The Crapsey cinquain is a five-line, non-rhyming poem featuring a syllable structure of 2/4/6/8/2. Choose words that create drama which builds into the fourth line. Remember, the turn occurs on line five, the most important line. This is where you change your focus away from the drama in some interesting way. Surprise your readers!
This week, Kat Myrman, from Like Mercury Colliding, selected the words:
Imagine & Gratitude
So, I decided to write about my recent walk in the botanical gardens in Cambridge. It was a glorious autumn day which filled my spirit full of imagination and gratitude. There is a small area which is normally for school children only but this has been opened to the public.
I took various photos. I particularly loved this lovely writers throne which I shared on my Instagram…
I’m pleased to announce that I am a contributing author in Claire Plaisted‘s Ghostly Rites Anthology 2020 with my story: – No. 1 Coven Lane.
I’m thrilled that my good friend Colleen Chesebro, (The Changeling, and Samhain’s Song – Poem,) and Adele Marie Park, (Tommy,) are also contributing to this anthology this year too! Along with Cathy Lee Chopping, (Catfish,) C Weave-Lane, (All Hallows Eve,) Elizabeth Green, (The Faebell Ring,) Mary R. Woldering, (Night Route,) Mara Reitsma (The Mind’s Eye,) Wendy Steele (Sweeter Than You,) Michael Lynes, (The Trick,) Karen J Mossman, (Terror at the Office) and poetry – His Breaking Mind by Natan Annabell-Hanson.
Ghostly Rites Anthology 2020 Media Kit
BLURB
A book of Eleven short fiction Halloween stories, some based on fact. Along with two poems.
This year’s Ghostly Rites Crew are: Natan Annabell-Hansen, Colleen Chesebro, Cathy-Lee Chopping, Mary Woldering, Mara Reitsma, Elizabeth Green, Wendy Steele, Michael Lynes, M J Mallon, C Weave-Lane, Karen J Mossman, and Adele Marie Park.
The Stories are written in the English Language and Grammar of where they live.
Margo is an old, lonely lady, who lives next door to No. 1 Coven Lane. Everyone in the neighbourhood has heard about Margo’s weird next-door neighbours, Anita and Frank. Their daughter Freda is home from university paying them a visit. One day, they waylay Margo whilst she is out walking with Prudence, a fine pedigree cat. It is clear from their conversation that Margo’s memory is not what it used to be. But is this a ruse? Or is the old lady much more crafty and wicked than she seems?
Author Bios
Colleen M. Chesebro is an American Novelist & Poet who loves crafting paranormal fantasy and magical realism, cross-genre fiction, syllabic poetry, and creative nonfiction. She loves all things magical, which may mean she is experiencing her second childhood—or not. That part of her life hasn’t been decided yet.
A few years ago, a mystical experience led her to renew her passion for writing poetry and storytelling. Colleen sponsors a weekly Syllabic Poetry Challenge, called Tanka Tuesday, on her blog where participants learn how to write traditional and current forms of haiku, senryu, haiga, tanka, gogyohka, tanka prose, renga, haibun, cinquain, Etheree, nonet, and shadorma poetry.
Colleen’s syllabic poetry has appeared in the Auroras & Blossoms Poetry Journal, and several other publications. She’s also won numerous awards for her flash fiction.
Colleen is a Sister of the Fey, where she pursues a pagan path through her writing. She lives in the Sonoran Desert near Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and black cat, Freyja. When she is not writing, she is reading. She also loves gardening and crocheting old-fashioned doilies into works of art.
Fantasy and horror writer, Adele Marie Park originally hails from the Orkney islands. Rousay is a small, but archaeological important island, dubbed “The Egypt of The North.”
The oral tradition of passing down stories fired the young Adele’s imagination with tales of trolls, faeries, sea monsters, witches, ghosts, and seals who could change into humans.
The landscape of the island fascinated her as moorland hills swept down through green fields to the shores of secluded beaches, where black volcanic rocks might be a troll or a sleeping giant.
Reading the Hobbit at an early age inspired her and in her teens she turned to Stephen King, James Herbert, Anne Rice and Storm Constantine to appease a mind hungry to delve into the paranormal.
Throughout her life she never gave up writing but it was an ongoing medical condition which forced her to give up work that began her passion to publish her writing for others to read.
Genres may come and go, but Adele’s writing encompasses a solidity which does not change; the overcoming of obstacles in one’s life, love, death, grief and pain all infused with those supernatural elements that one sees out the corner of the eye or feels when one is alone in the house at night and a floorboard creaks.
To connect with Adele, and learn more about her work visit these sites:
M J Mallon – My alter ego is MJ – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros!
On the 17th of November I was born, in Lion City: Singapore, (a passionate Scorpio, with the Chinese Zodiac sign a lucky rabbit.) My early childhood was spent in Hong Kong. During my teen years, my parents returned to my father’s birthplace, Edinburgh, where I spent many happy years. As a teenager, I travelled to many far-flung destinations. It’s rumoured that I now live in the Venice of Cambridge, with my six-foot hunk of a Rock God husband. My two enchanted daughters have almost flown the nest, but often return with a cheery smile to greet me.
During the day, I work in an international sixth form with students from around the world. I’m the meet and greet lady who welcomes them to their new college and issues them with late slips when they don’t get to their lessons on time!
I write YA fantasy, paranormal, horror/supernatural short stories, flash fiction and short form poetry. More recently, I have produced and compiled an anthology/compilation set during the early stages of COVID-19 entitled This Is Lockdown.
I’ve been blogging for many moons at my blog home Kyrosmagica, which means Crystal Magic. From time to time I write articles celebrating the spiritual realm, inspiration and my love of nature, crystals and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious.
Born in New Zealand, Cathy-Lee Chopping was raised in a low socio-economic area until her parents sold all their worldly possessions and moved her and her sisters to Perth, Western Australia in 1995. For as long as she can remember, Cathy-Lee has been writing short stories, from tales of a childs imagination, to the angst of teenage heartbreak, to fan-fiction featuring characters from her favourite movies and television shows. She was first published in “Love from the Other Side”, a Ghostly Writes publication in 2017, and has since been featured in six anthologies with Plaisted Publishing House. Cathy-Lee has plans for an anthology of her own, for release in early 2021, and is working towards finishing her first full length fantasy novel. Cathy-Lee enjoys fun outings with her young family, playing video games with her eldest son, and reality television shows.
Cathy-Lee has a Facebook page, where she is beginning to build her online community. Pop by and visit sometime and follow for future projects.
C Weave-Lane resides in a cottage in Perth W.A. by
the Swan River and Wetlands with her cats Salem, Dumbledore and Storm the pup. It is here she combines her loves of Nature walking, reading and creating Magical stories with hints of the Past
Elizabeth Green has always wanted to be a published author, and recently made that dream come true. Her parents never told her not to be a writer; instead they would hand her a pen, and tell her if she intended to be an author, she might want to actually write something. They were correct.
She loves mystery, mythology, folklore, and magic, and incorporates those elements in her stories. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, with minors in Geology and Ancient History. Elizabeth is a trained Severe Weather spotter, and a member of the SkyWarn network of tornado spotters. There is nothing she likes better than a good thunderstorm, and living in Indiana she gets to enjoy a lot of them.
Elizabeth is a voracious reader across multiple genres, both fiction and nonfiction. She loves to cook, and is an avid gardener. Her other hobbies and interests include sewing, knitting, and many forms of needlecrafts. She collects fossils, and is a serious caffeine lover. She is also a certified SCUBA diver, but has not been diving in far too long; her dream is to dive in the ocean instead of midwestern quarries. She loves to travel.
This is Elizabeth’s third published short story. She is currently at work on a novella that will be published by the end of 2020, the first in a series of darker fairy tales. In the works are two historical novels, and a fantasy series involving Egyptology, angry mummies, and more than one good curse.
Mary R. Woldering is an author, artisan, art historian, madwoman, visionary and devoted wife to Dr. Jackie F. Woldering, mother of Ruth and Thom and grandmother of five. She lives in Mentor, Ohio.
Karen J Mossman lives on the beautiful island of Anglesey, just off the north Wales coast. She lives with her husband of over forty years and their two dogs. Karen is an avid reader and a book blogger.
Visit her website where you can see and experience her love of stories – www.karenjmossman.com
Mara Reitsma has been interviewed on Kyrosmagica here is the link:
I thought I’d write a nonet to celebrate my hubby and I ‘s anniversary. We had a lovely day together yesterday. So this is for us! We’ve stood the test of time and been married for 33 years! Imagine… He isn’t one for social media, so I rarely post photos of him, so instead here is a lovely pic I found on pexels.
This challenge explores Ekphrastic writing inspired by visual art (photographs). Lisa Thompson, from last month’s challenge, has provided the photo for this month’s challenge.
Image credit:Unsplash, and the photographer is Wolfgang Hasselmann
The tea gossips begin. A line black marks my whereabouts
Somehow I prefer the last one… oh dear I do have a problem. Even my poetry is saying eat the dessert… Such a sweet tooth!
Which poem do you prefer? Let me guess…
I love poetry!
I write poetry in all of my books (excluding some of the anthologies.) You’ll find poetry in Mr. Sagittarius, Poetry and Prose, in The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone, (short form poetry at the beginning of each chapter,) and there is also poetry in the anthology/compilation This Is Lockdown.
Aishwarya, aka, Kitty from Kitty’s Verses, was Colleen’s selection from last month’s challenge. She has provided the photo for this month’s challenge.
I’ve chosen to write aStacked/Double Inverted Etheree
Twenty lines with a syllable count per line of 10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1, 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10 syllables per line, which looks like an hourglass when centered on the page.
The book touches upon the impact of suicides on train drivers. Hence, the mention in this poem.
A sad topic but an important one to address, particularly during these difficult times.
Remember, if you are ever feeling lost, low or depressed there is always a better day waiting for you in the future. Today might be hard but keep your family and friends close to your heart and always talk through your problems with a friend, family member or counsellor. A problem shared is always halved.
Life’s Rich Tapestry is a collection of verse, microfiction and short stories that explore many aspects of our human nature and the wonders of the natural world. Reflections on our earliest beginnings and what is yet to come, with characters as diverse as a French speaking elephant and a cyborg warrior.
Finding the right number of syllables for a Haiku, Tanka, Etheree or Cinquain focuses the mind; as does 99 word microfiction, bringing a different level of intensity to storytelling. You will find stories about the past, the present and the future told in 17 syllables to 2,000 words, all celebrating life.
This book is also recognition of the value to a writer, of being part of a generous and inspiring blogging community, where writing challenges encourage us to explore new styles and genres.
My review:
What a lovely book from a lady who does so much for the indie author community. I’ve been following Sally’s blog for many years. The title: Life’s Rich Tapestry sums this beautiful book up perfectly. I enjoyed this immensely. It is like a treasure trove with a range of delights for everyone: poetry, micro fiction and longer pieces of writing too.
Sally Cronin is a talented story teller and I have so many favourite pieces in the collection!
Here they are:
Speculative Fiction section:A moment of alignment, Onions, The Enhancement Project.
There is a very cute dog section titled: The underdogs! Lol. And of course…The Superiority of Cats.
CAT FAVS: For the love of Lily. (my tied favourite in the collection – loved this.)
DOG FAVS: An Ugly Mutt, The Junkyard Dog (my tied favourite in the collection – loved this.)
Micro fiction:
FAVS: Strawberry Jam, Storm Windows, Splashing Good Time, Rock Star, Recycling Centre, My Mouse (so funny!) Following Elephants, The Charm Bracelet, Broken.
Poetry FAVS:
Random Thoughts:In touch with the earth
Celebrating Pets: My best friend, A Dog’s Life.
Fav poems in Remembrance:Wedding Anniversary Septhember 11th, The Poppies
Fav poems in The Natural World: The Beach, The Cave, A Magpie’s Prize, The Magnolia
FAV Poems in Fairies and Other Folk: Fairy Gold, Fairies at play.
FAV poems in the All Things Human section: Romance, Youth,
FAV Poems about the Seasons of the Year: Glorious April, March Hares,Hallowwen – This Night, Rust and Gold, November Trees, December.
I mention my favourites only so you can see the variety of stories, poems and microfiction in this collection. The cat and dog sections are superb so this collection will really appeal to those who love their cats and dogs!
My recommendation: 5 stars. An excellent collection. Highly recommended.
Happy Release Day to all the contributors in This Is Lockdown.
Help yourself to a slice of pineapple, your favourite coloured balloon, and some blueberry pancakes… I made this smiling fellow during lockdown. I had to eat him – with that smile how could I not? My tummy smiled afterwards!
It seems strange to celebrate anything during this horrendous time but… it’s important to look to the future and hope that this worldwide pandemic will ease and a solution will be found in the months ahead.
During lockdown I found it difficult to write my usual genre: YA Fantasy, so I focused instead on interviewing authors on the subject of ‘isolation’ during COVID19. I enjoyed this blog series so much, discovering so much common ground with other authors and bloggers that it seemed a good idea to take this further and to produce a book, a compilation of my diaries, poetry, flash fiction, and writings with ‘The Isolation writers,’ who live in the UK, Ireland, Scotland, USA, Australia, Zimbabwe and Australia.
It doesn’t matter where we live, our experiences are similiar.
Here are some quotes from contributors to This Is Lockdown:
‘Isolation itself is not a problem, as an author I tend to live in other worlds anyway.’ Richard Dee.
‘Nobody should feel they have to achieve things during this time of corona. It’s ok to just be – to stay safe, spend time with family, read and relax.’ Catherine Fearns.
What has changed? The answer is: Everything – but it took me a while to notice. Jackie Carreira
We could get through this crisis better if everyone would cut each other some slack and come together. One can only hope… Sharon Marchisello
I feel I’ve become like the ancients, huddled with my little family around the fire in a small circle of light. Lynn Fraser
I’m taking life at the moment with a huge dollop of perspective. – Fi Phillips
If nothing else, this pandemic will have allowed us to work together in a way we might never have considered doing before. Jeannie Wycherley
What’s changed for me? Nothing and everything and believe me, that’s as confusing as it sounds. Chantelle Atkins
Still, I’m just thankful that I am okay, we are all healthy, and that, in itself, is the biggest thing. Ritu Bhathal
This situation easily calls forth the entire spectrum and expression of human emotion. Tracie Barton Barrett
Instead, I started painting – no, not the walls, although they could do with it. I created big bright, colourful pieces of art to cheer myself up. Alice May
On my walks, I spend time thinking what the world will be like after coronavirus and how it will differ from the past. Peter Gooby-Taylor
Festivals are important. We meet, talk, drink, solve the world’s problems, learn and relax. Miriam Owen
We greatly miss our author visits to shops, libraries and book clubs. – Ceri and Drew
At time of writing, lockdown here in Italy is easing, but I am still wary of emerging into the sunlight. Katherine Mezzacappa
If it has taught me anything, it has taught me that my blogging time must be managed, as it helps me, so it must have its place. Willow Willers
I believe there is a silver lining to isolation – a line from Sally Cronin’s poem.
I am very much missing human engagement – talking in person, hugging a friend, and seeing a compassionate, genuine smile, not hidden behind a mask. D G Kaye
Something is very wrong in this new world, (from poem) Adele Marie Park
The world is quiet, a new strange calm, (from Poem)Marian wood
unknowing (the city) – for the rains… (from Poem) Frank Prem
Anxious thoughts lace my outings to The Wasteland. Sherri Matthews.
Welcome to the new normal, I could be smiling right now but you cannot see it behind the mask. Beaton Mabaso
We really felt that our project hit a chord and it showed what a community pulling together could achieve. It seemed to give focus in this strange and new world of lockdown. Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago-Val. Fundraising for the NHS: #CommunityMasks4NHS
We are living in strange and difficult times indeed my friends, but there comes a time when we must raise our eyes to the future, and reflect and act on what we have learned. Samantha Murdoch.
As the virus bloomed, so did sales, until non essentials were forced to close. But she soon found lockdown’s silver lining in endless days communing with her own bookshelves. – quote from a piece by Anne Goodwin.
Stay Safe in Your Own Personal Wilderness – M J Mallon
This Is Lockdown is:
An anthology and compilation of diaries, short stories, flash fiction, contributions from the ‘isolation writers,’ plus poetry written during the time of lockdown in the UK. This Is Lockdown is written from a writer’s perspective highlighting the simple pleasures of day-to-day life during such an uncertain and frightening time. It also gives a glimpse of the blogging, writing world. The book showcases several authors and their thoughts on what it is like to experience ‘isolation’ as a writer. I also discuss the handling of the pandemic and my thoughts on what might happen next. In the final part of the book I include my latest short story idea: a YA romance and various short pieces of poetry, and flash fiction inspired by the pandemic.
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 