Proud Momma Moment

Received the email late yesterday that Tell Me a Story in 99 Words had been awarded a 2023 READER READY AWARD HONORABLE MENTION from Author Shout. I am over the moon with happiness!

This is my most recently published book and it is now a multi-award winner. 

 Thank you to everyone who inspires me to keep writing in genres outside my comfort zone. Now that I have dipped my toes into the water with this book, I look forward to wading in above the ankles! 

http://www.amazon.com/author/annetterochelleaben

Dress to Dust

Charli Mills offered us the opportunity to craft a 99-word tale about a 1940s dress hanging in an abandoned house. Should you desire to have such opportunities in the future, please follow her inviting blog here: Carrot Ranch

She said yes to the dress. It belonged to her grandmother’s sister, for whom she was named. She had only seen photographs of her great aunt in the dress. It was such a romantic idea.

With her best friend by her side, she walked into the old family home, heading for the attic stairs. Cobwebs covered the walls and dust motes danced in the sparkling shaft of sunlight that stood between them and the dress.

On the other side of the sun, they gasped! As they watched, the beautiful dress from the picture fall apart right before their eyes.

©2022 Annette Rochelle Aben

Cooler Than a Pool

Thank you to Charli Mills for her great 99-word flash fiction prompt this week. It brought back this memory of when a pool was cool, but a float was cooler! For those who might not understand the references, a Boston Cooler is an ice cream float made with vanilla ice cream and a healthy pour of Vernors (made in Detroit) ginger ale. Be sure to check out the weekly fun when you hang out at the Carrot Ranch

Mom banished all the kids from the pool when she wanted to use it. In fact, she didn’t even want us in the backyard while she relaxed. She turned the radio to her favorite station, donned her sunglasses, and floated on her blow-up raft.

That worked for us! We enjoyed having access to the kitchen when she wasn’t around. One of us grabbed the glasses. Another found the long, skinny iced tea spoons, and I gathered the goodies.

Two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with cold Vernors ginger ale. She floated her way, and we floated our way!

©2022 Annette Rochelle Aben

Such Wonderful Support from A True Master Storyteller!

 I am honored to have Sally Cronin’s review of my latest book, Tell Me a Story in 99 words, out there for all to read. Follow the link to her blog! (which I suggest you follow if you don’t already!)

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2022/05/26/smorgasbord-book-reviews-flashfiction-tell-me-a-story-in-99-words-by-annette-rochelle-aben/

Pups for People

This week, Charli Mills’s prompt was to write about a disabled Vet and a newly released prisoner who trained a dog named Buttercup to be of service to that Vet. Here is what I came up with. Make sure you connect with a terrific writing community on the ranch, the Carrot Ranch!

Gail leaned over in her wheelchair and smiled at the furry little family.

“Buttercup, you’re such a good mother! Your loving pups will one day mean as much to others as you mean to me!”

Gravel crunched under the weight of truck tires. Loretta was here. Gail couldn’t breathe. It was time to say goodbye.

“Well, here they are, Loretta. Five enthusiastic recruits for the program. I’m sure the ladies who will train them will do as wonderful a job as you did with Buttercup!”

“Thank you, Gail. I get more out of this program than words can say!”

©2022 Annette Rochelle Aben