Flash Fiction Tuesday

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: The Royal Treatment

Donna L

 

throne.jpg

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. This week’s story came to me two years before the idea of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound was even born, but now as I reread it, I can see a bit of Ariana in today’s main character…

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The morning sun slides in through the stained glass window, prisms of color shattering the musty quiet of the throne room. Gilded cloth surrounds the regal chair standing all by itself in the middle of the large room. In mere hours the destiny of a nation will be changed forever, but for now, it is as if the room holds its breath and waits for what is to come.

In the kitchens servants bustle around as they prepare dishes to be served in the Great Hall later that evening as the week’s celebrations begin. The woodsy aroma of roasted boar mingles with the more delicate smell of vegetables, soups, and sweetbreads. Extra tables and chairs are brought in to handle the visiting nobles. Everywhere the sounds of chatter can be heard as excitement rises over the upcoming coronation.

However, down the hall in the royal chambers, there is almost a tomb-like atmosphere as maids and ladies-in-waiting silently help the young girl to dress. She feels suffocated as layer upon layer is added to her royal gown. No one knows of her deepest fears. How she wants to run from this burden about to be placed upon her young shoulders. To stay hidden amongst the moors, never to return to the castle. How betrayed she felt when her father died in battle and left her to this fate.

Somewhere deep in the towers, the loud gonging of bells can be heard announcing it is time. Will she be able to do this? Can she make the sacrifice asked of her for her people and a kingdom ravaged by war? Taking a breath, she squares her shoulders and slowly makes her way towards the doors leading to her future…

***What happens next? Will a nation be saved by one young girl? Share your comments and endings to this story below!***

 

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Week One

 

***DON’T FORGET! It’s week one of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to win the set of cool bookmarks shown below! Just click on the pile of presents to the right of this post and choose how you would like to enter the FREE giveaway. Winners will be announced every Monday, starting next week, in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post, so check it out and see if you’ve won!***

***ALSO…it’s not too late to tell all your educator or school librarian friends about their chance to pick up a FREE copy of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound during my LUNADAR Pay It Forward FREE giveaway! I’m giving away THOUSANDS of ebook copies between now and Friday, November 2nd, in exchange for an honest review on Amazon. All they have to do is send me a Facebook message or email with their valid email address and I will send them their FREE copy, along with a copy of the Lunadar map I sketched. Hurry and share the good news about this FREE ebook giveaway before time runs out!***

 

donna

 

International best selling, award-winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), ebook edition, is now available from Amazon, with the print edition coming October 15, 2018.

 

 

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Come Back To Me

Donna L

lighthouse-2372461_960_720

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. This week it’s the call of the sea and a lover lost…

 

************

 

They warned her about returning but she wouldn’t listen. She couldn’t. Her mind
knew the waiting had been too long. They said he was probably lost with his ship
and yet her heart refused to give up. For days she had waited, there by the shore,
searching the horizon for some speck of hope to float across the waves and return
her love to her.  But as weeks turned into months the silence began to engulf her.  
 
That’s when the dreams began.  At first just mist and moonlight and the hint of a
whispered voice calling out for her to come to him. A voice so soft and velvety as it
touched her, teasing her with a hunger to hold onto his arms once more until she
thought she would go mad with the longing. She could tell no one about those
dreams. They already thought her mad.  But she knew he was waiting there for her
and so she found her way back to the lighthouse. Back to the place where all their
dreams began and ended. Back to the place where in her dreams he told her to meet
him.
 
As she made her way up the long winding stairs in the moonlight she could make
out a shadow, there in the doorway and she knew he had finally come back for her.
They had told her to abandon all hope but her heart simply couldn’t let go. She had
long since given up knowing what was real and what was fantasy. All she could
think of after all these years was that her love had returned…

 

***Well? What do you think? Is this mystery phantom a lover returned or fantasy come to life? Do you think this would make a good short story? Comment below and let me know!***

 

***Don’f forget to let all your teacher and librarian friends know that I’m giving away THOUSANDS of copies of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound through my LUNADAR Pay It Forward Program, along with a chance to win some autographed copies and maybe a FREE author visit for their school! Have them email me at donasdays (dot) com (at) gmail for details!***

 

***Also, my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNDAR prize giveaway starts on Monday, September 24th! Here’s the link with details if you missed it…http://storycatcherpublishing.com/2018/09/10/an-indie-authors-journey-the-twelve-weeks-of-lunadar-contest/***

 

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LUNADAR cover jpg

 

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

donna
International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), ebook edition, is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Goodreads, and other online retailers.

 

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Going Home

Donna L

 

civil war.jpg

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. This week Tipper and Tango go in search of an adventure…

************

Mud mixed with blood clung to Rory’s pants and what was left of his boots as he struggled to make his way up the hill. The day had been long and the cries of the wounded were fading away with the sunlight. Some might call him a coward for not dying on the battlefield. Rory wasn’t sure himself why he wasn’t lying in the trenches with his comrades. All he knew was he was done with all the fighting and he was going home.

Going home.

Three years of fighting and Rory almost forgot what home felt like. He was just a kid back then and ran away to enlist before his Pa could say no. He told them he was eighteen so they put a drum in his hands and called him a soldier. Dreams of glory were soon pushed aside by the stark reality of fighting brother against brother. Too much bloodshed over a cause long forgotten when a body just followed orders and tried to stay alive.

Going home.

Rory had almost made it to the top of the hill when he realized he might not recognize his little sister. She was barely thirteen when he joined the fighting and she was all grown up now. If not for this blasted war, she would be making plans for her coming out ball. There would be a flurry of excitement as Adeline wonders which suitor will ask for her first dance. But there would be no dance now. Hell, Rory didn’t even know if his family had survived the war so far. Would Adeline even recognize the gaunt face clothed in moth-eaten rags as her beloved brother returning home? Would Pa welcome him back, knowing he fought for the other side?

Going home.

But today was the breaking point. Until today Rory managed to believe what he was doing was right. Until today he had honor and pride on his side as he fought to right a wrong. Until today he could say he had never held a gun in anger nor taken another’s life. But the horror of watching someone else’s brother die by his hands was too much and the only thing he could think to do is lay down his weapon and go home…
***Okay, it’s your turn! What happens next? Does Rory make it home? Does Adeline recognize her big brother? Does Pa forgive his only son for leaving? Put your creative cap on and add a sentence or add a paragraph. Continue my story or start one of your own. Join the fun and see where this picture prompt takes us!***

 

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lunadar

 

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

donna

 

International best selling, award-winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), ebook edition, is now available from Amazon, with the print edition coming October 15, 2018.

 

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: The Dragon’s Curse

Donna L

dragon.jpg

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. This week Tipper and Tango go in search of an adventure…

 
************

 

“Tis foolishness to be here,” Amari whispered as she grabbed a low hanging branch and pulled herself up to the ledge beside Cerelic.

“Aye, but tis more foolish to have the others defenseless against the beast,” Cerelic replied for what seemed like the hundredth time.

The two had argued the same point ever since they left the village in the morning mist and now, hours later, the afternoon sun shone above the tree tops as they inched their way toward the cave’s entrance.

“Do you still have the wolfbane powder?” Amari asked again.

Cerelic looked at her, his irritation beginning to show as he removed the pouch from his tunic and thrust it toward her. “You hold it if you think me not trustworthy,” he hissed.

Amari looked down at the pouch, knowing she would not take it, when the hair on the back of her neck prickled a warning danger was near. Glancing above the cave’s entrance, she saw the claws first. Long and razor sharp, they clung to the edge as wings flexed and expanded until the sun hid in the shadows of the beast’s wingspan.

Cerelic saw the fear growing in Amari’s eyes and tightened his grip on the pouch. “Don’t move. The beast can’t find you if you are still. We just need to use the powder and all will be well.”

Suddenly a high pitched screech shattered the quiet as wings beat against the tree tops and a ball of fire shot across the cave entrance toward the two crouched nearby.

Now it’s your turn. What happens next? Join the fun and leave a comment below…

 

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lunadar

 

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

 

donna

 

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy) from Story Catcher Publishing ebook edition is now available at Amazon and other online retailers, with the print edition coming out October 15, 2018.

 

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Tipper and Tango

Donna L

seal.jpg

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

 

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. This week Tipper and Tango go in search of an adventure…

 

************

Tango clapped with glee as the incoming wave struck the rocks and covered him in sea spray. His high pitched bark mingled with Tipper’s as the two seals raced each other down to the water’s edge.

“Catch me if you can,” Tango barked as he dove into the ocean, his short tail pumping furiously as he tried to reach their secret hiding place first. Tipper laughed and leaped ahead by a nose to enter the shadows of the underwater grotto.

“Awwww, that’s no fair! I coulda beat you,” Tango said as he swam closer to Tipper and nudged him with his flipper.

“Fat chance. You’ll never be faster than me, ” Tipper replied with a smirk. He was just a month older than Tango but already the captain of their swim team at school. Tango kept failing his diving test.

“Hey! Come here!” Tipper barked as he dove deeper into the cave. “Look what I found!”

Tango peered into the darkness, trying to see his friend in the cloudy water. “What is it? You know I’m a-afraid to go down there!” He could hear the furious splashing of Tipper’s tail as he made his way back up to the mouth of the cave. Tipper’s eyes sparkled as he swam a few quick circles around Tango before stopping in front of him. Bouncing with excitement, Tipper leaned in closer to whisper, “A treasure chest!” before he turned and disappeared back into the darkness.

Now it’s your turn. What happens next? Join the fun and leave a comment below…

 
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lunadar

 

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

 

donna

 

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy) from Story Catcher Publishing ebook edition is now available at Amazon and other online retailers, with the print edition coming out October 15, 2018.

 

 

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Dragon’s Breath Island

Donna L

mtns.jpg

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. This week there is smoke rolling off Dragon’s Breath Island…
*********

Layla tightened her vest before tucking her sword in the double wrapped belt and scabbard tied at her side. All she needed were her boots and she would be ready. The villagers said she was crazy. No one had ever gone to Dragon’s Breath Island and returned. Well, knights had returned but never alive. And now Layla thought she would be able to fight the dragon all on her own. 

Quickly saddling her horse, Layla took the path through the forest leading down to the water. She wouldn’t allow herself to give in to the what-ifs that might happen. The loch was calm today, a good sign the gods favored her crossing. Her father had taught her to command a boat when she was knee high to a grasshopper and the oars felt at home in her hands as she rowed straight for Dragon’s Breath Island.

The morning sun was just leaving the horizon when Layla saw the coastline. True to it’s name, smoke curled around the cliffs at the water’s edge and ended halfway up the mountainside looming above her. Dragon’s breath. Layla almost expected to see flames shooting from the caves dotting the cliffs as she reached land and pulled her boat on shore. Saying a quick prayer for the gods’ mercy, Layla slowly began to climb the path leading to the largest cave on the island and home to the dragon…

Now it’s your turn. What happens next? Will Layla meet her destiny on the island? Will the dragon win? Join in the fun and add a comment below…

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lunadar

(Buy ebook now on Amazon)

 

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

 

donna

 

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy) from Story Catcher Publishing ebook edition is now available at Amazon and other online retailers, with the print edition coming out late fall 2018.

 

 

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Sucker Punched

Donna L

squirrel

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. My summer camp is finally over and I was going to spend the next two days relaxing, but I’m feeling under the weather and just a little bit sucker-punched…

*********

I woke up this morning with the mother of all headaches. Just the act of getting my head off my pillow hurt. Must have been the tequila I had last night to try and blur the memory of Elena. Crawling out of bed, I stumbled into the kitchen for some coffee and that’s when I saw him.

He was sprawled in the backyard like the life had been sucker punched right out of him and there was nothing left for him to do but wait to die. Kinda how I felt. Waiting for the coffee to brew, I looked at that little guy and actually started to feel sorry for him. What kind of squirrel drama had he gotten himself into? Some other squirrel stole his secret stash of nuts? Maybe he had lady squirrel trouble? Well it couldn’t be as bad as mine. Going out with your best friend’s girlfriend was bad enough, but when you find out she’s left your name in the suicide note…well, it makes for one ugly mess. Oh what a tangled web we weave as the old saying goes.

I don’t know about my squirrel friend, but the clock on the wall told me I was running out of time. Jason was on his way over and there would be hell to pay. Now if we both could just figure out what the heck to do before the police showed up?

Now it’s your turn. What happens next? Was the narrator’s little squirrel friend going to be able to recover from being sucker punched? Join in the fun and add a comment below…

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lunadar

(Buy ebook now on Amazon)

 

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

 

donna

 

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy) from Story Catcher Publishing ebook edition is now available at Amazon and other online retailers, with the print edition coming out late fall 2018.

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: A Shattered Dream

Donna L

shattered.png

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. This week I’m keeping things on the cool side by walking on thin ice…

*************

Finally.

After endless days of forcing a smile to hide behind, it was finally Saturday. No more phone calls. No more questioning eyes hiding behind the morbid interest in how she was doing. Tillie absent-mindedly tossed a pair of skates into the back of her car and without thinking, drove to the water.

The sun was out, the temperature a chilly 22 degrees, and the surface of the pond perfect. Neighborhood kids shuffled onto the ice for a quick game.

Tillie slowly skated the edges of the pond and dug her toe pick into the ice every few feet, stopping just long enough to catch her breath before pushing herself forward again. Tears froze on her cheeks as she slowly circled the kids ignoring her. The doctors said she would never walk again but she proved them wrong. They said she would never skate again but they couldn’t keep her down for long.

They didn’t understand her driving need to be here. She would live on the ice if she could; throw a bedroll in the shed sitting at the edge of that pond and grow old here. Michael’s scent still lingered in the air. They both learned to skate on this pond. Shared their first kiss here. Planned to conquer the Olympics together. There was even a time when she thought they would be married right there in the middle of the ice.

But the accident changed all that.

Changed the dream of a possible gold medal. Now it was just her, the fight to piece together a shattered dream, and the ice.

Now it’s your turn. What happens next? Who was Michael? What happened to him and to Tillie? Join in the fun and add a comment below…

***************

 

LUNADAR cover jpg

 

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

 

donna

 

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy) from Story Catcher Publishing ebook edition is now available at Amazon and other online retailers, with the print edition coming out late fall 2018.

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: A Slippery Slope

Donna L

river.jpg

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens next to the characters of each story.  This week, take a dip in the icy waters of this murder mystery…

******************

Beverly stepped to the edge of the embankment. Icicles loaded the trees, bending them close to the ground. All around her came the sounds of snapping branches, cracking like whips as the weight of the ice tore them from tree trunks. She knew it was not safe here but she had no choice. Tommy told her he threw the gun into the water right before the ice storm hit last night. Beverly couldn’t believe he had been that stupid. That gun was the only thing tying him to the murder. All it took was for one foolish hunter stumbling across it and they would lose everything.

Thirty feet downstream from the old homestead he had said. Thirty feet to freedom if she could just find the darn thing. The river was cluttered with ice chunks and debris. Beverly could only hope the gun hadn’t traveled too far downstream from where he threw it in. She was getting awfully tired of cleaning up his messes.

Placing one boot gingerly on the partial trail leading down to the water’s edge, Beverly strained to see if she could figure out where the gun had gone. She was just about to take another step when there came a thunderous roar of snapping branches immediately behind her. Beverly’s scream echoed into the cold morning air as her foot slipped on the muddy trail and she fell, tumbling faster and faster toward the water’s edge. She would almost certainly land headfirst into the icy river unless a miracle happened.

Now it’s your turn. What happens next? Do the trees stop Beverly from drowning in the river? Or does the water seal her fate? Maybe there is a miracle just around the bend.  Join in the fun and add a comment below…

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International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), ebook edition, is now available from Amazon.

 

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Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: The Lost City of Alcavez

Donna L

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Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens next to the characters of each story.  The next time you hike a forest trail, keep a look out for the lost city of Alcavez….

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One…two…three…the steps seemed to go on and on, running into each other until he couldn’t see them any more. Where did they lead? As Sean shifted the backpack higher on his shoulder he felt a sharp stabbing pain shoot through his leg. Looking down, he saw blood slowly seeping again through the bandage on his upper thigh. At this pace, he would lose too much blood before he reached the summit. Pausing to catch his breath, Sean closed his eyes and slid to the ground.

When he awoke earlier this morning, he was confident the unmarked trail he stumbled upon lead to the lost city of Alcavez. He barely contained his excitement when he found a dusty map wedged in the corner of an old desk. Could the ancient map lead to the lost city of wonder he had heard so much about? Careful to make sure no one was following him, Sean set out with just a small backpack and a two liter bottle of water. To take more would have drawn suspicion from the other explorers.

Too late he realized someone had followed him, staying just outside his peripheral vision and now the bullet in his leg was slowing him down. What Sean left on the trail behind him only gave him an hour, maybe two, to find what lay hidden at the top of those steps before his secret was discovered. Leaning on a makeshift staff, Sean forced himself to his feet and stared at the steps ahead of him. One…two…three…all he had to do is just put one foot in front of the other and keep climbing…

What happens next? Share your imagination with others by leaving a comment below!

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donna

 

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy) is scheduled to be released in ebook edition by summer 2018 from Story Catcher Publishing, with the print edition hopefully coming out late fall 2018.