Life in progress


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256. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Monday, May 14th, 8:00pm
Edward (and Lily)

 

Edward sits at the window. Lily takes the seat beside him.

Lily: How’s the new job going?

Edward: Oh hi. Yeah, it’s going. I’m still not sure if it’s the right position for me.

Lily: How’s that?

Edward: Well, you know. The Master was teaching me all kinds of things that could help me survive. How to get into a victim’s head and all that.

Lily: And your new boss?

Edward: I’m learning the same sort of stuff. But with this Master, the end result is more for him than me.

Lily: So you’re bringing your victims home to him or what?

Edward: Nah, I still get what I go for. And the whole plundering thing is good …

Lily: Wait. Plundering?

Edward: Mr. Splindle tells me to get the money, and then I can go ahead and plunder to my heart’s content.

Lily: And what does plundering look like?

Edward: (shrugs) You know. Plundering. Like, steal their booties.

Lily: Huh.

Edward: By the way, if you ever decide to have a baby, I have plenty of booties.

Lily: (stares for a moment) How have you survived this long?

Edward: (shrugs) I get by.

 

Next stop: Tuesday, May 15th, 6:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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255. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Sunday, May 13th, 2:00pm
Colm and Harvey

 

Harvey: Feels lovely to be full after a Sunday brunch, doesn’t it?

Colm: It would feel even better if you hadn’t upset the party.

Harvey: You think it was upset?

Colm: Did you see the look on my mother’s face?

Harvey: Yes, but everyone else seemed all right with it. Your brother thought it was hilarious.

Colm: Still, promise me you won’t do it again.

Harvey: (shrugs) What’s a little nudity amongst family?

Colm stares.

Harvey: And it’s such a nice day for a swim.

Colm: Skinny dipping in the bird bath is a bit much though, don’t you think?

Harvey: If I’d gone in the pool, you’d have told me off for swimming on a full stomach.

Colm: You have a point.

Harvey: Anyway, it was for your mother that I did it. It is Mother’s Day, after all.

Colm: Oh right. Who knew she wouldn’t appreciate having a grown man take off all his clothes and jump in her bird bath.

Harvey: You’re being sarcastic, aren’t you.

Colm stares at Harvey for a moment, then looks away.

Harvey: (sighs) You used to think I was entertaining, once upon a time.

 

Next stop: Monday, May 14th, 8:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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Win a Unique Copy of ON FIRE

Tomorrow (Monday, May 14th) is the last day to enter the draw for my signed, misprinted copy of ON FIRE!

The winner will receive this beautiful anthology of toasty stories, released last year by Transmundane Press.

It would be awesome if you’d click this link and read the story of how I came about getting the book. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry … Okay, you might not cry. But it is a good story.

Or, you can just enter the draw here. The contest is open to mailing addresses in the United States and Canada only.

Best of luck!


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254. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Note: Strong language

Saturday, May 12th, 8:00pm
Hillary (and Sean)

 

Hillary sits at the window. Sean takes the seat beside her.

Hillary: What do you want?

Sean: It’s not what I want. It’s what I got to offer. (pulls a baggie part way out of his pocket)

Hillary: Yeah, what’s the catch? Do I gotta sleep with you?

Sean: You don’t got to. You can if you want.

Hillary: May as well. What do I got to lose?

Sean: Your self-respect?

Hillary stares at him.

Sean: (laughing) Yeah I know. I’m a joker.

Hillary: You know what? You’re right. Go find someone else to fuck up.

Sean: Now now, don’t get all grumpy on me. I heard lover boy dumped you. You ain’t got a lot of choices.

Hillary: (shakes head) Right. I’m a fuckin’ loser. Get away before I infect you with my loser self.

Sean: (getting up) It’s your loss.

 

Next stop: Sunday, May 13th, 2:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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#SoCS – Smoothie

I have an earworm. The song “Smooth” by Santana and Rob Thomas came on the radio yesterday, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. My neighbours might have it in their heads too, since I had it turned up when I pulled into the driveway.  It’s so random how some songs get stuck in my head and others are just meh. Whatever.

So summer’s coming, and that means it’s going to be time once again to be tempted by smoothies. The ones at Tim Horton’s with yogurt in them are sinfully delicious. I’d probably consume far more of them if they didn’t give me brain freeze. You know that feeling, right? When the cold goes through your soft palate and takes a grip on your grey matter like it’s being squeezed by a terrifying version of a snowman? Like the one in that movie with Michael Keaton … Jack Frost. Yeah, that’s the one. Scary. Zombie snowmen who hide in smoothies and eat brains. Wow, stream of consciousness … If I start adding food colouring and yummy fruity flavours to my snowmen next year, get me the hell out of there, would you?

Yeah, I’ll stick to Tim’s coffee from now on. Thanks.

I’ve totally forgotten the prompt at this point. Ah well. Or should I say baa humbug?

This off-topic, almost-entirely sidelined post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Check it out, and gobble up some of the fun at the following link! https://lindaghill.com/2018/05/11/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-12-18/


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253. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Friday, May 11th, 6:00pm
Shannon and Terry

 

Shannon: I wanna do something fun.

Terry: Like watch TV?

Shannon: No! Something like jumping off a cliff with a bungee cord wrapped around my ankle.

Terry: How about going to a movie?

Shannon: A movie? I’m talking about doing something exciting! Like taking a trip to a foreign country where I don’t know the language, and getting lost.

Terry: That’s fun?

Shannon: I think so.

Terry: We could go downtown and play in traffic …

Shannon: (glares at him) Don’t you have any sense of adventure?

Terry: Sure. I play video games.

 

Next stop: Saturday, May 12th, 8:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS May 12/18

It’s Friday! And that means it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt! Ahhh!!! I thought I’d have a little bit of extra fun with SoCS this week. Extra, because it’s always fun!! Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “on the farm.” Find a word that has a farm animal sound in it, i.e. sMOOth, and use it in your post. Bonus points if you include three or more. Have extra fun!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here at this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our new SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

 

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours.  Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!


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252. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Thursday, May 10th, 5:00pm
Michael (and Meredith)

 

Michael sits at the window, reading a book. Meredith takes the seat beside him.

Meredith: (clutching head with hands) Ugh!!

Michael ignores her.

Meredith: I can’t stand the pressure!

Michael: (looks up) Are you talking to me?

Meredith: Who else? Don’t you feel the pressure building up sometimes until you can’t stand it anymore?

Michael: No.

Meredith: Not at work? Not at home?

Michael: No.

Meredith: Don’t you ever have deadlines?

Michael: Only the ones I set for myself to read my book. (goes back to reading)

Meredith: (sarcastically) Well then. I’m sorry I disturbed you.

Michael ignores her.

Meredith: Aren’t you going to say ‘that’s okay,’ or anything?

Michael: (without looking up) No.

Meredith: You should.

Michael: (clutching head with hands) Ugh!!!

Meredith: Well! I never!

Meredith changes seats.

 

Next stop: Friday, May 11th, 6:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


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251. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Wednesday, May 9th, 5:00pm
Drommen and Francine

 

Drommen: Are you sure you’re going to be okay?

Francine: Jake, I’ll be fine. The doctor gave me the go-ahead.

Drommen: But isn’t it a little drastic, you moving out?

Francine: I’ll be okay.

Drommen snorts.

Francine: And besides, I’ve cramped your style enough already.

Drommen: Pfft. What style?

Francine: How about that girl you like? Hillary, or Jessica or whatever her name is?

Drommen: Jessica. She doesn’t want anything to do with me. Thinks I’m a pervert.

Francine: So convince her you’re not. I know you’re a decent guy.

Drommen: (regards her silently for a moment) You don’t know me as well as you think you do, sis.

Francine: Sure I do.

 

Next stop: Thursday, May 10th, 5:00pm

Click here to learn all about this series, how it works, and where to find your favourite characters.


#BlogTour| #BookReview | #FantasyReads | THE MAGICIAN’S CURSE (The Great Dagmaru #1) by Linda G. Hill @LindaGHill‏ (June 27th 2017, Indie Published)

LAST CHANCE TO PICK UP THE MAGICIAN’S CURSE FOR $0.99/99p! Thank you so much to Anne Cater and all the lovely bloggers who reviewed my book on this tour. Please read the final one by clicking on the original post link, where you’ll also find the link to buy it while it’s still on sale. And please share while you’re there!

thepturnersbookblog's avatarThe P.Turners Book Blog

Welcome to my stop on this Blog Tour for the release of THE MAGICIAN’S CURSE, which is the first book in the Great Dagmaru series by Linda G. Hill.

I would like to say that it is truly my pleasure to be invited onto this blog tour! Particular thanks to Anne Cater and the lovely Linda G. Hill, who gifted me an early copy of THE MAGICIAN’S CURSE. I am forever grateful and promise that the review below is 100% honest and of my own views.

The Magician's Curse CoverTo kick off, we have the “blurb” for the book;

When Herman Anderson leaves home to make a better life for herself, she doesn’t expect to meet a tall, dark stranger with whom she’ll fall hopelessly in love.

Charming and mysterious, Stephen Dagmar is a stage magician seeking an assistant. The moment he sets eyes on Herman, he knows she’s the one…

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