Every week, author Suzanne Burke offers a photo prompt for her Fiction In A Flash Challenge and invites readers to submit a poem, a one-liner, or a story. Her prompt this week is a photo of a solitary bicycle on a path.

I’ve chosen to respond with a Tanka poem, 5-7-5-7-7 syllables, that I've entitled The Muse. If you'd like to participate, just click on the link above and you'll travel to Suzanne's blogsite, where you'll find much information. Hope you decide to join me. Happy writing! 

Author Jan Sikes is showcasing The Culmination on her site. If you have a moment, please stop by and glimpse the book through an excerpt. Happy Thanksgiving! 

For many of us, Thanksgiving this year will be spent without loved ones gathered around a table. A phone call will replace our "pass the potatoes, please." May each of us find ways to experience the past joys through our memories and thus bless all the years that lie ahead. 

I'm excited to announce that The Culmination, a new beginning hit the shelves of Amazon and Barnes & Noble today. To celebrate, the Kindle and NOOK editions are on sale at 99¢ through December.
 
So, what’s the book about? The Culmination can best be described as a military thriller. It tackles difficult topics such as denuclearization, the power struggles over oil in the Middle East, as well as the ever-present danger of war. Readers will find themselves sitting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walking in the historic Red Square, and laughing with children in an orphanage in Turkey. They will glimpse the horror of war and watch the give and take of a negotiated peace. Readers will also meet the two Heads of State who fall in love and subsequently commit themselves to creating a world in which all are family.
 
I never expected to write this book, but in some ways, I had no choice. The characters crowded into my office and insisted that I listen to them. In a very real way, they wrote the book. I simply tapped the keys and learned of the urgent need to become family. 

These last months of all-things-COVID have overshadowed international concerns. Our focus has been and is social distancing, face masks, and personal wellness. Of course, the elections have taken center-stage as well. But quietly across the great oceans, tensions mount. 

It's important to know that The Culmination, a new beginning is fictional, but the situations, the armaments, and the carrier strike groups are all very real. The two Heads of State who become lovers? They are fictional as well, but their love is universal, and it is up to us to ensure that love prevails. 

I hope I've stirred interest, and should you decide to read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 💗 Happy Thanksgiving! 

​BLURB:
 
The Culmination, a new beginning is the third book in The Contract thriller series.
After an assassination attempt on an Air Force base in northern California, tensions mount. Heads of State meet to craft a denuclearization agreement.
The meetings between these nuclear powers take a murderous turn.
A nefarious conspiracy re-emerges and leads the characters into the heart of the Middle East, where they encounter the unexpected and find a reason for hope.

EARLY RESPONSES:
 
“If you like action, adventure, love and political intrigue you will enjoy The Culmination!”
John W. Howell 
 
“The Culmination is an absolute must-read for all thriller lovers.”
Suzanne Burke

Every week, author Suzanne Burke offers a writing prompt and invites interested folks to create a story or craft a poem  from her selected photo.

The Fiction In A Flash Challenge series now crisscrosses the globe from Australia to Europe and to the United States.

Maybe you'd like to join in the fun? If so, just click on the link above. You'll be taken to her website, where you'll find contributions from a number of writers. 

My submission ... 

In case you missed my post on Story Empire yesterday, please stop by and meet four notable science fiction writers. Their insights might spark your own. The topic - Science Fiction and 2020. ​Happy Saturday! 

Author Suzanne Burke provides a touching prompt for this week's Fiction In A Flash Challenge. Her photo of a child's hand in a father's palm led me to respond with a Haiku poem of 5-7-5 syllables. I hope you enjoy, and if you are inclined to jump in and write a story or poem, just click on the link above. You'll find plenty of information. 

A father's hands... 

Each week author Suzanne Burke provides a writing prompt. This is her 23nd week for a Fiction In A Flash Challenge and the image is a beautiful nature scene.

With the election just hours away, I've decided to respond to the prompt with a simple poem entitled BREATHE. If voters kept nature scenes before them as they cast their vote, we might at least have peace.

Perhaps you have a story you'd like to share or a poem or a thought. If so, please click on Suzanne's name and you'll travel to her website where she will welcome you and offer advice if needed. ​