Category Archives: Fiction

Love Bites: The Winners

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LOVE BITES Blog Hop WINNERS!
Last week, we invited you to rain on Cupid’s Parade and to our delight you flooded us with two dozen playful, frisky, mischievous stories! 
Thank you to everyone who participated. You turned a potentially paltry holiday into lots of memorable fun! 
And thank you to everyone who read, commented and voted on the entries. 
Now, without further ado, here are the winners!
Congratulations to you all!!
JUDGE’S CHOICE = “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” by Cara Michaels / @caramichaels 
Prize: One Hour Coaching with Rebecca T. Dickson
Cara gave us a story wrought with heat and tension that left us twisting in our seats, wondering what it would be like to live without love and fervently hoping that Eros would find the love he was looking for!
EMOTIONAL IMPACT CHOICE = “A Wish” by Angela Kennard / @Ang_Writes 
Prize: Personalized Painting by Lee Clements 
Angela gave us a story that was by turns sweet, shocking and downright chilling. As surprises go, this piece delivered in spades and left us stunned – and not-so-secretly applauding the vengeful Emma!
Prize: Bragging Rights and Bookmark by the Divine Hammer 
Karen gave us the ultimate Valentine revenge in a story skillfully and poignantly told – and proved to be a fierce Fan Fave competitor! 
JUDGE’S FAVORITES 
Prize: Bookmarks by the Divine Hammer 
Elisabeth Koch – “Rome” by Elin Gregory / @ElinGregory – The terrific banter, unspoken depth and character of their relationship, great descriptions and humor all added up to a beautiful and clever story!
Lisa Shambrook – “Buck Wild” by Jeff Tsuruoka / @JTsuruoka – The physical description of Cupid, imagery such as the look a dog gives helicopters, and the over-friendly buck had me laughing! Great writing and brilliant twist!
Laura Howard – “Violet” by Christina Krieger / @cvkrieger – The classic story of a couple on a miserable Valentine’s date is quickly turned on its ear in this story about embracing who you are.
Ruth Long – “The End” by Laura Jamez / @LEJamez – The comparison between old school and modern match-making caught my imagination and the surprise twist, and the way it was delivered, was a knock-out.

Five Sentence Fiction: Cherish

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (Please do not use)
She ducked and muttered gripping the washing basket, as Action Man leaped from the banister and a torrent of Matchbox cars raced down the hallway, biting at her heels. 
She expertly ‘shivered’ her ‘timbers’ as she hopped over strategically placed plumped-up cushion stepping stones in a treacherous ocean of stormy blue carpet. 
She avoided the mad hullabaloo, as the cat screeched and narrowly escaped an afternoon of captivity beneath an overturned cardboard box that suddenly became the TARDIS. 
And she managed to survive feeding time at the zoo, in spite of demands to feed the tiger and the lion first and allow the monkey the meal of his choice.
She was run ragged in her own home and bossed by the most raucous of little monsters…but she wouldn’t have it any other way…  
Written for Lillie McFerrin’s Five Sentence Fiction, go read the other wonderful tales…

Monday Mixer: Escape

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This is for The Latinum Vault’s Monday Mixer. Write a piece in exactly 150 words using at least three of the prompt words: a place, a thing and an adjective. 
www.flickr.com/photos/thelastkrystallos
Bitter winds tore at Harlan’s ragged, leather-clad legs as he trudged through the snow. His toes froze within battered boots, but he was too spent to notice.
“Move it, worm!” screamed Kane shoving his knife against Harlan’s cheek. “Got to make it before sundown, or we both freeze!” Neither the knife nor Kane’s derisive contempt made any difference to his prisoner’s footfalls.
Then the ice shifted and gave way. Pain seared through Harlan’s shoulder as his arm was yanked out of its socket. Kane’s shriek pierced the silence as he disappeared into the widening crevasse. Adrenalin surged and Harlan’s manaclebit into his wrist as Kane tried to claw back up the ice wall.
Harlan twisted and grabbed Kane’s dropped knife and wildly began sawing at his warden’s wrist while Kane withed in agony.
Harlan stood, silent and miniscule, drenched in sweat and blood, but at last he was free.
(150 Words)
Find Monday Mixer here and peruse the other entries…

Visual Dare: Secret

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This piece continues from my last  Visual Dare – Emerging:
Photo Source
“You’re me?” My eyes adjusted in the dim light and I stared with incredulity at the girl who’d invaded my room. 
“Yes, time travel, future you” I stretched out my hand and she flinched as I brushed her fingers.
I let my older-self take my hand and our minds forged! I couldn’t help but smile.
“C’mon, we’re going to have some fun!” I paused for a split second as she got to her feet, marvelling at my own innocence, at the surprise and delight on my young face.
Then she pulled me through the frame and I stepped into the dark, alley. “Where are we going?”
We ran, hand in hand, and I pulled out my key. “Forget Narnia and the Secret Garden, and this is more exciting than going through the looking glass…” I turned the key in the ancient, oak door and silver moon-light lit up our faces… 
(150 Words)
This was written for Anonymous Legacy’s Visual Dare 7: Secret
Go and read the other great entries…

Love Bites Blog Hop: Voting Commences…

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Sharpen your pencils and cast your votes…
Fan Favourite Contest
Open for votes Friday 15th February through midnight (est) Sunday 17th February.

Vote for your favourite entry in the comments box below by typing in the name of the writer and the title of their story.
You can vote on my blog Below…or Here or Here…
In addition to the stories linked below, we have an entrant without a blog whose story is posted HERE, so please be sure to stop by and read, comment and take into consideration! 

*Please note: stories by Hop Hostesses: Elisabeth Koch, Lisa Shambrook and Ruth Long are not eligible for votes.

Writers get our there and shamelessly pimp your story! 

Voters: one vote per person, please!
Winners will be announced Monday 18th February.

Best in Show wins One Hour Coaching 
with Rebecca T. Dickson
Emotional Whammy wins Personalised Painting
by Lee Clements
Judges Favourites win a Bookmark
by the Divine Hammer
Fan Favourite wins Bragging Rights and a Bookmark

Questions? Contact a hop hostess: @lizzie_loodles / @lastkrystallos / @laurahoward78 / @bullishink

And thanks for joining in it’s been so much fun!

Love Bites Blog Hop: Pillow Talk

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Photo by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)
She watched as he climbed into their bed longing for his hands to run across her body beneath the moonlight, to feel his breath capture hers, yearning to hear bedroom words whispered evocatively, but as he settled he thrust his arms behind his head and began to talk. 
He grumbled, and groaned, and complained from the moment his head hit the pillow to the moment he fell asleep. 
With fury and resentment pumping through her body in response to his perpetual deference, she propped herself up on her elbows and stared at him. She growled through clenched teeth, her fists balling the pillow in her hands and she began some pillow talk of her own.
They lie, their bodies barely touching. The bed sheet crumpled and kicked half to the floor now scarcely draped across their stomachs. The pale moon peeked nervously through the curtains as her eyes roved, taking in the contours of his upper body lit by silvery rays. She watched as he lie beside her, finally still and acquiescent.
She reached across, took his hand in hers and gently stroked it, her soft fingers caressing his knuckles and his rough skin. She eventually lifted the pillow away from his face, and glanced at his expression, calm and serene in the silvered light.
She sighed, it was the quietest he’d ever been at this time of night and she realised despite all his talk, he’d never really offered an opinion on euthanasia…
(244 Words)
Written for the Inklingette’s Love Bites Anti-Valentine Blog Hop 
Go take a look at how to enter
Read the other great entries!

Love Bites: An Anti-Valentine Blog Hop

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This Valentine’s Day, we invite you to join us in thumbing our noses at Cupid, Love and the Whole Schmaltzy Holiday!!
Introducing … 
LOVE BITES: An Anti-Valentine Blog Hop
Hostesses: The Inklingettes
Theme: Love Run Amuk, Aground or Otherwise Off Course
Schedule: Friday, February 8 through Thursday, February 14
Word Count: 250 Words
Incentive: Community spirit, inky fun and lots of laughs!
And Prizes: 6 Broken-hearted bookmarks made by the Divine Hammer
A one-of-a-kind painting personalised with a quote from the winner’s piece donated by Lee Clements
A one hour coaching session by Rebecca T Dickson 
How To Participate: 
•Write a cheeky anti-valentine story of 250 words or less.
•Post it on your blog. (If you don’t have a blog, contact any of the hostesses and space will be magically provided).
•Copy the linky html and blog badge from this page and paste them into your post, beneath your story.
•Add your post url to the linky.
•Bop around the interwebz to read and comment on the other entries.
•Pimp out the hop and entries on Facebook, G+, Twitter and anywhere your heart desires!
•Don’t Forget: HAVE FUN!
•Got Questions? Contact any of the hostesses and they’ll be happy to help!If you want the collection of stories to show on your post go to http://www.bullishink.com/2013/02/08/love-bites-blog-hop/ and grab the inlinkz code…(I can’t get it to work on Blogger!)

 Grab the Badge:

Visual Dare: Emerging

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I ran, trying not to trip over my skirts, and held the swinging lamp as steady as I could.

Staying at Aunt Louise’s stern home for the entire school holiday would be torture. So I lie on my bed and stared at the only interesting thing in the house.  

Not long now, excitement bubbled as I hurried down the cobbled corridor lit only by a narrow crescent moon.

I sighed and blew out the candle. The gilded frame and its mysterious, dark alleys sank into gloom. I turned, only twisting back when an unexpected bobbing light emanated across the room.

I reached the gilded frame set at the cul-de-sac, hitched up my skirt and stepped through and there I was, staring at my intrusion in amazement…

I jumped when the girl climbed through the frame…

“Don’t be scared!” I grinned at my younger self, “That boring summer isn’t boring anymore!”

(150 Words)

Take a look at the other entries.

Five Sentence Fiction: Delicate Strength

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I adore my dragons and two other pieces connect with this piece: Devotion and To Protect…
(Please do not use without permission from the artist)

Gwawr’s eyes swam with unshed tears; after hours of waiting she desperately wanted to hear the shell crack, to see tiny dragon claws tearing at the sticky amniotic sac, and her baby emerging exhausted, but safe and she yearned to lick her offspring clean, tickling soft scales, watching baby dragon reflexes, anxious to see its tummy curling inwards as she roughly licked its sensitive newborn skin. The opaque shell shivered and a resounding crack echoed through the cave; a long, thin crack ran down the side of the shell, it widened then clamped shut as the pressure from within collapsed – Gwawr uttered another frustrated cry and the fracture began to open again. The unborn creature struggled and the egg rocked violently before coming to yet another standstill; the soft tapping restarted, and with each tap the thin cracks grew until suddenly a tiny horn protruded through the shell. The horn retreated into the egg then drove through, shell fragments splintered and littered the floor beneath the nest, and the baby dragon exerted every last bit of energy rupturing the thick sac surrounding it inside the confines of the egg. A spout of water gushed and claws tore wildly at the shell, until thick pieces collapsed under the strain and a bedraggled, scrawny baby dragon fell out, as his lungs heaved and he struggled for breath, Gwawr snapped out of her trance and curled her tail protectively around her newborn, she licked and rubbed him, and sighed in relief as the tiny creature let out a cough and splutter, then she giggled almost uncontrollably and allowed her tears to drop, helping to wash the dragon clean.

I’ve wanted to write this piece for a bit, and I really wanted it to fit with this week’s word: Delicate at Five Sentence Fiction from Lillie McFerrin. Take a look at all the entries… I also want to thank artist Amanda Makepeace for giving me permission to use her digital painting The Dragon’s Egg, it was the beautiful picture I had in my mind for this piece. You can find more of her amazing art available for sale on her site at www.redbubble.com/people/amandamakepeace. And if anyone’s wondering how to pronounce the Welsh name Gwawr it is: Gwour and means ‘Dawn’.

Monday Mixer: To Protect

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This is for The Latinum Vault’s Monday Mixer. Write a piece in exactly 150 words using at least three of the prompt words, a place, a thing and an adjective. I’ve decided not to shoehorn all nine words in today, there really was no place for patisserie for example, but I am incorporating six, so could still go for Overachiever!

Photograph and dragon painting by Lisa Shambrook (Please do not use)
It was against the backdrop of early morning mist that he stood firm, aware that far off over the horizon battle was on its way.  The rill outside his cave rushed down the hillside into the querulous river, and sunlight’s dancing diamonds on the surface matched the adrenalin surging through his taut muscles. He watched the sunrise and listened intently to the water’s gushing symphony. He dipped his head to drink and felt the water’s intrinsic energy intensify his own. He was on home territory and the bellicose fire dragon would have to fight long and hard.  
He dug his claws into the rock, grinding the stone like a pestle as he waited. He would protect what was his, with his life if necessary, and his mind wandered for a moment, recalling the cherished egg, hidden like a precious marbled cabochon deep within his cavern, beneath his mate’s warm belly. 
(150 Words)
Find Monday Mixer here, and look at the rest of the entries!