The Investment #8Sunday

   

Book: The Damned

Stories: The Drain, The Enforcers, The Fog, On a Spring Day, and The Trial.

ASIN: B0C82RQFSZ

Publication Date: September 23, 2023

Genre: Flash Fiction, Horror

Buy Link: http://books2read.com/DamnedDrabbles

Price: $1.99 ebook (Pre-order price)

Book Blurb:

Bite-sized horror stories are brought to you by thirteen authors. From creepy crawlies to the seemingly normal pets. From hideous monsters lurking in the dark to charismatic people showing their true colors.

Each tale is precisely 100 words and leaves a long-lasting chilling effect. Some will make you question the security of the world around you, and what’s more terrifying than that?

Featuring drabbles from Storm Lomax, Jonathan Reddoch, Zari Hunt, Kellee Kranendonk, Andreas Flögel, Simon Clarke, Jacek Wilkos, Ferenc K. Zoltán, Vanessa Bane, C.L. Hart, Natascha Eschweiler, Angela Zimmerman, and J.E. Feldman.

Pre-Excerpt Information

I wrote this drabble along with 29 others for potential inclusion in The Damned, an anthology of drabbles from Dragon Soul Press. I didn't submit it because I felt the story was more paranormal mystery than horror.

So, why in the world am I sharing it here?

Because there are approximately 13 weeks until the anthology is published. My contract stipulates that I can't share more than 500 words from the anthology prior to publication. That's all five of my selected stories. So, what in the heck would I share during the other eight weeks?

The other drabbles that didn't make the cut for this anthology, of course! 

The following drabble may be similar to other drabbles that did make the cut. It's pretty cool in its own right.

Photo by Jaromír Kalina (jkalinaofficial) on Unsplash

The Investment

Cambyses Fiala believed the old house was a good investment. His brother Moray agreed, until he realized that Camby planned to refurbish the house rather than razing it and rebuilding. Their partner, Valentyn Asanuma, felt the place contained an evil energy. Camby, however, could sell sawdust to a lumber mill. He convinced his partners that the Winthrop place would be their company’s crowning achievement.

Three days had passed since anyone had seen Cambyses. His tearful wife told his partners and the police that he was planning to stop by the Winthrop house on the way to pick up some takeout.

About the Author:

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

https://bit.ly/CLHartAmazonAuthor

C. L. Hart New and Improved Newsletter

https://www.subscribepage.com/clhart

Naughty Netherworld Press Blog

http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com

Naughty Netherworld Press Books

https://bit.ly/NNPBooks

Naughty Netherworld Press Substack

https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com

Readers Roost Book Blog

https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost

Readers Roost Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/OrneryOwlsRoost

Readers Roost Twitter

https://twitter.com/ReadersRoost

http://wewriwa.blogspot.com

While checking out the offerings from Weekend Writing Warriors, why not try a cup of Coffee Brand Coffee? No fancy packaging, no gimmicks, just great coffee. Lots of different flavors to choose from. 

https://coffeebrandcoffee.com/?ref=OrneryOwlDrinksCoffee

From Above #8Sunday

  

Book: The Damned

Stories: The Drain, The Enforcers, The Fog, On a Spring Day, and The Trial.

ASIN: B0C82RQFSZ

Publication Date: September 23, 2023

Genre: Flash Fiction, Horror

Buy Link: http://books2read.com/DamnedDrabbles

Price: $1.99 ebook (Pre-order price)

Book Blurb:

Bite-sized horror stories are brought to you by thirteen authors. From creepy crawlies to the seemingly normal pets. From hideous monsters lurking in the dark to charismatic people showing their true colors.

Each tale is precisely 100 words and leaves a long-lasting chilling effect. Some will make you question the security of the world around you, and what’s more terrifying than that?

Featuring drabbles from Storm Lomax, Jonathan Reddoch, Zari Hunt, Kellee Kranendonk, Andreas Flögel, Simon Clarke, Jacek Wilkos, Ferenc K. Zoltán, Vanessa Bane, C.L. Hart, Natascha Eschweiler, Angela Zimmerman, and J.E. Feldman.

Pre-Excerpt Information

I submitted the following drabble for possible publication in the anthology, but it was not selected.

So, why in the world am I sharing it?

Because there are approximately 13 weeks until the anthology is published. My contract stipulates that I can't share more than 500 words from the anthology prior to publication. That's all five of my selected stories. So, what in the heck would I share during the other eight weeks?

The other drabbles that didn't make the cut for this anthology, of course! 

The following drabble may be similar to other drabbles that did make the cut. It's pretty cool in its own right.

Photo by fabian jones (fjones) on Unsplash

From Above

Even if the people knew what was coming, there would be no time for them to take shelter. Perhaps it is best they remain unaware. A man in the twilight of his life carries today’s groceries past the fountain in the town square where a father and son sail their boats. Two teenage girls chat while texting other friends for a meet-up. People sit on the street side of the fountain eating lunch or waiting for the bus. Life flows around them as it always does.

There is a flash in the sky; a moment of surprise followed by silence.

About the Author:

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

https://bit.ly/CLHartAmazonAuthor

Naughty Netherworld Press Blog

http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com

Naughty Netherworld Press Books

https://bit.ly/NNPBooks

Naughty Netherworld Press Substack

https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com

Readers Roost Book Blog

https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost

Readers Roost Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/OrneryOwlsRoost

Readers Roost Twitter

https://twitter.com/ReadersRoost

Naughty Netherworld Newsletter

https://bit.ly/NaughtyNetherworldNews2

http://wewriwa.blogspot.com

On the Shore of Blueberry Beach #8Sunday

 

Book: The Damned

Stories: The Drain, The Enforcers, The Fog, On a Spring Day, and The Trial.

ASIN: B0C82RQFSZ

Publication Date: September 23, 2023

Genre: Flash Fiction, Horror

Buy Link: http://books2read.com/DamnedDrabbles

Price: $1.99 ebook (Pre-order price)

Book Blurb:

Bite-sized horror stories are brought to you by thirteen authors. From creepy crawlies to the seemingly normal pets. From hideous monsters lurking in the dark to charismatic people showing their true colors.

Each tale is precisely 100 words and leaves a long-lasting chilling effect. Some will make you question the security of the world around you, and what’s more terrifying than that?

Featuring drabbles from Storm Lomax, Jonathan Reddoch, Zari Hunt, Kellee Kranendonk, Andreas Flögel, Simon Clarke, Jacek Wilkos, Ferenc K. Zoltán, Vanessa Bane, C.L. Hart, Natascha Eschweiler, Angela Zimmerman, and J.E. Feldman.

Pre-Excerpt Information

I submitted the following drabble for possible publication in the anthology, but it was not selected.

So, why in the world am I sharing it?

Because there are approximately 13 weeks until the anthology is published. My contract stipulates that I can't share more than 500 words from the anthology prior to publication. That's all five of my selected stories. So, what in the heck would I share during the other eight weeks?

The other drabbles that didn't make the cut for this anthology, of course! 

The following drabble may be similar to other drabbles that did make the cut. It's pretty cool in its own right.

Photo by James Dimas (jamesdimas) on Unsplash

On the Shore of Blueberry Beach

Some things are awful enough to shake the foundations of even the most fervent believers. What Magdalene Khachaturyan found washed up on the shore of Blueberry Beach at the start of summer was not the sort of thing a sensitive-minded thirteen-year-old girl or anyone else should be exposed to.

Maggie’s happy world became a dark and uncertain place. She lost her faith in the gentle God she believed in throughout childhood. Rather than being welcoming sanctuaries, churches now seemed like austere academies presided over by strict schoolmasters. The placid face of Jesus was usurped by the abomination from the deep.

About the Author:

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

https://bit.ly/CLHartAmazonAuthor

Naughty Netherworld Press Blog

http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com

Naughty Netherworld Press Books

https://bit.ly/NNPBooks

Naughty Netherworld Press Substack

https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com

Readers Roost Book Blog

https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost

Readers Roost Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/OrneryOwlsRoost

Readers Roost Twitter

https://twitter.com/ReadersRoost

Naughty Netherworld Newsletter

https://bit.ly/NaughtyNetherworldNews2

http://wewriwa.blogspot.com

Soul Ink is Here #8Sunday #SnipSun

 

Genre: Poetry

Heat Level: Poetic

ASIN: ‎ B0C481638W 

   

Publisher: ‎ Dragon Soul Press; 1st edition (June 23, 2023)

Publication date: ‎ June 23, 2023

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3CL4fs5

Price

$1.99 ebook

$19.99 paperback

Blurb

Poetry; a unique and beautiful way to express feelings and ideas. Weaving words into perfect poetic prose, these authors remind you of your childhood, bring comfort from the hardships of life, fiercely spur emotions, and tell tales of old. All lovers of poetry will find a favorite here!

Featuring poetry by the following authors: John Grey, Kellee Kranendonk, J.E. Feldman, Debbie Hadow, Nina Padolf, Dibyasree Nandy, Brianna Witte, Nnadi Samuel, Rhiannon Bird, Sunayna Pal, Christopher R. Muscato, Vanessa Bane, Edward Cody Huddleston, Prathyush Devadas, Ed Ahern, and Cara Hartley.

Selection

Dreams of Disaster

What do dreams of disaster mean?

Can chaotic nightmares compare

To a true emergency scene?

What do dreams of disaster mean?

What knowledge can we from them glean

When studying them if we dare?

What do dreams of disaster mean?

Can chaotic nightmares compare?

Notes

This poem was included in the recently published Soul Ink anthology along with twenty-four more of my poems and works by other poets. The ebook is only $1.99, which is a lot of poetry for a little money!

I have recurring nightmares about disasters. Tornadoes top the list, but nuclear strikes are far from unheard of, and volcanoes sometimes show up at the party. Floods are, surprisingly, less frequent. I've written about my experiences with my car being hit by a wave of water during a flood. Perhaps I've repressed that memory, or at least the feelings that go along with it, because I don't enjoy having panic attacks.

https://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2022/04/a-hard-rain-in-boulder-colorado-wep.html

I imagine I had one of my tornado dreams before writing this poem.

Another greatest hit involves driving down a steep road with soft brakes. 

Also topping the charts is driving into the mountains and coming to a chasm, which I proceed to somehow carry my car across. While this dream might sound triumphant, it is actually extremely nerve-wracking. 

Another banger involves finding myself parked beneath an underpass in a seedy part of town. 

Yet another all-time favorite involves being in an underground spa and trying to find a vacant stall in the locker/shower room with a door or curtain so I can have some privacy while doing the necessary. Most of the stalls don't have doors. There are usually only women in this area, but sometimes there are men as well because why not up the discomfort ante, I guess.

Bathroom dreams have only one true meaning:

The sleeping person needs to do their business.

I get that part, but why does my subconscious always create a poorly lit spa/changing room setting with pipes running everywhere? 

In any case, I am sharing this with multiple blog hops. I'm currently working to finish a story that has been giving me fits so I can submit it to Dragon Soul Press for potential inclusion in their Beautiful Darkness 2 anthology.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/shortstorycalls/

My PTSD has also been really extra this month. I've finally found someone I think I can work with on the many years of awfulness that I've shoved down into the recesses of my mind. For some reason, my recent dentist's appointment brought a whole bunch of crap to the surface. I need to go back in four days and try again because I wasn't able to go through with the procedure. So, I'm kind of a wreck and need to do what's easiest. I hope you can understand.

~Ornery Owl Has Waxed Poetic and Flashed Back~

Image by Ulrich B. from Pixabay

Hop On!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/401643826588474

http://wewriwa.blogspot.com/

Would you like to know what I was listening to while I wrote this? Of course you would! Only the best Krautrock will do, Baby!

https://odysee.com/@TerminalPassage:c/richard-wahnfried-%E2%80%93-tonwelle-%281981%29:5?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16

All the Comforts of Space

 

Image by NatureFriend from Pixabay

This chair isn't made of wood or anything. It's made from some kind of highly advanced extraterrestrial material and designed for the most evolved comfort.

An FBI agent named Scully

Followed a trail down into a gully

She found a UFO seat

Its comfort couldn't be beat

So she sat and stared into space dully.

Why the hell did you write this, Owl?

Well, obnoxious asker of questions, my audience was clamoring for a follow-up to my ultra-popular, smash hit poem, Gross Encounters of the Worst Kind.

https://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2023/06/gross-encounters-of-worst-kind-wep.html

Okay, one reader casually mentioned that since Mulder got his own poem, it might be nice if Scully had a poem too. So I racked my brain until I shook out a word that rhymed with Scully and came up with the above. No need for applause. Buying a book is thanks enough!

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Free use image by Jim Cooper on Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/background-city-night-owl-alien-7755199/

Ah, UFO Jockey! Back for more poetic injustice, I see!

https://bit.ly/NNPBooks

I built the official Naughty Netherworld Press page using Pagimate. You can check them out here. 

https://bit.ly/NNPPagimate 

I tried to build author pages in the past but always ended up frustrated. With Pagimate, it's easy and even fun. It's also affordable. I purchased a lifetime membership for £179 ($202 USD). 

Use code CARA20 if you decide to create your own page with Pagimate.

Gross Encounters of the Worst Kind #WEP

 

Image by pencil parker from Pixabay

Just who is responsible for this travesty?

An FBI agent named Mulder

Researched a UFO sighting near Boulder

He stepped in alien poo

Which ruined his shoe

So the trail went a little bit colder

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken in 28 Words~

Free use image by Jim Cooper on Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/background-city-night-owl-alien-7755199/

Don't you even try to pin this on me, UFO Jockey!

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/06/june-wep-close-encounters-of-third-kind.html

Ornery Owl says:

Yeah, sure, you can give this piece the full-on critique if you really feel compelled to do so, but I can save you some time.

1) This is not a great poem. I don't believe for a second it will win any prizes. That isn't its purpose.

2) The poem has too many syllables in the second line.

3) Depending on what part of the world you're from, Mulder and Boulder may not rhyme very well. My horrific accent makes everything sound like it got shoved down a garbage disposal. You, however, may be one of those high-fallutin' sorts who enunciate words clearly.

4) The poem's genre is comedy. If it made you laugh, cool. If it didn't make you laugh, at least you only had to suffer through 28 words. 

That's about all I have to say about that. Until next time!

Art therapy collage 6 June 2023

 

Click to enlarge

This is my second art therapy collage. I created the first one yesterday.

I don't know what to say about it other than that. I'm having a mental health crisis. Resources are not readily available.