So I was going to write this month’s scene using my characters from the romantic comedy that I’ve been working on, but I changed my mind last minute. Today, my psychological thriller novella, Justice for Belle is FREE to download!! So, I threw together this scene instead. Please enjoy, and then by all means jump on over to the link provided and download a free copy of the book…. If you feel the urge, that is ;).
Also, I usually link in the joining posts to my challenge at the bottom of the post, but today I feel like mixing it up even more. These traditions are so wonderful! Check out Kristian with Life Lessons From Around the Dinner Table’s scene. Her character was also grieving in her scene, so I feel like we have that connection. Also, consistories contributed a couple of AMAZING intros to her characters in a couple of fun-loving yet extremely touching, hilarious, and resonating scenes. I’m falling in love with these characters more and more every month, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have them participate in my WIP monthly challenges!
Without any further ado, please enjoy a winter tradition brought to you by the characters of JUSTICE FOR BELLE!!!
Winters in Michigan are impressive, or so my mom used to tell us. She hated winter, so that was her way of talking shit on the icy wetness without actually being mean. There was however, one particular winter activity that she loved. Ice skating! Mom died when Tim and I were young, barely even teens. I try my damndest to block out the part I played in her death, but that tale is for another day.
Her birthday was three days after Christmas, so the very first one that we celebrated without her was done so on a small pond a few miles out of the city. Dad thought it fitting, as it was her favorite place to take us, the very second all of her Christmas decor was taken down and put away. We’d spend an entire day playing on the ice, drinking hot cocoa, and then emptying our soup thermouses of it’s chilli content.
Then we’d strip off our icy socks and gloves to let our fingers and toes thaw out. We’d hold them in front of the full blast heater vents in my Dad’s truck. More often than not Tim and I would cry over our bumps and bruises on the drive home. That or we’d fight about who was the best skater. Mom and dad would crank up the music to block us out. afterward, wallowing in her age, and wearing her fat pants so that she could groan around and cry about bloating more and more every year.
December’s end was like clockwork growing up. Christmas day was huge, full of toys and laughter. The day after was all work. We’d ban together as a team, stripping the walls of it’s holliday goodness, disassemble the tree, and pack boxes upon boxes right back to their rightful places in storage. The day after that was for ice skating. Then, for the third day after Christmas we had to keep our mouths shut. We couldn’t utter a word of it being Mom’s birthday, or there’d be hell to pay.
Of course, she’d go all out for the entire week after. Baking every one of her favorite cakes and goodies, day after day, as she wallowed over her age. Until New Years Eve she’d live in her most comfortable sweatpants, and mutter curse words under her breath. “Of course I’m bloating more this year” inhales a bite of cheesecake, “I’m sure this will do good for my muffin top” shoves a real muffin in her mouth.
Dad, Tim and I would giggle to ourselves and each other, trying not to make it obvious that we clearly noticed her complaints. I miss those moments, just as much this year as I did the year of her passing. Some things just don’t go away over time.
Anyway, every single year the three of us go ice skating on her birthday, rather than the day before it. This year is no exception. Despite my upcoming book tour, and it being Tim’s last few days to spend with Alice before jumping on a plane back to his University. Alice has merely joined in on our skating excursions, trying her damndest to hide the bulge under her sweater and making excuses for staying off the ice. I’m so sure you stubbed your toe last night rendering it too swollen to fit your extra socks on in your skates, Alice, good one.
I toss a snowball in her direction, purposefully missing, yet getting close enough to give her a stir.
“Damnett, Ahnia, you know how much I hate snow!” She shouts as she ducks a second attack, this one from Dad.
Tim giggles, just loud enough that I can hear him from across the pond. I try my best at a loopty spin. That’s what Mom used to call it, but it’s really just a half-ass attempt as tightening your circles while holding your arms out and staring at the sky. She used to tell me that if I imagined myself as an ice princess, that it would only come true during a loopty spin. I remember the first time that I gave it a try, right alongside her, we spun in sync on the ice and I swear I could feel the princess in my rising through my core.
Today is cloudless, the perfect day. As I’m spinning and staring into the sky, I imagine her face smiling down at us on the Ice.
DESCRIPTION:
Ahnia has a dicey past. It’s scratching under the surface; dying to get out.
She’s hit rock bottom. Broke and desperate to be on top again, she partners up with Mac: a man she hardly knows. He’s utterly untouchable, and soon they are both in peril.
Will their dangerous decision be a success, or will she find herself in the clutches of an unforgiving force, brought about by her childhood sin? In this nail biting thrill ride, no one is as they seem, and no one is truly safe with those they trust.
Praise:
★★★★★ – “If you love psychological thrillers that keep you guessing, you’ll love Justice For Belle.”
★★★★★ – “A wild ride.”
HOW THE MONTHLY WIP CHALLENGE WORKS:
As the initiator: Every month I’ll give a real time circumstance, hang out spot, or every day situation. I’ll post the exact scene/challenge the first week of every month.
As an Author/challenge joiner: All you need to do is use the characters from your WIP (work in progress), or even a published works, and plug them into the given scene for a short story style post. It can be funny, serious, deadly, really just whatever you want as long as it’s true to your characters (as in, what they would actually do in this situation)!! It’s a fun way to be creative with those personalities that you as their creator love so much. It’s also a fun way to introduce them to the world and your blogs, without giving away your plots and twists… Just pure ‘meet my characters, and get to know their personalities’ separate from their book.
How we work together as Authors and the Initiator: I’ll do my own scene/challenge post on the very last day of the month (that way I can be sure to link in every joiner, and you can do your posts at your own leisure). Write your scene’s anytime you wish, at any point of the month. All that I need is your final challenge post link. You can give it to me in any comment, or even link me into your post so that it’ll pop in my newsfeeds! So simple!
Didi Oviatt -Author 