Two Sentence Tuesday -- Of Hares and Hauntings

Our current bedtime story, translated from Finnish, is about a fellow who wanders Finland with a bunny.  He hits it with his car, rescues it, and walks away from his life with the hare at his side.
It's wonderful and funny and a joy to read.
Two from The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna (Penguin 2010):
"Hannikainen had a knapsack on his back; a hare's head peeped out from under the flap.
Vatanen rushed over to them, grabbed the knapsack from Hannikainen's back, undid the cord, and welcomed the hare into his arms."
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I've spent the last few days or so trying to craft a query letter and synopsis for Dead Broke.
I've got the bare bones of both. It's going to be several more days before I have something I'm content to let sit for a while.
Here are two from the query:
"Eddie Corbett, shot dead over a gambling debt, wakes up on the wrong side of the afterlife. If he wants a new life he has to earn it by doing off-label jobs for God like hauntings and sending people to their deaths."
#
Thanks for reading me.
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Two Sentences -- Tuesday, Bloody Tuesday

When in doubt, change the title.
Those aren't really words to write by, but it does seem to help.
The vacation from the manuscript was good for many reasons including realizing the first title change wasn't good enough.
Saintree was a dull title. Just opening the file bored me. It helped me set the stage and focus on seeding some information about the town, but that's about all. Rewriting is supposed to make the story better and better includes making it more interesting.
I don't know how long the new title will stick. Maybe it doesn't matter. What's important is it's worked some magic for me.

Here are some fresh words from the renamed Blood Love: 

"To hold her, bodies pressed, breasts and bellies together- but oh it would be too much. Too much for Eury to not bring her mouth around to the slender, smooth neck throbbing with life, rip her fangs into the delicate flesh, and drink her dry."

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I've finally gotten around to reading A Little Princess. I'm just past the halfway mark and Sara Crewe has already become one of my favourite characters in one of my favourite books.

She is smart and strong and brimming with imagination. She understands human nature better than most of us.

The writing in it is so good that I found myself, like the heroine, sympathizing with a rat. That takes some doing.

Here's a bit of dialogue from Sara to another child:

" 'Well,' she said with some fire. 'I should like to slap you --but I don't want to slap you!' restraining herself. 'At least I both want to slap you--and I should like to slap you--but I won't slap you. We are not little gutter children. We are both old enough to know better.' "

-A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (Puffin Classics, 2008)

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Two Sentence Tuesday -- Plodding Along

The rewrite is coming along. It's slow. I distract easily. I was looking up another word for studded yesterday and by the time I raised my eyes from The Writer's Digest Flip Dictionary I'd forgotten what I went in for.
Sigh.
 Oh well, the search was fun.

Also yesterday I started reading Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson ( HarperSanFrancisco, 1991) Here's a sample:
"It is more disrupting to find that you have a profound nobility of character than to find out you are a bum. Of course you are both; but one does not discover these two elements at the same time."

This struck me for a few reasons including, but not restricted to, it's great to keep in mind when playing with characters.
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The season has made me generous.
Here's a whole paragraph from Saintree: 

"The snipe dived again and laughed. Coyotes spread the news.  A hoot owl responded to a call. A woman's high –pitched scream told her a cougar was on the prowl. Those who slept wasted the deep, sensual beauty of a summer's night."

Snipe on a fence post.

Thanks for reading me. I really appreciate it.

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Two Sentence Tuesday - Making Me Think

Carrots- could they grow in a sea shell field?

As I've said in past weeks I'm rewriting my first manuscript. It's slow work and somewhat frustrating, rather like coaxing carrots to grow in a field of sea shells.
It's good practice, though, and a good exercise. It's also making me think.
Thinking's fine if I can get a break from it, but I'm reading an intense, thought-provoking book right now so there is no respite.
Two from my current read, Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True (Harper 2009)
"When  I go back to our dorm, I stood, bewildered, before our broken typewriter case--passed my finger over its sharp, smashed edge. Turned and stood there, studying my brother as he slept, mouth agape, eyes shifting behind the lids."
#
From my WIP The Legend of Shallal:
"It stirred her. Whispered a secret to her that she could not understand."
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Thanks for being here. For more or to get in on the fun please see the Women of Mystery.
Hell, see 'em anyway. You'll be tickled silly that you did.

Twofer Tuesday --Book Report, and More Goats!

 For your goating pleasure.

If you'll recall a few months ago my husband and I were reading the sequel to Heidi called Heidi Grows Up  by Charles Tritten, Johanna Spyri's translator.
I believe I promised at least one of my faithful readers I'd let you know how it was when we were done. I've let the matter cool and gather for a while now.
I called it a dry read then, and I'll go so far as to call it egregious now. Some people can write out a grocery list and it's a soaring epic of pain and joy. Tritten took a good idea and made it read like a grocery list.
It was boring and dull. Description was not his gift so we don't have a clear picture of Maienfeld or Dorfli or the mountains or, well, anything. He does mention the Falknis on occasion as though everyone ought to know all about it.
Anyone who's read Spyri's wonderful work knows that Heidi and Peter will end up together. In the sequel it seems Heidi is clueless as to this outcome.  I understand what the author was trying to do, but he failed.
I know I sound harsh, but  it's how I see it. Others may disagree. For Tritten's sake I hope so. I hope he has fans who love his work and that he made a healthy living with his two (he also wrote Heidi's Children) sequels.
Good for him for doing this. I think everyone should pursue their dreams and I'm happy that he got to do it.  I wish it had been to my taste, but it wasn't and in all fairness, Heidi was a tough act to follow.

Meanwhile I've been reading at a reasonable pace and whittled my TBR main pile (we won't discuss the back up TBR pile) so dangerously low that I had to buy more books the other day.  One does as one can.

Last week I read  Equal Rites, by Terry Pratchett (Corgi Books, 1987)
Two lines:
"She found that life in the cottage wasn't entirely straightforward. There was the matter of the goats' names, for example."
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I've done a bit more work on Dead Broke. It's coming along slowly, but at least it's coming along. Part of the problem is there's alway something around here that needs attention be it food, house, husband, or garden. I get up early to get things done and have discovered the earlier I start the less I accomplish.
Despite all that I have written a bit. Here are recent lines:

"Eddie, this is Dr. Phinneas Mossheart. He wants to help. And yes, he does exist."
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Thanks so much for coming by. I really appreciate your attention.
Twofer Tuesday's are brought to us by the wonderful Women of Mystery. 

Tuesday Twosomes - Cleaning Time

I'd have to say the editing I'm doing is more like cleaning. I have some extensive rewriting to do on the ending of A Fly on the Wall and yet I'm concentrating on fixing the typos and assorted other errors. I claim it is because it gives me a framework with which to think about what I might do.
Mostly, it lets me put it off a bit longer as I haven't decided the direction it would take.
The current ending is completely logical, but too pat, too feel-good, and much too convenient for my liking. It feels tacked on, and in many ways it was. I wanted to finish the story so it could simmer and then I could get to fixing it up.
I'd like it to be a reasonably happy conclusion with a wee dram of edge to keep readers from being too comfortable. All I have to do is sort out how to do it.

Here are two sentences from a chapter I edited a few days ago:

"He sat quietly as he had been directed. The mirror had been told to be quiet as well, but no one was willing to guarantee that would happen."

And from what I read about the habits of the American Goldfinch:

A goldfinch and a pine siskin contemplate sharing a bath.

"Though bathing is less frequent that preening, it is also an important part of feather maintenance. It provides an additional means of keeping the feathers clean and may also be important for skin care."
- Wild Bird Guides American Goldfinch, by Alex L.A. Middleton, (Stackpole Books 1998)

Thanks so much for coming by.
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Twofer Tuesday - Think Days

I've taken a few think days this past week to sort out the WIP. It's coming along, albeit slowly. The downside of not writing one day is it is easier to not write again the next day. It's even easier the day after that even though I miss it. And the "think day" excuse runs thin after a time.

Two sentences I read this week are from my hotmail account's junk folder. It includes all the usual suspects such as meds for my erectile dysfunction and weight loss, but this week I have two favourites.

The subject lines are as follows:

"Augustine Dinga (ESQ) "Immediate transfer of $ 2.5 Million Dollars to you"
(Yay! I'll be rich! Wheee!)

and my personal top choice: "PayPal.com "Your PayPal account has been limited"

I give this second one the edge because it can be argued to be the absolute, undeniable truth. I do not have a Paypal account, therefore, it is, by its very nonexistence, limited.

And speaking of relative non-existence here are a few from Dead Broke:

"I craned a bit and saw that ankle again. Even dead I didn't dare look any higher. It was her and I had the spiritual boner to prove it."

Thanks so much for coming by.
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Twofer Tuesday--Now With Goats!

My favourite book is Heidi. Johanna Spryi's tale puts me right on the alm, listening to the wind in the trees. To this day goat cheese, especially melted, brings me right back to the alm-uncle's hut.
Consequently I was reasonably excited when my husband brought home Heidi Grows up.

A good excuse to run a goat photo.

He'd rescued it from the recycling table at the town dump. Plenty of people leave books there for the taking. He's brought home dozens and I've found a few gems myself.
This is our current bedtime story. It's a bit disappointing. She's away at school and it's a dry read so far. I was tempted to give it back to the table, but my husband is still okay with reading it out loud to me.
Who knows? The author is Charles Tritten who was Spyri's translator. Perhaps that bodes well for this sequel.

Without further ado, here are two lines:

" 'As for you, Heidi, you may move into Jamy's room and take what's left of your little goat cheese with you.'
'Oh, thank you, Mademoiselle!' Heidi exclaimed gratefully."
-Heidi Grows Up, Charles Tritten, copyright MCMXXXVIII renewed MCMLXVI (Western Publishing Company Inc.)
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I'm plugging away on my current WIP. Some days it flows. Other days not so much.
I may have to take a few think days to sort out what direction to take.
Meanwhile, fresh offerings from Dead Broke:

" ' I have a lot of faith in you, sweetheart. I always did. Even when you stayed up late at night locked in your room practicing how to cheat at cards, I had faith.' "
#

Thanks for coming here. I appreciate it .
For more, or to get in on the fun, please see the Women of Mystery.

Twofer Tuesday- Dead and Undead Edition

After a few false starts I finally got going on my current WIP. I've been good, too. I write in the mornings and then edit my third manuscript in the afternoons.
In fairness, I usually only edit one chapter a day. I find the mistakes, or some of them anyway, and get the corrections done right then and there. I thought I'd try it this way for a change and see if it made a difference.
So far it's added to the feelings of accomplishment.
This getting things done business has opened up time for me. I'm often done by early afternoon at the latest and that means I can get outside work done. I've collected the garbage that blows into the yard and the cigarette butts deliberately flicked in by our thoughtful neighbors.
I'm enlarging the garden this year and that means digging. It's good to move around after staring at the computer all morning.

I've had a chance to get some reading done, too.
The two lines I've read are from Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. (Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2008):

" 'Please,' Tommy begged, 'I'll sign anything, but they have to deliver it right now. Okay?'
Lloyd pumped Tommy's hand to start the flow of cash. 'Welcome to better living through frozen food. ' "
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My contribution to the cause from my current WIP, Dead Broke:

" 'How can I be sure this is the afterlife I've heard so much about?'
'Oh, sweetie. It ain't.' "
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Thanks for stopping by.
For more, or to get in on the fun, please see the Women of Mystery.

Twofer Tuesday - Salvage Mode

I was thrilled to win a copy of Invisible Boy from the Women of Mystery.
It arrived Monday by courier and I got to sign for it. Signing for stuff makes me feel important.
It's hardcover and it feels good in my hands.
I had a look inside and can't wait to get to it. It's on the TBR pile for now, but I think I'll be getting to it sooner rather than later.
From what I've read, I believe I am in for a treat.

Here are the first two lines of Invisible Boy, Cornelia Read (Grand Central Publishing, 2010)
"So here's what I love about New York City: if someone acts like a dumb asshole and you call them on acting like a dumb asshole, the bystanders are happy about it.
Anywhere else I've ever lived they just think I'm a bitch."

I started something last week in the hopes that writing it would help the idea to solidify. Instead I've gotten about 3,000 words in and have realized most of them will have to be scrapped.
Such is life.
Meanwhile I have two sentences I'm fond of and I will make every effort to find them a good home.
From my current WIP Dead Broke:

"It was a calf-length second skin of a red dress topped with a smile. Her eyes met his and the smile broadened."

Thank you for reading me.
For more, or to get in on the fun, please see the Women of Mystery.

Twofer Tuesday- Hard Copy Waiting

I ran out a hard copy of A Fly on the Wall yesterday. Initial corrections were completed on Sunday and I thought I may as well get it printed out. I wrote in Courier New 12, but printed it out in Times New Roman 11 to give my poor, long-suffering eyes a new view of it. That and a few days rest will make it seem fresh, at least at this stage.
Usually I stick to the obvious errors and wait for the editing-proper cycle to get big stuff done. This time was different.
I read Twilight (Stephenie Meyer, Little, Brown and C0mpany, copyright 2005) last week to see what all the fuss was about. I realized partway through I was doing something she'd been criticized for.
I'd been tossing in weak and pointless non-restrictive adjective clauses. I thought they were charming and part of the voice.
Her clauses got her a book contract. Mine had to go.
As ruthless as I was, some still remain. Perhaps a few will be spared.
Meanwhile, I am lost. My creative self is off having an after-work beer while my editing self is too busy sticking its tongue out at me to be of any use.
That leaves reading --and the last resort of housework--to keep me occupied while I wonder what I'll write next. I have an idea for another book, but it refuses to make itself fully known.

Fortunately I've been topping up the TBR pile even as I'm trying to trim it.
The other day I started reading a book about Aristotle and how he came to teach the young Alexander.
Here are two sentences from The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon (Vintage Canada, copyright 2009)

"I follow my nephew's finger and see the city on the marshy plain below us, bigger than I remember, more sprawling. The rains is thinning, spitting and spatting now, under a suddenly lucid gold-grey sky."
#
And from A Fly on the Wall:

"You know, Dottie, that's exactly what this young man did. We're ancient history, legends, mythical almost. We're Sasquatches to him and he's put a mirror up to us."
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Thanks everyone. I appreciate your interest.
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Twofer Tuesday with Sherlock

Another Tuesday where I get to talk about what writing-- such as it is-- I've done, and go on a bit about something I've read. It's one of my favourite days.
I'm clipping along with the clean-up editing of A Fly on the Wall. I thought I'd be done by now, but life gets in the way. I'm not complaining. Hell, I'm glad of it. Distractions can be irritating, but they give me time to think and somewhere along the line I've realized that's good.

I've managed to get a fair amount of reading done. I have to admit something, though, I gave up on the book I mentioned last week. I'd read the info in it in other books over the years. Not only was it a rehashing for me, the type was really small. I sent it to its rightful owner and cracked the spine on a proper book: The Hound of the Baskervilles.
I adored this book. I was riveted to the couch most of Saturday and rarely came up for air until it was done.

Here's a sample:

"The moon was shining bright upon the clearing, and there in the centre lay the unhappy maid where she had fallen, dead of fear and of fatigue. But it was not the sight of her body, nor yet was it that of the body of Hugo Baskerville near her, which raised the hair upon the heads of these three dare-devil roisterers, but it was that, standing over Hugo, and plucking at his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great black beast, shaped like a hound yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye rested upon."
- Arthur Conan Doyle (Red Classics, 2007)

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I'm just at the two-thirds mark of the manuscript. I'll be done shortly and then I can take out a hard copy. The weather's getting warm enough that I might just stretch out on a deck chair on the porch to do the editing. It won't even seem like work.

Here's a two and some extras from AFOTW.

"She turned her head slightly and looked at the mirror and the reflection of her record player.
Why not? Why not put on some Glenn Miller? Or maybe some Vera Lynn. 'The Songbird of the Blitz' herself. It was that kind of a day."

Thank you so much for coming by and reading, and commenting, and all that other good stuff. I appreciate it.
For more or to get in on the action, please see the Women of Mystery.

Twofer Tuesday - It's About Time Edition

I spent a good part of last week getting things ready for our weekend Christmas guests. Shoveling out the house, getting some fresh air in to replace the winter staleness, and assorted other bits including, but not restricted to, jumping headlong into the vicious, evil, closed loop of dusting.

I still managed to get some editing done as I got up well before six a.m. at least twice. My days go better when I arise early and face the day while it is still young and trusting. I even got a bit of reading done here and there.

My MIL insisted recently that I read a particular book and made sure of it by coming to the door with a copy of it. It's interesting although the type is very small and there's plenty of info packed into each sentence. That's great from a reading perspective, but lousy from a 51-year-old set of eyes perspective.

Here's a bit from the preface of Earth In Upheaval copyright 1955 by Immanuel Velikovsky (Dell, 1968)
"The pages of this book are transcripts of the testimony of mute witnesses, the rocks, in the court of celestial traffic. They testify by their own appearance and by the encased contents of dead bodies, fossilized skeletons."

And from me, a little bit from A Fly on the Wall:

" 'We're looking for a physical problem. Maybe it's not a flaw in the wafer or an error in the calculation. Maybe it's time itself.'
'Help me out, Dr. Phelbos. Why would time cause a malfunction?' "

Thanks for coming by. I appreciate the attention.
For more or to get in on the fun please see the Women of Mystery.

Twofer Tuesday - Dust Bitten

I finished the second pass corrections of my vampire western the other day. My husband was away so I didn't have to stop and take care of any of that regular meal nonsense. I still ate as I've got a vague recollection of commercial pizza and some sort of accompanying dip in the fridge.
He was gone for four nights. It got progressively easier to be alone at night although I wonder as to the wisdom of fixing vampire prose before bed.
Today the husband is back and I'm letting my mind wander around on its own for a bit until it's ready to tackle the third manuscript and Mrs. Ingetuckle et al.
Meanwhile, the recently corrected manuscript is resting comfortable in a dark, soothing corner of the hard drive. It needs its time alone.

Here's a bit from Biting the Dust:
"A woman's scream shattered his thoughts. The hard laugh that followed it excited him."

Yesterday I finally cracked the cover on All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (this edition Ballantine Books 1982).

"What's more important still is the issue of a double ration of smokes. Ten cigars, twenty cigarettes, and two quids of chew per man; now that is decent."

Thanks for stopping by.

For more, or to be part of the excitement, please see the Women of Mystery.

Twofer Tuesday - Not Much to Offer

I finished going over the hard copy of Biting the Dust the other day. The final push was on Saturday with seven or so chapters remaining. I decided I wanted it done so I put my head down and did it.
On the one hand that's good. On the other I was useless all day Sunday and most of yesterday.
At least I have an excuse.
So far the only major change I have to make is to switch a scene over to a later chapter or cut it completely. I favour cutting simply because it's quicker and the scene's not all that important.
It worries me that I can't sort out what else the ms needs. Right now I think it's okay the way it is but for a bit of clean up. I am sensible enough to realize that's probably a danger signal.
Once I've cleaned it up I'll set it aside and work on something else for a while.
Maybe then I'll see what it needs. If not, I'll go looking for some beta readers to give me the hard truth.
Meanwhile, since I did sort of edit, and that counts, here's a bit from Biting the Dust.

"Eury averted her gaze in what she hoped was a demure manner. It wasn't her nature to be demure, but she'd seen other young women do it. If they did, then maybe she should, too."

I started reading the second Discworld novel on the weekend. Terry Pratchett is really growing on me. Here's why:

"'Rincewind, the tree said-'
'Trees can't talk,' snapped Rincewind. 'It's very important to remember that.' "

-The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett (Corgi, 1986)

Thanks for stopping by.

For more, or to get in on the action, please see the Women of Mystery.

Two Sentence Tuesdays - Grimm Offerings

I'm pleased to report that another Tuesday has rolled around and I'm still here to read, write, and enjoy it.

Our current bedtime story is Grimm's Fairy Tales. These are personal favourites and we've got a few versions of the tales kicking around.
My husband does most of the reading. He does the voices and occasional accent to, so I can tell you listening to Hansel and Gretel was quite a treat.
If you'll let me count what was read to me as reading, then here's a tasty bit:

" 'I have them, and they shall not escape me!'
Early in the morning, before the children were awake, she got up to look at them, and as they lay sleeping so peacefully with round rosy cheeks, she said to herself,
'What a fine feast I shall have! ' "
-Grimm's Fairy Tales, Junior Deluxe Editions, Nelson Doubleday, Inc.


I finished the once-over of my vampire western the other day. I made a few changes here and there and corrected as many of the typos, spellos, and WTFs as I could see on screen. The hard copy is printed out and awaiting my attention.
Soon.
Very soon.
For now here's a little extra from Biting the Dust:

"The sweet salt streamed down his throat as he drew in every bit that he could before letting the spent body fall to the dust.
Kid wanted to shout. Joy spilled out of his body and overwhelmed him. It made him reel. He knew that gravity would be no match for him if he could only remember how to fly. "

Thanks for reading me.
For more or to get in on the action please see the Women of Mystery.

It's Tuesday! Yay! Sentences!

Scary-ish cattail photo. Sort of related in that the tale I'm reading features a cat.

I've taken a bit of a break from the Two Sentences Tuesdays, but I'm pleased to say I haven't taken a break from writing. Well, editing really. I'm nearly finished fixing the obvious errors in my vampire western. Soon I'll run out a hard copy and find what else is wrong with it.
It should be fun.

I'm currently reading a fantasy novel by Mercedes Lackey from her Elemental Masters series. It's No. five. I haven't read the other four, but I may have to now.
Here are two sentences from it.
In this scene the main character, and her maid, and the creature that lives in her kitchen have trapped a homunculus.

"Limping slightly, the cat leaped out the window, leaving the two young women and the brownie staring at one another.
'Well,' Ninette said, finally. 'Do you think we ought to put more heavy things on top of the pot?'

-Reserved for the Cat, Mercedes Lackey (Daw Books, Inc. 2007)

Here's a bit from my recent foray into correcting.
From Biting the Dust:

"Part of her wanted to hold Jemima Clayton and the other longed to sink her fangs into the beautiful slender neck and drink. Holding Jemima meant she'd be consumed by her. The other way meant she'd consume Jemima. Desire and death.
'Kiss or bite,' she muttered. She turned Hades to the valley and rode."

For more, or to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.

Thanks for reading.

Twofer Tuesday - I’m Afraid I’ve Been Working

I am still reading. I’m so glad. I must confess to a bit of a worry after my reading bug returned. I was afraid it would go again and leave me alone.
It’s still here, it’s still working, and I am enjoying it more than ever.
Along with reading, I’ve knuckled down to, sort of, editing Biting The Dust. I’m doing my best to just fix the obvious errors this round. I still find myself sneaking in a bit of rewriting here and there. I’m fighting the urge to pull on the boots and get after it properly.
They're for after the hard copy reading, I remind me.

These boots were made for writing.

And speaking of being afraid, I segued brilliantly, guess what I’m reading?
Yup, Afraid, by Jack Kilborn. I won this several months back from the wonderful Women of Mystery. It’s been in the TBR pile since about July.
Waiting.
It’s a gripping story, good pacing, and not as gross as I’d feared. Most enjoyable.

Here’s a bit:

“Josh followed Sal’s stare with the flashlight.
It came to rest on the huge man standing next to the window, quietly slow dancing with the naked, mutilated corpse of Maggie Morton.”
- Afraid, Jack Kilborn, Grand Central Publishing, 2009.
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From my efforts this week here are two freshly edited sentences from Chapter Two of Biting The Dust.

“Show yourself. I refuse to talk to the disembodied.” Eury’s voice came from her abdomen.
“That might not serve you well someday.”
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For more, or to find out how to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.
And thank you for stopping by.

I appreciate it.

Tuesday Twosome

A coyote runs into the bush. Please click to enlarge.

What have I read this past week? Not very much. Newspapers mostly. Stuff on the web. The TV Times in the Edmonton Journal. All worthy pursuits in their own right, but nothing particularly quotable.

I've had two good editing sessions in a row this week. One on Sunday night and again most of yesterday. I'm learning a great many things about writing and editing, chiefly that my first draft is not so great. It's got potential. I'll give it that much right now. But it's fun to work with.

My glorious neighbors, bless their vibrant sound system, like their music. They like it loud. It pounds and that irritates me. In a brilliant moment of fighting fire with fire I fired up my own sound system on the computer.

I like nature and music combined. Here are two lines from the back of Dan Gibson's Solitudes (R) series, Exploring Nature with Music CD called Harmony.

"The musical compositions weave you into the vibrant world of natural sounds, bringing out all the expressive rhythms therein. Music and nature unite, completely, and in perfect balance. "

It covered enough of the contributions from across the street that I could get some work done.

My two sentences are from The Legend of Shallal where the hominids are meeting with the wolf pack leader.

"He turned to the small band of two legs behind him and bared his canines in a smile. They

caught the reflected light of the quarter-moon straight above his head and glowed."

I haven't been lucky enough to get a photo of a wild wolf yet, never mind one smiling. I hope the picture of the coyote will do.

For more, or to find out how to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.

Two Sentence Tuesday – Guaranteed

I’ve been guilty of narrow vision in this. I’ve restricted myself to books with the occasional pamphlet thrown in for variety.
Silly me. I’ve been missing out on the rich vein of writing found in full-page newspaper ads.
Such copy is well-structured and a lesson in marketing, selling, and whipping readers into frenzy, or at least a bit of excitement so they’ll buy the icing and not even think about the cake.
I spent a few moments yesterday enjoying an ad for a sublingual human growth hormone spray. I learned it would make me young for a low, low price and the more I bought the more I’d save.
My satisfaction was apparently guaranteed. A little box at the bottom of the ad said so.
The opening line in the box:
“Your absolute satisfaction is Guaranteed.”
The closing line in the box:
“Your absolute satisfaction is ‘Guaranteed.’”

Hmm, I wished they’d made up their minds.
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I hope you’ll enjoy mine.
I absolutely guarantee they are words.
In this scene from The Legend of Shallal my two main characters meet after a lengthy absence.
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“The diamond shaped orbs in her palms glowed as she held them out to him. His glowed in return and they slowly put the orbs together and closed their eyes.”
#
For more, or to find out how to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.