Karen Hope

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2024

Stories (6)

6 Stories

228 karma pts

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“A Walk in the Park” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #240

I tie the laces on my sneakers, making double knots and pulling hard to secure them. I reach up and grab my fleece jacket, zipping it halfway up and reaching up the sleeves to pull down the shirt sleeves underneath. I grab my keys off the hall table, open the front door. I take the step down onto my front porch, turn around and lock the door,  placing the key securely in the pocket of my jeans. I take the next three steps down to my driveway and then begin to count. It’s 26 steps to the end of my driveway, where I turn right and ta...

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“An Army of Cats” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #239

Mavis looked around her makeshift art studio – the place where she would isolate herself from the world for the next month. Stacks of clean canvases waited to be transformed. Brand new paints, pastels and brushes her parents gave her at college graduation last month were neatly arranged in clear plastic bins. Her easel was angled just right to catch the morning sun that streamed in through the large picture window.  In exchange for house sitting for her aunt and caring for her two cats, Mavis had been gifted th...

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“Undying Devotion” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #238

Lori plopped down in her desk chair, looking around at the walls of her cubicle. She remembered when she was first assigned this space three years ago. How excited she was to be hired as an investigative journalist at The Herald. Fresh out of journalism school, she’d had visions of solving great mysteries, changing the world, but that’s not how it worked. Much of her work was mundane stuff like investigating why a store was inflating its prices or why so many kids were suddenly absent from a school. Viral outbreak or something more sini...

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“Puppy Love” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #237

To: Mr. Bradley TapperFrom: Lydia HanniganSubject: Beagle puppiesDate: Friday, February 9, 2024, 9:15 AMDear Mr. Tapper,I am writing in response to the beagle puppies you advertised. I know you said they would be perfect for a big family, but I live alone and have long wanted a pet in my life. My husband Howard passed away in September, and my kids, well, they’re all on their own now. But I raised three of them, plus dealt with their assortment of fish, turtles and guinea pigs over the years. I think I can handle a puppy. I have a dog park r...

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“Running Against The Wind” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #235

Twenty-eight years ago, my life was swept up into a tornado. The winds came on almost without warning, blowing around everything in my predictable world. I knew it was coming. I had seen the forecast. But I had no idea how dramatic its impact would be. It was weeks away from the birth of my first child, but I thought I had it all under control. The baby’s room, painted a serene shade of yellow to accommod...

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“Mirror Image” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #234

Hope felt good in her sensible blank pumps. Their 2-inch heel gave her a graceful lift without torturing her feet. Her slim-fitting black pants showed off her shapely legs, while her blue flared shirt hid the slight bulge in her middle-aged belly.             She pushed aside the discarded dresses and tops that were strewn across her bed. She had practically emptied her whole closet searching for the per...

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Author bio

I work in politics (a full-time job in 2024), primarily as a communications person. In the past, I’ve drafted several young adult novels, and am just delving into the world of short stories. Reedsy is a fun and supportive place to learn and grow as a writer.