“Well, THAT clearly didn’t work,” she grumbled, tapping her keyboard repeatedly and wincing at the answering repeated dings that only made her midday headache worse. Continue reading
Coffee
A Cup Untouched
© Ayr/Gray
From Jenne Gray and C.E. Ayr’s photo prompt. The Unicorn Challenge (04/14/23). No more than 250 words in length. Otherwise, let your creative flag fly!
“You realize that you’ve likely ruined the kettle, right?” She gazed beyond the electric tea kettle and pitcher of thick milk that perched, cooling, on the apartment’s veranda rail. Green trees and blue skies spread languorously, but the sharp, slightly fishy scent of the ocean nearby intruded at the will of the wind. She’d hoped for a walk through town down the hill – they were new to the area – but the scent was making her nauseous.
“A morning like this deserves a bracing cup of coffee!” the second enthused. “Rinse the kettle thoroughly and it’ll be good as new.” Continue reading
Doing Donuts
The prompts suggested by fellow bloggers and writers for Linda Hill’s Just-Jot-It January 2023 have been great sources of inspiration for revising my novel. We’re only half way through the month, but if you want to play (read others’ posts and/or write your own), here is where you go to join in the fun!
Today, I offer up my response to the prompt “DONUT,” which has nothing to do with my novel, but everything to do with beating the doldrums and trying new things. Hope you enjoy, and try something new today!
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Doing Donuts
“And after that, you told Kevin it was the last time?” Aribeth raised an eyebrow, quizzical, if not skeptical.
“I did, and I really meant it at the time,” Claudia gazed into her cup, swishing the tea leaves in search of possible patterns or prophetic truths. “But now, I’m not so sure.”
Their wooden chairs creaked in sympathy with their discomfort at revisiting the topic once again. Same local coffee & tea shop “Bean Me Up, Scottie”, quickly emptying of the morning rush, same low murmur of the regulars and staff. Claudia had her usual blueberry scone and English Breakfast tea, and Aribeth sat with a cooling Americano in a tall mug, no cream, no sugar. A gust of wind smacked against the picture window, and both jumped at the rattle of rain and sleet. They laughed; the icy rain apparently wanted to be part of their weekly ritual, too. Continue reading
Who’s Being Tamed?
(Looking & Mission, Jan 20-21)
Hunched just behind the shrub-encircled tree, he squeezes his eyes shut. He’s grown to love the sunny-morning scent that precedes the screech and bang of the screen door, the soft pad of bare feet on cold, painted cement, followed by the softer hush of those feet crossing the grass. The wooden chair groans as she lowers herself onto its cool slant and tucks her legs out of the dew. Continue reading
Solitude’s End
He’d first caught the scent’s fragrant tang on an early morning breeze, on the first days after the snows had well and truly departed, and Summer lay tripping and sliding just beyond his range of perception. Continue reading
Just-Jot-It-January (Jan 4-7)
So, this month I’m doing a challenge to write a micro a day, for Just-Jot-It-January. Thanks to Linda G. Hill, bloggers in the “Play Group” have proposed a one-word prompt for each day. Today’s prompt, “TEMPEST” was my suggestion! We share our responses back to Linda’s page, and are able to read what others come up with. I’ll post my responses every few days in bundles, to respect your in-boxes. But if a prompt tickles your imagination, please click its connecting link to read more!
Jan 7: Tempest
Eye of the Storm
It’d been one hell of a night. She came home from the evening shift to find the kitchen sink full, with dishes, as well as soapy water. This suggested an attempt had been made. Baby steps, she told herself, and opted to leave the mess for tomorrow. Continue reading
Bonus Points
He scanned her personal ad quickly before carefully composing his response and invitation; a woman with Suzy’s level of sophistication, stunning beauty, and sparkling sense of humor would not be on that dating site for very long, before she’d be wooed and snatched up by a bevy of beautiful boys. Continue reading
Valley 