flash fiction

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Second Chances

Donna L

BALD

 

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 leaves us wondering if we should give LIFE a second chance…

 

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Ricky absently reached for his hairbrush, fingers snatched back as if burned when it dawned on him how foolish it would have been to pick it up. His hands brushed against his scalp, feeling the stubble just beginning to grow back. It had been a long hard summer and now that school was starting up again, Ricky wasn’t ready for the drama he was sure waited for him there. He was just getting his life back and didn’t want to deal with the looks like he had gotten at the clinic. Besides, how could they possibly understand? With their carefree laughter and simple lives, how could they possible know what it felt like to be him?

It was supposed to rain today and Ricky knew what that meant. His mom would hover over him, asking a million times if he was okay and telling him to make sure he grabbed a jacket so he wouldn’t catch a cold. How could he tell her he just wanted to feel normal again? He hated how his name and cancer always seemed to crowd the same sentences these days. Ricky was beginning to forget where he stopped and his illness began. Pulling a baseball cap low over his forehead, Ricky grabbed his backpack and rushed out the back door before his mom could realize he was gone.  
 
Hours later Ricky sat alone in one corner of the cafeteria. It was as bad as he thought it would be. First was the stares. Some of the guys he used to hang out with last year even started calling him skin head. But it was the constant whispers that bothered him the most. Why didn’t they just come out and say it to his face? He was tired of fighting. Fighting the rage he felt when he first found out he was sick. Fighting to keep food down after the latest chemo treatment. Now he was fighting back tears as he stared at the cold tuna fish on his plate. Softly, almost as if she didn’t want to disturb him, Ricky heard someone clearing their throat near him.  Glancing up, he noticed a girl from his Chemistry class standing in front of him. Ricky tried to think of her name. Becky. Betty. Something that started with a B he was pretty sure but he really didn’t give it much thought cuz he really just wanted to be left alone.
 
“Do you mind if I sit down here?”
Ricky looked around the cafeteria at first to see if someone had set her up to talk to him before staring back at the girl. Last year he might have even flirted with her but now it just seemed to take too much energy to bother with trying. His sickness had almost broken him, but maybe God was showing him he’d been given a second chance? Now the only question swirling around in his head was should he take it?
 
***Okay, it’s your turn! 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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***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***
***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

 

I’m happy to announce the winner of week seven of my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR free giveaway! Abbie Lu has won the ocean inspired jewelry kit. Thanks for following my blog! Congratulations! Look for my email on how to get your prize…

 

 

Week Eight

 

***DON’T FORGET! It’s week eight of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to accessorize you car with a Yankee Candle fragrance locket shown above! 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 in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post!

 

***Also, the ebook version of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound is on sale through the holidays! You can grab your copy for only $1.99 through Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Nook, Books A Million or dozens of other online retailers!

 

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), is now available in ebook and print form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and other online retailers.

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Stormy Weather

Donna L

storymy weather.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. Grab your umbrella cuz this week’s story runs into some stormy weather…

 

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Nathan stared at the actor on the screen and knew exactly how he felt. Tired. Alone. No matter how hard that guy tried, the relentless waves still battered his tiny raft from all sides, pushing it back towards the shore. Maybe it was a different kind of fear but Nathan could still feel it just the same. He remembered those first few days after his own stormy weather crashed his relationship on the rocks. He should have seen it coming. Somehow he should have seen the signs. It wasn’t until he walked into the erie silence of an empty apartment that he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw Natalie’s note on the mantle saying simply, “I’m done.” and he realized he was suddenly drowning with no lifeline to save him. At first,  he got through the days. Work helped but the nights dragged on and soon he even stopped hanging out with his buddies after work because he was tired of the questions in their eyes he refused to answer.

Numbness settled in and kept the hurt shoved into the dark corners of his mind. As long as he kept moving maybe, just maybe he wouldn’t think of her. That’s why he decided to get out tonight and catch the matinee. There was still that occasional call every now and then when someone would invite him to meet a cousin who just happened to be in town. Nathan never knew just what to say and to him running from the truth was beginning to feel normal.

Realizing the poor schmuck on the screen was never going to get off that island, Nathan headed for the exit. No use waiting to see how that story ended. He already knew the guy would die on that island alone and Nathan didn’t feel like watching his life played out on the big screen.

Fumbling for his car keys, Nathan never noticed her standing there until it was too late. Popcorn and keys went flying as he violently bumped into the one person he never thought he would see again.

“Natalie? What are you doing here?”

 

***Okay, it’s your turn! Put your creative cap on and add a sentence or add a paragraph. Continue my story or start one of your own…***

 

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***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***
***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

 

I’m happy to announce the winner of week six of my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR free giveaway! Amy Spisak has won the Kingdom’s Dawn audiobook. Thanks for signing up for my newsletter! Congratulations! Look for my email on how to get your prize…

I’m also happy to announce the latest winner of my LUNADAR Pay It Forward giveaway for educators and librarians who chose to read my novel and provide an honest review on Amazon. The wonderful Lisa Plemons, librarian at Carpenters Middle School in Maryville Tn, has won an autographed copy of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound for her library inventory. I will be sending out her prize package soon…

 

Week Seven

 

***DON’T FORGET! It’s week seven of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to win this ocean themed jewelry set shown above! 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 in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post!

 

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), is now available in ebook and print form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and other online retailers.

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: The Last Pickup

Donna L

impala

 

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 tumbles through the produce aisle…

 
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“Where to now, lady?”

The driver’s voice broke in on Mary’s reverie and she gazed into the rearview mirror to see green eyes staring back at her. For a moment she couldn’t remember if there was somewhere she needed to be, something that needed her attention, and then she remembered that night with Joe…

 
“Did anyone see you?” Joe said as he helped her into the front seat of his dad’s car.

“No, they’re all watching the Ed Sullivan show so all I had to do was tiptoe out the back door like we planned,” Mary said, laying her overnight case on the back seat. Suddenly everything seemed much too real and she turned worried eyes to the boy sitting next to her.

“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing, Joe?”

“Mary, we already talked about this, remember? It’s the only way. You know how your parents are whenever they see me. And you know my father would kill me if he found out. We have no choice.”

The old Impala ate up the miles. Miles between a life left behind and a new one waiting for them somewhere across the border. She tried to stay awake but the lack of sleep the night before wore her down. Soon Mary was dreaming of baby blue skies and lullabies.

Oh, how the time seemed to fly by. A new name meant a new start and soon the days blurred into one another. Before she knew it, too many years had gone by and now the wrinkles in the mirror told her there wasn’t much time left to dream. Everyone she knew in that other life was long gone and now her own Joe had left her too. No, not much time left at all…

The taxi driver didn’t want to startle the old lady, but his shift was almost over. He really wanted to get home to the wife and kiddies. Straightening a cap that had seen better days, he turned in his seat and asked again, “Where to now, lady?”

 

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***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***
***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

 

I’m happy to announce the winner of week five of my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR free giveaway! Stuart Field has won a beautiful moon and stars necklace. Thanks for following this blog! Congratulations! Look for my email on how to get your prize…

 

Week Six

 

***DON’T FORGET! It’s week six of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to win a beautiful moon and stars necklace shown above! 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 in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post, so enter the FREE giveaway and check next Monday to see if you’ve won!

 

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), is now available in ebook and print form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and other online retailers.

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Pick Up On Aisle One

Donna L

produce.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 tumbles through the produce aisle…

 

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Hallie tossed her purse into the shopping cart and quickly pushed it toward the produce aisle. It had been a long day, full of irritations stacking one on top of another until she felt like screaming. Five o’clock finally arrived and all Hallie wanted to do was grab a salad before heading home. Barely paying attention as she tossed things into her cart, Hallie rounded the corner and felt a jolt that literally threw her to the floor.

Rubbing her sore backside, Hallie thought it safe to try and stand when a callused hand reached down to help her to her feet. Startled, she looked up into worried blue eyes. Robin egg blue that sent shivers down her spine. She remembered those eyes. They belonged to a set of memories she’d rather not think about these days.

“Hey, are you okay? I didn’t see you.”

Hallie opened her mouth, then tightly pressed her lips together as she jerked her arm from that callused hand.

“I don’t need your help!”

Those blue eyes looked startled as recognition dawned on him and the hand quickly pulled back as if touching fire.

“Hallie? What are you doing back here?”

Slowly getting to her feet, Hallie took a moment to straighten her clothes as she avoided looking into those blue eyes she knew so well. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts. A moment to remind herself to breathe and not let those blue eyes mesmerize her again.

“My aunt died and left me her place.” Oh, why did she let that slip out?

“Aunt Sally is gone? I hadn’t heard. When did it happen?”

Hallie closed her eyes for a moment. Tears wouldn’t help her now. The cold metal bar under her fingertips felt a bit like her heart as she pushed the cart away from the produce aisle. She just wanted to go home and forget those blue eyes. But before she could stop herself, she said the one thing she knew would hurt him.

“She died not too long after you left me standing at the altar.”

***Okay, it’s your turn! What happens next? Does Hallie leave Aisle One all by herself? Or do those blue eyes go after her? Leave a comment below.***

 

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***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

 

audio book

 

I’m happy to announce the winner of week three of my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR free giveaway! “Mr. Art’ (he didn’t leave his name on his entry form)  has won an audiobook for following this blog! Congratulations! Look for my email on how to get your prize…

 

 

Week Four

 

***DON’T FORGET! It’s week four of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to win a $20 Wendys food gift card shown above! 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 in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post, so enter the FREE giveaway and check next Monday to 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!***

 

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), is now available in ebook and print form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and other online retailers.

 

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: The Crystal Ball

Donna L

crystal ball

 

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 honors the gypsy culture and the magic to be found there…

 

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A nervous giggle escaped Mattie’s lips as she glanced around the tent once more. Her friends came with her to the gypsy camp outside of town, Had even dared her to seek her future with the fortune teller. Now that she was actually standing in front of the old woman dressed in rich colors and sparkling jewels, Mattie was beginning to think it a bit foolish to have agreed to her friends’ dare.

“Sit down.”

The voice was surprisingly strong, even though it was a mere whisper hanging in the air around them. Mattie sat on a low stool in front of a velvet-covered table. A single crystal ball balanced on a small pedestal in the middle of it. She could have sworn something flickered in its middle, but before Mattie could peer closer the old gypsy covered it with blue-veined hands and began to chant in a low singsong voice. Mattie gazed at the woman, mesmerized as a small band of smoke began to swirl inside the ball, twirling faster and growing larger until it completely filled the ball. The fortune teller’s eyes seem to bore into Mattie’s as that shivery voice filled the tent once more.

“Why are you here?”

Another nervous giggle escaped as Mattie attempted to make a joke of her reasons for entering the tent in the first place.

“Uh, my friends dared me to come in here. I thought it would be funny to see my future.”

The old gypsy stared into the smoke for a long moment before gazing back at the girl sitting opposite the now glowing orb.

“Ahhh, but don’t you want to know about the treasure first?”

***Okay, it’s your turn! What happens next? Is the old gypsy woman for real? What is the treasure she is talking about? And what does she really see in Mattie’s future? Put your creative cap on and add a sentence or add a paragraph in the comments below!***

 

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***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

I’m happy to announce the winner of week two of my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR free giveaway! Sherry Hudson has won the fairie house for following this blog! Congratulations Sharon! She should be receiving her fairie house soon…

 

Week Three
***DON’T FORGET! It’s week three of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to win the audiobook DARK CURSE by Christine Feehan shown above! 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 in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post, so enter the FREE giveaway and check next Monday to 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!***

***AND…it’s countdown time to the release of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound on 10/15/18! You can now pre-order your print copy through Amazon and other online retailers, so get your copy today!***

 

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, with the print edition coming October 15, 2018.

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Here Kitty, Kitty

Donna L

fire.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 in a dream and when I woke up, I had to write it down…

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

 

Slate grey clouds slammed into scorched trees and darkened the sky as Dra’con slowly made his way up the rocky terrain. The stench from decaying flesh almost made him gag. Dra’con only stopped long enough to tighten the grimy cloth covering his lower face before sidestepping what looked like the remains of a coyote and continued his climb.

It had only been three days since the great fire, but already the villagers were nervously looking over their shoulders and wondering when will the creature strike next? The elders tried to calm the crowd with words even they didn’t believe. Dra’con knew there would be no stopping the panic once the others realized most of their food source had been wiped away with the flames. A quick death in battle was better than a slow, agonizing one as children and old ones would probably succumb first to the gnawing hunger of the upcoming winter with nothing to fill their bellies.

Dra’con concentrated so hard on not losing his footing as he climbed over charred tree limbs and stumbled around small boulders that, at first, he didn’t notice the fresh impressions made on the blackened forest floor. Moving closer to investigate, his foot tripped over a small root, causing him to come to a stop inside the crater. For a moment Dra’con didn’t understand what he was looking at, but the final realization made a cold sweat suddenly wash over him. Slowly drawing his weapon from his side, Dra’con carefully traced the massive paw print with the tip of his sword until it softly struck the other side of his boot. 

It was here.

And from what Dra’con could see, the beast was far larger than the elders had first supposed. No matter, the people depended on him to drive it from their land. The children thought him a hero and when had heroes ever turned their back on danger just because their bellies clinched with fear?

Taking a moment to kneel in the great beast’s footprint, Dra’con offered up a prayer to the gods before standing up. Then, thrusting the sword firmly back into its scabbard, he threw his shoulders back and with renewed determination, continued up the path in front of him. Only one thing was on his mind.

Here kitty, kitty…

***What happens next? What made the paw print? Will Dra’con be able to save the village? Or will the upcoming winter add to the body count? Share your comments and endings to this story below!***


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***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

I’m happy to announce the winner of week one of my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR free giveaway! Ariel (aka author R M Archer) has won the cool bookmarks for entering my Rafflecopter FREEBIES giveaway! Congratulations Ariel…I’ve already sent you an email and once I receive your mailing address, those bookmarks will be winging their way to you soon! 

 

 

fairy house

 

***DON’T FORGET! It’s week two of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to win the cool fairie house shown above! 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 in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post, so enter the FREE giveaway and check next Monday to 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!*** 

***AND…it’s countdown time to the release of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound on 10/15/18! You can now pre-order your print copy through Amazon and other online retailers, so get your copy today!***

 

LUNADAR cover jpg.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, with the print edition coming October 15, 2018.

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.