Classic Movie Monday~ Our Town

Our Town is a play written by Thorton Wilder, and it's a Pulitzer Prize Winner. I have to be fair and say I haven't read the play, but the movie I didn't really get into. Here's why...

It's mundane and boring. Maybe it's meant to be that way because it is about a little ordinary town, Grover's Corners, and the daily lives of the residents over a span of twelve years. Nothing exciting happens to the characters and I'm assuming that's the point of the story.

The movie narrator appears and talks to the audience (I'm assuming it's similar to the play) but with him popping up and giving information, the movie felt like Christmas cartoons--You know, like Rudolph etc. In my opinion, at least for the movie, the narrator should have been left out. 

For me, he was intrusive and didn't add anything to the story. Maybe if he just introduced the movie at the beginning and then allowed it to play out, it would be more enjoyable. 




I know the plays spans 12 years, but it skips quickly and the third skip ahead gets a little confusing. *A spoiler alert is coming!!**

Emily Webb appears to die in childbirth and has an entire scene where she looks back on life and realizes that no one really takes time to appreciate life while it's happening, but later she's in her bed with the baby and her husband it peeking in through the door at her, so I  was confused. Did she die? Maybe this is clear in the stage performance but in the movie, after she accepts death we see her lying there with a newborn baby in her arms.

While watching the movie, I thought she had a near death experience, but lived because of that scene. I was mistaken. 

I don't feel like the movie was a waste of time, but It's not something I'd watch again or a move I'd recommend to others. 

Happy Reading! (and watching) 

Publication News and a Review!

Got my first review of "The Sofa Monster" On LitPick! Here's the link!

Thank you, Anissa for your kind review!

I also have publication news. Several of my short stories are available to read in various online publications. 

"East of Omaha" is a short story about a rather unusual case of mistaken identity. You can read it here at Scarlet Leaf Review

"Hunting the Scullywiggins" is a mystery story, sprinkled with a little humor and a little twist at the end. You can read it in Penny Shorts.

"Maybe Tomorrow" is a 100-word story about anxiety that you can at The Drabble.

These sites also allow comments, so feel free to leave any comments you may have. 

Upcoming: "Give It A Few Days" is a short story about a woman who refuses to accept the truth...even after it assaults her nostrils! It's dark humor, and it's coming to Bewildering Stories on August 5th! 

I hope you have time to stop by and if you like any of these stories, you're sure to enjoy the short stories in my Flashes of Fiction books on Kindle.

Happy Reading!

Giveaway!! Woot!!

I'm having a giveaway for Alfred C. Bogeyman.

It's started yesterday and runs through March 11th at midnight. Click here to follow my Amazon page and have a chance to win. 

The book is a short story for Kindle. 

Book Blurb:

Three friends, Adrian, Sean, and Ralph, set out to find the boogieman and make him stop scaring Adrian's younger brother. With the help of Ralph's Dog, Socks, the boys track and battle the boogieman living behind the park.

Here are a few reviews:

From Author Jenny Twist via Goodreads:

Adrian is the man of the house now so it’s his job to protect his little brother. When the bogeyman starts coming to the house every night and frightening Sam to death he decides to deal with it. Together he, his two friends and Socks the dog set off to find the bogeyman and give him a taste of his own medicine.

A delightful story which takes you straight back to those dreadful childhood fears which had to be tackled alone because no grown-up ever believed you. 

Ms Allman has once again come up with a new twist on an old theme – and done it in an entertaining and superbly well-written way. Very satisfying.

Jocelyn Sanchez via Goodreads:

This was a very cute and fun story. I really enjoyed reading it and having a few laughs with Ralph, Sean, and Adrian. 

This short story is about three children named Ralph, Sean, and Adrian who believe that the boogieman is scaring Adrian's little brother Sam. Adrian is the brave one in the group, Ralph is the brains, while Sean is afraid of everything. Feeling the need to protect his little brother Adrian and the boys go on a mission to find the boogieman and teach him a lesson. They come up with a plan to use Sean's dog Socks to track down the boogieman and scare him. I don't want to give too much away but I'll say I really liked the ending of the story and really enjoyed reading about Sean, Adrian, and Ralph. It was a really good read!

Here is the link to reviews via students reviews on LitPick

Go enter to win! and Happy Reading!!

Where'd You Come Up With That?! Wednesdays~ The Sofa Monster

In this story, Sammy is scared when a creature emerges from the couch cushions. The monster is a hodge-podge of things lost down the sofa cushions, like loose change, candy, toothpicks, and old shoe strings. 

Sammy tries to tell his parents about the sofa monster, but they don't believe him. Later, the monster is hiding under the dinner table, and he helps Sammy get rid of his peas so he can have dessert. Then he finds the monster hiding under his bed. The monster is nice, so Sammy crawls under the bed with him and is surprised when he finds out what the Sofa Monster wants. Together they make a deal so that both he and Sofa Monster get what they want. 

This story came to me as I was cleaning underneath the couch cushions and in the cracks. I really don't know how all that stuff gets in there, but I never know what I'm going to find. That got me thinking about what happens to the "stuff" that gets lost in the cracks. There could be a whole different world in those sofa cushions!

I think anyone with kids can relate to finding "stuff"  in odd places. You never know what kids will do when you're not looking. 

And from there the Sofa Monster was born! 

You can find the book on Amazon and directly from the publisher Pen It! Publications.

The Sofa Monster is also listed on LitPick for student reviews. 

Happy Reading!

Classic Movie Mondays~ Dark Victory

Photo courtesy of IMD https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031210/

I think I've expressed my love for Bette Davis in prior posts. I watch every movie she is in, even if she isn't in the staring role. She has her own uniqueness mannerisms and voice that really stand out no matter what type of character she plays. 

In Dark Victory, Judith Traherne (Davis) is a young, rich socialite suffering from headaches and dizziness. She is urged by her family to see a doctor and learns she has a brain tumor and must have surgery. 

Dr. Steele (George Brent) performs the brain surgery and expects Judith to recover; however, he soon discovers after consulting with specialists that the surgery will only provide Judith temporary relief. And if that isn't bad enough, she will only live about a year after surgery. 
Dr. Steele decides to hide the bad news from Judith, so her last year is a happy one. 

Judith has a secretary/ best friend, Ann King (Geraldine Fitzgerald), she notices something isn't right when Judith returns home and Dr. Steele isn't as happy he should be after giving a young girl her life back. She pushes for information, and Dr. Steele reveals that Judith only has about a year to live, but he doesn't want her to know.

Photo Courtesy of https://movie-dude.co.uk/1Actors%20Pages/Geraldine%20Fitzgerald.htm

For me a viewer, I see why he doesn't want Judith to know, especially since he and Judith have developed feelings for each other, but at the same time, I have to wonder would it better to know? That's one question this move quickly brings to mind. Would you want to know if you were dying? There are advantages to knowing, such as spending time with loved ones and crossing things off your bucket list. But, there are also advantages to being left clueless, so you're not depressed and feel that others are pitying you. 

Ann keeps his secret. Dr. Steele and Judith plan to marry, but while in his office preparing for the move to Vermont, Judith finds a letter another doctor sent to her fiance' about her condition that states "PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE!" (Brings back memories of a Seinfeld episode, doesn't it?)

Judith's demeanor changes immediately. She has been lied to by someone she loves and trusts, and she is dying. Then when she discovers that Ann knew and didn't tell her, she goes into a manic depressive state and acts recklessly. 

But, her life does turn around. She and Dr. Steele finally discuss her feelings, and he urges her to find peace and enjoy the time she has left. Judith decides she will marry him and realizes she needs to enjoy her last months on earth with those who truly love her. 

They marry and move into their own little place where Judith finds peace and love. Her husband continues to search for a cure for his wife. They live happily, and Ann comes to visit. During Ann's last visit, Dr. Steele is called away to accept an award in New York, and the same day, Judith's sight darkens, which she knows is a sign she's about to die. This happens while she and Ann are outside planting bulbs. She tells Ann not to say a word to Dr. Steele and makes her promise. Ann, of course, is devastated.

Photo Courtesy of http://pictasetex.pw/BEST-PICTURE-NOMINEE-quotDark-Victoryquot-1939-with-Bette-Davis.html

 Judith acts as if nothing is wrong as she struggles to see and helps her husband pack for his trip. She does stop to hold him, which I think maybe the husband should've picked up on as something might be wrong. Maybe his excitement over the award and his trip made him miss this subtle clue? I also thought he'd notice her sort of clumsy movements, but he didn't. A doctor should notice these things! (I thought so anyway)

Photo Courtesy of  http://pictasetex.pw/BEST-PICTURE-NOMINEE-quotDark-Victoryquot-1939-with-Bette-Davis.html

I had mixed feelings about this scene and Judith's decision. I understand she doesn't want her husband to stay for her, but if given the choice, he would. I know this is her way of dying with dignity, but why alone? I would want my husband by my side--I think? It's a tough decision and not one I would make, personally, but I'm not Judith--Right?

She does die alone in her bed and that is the last scene of the movie. It is sad, but also it leaves me, as a viewer, feeling she made peace with her fate. Judith did what she felt she was right. 

Photo courtesy https://film.avclub.com/bette-davis-created-a-tearjerker-trope-in-dark-victory-1798280896

Movies like Dark Victory do make you think more about life and death. Each person handles his/her fate differently but eventually has to come to peace with death and accept it. It is a tearjerker. After watching I still have questions. 

How is Dr. Steele going to cope with being gone when Judith died? 

Does he wish he would've stayed and that she would have told him?

Bottom line is I did love this movie, even if the ending wasn't a happy one. But, we can't always have happy endings. We don't live in a fairytale world, and it's good to have movies that deal with life in a more realistic way. Sure, Dr. Steele could have miraculously found a cure for Judith and saved her, but that's not how life normally works. While I do believe in miracles, I also know that they don't happen every day, and for a story to be realistic and bring about true emotions, it has to be true to life. 

I'd watch this movie again and recommend to others who enjoy old movies as much as I do. 


Happy Reading! (And watching) 

Where'd You Come Up With That?! Wednesdays "Alfred C. Bogeyman"

"Alfred C. Bogeyman" is a fantasy story that might send a few chills up your spine. It's a fun story for all ages. 

Adrian, Ralph, and Sean are three good friends who set out to find the boogie man that is scaring Adrian's little brother, keeping him awake at night.

The story begins with Adrian returning to the old home of Alfred C. Bogeyman because when he thinks back on that time of he and his friends battling the boogie man, he's not sure if it actually happened as he remembers, or if it's just the over-active imagination of a young boy. 

This story started out as an assignment for a class on writing for children in college. It's been through a lot of changes from that first draft. I got the idea for the story because there are so many different names and spellings for the dreaded boogie man.

 My first thought was that they'd find Alfred's address in the phonebook, but then, I got the idea of the boys looking up info on the internet about the boogie man and using Sox the dog to track him. 

I also had to come up with a good weapon the boys could use to fight the boogie man. (You'll have to read it to find out what that is)

The story was first published by Fire and Ice, a young adult publisher, but once I got my rights back, I had a new cover made and went indie.

 Reviews for Alfred C. Bogeyman from Goodreads. 

This was a very cute and fun story. I really enjoyed reading it and having a few laughs with Ralph, Sean, and Adrian.

This short story is about three children named Ralph, Sean, and Adrian who believe that the boogieman is scaring Adrian's little brother Sam. Adrian is the brave one in the group, Ralph is the brains, while Sean is afraid of everything. Feeling the need to protect his little brother Adrian and the boys go on a mission to find the boogieman and teach him a lesson. They come up with a plan to use Sean's dog Socks to track down the boogieman and scare him. I don't want to give too much away but I'll say I really liked the ending of the story and really enjoyed reading about Sean, Adrian, and Ralph. It was a really good read! ~ Jocelyn Sanchez


Adrian is the man of the house now so it’s his job to protect his little brother. When the bogeyman starts coming to the house every night and frightening Sam to death he decides to deal with it. Together he, his two friends and Socks the dog set off to find the bogeyman and give him a taste of his own medicine.

A delightful story which takes you straight back to those dreadful childhood fears which had to be tackled alone because no grown-up ever believed you. 

Ms Allman has once again come up with a new twist on an old theme – and done it in an entertaining and superbly well-written way. Very satisfying. ~ Jenny Twist

You can read Alfred C. Bogeyman and decide for yourself whether Adrain's and his friends really did encounter the boogie man. Look for it on Amazon, audible and iTunes. 

Happy Reading! (and listening)

Sofa Monster is coming soon! Sneak Peek!

Excited to share the cover and a sneak peek of the Sofa Monster. 

 Pen It! Publications is great to work with and everyone did an amazing job! 

And, in case you were wondering what a monster from the sofa looks like, here's a sneak peek at him too!

I will share more when the book is available! 

In other news:  My short story "East of Omaha" was published in the July issue of Scarlet Leaf Review. The short story is about a twisted case of mistaken identity. 


Happy Reading!

Where'd You Come Up With That?! Wednesdays~ Murder of the Future

freeimages.com/JeanScheijen

Do life-like robots creep you out? I have to admit, I find them creepy, but also sort of fascinating. I wanted to write a sci-fi, speculative fiction story about AI, so I searched for some information about them. That's when I can across uncanny valley. If you've never heard of it Google it! 

Uncanny valley is when a human-like robot or even a computer generated human makes a  person feel uncomfortable or uneasy. This was the jumping off point for my story, "Murder of the Future." 

Instead of being revolted by them, what if most of society embraced these human-like specimens? How far could these robots evolve if humans allowed them to be part of ordinary everyday life? The AIs in my story have rights and laws. They are treated as equal to humans and most have embraced these robots as human.

So, if robots have rights, this means it would be against the law to harm them or treat them harshly. In this story, Henry Radcliff was a lonely man who decided to turn to an AI family for companionship, until he met a real woman to love. He decided to take these robots apart and store them in a box in his basement. 

Because the AIs have become a regular part of everyday life, neighbors had come to know Henry's AI family and alerted police when the AIs went missing. This leads police to the "body parts" in Henry's basement and he is put on trial for murder.

Henry's defense if that you can't murder a robot, but in the future, these life-like robots have evolved considerably, and they have rights. Society at this point is caught between acceptance of AIs and uncanny valley. 

You can read Murder of the Future to go through Henry's trial and see if he's indeed convicted of murder. 

You can also read this and four other short stories in Flashes of Fiction: Volume 4 on Kindle.

Murder of the Future: Artificial intelligence has evolved, and Henry is on trial for the murder of an
AI.
Yesterday's Children: Richard discovers he's only as old as he feels.
Azure: Dr. Stanton and Dr. Kline's patient seems crazy until he leaves the hospital in a
beam of light
Inside His Mind: A wife is given the opportunity to go inside her husband's mind and do some rewiring.
Reflections of the Past: Tina's parents were killed in a house fire, but that doesn't stop them from sharing her special day





Happy Reading!

Where'd You Come Up With That?! Wednesdays~ The Guardian

The Guardian started out as a short story for a contest on Writing.com. It didn't win, but it gave me a starting point to create a new story. I wrote it several years ago, so I don't remember what words were part of the prompt for the story. 

The story is about a young man who steps in to save a little boy during a robbery, and he gets the bullet instead. He wakes up in a strange place and quickly realizes, he's no longer alive. He is greeted by an angel who sends him on a mission which he carries out without question. 

In reality, he's being duped by a shady character that we've all heard of at some point in our lives. And how is he so easily tricked into doing this "angel's" dirty work? He's just following the crowd and the beliefs of those around him--again without question. 

Religious beliefs vary and most often times these beliefs are handed down through generations with little or no question to their validity. Personally, I believe people should question their beliefs, especially if they don't make sense or are not in line with how they feel. Just because something is believed by a majority, it doesn't make correct. 

Just something to think about while you read. 

And, this story and other stories I've written do not reflect my own religious beliefs. When I write, I explore different ideas. I believe each person's relationship with God should be an intimate journey. 

 Also, you'll always find a little humor sprinkled into my work. 

You can read The Guardian and other stories by visiting my Hubpages account. 

Happy Reading!

Hello! It's Been A Long Time

Wow! It's been a while since I've visited and updated my own blog. Well, I'm back. (I think hehe)

I've had some recent publications on the Short Humour Site. You can read them here.

I've also been busy writing and submitting some short stories, so fingers crossed that there is more publication news in my future.

I am planning a new Where'd You'd Come Up With That Wednesday on the 9th. I'll be writing about how I come up with my short story "The Guardian" You can read it by visiting my stories on Letterpile. 

I'd like to keep Classic Movie Mondays. I do love old movies and DVR them and watch them when I get time, so for now, I'll probably only do one post a month.

Flashes of Fiction volumes 1 through 5 are still available on Kindle. I do believe there will only be five because I'm moving on to other projects. I do plan to combine them all into one paperback book by the end of the year.

Feel free to stop by the Short Humour Site and Letterpile to read some of my stories. Leave a comment if you like. And come back Wednesday for a new post!

Happy Reading!

Alfred C. Bogeyman A Spooky Little Story for All Ages

I've written two YA books in the scary/ spooky genre: Ally Ally Oxen Free and Alfred C. Bogeyman. Both books are just a little scary with a little humor woven in. Now Ally Ally has sold well and gotten quite a few reviews. The story also won a LitPick award.  Alfred C. hasn't gotten as much love.

Alfred C. was first published by Fire and Ice Books, and then when rights reverted back to me, I got a new cover and self-published on Kindle. I think anyone who likes Ally Ally would love this little story. Here are a few reviews and excerpt, and I hope you'll check it out on Kindle. I'll include the one not-so-good review too, so you get a range of reviews. :)

An Excerpt:

Adrian stood in front of the old, ramshackle house. The green mailbox door hung off its hinges on one side. Some of the letters were missing, but he could still make out the last name—Bogeyman.  The memories of that October twenty years earlier when he and his friends joined forces and stood up against the boogieman made him smile. But now that he was older, he had to go back and see for himself. Was Alfred still there? And if so, was he really a boogieman or did he and his friends have overactive imaginations. He chuckled as he thought back to the night during fall break when it all began.

Reviews

Jocelyn Sanchez rated it it was amazing

Shelves: review-books

This was a very cute and fun story. I really enjoyed reading it and having a few laughs with Ralph, Sean, and Adrian.

This short story is about three children named Ralph, Sean, and Adrian who believe that the boogieman is scaring Adrian's little brother Sam. Adrian is the brave one in the group, Ralph is the brains, while Sean is afraid of everything. Feeling the need to protect his little brother Adrian and the boys go on a mission to find the boogieman and teach him a lesson. They come up with a plan to use Sean's dog Socks to track down the boogieman and scare him. I don't want to give too much away but I'll say I really liked the ending of the story and really enjoyed reading about Sean, Adrian, and Ralph. It was a really good read! 

Sep 28, 2012Jenny Twist rated it it was amazing

Adrian is the man of the house now so it’s his job to protect his little brother. When the bogeyman starts coming to the house every night and frightening Sam to death he decides to deal with it. Together he, his two friends and Socks the dog set off to find the bogeyman and give him a taste of his own medicine.

A delightful story which takes you straight back to those dreadful childhood fears which had to be tackled alone because no grown-up ever believed you.

Ms Allman has once again come up with a new twist on an old theme – and done it in an entertaining and superbly well-written way. Very satisfying.

Oct 23, 2012Christina (Ensconced in Lit) rated it it was ok

Shelves: author-request

I was asked to read this short story by the author. This does not bias my review.

Alfred C. Bogeyman by M. Allman is a short story about a group of boys ready to defeat the scary boogieman that is giving one of their younger brothers' nightmares.

The boys are likeable and it's a quick read. That said, I wanted a little more substance. I know it's harder to get more in a shorter story, but you can really pack a punch in a smaller space if done right. I wanted a bigger twist, or set of twists to unfold. The story has a good frame and can be reworked to really pop.

As it is now, I can see how this could be enjoyable to grade school boys especially around Halloween time. That said, in its current state, this story was not for me. 

A Link to student reviews on LitPick

Happy Reading!

Where'd You Come Up With That?! Wednesdays~ Home Again

So far, I've written about stories that are sort of on the bazaar side, but today, I'll go over where I can up with the idea of "Home Again." This is a flash fiction piece I wrote a few years ago, but just recently published on Hubpages.

This short story is about a woman coming to terms with losing her parents and her childhood home. She is upset and disheartened by the thought of losing the home she and her family made happy memories in together. In the story, she walks through the home replaying some her fondest memories in her head. After going through the house, she thinks about the quote, "You can't go home again."

Is this true? Can you really never go home again. I thought about this same quote when my childhood home was demolished a few years ago. It was sad to see a big empty space where my home once stood, and I thought about all the memories made in that home.

That is the only home I remember growing up, and there were an endless amount of memories made there with my family. After feeling sad for a while, I realized those memories are kept within in me--in my heart, where they can never be torn down or taken away. So, while you can't go home again, you can always revisit the precious memories made in your childhood home.

In the story, the main character also comes to the same conclusion, which helps her comes to terms with selling the home and allowing a new family to live in the home and begin making their own precious memories.

If you'd like to read the story you can find here on Hubpages.

Happy Reading!

Classic Movies Monday~The Blue Bird

The Blue Bird stars Shirley Temple and since I love Shirley Temple movies, I thought I'd love this. I was wrong!

This movie is not entertaining, the story line seems to go nowhere, and it did hold my attention. I recorded on my DVR so I was able to fast forward through parts or it and watch as much of it as I could stand.

So, what's wrong with this move? Well, the AMC host introducing explained that it was "Fox's answer to the Wizard of Oz." Ummm...NO!

Let's start with Shirly herself. She is quite obviously prepubescent in this film, but she still talks her wittle bitty baby voice with her lips pooched out. Guess what? This doesn't work well when you're 12. It was annoying and one reason I had a difficult time watching this. Shirley should've acted her age. You can see in the photo below how grownup she looks, so she should not be talking like small child.


The storyline itself was bad. I still don't quite know what was supposed to be happening. Shirley's character Mytyl was a bratty child, so a fairy came and sent her and her brother Tytyl on a search through the past, present and future to search for a bluebird of happiness. I still don't understand how this bird ties in with the story, but ok.

The two children, along with their dog and cat that became human, went to a variety of places. These were strange fantastic places, and I usually love that type of move. In this movie, they didn't really interest me or make sense. The part where they go into the past and visit their grandparents was just strange. And the grandparents only wake up when the kids come visit and then go right back to sleep. I know strange, right?!

In the end, it all turns out well for the family and Mytyl is not a brat anymore, so somehow searching for a bluebird that symbolizes happiness changed her attitude.

I just don't believe this is worth watching. I don't even think it's entertaining enough to hold a kid's interest. Anyway, watch at your own risk of being bored to death.

Where'd You Come Up With That?! Wednesdays "Gordon Bunker~ aka Gorilla Face"

I love writing in a variety of genres, so I experiment in many. I like to try and come up with funny little stories that I hope will bring a smile to readers' faces and Gordon Bunker ~aka Gorilla Face is one of them.

I love Writing.com and have been a part of the site for many years. I'm not as active as I once was on the site because of work, but I'd love to be. This site is where this silly little story got its start. I entered a contest on the site with a writing prompt that included certain words that had to be used in the story. Sadly, I don't remember exactly which words, but from that spark of inspiration, this story was born.

I do recall that the duct tape and the orange vest were most likely some of the contest's must-use items, so I thought about how I could do that. That's when I came up with the idea of a boy using these as protection against a bully. I had to come up with other ideas of course, like the platter to protect his crotch and a reason why the protagonist was targeted by a bully.  But it all came together into a fun piece of flash fiction.

You can the story here.

I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Reading!

Classic Move Mondays~Rebecca

Photos courtesy of Rottentomatoes.com

Okay, this is one of  my all time favorites!! I've watched it many times and will most likely watch it again. For anyone who hasn't seen it, "Rebecca" stars Joan Fontaine (one of my favorites) and Laurence Olivier. It is directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE him! Well, I do.

Why do I love this move so much? Well, I love movies with a twist. A story line that you think you know where it's going, but nope, it heads off in an entirely different direction in the end.


"Rebecca" is thriller and mystery that keeps you guessing. Did Maxim kill his ex-wife? Why is the housekeeper lady so creepy, and what is she hiding? What really happened to the first Mrs. de Winter? Does Maxim want to kill his new bride?

And the ending of "Rebecca" doesn't disappoint either. Everything is wrapped up nicely. The inquisition into the first Mrs. de Winter's demise clears up all the mystery surrounding her death. And the fire at the end that burns up the Manderley estate is perfect for a couple of reasons (for me anyway).

First, the old creepy housekeeper pretty much gets what's coming to her. She one of those characters you love to hate.




And second, the fire destroys all the old memories of Rebecca. Her clothes, her stationary, her room and all those little reminders that haunted the second Mrs. de Winter and prevented her from having the happy marriage she so badly wanted. The past is gone. She and Maximum can finally put it all behind them and move on to a happy life together.


I highly recommend this movie. If you haven't seen it you're missing out on a great thriller/mystery.

Hello! I'm Back

Soooo... I've been away a long time. There's been a lot going on, but I have finally stopped writing articles and started working a couple of jobs from home. This means time to write what I love--stories!

You may remember a while back I wrote about having article burnout. Well, I took care of that by finding two part-time jobs that I can work from home. I don't write articles anymore; I moderate content for the internet. This means I don't spend my time writing articles on topics I don't enjoy, and I have more time for my creative writing projects. And oh, believe me, I have many!

This also means I can start blogging again. I plan to start writing my weekly posts for Classic Movie Monday and Where'd You Come up With that Wednesdays. Yay!

One of my first projects is to get Flashes of Fiction Volume 5 available in audio book format by late June early July and start working on Volume 6 for Kindle.

I'm happy to be back, and I hope you check back Monday for the classic movie of the week.

Happy Reading!

Where'd You Come Up With That?! Wednesdays "Viral Smiles"

The short story "Viral Smiles" is about a young lady who reads an article about how contagious smiles can be, so she decides to put that theory to the test. The results of her experiment are not what she expects. Her entire day goes horribly wrong, which makes for a humorous read. 

I come up with this story after the big swine flu outbreak in 2009. I read how some people just seem to have immunity to certain viruses. My daughter is actually one of them. She is almost 21 years old and has been exposed to chicken pox several times during her childhood and never got them. So, it seems that there are always some people who just don't get certain viruses. 

This is what started my imagination stirring. Maybe smiles are contagious and maybe they're not. It all depends on the person you're trying to infect. And for pessimistic people, smiles don't seem to change their attitude at all. 

Here's an excerpt:

Smiles, according to an article I read entitle, Viral Smiles, smiling is supposed to be contagious. A smile sends out little contagions that attack a grouch and infect them with happiness and understanding, at least in theory, but I have to disagree after putting that theory to a test.

It all started on a beautiful Friday morning. The sun was glowing orange against a clear sky. The birds outside were singing and the tree limbs were waving as if inviting me to come out and enjoy the day. The view outside my window was lovely, until I saw Mr. Grammar, the neighborhood grouch. He always wore the same gray wool sweater over a white wife-beater shirt. And ironically, his nose hairs were the same dusty gray as his sweater. His scalp was dotted with age spots that dodged a white hair here and there, and I argued with him daily about his scruffy little poodle leaving presents in my yard. If I didn’t complain, he’d never pick up the dog’s pooh.

I decided to try infecting him with a lethal dose of viral smile. On my way out to the car, I checked to make sure my front door was locked securely before turning toward the steps. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Grammar watching me. I walked down the steps to the driveway before I saw it. A tiny turd lay by my car. I waved at Mr. Grammar, “Hello, nice morning, isn’t it?” I proceeded to bend down, tissue in hand, and remove the brown squiggle without complaint.

The old grouch lumber up to me. “What are you going to do with that?”

I stretched my lips back into a cheerful smile. “I’m going to throw it right over there in the trashcans.”

“You don’t fool me, Miss. You’re up to something.” He snatched the little poop from my hand. “Give me that.” As he walked away he mumbled, “I know a mischievous smile when I see one, that girl’s up to something.”

 I stood stunned for a moment before getting into the car. On the drive to work the more I thought about his behavior, the angrier I got. What did he think I was going to do with dog feces?  Does he own the poodle that secretes golden turds?  I was fuming by the time I got to work, but I decided to take a few deep breaths and enjoy the rest of the day.

"Viral Smiles" was first published in The Other Herald in the April 2011 Volume 5, Issue 2. 

You can read in now in Flashes of Fiction: Volume 1.  

Happy Reading!

Classic Movie Mondays--Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?

Where do I start with Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? First, it stars Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and George Segal (from the sitcom Just Shoot Me!).

The first thing I noticed was that Elizabeth Taylor didn't look like her usual glamorous self in this picture. And second, she does a great impression of Bette Davis at the beginning of the film. I loved it!  Here are clips of Taylor's parody and the actual clip of Davis from Beyond the Forest courtesy of  YouTube.

So, what's it about. Well if you haven't seen it, an older couple, George and Martha, invite a young couple over  early one Saturday morning after a party. And let's just say things get weird. While I was watching I keep thinking if I was invited to their house, I would have come up with an excuse to leave. But later I found out that the younger couple, Nick and Honey, are pretty darn crazy, too.

Images courtesy of flavorwire.com

In my opinion, it's a really strange movie, but as the secrets of both couples slowly start to leak out,  I couldn't stop watching it. The bickering between them all and strange behavior kept me hooked. And in some ways I felt sorry for all them at some point, especially for George and Martha when I learned that their son was not real. They were so desperate to have a son that they made him up. 

I know the title has some significance to the play that become a movie, but the real hook is watching the train wreck of lives taking place on the screen.

Elizabeth Taylor was very good in the movie and it was interesting. There were also some funny parts, but I don't think it's one I'd watch again. 

Classic Movie Monday--Tomorrow Is Forever

Tomorrow Is Forever stars Orson Wells, Claudette Colbert, and George Bent. The movie is about a married couple, Elizabeth McDonald (Colbert) and her husband John (Wells) who are separated when the husband goes off to war. But he promises her he won't be in combat and he'll return. 

Before John's expected return, Elizabeth receives a telegram that John has been killed. He hasn't. He's in an Austrian hospital begging the doctors to let him die, but the doctor refuses. John lives, but he is disfigured and disabled. No one knows he is, so he sort of adopts another identity. I think injuries cause him to lose his mind in a way and his memories.

Actor George Bent plays Larry Hamilton, a guy who has loved Elizabeth from afar. After John dies, Larry takes Elizabeth in and cares of her and her unborn child. After the child is born, they marry. And even though the child (Drew) is John's, Larry raises him as his own. 

Cut to 20 years in the future, John aka Erich Kessler returns to work for Larry as a chemist.He has a young girl with him. He is caring for because her parents were killed by the Nazis.  The story really picks up when John is invited to Larry's home and he sees Elizabeth. 

Okay, it's at this point that you can tell that John recognizes and remembers Elizabeth, but she doesn't seem to react to John.  This is where I'm sitting on the coach saying, "Don't you recognize your own husband!" I know it's 20 years and she thinks he's dead, but I would think you'd at least think, "Hey, this guy looks  a lot like my dead husband."

Elizabeth does finally start to realize who he is, but not before he makes several visits to her home and meets his son. 

During the movie, John does remember things, like their old home, Elizabeth and you can tell he knows that Drew is his son. 

But there is a conflict between Elizabeth and John because Drew wants to join the fight in WW II against the Nazis. John seems to encourage it while Elizabeth doesn't want to lose another loved one to war. Drew even tries to sneak away and enlist, but John goes after him and brings him back home. 

Photo courtesy of monsterhuntermoviereviews.com

My favorite part of the movie is when John brings Drew home to Elizabeth. Then is when she confronts John about his identity. He won't admit to being the man she once loved, but he does tell her that even if he was, they can't go back to what once was. She has to let go of the past. What she has now is good and she shouldn't ruin it by chasing what one was or what might have been. 

I get the feeling that it is difficult for John to remain silent about his true identity, but he does it because it's what's best for Elizabeth and Drew. 

I think that scene could have been a good ending to the movie, but it doesn't end there. Maybe because it might have left some unanswered questions. 

John's death at the end did bring closure, and we did see the note that proved he knew who he was, but it was a tear jerker for sure.

Overall, it is a good move, and one I'd watch again.