Tag Archive for: Paula R. C. Readman

Flames of Betrayal

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by Paula R.C. Readman

 

Martha fed more sticks to the fire. Soon the cauldron bubbled.

She took a deep breath and began to chant. She had to get it right.

First, she added rosemary for remembrance and lavender for love.

Would he appear before her as the old witch had promised?

As the two aromas filled the air, Martha opened her eyes.

Joseph stood there.  All smiles and strong in a foggy haze.

How she wanted him, her only true love.

Through the mist another appeared. Joseph wrapped his arms around her.

To the cauldron, Martha added hemlock, cursing him until his dying day.

R.C. Readman

Paula R.C. Readman learnt ‘How to Write’ from books which her husband purchased from eBay. Now a published author of The Funeral Birds, Stone Angels and a collection of short stories Days Pass Like A Shadow.

You Came to Me

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by Paula R.C. Readman

 

In the depth of a cloudless night, you came to me. Your cheeks all aglow and lips slightly parted.

“A Whiter Shade of Pale” tunelessly ran through my head. I reached for your hands. Cold to the touch, I cared not.

“Come. Lay beside me, my darling, for I shall warm you up.”

Wordlessly, you climbed in. I ignored the odour of decay that perfumed your skin and the worms and dirt that fell from your hair.

As the moonlight shone off my gravestone, I wrapped the shroud around us; glad to have you finally back in my arms again.

Paula R C Readman

Paula R. C. Readman lives in the UK. Her fiction has mainly been published in anthologies in Britain, Australia and America. Overall winner in two writing competitions and soon to have her first crime novella ‘The Funeral Birds’ published by Demain Publishing in February 2020.    

Blog: paulareadman1.wordpress.com

An Interview with Paula R.C. Readman

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Thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk in-depth about my writing. I guess all writers start out on a similar path to some degree and have to overcome self-doubt, especially when it comes to dealing with knock backs and rejections. In the beginning I didn’t plan on becoming a writer, in fact my first love had always been art.

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YEAR ONE

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YEAR TWO

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The Power of Love

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by Paula R.C. Readman

 

“The first bite is as powerful as love,” he whispered. Cold lips brushed mine as his stale breath caressed my neck. In his empty eyes, death lingered.

His chilling arms snaked around my waist, leaching my body’s heat.

I shivered.

The moonlight edged his fangs as he bent to take a bite. I tried not to stare at his bloodless lips as I gently manoeuvred the stake into my hand.

“No, love’s full of warmth and passion,” I said driving the stake upwards.

After I brushed the dust from my clothes, I crossed his name off my list and left.

 

Paula R.C. Readman

Paula R.C. Readman learnt ‘How to Write’ from books which her husband purchased from eBay.  After 250 purchases, he finally told her ‘just to get on with the writing’.  Since 2010, she’s had 34 stories published and is now busy editing her crime novel again.

Blog: paulareadman1.wordpress.com

 

Here Comes the Knock

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by Paula R. C. Readman

 

Streetlights darken.

Laughter fills the air.

Eager fresh faces dart everywhere.

“Trick or Treat,” echoes in porches.

I drop the grubby net curtain. Anticipation races through me. Ghosts from my past gather.

I wait in the shadows. The razor in my hand gleams.

Here comes the knock.

Laughter bubbles in my throat. Haven’t their parents warned them about stranger danger?

“Trick or Treat, Mister?”

The blade bites as it finds its mark.

How sweet and warm is the spray of blood as it runs down my face. Young flesh is far sweeter than their sugary sweets.

“My treat, I think!”

 

Paula R. C. Readman

Paula R. C. Readman taught herself ‘How to Write’ from books which her husband purchased from eBay.  After 250 purchases, he finally told her ‘just to get on with the writing’.  Since 2010, she’s had 29 stories published and is now busy editing her novel again.

Blog: paulareadman1.wordpress.com