Poem: Any Time After Now

Any Time After Now

They’re calling, I can hear them,

And I wonder who they are

And how they know me.

And they do know me so well.

Maybe I am one of them;

Are they calling me home?

Calling me to join them?

I think I want to follow,

But I know I don’t;

I can’t – how can I?

How can I even when they want me so badly?

It’s terrible timing.

My life keeps taking and grabbing

And I cannot stop it.

They are silent now, of course.

They’ve given up – given up on me.

Decision made.

Not my fault, nothing to do with me…

Innocent innocence.

But I would have gone, followed, left,

If they had asked

Any time after now.

©Lisamarie Lamb 2011

Published: At The Water's Edge

Flash fiction, that favourite of mine, that tale in a thousand words (or fewer), is in. It is the thing. For me, anyway. I don't get much time to write at the moment. I try, but especially at this time of year (NaNoWriMo - eek!) it seems that I can sometimes only squeeze in 30 minutes to an hour a day.

And the thing with me is that I don't like leaving things unfinished. The thing with me is, I worry. My novel is causing me panic and stress because I am constantly thinking of new plot twists, characters, pieces of dialogue to squeeze into it, and I will do until it's finished (and even then I'll have trouble letting go, but that's another post...). And although I enjoy it, and wouldn't not be writing it for the world, it is nice to finish something. To simply sit down for a finite time with a finite number of words, and complete a story.

That's why I like flash fiction.

It is also why I decided to send a submission to Brazen Snake Books' Rattles Flash Fiction anthology At The Water's Edge.

There was a picture, a woman standing on a beach or perhaps a pier, the waves creeping towards her, and she was looking out over the water. At something. Or maybe nothing. That was the challenge - to take the picture and make a story from it in under 1000 words.

I love those challenges.

I'm pleased to say my story, 'Her House', was chosen for inclusion within the anthology. Mine is a story of loss and life. I hope it grabs you and saddens you and makes you smile just a little.

At The Water's Edge is available from Amazon for just 86p, and the print edition will be out soon.

Don't forget, Rattles Flash Fiction has a monthly prompt for inspiration, and plans more flash fiction anthologies, so there's no reason not to get involved!

Published: Satan's Toybox - Demonic Dolls

Lately I have become addicted to submitting stories to anthologies. It started just a few months ago after a chance remark in a forum; I clicked on the link, followed the instructions, wrote and submitted a short story and BANG! I was accepted and was going to be published.

It was a nice feeling, a great feeling, so I searched for more anthologies, and eventually came across Angelic Knight Press. They were looking for horror stories for their Demonic Dolls anthology. And the deadline was in two days. It seemed perfect for me, just the sort of thing I enjoyed reading and writing. But to come up with a short story, complete and edited, in just two days? This on top of a day job and a toddler? Somehow, I did it. And I'm so glad that I did - my story, 'Mr Doll' was accepted and became part of this terrifying anthology.

Here's the blurb:

"Remember when you got your first doll, that loveable companion who saw you through the best and worst of days? Remember when Barbie was the doll version of who you wanted to be when you grew up? Be careful what you wish for…

"In the world of Satan’s Toybox, nothing is ever what it seems, and being Barbie might not be all it’s cracked up to be. None of the dolls in these stories are the harmless comforting companions you may remember. From a haunted dollhouse to possessed porcelain dolls; you’ll find mischief, mayhem and bloody murders in these 18 tales.

"You’ll find Mexican "Worry Dolls" who will make you worry, a lonely woman's cherished companions, a little girl's vehicle for revenge, a beautiful doll with a strange taste for blood, an adult movie star's look alike doll, the strange world of Barbie, an evil doll maker’s minions, a witch's influential dolls, a dollhouse with revolving occupants, living dolls who punish the criminal, a foreign clown doll intent on possession, a lonely child's one true friend, a demon doll who collects the souls of the innocent, and a doll possessed by none other than Jack the Ripper.

"So go ahead, turn out the lights, cuddle up and prepare to be terrified. Just don’t take your eyes off the toybox…"

What more could you ask for? Every story in this anthology lives up to the promise - creepy, chilling, sleep-reducing stuff. And there's a new anthology on its way from the wonderful Angelic Knight Press; Satan's Toybox is filling up, and this time he's got his toy soldiers out to play...

Satan's Toybox - Demonic Dolls is available for Kindle and will soon be out in paperback.