Mystery, Short Story, Theme Prompt

My Brother’s Keeper

Written for Missy’s Mad Challenge #073.
The prompt appears below. Here’s my take.

Continue reading “My Brother’s Keeper”
Flash, Photo Prompt, Short Story

Croc King

Written for Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction
Challenge #355
using the photo below as our
inspiration. Here’s where the photo took me.

Continue reading “Croc King”
Short Story, Word Prompt, Wordle

Respect: Inspired by My Mother

Written for MLMM Monday Wordle #459.
Our twelve prompt words are shown below.
Here’s where they took me. Thanks, Di!

beam, cherished,
dark, duplicated, dusted, final,
insult, left, reminiscent, right, top, and world

Continue reading “Respect: Inspired by My Mother”
Flash, Short Story, Theme Prompt

Salt

Written for Violet’s Literary Quote Challenge
where she asks us to include the following line
into our writing: “
Life without sinning was like
food without salt; pure but tasteless.”
Here’s my
response to Violet’s Literary Quote Challenge.

Continue reading “Salt”
Mystery, Noir, Photo Prompt, Short Story

The Debt: A Dirk Malone Story

Written for Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative
Challenge #068
. I chose Pic #2.
Here’s where the image took me
.

Continue reading “The Debt: A Dirk Malone Story”
Short Story, Theme Prompt

What Happens In Vegas

Re-written for Muse on Monday where David  
asks us to write a story that shows the explicit  
passage of time by noting the points in time as
our stories unfold. Revised from a story I wrote
in 2024, here’s where the prompt took me.

Continue reading “What Happens In Vegas”
Short Story, Word Challenge, Wordle

Patsy Cline

Written for MLMM Monday Wordle #458.
Our twelve prompt words are shown below.
Here’s where they took me. Thanks, Di!

chapter, clear,
cup, drama, felt, fifty, message,
muted, precious, sparkler, watched, and wiped

Continue reading “Patsy Cline”
Short Story, Theme Prompt

Having It All

Written for Fandango’s Story Starter #228.
Here’s my story using Fandango’s opening line.

Continue reading “Having It All”
Mystery, Noir, Short Story, Word Challenge, Wordle

Bleeker Street: A Dirk Malone Story

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle – #738. Our host
is Brenda Warren; her prompt words for this week
are shown below.  Here’s where the prompts took me.

fringe, resonance, frill, spin, swimming, images,
fit, spill, trip, reflect, layer, and lingering

Continue reading “Bleeker Street: A Dirk Malone Story”
Flash, Mini Story, Photo Prompt, Short Story

In A Fog

Written for Sadje’s “What Do You See” #321.
Here’s where the photo prompt took me.

Continue reading “In A Fog”
Flash, Mini Story, Mystery, Photo Prompt, Short Story

The Wrong Turn

Our gracious host, Rochelle, is asking us to get
creative in 100 words or less using the photo
seen below. Welcome to Friday Fictioneers
This is where the prompt took me.

Continue reading “The Wrong Turn”
Short Story, Theme Prompt

Like Sugar In Rain

Written for Violet’s Challenge where she has
asked us to include the following quote into
our writing: “
One must be very sure of the
bank before one opens an account.”
Here’s my response to the challenge.

Continue reading “Like Sugar In Rain”
Flash, Mini Story, Short Story, Word Challenge, Wordle

A Decade Of Us

Written for MLMM Monday Wordle #457.
Our twelve prompt words are shown below.
Here’s where they took me. Thanks, Di!

closed, kind, lights, love, memory, over,
pleasure, presence, smile, time, touch, and whim

Continue reading “A Decade Of Us”
Short Story, Word Challenge, Wordle

Unwrapping The Memories

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle – #737. Our host is
Brenda Warren; her prompt words for this week are
shown below.  Here’s where the prompts took me.

lingering, felt, sharp, human, point, oddly,
full, sense, instead, joy, sit, and place

Continue reading “Unwrapping The Memories”
Mystery, Noir, Short Story

The Wagging Tail Case: A Dirk Malone Story

Written for Violet’s challenge where she has
asked us to include the following quote
into our writing:
A dog has lots of friends
because it wags its tail and not its tongue.”

Here’s my response to the challenge.

Continue reading “The Wagging Tail Case: A Dirk Malone Story”
Limerick, Musing, Short Story, Theme Prompt

Fade Into Indigo

Written for Muse on Monday where David
asks us to write a story about a border, either in
space or time. Here’s where the prompt took me.

Continue reading “Fade Into Indigo”
Fantasy, Short Story, Word Prompt, Wordle

Christmas Visitor

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle – #735. Our host is
Brenda Warren; this week’s prompt words are shown
below.  Here’s where the prompts took me.

skin, once, third, room, swallows, blink, kindling,
secrets, starless, conjures, dragon, and demons

Continue reading “Christmas Visitor”
Short Story, Word Challenge, Wordle

The Topper

Written for MLMM Monday Wordle #456.
Our twelve prompt words are shown below.
Here’s where they took me. Thanks, Di!

content,
fairy, huge, joyful, look, pretty,
reception, residents,
step, swipe, tinsel, wobble

Continue reading “The Topper”
Short Story, Writing Exercise

Perchance To Dream

Written for Violet’s Quote Challenge where she
has asked us to include the following quote into
our writing: “If you’re happy in a dream, does

that count?
Here’s my response to the challenge.

Continue reading “Perchance To Dream”
Mystery, Short Story

Reparations

Written for Muse on Monday where David
asks us to write a story about the Christmas
holidays where the conflict is something
different from a normal holiday story.

Here’s were the prompt took me.

Continue reading “Reparations”
Musing, Short Story, Word Prompt

RDP Thursday: pageant

Written for RDP, where bushboy asks us
 to get creative with the word ‘pageant’.
Thanks, Brian! Here’s my take.

Continue reading “RDP Thursday: pageant”
Short Story

The Word

Written for Melissa’s Fandango
Flash Fiction Challenge #350
.
Here’s where the prompt took me.

Continue reading “The Word”
Mystery, Short Story, Wordle

Playing By The Numbers: A Dirk Malone Story

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle – #735. Our host is
Brenda Warren and these are our prompt words: hook,
sway, hearts, strip, chain, dizzy, sweep, you, stick, swell,
steam, and shock. Here’s where the prompts took me.

Continue reading “Playing By The Numbers: A Dirk Malone Story”
Short Story

The Empty House

Written for Fandango’s Story Starter #225.
Here’s my story, using Fandango’s teaser.

Continue reading “The Empty House”
Short Story, Theme Prompt

Through The Wall, Softly

Written for Muse on Monday where David
asks us to write a story about neighbors.
Here’s were the prompt took me.

Continue reading “Through The Wall, Softly”
Mystery, Short Story

Sky Full Of Lies: A Dirk Malone Story

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle – #734. Our host is
Brenda Warren and these are our prompt words: rinse,
days, still, thicket, bomb, fake, criminal, foster, imagine,
lies, sky, and sink. Here’s where the prompts took me.

Continue reading “Sky Full Of Lies: A Dirk Malone Story”
Short Story, Word Challenge, Wordle

The Thursday Shift

Written for MLMM Monday Wordle #454.
Our twelve prompt words are shown below.
Here’s where they took me. Thanks, Di!

balance, try, flat, beauty, understand, hope,
give, peace, happy, thought, dedicate
, and share

Continue reading “The Thursday Shift”
Short Story, Very Short Story

RDP Friday: global

Today at RDP, Martha asks us to get creative
with the word ‘global’. Thanks, Martha!
The prompt took me back to something I
wrote in 2021. It’s always been a favorite.

Continue reading “RDP Friday: global”
Short Story

Abandoned

Written for Muse on Monday where David asks us
to write a story about facing a situation, a dilemma
where there isn’t necessarily a right answer.
Here’s were the prompt took me.

Continue reading “Abandoned”
Short Story, Wordle

Santa’s Big Blunder

Written for MLMM Monday Wordle #453.
Our twelve prompt words are shown below.
Here’s where the prompts took me.
Thanks, Di!

Continue reading “Santa’s Big Blunder”