Write a quick love story. The story must end badly.
“It isn’t love,” I tell myself, mumbling as she walks away. “You don’t love her. Don’t follow her,” I say, as I stand and start toward the door she just disappeared through. “Wait, Sophie, please don’t go.”
I watched as her steps slowed and finally stopped, but she didn’t turn around.
“I… I can’t lose you too,” I said, instead of the words I knew she wanted—needed—to hear.
Her back stiffened. She rounded her shoulders and held her chin up high as she gripped her car keys in her fist. I could imagine the look on her face, strong yet sad—broken yet determined, but she never looked back.
The car beeped twice. She had unlocked the door.
I’m losing her, I thought. I reached out, started to call her again, but she didn’t give me a chance. She took the last few steps toward her car door and climbed in. The door slammed shut with a load echo that reverberated off the building behind me and a shutter shot through my body. I crumpled to my knees as I watched her car drive away.
“I love you.” It was only a whisper, one she would never hear, yet they were the truest words I’d ever spoken.
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Write a quick love story. The story must end badly.
What books have made your November reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to check out the December 2019 New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books you’d like to add to your reading list!
Secrets. Everyone has one. Some are bigger than others. And when secrets are revealed, Some will heal you … And some will end you.
Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.
They both feel it. But they each have a reason to fight it. They each have a secret.
And when secrets are revealed, Some will heal you … And some will end you.
WOW… I ate this book up, binge reading it in just a couple of days. It is a super-fast read with so much amazing detail.
WRITING (★★★★★): Kim Holden draws you right in
with her playful dialogue between life long friends Kate and Gus. Immediately
we feel their connection and realize that these two friends have just been separated
as Kate left for college and Gus is still home in southern California following
his dream of being a Rockstar.
The way Kim tells
the story, each chapter from one character’s perspective, really pulled me into
the book. It makes you, as a reader, feel more involved and it gives the story
an overarching personal feeling that telling it from third person just wouldn’t
have accomplished.
STORY (★★★★): This story takes you on a rollercoaster
of emotions. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll get pissed… but, if you’re like
me, you’ll love every minute of it.
A
little warning though, this one is for mature audiences. Topics covered in
Bright Side include loss, disease, eating disorders, homosexuality, sex,
drinking, and SO MUCH MORE!!!
CHARACTERS (★★★★★): As an author,
Kim Holden understands character development. She has to be one of my top 5
authors for character development. She had me emotionally connected, not only
to the main character Kate but also with Gus, Keller, and everyone else.
Seriously, even Kate’s college roommate, who is kind of a jerk, is written in a
way that makes her misunderstood… I found myself wanting to know more about
her. Who knows, maybe Kim will write a book for her at some point too.
Kate, also known as Bright Side, is a
beautiful person inside and out. She is optimistic in every sense of the word
and sadly, life has just not been kind to her. She has been dealt a terrible
hand, but she doesn’t let it get her down. With every line… even when she is saying
Dude every other word, we get a sense of who she is. That is the magic of good
character development.
APPEARANCE (★★★★★): Simple… Intriguing… and totally Bright Side! The
cover made me smile even before I opened the pages to meet Bright Side!
FAVORITE
QUOTES:
“Today, my life is awesome. I don’t want to
think about tomorrow. Or the day after that. So I repeat to myself: Today, my
life is awesome.”
“Don’t judge each other. We all have our own
shit. Keep your eyes on yours and your nose out of everyone else’s unless you’re
invited in. And when you get the invitation, help, don’t judge.”
“Imagine for a moment that you were free of
all the expectations in your life. What would you do? How would you live your
life with no one watching? What would your future look like?”
“Do Epic.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kim lives in what she calls the greatest city in the world: Denver, Colorado. Some of her favorite things: reading, writing, her husband and her son, her bicycle, Facebook, iced coffee, and music. She also loves dreaming. Her advice to anyone reading this, or any of her books… follow your dreams. It’s never too late. Get started today … heck get started RIGHT NOW! Make your dreams reality. She loves to hear from fellow readers. So, if you want to reach out, find her on Goodreads at author/show/7445352.Kim_Holden
Check out my YouTube channel and the video
review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
This is the story of Gus. Losing himself. Finding himself. And healing along the way.
“ … but the honest-to-God truth is I don’t even know how to function anymore. Bright Side wasn’t only my best friend; she was like my other half … the other half of my brain, the other half of my conscience, the other half of my sense of humor, the other half of my creativity, the other half of my heart. How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?”
Note from the author: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is recommended for mature audiences.
FRANCO (Bright Side Book 3)
Franco Genovese is the drummer for world renowned American rock band, Rook. He’s got it all. A killer smile. Tattoos. Talent. Razor sharp wit and humor. And a heart as big, and generous, as they come. Life is good. Steady. Uncomplicated. Just the way he likes things. Until one night at an unassuming L.A. bar changes everything. Enter Gemma Hendricks. She’s a successful young architect from Northern England with an adorable smile, sarcasm for days, and an unparalleled trusting heart. The attraction is instant. So is their friendship. It’s also temporary because they’ll both be heading home, thousands of miles apart from each other, in a few days. Or is it? There’s something Gemma wants more than anything else. And when Franco propositions her to provide what she’s looking for, everything changes. Will it transform friendship into love, or will it be their ruin?
There are two sides to every story.
The surface reality that’s presented to the world…
And then there’s the other side.
The real one.
The one that matters.
Seventeen-year-old, self-proclaimed asshole, Toby
Page, is alone.
No friends.
No family.
He trades maintenance work in exchange for room
and board.
Every day he fights demons no one else can see.
Every day he wants to give up.
But he can’t.
Not yet.
When Alice Eliot moves in downstairs, she offers
Toby some light in his dark world.
At a crossroads and barely hanging on, it’s hard
to have perspective.
It’s difficult to see your own worth when you’re
the villain in your story.
Luckily for Toby, Alice brings things out in him
that no one else ever has.
As the two sides of Toby’s story are revealed, and
the full reality comes into view, truth is gained, unlikely heroes emerge, and
improbable alliances prove that kindness is fundamentally human.
The question is, Will it all be enough to save him?
ALL OF IT
Seventeen-year-old VERONICA SMITH has it all: a loving family, a funky car named Jezebel, and a plan to go to college after graduation. On the first day of senior year, she meets DIMITRI GLENN–a mysterious transfer student with gray eyes and a mischievous smile who seems determined to win her heart. But there’s something odd about Dimitri, leading Veronica to wonder if there’s more to him than meets the eye. Before long she finds herself in a whirlwind romance that seems too good to be true–until a series of devastating events leaves her questioning everything. It’s not until she chooses to think with her heart instead of her mind that she can rise from the ashes to learn the truth of their connection.
This is a glimpse into divorce: the lead-up, the aftermath,
and the redemption that follows.
Love is strange. It comes out of nowhere. There’s
no logic to it. It’s not methodical. It’s not scientific. It’s pure emotion and
passion. And emotion and passion can be dangerous because they fuel love…and
hate.
I’m now a reluctant connoisseur of both—an expert
through immersion. I know them intimately.
When I fell in love with Miranda, it was swift and
blind. She was the person I’d elevated to mythical status in my head, in my
dreams.
Here’s the thing about dreams, they’re smoke.
They’re spun as thoughts until they become
something we think we want. Something we think we need.
That was Miranda. She was smoke.
I thought I wanted her. I thought I needed her.
Over time reality crept in and slowly dissected
and disemboweled my dreams like a predator, leaving behind a rotting carcass.
Sometimes, you just have to get
away. That’s how I felt, every second of every day, after my mom and sister
died. Life just wasn’t the same and I knew it never would be. So, I left.
I had been training, learning
everything I could about being a tracker. I knew it wasn’t in my blood, not
like it was for my sister. She was amazing. Me, I had to work at it, hard. That
didn’t mean I wasn’t good, I was… I am.
After just a week on the road, I
had managed to get the attention of the High Council. No, that isn’t always a
good thing, especially when they send someone like me to find you. In this
case, I wanted to get their attention. I wanted them to know who I was and what
I was planning.
I made my way from Atlanta, Michigan
where I had grown up, all the way out West to California. Along the way, I
worked as a High Council tracker. I was taken in on a trial basis, but by the
time I landed my fifth capture, they hired me full-time and were giving me the
best cases. Having magic on my side didn’t hurt things.
Being out there, on the road, alone
was eye opening. I didn’t have a car, so I hitch-hiked and took the bus just about
everywhere I went, but it didn’t slow me down. I saw the world with new eyes.
My sister and mother had never left Michigan, so I was seeing it for the first
time, for all of us. I needed it. Though I was alone, I never felt lonely. I
could feel them there with me, in spirit, guiding me… helping me. It was the
best time of my life. Why it had to end… that’s another story.
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What is the best road trip you have ever taken?
What books have made your September
reading list? Comment below and let me know!
Remember,
#WritingWednesday is an EASY, STRESS-FREE, weekly writing challenge.
Read the
writing prompt below,
Spend 5
minutes writing (in your own voice or the voice of a character you’re writing) whatever
comes to mind,
DON’T
EDIT what you write! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!
The goal
is 5 minutes of creativity.
Today, I am writing in my own voice. As a mom, this writing prompt really spoke to me!
Today’s writing prompt:
What do you think is the most important thing for today’s kids to learn in school?
When I was growing up, school was
all about projects, research, learning, and even discovering new things. Sure,
I was a kid so I thought of it as work… I complained about all the homework and
tests and time. Yes, it took time to get everything done. We didn’t have the
internet. We didn’t have access to unlimited knowledge at our fingertips. We
actually had to go to the library, search the stacks, and often time resort to
reading the encyclopedia to find the information we needed.
Today, school seems all about test
scores and less about actual learning. Sure, kids do gain knowledge from
attending classes, but more importantly I think they gain social skills. Outside
of the classroom, kids are often sitting with their noses pointed at either a
phone, a computer, or some form of gaming device. Kids don’t interact the same
way they did when I was younger. If I wanted to talk to a friend, I had to call
them on the phone (which was connected to the wall with a cord) and have a real-life
conversation. Today communication is done through sending photos, emojis, and poorly
written (often abbreviated) text messages. I fear that kids are losing the
social skills that are essential to a successful future. That is why I feel
that the most important thing for kids to learn in school is communication!
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What do you think is the most important thing
for today’s kids to learn in school?
What books have made your August reading
list? Check out the New York Times bestsellers for August 2019 by CLICKING
HERE!
Are
you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all
your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all
the tools I use in my writing process!
Want help meeting your writing goals? Check out JUST WRITE: The Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal a planner-journal hybrid to help new and experienced writers stay organized while still fostering creativity. Track your progress with daily/monthly word count goals. Plan your writing/publishing goals, manage your to do list, never miss another deadline or appointment again, keep track of writing ideas, schedule/log social sharing and blog post ideas, keep a record of books you’re reading or want to read, maintain a running playlist, etc.
What was the last thing you read or saw that really inspired you?
The
last thing that really inspired me wasn’t something that I read or saw… it was
a conversation I had while out in Los Angeles recently. I was visiting with an
old friend and we were talking, over coffee, about all the screenplays he has
written. He’s a struggling writer out in L.A. trying to make it in ‘the
industry’ and he was telling me how he reads 60+ scripts a week and has written
40, 50, 60+ scripts himself. I can’t remember the exact number. I just remember
thinking, WOW!
This
guy, in my opinion, is one of the most talented screenplay writers I’ve ever
met… yet he is struggling. It’s not easy to sell a script in Hollywood. It’s
not easy to pitch ideas and get turned down again and again. It’s not easy to
keep your spirits up and continue to be motivated to put pen to paper… or
rather fingers to keyboard. Yet, he does it. He does it every day, day after
day, week after week. He hasn’t given up and neither will I.
His
drive to keep going. His determination to continue pursuing his dream inspires
me to do the same.
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What was the last thing you read or saw that really inspired you?
Are you an author
looking for inspiration? Take some advice from these amazing authors:
Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children says, Start a collection!
Cormac McCarthy, author of ‘The Road’ says to talk to people!
David Mitchell, author of ‘Cloud Atlas’ says to explore extended metaphors!
Are you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my writing process!
Are you working on a manuscript, but need a little help getting organized? Check out SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ~ An Indie Author Guide to Outlining and Planning Your Next Novel
It isn’t just for indie-authors. I have filled it with all the tools I’ve learned over the years and use on a regular basis with each book I write.
Want help meeting your writing goals? Check out JUST WRITE: The Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal
Write about a souvenir you have bought or received!
Let
me start by saying I don’t journal and I think this is a waste of time. I work,
a lot. Usually seven days a week and a lot of double shifts. That doesn’t leave
a whole lot of time for souvenir shopping, as I’m sure you can imagine.
Although, I do camp. I suppose that’s something. There aren’t many shops out in the woods, or any for that matter, but there are people. I meet some interesting people out in the woods. One overly nice young lady I met, April was her name, gave me a lovely gold necklace with a solitary diamond hanging from it.
I
suppose that should count as a souvenir I received, although I didn’t keep it.
It was to delicate and pretty for me to wear. I ended up giving it to my
girlfriend, Sophie. I’m not sure she fully appreciated what I went through to
get it for her. I suppose I couldn’t really tell her all the gory details,
now could I?
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Write about a souvenir you have bought or
received!
Are you an author looking for inspiration or even guidance? Click on the images below for some great writing tips and guides from authors who have been where you are!
Are you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my writing process!
Are you working on a manuscript, but need a little help getting organized? Check out SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ~ An Indie Author Guide to Outlining and Planning Your Next Novel
It isn’t just for indie-authors. I have filled it with all the tools I’ve learned over the years and use on a regular basis with each book I write.
Want help meeting your writing goals? Check out JUST WRITE: The Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal
I'm drunk ~ Not on alcohol or even love. I'm drunk ~ Grief pulls me under and rattles my shell. I'm drunk ~ It's not a tipsy sort of dizziness. I'm drunk ~ It's a heavy, sinking feeling sweeping over me. I'm drunk ~ Hollow... Senseless... Desperation I'm drunk ~ Vacant... Void... Agony I'm drunk ~ Plummeting... Falling... Sinking I'm drunk ~ It's the sting of your loss pulling me under! I'M DRUNK!
Dedicated to my Uncle Dan (Danny Tapaninen Feb. 19, 1955 – June 24, 2019) You will forever be in my heart!
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What are you feeling, right now?
Are you an author who
is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals?
Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my
writing process!
Are you working on a manuscript, but need a little help getting organized? Check out SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ~ An Indie Author Guide to Outlining and Planning Your Next Novel
It isn’t just for indie-authors. I have filled it with all the tools I’ve learned over the years and use on a regular basis with each book I write
It’s
Thursday afternoon and usually I post my weekly Writing Wednesday post on, well…
Wednesday. Unfortunately, or maybe luckily, I was on vacation this last week
and my blog got put on the back burner. I think we all need a little me time,
but right about now, I need more work time.
I’m
trying to catch up, with everything. I have a stack of books about a mile high
that I need to get through, a list of movies about two miles long that I need
to watch and review, a number of author interview requests, blog posts to set
up, and a self-publishing course to create.
So
yeah, I need time. If you have any extra that you’d like to loan me, I’d
forever be in your debt.
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What do you need right now?
* * * * *
Would you like more
sources for daily writing prompts? Click on the links below for great writing
prompt journals I think you’ll really love!
This Self-Discovery Journal provides more than 200 thoroughly unique & enjoyable writing prompts. Skyrocket your self-esteem, develop your creativity and explore all area’s of life: Writing Prompts about your love life, Writing Prompts to better deal with social anxiety’s Writing Prompts for finding empowering strategies to deal with worries, stress and failures. And much, much more
Do you want to know yourself better? Self-discovery and self-revelation aren’t easy. With simple but provocative questions about wishes and fears, memories and beliefs, secrets and dreams, All About Me will reveal everything you ever wanted to know about yourself but never thought—or dared—to ask. Whether you fill it in or answer questions out loud, this is the perfect gift for your friends, your family, your loved one… and you.
Are you an author who
is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals?
Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my
writing process!
Are you working on a manuscript, but need a little help getting organized? Check out SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ~ An Indie Author Guide to Outlining and Planning Your Next Novel
It isn’t just for indie-authors. I have filled it with all the tools I’ve learned over the years and use on a regular basis with each book I write.
Want help meeting your writing goals? Check out JUST WRITE: The Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal
JUST WRITE is the Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal designed as a planner-journal hybrid to help new and experienced writers stay organized while still fostering creativity. Track your project progress, plan your writing and publishing goals, maintain your personal/business to do list, never miss another deadline or appointment again, keep track of writing ideas, schedule and log social sharing and blog post ideas, keep a record of books you’re reading or want to read, maintain a running playlist, etc.
Have you ever experienced something that could not be logically
explained?
Something
that could not be logically explained? To you or to me? My whole life is filled
with things that most humans would say could not be logically explained.
I’m
blind. I wasn’t always blind, but when I was seven years old, I drowned. My
family was at a backyard bar-b-q at a neighbor’s house, and I was playing with
the other kids when I slipped and fell into the pool. I remember the feeling of
the cold water rushing around me but after that, nothing.
I’m
told I spent six months in the hospital, most of which I was either in a coma
or sedated. When I finally woke up, I had lost all vision in both eyes. I
couldn’t remember what my parents looked like or even that I had a little
brother, only three years old.
My
parents sent me away, to a boarding school for the blind. They said it would be
the best thing for me—that I’d learn how to deal with my new reality.
I
learned.
I
trained.
I
grew.
My
life is different now. I still can’t see, not in the way you do anyway.
However, my sight goes so much deeper than yours ever could.
They
call me a Precognitive. It’s a fancy word for someone who knows what will come…someone
with the ability to see into the future. So you see, my whole life is filled
with things that you might say are not logically explainable.
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Have you ever experienced something that
could not be logically explained?
* * * * *
Would you like more sources for daily writing prompts? Click on the links below for two of my favorite writing prompt journals. I think you’ll really love them too!
Paper 204 pages of 100 GSM wood-free, acid-free paper
Binding open smith-sewn
* * * * *
Are you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my writing process!
Remember, #WritingWednesday is an EASY, STRESS-FREE, weekly writing challenge.
Read the writing prompt below,
Spend 5 minutes writing (in your own voice or the voice of a character you’re writing) whatever comes to mind,
DON’T EDIT what you write! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!
The goal is 5 minutes of creativity.
Today I am writing in my voice. I usually write in the voice of one of my characters, but today’s prompt really spoke to me. I hope it speaks to you too.
Today’s writing prompt:
Write about three goals (realistic or maybe a little far-reaching) that you would like to achieve in your lifetime.
I have plenty of goals… I love a good ‘to do’ list and even more so, I love to set goals. I have a huge list of short-term goals and a fairly long list of long-term goals. However, today I want to talk about those goals I haven’t had the guts to write out. Three really big, far-reaching, goals that I’d love to achieve but don’t really expect to manage.
I want to make the New York Time’s Best Seller’s List! As an author, that just seems like the ultimate ‘you’ve made it’ moment. I want my books to touch someone. I want them to make a difference in someone else’s life. I want them to be read.
I want to give a Ted Talk… I’d love to talk about writing, being a struggling author, and the hurdles you have to overcome in order to make it. The hurdles you do overcome if you’re really passionate about what you’re writing.
I went to college for acting… I wanted to be an actress. I still do. I do theatre, I’ve done a number of commercials, and for a short period I lived out in Los Angeles and did the whole struggling actor thing booking a few jobs here and there. Hell, I’m even aSAG/AFTRA member. I want, at some point in my lifetime, to get a role I can be truly proud of. I want that ‘you’ve made it’ moment as an actress.
Yeah, those are my three really big goals. Now that I’ve put them out into the universe, who knows, maybe they will manifest. So, what are your goals?
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Write about three goals (realistic or maybe a little far-reaching) that you would like to achieve in your lifetime.
Nina Soden 