Kathleen Oxley Erotica: More than a Promise

My Perfect Guy

2009-02-09T12:16:00.003-05:00

So, it's been forever since I've blogged. I promise I am still alive, and still writing. Life has just gotten really busy with a new job and my daughter getting older and more involved in various activities...my blogging kinda feel to the side. But, I'm going to try to be better about updating regularly (no promises, though).

In current and exciting news, The Erotic Woman has published my erotic poem, My Perfect Guy, on their main page this week. (Note that there's an image on the page that's not work appropriate - i.e. there's nekkidness.)

Whisper

2008-05-18T12:18:00.003-04:00

I've been tagged!! Alice is doing the phone tag thing again, this time calling it "Whisper." Here's the deal...

1. Make a change in the paragraph below. It can be as little as a single word or almost every word, so long as we can still recognize the paragraph you received (the one here in this blog, not the original on Alice's blog).

Here's my paragraph:

He got out of the car and stalked toward her, his keys in one hand and a flower in the other. His name was Robert, but she’d always called him Bobby. She said she liked his clear blue eyes. He thanked her and handed her the flower. Then he kissed her hand and said goodbye, and drove off with Susie Q.

2. Tag three people, and link to them. Also link to the person who tagged you so the chain will not be broken!

3. Now go to the original paragraph here and let Alice know you did it. She will link to you.

4. For extra credit, head over to http://AliceAudrey.wordpress.com around June 9th for the contest based on this meme. You could win a $20 gift certificate.

I'm tagging A. Catherine Noon, Dayle A. Dermatis & Jennifer Bianco.

Have fun!!

Thursday Thirteen - Fun in NC

2008-05-08T00:08:00.001-04:00

So, I used to live in NC before I moved to Atlanta. Here are thirteen really fun things to do in NC.

13 NC Attractions...

1. The Outer Banks - beautiful beaches on the east coast of NC.

2. The NC Zoo - it's small, but fun.

3. The Biltmore Estate - a must see in Asheville, NC.

4. Ocracoke Island - part of the Outer Banks. One of my most favorite places in the world!

5. NC Lighthouses - a wide variety and very cool to see.

6. Harrah's Cherokee - if you like a little gambling.

7. Corolla Wild Horses - you have to take a tour to see them, but they used to roam free along the beaches. (How cool is that!?!?)

8. World Beer Festival - in Raleigh, NC. I had friends who went just a few weeks ago and had an awesome time!

9. NC Museum of Art - small but some great stuff housed there! And, a great outdoor concert venue.

10. NC Aquarium - several locations along the coast.

11. The Blue Ridge Parkway - an absolutely gorgeous drive, particularly in the fall.

12. NC Museum of Natural Sciences - also in Raleigh, NC.

13. The NC State Fair - an annual event in October in Raleigh, NC. I drove back up for it last year. Always a lot of fun!!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in other's comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Leave your link in a comment, and I'll link back to you here:

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

Seven Sinners at the WRB

2008-05-05T21:37:00.003-04:00

I'm over at the Writer's Retreat Blog today talking about Seven Sinners, by Red Garnier. I really enjoyed it, come check out why...

Yikes!

2008-05-02T00:19:00.002-04:00

If you weren't already a big fan of glass when it comes to love toys, you might be after you read this article!

Thursday Thirteen - Drugs in Music

2008-05-01T00:58:00.002-04:00

This week's TT is in honor of Albert Hofmann, the man credited with synthesizing LSD and taking the first trip, who died on Tuesday. Happy TT!

13 songs with drug references (probably)...

1. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, the Beatles

2. Puff the Magic Dragon, Peter Paul & Mary

3. And She Was, Talking Heads

4. White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane

5. Mary Jane's Last Dance, Tom Petty

6. Cocaine, Eric Clapton

7. Casey Jones, Grateful Dead

8. Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix

9. Mother's Little Helper, Rolling Stones

10. Reba, Phish

11. Insane in the Brain, Cypress Hill

12. Sunshine Superman, Donovan

13. Magic Carpet Ride, Steppenwolf

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

The Internet is for Porn...

2008-04-28T00:02:00.001-04:00

Just for fun, from Avenue Q...

Original Video:

Here's another version, with WoW characters, but the sound is better:

Unconscious Mutterings

2008-04-27T23:08:00.002-04:00

Here are my responses to a weekly meme that I found at On a Limb with Claudia:

Thug :: slime
Slurp :: wet
Alley :: way
Sweater vest :: hot
Targeted :: shoot
Snazzy :: nifty
Oy! :: vey
Jury duty :: ugh
Low fat :: carbs
Responsibility :: overload

Erotic Magnetic Poetry

2008-04-26T15:50:00.004-04:00

Fey posted a super-cool link to a magnetic poetry site on the WRB today. You can pick from several magnetic poetry kits, and then move them around to create your own poetry. Here's my first attempt:

If you do one, leave me a link in the comments so I can check it out!

Thursday Thirteen - Boring Stuff

2008-04-24T23:26:00.003-04:00

I've had a crazy busy week, so sorry the blog's been kinda dead and this list is going up late. And, sorry it's pretty boring, but it's what is on my mind at the moment. Happy TT!

13 Things I want to get done this weekend...

1. Clean out my car/Get car washed

2. Buy groceries

3. Complete draft of "Painter" story

4. Take my dogs for a walk

5. Catch up on blogs

6. Sleep

7. Play bunco Sunday night

8. Do laundry (ugh!)

9. Sweep the pollen off my porch

10. Have sex

11. Write flash story for WR prompt

12. Beta for Nic

13. Read something for fun

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

Dear Diary

2008-04-17T15:56:00.004-04:00

The Erotic Woman has published my flash piece, Dear Diary, on their main page this week. It was the winner of their Tempted Competition a few months ago and is now residing in their prose archives. If you didn't check it out before, here's another chance. (Note that there's an image on the page that's not work appropriate - i.e. there's nekkidness.)

Thursday Thirteen - Men Are Like

2008-04-17T00:05:00.000-04:00

13 Things Men are Like...

1. Laxatives ..... They irritate the crap out of you.

2. Bananas ..... The older they get, the less firm they are.

3. Weather ..... Nothing can be done to change them.

4. Blenders .....You need One, but you're not quite sure why.

5. Chocolate Bars ..... Sweet, smooth, & they usually head right for your hips.

6. Commercials ..... You can't believe a word they say.

7. Department Stores ..... Their clothes are always 1/2 off.

8. Government Bonds ..... They take soooooooo long to mature.

9. Mascara ..... They usually run at the first sign of emotion.

10. Popcorn ..... They satisfy you, but only for a little while.

11. Snowstorms ..... You never know when they're coming, how many inches you'll get or how long it will last.

12. Lava Lamps ..... Fun to look at, but not very bright.

13. Parking Spots .....All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

WRB - Death, Taxes & Rejection

2008-04-16T00:20:00.000-04:00

Today I'm blogging over at the WRB for Wiley Wednesday. My topic is rejection and rules for writing. Check it out!!

Tagged by a muffin...

2008-04-15T20:58:00.005-04:00

I got tagged by this cute muffin and this one!

You're feeling:
Not bad. Kinda tired, but otherwise alright.

To your left:
My backyard. I'm out with the dogs.

On your mind:
What all I still want to get done before going to bed. And the fact that I want to get to bed at a decent hour tonight.

Last meal included:
A burrito.

You sometimes find it hard to:
Be patient.

The weather:
Chilly. Low 50's. But, otherwise clear and nice.

Something you have a collection of:
Poorly behaved animals.

A smell that cheers you up:
Same as everyone else, apparently - the smell of cookies baking. *sigh*

A smell that can ruin your mood:
Dog poo. In my house. Grrrr. (She's a puppy, so we're hoping this will pass.)

How long since you last shaved:
A little over a week ago. But only b/c I went to the beach recently.

Current state of your hair:
Brown, curly, shoulder-length. I'm going to try to get it cut/colored later this week.

Largest thing on your desk/workspace (not computer):
Scanner.

Your skill with chopsticks:
Rather good, I think!

Which section do you head for first in a bookstore:
Romance, then wherever they hide the urban fantasy/paranormal romance.

Something you are craving:
Sleep.

Your general thoughts on the presidential race:
Anything blue works for me, but Obama is my pick.

How many times have you been hospitalized this year:
None.

Favourite place to go for a quiet moment:
My back yard.

You've always secretly thought you'd be a good:
Personal assistant. I'm pretty good at keeping organized and on top of things.

Something that freaks you out a little:
The responsibility of raising a kid.

Something you have eaten a little too much of lately:
Ice Cream.

You have never:
Killed anyone.

You never want to:
Go to the moon.

I'm pretty sure most of the people I know have done this one, so I'm not gonna tag anyone else. But, if you haven't done it and want to, leave me a comment and I'll come check out your answers!

A Monday Meme...

2008-04-14T17:20:00.013-04:00

I snagged this meme from Darla.

Here’s how it works….You answer each question, search that answer in Google Image Search and then post the first picture that pops up.

Age at my next birthday: 30

Hubby and I were just talking with some friends last night about how I need to have a big party to celebrate having lived another decade. I think I'd prefer to just hide out and pretend I'm still in my 20's.

Place I’d like to travel: Australia

I actually have a friend in Australia and I swear one of these days I'm going to get over there to see her!!

Favorite place: Vancouver, BC

Hubby and I have been to Vancouver twice - it's one of our favorite places to visit. The people are so friendly, the weather is lovely and there's plenty of fun stuff to do!

Favorite object:
My lappy (laptop)

Couldn't live without it. Although, mine's a Dell.

Favorite color: Blue

Pretty!

Nickname: Jeanie Beanie

Um. That's not me. Promise!

Birthplace: Memphis, TN

Me and Elvis! Good 'ol Memphis.

I'm not going to tag anyone for this one, but if you want to join in, leave me a comment to your post so I can come check it out!

Happy Monday!!

FFC - Elements

2008-04-13T00:00:00.010-04:00

Reacquaintance, by Kathleen Oxley

Air . . .

Melinda smiled as the storm raged against the shore. The wind whipped her skirt around her legs and her hair thrashed her face. She closed her eyes and stretched open her arms. The air circled her until she felt it would lift her off the ground. She opened her eyes and glanced down to confirm that her toes were still digging into the sand.

She fleetingly wished she could be inside, enjoying the storm through the protection of walls and windows. But she quickly erased that thought from her mind and instead she concentrated on her task for the night. She turned her face up to the sky and opened her senses to the space around her - the salty smell of the beach that carried in the air and the sharp sting as it berated her skin.

She lost herself to the sensations until the air calmed and became only a slight breeze off the water.

Fire . . .

Melinda spent the cool Spring day collecting twigs and dried leaves for kindling. At dusk, as the blanket of darkness grew closer, she knelt inside the circle of stones and watched as the flame slowly grew. She stayed close even as the fire raged to life.

Leaning back on her heels, she stared into the hazy mix of red, yellow and orange. Tears pooled in her eyes from the heat and smoke, but her vision became clearer. Images flashed in the fire – of past, present or future, she did not know. She watched them closely, paying attention to every detail until they slowed and then disappeared.

After several minutes of silence, Melinda closed her eyes and thanked the Goddess for her visions. She moved out of the circle of stones, cheeks flushed red from the heat of being so close, and followed the dirt path back to her home.

Water . . .

Reaching the shore, Melinda undid the sash of her robe and let it fall to the ground. She walked naked toward the ocean. She reached the edge of the water and let the white foam tickle the tops of her feet. The brief rush of water was cold and she shivered as she followed the receding wave back into the water. Her body chilled as the level rose higher, but she continued walking until it lapped at her shoulders. She stood for several minutes, moving her arms and legs absently, until her body adjusted to the temperature.

She shifted so that she floated on top of the waves. She spread her limbs and let the current carry her. She sighed at the freedom of the water cradling and holding her. She splayed her fingers and moved her arms in close to her body and then stretched out again, letting the water flow through her fingers as she did. Totally at ease, Melinda closed her eyes and drifted. Her mind cleared of all thoughts and worries as her body rose and fell on the small waves, wetness tickling the skin of her belly and breasts.

Earth . . .

The strong scent of earth rose as she dug her spade into the dirt. Melinda was in her backyard, tending to her garden. Some might consider the many beds luxurious, but Melinda saw them as merely the basics that she required. She grew flowers for their beauty, herbs for her medicines and spells, and vegetables for eating. She wore no gloves and didn't shy away from getting her hands dirty. She lovingly inspected each plant, weeding the flowerbeds and trimming the herbs as she went along. Then she planted new seeds for vegetables for the summer - mostly cucumbers, lettuce and carrots.

She put the last seeds into the ground and patted the soil as she covered them. She filled her copper watering can and wet each of the beds. Melinda stood back and smiled at the results of her hard work. She brushed dirt off of her clothes and stared at her hands. She smiled at the dirt-stained skin and at the soil under her fingernails. To her they were the signs of a job well done and of a union with the earth and the plants she tended.

Spirit . . .

Melinda awoke filled with a new-found strength. Getting back to the basics always left her feeling clean and refreshed. She gathered her tools, including her boline, several crystals and candles, and packed them up. She couldn't wait to join the rest of her coven for the Beltane festival. Now she could face the ritual, and the year ahead, balanced and centered.

D.E.A.R. Day

2008-04-12T00:50:00.000-04:00

Today is National Drop Everything and Read Day!

What is National D.E.A.R. Day?
D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. National D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority.

Who Is Leading the National D.E.A.R. Day Celebration?
The National Education Association (NEA); Parent Teacher Association (PTA); the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association; Reading Rockets; The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC); the Newspaper Association of America Foundation (NAA); First Book; HarperCollins Children’s Books; and Ramona Quimby.

When is National D.E.A.R. Day?
The National D.E.A.R. Day partners are marking the birthday of beloved author Beverly Cleary as the official event date, April 12th. Ramona Quimby, who was in charge of spreading the word about National D.E.A.R. Day last year, is relinquishing the National Spokesperson role in 2007 to actress Emma Roberts, star of Nickelodeon's Unfabulous and the upcoming Nancy Drew movie.

Why is National D.E.A.R. Day celebrated on Beverly Cleary’s birthday?
Beverly Cleary receives thousands of letters a year from young readers, many who have participated in D.E.A.R. at school. Their interest in and enthusiasm for this special reading activity inspired Mrs. Cleary to give the same experience to Ramona Quimby, who gets to enjoy D.E.A.R. time with the rest of her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8.

How Can I Participate?
Schools, libraries, bookstores and other organizations are being asked to host Drop Everything and Read events on April 12. You can attend an event in your community or participate right in your own home by reading for 30 minutes!

Peper and Solt as You Please...

2008-04-11T21:22:00.002-04:00

The autobiography of the American eccentric "Lord" Timothy Dexter (1748-1806) contains 8,847 words and no punctuation:

IME the first Lord in the younited States of Americary Now of Newburyport it is the voise of the peopel and I cant Help it and so Let it goue Now as I must be Lord there will foller many more Lords pretty soune for it dont hurt A Cat Nor the mouse Nor the son Nor the water Nor the Eare then goue on all is Easey Now …

When readers complained, he added a page of punctuation marks to the second edition, inviting them to "peper and solt it as thay plese."

From Futility Closet.

Thursday Thirteen - Vacation

2008-04-10T12:28:00.005-04:00

So, I just got home today from being on vacation for five days. I went to Myrtle Beach, SC with a friend and her kids for Spring Break. Here's 13 things that happened during my vacation...

13 Vacation Happenings...

1 - My daughter took her first steps.

2 - My friend decided I was crazy because after she went to bed each night I stayed up to check blogs and to read and write.

3 - I read and reviewed All the Trees in Pearl.

4 - My daughter ate sand.

5 - My friend's son fell on a playground and busted his bottom lip (we determined that an ER visit wasn't necessary, thankfully).

6 - I realized how little you can actually do on vacation with 3 children under the age of 3.

7 - We watched Pete's Dragon - like 12 times.

8 - I learned to play backgammon.

9 - My daughter went in the pool for the first time - and loved it!

10 - I reaffirmed my decision to not have any more kids.

11 - We spent up to 5 hours a day stuck in our room because the kids didn't want to nap on the same schedule.

12 - I learned that it takes over a half hour to pack up and five people to carry everything you need to take 3 small children to the beach/pool.

13 - I realized how much help my husband actually is and how much I missed not having his extra set of hands to help out.

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

Fairies Unmasked

2008-04-08T20:52:00.004-04:00

In 1920 two English cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright, produced a series of photos that seemed to show them cavorting with fairies and gnomes.

The images were published in The Strand and convinced Arthur Conan Doyle, among others. In The Coming of the Fairies (1922), he wrote: "It is hard for the mind to grasp what the ultimate results may be if we have actually proved the existence upon the surface of this planet of a population which may be as numerous as the human race, which pursues its own strange life in its own strange way, and which is only separated from ourselves by some difference of vibrations."

For 60 years, the cousins maintained that the photographs depicted real fairies and gnomes they'd encountered behind the family house near Bradford, England. Until, in 1981 they admitted that the creatures had been paper cutouts held up with hatpins.

But Frances maintained until her death that the photo below was genuine.

From Futility Closet.

Vacation Reading...

2008-04-07T02:42:00.000-04:00

So, I'm on vacation this week and had some free time to read. Having just won a free download of Emily Ryan-Davis's, All The Trees In Pearl, this was at the top of my list. It was a quick, fun read. See my more detailed review over at the Writer's Retreat Blog.

Ruthie's Club - You Always Know

2008-04-07T01:02:00.003-04:00

My flash story, You Always Know, is being featured this week at Ruthie's Club. (Ruthie's Club is a members-only site, so the link won't work unless you are a member. You can pay to join, or just trust me that it's a cool story.)

He Said, She Said

2008-04-06T23:41:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note that my erotic poem, He Said, She Said, is being featured at The Erotic Woman this week. This is one of the first erotic poems I wrote, so I'm pleased that it was accepted and has a happy home.

April Showers...

2008-04-06T02:35:00.002-04:00

...bring lots to do!!

I've been reviewing my list of calls/contests and trying to decide what my next project is going to be. The good news is that I have no shortage of things to pick from. The bad news is that I want to do them all! I'm going to list them here, so you can see how crazy I am. And I'll update throughout and at the end of the month with how much I actually got done.

April FFC - Earth, Fire, Water, Air
Maximum of 1,000 words due on 4/15/2008.

O&C Erotica Adventures
2,000 - 6,000 words due on 4/15/2008.

O&C Anthology
2,000 - 6,000 words due on 4/20/2008.

There are some other things due 5/1/2008 that I'm considering, but I won't make definite decisions on those or bother you with the details until the next week or so.

Wish me luck!!

A Great Day!

2008-04-04T19:49:00.003-04:00

So, today was a pretty awesome day for me.

First, it's Friday. End of my work week. Yay!! I'm heading on vacation tomorrow for five days, so another reason to be glad this week is over.

Second, my first line entry received an honorable mention on Redlines and Deadlines today. There were some other cool entries, so you should check it out.

Third, I won a free copy of Emily Ryan-Davis’s All The Trees In Pearl from Hot & Bothered. I'll be sure to post a review once I've read it to let you all know how it is. (Oh, and great timing that I can read it while on vacation next week!)

Hope you had a great day and have a wonderful weekend!
*hugs*

Fiction Friday at the Romance Roundtable

2008-04-04T01:52:00.004-04:00

The Romance Roundtable has recently started a new carnival:

On Fiction Fridays we well provide you with links to a wide variety of authors, some Romance writers, and some not. Offerings may include short stories, poetry, book exerpts and seriels. Each Fiction Friday will provide a different selection.

Today their links will include my ferret flash story, WTF!, as well as some other great reads. Check it out!! (And thanks, Alice, for including me this week!)

~Kat

Thursday Thirteen - Google Reader

2008-04-03T00:25:00.003-04:00

Yup, I'm still on my Google Reader kick.
My Thursday Thirteen...

13 Sites I Added to My Google Reader this Week...

1 - Futility Closet
2 - Marriott eBreaks
3 - Sex Talk for Wicked Women
4 - Flash Fiction Carnival 2008
5 - Redlines and Deadlines
6 - The Book Design Review
7 - Romancing the Blog
8 - The Goddess Blogs
9 - edittorrent
10 - BookEnds, LLC
11 - Romance Roundtable
12 - Tales from the Crit
13 - Writer's Retreat Blog (of course!)

I'm still looking for more blogs to add to my list. Feel
free to leave me a link to yours or any you recommend
in the comments. Thanks!!

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

A Great Opener

2008-04-02T01:32:00.003-04:00

Redlines and Deadlines is having a First Line Contest.

You don't have to write a whole story - just the most important sentence in the story. That's right, send us the best opening line you can create. Something you think would really grab an editor's or agent's attention, make them keep reading your submission. Now, don't go too over the top - it has to be something you could actually build a story on. It could be tense or traumatic or frightening or mysterious or humorous or romantic. But one sentence only, your envisioned first sentence.
Send your entry to RedlinesDeadlines@gmail.com by next Wednesday, April 2. On Friday we'll post the best ones we received and announce the winner (or maybe even winners). Prize is a free download of an EC/CP/TLC ebook.

I submitted the following:

I thought watching him walk away would be the hardest thing I'd ever have to do, until I heard the gunshot explode and his body crumpled to the ground; turns out it wasn't all that hard after all.

What do you think? Would you want to keep reading?

A Quick Update...

2008-04-01T23:22:00.000-04:00

Lots going on, as usual. I'm still absolutely in love with google reader. I just can't say enough about how much I love it; I hope this honeymoon period lasts forever!!

Yesterday I busted ass to get my short story, Truth, tweaked and submitted to the Desdmona Sex in the Rain Contest. It's in and winners are announced on April 15th, so I'll keep you posted!

I also found out yesterday that The Erotic Woman will feature my erotic poem, He Said, She Said, on their site next Tuesday. I'm sure I'll post the link next week so everyone can take a peek.

End of Quarter Update:
My goals at the beginning of 2008 were to submit one piece a month and to get something published by the end of the year. So far I've submitted at least three pieces a month and I've had one poem and four flashes selected for publishing. I'll be looking forward over the next few days to revise my goals and make a plan for the next quarter of the year. I've got some ideas for longer stories, and some contests/calls that have caught my attention, so we'll have to see what I decide to go for.

~Kat

Flash Friday - Ferrets

2008-03-28T02:03:00.012-04:00

By: Kathleen Oxley

Word Count: 419

Well, I guess the grass really isn't always greener. I mean, really. All those months stuck in that fucking glass cage. Little fingers tapping on that glass - my god, the racket. Thump, thump, thump. I just wanted to sleep and chew on my pellets in peace for Christ's sake!

What'd I tell Ronnie? Just wait till we get outta here, Ronnie. Just you wait. Things will get so much better. Fuck, shows what I know.

Damn, I miss Ronnie. At least I used to have her to talk to. And I'll kill anyone who repeats it, but she was nice to cuddle up with too. She didn't hog the hammock either! Man, those were the days.

I don't even have a hammock anymore. And I'm still in a glass cage, but now it's like I've downgraded from a mansion to a fucking condo. I can barely breathe in that space. You really should not have to eat and shit in such close proximity, it's just not healthy. And she screams at me when I shit behind the sofa. But, truly, can you blame me?

At least I got that leash thing settled early. To think she actually thought I'd prance along all dignified on the end of a string. I'm not a freakin' dog, lady! Oh, and you see this bag? It's PINK! PINK?!?! Do I look like the pink kinda guy to you? I don't care if it is the hottest accessory, I look like a total fairy! I should be glad Ronnie isn't here to see this. Gads, she'd never let me hear the end of it.

The only thing I have to look forward to is the hope that we're going to visit that chick with the stupid cat. I mean, he's so fat and lazy and they think it's all cute that I can chase him around the house. At least I get some exercise and get to make someone else feel like the bitch for a change.

Oh god, no! NO! Anything but that - please, lady, save my sanity. Anything but Hannah Montana. Anything! Don't you have any musical taste at all? Where did they breed you?

Ugh! I give up. Don't you smile and sing at me! And don't you pet me either, you hideous demon spawn! Truly, you stick that hand in here one more time and I'm gonna bite off a digit. I mean it this time - fingers will be lost. A ferret can only take so much!

Thursday Thirteen - Games

2008-03-27T00:15:00.001-04:00

My Thursday Thirteen...

13 Games I Like to Play...

1 - Monopoly
2 - Rummikub
3 - Spades
4 - Pictionary
5 - Scrabble
6 - Rummy
7 - Clue
8 - Apples to Apples
9 - Bridge
10 - Twister
11 - Taboo
12 - Cranium
13 - Quarters

Games I don't really like include Risk,
Battleship and Trivial Pursuit.

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

I Guess You'll Do...

2008-03-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

This is really funny. And, as much as you hate to admit it, parts of it are pretty accurate.

Easter Resolution...

2008-03-26T03:11:00.003-04:00

I recently realized that I need to get better at keeping up with the blogs I enjoy. I've got lots of sites that I visit infrequently, but always enjoy when I do get around to checking them out. I didn't think I had the time to visit them regularly to figure out if there's anything new or not. Until today.

Today I discovered the beauty of Google Reader. I can subscribe to all my favorite blogs and see the updated content at all of them on one page! I'm still new with it and my husband assures me there's all kinds of cool things it can do, but I know this is going to make my life better. Thank you, Google!!

Oh, btw, since I no longer have to be scared of having yet another site to try to keep up with, which sites/blogs would you recommend? List them in the comments so I can check them out and add them to my reader!

Thanks!
~Kat

WRB - sexyjack site review

2008-03-24T02:20:00.003-04:00

Today kicks off our rotating schedule of blogging over at the Writer's Retreat Blog. We've got nine authors contributing to the site, so it should be a great mix of styles and topics. I'll be rambling over there every other Monday. For my first entry I reviewed a great photo compilation site, sexyjack. You can read my review here.

Excellent Blog Award

2008-03-23T23:00:00.002-04:00

Catherine from A. Catherine Noon honored me with an Excellent Blog Award today. I really appreciate the shout out, Catherine! Her blog is always filled with interesting stories, craft projects and market information, so be sure to check it out!

The Rules: By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you agree to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. You deserve this! Feel free to recognize blogs that have already received this award.

I'm still finding my way around the blogosphere, and I'm not so good at regularly visiting blogs, even the ones I love. So, coming up with a list of ten is a bit difficult. I'd like to give a shout out to all the gals on WR and to The FFC, all of which I thoroughly enjoy!

1. Gwen Mitchell's Fiction
2. Eden's Eternal
3. A Catherine Noon (shout-back!)
4. The Elizabethan Collar
5. Eaton Bennett
6. Muffiny Blog
7. The Daily Dawn
8. Unhinged
9. Flash Fiction Carnival 2008
10. Writer's Retreat

FFC - Spring

2008-03-22T15:48:00.006-04:00

Sorry I'm a little late with this one. This is my entry for the FFC 2008 Spring edition.

Easter Eve (408 words)
By: Kathleen Oxley

It was Saturday night and Cynthia was tucking one of the last eggs behind a pillow on the sofa. She glanced around the room. Under and around the furniture, bright little plastic eggs peeked out at her. Tomorrow morning was Bryan's fourth Easter and she knew he was going to love running around the house finding the eggs until his basket was full.

Cynthia sighed and sat down on the couch. It was late, almost midnight. She'd checked on Bryan before getting started and he was snoring softly in his room. She had enjoyed filling each of the eggs. There were some with the typical Easter candy, but not too many. Her son was hyper enough without the help of excessive amounts of sugar.

Many of the eggs held small toys - a bouncy ball, matchbox car, etc. Inexpensive trinkets that she picked out carefully, even knowing that Bryan would play with each briefly before moving on to the next item. A few of the eggs even held money - about ten dollars total split up into some singles and some change, with one egg holding a five dollar bill. She planned to take Bryan to the toy store next week to allow him to pick something out for himself.

She silently wished she could do more for him, to give him a big fancy Easter basket filled with new toys. But, she couldn't. This was the best she could do. She knew it would be enough, that Bryan would enjoy hunting for the eggs and that he would get excited about each one and what it held inside. But, she always wished she could do more.

She also hated that Bryan's dad couldn't be here to see him and to celebrate with them. She would take lots of pictures and email them to Martin next week, but it wasn't the same. He was in the Army and had shipped out to Iraq a little over a month ago. He would be gone almost a year this time, and already she felt lost without him. Holidays were always difficult, but she would put on a smile for Bryan and make the best of it.

Tomorrow they would go to church and pray for his safe return, but tonight, Cynthia would go to sleep alone in their bed. She looked around one more time to make sure everything was in place before creeping down the hallway to her room.

Massive Meme

2008-03-21T01:09:00.003-04:00

So, this is a meme we're doing on the Writer's Retreat. It actually took me much longer to complete than I had expected. But, finally, here it is. More information about me than you ever wanted to know...

Three screen names that you've had
1 - Jean
2 - Kathleen
3 - TooCute

Three things you like about yourself
1 - My intelligence
2 - My sense of humor
3 - My skin

Three things you don't like about yourself
1 - My legs
2 - My sensitivity
3 - My impatience

Three parts of your heritage
1 - Wits from my dad
2 - Looks from my mom
3 - Sense of entitlement from my grandma

Three things that scare you
1 - snakes
2 - disappointing people
3 - outliving my children

Three of your everyday essentials
1 - water
2 - internet
3 - smiles from my daughter

Three things you are wearing right now
1 - jeans
2 - socks
3 - glasses

Three of your favorite songs
(I had a really hard time picking three, but here are some of my faves...)
1 - Loving Cup, by the Rolling Stones
(http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ex1nxuM1fU8)
2 - Power of Two, by the Indigo Girls
(http://youtube.com/watch?v=lQPd1RFwDgo)
3 - Experimental Film, by They Might Be Giants
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH2l0LaTi4U)

Three things you want in a relationship
1 - appreciation
2 - emotional stability
3 - physical expression of feelings

Two truths and a lie
1 - The next sentence is true
2 - The next sentence is a lie
3 - This sentence is true

Three things you can't live without
1 - oxygen
2 - food
3 - water

Three places you want to go on vacation
1 - Europe (all over)
2 - Alaskan cruise
3 - African safari

Three things you just can't do
1 - eat cauliflower
2 - make my ass be the size I want it to be
3 - find enough hours in the day to get done everything I'd like to

Three of your favorite movies
1 - Practical Magic (http://imdb.com/title/tt0120791/)
2 - Sweet Home Alabama (http://imdb.com/title/tt0256415/)
3 - X-Men (http://imdb.com/title/tt0120903/)

Three kids names
1 - Grace
2 - Ian
3 - Socrates

Three things you want to do before you die
1 - Say goodbye to the people I love.
2 - Know that the people I love will be taken care of/provided for.
3 - Be at peace with how I've lived my life.

Three celeb crushes
1 - Johnny Depp
2 - Patrick Dempsey
3 - Gina Gershon

Three of your favorite musicians
1 - Emily Saliers (of the Indigo Girls)
2 - Freddie Mercury (of Queen)
3 - Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull)

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you
1 - shoulders
2 - smile
3 - hands

Three of your favorite hobbies
1 - scrapbooking
2 - knitting
3 - playing cards

Three of your favorite people you've known in your life
1 - my dad
2 - Jackie
3 - Donnie

Three things you really want to do badly right now
1 - Change clothes.
2 - Cuddle with my dogs.
3 - Take a nap.

Three careers you're considering/you've considered
1 - Accountant
2 - Geneticist
3 - Stay-at-home mom

Three ways that you are stereotypically a boy
1 - I don't wear makeup.
2 - I don't wear skirts.
3 - I don't understand high heels.

Three ways that you are stereotypically a girl
1 - I love to shop.
2 - I have more beauty products under my sink than I could possibly use in the next year.
3 - I'm vain about my hair.

Three people that I would like to see post this meme
1 - Gwen
2 - Dawn
3 - Nic

Thursday Thirteen - Male Artists in Concert

2008-03-20T00:08:00.001-04:00

My Thursday Thirteen...

13 Male Artists I've seen perform live in concert...
1 - Elton John
2 - James Taylor
3 - Brad Paisley
4 - David Wilcox
5 - Santana
6 - Tim McGraw
7 - Billy Taylor
8 - Kenny Chesney
9 - REM
10 - ZZ Top
11 - Blake Shelton
12 - Derek Trucks
13 – Peter Frampton

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

Staying busy...

2008-03-19T23:52:00.002-04:00

Real life really has a way of taking over sometimes, whether you like it or not. My hours have recently increased at my job. The money is nice, but it leaves less time for my writing. I am still doing the March Flash-a-Day, trying to keep up with the daily prompts. I'm a few days behind at the moment - but I've got ideas for most of them, just have to find the time to actually sit down and write. I've got several longer stories started that I'm hoping to get back to soon. But, like with anything new, I'm just trying to adjust to my new schedule and find the balance of it all.

Wish me luck!!
~Kat

Thursday Thirteen - Female Artists in Concert

2008-03-13T00:18:00.000-04:00

My Thursday Thirteen...

13 Female Artists I've seen perform live in concert...
1 - Indigo Girls
2 - Aimee Mann
3 - Lisa Loeb
4 - Natalie Merchant
5 - Sara Evans
6 - The Cover Girls
7 - Stevie Nix
8 - Reba McIntyre
9 - Amy Grant
10 - Sarah Harmer
11 - Regina Carter
12 - Brandi Carlile
13 - Sarah McLaughlin

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Eden's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

FFC - Letters & Numbers

2008-03-10T15:16:00.003-04:00

The March topic for FFC was letters and/or numbers.

*********************************************************

Flight 1580 (600 words)
By: Kathleen Oxley

"Flight 1580, service to Memphis, now boarding gate B2."

Paul had his arm around my shoulder and he squeezed, letting me know that was us. We stood up and walked toward the gate. I had my ticket in my hand, but nothing else. This trip wasn't exactly planned.

We'd driven home the day before to visit my dad in the hospital, not expecting it to be a lengthy stay. But, it hadn't turned out that way. He died within an hour of our arrival, barely enough time to say good-bye. Now we were headed home to pack a bag for the week and grab clothes suitable for the upcoming 'events'.

Paul and I boarded the plane and found our seats. I sat numbly next to the window, oblivious to everyone talking and moving around us. I stared out the window, stared at the seat in front of me, but didn't see anything. None of it mattered now. It didn't matter where I was going, who I was with, what people were saying.

The plane took off and I watched the world slowly shrink away. The view matched how I felt - detached, removed, no longer grounded on the earth.

Paul grabbed my hand in his, squeezing in reassurance. I looked at him and he smiled at me. I smiled back, but didn't feel it. He could tell, but still we went through the motions. Trying to pretend that our entire lives weren't changed forever. But, they were. Whatever we had been before, it would all be different now. I would be different. I couldn't feel much, but I felt that.

I turned to look back out the window. Blue skies and fluffy clouds filled my vision. I imagined angels in the sky, peeking over the clouds to look down at the earth. I'm not a religious person, but the notion of the ones we love sitting together in the sky looking down on us is one I just can't escape. I guess that's my way of not letting go of the people I've lost.

"Daddy," I whisper, my hand against the glass. I know he's not there, but still I can't release the feeling that if I look hard enough, I'll see him. If I can just find the right cloud, he'll peek out at me, smile at me.

Tears begin rolling down my cheeks as I stare harder, completely intent in my purpose. The rest of the plane totally falls out of my awareness. And, finally, something feels right. This feels right. The solitude, loneliness, hopelessness fits me so comfortably. I wrap it around me. The tears continue to fall and I'm alternately talking to myself and to the angels.

Memories roll through my mind. Our last Christmas together, his last breath, my favorite picture of us where we're smiling twin smiles. I think of things said and unsaid, questions unanswered.

I'm startled as Paul grabs my hand again. I open my eyes to see the airport now outside my window.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you to Memphis, where the local time is now nine fifty-five a.m."

I sigh and wipe my cheeks. Paul smiles at me again, gives me that 'I don't know what to do' look. I don't know what to do either. Except to get off the plane, go pack my bag, take the next steps one at a time. I know there's a new journey ahead of me, one I can't anticipate and don't know where it will take me. But Paul holds my hand as we take those next steps together.

I got tagged!!!

2008-03-08T09:12:00.003-05:00

Kaige tagged me for this new meme! *hugs*

Did you ever play the game Telephone when you were a kid? It’s sometimes called Rumor or Gossip. You sit in a circle, the bigger the better.

The ring leader will tell a “secret” to one person. That person turns to the person on their left and whispers it. Each person hears the “secret” on one side and tells it on the other until it goes all the way around the circle. The last person says out loud what they were told, then the ring leader says what everyone started with. Most of the time it isn’t the same thing, and can be quite funny.

Using the power of the Internet, let’s give it a try.

I’m going to write a paragraph. Your job is to make a change. It can be as little as one word or as big as twenty words. You can change names, plot and setting, but don’t change it so much that we can’t tell how it relates to what (Alice) started with. Post your paragraph on your blog with a link to Alice’s post. She will link back to you. Then, pick three people to whom you will “whisper” your modified version. Let them know they are up next. Link to them and to the person who passed it to you (me).

Here is my paragraph for the three people I’m going to tag:

“Jocelyn and Will went up Knob Hill to find some privacy. Jocelyn fell down and knocked her crown and asked Will to kiss the owie. Will was happy to oblige Jocelyn’s innocent desire without further bruising, but his kisses weren’t enough. If he hadn’t already lost his heart to Jocelyn, he would have that night.”

I’m whispering to Gwen Mitchell, Gina Ardito and Ms Menozzi. You can still play this game even if I didn’t tag you. Anyone can play if you follow the rules. Come back in a month and see what happened to our little rumor.

~*~*~*~*~

The rules for this meme:
1. Change something in the paragraph you received; a minimum of 1 word, a maximum of 20 words.

2. Link to the post at http://aliceaudrey.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/alice-calling/ and leave a comment so we can keep track of what happens to the paragraph. Alice will link back to you.

3. Link to the person who tagged you, preferably to where ever they posted their version of the paragraph.

4. Tag three people you think might enjoy this game. Let them know they’ve been tagged. Link to them.

5. Include these rules in your post.

View Other Participants Here

Have fun!!

~Kat

Thursday Thirteen - Groups in Concert

2008-03-06T00:05:00.001-05:00

My Thursday Thirteen...

13 Groups I've seen perform live in concert...
1 - Pink Floyd
2 - New Kids on the Block
3 - Rascal Flatts
4 - Journey
5 - Dave Matthews Band
6 - They Might Be Giants
7 - Modest Mouse
8 - Allman Brothers Band
9 - Barenaked Ladies
10 - Phish
11 - The Decemberists
12 - Solas
13 - The Monkees

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Tara's Thursday Thirteen

Ms. Menozzi's Thursday Thirteen

Tempest Knight's Thursday Thirteen
A. Catherine Noon's Thursday Thirteen

March FADness

2008-03-04T20:59:00.005-05:00

I am participating in the March FADness AW Flash-a-day competition and am super-psyched about it!!

What is March FADness, you ask?

Everyday in the month of March, a prompt for a flash fiction piece will be posted here. You write a story either using the prompt or not. It's your choice.

At the end of the month, you have five days to choose your favorite story and polish it. Submit the stories, including word count and title. The stories must be previously unposted, written during the month of March, and they must be under 1000 words. The stories will be posted and then opened up for a board-wide vote. The winner will be offered a contract and publication in Coyote Wild Magazine.

Happy Flashing to everyone who's participating!!

~Kat

Back on My Feet

2008-03-01T17:20:00.002-05:00

So, it's been a crazy week. My entire household was sick last week with the flu and a stomach bug. A bad combo, and one we're glad to finally be getting over. I didn't even have the energy to post my TT, but guess that just puts me ahead for next week.

In other news, today Oysters & Chocolate announced the winners for their 2008 Erotic Poetry Contest. Of which, I was not one. This is my first rejection so it stings a little. But, I'm moving forward. Lots of other logs in the fire to keep me busy. Not sure yet what I'm going to do with the rejected poem, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Being sick also pretty much screwed my writing schedule for the week - not much got done. I was running close on the two contests I was aiming for anyway, and the sickies pretty much threw me totally out of the running. So, I'll just keep tweaking away at my story and will find another place to submit it in the future.

Hope everyone else out there is staying healthy and having luck with their endeavors.

*hugs*
~Kat

Tempted by Megan Hart

2008-02-25T21:47:00.002-05:00

So, I received my copy of Tempted by Megan Hart last week as the prize for winning the Erotic Woman's Tempted Competition. I started it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday. It isn't short, over 400 pages, making it the longest erotic novel I've read to date. It was very good - I was really surprised by how much actual story there was. Sure, there was plenty of sex, and it was explicit and hot. But, the story was interesting and the characters had lots going on outside the bedroom as well. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, it definitely didn't end how I had expected it to - but, I think the ending was very realistic given the characters and the scenario of the story.

I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who likes the genre and will be keeping my eye out for more by Megan Hart in the future.

~Kat

Thursday Thirteen - Keyboard Shortcuts

2008-02-21T00:18:00.000-05:00

My Thursday Thirteen...

13 Keyboard Shortcuts I Couldn't Live Without
1 - ctrl+end (takes you to the very end of the page/doc)
2 - ctrl+home (takes you to the very top of the page/doc)
3 - ctrl+s (saves)
4 - alt+tab (toggles between programs)
5 - ctrl+t (opens a new tab in browser)
6 - ctrl+tab (toggles between tabs in browser)
7 - ctrl+x, ctrl+c, ctrl+v (cut, copy, paste)
8 - F5 (refreshes a page)
9 - F2 (accesses editing function for file names or cells in excel)
10 - windows logo+m (minimizes all windows)
11 - ctrl+a (select all)
12 - ctrl+z (undo)
13 - ctrl+f (find)

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Things to Avoid in Italy

2008-02-20T00:32:00.003-05:00

Ran across this today at Profoundly Shallow and wanted to share!!

Things to Avoid in Italy

Originally Posted By: MaggieMc - 15 Feb 2006 (from the Lonely Planet site)

Crossing the road

Look both ways. Pedestrian crossings are there for decoration or as a perverse form of population control. In order to cross the road before next Christmas, one must make a "leap of faith". Ironically, this is most unnerving near the Vatican

Wearing tracksuit pants

Casual is not cool. Even in the smallest village, the locals will glare with the condescension Italians spend a lifetime perfecting. These people get Armani to design the caribinieri uniforms. They are serious about fashion.

Criticising an Italian man's mother

Don't diss mamma. To him, she is the Virgin Mary and after a lifetime of cooking, cleaning, pampering, petting and mollycoddling them, they are rendered completely useless.

Going to a nightclub solo

Girls, Italian courtship is akin to watching a nature documentary; you are their prey and chances of survival reduce dramatically when unguarded. Female tourists are fresh meat: they smell you long before you come into view and you smell good.

Ordering a "latte"

It might work in Starbucks but in Italy you'll get a smirk and a glass of lukewarm milk. Best not to delve into the chai tea, caramel infused or decaf skinny varieties. Here, coffee can be black/white, short/long but always strong and good.

Forgetting the Romans

Italians believe they are directly descended from Caesar and Augustus. Some men around the Coliseum will even don togas to prove the point. All roads lead to Rome but no emergency exits when confronted with a grown, hairy man wrapped in only a sheet.

Criticising Italian cuisine

Don't joke that spaghetti is just noodles with tickets on itself. Marco Polo, aside from being the world's most popular swimming pool game, brought it back from Asia along with garlic and chilli, the staples of Italian cuisine. A sore point.

Asking for "a plate of penne pasta"

Americans, in a homespun accent "penne" sounds like "peni" to Italians, and you'll be asking for "penises". May put you in a spot of bother with a red-blooded Italian waiter. He'll assume it's a come-on and who knows what you'll get on your plate.

Mentioning the mafia

Use the "m" word in a cafe, guys will drop their espressos, the chick behind the counter will burn the foccacia and Godfather music will begin to play.

Asking for the vegetarian option

Vegetarians, Vegans, fruitarians and gluten intolerants, cancel flight now! This is the country that has one gastronomic mantra: "carb up!" Welcome to the wonderful world of the omelette.

Busy, Busy

2008-02-18T23:10:00.001-05:00

So, it's been a pretty busy couple of days. I'm working on two short stories to submit at the end of this month. One for the Loose Id March Madness contest and the other for the Torquere Press Love Bites Anthology. I've got a pretty good sense for what I want to happen with both stories, and a couple thousand words written on both. I'm getting down to the wire to get them done and off to beta/edit before the deadline. I'd like to have a draft of both ready to go by the end of this week, which is definitely do-able.

That's it for now, I'm off to write...

~Kat

Picture Prompted Flash #2

2008-02-15T09:40:00.009-05:00

This week's picture was too good not to include (see above). Below is the flash story I wrote in response.

************************************************************

Lake House
(598 words)

I crept silently down the dock that led out onto the lake. It was dark and the only light was the glow of the full moon overhead. The summer evening was warm with just the slightest breeze in the air. The perfect evening for a midnight swim.

I sat down on the end of the dock to take off my shoes and socks. I pulled my t-shirt over my head and dropped it on top of my shoes. I sat there a moment longer, enjoying the solitude. I heard the familiar sounds of crickets and frogs, of the water lapping against the posts of the dock beneath me. I stood and began unbuttoning my denim shorts but paused at the sound of water splashing.

I turned my gaze out to the lake and stared intently, trying to locate the source of the sound. In the gleam of the moonlight I saw a pale hand raise out of the water and next to it a smiling face. My breath caught in my throat, fear filling me. Was it a ghost? I stood still, unable to move. The hand lifted from the water again and this time I saw a foot kick lightly against the surface of the water.

I watched as the figure began to drift toward the dock, using arms and legs to direct her travel in my direction. I took a step back away from the edge of the dock and was leaning down to grab my shirt and shoes when I heard a familiar voice.

"Wait," she said.

I looked quickly back to the water and this time recognized the beautiful face of Rose. Her family owned the cabin next to ours and like us, they spent their summers here at the lake. She was treading water several feet away from the dock and the thin white gown she wore clung to her curves. I watched as her breasts bobbed in the water with her movement.

"Hey," I said, standing up and taking a step back toward the edge of the dock. She smiled up at me.

"Didn't you come out here to swim?"

"Yeah, I'd planned on it. I didn't think anyone else would be out here."

"My family's leaving tomorrow to go back home," she said sadly.

"Oh," I said. I wasn't sure why she was telling me this.

"I thought maybe you'd come swim with me, since it's my last night here."

"Oh, sure," I said lamely, still standing on the dock not really understanding.

"I wanted to tell you good-bye," she said, face down toward the water.

I looked at her and when she glanced up at me, I finally saw what I had been missing all summer. She wanted me.

We stared at each other for a few moments and then she cocked her head at me in question. In answer, I slowly slipped into the lake and treaded water a few feet away from her. She floated toward me, her creamy skin almost glowing in the moonlight. She reached out and placed her hands on my shoulders, her breasts brushing against my chest. I leaned forward and kissed her hesitantly on her lips. She responded with enthusiasm and soon I was pulling her against me, our legs rubbing together as we continued to tread water.

We stayed out all night, talking and swimming and saying good-bye.

Her family packed up and left the next day and my family left a few weeks later. The next summer I found out Rose's family had sold their house. I never saw her again.

Valentine's Day Free Reads

2008-02-14T23:36:00.005-05:00

Once again this year, Romance Divas has organized the 2008 E-Book Challenge.

What the heck is the E-Book Challenge?

The E-book challenge is a network of authors who will be linked together. They have writen a story of their heart to share to the world for FREE. There are no limits. There are no word counts.

See the list of authors who participated with links to their free stories here and enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!
~Kat

Valentine's FFC Listing

2008-02-14T09:15:00.003-05:00

The complete list of participating stories for the Valentine's Flash Fiction Carnival has been posted. Check out the list here to view all the submitted stories on the topic of Love.

~Kat

Thursday Thirteen - Valentine's

2008-02-14T00:40:00.005-05:00

A Valentine's Day edition of Thursday Thirteen...

13 gifts I've received from boyfriends/lovers (many, but not all, for Valentine's Day)
1 - a dozen sunset roses
2 - a painted wooden fish
3 - a fancy dinner
4 - a diamond bracelet
5 - haiku
6 - a white fluffy rabbit
7 - duct tape
8 - a bottle of tequila
9 - a couples massage
10 - two dozen red roses
11 - a sapphire ring
12 - a weekend at the beach
13 - a rat terrier puppy

Kaige's Thursday Thirteen

Word Trix's Thursday Thirteen

Adelle's Thursday Thirteen

Dawn's Thursday Thirteen

Gwen's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer M's Thursday Thirteen

Jennifer S's Thursday Thirteen

Gina's Thursday Thirteen

Shelley's Thursday Thirteen

Paige's Thursday Thirteen

Erotic Poetry Contest

2008-02-13T20:56:00.001-05:00

Oysters and Chocolate is still accepting entries for their 2008 Erotic Poetry Contest. The deadline was originally Jan. 15th with winners to be announced Feb. 1st. Then the deadline was moved to Feb. 15th. I just checked today and the deadline is now pushed back to Feb. 21st. They say they will still announce winners on March 1st. I sent my entry in back in early January, so I'm still just waiting. But, if you have some erotic poetry lying about, you might want to send it in. O&C says they've received less than 12 entries and they're giving prizes to the top 3, so that's pretty good odds. This is the first time I've submitted poetry anywhere so I'm anxious to find out the results.

~Kat

A Valentine's Short...

2008-02-12T13:30:00.001-05:00

Alice's eyes widened from behind the counter as the courier entered, shielded behind a cascade of vibrant roses. They had to be for Emily. Her latest boyfriend was always showering her with gifts, and Valentine's day was coming up this week.

Alice smiled as the man approached and set the vase on the counter. She could smell the rich scent of the bouquet and she leaned forward to breathe it in. The heady perfume filled her head as she admired the blooms. They were yellow and orange by the stems and then faded to deep red and pink on the tips of the petals.

The man looked at the card and then at her, "Is Alice here?"

"I'm Alice," she stammered.

"These are for you," he said.

"What?"

He smiled at her, "Somebody must think you're pretty special."

"Yeah," she said absently. She couldn't take her eyes off the flowers. She reached for the card and began to open it as the man turned to leave.

"Have a good day," she called to him. He smiled and waved as he walked out of the shop.

The card read, "143."

A cryptic message, but she knew the flowers had to be from Josh. They'd been dating for several months now and were starting to get serious. But, he wasn't usually the romantic type. She picked up the phone by the register and dialed his cell.

"Hey," he answered.

"Hey. I'm at work and you won't believe what's on the counter," she said, the smile on her face coming through in her voice.

"Oh yeah. What's on the counter?" he asked, obviously playing along with her game.

"A dozen of the most beautiful roses I've ever seen." Alice's voice was positively giddy.

"You like them?" he asked.

"Of course I do. They're gorgeous."

"They're sunset roses," he stated proudly.

"That's exactly what they look like! They've got shades of yellow and orange and red."

"I'm glad you like them."

"Oh, I do. Thank you. I forgot to say it earlier, but thanks. I can't believe you sent me flowers."

"Well, it is Valentine's this week."

"True," she said.

"Are you coming over after work?" he asked.

"Yes, I'd like to."

"That'd be great. I've got to get a few more things done at the office this afternoon, but I'll see you there tonight."

"That sounds good," she said.

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Alice hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. It was three thirty. Emily was scheduled to work at four and then Alice could leave at five. Maybe she'd scoot out a little early today if they weren't busy.

She looked down at the card in her hand and realized she had forgotten to ask what one-four-three meant. Unfortunately she needed to get back to work so she resisted the urge to call Josh back. She'd just have to be patient and wait till tonight. Five o'clock couldn't come fast enough.

Emily ooh'ed and ahh'ed over the flowers when she arrived and agreed that they were the most beautiful roses she'd ever seen. Alice watched the clock tick by slowly until four forty-five when she asked Emily if she could leave just a little bit early today. Emily smiled and told her she didn't mind in the least.

Alice decided to leave the flowers at work since she would be back the next morning. Besides, she liked displaying them where people could comment and ask her who they were from. She didn't get that sort of attention often, and wanted to enjoy the sudden adoration Josh had lavished on her. She pulled one stem out of the vase and took it with her as she walked out of the store. She sniffed the flower on the way to her car, inhaling it's rich scent. She smiled as she thought of Josh talking with the florist, taking the time to pick out something special and not just going with the standard red roses.

She left work and drove straight to Josh's apartment. He answered the door with an expectant grin.

Alice leaned in and kissed him firmly on the mouth. Josh pulled her to him and inside the apartment, closing the door behind them. Her hands were on his shoulders, holding him close to her. He leaned her against the back of the door as their kiss deepened. This heat had been between them from the beginning, and the strength of it still amazed them both.

When they broke from the kiss, Alice leaned her head back against the door. Her mouth was curved in a satisfied smile and her cheeks were flushed. She still had the single rose in one hand and she lifted it to run the bloom down her cheek. Her eyes closed and a sigh left her lips at the feel of velvety softness against her skin.

Josh took the rose from her and taking her hand in his, led her down the short hallway to his bedroom. Their eyes stayed locked one another as they slowly undressed. Alice laid back on the bed and Josh moved to lay beside her, the rose in his hand. He leaned over her and skimmed the petals along he r body. He traced the curve of her neck and collarbone before running it between the mounds of her breasts. He continued teasing her with feather caresses until Alice was writhing on the bed. He set the flower aside and began to move on top of her.

As he looked down at her she gave him a quizzical look and whispered, "I forgot to ask earlier, but what does one-four-three mean?"

Josh smiled as he replied, "It's the number of letters in each of the words."

Alice cocked her head at him.

"I love you," Josh murmured.

Understanding dawned on Alice's face, but before she could voice her amazement, he captured her mouth in an ardent kiss.

Accepted at Ruthie's Club

2008-02-10T15:32:00.000-05:00

This just in...

As to the three Flash stories, they are (in relation to our extremely high Flash standards at Ruthie's Club) not bad but not great. However, I think we should accept them on trust, because your style is crisp and neat, and because I have a hunch that you will take a step up or two once you find your way in our Flash community.

By way of criticism, there is not enough happening in any of the three submissions, especially Wedding Night. Really high class Flash packs much more of a story into 300 words. We should be getting motive, and character development, and strong hints of stories past and future. The best Flash is not a snapshot. It is a complete, fully-rounded and fully-developed story, artfully truncated.

My partner will be in touch about our further requirements and your benefits. When you get into the site, go straight to the (very large) Flash section and dig around. You'll soon see what I'm talking about.

Yay!! This is my first acceptance to a paying gig! I really appreciate the honest feedback I received from them and hope to incorporate these points in the future to improve my flash stories! I'm waiting to hear back about my "further requirements and benefits", but I'm very excited to have been accepted. Ruthie's Club is a subscription site, so I may not be able to provide direct links to my published work there.

~Kat

February FFC Listing

2008-02-09T23:44:00.000-05:00

The complete listing of participating stories for the February Flash Fiction Carnival has been posted. Check out the list here to view all the submitted stories on the topic of Cowardice.

~Kat

Picture Prompted Flash #1

2008-02-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

Picture prompted flash writing is one of the exercises we do on the Writer's Retreat. We take turns posting a picture and everyone writes a flash piece in response (500 word limit). Here's my piece for this week. The picture is hard to explain (and I'm not going to post it here for copyright reasons) but it doesn't play a huge role in the piece anyway.

*******************************************************
Sleeping Over
(Word count: 499)

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

Gloria's eyes fluttered open as she slowly began to wake up. She was stretched out on the black leather sofa, her head resting on Bryan's lap. She glanced at the TV and saw a man with arms raised toward a cloud-filled sky.

"Who is that?" she asked in confusion.

"You've missed too much for me to explain it, we'll rent the movie again another time." Bryan smiled down at her.

"Sorry I fell asleep," she said. "It's been a really long week."

"It's not a big deal. I could tell you were tired, you barely made it through the first half hour." Bryan ran his hands through her hair as he spoke.

Gloria yawned and nodded.

"You going to drive home, or do you want to stay here?" Bryan asked her.

"I was planning to go home, I don't have a change of clothes with me," she told him.

"I'm not sure you should drive home. You can barely keep your eyes open."

"True. You don't mind me crashing here?" she asked.

"Of course not. Come on, we'll get you settled upstairs."

Gloria sat up and took Bryan's offered hand. He led her upstairs and into a small guest room. He turned on the lamp on the nightstand and pulled back the covers.

"Could I borrow a t-shirt to sleep in?" she asked.

"Sure, be right back," Bryan told her.

Gloria sat down on the edge of the bed and removed her shoes. Bryan returned and handed her a shirt. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, sleepy head. I'm right across the hall if you need anything."

"You're being such a gentleman," Gloria pointed out.

He smiled at her. "What did you expect? You're exhausted and you've never stayed here before."

"True," she smiled back at him. "Good night."

"Night," he said again, and left the room.

Gloria quickly undressed and pulled the borrowed t-shirt over her head. It was one she recognized, one that Bryan wore frequently. It was soft and worn and smelled of him. She crawled between the sheets and turned off the lamp.

She laid there for a while trying to get back to sleep, but it seemed she was no longer tired. Maybe it was being in a new place, or the smell of Bryan from the shirt, or knowing that he was just across the hall from her in his own bed. She stayed in bed for a while longer, staring at the ceiling and letting her mind wander. She finally realized that her mind kept wandering back to the same thing. She wanted to be in the bed across the hall. She finally gave up and with a sigh, threw back the covers and got out of bed.

She stepped quietly across the hall and stood silently outside his door. After a moment she heard the sounds of movement from inside the room. She lifted her hand and knocked lightly on the door.

Thursday Thirteen - Fruit

2008-02-07T03:52:00.001-05:00

My First Thursday Thirteen...

Here are 13 fruits and what I think about them.
1. Bananas - love them
2. Rasberries - ick
3. Strawberries - good most of the time
4. Cantaloupe - really like it, as long as it's ripe
5. Grapes - good, especially if they're seedless
6. Apples - yum, yum (Gala are my favorite)
7. Tomatoes - like them cooked in stuff (and yes a tomato is a fruit)
8. Grapefruit - I'm a big fan
9. Kiwi - I could do without most of the time
10. Oranges - usually I like, but I really love orange juice
11. Watermelon - one of my favorite summer treats
12. Papaya - I've actually never tried it
13. Starfruit - tasty, but also big points for presentation

Kaige's TT

FFC - Cowardice

2008-02-05T20:36:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine recently told me about Flash Fiction Carnival. This month's topic is "cowardice" and below is my flash piece. I really didn't like the topic, and had a hard time coming up with something. I figured that in these cases it would be best to try to work on a particular skill. So, I tried to focus on characterization and voice in this piece.

*********************************************************
A Tough Decision

"I am not being a coward." Susanna thought that if she just kept telling herself that, maybe eventually she would come to believe it.

She had known that sleeping with Bobby would be a mistake. But, she loved him and he had told her he loved her too. It was easy to look into those deep brown eyes of his and believe him. It probably didn't hurt that she had wanted to believe him. Had wanted him to love her. And once his hands had started to creep under her skirt, she hadn't wanted him to stop either.

But, once again, her mama was right. Good girls don't go parking with boys, just like good girls don't wear short skirts. But she had gone parking with Bobby, wearing a skirt that was too short. She had proven she was not a good girl. And now, she was paying the price.

Susanna spent the first month in denial, certain that there was some other explanation for her missed period. But, after the second month she knew she had to find out for sure.

She borrowed the car and drove 45 minutes away to go to a Wal-Mart where nobody would recognize her. She bought the test and then snuck into the store's bathroom. She wanted to leave all evidence behind where it could not be traced back to her.

This plan had made complete sense to her until she looked down at her fate in the form of an x on a stick. Then she didn't want to be sitting on the toilet in the Wal-Mart. And she didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be held by her mama or even Bobby. She wanted somebody to tell her it was all going to be okay. But, nobody had done that.

She told Bobby, although now she wished she hadn't. He got mad and angry. He didn't want to believe she was pregnant at first, then didn't want to believe it was his. She finally begged him just not to tell anybody. She didn't want anything from him but for him to not tell anyone.

She thought about telling her parents. But she knew mama would never forgive her and she couldn't stand to think of what daddy's face would look like when he found out she really wasn't his 'perfect little angel'.

So, she was taking the only other option she saw available to her. She was leaving. Susanna looked down at the small duffel bag between her feet. It held everything that mattered to her. Everything that she thought she couldn't live without. It wasn't much. Some clothes, her diary, a few family pictures. She had some money saved up from working last summer at the supermarket.

She had a one way ticket on a Greyhound bus going to Birmingham. She wasn't sure what she'd do when she got there. But, she'd figure out something. She was smart, capable.

She just had to get out of town before she started showing and everybody learned what had happened. Better to disappear than to stick around and face the shame.

Tempted Competition

2008-02-04T03:36:00.000-05:00

This just in...

...from The Erotic Woman.com...congratulations! You are one of two winners in January's Tempted Competition. We had more than 50 entries so there was tough competition, but we especially loved how you closed out your Dear Diary entry (with your husband coming home), that was a very strong finish and exactly the type of thing we were looking for.
Your entry is currently on feature within the Competition section of the main menu, and the winners announcement is also leading the latest features.

YAY!!!!!

You can view my winning entry here.

Prompted Flash

2008-02-04T02:09:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I'll write flash prose based off provided prompts. (I usually don't write erotica for these, but rather use them as an exercise to try something different.) Here's one from the Writer's Retreat.

Prompt:
You are a middle-aged woman. You are dressed all in black. You are walking in New York's Central Park. It's night. Who are you, and what are you doing? (300 word limit)

My response:
(300 words)

Janet walked silently through the park. It was a crisp fall afternoon. The wind was calm and the air was cool, but not cold. There were people strolling around, families picnicking, children playing. It all went by in a blur around her. She had been surrounded by people for so long and all she wanted was to walk in silence. To not be forced to smile or nod, not to pretend to be okay. She just wanted to breathe in the air and take in the freedom of space.

She walked on and on. She had no particular destination in mind, no goal; she just wanted to keep moving. If she could have walked to the end of the earth, she would have. But there was no escape. Eventually she would have to go back and face the well-meaning friends and relatives.

She reached a small white bridge and began to cross it. She paused halfway across and turned to the side. She leaned down, resting her elbows on the concrete railing. She watched the ducks gliding along on the water below. She got lost watching the swirl and flow of the water until her vision began to blur.

She reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes, but it was no use. There was no stopping them now. She ducked her chin into her chest and sobbed the tears that had eluded her these past days.

How could he be gone? How could it be possible they would never walk through the park, hand-in-hand, again? What had she done to deserve this? How could she possibly keep going with her life?

Her hands fisted and beat against the railing in rage. She wanted to cry out, to scream her anger. But, instead, she stood up and kept walking.

Note:
I didn't notice the "It's night." part of the prompt until this was written and decided not to go back and change it.

~ Kat

Introduction

2008-02-04T00:29:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my blog!

This is my first attempt at blogging. I get the concept, but have never actually tried to sustain one on my own. Eh. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

I am an erotic fiction writer - mostly short stories, but I do write poetry and other short prose as well.

I'll be posting links here to other writers I know, communities I participate in and, when possible, places to view my published work.

Enjoy!
~Kat