An Honorable Mention

I am thrilled to have earned an Honorable Mention in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest for my story A Deception, a short little tale about a god, a siren, and an entrance to the Underworld.

A sneak peek at the opening below. Stay tuned as I share more over the next few weeks.

A Deception

“Come on, old friend,” said Hades, looking entirely out of place drinking a margarita at the Tiki Hut on a beach in the Florida Keys. He stroked his beard, pulled down his sunglasses, and met Janus’ gaze, “Look, man, you know I wouldn’t ask, but things up here are a bit out of control, and it’s radically affecting the systematic way I run things downstairs. I should have most of it sorted out in a month or two, but I only need you guys to guard the Entrance to the Underworld for six weeks. Tops. Plus, Naribelle,” he glanced at the voluptuous beauty sunning herself oceanside, “she’s a natural. Six weeks is all I need…promise…”

To Be Continued

Snippet Saturday: A Girl and Death

As a writer, I want to make the reader feel...

Check out this excerpt from... Ruby Hood, A Twistedly True Tale... the retelling of a classic fairy tale that takes a completely different path over the river and through the Wood...

Everything around her trembled, and then froze. People and trees stood still. The gray eyed raven stiffened in mid-air. There wasn’t even the slightest gust of breeze, leaving Ruby alone with a dying Kellan in her arms. Time had stopped. How had this happened? She shuddered slightly, and her chest heaved. A roulette of emotions spun inside her, and at the root of all of them, was one truth. She loved him.

Evoking Emotion in the Reader

As a writer, I always want to make the reader feel what's happening in the story. And that's no easy feat, but I've been working on it. 😉

An excerpt from... Ruby Hood, A Twistedly True Tale... the retelling of a classic fairy tale that takes a completely different path over the river and through the Wood.

Immersed in a moment of flux, Ruby hung in mid-nowhere before she landed with a thud. Blackness absorbed every inch of her space, and a deafening silence stifled her. Her senses roared into overdrive, and a panic rose in her chest. The empty nothingness of the room over-filled her lungs. Her pulse throbbed as she gasped for air. How could she have been this wrong? She was to die. Right here. Right now. 

Adding Sensory Details: The Storm

Image by Edward Lich from Pixabay

Can you feel the storm? 

...the weather shifted dramatically. The white clouds turned a dark grayish purple, sending the sun into hiding. The soft breeze sharpened into a cold pinprick pelting Ruby’s skin. Branches swayed, snapping in all directions. The thunder rumbled; Ruby steadied herself as the ground shook with the sky. Several bolts of lightning shot out of the heavens and cracked atop trees all around them.

Ruby screamed and reached for Grams.

“Oh my, Ruby! We need to get to shelter.” Grams, quite spry for 80, took off for the cabin. “Hurry.”

The thunder mumbled and groaned while lightning charged the air, just as the sky opened up. Big cold drops fell atop Ruby and Grams. They ran even faster.

When they entered the clearing, the storm continued to wage war in the stormy sky above. Ruby and Grams were soaked from head to toe, but that didn't stop them. They raced up the steps, two at a time, desperate to be dry and safe.

“Get in here, you two,” Grams shouted as she passed the two men waiting on the porch. “Don’t just stand there and get struck by lightning.”