GoodReads

4:35 AM Friday, February 26, 2010

Let me take a shameless moment here to plug such a wonderful invention.


Seriously, books for shipping cost only?  I'm in heaven!

If you love books, reading, or shopping you really must check it out! 
(click the link above)

I have successfully navigated a round of "purchased" books (about 5 or 6) from the Bookswap and now "shopping" for many, many more. 

~~ I am in HEAVEN! ~~

(I think my husband feels abandoned though.  Poor guy!)

Flash Fiction

9:04 AM Tuesday, February 23, 2010


No, I don't mean stories based on a certain fictional super hero!

I mean flash fiction as in really short stories.

I have recently fallen in love with flash fiction and have realized that many of my rambled writings can be classified as such.  Though this wasn't a new term to me, I realized I would like to know a little more about it.  Reading a lot of different things, I have come up with this definition of my own:  Flash fiction is a short story that is usually between 500 - 1000 words and still contains character development and an actual plot.

This is the type of writing that is appealing because it can be read while sitting in the waiting room of a doctors office, or in a car as the kids are getting out of school.  No long term time commitments needed, just short and to the point writing.

There is loads of this stuff all over the internet and some are actually very good. I particularly enjoyed  The Times That Bleed Together, by Paige Gardner.

Here are a list of some of the website I have found that feature flash fiction stories:

  1. Flash Fiction Online:  http://www.flashfictiononline.com/
  2. Every Day Fiction: http://www.everydayfiction.com/
  3. Flash Fiction.Net: http://flashfiction.net
  4. Very Short Stories: http://www.very-short-story.com/ (for if you like REALLY short stories)
My questions to you are:
Have you ever read Flash Fiction?
Would you ever read FF?
How interested are you in visiting a website or buying a book based solely on FF?

The answer to these will help me see if this is an avenue I wish to explore a bit more or if my energies are better spent elsewhere. Thanks!


Not entirely sure that this is ready to be shared with the world, but I have enjoyed some of the calls and emails on my other stories that have not only given me insight on how to improve, but also given my ego a big boost.  So here is my latest flash fiction story.

NOTE TO READER: This story has undergone major changes in the following weeks. For publication reasons, I will not be reposting it at this time, but here is the original (first draft) introductory paragraph.


Giving Her Back


The time has come. He knows it as he feels the momentum of the vehicle coming to a stop. He sits in the back of the black limousine, dressed in his finest.  He looks like a million bucks, but feels more like 20 cents.   Grateful that the windows of this limo are tinted a purplish hue, he dreads the moment he has to step out into the bright mid morning sun.



My hubby has been out of town for 2 weeks. This leaves me with 5 kids, 4 snow days, and no lap top (which is what I usually do all my writing on. It's so much easier to lock myself in a back room and work then around the chaos that is my life.)



This is a perfect analogy of what my brain is doing lately.






If this is what your brain is suppose to look like:




This is mine after an absent hubby and
too many snow days with the kids:


To coin a phrase from an old PSA,

Any questions?

Book Reviews: Three books/One post

5:01 AM Thursday, February 4, 2010

(NOTE: This is actually a reposting from my other blog, but figured since it's book/writing related,

I'd repost it here. My apologies if it's a duplicate for you.)



I have read so many books lately.  I actually read one in less than 12 hours the other day.  Ok, it was a YA book, but still give me some credit.  (This should really be a testament to how dull my life has been, I actually have time to READ!)  Here are my thoughts on some of them.



I really enjoyed Zusak's writing style in The Book Thief, so I decided to try out another of his novels that is supposed to be more light hearted and humorous. I Am the Messenger acheives this but if you're looking for something actually humorous and funny, this isn't the book to grab. I still enjoy Zusak's style. It's very conversational. He makes it seem so easy; easy to write and easy to read.  And this book has a positive message to it.  Unfortunately, I think his story falls too flat at the end. Still worth the read though.




My Antonia... well, let's just put it this way:  It's literature.  Ya know, classic, gotta-read-in-college kinda literature.  Let me also add that I am a plot driven reader.  I enjoy the challenges of the characters and how they overcome them.  I like the thrill of the who-dunnit or the how-they-gonna-accomplish-that kinda thing.  If you're like me, you may wanna skip this one (unless of course you actually have this as required reading or something).  Cather is so wonderfully descriptive and her passion for the land and it's people are apparent, but I kept waiting for the plot to start... and it never really did (or only faintly at best).  If you like classic, descriptive literature, you'll love it. If not, skip it.


Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix.
Why am I reading a YA book, you may ask. I was impressed by this series long before I ever read this book.  It is the series that FINALLY interested my pre-teen boys in books!  D & S read them several years ago and couldn't stop talking about them.  D has been in love with reading ever since.  THANK YOU MARGARET PETERSON HADDIX!!  And as an adult, I can see why they liked them so much.  Keep in mind that the book is simple for the younger reader, but intriguing, and adventurous enough to keep even an adult interested.  I look forward to reading the rest of the series.