Menu

Silver Pen Badge Winners

Silver Pen Winner: Movement and Light by Abigail Welborn

, 0

Collage 2017-11-25 19_33_36

I am honored to do Abigail Welborn’s Silver Pen post! She’s my fellow Silver (and Mighty) Pen poster, she does so much behind the scenes – being able to claim donating prizes? All thanks to her! – and we’d be sunk without her! Congrats on the 15k! Oh and did I mention she’s editing??

You can find Abigail on twitter and instagram!

 

 

Movement and Light

Lara has trained her whole life for Vienna’s magical ballroom, but the man who turns out to be her Partner hates Dancing—and might have good reason.

Guests were still jostling for their favored viewing places when the musicians’ tuning resolved into a lively melody and the first Zaubertanz began.

It was a children’s group, with three Pairs under age twelve costumed to look like woodland creatures frolicking through the woods. Their Dancing produced little motes of magic that glittered in the air above them, barely visible. While enthusiastic, their steps weren’t consistent enough to make anything predictable, so it was really for the new Shapers’ practice.

Our balcony had a direct view into the Shapers’ room, most of whom weren’t paying attention. Two children reached toward the Ballroom and drew the bits of magic through the air toward them, and from this distance, their eyes barely shimmered. Allowed to Shape whatever they wanted, they were turning it into what looked like tiny tin horses and little swords that wouldn’t hold an edge. Well, we could sell them as toys.

After the children came Georg, in a bright green suit, and Franke, her dress as silver as her hair, with green trim as the only nod to the colors of the ball. I both admired and disapproved of her daring. They practically flew over the floor in the wildly fast mazurka. My breath caught watching them, and for a moment, I forgot my anxiety, absorbed in the transcendent beauty of their movement.

Mina loved Shaping for them, and it was easy to see why; shimmering magic cascaded off them in waves of light.

 

 

Way to go, Abigail! Looks and reads amazing!

-cacrocks1

Silver Pen Winner: Fången i underjorden by Hanna

, 0

Now we have the amazing Hanna! One of our amazing sprinter leaders, one of the Moms on the Discord and an amazing uni student WHILE kicking butt on NaNo!

Find Hanna on twitter! (sprints included!)

 

 

Fången i underjorden

Two girls – one a princess trying to save a corrupt kingdom, one a girl in desperate search for a missing best friend – paths cross and they have to rely on each other to survive and solve both their problems.

*A snippet directly translated from Swedish at 2 am. Any translation errors are on me.*

Titus has me cornered. My pulse is running away, it’s steps following the beat of an upbeat song. I bite my lip in an attempt not to cry, the familiar face distorted in contempt and betrayal breaks my heart. How did it come to this?

“Did you think you would get away with it?” The question hangs in the air and poisons the air between us. I answer with a stare, filling it with all the hatred I can muster. To speak the words is impossible, they get stuck in my throat on the way out.
“Considering how much you have let your filthy little mouth run the last few weeks I am surprised you have nothing to say now.” He spits out the words like they taste bad. My whole body freezes at his words and he takes a step forward and grabs my wrist. The pain spreads throughout my arm and I let out a whimper.
“I have nothing to say to you” I answer through gritted teeth. “I don’t waste my words on rotten people. Like you.”
“Oh you don’t?” The cold in his voice is palpable. “I must not remember correctly then. It must have been someone else begging me not to go through with XX execution the other day. Someone else sobbing like a child on that plaza. You had no problem screaming at me then. Not so brave now, are you?”

 

 

Ohhh man, this has me on the edge of my seat! Hanna! Where’s the rest?? Awesome job, especially with 2am translations!

-cacrocks1

Silver Pen Winner: The Shopkeepers by Lisa Hoffman

, 0

Now we’ve got Lisa Hoffman, having hit 15,000 a few days ago! Congrats, Lisa, that’s an awesome accomplishment!

You can find Lisa on instagram! Let’s check out her snippet.

 

 

The Shopkeepers

A pair of siblings who run their town’s item shop must each team up with a sorceress to save their town and their own lives.

“Do you -”
Brittany slapped her hand over Hector’s mouth and pulled him into a crouch beside her in one painful motion. Hector wanted to cry out in pain, but Brittany pressed down harder, squishing his face, and he thought better of it. Rint landed on Hector’s shoulder and shushed him for good measure. Hector slowly and quietly reached up to extract Brittany’s hand from his face, trying to assure her with his deliberate movements that he was in control and would not make a sound. Her eyes met his, and though it was dark, he thought he could see that they wide with fear. Before he could look closer, he heard a sound coming from the direction they had been walking. It was a swishing sound that got louder, and presumably closer, with each swish. It took him a few moments to place the exact sound, but he realized it was the same sound as a broom sweeping the floor. Still not thinking clearly, he wondered who was sweeping so late at night, and why they were sweeping the forest. Clearly it would just get dirty again the next day.

 

 

This looks amazing. Hector’s a little slow on the uptake but thank goodness he has Brittany! Keep it up!

-cacrocks1

Silver Pen Winner: Untitled by Michelle Bulsiewicz

, 0

Michelle reached 15,000 a while back! Sorry about our belated congrats but WAY TO GO! We’re so proud of you and all our Silver Pens.

You can find Michelle on instagram at @novelste (and other places) and on twitter at @mgarrett589 (and other places)!

 

 

Untitled

A Hannah/Samuel story but with witches. To get pregnant, a mother offers her daughter’s future to a witch nunnery. The child can see beyond the veil, and will use this power to heal the tear her mother made in it.

Olwina’s grief was a storm. It battered her from within, trapped, rattling beneath her rib cage so her lungs burned, tattered and frayed, with every breath. With every exhale, she didn’t know if she would ever manage to breathe again. She didn’t know if she would make it to the next breath. Or the next.
Part of her didn’t want to.
Inside her house, her mother and sister were busy scrubbing away the evidence of Olwina’s near death experience. It was as if a ravenous beast had come through and left only carnage in its wake. But that beast was her own body, rejecting the life she’d grown within her, trying to take her down with it.
Her mother had told her ten times in the last hour that she had never seen a woman survive after losing that much blood. The sheets were soaked with it.
But here Olwina stood. Not only alive but standing. Not only standing but whole, hale and hardy as she should never have been after such an ordeal. But she wasn’t grateful. She longed for her body to reflect the pain it had brought upon her. She longed to ache in her physical form as she did in her soul.
It didn’t make sense, her healing.
Her child’s body in the grave made a gross kind of logical sense—the tiny creature was months early, her translucent skin and wide eyes hadn’t the smallest chance of survival in the open air, her little lungs as fragile as butterfly wings

 

Congrats again, Michelle! Sounds fascinating! And sad 🙁 Poor Olwina

-cacrocks1

Silver Pen Winner: La Vie En Rose by Rochelle Deans

, 0

Rochelle

Rochelle kicked 15,000 word’s butt! Way to go, Rochelle! A bit belatedly, let’s honor her kickbuttness!

You can find Rochelle on twitter and instagram under RochelleDeans!

 

 

La Vie En Rose

When a new boy shows up for the last semester at Chloe’s arts magnet high school with a talent for sculpting and an eye for her, he could be her ticket to getting over her years-long crush on her best friend’s boyfriend, but the relationship he pulls her into isn’t as rosy as she’d imagined.

All I Can Think about in Social Studies

Is the distance between
Julian’s elbow and mine
On the rectangular desk we share
His right-handedness to my left
But me sitting to his right so our arms
Wage wars while we take down notes
On bigger-scale battles with
Victories and setbacks
That feel much less decisive.

But when his elbow knocks against mine
It’s the complacent tap
Of a buddy, a friend, a sidekick,
Who will ask me after class
If there’s anything he missed
And I won’t say:
Me. I’ve been right here beside you
All along.

 

 

OMG, is this all in ‘verse? Because holy cow, Rochelle, that’s amazing!

-cacrocks1

Silver Pen Winner: LEFT BEHIND by Kat Brauer

, 0

left behind: earth is heating up and the last Hope just went dark

Mighty Pens co-founder, humorous sprinter, and human encouragement machine Kat Brauer has reached the Silver Pen level! 🙌🎉🍾

If you’ve somehow missed following her, you should go catch her on Twitter. Of course you can also catch more good spirits joining her sprints on Discord!

LEFT BEHIND

In 2052, as global warming ravages billions on Earth, governments and scientists send 5,000 souls in a Hail Mary to the nearest goldilocks planet. Two years later, the ship’s communications with Earth go dark, and five strangers uncover the dark secrets threatening humanity and their real, last, Hope.

“Sorry,” they said. Lips were wide and curved in a half smile. “I’m Juliette. She-her. Who’re you? Where you from? Paid-in, scientist’s kid, or lotto?”

Warren blinked. As he processed that, a couple people weaved around him and Juliette. Traffic was starting to pick up, even though they were near the base of the ship. The loading bay would be busy today with the drone flights. A lot could go wrong trying to land breakable, almost irreplaceable equipment on a ball of space-dust hurtling 60,000 miles-per-hour through the asteroid belt. That meant a lot more people around to double- and triple-check work.

But also, Paid-in? He’d never heard Richies called that before. “Warren. Uh, he-him? And,” he wiped sweat from his upper lip. His towel was cold now, almost icy, from all his sweat. “Lotto.”

Her lips spread in a wide grin, revealing sparkling white teeth. A piercing glittered at the bottom-left of her lower lip. “Cool. Paid-in. I’ve never been on this particular side of the ship, hope the bump didn’t hurt you too bad.” Her voice was low, but with a playful lilt that Warren wasn’t sure how to react to. And the way she just tossed out statements like paid-in, as if it were normal for a Richie to be down here. “Wanna show me around?”

“I have to go to work?” ‘Have to’ left his lips like he was choking. And honestly, he kinda felt like he was. He rolled his shoulders back and tightened his grip on the handhold. Forced his voice to modulate. “And you just ran into me in a clearly marked hallway. Why would I ‘show you around’?”

That sounds like an amazing story! Keep the words coming!

~AbigailFair

Silver Pen Winner: WHITE LIEGE by Breanna Broad

, 0

White Liege

We have so many awesome Silver Pens this year! Our latest is Zoom sprinter extraordinaire Breanna Broad, with a fearsome-sounding fantasy.

You can find her on Twitter @brebroadm.

WHITE LIEGE

In the beginning of time, the first two souls were born, and one day, their reincarnations will reunite to destroy the world.

His serenity never lasted for long. Blood seized his mind; the smell of rust clinging to his nostrils. Feran gripped the smooth wood, which gripped him back into reality. Heads chopped off, crimson liquid spilling into streams, men crying for their mothers, and wars fought for no reason except for greed stomped out of his mind. Peace came. Back and forth, the sea danced both day and night while the stars could only play at night.
He always preferred the ocean, the water over dry ground.
“Sir, we need you below deck.” Worry painted the sailor’s voice.
Feran had known the sailor for a few weeks. Long enough to understand they shared the same love for the deep for the same reason. It brought them peace from countless demons neither could face for much longer.

Phew! What a cool concept and a beautiful cover. Keep up the good work, Bre!

~AbigailFair

Silver Pen Winner: Paths, Epic, and Pirates (multiple projects) by Casey C

, 0

Fabulous Mighty Pens volunteer Casey C has hit the Silver Pen mark! She’s been so awesome making other people’s posts, and now I’m excited to write hers.

You can follow her on Nanowrimo, Twitter or Insta (she’s friend-locked but will add anyone!).

EPIC

Epic is about Sam, whose cousin and little brother go missing. When her family starts acting all secretive and weird, Sam sets out to find them – even if it requires traveling through portals to other worlds.

As I soon as I sat, something with weight settled on my knee. I blinked down to find the smaller dog – I mean, small compared to the others, this pup still had to weigh fifty pounds – had rested its head on my lap and was staring up at me with large liquid eyes. “Oh, hello there.”
Miranda glanced back, the cat having hopped to a shelf. “Oh, Prance, don’t be a pain.”
The dog’s tail started to wag as he turned his gaze Miranda’s way. ‘I’m not being a pain. I just want some ear scratches.’
“Holy s***!” I jumped a foot and banged my knees on the underside of the table.
Prance, luckily for him, was quick enough to retract his head so he didn’t get bonked. He grinned at me, tongue lolling. ‘I like this one, Miranda.’
“I’m very glad, Prance, but you shouldn’t have scared her like that. She’s only just arrived from a world where magic doesn’t exist.”
“I told her that the Pack could speak to us,” Bill protested.
“Being told it exists and experiencing telepathy are two very different things,” Miranda admonished him, while I gaped open mouthed at the dog.
He replaced his head on my lap. ‘Ear scratches please?’ he asked with the largest eyes I swear I’d ever seen.
When I continued to stare, he moved his nose enough to nudge my hand. Instinctively, I started to scratch. “Holy s***,” I whispered again.
‘No, I’m Prance.’

Aww, haven’t we all wished that our fur babies could talk to us? Way to get the words down, Casey!

~AbigailFair

Silver Pen Winner: Broken at Love by Sam

, 0

Sam

Now we’ve got Sam! She’s often on the Discord lifting up our other members and we’re glad to celebrate this milestone with her!

You can follow Sam on Twitter or Instagram.

 

 

Broken in Love

Vanessa King gets a second chance at professional tennis AND love when Oliver Blake, the boy who broke her heart, comes back into her life.

First, I noticed his light golden brown skin, likely tan from hours in the sun. His hair was a dark brown, some tendrils of hair flopping onto his forehead even after he pushed it back.
Finally, I turned back to my laptop and smiled. Oh, he had to be cute. I turned to look again and caught his eye.
My head swiveled back to my laptop screen so quickly that my hair flew into my face. I put on my glasses and tossed my hair into a messy bun. I hadn’t gotten a haircut in months, so surely my hair looked like a dark tumbleweed on the top of my head. I tried smoothing it out, but it was too late.
I saw the cute stranger approach from my periphery.
Deep breaths, Nessa. He’s just a person! An extremely cute person, but still! Human. Man. You talked to your old friend Kelly, and it went great. Be brave, Nessa. You got this.
Having finished my internal pep talk, I finally looked up and gave my brightest smile, only for it to fade as soon as I met the stranger’s eyes. He wasn’t a stranger at all. Oh, I knew this man’s face like the back of my hand.
And he was the last person I wanted to see.
“It’s good to see you, Nessa,” Oliver Blake said, no hint of sarcasm or irony in his voice. “It’s been a while, huh.”
Not long enough, my dude. Not long enough.

 

Oooh, I love the tension here! And do I sense a hate to love relationship here? I’m here for it! Way to go, Sam!

-cacrocks1

Load More