Poetry Thursday

I may not always keep right on schedule, but I figured I'd share a few poems with everyone.

A Place Where...

Breaking apart

Busting through the seams

Falling out of touch

All I can do is scream

No place where I belong

Stress threatening to take me past my limits

I can’t take it

I just want to go somewhere so quiet 

My pulse so loud it threatens to burst

A place so cold the rest of me matches my insides

A place so dark I can get lost in the shadows

A place where I forget me

And where everyone else forgets me too.

A place so far away

It doesn’t show up on most maps

A place so hard to get to

Few could bring me back

A place where I can get lost in my thoughts

Somewhere where I don’t jump at every sound

Somewhere where I feel at home.

I want to go to a place that can swallow me whole

A place where I no longer feel

Numbness the norm

Apathy the routine

A place where no one cares

A place where I don’t care

Carrot Whore

The cookie monster sold out

He betrayed the cookies too

Give him enough money 

And he’ll sell you out too

Carrots aren’t his thing

But to get him some more bling

He’ll lie to you

And then secretly 

He eats all the cookies

And still he lies to you

The cookie monster is a sell out

And he’d sell you out too

He noms the cookies in hiding

Eating cookies behind closed doors

The old beloved cookie monster 

Is now a carrot whore.

Rainbows and Unicorns

What I thought were rainbows and unicorns 

Turned out to be barbed wire and knives.

The sunshine turned out to be a halogen light.

The expansive meadows were just a long barren hall

The sounds of birds and bees 

Were just the whispers behind my back. 

The flowers were just floor lamps

The butterflies were just broken glass

2,000 words. Once awesome, now dull.

A year ago I would have been thrilled to write 2,000 words in a sitting. It would be a pretty good streak. Not my best, but not too shabby, either. Even a few weeks ago I felt good after 2,000 words. But now it is just not cutting. It doesn't seem like it takes me much effort to write 2,000 words. Is that a good thing, or a bad? Am I upping my stamina, and soon 3,000 will make me feel good? Or will I never be satisfied by my wordcount. What I am writing now just comes so easy to me. No effort whatsoever needed. The words write themselves, it's like I have to fight to keep up. While I enjoy that, I also love to be puzzled as to my character's next steps. Writing them out of tough situations. These characters are writing themselves in and out of situations, and it's like I'm just here for the ride. Maybe it's a good thing. I hope at least my readers will find it so. What are your thoughts on this?

KF Ridley interview and book review.

Welcome to my blog Kim!
If you could be anything you wanted, not writing related, what would it be?
A philanthropic billionaire

What is your favorite piece you've written? 
The Curse of Yama is my favorite Middle grade. DIRT, which is about to be released is my favorite YA that I've written.

Is the The Curse of Yama of the C. Walker Adventures your first published work?
Yes, it sure is. But it won't be my last. There are 5 books slated for the series.

Where do you write best? 
Anywhere, anyplace, anytime. I could be sitting down, eating dinner or shopping and things pop into my head. I always have paper and pen ready.But I write when ever and where ever I can.
Do you outline or write as you go? I usually just start writing. I have it outlined in my crazy brain.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration? 
THE MOVIES!!! I love the movies. My books kind of roll like movies in my head. I guess that is why I eat a lot of popcorn.

What is your favorite genre to read? To write? 
Action Adventure, fantasy...To write? I like MG and YA. I am usually writing and reading several things at once.

Favorites:

Author: J K Roling
Travel Destination: Italy, Scotland....anywhere
Food: YES..food in general is a favorite. I couldn't pick just one thing. But I try to eat organic.
Beverage: Iced tea
Movie: Pride and Prejudice
TV Show: American Idol
Book: Harry Potter Series
Animal: Horses

Tell everyone about your upcoming installment in the C. Walker Adventures
The next book in The C Walker series is called The Castle of Family Secrets. Based in Scotland, Chloe finds out about her family's legacy which leads her to an adventure of a mythological underworld. Dr. C.Y. Clops is the veternarian who helps Chloe and Sotol protect the family secret that has been hidden for generations.

I will be at Booksellers of Laurelwood in Memphis for a Booksigning on October 8th, 2011.

Where people can find you: www.kfridley.com

My Review of The Curse of Yama by KF Ridley:

I saw the cover of The Curse of Yama and I knew that I just had to read it. So, in this case, I really did judge a book by its cover. And I was right. The Curse of Yama, the first in the C. Walker Adventures by KF Ridley does not disappoint. Right off the bat you are introduced to a spunky 12, almost 13 year old girl named Chloe. She is sarcastic, smart, witty and seems old for her age(Not like a lot of female characters you find in books now-a-days). She is close with her family, but also very independent, making her the perfect candidate for an awesome adventure. And boy does she find one. It is refreshing to see The Curse of Yama masterfully blend the gods we learn about in school with a fresh curse to accompany them. This book is for any kid, and the kid in all of us. Even the minor characters in this book are engaging, and you get attached to everyone, especially the animal characters. If I had to compare it to anything, I would call it a mix between The Wild Thornberrys and a younger Indiana Jones. I can’t wait for the next one to see what adventure life takes Chloe next book. KF Ridley is definitely an amazing author to keep an eye out for.

Read this and then vote on which piece you are most looking forward to.

This post is to go along with the poll I put up on the left side of my blog. I want to know which piece people are the most interested in reading. So, here is a short synopsis of each, in the order they appear on the poll.

Aluria: The Prophecy: [A YA fantasy series] Skye is a sixteen year old who runs away after experiencing some family problems. After a bizarre boat-ride she finds herself in a place unlike she has ever seen before. Little did she know, the place she ended up was experiencing problems far worse than her own. She meets Lance, a member of a peace-loving race, the Alurians who have been forced underground by the evil Lord Furgison. Lance tells her she is the one from their prophecies, the only one who can save them and help them return to life as it was before. Lord Furgison's plans are aided by seven types of monsters: Pride, Lust, Anger, Envy, Sloth, Greed, and Gluttony. In this land, the seven deadly sins aren't ideas, they're real and will do everything in their power to keep Lord Furgison in Power. Skye is joined by Lance and four others to embark on the journey of a life time, putting everything at risk to save this wonderful race of people.

The Hunted: [An erotic Halloween tale.] Hadrian is an experienced hunter of all things supernatural. He loves killing vampires the most. On Halloween night he follows a gaudily dressed vampire to her home to engage in a night of passion. Little does he know, Oleander wasn't kidding. She really was a vampire. Once a mortal enters a vampire's home, they cannot leave unless the vampire allows them to. Once he figures out that she's a vampire he doesn't know what to do. Three thoughts race through his mind. Leave her. Kill her. Or fuck her again. How will Hadrian the Hunter respond to becoming the Hunted?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: A Month in Reformation Hall: [A Young Adult/Teen Novella or Novel depending on how long it gets.] Rachael goes undercover at Mooreville High to write a tell-all piece for her journalism portfolio. School's across the bible belt, USA, have instituted a new policy. Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It is no longer allowed to "come out" at a public school, and LGBT students will receive varying degrees of consequences if they do. Rachael goes undercover as Cassie Ray and instantly befriend a stereo-typically gay boy named Zane Miller. This will recount their time in Reformation Hall(where gay students get sent as their first warning). Brian is a bully who makes Zane's life hell, and Coach Tyler[A seemingly closet butch lesbian] overly enforces the DADT policy.

Sequel to Sunny With a Chance of Homicide: [Adult Psychological Thriller-novel] This one picks up right where Sunny With a Chance of Homicide left off. It focuses on the consequences of Randall's actions and centers around what a Mother is willing to do to save her own name. This will either be the final, or next to final novel in this set.

Zombie Strippers

Zombie Strippers

[a flash fiction zombie story]

Things had changed ever since the zombies begun to run, or more accurately 

shamble amuck. Society as we had once known it was in disrepair. The survivors were far 

and few between, and they generally stayed out of dodge. But there were those few 

individuals that had fun with the state of things--and they turned the situation into a sort 

of parody of life as they remembered it. Caleb was one of those people. He had run a 

semi-successful adult entertainment establishment. The place was suffering with only 

zombie clients and clientele, and they never paid. However, staying alive was far more 

precious to Caleb than any sort of currency. Money meant nothing in this day and age. 

Survival. That’s what it’s all about. Just because he could become a snack at any time 

didn’t take away his sense of humor. The signs out front that had once raved about “Live 

entertainment” now flashed “Dead Entertainment”. Some of his girls had been turned, but 

they didn’t seemed to know it. Instead of stripping garments as they had once done, they 

stripped layers of skin. The rest of the zombie population seemed to like this form of 

entertainment. The zombie strippers sated them, parts of humanity could be seen here and 

there among the zombies. Every time he passed the sign, he felt a small amount of joy, 

and with the state of things, joy went a long way. As long as there were zombie strippers, 

Caleb would be just fine. 

The Beast

A friend of mine asked me to write a poem about his penis, 

little did he know this would be what I wrote.

Not as flattering as he thought it would be. Lol.

The Beast

Lying there dormant, in a hibernation of sorts.

Waiting for spring’s newest arrival.

At the sight of her the beast awakens and begins to come out of hibernation.

The beast grows, ready to get his fulfillment after a long winter.

The prey’s needs are irrelevant to the desire of the beast.

So when he strikes, there is no going back.

She will do to feed his sexual appetite until another one comes along.

He has been alone far too long, yearning for the heat of another to fuel his own passions.

The beast...with his purely carnal, animalistic cravings.

My take on French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

The other day during work I saw a commercial for chicken. French's Crunchy Chicken to be exact. I have been wanting to try it since. It seems fairly straight-forward. Chicken breasts. Egg. French fried onions. Flour. Upon reading the reviews I am making changes before I even start. 

Here is the original recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups (4 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper.

Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until no longer pink in center.

My turn:

I made some slight alterations:

Ingredients:

2 cups of generic french fried onions

salt

pepper

oregano

lemon pepper

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 egg beaten.

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400°F combine flour, onions, and spices in a bag and crunch them.

 Place chicken in the egg mixture to moisten.

 Toss them in the bag shake-and-bake style. Arrange them on a pan. Cook for 10 minutes. Flip. Cook another ten minutes. Take out and enjoy.

Before

After.

It was tasty and very easy. Next time I would use fresh squeezed lemon instead of egg. 

Other than that, the only problem I had was the same problem I have with shake-and-bake.

Getting all of the outside to stay on. And on a side-note. That baked potato was absolutely amazing!