NOVEL "Exclamation Point"
Smart, imaginative, pretty, you’d think at fourteen Abbey’d be over her shyness, but the whole dang town knows her as the silent weirdo. She’s in for another lonely, boring summer on the isolated peninsula of Exclamation Point until Gram reads the sand runes and prophesizes, “Death, Murder, Sex, and Adultery.” Finally something exciting! Abbey goes where she shouldn’t, deduces what she shouldn’t, discovers the blood and the boat and the stranger she names Cowboyboots, and somehow opens that terrified mouth –to say what she shouldn’t. Now that Abbey's guessed what he's up to, Cowboyboots may make those Murder and Death predictions happen to her. Told in Abbey’s unique voice with humor and humanity, the 83,000 word manuscript Exclamation Point is my first novel. ------------------------------------------------ Good Dog When Amelia collapsed in the doorway and Chris called out "Oh my God," I ran in from the bedroom. She was spayed out flat and had no heartbeat, but for a few seconds her eyes were still with us. I kept repeating "Good dog. Good dog," knowing that she understood it and knew it as praise. When I’m dying I hope someone will lean close and hold me and look into my eyes and repeat over and over-- if not something just as powerful, at least "Good dog." |
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"Old Dog, New Tricks" Short story in Smoky Blue Literary and Arts Magazine Number 5. "The Kid" Short story in Smoky Blue Literary and Arts Magazine. Number 5. “Something Broke”
Short story in Gone Lawn. “Dining Alone on Valentine’s Day” The winner of The Furious Gazelle’s first ever Valentine’s/President’s Day contest goes to Susan Emshwiller. If you haven’t read her story yet, you should do that now. "Music Theory" Short story in Independent Ink Magazine. Number 13. -------------------------------------------- Do It Yourself Poem This poem may fall apart in 5 years. I didn’t construct it to code or consult with experts. I just put it up for the shade. -------------------------------------------- Writing the Beast Writing. It’s kind of like-- You go after a wild or frightened beast. You dart around, anticipating its moves, cutting it off. You corner it and try to rope it. You yell and demand it “COME!” as it rears — eyes rolling. You may capture it (or eat dirt) yet you won’t necessarily get to write/ride. But sometimes if you sit on a rock with your back to the beast, ignoring it, doing other things, the big animal will slowly come up behind you, nuzzle your ear, and tell you its stories. |
