Lorraine Jones wins 2012 Stringybark Humorous Short Story Comp

Congratulations to a colleague from my 2012 writing group.

Lorraine Jones has received a Highly Commended placing in the 2012 Stringybark Humorous Short Story Competition for her tale Fifty Shades of Green. Lorraine has a smooth writing style that will capture your interest for a time and leave you chuckling all day as you relive her writings.

Fifty Shades of Green and other stories have been collated into a book titled: The Very End of the Affair... to be published in both e-book and hard cover. The e-book is available now and the hard cover will be available in May.

A special offer is being promoted to friends and family, you can purchase the e-book version for A$2.80 which represents a 25% discount. Just include the offer code RM79H when placing your order.

A book of laughs for $2.80 is a steal so this Easter treat yourself with a giggle to go with the chocolate and candy after all $2.80 to chuckle all day where can you get better value than that.

Well done Lorraine

Les Gillespies Gold 'the argument'

Today I finished a piece for the book where two people are arguing, and although I know I waffle-on in real life, I had a hard time knowing how long to keep this going for.
Are there any hard and fast rules in writing for arguments. I have about 900 words from beginning to end so in real life this would be about six minutes. Is it too long?

Les Gillespie's Gold -- Oops --

It's funny how careful planning can also bring you undone if you don't check your work. In responding to a comment on one of my posts I noticed that I had given one of my characters a different surname. She appears in KUNDELA and her character will have a bigger role in Les Gillespie's Gold. Bearing this in mind I had ploughed ahead creating mannerisms and features hair colour etc, Fiona was a complete and confident woman in the yummy mummy genre.

She appears in the story around chapter four and then her husband John shows up meeting her  in the same chapter. As I typed the story I knew his name was different. I could have maintained she kept her maiden name after marriage but she is not that big of character and if I refer to her parents at any time then they too have another surname. I would have to correct her profile sheet.

Therefore I had no option but to go back to the Kundela manuscript and complete a search. It took nearly half an hour but there he was.

Now that their family is over an identity crisis I can get on with the yarn that is Les Gillespie's Gold.

Check out Fiona O'Rourke's profile on my blog, if can you remember the wrong surname, I have three free copies of Kundela to give away to a random three people who get the answer right. Just leave the wrong name in the comments section.

Cheers,

Terry

Les Gillespie's Gold 'Cryptic Message'

In an attempt to put his mind to rest Joe Gillespie searches the property for clues and once more Les has left him a cryptic message carved into a slate stone.

 

This is my first draft of a poem that will help me to flesh out a couple of chapters in my new novel. I'm not intending to use it in the book for now but it will help me to create a scene with cause and effect action to introduce some new characters.

 

I hope you enjoy my draft.

 

 

 

The Chinaman’s Curse

This gift of gold I saved for you from deep within the ground

A pile or more lies hidden there in reef quartz like rivers sheen

From a winch you must descend to hear the water’s sound

And in its dampened darkness from your lamplight watch it gleam

 

My son now you have found my seam and behold its golden glow

Please remember me in loving terms and not when at my worse

It’s what gold fever’s done to me and a thing that you should know

The vapours they will linger long so beware the Chinese Curse

 

And beware the High Street Spruiker

And heed not the pull of greed when your pocket’s empty and bare

Stay clear of the sleazy spivs in spats who peddle mindless dope

And of the maid old and in rags a begging let not your eyes to stare

 

Beware of slick investors who want more than just your gold

This world has many treasure camped deep within its core

My secret is a keeper and through the years it’s only you I’ve told

For gold is not a treasure just currency it is really nothing more