​Now we’re three-quarters of the way to the end of the Freaky and Fantastical 500 (Words or Less)review journey!  I’ve got a few other projects I’ve completed and started that I would love to talk about too, but the focus is on the book for now, so let’s get to the next five-parter.
 
First, “Peerless” is a story about an arrogant brat in a school for psychics who believes he has attained the peak of his education… until he meets the new girl.  This story is built on the moral that no matter how great we believe we are, there is always going to be someone better.
 
“Metal Versus Mutants” is a flash fiction piece I included in this book which is actually a world-building story tied into one of my first published short stories, “Xeros”.  I’ve played with “Xeros” a bit and continued to add more over the years, using the very first story as a first chapter.  I thought of making a novella out of it, showing the progression of the tragedy that results in this era of “forced evolution” and exodus and I’m even playing with the idea of making it a comic or screenplay (more on this at a later time).  This story doesn’t add a whole lot to the original short, but it does give readers an idea of where I intend the story to go.  You could find “Xeros” in Megabook 2, available on Balloon’d, My Digital Comics, and DriveThru.
 
The next story, “Spiritual Teacher, Warrior”, is also a snapshot from a series I’ve been playing with for some time called “Ascension” (working title, of course).  In a world where the angelic Empyreans fight the demonic Hadeans in a war invisible to humans, the rules are about to change, and humans champions will soon be more involved in the struggle for their very souls.  I think that last sentence, actually sums up everything quite nicely!
 
“Rock, Paper, Scissors” is a story about a love triangle.  I used the concept of the game to tell a story and relying on a little word play I hoped to convey the concept, but the title would give it away, so… yeah.
 
Finally, “Married to Murder” is a story that I think came to me in a dream, and I loved it so much I used it as a flash fiction piece here and even wrote a screenplay with it!  It is a story about a hitman who has assignments transported into his mind via telepathy.  Unable to remove the visions of his targets until he completes his assignment, he struggles to commit to a family life.  Besides the psychic intrusions, being a contract killer does him no favors either, but his loving wife deals with it.  This concept had so many possibilities, I actually enjoyed rewriting it as a screenplay more.  There is plenty of potential to build on it and I’m excited to see what else I can find once I take the time to evaluate this story further.
 
And that is all for now, folks!  Another post down, and another five stories covered!  Because I have been slack on here I will continue this series of posts with the five-parters for the next two weeks, so check back soon!

We’re nearing the end for this Freaky and Fantastical 500 journey, but there is so much more to cover so I will just get into it.

​“Connected Lives” is actually a concept I was playing with for a few years with a project to be titled “Missing Links”, about a race of powerful interdimensional beings that would ultimately take control of the Earth from mankind.  In this story it is more of a reflection on mankind’s propensity for violence against one another from these creatures’ perspective.
 
“Majestic Pride and Death” is a royal revenge story.  One prince discovers the truth of his paternity and the wickedness of the man he thought to be his father.  However, in this revenge plot, the king decides to go out on his own terms and condemn the prince in the only way he can.
 
“Evergreen” is another alien invasion story, but with a happy twist.  In this tale, Earth’s conquerors are a benevolent race of plantlike beings that actually come to aid humanity and the environment rather than enslave or eradicate the people.   The aliens provide mankind with more efficient ways of living and more advanced technology.  I probably wrote this on Earth Day, now that I think about it…
 
“Nothing Special” is a story about a world where shape-shifting beings are a norm.  When a lone gunman starts to terrorize shoppers in a mall, one young man steps up to protect everyone with his less-than-unique gift.  I guess this story could be kind of a preview for the "Chimera" series, even though it was not my original intention for this to be established in that universe.  And on a side note, I wrote this some time last year, but I understand if due to the recent string of gun violence this story would turn some people off, despite the lighter tone of the narrator.
 
“Soul-Searching” I think is one of the more relatable stories in this anthology, especially for someone with successful siblings.  It follows a young man who is trying to decide on a career path while also feeling inferior to his other talented siblings.  Every pessimist deserves an optimistic guide/friend.  Even when I have low moments, more often I find myself telling someone to consider what they want/can do instead of focusing on what they do not want/cannot do, which is how I came to write this story.  It is about finding encouragement and passion in the unlikeliest of places and overcoming defeatism.
 
This is all for today.  So much diversity in this set of stories and so much inspiration abounding!  It’s nice to reminisce on how each story came to be and to even revisit the sources of inspiration.  Please check out these stories in Freaky and Fantastical 500 (Words or Less) today.

So after a week off, we’re back again with another five-parter!  It is disappointing that I’m not keeping with my intended schedule, but I’m not disappointed in what I am accomplishing for the future.  On that note, I want to again thank you all who have already purchased and recommended Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less.  While this was just an experiment in idea generating and publishing for me, I appreciate the support.  With all of this said, onto the five features for the day!

​The first story, “Ego and Heroism”, is another story making fun of superheroes.  In a world where supermen are actually grown in a lab, equivalent to cloned humans with shortened lifespans, despite their powers.  These beings are used as superweapons, deterrents of international aggression in place of nuclear weapons, and champions of their native countries meant to resolve international conflicts, while preserving human life.  But when peace is established on Earth and more threats arrive from beyond our solar system these superhumans become more valuable.  However, when the demand for these artificial heroes begins to outpace the supply of quality goods, one doctor decides to take it upon himself to attempt to become the hero the world needs—or die trying—in the most common comic-book way.

“Discord” is a story about a girl who is literally overcome by her personal demon.  In an effort to gain the power to protect her family, she makes an unholy deal.  When the righteous heart is corrupted by a lust for vengeance and mayhem, the former person dissolves, losing sight of who she wanted to be and wanting to kill everything she used to be.  This story sums up what I think a lot of people feel when they compromise themselves for others or even try to do something bad for the sake of good.

“Afraid to be Alone” is a horror story about a man being hunted by a monster that only attacks a person when no one else is around.  The story follows the man in his normal routine of trying to keep company around him only to eventually find himself isolated.

“The Town of Rumplestiltskin” is a new take on the old story of the eponymous character.  It is more of a legacy story instead of an isolated incident as the original was, following generations of people blessed with good fortune in exchange for one child from their town every year.  Of course, I reversed the ending, but in stories where children are taken, I usually prefer a happy ending.

Finally, “Fantastic Detectives” is another story made completely with dialogue, following two detectives with names that oddly resemble a famous detective from literature and his doctor-sidekick.  There isn’t a deeper meaning to this story, other than reimagining this detective in a fantasy world and playing with funny dialogue.

​That covers it for this go-around.  Five more down, and plenty more to go.  I didn’t expect to finish these features until June, so I will continue to crank these out by the twos and fives as necessary.  Be sure to check back, because (obviously) there is more to come!  And go on and buy, rate, and recommend Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less if you haven’t already!

​Hello and welcome back once again.  I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus due to travel, refocusing on other projects, and general laziness as far as blogging goes… BUT I am here now, so that’s what counts!  To make up for the absence, I will go ahead and do a FIVER so I can catch up in the Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less series, so here we go!

“Stowaway” is a story about a guy on the first day of his new job who finds himself in bizarre circumstances beyond his control.  Desperate to keep his job and unsure of how to resolve the situation he turns to his friend for help, but the solution may be crazier than he would’ve expected.  The moral of the story: when confronted with crazy it’s always good to have crazy in your corner.

“Family Reunion” is about a teenager whose clan only holds their annual reunion on Halloween.  While her friends are out getting drunk, playing pranks, and engaging in the usual reckless teen Halloween shenanigans, she is forced to hang out with her parents, kooky uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents.  However, even a moody teen has to admit sometimes that their family can actually be cool.

“Stalker” is about… your new or ex-best friend?  Maybe your next or ex-lover?  Or maybe the crazed killer or monster lurking outside your window?  It is clearly someone who has seen you in your best and worst moments, but cherishes you regardless of that.  Someone who understands you better than anyone and wants to be accepted by you… or even wants to be you.  Consider it a compliment.

“Something From Storybooks” is just a story about a mythical beast living in modern day and reminiscing about a time when her kind ruled the Earth.  It is about a timeless being who is a prisoner to the world she once roamed freely even if she is not in captivity.  Because the rulers of the world would fear her and she fears them, she conceals herself.  Looking at this story now, it seems like it would reflect how a lot of people probably feel as well—to be someone great in the past who people tell stories of to this day, but knowing no one would respect who they are presently and so they hide it.  Maybe I’m just rambling again, but it is a concept that I probably had in the back of my mind when I wrote this story.

“Spirit of Paranoia” is a fun little horror story that once again plays with the idea of urban legends.  In this one, a boy is victim of a cruel prank played by his friends and finds himself confronted by his own worst fears—literally. 

​Fortunately, I did not ignore P&SI for as long as I have in the past this time, but anyways it was fun taking a look back at these stories with fresh eyes.  I will most likely do another five-story post to catch up on the missing week, so there is definitely more to come.  Be sure to check out Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less and check back for more.

Hello again and Happy Friday!  I'm finally getting to round 57 and 58 in the stream of Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less features.  If you've been with me for the last 56 story talks, you know what it is and I commend you for still dropping in.  If you're just joining me, then you still picked a decent time to read my thought process and commentary on the stories in my first sci-fi fantasy anthology, now on Amazon!  Today I will cover the stories "Ascension" and "Untamed Fears".

"Ascension" is a story that essentially reminds us to be careful what you wish for.  It's told from the point of view of a man who has attained what he thought was the immortality he desired.  He is practically a godlike being, able to observe and influence people , but to never actually feel pleasure or have real human interaction.  His gift of this power becomes a curse for him when he realizes he is basically alone in the world because his existence cannot be perceived or appreciated no matter how much he may do.  Perhaps that is one way to look at how God feels about unbelievers...  I am actually currently playing with a similar concept to be made into a horror movie script, which I will discuss more once I complete this book promo series.

"Untamed Fears" is kind of a Pacific Rim-type story, involving military forces and emerging kaiju, but focusing more on people having a supernatural bond with the giant monsters.  If multiple monsters started arriving from beneath the earth and from the depths of the sea, but a select few were able to control them, what kind of world would it be?  Would the monsters be used to bolster military power?  How would the two-way bond affect the human's daily life?  If it were you, could your own family even deal with the odd behavior you would exhibit being one half of a force of nature?  This story is told from the point of view of a mother whose own daughter begins to act strangely when she is bonded with a monster.

These two stories could really be told from different perspectives and be fit into multiple genres as we've already seen in mainstream media.  If I were to look back at them some more, I may end up recreating them in other formats with a completely different spin, but that remains to be seen for now!  Until next time, folks, read on in Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less and look for more ramblings here because there is always more to come!

I'm getting into the rhythm once more on the blog but I will continue with the double posts, and this time from Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less  I looking at the stories "Doorway" and "Frenemy".

"Doorway" is a story about family bonds and how artists gain immortality as a result of their creations.  Art in any form--music, poetry, books, movies, etc.--creates a legacy and keeps the artist relevant and alive in the memory of generations forever.  Family is also a part of our legacies, preserving the history and traditions we pass down.  This particular story focuses on the bond of a famous painter thought to be dead and his granddaughter.

"Frenemy" is probably one of the more realistic stories in this book.  It is simply a revenge story.  A story of two women who became best friends only to eventually grow apart, developing a rivalry that becomes too toxic for one of them, and pushes one to become a murderer.  It is a story of tragedy and madness grown from heartbreak.

That is all there shall be for now.  There is more to come of course and I hope none of you miss out on these stories and others offered in Freaky and Fantastical 500 Words or Less!