K R Smith: July 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015

FSF Challenge - Bubbles

This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Bubbles

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just use it for direction.

Get FSF updates on twitter by following @5SentenceFic

A poem this time around...

Bubbles

Profoundly round,
Irrefutably iridescent,
They float on a whim into the sky.

Ephemeral rainbows,
Drifting randomly
Until bursting in an explosion of nothingness.

Transfixed, I watch
As the glistening spheres appear
And feel myself wandering with them.

It is merely a child's toy, of course,
Inappropriate for my years;
Just a looped wand and soapy water.

And yet I smile,
Wishing for the courage
To ask if I could play.

K. R. Smith

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Getting Ready For Shore Leave 37

Just a reminder: It's okay to leave comments!

I'm starting to get ready for the annual Shore Leave convention this year in Hunt Valley, Maryland from August 7-9. There are lots of authors attending, plus there will be the writing workshops given by some of these authors.

Workshops

Annual Shore Leave All-Kinds-of-Writing Workshop
with Howard Weinstein, Bob Greenberger, Dave Galanter, Bob Jones & Kelly Meding

Our writing workshop team has about a century's worth of professional editing and writing experience between them! They'll be sharing the fruits and frustrations of the writing life with all interested writers at their 2-hour workshop on Saturday. The basics of good writing and story-telling apply to many media, so they'll cover scripts, novels, short stories, comics -- and non-fiction, too. No matter your age or experience, if you want to be a writer -- or be a better writer -- here's your chance to ask questions and chat about the craft and business of writing for fun and profit! (Pre-registration not required; the workshop is free.)

Thrones to Mad Men: Writing Historical Fiction
with Howard Weinstein, Richard C. White & Steve Wilson

Want to write historical fiction? Learn better ways to make the past come alive in this 90-minute session. (Pre-registration not required; the workshop is free.)

Here's a list of the authors registered to attend. If you'd like me to say "Hi!" to someone for you, or maybe ask a question, let me know!

Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Rigel Ailur
Lorraine Anderson
Christopher L. Bennett
Joseph F Berenato
Martin Berman-Gorvine
Kirsten Beyer (no web site)
T.A. Chafin
Russ Colchamiro
Daniel Patrick Corcoran (no web site)
Michael Critzer
Kathleen David
Peter A. David
Mary Louise Davie
Keith R.A. DeCandido
Kevin Dilmore
Mary Fan
Donna Frelick
Michael Jan Friedman
Dave Galanter
Charles E Gannon
Phil Giunta
Robert Greenberger
Amy Griswold
Glenn Hauman
Jim Johnson
Bob Jones
Stephen Kozeniewski
David Mack
Kelly Meding
John Jackson Miller
Susan Olesen
Joshua Palmatier
Marco Palmieri
Scott Pearson
TJ Perkins
Susanna Reilly
Aaron Rosenberg
Melissa Scott
Darla Vasilas
Steve Vasilas
Dayton Ward
Howard Weinstein
Richard C. White
Steven H. Wilson
Leona Wisoker

Looking for a summer beach read? Here's a new romance/suspense novella from Terri Deno (Kindle format):

Friday, July 17, 2015

New Releases by Immortal Publishing

Immortal Publishing, a small, Virginia-based press, has three new releases available, and they look quite interesting! The subjects vary from memoirs to fantasy—even poetry. And you know I like poetry, so I'm sure to check out "Rants."

They are all available on Amazon, and links are provided.

In Memory
by Joshua Sutton

Sarah Summers was normal once, but now she spends her nights plagued by dreams of her dead family. When a demon is sent to possess her, can Sarah fight back against it and overcome the evil that not only threatens her sanity, but humanity itself?

Available on Amazon (Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Paranormal & Urban)
US Kindle
US Paperback

About the author:

Joshua Sutton grew up in Herne, Kent. During his college experience he obtained a BA in music technology and production, but found it was natural to express himself through the written word. The feeling that there is always a story to be told motivates Joshua to work towards his writing career. He wants to be able to bring another perspective to the written world. “If you’re good at something, you should take pride in it. Otherwise, what’s the point? You might as well ask Monet to draw a stick figure and call it art, or tell Charles Dickens that Great Expectations should have been a comedy.” That is just a taste of the sense of humor Joshua brought to life inside his character Cornelius of In Memory. At the moment Joshua is working on his next piece of writing which he intends to title Shadowborn. Shadowborn is the second installment in the Trilogy series. Follow Joshua on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for updates, sneak peeks, teasers and event information. You can email Joshua at joshuasuttonauthor@hotmail.com.

Junkie
by Tommy Zee

This is a picture of my life: Not flowers and rainbows, but mine nevertheless. Being misled as a child, drugs and partying became a cool alternative to the disappointments of life. My demons became my friends and confidants. But I quickly learned that I was sadly mistaken. Here I was, a pretty, bright, teenage girl battling rage, injustice and the personal ordeals of cancer and rape. But when the demons took over, it became a story of survival. Battling to overcome the addictions of alcohol, heroin and men had turned me into a junkie. Trading my family and friends for an imprisonment to drugs and loneliness, I sank deeper into my addiction. I couldn’t stop making bad decisions. My life no longer had meaning. It was time to end it all or take one more wild shot at hope. This is my story.

Available on Amazon (Biographies & Memoirs > Reference & Collections)
US Kindle
US Paperback

About the author:

Tommy Zee grew up in Newbury Park, California. Early studies of authors in elementary school inspired her love for writing. Edgar Allan Poe was the main inspiration during those times. Tommy finds motivation to write because of her desire for everyone to find something to relate to and have a voice in the world. When she isn’t writing, Tommy enjoys studying different artists and writers. Her favorite to study is Salvador Dali with Vincent Van Gough as a very close runner up. “It was only as I stood in the shadow of death, destroyed and alone, that I was able to choose life,” Tommy bravely says in her biography “Junkie.” She shares her story with us because she wants us all to know the dangers of using drugs and that the decisions we make do have consequences. Tommy is currently working on ideas for her next book and consistently writing on her blog which can be found at www.boneyhandblog.wordpress.com. You can follow Tommy on her “author” Facebook page, “Junkie” Facebook page or on Twitter to stay up to date on any events, works in progress or advice from Tommy.

Rants, Raves, Hints & Allegations
by J.P. Downing

This one is a collection of fantasy-based short stories and poems.

Available on Amazon
US Kindle
US Hardcover
US Paperback

Rants about life. Raves about life, love and loss. Hints about the hereafter and darkness. And, Allegations about anyone and everything around us.

Immortal Publishing is a small press located in Strasburg, Virginia.
They may be reached by e-mail at: immortalpublishing@gmail.com
Their website is: http://www.immortalpublishing.net/

Thursday, July 16, 2015

DFQMND - A Midsummer Night's Dream Writing Contest

Image of fairy: http://www.yearningforwonderland.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DFQMND-204x300.jpg

A new writing challenge

from

The Dark Fairy Queen

So here are the details:

It is summer, a faint breeze blows, and the leaves are rustling. As dusk falls, the fireflies glow in a distant meadow. Have you not felt the magic of a summer night? Your story should.

Let us celebrate a midsummer night by creating 400 words.

For your theme, your story must take place, at least in part, on a summer evening. Also, choose one from the following list:
Dreams
Fairytales
Myths

Your story should be posted on your personal blog or a friend’s and linked up with the Inlinkz tool (which opens July 15).

Note: The contest opens at midnight CST on July 15 and continues till midnight July 31.

Prizes will be announced in a future post. You only have two weeks once the contest opens on July 15, what are you waiting for?

This is more of a traditional fairy tale...

Deirdre's Dream

    Exhausted, Deirdre fell to the ground and began to weep. "I'll never find my way home!" She sat wiping her tears, thinking how foolish it had been to venture into the deepest part of the woods alone. It was morning when she had left, and now the first stars were sparkling in the evening sky. In the air around her, fireflies now signaled their presence, while on the ground, glowworms answered in kind. As her tired eyes began to close, their rhythmic blinking and the warm summer air soon lulled her to sleep.
    She did not slumber long, however, as a curious noise disturbed her dreams. She rubbed her eyes and saw little lights all around her, but they did not flash. When she looked closer, each was a glowworm held up like a lantern by a tiny being complete with gossamer wings. Their voices, so high-pitched, sounded like insects buzzing.
    "I must be dreaming," she said, "but it's such a beautiful dream I don't think I want to wake up."
    In front of her, their lanterns formed two lines stretching into the forest as if marking a trail. Behind her, a glimmering carpet covered the ground from hundreds of the little creatures. They began to march toward her, and when she jumped away from them, they followed. The only path she could see was that marked by the rows of lights. As she stumbled along, the lights extended ahead of her as those behind melted into the glowing mass dogging her footsteps.
     She started to run and yelled, "Leave me alone!" With fireflies flashing around her, Deirdre raced through the forest as the tiny army closed in from behind. She ran until she collapsed, her heart beating madly, knowing the little creatures would soon catch her.
    But they stopped.
    Too tired to wonder why, she curled up on the ground and, in time, fell asleep.
    Just before dawn, she awoke to the sounds from a house, of people moving about. It was her house, with her family gathering outside to start a search.
    She looked back to the woods. Only a few fireflies circled among the branches. Slowly, a smile came to Deirdre's face. She raised her hand and said, "Thank you."
    In unison, they gave one brilliant flash like silent lightning, then all went dark.
    Her smile grew wider as she whispered, "I'm home now."

(Word count without title: 397)

Just so it's easy to read the works of others who have entered, here are the links:

1.	Unicorns are Evil! by Spencer Stoner	12.	Assur - Jules Vilmur	23.	Dreaming Just Enough - Olif
2.	The Princess and the Whispering Pines	13.	Welcome Home, Sister - Mark Ethridge	24.	The Exhibit by Eilís Phillips
3.	A Midsummer Nightmare	14.	Caught in a Midsummer Night's Dream - Toni Jayce	25.	https://mercurialwind.wordpress.com/2015/08/02/of-stars-and-silence/
4.	Lisa Cresswell	15.	Breaking Down on MidSummer	26.	A Resurgence of Magic, by Matt Sloan
5.	The Ugly Duckling - Michael Wombat	16.	Stolen Dreams by S.M. Lowry	27.	http://wp.me/p1q2eD-Ya
6.	Maidenhead - Alison DeLuca	17.	Lisa Shambrook	28.	January in Sunset, by J.T. Ellis
7.	Waiting for Annabel Lee-Beth Avery	18.	Listen by Dr. Pete	29.	Mother May I, by Lyndsay E. Gilbert
8.	Deirdre's Dream by K. R. Smith	19.	Dreams (random9q / Talia Loos)	30.	https://upinyourglitter.wordpress.com/2015/08/06/t
9.	Miranda Kate	20.	drmagoo	31.	The Beach Bar - Dave James Ashton
10.	The Coming Winter - KJ Collard	21.	Daniel Swensen	32.	Only. Endure.
11.	Christina Krieger	22.	Huckleberries and Hope	33.	Jeff Tsuruoka

Looking for a summer beach read? Here's a new romance/suspense novella from Terri Deno (Kindle format):

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Everybody Gets Five Stars

I'm going to have to give every book I review 5 stars from now on. Especially those that contain one of my stories!

I saw this review on Amazon today for a horror anthology. The reviewer hasn't read any of the stories (well, except for the one he wrote) and gave the book five stars. No bias here!

I understand wanting good reviews, and maybe this book deserves five stars (I haven't read it), but this review doesn't help anyone, and could dupe a reader into purchasing a book they won't like. If you're going to give a fake review, at least tell us something about the story you wrote! Amazingly, two people found this review helpful. I'm assuming it must be the publisher and another author.

I know that it takes a lot less time to review a book if you don't read it, but honest reviews are really what I want to see. I once gave a book I had a poem in only two stars because that's all I thought of it. I wish it had been a better book, but it wasn't.

Another lesson learned today about being a writer!

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

FSF Challenge - Thief

This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Thief

Bit by Bit

"Mom, why is old Miss Taylor so grouchy—all she ever does is sit on her porch and grumble!"
"She's lost too much to thieves to be happy, Sarah, so please be kind to her if you can. When she was your age, a boy stole her heart, but before they could truly be a couple, a man took her innocence. The drugs she used to forget that time destroyed her body, and now the years are stealing her mind."
When Sarah's mother looked across the street later that day, she saw her holding Miss Taylor's hand as she cried.