She clutches the coin,
her mind’s eye not satisfied
with memories alone.
She needs an affirmation,
a token to cling to
when all else is gone.
Now in the shadow-lands
the mystery deepens,
her sight dims, her heartbeat slows.
In that moment, she fights,
desperate to break their pact,
but still onward the ferryman rows.
Written in response to Sadje’s ‘What Do You See #7′ photo prompt.
The lights have all gone out. Mist closes in, swallowing up the moonlight. Darkness prevails. She throws another log on the fire, flares a match and lights a candle. At least the woodshed is full, the larder too. Her eyes flit about the room: every technological trapping is now defunct. Useless.
She’s more resilient than most, living alone in her little lodge on the lake. She’s just put new batteries in the radio, but no-one’s broadcasting. Empty airwaves.
Cut off. Cut adrift.
She takes up her pen and pulls her notebook towards her. All she can do now is write.
Written in response to a prompt new to me from Susan T. Braithwaite
Genre Scribes Friday Fiction Writing Challenge #23
The challenge this week is communication.
TRACTION BEAM ZONING IN… LOCKING ON…. AND ENERGIZE!
– Thank you Mr. Attenborough, we really couldn’t have completed our collection without you.
– Ms Thunberg, it’s been a privilege to meet you. In my long career, I’ve had many fascinating experiences, but I never expected to meet someone from the future. I’m humbled that you singled me out.
– You were the obvious candidate. You’re certain we haven’t missed any of the 21st century earth species?
– You have a pair of every living species for your trans-space-time settlement.
– Excellent.
– You will be returning to us won’t you, Ms Thunberg?
– In the blink of an eye. Remember, I can be in two places at once.
– Ah yes, you explained: quantum superposition; only a theory in the 21st century.
– You will keep my little secret?
– Of course. Although perhaps I might be permitted to share it with Brian Cox?
Written in response to Sadje’s ‘What Do You See #6′ photo prompt.
This weekend wasn’t the best time to try an ebook giveaway. I really should have known though, because if I’d checked on what happened this time last year, I wouldn’t have bothered.
So what happened? I hear you ask. Especially after the (northern hemisphere) summer giveaway of The Silver Locket did so well: 292 copies downloaded and up to #7 in the genre hit parade (albeit briefly).
Oh, but how quickly I’d forgotten the November 2018 debacle. A five day giveaway of the same book had resulted in just 20 copies downloaded. Now this year, buoyed up after the happy surprise of last August, disappointment reigned supreme again.
I was all over LinkedIn and more than a little bit on Twitter. I pitched in on Instagram and posted all over my personal Facebook page. Loyal friends locally liked and shared: one more download!
Of course it didn’t help that the Facebook Elves took 6 hours to approve my US ad. Maybe they were busy approving the million other ads (or were they busy giggling naughtily over the slightly racy start to chapter ten?). Or, when I tweaked the UK audience demographic yesterday morning, the edit was still under review 10 hours later, well past the Great British tea-time.
Two days of ‘bigging it up’ and busily checking the KDP reports. All for just 17 bites. Couldn’t I even give these away???
No! No, because everyone’s in a Massmart store filling their shopping carts with improbably-sized flat screen TVs, so huge that they totter precariously over the edge of the super-sized luminous pink trolleys they wheel, dodging and weaving through the slippery-floored over-peopled mall. (Or so my friend Jonathan told me. You don’t think I ventured out that day? Are you mad?).
Still, after a tiny flurry of downloads in Canada, You’ll Never Walk Alone peaked at a heady #47 in Romance Action and Adventure.
All wasn’t lost anyway. I have three free books from other indie authors to read on my Kindle.
Just remind me next year to concentrate on the last few days of NaNoWriMo and give the Black Friday thing a miss.
After all, wouldn’t we all rather be writing?
The final week shuddered to a grinding halt yesterday, with not a single word more written since Thursday. ‘Life’ got in the way.
Never mind.
The ‘life’ bit included trying to persuade people to help themselves to the free download of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’ I’m pleased to say there has been some success so far, and the offer will still be running for almost another 24 hrs.
Back to NaNoWriMo. I didn’t quite reach my hoped-for word count of 30K, but I’m beyond 25K and story-wise I’m reaching the mid-point, although there are a few blank spaces in the chapters I’ve written so far. Compared to last year, I’m about two chapters shy of where I got to with ‘Following the Green Rabbit‘, so I’m pretty satisfied.
Of course it isn’t all over. The story continues to drip forth. I’m hoping to have something approaching a completed MS by next Easter. Then comes the tricky bit. To paraphrase one of Mr Shakespeare’s characters: ‘To query or not to query?’
YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE
5 star rated on Amazon and Goodreads
A novel set against the backdrop of 1980s Liverpool. It’s a tale of love and loss, thieves and gangsters, and ultimate reunion and redemption. There are mysteries to be solved and a few laughs along the way. And don’t forget your dancing shoes!
PS – it’s not about football or allegiances but is does contain content of a sexual nature; some swearing and occasional violence. Try a sample!
As the world turns,
you turn with it
always just a little out of kilter;
existing within a land of virtual friends
and made up characters,
submerged in the limpid pools of your mind’s eye,
where with every throw of the dice
you win.
Written in response to Sadje’s ‘What Do You See #5‘ photo prompt.
