Celebrate the small things and Fast Five Friday

Celebrate the Small Things is a Friday blog hop where we share things, big or small, during that week, and then hop around to other blogs to see what they've shared. 

Hosts: Lexa Cain, Writing Off The Edge, and Kidbits.

Celebrations:

**Dani, from Entertaining Interests, & I took our littles for our annual Starbucks/Fall Shopping event. It was a much needed time for all of us. 

**My 16-year-old son made 1st team All-Conference for Cross Country. So excited for him!!!

**What started out as editing on my current manuscript has turned into a revise... I hadn't planned on that, but I'm just going with it. 

What celebrations do you have for the week that you'd like to share?

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Fast Five Friday is a weekly blog hop created by Cover Girls. Revolving around lists of five, its purpose is to connect with writers, readers, viewers, and bloggers. 

Oct. 7th - 5 horror movies you love to watch this time of year

*Halloween 1 (1978 version)

*Halloween 2 (1981 version)

*28 Weeks Later

*Dawn of the Dead (2004 version)

*30 Days of Night

Do you watch horror movies? Are there any you like to watch around Halloween time?

Express Yourself x2

Express Yourself is the weekly blog hop where Dani @Entertaining Interests and I ask a question or discuss a topic for other bloggers to share. It's a fun way to learn more about each other. Please join us!






**Sept. 19-23: You're stuck in an elevator with 1 friend, 2 celebrities, 3 items, and NO way out, however, help is on the way. List those 6 items/people to pass the time with.

1 friend:  Dani
2 celebrities:  Adam Levine and Jason Bateman
3 items:  guitar for Adam, hoodie, my handbag (because it's filled with everything one needs for emergencies such as this)

**Sept 26-30: You have to listen to a song for the rest of your life. What would it be?

Chilly Winter by Maroon 5, Woman by Maroon 5, or Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

Express Yourself: spirit cartoon characters

Express Yourself is a weekly meme where Dani and I ask a question or discuss a topic for other bloggers to share and learn more about each other.

Please join us HERE! 

<-- EYM badge for September 




Sept 5-9: What/Who is your spirit cartoon character?

Mine is a mixture of ...

Linus from Peanuts
Patrick Star from SpongeBob
Daffy Duck from Looney Tunes.

How about you? What cartoon characters can you relate to?

Express Yourself: The Hobbit/LOTR

Express Yourself is the weekly meme where Dani @Entertaining Interests and I ask a question or discuss a topic for other bloggers to share and learn more about each other. 

Some topics and/or questions could be repeats, but we do that because things change with time. This way, it keeps things updated. Please join us HERE!

Dec. 15-19:  In celebration of The Hobbit:  The Battle of the Five Armies, highlight one of your favorite characters from The Hobbit/LOTR film franchise.

I've watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy a few times, but haven't had the chance to see any of the hobbit films, though, I plan to soon. 

My choice for fave character in LOTR would be, hands down, Aragorn. Of course, part of the reason is that I adore Viggo Mortensen, but also, I love the character development of Aragorn and what he stood for.

Do you have a favorite character in the The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings film franchise/books? 

Spooktoberfest '14 - Home

It's the 3rd annual Spooktoberfest hosted by Dani and I at Cover Girls. For details of this fun contest, you can go HERE for details.
Next year, I hope Dani and I will go with a 300 -500 word count... Getting my piece down to 300 words took forever! Of course, if I wouldn't have procrastinated in the first place, then it might not have been so difficult. :(
Anyway, thanks to all who participated in Spooktoberfest, and I look forward to reading your stories!

Home

     My morning routine consisted of switching off coffeemaker, checking locks on doors, and watching the garage door close. So, why is that door open now?

     I park my car and pocket my keys. Inside the garage, I pick up a baseball bat I used in college. Funny. My dad wanted his firstborn son to play major league ball, but my dreams were of the music variety.

     I turn the doorknob. It’s unlocked, and even though a chill crawls up my spine, I enter.

My furniture’s rearranged and seated on the sofa is my ex.

     “What are you doing here, Lisa?” I sigh and lean the bat against the chair, thankful it’s her and not an intruder.

     She stands. “I came to say goodbye.”

     “We already did that.” Or at least I did when I broke things off with her last week.

     “Oh, Drew.” She tugs on my shirt and kisses my cheek. “Let’s not fight.”

     I back away and fall on top of the coffee table that isn’t in its rightful spot.  

     Lisa kneels. “Are you okay?”

     “Yeah, but why’s my furniture—” I’m cut off by the prick of a needle against my skin. Cool liquid pumps through my veins. “What’d you do?”

     “It’s a cure for your virus,” she says. “If only you’d continued your meds.”

     I try to let out a string of curse words, because I’m not sick, and I’ve never taking medication, but my voice won’t cooperate. My vision blurs, and my eyes grow heavy until they close.

#

     Commotion stirs me awake. I’m on a cot, in a small room. Dr. Vex, Lisa’s psychiatrist, stands next to me with a smile.

     “What’s going on?” I writhe in the cocoon-like-blanket I’m wrapped in. “Where am I?”

     “Home,” the doctor says. “We’ve missed you.”

Thank you for reading, and thanks to the wonderful Spooktoberfest participants! 
You can check out other stories below.

Express Yourself - Couples

It's EYM time, the weekly meme that I co-host with Dani. 
Each week, we come up with a question/topic of some sort for other bloggers to share. 
Please join us HERE!

Topic of the week: Tell us about some couples you adore.

We had a similar question last year, but we thought it fitting for Valentine's Week! Plus, a lot can happen in a year. Some new couples may surface.

The book couples I adore:

Noah and Allie from Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook

Augustus and Hazel from John Green's The Fault in Our Stars

Patch and Nora from Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series

Tristran and Yvaine from Neil Gaiman's Stardust


What couples do you adore?

Express Yourself - goal time

It's EYM time, the weekly meme that I co-host with Dani. Each week, we come up with a question/topic of some sort for other bloggers to share. Please join us HERE!

Topic of the week:  what goals do you have set for yourself this month?

I would LOVE to get my revise finished and sent to betas, then start on a new WIP. 

Do you have any goals for this month?

Please join us Express Yourself!

Express Yourself - Chores

It's EYM time ... the weekly meme that I co-host with Dani. Each week, we come up with a question/topic of some sort for other bloggers to share. Please join us HERE!

This weeks topic:  Name a chore you dislike, and one you love to do.




**Washing dishes by hand is not my favorite thing, but I have no choice because our dishwasher took a crap this summer. And with money being tight and me being picky on which one I want, I'm not running out to buy a new one. So, I will continue to wash by hand until I find the one I want, and when enough money is saved up.

**My favorite chore would be laundry... especially separating and folding. With six of us, it piles up, but for some reason, I don't mind. It calms me. When my boys are grown, I won't have so much laundry, and I'll miss it (and them) terribly. 

What about you? Do you have a chore you love or dislike?

Express Yourself: School Subjects

Hello, Express Yourself-ers! It's EYM time ... the weekly meme that I co-host with Dani. We come up with a question/topic of some sort for other bloggers to share. The goal is for all of us to get to know one another better by expressing different things about ourselves.Also, I find that it helps me to blog more consistently. Sound fun? Join us in the linky below!

This week's topic: What was your favorite subject in high school and/or college?

First and foremost, I loved History, specifically Western Civilization/World Religions in college. I enjoyed learning about the pasts of those before us. Also, my prof would give pop quizzes quite frequently, and I loved it! In fact, when there wasn't a pop quiz, I was disappointed.

I took Creative Writing in high school as well as my freshman year of college. It was in high school that my teacher encouraged me with my writing and had faith in me. 

What was your fave subject in school? Join the linky below and share with us!

Spooktoberfest Winner and Runner Up's

Happy Halloween!!!

Spooktoberfest is over, and it was amazing! You writers made this a terrific blog hop! Thank you so much for participating. Dani and I had fun organizing this, but had a difficult time choosing the winner and runner up's because you all had wonderful stories.You all were THAT good. 

Dani and I both loved what each other picked, but we wanted to spread the wealth so we picked different ones. Why? We have another little surprise... the Runner-Up's will be receiving a little something special as well, and we didn't want any duplicates. 

Okay, I will quit babbling...

My choices for Spooktoberfest 2013 Runner Up's (Click on the badges to read their entries):

My choice for Spooktoberfest 2013 Winner (Click on badge to read her entry):

To read Dani's choices for Winner and Runner-Up's... go HERE

We will email you with details on getting your prizes to you and all that good stuff. 
Thanks again to all of you for entering and sharing your wonderful talents with us. Dani and I are blessed to have you all as blogging buddies! 
We heart you!!!

Spooktoberfest bloghop and Celebrate the small things

Celebrate the Small Things is the fun weekly meme hosted by Viklit @ Scribblings of an Aspiring Author, where bloggers share things they wish to celebrate, and then hop around to other bloggers to rejoice in their celebrations, too. :) Go HERE to sign up and join the celebration!

• My 13 yr old made the basketball team!!! I'm so thrilled for him because he worked hard and never lost sight of his goal.
• Spooktoberfest 2013 starts today! YAY! The rules, and my story, are below.
• Dani and I are going shopping this weekend for the contest prizes. Girl time! Woot!

It's Spooktoberfest time, with my co-host Dani! Thanks goes to all of those who signed up! We heart you! 

Here are the basics of Spooktoberfest... 

• Write a flash fiction piece between 300-500 words. 
• Use 3 of the 6 mandatory words and highlight those 3 words in your story:  WRETCH(ED), IMPEDING, ALIEN(S), SKELETON(S), POTION(S), MASK(S) 
• Use one of the pics below as the location for your story. 

• Then, post your piece so we can read it, and hop around to the other participants and comment on their awesome stories. Dani and I will each post our winners on Halloween. Those two winners will receive a goodie box filled with Halloween stuff! 

CLICK HERE for the full, official deets on SPOOKTOBERFEST 2013.

And now, here's my flash fiction piece to get things started for Spooktoberfest. 

I jerk my head at the dark stairwell. “I can think of five different ideas that are better than going up there.”

The power’s been out for a week, and we’re on our last batch of batteries, so my sister won’t let me use any for flashlights. Heading upstairs in the dark isn’t my idea of safe.

“Up is our only way out, Sydney.” My sister grabs the back of my neck and forces my head toward the sliding glass door. "Take a look for yourself."

I stare at the creepy things as they pound on the glass and smear blood from their latest meal across it, like they’re erasing steam from a mirror. Some look like they have on Halloween masks, but the flesh slides off their bones and exposes their skeleton, proving this isn’t dress-up time.

“What if we leave through the garage?” I waggle my brows. “There’s a Mustang calling your name.”

“As soon as the door lifts, those things will spill in like girls at a One Direction concert.” Trish ushers me to the staircase again. “Up we go.”

“No.” I squirm away.

“Why can’t you ever do as you’re told?”

“Why do you always boss me around?”

“Because I’m the oldest.”

“By 11 months.”

"Stop this, right now." She clutches my shoulders. “What’s your deal?”

I peer up the stairwell. “I’m scared of what’s up there.”  I chew on my lip. “Promise you won’t get mad.”

“What did you do?” Her eyes squint into two slits. 

“Lance and I wanted to hang out, but when he came through my window earlier, he said he scratched himself on the trellis. It looked more like—”

“Bites?”

“Yeah. I came downstairs to get some bandages or peroxide or a potion.”

“A potion? Seriously? You're so immature.” She rolls her eyes. “We agreed to not let anyone in until the virus passed, didn’t we?”

I nod, hating when my sister is right.

“Now you’ve risked our lives, over what? A make-out session?”

“Sorry.”

Trish thrusts a knife in my hand while gripping a bat in her fist. “I’m always cleaning up your messes.”

We head upstairs, causing creaks with each step. At the top, Lance stomps toward us, groaning. He smells, not of his usual aftershave, but like he slept in a dumpster. He lunges at Trish, but I step in front and shove her back.

The knife in my hand slams into Lance’s chest. I push hard, and as I do, life still lurks in his eyes. It’s like his body’s in control of his brain instead of the other way around. Then, his eyes close. I fling his limp body off me and kick him to make sure he’s "dead-dead."

I turn toward Trish. “You okay?”

“I think so.” She sits on the fifth step and rubs her forearm.

“See?” I smile. “I can clean up my own messes.”

My sister’s eyes widen, and I cry out, as Lance’s teeth sink into my calf.

~THE END~

Now, it's your turn! Let us read your flash fiction Spooktoberfest piece! 

Express Yourself - Halloween goodies

Hello, Express Yourself-ers! It's EYM time ... the weekly meme that I co-host with Dani. We come up with a question/topic of some sort for other bloggers to share. The goal is for all of us to get to know one another better by expressing different things about ourselves.Also, I find that it helps me to blog more consistently. Sound fun? Join us in the linky below!



Topic for this week: Which Halloween candy were you most excited to see in your Trick-or-Treat bags and/or in your children's bags?

Hands down, as a kid, and now, I want to see Smarties in those Trick-or-Treat bags. So yummy! And my sons usually pass any dark chocolate my way because they don't care for it, but I love it. 

What candy did you want to see in your Halloween bag when you were younger and/or what candy do you hope to see in your kid's bags?

Express Yourself

Hello, Express Yourself-ers! It's EYM time ... the weekly meme that I co-host with Dani. We come up with a question/topic of some sort for other bloggers to share. The goal is for all of us to get to know one another better by expressing different things about ourselves.Also, I find that it helps me to blog more consistently. Sound fun? Join us in the linky below!

Topic for this week: What's your fave costume ever?

For a Halloween costume party my junior year of high school, I wore a pink sweater with an even pinker poodle skirt. The guy I was dating dressed as a greaser. It was so much fun, especially seeing the other costumes. 

How about you? Any favorite Halloween costumes? Are you dressing up this year?

Express Yourself - 1st lines

It's Express Yourself  time ... a weekly meme that I co-host with Dani. We come up with a question/topic of some sort for other bloggers to share. The goal is for all of us to get to know one another better by expressing different things about ourselves.
Sound fun? Join us in the linky below!

This week's topic: Share some 1st line book openers that you adore. 

This was so hard for me so thank goodness we didn't make a limit! That first sentence sets the tone, and can make or break if a reader continues on. Here are several that did just that for me.

I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way I can stop their whispers. (Splintered, A.G. Howard)

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. (1984, George Orwell)

T minus one day to departure for my cruise to Bermuda, I almost died on the way to work. (Triangles, Kimberly Ann Miller)

There's a big difference between death threats and love letters--even if the person writing the death threats still claims to actually love you. (Vampire Academy: Spirit Bound, Richelle Mead)

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith)

How about you? Any first sentences that make you want to keep reading?