Friday, July 22, 2011

Guest Writer - Theresa Weir (aka Anne Frasier)

So, our final guest writer is a widely published author under both her real name, Theresa Weir, and her thriller/horror/mystery pen name, Anne Frasier. When I was new to blogging back in 2005, I happened upon Anne's blog, Monkey with a Pen. That day, she happened to be featuring some spooky old medical equipment on a post, and I thought, damn, there's a kindred spirit (I'm fascinated, in a creeped out way, by old medical equipment).

I feel like we shared some of the glory days of blogging and have maintained a friendship ever since. I'll let her say something about her current projects, but I have to say, as if being a best selling author wasn't enough, her upcoming memoir, The Orchard, has stirred up a ton of excitement in the publishing industry. It's going to be a major release, my friends.

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Jason, does time ever fly! I still remember what a blast it was to co-host one of your contests back in (oh Jesus) 2006. That featured my novel Pale Immortal. You had a cool picture of a moonlight sky.

Blogs were the cool place to be in those days, and I remember the contest was (and still is) an exciting place to be. Fast forward to now, and I have two books coming out in September. Of course, the first, Deadly Treats involves you! It was really a blast to put together a Halloween anthology. The guest list includes so many fantastic writers (Jason Evans!). The Orchard is also being released at the same time. I'm going to have a busy fall!

Thanks so much for letting me guest write again. I know I was drawn into the contest fun on more than one occassion. ;)

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Blood Moon
by Anne Frasier/Theresa Weir


I was born under a blood moon. At least that’s what my grammie always tells me.

“Girl, you came shootin’ out like you couldn’t wait to start raisin’ hell,” is what she says. And then her face darkens and she reaches for the bottle.

It ain’t easy knowing your birth killed your own ma. And not a day goes by but Gram doesn’t remind me that I’m a murderer. And not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could turn back the clock and be unborn. But it don’t work that way, and when the townspeople come to the swamp to have their fortunes told, I cling to their soft, perfumed hands longer than I should because I want to feel something besides my life with Gram. And even if I sense bad things, I don’t tell the customers. I look for the positive and happy. I want to see their shoulders relax in relief. I want to see them smile. And it don’t hurt that they tip more for good news.

Once they leave, I take the money to Gram and she puts it in a jar and we sit down by the bed, one on each side. And just like we’ve done for the past sixteen years, Gram rubs olive oil on my mother’s leathery arms and legs while I brush our dead darling’s hair, lightly, barely touching so I won’t do any more damage.

28 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Theresa

I thought mine had an ewwwww factor, your's beats mine, hands down. I bow to the master....

Dottie :)

Precie said...

Puts me in mind of William Faulkner...and that's a very good thing. You wield words and images like a scythe.

Sandra Cormier said...

Eeeeeeppp! What a twist! Boy, I didn't see that coming.

Brava, Sweetie!

Wendy said...

Oh, I LOVE this line -- "...I cling to their soft, perfumed hands longer than I should because I want to feel something besides my life with Gram."

Such great imagery to portray the longing.

Aimee Laine said...

Ewwwwww x2! Ewwwwww! Had to say it again to get it out of my system and I still don't think it's gone. Ewwwwww! :)

Sarah Hina said...

Wonderfully macabre. Such a great ending. And like Wendy, I especially loved the detail of her hanging onto their hands.

Your words bridged the abyss between life and decay. Thanks for sharing this, Theresa.

Joni said...

Serious creep factor. I LOVE it.

downward spiral said...

Heh! Thanks so much everyone, and thanks Jason, for inviting me to contribute! I've been lurking, reading, and really enjoying the stories.

Stephen Blackmoore said...

That was awesome. I love it.

Mystico said...

How do you spell "creepy" ?
I'd say no one does it better than you.

SzélsőFa said...

eww, this one has a creepy atmosphere! and packed with lots of background information untold, yet going on definitely under the surface.

Cath Barton said...

A fine piece.

Another Government Employee said...

The story stands great on its own, but would make an incredible opening for a Gothic novel.

Michael Morse said...

Birth with death, fortunes, grandmother, granddaughter and a nice corpse to boot! Great ingredients for a creepy soup! Very tasty, thank you!

Aniket Thakkar said...

What Wendy said. What Aimee said.
Creepiness maximus. But oh, so wonderfully written. The piece has such a casual voice to it, even when you tell all the dreadful backstory and then you so subtly slide in her mother's corpse into it. Brilliant.

Michele Zugnoni said...

In 250 words, you've brought your characters and their world to life. Gruesome as character actions may be, the motivation and emotion rippled through both dialogue and exposition, forcing readers to understand their plight. Excellent job.

Thank you for sharing your gift!

Anne Frasier said...

thank you so much, everybody! this is what has always been so wonderful about Jason's contests -- the great level of participation along with the warm, supportive, and intelligent comments.

jason, thanks for all you do.

Claire Gillian said...

Ooh, I really liked the voice in this one, in addition to the story itself.

Old Kitty said...

Oh so sad and very loving in a way. Mum is looked after with care and tlc. I'm only sorry her daughter is made to feel guilty! This is a really lovely story, thank you! take care
x

Anonymous said...

The scene unfolds so effortlessly and delicately. Just like holding someone's hand. But then...mom has seen better days. The olive oil was such a great touch!

Thanks for showing us how the masters work!

jrthumbprints said...

The daughter, the grandmother -- these are definitely my type of characters ... oh, and let's not forget the well oiled mother!

Richard Levangie said...

How deliciously creepy!

Unknown said...

Lovely twist at the end, and ample evidence of why Theresa is a master, and a lot of us are just learner-apprentices!

Erratic Thoughts said...

Oh man!I didn't see that coming...I was wondering where this was going and bammmm...It totally creeped me out!
It left me blinking in awe...superb piece :)

Catherine Vibert said...

Wow, truly truly creepy. Your dialect gives just the right character for these two (three?) and I'm hooked.

downward spiral said...

Thanks so much, everybody!! :) :) I really enjoyed writing this little piece.

Unknown said...

Oh, yes, Theresa!

You got me with this beaut. I was already engrossed with the girl looking for some kind of solace from Grammie's constant digs, when BAM!

You could defo expand this idea. Top notch work.

Regards,
Col

downward spiral said...

thanks, Col! The comments have me thinking about expanding it.