Nancy LaRonda Johnson's Blog, page 4

N is for: Never Have I seen Anything Like That!

N is for: Never Have I Seen Anything Like That!
(Serial short story, part 1)
Nelly and Netta stared inside the hole, arms at their sides, heads facing down toward it.
“Never have I seen anything like that,” Netta said.
“Neither have I,” Nelly said. She stooped down and reached out her hand to touch it.
Netta slapped her arm back and yelled, “Don’t do that! What if it sucks you up like in The Blob?”
Nelly looked up at Netta, her braids sliding across her forehead, almost getting into her eyes. “It’s not alive, Netta.” Nelly got on her knees, causing dust to rise under the skirt of her pink dress and land on her dark brown thighs.
“Nelly, don’t,” Netta whispered.
Nelly said nothing. She reached out her hand toward the hole.
Netta said, “I’m telling you Nelly, I’ve never seen anything like that…” She let her voice trailed off, wanting to see what was going to happen. Soon she said in a low voice, “Momma’s gonna be mad at me if something happens to you.”
Nelly’s hand slowly went inside the hole’s opening, her index and middle fingers slightly twitching. “Nothing’s going to happen, Netta,” Nelly said, her voice sounding far away. “You see? It’s not moving.” Nelly’s hand went fully inside the hole, her two fingers touching it. “It’s smooth and soft, not warm like something living.”
“Is it cold?” Netta asked, moving a little closer to see Nelly’s hand inside the hole.
“No.” Nelly said.
“Well, if it’s not warm and it’s not cold, what is it? Hot?” Netta asked, getting impatient.
After a moment, Nelly said, “It’s like butter that’s been out the fridge.”
Netta looked closer at it. “Any get on your fingers?” She asked.
“It’s not like butter that gets soft and melts. What I'm saying is, it’s not warm or cold, but like the butter in the morning that mom leaves out for our toast.”
“Oh,” Netta said. “Do you think it’s worth anything?”
“We’re not selling it!”
“Not even for two new bicycles since ours broke?” Netta asked. She quieted when Nelly began digging it out of the dirt. “It still feels like butter?” She asked. “It doesn’t look nothing like butter. It looks like a cheek that got banged up and swollen, like when Dwayne Williams beat up Harpo Jones. You know he had to see a doctor?”
“Shush, Netta. It’s not butter!”
“Then what is it?” Netta huffed out.
Nelly stood up, dusted the dirt from her knees, and stared at it resting in the palm of her hand. “It’s beautiful,” she said with wonder.
Netta walked close to Nelly, facing her, and looked down at it. Her right hand rose to touch it, paused, then continued on.
Nelly closed her fingers around it and pulled away. “It’s not yours and you can’t touch it! I got it out, so it’s mine.” Nelly turned and ran away.
Surprised, Netta called after her, “What you yelling at me for, Nelly?” Nelly kept running. Before she got too far, Netta saw something move up Nelly’s arm, the one holding it, and spread around to her shoulder and back. Netta shrieked and cried out, “Nelly! What’s that on you?”
~ To Be Continued ~

M is for Moving It Along

M is for Moving It Along
You know when negative demons try and take you down, destroy your dreams and make you feel no one will ever understand you, much less love you? Those are the moments I’m talking about that need to get moving along.
Those moments when hopes begin to get lifted only to be dashed down even lower? Move them along. When you start to feel crushed because you’ve convinced yourself no one will ever get the jewels of what you’re writing? Move those thoughts along too. When the devil tries to plant in your heart that you won’t succeed? Definitely move that devil along, and even crush it!
Instead, move toward what God put in your heart to do and trust that his plan is the most rewarding, worth waiting for to come to fruition, and is the most divine. Hold on to God’s promises. And every other conflicting experience and thought? Move them right along!

L is for: Laughter, the Best Medicine?

L is for: Laughter, the Best Medicine?
They say laughter is the best medicine. But then crying can be very therapeutic as well. And what about if you’re too much into laughter and crying? Some people laugh a lot to hide that they’re depressed, while others may cry a lot to gain sympathy.
One thing for sure, there is no one medicine that fits all. Some people need laughter in their lives to feel sane, some need tears to release building stress.
Both laughter and lamenting can me healing to the mind and soul. But too much of any one thing is counterproductive and can even be a sign of something serious. Sometimes just having a kind ear can be THE best medicine anyone needs.

K is for Kenya: A place I'd like to visit

I love to travel. Unfortunately I am not able to travel as much as I’d like, mainly because of lack of vacation time. One place I’d like to go sometime is Kenya. Here are some pictures and facts that caught my attention.
pic from codecan.org

Northern Kenya
pic from africaanswerman.com
2012 population was 43 million.
pic from timeoffun.com

The capital and largest city is Nairobi.English and Swahili are the official languages.




Kenya is named after the largest mountain in the country: Mt. Kenya.It gained independence from the UK in 1963.

Mingingo Island (claimed by Kenya and Uganda)
pic from theguardian.com
Half of the population live in poverty.Hydroelectricity is the largest contributor electricity supply.
pic from naturalhighsafaris.com

J is for Who's a Jackanapes?

For J, I’m cheating. I’m reposting from a bloghop I used to be involved with, The Feather and the Rose's “Save a word Saturday”. I loved that weekly bloghop, but like with many blogging things, I had to cut back on it. I don't think it's going on anymore. So for the J in the A to Z Challenge, here’s “Who’s a Jackanapes?” 
Today's theme is: Unicorn
My word for today is: Jackanapes - 1400-1450, late Middle English; noun 1. an impertinent, presumptuous person, especially a young man; whippersnapper 2. an impudent, mischievous child 3. archaic. an ape or a monkey
And here's this week's writing:

"Jackanapes-jackanapes-jackanapes! Jack..a..napes! Ja..ack...an..apes! Jackanapes!" Simon jumped up and down on his rocking unicorn, his head bouncing along like a bobble head on speed.

"Simon, you're going to break your little neck, and you're driving me crazy! Cut it out. I'm sorry I called you that. It just slipped out. You are not a jackanapes. This is 2013 - that word no longer exists!"

Under her breath, Simon's mother muttered, "Oh, but the phrase holy terror is alive and well."

After a pause, Simon jumped off his unicorn and ran around the house crooning, "Holy terror, holy terror, ho...oly terrrrrooorrrr!!! 
pic from clipart.com

I is for Independence

Independence
It’s April, not July, as in the 4th of July. It’s not even May, as in Cinco de Mayo. Nonetheless, I’m celebrating that I’ve always been a person who valued her independence. I believe that this trait has come from my father, whose independence seemed to be what made up his DNA, which showed greatly when he had his first stroke and had to live for a while at my mother’s (his ex-wife of MANY years) to be cared for. He was gracious, but glad when he no longer had to be dependent on someone else and could return to his own home.
Anyway, to me, independence means not only freedom, but peace, choices, having the world open up to me to do just about anything I please.
But then, who wants to be totally independent? As if that’s even possible. I’m also grateful to be dependent on my family for my identity and unconditional love, my job for financial security and for being mentally challenging, my church for spiritual fulfillment, and especially on God for everything.

H is for How's it been so far? + Indie Book Review: Ambassadors of Love

How’s this year been for you so far?
It’s the beginning of April; nearly half the year is over. By now, the holidays seem so far away. Though Easter is coming up, we don’t get time off for that blessed day. So for a while, it’s work work work! How are you making it through? Are you looking forward to work every day, whatever work is for you? Are you taking joy in whatever the weather is blowing your way? Looking forward to summer vacations, spring breaks, time with family?
Well, I’ve been blessed. Last year was a good year, and this year is following suit so far. I’ve been busy and not blogging for a while (so glad to be involved with the AtoZ), but I’m taking entrepreneurship classes, writing, editing, reading, reviewing, and coming up with future book ideas.
However the year’s going for you, I pray it only gets better and continues to do so!





9/11/01 The day the world wept. The day that Karen, a young expecting mother watches her husband Jeff fly away on a plane before she leaves for her job at The World Trade Center. A day that a man named Mohammad, a man who fled a brutal dictator learns that all people in America doesn’t believe in a melting pot. 9/11/01 A day that tore a Christian rock band apart and gave a young pastor who was losing his faith the strength to go on. This book explores not the horrors of 9/11/01 but the love lessons learned on that day. Join Author Patti Sassy Angel Chiappa on this emotional ride of love, faith, friendship and joy on the darkest day in the world's history.
My Review
Ambassadors of Love tells the story of one group of friends during the tragedy of the terrorist bombings on September 11, 2001. The story is a heart-warming one that speaks of God’s love and grand design for his children. You get a good background of each character and a subplot of God’s angels working to fulfill his divine plan. The book would be dynamic if not for the myriad of grammatical, technical and word-choice errors. A decent editor could change that and make the novel significantly more touching and satisfying.
You can get Ambassadors of Love from Amazon.comfor $0.99

About the Author
Patti Chiappa has written twelve books and monitors the Facebook Page, I Need Book Reviews, where people swap reads and reviews, all while fighting cancer. She hopes to promote her books, all which were written from the heart, to help with her nieces’ college fund.

G is for The God Who Loves Me + Indie Book Review: Delicate Rain

The God Who Loves Me
On an all-star episode of Chopped, Greg Louganis said that when he was nervous before a dive, he’d tell himself, “No matter what happens, my mother will still love me.” Isn''t that cool?
Only, I changed “my mother” to “God”. So I tell myself, “No matter what happens, God will still love me.” That stands no matter what I do, whatever mistakes I make, how sometimes I can be tactless when speaking with others, however shy, nervous and insecure I may get, God will always love me.
At times, I can get to worrying that I’ll miss out on blessings because I’m not doing as much or am not improving myself like I should. But why worry about that? God has blessed me more that I can ever understand in this life. He’s let me know how much he’s been with me throughout my life, during the hardest times, the loneliest times, the most disappointed in myself times, and he’s never left me and has never stopped loving me. Being that little girl, knowing God was with me, is a loving memory I can always call on when I’m feeling too much alone. That by itself takes the count of my blessings WAY above my ability to fathom.




Rain Phillipa has always been an adventurous teenager, but when her adventures get her in hot water with the authorities as well as her family, she feels her only option is to run away. Soon finding herself in the heart of Kansas City, Rain is taken in by a secretive criminal operation who show her the life she's always wanted; drugs, parties, and violence quickly encapsulate her world. But when her family's search for her continues gaining volunteers and media attention and the secrecy of the criminal organization is directly endangered Rain can't help but wonder if this life of adventure and excess can really last forever.
My Review
A delinquent teen and a gang of thugs. Not your best connection, but one that Rain Philipa enjoyed while she could, having runaway from home after her parents were forced to show tough love. Saved by one of the thug members, she soon became immersed in their lifestyle. The teen-aged angst was shown well, though it was hard to care for the characters until much later in the story. The ends found their way to being tied up in a way that worked. It took a while for me to get through the book, some because the dialogue sometimes went on for too long and repetitively. All-in-all, as a YA thriller, I can see how some teens may get quite tuned in to this tale.
About the Author
I began writing at a very young age, mostly short stories and crudely drawn comic books. I completed my first book at the age of 15, the second at the age of 16. Now, a few years later my debut novel, Parabellum is my first professional publication. I look forward to publishing many more novels in the future!

Get Delicate Rain from Amazon.comfor $2.99
You can check out his website http://mitchellgothbooks.webs.com

F is for Forever + Indie Book Review: 27

Forever
That one word brings forth so many emotions and connotations. When we think “forever,” what often comes to mind is love and friendship. We all long for that forever love and friend in our lives. Then there’s the idea of pain, emotional and physical, which can seem to last forever when we’re in the midst of it. What gets my imagination going the most is global disaster, something that sets off the forever part of after-this-life. That idea must get many folks’ imaginations going, which is likely why disaster movies and TV shows are so popular. (I’ve recently become addicted to The Walking Dead – thanks to Netflix, I’m able to watch the earlier series!)
For me though, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of forever is God, who is the quintessential “forever” –  who was, and is, and is to come. (Rev. 4:8)






Six friends reunite in London. From the outside their lives are enviable; from the new father, to the rich entrepreneur to the carefree traveller. But underneath their facades they are starting to unravel. Dave is made redundant, Renee’s marriage is crumbling and Katie is forced to return home to her parents after six years abroad. In a world fuelled by social media and ravaged by recession, the friends must face up to the choices they must make to lead the lives they truly want to live.
My Review
An interesting tale of the twists in one year of life for these six friends. Not your usual story of angst, rather it speaks of real-life issues we get ourselves into, sometimes ending in good results, other times not. The emotions are real, the lives devastating. The author manages to tell the plight of these six people in a voice that fits each, and to tie endings to their stories that leave you haunted, questioning and yet, satisfied.

About the Author
R.J. Heald (Ruth Heald) is the author of "27," the story of six friends aged 27 who reunite in London. On the surface they lead enviable lives, but underneath their facades they are falling apart. "27″ was selected as a Quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
In her spare time, Ruth runs Five Stop Story (www.fivestopstory.com), a digital publisher of short stories, which connects up-and-coming writers with new readers, through its iPhone and iPad app and its Kindle book.
You can purchase 27 from Amazon.com for $2.99

E is for Elongated Pause

Elongated Pause

I’d been on a blogging break for the last several months, and theoretically, I’m still on it, except for this month’s A-Z Challenge. Afterward, I’ll be back to the break, but am totally enjoying this time of posting, sharing and reading others' challenges. :) Wishing you all a great April!