Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia

For the last two months, Ama had been cooking night and day. The counter was piled high with Pyrex dishes. cheese grits, green bean casserole, fried chicken, and of course Bing cherry salad – which was really a fancy name for a jello mold with cherries, pineapples, and coca-cola in it.

It only sounds mundane here. The book is about witch-like beings.

Ambrosia of The Purple Booker
hosts Teaser Tuesday. To play along, grab your current read, open to a random page, share a couple of “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Then go see Ambrosia to link up and visit others.

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Suzie’s House 514 : It’s Alright My Boy, You’re Here Now

The cars whizzing past trailed streamers of light like a high budget art movie. Sunlight in the air put brilliant gold on every speck of dust and time became a relative thing. As far as flashbacks went, this one was both much better and much worse than the average.

Better simply from the sheer beauty of Madison Wisconsin in the early Fall. Most trees still shone green, and a clear, powder-blue sky loomed overhead. The hoards of high school kids passing offered up their own vital beauty to the rock Drew had become. Worse because it should happen – so deep and thoroughly – while he was driving.

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Eating Greenland Shark

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Sleepy Hollow Take 2

Old man Matheson flicked his rod, letting the line out fast so the floater could land in the river’s current. That should get the hook and fly into the eddy far enough away that his daughter’s shouts wouldn’t disturb the fish.

Not that it mattered. Really, he should probably shout back to her, calling her to enjoy this glorious sunset. But sunsets were for quiet, and thinking of all the times you were too foolish to take them in, and quiet wasn’t her style.

It didn’t use to be his, either. Even now he was busy fishing, never quite able to achieve stillness. Still, the sun set. His daughter shouted. He flicked.

The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: Roger Bultot

Breadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit

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The Selection by Kiera Case


When I got the letter in the post my mother was ecstatic. She had already decided that all our problems were solved, gone forever. The big hitch in her plans were me.

I listened to this on audio book in one day. This is the first few sentences. It’s about a future in which the country is on the brink of economic and political ruin under a monarchy too far removed by a caste system.

Ambrosia of The Purple Booker
hosts Teaser Tuesday. To play along, grab your current read, open to a random page, share a couple of “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Then go see Ambrosia to link up and visit others.

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Sleepy Hollow


Liam, Alicia, and Sally walked home from school along the twisting dirt road. Already the days grew short and cold. The ordinary became spooky.

“I heard there is a haunted tree along here,” Alicia glanced over her shoulder.

“Oh! I know just the one. It’s right around the bend.” Sally pointed ahead.

“Who are you trying to fool with a story like that.” Liam sneered, but he also walked faster.

“Whoooo!” called an owl from the depths of the hollow tree.

Liam and Alicia set of running.

“Who indeed!!” Sally took off after them.

The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: Sandra Crook

Breadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit

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13 Leaves

Ok, so maybe it’s a bit more than 13. My eyes blur when I try to count. As to the ones in the background, they don’t count at all, do they? What amazes me is that there are still so many leaves on the tree when so many more are already on the ground. They are like pretty snowdrifts on my sidewalk. Now where did I put my rake?

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Smokejumper by Jason Ramos

His men lay on the muddy tunnel floor, writhing and moaning in the sweltering darkness. One man stood up and made a desperate rush for the entrance. Polanski barred the way and drew his pistol.

“The first man who tries to leave this tunnel, I will shoot,” he said.

It was August 20, 1910 in the Coeur d’Alene forest near Wallace Idaho, and outside the world was burning.

I’ve been “reading” audio books lately. I find I’m enjoying a lot more “reading” than I used to because of this. I’m even branching out a bit. For instance, this book is non-fiction. It’s a bit thick with the facts, but has some good stories mixed in. I am thoroughly enjoying it. The teaser is taken from minute 1:06:53.

Ambrosia of The Purple Booker hosts Teaser Tuesday. To play along, grab your current read, open to a random page, share a couple of “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Then go see Ambrosia to link up and visit others.

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Suzie’s House 513 : Frozen

Ben and Lisa walked home from school together – home being Ben’s house. Lisa’s mom had been kind of busy the last few days, so Lisa and Tracy both ate with him. Tracy’s mom even paid for it, like it was a business deal. Board without the room. Ben mostly didn’t care. It was only for the next month anyway. How many times would it be his turn to cook? Besides, Lisa and Tracy took turns too.

“So I think the next video should be even more mysterious.” Lisa had been talking about nothing by Malaprop and their video all week long.

“Didn’t you already give the gopro back to Miranda?” He was tired of it, and didn’t even care if Lisa heard it in his voice.

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The Raven King by Maggier Stieffvater p44

“No homework. I got suspended,” Blue replied.

[paragraph or two abridged for space considerations]

“For what?”

“Emptying another student’s backpack over his car. I don’t really want to talk about it,”

“I do,” Ronan said.

“Well, I don’t. I’m not proud of it.”

Ronan patted her leg. “I’ll be proud for you.”

I love the way these characters fit together.

Ambrosia of The Purple Booker
hosts Teaser Tuesday. To play along, grab your current read, open to a random page, share a couple of “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Then go see Ambrosia to link up and visit others.

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Icelandic Music

I’ve been playing with youtube playlists lately.  I made myself one of Icelandic musicians. Here are a few from the list.

1.

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Ship of Fools

While the party raged below decks, Anita considered her next art showing. It wold be in SoHo, of course. If only she had some idea what to put in it. Despite the balmy, moonlit night, all she could think of were out of season icebergs, homicidal gun collectors, and crazy presidents. By the time she’d made enough pieces to show, would there be a world left?

“That’s it!” She shouted, overturning her deck chair. “Zombies! Everyone loves zombies.”

The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: Ted Strutz

Breadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit

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Suzie’s House 512 : PDA

“I don’t like it,” Gene mumbled to Tracy as they sat across from each other at a long table in the lunchroom. He could see a dozen girls looking at him from different parts of the room. Normally he’d have focused on the others at their table instead, but none of them had shown up yet.

“Just ignore them.”

Tracy shoved her sandwich into her mouth like she couldn’t care less, but Gene knew she’d been getting looks from guys the same way he’d been getting looks from girls. Maybe it really didn’t bother her. Or more likely she’d bottle it up for a few weeks, then rant when it was just the two of them in his room.

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Hike from Arnarstapi to Hellnar along the coast – the Hellnar End

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Daily Spy Thriller

Matt slipped out the hidden door to the tin roof of the tenement building. The door groaned and chattered closed before the lock clicked home. He paused to be sure no one heard. No sound came from inside. No motion from outside.

The clerk of the Quickmart gave him an odd look as he rang up the chips and cigarettes, but none of Matt’s enemies came to thwart him in his quest to free the universe of tyranny and hunger. He returned home in triumph only to find he’d locked himself out.

The Challenge: Write a story in 100 words or less
The Challenger (Hub): Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The Photo Credit: J Hardy Carroll

Breadcrumbs: If you leave a link in my comments to the post where you rose to the challenge, then I will be sure to comment. If it’s hard to find you, I’ll assume you don’t want a visit

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