Greetings everyone! I am sneaking out from under the covers to have a bit of conversation. Last week, I was enjoying the warmer weather and thinking I could don some of my spring shirts.
Yet, on what was supposed to be the coming of spring ended up being the arrival of more snow in these parts.
On one hand, I’m very glad that this state operates more on the side of caution. On the other hand, when conditions aren’t as detrimental as predicted, then you have a set of people that grumble and complain. I’m just happy and thankful to have life; there are things in life more important than money.
In a quite a few cases, it is the little things that count. The little things that make an event, or a person, memorable.
Around June of last year, I was part of an incredible collection of writers in the anthology, Summer Shorts II: Best Kept Secrets. In that collection, two of my short stories were featured. One of my short stories, “Mr. Bradley’s Garden”, I did release independently about a month or so later.
Then I got involved in other projects but I never forgot about my other story. My other story was inspired by a visit to a dollar store.
I don’t know about you but when it comes to getting gift wrap, anything over $3.00 seems a bit pricey for something that a person is going to rip to shreds on a special occasion. So … yes, I tend to scavenger dollar stores for gift wrap, bows, the whole nine.
While I was making my rounds, I spotted this young lady in the beauty/cosmetic aisle. At first, I didn’t pay her a whole lot of mind. However, after I had picked out my rolls of wrap, Scotch tape, and ribbons, I noticed that she was still in the aisle where I left her. She kept picking up certain colors, putting them back—almost as if she was studying them.
All types of thoughts went through my head:
Why were the colors significant?
Was this random or ritual?
Do the colors mean something to her, or to someone else?
Hours after I had left the store, that young lady in the aisle stayed on my mind. From the little things (two bottles of nail polish and a combination base/top coat) developed the foundation for “When Summer Lingers”.
The cover concept recently got finalized, and I debated actually showing you the end result in this post. However, I am a patient person, so as soon as it is made available in all channels, I will share the short story and links to obtain it all in one shot.
“When Summer Lingers” represents when the tiniest thing can lead to the most significant of bonds, as pointed out in the blurb below:
Dahna is quite comfortable in her role as an outcast. Her favorite activities are painting her nails and hanging out on the beach. An observation by the quirky Carr leads to an endearing friendship between two unlikely people.
When Summer Lingers
~coming soon~
Poet, short story writer, and aspiring novelist. This blog details my writing journey and everything in between: supporting other writers, doing a feature column and serving as editor-in-chief for All Authors Magazine Online.
A Queen's Ramblings 
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