Weekly Wednesday Flash Fiction - The Rings

Today is Writerly Wednesday. Here's my flash fiction story for this week.

Flash fiction prompt provided by http://www.writerlycorner.com/writerly-prompts/writerly-wednesday-392016.

The Rings

            The rings had a story of their own. A lifetime of stories—full of promise, expectations, family. Good times and bad. And death.

            She picked them up and studied each ring. They’d worn well over the years; no loose diamonds or breaks in the band. Forty years and it seems like yesterday we were driving to California in our old Volkswagen van for a honeymoon.

            When he died, she didn’t think she’d make it. But here she was five years later. She sighed, kissed the rings and placed them back in the jewelry box.

            She looked at her reflection in the mirror, remembering his last words. I’m the one dying, not you. Promise me you’ll keep on living and find happiness again.

            Her eyes slid to her hand and the new ring covering the indentation the old ones burrowed into her skin over the years.

            She smiled.

WEEKLY WEDNESDAY FLASH FICTION PROMPT - EMPOWERMENT

Flash fiction prompt provided by http://www.writerlycorner.com/writerly-prompts/writerly-wednesday-2242016.

This is my weekly flash fiction prompt, a short story based on a picture prompt. Enjoy!

I DID IT!

            Amanda stared at the rock that came up to her chest. What fun it would be to stand on that rock and see the world below. She turned to her grandfather and pointed to the big structure. She raised her arms to him. “Papa? Upsies?”

            Papa smiled, shaking his head no. “Climb up. You can do it.”

            With a knitted brow, Amanda turned back to the rock. She put her hands on it; her mouth turning to a pout. “I can’t.”

            Papa pointed to her and used his fingers to walk around the other side.

            Amanda stared at him, perplexed. She walked to the other side and noticed the rock was slightly lower. Leaning her stomach on the top, she pulled one knee up, pushing and panting until she lay on the rock.

            Amanda stood, threw her arms up and yelled to Papa.
            “I did it” 

Winter's Captive E-Book Special

Winter's Captive E-Book is now priced at $0.99. 

Let your family and friends know this awesome price is permanent for Book 1 of The Georgia Series.

Visit me on my Facebook Author page HERE.

New Year 2016 - Chapter 1

Today  I just want to connect and wish you all the best in the coming year. 

No one knows what the future will bring. I hope you all have a peaceful, healthy and balanced year and the inner strength and strong will to tackle any adverse situations that may arise. 

In reflection, I have a lot to be thankful for. 2015 was filled with highs and lows, a sick husband faced with a life-threatening illness, a very stressful move across British Columbia from the Interior to Vancouver Island. We lost a fifteen-year-old family pet who we miss dearly. But we survived it all and are happy to be living where we wish to be, surrounded by family. 

My 93-year-old mother is still with us and although fighting dementia, she still knows who we all are. We were lucky to have her with us for another Christmas. 

On a professional note, my second novel in The Georgia Series, Chasing Georgia, Book 2 was released in October. It has been well-received. This book was important in that it proved to me that I wasn't a one-book wonder and am truly a novelist. I'm happily working on Missing Thread, Book 3 of the series and hope to have it out by fall. I do believe this series will be done or at least for the moment.

My head is swirling with ideas for a new series called The Crossing Trilogy. I have to contain myself and focus on my current WIP and be content to jot notes down in my trusty note book for this future project.

I'd like to thank all of you have supported by first two novels. I love hearing from you about how you relate to Georgia and her adventures. The e-book Christmas Special for .99 will remain in effect permanently for Winter's Captive. So spread the word to your friends and family who use e-readers.

And if you are a writer, keep on keeping on writing.

Visit my Facebook Author Page Here 

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

Hi everyone,

Looking for that special gift for Christmas?  How about e-books?

The Georgia Series, Book 1 and Book 2 are available until the end of the year for $0.99 cents Canadian, and $0.74 cents American sites.

Here's the cover blurb for each book:

Recently separated from a cheating husband, a 

pregnant Georgia leaves her home to spend a 

month with a childhood friend in Yukon

Territory. Her stay takes an abrupt turn when she is

kidnapped by bankrobbers.  She escapes into a 

vast area of north western British Columbia,

 known as ‘the last frontier’. Against all odds,  

Georgia is forced to makedecisions to endure 

the cold, harsh winter. 

Will she make the right choices to not only ensure her survival but that of her unborn child? 

THE ROAD OF ADVERSITY LEADS TO EMPOWERMENT

It’s been five years since Georgia Charles survived a winter lost and alone in the wilderness. After a whirlwind life of celebrity, Georgia wishes to settle into a quiet lifestyle as her daughter begins school. But everyone wants a piece of her; a boyfriend, who tests her new found sense of confidence and trust; a surprise visit from her ex-husband’s widow that turns her world upside down; and a stalker determined to make her his own.

Can Georgia overcome her fears of commitment and accept love again? Should she say yes to Julie’s life-changing request that will affect so many lives? And what of the stalker?

REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS AND THE KNOWLEDGE

THAT A FAMILY IS NOT BORN FROM BLOOD,

BUT FROM LOVE AND RESPECT

Available in PDF, Kindle, & Nook formats

Also, available in paperback.

Visit me on my Facebook Author page. Click Here.

SHORT STORY - SHADOW OF SMOKE

Hi everyone.

If you enjoy crime/suspense stories, I have a short story on Amazon. It was available for free but that promotion is over. It is available as an ebook for .99 cents.

Sage Brooks is a strong, indepedent woman working on a project with a deadline. She takes time away from the office to finish her work. What happens next is far from the tranguility she's seeking. This is a thrill story of crime and suspense that ends with a twist.

Yesterday it hit amazon's Top 100 list for Fiction and Literature #43, Crime #85, and Mystery, Thriller and Suspense #19. So exciting.

Don't miss the samples at the end of the story for my novels, Winter's Captive and Chasing Georgia, of The Georgia Series.

Click HERE to purchase your copy now.

LIVING LIFE WITHOUT GUILT

It's a time when exciting things are happening, not just for me but for other people in my life.

On top of the 'good times' in my life, the world has suffered more death and terror at the hands of extremists. As someone who has a 'public' life, I felt guilty talking about the positives and successes in my life, while others are suffering. The effects of extremist acts in our global world doesn't just affect the families and friends of those injured or lost. Nor does it only affect the locality where these acts occur.

The effects are long-reaching and are an assault on humanity, on all of us as a global society. What I achieve personally seems trivial compared to what is happening to me as a citizen of the world. So writing here about my latest book release etc left a bad taste in my mouth and I felt guilty crowing to you all.

Guilt was foremost in my mind. After all, I do care about humanity and what happens to us as a society. However, I came to realize that first of all, there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop terrorism. There is nothing I can do to help the victims and their circle of family and friends. And, there is nothing I can say except to express my disgust and give my condolences. I was born in a democratic country and live in a beautiful part of the world where I am free to believe and live my life as I wish. I don't have to run from uniformed soldiers working for a dictator or hide from weaponed radicals.

As the week wore on from last week's crisis in Paris, my disgust grew in a different direction. I understand that people react to fear in different ways so my words here aren't to condemn anyone. What I can't accept are people who condemn a culture of people as a whole when it is a misled, disenfranchised, narcissistic group who use religion to carry out barbaric acts of terror and killing.

I was dismayed to hear someone say that Islam was not a peaceful religion. I was disgusted to hear a republican say only Christians should be allowed to immigrate into the US. I was equally disgusted to hear of violent attacks on innocent immigrants. This is how religious wars get started that really have nothing to do with religion.

Personally, I don't belong to a religious group. I consider myself a spiritualist and try to live my life by the golden rule, 'One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself''. My problem with religion is that as soon as you belong to one religious culture, you've pissed off another group of people and their culture. Many wars in the world's history have been fought in the name of religion and a lot of people have suffered. On the other hand, I do not condemn those who do belong to a religion. If you study any religion, the basic core is based on love and peace for your fellow man.  I'm lucky enough to live in a democratic society that allows freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I cherish that right and would like to believe that I respect others rights.

The problem lies in ourselves. As a whole, we are a caring, supportive society.  However, fear and hate are created by people, not religion. This has been a fundamental fact since the beginning of humanity. And the nature of the war that is being fought today in our world knows no boundaries. It can hit anywhere in our small global community.We can't allow a small percentage of barbaric terrorists control over our lives, making us live in fear and more importantly, turning us against each other and those who may have different cultural beliefs than our. We can't allow them to change our quality of life and tarnish the joy we experience in our lives.  Otherwise, they will win and they may not take over the world but they will hold the world hostage.

I've come to realize that I have nothing to feel guilty about. The guilt should be theirs.