Campaign Challenges 2011 eBook is now available

A big thank you to Katharina Gerlach who put together this wonderful collection of short stories from Rachael Harrie's 2011 Writer's Platform Building Campaign. Both Katharina and Rachael are awesome! It was so much fun and a great success. This ebook will also hopefully be a success in helping raise funds for cancer research. All proceeds go to Harry Moseley's charity, "Help Harry Help Others". Harry single-handedly raised over 85,000GBP (roughly 137,000USD) for cancer research. He died October 8th aged 11.

The ebook is available at Amazon and Smashwords. It's only three bucks. A great price. Every single one of us can afford that much. And if we all do, imagine how much we can raise for charity!

Third Campaign Challenge

It's time for the third and final challenge in Rachael Harrie's Writers' Platform Building Campaign. I don't want it to be over. I've had a fantastic time with it. But, oh, is this last challenge a rough one.

Here's what Rachael says about this last one:

Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:

• that it’s morning, 

• that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach

• that the MC (main character) is bored

• that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting

• that something surprising happens.

Just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: "synbatec," "wastopaneer," and "tacise."   (NB. these words are completely made up and are not intended to have any meaning other than the one you give them).

Once you’ve posted your Challenge post on your blog, pop back here and link directly to it in the Linky List below (please make sure you include the direct link to your post, not just the link to your blog!).

Entries in the Third Campaigner Challenge will close on Monday, October 24th (at 11.59pm EDT) (one weeks' time exactly). So make sure you get your post in the Linky List before then if you want to be eligible for a prize! As usual, while everyone is very welcome to take part in this Challenge, only Campaigners will be eligible for prizes.

Oh boy. I'm going to try to continue from my last two challenge entries. I just hope it will make some sense!

Here it goes!

HONEYMOON ON THE BEACH

I let my hand dangle and trailed my fingers through the soft sand. The colors in the morning sky were beautiful, but a tiresome sigh escaped me. I've never lounged on a beach, but I couldn't remember the reason why.

“Relax, love. You think too much.” Soren's lazy drawl drew out my smile.

I turned my head to drink him in. The sun's rays danced along his sculpted body. A wave of heat flowed through me. I nipped my lower lip.

“Well, I won't complain when you're thinking that.” He reached over and took my hand, bringing it to his lips. He kissed the back and then the palm. “Those are the thoughts you're suppose to have while on your honeymoon.”

My hand curled around his, tugging him toward me. I shook my head. It felt heavy and light all at once. “Honeymoon? Synbatec?”

My throat tightened with the effort to not gag as a smell of rot wafted up from behind me.

“The word is synchronicity, love.” Soren chuckled and nudged my nose with his. His hand tightened around mine. I winced as his nails dug into my skin. “It's what brought us together, remember?”

“Remember,” I murmured, focusing on the pain and the stench. The gulls growled and the sunrise flashed crimson night before returning to gold. “I was to... wastopaneer. Tacise.”

I pushed through the sludge in my brain. I couldn't look away from him. Soren squeezed harder, forcing me to acknowledge he had put something in my hand.

“You mean precise. Be precise, love.”

I spun around and drove my blade into the heart of the Queen. My ears bled with her screams, but my aim was true. My nightmare had been a honeymoon on the beach.

(exactly 300 words)

Second Campaign Challenge

It's time for the Second Campaign Challenge of Rachael Harrie's Writers' Platform Building Campaign. It's much harder this time around. Plus, I feel a little added pressure having been one of the final twelve finalists of the first challenge. Yet I'm excited!

Here's what Rachael tells us about the Challenge:

Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should:

• include the word "imago" in the title
• include the following 4 random words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate," "synchronicity,"

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in your post.

For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post 200 words EXACTLY!

Once you’ve posted your Challenge post on your blog, pop back here and link directly to it in the Linky List below (please make sure you include the direct link to your post, not just the link to your blog!).

Entries in the Second Campaigner Challenge will close on Monday, October 3rd (at 11.59pm EDT). That's a week and a half (longer this time), so make sure you get your post in the Linky List before then if you want to be eligible for a prize! As usual, while everyone is very welcome to take part in this Challenge, only Campaigners will be eligible for prizes.

I decided to carry on from the first challenge. So many of you wanted to know what happened after the door shut. Here you go! Enjoy.

SOUL IMAGO

As soon as the door shut, Soren's mouth was on mine. Hard and hungry. My hands were in his silky hair and my leg wound around his waist. I could easily lose myself. I already had one dark lacuna in my memory. I couldn't let myself forget anything else.

I pushed him, trying to get my legs between us. “Get off of me!”

Soren chuckled and refused to budge. His breathe was hot and his heart pounded as loudly as mine. “You want me. You need me.”

“I don't need you.” I've said it so many times that I didn't believe it any more than he did. Every word was like miasma upon my soul. When once I was so certain of who I was, now everything was unclear.

He traced the thick scar along the right side of my neck with the pad of his thumb. I trembled at the tender touch. “Synchronicity brought us together, love. If you don't work with me and the Queen reaches Imago, she'll kill us both.”

I froze. My mouth unable to fully oscitate.

“You-”

“She's here.” In the rear-view mirror, I saw my nightmares spill forth.

(exactly 200 words)

Writers' Platform Building Campaign and asking for beta readers

I'm happy to join Rachael Harrie's Third Writers' Platform Building Campaign. It's a fantastic way to link those in the writing community together with the aim of building our online platforms. Her previous two were great successes and this one is going to be phenomenal. If you're a writer and haven't heard of the campaign yet, please check out Rachael's site. You only have until the end of the month to sign up.

I am also searching for a couple of beta readers who love paranormal romance. Mine is on the erotic side, so please, only those over 18 years of age. I don't expect anyone to edit or critique my manuscript. I want to know what well read paranormal romance fans think of my story. If you'd like to help me out, please email me at christinerains.writer@gmail.com.