May 3rd Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Greetings and salutations! It is turning into an absolutely be-a-u-ti-ful day here in Central NJ. I have a breakfast date this morning, so that means, as soon as I finish my blog, I need to go hop in the shower. A friend from high school, Ed, is in town, and my girlfriend Karolyn and I are meeting him for coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts.

Apparently they do not have Dunkin’ Donuts in Wisconsin, where Ed lives, so his is getting his fill during his visit. Rumor has it, he has stopped there at least once a day. LOL. Other than pork roll, I don’t think there’s anything I would really miss if I were to move out of New Jersey, but since my husband’s umbilical cord does not stretch over state lines, I’ll probably never have to find out.

Before I started this blog post this morning, I puttered around the internet a bit, and I learned that Efrem Zimbalist Jr. passed away yesterday, at the age of 95. Even if you can’t place the face, I’m pretty sure the name sounds familiar. He was one of those actors whose name seemed to pop up everywhere. He was an interesting man, with a long line of credits. If you’re interested, you can Google him.

I also saw something really disturbing, and I took a bit of time verifying against other news sites, because as the article stated, there was very little coverage on the story. Unfortunately, it appears the story is true, and it sickens me that almost nothing is being done. On April 16^th, almost 300 Nigerian girls were kidnapped (a little over fifty managed to escape), from their school, by the Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group with ties to Al Qaeda. These girls were between the ages of 15 – 18, and were sold, and either forced to marry the militants or forced into slavery.

If masked men came into one of our schools, and kidnapped even five of our children at gunpoint, the entire country would ban together and preform a massive hunt for the assailants. It would be blasted over every news channel, every radio station, and every electronic billboard across the country.

If 26 countries can come together to help find a downed airliner, why can’t we do the same to help find these children? Why isn’t this story being blasted across all the airways in every country? Doesn’t this justify an outcry of support from the worldwide community?

I know I have readers from around the world. Yes, only a few in many countries, but if each of you tell the story to your followers, and ask that they share it with their followers, the news will spread; and maybe, just maybe, our voice will be heard, and these girls can be saved. Please spread the word, and please pray for these girls.

Okay, I need to get going, because by the time I get this posted in all its places, I’ll only have half an hour to get ready and get out the door. I hope you have a lovely day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

A single candle burned in the window…

Okay folks, we are going to try something new, and stretch your comfort zone. This is going to be your prompt for the next three days, however, on Thursday, you need to write a Romance; on Friday, you need to write a mystery; and on Saturday, you need to write in a different genre / style of your choosing.

Culmerry Castle, high on the hill, overlooking Culmerry Loch, has sat vacant for over a

century. The building and the grounds have remained virtually the same in the hundred and thirty-three years since it was last occupied. The castle has not weathered nor crumbled, and the grounds have not become overgrown, yet no one has laid claim to maintaining them. Although the stories about the castle and its inhabitants are plenty, no one truly knows what had happened to the Dunravy Clan.

Culmerry Castle was home to three hundred plus, and boasted a full menagerie of livestock, fertile fields, and a variety of craftsmen. Then one day, they, even the animals, simply vanished. The tables are still set, the beds are made, the wood is laid out in the hearths. The keep itself and the surrounding huts, all appear as though they are ready for their occupants to return, but no one has. The only sign of life within the castle, is the single candle in the window of the north tower, which continues to burn.

Your Next Challenge is:

A single candle burned in the window…

Okay folks, we are going to try something new, and stretch your comfort zone. This is going to be your prompt for the next three days, however, on Thursday, you need to write a Romance; on Friday, you need to write a mystery; and on Saturday, you need to write in a different genre / style of your choosing.

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.