Sunday Musings From Under the Steps: A Quiet Gift

I think this article said it all for me this week...

A Quiet Gift

Shhhhh Its a Secret Blogfest!!!!!!

My late entry for the Shh It's a Secret Blogfest being held by the lovely Summer Ross (BIG congrats on your first Blogfest!) at My Inner Fairy. Under 700 wrds BTW! Stop on by her blog and check out all the other wonderful entries this weekend and have a great day!

From my shelved WIP 'Touched' (Never got to editing stage—so I have 2 POV going in this...bad Nicole). The moment is shortly after Mike(my MC's best friend) blows up and demands Logan (my MC) tell him what’s going on, after Logan uses some of his abilities to help Mike subdue a bad guy on the island (My FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT BLOGFEST ENTRY). Logan has just told Mike about his secret abilities--his biggest secret, and now Mike wants Logan to show him some proof. So Logan shows his friend his mind reading skills. The scene is in the chapter, ‘So Is It a Jedi Mind Trick or What?’

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Mike grimly eyed his long lost friend. He still wasn’t sure about any of this, not by a long shot, but this ‘more human human’ before him was still the guy who had saved his life the night before and tried saving his late brothers life those many years ago. Logan was a friend. Hell, to a Mahoning that made you family. And even this new version of Logan, the jaded arrogance, coarse humor and darkness—he was still Logan. Aside from not telling him and his family that he was Seer Islands answer to Superman, Logan had never lied to them or taken advantage. He’d never hurt them...

‘Just kept one hell of a big honkin secret.’

“So what am I thinking now?” The bulky blond challenged, crossing his arms over his uniformed chest in a mildly childish stance.

Honestly, Logan had expected Mike to ask him to levitate a table or prick a finger and heal it. He’d already been witness to Logan’s strength and endurance. But the mind reading?

Quirking a dark brow at his pragmatic friend, Logan pushed off the window sill and stood before the young deputy, holding his friends unremitting stare. “Looking for proof, Sheriff?” Mike nodded. Logan simply shook his head, this moment bordering on a childhood dare. “Okay.”

Taking another step closer to Mike, Logan felt his friend flinch, but hold his spot at the center of the old hardwood floor. “You’re sure?”

“Do it.” Mike swallowed hard. Logan smirked then shook his head once more. He’d never been in the position where the person he was reading asked for it.

Taking in a deep breath, Logan raised his hand between them, palm out to Mike’s chest. He could feel the hum of life within his friend’s body—strong and steady like the lapping of warm ocean waves. Slowly his hand hovered to the side of Mike’s curly headed skull and began to see the shades of images sharpen and sounds become words. It was no surprise to Logan that his friend’s thoughts came to him as straightforward as the man who had them—with little hesitancy and no doubt.

“So-so what do ya see?” Mike blurted out.

Logan grinned, his eyes still closed. “I see a pretty brave guy for letting his ‘alien’ friend have his way with his brain.” Logan felt Mike’s entire body go ridged and smiled in spite of himself. “Kidding, buddy. Kidding.”

Logan lowered his hand and opened his eyes. He saw a lot inside the stalwart man before him; more than what he was comfortable revealing to the other man if he wanted to keep him as a friend. Things like how Mike had secretly envied Logan when they were children or the extent of Mike’s present fears—that he would not be able to keep the people of this island safe during the coming storm. No, what needed to be said now had nothing to do with the things he saw within his friends mind, but the reason why his friend had let him see them at all.

“You trust me.” His eyes steady on his friend. “You think I’m a little fucked up and you’re uncomfortable when Anne [Mike’s sister, also Logan’s childhood friend] and I are alone” Logan knowingly smirked when his friend’s eyes fell to his boots “but you trust me.”

Mike raised his head again and silently nodded.

“And that same trust does not extend to my family.” Logan continued.

“I’m sorry, Logan…”

“Don’t be. You are right not to.” Logan turned from his friend and walked back to his view of the mounting snow fall. Hell, he didn’t trust his own family. He was intimately aware of what his family was capable of and viewed mistrust as a survival skill when dealing with anything of his kin.

“And Anne?” Logan felt Mike’s brotherly concern before he spoke it. A pregnant silence fell between the men.

“I’d never hurt her, Mike. Believe that.” Logan just wished he could believe it too.

Finds and Friends: Thank You's and a Award.

I have a couple thank you's and a award to pay forward this Friday. First, a big long over due thank you to the ever multi-tasking and always generouse Lydia Kang at The World is My Oyster for the wonderful opportunity to win this...
...and a few other of it's deliciously wonderful smelling friends from...

I am LOVING the lavender soap. Thank you so much for the chance to enter your contest and congrats on making it past 300 followers. It was a wonderful prize. I am now no doubt hooked on the stuff!

Also, be sure to check out Doc Lydia's blog every Monday for Medical Mondays. Have a fiction related question regarding health and medicine, visit HERE and e-mail Lydia your question.

And a shout out and thank you to The Words Crafter over at The Rainy Day Wander, for awarding me The Bold Face Liar Creative Writer Award. I sort of hoping to get one of these. I love the concept. First, I am a wonderful liar. It's just true. But I have used it more for good and entertainment, I swear... *smirk* And second, I think a good fiction writer is a good liar. We fabricate stories around bits of truth and fiction, and then swindle others into believing the entirety of it. Journalist peddle the truth, Fiction Writers craft amazing lies. I truely have found my place.

So thank you my dear Words Crafter, and I shall pay this bit of fun forward. FYI, if you are not following this chick you are not one of the cool kids. So go HERE and enjoy yourself. You will find few bloggers so creative, supportive and thoughful of others in the bloggisphere.


So, the Rules atached to The Bold Face Liar Award...

The Bold Face Liar Creative Writer Award requires you to:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link to them.

2. Add the award to your blog.

3. Tell six outrageous lies about yourself and one truth. (Another variant: Tell six truths and one outrageous lie. YOU get to guess which variant I chose – and which statements are true, as well as which are lies.)

4. Nominate six creative liars writers and post links to them.

5. Let your nominees know that they have been nominated.

Can you figure out which group I went with? 6 lies or 6 truths? We'll see.

1. I visit China with my husband every 2-3 years.

2. I've seen a ghost.

3. I've talked a person out of killing someone.

4. I was published in Writers Digest.

5. I live in a fairly old and very creaky Colonial in the country.

6. I killed my cousin.

7. I use to 'dance' in college. It paid good.

Now you tell me if I won this award fairly. =^.^=


And I award The Bold Face Liar Award to...

1. Cort Ellyn at Wordweaver

2. Justin W. Parente at In My Write Mind

3. Old Kitty at Ten Lives and Second Chances

4. Roland at Writing In The Crosshairs (Because ya are ;-D)

5. Summer Ross at My Inner Fairy

6. DL at Cruising Altitude

And a extra Bold Face Liar award goes out to whoever guesses my lie or truth first!!!!

Thanks all, and I hope to have some more blogfests and contests up for your viewing soon. And check out all the nice folks above. They're a batch of great 'liars' and blogging friends!

Finds and Friends Friday: Blogfests and a Thank You!

Let me start by saying how much fun and how happy I was to come across a crop of new friends during the most recent Blogfests I've participated. Guess That Character Blogfest (my prt.1 and prt.2 reveal) hosted by Jen at unedited. And The Rainy Day Blogfest (my entry) hosted by Christine at The Writers Hole.

Again, I recommend entering one of these bits of entertainment, socialization and dare I say challenge to your writing skills.

While reading through many of the other entries, exchanging messages with other participants and browsing others blogs, I was reminded of what a great comfort having this creative outlet has been to me. I know I am not alone in my creative journey. That I have all of you--most I have never met face to face but found something in your entries that talked to me and made me a follower of you. You give me thought provoking articles, links, words of wisdom and folly. I enjoy or am moved by your stories and pictures. And I am given warmth when I get a personal message outside the blogisphere, showing me you have become more than a follower or followed, but a friend.

Having a blog, having followers (and I do not care if its just 5 or 500) has provoked me into being more aggressive with my writing schedule and my writing goals. Now that I have others eyes on me (paranoid much?) I feel more compelled to finish projects on time. 'Gettin er done' has taken on a more professional vibe for me--a good thing for a procrastinator.

And having this blog has sorta become my own version of mom's fridge. I cut, paste, link and write here, the things I have accomplished, things of pride and things I see as solid stepping stones on a right path.

So I raise my fresh brewed to you from under the steps and thank you for reminding me that I am not crazy! I am just a writer...

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BTW, a few upcoming blogfests to enjoy. If you have one coming up or know of one I do not have, drop me a line. I think when I hit my 100 mark, I will toss one of my own. *thinking*


* The Fairy Tale Blogfest is being held by Emily White at Stepping into Fantasy, August 30th. Love the pic!

* Fight, Fight, Fight! Blogfest is being held by JC Martin at Fight Writer. August 30th-31st. Felines really do kick ass!



* Flash Fiction contest held by Anne Riley at Anne Riley. Deadline Aug 31st.



The Blogfest of Food is being held by Angela McCallister at Jaded Love Junkie. September 23. Yum!!!



* And Michele Emrath is having a Happy Birthday Blogfest at Southern City Mysteries. September 24. Congrats!

Guess That Character Blogfest!!!

Welcome! First, a shout out to Jen at unedited, for throwing this wonderful Blogfest, the Guess That Character Blogfest. What a great way for all us to introduce our characters to the blogger world AND test our own view of what we want our characters to be.

Today will be the introductions to our characters. Just a bit of story to give ya a taste. Please take a peek at mine below and then tell me who you think my character is. What does he look like? How does he see himself, his world? And then check out all the other wonderful entries listed here.

Tomorrow, all participants in the fest will unveil our take on the characters in question and give you a visual of the faces that haunt our imaginations.

Have fun and happy reading folks. Thanks for stopping by!

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And now, may I once again introduce Wyatt Paxton from my WIP, Ghost Mountain...

Down went the wood gavel in fast and furious succession. “Folks, we need to start this meeting…”

Wyatt closed his eyes before he had the chance to roll them. Mayor Jenkins attempt at order had rapid fired through his skull one too many times tonight. So quickly Wyatt stepped from his inconspicuous vantage point outside the crowd and stealthily moved to the front of the meeting hall, and then took the small stage in one leap.

A shrill whistle rented the air. Wyatt lowered his fingers from his lips. The roar of the room quickly faded to a few whispers and coughs from his friends and neighbors.

“Mayor.” Wyatt nodded to his flustered but relieved Major, knowing and not caring that the man was annoyed at his assist.

Mayor Barney Jenkins had been Deputy Mayor only five months before. But after Mercy Corners much loved Mayor Branagan passed on unexpectedly of a heart attack during a fishing trip, the job fell to Jenkins to finish the remainder of the term. It didn’t take a rocket scientist or a leader of men to see that the new title was chafing the less experienced man in spots that were bound to make Wyatt and the rest of the town uncomfortable for the next six months.

“Thank you Sheriff Paxton.” Mayor Jenkins acknowledged through tight lips without looking at him. “Now lets begin this meeting by introducing…”

Impervious to his Mayors slight, Wyatt made to step down from the low stage, forgetting all eyes had fallen obediently to him earlier, including Mary’s…

‘Damn, she’s still beautiful.’

In that moment, Wyatt felt like his boots had been nailed to the steps and at some point between restoring order to the room and finding his old high school sweetheart staring up at him, his heart had stopped along with his motor skills. Wyatt felt like he was falling and he didn’t like it one bit.

Maybe if he'd been thinking strait, he would have noticed just how struck Mary had been seeing him too. It had been fifteen years. But then again, Wyatt's sniper vision had always been a bit blurry when seeing himself through others eyes.

WIP Wednesday: What WIP's Get Happy About?

What does a Work In Progress get happy about? What made me happy this week?

• 2,000 more words added to my WIP Ghost Mountain yesterday. (Check out the simple but happy little word counter on the left column. Watch her climb!)
• My Focus on Fiction Group at my local B&N is this Sunday. A WIP--or at least this WIP, always looks forward to my writing groups.
• Two jewelry pieces picked to be on Etsy Treasury this month. HERE and HERE!!!!!! It's nice being noticed by your creative peers. The newest pick was my Regal Beach Pearls and Crushed Velvet Multi-Strand Necklace.

• Here is a BIG ;-D for the week. I won a $15.00 Gift Certificate for Barnes and Nobles for my entry and advertising of DL's High Drama Blogfest at Cruising Altitude. THANK YOU DL! And a big congrats to the other six winners! It was a blast!!!!!
  
• How about the opportunity to join in on another wonderful Blogfest in the VERY near funture! Remember Jen at unedited, is throwing the Guess That Character Blogfest August 19th and 20th. That's tomorrow kids!!!!
  
  
  

  
  
  
  I am thinking I may use that new bit of WIP that I was going to use for the Weather Blogfest but then said I was going to use today for WIP Wednesday. That will work.

• I have also enjoyed new blog designs and Etsy Widgets this week. The Blog header was a pic I took of some of my things lain about--WIP sorts stuff, and then I used Adobe to play with the image a bit. And I do like the wider look of this new blog design a lot better. And the Etsy Widget can be found just under my followers and traslator. Cool, compact and useful I think. I know a few of you who follow have a Etsy shop, so check it out and see if ya want one for your own.

So what got the WIP in you all geared up and cheery. Share! It's good for the creative ego. Ya know ya wanna!

Finds and Friends Friday: Confernces and Blogfests and Awards OH MY!

FIND: I was catching up on my blog reading (still am) and found a FREE On Line Conference mentioned on the lovely Lydia Kang's Blog, The World is My Oyster. The WriteOnCon is an online writer's conference for kidlit writers, but all are welcome, since many of the programs will deal with writing in general. For more details you can check out this page. It's being held next week.

And also a reminder, The Muse Online Writers Conference is being held October 11-17. Just click the link on my side column.

FIND and FRIEND: Sharde at Realm of Randomness was nice enough to award me with this award...

And in turn I am to pay it forward to…

Ira Mency at Ira Mency

Victor at Only this, and nothing more

Cort Ellyn at Wordweaver

Clutterbug at ...and then...

and Justin W. Parente at In My Write Mind

Now you lovely folks now need to pay forward this pretty bit of blog bling to 5 other lucky bloggers you know and love. AND everyone else, stop by and check out these fairly new bloggers to the blogisphere.

As for Sharde, she is presently trying out a bit of a “social experiment” she is calling, I Write to You From…A very cool letter writing campaign this coming week. Check her out!!!!

And some reminders (who are friends)...

DL at Cruising Altitude has a prize filled High Drama Blogfest August 7th! So come one, come all!!!










And Roland at Writing In The Crosshairs continues his story, Ghost of a Chance. A wonderful tale about a writer and his amazing adventures through fictional worlds of his own making, while accompanied by the ghostly embodiments of his many writerly muses. At present, he is being accused of killing ghosts and on the run!!!



Miss someone or something, let me know!!!!!

Milestone Blogfest and more!

Today I'm making timely use of Donna Hole's Milestones Blogfest! A chance to toot your or someone else's horn! I plan to do both and very simply.

As of this week, I now have 50 followers. I like to think of that as a milestone in bloggerland. And I want to thank all of you who have stopped by, read my rambling prattle and decided it was interesting enough to stick around to read more of said prattle. Again, thank you so much for stopping by and staying.

I would also like to send a shout out to all the lovely bloggers who have and will be holding blogfests in the near future...

* DL at Cruising Altitude has a prize filled High Drama Blogfest August 7th!

* And at A Little Slice of Nothing, "The Weather Blogfest". Due August 14.

* The Literary Lab's second annual Genre Wars Anthology presents "Notes From Underground" contest!

* Jen at unedited, is throwing the Guess That Character Blogfest August 19th and 20th.

* And check out The Funniest Blogfest Ever at Thoughts by Lilah Pierce, held on September 1st.

Missed any? I will be happy to put them up on my Blogfest and Contests tab!

Finds & Friends: Authonomy, Legend Fire, Etsy and a Thanx!

Hello from my cluttered little base of operations Under the Steps. Napoli the Cat,if you can see him in the pic, says hello too. I hope your end of the week was worth the fight to get to it and success to your weekend plans.

Now I have some finds and a thank you to share today.

First...








authonomy is a on-line community for writers, readers and publishers, created by book editors at HarperCollins publishing.

For the writer, authonomy is a place to expose your finished or close to finished works to the reading public, other writers, publishers and agents. You can set up your own on-line profile, get and give reviews of other works, all the while competing for a spot in the rankings and the possibility of getting your book noticed by agents and publishers alike.

It's different and maybe not for everyone, but its a site worth checking out.

LegendFire is a free, author-driven, online creative writing community. Its a fairly cozy spot for authors and poets alike, from a broad range of genres. You can exchange feedback, offer and participate in writing challenges and contests, participate in interactive writing projects, find resources and make friends in the writing community.

The site does represent a fair share of genres, but its especially friendly to the sci-fi, fantasy and horror folks. Stop by and check them out!

Now I know you folks have spotted my Etsy shop add at the right of my blog, Salvaged Beauty by Nicole Murray. This is part unabashed plug to get you nice folks to visit my small and fairly new shop. Yes--yes it is!

BUT...

It's also a invitation to all of you out there who have considered selling the lovely things you create with your own two hands. You know what I am talking about. Those great handmade gifts you give to your friends and family on holidays and birthdays. The jewelry or cloths you make for yourself, but everyone compliments. The skill or project that you always thought you might be able to sell if you just had a good place to do it. Etsy could be that place for you.

I have found the site easy to navigate and I enjoy having a spot to show and sell my jewelry and art projects for only a small fee and a bit of my time. I have found the selling and buying community on Etsy to be supportive, resourceful and inspiring. And of course Etsy is a great place to find one of a kind handmade gifts, vintage finds and a wide variety of art and craft supplies.

So push the Etsy icon. I know you want to.

And my thank you goes out to the lovely Tessa at Tessa's Blurb who awarded all participants in her Blogfest of Death. Thank you Tessa!

My entry...

And as always, check out my Contests, Blogfests & Sales tab at the top of my blog. I add new when I find them.

Have a great weekend folks and thank you for visiting Under the Steps.

Finds and Friends Friday: An Award and BLOGFESTS!!!

Hello folks. First, I figured out how to work my new Net Book Webcam this morning (Does that look like a morning face or what?). I am happy that my Net Book bits work, but taking my own pic this way felt kinda--oh, I don't know? Vain?!? I really am a young old fuddy duddy.

Anywho...

This Friday Under the Steps I have a award to pass on to some nice folks and a update on any Blogfests you might not have found on your own. (If you have one I missed, lay it on me and I will add it to the list. Thanx!)

Not long ago The Words Crafter at The Rainy Day Wanderer awarded me The Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you my blogger buddy. And with this particular award comes a few rules:

• Thank the giver(s) and link back to their blog(s).
• Share seven things about yourself that others probably don't know.
• Pass along to eight (originally fifteen) bloggers. Criteria: Adaptable, Flexible, Multifaceted, Resourceful, Multi-talented, and Versatile Bloggers.
• Comment on their blogs to let them know about their award.

Again, thank you Words Crafter!!!!!!! And now a little bit about me...

1. I grew up poor. As in lived in a trailer, grandma had a outhouse till I was 12, rural poor.
2. I worked in the Mental Health field for over a decade. Started while I was still in college.
   
3. I have 3 cats. Napoli, Angelina, and Isis (or Issy The Flying Cat)
   
4. I really do enjoy being married.
   
5. I wrote fan fiction under the name Ann Pendragon.
   
6. I once chased off a group of drug addled teenagers trying to steal my car with a pair of scissors and a whole lot of obscenities. It was at a job site. The car was a piece of shit, but it was my POS.
7. Up until I was a pre-teen I wanted to be a paleontologist, a archeologist or a cop. A secret agent on really energetic days. I switched up these dreams about every other month. ;-P

NOW, the 8 lovely bloggers I shall pass on The Versatile Blogger Award... (And I hate picking people for these things because I know I have left someone out that I also enjoyed very much!)

Roland at Writing in the Crosshairs

Lydia at The World is My Oyster

All the lovely ladies at Prairie Chicks Write Romance

DL at Cruising Altitude

B.E. Sanderson at The Writing Spectacle

Luli at Ler, comer e amar

cArLa at pApEr cLiPPiNgS oF a WaNdEriNg ArTiSt

Raquel Byrnes at Raquel Byrnes

...lord that was tough. I had to pull a couple out of a proverbial hat because its hard to choose.

Now winners, enjoy and go share the award and a bit of yourself!


AND some upcoming blogfests. Take the pics and post them on your own blogs to spread the fun!!!

* Looking to kill off a character? Do it here. The Blogfest of Death at Tessa's Blurb. July 18th!

* Festival of the Trees is having a call for Submissions: Festival 50, Trees Through a Child’s Eyes Fest! July 29th is the deadline.

*And July 31, toot your own or someone elses horn at the Milestones Bogfest! Brought to you be Donna Hole.

* DL at Cruising Altitude has a prize filled High Drama Blogfest August 7th!

* And at A Little Slice of Nothing, "The Weather Blogfest". Due August 14.

* The Literary Lab's second annual Genre Wars Anthology presents "Notes From Underground" contest!

Check back for more Blogfest and Contests. Just go to my Contests,Blogfests&Sales tab at the top of my Blog!

Zombie Luv Flash Fic Contest

I know its a little late in the day (I went to the site and found the contest already closed????)but I'd like to put out my entry for the Zombie Luv Flash Fiction Fest

Oh well. I have never written a Zombie fic and it was fun. So here we go, in all its sick glory. I promise I know how to write happy stuff!!!!!!! Just not today.
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What Lonely Wanted

She was special. She was special before the world went into the shitter. Back in the day, any guy would have given their left nut to be with Missy McQueen and now… Well, Chaz Dooley was going to give a lot more.

Chaz leaned his shotgun against the steel gate forgotten and then tossed his jacket up on the fence never to be worn again. Stepping into the corral, a deep guttural groan greeted him from the far end of the paddock. Chaz smiled wistfully.

They had been together before; she was his second living dead girl. Hell, there were more living dead girls than the ones with heart beats these days, so a guy had to take his chances “dating”. Chances being cornering, roping and then gagging the date so extremities weren’t eaten. The rest was the “dating” part.

“Missy, I’m back. I told ya I would be back.”

Dark ruby eyes glowered from the shadows, sending a groin tightening chill up Chaz’s spine. Stepping closer he could see that she was nearly free from the bonds he had left her in earlier this week. Her long flaxen hair hung in clotted dreads and dirt. The last outfit she wore before her change torn asunder by her months questing for flesh and brains and Chaz and her ‘lovemaking’.

Chaz took in an adoring sigh and came up to his captive/loves gagged maw. “I missed you and now I’m going to join you my beautiful girl.”

This last month, life in Tulsa had taken to a whole new level of living dead apocalypse hell. Besides Chaz, only a handful of humanity was left within the city limits and with no contact from the rest of the world abroad it was looking pretty bleak. All of his friends, family, even most of his enemies were now dead or living dead. Just this morning his Mom wobbled by the house and he threw her a rat for breakfast.

Chaz was lonely and people like Chaz made lonely an obsession. He ached to be a part of something because the living crowd he was presently a part of was dwindling down to dust.

And when he ran into Missy or ran from Missy a month ago while looking for canned goods down 5th street, he knew he had found that something—that someone he was needing.

Missy had begun to thrash and gurgle. The gag in her mouth was now bit through in anticipation and the ropes anchoring her to the barn fence threatened to give. It’s what Chaz wanted. He wanted her to free herself and come to him—embrace him in her fierce primeval grip and claim him.

“Take me Missy.” Chaz raised his arms up and out, welcoming his becoming. “Take me—make me one of you so I’m not alone…”
And she did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some would say Chaz Dooley was a fairly sick SOB for loving a Zombie like he did. Others would say he was just crazy lonely in a world gone mad. I’d say Chaz found Zombie luv.

The "I Can't Say It" Blog Fest AND Wednesday WIP!

Shelley at Stories in the Ordinary is hosting the "I Can't Say That!" Blog Fest today. Follow the link and stop on by. Check out the other wonderful and varied offerings from other writers in the blogisphere.

Since said Blog Fest fell on a Wednesday (Wednesday WIP), I wrote mine as yet another scrap to arrange into my WIP (and edit later when I have more of that chapter). I even had a place for said scrap before I wrote it, just hadnt gotten to it yet. The below bit will be in my WIP 'Ghost Mountain and will be used as a flashback later in the story. A scene that helps the reader better understand why my MC Wyatt made some of the choices he did.

Enough chat. Here we go...

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"Ya tell people what they’ve meant to you, boy…"

Wyatt shook away his Uncles words and stood a little straighter in the doorway of his father’s hospital room. ‘I can do this.’

“So ya just gonna slouch there moping? You were always such a god damned mope.”

“How would you know Eli, you haven’t seen me in six years…”

“That was your choice, boy. You and that milquetoast brother of mine. I say you deserve one another.”

It WAS Wyatt’s choice and it was his uncle who gave it to him—his Uncle, Ms. Sissy and Mary. A chance at a new life away from this man.

“So you think showing up at your daddies deathbed is gonna make it all better then!” A harsh bark became a fit of ragged coughs. Emaciated, life worn, cancer riddled and as mean streaked as he always was or would be, Eli Paxton bent forward in his hospital bed clutching his snot rag to his mouth and then spat another clot of blood into the emptied bed pan in his lap.

Wyatt made no move to help the man, nor did he leave. He was here to tell Eli—this never-was-a-father-by-a-long-shot man exactly what he meant to him. How after all Eli had done, it would not stop Wyatt from becoming a better man than the man who bore him. Wyatt was going to tell him so he could let him go…

“And you brought that Givens girl with ya.” Eli nodded past Wyatt to the young girl down the hospital hall. “I heard about you two. My do-nothing mope of a son fornicating with that uppity little Givens girl.”

“Leave her alone…”

Eli snorted at Wyatt’s disdain. “Oh I am certain her pa is none too pleased. Already knows what kind of mate Paxton’s make. You’ll mess her up good, boy. And you’ll run just like your mamma.”

Silence fell between the men where Wyatt had wanted his words to begin and underlying fears found their way into Wyatt’s heart. He wanted to tell his old man he’d never run. He wanted to shout that it was Eli who chased his mother away. And he wanted to swear he would never hurt Mary—never Mary. But the words didn’t come. There would be no strength in them and his Uncle always told him saying nothing was better than saying something you didn’t feel.

Not long after, Wyatt stepped out into the hall knowing if he’d said how he felt to the old man the words could have built in strength. Maybe he would have believed them in time if he’d just said them aloud. And not long after Mary wrapped her arms around his ridged form in support, did Wyatt realize he would let his father’s dying words come true.

Paying Forward: The Bloom of an Idea Award

I have recently won a couple awards and both were the pay it forward type in one way or the other. I thought that since I reached my 20th follower this past week, I would give a award to all of you who clicked 'follower' when I have so few, inspired me by something you wrote on your own blogs and made me a follower of you.

The Bloom of an Idea Award goes to those who gave me something to think about--from your own post or a comment on my own. I am glad to have you and hope to hear from all of you soon. And I hope you enjoy this thank you.

My new friends...

Roland D. Yeomans at Writing In The Crosshairs
Stephanie at Stephanie Boman
Lydia Kang at The Word is My Oyster
Susan Fields at Susan Fields
Shelley at Stories in the Ordinary
B.E. Sanderson at The Writing Spectacle
The ladies at Prairie Chicks Write Romance
Andrea at Andrea Pearson Books
Alexandra Crocodile at Friends & Crocodiles
Jen at unedited
Diamond at Diamond-Yup,Like the Stone
DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude
Mia at My Literary Jam and Toast
Anne Gallagher at Piedmont Writer
Doris at "Hold my hand": a social worker's blog
Julie Musil at Julie Musil
Elliot Grace at So close, but...
The Words Crafter at The Rainy Day Wanderer
Melissa at From my somewhat serious mind
Angela A at Highly Active Imagination
Janet at Janet's Journal

Finds and Friends Friday

First the friend. Alexandra Crocodile awarded me a very lovely bit of blog bling today. A wonderful surprise at the start of a 3 day weekend. Thank you so much and I will be happy to pay it forward this weekend to 15 other followers (and followed since I'm still new). Alexandra hails from Norway and is a student, a writer(loves mystery), a hat and chocolate and cat lover and the custodian of a very lovely blog Friends and Crocodiles. Check her out!

And my find is The Muse Online Writers Conference. A FREE (Free till August 15th) online writers conference coming up October 11 through the 17th. Sign up now and enjoy a full week of online seminars and meet and greets with published writers and writing professionals. I signed uplast year and enjoyed the comradery and the info. Definitely check it out.

Well then, off to the races. Type ya Sunday and Happy 4th!

The Best Bead Give-A-Way Ever!!!!!!

The Best Bead Give-A-Way Ever!!!!!! At Denise Yezbak Moore's Blog Bling It On!

Winner will be Announce July 2nd. You still have time to enter!
Facebook counts as a share. The weight of the beads are 7 1/2 pounds! Well OVER $350.00 worth of beads out of my bead stash! Some still have the tags on them! Followers have a vote. Split the stash 6 ways for more happy or one big prize. Sign up today! There is still time.

Finds and Friends Friday

A FIND & FRIEND: (One I know I will be using some time soon for my WIP!)

I am fairly new to Blogger and I am fairly certain the few that follow me so far know Lydia Kang at The World is my Oyster, a blogger/Doctor/Writer/Mothers...and the list goes on. Every Monday is Medical Monday at Lydia's blog, where fellow bloggers can e-mail their fiction-related medical questions and read other queries answered so generously by the good doctor. Of course any other day of the week is a wonderful time to find wonderful insights on writing and blogging life at The World is my Oyster. ;-D

And Lydia was nice enough to pay forward some of her numerous blog awards to a bunch of her followers this week. I picked this one out of the litter.


Thank you Lydia! I can honestly say the "scrap" that comes out of me is plentiful, but it is honest and I love the award.