God bellowed when he emerged from her. — “ROOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!!!” The devastating beast howled as it emerged from my head. “I AM OUT!” He screamed at me, “Finally!” Oh my goodness, that morning breath reeks of a thousand years of sleep. I squeeze my eyes shut and will myself awake. “You’re not dreaming.” I open my eyes in a…

Her reflections on discovering who holds the power to tell your story are illuminating (and funny). Her advice to leaders to prioritize…

February Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Love &… —

Sorry, love, I followed advice to let you self-soothe, now I know better. — You were nine months old They said to let you self-soothe But you would not stop Crying and crying My heart outside the door: Thud! Rushing in to you Halfway to your arms “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Never again, love I will hold you tight Until you dream of kisses And…

I would be Juanita. — Alfre Woodard stars in the Netflix movie Juanita as a middle-aged African American woman from Columbus, Ohio. She meets Jess — an indigenous chef and owner of a French restaurant in Butte, Montana played by Adam Beach. And, she sparks; as does he. Why did I pick this one for…

How Words With Friends leads a bounty hunter to a criminal. — Aisha played Words with Friends with Catchpole for two and a half years before she met him in a local diner. Before that, they only directly messaged about the game and their plays. Then she asked where he lived. He responded, “In America.” ‘Well, that was an evasive answer,’ she…

“When I close my eyes, I see a dark place. The pain dulls and *he* is here with me.” — In those dark moments in my closet, I used to think of only him. With my eyes shut, I would see him so clearly — sparks would light up my imagined image of him. I would inhale deeply, and peace would come. …

An open mind is required to understand the angles and logistics of the goings-on in this book. — I am an avid Theodora Taylor (TT) fan. But I was so scared to buy this audible. I could not imagine a storyline like this, ever. Every server at the roadhouse I work at knows that Vengeance is a package deal. The three enforcers for the Ruthless Reapers don’t just…

February Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Love & Hearts” — My Granny’s Loving Lessons for Life. The Jackson Heart Study, the most significant and extensive study of cardiovascular risk factors in Black Americans, has discovered that there is truth to the idea that being optimistic can positively impact longevity. Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death and disability worldwide. The link between optimism and longevity…

Josh wanted to connect with Jenna. He put his creativity to work and came up with a novel way of starting a conversation. — Josh was looking at Jenna’s email signature. Below her name, title, email address and the company logo, she had a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King. “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” Instantly, his thoughts…

Casper wants to forget the nightmare of his high school crush. — Nichelle was unforgettable. She had enchanted Casper since high school when he was the envy of all as a cool jock, and she stayed in the shadows. He’d thought about her for years and when they unexpectedly bumped into each other a few weeks ago, he was thrilled. …

A man, who is not her husband, gifted her a business, a family, and home of love and adventure. — “Wow, in eight more weeks it would have been six months and we would have returned this to the sender. I’m glad you came to get it,” the teenage clerk said to Oorun as she handed her the box. She instinctively reached out with both hands to steady it, but…

Oorun’s therapeutic process of confessing adultery. Today, Oorun visited a therapist on the recommendation of a friend. She had been overwhelmed with confusing emotions regarding her husband, their marriage, and her love interest, Norm. Oorun had set the appointment with Dr. …

These are a few of my favorite things — Marshmallows ❤️ My brothers (2) ❤️ Beaches in Antigua ❤️ Full Body Massages ❤️ Theodora Taylor Audio Books | Dark Chocolate ❤️ My Granny RIP ❤️ Beaches in Trinidad ❤️ Big Hair ❤️ Airplane Rides To New Places on Vacation | Rocher ❤️ My Mummy RIP ❤️ Audible.com …

A mysterious encounter and a cryptic note. — Twenty-nine minutes later, Veronica stood in front of her boyfriend’s door — he had vanished, then transformed into someone else a few weeks earlier. Now, the dark, eerie surroundings seemed to close in on her, making her heart race and her hands tremble. Suddenly, a door to her right creaked…

Any evening in Manhattan — He walked in stride with her. Anyone looking at them would think they were a couple. Except they were not. She did not know him at all. After a long while, he introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Jin.” She looked at him, intrigued. …

I accepted the challenge of creating a story in only three words! Breaking mundane struggles. — Mine ended up being a kind of a romantic tragedy, laced with life and self-loathing — with just three words I told the tale. I am tired. I am bored. I am fat. Go, walk about. Take a break. Shhh, be quiet. Say no more. You are trapped. You have obligations. I can’t escape. I am trapped. I am not. I am naught.

Veronica was not crazy — someone close was behind it all, pulling the strings and unraveling her life. — Veronica Adebambo tried to carry on with her daily life, but the veil of normalcy slowly unraveled with moments of despair. Two weeks ago, she was returning from a romantic vacation in Antigua when the disappearance of her boyfriend into thin air before their departure rocked her out of kilter…