Do the Dead Hope?

This last week we lost a valuable and optimistic member of our blogging community, Tina Downey. It left me thinking about death. (Imagine that.)

Have you lost someone dear to you? I've lost several. The first one was my great grandmother when I was 16. She encouraged my budding music talents and losing her was like losing my muse. Several years later I lost my father, and hero, to cancer. The next year I lost a brother--the happiest person I've ever known.

Death to me is very personal, and it's also a symbol of hope.

Hope you ask?

Yes, hope. I believe in an afterlife. I believe I will be reunited with my loved ones, and although I miss them frequently, the pain is bearable because I trust in that distant sunrise when I'll see their faces again and hug the stuffing out of them.

Some people might call that hope crazy. How can I believe what I can't see? Well, because I trust what I feel. I believe those we love who've moved on to the other side are watching over us. I've felt them, encouraging me along during the dark corridors of my life, and how can I mistake the love and steady assurances of my father? We are far less alone than we believe.

Death is sad. It's hard to be parted physically, but it is an opportunity to embrace the life-sustaining power of hope.

Enough of deep thoughts, eh? Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 

Last week, Mary Pax shared her RIFTERS series with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her ebooks.  

Mary's game: 

1. Mary stood behind Kurt Vonnegut once in line at a newstand. They spoke for hours in the gardens of Dag Hammerskjold smoking Shermans. 
2. She went on a ghost hunt in the Caribbean. On Nevis there’s a tale about a woeful bride who had a fateful wedding day.
3. On the first date with her husband unit, she hit his car. She was pretty sure there’d be no second date. Fooled her! 

And the lie is:

#1. It's true, Mary stood behind Kurt Vonnegut once and she did smoke once upon a time and started smoking the same cigarettes he did, but she was too chicken to talk to him. 

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Lynda R Young!

Congrats Lynda! 

And now to today's feature:

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his fairy tale about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

Get your copy HERE.

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn't until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known.

You might stumble across Laura eating gooey cream cheese on an onion bagel in her dining room, although she likes just about any cheese. 

Laura gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win her eBook. How awesome is that?

You have until Tuesday, September 2, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on September 3rd.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Laura's favorite number is 9. 
2. She's the mother of two sets of twins.
3. All four of her kids names end with the letter "n."

Which is the lie? What do you believe about death? Have you lost a close loved one? Do you love fairy stories? 

How to Find Happiness A-Z: B

Do you believe in yourself? 

I'm the ultimate hypocrite here, because this is where I really struggle. Belief is what motivates us. It's what gets us moving. It's what defines our world. So what do you believe in? 

When I was about 13 my oldest brother left on a service mission for our church, but we wrote letters while he was away. One day, frustrated with my younger siblings, I wrote my brother and expressed the difficult time I was having getting along. He shared a fundamental secret I've never forgotten, one that's changed my whole world.

He said if I wanted my siblings to be a certain way, I needed to treat them as if they were already that way. 

Brr?

The truth he taught me is this: You can shape your own world, based on how you act--including yourself. "Fake it til you make it" is a true principle. Believe until you achieve.

Believing in yourself is an important key to success, and thus happiness. Do you believe in yourself? What are you doing that proves this?

And now for some giggles, or um, cheese...

A Giveaway and Cover Reveal

I am bouncing up and down. My awesome blogging buddy and Choose Your Own Adventure cohort, Kerri Cuevas, is this |<-->| close to her book release, and I, for one, can't wait. Today I've got the honor of unveiling...

DRUM ROLL

...her cover!

Oh my goodness, isn't it gorgeous? And if you think that's good, check out the book summary:

Aiden Grant is seventeen, has a killer kiss, and a boss who used to be President, back in the old days. You see, Aiden is a grim reaper and his kiss welcomes the newly dead. But Aiden’s pleasant grim reaper lifestyle is in jeopardy. And it’s not only because Honest Abe keeps throwing out history lessons with reaping assignments, just to confuse him. It’s because Aiden’s next assignment is to reap the soul of Bee, the only girl he has ever loved.

When Aiden’s kiss of death fails, intertwining their souls, Bee is still very much alive and they are both in trouble. The ancients want Bee, who has special powers of her own, and they’ll do anything to get her.

Some rules are meant to be broken—even if that means Aiden must bargain with his own soul to save Bee. Who knew the afterlife could get so complicated?

The book releases March 5, 2013. You can pre-order it now on Amazon here, and be sure to check out Kerri's Author page on face book and her Goodreads page.

BUT WAIT, there's more! Kerri will be giving away one ebook to the lucky winner. To join in, spread the word and sign up below!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Loved, but not Lost

Dear Dad,

It’s been 7 years since I last spoke to you face to face. I speak to you now, sometimes in sleep, sometimes in waking, sometimes in memory. Most often I think of you while high in the mountains backpacking, hiking, spelunking, scuba diving, or while studying your grandson. He has your eyes. 

I think of you when in the service of others. How many people did we pack or unload from moving trucks? How many secret Santa deliveries did we make? How many cuts and bruises did you sew up and sooth? I think you chose to be a doctor not just heal people's bodies, but with your calm, gentle words, to heal their spirits.

My first memory of you is teaching me to doggy paddle, empowering me to explore the water on my own, showing me the importance of independence and trust. I recall you holding the back of my bike as I struggled to get my balance. I remember you packing us up for family trips and teaching us the importance of frugality by doing things yourself—like fixing that troublesome van again, and again, and again. You only ever splurged one day of the year. I’ll never forget the light in your eyes on Christmas morning as you watched us filter into the living room and shriek for joy.

I remember the music. You played piano every night. It soothed my soul and made me yearn to find the music within. You championed my singing and quieted my complaining brothers.

You taught us the scriptures. They have been a source of comfort and strength in hard times, a place for seeking answers when I earnestly needed to know truth, and in times without you.

The greatest lesson I learned from you, Dad, is the lesson of family. Because you loved us, you lived your life in such a way that we could one day be together forever, and showed us the way.

I love you, Dad. Thank you for the legacy you left me. When this life is done I will gladly step beyond, knowing that my father waits with a welcoming embrace. I look forward to that day.

Love,

                Crystal

 

Stephen Lloyd Hicken was born May 17, 1950 and is a beloved son, husband and father. He served a mission in Brazil, four years in the air force, as a scout master for 20+ years, and as a doctor. On November 20, 2004 he left this life after a three year battle with lung cancer. He is greatly missed; loved, but not lost.

Halloween Horror

Flash fiction for Halloween. Enjoy!

An Interview with Death

The reporter fed a paper into his typewriter with trembling hands. “I can’t believe you’ve agreed to do this!” He shook almost as badly as the paper.

“What can I say? I’m a softie for last requests.” I settled into a comfy armchair across from his desk, resting my scythe against the wall.

“I love the sneakers by the way.” He sat.

I glanced down at the old Converse. “They’re a lot more comfortable than my human-skin boots.”

He paled.

I laughed. 

He paled further. 

I sighed. Why did no one get that Death has a sense of humor? I mean, death is a rather hilarious thing—Jack Daniels died from a toe infection after kicking his safe in anger, and one dictator offed himself on too much Viagra… People are funny creatures.

“So, uh, Mister…Grim Reaper-”

“Death,” I corrected. “I’m not grim, and ‘Reaper’ is so derogatory. I mean, I’m one of the four horsemen—you know, as in there’s four in all of existence?”

He stared, jaw hanging.

I pointed at the typewriter, then tapped my wrist.

“So, Mister Death-”

“Just Death.”

“Death then, how did you come to this…magnanimous position?”

I blinked back my astonishment. Wasn’t that obvious? “I and my brothers work for the big cheese. You know, the guy behind destiny? Don’t tell me you’re an atheist.”

He froze, swallowed, and started typing a little less steadily. “You say you’re one of the four horsemen, but I don’t see a horse.”

I chuckled. “That’s because Donavan is invisible.” Turning my head, I clucked, “Aren’t you, Donny?”

The reporter studied the empty space with wide eyes.

I shook my head. “Who needs a horse when you’ve got mass transit? Busses, taxis, the subway…”

“You use mass transit?”

“When I can.”

He hesitated.

“Go ahead,” I encouraged. “You’re dead anyway.”

“What happens to the people sitting next to you?”

I shrugged. “They drink their coffee and read their papers.”

“Sitting next to you doesn't kill them?”

“Um, no.”

He sat back. “How do you do it then? Mass transit can’t possibly be fast enough for the thousands of deaths every minute-”

“Approximately 107 to be correct.” I cracked my knuckles. “Time isn’t a consideration when you can hop in and out of dimensions. I mean what kind of guy would I be if I never stopped to eat a doughnut or smell a rose?”

His jaw again dropped. “Dimension travel? There are multiple…dimensions?”

Oh these logical ones who thought they knew how the whole universe operated! “Time. I can step in and out of time. Kind of knocks you mortals over the head, but it doesn’t exist for me.”

“And that’s why people don’t see you coming.”

“No, it’s because of my super cool invisibility cloak—like Harry Potter.”

He stared, blankly. I think he was starting to get my sarcasm.

“Okay fine, I don’t have an invisibility cloak,” I admitted. “I’m made of finer matter than your eyes can perceive, unless I want you to see me.”

“Like when we’re about to die?”

“Or are already dead.”

“What?”

I pointed to his paper. “What you got there? Read it back to me.”

He looked at the paper, squinted, then frowned. “I, I don’t understand. How can it be blank?”

Picking up my scythe, I rose, all twelve feet. “Sorry, Robert.”

“But I was typing…”

“Yeah…no you weren’t.”

He turned around saw his body lying in the hallway, spilled whisky glass staining the carpet.

“So are you ready to head out now?” I asked.

He let out a long sigh, then looked up at me. “You’re actually a pretty nice guy.”

“That’s what I keep telling people.” I pulled out my keys and the door to the other side materialized. “Enjoy the free bagles on the other side.”

He paused in front of the door, eyes brightening. “We can eat on the other side?”

“No.” I would have smiled if Death could smile. “But it's so fun watching you try.”


And for the Halloween Hop: 
Scariest book: Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz
Movie: (Okay, I'm not such a fan of scary.) Army of Darkness or House 2
Costume: Mime (Been an "enchantress" or "sorceress" the last 9 years. Change is good.) 

A WINNER! And a Bout of Flash Fiction...

One HUGE

 

to everyone who submitted ideas for the Music Video contest. There were so many awesome ideas that we had a difficult time choosing. It came down to a team vote, and our winner is... (*drum roll*)

Kay Em Evans! 

For the picture frame idea. 

And now for the second Crusader Writing Challenge: parameters, 100 words (not including title). 

That Kind of Day 

The goldfish bowl teetered and crashed to the linoleum. Water coursed around my sneakers, orange bodies flopping helplessly through deadly shards.

A gun cocked.

“You can’t kill me.” I stepped around floundering bodies toward the wide-eyed man, hoping he wouldn’t try.

He looked down the barrel of his revolver. “Oh yeah?”

The gun fired.

A bullet smacked me between the eyes. Ouch.

“You can however seriously piss me off.” I speared him through with my scythe and lifted his squirming soul away. “Now I’m going to have to dig that thing out...! Say hello to your fishes, in Hell.”  

(From my short stories collection: Death Goes to Hell. Read more here: http://angiesdiary.com/stories/shortstory/death-goes-to-hell/ )

The Secret Project

http://dmc89.deviantart.com/art/Secret-Agent-Man-25614982?q=boost:popular+secret+agent+man&qo=129

There are few things worth putting your entire life on hold:

Marriages

Deaths

Births

...Secret Missions...

My life is officially on hold for the sake of a SUPER SECRET PROJECT.

One to eight hours a day fold beneath the horizon as we (me and my STELLAR team) whittle away at the enormity of our task. 

Can I tell you what we're doing?

No. Not yet. But it's going to be awesome, and big.