Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #67 (14.2)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Things have just gone from bad to worse! Why did that police officer just handcuff Ethan? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to check on the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #67 (14.2)

If this suspicious excuse for an officer of the law thought this was going to fly, he had another think coming! What the hell was going on here? This had to end and it had to end now. Troy grabbed for me just as I was about to launch myself at Jenkins. He wrapped both arms around my chest to hold me in place. Breathing heavily, I glanced around. The others seemed as shocked and perturbed as I was. Even Joey seemed perplexed at these unexpected developments, his mouth wide open and gaping.

The minister was striding toward his son and his son’s captor, his voice booming with ministerial authority. “Please explain what you’re doing with my son, Officer.” I half expected the second officer to hold him back, or at least tell him not to interfere in police business,  but he seemed less than inclined to do anything other than stand in the background, as if striving for invisibility. Which, by the way, was a less than successful endeavor. Only then did I noticed he had his phone out and was clearly recording everything that went down. I didn’t know whether to feel more reassured at this or less.

Carlos and his fellow agents looked just as confused as we were, which further served to confirm that these two were not part of any game plan devised by Anderson.

“Troy, something’s not right here,” I muttered to my “captor”. “What reason do they have for arresting Ethan? I’ve got to do something.” I tried to reach for my weapon. Just as a last resort, naturally. I just wanted to be ready… in case.

“Hang on, Vinny.” Troy didn’t sound concerned at all. As if he had some inkling about what was going on and was more exasperated than anything.

Jenkins opened the back door of the vehicle. I wanted for him to motion Ethan inside. I braced myself to break out of Troy’s grip, if necessary, so I could put the kibosh on this lunacy. But just then Jenkins did something that took me completely by surprise. He turned toward us, and away from Ethan, and took a bow… then another… and another. Almost as if he were accepting some kind of award for doing his duty…

Alarms began to ring inside my head as things began to fall into place. What I was thinking wasn’t possible, was it? I mean, the very idea was crazy. But then, if I was correct in my assumptions, so was the person who was responsible for all this.

“Dammit,” Troy swore, even as he released me. I hurried toward Ethan and the bowing policeman.

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” I began. “But you need to release him right this—”

Anything else I’d been about to say flew from my brain as Jenkins pulled his cap off and waves of bleach blonde hair tumbled out, falling to his shoulders. “Get all that, Helen?”

Everybody glanced at the second officer, who gave a quick thumbs up. I was still confused, but first things first.

Before I could insist again that he release Ethan, Troy came barreling up to us, Brandon hot on his heels.

“Carrie, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he said.

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

 to be continued

Go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

Saturday is Horror Day #106 - One Missed Call

 One Missed Call

People begin to received mysterious missed calls that leaves messages containing the person's date and time of their deaths. Nobody will listen to Beth (Shannyn Sossamon) who is explaining about the phone calls and how they tie in to the deaths. But Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) believes her, because of the death of his sister. Together, they are going to get to the bottom of this!

That may sound like an oversimplification of the plot, but it's not. In fact, it makes it sound more interesting than it is. The story goes from person to person, one missed call after another, followed by two days of hallucinations - centipedes and ghostly figures - before death ensures. Even that is more interesting than this film. This is a remake of a Japanese film of the same name, and even that wasn't particularly well received. This version is so bad it received a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Far from being frightening, I found this film boring and couldn't wait for it to end - and it's only an hour and a half long! The writing isn't good, neither is the direction, the acting is so-so, and the characters are forgettable. Would I recommend watching this? Hell no! I'll give this film 1 Star and that's all I have to say on that.

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #66 (14.1)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

The plot thickens. Just as everyone is about to move to the shelter of the trees, two police officers show up to question their presence there. What is going on? Is something rotten in the state of Denmark? See what's happening in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them.  Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #66 (14.1)

“What are you people doing here?” were the first words from the newcomer’s lips. The voice was low, a little gravelly. Smoker, perhaps? The policeman had his thumbs tucked inside his belt, his jaw thrust forward almost aggressively. Not what I was expecting at all. His attitude further confirmed that these two were not Anderson-sent.

The policeman’s eyes seemed drawn to Ethan, even as he spoke, he angled himself toward him. His deputy—or whoever he was—hung back and remained silent.

“We’ve run into some unexpected car trouble, officer,” Ethan said coolly. Glancing at him, I could read the tension in his posture. He clearly didn’t like what was going on here anymore than I did.

“So I see, so I see.” I couldn’t help but notice the thick Southern accent. “All of you at once? Isn’t that unusual?”

That seemed like a red flag. If these policemen hadn’t been sent here by our supervisor, how did they know we were here? What, did they just follow the yellow brick road?

“Not if this was a deliberate act of sabotage,” Ethan replied in less than polite tones. Another tip-off that he was suspicious of these two also. “Officer… what did you say your name was?”

He hadn’t, of course.

“Jenkins,” the man replied smoothly. “Officer Jenkins. And you are?”

“May I see your badge, Officer Jenkins?” Ethan asked, never answering the question. He took a step forward, closer to the policeman, who hastily moved backward.

“Of course, of course.” He fumbled for his wallet, producing it from his front pocket, opened it quickly. All I caught was a flash of gold before he’d closed it again and replaced it. “There you go, sir. Now, your name?”

“Ethan Thorne of Roanoke, Virginia.”

“Really? You’re a ways from home, aren’t you, Mister… Thorne, was it?” The policeman tilted his head, regarding Ethan. Ethan stared right back at home with a stony expression.

“Indeed,” was all he said.

Enough was enough, and we were getting nowhere fast. “Look,” I interjected. “Is there some sort of a problem here? I mean, other than our obvious one.”

Jenkins turned toward me for the first time. I saw his nostrils flare in what I seemed to be disgust, or distaste…I don’t know. Something. “Just trying to ascertain the facts of the case, ma’am…I mean sir.”

What the actual fuck? I managed to resist the impulse to knock those annoying shades off his face, but he’d already turned away in a very dismissive manner that only served to agitate me all the more.

I hadn’t noticed Troy’s approach, but now I saw that he stood beside us, and he was looking at the policeman almost inquisitively. I expected any second to hear the standard words that usually greeted Troy’s arrival anywhere, but they weren’t forthcoming. Instead, Jenkins seemed to be avoiding Troy’s gaze. Why would that be?

“Sir, may I speak to you privately?” Jenkins said to Ethan. I didn’t like the sound of that and was about to protest when Ethan shook his head slightly at me and I desisted.

“If you wish,” Ethan said stiffly, although he made no movement. He and the policeman stared one another down until finally the latter made a motion with one hand.

“Lead on, MacDuff,” he said and directed Ethan away from the others. I noticed they were headed in the direction of the police vehicle and alarm bells went off in my head. Something was definitely not right here. I glanced toward Troy and he wore a troubled and perplexed expression.

Suddenly I heard a metallic click. I jerked my attention back to Ethan only to find the policeman had handcuffed him!

to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

 

 

Virtual Book Tour: Luke Blackmon's Rose by Mary Patterson Thornburg

 Good morning everyone! Please welcome author Mary Patterson Thornburg to Full Moon Dreaming! She is here today to tell us about her new release, Luke Blackmon's Rose! Mary will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on the tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

 

Luke Blackmon's Rose

by Mary Patterson Thornburg

 

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GENRE:   Adult Romance (w/science-fantasy)

 

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BLURB:

 

To guard herself from the perils of her own sensuality, Rose married a man she didn’t love. Now, two years after his death, she’s not sure she can really love anyone. She’s not even sure she cares…

To achieve what he’d always known was his birthright, Luke had to struggle against tremendous odds. But when science discovered a way to access the past, a powerful bureaucracy found a way to use Luke. Now, torn from his own time, everything and everyone he knew, he can see no reason to go on living…

An instant of attraction, uninvited but inescapable, brings Luke and Rose together. Together, they discover the strength to love, the will to trust and hope. But will these things be enough to carry them over walls of suspicion, guilt, bigotry, and hate?

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

 

Later, lying next to him, she had awakened suddenly to find Luke drawing away from her, his body tense, his eyes wide and somehow empty in the light of the streetlamp across from their window.

  

"Who...are...you?" he said in a strange, thick-sounding voice.

 

She gasped, sharing for a moment his terror. "Rose?" she said uncertainly. "I'm Rose, sweetheart."

 

His eyes became occupied again. He sighed mightily. "Oh, thank God. It was the dream," he said. "Forgive me. Please." That he would ask for forgiveness!

To keep from weeping, she caressed him gently and lovingly, until past and future and the world had shrunk, becoming only that hour and that bed, and they could lose themselves, for a little while, in each other.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Mary Patterson Thornburg has lived in California, Washington State, Montana, Indiana, and again, finally, in Montana. She was educated at Holy Names College, Montana State University, and Ball State University, where she then taught for many years. She's been reading science fiction and fantasy since she was five, and when she began to write fiction it seemed only natural to write in those genres. Her literary heroes are Mary Shelley, who gave us all a metaphor for technology alienated from its creators, and Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia E. Butler, inventors of worlds that shine their powerful searchlights on this one. She writes what some people call “science fantasy” (aka “fake science fiction) within as wide a range as possible, but almost always with a bit (or a lot) of romance.

 

https://www.marypattersonthornburg.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Patterson-Thornburg/e/B001IOFDN6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Patterson-Thornburg-Author/751054628247208

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-patterson-thornburg/47/967/480

 

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 You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice – who is that person and what item do you have?

 

The person is Liam, owner and captain of the yacht from whose deck he and I have recently fallen overboard, whereupon he has carried me (a non-swimmer) through about a mile of turbulent sea to this island of warm sand and moonlight. The item is a radio, batteries at full power, with which he’s now communicating with his boat, which will return for us in, say, four hours. Sigh.

 

Take these three words and give me a 100-word-or-less scene using them: Hammer, saucer, traffic lights.

 

I’m driving, late at night, to a city where I and others will compete in Olympic-style games. My specialty is the hammer throw. I approach a set of traffic lights, and the light is red. I wait, but it doesn’t change; I could go through, but I am law-abiding. Then I notice a small saucer-shaped object flying around and around the light. I realize it’s an alien spaceship, trapped somehow by the red beam. I throw the Corvette in park, step onto the roadway, and hurl my hammer, smashing the light. The saucer whirls away. I roar down the road.

 

When you start a new story, do you begin with a character or a plot?

 

Character, always. The characters show me the way to the plot. (They’d better, or I’ll kill them off.)

 

Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?

 

Jack Palance as both title characters in the 1968 Dan Curtis production of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As Hyde, Palance is truly frightening – and in an odd way, also truly joyful, childlike as long as he gets his way, which somehow makes him even more frightening. As Jekyll, he’s sweet, shy, kind, feeling, and finally, terribly, frightened.

 

Do you have an historical crush, and if so, who is it?

Yes, definitely. And who is it? Wouldn’t you like to know! 😊

You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice – who is that person and what item do you have?

 

The person is Liam, owner and captain of the yacht from whose deck he and I have recently fallen overboard, whereupon he has carried me (a non-swimmer) through about a mile of turbulent sea to this island of warm sand and moonlight. The item is a radio, batteries at full power, with which he’s now communicating with his boat, which will return for us in, say, four hours. Sigh.

 

Take these three words and give me a 100-word-or-less scene using them: Hammer, saucer, traffic lights.

 

I’m driving, late at night, to a city where I and others will compete in Olympic-style games. My specialty is the hammer throw. I approach a set of traffic lights, and the light is red. I wait, but it doesn’t change; I could go through, but I am law-abiding. Then I notice a small saucer-shaped object flying around and around the light. I realize it’s an alien spaceship, trapped somehow by the red beam. I throw the Corvette in park, step onto the roadway, and hurl my hammer, smashing the light. The saucer whirls away. I roar down the road.

 

When you start a new story, do you begin with a character or a plot?

 

Character, always. The characters show me the way to the plot. (They’d better, or I’ll kill them off.)

 

Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?

 

Jack Palance as both title characters in the 1968 Dan Curtis production of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As Hyde, Palance is truly frightening – and in an odd way, also truly joyful, childlike as long as he gets his way, which somehow makes him even more frightening. As Jekyll, he’s sweet, shy, kind, feeling, and finally, terribly, frightened.

 Do you have an historical crush, and if so, who is it?

Yes, definitely. And who is it? Wouldn’t you like to know! 😊

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday is Horror Day #105 - Phantasm 5: Ravager, Dead Snow

 Phantasm 5: Ravager

Reggie (Reggie Bannister) is trying to find Mike (A Michael Baldwin) and rescue him from the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm). And also save the world.

I know, that's an oversimplification of the plot, but seriously, this is the plot for every entry in this series. And this is the last one (I don't believe, at least I hope there will not be a sixth Phantasm. No reason there should be to be honest).

How does this one compare to the others? The series has been going downhill after the second one. This one is no exception. It's terrible. We have Reggie who yo-yos back and forth between the future where he is an old man in a nursing home and Mike tells him he has dementia and none of what he knows is real and a present where he is fighting the Tall Man.

The only redeeming quality of this film is that someone figured out that Reggie Bannister is a better actor than A Michael Baldwin and they made the plot Reggie-centric. I do use the word plot loosely. And, of course, Reggie being Reggie, there has to be a girl involved. Cause he's this chick-magnet, don't you know? And hey, we even get to see Jody (Bill Thornbury), Mike's brother again.

All in all, a terrible film. I only give it 2 Stars because Reggie amuses me. Unless you're compelled to finish the series, I would skip it.

Dead Snow

A group of medical students are taking a ski vacation at the cabin in the mountains. Fun and friends, the recipe for a fun vacation, right? Well, unfortunately for these medical students, they're not only in the middle of nowhere, but they are about to enter a nightmare they could never have dreamed of before

The group reaches the cabin, anticipating the arrival of its owner, Maria. But unbeknownst to them, Maria has met with foul play and she won't be coming. Everyone decides to relax, drink, and play games, including Twister. This cabin is so rustic that it has no indoor plumbing, necessitating the use of an outhouse.  An unexpected knock on the door frightens them, but it turns out to be an older man, who asks for a cup of coffee. Familiar with the area, he is dismissive of the young people and their lack of preparation for their trip. Do they even know the history of this area? He tells them a story about German occupation and how the locals fought back after three years of oppression. But, he concludes, there is an evil here, a presence that can't be denied. He drinks their bad coffee, smokes a hand-rolled cigarette and is on his way. They dismiss his words as so much nonsense.

But then they begin to hear things. When one of the young men goes to the outhouse, he is joined there by one of the women, and more fun ensues. Afterward, he returns to the cabin first...but she is not so lucky. Attacked in the outhouse, she tries to make her way back to the cabin, but never makes it. While they try to figure out what is going on, they find themselves under attack...by Nazi zombies! The fight is on!

At first, I admit, this film is pretty much the standard young people in a cabin in the woods terrified by a menacing presence they have to overcome. As such, it's a little slow at first. But the difference is - Nazi zombies! That's something you don't see everyday. The make-up on these guys is great! And they are pretty terrifying. Not sure what I would do if faced with this bunch.  And they turn an okay film into a more terrifying and interesting. Be aware, there is a lot of blood and guts and such, so not recommended for the squeamish. But it was definitely worth watching, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. I'll give this film 4 Stars.

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #65 (13.4)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Something is very much not right, but Vinnie and Ethan don't have an idea what that might be, except for the cryptic message that Troy received regarding a certain actress being MIA. See what's happening in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #65 (13.4)

Carlos approached us, clearing his throat respectfully. “I think we need to get everybody somewhere that’s not so open.”  He eyed our surroundings then gestured toward the woods just on the other side of the clearing. “Frankly, right now I’m afraid we’re sitting ducks where we are.”

“You’re so right,” Ethan agreed. “We should move everyone to the shelter of those trees, and make sure we keep together. That’ll make it easier for us to keep everyone safe.”

We returned to the others and apprised them of our plan. “Help is on its way,” Ethan assured his family. For the most part, they didn’t seem to be panicking, although I suspected it was only the presence of the minister that kept Ethan’s brother from making a scene. As it was, he kept to himself and just eyed the rest of us warily. Little Alex seemed the least troubled of anyone. He was enjoying all the attention he was receiving, and was currently being held in the arms of his grandmother, while Grandpa played silly little games to amuse him, such as Peekaboo, which sent him into gales of laughter. I noticed Sarah was listening intently to whatever story Troy was telling. She undoubtedly realized by now that he and Brendan were a couple, but that didn’t seem to faze her in the slightest. She hung on Troy’s every word as if it were manna.

So far so good. But before we could put our plan into motion, we could hear the wail of an approaching siren. Moments later, a vehicle came into view, emergency lights flashing from the roof.

All conversation ceased as everyone’s attention turned to the oncoming vehicle.

“That was fast, even for Anderson,” I commented. Something didn’t feel right about that, but who was I to look a gift rescue in the mouth? I shot a trouble glance toward Ethan, which he returned. He seemed uneasy too. He gave me a small nod, which I understood to mean stay alert, but don’t say anything yet. I nodded back.

Turned out that it wasn’t a standard police vehicle but rather a regular car with the lights on top. Ethan and I had a set of those ourselves. The car pulled off the road and came to a stop. Moments later, two figures stepped out, coming toward us. The driver was obviously in charge as he swaggered toward us, his fellow officer close behind. I gave the first one an appraising glance as he neared. A little shorter than me, he was somewhat stocky but not overly so, his movements possessing a certain leonine grace at odds with his physique. Age was hard to tell behind the large aviator mirror sunglasses, his dark hair mostly hidden beneath the policeman’s cap on top of his head.

As the officer approached, he glanced around at us, as if to ascertain who was in charge. That’s when I began to suspect these two hadn’t been sent by Anderson, who would have told them who to look for. Local law enforcement? But if so, shouldn’t he be driving a standard issue police cruiser? And if he was plainclothes, why the uniform? I tensed up a little, waiting to hear what the newcomer had to say.

 to be continued

Now go see what the other Briefers are up to!

Cia Nordwell

Book Review: Overlord, Vol 4 by Kugane Maruyama

 

Overlord, Vol 4      

Author: Kugane Maruyama

Publisher: Yen On

American release date:  May 23, 2017

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Fantasy Adventure /304 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

The day begins much like any other for the lizardmen. Until the ominous black cloud appears out of nowhere with a warning – The Great One is coming in eight days, with a great army, and you will be destroyed. Naturally, the members of the lizardman tribe are alarmed. Who wouldn’t be? Zaryusu is a member of the village, a traveler who happens to be in the village when the message arrives. He goes to see his brother Shasuryu, who is head of the village. A meeting is called to decide what to do. According to the messenger, they will be the second lizardman village to be destroyed. So there must be others who have survived. What to do?

After much discussion, they decide that Zaryusu will travel to the other villages and attempt to arrange an alliance with them. Surely, they will be stronger together than separately against this unknown menace. The first village he visits is the Red Eye village, where he seeks an audience with their leader, who turns out to be an albino female lizardman named Crusch Lulu… and Zaryusu finds himself instantly attracted to her. She seems amenable to his suggestions and determines that she will go with him to talk to the other villages. In the Dragon Tusk village, he encounters a big guy named Zembel, who challenges him to a fight.

But when the time comes for the promised army to return, the sheer numbers alone are daunting, and it will take everything the lizardmen have to defeat this unknown enemy… who is actually none other than Ainz Ooal Gown and his followers from the Tomb of Nazarick.

This volume of Overlord is a definite departure from the first three in that we are introduced to and get to know the intended targets, the lizardmen. And that makes a great deal of difference. I have supported and applauded Ainz in everything he did previously, but here I found myself hoping he didn’t really mean to attack them, and that he certainly wouldn’t hurt them, as I came to know and like these lizardmen. I know that Ainz’s guild was known as PK, which means they would fight other players. I tend to avoid those fights myself, whether in D2 or WoW. But until now, I’ve never really thought about what that means in these books, and I have to admit to finding myself a little disturbed at the attitude that is taken toward these lizardmen who have done nothing to warrant being attacked simply as a matter of subjugation. I hope Ainz reconsiders his strategy and chooses a path of peace and prosperity rather than war. I understand he doesn’t know exactly who or what he is up against. And I have to wonder if there are other actual players out there doing the same thing he is. Definitely opens up some moral issues, which I expect will be addressed in future volumes.

I have been getting each volume from the library until now, but I love these books so much that I have decided to purchase them. I already have volume 5 and look forward to reading it.