Come Get Some "Plain Old Magic"!

Happy dance! I'm one of the finalists of a flash suite contest.

A flash suite is a series of linked short fiction pieces. Mine is called "Plain Old Magic" and includes six parts. They are published daily, from Dec 1 through Dec 6.

Here's the schedule for "Plain Old Magic" (you can always play catch-up and read it from the beginning):

"Treasure"  12/1; "Julie"  12/2; "Liz"  12/3; "Jim"  12/4; "Mr. Cooper"  12/5; "Grace"  12/6

And here's the link:

https://defenestrationism.net/plain-old-magic/

"Plain Old Magic" is short and sweet, enjoy!

Live for the Love of it,

Sasha A. Palmer (aka Happy)

"Once she was drawn into the fray..."

"Once she was drawn into the fray, once involved in transplanting or weeding or thinning or pulling deadheads, she forgot all else..."

— E.B. White wrote about his wife in the heartfelt Introduction to "Onward and Upward in the Garden" — a collection of Katharine S. White's wonderful essays, E.B. White put together and published two years after her passing.  

Live for the Love of it,

Sasha A. Palmer (aka Happy)

See you there!

Happy's over at Poetic Asides!

Live for the Love of it,

Sasha A. Palmer (aka Happy)

2014 April PAD Challenge: Day 3

I'm continuing my haiku story based on Poetic Asides Poem-A-Day prompts.

Today's prompt is Message.

Three days, three haiku.





beyond the welkin

a sleepy angel awakes

off to work wings brushed

the commute is quick
one giant leap for mankind
for angel one step 

the task is simple
persuade men to be happy
that's what angels do





To be continued tomorrow...

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur

Flash Fiction Challenge Vote Results

I don’t know much, but I can tell you about the sea.  And the sky.  And the gulls perched between them.  The restless gulls, always calling, always searching for home.  I can tell you about the blues that stretch out to the horizon.  Where the waters of heaven and earth meet and blend together.  Where the clouds dip into the waves and pop up as foamy crests.

 

I can tell you about old.  The battered, wrinkled stones.  The weathered hands.  The deep lines around the eyes.  The eyes that shone with youth once.  The light that’s going out.  And the light within.

I can tell you about storms.  The gray and violet palette.  The cooling touch.  The force that picks up metal ships, and twists, and carries them, and scatters them like wood chips.  The deafening roar, devastation and despair.

Do not be afraid.  Look for me in the distance.  I’ll be there for you.  Put your trust in me.  Let me guide you to safety.

And when you feel land beneath your tired feet, come see me.  Don’t leave just yet.  My old man will open the aged brandy he’s been saving for visitors, and serve it to you in a heated glass to warm up your soul and loosen your tongue.  He’ll pour some for himself and marvel at your stories of the impossibly beautiful faraway worlds, and his eyes will grow young again.

And when your stories are all through, I will tell you about the sea.

 Thank you for voting for me!

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2014/02/14/the-happy-amateur-wins-flash-fiction-challenge/

Live for the Love of it,
The Happy Amateur

Image credit: Indies Unlimited

Flash fiction

Indies Unlimited is hosting a flash fiction challenge. 

Come join the fun.

If you happen to like my entry, you'll have a chance to vote for it: Indies Unlimited will set up an online poll on Wednesday afternoon (Pacific Time), and voting will be open until 5:00pm Thursday. 

Thank you.

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur

 

"We need to learn to value amateurs again." Anne R. Allen

 Consider this quote from Alexandra A. Palmer, who blogs as "The Happy Amateur"

"I want to engage in life as a favorite pastime, not a profession. I want to remain… a novice who is hungry for knowledge and humble at the same time. I want to be a constant devotee and admirer of life. In other words, I want to be an amateur."

Anne R. Allen quotes your humble servant and even says that my blog is partly what inspired her post that focuses on professional and amateur writing, exploring their differences and similarities, pros and cons, etc.

  

I’m very happy and honored.  Anne R. Allen’s Blog (with Ruth Harris) is a very special place.  A great source of advice, encouragement and support for writers.  All are welcome.  And it’s lots of fun.  

Thank you, Anne. 

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur  

Redbud Tree (an attempt at a sijo poem)

REDBUD TREE

The tender purple buds unfold, becoming leaves of rich scarlet.

My life unfolds before my eyes, the fleeting youth has vanished.

The Sun and truth can burn, I take comfort in the shade of years.

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur

written for dVerse

image credit:

http://lawnpatiobarn.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/eastern-redbud-cercis-canadensis/