*”I have a thing for aprons and butcher knives.” – Might be the best quote so far… *

Song dedication of the day for Mercedes is: Agony from Into The Woods (Because we’ve song it more than once to each other on Twitter AND she tends to put her main characters through agony.)  Btw, Into The Woods is one of my fav musicals ever. You must see it.  The one with Bernadette Peters.

Writer Love. Featuring writers I adore and who deserve to be in the spotlight, even if it’s my tiny little blog of a spotlight.

My sixth feature focuses on Jamey Stegmaier, a writer I met through Twitter.  Jamey is a not just a writer, but a cat lover, marketing guru, founder of an independent publishing company, blogger of all sorts, and a friend.  Did I leave anything out?  Yep.  He’s a guy that does it all, with a smile and what seems like unstoppable energy.  His talents are diverse enough to be annoying in their awesomeness.  How could I not be his friend?  I’m happy to have gotten the chance to know him well.  (And we both enjoy thermostats set to 78 or above.  People like us have to stick together.)

So yeah, Jamey is an all around great guy with an affinity for cookies.  Check out his blog when you get a chance.

Let’s see what it looks like from Jamey’s point of view when writing…

Now for some get to know you questions…

What genre of writing do you focus on?

Speculative fiction.

Tell us about your current writing project.

It involves tunnels. I don’t know much more than that yet.

What is your biggest writing related goal?

To be a published novelist.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since focusing on your writing?

There’s nothing better than the feeling of finishing a story.

If you could have chosen your own name, other than the one you go by now, what would it be?

Genghis Khan. I don’t think there’s any name cooler than that. Heads would
turn.

If you were to get a tattoo for your first published work, what would the tattoo be?

I wouldn’t get a tattoo. Sorry, I know, that’s not fun, but I’m just not a
tattoo guy. I would, however, get a microchip implant in my arm that
contained the song Carmina Burana: O Fortuna. You know, to play when I walk
into the room.

If I saw you at a Halloween party, what would you most likely be dressed as?

A Top Gun wingman.

Song dedication of the day for Jamey is: Lisztomania by Phoenix because we both appreciate great bands. And I’m bitter I didn’t see this band in concert like he did. *Shakes fist at Jamey*

Writer Love. Featuring writers I adore and who deserve to be in the spotlight, even if it’s my tiny little blog of a spotlight.

My fifth feature focuses on Cole Alpaugh, a writer I met through the writing forum AW. ( The best forum. )  Meet Cole, the biggest help I’ve had for my own writing. Though we write very differently at times, we found that we respected and enjoyed each others’ pieces.  He’s a wonderful person with a big heart and huge talent.  He’s a friend and mentor to me.  I aspire to write more like him — that is, when I’m not in tears of laughter from his great sense of humor.

Let’s see what it looks like from Cole’s point of view when writing…

Now for some get to know you questions…

What genre of writing do you focus on?

I’m told I write something called tragicomedy. It’s commercial fiction where characters chase butterflies into traffic and suffer road rage from cannibals in speed boats. My daughter refuses to read anything I write unless I promise the character doesn’t die or get maimed in the piece.

Tell us about your current writing project.

The first draft of my fourth MS is nearly finished. It’s the story of a gifted teacher who is used by his students as a means of escaping terrible lives at home. They describe their town as a place where “being smart is much worse than being retarded. At least someone makes the bully stop punching the ‘tard.”

Other converging story lines include two Fijian crank dealers, a six-foot redhead gold digger, a corrupt Bolivian general, and a lovely pre-op transsexual named Penny Starr. Oh, and the son of the late Shark-God pops in and out when his dates go bad.

What is your biggest writing related goal?

To make a living as a novelist.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since focusing on your writing?

How easy it is to write a book — not necessarily a good, salable book, but a book. I’ve always been a journalist/photographer.  I’ve never had a job that wasn’t writing or taking pictures. But I’d always looked at an 80k word project as something to someday do once, like a hundred mile ultra marathon. I found, though, that with a decent work ethic, a novel comes together pretty easily. The trick, of course, is to make the story great.

If you could have chosen your own name, other than the one you go by now, what would it be?

All the awesome names are taken. One of my former players (I coach soccer) is named Matthew Bond. The kid is an amazing athlete and his last name is Bond. He’s just destined to someday knock up the prom and homecoming queens. And a couple hot teachers, too.

I guess if really pressed, I’d go with Adolph Bond. You meet people at parties and they’d look at you funny, not sure which way to go with that first impression.

If you were to get a tattoo for your first published work, what would the tattoo be?

Well, the book cover my daughter drew for THE BEAR IN A MUDDY-TUTU is of a dancing bear in a pink tutu and a butterfly. I guess I could pull that off and not get my ass kicked too much if I stop shaving and carry a six pack around. So, yeah, I’ll probably get that as a tramp stamp.

If I saw you at a Halloween party, what would you most likely be dressed as?

That’s easy. I ALWAYS go as Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th. The original movie was shot just up the road from where I went to high school…heck, it’s called Voorhees High School. We were the Voorhees Vikings, but tried to get it changed to the Impalers. The mascot murals wouldn’t have had to be changed all that much…just slap on some hockey masks.

*And in case you missed it, here is the book trailer I did for Cole’s first novel.*

Song dedication of the day for Cole is: Pictures of You by The Cure (Cause we both love the band and it’s a great song for Cole. )