K.J. Chapman's Blog, page 88

Prompt Me #4

Prompt #4 comes from HyperActivePandemonium. It it is the first of three prompts created for me, and I shall tackle them over the next few weeks. You won’t regret checking out this blog! You will find writer musings, experiences, and short stories, so click that follow button!

The prompt:

It would be only a matter of time until he realised I had stolen his wife’s body and claimed it as my own. If he really loved her, he would tell the difference. Wouldn’t he?

 Acquiring Toyah’s body was a test of my patience. I watched and waited, waited and watched. Her descent into depression, alcoholism, and drugs was slow, but turbulent. Zeke wasn’t watching, he wasn’t waiting, and Toyah’s cries went unheard.

I was there the first time she stood on the cliff, toying with the idea of jumping, but something made her return to her ever absent husband.

For a week I thought I had lost her. She showered every day, tipped the alcohol down the toilet, made meals, even started back at yoga. The old Toyah was fighting her way back, but I couldn’t allow that. I had grown accustomed to the idea of having her body; long legs, flat stomach, and chiseled cheek bones. At first it was about getting a body, any body, but now, it was solely about getting that body. Nothing else would compare. Yes, I wanted life, but I wanted a beautiful life.

It wasn’t hard to tilt her back over the edge; a gentle nudge toward the wedding album; a time when Zeke looked at her like she was the only thing he could see. A push toward the off license when she came out of the yoga hall. I was clawing it back, and Zeke was still unaware of his wife’s turmoil. Unaware or in denial, take your pick.

I was there again, the second and final time she stood on that same cliff. She wore the same pink, summer dress as before. I guess she wanted to die in it for some unknown reason. It wasn’t me who gave her the final push, though. Her phone buzzed, a text from Zeke- ‘Don’t wait up. I’m out with the work guys.’ She launched the phone, and then launched herself right after it.

She hit the squall of the waves below, tossed about like a dog’s chew toy. The impact of the wave crushing her skull against the rocks was the last moment of her miserable life, and I took advantage. I slipped into her being, tasting sea water on my new tongue, feeling the rush of blood in my new ears. You can never imagine the intensity of feeling the world for the first time.

Healing the damage to my new body was by far the hardest and worst experience of my new life. The complexity of giving life is as draining as it sounds. I had to use half my life force to restart her heart, and repair the damage to her brain and skull. Toyah was gone, and this body was finally mine.

I went back to my apartment, ate fruit from my fridge, showered in my shower, and waited for my husband to return from his night out. He slipped into bed and brushed a hand across my thigh. Did Toyah ignore his advances? The sensation of his cool, rough hand against my warm, soft skin was euphoric. Oh, how I had been missing out. How Toyah had allowed herself to miss out. Just the simple act of rolling into his embrace was enough for him to look me straight in the eyes.

“Where have you been? I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

My heart kicked against my rib cage. It was as if he was talking directly to me, not her. I tried to push thoughts of Toyah from my mind. It would be only a matter of time until he realised I had stolen his wife’s body and claimed it as my own. If he really loved her, he would tell the difference. Wouldn’t he?

“I’ve missed me too,” I said. “But I’m here now.”

If you would like to offer prompts for future posts, please check out the original post and leave a comment: Prompt Me

All excerpts are the works of K.J.Chapman.

Please request permission from the prompt creator for use of the prompt in this post.

Write Me: Thirty Word Story

It’s week three of my ‘Write Me’ posts and I’m getting into the swing of these exercises. The more words I have to play with, the easier it gets.

My thirty word story:

There comes a day in every girl’s life when she has to hoick up her big girl panties, wipe off the black mascara streaks, and admit that she deserves better.

 

Feel free to join in with your own thirty word stories, and let me know what you come up with.

All written works are the property of K.J.Chapman

Word Count Weekly #16

I may not have hit a similar word count target to last week’s 10k, but I have had a good week in general and that’s all that counts. First things first, I have hit a reasonable word count that I’m pleased with…

4012 Words

I’ve also been finalising wedding prep this week; spray painting decorations like the concept is going out of fashion, and a girly day of make-up testing on Thursday. Next week’s word count may be lower again due to the fact that my wedding is on December 11th, eek!

Not only has wedding prep consumed my week, but Christmas prep has kind of spiraled too. This weekend has been the only weekend we all have had time to put the decorations up together, so that’s exactly what we did! Decorations, Santa meet ‘n ‘ greets, and Christmas shopping have made the week a busy one.

As for my writing, I had a monumental brainwave on Tuesday. An ending idea exploded in my mind with little warning, and had the force of a lightning bolt. However, jumping around the room with excitement was quickly replaced with nausea and heart break. Yes, the idea is a good one (even if I do say so myself), but it’s going to be a killer to write. I’ll get the tissues ready.

As I fore-mentioned, next week is going to be hit and miss as I try to keep Bridezilla at bay. There will be a small blog hiatus planned from December 5th, so watch out for the blog post about that one.

Excerpt from this week’s W.I.P:

I start awake to screams and a swerving sensation in my stomach. Rio wrestles the wheel as we careen off the road and into undergrowth. Cooper’s full weight pins me to the chair, but I push him away, raise my hand, and force out a blast of energy. The windscreen shatters outwards in a splintering crash, and the van stops dead, its tail end rising, and then slamming to the ground with a brain rattling thud.

“Is everyone alright?” Rio asks, his voice shaking.

I feel every inch of my body to double check. “What the hell happened?”

“You just saved our asses that’s what,” says Brick. “Was that lightning?” Rio just nods, staring out at the smoking bonnet. “Isn’t that lucky or something?”

Pug pulls a gun from his waistband. “Lucky? Where the fuck did it come from?”

“The sky dumb ass,” Brick says, laughing.

“Hardy har. Don’t you think it’s a little coincidental that there’s not a cloud in the sky and a bunch of renegade EVO get struck by lightning? Everyone out, masks on, and be ready.”

I reach out my telepathy- silence apart from Kid singing along to ACDC in his head. “There’s no one except Kid for as far as my telepathy can reach.”

Pug chews at a hang nail, unsure of my ability and the reliability of what I said. “Just keep your heads out of your asses and be vigilant.”

I pull my mask over my face, open the door, and step out into the chilling air. Pug’s right, the sky is clear. Lightning is not a possibility.

 

All excerpts are the works of K.J.Chapman

 

Mischief and Shenanigans December 2015

Last year, my four year old daughter wrote a letter to Santa asking for two very specific things: an elf to come and visit our house, and a sleigh bell from Santa’s sleigh.

A few days later, on the 1st December 2014, our guest arrived. Star the Elf stayed with us until Christmas Eve, creating mischief and keeping Sophie’s behaviour in check . Apparently, he had a word with Santa, and she got that sleigh bell on Christmas morning.

Sophie had great fun discovering what mischief he had been up to each morning. Let’s just say Mummy’s imagination was tested to its limit…There’s only so much mischief an elf can do with a roll of toilet paper.

We’ve had it on good authority that Star shall be returning this December, so watch out for any mischief and shenanigan updates on our Christmas guest fun. I shall post pictures weekly as a Friday fun post.

Do any of you parents out there have an ‘Elf Guest’ or ‘Elf on the Shelf’ visitor at Christmastime? I’m interested as to what your Elf gets up to!

Review: The Change (Unbounded #1) by Teyla Branton

The Change (Unbounded #1) by Teyla Branton 4/5

Blurb: There are only two ways to kill Unbounded, and fire isn’t one of them—as law school dropout Erin Radkey learns the hard way. By fluke of a recessive gene, she has become Unbounded, a nearly immortal being with paranormal abilities.

Erin’s Change separates her from her loved ones and alters everything she believes to be true. A week earlier she was considering a marriage proposal; now she contemplates the best way to stay alive. Caught in a battle between two Unbounded groups, she is also hunted by a secret mortal society sworn to eradicate the Unbounded gene. Worse, a new identification software could mean death for all Unbounded—or enslavement for the entire mortal world.

As Erin plunges into this dangerous new life, she must carve out her own place in the madness, protect her mortal family, and decide which group she should join. Her powerful attraction to Ritter Langton, whose family was massacred by opposing Unbounded two hundred and forty years ago, complicates her choices. There are no second chances. Death, life, or love—Unbounded always play for keeps.

The concept of immortals is not a new one in fiction, but Branton’s unique take on a old concept was refreshing and engaging. She realistically builds a world where a select few are Unbounded, which means that around the age of thirty they stop aging at the speed of average humans. They are not immortal in the literal ‘live forever’ sense, but age centuries slower, can survive otherwise life threatening injuries, regenerate, and can be killed in a certain manner.

Branton highlights the struggles of these Unbounded humans in regards to relationships with family who inevitably they will see grow old and die. Some Unbounded even embark on relationships with ordinary humans, have children, and have to live with the possibility that they will watch them die too, unless on the off chance, one of their children inherit the gene. Unbounded female’s bodies reject birth control, and those who have lived for years and have felt the hurt of loss, understandably take a committed view on sex.

Erin Radkey is in an horrific car crash, severely burnt, and on the brink of death. That is, until her fourth great grandmother and a team of Unbounded known as Renegades steal her from the hospital, heal her, and introduce her to an Unbounded war between the Renegades, Mortal ‘hunters’, and the Emporium. Erin has to deal with her new life, the possibility of never seeing the only family she has ever known again, and picking a side in the deadly war.

The characters are well rounded and developed with personal stories and backgrounds that the reader is shown in snippets. We get to know Erin and the changes she is experiencing, and her new romance, although it feels doomed from the start, is engaging and real.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the writer’s ability to build a believable world with realistic consequences. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars due to a  fast paced plot twist in the mid section of the book that left my head spinning. I understand the motivation behind the twist (no spoilers), but it wasn’t drawn out enough for me to fully grasp the emotions, and the impact that should have been huge, felt a little disappointing. That being said, the fast moving story line is hypnotic and kept me turning the pages. I finished The Change in 3 days.

I would highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to crack on with book two in the series.

The opinions expressed here are those of K.J.Chapman and no other parties.

All books reviewed on this blog have been read by K.J.Chapman

K.J.Chapman has not been paid for this review.

Prompt Me #3

Thank you to Gabriel over at A Little Me, Apparently for this week’s prompt. Check out Gabriel’s blog for fantastic, original poetry. Click that follow button, you won’t regret it.

I have just ten minutes to expand on the prompt, and I think you’ll agree that this is a GREAT prompt with a lot of scope to work with.

The Prompt:

“You’re crazy.”

“I may be crazy, but you’re insane.”

“What’s the difference?”

I laugh at Heath’s expression. “My craziness is just an extension of my eccentricity and I fully embrace that. Your insanity is an extension of your need to be institutionalised and that you can not accept.”

He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s a good job you love me then, isn’t it?”

I pull him toward me and tangle my arms around his neck, pushing my lips against his. He still hasn’t lost the knack of making my knees go weak and he knows it. Lacing his fingers in my hair, he pulls me in closer still.

Dana scoffs. “The pair of you are fruit loops. Now, can you stop snogging and get back to work? These bombs ain’t gonna programme themselves.”

Heath offers her a mock salute and disappears down the corridor to find Judd.

“You still haven’t told him,” Dana states, without looking up from her laptop. I don’t reply. “So, he’ll want to take care of you, is that such a bad thing?”

“I’m not ready to admit it to myself let alone Heath. How can I be anyone’s Mum, Dana. I don’t understand babies and they certainly don’t understand me.”

“What’s to understand? Feed it when it’s hungry, change it when it craps, and don’t leave it in a locked car on a hot day.”

I chuckle whilst typing in what feels like the millionth code. She’s right, but if Heath knows I’m pregnant he’ll take me off the job. I’ve worked my butt off for the past thirteen months and I’m not going to sit it out now. I have the most riding on it. My Dad was one of the eight hundred and seventy six people who died because of that damned drug, and yet, they hushed it up, swept it under the rug, and are now making millions from the new and far from improved sister drug. We need to stop them, and I am sure as hell going to be there when we do.

“I’ll tell him tonight.”

“Tell me what?” says Heath. He lugs a chest of guns through the narrow passage, followed by Judd. I can’t catch my breath to speak. “Hallie, what is it?”

“I’ll tell you, but first you have to promise me that you won’t take me off the job. You know what this means to me.” He nods his head, concern etched in lines on his forehead. “I’m thirteen weeks pregnant. You’re going to be a Daddy, Heath.”

The look of concern is instantly replaced with euphoria. “Are you serious, Baby? I’m going to be a Da–“

A gun shot rings through the passage and Heath’s eyes glaze over. Instantly, tears of blood run from the sockets and down his cheeks. He drops to his knees and onto his stomach. The hole carved into the back of his head smokes, and Judd stands behind him with a gun raised.

“No!” I scream as Judd turns to Dana. The second gun shot is the last thing I hear before the world wanes and darkness beckons me.

If you would like to offer prompts for future posts, please check out the original post and leave a comment: Prompt Me

All excerpts are the works of K.J.Chapman.

Please request permission from the prompt creator for use of the prompt in this post.

Write Me : Twenty Word Story

Twenty words is a little easier than last week’s ten, but it’s still no simple feat. That being said, I’m never one to bow to a challenge. The trick isn’t to get twenty words strung together, but to also make them interesting… no pressure.

My twenty word story:

“You can’t outrun that thing.”

“I don’t have to, I just have to outrun you.”

“I’m a professional athlete, asshole.”

Feel free to join in with your own twenty word stories and let me know what you come up with.

All written works are the property of K.J.Chapman

Word Count Weekly #15

I’m on fire at the moment. It’s nice to be able to report a whopper of a word count this week.

10,012 Words

I know, right? Is this the same girl who moans about her low word counts the majority of the time? Yep, it’s me… I kicked my W.I.P’s ass!

I estimate that I have another 30,000 words to finish the first draft of EVO Shift, and if I carry on in the same way as this week I’ll be done in three weeks. But… I’m a realist, and I can hand on heart say that that will not be happening. Double those three weeks and we’re in business.

Excerpt from this week’s W.I.P:

He leans in closer, lowering his voice to barely a whisper. “You know you’ve got me, right?” He looks around, making sure he can’t be over heard. Woe betides anyone thinks he has a heart and not a swinging brick. “We’re solid you and me. I’ve been thinking about what you said back at the fight house… I feel protective over you. You’re like my little sister.”

 

Excerpts are the works of K.J.Chapman

GIF sourced from GIPHY.com

That Nagging Second Series

I know I’m not the only writer to have a nagging second series gnawing away at the back of my mind. If my experience is anything to go by, you may have more than one.

Are you a writer who acts on these nagging stories and starts to work on it alongside your current work in progress, or do you leave it, think logically, and complete your current work in progress before tackling another project?

I’m the former. If an idea for another series forms in my brain it is there to stay, screaming at me to give it even just a little attention.

Me: ‘But I have to concentrate on finishing this project first.’

Idea: ‘Stop making excuses and get on it woman. You can do both, I have faith in you.’

*Starts jotting notes for the new series*

Me: ‘Wow, balancing two projects is pretty hard going…’

Idea: 

Yet, I still continue to do it. What can I say? I like to make life hard for myself, and I love a new idea as much as the next writer.

This is my current problem at the moment because if I get in a rut writing EVO Shift I use my new idea as a distraction. In some ways, it gives me a break to recharge and go back to EVO Shift with a fresh perspective. In most ways, it’s a way to bury my head in the sand.

I doubt I’ll ever change, seeing as the lure of an exciting idea is my life force and I’m addicted to that high. Are you a multi-tasking writer? And more importantly, do you do it well?

Shameless Self-Promotion: EVO Nation

I’m not one to shy away from self-promotion. I do, however, try to be tactful about it, but hey, tact doesn’t equal awareness in all cases. So, my plan is to dedicate a post to my self-published eBook with reviews and all the other bumf that goes with it, and let my shamelessness reign supreme…

EVO Nation Series Book One: EVO Nation by K.J.Chapman

The government tortures her, her own kind uses her, and she is learning the true meaning of ulterior motives. Teddie Leason has been dragged into the festering underbelly of the secretive world of EVO; a world about to be blown wide apart.

EVO are the next link in evolution, but with that title come the dangers of capture, torture, and experimentation. And with that threat come the need to survive, and a breed of EVO who are set to not only thrive, but rule.

Teddie has the fate of the EVO and Non-EVO world resting on her shoulders, and now, the reclusive teenager who couldn’t get upset without her unruly ability causing destruction, has to somehow embrace her gift to save her new friends and her new love.

Will the actions of one man fuel a suppressed, supremacist cult’s desire for war and vengeance, or will Teddie be strong enough to stop him?… Should she stop him?

Reviews: 

Sarina over at Cookie break read and reviewed EVO Nation recently. Check out her review: here

Amazon reviews:

‘Brilliant. Loved it – so much so I’ve read it twice now. It’s energetic, fast paced, romantic, come-uppance story line interacts well with the sci-fi futuristic theme throughout. It is definitely a teenager/young sci-fi readers book. Being past that age group has not stopped me loving the book. I enjoy sci-fi/futuristic books, and this one is well worth a read for anyone who enjoys these style of books, no matter the age. The author explains who is who and what they can do without taking up whole chapters, you get drawn in and at each twist and turn just when you think you’ve got it sussed there’s something else. Got to the end and wanted to pick up the next book straight away, hence read it twice, which has only peeked my interest even more for the second book. So please get on and finish the next book. Well done for your first book and I hope there are many more to come. Everyone out there who enjoys this type of genre (no matter your age) should read and recommend to anyone that they know.’ – Kaz

‘I absolutely love this book!!! I could not put it down and read it in two sittings. The author has created believable characters; you will fall in love with them and you will hate them. (My favourite is Golding). The narrative throws you some curve balls to keep you in suspense and on you toes, but still grabs your attention in its unpredictability. The target audience would be teenagers, but this did not stop me from enjoing every page. The author’s writing style is straightforward and easy to read. This book has the power and the sci-fi element of X-Men, the sheer brutality of The Hunger Games and the political message of V for Vendetta. I cannot wait for the next instalment.’ – C.M.Bain

Facebook reviews:

‘Anyone that knows me, knows I hate reading but this book is so catchy it’s unreal, catches you in the first few pages, it’s so good! I’m still reading it, even though I can only get through a few pages at a time but it’s a story line that just doesn’t leave your head! Completely recommend! Go and read ‘EVO nation’ search it on Amazon.’ – J. Billing

‘Just had the pleasure of reading EVO nation. The illiterate part of my brain was screaming WOW! The higher functioning part was screaming too many big expressive words for me to keep up with lol. But seriously what an amazing book. Right away you’re sucked into a roller-coaster storyline filled with characters you can’t help but relate to and love.. But also one you love to hate and can’t wait to see them get a damn good comeuppance! And oh what fantastically satisfying comeuppances K, Chapman dishes out!! EVO Nation is the sort of book that makes you want to abandon every day life in favour of a comfy chair and silence (and the book of course!) , the kind of book that makes you read till your eyes feel like they’re going to shrivel up! A sassy, addictive read! Can’t wait for the sequel! If you haven’t already read it, get on with it!’- L. Carter

You can purchase EVO Nation for 99p on Amazon Kindle: here

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All reviews featured in this post are genuine.