The Dream Continues: Part 4

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***Attention! For Part 1 click here, for Part 2 click here, for Part 3 click here.***

Mom purses her lips, her hands clasping her mug inches from her mouth. She says nothing but lets the tide of red creeping up her neck speak for her. Her left eye twitches.

Would speaking right now be poking the bear? After a moment, I gulp. We can’t just sit here. “Mom?”

“How dare she?”

I jump as her mug slams on the table.

“Did the editor say anything? Please tell me he reprimanded that punk.”

“In his defense,” I say into my mug, “I don’t think he heard her.”

“I ought to go down there and—”

“If you do anything I will disown you.”

The Dream Continues: Part 3

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***Attention, this is an ongoing story. Click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.***

I take a deep breath, not wanting to repeat it. To give the editor’s words new life, but Mom has to understand.  “They said their dog could write a better book than I could.”

Her mouth gapes, her eyes bugging like a strange goldfish.

My heart races. Isn’t she going to say something?

Mom bites her lip, a snort escaping anyway. She throws a hand over her mouth, her stomach bouncing as her eyes dance.

“It’s not funny!”

“Honey, when are you going to grow out of these hysterics?” She reaches for my arm and I stand numbed. “You’ve come up with some epic stories before, but this one takes the cake. Admit it. You didn’t even go, did you?”

The Dream Continues: Part 2

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***For Part 1, Click here!***

“Nothing. I just have other interests at the moment.”  I turn my back to her and go to the sink, my stomach knotting.

She taps her foot. “Are these other interests making you any money?”

“My bills are paid.” Picking up the strainer I spray a bunch of kale with veggie wash, the fine mist tickling my wrist. Why does she have to push this? I’m an adult!

“With your savings. Sweetheart, you put that money away so you could focus on writing. Twiddling around in your kitchen has nothing to do with that.”

“Everything I do can go toward my—”

“Bull pucks. What are you hiding from?”

The Dream Continues: Part 1

 

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***This story is a sequel to Dreaming.*** If you haven’t read it yet, click here. For the follow-up character interview, click here.  

 

“Penny?”  Mom’s voice shakes when she slams the front door. “Penny Ann!”

I cringe. It’s amazing how, no matter my age, I instantly want to hide when I hear that tone. I gulp. “I’m in the kitchen.”

When she pushes through the white swinging door, I just barely avoid being hit. Running around the gray marble island, I position myself in front of the stove and stir my butternut squash soup. I have my back to her but that doesn’t keep me from feeling the dagger glare she’s hurling my way.

“Do you care to explain?”

I tuck my chin and move the spoon faster. “I’m making sou—”

“I can see that.” She drums her nails on the counter. “You missed your appointment!”

I wince. I didn’t miss it, I cancelled. I also didn’t think she’d find out. “Well, they weren’t the right publisher for me.”

Dreaming

Hi, everyone! I’m working on a sequel to this story, but since it’s about a year old I wanted to give everyone a chance to refresh their memory about this story and the character interview. (-: The interview is linked at the bottom of Dreaming.

Justina Luther~ Welcome to My Imagination

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I bite my lip as the heat overtakes me again as it has every day for three weeks. Walking into the bathroom, I switch on the light as the feeling in my stomach grows to feeling like something trying to claw its way out.

I try to breathe slowly, deeply, the way my mother taught me, but nothing helps. I see the flush in my reflection and my eyes water. How long will this go on?

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A Peek Behind the Curtain: Hobbies

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Hi, everyone! I thought it might be fun from time to time to do a post about my real life, instead of just the worlds in my imagination. I don’t know how often I’ll do these, but I’m hoping you’ll enjoy them all the same.

As the title implies, this post is about what I enjoy doing outside of writing(which I do love). Like most writers, I enjoy reading but that’s more akin to breathing as far as I’m concerned. Too much a part of my soul to call it a hobby.

I love working with my hands. Anything where I can take different elements and combine them to make something beautiful or useful. Or both, if things go well.

Ten Questions for a Fictional Character: Selena and Jeremy of The Girl

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***ATTENTION!!!*** This post contains spoilers about my story The Girl. If you haven’t read it yet, click here for part 1, her for 2, here for 3, and here for 4.