FALL WRITING FRENZY 2022 -GHASTLY GHOST TOWN

 Bwahahaha! Fall is upon us as is the #FallWritingFrenzy 2022. Thanks to our "ghostesses (hostesses) with the mostest,"  Lydia Lukidis, Kaitlyn Sanchez, and Alyssa Reynoso-Morris for another fun contest will boo-tiful prizes. 

The contest directions indicate 200 or less words for board book through young adult age kiddos. We chose one image from a group of images to inspire our stories. See image prompts and contest rules here.

My story is 133 words, based on this image below, which reminds me of my Phoenix AZ days. Yeehaw, I rustled up some memories! BTW, I named my character Jerome as a nod to the cool, artsy mining town Jerome AZ which is said to be haunted. My husband  and I visited. Check out Jerome!

Enjoy reading all the stories and commenting on them here. (You'll have to scroll a bit to see the grid.) 

  

Halloween- Credit: Brian Wangenheim for Unsplash Prompt #2

GHASTLY GHOST TOWN

By Kathy Halsey  

 
No one around now
in this here ghastly ghost town.
No hoots. No hollers.
 
I’m Jerome. Thrown out
with the kitchen sink, I think—
or maybe the tub . . .
 
My bones rattle, rust.
No cavalry rescued me.
I’m dust in the wind.
 
Shake me awake.
Revive my faint memories
in this no-man’s land.
 
Don’t leave me alone.
This bag of bones wants to roam
a lonesome prairie.
 
Wanna scare up trouble?
I’m lookin’ for a cowpoke
buddy just like you.
 
Throw on your costume,
We’ll rassle up night riders
sparking spooky fun.
 
Make memories live
beyond this ghostly town
once the sun goes down.
 
Grab your horse and mine.
My giddy up’s back. Let’s ride  
the wide-open range.
 
We’ll rattle some bones
with hoots and hollers, far from

this ghastly ghost town.

#KidLitVibes Contest: Our Silly Jamboree

#KidLitVibes  put together a fun new writing contest just for picture book writers. We had to spin a "Wheel of Feels" to select a "vibe" or feeling on which to write and I won "silly." (Big thanks to the Frenzy Friends Critique group! find them here on Twitter: Lindsay Hobson, Molly Write-olito, and Jess Hinrichs.)

For those who know me, that's a perfect word.

Rules for this challenge included for readers 12 or younger, 125 words or less, and no illustration notes, either. It can be lyrical or poetic and doesn't have to have the typical story structure of a beginning, middle, and end. We just need to capture the "vibe" of our word.

Hope you enjoy my entry and join me in a silly jamboree!

Our Silly Jamboree

 

By Kathy Halsey

                Dad busts a K-pop move . . .

hits the ground in baggy jeans. Bam!

         Mom swings on monkey bars . . .

yells, “Aahuaaa-uaaa, me Jane.”

         Wiley Corgi zooms round and round and round the yard . . .

chases a tail no one sees.

         Rosie “knock-knock-jokes” to Nana . . .

“Little ol’ lady who? . . .

I didn’t know you could yodel.”

         Tobin snort-laughs chocolate milk . . .

cracking goofy Mad Libs at the cat.

         Pops opens a surprise and . . .

smacks a BIG bow on his forehead.

         Nana rolls down the hill . . .

Oops! Accidentally shows polka dot undies.

         Welcome to our silly jamboree!

Here's some of our silly jamboree a few summers ago!

SPRING FLING CONTEST 2022: OUR EGG-CELLENT SURPRISE!

 It’s Spring! Time to hop to the Spring Fling Challenge brought to us thanks to these amazing kid lit folks: @valerie_bolling, @Anne_Appert, @agenthenkin, @andreadonall, @DianaMWrites, @dbhiguera, @teresarobeson, @MattForrestVW, @viviankirkfield, @sarafinadesign, @loveleemonicaa, @CiaraONeal2, and @KaitlynLeann17. Follow them on Twitter.

The contest asks writers to find a gif and write a spring-inspired story of 150 words or less (mine is 135 words) for kids ages 12 or under

My contest piece was inspired by an original illustration and GIF by my friend and author-illustrator Marietta Apollonio. (Excuse me while I fangirl over this adorable GIF! TY, Mar!) Find her illustrations and GIFS here.

An Egg-cellent Easter Surprise!

 by Kathy Halsey

Last spring Bluebell hopped into the Hare family’s hearts.

His long ears and blue hue created a wonderful Easter surprise.   

This year his humans chattered on and on about decorating, designing, and dyeing eggs.

Bluebell huddled alone in his pen, feeling forgotten.

If I design the best Easter eggs ever, I’ll be ear-resistable to them again.

That night Bluebell hatched a plan.

He sprang to the table.

Opps! PLOP !

Crayons dropped,

dye sploshed,

splattering EVERYWHERE.

Bluebell moped,

mopping the mess with floppy ears . . .

Waaaaaaaait . . .

Bluebell hip-hopped, ears drip-drabbling dollops of sunny, shiny shades.

At Easter sunrise, the Hares awoke to iridescent eggs.

But more surprising was a

blue,

red,

yellow,

green,

orange,

and purple bunny!

Bluebell!

 The BEST Easter surprise ever!