THE REVIEW

NEW FACES


Two new people joined The Rams last night. Marcella came and brought her friend, Mary, and they were brave enough to share some writing with us. Jim, Jason, Kristi and Leah also attended, so we were a party of seven. Ellie was getting ready for a trip to Vancouver Island, and Wendy and Annette weren’t well.

Jason returned my book “Road To Afghanistan”, saying his son, Tristan, read it and enjoyed the story and the illustrations, but didn’t connect at all with there being a real war in Afghanistan and that Canada had real soldiers who died or were injured. Leah, a former Master Corporal in our Army, said she thought the book was pure military propaganda. Anyhow, I personally don’t agree with a work of fiction being purported to be a true autobiography and then presented to children as such.

Jason read first, Chapter 7 from his “Provoked” series. This chapter shows us Iris, Gregg and David’s grandmother, on her property where her house had burned down. She was remembering the past and feeling depressed at how long re-construction was taking, and that she didn’t have anywhere acceptable to stay. She felt she needed a drink, and went looking for a case of wine she had stashed in the barn. When she found a bottle, she then realized she also had to find a corkscrew. At the edge of the field, she saw two tents that shouldn’t be there and went to roust the intruders.

Kristi read her next chapter from “Jane And The Midnight Daisies”. Here Jane has grown to be 16, still living with her grandmother, dreaming of finding love and escaping. Leaving school one day, she is teased and bullied and accosted by Sean and his gang, who follow her home, pelting her with rocks and mud. This is a detailed scene of unwarranted cruelty and bullying and makes us all fearful for her safety.

Mary is hoping to write an autobiography, creative non-fiction, but is still looking for the best approach to take for writing it. She read us two paragraphs that hint at a story to be told, but didn’t yet give us any details. We hope she can find a way to open up and put herself on the page.

I read a short piece I wrote to capture a moment. Called “Hunger” it tells of people in a diner, all wanting to be fed, but also tells of me and my husband sitting across from each other at a booth, lost in our own thoughts until I smile. Right away, Bryon notices and wants to know why, still wanting to be part of it, as I want to be part of what makes him smile, too.

Leah read a short story of hers that had been previously published. It was called “Vegetative States”. It shows a middle aged couple living in a rural setting where they have very divergent interests and the underlying conflict has an ironic outcome.

Marcella read a short piece called “Hair Cut”. It is a sensual recollection of a haircut she had. It took a very long time for the hairdresser to create his masterpiece, and she loved the results, but was sorry it would only be perfect for a few short hours after all the trouble he went to.

Jim read Ch. 40 of “Coventry Ghosts – Book II”. Sara, the ghost kitten, has to go into Yanjing and look for the safe house. She finds the house, but it is strangely quiet, and then she is attacked by several Umbra. After defeating them, she rejoins Joel and they both return to Yanjing to meet with someone who has information for them. Sara has to keep Joel invisible, and then has to keep the amateur agent shielded, too. Sara keeps the shield hardened so no one else can enter it, but then a soldier bounces off it unknowingly and hits his comrades and one of the rifles fires and Joel’s arm is injured. But he manages to hang onto the agent.

The next Meeting of The Rams will be Wednesday, February 5th here at my place at 7:00 p.m. Since I am scheduled for further surgery the week after that, I’m afraid Meetings will be postponed from then until perhaps the beginning of April. But that gives everyone lots of time to write some wonderful tales. Right? I look forward to seeing you February 5th.

LISA A. HATTON
Author

Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608