Thursday, July 18, 2013

Christmas in July Blog Hop! Presents galore!!

BWS tips buttonWelcome to Wacky, Whimsical and Way Off Planet. I'm Pam Morris with a B. Thanks for joining in on a Blog Hop to remember, 'cause it's Christmas in July and there's plenty of gifts to open!


The rules? If you want to enter the Grand Prize drawing for 1)a $100 Amazon gift card or 2)a $25 Amazon gift card, you need to leave comments, your name and email address on the Blog Hop pages. Easy as ripping off wrapping paper!


Hop to each Blog for more prizes, meet some incredibly gifted authors, discover amazing stories and be sure to leave comments!  Click here

I'm adding my own drawing for an autographed paperback of the #1 Amazon bestselling futuristic fantasy, Smitten Image. 

In high-speed, high-tech New Chicago, 2039, magic has gone viral. Lily Barnett, a brilliant but drifty artist wanders into a strange magic shop where she impulsively guzzles a love potion. Erratic and unpredictable powers awake inside her. Her houseplants turn ravenous and strings of flamingo lights spout poetry. When she paints a portrait of her perfect man, he steps free of the canvas and stalks her.

Desperate, she turns to her best friend, Daniel, for help.
But Daniel has problems of his own. He’s a telepath who must shield thoughts, emotions, and desires or go mad. He wants Lily, desperately, but knows his passion will drive her away and that his friendship is of more value to her than his love.

As Lily negotiates the catastrophic blends of her fear, imagination, and chaotic magic, Daniel must fight against his own impenetrable reserve and the psychic gifts he’s always despised.

Magic and love might save them, but can they survive each other?

To enter just sign up here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And for your reading pleasure...



A Night Mare for Christmas

Shay beat me bein’ born by a lickity split. Made her the eldest, tho, so when we turned fourteen this past November, Mams made her step up to be hired out. I’da gone. I wanted to, Shay din’t. Paps wanted a talkin’ it through, but Mams’s thinkin’ was, workin’ in the world’d go a’ways to help Shay steppin’ into the grow’d up life.
I held Shay when she cried in our bed the night before she was to go. Off to Miz Reardon who had seven young un’s. Like Shay’d be any use keeping her husband off’n her long enough to stop bearing for a year or two. ‘Tis what I feared, that Tubbin Reardon’d be all over Shay within a month, knockin’ her up, disgracin’ our family name. ‘Twas what Paps feared too, I see’d it in the pulsin’ on his temple and the grim-grind of his jaw. He and Tubbin lived a fierce fued ‘tween ‘em. Had since they’s kids.
Shay cried.
I say’d to her. “I be there, twin. Skalkin’ ya. Heppin’ if you outside with the hauling and laundry and such. I be your shadow. Won’t let Miz Reardon see me, nor Tubbin neither. I coddle the kidlins, let ‘em be thinking I made a fairy dust.”
Shay snorted a bubbly laugh. See, being the second, I was birthed tiny. Got me some short stubbly legs and long, long arms. I knowed my arms growed xtra long cause I had ‘em close tight around Shay while we gested inside Mams belly waitin’ to be birthed. Since I’m a runtling, Shay dubbed me fairy, let me live to that singular notion. Dresses me the part, duded up in cast off finery we scavenge from the big houses, then she cobbles them apart and back together all new. Beaut’ful makin’s, Shay does. With needle, thread, a bit ‘o lace and pretend shinola.
Shay’s carryin’ on sobs brought Mams to our room.
“T’won’t be s’bad,” Mams shushes and rubs Shay’s curled over back. “You’re good with little ‘uns and Miz Reardon will be ever so grateful for the help. She’ll respect and treat ya fine and dandy.”
Shay just sniffled the more.
Paps come in too, and gentle like moved Mams out the door before he sits himself down next to Shay. “I’ll come for to walk you home ev’ry evenin’, Shay girl. If’n that Tubbin so much as brushes your hair with his filth paw, I kill him. Or send the Night Mare after him when he’s astumblin’ home drunk from the pub a night.”
I thinks that’ll sooth Shay some, reassurance that Paps’ll be there a waitin’ her to come out Reardon’s gate every night. But Shay falls to skittly-bits at his words. Paps face melts into a powerful sadness and he ups and leaves us too.
Shay reaches round me as I squeezes her harder. Her face tucks into my neck and I hears her speakin’ whisper-words.
“Jules, oh sweet Jules. I ain’t fearin’ Mister Reardon. I got Paps old pig sticker if that rutting boar comes to maul me. It’s the Night Mare I fear, to my very soul. We see’d it that once, comin’ home late from Hatfield’s orchard. ‘Member?"
Weren’t like to ever forget that night. Fogged it was, making the rough fields look like rolled up clouds of dark ick as Shay an’ I stumbles over the plowed furrows, our aprons abulge with pears we pilfered with no permission. We’d hear’d the soft hoof sounds, thought it was milch cows. I was singing our itty-bitty song…

“Two twitchy bitches enjoyin’ the rest,
A’takin our time in Mam’s womby nest
‘Till out we pops birthed, first one then the next,
Paps takes a lookie and yelps, ‘We’s hexed!’

Mams hangs in fine, spite bustin’ us loose,
‘A beauty and  a beast,’ Paps moans ’n hits the juice.
When he sobers up, Mams got us to breast,
Lovin’ us both and we knows the rest!

Now Paps’ lovin’ his Shay, even his Jules,
And smart’s up to fight if’n—“

Then all sudden outa the gloamy mist rears up a monster big horse, black as pitchy mud with eyes a-brim with spite, nose snorting fiery and teeth snap, snap, snappin’ at us. Shay and me, we runs…

Thanks for Hoppin' by and sharing with me. Keep partying on! Click here 

51 comments:

  1. Hi Pam, Thank you for participating in the BTGN Blog Hop!

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    1. Thanks Sharon for letting me join the fun. I love Blog Hops! Here's to a successful one. Can't wait to start in myself!

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  2. Thanks for the giveway.
    giovannivalentino(at)Verizon(dot)net

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    1. It's the least I could do for people stopping by. Thanks for that!

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  3. Thank you for hosting another great Blog Hop!

    parisfan_ca@yahoo.com

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    1. Thank you for stopping by. I love Blog Hops and the fun just goes on and on! Glad you came by, Laurie!

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  4. Thanks for the giveaway! My Christmas in July wish is for less stormy-rainy weather this summer. Kyla Patton- kamclauc AT gmail DOT com

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  5. What a great wish! You can send that stormy rain to Montana, we are burning up here! Already have forest fires. Thanks for stopping by, Lhasa!

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  6. mmm....that book sounds great!!! No hot nights here...we have kids...but we did have one hot day this summer!! YUMMY!! Thanks for the great giveaway!

    Nikki
    viajeradelmar@aol.com

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    1. Thank you for hopping by, Nikki! Glad somewhere it's a normal summer and people are funning it up!

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  7. Thanks for the giveaway.
    magic5905 at embarqmail dot com

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    1. Thank you for the stop on the blog. It's a fun one, so many different authors!

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  8. My hottest summer night involved fishing in the dark
    videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Fishing in the dark, under a full moon? THAT sounds like fun, 'cause there would be skinny dipping involved, of course! Thanks for popping in, Tia.

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  9. Loved the read! Thank you! heather1974 at gmail dot com

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    1. Thank you, Mama, and appreciate the hop by. Stay cool!

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  10. Great vernacularism! I really felt sympathy for both girls. Sounds like a wonderful story! Best wishes with it, Pam.

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    1. Oh, thank you, Carol. I'm really having fun with it, though I know trends are NOT to write in it. I really loved the book Cloud Atlas, and there is a part of that storytelling that has a wonderful vernacular, kinda felt inspired. And thanks for the feedback, always appreciated!

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  11. My Christmas in July wish is for a remodel of my house. Thanks for the giveaway!
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. I have DREAMS of remodeling my house, I so get that! Maybe the July Santa will come through for you. Thanks for hopping by!

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  12. One of mine involved a summer romance, a bonfire, a loading dock, and a lot of passion :)
    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
    dixiedukegurl2 AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. What else is summer for but bonfires and passion, Cassandra? And skinny dipping! Thank you for stopping by. Stay cool!

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  13. Sounds good. Thanks for sharing!!

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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    1. Thanks for the feedback, I'll keep working on it. And thanks so much for stopping and commenting. Have a great rest of the summer!

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  14. wish for tv
    nice post
    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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    1. And good TV, right? I mean movies all the time and no commercials. Thanks for the stop by, hope you win something at one of these amazing stops!

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  15. I have nooo interest in any more hot summer nights. I so can't handle this hot weather, and nights are the worst!

    dreammie_angel at yahoo dot com

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    1. I hear you, Celina! Hate the heat, and in Montana this is NOT normal! We're going to have a terrible fire season unless we get some cool humidity which means rain. I'm writing in front of a fan all day! Thanks for the stop by. My wish is for cool rain and wallowing in rivers!

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  16. Hi, thanks for hosting! I'm wondering ,the story you shared- what dialect is it?
    swordlily_girl(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I made the dialect up. I loved the book Cloud Atlas, it has multiple stories that all intersect and one of them is written in a unique, strangely spelled dialect. I loved it, thought I'd give my brain free rein. Just for the fun of it!!

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  17. Thanks for being a part of this FUN blog hop.

    My Christmas in July wish is to get a new computer.

    jmesparza821 at gmail dot com

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    1. PC or Mac, Juana? I love computers and a new one is like getting a pony for Christmas when we were little. The best. Got my fingers crossed for ya, and will put a whisper in July Santa's ear! Thanks for stopping by.

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  18. just the time when the ac went out is about it - regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com

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    1. Jeesh! I remember the old days of summer with no AC and no need for it. Absolutely boggles the mind how hot this summer has been. I'm already wishing for fall which is just crazy. Even my garden wilts! Thanks for the stop by. (I write, read, sleep in front of a fan, it sooo helps!)

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  19. Oh wow, sort-of high-tech magic? The first one sounds really cool.

    supersatchmo at myopera dot com

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    1. Thanks and thanks for stopping by. Being a pantser I never know where a story is going but man, this one was so much fun to envision, play with and write. Stay cool!!

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  20. Enjoyed the story.
    bituin76 at hotmail dot com

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    1. Thank you, kind of a brain on crack idea but is great fun to write. Hope you're hitting all the blog spots, there are some interesting ideas floating around. Even in this heat! Stay cool!

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  21. Thanks for the story, a bit of a chill is nice.

    My hottest summer night? The power went out, and it was just too hot to sleep...

    dancingcelt at gmail dot com

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    1. That's when the best imagination goes to work!! Thanks for stopping by and thank you for the feedback. That's always nice, even in the heat!

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  22. My hottest summer night was spent on the beach with the hubs on our Honeymoon in Mexico. Awesome! **wink wink, nudge nudge**

    Jaclyn NAtter
    jag1(at)Comcast(dot)net

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    1. Oh yeah, I getcha loud and clear... what a place to honeymoon. I hear Mexico is one hot tamale for vacations, especially the Baha. Water, sun, beaches... sounds like you know summer at it's very best! Thanks for stopping by. Stay cool!

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  23. My hottest summer night was when Nana took the kids for a week. It was blissful!
    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

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    1. Ah, I remember those days! Thanks for participating in the hop!

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  24. Thanks for the contest.

    slehan at juno dot com

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    1. Your welcome and thank you so much for participating in the hop!

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  25. Thank You for the giveaway!

    tigerfly139@aol.com

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  26. My Christmas in July wish this year is an in-ground pool, so I can escape this ridiculous heat.

    drainbamaged.gyzmo@gmail.com
    @drainbamagedgyz
    Kathryn Merkel

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    1. I concur, wholeheartedly. An in-ground pool would be divine! Thanks for the stop by!

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  27. Hi! Thank you for the fun hop and giveaway! :)
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. It was fun and thanks so much for your support and participation!

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