3 authors roll dice for prompts then cut to write and come back and read their short stories – an episode of Books Cubed

Good Adventures,

This week we’re playing in the Roll-A-Prompt series again. This time, I’m joined by my co-author Lisa and our friend Kristina. I picked a random set of elements from the Genre Mashup Edition, we cut to write (so you don’t have to be bored while no one is talking) then come back and read. It was lots of fun. If you’d like to play along, the prompt is below. Grab some dice, roll for your elements, write and leave your story in the comments. I’ll read it on a future show. 

The prompt we use today is from our Roll-A-Prompt Writing Journal Genre Mashup Edition

Character

Roll 1 number 

Even = MC is alone

Odd = Roll again for a companion 

  1. Stand-up comedian
  2. Delivery driver
  3. First officer
  4. Masked horse rider
  5. Phoenix
  6. Welder

IF the MC is alone, add an object

Roll 1 Number

  1. Roll of pennies
  2. Embroidered slippers
  3. Drone
  4. Wedding ring
  5. Bag of dirt
  6. Syringe

Scenario

Roll 1 number 

  1. Getting fit for a spacesuit
  2. Boss dies in the middle of a job interview
  3. Car stalls in the fast food drive-thru
  4. Light never turns off
  5. Probe is discovered drifting in space
  6. Is there a troll under that bridge?

Now write and have fun! If you want to share in the comments. 

See you next time. Good a good book. 

Melissa

PS My latest release is How to Square Your Grouper

How to Square Your Grouper is in Pre-Order!

Good Adventures,

My new June Nash Mystery, How to Square Your Grouper is on pre-order with a release date of May 10, 2020. Yay! To celebrate, I’m reading the first three chapters on the podcast.

Listen here.

Gifts from strangers are never good. Especially when they’re big bundles of drugs.

June Nash is back. In Key West on vacation. And not at all hiding out from her famous brother’s crazy fans, The Dewzers. It’s been a tough couple of months and she just wants a little peace and quiet. But life doesn’t work that way in June’s world. Drug runners have mistaken her for their contact and she ends up with a sailboat full of Square Groupers. Which the Coast Guard immediately takes off her hands. So she’s in the clear, right? Not even a little. Now she’s dodging bullets from rival drug runners as she tries to escape her mom’s attempt to bond and Morgan’s obsessive need to figure out why someone from their past has followed her to Key West. How do you go from sipping rum one minute to running for your life the next? With June, it’s just another Tuesday.

Links:

How to Square Your Grouper Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo

https://melissabanczak.com

That’s it for this week. I’ll see you next time. Go read a good book.

Melissa

Books Cubed Ep 59 Author & Acting Coach Guy Castonguay

Good Adventures,

This week on the show, author and acting coach Guy joins me from Vancouver. I hope everyone is healthy and as happy as you can be with this lockdown.

Links:

Guy’s Website 

Get the ebook of A Name for People Like me for on sale through April 20 for $2.00 US  

Behind the Scenes doc I shot and edited for the film On a Clear Day starring Guy.

I couldn’t find the actual film. If I do, I’ll post a link.

That’s it for now. Go read a good book.

Melissa

Books Cubed Ep 56 Must Read Romance Authors

Good Adventures, 

Author Kayla Dawn Thomas is on the show this week, talking about romance authors you need should be reading.

Links: 

Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks

Today’s guest – Kayla Dawn Thomas

On Instagram – the rippedbodice

Agents of the Crown by Lindsay Buroker (five books not three!) 

Ain’t Nothing but a Pound Dog by Jeannie Wycherley

~~~

What do I write? Thanks for asking. 

Get the free prequel to my June Nash Misadventure series and find to why a monkey was wearing June’s bra. https://books2read.com/u/3npXnK

Or dive right in and get the full length novel, How to Sex Your Snake. A pool of blood, a missing body, a famous brother accused of murder. June Nash has the worst luck. https://books2read.com/u/bxvJYq

That’s it for this week. Go read a good book. 

Melissa

Books Cubed Ep 50 Christmas Books! Orangutans and Horror with The Lights

Good Adventures,

19 days left in the year. Anyone else hustling to finish things? I’m burning the midnight oil working to get my next June Nash Misadventure to my editor. It must happen next week. It must. I still have Christmas shopping to start.

If you’re still looking for gifts, check out the Books Cubed Podcast this week. I revisit my chats with Laura Boldin-Fournier – she wrote the delightful children’s book, An Orangutan’s Night Before Christmas, and Carrie Pack who features children in her horror story, The Lights. I ended up going to the tree lightening that she talked about in her book and I spent the whole time keeping an eye on all the kids, thinking, it would happen….

Links:

An Orangutan’s Night Before Christmas

The Lights

Roll-A-Prompt Writing Journals

That’s it for now. Go read a good book!

Melissa

Books Cubed: How to Sex Your Snake Ch 7 from the Audiobook

Good Adventures,

Anybody else have a horrible cough? Mine has been kicking my ass for almost three weeks. I’m up off the couch which is good and slowly getting my fingers back to the keyboard. I’ve got just a few chapters left on book two in the June Nash MisAdventure series and I’m beyond ready to get this baby out in the world.

chapter 7 from book one is up on this week’s Books Cubed podcast. Just click the video above or listen to the podcast.

Just before I got sick, I hit the theater for a preview of Knives Out. Daniel Craig, a very under used Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Even, who excels at being a real dick, and so many more. The film starts out a bit slow – there’s some questioning of the suspects, but then it dives in and pulls you along. You think you have it figured out and then wham – it becomes a puzzle inside a puzzle. I need to go back for another viewing before it leaves the theater.

That’s it for this week, I’m gonna hit the hay. Stay healthy and go read a good book.

Melissa

Books Cubed: Tom Fowler CT Ferguson Mysteries

Good adventures,

This week on the show, I chat with Tom Fowler author of the CT Ferguson Mystery series. Classic mystery with modern cyber intrigue.

Is almost Halloween, which means Christmas is just around the corner. What’s everybody asking Santa for this year? I’d love for one of the elves to find the mouse that keeps chewing up the seats in my car. I park in the driveway so I figure the little devil smelled the BBQ sauce packets my kid left under a seat. Many glue traps (useless) snap traps (I was the only one tripping them) and a bug bomb later, it might be gone. I hope. We’ll see tomorrow.

Links for this week’s show:

Tom Fowler’s books on Amazon

Get a free prequel when you join Tom’s mailing list

That’s it for this week. I’ll be back soon with some news on the next June Nash Misadventure. Plus a new non fiction project. See you soon, go read a good book.

Melissa

Books Cubed: Romantic Suspense with Lori Flynn

Good Adventures,

Last week, I thought I’d be turning in a new manuscript, How to Square Your Grouper, to my editor by this past Monday but…..I realized I’m not quite done messing with June. The manuscript is getting closer every day and I know it will go to Lisa sometime in the next ten or so days.

On Books Cubed this week, I’m chatting with suspense author Lori Flynn about her new book, I love You to Pieces plus book recommendations.

Links:

Lori FLynn Absolute Recall: https://books2read.com/u/meB88Y

Lori Flynn I love You to Pieces https://books2read.com/u/mKxPPZ

The Unknown Devil by Tom Fowler https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Ferguson-Private-Investigator-Mystery-ebook/dp/B078XNWCWC/

Bed, Breakfast, and Bones by Carolyn L. Dean https://www.amazon.com/BED-BREAKFAST-BONES-Ravenwood-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01JBFLIKK/

~~~

What do I write? Thanks for asking. Get the free prequel to my June Nash Misadventure series and find to why a monkey was wearing June’s bra.https://books2read.com/u/3npXnKOr dive right in and get the full length novel, How to Sex Your Snake. A pool of blood, a missing body, a famous brother accused of murder. June Nash has the worst luck.https://books2read.com/u/bxvJYqThat’s it for this week.

Go read a good book,

Melissa

Books Cubed: Ep 26 Cozy Witches

Good Adventures,

I’m still fighting the dizzies. Good news is that I found a fun series to pull me out of a little depression thanks to all the spinning. This week, I’m chatting with Amorette Anderson about her charming series, The Hillcrest Witch Mysteries.

Links:
Buy Amorette Anderson’s books on Amazon

Amorette Anderson on Facebook

Amorette’s Newsletter
~~~
What do I write? Thanks for asking. Get the free prequelto my June Nash Misadventure series and find out why a monkey was wearing June’s bra 

Or dive right in and get the full length first novel in the series, How to Sex Your Snake

I’ll see you next time! Go read a good book,

Melissa

Books Cubed Ep 18 – Four Bullets and a Ghost Chs 4-6

Good Adventures

Today, I’m reading chapters 4-6 from my work in progress which is tentatively titled, Four Bullets and a Ghost but who knows. That might change. Rather listen to the podcast? Click here.

Ch 1 is here

Chs 2 & 3 are here

What else do I write? Thanks for asking. Get the free prequel to my June Nash Misadventure series and find out why a monkey was wearing June’s bra.

Or dive right in and get the full length novel, How to Sex Your Snake

I’ll see you next time! Go read a good book,

Melissa

ps. Some of these are affiliate links to help support my never ending grocery habit