11th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest Entry

 Hello everyone,

I'm happy to participate once again in Susanna Leonard Hill's Halloweensie Writing Contest! The rules this time are a story that is 100 words or less and contains the following words: glow-in-the-dark, goosebumps, and goodies. My entry is below. I hope you enjoy it.

A Tricky Tattoo

(100 words)

Going through my Halloween goodies, there is a bag with a goosebumps glow-in-the-dark temporary tattoo and a piece of algae green candy that smells like sweaty socks. I know it’s from Mr. Wonkers. He gives the worst treats so he gets our best tricks. “The candy will stop the spread!” is written on the back of the tattoo. I toss the candy in the garbage and put the tattoo on. The glowing goosebumps spread all over my body! I dive into the garbage and retrieve the candy. It’s disgusting but the goosebumps go away. You won this year Mr. Wonkers!

Check out the other great entries here.

Happy Halloween everyone.

The 6th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest

 Here's my entry for this year's Valentiny writing contest hosted by Susanna Leonard Hill. I hope you enjoy it. 

A Valentine's Day Quest in the Land of Moore
(208 words)

Darkness fell across the land of Moore. Wil was so close to the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for his mother he could taste it. All he had to do was brave the last three obstacles and it would be his.

He bounded over the squishy rocks of Coucherton like a kangaroo.

He scaled the cliffs of Libraria like a lizard.

Finally, he leapt like a sugar glider and grabbed the spinning blades of Windamore. He gripped the blades tightly and waited for the perfect opportunity to grab the gift.

The more the blades spun, the dizzier he became. He felt his grip slowly releasing. This was his only chance to grab the gift.

He stuck his arm out as far as he could and, “SHWACK!” the gift was in his grasp. He shouted, “Excelsior!” and released from the blades landing on the top of the cliffs of Libraria.

The darkness quickly disappeared with a bright flash of light.

“Wil!” his mother shouted. “What are you doing on top of the bookcase?”

“I rescued your Valentine’s Day gift. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

“Thank you honey. But that box of candy is for you.”

“Even better,” Wil said with a smile. He landed on the couch and tore into the candy.

THE 10TH ANNUAL HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST!!!

Wow! 10 years of great and short Halloween stories thanks to Susanna Leonard Hill. This years rules are as follows: 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words), using the words skeleton, creep, and mask.  I couldn't think of a good name. So it's just, The Kid in the Homemade Costume, which comes in at 99 words, it was around 300 word until I got out a hammer and chisel, chainsaw, weed eater, etc. and whittled it down. Hopefully I kept the feel of the original story. I hope you enjoy it.

The Kid in the Homemade Costume
(99 words)

Sheila wondered who the kid was that followed her. The kid’s homemade skeleton costume creeped her out.

She came up with a plan to scare the kid off.

She quickly turned the next corner.

“Boo!” she yelled.

The kid didn’t flinch.

“Alright kid, stop following me while I trick or treat!” She demanded.

The kid didn’t react.

“I’m going to take off your mask and see who you are” she stated.

She lifted the mask and saw a skeleton kid. She screamed, dropped her candy, and ran home.

The skeleton kid picked up the candy and yelled, “Happy Halloween!”

9th Annual Holiday Contest Entry

It's hard to believe Susanna Leonard Hill has been hosting her Holiday Writing Contest for 9 years. I need to go back and look at the first years entries. The rules for this edition are a 250 word maximum story about a treat. More of the rules and stories here. My entry is below. I hope you enjoy it.
Happy holidays!

A “Treat” for Santa

241 words

I need to bake cookies for Santa. I wonder what goes in cookies.

There is sugar in cookies. This bag of sugar should do the trick.

They need eggs. I’ll dump in a dozen. The shells should add a nice crunch.

I remember mom putting some kind of soda in there. All I have is root beer. I guess that will have to do.

I think flour goes in cookies. I won’t put in too much, just a pinch, I want them to be sweet.

All good cookies need chocolate chips. A couple of bags should be good.

That looks like everything to me. I’ll stir them up and get them in the oven.

It smells great in here.

They look a little dry. I saw a stick of butter on the counter the last time mom made them. I’ll rub butter on them and they should be perfect.

I’ll put them on this decorative plate near the fireplace with a glass of milk for Santa. Time for bed.

Eight hours later…

I hope Santa liked my cookies.

He left me a cookbook and a note.

Dear Christina, 

Thank you for the cookies. They were very interesting. I gave some to the reindeer and they are now full of energy. We should deliver the rest of the presents in record time. I highlighted my favorite cookie recipe in the cookbook. I look forward to trying them next year. 

Merry Christmas, 

Santa

2019 Halloweensie entry

It's time for the 9th annual Halloweensie Writing Contest hosted by the fabulous Susanna Leonard Hill. The rules this year are a story of no more than 100 words which contains the words potion, cobweb, and trick. My entry is below. 

The Ultimate Spider-Man Costume

60 words

This potion I got from the witch doctor will help me shoot webs like Spider-Man and swing from house to house to get the most candy.

GULP!

Time to trick or treat!

THUD!

It must take time to activate. I’ll walk next door.

DING DONG!

Trick or treat!

ACHOOOO!

Sorry about the slimy cobwebs. May I have some candy please?

Check out the other great entries here. Happy Halloween everyone!

Vivian Kirkfield's 50 Precious Word Contest

It's time again for the 50 Precious Word's writing contest hosted by Vivian Kirkfield. It's a fun contest with few limits except that the story must be 50 words or less. Mine comes in at 49 words. I hope you enjoy it.

Operation: The Cheese Stands Alone

Nibbles spied the cheese through binoculars and said, “The cat’s away. We need a Brielliant plan to get the cheese.”

“Yes, a cheddar one than last time,” responded Squeakers.

Nibbles scanned further and exclaimed, “Sacre blue cheese! The cat is disguised as a soufflé.”

“That’s no Gouda,” said Squeakers.

Check out the other great entries here.

Susanna Leonard Hill's 8th Annual Holiday Contest

I didn't think I'd have an entry for the contest this year. Then an idea finally came to me. I keep editing little parts of it. Hopefully it will be fully completed by the time judging comes around.

The rules are it has to be about some sort of a Holiday Hero and must be 250 words or less. My entry comes in at 216 words. I hope you enjoy it.

The Hero Every Baker Deserves
216 words

Kara sat on her bed reading her favorite magazine Superhero Digest when a bitter sweet smell caught her nose.

“That smell…I know that smell.”

I wide-eyed look came over Kara’s face when she realized what the smell was.

“Oh no! Not this year too!” She exclaimed and bolted into her closet.

There was a bright plaid flash and the smell of fresh baked cookies filled the room. After a few seconds she emerged as the superhero Bain-Marie, savior of baked goods everywhere.

She flew out of her bedroom and down the stairs into the kitchen.

She grasped the oven door and flung it open.

With her super protective oven mitt like hands, she grabbed the tray of cookies and pulled them from the oven.

“Phew!” She exclaimed. “Got them out just in time. We can’t give Santa burnt cookies two years in a row.”

She placed the cookies on the counter to cool.

She picked up a cookie and started to take a bite when the smell of the ocean filled her nose.

“Someone has used salt instead of sugar in their cookies. No time to eat, there are more Santa cookies to be saved!”

She set the cookie down and flew off to the next house to save another batch of cookies from certain doom.

Check out the other great entries here.

Happy Holidays!

Halloweensie Contest 2018 Edition

It's the time of year when the smell of pumpkin spice fills the air and Susuanna Leonard Hill unleashes her Halloweensie contest to the world. The rules for this year's contest are as follows: story is limited to 100 words and must include the words shiver, cauldron, and howl. My entry comes in at exactly 100 words. I hope you enjoy it.

Full Moon Stew

(100 words)

Spencer shivered in the cauldron’s cold water surrounded by vegetables shaped like toys.

The witch drooled and lit the fire.

Finally, a nice warm bath. It had been awhile since Spencer had one.

He played with a potato shaped like a boat.

“Oh no! Not now!” he shouted as a full moon revealed itself through the window.

Hair sprouted all over his body. His nails grew long and a muzzle formed on his face.

“Awoooo!” he howled.

“You’ve ruined my meal and broke my cauldron,” the witch screamed.

Spencer looked at the mess and asked, “Want to get some porridge?”

Check out the other great Halloweensie entries here.

Happy Halloween everyone!

#50PreciousWords 2018 Writing Challenge

In honor of Theodore Geisel's birthday, better known as Dr. Seuss, Vivian Kirkfield has brought back her 50 Precious Words Writing Challenge. The challenge is to write a complete story in 50 words or less. More information and the other entries here. The inspiration for my entry came from my son taking a bubble bath. I hope you enjoy it.

Bubbles

41 Words

The animals at the zoo were ready for their bath.

The shiny cotton candy scented bubbles made them laugh.

Out of bubble bath the animals let out a collective groan.

Mortimer the bear sprang into action making bubbles of his own.

2018 Valentiny Contest

It's time for the 3rd annual Susanna Leonard Hill Valentiny Writing Contest. The rules this time are a story that is 214 words in length in which someone must be hopeful. My entry comes in at exactly 214 words. I'm hopeful that you enjoy it.

A Squirrelly Valentine
(214 words)

“Did you see that?” asked Chipper.

“See what?” responded Twiggy.

“Bobby left his Valentine on the bench. We need to get it to him somehow before he gets to school.”

“How can we do that? We’re just squirrels.”

“If we take the squirrel superhighway, we should beat him to school.”

“Sounds great. Let’s go!”

They grabbed the Valentine, scurried up a tree, and leapt branch to branch high above the ground.

The traffic was bad. But they beat Bobby to the school.

“How do we get it back to him?” asked Twiggy.

“I have an idea,” responded Chipper. “You run in circles around his legs. While he’s stopped, I’ll drop it into his backpack from above.”

“I love running in circles!”

“Great. Let’s hope this works.”

Twiggy circled Bobby. Chipper took aim and dropped the valentine. A gust of wind blew it off course.

Twiggy stopped circling. Chipper joined him on the ground. Puzzled, Bobby continued into the school.

“We tried,” sighed Chipper.

“I hope someone isn’t too disappointed,” said Twiggy.

Chipper looked at the Valentine and exclaimed, “Hey, its’ addressed to us.”

Chipper opened the Valentine and read it, “You guys are nuts. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love, Bobby.”

“I think I’m going to cry,” sniffled Twiggy.

“I’ll get you a tissue,” replied Chipper.

Check out the other great entries at Susanna's blog: https://susannahill.com/blog/

Susanna Leonard Hill's 7th Annual Holiday Contest!!!

My brain had just barely returned to normal after the Halloweensie contest when the 7th Annual Holiday Contest was announced. I began brainstorming idea's and came up with nothing. After several glasses of eggnog and brandy, I came up with this story which is loosely based on actual events. I hope you enjoy it.

Santa in the Side Pocket245 words

Ah…Christmas Eve. The longest day in any present-loving kid’s life. One more obstacle to hurdle before Santa arrives with gifts.

My family went to my uncle’s house for Christmas Eve. The evening consisted of playing with cousins, dinner and the highlight of the evening: opening a few gifts.

I was greeted by the usual kaleidoscope of M & M’s. I grabbed a large handful and walked into the living room where I discovered a new piece of furniture… a pool table.

My cousins and I played pool all night long. I had so much fun that I wished I asked Santa for a pool table instead of LEGOs.

On the drive home, a bright streak in the sky caught my eye. SANTA!

“Can you bring me a pool table please, Santa?”

“I don’t think Santa will have time to fly all the way back up to the North Pole to get you a pool table, honey,” my mom responded.

I went to bed a little disheartened.

The morning sun hit my face and I sprang into gift opening mode.

I rounded the corner into the living room and…

KABLAMEY!

I ran smack into a kid-sized pool table.

“Thanks Santa!” I shouted. I unwrapped my other gifts so quickly that I had no idea what I received.

I played pool all day long until it was time for bed.

The next day, I woke up and played with LEGOs. I never touched the pool table again.

Thanks for reading. Check out the other great entries here.

Happy Holidays!

Vivian Kirkfield's Perfect Picture Book Friday

I'm honored to have The Bath of Least Resistance featured on Vivian Kirkfields Perfect Picture Book Friday. I'm so honored that I'm giving away a copy. Just leave a comment on her blog to be eligible to win.

And the winner's are....

Congratulations to the winner's in Susanna Leonard Hill's Halloweensie Contest! My story wasn't one of the top 15. But I did get an honorable mention for Great Kid Appeal. The results are posted here.

Time to vote...

...for your favorite story in Susanna Leonard Hill's 7th Annual Halloweensie contest. As always, there are many great stories to choose from. 

https://susannahill.com/2017/11/13/the-2017-halloweensie-contest-finalists-at-long-last/

Goodreads giveaway stats

My Goodreads giveaway for 3 copies of The Bath of Least Resistance ended early Sunday morning after running for a week. 1286 people entered and 461 of them marked it as to-read. Congratulations to the winners. The books will be in the mail Wednesday this week.

The 7th Annual Halloweensie Contest

It's that time of year again... time for pumpkin lattes! But the thing I look forward to the most this time of year is Susanna Leonard Hill's Halloweensie contest. This is the 7th year for the contest and my 3rd time entering.  

The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words), using the words candy corn, monster, and shadow. (Candy corn will be counted as 1 word.)  

I got out my thinking cap, added dust and cobwebs, and came up with the following story. I hope you enjoy it. 

Killer Candy Corn Costume

80 words
(78 with candy corn as 1 word) 

King sized pillow case? Check! 
Flash Light? Check! 
Monster costume? Check! 
I’m all set to trick or treat! 
First block done. I’m a little hungry. I’d better eat some candy. 
My whole pillow case is filled with candy corns. My favorite! I could eat them all day long. 
What’s this large shadow looming over me? 
Oh a candy corn costume. 
“Nice costume kid. That’s my favorite candy.” 
Oh cool! The mouth opens really wide. 
YOMP! 
“Humans, my favorite candy. BURP!”

Check out the other great entries into the contest here. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a Happy Halloween!

The Bath of Least Resistance Goodreads Giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Bath of Least Resistance

by Gregory E. Bray

Giveaway ends October 28, 2017.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Great Valley Bookfest

This past weekend I spent a very short time at the MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing booth at the Great Valley Bookfest. I didn't get to sign any books. But I did have this special visitor drop in while there.

2017 Orange County Children's Book Festival

Sadly I couldn't attend the Orange County Children's Book Festival. But thanks to my publisher, my book did.

Awesomegang Interview

There's a quick short interview with me here. Thanks to everyone at awesomegang for the interview opportunity.