Lily's Friday Prediction

Can't concentrate on reality today. There's writing to be done and I can't stop thinking about it. Just picked out this week's three words and I'm flying already.

Congratulations to Rebecca Bohn for winning last week's Prediction challenge with the nostalgic Bears in Summer. Becky will have her judge's hat on this week (should that be wig?) to choose the winner from all the stunning entries you'll be throwing her way. :)

Well done too, to runners-up Jenny Dreadful with her untitled Vamp fest, and William Davoll for a haunting tale in After The Plague.

With no more ado, here are this week's three words:

• Lock
• Resemble
• Garland

Rules

The rules are: 100 words max flash fiction or poetry using all of the words above. Please add your entries in the Comments box below. You have all week until 9pm UK time on Thursday 17th March to enter.

Winner will be announced next Thursday or Friday. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.

Running off to scribble now. I'm addicted. I can control it... can't I?

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Prediction Winner

It's sublime time. And this week I've got to pick a winner who'll judge the Prediction challenge next week! How hard is that? I'll tell you, it's... hard.

I'm going to run through and summarise, trying not to gush at the loveliness bound within The Feardom:

• Ellie's victim comes with a sting in his tail, biting back at the courageous Tamara in Party of Souls.
• Rebecca's Bears in Summer roar through the mists of moonshine-come-good in this nostalgia trip. Whilst Cake slithers around our hungry mouths, moist and inticing us to eat.
• Asuqi gave another double delight, firstly with the wandering sickly sweetness of A Secret; and in complete contrast the snake man dangles his mistresses in the bizarro world that is Fake.
• AJ's Carpathia rescues more than just a Titanic victim; the grandaughter sheds a malificent burden in Come the Morning.
• My triple-generation death party has mothers and daughters clinging on in spiritual decadence, in Gone Girls.
• Aidan's two shysters are getting screwed when feral revenge blinks its glistening eyes in Party Foul.
• Mimi's Red Riding Hood of a grandmother sloughs her way through the party crowd in Talkin' About My Regeneration.
• Melenka's lost elder searches in spectral heat, nearly in vain until the babe cries with her eyes in Losing Her.
• Antonia's sorrow and loss pleads through Life Party, but comes with a warning.
• Chris's T'kalli winds her wily way through jungle darkness towards a hidden beast in To Avenge The Prey. With Easy Money his thieves take on more than they can chew when Tyler's Grandma lets rip.
• David has us fooled when a sneaky peak at a family party turns life on its head, in The Day I Found Out. In Boys Will Be Boys the classroom culprits bitch and compete, rascals in the making.
• Jenny Dreadful's party doll struts dismissive stuff before discarding her amuse geule; in her second untitled piece Jenny casts tremulous fingers towards loaded friendship.
• William's ghostly wraith weaves between her offspring, and theirs too. A family bereft in After The Plague. 

Oh beJesus - what to do? So much talent. (Takes a quick gulp of buttery Chardonnay).

My winner - and judge of next week's Friday Prediction is... Rebecca Bohn with Bears in Summer. It's a Stephen King of a thing, wistful yet tinged with a potential malice. Wonderful writing. Congratulations Rebecca! I shall be in touch ;)

Runners-up this week are newcomer Jenny Dreadful for her first, vampiric entry because I just LOVE that attitude, and William Davoll. After the Plague has stayed with me all evening; desperate and ethereal. Well done both.

Well, I'm exhausted but excitable now. Can't imagine going to bed for a few hours (but I'm all talk).

Catch you in the morrow for another Prediction challenge. Toodleoo.

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Catching Up

Hello. Long time no ramble on about meself much. So, now February Femmes Fatales has died down for this year (it is SO on for 2012!) I've been trying to get back into a writing schedule.

I've subbed three horror stories, an historical mystical poem and an article this month. From those, so far one story and the article 'How to Write Horror' have been accepted. More news on these later this month.

I have two interviews coming up - very humbled.

I've made a huge decision - novel-wise - to put Dispirited to bed for a while, for a whole load of different reasons. However, I have a much bigger novel idea to focus on. I have the concept, but need to do a fair amount of research. Very excited.

I'm also considering publishing an e-book collection of dark verse, illustrated by Laurence Ranger to sell on Kindle. What do you think...? Would you buy it?

In the meantime, look out for Chris Allinotte's upcoming Madness in March over at The Leaky Pencil - starting on 13th March. Promises to be a "seriously unsettling" week - can't wait.

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Lily's Friday Prediction

An aside: I'm not a huge TV addict but have been glued to the screen for four excellent British dramas series these last six weeks. The spooky Marchlands, noir Mad Dogs, the third series of shape-shifting Being Human and - although some of the 'facts' leave a bit to be desired, the converted-asylum that is Bedlam.

Really pleased to see the dark side coming through again - reminds me of great shows when I was a kid - and that was a long time ago. Hope they reach our US/Canadian friends soon for their own enjoyment.

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Congratulations to Michael Solender, winner of last week's Prediction challenge with the fiery The Perfect Successor. Well done too to runners-up ravensways with Last One Chosen and Chris Allinotte with Waiting on Onuava.

And so to this week's challenge. To add to the pressure - whoever wins this week gets to judge next week's Prediction! Let's see what you can offer up on the The Feardom platter with the following:

• Party
• Grandmother
• Safe

Hmmmn... the old book's being less kind than usual. But it is what it is. Here are the rules:

Rules:

The rules are: 100 words max flash fiction or poetry using all of the words above. Please add your entries in the Comments box below. You have all week until 9pm UK time on Thursday 10th March to enter.

Winner will be announced next Thursday or Friday. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.

I feel challenged already. How about you?

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Prediction Winner

A basketcase of earthy bounty this week, my skin crawled with pleasure at your poetry and fiction you glorious writers, you.

Let's have a lookie-see to sum up:

• Michael thrust his way in with The Perfect Successor. Satan takes charge, flashing his serpent as he goes.
• Rebecca's Seed is all wistful, worrying wonder. Children and inheritance of manner and blood.
• Mimi's sacrificial lamb questions the people and faith as dubious rain begins to fall in Small Consolation.
• Aidan's playing an explosive game. Who is the winner, in Mr. Miners Lettuce in the Greenhouse with a Squib?
• The Horned One returns to slake his thirst of Melenka's fecund Pillar of the Community.
• Antonia's Dangerous Dabbling reveals far more than her character expected.
• The world has a sparkling parallel? A fantasy from the waste we make, in Asuqi's Magpies Lost.
• Revenge lies waiting in the arms of the Earth in my Dressing The Well.
• Ellie's pseudo-Messiah makes her mark whilst rejecting the masses in Second Coming.
• ravenways delivers finger food to the drooling Loup Garous in Last One Chosen, followed by her untitled poetry that sings of eternal spectral wanderings.
• Ally's Viet Cong girl submits unwillingly to a cruel platoon; twisted and tragic vengeance in A Songless Bird.
• Chris's Lawrence is asylum-bound when he meets the nubile Helena in the throbbing Waiting on Onuava.
• John's Acolyte obeys demands, utters spurious commandments and eats familial flesh.
• William's character is reeling with grief and regret, honouring the memory of the deceased in Squandered.
• Kim's Oasis leaves us gasping for resolution as his protagonist awaits the sword.
• Anthony is battle-weary but goes the final mile to survive in In Dark Trenches.

That this is hard to judge goes without saying, as always. And just to tell you know now - *next week's winner gets to do the judging!!!

The winner this week is Michael Solender with his gorgeously dark The Perfect Successor; one of the best last liners I've read for ages.

I could choose so many runners-up but it's down to two - ravenways Loup Garous on the make in Last One Chosen and Chris Allinotte's Waiting on Onuava. Both dangerous, both a wicked delight. Well done.

Back tomorrow for the next Prediction - and just a little extra pressure*. Bonne nuit.

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28 Days Later...

A big thank you to everyone who took part and so generously contributed their wonderfully dark fiction and poetry to the 2011 February Femmes Fatales showcase. You are extraordinary writers, each and every one.

I've added a permanent FFF page to the blog now, listing and linking all the authors and their entries. I also understand from the grapevine that several writers would like the opportunity to take part in a future FFF showcase, and so I've included details on how to contact me on the page. Yes, there will be a February Femmes Fatales 2012!

And now to catch up with the writing I had put to one side; I have competitions to enter, submissions to make and deadlines to meet. There's a new novel to plan and some other exciting projects I'm keeping to myself for the moment. I can't wait.

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This is the end - beautiful February Femme Fatale, A.J. Humpage

February Femmes Fatales - 
February 28th

So, here we are. This is the end - as the beautiful Mr Morrison sang - and continues to do. The final February Femmes Fatales showcase piece.

I chose this carefully, and yes it's poetry rather than fiction. But Arbeit Macht Frei by A.J. Humpage is remarkable. I confess I've bigged Ally up throughout this showcase, but it's not without warrant. All contributors to, and readers of my weekly Friday Prediction will know how capable she is of scaring the human hell out of us. She sees the horror in mankind, and throws it in our faces - deal with it.

Arbeit Macht Frei upsets and distresses, confuses and hurts. It is a brilliant work that forces us to address inequality. Please do read it. And thank you, Ally for contributing this disturbing, and so well crafted poem.

Arbeit Macht Frei By A J Humpage

Hopeless voices

Entangled branches

Deep wine coloured leaves

Cold breath dancing

In frozen streams.

Slung back rifles, relaxed

And the satisfied stench

Of smiles etched cold

In ribbons of smoke

Stark against the haze.

Hoisted skirts, akimbo legs

Semen stains to soil the skin

Bare breasts like trophies

Chilled to the touch

And wretched in death.

Eyes wide open

But blood still warm

Captured by the camera

Dignity stolen

By the men of war.

Star of David sewn on the arm

But the smile is gone

Clouds fill with spite

The fires burn bright

Day and night.

Their ghostly faces

Shine; frozen in fright

Stilled, fooled hearts

Peace in death

At a price. 

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Bio: A J Humpage has stories published in many anthologies like 6 Sentences, Pill Hill Press, Static Movement and many e-zines. She also writes articles and dispenses writing advice at http://allwritefictionadvice.blogspot.com. She has completed her first novel and some of her stories and poetry can be found at http://ajhumpage.blogspot.com.