A Little Flash of Fiction

Rachel Harrie’s first Campaigner Challenge calls for 200 words of flash fiction in our usual genres, starting with “Shadows crept across the wall”, ending with “everything faded”, and working in the word orange if possible.   Visit the link above to ‘like’ your favorite entries  (Mine is #199).   Here’s my story:

Forever His

Shadows crept across the wall, lengthening and shortening as the hours passed, day after endless day. Felicia tried the door once more, not surprised when the knob refused to turn. The window also declined to open, and she wondered if someone had painted it shut or nailed it closed from the outside. No matter how loudly she yelled or how hard she banged her fists against the pane, help never came.

She wanted out, to go back home, maybe find love again and start a family. She’d left Mitchell only last week, or was it longer? Hard to tell, since she’d lost count of the sunrises that marked her stay. His lies still rang in her ears, his professions of love, his vow that she’d be forever his. Even after she caught him in the arms of a cheap harlot in orange panties.

The last time Felicia saw Mitchell, he wavered between the dueling emotions of rage and desperation. How dare she, his wife and legal property, seek a divorce? But his tears flowed as he begged her to stay.

“No?” He cocked his pistol. “I’ll never let you go.”

She awoke in this room, the day after everything faded.

ABNA 2012, passed the pitch

The results from the first round of the 2012 ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award) were posted this morning, and I’m happy to say I made it past the pitch round this year.  There were 10,000 entered.  During this first stage, our book pitches were read by Amazon editors who had to cut 4 out of every 5 entries.  Ouch!

Now I’ll just have to keep myself busy revising my current project to take my mind off the 2nd round cuts coming in March.  Then they’ll be cutting the current 2,000 hopefuls down to 500.  Double  Ouch!

Good luck to the other entrants!

11 Questions Campaign Game

Claire L. Fishback  tagged me in the 11 Questions Campaign Game.  Thanks Chips, this sounds like fun!  I’m not sure of the rules, but if you’re reading this and haven’t participated yet, consider yourself tagged. 

1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Italy!  I’ve always wanted to go there, to see the sights, experience the culture, and chow down on some of the best food in the world.  (Ireland would be fun too, and New Orleans is my favorite US getaway)

2. Why do you write in the genre you write in?
I actually write in a few different genres, mainly Romantic Suspense, Paranormal, and Literary.  I’m drawn to emotion packed, expect-the-unexpected stories with strong characters, so that’s what I aim to write.

3. How did you come up with the idea for your current work in progress (or most recent work in progress)
The basic element, a modern-day arranged marriage the bride and groom can’t get out of, had been floating around in my head for months.  The ‘What if’ factor just kept feeding the idea until I had the outline on paper.  I wrote most of the story this past NaNo, and totally fell in love with the characters, even the evil ex, Vyper Cain (who two of my blog readers helped me name in a contest).  By the time I penned a tiff between the MCs and the ex, I got prequel fever, because now I simply have to capture all the things that happened to Briella before the whole forced  marriage thing, share the story of how she got to be who she is.

4. What came first, the chicken or the egg and why?
The chicken, of course, but now I’m hungry for an omlet

5. How often do you write?
I try to write every day, but don’t let myself feel guilty if I need to take a break every now and then.  Even when I’m not clacking out prose on at the computer, my muse never shuts up.

6. What is scariest: Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, or other?
Witches!  I can ward off Vamps with all the garlic I eat, I’m a total dog person so I’d make a pet of a Werewolf, and zombies usually make me laugh, plus I’ve beaten all the levels of Plants vs Zombies on my kindle, so they can bring it on!  Witches are mean andn sneaky, and I’ve been afraid of them ever since I watched ‘Wizard of Oz’ as a little kid.  (And I knew who that witch was when she took off her green makup and did those old coffee commercials, oh yes I did)

7. Pizza toppings: name three of your favorites.
Mushroom, chopped garlic, and artichoke hearts, and fresh basil leaves if I got a 4th choice

8. You’re given a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble, do you buy a novel by your favorite author, or a how to guide on writing (such as Dwight Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Author)?
I’d try to find a sale so I could buy something by one of favorite authors AND something by a new writer whose jacket blurb blows me away.

9. Yes or No?
Um, Yes, though I don’t know why  :)

10. If you could have any exotic or fantastical pet, what would you have?
A teensy little dragon who could ride in my pocket, play on my desk as I write, and entertain me with his rowdy antics.  Hmmm, may be a story idea there . . .

11. Why do you write?
I just can’t help it.  Like I said, my muse won’t leave me alone!