I’m pleased to announce that two of my stories have been published today – my flash fiction story, “Coffee,” is live now on Gobblers & Masticadores. My short story, “A Big Job,” is live now on Masticadores India. I want to thank J. Re Crivello, Manuela Timofte, and Terveen Gill for their support.
Coffee
“Coffee, please — a large macchiato with a double shot of expresso.”
The owner of the coffee bar shuddered and made a face. “I detest the stuff, myself, but . . . shhh,” she said, holding her finger to her lips,” don’t tell anybody. After all, I make my living selling the stuff.”
The man in front of the counter looked at her in dismay. “Not like coffee! Who doesn’t like coffee?” He turned toward the other customers in the shop. Waving his hand at the barista he said, “Have you ever heard of such nonsense? She says she hates coffee!”
As Dmitri untied the rope around Dr. Morgan’s neck, his cellphone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out the annoying thing. It always interrupted him at the most inopportune time.
“Daddy, you promised to come to my play. Where are you?”
Shit, Dmitri thought. He had forgotten all about it. He smiled into the phone. “No worries, my precious girl. Daddy’s on his way.”
[NOTE: I’ve been sick with a sinus infection for the last couple of days so I’m behind on responding to comments and visiting people’s sites. Thank you for your patience.]
Dawn Pisturino
August 5, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
The first line of your novel or story can make it or break it. Are your words intriguing? Compelling? Do they make the reader hungry for more? Consider these first lines written by well-known authors. How do they make you feel? What images come into your head? Do you want to read more?
1. “Sometimes Sonny felt like he was the only human creature in the town.” Larry McMurtry, The Last Picture Show
2. “It was about eleven o’clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills.” Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep
3. “When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him.” Cormac McCarthy, The Road
4. “The alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought.” Paul Coelho, The Alchemist
5. “Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum’s Grand Gallery.” Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code
6. “When a traveller in north central Massachusetts takes the wrong fork at the junction of the Aylesbury pike just beyond Dean’s Corners he comes upon a lonely and curious country.” H.P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror
7. “On these cloudy days, Robert Neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back.” Richard Matheson, I Am Legend
8. “The cat had a party to attend, and went to the baboon to get herself groomed.” David Sedaris, squirrel seeks chipmunk
9. “‘To be born again,’ sang Gibreel Farishta tumbling from the heavens, ‘first you have to die.'” Salman Rushdie, The SatanicVerses
10. “The witnesses standing at the edge of the field were staring in horrified silence, too stunned to speak.” Sidney Sheldon, TheDoomsday Conspiracy
11. “I had this story from one who had no business to tell it to me, or to any other.” Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of theApes
12. “Amerigo Bonasera sat in New York Criminal Court Number 3 and waited for justice; vengeance on the men who had so cruelly hurt his daughter, who had tried to dishonor her.” Mario Puzo, The Godfather
13. “I see . . .” said the vampire thoughtfully, and slowly he walked across the room towards the window.” Anne Rice, Interviewwiththe Vampire
14. “Almost everyone thought the man and the boy were father and son.” Stephen King, ‘Salem’s Lot
15. “Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.” Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind
And the list goes on, ad infinitum. But you get the idea.
Dawn Pisturino
April 24, 2012; June 15, 2022
Copyright 2012-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
I submitted two short stories to Masticadores India, and I’m waiting to hear back on publication dates.
I submitted another poem to Masticadores USA, and I’m waiting to hear back.
I submitted a poem to the Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest. I will find out later in the year the results of that submission.
I submitted a poem to Spillwords Press, the first time I have done so. I had technical trouble trying to submit it, but after several attempts, it finally sent.
I submitted a poem to David ben Alexander’s The Skeptical Kaddish Poetry Partners.
I’m waiting for the Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women anthology to be released.
I have several short stories to finish and novels that I’m working on. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything!
~
A few months ago, I finished reading 1,000 pages of the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe. It took me forever to read because a lot of it was rather boring. I got the bright idea to read the complete works of H.P. Lovecraft. Two thousand pages later, I can honestly say I have read all of his works. I finished last night, and boy, was I happy! I love his ability to create a dark mood, but a lot of it was redundant. Truthfully, in both the case of Poe and Lovecraft, only a few well-written stories and poems really stand out.
I bought a bunch of mysteries at Barnes & Noble when I was in California, so I am moving on to those. My brain needs a break from the dark and heavy stuff.
~
On Paramount+, my husband and I are watching The Offer and Joe Pickett. He watches all the Star Trek/Star Wars stuff. I’m waiting for the next season of Evil to start. I like my British and Scandinavian detective shows on Acorn, BritBox, and PBS Masterpiece. Recently, I have found some French detective shows that incorporate paranormal overtones and which have turned out to be pretty absorbing.
~
I’m updating and improving my author resume website at http://www.dawnpisturino.org (please check it out!) and all of my social media sites.
~
I’m working on losing the weight I gained in California (too much restaurant food – Armenian, American, Italian, and Japanese), taking walks, exercising, and doing other healthy self-care stuff. I like to sit on the front porch every evening with the dog and read and watch the wildlife. It’s very relaxing.
~
And, I’ve been listening to one of my favorite classic rock bands: The Doors. Listening to them puts me in an altered state of consciousness.
(“The End” by The Doors – Warning: contains references to violence)
“All the children are insane.” Sound familiar? The violence happening now is a culmination of several decades of post-World War II social dysfunction.
It was Jim Morrison who famously said: “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m going to get my kicks before the whole sh*thouse goes up in flames” – referring to nuclear war, which still remains the ultimate existential threat to humanity.
May the Muses tickle your brain today. May you write, compose, photograph, dance, sing, and paint like there’s no tomorrow!
Dawn Pisturino
June 2, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
The next part of the assignment for my children’s literature writing class was to write a children’s story based on the child I had observed. (See previous post.)
Children’s Story: “Caitlin II”
by Dawn Pisturino
I wasn’t surprised when Jenny told me that her parents are getting a divorce. It seems like every kid I know comes from a broken home. Jenny’s parents fight a lot, and I’ve seen her break down and cry in the girls’ restroom because of it. Don’t parents understand how unhappy they make their kids?
She hopes they’ll make it up and stay together, and I hope they do, too. Jenny is a nice girl with a bright future, and I hate to see her so unhappy.
Why do families have to split up? Why can’t they just love each other and stay together?
My Aunt Lucy and Uncle Tommy got a divorce. I never see Uncle Tommy anymore. He moved to the East Coast and got a new job. Aunt Lucy cried a lot, and my cousin Jeremy got into trouble for stealing money from the neighbor next door. After his father left, he was angry for a long time. I haven’t seen him since last Christmas, but Mom told me that he ran away from home one night and got beat up by a local gang. I’m afraid that someday something really bad will happen to him, and I’ll never see him again.
I love my father, and if he ever left, I think I would die. Just the thought makes me want to cry.
It scared me when my little brother got real sick. His face was red, and his skin was hot, and he slept a lot. Mom rushed him to the emergency room, and he had to stay in the hospital until he got better. I didn’t see Mom for a few days because she stayed in the hospital with him.
Dad and I took care of each other, though. We made dinner together every night, and one night, we went out for pizza. I told him all about my classes in school, the new girl who moved in down the street, and the cute boy I met at the library. I was embarrassed to talk about the cute boy, but Dad just laughed and didn’t tease me at all. I really loved him for that.
~
Sunday, May 8, 2022, is Mother’s Day. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Dawn Pisturino
July 8, 2008; May 6, 2022
Copyright 2008-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
On the morning of her tenth birthday, Jennifer received the strangest gift she had ever seen – a large glass jar.
It looks like a mayonnaise jar, Jennifer thought. But why did someone – or something – send it to her?
When she unscrewed the lid and peered inside, she saw nothing at all. Sniffing it produced no odor. The inside of the jar was perfectly dry. She shook it, rolled it, and turned it upside-down. Nothing happened.
All in all, it was an ordinary glass jar with no label on the front or printing on the lid. So, she decided to use it.
“I’ll fill it with water and add blue food coloring,” Jennifer said. “Some plastic fish would look nice. I’ll make an aquarium!”
But when she tried to pour water into the jar, the water wouldn’t go in! It spilled all over the countertop. She used a whole roll of paper towels cleaning it up. And the jar was still empty.
“I’ll fill it with marbles,” Jennifer decided.
She found her brother’s big bag of marbles and tried to pour them into the jar. But the marbles wouldn’t go in! They scattered all over the kitchen floor. It took twenty minutes to find all those marbles and refill the marble bag. And the jar was still empty.
“Oh, well,” Jennifer sighed. “Bobby would probably be mad anyway.”
Sand! How about sand?
For Christmas, Jennifer had received a craft kit filled with different types of colored sand. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to use it.
Using one of her mother’s kitchen funnels, she tried to pour pink sand into the jar. But the sand wouldn’t go in! It spilled, like pink sugar, all over the countertop. She cleaned it up with a wet dishcloth. And the jar was still empty.
Frustrated, Jennifer threw the dishcloth into the sink. “What am I going to do with an empty glass jar that won’t fill? I may as well throw it away.”
She tossed it into the trashcan, but lo and behold, here it came, bouncing out of the trashcan and into her hands again!
Terrified, Jennifer threw the jar onto the floor, smashing it into a million pieces.
A loud belching noise filled the air, and a small cloud of stinky black smoke rose up from the pieces of glass. “Ugh! Smells like a big fart!” Jennifer cried, pinching her nose. “Smells like Sissy’s poopy diapers! No wonder the jar wouldn’t fill!” As the cloud rose, it grew larger and larger until it was nearly as big as Jennifer herself.
“I’m out of here!” Jennifer yelled as she ran for the front door. But the big, stinky, black cloud followed her. She raced into the front yard, where a gust of wind caught the big, black cloud and spirited it away.
Relieved, Jennifer returned to the kitchen just in time to hear her mother say, “Jennifer, you’re in big trouble this time!”
Dawn Pisturino
2012; May 4, 2022
Copyright 2012-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Brother Bear groaned. “I don’t wanna baby-sit! Sister Bear always gets me into trouble!”
“Now, now,” said Mama Bear. “I have to take Baby Bear to the doctor. I’m counting on you to take care of Sister Bear.”
“Can we make chocolate chip cookies when you get home?” Brother Bear asked.
Mother Bear laughed. “We’ll see,” she said.
After Mother Bear left with Baby Bear, Brother Bear turned on the TV so Sister Bear could watch her favorite cartoons.
“I’m hungry,” Sister Bear said. “Can I please have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”
Brother Bear made a face. “Okay – since you said please.”
“You’re the best big brother in the world!” Sister Bear said.
Brother Bear went to the kitchen. He made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and put it on a green plate. He poured a big glass of milk. He carried the green plate and the glass of milk into the living-room for Sister Bear. Sister Bear was gone!
“Sister Bear!” Brother Bear called. But nobody answered.
Brother Bear put the green plate and glass of milk on a table. He ran down the hallway to look for Sister Bear.
First, he looked in Sister Bear’s room. There were lots of dolls on Sister Bear’s pink bed – but no Sister Bear.
Then, he looked in Baby Bear’s room. There were lots of stuffed animals in Baby Bear’s white crib – but no Sister Bear.
Brother Bear knocked on the bathroom door. “Sister Bear, are you in there?”
He heard water running.
Sister Bear squealed with delight. “Wheeeee! I love bubbles! Lots and lots of bubbles!”
Brother Bear groaned. What was he going to do? Mama Bear would be home soon. Brother Bear tried to open the bathroom door. But it was locked.
“Sister Bear, open the door!” Brother Bear yelled.
“I’m taking a bubble bath all by myself,” Sister Bear said. “Wheeeee!”
Brother Bear heard Sister Bear splashing in the water. He heard the water running in the bathtub.
I have to get in there and turn off the water, Brother Bear thought.But how?
The window. Could he climb through the bathroom window? He decided to try.
Brother Bear ran outside and found the bathroom window. It was open. But Brother Bear was not tall enough to climb through the window.
He found an old wooden chair. He placed it under the bathroom window. He stood on top of the chair. Now, he was tall enough to climb through the window.
Sister Bear laughed when she saw Brother Bear climb through the window. She blew bubbles at him with her bubble wand.
The water in the bathtub was beginning to run on the floor. Bubbles floated everywhere!
Brother Bear turned off the water in the bathtub. He was mad.
“Look at the mess you made!” Brother Bear shouted. “Mama Bear’s gonna be mad!”
Sister Bear began to cry.
Brother Bear opened the bathroom door. He heard a noise in the kitchen. Mama Bear was home.
What should he do?
Brother Bear grabbed some towels from the linen closet and threw them on the bathroom floor. He cleaned up all the water with the towels. Then he pulled the plug in the bathtub.
Sister Bear laughed as the water went gurgle-gurgle down the drain. She climbed out of the bathtub. Brother Bear dried her with a towel. He helped her to get dressed.
Brother Bear took Sister Bear to the living-room and put her in a chair.
“Here’s your peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” Brother Bear said.
Mama Bear came into the living-room. “How did it go?” she asked.
Sister Bear became excited. “Brother Bear let me take a bubble bath all by myself. And he made the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the world. I love Brother Bear!”
Mama Bear looked happy. “You did a good job, Brother Bear. Let’s go make chocolate chip cookies.”
Dawn Pisturino
May 2008; March 31, 2022
Copyright 2008-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
I wrote this for the Binnacle 2008 Ultra-Short Writing Challenge, which asked for a 150-word story:
As the train pulled away from the station, Carrie looked through the window at her father standing lost and forlorn on the wooden platform. “I’ll be back,” she had said, hugging him tightly and kissing him warmly on the cheek. But as the train chugged slowly down the track, she knew in her heart that she would never come back. With tears in her eyes, she waved at him one last time, painfully aware of the worried expression in his tired blue eyes, the stooped shoulders, the crumpled old sweater. Who will take care of him now, she wondered. But as the train moved faster down the track, so did her thoughts, leaping ahead to the eager young man waiting anxiously for her at the end of the line and the new life they would begin together. She closed her eyes, remembering his gentle words of love, and cried. (149 words)
Dawn Pisturino
January 2008; March 29, 2022
Copyright 2008-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
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