writing – Page 34 – Prolific Pulse Blog

Poet & Publisher Talk with Lisa Dailey

April 13, 2021 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

Writer Talk with Emma L. Sembly From Classroom to Children's Books — An Interview with Emma L. Sembly – Prolific Pulse Press Podcast

For Emma L. Sembly, every story teaches a lesson, and every life is a story.Emma is a life-long storyteller and lover of stories. As a child, Emma loved telling fantastical tales, starting with a captive audience consisting of her little sister. After she grew up, Emma continued to create stories that her students loved.With a bachelor's degree in psychology from Elmhurst College and a master's degree in reading from Johns Hopkins University, Emma set out on a thirty-seven-year journey as an educator in the Baltimore City Public School System, where she taught children with different abilities on both elementary and high school levels. During that time, she also created stories for her own daughter and niece, then for her grandchildren and great nieces.Now, Emma creates stories for children of all ages, especially the young at heart.Emma also has a podcast, Just Folks: Conversations with Emma, in which she provides a platform where regular, everyday humans can share their own stories with listeners of all persuasions. Life lessons shared.Drawing and writing poetry are among Emma's favorite things to do. She also enjoys planting red flowers around her home. And when she's not chatting it up with her kitty of thirteen years, she's having a blast with both of her Favorite Number One Grandchildren."What I have learned as a writer and podcaster, is that our stories, our bedtime stories, our fables, are the gateways to life's lessons," Emma says, "and we all have a story to tell."https://emmaleesembly.com/https://www.prolificpulse.com/emmalsembly

Short Fiction, short story, six sentence story, writing

Welcome Home

April 2, 2021 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

Welcome Home

Shandy completed the last leg of her drive to Burlington, Iowa with a spark of enthusiasm edged with nerves gnawing at her gut, worried she would be imposing on her aunt, although she was reassured many times that it was okay with her aunt, she was still nervous, so she put it to the universe to make it all right.

Pulling into Aunt Cherri’s alley to her house on South Central Avenue, the familiar charms of her aunt welcome her before even seeing her aunt. The garden was bursting with flowers, tulips were popping in colors of red and yellow. Marigolds edged the walkway to the back porch, where Candy, the prized German Shepherd waited, part guarding her domain, part welcoming old friends, and Shandy met the latter qualifications, which she knew when Candy licked her hand while she gently petted Candy under her chin.

Looking up, Shandy saw her sweet Aunt Cherri and they met with an embrace which said Welcome Home and Shandy smiled, with tears rolling into the crevices of her grin, and as she looked at her aunt, she realized they were two blubbering ladies, happy to see each other, and any doubts Shandy had were dissolved in those tears, hearts wrapping around each other as souls met as never forgotten friends.

“Let me show you your room and the workings of things around here,” Aunt Cherri, always one for organization, wanted to be certain that Shandy felt immediately at home, “I made a place for your clothes and your gear and other stuff, and I want you to know, right here and now, that this is your home, too, no ifs ands or buts about it, end of conversation.”

“Aunt Cherri, have I told you lately how much I love and appreciate you,” Shandy stated, “You are the ray of sunshine I’ve needed in this life and you always have warmed my heart.”

“Aww, Shandy, dear, you are the light in my life, I am just an old woman with too much space and it gets lonely at times, so it will be good to have you here, you know, someone to talk to and care for, not too much, though, I don’t want to crowd you, but I have been looking forward to this,” and with that, Shandy knew she was welcomed home.

…..

This is my installment of the Six Sentence Story for this week. The prompt word was GEAR. Would you like to see more of the stores such talented folks have submitted? Go to this LINK provided by Denise, our dedicated host. Thanks to Denise for keeping us going.

six sentence story, writing

X Marks the Spot

February 5, 2021 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

Shandy sat at the dining table in Clarabelle’s home, and took a long, silent pause before opening up to her friend about why she moved from the nice, warm south to the cold Midwest winters in Iowa. “It’s like this, Clair, I came here to start over for a reason, and since Aunt Cherri had a place for me to bunk for a bit, I decided to give it a try, you see, I came here because I was escaping something.”

“Dear, you don’t have to explain yourself to me, I understand we all make changes for our own reasons, and, well, it’s really nobody else’s business.”

Looking Clarabelle straight in her sweet, soft eyes, Shandy’s brows squeezed with intent, and she spoke to these intentions, “I know I don’t have to tell you my story, but it is a story I want to tell, after all, I find the stories you have shared about Herbie really touch my heart, and, well, I want you to know about my true love, and who doesn’t like a good romance?”

Clarabelle nodded her head in agreement and smiled at Shandy, “well, when you put it that way, I am all ears, please do tell me your story.”

“It all began when I was just fresh out of high school, my friend since grade school, Mason, and I discovered we were falling in love, especially when I learned he would have to go to Vietnam, and, well, I realized right then that I could not bear losing him and I could not bear not loving him for all his worth, and, well, we go married shortly after realizing our mutual feelings and knowing he must go away, we wanted to stay together with a commitment of marriage, so we got married at the courthouse, and it was not long before he had to go away; when we got married there was the marriage certificate to sign by the “X” and Mark looked me in the eyes and said, X marks the spot but you have put a big red X on my heart ever since we met as children, and now you have staked your claim, for that I am forever grateful, and, well, I will never forget that, Clair, and I knew he was even more that one for me.”

*****

This is my story to contribute to Denise’s Six Sentence Story Challenge. This weeks word is “Mark” You can go HERE to join us or to see what other stories are waiting for your reading.

Short Fiction, short story

The Non-Essential Salesman Gets Sold

April 7, 2020 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

photo of bulldog with roses — Photo by Adrianna Calvo on Pexels.com

The Non-Essential Salesman Gets Sold

It was not long before Horace started exhibiting marked changes in his personality, mostly exhibiting sadness, just about two weeks into being closed in his house.

His wife, Charlotte, was at her wit’s end trying to keep her mind as Horace followed her around all day long.

It was all because Horace identified as a salesman in a non-essential business, and he was lost as to what to do with his time.

Never having hobbies outside of his bowling league on Sunday nights, no way to do that with all the restrictions, he would pace the floor and consume mass quantities of any foods within his reach.

Charlotte was quick not to mention how he should have had a hobby or that he might want to read a book or watch TV, neither of which he could settle down to do, she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, he was a good man.

Then it happened that on the news there were stray dogs featured who needed good homes and Horace’s eyes lit up and he realized that he could provide a home for a doggy and called the number on the screen; Charlotte smiled to herself as she had set it up that he would see the program and she felt like she may have won the sales award for 2020.

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There you have it! This is this weeks response to the Six Sentence Story Prompt of “Identity” Want to join in? You can click here: Girlie on the Edge

poetry

Queenly Speaking – National Poetry Month April 3 2020

April 3, 2020 Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld

beige cat with gold colored crown — Photo by Katarzyna Modrzejewska on Pexels.com

It’s day 3 of National Poetry Month! How’s everybody doing? So, today’s prompt is “Queen.” Let’s see what royally fun poetry we can write with this prompt. It’s going to be royally fun! And if you prefer the queen of hearts, then here’s your chance! Maybe even Queen the rock group. So many possibilities reign here.

Let’s also give our proper respect to the master prompter Robert Lee Brewer and if you would like to participate in his wonderful prompt of this day you can go to Poetic Asides.

And last, but not least, there is NaPoWriMo!

Happy Writing! Be sure to share in the comments!