I'm ba-aaack!

I'm back from vacation! Hello to those of you who have just joined the party. :) It's so wonderful to have you here!

The bridal shower was a success, just in case you were curious. It was a tea party, complete with outrageous hats, and I promise I'll post photos as soon as I have them. My mom was running the camera, and I didn't have time to load anything onto my laptop before I left, so.....you'll get them when I do. :P It was a blast though, and it was wonderful to see my family and friends, even if the trip was a VERY short one.

I finished The Unwanteds (by Lisa McMann) on the plane, which was incredible. I highly recommend that book if you enjoy middle grade, Harry Potter, the arts, magical battles, or any combination of those things. :) I just started Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (by Ransom Riggs), which I'm enjoying so far. It's weird, and slightly creepy, but the writing is beautiful and I can't put it down.

I'm also participating in the first Campaigner's challenge, so you get a tiny sample of my writing. Yay, you! :P The rules were to write a piece of flash fiction or poetry that begins with "The door swung open" and is 200 words or less. Additional challenges were to end with "the door swung shut" and to make the piece exactly 200 words. I did both of the additional challenges, so we'll see if that makes any difference lol. Here's my piece!

Forbidden

The door swung open. The corridor stretched endlessly before her, torchlight dancing on the stone walls. Emily remained on the threshold. Her heart thundered in her chest, though she couldn’t be sure if fear or excitement was behind its frantic pace. Eyes closed, she drew in a deep breath and stepped out into the corridor.
                The stone was cool beneath her bare feet. The only sound that accompanied her was the soft crackle of the torches in their sconces; her feet, brushing the ground as lightly as a lover’s caress, made not even a whisper of sound. She moved quickly through the corridor, heading for the open doorway at the other end of the hall.
                Upon reaching it, she halted abruptly. Silent and still, she waited just outside the brightly lit room. She could see the books, worn leather spines beckoning her forward, urging her to lose herself in the pages. Did she dare enter? The opportunity was not likely to present itself again; this was the first time she had ever seen the great wooden door open. It would mean her death if she were discovered.
                Emily inhaled deeply and stepped inside. She smiled as the door swung shut.

And there you have it, folks! If you like what you read, you can vote for me here. I'm number 221. :) I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and I look forward to reading all your entries for the first challenge. Happy writing!

J