by Cherise Papa | Aug 4, 2024 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction
Getting this up a few days late. But we have conquered COVID after it slowly worked through our family the past two weeks. I’m still not back to normal, but that will come with time. I’m just happy to be able to breathe properly again. The splash of water...
by Cherise Papa | Jul 24, 2024 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction
Moonlight sparkled on the cresting waves behind us as we sped across the dark lake, away from the smoke billowing in the forest depths. I pulled my legs to my chest, resting my chin on my knees as my hair turned into small whips against my face in the wind. ...
by Cherise Papa | Jul 17, 2024 | Lessons Learned from Work
My writing process has never been the same for each book. Sometimes I outline heavily; sometimes I just discover the world as I write and see where it takes me. Usually I’m somewhere in the middle, a strange balance of outline and discovery that shifts for what the...
by Cherise Papa | Jul 17, 2024 | Life
I’m rather failing a whole lot of everything. Writing, writing community responsibilities, work responsibilities, kid things, family things. Every single personal goal I had. I thought at the start of the year, I’d soon be able to get into the swing of...
by Cherise Papa | Jul 17, 2024 | Flash Fiction, Paranormal
Through a sliver of light sneaking in around old curtains, Joseph stared at the deserted workshop, taking in the scattered tools, toppled tables, and the tattered work gloves drenched in a pool of blood. Someone else found his target first. Blood stains stretched...
by Cherise Papa | Jul 10, 2024 | Flash Fiction, Literary
Jacob sat on the edge of the hospice bed, clinging to Marianne’s frail hand. A knife stabbed his heart with each of her frail breaths. “I’m so tired,” she mumbled, her lips thin and pale. He held her hand to his cheek, her skin ice to...
by Cherise Papa | Jul 3, 2024 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction
Joyful shouting echoed in the large community pool, strangers thrashing around Jefferson as he argued with his friends. They were setting up a favorite game “sharks and minnows”, and they wanted Jefferson to be the shark first. Except he loathed being...
by Cherise Papa | Jun 26, 2024 | Flash Fiction, Paranormal
Purple magic rippled over the crowd as they swayed to the hard rhythm and demanding beat. Phones raised into the air tipped side to side, accompanied by drinks and empty hands, and when the vocalist opened his mouth, the crowd sang along to the lyrics. Each word was...
by Cherise Papa | Jun 19, 2024 | Flash Fiction, Paranormal
Did I write this during a miserable heat wave? Yes I did! Cars rumbled blow as Grim ran her fingers over the metal wires at the top of the suspension bridge. Each squeak of the tire or maddening honk was just another predictor that soon Grim’s stolen moment in...
by Cherise Papa | Jun 12, 2024 | Flash Fiction, Paranormal, Romance
The elderly woman swept through her small home, adjusting knickknacks here and straightening her old wedding photo one last time. “James, be sure to keep this place safe while I’m gone.” She stared at her wedding photo, taking note of her husband....
