no willow weeps here
on the parched and windswept land
of the lone prairie
Prompt used
https://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.com/2012/10/carpe-diem-9-willow.html
sharing with
I would like a friend
instead I remain hidden
phantom in shadow
Prompt used
https://chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.com/2012/10/carpe-diem-8-phantom.html
Sharing with
my life seems serene
to those viewing the surface
veiled chaos beneath.
when it is placed on the scale
to be weighed by Anubis
my heart is heavy.
I am again rejected
forever misunderstood.
Notes
A couple of prompts inspired me but I didn't correctly adhere to either of them.
https://girlieontheedge1.wordpress.com/2023/08/30/its-thursdays-six-sentence-story-link-up-53/
Prompt word: scale
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/wednesday-poetry-prompts-667
Write a restless poem.
As I have done for the past 9 years, I will be creating a 30 Days of Haiga project starting September 1.
Please feel free to share your own fall projects with me in the comments. It doesn't have to be poetry. It can be writing, art, cooking, photography, anything that involves creativity.
Feel free to use the 30 Days of Haiga logo above. A link back to this blog would be great, but no other credit is necessary.
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 even submit this one as it is a supernatural erotic romance, not horror.
So, why in the world am I sharing it here?
Because there are approximately 8 more 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 the rest of the time?
The other drabbles that didn't make the cut for this anthology, of course!
Photo by MontyLov (montylov) on Unsplash
Berach Novak wasn’t sure he believed the rosary Father Baumgardner had given him would grant him protection. Further, he wasn’t sure he wanted to behave in accordance with the doctrine he’d grown up with. If he was honest, he hoped that putting red satin sheets on the bed might prompt a return from the strangely compelling midnight visitor with the tall, muscular body and long, black hair cascading over his shoulders.
“I can’t come in unless invited,” the visitor told him.
Berach prayed one Hail Mary before placing the rosary in his nightstand and calling out, “come to me now!”
Notes
I got off track with sharing this project. I've been sharing the limited edition Hot and Sticky anthology from Passionate Ink, which will be pulled from publication on October 30th. If you'd like to read excerpts from my (Lil DeVille's) story, The Liberation of Mac MacCarrick, visit the official Naughty Netherworld Press blog.
http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com
I also want to tell you about an upcoming event where readers can win free books and other good stuff and authors can share their stories. I will be giving away one copy of Hot and Sticky and one copy of The Damned.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/renesgetawaypartyroom
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'm not sure why it wasn't selected as it seems creepy enough to me. But what do I know?
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 George Dagerotip (dagerotip) on Unsplash
The cards drawn in this combination could only mean one thing, but Andorra Gronchio had no idea what to do about it. The dancer cavorting across a desert wasteland, celebrating victory. A supplicant begging for mercy as flies devour her eyes. The false prophet with his self-assured smirk, beckoning followers. The high priestess beseeching the Heavens for true guidance. The Ascended One seated in lotus position on a cushion, the celestial firmament surrounding her, the eternal inferno below. Lastly, the diamond-shaped eye of darkness floating in the everlasting void from whence all things emerged and to which all things return.
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
Naughty Netherworld Press Substack
https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com
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http://www.facebook.com/OrneryOwlsRoost
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https://twitter.com/ReadersRoost
