Bella

Jill – this story was woven with the muted grey overtones of something unpleasant being cast off.  I enjoyed how you linked the idea of metamorphosis with the prompt word butterfly as well as showing the protagonist dealing with the stages of an abusive relationship and its outcome with quiet strength too. Perceptively written.

Sandra, I loved…[Read more]

Thanks for all the kind wishes. Please don’t think me rude that I haven’t responded individually. I still find messaging quite an effort. Your words are very much appreciated.

Thank you for this Janette; as a Blurb self-publisher , (but not seller), I much appreciate this breakdown of your experiences .

I’ve always found the same, right up to last week with  the theatre nurse who held my hand while my eye was bring anatheasised for an op.  bless him. (all well post op.)

Honestly, nobody wants to get ill and go to hospital, but I don’t regret having met the staff. From the cleaner who I talked to a lot, to the nurses who tirelessly carried horrible pots away without a single complaint, to the consultant who (I now see) was joking/hinting about discharge when she said, ‘We must get this catheter out, unless you use…[Read more]

Crikey Moses, William, I’m heart-heartedly glad to hear you are home and hopefully on your way to some sort of recovery – what a torrid time you and your family must have gone through, and thank you for updating us so vividly.

Sendng love and the most healingest of good wishes

Sandra

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‘Gobsmacked’ the inelegant word that came to mind when I read the letter. What else would you expect , being told your three year-old daughter’s poem had been awarded first prize ?  A prize  which earned her up to three sittings with well-renowned portrait artist Bernard Broom. Especially when I’d not an inkling she’d  written any…[Read more]

Thank you for  helping out  here  Janette, and  thank for  choosing  my  offereing as  winner. I felt  all the  entries   captured  Ath’s remit for this  March  madness  comp so well done  Jill, Sandra,Libby and Sea.

The  April  comp   challenge   will be posted  shortly .

Thank you Janette – you did us proud with thoughtful comments, and well done for every other entry, all of which fitted the remit  much more closely than my hastily-grabbed from a long-ago hidden in the drawer novel.

Janette has kindly volunteered !!

Having heard Athelstone indisposed again, it’s unlikely he’ll be be judging  this any time soon

You asked for mad?  Well, here’s the  slice of crackpot absurdity I came up with .

The necklace of tiny silver bells about her neck tinkled softly as she backed against the garden wall. ‘You’re all mad, you know,’ she muttered holding the sharp seed dibber, labelled ‘Mr Pointy’, like a knife at the advancing crowd.

At the front of the group,…[Read more]

Not yet mad enough …

Wine-heavy eyes and naked, she was cleaning her teeth in front of the bathroom mirror when he came in through the door behind her.   He stood behind her, serious-faced, saying nothing, but unignorably attentive.   She finished brushing. Spat, rinsed and spat a couple more times then put the toothbrush back in the glass on…[Read more]