Witches and Dragons and Faeries, Oh My!

I recently discovered Nene Thomas art and figures! Aren't they so pretty?

And very sexy!

I'm thinking those would look stunning in my library room with all those amazing fantasy books that I own :).

And then there are these two...



We are also redoing our bedroom and these wall plaques I think would look perfect on the walls. They are 8x10 and hang from a silky ribbon.



I could spend lots of money on these...so pretty!

What things do you like to collect? When I was younger I was fascinated with carousels. I had a ton of them. But when I was 18 and moved up to New York I had them shipped here and sadly several of them were broken when they arrived. I sort of lost interest after that. I also think that as I got older, they didn't seem very adult-like to collect :). For awhile we were buying Seraphim angles. I have about 7 of them upstairs in the hall. They are very pretty, but also were a bit expensive and we just stopped buying them. I suppose these figures are no less expensive, but oh, they are so pretty!

Flash Fiction Entry #24

Monday Morning Flash Fiction Challenge #24
The Wedding Night
By Amy C
Word Count – 447

“Follow me. I can show you things the likes of which you’ve never seen.” The mysteriousness of his words lingered in the space around her as his form drifted away, through the old and rusted gate. Where that way led she knew not. She was expected to put her trust in him, this man she barely knew but was now wed.

Indecision kept her rooted to the spot. However, she gazed on in fascination at his retreat. The full black cape he wore disrupted the peaceful slumber of leaves underfoot, swirling them in an eerie dance in his wake.

Temptation ate away at her. The thrill of what he might show her lured her body in motion. As she passed through the gate onto the grounds of his estate, the air whispered a different tune, smelled curiously sweet.

Her inexperience and virgin mind had no way of anticipating what she may expect on her wedding night. The rudimentary knowledge she had gained in no way prepared her for the picture that played out before her very eyes once she stepped foot over the threshold of her new residence.

Men and women in all manner of undress were scattered about in sexually explicit poses she’d never have been able to conjure in her mind. Embarrassment and fear coiled inside, yet she found herself curious and unable to look away. Instead her eyes roamed the spacious room. One man knelt between the spread thighs of a woman, while another gripped the hips of a woman bent over the arm of a chair as he filled her. A tightness squeezed low in her belly. Desire, perhaps? As her gaze traveled, the eroticism of the scene taking place had her heart racing, her breathing shallow.

“Do you like what you see, my sweet?”

She nearly jumped at the husky words spoken in a hot, seductive whisper near her ear. His warm fingers trailed enticingly across the exposed flesh of her chest. She wanted to shake her head no, attempted to voice her denial, but instead she found her head tilting in acknowledgment. Truth be told, she liked what she saw, hoped that her new husband would soon engage in these wicked acts of sensuality with her.

“This is only a taste of the pleasures I have to offer you.” His body was now pressed behind her, his breath warm on her neck.

“Show me more,” she sighed and leaned into him, giving in to the titillating sensations spiraling through her, intensifying the growing hunger for his touch.

He laughed quietly then inhaled deeply her fragrance. “I will show you a lifetime of pleasures.”

And of that she had no doubt.

* * * * *

Well, this one went in a direction I had not anticipated :). Definitely much lighter than most of the last ones I've done. Perhaps it's a mood thing.

* * * * *

Last night I got a call on my cell, these people had called last month but I never called them back. You see, when I went to visit my cousin in November we filled out entry forms to win this awesomely cool Dodge Challenger. I didn't win the Challenger, however, I did win a 3 day cruise for two to the Bahama's. I never called back becasue I assumed there were plenty of fees that would make it not worth it (such as the roundtrip airfair).


There are a few catches. The first, we have to drive to their nearest office to pick up the cruise package...which is in Wilkes Barre, PA! And we have to pay port fees and taxes, which is about $200 per person. That doesn't seem so bad though, considering the package is worth $1200 (It does include airfare!) So it seems we will be driving down to PA in two weeks! It's about 5 1/2 hours away. We were going to drive down to the southern tier for the weekend anyway, we'll just go there instead :). We have a year to use it, we're thinking maybe in October/November. Never been on a cruise before.

The lady is supposed to call back on Wednesday so we can set up a time with her. I'll have to make sure there are no other catches when she does.

I start my job in one more week! I'm gonna be workin my ass off soon. Two jobs? What have I got myself into?? :)

Have a great weekend!
See you Monday for the next Monday Morning picture prompt!

Redecorating

My husband has been indulging me lately! I have some amazing new additions I've added to my library room. They are so awesomely cool. I loved the way the room looked before with all my framed author goodies, but I also like to change things, especially when it's with something as cool as these are. I am so completely fascinated with Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, so to have these things just makes my room all the more special to me.

Harry Potter's and Lord Voldemort's wands! Along with Gandolf the Grey plush that Anna sent me! And shortly before Christmas I purchased that Harry Potter movie book. Some fabulous little things in there to browse through!


These are two of the swords from The Lord of the Rings. Frodo's sword, Sting and Aragorn's sword, Anduril. There are still two more that I'd like to add! Anduril doesn't sit snug in the case for mounting on the wall, but Shawn is going to take care of that...somehow :).

There are so many other things that I want to add from the Harry Potter line and The Lord of the Rings line at Noble Collection...Someday :)! And then this summer, the end of June, we are planning a family vacation down to Universal Studios in Orlando! OMG, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!! How freakin amazing is that going to be? I can only imagine what I will bring home from there!

While I was cleaning and reorganizing the other day, I came across a photo of me and my sister that we had done when I went to visit her almost 13 years ago. I don't know why it was put away, but I thought I should hang it up.


I love this room. It's definitely a reflection of who I am and what I love most and hold dearest to me!

The Journey is Once Again Underway!

I was informed the other day that The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society book is once again on it's next journey! Thank you, Dottie!

Christine, it should be arriving this week!

I can't believe that I sent this book out May 22, 2009, and it is still lingering out there, traveling around. I get so excited when I know it's headed to the next person, but then nervous that this is going to be the time it gets lost in the mail! I would be so sad. It's been all over the world, in the hands of many wonderful ladies. But I know it'll be fine. It'll make its way back to me in a much loved, and well-read condition! :)

It was this passage from the afterward that made me think it would be a wonderful idea to send this book out on a journey to my book-loving friends...

"...Its members are spread all over the world, but they are joined by their love of books, of talking about books, and of their fellow readers. We are transformed-magically-into the literary society each time we pass a book along, each time we ask a question about it, each time we say, "If you liked that, I bet you'd like this." Whenever we are willing to be delighted and share our delight, as Mary Ann did, we are part of the ongoing story of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."

Thank you all so much for participating!

Flash Fiction Entry for Deadline Dames

I happened over to the Deadline Dames blog this afternoon and found myself browsing to see if there was a flash fiction challenge going on and there was. I wasn't sure about the image, but I guess if you stare at something long enough, something will come to you :).

The image I have here is not the image from the Dames' blog, since they ask that you do not repost, but I found this one and I believe it still represents my flash, perhaps even better? You can see the image here...and perhaps even try your own flash for the prompt!

Deadline Dames Flash Fiction Challenge

Loss
by Amy C
Word Count - 341

Nightmares haunt me of a past I cannot forget. They mock me, taunting me. Weakened and tired from the onslaught, I am lost in the dark confines of my mind, fractured and broken. My nightmares rule me.

Small fingers tug my sleeve. A tiny voice drifts to my ears. I look down and gaze into a set of eyes, eyes that reflect my own, eyes no longer sick with disease. I see my past within the deep blue orbs. There is no censure, no longing for that which is now gone. I wrap my arms around the petite child before me. She is the root of all my nightmares.

“It’s okay, mama. I love you,” that little voice croons in my ear. If only I can believe her.

Wetness soils my lashes, my cheeks. This tiny little package of a child comforts me. I squeeze my arms tighter, trying with all my might to hang on to my precious baby girl. But my nightmare takes over and she vanishes, slips without a trace from my embrace.

I could not protect her, and she is lost from me, always and forever. I am at a crossroad. I want this nightmare over, to have my baby girl back, but I know not which road to walk.

I feel the warm press of her tiny little hand curl itself against my palm. I clutch my fingers gently, holding on. “This way, mama. Walk with me down this road.” She smiles up at me lovingly—my little flower.

I fear the potholes of guilt which I have stumbled over along the road behind me. Yet as we walk, the road becomes smoother, the holes growing smaller and smaller, until the guilt is mere minuscule cracks under my feet.

As we travel, broken rays of light shine through the canopy of branches and leaves overhead. I come to the end of the road and realize I am alone. I don’t know when she left me, but when she did, I didn’t feel that terrible, heart-wrenching ache.

* * * * *

Flash Fiction Entry #23

Monday Morning Flash Fiction Challenge #23

The Seeker
By Amy C
Word Count – 641

My salvation lies within sight. If only my tired feet can carry me into the shadows. I run, heart pounding, breath sawing in and out of my lungs. The pain of my exhaustion causes my feet to falter, nearly tripping. But determination drives me. I must not stop. I must reach the darkness of the tunnel. There I can conceal myself from the evil thing chasing me, blending in the dimness until there’s no trace of my being.

How did my life come to this, forever on the run? Evil corrupts this world far more than I ever could have imagined. Now it seems this wickedness will finally get the better of me, for I am trapped if I cannot reach the shadows.

So close. It’s there within my grasp, yet still so far away. I try to gain speed, pushing my weakened body to the edge.

I close my eyes for a brief moment as my legs continue to propel me further. Fear grips a tight hold, I want to look back, but I know it’d be fruitless. I would see nothing, because there is nothing to see. But I can feel its despicable presence. I sense it gaining ground, closing the distance.

Have my feet slowed unawares? Oh, please, let me make it to the darkness of the tunnel.

Cruel laughter echoes in my head, disrupting the steady beat of my pounding feet. One single, tiny heartbeat away from being swallowed into the shadows, a wrenching pain stabs into my shoulders. Thick heavy fingers dig in, snatching me solidly off the ground away from my safe haven. I try to scream, to fight, but cold weight silences my screams, sucking, feeding off the life inside me—draining me. I can’t see the evil that has me in a death-grip, only sense its presence. I dangle a few feet from the ground, hovering, waiting for the end.

Deep resonant words filter into my consciousness. It takes a moment to decipher the meaning. “Do not fear me. Come out of the shadows and walk in the light.” It says to me. “You are one of the lost souls trapped in the In-between. I can help you. I am a hunter, a seeker of those lost.”

I struggle and struggle, attempting to loosen the tight hold it has upon me. I hear the pleas over and over, but unable to comprehend the meaning. Lost soul? Trapped in the In-between? I have always walked in the shadows. It is my place, my home. This evilness knows not what he speaks.

I feel a soft tickle of breath against my ear, and my struggles lessen as I feel my tension ease. “Do not think of this as your death, but as your rebirth,” the phantom voice whispers. And then that dreadful pressure forms once again upon my lips, pressing against my breast as the life is sucked from me.

Moments pass, waiting…waiting for my death, yet still I breathe. The moment never arrives. I hear a voice encouraging me to open my eyes. I feel different sensations whirling inside me. They nearly overwhelm me with their magnitude. With all the courage I possess, I manage to crack my lids a fraction, knowing in the pit of my stomach that my captor had changed me.

What I could not see before, I can see now, however hazy. My subjugator holds me in his arms. I can not move, can barely breathe as my vision focuses on his form. He readjusts me, attempting to stand me on my own two feet. The shock of my transformation, or as I recall him saying, my rebirth, is more than I can handle. I feel myself slipping away, but before all goes black, I see him smiling warmly down at me and for some strange reason I feel safe.

* * * * *


I sorta went over the word count with this one. Usually I'm under. This one was kinda different, but I like it, and I hope you did too :).

Have a great weekend!

Life is Good...

Especially if you have a banana...Oh, wait, that's not my post...I blame Lea! I've had bananas on the brain since I read her post that she was going to do a post on Banana Eating Etiquette! Hmmm, I can only imagine how entertaining that one's going to be to read!! :)

Anyway, on to something more serious (as if the art of eating a banana is not serious!) It's official! I faxed back my acceptance letter for the full-time position at Ingram Micro! I have a real job! I'm gonna be a Reconciliation Specialist. I'll have my very own desk space, where I can have my own personal items cluttering it up! How cool is that? I'm pretty darn excited about it.

I've heard the statement for years when it comes to employment..."It's not what you know, but who you know"...and I have to say that in my case that is so very true. I have no experience other than the reconciliation I do at home with my personal finances, and the reconciling I do with the cash drawer at the mall. The lady who is going to be my manager at Ingram is a co-worker at the mall and she saw the potential in me, and is now giving me this wonderful opportunity! And I am so grateful for that.

I'm still going to stay at the mall two days a week, but school will be put on hold. I'd like to try to take one night class or an online course a semester starting in the Fall, since Ingram does reimburse based on your final grade. I really enjoyed going to school everyday, and there is one fabulous lady I met my first week. I was looking forward to the next semester and passing the time between classes with her again. I'm going to miss those moments of immaturity with her! I never laughed so much

Speaking of school...my first semester I got all A's! None of them were very difficult classes, but I'm still extremely happy that I did so well.

So life is good! And now I'm off to work...have a wonderful Sunday!

Monday Morning Flash Fiction Entry #22

It's Friday and I have a Flash Fiction to share :)!

Monday Morning Flash Fiction Challenge #22

A Truth Revealed
By Amy C
Word Count – 412

The old grounds were known for its haunting eeriness. Mournful sounds of a lady lost have been reported for many years. I walk the corridors of the disused convent seeking some hint of paranormal activity. A tale long forgotten lingers within these walls, waiting for its moment of retelling.

When I was younger, I used to roam the stairs and hallways shortly after it closed, drawn here by an uncanny force. We lived not far, a short hike through the woods of our backyard. I was forbidden to walk these grounds, but my feet carried me here as if tied to this mystery somehow. Sometimes, when the mood struck me just right, I felt a terrible loss. My eyes would water, my heart would ache from an unknown pain, a pain not my own. Now an adult, I wander these corridors seeking answers I was once too young to ask for.

As I reach a series of archways overlooking a set of uneven and crumbling stairs which lead to an overgrown garden, I imagine the beauty it once held. Blooms of a variety of color through Spring and Summer. Now it only holds a vague reminder of its once splendor in the tangled weeds.

A mist forms within the weeds, traveling up the old stairway. My eyes follow and there, an ethereal beauty stands. Deep within my heart I feel the tethers of her story weave together, forming an account that weakens my knees. Perhaps the truth of her tragic life will set her free from her endless sorrow. So I gather my courage and settle down to listen with my inner mind. And what I learn unnerves me, squeezing my lungs with the anguish encompassing my body, for the tragedy is now known to me in clarifying detail.

Agnes was her name, sent to the convent a disgrace to her family, her belly growing round with the seed of a man she loved profoundly. And thirty some years past, she died in childbirth—alone and heartbroken.

Her hand rests on her belly. Intense warmth passes over my entire body. Tears form and spill down my cheeks. I know with certainty I cannot explain, that this lady of mist is my mother. The story told, the truth revealed, the apparition fades from sight, a smile upon her beautiful face as her lingering spirit vanishes. I rise slowly, letting the knowledge of her tale envelope me, and smile a smile of my own.

* * * *

Come back next week for another installment of Monday Morning Flash Fiction Challenge!

Flash Fiction Prompt and a Book Cover

I knew there was something about the picture that was chosen for this weeks flash fiction challenge that seemed familiar, and I finally found out why today! It happens to be the cover of a book I have (but have not read yet). The man's face is a little different and a different backdrop, but overall it's the same!

I did attempt to read the book last year, maybe? But I put it down and never picked it back up. Perhaps I should try again?

Monday Morning Flash Fiction Entry #21

Good morning! Its Friday and I have a flash fiction to post. I'm looking forward to reading what you guys have for this one. I miss doing that.

Monday Morning Flash Fiction Entry #21

Revision
by Amy C
Word Count - 331

My story, my life, is written within the pages I hold upon my lap, altered to suit the regretted choices of my faltered decision-making and the tragedies I harbor. Isn’t that the way of stories? When pen touches paper, we can be who we choose to be. The simple changing of a word can alter a feeling, a moment, a choice.

I live a sad and lonely life; my father an abusive drunk, my mother dead.

I live a happy and content life; my father proud and honorable, my mother doting and kind.

Now I ask you, how can you know which is a truth, or a lie? If I told you the former is true, you would believe it, but the latter is what I’d prefer to reflect back on, and in writing my story, I have changed my perception of who I am and the state of my existence, and if I read it enough times, perhaps then I will believe the lies I’ve written, believe that in fact I truly have had a content and harmonious life.

As the words of my life flowed from my mind onto paper, I wore a mask. While hiding behind my disguise, I created the man I want to be, the man I have always wanted to be. But I still find that when I remove the crafted plate, I am unchanged. The loneliness and regret remain living inside me. Yet I sit here against this tree, the silence of the night soothing me, as I prepare to hide behind my disguise and read my story once more. Perhaps this time I will feel a change inside me, a start to the revised life I long to believe in.

I turn the final page, and slowly remove the mask. I weep into the darkness. I might be able to fool my mind, but my heart, my ever broken and blackened heart, knows and refuses the lies of which I have carefully crafted.

* * * *

Looking forward to seeing what Monday's prompt is going to be, and the stories it inspires.

Have a great weekend!

Flash Fiction by Devin C!

Devin has been wanting to do a Flash Fiction with me for awhile now, but the pictures that are chosen for Monday's challenge, well, he finds them to be mostly too girly for him! He browsed last night and found this action packed photo, and his little mind began spinning.

We worked on this together last night and this morning. All of it was his idea, I just tweaked and revised. It was fun, but most importantly, it was something we did together :). I love seeing him so into something that isn't video games.

You're comments would be most appreciated, encouraging him to keep writing and using his imagination! I hope you enjoy Devin's Flash Fiction!

So without further ado, I present to you, The Great Wooly Wolf by Devin C!


The Great Wooly Wolf
By Devin C
Word count-392

The year was 2145; Gabriel gathered four mutant transformations, Mark, Luke, Brian, and Jacob, to go hunting for the giant woolly wolf.

Deep in the bowels of the catacomb, Jacob saw a mysterious looking torch, so he reached for it, but as he removed it, the walls around him began to collapse. Rubble and debris fell all around them as if dropping from the sky.

“Help me!” yelled Jacob, cowering down with fear, his lobster claw trembling.

“What’s wrong this time” Brian asked impatiently, his bow at the ready.

“Look on the floor. That’s not debris that fell.” Jacob replied with a quiver in his voice.

The five of them looked around and realized they were in the cavern of the wolf. For lying all around them was not debris, but bones of the victims that failed at the task of defeating the giant wooly wolf before them.

Mark scanned the area around him, his shot gun locked and loaded. Slowly he raised the barrel up the catacomb’s destroyed walls. A deep low-pitched growl echoed around them.

Mark’s eyes widened as he saw the great wooly wolf, jaw opened wide. “Guys!” Mark screamed. “There it is. It’s the wolf up on the ledge.”

They all looked up in the direction Mark aimed his weapon.

“Brian,” Mark yelled. “Open fire!”

The wolf leaped down as gun fire and bolts flew at it. With not a single hit the great beast landed mere inches away from Mark.

“This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening.” said Jacob in great fear.

“Everyone on me, I have a plan.” said Luke.

“Yeah, and what might that be?” Mark asked, blasting shotgun shells at the wolf.

Luke got his chainsaw ready, and everyone fell in line behind him, all but Gabriel. “Gabriel, shine your flashlight in its eyes.” Luke demanded.

Gabriel raised her arm; the bright beams of her flashlight momentarily blinded the great beast. In that brief moment Luke charged the wolf with his chainsaw but only managing to cut through its fur. Then with a great gasp of breath Luke slashed his chainsaw and sliced clean through its neck, killing the beast.

“Now we can leave, but don’t forget to take the pelt. It’s worth millions.” yelled Gabriel with excitement.

“Hooahh, another mission accomplished,” Brian exclaimed, and then placed his shotgun in the holster on his back.

* * * *