FSF Challenge - Marriage

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Marriage

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Another short one...

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Undying Devotion

  
 

"I'm sorry to hear about your wife, Mr. Jennings."
"Thank you, Sarah. She was good to me, and I miss her very much."
"How long were you married?"
He looked away, then speaking softly, said, "Forever."

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

For Tess

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My first pass at this poem was for Lillie McFerrin's Five Sentence Fiction, and is posted here. The ending is a bit dark and ominous, and I had reservations about writing it that way. The autumn is a time for reflection, and about enjoying nature at its best. The clear air, the bright colors, the holidays—there is so much about the season I enjoy. After the beginning of the year, however, there are the cold, short days of winter. While winter has its own charms, it can also be a dreary contrast to the fall. Just ask anyone with seasonal affective disorder. Perhaps that is what came out in my first poem. I had even thought about writing two versions of the same poem. When Tess made comments with some of the same concerns that I had, I decided to add a version with a brighter ending.

This one is for you, Tess.

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Autumn Dream

  

Twisting, turning, colors burning,
On the wind they dance,
Slowly strolling, gently rolling,
Down the lane they prance.

The season's call makes others fall
Like red and orange snow,
Forming waves of brown and beige
And yellow all aglow.

Then frosty nights trim leaves in white,
A fragile crystal lace,
And frigid air, despite due care,
Nips every child's face.

Spread like charms across the farms,
Pumpkins now appear,
And apples feed the occasional steed
Or wandering white-tailed deer.

Though hints of snow on north winds blow
That whisper wintry ways,
Young couples smile and pause a while
In dreams of autumn days.

                                                 K. R. Smith

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Somebody Loves Me

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Well, maybe not me personally. But someone liked my poem. Close enough...

 

I chanced upon a review of Gothic Blue Book III on Goodreads by Die Booth, and she mentioned my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack.

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'Gothic Blue Book III: The Graveyard Edition', published by Burial Day Books, is named after the Gothic Blue Books of the 19th century which were often abridged versions of popular gothic novels and as such were looked down upon as poor quality. The name and tone of 'Gothic Blue Book III' is where the similarity ends however, because this book is a great read full of entertaining new horror fiction, with most of the stories featuring a graveyard in some capacity.

These tales tend more towards the suspenseful and unsettling than the gory - although a few of them are outright terrifying. There's even a couple of poems thrown into the mix, and as someone not generally very fond of poetry I can confirm that I absolutely loved K.R. Smith's traditional-feeling murder tale 'The ballad of drunken Jack'.

The standout for me though has to be Jessica McHugh's 'Auntie Grave', personally one of the best horror shorts I've read in a long time, beautifully written, believably characterised and memorably unsettling.

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I couldn't have asked for a better review if I'd written it myself. (And, no, I didn't.)

Thank you, Ms. Booth! In my unbiased opinion, you are a person of superior intellect with refined literary tastes.

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Orange You Glad You Dropped By?

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It seems I am forever apologizing for my titles (sorry!), but I had to get the color orange in there somehow!

I have a new short story coming out as part of an anthology for middle-grade school kids. The title of the story is One Above Zero. It's about a girl named Zoe who is the target of bullying by her classmates because of a health problem. The book is Tales From the Bully Box and will be published by Elephant’s Bookshelf Press.

The anthology is in support of an anti-bullying effort by PACER. Orange is the color they have chosen to show support for their cause. And today, October 22, 2014, is designated as Unity Day when their supporters wear orange.

A post by Cat Woods, the editor and a contributor, describing how this project came about is found on The Bully Box web site. For kids interested in the book, Cat has this post.

The book is in the final stages of preparation, but the cover is ready and here it is!

More on this when the book is released!

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - If You Ever Thought Your Day Was Bad

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Yes, it's been a long time since I posted a weekly photo. I apologize. I've been meaning to put this on the blog since the summer, but I've been busy. It has nothing to do with writing, but every writer has a rough day, so... 

All I can say is, if you thought your day was bad, imagine how the guy with the red truck feels.

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Image TOW_TRUCK_GETS_TOWED_WITH_TRUCK.JPG ©2014 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used, in whole or in part, with attribution.

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Falling

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Falling

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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A simple poem for autumn.

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The Price of Autumn
  

Twisting, turning, colors burning,
On the wind they dance,
Slowly strolling, gently rolling,
Down the lane they prance.

The season's call makes others fall
Like red and orange snow,
Forming waves of brown and beige
And yellow all aglow.

Then frosty nights trim leaves in white,
A fragile crystal lace,
And frigid air, despite due care,
Nips every child's face.

Spread like charms across the farms,
Pumpkins now appear,
And apples feed the occasional steed
Or wandering white-tailed deer.

Yet we must pay for such fine days
With darkness in our soul,
For shortened days and cloudy grays
Will soon be winter's toll.

                                                 K. R. Smith

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

HB Challenge #11 - Bad Hair Day

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Horror Bites Challenge #11

From the Office Mango website:

So this is an extremely late Horror Bites Challenge. What with the Referendum and the release of In Creeps the Night I’ve been kinda busy. Maybe I should get the hang of scheduling posts in advance lol

Anyway I was going to use a picture I took the other weekend when at family but the lovely Josie Beaudion has some totally amazing pics of Yellowstone Park and I couldn’t resist them. Look out for them in the coming weeks, you’ll spot a theme so maybe we’ll encourage some of you to write a continuing story…..

1:  Tales can be posted on your blogs & then just add to the wee linky tool, or add as a comment if you don’t have a blog.

2:  A word count of 200-350.

3:  Try to scare me, or at the very least create a little bit of darkness.

4:  This will be a fortnightly (two weeks) challenge from when the post goes live, so you’ve got plenty thinking time.

So come on what are you waiting for, go find your inner demons and get your scare on!

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BTW, as of October 16th, In Creeps the Night was:
   #6 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Anthologies & Literature Collections > Horror (US) 
  and
   #7 in Kindle Store > Books > Teen & Young Adult > Horror > Short Stories (UK)

Doing very nicely!

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Bad Hair Day

    "Okay, Henderson, you've called me out here all the way from Washington. What's so important about a three-point-five magnitude earthquake?"
    "It's not the magnitude that is of interest, sir, but what the quake left behind. When it hit, the soil liquefied. A lot of gas rose from the site."
    "That's not particularly unusual. Anytime that happens trapped gases can escape."
    "Most often, however, those gases are methane, carbon dioxide, or sulfur dioxide—you know—the stuff that gives a foul odor around volcanoes."
    "Sure, but you're not going to tell me this is a volcano erupting. The geology is all wrong."
    "Just the opposite, sir. The gas coming from this site is almost pure oxygen."
    "That can't be. Have you checked your instruments?"
    "More often than I'd like to admit. The oxygen level is particularly high around the structure in the center of the site. It wasn't there before the quake."
    "Do you mean that old tree trunk?"
    "It's not a tree. We took a sample, and it's nearly all protein. Under a microscope it has a structure similar to a rhinoceros horn."
    "I don't follow you, Henderson."
    "It's hair, sir. Compacted hair.
    "Hair?"
    "Yes. And it seems to be growing out of something."
    "Something? Can you be more specific?"
    "No, sir. But whether we destroy it, extract it, or bury it, I'm going to need a little help."

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What will Henderson do? Check back and maybe the story will continue!

(229 words without the title, and I do apologize for the title...) 

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Previous Horror Bites challenges: 

Cross Words (#10)
The Door (#9)
Wrapped in a Mystery (#8)
If The Shoe Fits (#7)
You Won't Feel A Thing (#6)
The Wings of Death (#5)

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Tales From The Bully Box Cover Reveal

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I'm not entirely sure how I became involved with this, but I have a new short story coming out as part of an anthology for middle-grade school kids. It's different from most of my stories in that it doesn't involve anything of a speculative nature. The title of the story is One Above Zero. It's about a girl named Zoe who is the target of bullying by her classmates because of a health problem. The book is Tales From the Bully Box and will be published by Elephant’s Bookshelf Press.

The anthology is in support of an anti-bullying effort by PACER. A post by Cat Woods, the editor and a contributor, describing how this project came about is found on The Bully Box web site. For kids interested in the book, Cat has this post.

The book is in the final stages of preparation, but the cover is ready and here it is!

More on this when the book is released!

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Horizon

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Horizon

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Another short one...

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The Journey

    "I just don't know if it's worth the effort." She ordered another drink before turning to her friend and saying, "I keep trying and trying, yet my goal seems just as far away now as when I started."
    "Perhaps that is all you really need."
    "I don't understand."
    "You can set your sail toward the horizon, and though you will never reach it, isn't the sunset beautiful?"

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Hunger

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Hunger

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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A short one this week...

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Silent Plea

    "Why did you give that girl money?"
    "She needed help."
    "But she didn't say anything. How could you know?"
    "When I looked into her eyes I didn't just see the pains of an empty stomach, I could feel it."

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

We're Number 1...

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...in the UK.

 

50 creepy reasons 4 the season #shortstory #anthology #flashfiction #horror #Halloween http://t.co/ZJlV7YPzCK pic.twitter.com/6vh3XTCQC3

— BlueHarvestCreative (@JustAddBlue) October 6, 2014

Just saw that In Creeps the Night was #1 in Kindle books for teen and young adult horror short stories on Amazon UK (see orange block in image below). Since there are fifty stories, I'm claiming 1/50 of that.

 

Doing fair on this side of the pond (it was up to #2 in a couple of categories at one time, but now down to #9), but it could do better! Come on, USA! It's for charity!

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

In Creeps The Night

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NOTE: This page was updated 04/18/2018 to provide a new image for the book and link to Amazon. The original links were broken. Also, this book is now published by BHC Press. It is now available in eBook, softcover, hard cover, and audiobook formats. 

In Creeps the Night, the Halloween-themed charity anthology from BHC Press with my story Little Monsters, is now available! You can find it here on Amazon (Kindle ebook) just in time for Halloween!



List of authors (with links to their web sites where available) and their story title:

AD Trosper           The Loop
Ailsa Abraham        Unexpected Visit
Andrew Patch         The Scarecrow
Angie Trafford       Subliminal
AR Meyering          The Dandelion Child
Ashley Fontainne     Whispered Pain

Beth Avery           Guardians

Catherine Connolly   Dealbreaker
Chris Fitzner        Murder House
Chris Glover         Eyes
Cory Eadson          Mr Morbid

DeVante Smith        Transitions
DJ Tyrer             Treat?
DM Kilgore           Nightfall’s Wraith

Edward Brock         A Cup of Yes or No
EG Smith             A Rustle of Leaves
Elle White           Delivery
Eric Brown           Under the Surface
Eric Martell         Penance
Essel Pratt          Fugacious Penubra

J Whitworth Hazzard  Ghoul’s Night Out
Joni Lynn            Ink

Kate Jennings        Final Investigations
Kayleigh Edwards     Now You See Them
Kevin G Bufton       The Face of Evil
Kevin Hammond        Write me In
KR Smith             Little Monsters

LaDonna Cole         Silenced
Laura Jamez          Vampire
Leslie Fulton        Dead Man Laughing
Lional Ray           Green Shadow
Lisa Shambrook       The Raven’s Bid

MA Walker            The Shadow Man
Marissa Ames         The Dark Spot
Mark W Coulter       The Mother-Thing
Mary MacFarlane      Live Witness
Michael Wombat       The Angel of Death
Morgan Griffith      Hellaway Bridge

Nick Johns           Gazes Also

Rebecca Fyfe         Immune
Rebecka Vigus        Finding Ghosts
Renan Nunes          Finders, Keepers
Ruth Long            Delivered
Ryan T Nuhfer        Closet Door

Shaun Avery          Child Chant
Sorcha O’Dowd        Friendly Fire
Spencer Stoner       On The Way Home
SR Karfelt           Golden Years

Theresa Miller       Deadliest Nursery Rhyme

William Dyer         A Dance of Amber

Note: If you are one of the authors and I don't have a link to your website, let me know and I'll be glad to add it.

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Wheels

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Wheels

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Some people only want the best for their friends—no matter how it screws up everyone else...

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The Matchmaker Strikes Out
 

    "It's just that Brad and Sara as so right for each other."
    "You're not going to try to play match-maker again are you, Debbie?"
    "Well, being they're both so shy, I did have a few ideas on how to get them together—if you'd be willing to help."
    "Oh, I can hear those little wheels turning, but if you'll recall what happened before, I'm the one who got run over. Having already lost two good friends to your meddlesome schemes, all I can say is 'No, thanks'."

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Starship Farragut Kickstarter

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Although science fiction isn't my favorite genre, I do dabble in it from time to time. And after spending the weekend with a bunch of Trekkies at Shore Leave 36, I have been keeping up with it a little more than before. So when I ran into this kickstarter plea from the folks who create the Starship Farragut stories, I had to give them a plug.

They're working on a big project (movie length) called The Crossing and need a little help in financing their endeavor.

If you have a few extra bucks, maybe you can help them out! And they still have a lot of prizes / gifts left for those who donate (as of 9/23/2014).

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Grief

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Grief

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Just keep walking...

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Tears of Stone

 

    "It's sad enough to bury a child, but if we're going to have a decent funeral I must insist on the family plot being properly maintained. I should think you would have the statuary cleaned as that horrid figure of a weeping woman on his wife's grave is simply covered with mildew. The child's father is the only survivor and I don't wish to make this any more depressing than it already is."
    "I'm sorry, Madam, but I don't understand. We have no statuary like that in our cemetery."

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Image source: Image source: http://lilliemcferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/grief_by_firesign24_7-300x234.jpg

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Beth Rhodes - Unwanted Vows

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Beth Rhodes, one of the writer / bloggers I follow, has a new book out through Boroughs Publishing! The title is Unwanted Vows and it's available for Kindle at Amazon. It's also available in Epub and PDF format directly from Boroughs.

Just in case you couldn't tell from the cover, Beth writes romance. From the Amazon site, here's a bit more of what it's about:

To safely raise her daughter, Samantha Hollister must join wounded U.S. Army veteran Morgan Lawrence in rediscovering an old love that never truly disappeared.

WOUNDED
Samantha Hollister is done relying on other people to take care of—or abuse—her. Her ex-husband is out of the picture now…like her family home, the haven she intended to seek. Her father just sold it to her high-school sweetheart, the man who abandoned her many years ago for the army. The man who still makes her heart flutter. But Samantha has vowed to never be led astray again. She has a daughter.

WANTING
Despite being injured in action, Morgan Lawrence lives life to the fullest. Each day is a gift, and after five years he is finally one step away from opening a resort for wounded veterans like himself. Unfortunately, a woman stands in his way. And while she has changed, Samantha remains everything he’s ever wanted. Now it’s a matter of helping her see which promises are meant to be broken, and that being strong doesn’t mean one has to fight alone.

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Cover Reveal - In Creeps The Night

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Updated Sept. 10, 2014: There is a list of the authors for this anthology available on the J.A.Mes website.

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Finally!

The cover for In Creeps The Night, a flash fiction horror anthology by J.A.Mes Press, has been revealed! It was created by their partner Blue Harvest Creative.

Cover of
In Creeps The Night

I rather like it. The fact that it will contain one of my own stories (titled Little Monsters) is entirely irrelevant. Well—I may be just the tiniest bit biased...

The book should be available on September 30, 2014. The proceeds for this anthology go to Mothers Without Borders, a volunteer, non-profit organization. From their website:

"Our purpose at Mothers Without Borders is to address the needs of orphaned and abandoned children in a holistic manner. We support efforts to provide safe shelter, food and clean water, education and access to caring adults. We want to assure that each child has someone who cares about them to teach them of their value."

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Darkness

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Darkness

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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The girl is a bit of a mystery...

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Dark Child

 

    Marissa was such a sweet girl, so I can't say what changed as she grew older. As kids, we would set together on the bluff holding hands during moonlit nights while watching out over the ocean. We used to talk about sailing off together one day, though she now spends her nights there alone. She says she's waiting for her "Master," whoever that is, and speaks the words in a way that makes me wonder who's really in charge. No, I don't go up there anymore, but it's not the night's blackness that frightens me—it's the darkness within her.

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Image source: Image source: http://lilliemcferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/dark-darkness-girl-light-lost-Favim.com-118417.jpg

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 2014 - Michael Welch #2

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Since there was so much interest in my first Michael Welch post, I thought I'd add a little more from Shore Leave 36 (2014). Here's a short video clip of Michael telling how he got the role of Artim in Star Trek: Insurrection. You can access the clip directly here - it looks a little better than the YouTube version.

And here are a couple of pictures. They're a bit grainy as my little camera couldn't pick up enough light to get a really good image. Maybe next time...

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Conflict

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Conflict

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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Another short and sad one...

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Tapestry

 

    As he crept over the field toward the enemy, Warren noticed how beautiful the sky was that morning. Yellow and orange clouds entwined themselves with the soft blue light of daybreak into a glorious, glowing tapestry. As he paused to take in the splendor above, a thunderous force threw him to the ground. When his eyes reopened, nearly everything was red. The colors didn't go together at all well he decided before his eyes closed again.

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Image source: http://lilliemcferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/conflict_analysis.jpg

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved