The Journal

The inspiration for this piece of flash came as my fifteen year-old daughter was showing me a You-tube video on why people over twenty-five shouldn’t be on Facebook. I know it was meant to be funny, but really it wasn’t. At all. It did however make me hyper-aware of how people are viewed in this modern day “brave new world”.

the journal.

This is John’s journal. It begins when he is fourteen and ends when he is forty. Yes, the dates are right; I intentionally made it in the very near future.

May 1, 2019

Took my mother to the morgue today. She bitched the entire time. It got annoying, especially at the end, when she grabbed onto my arm and looked at me like she knew what she was saying, like she thought she was still, I don’t know; a person.  But that couldn’t have been true, so I took her hands off me when they came to take her away.  

                                                   -John

 

February 1, 2029

John Jr. wanted to go to the zoo today, but it was too damn cold out. We took him to the taxidermy section of the museum instead. Little kid didn’t even know the difference. Am I smart, or what?

                                                 -John

 

May 1, 2039

They let me go at work today. Just gave my job away. They even had the balls to ask me to stay a week; show that pimply faced asshole who’s replacing me how to do my job. Like he can learn all I have to do in a week, anyhow. I told them to eat shit and die. No, I didn’t, but I should have. That’s what I’ll tell them next week when I’m done, though.

                                                -John

 

March 10, 2045

John Jr. is coming for me today. I told him he’s wrong. I told him I’m the same man I always was; I still feel.  I still love. I’m still me. He just smiles and nods, the same way I smiled and nodded at my mother, not believing a word she said, hoping she’d just be quiet and make it easy on me. She didn’t. Her cries still haunt me, especially now, when I know she was right. I won’t do that to my son. I will go quietly. That way when his time comes he won’t have to know how terrible it is.

                                              -John

 

Three

Just a little piece of flask for your Wednesday:

three

“Don’t make me count to three,” my mother warned.

Make her? Why would I make her? And if I do then what happens? Does the sky fall down- is that why she doesn’t want me to make her do it? Or worse- is three like a code signal for the alien invaders who are hanging back, just waiting for her to say the word?

“One,” she began, hands fixed on her hips.

Better not risk it, I thought, jumping down off my bike. The fate of the world might be riding on me.

Have a great day!

Online Marketing Symposium

Today is the day for the Online Marketing Symposium brought to us by:

Arlee Bird - http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/

Yolanda Renee - http://yolandarenee.blogspot.com/

Jeremy Hawkins - http://www.beingretro.com/

Alex J. Cavanaugh - http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

Basically, we are supposed to share what has worked/hasn't in the marketing of our books, so we can help others do the same.

I know this probably isn't news to anyone, but really what has worked for me are the books themselves. People have read them and told others about them. To get my works out there I mainly do free things: giveaways here on this blog, post my pieces of flash on Wattpad, as well as the first chapters of my longer works, and donate copies of my books to anything I think is a good cause. Also, *Amazon has a paperback giveaway program where literally hundreds of people sign up to win a copy of your book. I've found that is a better bang for my buck than pretty much anything else. Just let the book speak for itself. Eventually people will listen.

Hope this helps. I can't wait to read all of your suggestions!




*Sorry, this is Goodreads. I tend to use them interchangeably since they merged.

Celebrate and Express

 

The small things I'm celebrating is that I got my lazy butt running again. My Aunt Jen (waves hi) and I are doing a 5k this summer and I haven't ran at all for over three months. Not good. So on Tuesday I started again, at the beginning. Hopefully by June, I'll be back where I was. Also, this was my son's birthday week. Four years ago yesterday, that little surprise came into our lives, and four years ago today he was given back. Without going into too many details, we almost lost him the day after he was born. I just hold that little guy so close and thank God for the little miracle that was given to me twice.

The question for this week is: What movies are you planning to watch in theaters this year? I'm not a movie in theaters kind of person, unless it's something I really have to see. I'm sure I'll go see God's Not Dead, and Mockingjay, but as for the rest, I'll probably wait for the DVD. With one exception: I love the Drive-In. I try to go at least 3-4 times a summer and I'll probably end up going more this year due to the no job thing. For that, I pick from their list and just go.

What are you celebrating this week? What movies are you planning on going to see? Ever been to a Drive-In?

Jacob Marley

Today I'm posting a piece that I wrote just before Christmas. I'm not usually one for fan fiction, but after going to see Christmas Carol, the musical with my daughter, I felt drawn to one character in particular: Jacob Marley.

When Jacob speaks, people listen. Eventually. The fact of the matter is, Jacob Marley is of short stature; completely benign in appearance and form.

That’s just the way he likes it.

On this particular occasion and time, Jacob enters the conference room unnoticed. He stands at the door, scoping out the comrodery taking place. Something about that moment of before always amuses Jacob, so he makes it a point to soak it in to the utmost. But, like every good thing, there is always something else more pressing that must take its place. That is exactly why Jacob is there.

No one notices as he takes the vacant place at the head of the table. “Two weeks,” he says in his usual quiet voice.

The talking continues as if he’d said nothing.

He continues undeterred, “At that time this branch will be closing its doors. Consider this your official notification. Are there any questions?”

People start listening then, but Jacob Marley is already on his way towards the door. He knows from his years of experience that this part isn’t nearly as pleasant as the creating of it; the useless begging and pleas could easily turn his five minute announcement into a two hour chore.

Jacob Marley’s time is far too precious for that.

One brave soul rises to his feel. “Why?” he asks.

There is nothing all that original about that question or Jacob’s answer, “In the world of business, it is all about profit, ladies and gentleman, and you’re not making any.”

The room vibrates with the sound of clanking; a metal chain being added to the long string already years in the making. Jacob’s eyes sweep the room, looking for the sound now so familiar, and yet still so mysterious. Finding nothing, he turns to leave. He has more business to attend to, after all.  

Little Bit of Flash

 

Good morning everyone, well at least it’s morning when I’m writing this. I just want to take a minute to thank all of you for your kind words concerning my unit closing; they meant more than you’ll ever know.

But, it’s a new year now--time for me to put on my big girl pants and get on with it. Nursing hasn’t been my career for a while now. It’s been my job, not my career. I love to write. And now I have more time for what I love.

With that in mind, I thought I’d share one of my latest pieces of flash fiction with you:

untitled

The woman pulled the fur coat in closer, like it was still an animal, like it could still protect her. But it couldn’t. It was just as dead as she was about to be.

And just like that fox, long gone, she didn’t suspect the gravity of the situation she was in until it was too late. There was nervousness, of course, there is always bound to be that when someone steps into the elevator with you and quickly pushes the button to close the door. But rest assured there will always be rational thoughts to overcome those nerves. Perhaps he was just in a hurry.  And as he turned to face her, knowing he was stronger, knowing she didn’t stand a chance, those rational thoughts slipped away, too late to be of good use to anyone. 

 If you want to read more of my flash you can find it  here  on wattpad.

Reflections

I know for a lot of us the changing of one year into another is a time of change and of reflection, and it has always been that way for me, too. But this year is more so than ever before. I'm writing this as I sit at my desk at work. This will be my last night working here. A little over two weeks ago our unit closed suddenly. It was a surprise and wasn't at the same time. All of us expected to stay open until the New Year, and so the powers that be let us, although we're only a shell of what we once were. You can't really call yourself a nurse when you have no patients to take care of, and we haven't, not for over two weeks. I was the one to wheel that last patient out and  now I will be the one to close the doors for good. I have been a nurse for seventeen years and now I face the very real possibility that my nursing career may only have hours left. Events like that really make you take stock of your life, what's important and not. I love being a nurse. I'm a good nurse. But now it's time for something new. What that is, only God knows.

So here's to you, all my patients past. I've heard your collective cry and now I weep with you.