— You durn fool

Waves of hot lava washed down my throat, past my lungs, and hit my stomach like an acid avalanche.

By day, Nick Sipe works as a mild-mannered IT manager for a Fortune 150 company. By night, he mostly recovers from the workday, but occasionally finds time to write. He enjoys writing Twilight Zone-style short stories, mostly horror and light sci-fi. Nick is currently shopping his debut novel, “Midnight Springs,” to literary agents. “Midnight Springs” is the first in a planned horror-Western series that sends classic monsters (think Frankenstein, Van Helsing, the Wolfman) to the Wild West to tangle with their American counterparts (think witches, the Headless Horseman, the Wendigo). Nick live in Gastonia, North Carolina. He is a member of Charlotte Writers Club.

 – “Quick! Let's get the oars!”.

Traveling fast, the tanker’s bow tossed large white-capped waves.

Edward von Koenigseck, relocated from Florida, resides in Ticonderoga NY. Having a 40-year career in Technical Publications, he also published two books (Technical Writing for Private Industry and Island Park, a Memoir, and four short stories. He created 92 one-hour lectures on biblical history for presentation to elders, sponsored by the non-profit Florida-based Shepherd Centers organization. He also created and taught two semesters on technical writing for advanced English students at Florida Institute of Technology, is an editor, and is currently writing a novel, a biography, and an autobiography.

– “Do not let it get to the pond. It will eat our fish!”

My Ninja Turtle dance began in the pouring rain, my umbrella in one hand and the shovel in the other.

Sondra Edwards, wife, mother of two, grandmother of five, children's minister, and music educator, lives in the mountains of Boone, North Carolina. Now retired, she dabbles in visual arts and creative writing. For the past four years, she has participated in the writing group of Sue Spirit. More recently, she joined a community writing group led by Joseph Bathanti, former NC Poet Laureate and Appalachian State University professor. She is the author of "The Innkeeper's Feast," a Christmas pageant based on the model of a Madrigal Feast. The play is published by Leader Resources.

 –He called me scaredy pants.

Move, stop, and swing. Over and over.

David Inserra lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with his wife Ellen Titus and their dog, Mindy. David’s most recent work appears in the PSPP release, Now or Never. He is a member of the Island Writers Network and works at the local Unitarian Church. David’s first novel, a speculative thriller titled “In Your Own Backyard,” is currently being queried to agents. He is also a musician who has written over 400 songs, most being about his wife. Visit davidinserra.weebly.com.

 — As I hit the water, I glanced back over my shoulder.

Instead, they chose to wade through the calf-deep mud of a marsh toward Parkersburg.

After a career teaching mathematics in Iowa, Jim retired to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he loves exploring the beach and writing stories, both fiction and nonfiction. His first novel, Freedom Run drew rave reviews. He is presently working with other members of the Island Writers Network to tune up several others for publication, including his historical novel “Fannie” about his pioneer grandmother. His stories and poems have appeared in three anthologies from the Island Writers Network and the anthology Twists and Turns from the Personal Story Publishing Project.

 – “Don’t mind him. He’s just crotchety like that.”

You get to have sway in the classroom and fix your students with a beetle-browed visage.

Award-winning author Bob Amason is a retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and college professor. A Florida Writer’s Association member, Bob writes under his pen name, Frank A. Mason. His Journeyman Chronicles series of American Revolutionary War novels are Amazon.com bestsellers. Journeyman: Heart of Tempered Steel won the 2023 Florida Writer’s Association Gold Royal Palm Literary Award, Florida’s most prestigious writing prize. Bob’s writing has been published in four anthologies, academic journals, and books. He lives in Florida with his overachieving wife, a professor who is the author of a series of children’s books.

 – “How long have you been rock climbing?”

The professor praised my speech and raved about my clever visual aid.

Alison Rice Bruster comes from a long line of women who love the written word. The granddaughter of a librarian, daughter of an English teacher, and sister of a novelist, she was destined to be an avid reader and writer. After a career spent finding the voices of senior business executives, she is writing a new chapter. She holds a BA in English Literature from Queens University of Charlotte and lives in Fort Mill, S.C. She is a member of the Charlotte Writers Club, Charlotte Lit, and the North Carolina Writers Network.

 – He drove and hollered, and I cowered.

He was a thick slab of a man who could freeze an entire restaurant mid-rush with a giant explosive sneeze.  

Peter Holsapple grew up in Winston-Salem and now lives in Durham, North Carolina. Most of his life, Peter has spent time in the public eye as a songwriter and musician; but since his teenage years, he has toyed with the idea of writing prose. He is grateful to the PSPP for helping him to realize it is actually something he can do.

 – It looked like a go-kart with wings and a parachute.

Still flying, but with one wing pointing at the sky and the other within 18 inches of the sunflower field that lined the airstrip.

S. G. (Sandy) Benson lives in Warne, North Carolina, where she is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network-West. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and she received awards from the Nebraska Press Women. She published her first book in 2021, My Mother’s Keeper: One Family’s Journey Through Dementia. Her second book, Dear Folks: Letters Home from World War II, 1943-1946 was released in 2024. She is working on a collection of autobiographic short stories, “Girls Can’t Do That.” Details at https://www.sandygbenson.com/

 – “Oh, I never leave home without it. There’s danger out there.”

A whoosh of cigarette smoke and sour beer odor hit us in the face.

Robin Russell Gaiser holds degrees in English literature and psychology and a certificate in therapeutic music. An experienced multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Robin gave guitar and dulcimer lessons and performed with The Mill Run Dulcimer Band while she lived in northern Virginia. Memories of students and Band fans offer rich ideas for stories, like “Partners.” Robin is a published author of two memoirs: Musical Morphine: Transforming Pain One Note at a Time (Pisgah Press: 2016), and Open for Lunch (Pisgah Press; 2018). A third book is underway. She and her husband live in Asheville, North Carolina. www.robingaiser.com