kimlajevardi

Hello all! Tis the season of eating and gobble gobbles. We’re eight days away from turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, pie, and …. My mouth is already salivating. I can’t stop thinking about the pie. Yum! Time to distract my mind from my stomach. News it is.

Drunk raccoons. *Giggle* Time to sleep it off in a cell, guys. *Giggle* Is one of them named Otis? *Big Dork Giggle*

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5bebdafce4b0783e0a1db81e

This next story only deserves two lines: That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5be45e73e4b0dbe871a84eca

Time for some science. This is so cool. Water dragged into earth’s interior via subduction in far greater quantities than previously thought. And yet, water is not missing from the oceans. Science digs to find answers and finds just as many questions. I love this!

https://www.livescience.com/64091-earth-is-eating-its-oceans.html

That’s all for me tonight, folks. When I see you again next week, I will only be one day away from eating. Come quickly. I’m hungry. 😉

It is time once again for a posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. We’re a fun group of nail-biting, coffee-swilling, chocolate -popping, basket cases. Quite the picture, huh? If you’re even a slight bit curious, click on the picture and surf the blogs. You won’t regret it.

Our phenomenal co-hosts for the November 7 posting are: Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Ann V. Friend, JQ Rose and Elizabeth Seckman. Thank you all!

The optional question this month: How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?

Hmm … you would think that as a writer, and as a writer that has devoted greater and greater amounts of both brainpower and time to more novels, that I would also find creativity spilling out of my head like curlicues. But, alas, no such curlicues. I have zero drawing skills. I do enjoy photography, but my books suck up so much time that I haven’t taken much in the way of pictures in a while. Acting would freak out the introvert half of me.

So … writing gets all of my creativity. There are worse things, my friends.

********

Time for some news.

When I first read this story, my main focus was to ask why the lady didn’t just keep her dog in the house. But, the more I thought about a gold-digging dog who scammed burgers, the more I realized that she was really his hungry partner in crime. Don’t you think? 😉

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gold-digging-dog-pretends-to-be-a-stray-to-get-hamburgers-from-mcdonalds-owner-says/

I’ve posted the link to Reddit’s ‘Shower Thoughts’ forum before, but I couldn’t resist sharing another thread. Cheese is just a loaf of milk? I laughed way too hard at that one.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5bdc4213e4b04367a87ba4f8

Last but not least, archaeologists have finally uncovered a device used in building the immense pyramids in Egypt. When they described the contraption, I could picture people thousands of years ago slowly inching the rock slabs up the slope. I really heart science!

https://www.livescience.com/63978-great-pyramid-ramp-discovered.html

That’s all tonight, folks. See you back here in seven.

Happy Halloween! This Wednesday has rolled in under cover of masks, plastic swords, and mountains of candy. I may or may not have eaten a good portion of one of the bags I bought for trick-or-treaters. It’s part of adult privilege. If I pay, I get a cut. It also used to be part of parent-of-a-trick-or-treater privilege, but I digress. I may have eaten too much. This is starting off with so many red lines for editing. Can you say sugar rush? Oh well, time for some spooky news.

This first story generates far more questions than answers. First and foremost is: dressing up pet chickens for Halloween is a CDC-sanctioned thing?

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5bd7e344e4b017e5bfd51600

Oregon’s zoo rocks! This is exactly what we need for Halloween.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5bce2aafe4b0d38b587b2beb

Not to be left out, science and technology have teamed up to produce a spooky AI painting that sold for a jaw-dropping $432,500.00 at auction. Wow!

https://www.livescience.com/63929-ai-created-painting-sells.html

That’s all for me tonight, ghosts and goblins. Enjoy whatever Halloween tradition floats your boat. I’ll see you back here in seven!

Wednesday is back–quick, like time is just screwing with me. It is, you know? Oh well, it does put us closer to Christmas. I’m already starting to feel twinges of the coming season. Don’t hate. I love snowy nights, hot drinks, and blinking lights. I can’t wait. But since I must, a little distraction-worthy news.

I have an answer for this first story: No, I do not want a creepy robot finger for my phone. Seriously?

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5bbfa29ce4b040bb4e804475

Does this mean the party’s off? I already had my jammies, and I was really looking forward to cookies. 🙂

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/16/657721537/oops-ignore-that-email-invitation-to-a-cookie-monster-cat-party-u-s-embassy-says

In science news, proof that misbehavior can bring about some really good stuff. Well, I guess you need to be a misbehaving neutrino, but still. Science matters.

https://www.livescience.com/63907-misbehaving-neutrinos-why-universe-exists.html

That’s all for tonight, folks. I’ll see you back here in seven.

Wednesday is here once again, ladies and gents. The weather is changing, bringing with it the first snow of the year in my neck of the woods. It has already melted, but it’s the first harbinger of the cold of winter. Time for warm drinks, fuzzy slippers, and stacks of books. Oh, also time for some news. 🙂

This bear missed the stories about Pooh getting his head stuck in a honeypot. Luckily, Maryland had some nice rangers to help him out.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5bc55af4e4b0d38b58709573

I’d go with her for Doritos as well.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5bc4eeb9e4b0fed45beb866f

Illusion is the key to time travel. The caveat? It’s really just a trick of the brain, but still. The research could unlock something huge, or merely provide the jumping off point for some great fiction. Either way is good. I heart science!

https://amp.livescience.com/63794-time-traveling-illusion.html

That’s it, folks. See you back here in seven.

I’m back after my little unexpected break last week. A bizarro cold swept in and knocked me off my feet for multiple days. Instead of blog writing last Wednesday or Thursday, or even Friday, I was sleeping, running out of energy every time I tried to get something done, and watching Netflix. I’m better this week, though. So … news. 🙂

This first story is another big example of NOPE. If I were a firefighter, I wouldn’t even drive past this place.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5ba41f9ce4b0375f8f9b78fd

The Lego wheelchair is fantastic! I love the compassion and innovation of people.

https://news.sky.com/story/lego-wheelchair-helps-injured-turtle-to-move-11510679

In science, our eyes are quick at picking up information but slow to get rid of it. This means we can not only watch movies but actually detect ghost images as well. The applications of this seem pretty significant in an ever-changing technological world. It also seems to have incredible applications for sci-fi stories. So cool!

https://www.livescience.com/63590-human-eye-ghost-images.html

That’s all for this no-longer-sick writer. See you back here in seven!

I cannot believe it’s Wednesday already. I seriously had to pause and question the day. I nearly missed my post, which means I would have done one of my “oops” posts on Thursday. Ah well … time is weird, guess we should wade into some routine news. 😉

This first video/story is awesome! I saw it on Twitter first, and I was dying laughing. Nature may be unhinged, but it is also fantastic.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5babf0e0e4b0353bd2d08564

You can’t bribe me with cash, bathroom breaks, or free food and drinks–not gonna lie in a coffin for thirty hours. Nope. Not even Netflix can make me set up shop in a “slightly used” coffin. By the way–slightly used how?

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5ba8f307e4b0375f8f9f0ee0

Robot lizards, I’m down. Tails for land traveling for the win. I heart science!

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180926082703.htm

That’s all for tonight, folks. See you back here in seven.

Hello! It is Wednesday. The middle of a good week for me. I guess you could say today is squeezed between a long weekend of productive writing and an upcoming multi-day writing binge. My happy place. Which means, I’m in a good mood. Enjoy its effect on my news choices.

This first video is entrancing. Gross, but entrancing. After watching the slow-motion puke-up of the other snake, I began wondering how beneficial it is evolutionarily-speaking if it takes that long.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5b9f2cb8e4b046313fbc551d

Random children’s voices repeating a nursery rhythm in the dark of night would have sent me running. I would have packed my bags, thrown the car into gear, and thought later to sell my house. That is one hell of a burglary deterrent. Even worse that it’s being triggered by spiders.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5ba086bce4b013b0977e4fb4

And since I was already thinking about spiders, science and spiders. Have I given you pre-Halloween nightmares tonight? I bet I did. You can’t hear it, but I’m cackling and tapping my fingers together maniacally.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45572331

That’s all for tonight, folks. See you here in seven.

Welcome back one and all. Like my use of the word all? I have a massive audience–I do. Stop laughing. Hmph … massive may be the wrong word. That’s not important. News, time for some news.

This fish store in this first story is funny–misguided, but funny. Eye see what they were trying to do. (I could not help myself.) 🙂

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5b8b3239e4b0162f47241e6b

What are they going to do with all those right shoes? Seriously.

https://m.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Left-behind-Thieves-raid-Virginia-store-of-right-13196138.php

Last but not least, science that rocks our thinking. This story trumps the age old question of whether a tree falling in the woods would make any sound. Turns out that it depends on which perspective you’re referencing. It may not hear itself just like the mice. I enjoyed the mental candy of the possibilities implied and imaginable. I heart science!

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180912133507.htm

That’s all tonight, folks! See you here in seven.

Guidelines and rules: 

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Theme: 
Masquerade
A Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone they aren’t. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to interpretation.

Submissions accepted: September 5 – November 4, 2018

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges. This year, we are honored to have seven incredible judges:

Elizabeth S. Craig, author
Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, Memphis Barbeque mysteries, and Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently.

Elana Johnson, author
USA Today bestseller Elana Johnson writes young adult and adult contemporary romance. She is an inspirational adult romance author under the pen name of Liz Isaacson, and her work includes the young adult dystopian romance series Possession, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster). Learn more at Elana Johnson.

S.A. Larsen, author
S.A. Larsen is the international award-winning author of the middle grade fantasy-adventure MOTLEY EDUCATION and the young adult contemporary-fantasy romance MARKED BEAUTY. When she’s not chasing her characters around a graveyard or antagonizing them with young love, she can be found in Maine with her husband and four children. Visit her cyber home at S.A. Larsen Books.

DL Hammons, Write Club founder
When DL isn’t running the online writing contest WRiTE CLUB on his blog, he splits his time crafting YA and adult Mysteries, with a little bit of Paranormal/Sci-Fi on the side.

Gwen Gardner, author and previous IWSG anthology winner
Gwen Gardner writes lighthearted, cozy mysteries with a few ghosties thrown in to “liven” things up. Since ghosts feature prominently in her stories, she has a secret desire to meet one face to face—but will run screaming for the hills if she ever does.

Kelly Van Sant 
Kelly Van Sant has nearly a decade of experience in the publishing industry and is a literary agent with the Red Sofa Literary Agency. She is a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center and blogs about writing and the publishing industry at Pub(lishing) Crawl and co-hosts the their weekly podcast.

Kristin Smith, author
Kristin Smith is the best-selling young adult author of the Deception Game series and a former Pitch Wars mentor. When she’s not writing, you can find her dreaming about the beach, beating her boys at Just Dance, or belting out karaoke (from the comfort of her own home). She currently resides in the middle-of-nowhere North Carolina with her husband and sons.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.