Tag Archives: Challenge

Roses

Millicent Collins was an eccentric, surly, old woman. She kept those around her loyal by promising each a pittance of her massive fortune.

When she died they rushed to the estate, hoping to hear their name at the reading of her will.

The attorney droned through the list of bequeaths. To her housekeeper, the china, silver, crystalware; to the butler, the Mercedes; on and on until most everyone had a piece of her.

The reading concluded, “For bringing me roses every day; for his kindness, I, Millicent Collins, leave the house and grounds to my dear gardener, John.”

Millicent loved….roses.

~kat

100 Words for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers Flash Fiction Challenge inspired by this photo by © Sarah Ann Hall.


The Narcissist

Day One of Jane Dougherty’s November Yeats Challenge. Today based on these lines:
“they will ride the North when the ger-eagle flies,
With heavy whitening wings, and a heart fallen cold:” —W. B. Yeats

A bit of research revealed that “ger-eagles” in Yeat’s day was a term used to describe vultures. It was also a term decades later attributed to Hitler’s Order of the German Eagle during WWII. The vulture theme certainly applies, which made me think of another type of vulture who preys on the weak in our times. Well, at least in my humble opinion, it seems to fit. History repeats itself.

The Narcissist

only a narcissist
tweets arrogant blurbs with his tiny fat fingers,
only a narcissist
rallies vile throngs, which are Yuge as he insists,
reeking of smut and glut while poverty lingers,
blaming all his ills on witch-hunting left wingers,
only a narcissist

-kat

A Rondolet is a French form consisting of a single septet with two rhymes and one refrain: AbAabbA.The refrain line should be half the number of syllables of the other lines.


The Calm

terrifying night,
thin, the veil, deathly still,
calm before the storm

~kat

For Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge, prompt words: Night and Spooky/Terrifying


The Flame

in the gloaming gloom
candlewicks charred from past trysts
yearn to be consumed
with no dread of ashy death
the flame’s fervid kiss is life

~kat

A Tanka for Colleen Chesebro’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge. This week with a twist…to use synonyms of the promptwords: Fright/Dread and Night/Gloaming.


Jacket Blurb Challenge

I doubt they are best sellers, but these real titles are definitely unique. This week MindLoveMiserysMenagerie’s Sunday Writing Prompt challenged us to choose a few REAL book titles from a list and write a “jacket blurb” in 10 sentences or less. I chose two. If you’d like to give it a go you can find the list HERE.  To make things interesting, I also put together mock covers. As you can see, I had a bit of fun with it. 🙂

He has spent the last 20 years observing people from a 16 square foot, fluorescent lit, glass-framed booth collecting subway tokens, granting access to travelers from every walk of life on their way to destinations unknown. Retired city employee, Albert Morton has seen it all, including what he calls “Magnets”. These oblivious people seem to attract the spirits of the dead who haven’t crossed over.

Morton identifies himself as a “sensitive”. From childhood he has possessed the uncanny ability to see dead people.

“They come to the subway,” Morton explains, “because they’re confused and perhaps a bit lost. They know they need to go somewhere, but they don’t know where, so they attach themselves to unsuspecting travelers.” Morton claims to have helped hundreds of these lost souls find rest.

In People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to do About it”, Morton shows you how to recognize the signs of super-unnatural attachments and provides 3 simple steps to get those needy trolls off your back for good!

If you’ve ever felt goosebumps for no reason, you need to read this book!

 

Cherries Jubilee! Créme Brûlée! Bananas Foster! Chef Luigi Valenti shares the secret to creating fabulous flame-kissed gourmet dishes in his sizzling new book, The Pyromaniac’s Cookbook. All you need a blow torch! (…and fresh batteries in your smoke alarm and  um…maybe a nearby fire extinguisher.)

From desserts to main courses, Chef Luigi takes the mystery out of working with fire while providing life-saving tips in blow torch operation with a special chapter on burn first aid using items you can find in your own kitchen! You’ll be brûlée-ing in no time, and, without losing your eyebrows!

Amaze your family and friends at your next dinner party! As Chef Luigi always says, “Everything a-tastes a-better with a little flambé!”

~kat