The Realms of a Fantastical Mind

 The bike path’s bridge had been my marking point of new adventures. I pushed hard on the bike petals and let myself crest over the top with time slowing along with the bike. My view when I reached the top was not the stunning beauty of the river or the shadowed trees dreaming of spring but of the beauty beyond. Her hair drifted in auburn waves in the wind. Her dark eyes only glanced at me but it was enough to make my heart skip a beat. Her dark skin and clothes mingled with the shadows beyond. This goddess stood with a stillness only forest animals could master. Watching me with those alluring eyes.  My bike coasted the other side of the bridge and I never took my gaze off her. I didn’t think about the turn around the rock that had always been, or the perfect ramp that rock made, until I hit it. My body rocked in the sky and my eyes left the enchantress to search for the landing I was sure to painfully make. I rolled away from the bike just as I impacted with the forest floor...

The wind blew cold against his white fur. The sun was high in the cloudy sky as he hopped along through the brush of the fence. He searched for food, all the while sniffing the air for that fearful scent of the hunter.  Soon he came to a clearing, open and exposed. He needed to get to the next patch of covering bushes. With a few more hops he came to a grooved trail. It’s dark stone underneath marked a human path. He looked up and around. There was no sign of danger. With careful hops, the rabbit tread onto the dark stone and a soft rumbling grew louder with each step.  He moved faster, fearful of what might be coming. Louder and louder the rumbling assaulted his ears. The ice on the stone only slowing his progress.  A dark beast raced up the human path, straight for the scurrying rabbit.  Faster he hopped, faster the beast came. The rumbling now roared as it came. The rabbit was so close to the other side of the human trail. So close to safety and yet still too far ...

As I have learned, When Words Count Writer's Retreat has a sweepstakes at the end of every year to generate free visits for writers from the beginning of January all the way to the end of May. I was one of those people who won. Coming to the retreat, I was blessed with stunning views of mountain ranges and winding back roads, a covered bridge and farms. All of this pleasant to look at. Arriving was just as beautiful. From the mountains in the distance to the little pond just beyond the house it gave a promise of peace and possible productivity in writing. My room is the top left corner. Hi room, I'm home for the next few days. I admit, when I had first won, I thought it was a scam, and in doing research I have not been the only one to think so. It's not a normal thing to hear about some random retreat in Vermont and also to win a 3 night stay at a country type house in the shadow of the Green Mountains in said retreat. It is real, however, I can attest to it....

The boy took a deep breath. Rolling his shoulders, he focused on the board in front of him. With a stomp he pounded his foot against the wood. Nothing. "It's okay, you can do this," the director said. The boy nodded. "I can do this." He smiled thinking of the good he was doing. Again he took up the proper stance and kicked down onto the board held up between two blocks. This time a resounding snap sounded as the wood gave way. The board was broken and with it another donation given to help find a cure for ALS. The boy took up his pieces of wood and a proud smile spread across his face. He gave the director a high five. The boy was proud that he could break the board, but he was even more proud that he could help someone else too. This isn't just a story, this is happening everyday this week in Fitchburg MA, kids breaking boards and donating to finding a cure for ALS. From Len Brassard's Family Martial Arts Center: We are helping to "Kic...

Title : Wind Catcher Author : Jeff Altabef and Erynn Altabef To Be Published: March 23rd, 2015 Publisher: Evolved Publishing Genre: YA, Native American, Fantasy Awards & Honors: Mom’s Choice, the Awesome Indies Seal of Approval, and 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award for Best YA Fiction ~ Synopsis ~ Juliet Wildfire Stone hears voices and sees visions, but she  can't  make out what they mean. Her eccentric grandfather tells her stories about the Great Wind Spirit and Coyote, but he might as well be speaking another language. None of it makes any sense. When she stumbles upon a series of murders she  can't  help but worry her grandfather might be involved. To discover the truth, Juliet must choose between her new life at an elite private school and her Native American heritage. Once she uncovers an ancient secret society formed over two hundred years ago to keep her safe, she starts to wonder whether there’s some truth to those...

Title:   Chasing Daybreak Series:  Dark of Night, Book 1 Author:  Ranae Glass Published:  March 24th, 2015 Publisher:  Crimson Tree Publishing Genre:  NA Paranormal Romance Content Warning:  Violence and adult language Recommended Age:  18+ Synopsis:  Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead. Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next vict...