Category Archives: The Stories

The Door Of Hope: Friday Fictioneers 7-8-16

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I haven’t been able to participate here at Friday Fictioneers for a while but I am glad to be back! This is the space hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This is the space where 100 authors (or so) share 100 words (or so)  and 100 stories (or so) all concerning one photo.

Here is this week’s photo:

PHOTO PROMPT © Jan Marler Morrill

CLICK HERE FOR ROCHELLE’S PAGE AND THE OTHER STORIES

Here is my story:

The Door Of Hope (100 words)

By Joseph E. Lillie

 

The chain burned her ankle. Niri knew it would leave a scar. 

She ran sending her senses forth. She could feel the door, had felt it since she entered the city with her masters.

Her keen ears could hear the men behind her.

She caught sight of the blue door to the Summer Lands. She was at the threshold. One push and the door gave. She fell in.

Her foot lay outside the door, stuck. The iron could not pass.

“Owen of Noy, help me!” Niri cried.

A crystal blade materialized at her side.

Niri grasped the hilt and sliced.

_____________________________________________

Good news! My debut novel will be coming out sometime this fall. If you are interested in joining my mailing list for updates just fill out the mailchimp popup on this site. Should that not come up e-mail me at pjlillie.1@juno.com and we can work from there.

Coming Soon…Pork Chops

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My debut novel with Author Tracy Lee Karner will be coming out this fall!

Author Joseph E Lillie
Author Tracy Lee Karner & Pulisher Ken R.

Pork Chops With the Sentinels Of Azatan…is a coming-of-age story about a misfit boy named Honey, a comic-book super-hero obsessed dad who abandons him, and a new-age flighty mother who is often oblivious to his needs. It combines humor and tragedy under the themes of forgiveness and grace, and is set in Massachusetts in the 1970’s.

For those of you who might think that title is a bit quirky, just remember how much I like quirky things!

It is going to be a fun read so jump on board by joining my e-mail list…

At the moment my MailChimp pop-up is not working properly so just leave me a comment down below and I will send my e-mail your way so you can send me yours.

 

 

LET THE PROMOTIONS BEGIN

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My debut novel in collaboration with Tracy Lee Karner  will be published soon. It is time to begin building my lists!

HERE ARE OUR BIOS FROM THE ROSEHALL WEBSITE:

Tracy Lee KarnerTracy Lee Karner is the editor and designer of the poetry collection Thursdays at 2, and managing editor of Rose Hall Media Company. Her books Nearer to God: how to pray with prophetic power and the accompanying Nearer to God Journal are also available on Amazon. She is currently co-authoring (with Joseph E. Lille) a novel, Pork Chops with the Sentinels of Azatan. She began writing poetry when she was twelve, and holds an English Literature/Creative Writing degree from the University of Minnesota. She blogs about artistic/creative expression, wellness, and tips for caregivers at TracyLeeKarner.com

Joseph E Lille

Joseph E Lille is a writer and musician working from northern Massachusetts. He is the worship arts director for Cornerstone Church in Winchendon MA and the director of C.cada, an artist’s collaborative, dedicated to helping artists develop and plug into their communities. He is the co-author (with Tracy Lee Karner) of the soon-to-be-published coming-of-age novel, Pork Chops with the Sentinels of Azatan.

Pork Chops With the Sentinels Of Azatan  is a coming-of-age story about a misfit boy named Honey, a comic-book super-hero obsessed dad who abandons him, and a new-age flighty mother who is often oblivious to his needs. It combines humor and tragedy under the themes of forgiveness and grace, and is set in Massachusetts in the 1970’s.

I am still setting up my mailchimp site but if you are interested in being on our information update list as the novel progresses toward publication just send me an email to pjlillie.1@juno.com

For more info on Rosehall’s fall publications click HERE

 

 

Friday Fictioneers: Flicker

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It is time once again for Friday Fictioneers. This is the challenge where about 100 authors share 100 stories in 100 words all concerning 1 picture chosen by our hostess Rochelle.

Please click the underlined link above to find all the stories written  from this picture.

PHOTO PROMPT © Mary Shipman

PHOTO PROMPT © Mary Shipman

I am writing this story off of my first reaction to the picture. At first I saw the swatches of fabric to the right of the lights as fresh dipped candles hanging and drying.

Flicker

by JE Lillie

We walked hand in hand down to the boat house. I could see the candles flickering in the windows.

I reminisced about my father lighting candles in a blackout, telling ghost stories until midnight.

Grampa’s lantern with it’s little candle shone into the dark joy of many a family camping trip.

My father had proposed to my mother by candle light.

As I opened the door to the boathouse I thought how perfect it all was.

Then she said, “It’s so dark in here. Can’t we turn on the lights?”

I let go of the little black box in my pocket, “Sure.”

The lights clicked on.

 

 

Friday Fictioneers 4-22-16: The Snare

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It is time once again for Friday Fictioneers. This is the challenge where about 100 authors share 100 stories in 100 words all concerning 1 picture chosen by our hostess Rochelle.

Please click the underlined link above to find all the stories written  from this picture.

PHOTO PROMPT © Madison Woods

Photo by Madison Woods

The Snare

By JE Lillie

I tried to warn him.

But hearing succumbs to the louder beating of the heart.

I saw her thorns from a long way off.

All he saw was curves.

I caught the essence of bitterness that is sure and certain poison for men.

All he smelled was her breath on his neck.

She took my hand and there was a betrayal in the gentle grip.

“Her hands are smooth as silk.” He said bedazzled.

My tongue tingled with the flavor of his destruction  that day.

He tasted her lips as the parson said “You may kiss your bride.”

I am not entirely sure why but as soon as I saw the picture my mind flashed to this passage in the Old Testament.

“This is the way of an adulterous woman:
    She eats and wipes her mouth
    and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’

21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
    under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,
    a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
23 a contemptible woman who gets married,
    and a servant who displaces her mistress. Proverbs 30:20-23

 

Friday Fictioneers: The Codex

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It is time once again for Friday Fictioneers. That is the place where about 100 authors gather to share about 100 stories containing about 100 words all from 1 picture shared by our hostess Rochelle.

Here is this week’s photo prompt:

PHOTO PROMPT © Kent Bonham

Photo by Kent Bonham

The Codex

by JE Lillie

Sinna’s  every nerve vibrated with a desire to run, but he had to see the Codex. He clung to the shadows of the holy chamber, listening for any sign that the Eldaar were coming. When he was certain he was safe he moved into the flickering torchlight. The altar was reached in less than a breath’s space.

As he looked at the Codex’s intricate symbols Sinna realized with dismay he could not read the runes.

Dismay turned to despair as the Eldaar stepped  from the shadows. Sinna heard the blade hiss before the darkness engulfed him.

 

 

Now please take some time to read the other stories at Friday Fictioneers by clicking the underlined link above and following the little blue frog.

 

Friday Fictioneers: My Playground

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It is time once again for Friday Fictioneers. That is the place where about 100 authors gather to share about 100 stories containing about 100 words all from 1 picture shared by our hostess Rochelle.

Here is this week’s photo prompt:

Jhardy

photo by J. Hardy Carroll

My Playground

by JE Lillie

Everyone in town called it the WPA project. Then they’d sneer. I didn’t know what WPA was or why those letters made people so unhappy. It was just an old cellar hole but to me it was a magical place, a fairy vale, where I could escape from the violence of my father, the impotence of my mother, and the bullying which had become the norm for the smallest kid in school.

I made friends with the trees growing from the basement floor, and carved my initials in the walls. 

I cried for weeks after the bulldozers took my world away.

Info on the WPA can be found HERE.

In my home town there was an abandoned cellar hole that was part of an unfinished WPA project. The police were forever chasing kids out of that cellar hole.

Read the other stories in the FF collection by clicking the underlined link at the top of this post.

Friday Fictioneers April 1, 2016

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It’s time once again for another episode of Friday Fictioneers. This is the place where 100 or so authors hang their hats on Fridays to tell 100 or so stories in 100 or so words  all from 1 picture. Join the forum and read the stories by clicking HERE.

Here is the photo we are working from this week

PHOTO PROMPT © Marie Gail Stratford

And here is my story:

From Behind Glass Walls

By JE Lillie

“From here  it seems like you can see the world,” She said.

“And I’m the Lord of all I survey,” I said.

She laughed her little laugh. 

“Careful. Pride goes before the fall.”

We had known each other too long for me to take her seriously.

Leaving she kissed my cheek .

It was then I noticed the papers on my desk.

“Petition For Divorce.” read the heading.

Just below that was a yellow post-it in her perfect cursive.

“It’s time for me to find a place out in the world we’ve been looking at for so long.”

Waiting

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100_2057

I have prayed

“Even so come.” And yet

I sit here

Silent son

Untranslated, mortal still.

First Born where are you?

Undeterred

I hold faith, refuse

sight, logic

Even sense.

I know this. He will come soon

And find me waiting.

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Luke 12:35-40

Beauty Finds A Benefactor: Friday Fictioneers

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PHOTO PROMPT - © Ted Strutz

I haven’t been able to visit Friday Fictioneers in a few weeks. Schedules once again have gotten the better of me and quick posts between meetings have been the limit of my blogging.

This week, though, I was determined to actually sit down and write. Please click HERE  to visit our hostess Rochelle and her 100 or so contributors. Our stories this week are all inspired from the photo prompt above.

 

Beauty Finds A Benefactor

by JE Lillie

“Imogene who planted them flowers in that old commode?” Daddy yelled as he came in from the junk yard.

“I did.” Momma hollered back.

“I was gon sell that.” Daddy chided throwing his lunch pail on the table.

“When?” Momma snapped. “It’s been sittin’ out the front door two years!”

“Don’t rush a man, woman.” Daddy chuckled.

“It’s a junk yard dog I’ll be rushin’!” Momma smiled as she said it.

“I’ll have you know I’m a sanitation engineer.” he replied hand to heart.

Momma kissed Daddy gently.

“Okay you can keep your flowers.”

Momma giggled, “I know I can.”