Category Archives: Writing

Walking

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Trouble came easy in those days. Cassandra remembered sitting on Tyree’s stoop when Stoney Hamilton sloshed down Scoville swearing and firing a handgun. “Goddamn, cunt, bitch, asshole, hoebag, fuck!” And at ‘fuck’, he pointed his gun straight in the air and staggered forward a few more steps.

“Listen at him.”  Tyree rose to watch. Cassandra joined him.

Cassandra said, “That’s not going to stand.”

Stoney swiveled until he found them. “Goddamn, cunt, bitch…”

“Yeah, I know, hoebag and all that dumb shit. Put down that gun before you hurt somebody.” As Cassandra resumed her seat, Stoney aimed at her and pulled the trigger.… Read the rest

Memories Captured May: Once Upon A Train

Posted on by February 25, 2020

 

Once more this month, I’m linking up with Galit Breen of These Little Waves and Alison of Mama Wants This for their monthly Memories Captured Link-up. I think my favorite thing about this meme is the way it invites me to explore an entirely different style of writing. It’s WAY outside my comfort zone, and I’m always challenged to truly capture an authentic memory in my own voice.

… Read the rest

Mother’s Day From Authors

Posted on by February 25, 2020

And now, allow me to bring you the best and most unexpected guest post ever. I took the kids grocery shopping, and we picked out Sam’s birthday cake for next weekend, and when I got back, Scott had written me a mother’s day card with various quotations of dubious origin. These are things the authors only told him, let me assure you.

But I will share them with you, because I love you like my mother. Or something.

“Fork clang. Shoes on. Love. the trash went out…”  — Joyce

“Love. Pointless. Dying. Alone. Perhaps only partly cloudy.”– Hemingway

“Love, a yes, that, as it spring forth anew each day with the force of a river fed from high in the mountains, from a spring up there…” — Dickens

“Love, the thing that is beautiful just like a rose” — Shakespeare

“A life without love is like a squirrel pie without the squirrel” — William Shakespeare Bocephus.… Read the rest

Beauty and The Beast

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Sam’s Saga starts here:
Sam Part I,

Sam Part II,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam has had a rough year. A rough, rough year. He loves ballet, but he nearly rejected it because he went through a phase of hating everything. And when things were at the utworst, when I thought he was going to have to stop dance, the ballet reached out to him. This was late last year.

They were making a calendar. They needed a little boy to be in a picture, and would Sam please come. OK, let me be clear. They did NOT need a little boy for a picture.… Read the rest

Houseguests Part II

Posted on by February 25, 2020

The houseguests emerged. Butterflies don’t typically breed in captivity, but last night we are pretty sure ours did. We think, in fact, that this weekend we will be releasing an egg-heavy butterfly mother.

___________________

This weekend at Trifextra, we can write whatever we want, but it can only be 33 words long, and it has to include the word mother.

We didn’t take any pictures, but here’s youtube video that looks like it was made by people whose butterflies came from the same place. That habitat looks a lot like ours.

May I just say…it took their butterflies ages to move past ‘mating ritual’ into ‘actual mating’.… Read the rest

Communication Gap

Posted on by February 25, 2020

“You are quite the enigma.” Jerilee’s new foster mother studied the smiling girl. This was the child’s third full day in the home. Mama Fernandez moved clean socks from a red to a yellow basket as she tucked pairs together. “It’s certainly pleasant to be in your company,” she continued. “Does the racket bother you here?”

Jerilee went on smiling and began kicking her feet against the bed. Mama Fernandez finished another pair of socks.“I talked to your teacher again today.  She said you got a 100 on the spelling test all three times you turned it in. But she wants you to remember you aren’t responsible for your classmates’ work.”… Read the rest

Donny’s Pawn Shop

Posted on by February 25, 2020

“Three hundred dollars? But the chain is worth a thousand!” Mrs. Gordon tugged at her coat sleeves.

Donny said, “If you’ve got a buyer, go elsewhere.” He stood back from the counter.

Mrs. Gordon leaned in. “You’re offering me less than a third of its appraised value.”

“I’ll be able to sell it for barely half. This isn’t Tiffany’s.”

“That kind of casuistry is exactly what’s wrong with this country.”

“Take it or leave it.”

Mrs. Gordon laid her hand on the chain but didn’t pick it up. Finally, quietly, she said, “I don’t have much choice, you thriftless bastard.”

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

I’m SO HAPPY.… Read the rest

Uprinting Business Card Giveaway (Abridged Moby Dick)

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Today,  I’m using a rafflecopter link to give away an order of Uprinting.com’s  business cards. As I said yesterday, this is a prize worthy of any blogger or writer. Or, come to think of it, literary character. These cards aren’t so non-standard that they’ll be hard to hold or store in a card container. But they aren’t just squares, either. They’ll stand out when presented at conferences to colleagues, agents, editors, and, hey, potential sponsors.

There are five styles, illustrated below. You can customize what information appears on the card and where you put it. You can also include images from your computer.… Read the rest

A letter to my dog, who is dying

Posted on by February 25, 2020

 

Dear Fudge,

Thank you for eating today’s hot dog. You’ve bought us all twelve more hours until the inevitable. And maybe twelve more after that, if you’ll let me feed you another. This morning, when it took two of us to guide you to the door, and still your legs splayed out four times, I thought we had run out of time. But you revived. Found your footing. Ate the hot dog. The walking, at least, would be simpler if you stayed on the carpet or your bed.

You are old. Eleven. You have dysplasia in front and back. And yet, you will sleep on the hardwood.… Read the rest

The Jester is Temporarily unavailable

Posted on by May 2, 2012

Sorry folks — I’ve picked up a computer virus. The machine is in the fixing stages. Should be back to normal tomorrow.
… Read the rest