Truthfully, I have no idea how or when what is currently called Flash Fiction came into being, or who wrote the first one. My first introduction to the creative challenge and extreme pleasure of penning 100 word Flashes began with Flash Fiction Sunday on the Liquid Silver SEx blog.
I was tentative about joining in the outrageous fun, at first, having no idea how to write one. While I haven’t really gotten into Sunday’s cyber-wild party of Chippendale dancers and free-flowing tequila that often goes along with the flash-ing, I have definitely discovered a niche for myself ~ what I call Serial Flashing. Or writing a scene or a story in 100, 150 or 500 word installments.
Flashes are not, obviously, limited to those word counts. It’s whatever size floats your creative talented boat.
Currently I have a Serial Flash in Two Hundred that I began last December 26, titled ~ Happy Courtship on Another Earth ~ which is still running on the Liquid Silver forum and is written 200 words at a time, each day. First, I write the heroine’s voice, then the hero’s voice. I began it as an experiment to find out the response and because I enjoy creating Sylva and Zeke’s love story... boy! do I enjoy creating their Wild West meets modern times, alternative timeline story. Right now, I’m up to Part 122, or 14,400 words.
For this blog, I thought I’d share my flash from last Sunday, with an added two flashes... because it’s a happily ever after theme common in romance novels, especially of ye olden days when I began reading them. Part of the inspiration that flickered before my mind’s eye was Rhett’s love for Scarlett in Gone With the Wind... what would have happened if... well, if several things were different, including the culture itself. Although, to add, the heroine and hero do not resemble Vivien Leigh or Clark Gable.
The Heart’s Misunderstanding
ONE
Giddy with happiness, she raced down the long staircase. Surely wings were attached to her slippered feet. Pausing at the bannister, she caught her breath. He was here, waiting for her in the reception room. Terrance, the love of her life. She’d seen his personal coach from her balcony. At last evening’s ball, he’d hinted at his arrival this day. Her diaphanous daygown whispered around her ankles as she floated forward. What would she say when he asked for her hand in marriage? How would she say her acceptance? Would she smile demurely, or would her tears erupt in joy.
TWO
Terrance spun around on the heel of his superb cavalry boots, a wide smile on his solid handsome face. His gaze beamed with the strength of several suns. “Oh, Terrance,” she breathed out her heart. Kalvesta rushed toward him and swore her feet felt like hummingbirds’ wings. She halted as swiftly when he suddenly frowned, his countenance resembling the quiet before a storm. “What is it?” fell from her lips.
“Kalvesta, my sweet one.” He moved to her, grasping her hands inside his. “It was your sister, Lolenda, I asked to join me.” He paused, compassion owning his gaze. “I am sorry.”
THREE
Kalvesta’s world whirled and crashed around her. If she had been a tower she would have crumbled into unrecognizable dust. “I, I am sorry.” She stuttered over her words and felt everything inside her die. Her heart stopped and refused to start. Still, she noticed its tiny resilient thump inside her chest. How do I remain standing, she wondered. A terrible bubble of silence surrounded her and suddenly she could see nothing. “Please, do not let Lolenda know I was here.” Tearing her hands from Terrance’s kind grip, she fled. On instinct she found the garden doors and flew outside.
FOUR
Dhaldago unfolded his arms, observing the woman he wanted with a ferocity that owned his soul, burst out the tall ornate door – as he had surmised would occur, once she discovered Terrance had arrived for her sister. Her lovely delicate shoulder had been coldly shown to him every time he’d made the slightest courting advance. Now, she would be his. He had carefully spoken his desire to her parents, gaining their consent. Although, it was his right to boldly take her in marriage, since her sister was the younger of the two. Shoving away from the stone wall, he sprinted.
FIVE
Keeping a falcon eye on his Kalvesta, Dhaldago marveled at her fleetness of foot. Yet, wasn’t that one reason for his loin’s passion? Her female form was all fragile sumptuousness while her spirit in whatever sport she played was savagely glorious, and more often than not, she triumphed. Gaining on her, he watched her jerk to a halt beneath a weeping willow tree. Her small hand flattened on the trunk before she doubled over, crumpling onto the ground. Not caring how much she loathed him, Dhaldago raced to her. Before she could react, he scooped her up into his arms.
SIX
“What are you doing?” Flames owned her tongue. Still, she remained stunned and too emotionally weak to struggle against his hold as he strode with her along the path.
“My coach awaits for you, my intended bride.” He glanced downward, glimpsing her sea-sensual eyes, now huge pools of shocked realization.
“No.” He felt the force of her whisper.
“Yes. I have right of marriage.”
“I will despise you forever!”
“Your hatred is preferred over life without you, beautiful woman.”
“How can that be?” she fired on him with her tone. He acknowledged the scorch of her strike.
“Simple. I want you.”
SEVEN
“You are a fool just as I am a fool.” Her tone demonstrated she gave no quarter to herself. “I am betrayed by my own unreliable heart. You are betrayed by your baser desires,” she charged.
“Forgive my frankness so early in our life together, my precious Kalvesta, you know nothing of my heart, nor my soul... nor my baser desires.”
Dhaldago continued his long rapid strides, his obsidian-colored coach in sight now. The gold trim and his dynastic crest subtly gleamed in the lesser light of Autumn. The six elegant, yet substantial-bodied horses displayed eagerness, restless in their harnesses.
EIGHT
Their dark golden coats shimmered more brightly than his door crest.
“I must assume I will soon know your baser desires despite my unwillingness.”
Her pride and her trembling little fright of him sliced to his heart as if his chest had been opened by a battle axe. Still, his passion for her ruled.
“Oh, I shall cause your explicit and exceptional willingness,” Dhaldago darkly promised.
She thrust up her delicate and defiant chin, pretending to ignore him. Catching sight of his coach and horses, she started, then stared. “They are lovely as heaven,” she burst out softly. “Your horses.”
~~~~~~
HAPPY DANCE AROUND THE MAYPOLE DAY...
May your most romantic dreams come true...
Savanna
Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~ http://savannakougar.com ~
*******************
Sizzle Romance Title coming from Savanna Kougar ~ MAY 1, 2009 release date.
HER INSATIABLE DARK HEROES ~ what does it mean when The Harbinger arrives on a world devastated by weather wars...where super powers are given to a few... coming from Siren-BookStrand ~ http://bookstrand.com/authors/savannakougar ~
~~~~~~
Escape into the seductive fantasy romance of your choice ~ FICTIONWISE ~
http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/savannakougareBooks.htm?cache ~
For my novels at KINDLE, MOBIPOCKET & ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS ~ Search *Savanna Kougar* ~
WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS ~ >>>Now in Print<<<>
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Romancing Flash Fiction ~ The Heart's Misunderstanding
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Book with a View... and 5 Wings!
Hey everyone! It's been a while since I got to visit here, and I'm now a few days late thanks to a South African cyber-connection failure. Still, I'm here, and I'd like to share a little on a Book with a View...
The Look is set in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, a wide sweep of land that climbs up to become the foothills of the mighty Drakensberg Mountains. Now, for those who don't know, I have a thing for mountains. I love the towering peaks and tumbling valleys, and the shifting of light and shadow that give them an ever-changing, breath-taking beauty I seem to never tire of. The valleys are as much a part of them, as they have given to create the heights, and been blessed with a singular beauty in return.
Morgan heads off into the back of beyond in search of the truth and stumbles on an old house that draws her inexplicably to explore. The house has truths of its own to tell, but it also overlooks one of these same sweeping valleys....
"Instantly, as if someone had wiped a chalkboard clean, her mood changed. The huge living room, a masterpiece of wood and stone and glass, took her breath away. The entire length of the room, unbroken except for the narrow frames of the picture windows, looked across a valley. The panorama rolled out towards the shadow of the hills in the distance. High up, so the entire vista was easily visible, the house seemed to own it, the view simply an extension of itself.
Swathed in the lazy haze of afternoon sunshine, the valley, the house, the whole picture seemed to take on a magical, other-worldly quality. An odd but comforting scent of what she thought could be lavender drifted through the slightly dusty smell that surrounded her, hinting at things beyond the here and now. The silence crept in, crept around her, but with a sense of welcome rather than isolation.
Spellbound, Morgan crept forward to lean her forehead on the surprisingly cool glass. The place had a sense of completeness about it, like a homecoming, odd and confusing, but strangely normal at the same time. She didn’t even try to explain it. Just soaked it up like a dry, thirsty sponge."
I'm always astonished at how vast and immeasurable is the beauty that defines Africa, and how the images remain long after you leave them. The valley in The Look could be any one of the many I have seen, or all of them. It's a vision that stretches the eye and the spirit, and makes one look beyond the here-and-now, into a world of possibilities.
Here's what the Classic Romance Revival Reviewer had to say:
The emotions in the novel are subtle and powerful, shown rather than told so the reader can feel with the heroine. Morgan is a perky, sympathetic character and Blake a good foil to her. Morgan’s a lovely tease and Blake certainly needs taking down a bit so I enjoyed their back-and-forths. Beneath their banter is a far more serious issue, the reason why Morgan has come to Thornleigh, and that is handled with great delicacy.
The cat is adorable - if you read the book you’ll see why and how - and the whole easy-going way of country life in South Africa is very appealing. Clearly Judah Raine knows the country and knows what she is talking about: the rhythms of life and people and their speech are perfectly caught. Fishing can be romantic, too - if you read The Look, you’ll understand!
To view the full 5 Wings review, visit the CRR blog at http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=243
To find out more about my books, or see more of my Images of Africa, visit my website at http://www.judahraine.com or my blog at http://www.judahraine.com/romancewriteup Or visit the Neverending Story at my RomanticSynonymous blog at http://judahraine.blogspot.com
I hope to see you there! Take care,
Jude
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Telescopes
Astronomy has always interested me. When I was a kid, I would take my little Golden Guide to the Stars and my flashlight to the back yard and gaze up at the constellations. Winter or summer, and winter in
Maybe my childhood interest in the stars had something to do with the astronomy theme in Lady of the Stars. I'm still not 
sure how the idea came about. Anyway, the telescope the hero, Richard, owns is a real one. I looked up antique telescopes on the web and found this Pallant.
This telescope is ideal for my story. It's a real, 19th century English telescope, perfect for Richard to own. The telescope is also small, less than a foot long, so Richard or Caroline could easily carry it to an observation position. It figures in Caroline’s and Richard’s courtship, as well as providing a link between past and present.
I rarely look at the stars now. Too many lights and too many trees obscure my view. I still remember most of the constellations’ names, and I always stay up and watch any lunar eclipses that are visible in my area. But, as Lady of the Stars shows, I haven’t completely forgotten my childhood interest. Maybe art does imitate life.
Thank you, all,
LindaLinda Banche
Regenc
y romance--most with humor, some with fantasy, and occasionally a paranormal
Lady of the Stars--A legend spanning time, and the man and woman caught in it--Regency time travel, available from The Wild Rose Press
Pumpkinnapper--Pumpkin thieves, a youthful love rekindled, and a jealous goose. Oh my--coming September 30, 2009 from The Wild Rose Press
www.lindabanche.com
http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lindabanche
http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Banche/1059787652
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Crazy Mind Control - Help, My Characters Hate Me!
Have you ever felt that way while writing a story?
Have you ever had things you felt you were adament about doing or not doing and then you find your characters taking advantage? While I never say never because that seals my fate, there are just things I don't want to do. Writing first person is one of those things.
Oh, my gosh!
If I could set the heroine up on a pole in my backyard and enjoy some target practice, I would. Shame it's illegal to fire a firearm within city limits. LMAO
She's out of control. All of sudden, she's decided she wants to be written in first person. No, no, no, I keep telling her. I was going along, doing just fine. I've never had issues with writing third person. Then bam, I find this entire scene is first person. The only scene at this point that is first person. I've tried changing it, she won't let me. I tried switching to his pov -- no go. Right now, they are both in time out. He's enjoying it too much. He's the type to sit back, egg her on, and watch for fun. And he's so darn cute doing it, too.
I know this is only the first draft and I can worry about it in the fleshing out stage, but damn! I want my way in this story. It's my turn to have my way.
I know the story has a HEA. So, does it really matter how it gets there? I think it does. At least for some readers.
After yet another fight with Jaycee yesterday, I was browsing review sites - something to do. I'm not expecting more reviews on current titles, though one popped up the other day. So, I was in this one site and my heart stopped when I saw a one heart given. I felt so bad for the author and wanted to wrangle the reviewer. It's just wrong to post a review under a three for any author. If an author wants to post it, fine.
So, anyway, I read the review, curious as to what the reviewers problem was. For her, the first person written format didn't work period. It didn't allow for enough characterization, didn't allow for the fleshing out of the plot and so on. The elements and potential was there, but the author didn't go anywhere with it. While we all know reviews are subjective, it struck a cord with me.
While not many authors can pull off writing first person so I don't notice it's first person or feel like I'm invading privacy, my interest in the reviewers comment was purely in the respect of what I may lose by letting Jaycee win this battle. Will readers lose who she is and only see the emotions of the moment? And of course, things escalated from there. I cut the first person scene and set it aside. We'll see what happens.
Since I've seen the end of the story, the happily ever end is still in intact - I haven't lost what is and will be between the main characters and that's the important part, I think.
I'll just be glad to finish this series of stubborn characters. lol Never thought I'd ever say that.
Bekki
www.bekkilynn.com
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Gorgeous Men in Tight Breeches and Ruffled Shirts II
What's Wrong With This Picture/Excerpt? In Part I, we discussed Regency men's clothes. Although the era saw the birth of modern menswear, Regency clothing is not exactly the same. Errors abound in many romances. In this post we'll discuss three common errors in the portrayal of the Regency gentleman’s wardrobe. What's wrong with Gorgeous Gentleman #1's clothes? The problem is his shirt. Men's shirts didn't button all the way down the front until the end of the nineteenth century. The front was open to about halfway down the chest, much like a present-day man's polo shirt. There may or may not have been one or two buttons to keep the collar closed. And a gentleman always wore a cravat to keep his shirt top closed. The only way GG#1 could show off that great set of washboard abs in a historically correct shirt was to pull the shirt over his head. Or, the heroine could tear it off him in a fit of passion--the modern version of the bodice ripper. The shirt GG #2 is wearing is correct. But what's wrong here? His shirt is correct, and our hero even has ruffles at his cuffs (oh, I do like ruffles on a man!). The answer--GG #2 is wearing a belt. Regency men held up their breeches (generic term for what they wore on their lower bodies) with braces, also called suspenders. My third example is a passage from Miss Lockharte's Letters by Barbara Metzger: "And I saw you trying to corner her in the choir loft. If you ever managed to keep your pants buttoned, we wouldn't be in half this mess." The error here? The word "pants" is an Americanism, first found in the works of Edgar Allan Poe, around 1840, according to dictionary.com. An Englishman would refer to the garment as "trousers". And if he were in the presence of a lady, he would call them his "unmentionables", if he referred to them at all. I found lots of pictures of gorgeous gentlemen as I searched for images for this post. But I hit the jackpot with GG#2. Unlike some writers, I don't use a picture of an actor or model as inspiration for my hero. But when I saw GG#2, I knew I had found Richard, the hero of Lady of the Stars. GG#2's hair is a little too long, he's wearing that belt, and he would never appear before a lady without a cravat, waistcoat and coat (jacket). I like to think he's in his bedchamber, early the morning after he met Caroline, the heroine. He's thinking about her, and already falling in love. And here's our Happily Ever After. Thank you all, Linda Regency romance--most with humor, some with fantasy, and occasionally a paranormal Lady of the Stars--A legend spanning time, and the man and woman caught in it--Regency time travel, available from The Wi Pumpkinnapper--Pumpkin thieves, a youthful love rekindled, and a jealous goose. Oh my--coming http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/ http://www.myspace.com/lindabanche
ld Rose Press
www.lindabanche.com
Friday, April 17, 2009
Marketing with Music
I have to say that the whole promotion and marketing aspect of writing is a challenge. I actually do PR for a local college here in NY. Promotion and community relations is what I do. It's really cool to do it for my own stuff though....especially for my books. Now, as an ebook author, it's a tad more challenging to promote your work to the masses. Traditional book signings aren't exactly the right fit. Also, the general public hasn't fully embraced ebooks yet. Some people, I know, look skeptically at me and wonder if I'm publishing "a real book". Sad but true. So...how does an ebook author do a signing or a book launch event without a traditional book? Borders isn't going to host one until it's in print.
Here's my solution. I'm burning my book onto CD's, packaging it in a DVD case (looks more like a book than a CD case does) and printing the book cover in color, which is then inserted into the DVD Case. Okay...that problem solved. Second issue....where do you have it and what else can you do to get people in the door.
I found an amazing musician, Amy Petty, thanks to a DJ buddy of mine. She's on a record label and has new album out. One of her songs, Honey on the Skin, is the perfect theme song for my second book. Gratefully she and her label are allowing me to use it in the upcoming book trailer. Now...take that a step further. She's an up and coming musician who want exposure too. Why not work together?
I approached a popular pub here in NY, Fogarty's, and asked if I could host a book launch in the bar. I also have a talented singer/songwriter who's willing to play the event. They jumped at it.
So...we've got a nicely packaged ebook that people can hold in their hands and I can sign. We've got an incredible singer who's performing to boost the texture and feel of the entire event. It's all good!
You can check out her songs at her website http://www.amypetty.com
But it gets better. John Campbell, my DJ friend, then spoke with another band he works with, The Strike Nineteens. He told them about the vampire series that I'm working on. They wrote me my own bloody song. No kidding. In like 3 days this total stranger sat down and wrote my WIP it's very own song. How cool is that? It's titled Forever in Darkness and you can hear it on my website http://www.novelromance.net it's pretty cool.
Check them out on Myspace http://www.myspace.com/thestrikenineteens
I'm finding that by combining music with the stories is a great way to really draw people in and enhance the entire experience. Marketing with Music ROCKS!!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Never Judge A Book By Its Cover
"Never Judge a Book by It's Cover". I know we've all been force fed this our entire lives. I've even written about it in my first book Charmed from Ellora's Cave where my heroine doesn't take the hero seriously because he's supermodel gorgeous. But today, while checking my email I ran into another top Buzz story on Yahoo!
Yes, I'm a sucker. And of course, I had to click on it and lo and behold the story was about one the UK's biggest moneymaker, "Britain's Got Talent" and one of its contestants, Susan Boyle who wowed the judges and audiences on a recent episode.
How did she do it? Ms. Boyle has a voice that rivals Leontyne Price or if you're too young to remember her, Charlotte Church (what happened to her anyway?). The Twist? Ms. Boyle is stuck in the body of Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch sans the trash can.
So, add her appearance, the fact that she's never been kissed, and was seeking fame and fortune at the age of 47 (Simon looked epileptic when she gave her age - what's up with him and age?) they pretty much put her on the shelf with William Hung.
But before Ms. Boyle could complete the first line of "I Dream A Dream" from Les Miserables, the crowd was standing on their feet.
To see Ms. Boyle's tear jerking performance visit:
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