July 25: Flash Fiction Challenge

cropped-carrot-ranch_lc_30july17v2

My submission for Charlie Mill’s flash fiction challenge:

The Crumb’s Obituary

For one day I crave silence.
Your words crush my soul making me weep. Your tongue is bitter, cruel and relentless, it pokes fun at my crawling. I must do as you please, surrendering to your every whim.
‘Look at this,’ you say, scowling.
I move towards it, this lonely crumb which sits on the kitchen surface begging for forgiveness.
‘Oops,’ I respond, trembling.
‘Dear God. You’re multiplying ant – look at the state of this place.’
I step back waiting for him to strike.
Instead, his thumb bears down on the tiny crumb and crushes it to death.

 

To enter or find out more about the challenges follow the link:

https://carrotranch.com/2019/07/25/july-25-flash-fiction-challenge/

 

Buy Book: myBook.to/TheCurseofTime

Social Media Links

Authors Website: https://atomic-temporary-67364188.wpcomstaging.com
Collaborative Blog: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
#ABRSC: Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

 

 

New Release Review: Oath of the Outcast by C. M. Banschbach

Glowing review by Rachael Ritchey of C. M Banschbach’s NA novel Oath of the Outcast #review #giveaway

Rachael Ritchey's avatarRachael Ritchey

It

is

HERE!!!!

I have been looking forward to this book ever since the first time I heard mention of this mysterious Mountain Baron with a rocky past.

Here’s the synopsis (it screams: READ ME!)

A lost brother.
An unwilling outlaw.
A rising enemy.
An unusual alliance.

Years ago, Rhys MacDuffy was brutally cut off from his clan, stripped of his name and inheritance, and banished to the remote Dragon Keep. Perched high above the Shang Pass in the land of Alsaya, he assumed the mantle of the Mountain Baron, serving out his sentence as the overseer of the worst outlaws and outcasts.

But one day he receives a desperate message from the clan who disowned him: MacDuffy’s Seer—his beloved brother—has been taken by their enemies.

With his band of Mountain Brigands and an unwelcome sidekick, Rhys leaves his mountain stronghold to find and rescue his brother. The tide of…

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Streets Ahead Book Promotion- Robbie Cheadle and Kim Blades

This is an awesome group #streetsaheadstreetteam for promotion of indie authors. Stevie Turner is currently doing a shout out to Robbie Cheadle and Kim Blade’s poetry book on her blog.

Stevie Turner's avatarStevie Turner

This week on Streets Ahead we’re promoting  Robbie Cheadle and Kim Blades’ new collection of poems ‘Open a New Door‘.  Anyone can join Streets ahead, just as long as they are prepared to share the current book promotion on at least one of their social media sites.  Anybody not sharing unfortunately will not get their own book promoted.

Open a New Door is a poetic peep into the lives of the poets, Kim Blades and Robbie Cheadle, both of whom live in South Africa.

The book is divided into four categories: God bless Africa, God bless my family and friends, God bless me and God bless corporates and work. Each part is sub-divided into the good, the bad and the ugly of the two poets’ experiences, presented in rhyming verse, free-style, haiku and tanka, in each of these categories and include colourful depictions of their thoughts and emotions.

5…

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Colleen’s 2019 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 137 #SynonymsOnly

Word prompts: Kind and shift. For kind, I used breed and shift: transform.

 

The idea for this Tanka came from a passage in my WIP: The Curse of Time Book 2 Golden Healer when Esme (the mirror girl,) tells Amelina (my main protagonist,) about her experience with the shadow men.

Could it be a dream or is it real?

I am currently working through my edits after my beta reading comments with a view to publishing this in the autumn.

 

Here’s a short extract:

A black furrow of shadows lined his forehead. He beseeched me with his eyes, but when he saw my resolve a maniacal laugh erupted from his demented mouth. This laugh galloped from his lips in the form of a diaphanous spirit which became a pack of wild neighing horses – all black, glossy stallions. They galloped towards me. They didn’t stop, they kept on coming. Their hoofs trampled upon me pounding all of those black shadows away. They should have crushed me but I didn’t die. Instead, their hoofs stamped and stamped, breaking bones, crushing my organs and tissues until the bleeding stopped. The pain was unbelievable. I longed for death. But the horses whinnied, as if laughing. Their laughter ran through my body, fixing my broken bones, easing my pain, making me whole again. They tossed me up in the air, and I landed on top of the lead stallion’s back. He leapt into the blackness, carrying me off with him.

 

Black Diaphanous Horses 

Such a breed they are

Like no other you will see

Transformed from shadows

Wicked horses galloping

Are they real or devil’s dream?

 

 

If you’d like to join in the challenge here’s the link:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2019/07/23/colleens-2019-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-137-synonymsonly/

 

 

Buy Book: myBook.to/TheCurseofTime

Social Media Links

Authors Website: https://atomic-temporary-67364188.wpcomstaging.com
Collaborative Blog: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
#ABRSC: Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

An interview with author Richard Dee

Awesome interview at Joy Lennock’s blog of the talented author Richard Dee.

joylennick's avatarJoy Lennick

Richard DeeToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing a writer who you may, or may not, be familiar with; but one, I’m sure you will return to, once you have enjoyed a taste of his excellent, entertaining books and writing style.

Hi Richard, it’s a pleasure to have you here today as my guest. Get comfy and take a deep breath as you’re now under the microscope so to speak! We’re all keen to learn more about you, so fire away.

What’s your earliest memory and your favourite one?

I remember living in Brixham when I was very young. Our house was at the base of what seemed to be a huge cliff, trains ran over the back. The station has long gone, the house was for sale when we were on holiday one year, we almost looked around; in the end, I couldn’t face it. My favourite memory is harder…

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Colleen’s 2019 #Book #Reviews – “Living in a Shadow” by Author, Deborah A. Bowman, @Bowmanauthor

Colleen Chesebro’s review of Living in A Shadow by Deborah Bowman

Colleen’s 2019 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 136 #PhotoPrompt

 

 

Who’s blue bike is that?

Oh wait, I see your shadow

Two bikes and two chairs

Two fruit scones, butter and jam

Two old friends sit by the light

 

To enter Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge follow the link:

 

https://colleenchesebro.com/2019/07/16/colleens-2019-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-136-photoprompt/

 

 

Buy Book: myBook.to/TheCurseofTime

 

Social Media Links

Authors Website: https://atomic-temporary-67364188.wpcomstaging.com
Collaborative Blog: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
#ABRSC: Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives – #Potluck -#Book Review My Kyrosmagica Review of Nicholas Rossis’s Runaway Smile by M.J. Mallon

Thank you to Sally for sharing my second #potluck post. My book review of Nicolas Rossis’s Runaway Smile.

How To Write A Review

Dan Alatorre with some great tips about writing book reviews.

Dan Alatorre AUTHOR's avatarDAN ALATORRE

img_2351-19 your humble host

We author types love it when people leave reviews on our books. I tell everybody: Love it or hate it, please leave a review on Amazon!

BUT!

It never occurred to me that a lot of readers don’t know what to write in a review.

So here’s a brief tutorial! (You may show your appreciation.)

1. Any review is better than no review.

Even a few words help. You can say “I loved it” or “This wasn’t for me” – something that brief still helps a lot. (More on that in a sec.)

2. Be honest, even if you didn’t like it.

Wait, do you want bad reviews?

I wish every review of my books was five stars and went on and on about how amazing I am, but the fact is – not every book is for every reader.

Good reviews help but so…

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