Life in progress


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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS April 7/18

Today is Friday, and that means it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’ve had a bit of a break in my editing schedule, so I’ve had time to work on my own stuff. I’m happy to report that it’s going well! More later. Here’s your prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “passive/aggressive.” Use one, use both, bonus points if you start your post with one or the other. Enjoy!

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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217. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Thursday, April 5th, 4:00pm
Hans (and Zoey)

 

Hans sits at the window. Zoey takes the seat beside him.

Hans: Life is really like a portrait.

Zoey: I beg your pardon?

Hans: Life. It’s like this great–no, this humongous picture.

Zoey: You think?

Hans: Yes.

Zoey: Don’t you think life has a bit more movement than a picture?

Hans: Who’s to say a picture doesn’t move when no one is looking?

Zoey: Huh. Like if a tree falls in the forest.

Hans: Exactly.

Zoey: That’s kinda scary.

Hans: It is.

 

Next stop: Friday, April 6th, 8:00pm

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


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Easily one of the best things on the Internet–Thursday Doors

It’s no secret that I adore doors. And I love going for walks, so Norm Frampton’s prompt, Thursday Doors, provides me with the perfect opportunity to take pictures and get some exercise at the same time!

Having said that, it’s been a while since I went out on a good doorscursion, so I’ll show you some photos I took last May of a beautiful house in my neighbourhood. Oh, how I long for green grass again!

Look at all that fantastic ironwork fencing. I wonder if it’s as old as the house.

The pattern of the fence doesn’t match the iron around the upper windows, but either could have been added later. And look at those doors! They remind me of church doors.

Also to note: if you’re able to click on the image to make it bigger, there’s something with ears on the “roof” of the upper middle window. Probably one of those fake owls that are supposed to keep the birds away.

If you’d like to see more doors, check out Norm’s prompt post, and be sure to go out on a doorscursion of your own! https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.wordpress.com/2018/04/05/thursday-doors-april-5-2018/


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Down

I’m writing this on the cusp of being late for the letter “D.” Not that it really matters–I’m not signed up for the A to Z Challenge, so no pressure, right? Nah. Except it’s a bit early in the game to be missing a day.

Therefore, here’s a quick note to record what’s been going down.

First and foremost, the electricity. There was a modicum of truth to my three-hour-late Second Seat on the Right, in that I, like Stuart, was late due to a power outage. But unless there was an extremely heavy cat on the tree limb that brought it down to the pavement, the fault wasn’t a cat’s.

Luckily my spaghetti sauce was cooked and only needed reheating. We had a nice dinner, wine included, and now it’s me who’s down. For the count. Only three and a half hours of sleep last night and two glasses of wine’ll do that to a girl.

Ni’night, all! Hope you had a happy “D” day!


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216. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Wednesday, April 4th, 4:00 7:00pm

Maurice (and Stuart)

 

(Maurice sits at the window. Stuart takes the seat beside him.)

Maurice: Well, hello there.

Stuart: Don’t ask.

Maurice: Okay then.

Stuart: Okay, fine. I’m late because of a power outage.

Maurice: That’s understandable. At least it didn’t have anything to do with the cat this time.

Stuart: You would think so, wouldn’t you.

Maurice: But … you sent the cat to the pound.

Stuart: The cat came back.

Maurice: The very next day?

Stuart: Yep. The old lady went and picked it up.

Maurice: How did she know where it was?

Stuart: She says it sent for her in a dream. That the cat’s her familiar or something.

Maurice: Wow. So how did the cat have anything to do with the power outage?

Stuart: (shakes his head) You’re going to think this is crazy.

Maurice: Try me.

Stuart: The old lady says the cat conjured the wind storm that felled the tree branch that knocked out the power. And get this: all because it wanted me to talk about it.

Maurice: You’re right. That’s crazy. …wait, you don’t believe it, do you?

Stuart: Have you got a better explanation for this weather?

Maurice: Nope.

Stuart: There you go then.

 

Next stop: Thursday, April 5th, 4:00pm

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


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One-Liner Wednesday – Funny or Terrible?

I’m almost afraid to post this. I was at my Deaf son’s school, waiting outside with another mom (the doors were locked) for our kids to get out of basketball practice. We waited, and waited, until the time passed that practice should have been out. The doors are made of glass, so I walked over to see if they were still in the gym. They were. I was going to knock, but of course they couldn’t hear me. They’re Deaf. So I went back to the other mom to let her know what had happened, and the stupidest line I could have ever come up with came out of my mouth.

I see Deaf people.

IT WAS TRUE! Don’t shoot me.

If you would like to participate in this prompt, feel free to use the “One-Liner Wednesday” title in your post, and if you do, you can ping back here to help your blog get more exposure. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL in the address bar on this post, and paste it somewhere in the body of your post. Your link will show up in the comments below. Please ensure that the One-Liner Wednesday you’re pinging back to is this week’s! Otherwise, no one will likely see it but me.

NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, like Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a pingback from someone else in my comment section, click and have a read. It’s bound to be short and sweet.

Unlike SoCS, this is not a prompt so there’s no need to stick to the same “theme.”

The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:

1. Make it one sentence.

2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.

3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.

4. Add our very cool badge to your post for extra exposure!

5. Have fun!

#1linerWeds badge by Dan Antion

 

 


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Can’t Clap

My bedroom door sticks. Let’s get that bit of information out of the way to start with. It’s actually worse in the summer–it barely closes then. It’s a dream in the winter to close, but it’s starting to get bad again. Therefore, when I want to close it enough to keep the dog out of my room, I have to slam it to basically wedge it into the door frame.

Yesterday, in a hurry to get downstairs with a handful of change, I slammed the door with said handful of change, and you can guess what happened. I slammed the side of my hand into the door frame, full force. I thought I’d broken it. It bled profusely for a while, so now I’m left with a bump, a bruise, and probably a scab; I haven’t had the guts to take the bandage off yet to look. And it’s still hurts to touch it. I definitely can’t clap. (Yes, I went a loooong way to get that title.)

If it had happened, say, next Wednesday instead, I could have used Karma for Thursday the 12th, which would have been much more in line with the fact that I’m illegally tagging along on the A to Z Challenge this year. Apparently you can’t spell Karma with a “C.” It’s even more illegal than what I’m doing, and only Buddha knows what might have gotten stuck in the door jamb if I’d attempted it!

Future is past, in my world. It’s a rebirth thing. 😉

My hand. My poor, poor hand.

 

 


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215. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Tuesday, April 3rd, 8:00am
Michael (and Joanna)

 

Michael sits at the window reading the newspaper. Joanna takes the seat beside him.

Michael: This is incredible.

Joanna: What is?

Michael: This. (shows her a picture in the newspaper) Did you hear about it?

Joanna: (grimaces) What the hell is that even a picture of?

Michael: (points) It’s a guy.

Joanna: In a tree? What, is he stuck?

Michael: Yeah. He was found hanging from a limb, and … Here, I’ll just read it: “On Sunday morning, an east-end resident called police when she heard loud shrieking noises coming from her back yard shortly after she let her dog out. Before the police arrived, she snapped a picture of a man hanging from her century old oak, pinned there by his collar by a short wooden stake. It wasn’t until police arrived, however, that she found the man’s biggest complaint wasn’t the hanging, but the fact that he had lost his plastic vampire fangs. The dog was later discovered wearing an extra-toothy grin.”

Joanna: (shakes head) Takes all kinds I guess.

 

Next stop: Wednesday, April 4th, 4:00pm

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


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214. Scenes from the Second Seat on the Right

Monday, April 2nd, 8:00pm
Robert and Donald

 

Donald: (rubs face) Ugh. I’m going to hate Easter from now on.

Robert: Well, it had to be done.

Donald: I know. (pats Robert’s knee) Thanks again for coming with me.

Robert: I know what it’s like to come out.

Donald: Did you see the look on my dad’s face?

Robert: (nods) Same as the one on mine.

They sit in silence for a moment.

Donald: I’ll move out by the end of next week.

Robert: That’s a great place you guys found. I’m happy for you.

Donald: Thanks. Too bad about Blaine.

Robert: (flicks hand) It was never meant to last.

Donald nods.

Robert: I’m gonna miss you, you know.

Donald: Yeah, me too.

 

Next stop: Tuesday, April 3rd, 8:00am

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


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#Read “The Magician’s Curse” for #Free

Are you a member of NetGalley? My paranormal romance novel, The Magician’s Curse, is available for the month of April to all members.

The Magician’s Curse begins the story of Stephen Dagmar, stage magician and cambion–descendant of an incubus–and his assistant, Herman Anderson. Here’s the blurb:

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. He brings her home to his Victorian mansion where they embark upon an extravagant romance. Yet a shadow hangs over their love. Will the curse on his family end Stephen and Herman’s happily ever after, before it really begins?

Amidst lace and leather, innocence and debauchery, The Magician’s Curse begins the Gothic tale of The Great Dagmaru. Magic and romance await.

The appearance on NetGalley of The Magician’s Curse, Book One of “The Great Dagmaru” series, is designed to lead up to the release of the second book, The Magician’s Blood. This is your chance to read (and review) the first book for free!

If you’re not familiar with NetGalley, here’s how they describe their service:

NetGalley is a site where book reviewers and other professional readers can read books before they are published, in e-galley or digital galley form. Members register for free and can request review copies or be invited to review by the publisher.

NetGalley’s tagline is “We help books succeed,” and the first thing you’ll read on their home page is “We help readers of influence discover and recommend new books to their audiences.” If you like to review books, NetGalley will grant your requests to read some of your favourite authors before their books come out. They also stock already-published works, such as mine. It’s free to sign up!

Here’s the link to my book, where you’ll also find a button to sign in or register: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/135927

Thanks in advance for your interest in The Magician’s Curse and NetGalley!