Welcome to RNIC Love Bites! The first Tuesday of every month, Romance Novels in Color posts a writing prompt at 7:00 am EST and challenges you—authors and aspiring authors—to demonstrate what excellent writers you are.
Readers, we want you to participate, too! RNIC Love Bites commenters will be entered in a drawing.
Rules for Participating Authors
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a flash fiction story (1000 words or less) in the comments. Think you’ve got what it takes? Keep reading.
- Based on the writing prompt below, enter a flash fiction story of 1000 words as a comment. Entries over 1000 words will be deleted.
- Write at the heat level you feel comfortable. Remember, this is an opportunity to shine and give readers a sample of your work. There will be no censorship, but the usual no-no’s apply—beastiality, incest, golden showers, etc.
- Below the story, enter the following:
- Name
- Website, if applicable
- The genre(s) you write in, if applicable. Choose as many as apply from the following: contemporary romance, historical romance, inspirational romance, LGBT, new adult, paranormal & urban fantasy, romantic suspense, sci-fi/fantasy, young adult, romantic comedy, other:____.
- Optional: The title of a published story you’ve written which includes a hero or heroine of color, and a brief description. (NOTE: You do not have to list a novel, but if you do, please make sure it’s a romance novel that features a hero or heroine of color to adhere to our mission of promoting the awareness and appreciation of diversity in romance novels.)
Benefits to Participating Authors
- Reach a wider audience of readers who may not be familiar with your novels.
- Exercise your writing muscles.
- Each week RNIC will gift a romance novel to a lucky reader, and that novel may be yours!
- Aspiring authors, start building brand awareness.
Rules for Participating Readers
- You have a chance to win a novel by one of the participating authors! Just write a comment answering the question after the writing prompt.
- International entrants are welcome.
- Deadline to enter: Sunday, 11/08/15 at 11:59 PM EST.
TODAY’S WRITING PROMPT
After a long day at work, you come home to see a messenger on your doorstep waiting to hand deliver an envelope to you. Once inside your home, you open the envelope to find a letter congratulating you for being selected to appear on a new dating reality show that will start filming in three days… a show you know you never auditioned for so the letter must have been delivered by mistake. While flipping through the paperwork, you see a check for $25,000.00 – an advance on the salary you would earn as the show’s lead. What do you do? By the way… did we mention you just started dating someone a couple of weeks before?
Readers, if in this situation, what would you do?
Laurel Cremant is an opinionated author and reader of romance with a wicked sense of humor. RNIC was smart (or crazy) to bring her on as a blogger. In 2016 she took over the management of this site and relishes her new title of “Overlord of Awesome”
I rolled my eyes so hard, I think I saw my brain. “Who doesn’t know the rules?” I asked my windshield. They were very simple after all. Don’t come over without calling first, don’t come over on a work night and just don’t come over. After barely 3 hours of sleep and an almost 13 hour work day, I was not in the mood to entertain, be entertained or be polite. The drive home was brutal and now Boo Boo the Clown is standing on my porch. I considered my options – a drive by milkshake throwing, parking around the corner until he went away or turning on my dog barking app to make him think I had a very mean dog in the car. I tried to wait him out but he didn’t seem to budge. The blare of my neighbor’s truck horn made up my mind for me, since now Boo Boo was looking right at me. Who is this? I would never forget a handsome face or ripped body like that, after all. I pulled into the driveway trying not to look at his face and stumbled out of the car. “Leah Marshall?” the husky voice called to me, stopping me in my tracks. “Who wants to know?” I turned suddenly and was in his face. “S-special D-delivery for you” he said. I looked down at the envelope and the mini computer tablet awaiting my signature. I scribbled on the screen and took the envelope. “T-thank you Ma’am. H-have a nice day”. I watched as he backed off the porch, almost falling into the grass. For just a fleeting moment, I had a vision of him lying in the grass oiled up with the sun glistening off of his broad shoulders. I quickly snapped out of it, pushed my key into the lock and stepped inside. I couldn’t wait to get out of those torture contraptions on my feet and sit down.
I sat in silence for a few moments until curiosity got the best of me. Who is sending me a letter that I had to sign for? That usually means something bad. I stared at the back of the envelope pondering if I should toss it or open it. You know curiosity killed the cat and I imagined dead cats everywhere because I could no longer stand the suspense. I flipped over the envelope and read the return address. WRTY-TV. Why would they send me a letter? I hesitated before I opened the envelope knowing the only way I could save the life of a cat was to open it. As I pulled the letter out a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. I reached over to pick it up and began reading.
Dear Leah,
We are so excited to welcome you to the show. We hope you realize this is an incredible opportunity for you and for us. We are so impressed with you and we look forward to seeing all your dating adventures.
We have enclosed a check representing payment for the 1st episode. There will be one for each of the 13 remaining episodes for the same amount of $25,000.00.
We will see you in Atlanta in 3 days. Get ready for an experience of a lifetime!
Sincerely,
Jordan Jakes
Executive Producer
Jet Date
WRTY-TV
I looked at the paper that fluttered out of the envelope to see a check for $25,000.00. I got up and started looking around my house. Under the chair, In the lamp, around the TV, even the remote control. “I am either on Candid Camera or I am being punked” I declared out loud. I waited a few minutes for a knock on the door or a phone call but none came. I re-read the letter looking for more information. They must have me confused with someone else. I have done some crazy stuff but THIS? No sir, not me. But how did they get my name and address? I ran to my bag and grabbed my tablet. I tapped the back as I waited for it to boot up. I looked up Jet Date on the web. I almost dropped my tablet on the floor when the website came up. There was my face and a Congratulations banner saying I was the star of their new reality dating show.
Who would think I needed to go on a reality dating show? What about Jackson? We’ve only been going out for a couple of weeks and that is going really well. I was actually thinking this might turn out to be a long term relationship for a change. I paced as I thought about what I was going to say to him. “I can’t do this. I need to give Jackson a chance” I said out loud. But $350,000 would pay off my house and start a great retirement fund. I didn’t know what to do. I decided to sleep on it.
3 days later I was in Atlanta at WRTY. I needed to know how this all came to be. I was welcomed by a bubbly girl named Naomi. She explained how excited everyone was that I was here and all of the fun we were going to have. I stopped her mid-sentence. “I need to talk to the head person in charge right away”. The look on my face told her I was serious. “Sure. Come into the office and I’ll get Mr. Jakes. Have a seat”. I tried to sit still but I couldn’t. It was taking this Mr. Jakes forever to get here. Finally the door opened and closed. I stood and turned to face Mr. Jakes. What in the world???? “Jackson?” “Good to see you again Leah” He smiled.” I’m so glad you took me up on my offer. I can’t wait to date you in some of the great countries of the world. I hope you’re as excited as I am”.
Charlotte Drake
Contemporary Romance (new writer)
I sipped the cup of tea, staring across the room at the letter I’d dropped on the table.
$25,000 is a lot of money. And that’s just an advance?
But, in my mind, those dating shows were cheesy. Who was that desperate? Well, I’d been that desperate and pimped myself out on a dating site, so what was the difference?
$25,000…difference…
I pulled a graham cracker from the sleeve and ate mindlessly. Horrible habit, but the guy I’d started seeing didn’t seem to mind my lack of willpower, and he didn’t mind paying for dinner at an upscale restaurant here in Kansas City either. My perfect man, until he said he was a Cubs fan.
Ugh…that was my designated first sign of crazy in a man.
But this letter couldn’t actually be for me. I hadn’t applied, I hadn’t auditioned, and I hadn’t been accepted. Some other Twyla Flanderstein was fated to go to this event.
How many Twyla Flandersteins could there be in this world?
I ate another graham cracker, and as I was chewing my phone buzzed next to the letter. Just being within ten feet of the stack of papers was causing heart palpitations, nausea, and I was pretty sure being up close to it was causing a rash from my nipples to my hoohah.
That show wouldn’t want me anyway! They were looking for perfection.
Ethan: Want to meet for dinner at The Flat Room?
I swallowed the dry lump of mush in my mouth and washed it down with a long drink of tea.
A martini would be great right now. Like a hundred martinis…
Ethan was cute, sweet, and the kitty in my pants was meowing like she needed a good meal, too, even though we’d never made it to bedroom dessert.
Tonight?
Twyla: Be there at 7.
Ethan: Great.
He’d let it slip that his place wasn’t far from the restaurant, one of my favorites in the area. Conversation had flowed so easily with him on our three dates.
Could that even happen with a stranger in front of a dozen cameras and hundreds of people at a remote resort off of Indonesia?
Who am I kidding, I don’t even own a bathing suit!
I hopped in the shower, my job as a preschool teacher meant great hours, little take-home work, and I got to meld young minds of the next generation of losers. I was realistic, if they learned their ABCs and not to pick their noses in public, I’d done my job. Today had been a failure. Paint in my hair, one threw up on my new shoes, and a booger was smeared across my chest.
Realistically, not much hope for the future.
I called for a cab. I’d normally bus it, but tonight seemed important and urgent, and I wanted to be there on time.
And there he was. Tall, not super tall, but way past handsome. His bright smile coordinated with his dress shirt, and he’d pulled on his tie knot…and unbuttoned his top button. Damn sexy. And I wondered if tonight would turn extra special.
$25,000…could be an extra special addition to my bank account.
“You look upset or anxious. What’s wrong?” he asked with furrowed brows before kissing my cheek. And he could read me. I’d forgive the Cubs fan thing.
Would I be comparing every contestant to him?
“Just hungry, I think.” The pack of graham crackers sat heavy in my stomach, so the thought of eating wasn’t appetizing, but I wanted to be near him.
Near him, not away…but, $25,000 and maybe more?
When did life become where money trumped finding love? And why did people start getting paid to find love? And wasn’t that prostitution?
The conversation was stilted by my rambling thoughts. He stopped talking, and I didn’t know how long had past before I noticed.
“Hey, Twyla, it’s okay if you’re not into this anymore?” He waved to the waiter. “I get it, things change.”
I sobered up, even though I didn’t have a drop of alcohol in my system.
Am I going to let a great guy just leave?
I closed my eyes, willing for an answer to come to me. “I came home and found a letter proposing a dating show on my doorstep and I’m the headliner. They’re offering $25,000 and I’m not sure that I can pass the opportunity up, even if it was meant for someone else, that’s a lot of money and I have bills.”
“Well, that’s an excuse I’ve never heard before.” He stood and dropped bills on the table. “Good luck.”
It was clear I’d lost him in my need to explain what wasn’t explainable anyway. Excuses weren’t how to build a relationship.
Cubs fans had heard every excuse anyway.
I followed him outside. Without a word, he put me in a cab and sent me on my way.
No dessert tonight.
***
The letter hadn’t disappeared. In fact, it glared at me every time I walked through the kitchen. The producers had given me 72 hours to respond. I was well into the third day, Saturday.
I decided watching paper from across the room was a horrible waste of time.
It isn’t moving, so I should.
I packed a picnic lunch and headed to my favorite park down by the Plaza. The place where Ethan and I had our first date. It was a long walk, but I needed the fresh air and miles for thinking.
My favorite spot under a maple tree was available. I pulled my eReader out and started a new story, hoping to get lost in someone else’s dream.
My phone buzzed.
Ethan: I love it when your hair fans out like that.
I sat up.
Twyla: Where are you?
Ethan: Right beside you, but I’m hoping I might be in your heart.
He plopped down on the blanket. “So, what’ll it be? That love show or let me show you how love really happens.”
Love always trumps money.
Jules Dixon
http://www.julesdixon.com
New Adult and LGBT Contemporary Romance
Spurs: Cherry County Cowboys
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