Succinctly Yours - December 9 (Welcome Home)

Word of the Week – jubilant

How low can you go, says Grandma of Grandma's Goulash?

Using the photo as inspiration, write a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. Incorporate the word of the week if you can.

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It may be the season of joy, but there is nothing so jubilant as a dog greeting his beloved owner after a lengthy absence.
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But, Dad!! I'm only going one way!!!

Mariner Dreams - TGIBBF #40

My intermittent appearance is in response for this week's call for Book Blurb Friday by Lisa Ricard Claro. She generously hosts this meme to help us squeeze our creative juices and let others imbibe. Share a glass with me, please.

Jared had dreamed of the sea since he was young, since he read stories like Swiss Family Robinson, Moby Dick and Mutiny on the Bounty. Despite the dangers that ensued in each story, there was an inescapable romance about each of them. It drew him like a magnet draws iron. He knew it was his destiny. He wasn’t sure how. He just knew. So, when the opportunity appeared to join with a group of travelers to Boston, he knew this was HIS ride; the way for him to fulfill his destiny. It was time to go. It was time to do what he was meant to do and let the gods of fate lead the way.

Grandma's Goulash - November 7

The word of the week is repugnant. 

The host is Grandma’s Goulash. 

The goal is a story of 140 characters or less related to the story, hopefully using the word of the week.

Down to just two contestants, the annual Dance of the Wild Vines contest shows yet again that women can hold their wine far better than men.

Succinctly Yours - October 31 (Late)

Grandma's Goulash says "How low can you go?"

We are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. Unfortunately, I used 149 characters. But, if you're interested in joining us, just Click For Details.

Calabasa and Melón talked about what El Día de los Muertos had become. No longer just gifts and prayers for the dead; an eerie festival was underway.

Succinctly Yours August 15 - Time for an Intervention

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, August 8

Word Of The Week:  frantic

Gepetto was frantic when he saw Pinocchio unconscious in the chair. He told him the stripper was dangerous, but he just wouldn’t listen.

Parade Dress - Succinctly Yours August 8

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, August 8

Word Of The Week:  oblivious 

Reed was totally oblivious when Carol told him to wear something that would complement her hoop skirt as they walked the parade route.

Cold, Hard Reality - TGIBBF #23 August 5

Every week, Lisa Ricard Claro hosts Book Blurb Friday for those of us interested in writing a potential book cover blurb for whatever photo gets chosen for that week. 

Here is our "book cover" for next week's Book Blurb Friday #23, provided by Kathy Matthews. I stumbled over this one this last week (part of why I'm three days late!) I had a bit of an idea when I first saw it, but it just wouldn't develop for me until today. I hope I can get my other writing challenge done today when it's due instead of being three days late on that as well! LOL

Another rain without the gutter repair promised by complex management. Tenants were responsible for the small garden areas at their entrances, but not building repairs. The hole being created by the rain water was getting bigger with each rainfall.

Mike was just about to call management again when he noticed it. He wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but he knew it didn’t belong. Using the umbrella to block the water, he reached down into the puddle and froze. Running his fingers along the item, he could feel the outline of a gun. He knew this was no toy. He also knew, because of the news, that there had been a shooting a few blocks away last night.

Mike didn’t like the idea that that someone in the complex might be the shooter, but he liked even less that they’d chosen his front door to dispose of the weapon.

Succinctly Yours, August 1 - Iguana Prima Donna

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, August 1st.

Word Of The Week: proliferate 

Pet pampering already proliferates, but when the Vanderhofs built a Jacuzzi just for their iguana, we all knew it had gone too far!!

TGIBBF, July 29 - Through the Peephole

Every week, Lisa Ricard Claro provides us with a photo that represents a book jacket of an imaginary book. We are to write the cover blurb for this book that will prove so interesting to potential buyers that they will clamber to buy the book.

Here is our "book cover" for next week's Book Blurb Friday #22, provided by Lisa's daughter, Christina.

The first time Rob saw her, it was through the peephole of his front door. What struck him was her electric blue eyes and blonde hair. He had answered a knock and, out of habit, looked out before opening it. She appeared to be looking in to see who was coming. He had no idea who she was. He still didn’t because he forgot to ask her before she left. But, he did know she was staying in Apt. 5E. She had used his phone to call the super in order to be let in.

The next day, another knock at his door, Rob looked through the peephole, hoping it was the mystery woman. Instead of blue eyes, he now saw blue uniforms. The police! They asked if he knew who lived in 5E. The male tenant had been found dead and the woman was now missing.

Succinctly Yours for July 25 - Master Carpenter

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. 

I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, July 25th.
 

Word Of The Week: arbitrary 

To his wife, the array of tools seemed so arbitrary. But to Jonas, they represented the fulfillment of a dream that honored his grandfather’s legacy.

TGIBBF Book Blurb Friday, July 22 - Stone Angel

As always, Lisa Ricard Claro hosts Book Blurb Friday in which we are to do the following:

Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

This week our "book cover" for Book Blurb Friday #21 has been provided by Sioux Roslawski. 

If you want to join us, please feel free to share your creativity. What story do you see in this potential book cover?

Andy Stone laid the flower by her grave. He missed her so much these days. She was always able to see him through the difficult times, to help him see the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. She knew how to comfort him. But, ever since that fateful day in March, he felt so alone and helpless. How would he go on? No one knew him like she did. “Why did you leave me, Terri? What am I going to do?”

The voice came softly, gently, almost whispering: “You’ll be fine, Cuddlebug. Remember my words always. They were true then, they’re true now.”

No one called him Cuddlebug but Terri. He had to be imagining it. “Remember, Cuds. The strength is within you.” Andy looked all around him. All could see was a stone statue of a woman. A woman who looked amazingly likeTerri. Like Terri Stone.

Kyle & Lisa - Succinctly Yours, July 18

Well, I'm late, but had a heck of a day yesterday, so wasn't able to pop this one off until just now (8:25 Tuesday morning). I hope you enjoy it.

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, July 18th:

Word Of The Week:

obscure 

Kyle had shared Lisa’s desire to vacation in the Catskills, but their natural beauty was being obscured by her insistence that she’d seen Sasquatch.

TGIBBF July 15 - Adventure Island

If you are new to this writing challenge, please click HERE for details of the Book Blurb Friday meme.  The abridged version:

Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

This is our "book cover" for Book Blurb Friday #20, provided by Lisa Ricard Claro’s daughter, Christina.

Alexis had found the perfect place for their romantic getaway. A secluded island hideaway with a picturesque wooden bridge that connected it to the mainland resort that owned it. She just knew Jared would love it. There were horse trails, a picnic area, private beach and a gate they could lock to keep the curious at bay. She’d made reservations a year ago, and that only because of a cancellation.

Jared didn’t know where they were going or how long Alexis had been planning this trip. But, he didn’t mind not knowing. She always arranged the best adventures for them and he expected that this trip would be no exception.

He was right. The location was fantastic. But, the adventure really began when they arose the first morning and found a still warm corpse outside their door. 

A colorful ride home - Succinctly Yours July 11

Succinctly Yours is hosted by Grandma of Grandma's Goulash. She presents us with a photo and we are to use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more. The vast majority of us use the 140 character option.

If we want more of a challenge? Then we can use the word of the week in our stories. This is optional.

How does Grandma come up with the weekly word?

She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her having seen the picture. That makes it more fun for everyone. I hope you enjoy the results. Join us if you want. We'd love to have more to read!

Photo for Monday, July 11th.

Word Of The Week:
renegade 

The renegade in Rachel didn't appear when it came time to wash off the colors she'd painted head to toe. It was going to be a long ride home if she didn’t come clean.

Belated July 8 TGIBBF (Ghost Writer)

Here is our Make-believe "book cover" for Book Blurb Friday #19, provided by the lovely Lynn Obermoeller:

Our creative writing exercise is sponsored by Lisa Ricard Claro who provides us with deadlines for our "assignments", which I have completely bypassed proving that I'll never be a journalist. I hope you enjoy my take on this photo.

Ghost Writer

At first, Laura thought it was a dream. The clackity-clackity-clackity-clackity-DING! that penetrated her consciousness couldn’t be real. She didn’t own a typewriter. They were practically obsolete except for those who were diehard old-schoolers and technophobes. So, it had to be a dream….right?

Clackity-clackity-clackity-clackity-DING! OMG! She wasn’t asleep. She was wide awake. This was no dream. But, what was it? Where was it?

Investigative journalism was Laura’s profession. She was trained to get answers. And, answers were definitely what she wanted. It was time to go to work, but this time, for herself. One way or another, she’d find out the what, where, who and why of what was happening. She hadn’t lost a story yet and she wasn’t about to start now.

What's the buzz? Succinctly Yours July 4.

How does Grandma of Grandma's Goulash come up with the weekly word?
She doesn’t. She asks her daughter for a word without her seeing the picture. That makes it more interesting and challenging.

Photo for Monday, July 4th. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday (if you're here in the US or Canada).

Word Of The Week: 
expedient

It would be much more expedient to just be a fly on the wall (in a house without cats, of course). I hate not knowing what’s going on.

Morning Glories - TGIBBF July 1

Our challenge: Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book. Challenge sponsor is Lisa Ricard Claro.

Below is this week's "book cover" offered for our creative blurbs by Becky Povich.  My book blurb is below:

MORNING GLORIES

Sandra loved the way the morning sun peeked through the blinds as it rose. Her move to the country cottage was the best decision she’d ever made. Country life was so serene, so relaxing, so unhurried compared to living in the city. She’d grown tired of the hustle and bustle, of the never-ending horn honking and sirens at all hours.

She’d also grown tired of being reminded of Steve. Her life collapsed when he died. Around every corner a memory lay in wait. She needed a new beginning and she’d found it in Brookville. She looked forward to starting over, meeting new people, making new friends.

One of those friends was Brian. He’d welcomed her to the neighborhood and helped her with her yard work. Now he was asking her out. She wasn’t sure she was ready, but did enjoy his company. What would she do?

Web of Deceit - TGIBBF June 24

OUR MISSION: Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

OUR SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: Here is our "book cover" for next week, provided by the talented artist and writer, Sandra Davies.  Thanks Sandra! 

OUR HOSTESS: Lisa Ricard Claro

Thank you for participating in Book Blurb Friday. If you haven't yet attempted a book blurb, I hope you'll join in. The blurbs are fun to write, and it’s fun reading what others have written.

Nothing appeared out of the ordinary when Kate arrived at her exhusband’s place. The truck was where he always parked it, the lawn was mowed and the hedges trimmed. Yet, she just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong. As she approached the house, she noticed the frost-covered spider’s web that was attached to the truck’s sideview mirror and driver’s door. She then knew her feeling was right. Dave was a fanatic when it came to his truck. One speck of bird poop and it required a complete detailing. This spider’s web wasn’t new and shouldn’t still be there. But, could she call the police with only that to go on? She doubted it. She knew she was going to have to go inside the house…despite the intense feeling of dread that had overtaken her.

Chocolate Charade - TGIBBF June 17

Our mission: Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book, sponsored by Lisa Ricard Claro.

Our visual: This is the photo on which we base our writing, provided by Sioux Roslawski.

Jacques Gendarme is back on the case, this time hired by the niece of the head of the Groupe Casino, one of the world’s leading food retailers. She believes the man purporting to be her uncle, Pierre Renoir, is an imposter and that he is in danger. Asked how she came to believe this, she said, “He has always called me Petit Chou, but he didn’t know who I was when I phone him at the office. He then pretended to be distracted as an excuse.” The evidence was flimsy, but he needed the work. What Jacques would find would lead him directly to the files of INTERPOL and put even his employment benefactor at risk. 

Book Blurb Friday - June 10 "Puss in Blue"

Each week, we are challenged to "write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book."

Here is this week's "book cover" photo, provided by Lisa’s young 'un, Joey.

PUSS IN BLUE

This was no ordinary crime. And, Al E. Katt was no ordinary detective. His black tuxedo glistened in the sunlight as he followed the trail of clues through the apartment complex where Gary Kramer was murdered. The local CIS thought they had a handle on things, but they didn’t have the same perspective that Al did. In fact, because of Al several crimes in the past year had been successfully prosecuted. Of course, Al received no credit for his part in the pursuit of justice. That’s because Al is a cat. If he hadn’t dug up the evidence, sometimes literally, the police would still be investigating. And today was no different. As Al decided to “play” with the beer can on which he’d detected a droplet of blood, the OIC took note of the disturbance and walked over, picking up the can. “What do you have here, puss?”