Amanda Lieser

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2021

Stories (72)

72 Stories

3636 karma pts

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“Caroline’s Lover Has Cancer” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #126

This story discusses cancer and has quite a few swear words used to capture the familiarity experienced between two friends enjoying lunch. “Caroline’s lover has cancer,” the words left Maragaret’s red lipped mouth plainly. “Adian has cancer?” clarified Suzanne, a piece of green lettuce fell on her chin.“Aidan has cancer,” Margaret repeated her bosom buddy’s question as a statement.“Shit,” Suzanne took a sip of her white wine and bit into a chunk of grilled chicken breast.“Shit,” echoed Margaret calmly. Diners around them clucked l...

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“Birth Mother” by Amanda Lieser

🏆 Winner of Contest #124

I stand in a perfectly pristine kitchen. The counter tops are covered in flour. She stands at them, waiting for me. She’s rolling out the cookie dough in deep, even strokes, like the ocean kissing the beach. Her soft humming fills the kitchen with love. Her hands lift me up; I'm in a navy blue sundress with little yellow sunflowers on it. “Here, sweetie,” she hands me an apron and I lift my little arms obediently to her. She ties it around my waist. A little teddy bear clutching a rolling pin in one soft, brown paw is splashed across my tumm...

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“The Sandman Ball” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #123

The envelope sat at the edge of the large, wooden, dining room table. The seal depicting a crescent moon glistened gold in the warm kitchen light. Sarah returned from school to find her parents awaiting her. Her mother indicated the envelope and she took a seat. Sarah broke the seal by sliding one long, index finger along the front. Dear Ms. Shepard, We are so glad to invite you to the Sandman Ball. Please arrive at the estate by 5pm on Saturday, June 30th. We will be delighted to serve you a full supper before you dance. The Sandman would l...

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“Grocery List” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #119

“Hey, look at them,” Justin points with his right hand, the one not holding the cigarette, at the couple walking through the black sliding door. “They’re a new couple.” he squints at the red headed man and woman with the chestnut braid down her back. “How can you tell?” I ask as I sit up straighter, pulling my sweatshirt around my shoulders. Then I notice she’s in the middle of a laugh, looking at the man like he hung the sun, moon, and the stars. “Oh, that’s how.” He takes a final drag of his cigarette, “Come on.” He stubs it out. I...

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“Riviera ” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #118

I was fifteen when I felt the French Riviera kiss my unpolished toes for the very first time. The sea foam touched me first; I was startled by the cold of the ocean. We were on day three of the trip- 30 students, four teachers, and six parents all on the adventure of our lifetime. It was a spring morning in March and I had walked down to the beach with a friend after our quick breakfast of chocolate croissants and fruit. The white sea foam was frosting on the dark brown sand and it pulled me deeper into the ocean. I inhaled the sea air, gaze...

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“The Picnic” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #116

The man walking along the gravel path looks too young to be here. He doesn’t have wrinkles on his face and his hair is still a roasted chestnut brown and full of boyish curls. He needs a haircut. It makes me smile. This visitor knows his path well. He bobs and weaves through the maze of stones. It’s almost picture perfect as bright Autumn leaves tumble all around him. I still have this fantasy of him dropping his grandmother’s wicker picnic basket and twirling as the orchestra swells around him. He doesn’t. Instead, he just...

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“The Courtyard” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #115

The Courtyard is bustling this morning as Sean stares at his phone, scrolling past fake smiles of fake people he used to know. He resists the urge to stare at the little black iron gate. He resists the urge to listen for the creak as more guests shuffle in. His green eyes peek over the bright blue screen of his phone as the waitress with blonde curls tamed into a ponytail that could rival a show horse’s offers a refill on the water glass he hasn’t touched. “Would you like to order, sir?” He waves her away and straightens h...

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“Pumpkin” by Amanda Lieser

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #114

“You wanna do something fun?” he leans back and stares at the roof of the car, refusing to make eye contact with me. He has decided the fight is over. He loves me again. I can either go along or keep picking at it. “Like what?” I laugh. He sits up and starts the engine. He rolls down the windows and slowly pulls out of his driveway. “Where are we going?” I ask. “Trust me,” he replies. That’s the problem, I think to myself, I don’t. I shake my head and begin to roll up the window....

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“Congratulations” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #110

“We have plenty of time,” reassures Mariah. She smooths a strand of my flyaway hair as I purse my lips in the mirror. I toss the lipstick on the dresser and push my sister’s long fingers from my head. I grab her arm as strong as I can and pull her out of the room towards the car. She drops me off at the pier 15 minutes later. 2 hours later. She is the kind of woman who is wearing a little, lacy, black thong underneath that royal purple pencil dress which displays her cleavage like two eggs, sunny side up-his favorite. I am th...

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“Angie Robinson” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #108

Content warning: pregnancy and toxic relationships “You got a fast car/ I want a ticket to anywhere”-Tracy Chapman Outside, crickets sing soft love songs for the end of summer. The moon is full bellied and glowing, just like me. Her bright beams stroke my distressed face, brow furrowed out of anger. I pace in a cotton nightgown, my toes curling into the threadbare brown carpet. My fists, slick with sweat and anxiety, curl stiff fingers...and uncurl them. I hiccup. It jolts you awake. Soft, little kicks, like butterfly kisses. We’re sud...

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“The Garden” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #106

The Wedding The garden is the site of my aunt’s second wedding to a guy named Phillip. Phillip. Like the prince. May he rest in peace. Technically, the garden is not the site of my aunt’s second wedding to a guy named Phillip. It is the site of the reception of my aunt’s second wedding to a guy named Phillip. It was April or March or...um...sometime early spring. I was only 10. Time works differently when you’re a kid. I once read that childhood is like being drunk: you don’t have much memory of it all, but everyone keeps telling you storie...

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“BFF” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #105

Parker approaches me calmly, lazily. All the students have flooded off to class leaving us in an empty computer lab. Leaving me to pretend to play games on my phone, or text Park desperately. “Sorry,” he mumbles and I grab my blue backpack from the table. Parker walks aimlessly behind me, no doubt lost in a conversation with Las Vegas. We walk through the long tiled hallways of the school. “Hey, it’s snowing; where do you wanna go?” I ask. Parker grunts. We push open the double doors of the school and wander out to the par...

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“Plan B” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #104

This story discusses the Plan B pill and underage use of drugs/alcohol. Plan A is to fall in love with him. To convince him to change. Plan A is to show him how wonderful sobriety or maybe even conscious moderation. I decided I could live with conscious moderation. We work behind the long, red, plastic counter of a deli downtown which is where he slid a large cola to me on his first date. “Hey Cutie, can you catch?” he asked. I remember the sound of the plastic blue cup scraping and bumping along. Turns out, I could. Brian and I had cof...

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“Three Voices” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #103

The photo is worn, it is well loved. The right bottom corner is torn slightly. I can imagine my mother’s long fingers pulling gently on the edge to place it in this dark wooden frame. It’s a small frame. The glass is coming away from the edge. I imagine she bought it at a big box store for less than $10.00. The frame is dusty so I grab a piece of paper towel and gently buff away the proof of time ticking on. I turn it over and stroke the velvet back of the frame. I turn the clip holding the frame closed over with a sigh. T...

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“Rollercoaster ” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #102

This story alludes to death due to a car accident. I believe falling in love is like riding a rollercoaster. But let me ask you this: have you ever actually been on a rollercoaster? I want you to picture it. We are standing on the hot, dry, black payment of a parking lot. The line loops a block around the parking lot. The air stinks of sweat, sunscreen, and heavy amounts of perfume and cologne sprayed in a half hearted attempt to cover up the other two scents. A girl with long, blonde hair in an Ariana Grande style ponytail...

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Author bio

Amanda is a young woman living in sunny Colorado along with her husband and pet ferret, Hamlet. She is most comfortable enjoying a large vanilla latte in a little cafe while writing. Amanda’s resume includes a piece titled, “My Mother and Me” in Brilliant Flash Fiction titled, Branching Out. Consider listening to the podcast, “Unpublished, not Unknown,” where her story has been featured in episode 21. Amanda absolutely loves reading incredible stories by the authors on Reedsey. If you are kind enough to leave a comment, please consider including a story you’d like her feedback on at the end. :)

Winning 1 story 🏆

Contest #124

Birth Mother – read story

Shortlisted 3 stories ⭐️

Contest #192

How to Break Up with The Best Boss Ever – read story

Contest #134

The Tumbleweed – read story

Contest #114

Pumpkin – read story