Mary Bendickson - Writer on Reedsy Prompts

138 Stories

10199 karma pts

Blacktop and the Bucket Babies

Submitted to Contest #187

Blacktop and the Bucket BabiesName's Blacktop. Gender neutral 'cause who could tell when you're five weeks old. Right? Not all that original or cutesy for a kitten but that is what I am. White on the bottom...now you understand. Could have been 'Boots' for my white paws or maybe 'Stache' for my milky mustache but you get the picture. Oh, and that is also where I picked out my people - on a blacktop road. I had spent the hot August day wandering way too far from my birth barn and mom. Had this forlorn, bedraggled look about me. Could have bec...

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Rustlers?

Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #186

Rustlers? “You two gonna pag-nag back there all day? We got beeves to round-up. And I for one want to get back to the ranch house tonight for one decent meal for the week.” “Lighten up there, K-Keyes. Who d-died and left you in ch-charge anyway? We all got equal b-billing with the B-big B-boss.” “Then hustle up there, Stinky.” “W-wish ya didn't call me that no m-more. That encounter with th-that polecat was so long ago his stripes have f-faded away by now and he would just be a c-cuddly p-pussycat.” “Been calling you 'Stinky' for so long d...

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The Faith Of Thelma Faye

Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #185

The Faith of Thelma Faye I remember feeling protected as I snuggled in the warmth of my mother's strong arms. My bed was veiled in a green canopy. She spread her warmth so wide it encompassed our whole world as we could see it. And there were a lot of us. She was like the old women who lived in a shoe. So many children... Except she knew. She sheltered and nurtured us and taught us everything she could before setting us free out into a world unknown. She taught our family history and mysteries of what could be. When gentle breezes rustled ...

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Author bio

I am not like so many of you who have yearned to write their whole lives. I have always loved to read but seldom had time when I was raising kids and running a business. When I retired I started to read. I cleared out my Mom's house and found hundreds of romance novellas. Some great, some leaving much to be desired. I wondered if I could do better so spent 2022 writing a book with my laptop perched on my belly. It came out as a historical fiction with a little romance. I haven't tried getting it out there yet. I didn't study rules let alone follow any so now I am educating myself in how it is supposed to be done.

Yoo-Hoo! Late July, 2023. Just found out I am a finalist in a major contest (Killer Nashville The Claymore Award)where I submitted my first 50 pages of my novel. Even if I don't win it is so nice to receive validation that someone liked my work. That would be 'Trampled Dreams' and 'Trampled Dreams Part Two' and 'Justice Scream' listed here.

8/21/23 Back from Nashville with the medal for winning my genre at the Killer Nashville Awards!!!:)Woo-Hoo!

1 shortlisted story ⭐️

Contest #211

Donuts Do Not Die – read story