Steamy penguins? you ask. Ex-CUSE me? Back in February of 2011, when Ernest Shackleton’s Scotch supply was discovered, Chuck Wendig of Terrible Minds challenged all comers to write a story with Shackleton’s Scotch as their prompt.
So I did.
The story is part of my collection TURTLE FEATHERS (a measly ninety-nine cents). Here’s a sample, including steamy penguins. Well, one steamy penguin, anyway.
Story with steamy penguins in
For A Few Bottles More – excerpt
by Marian Allen
Pilar Penguin lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring into the frigid air.
This life, she thought. This life is no good. How long had it been since she had seen the sun? Well, six months, obviously, but it had been longer than that. She slept through the days now, weary and bleary from late nights at the cantina.
But what was she to do? Pehuen had put everything they had into the place. She either worked by his side or watched their lives come apart like a calving glacier.
She wiped the bar, flipping the cloth free at the edge so it didn’t freeze to the damp surface. Pehuen would be back soon, and then they would open the doors for the evening and the other penguins would trickle in by ones and twos. Pilar disapproved of guys coming in with their eggs tucked between their feet and their bodies, but Pehuen was right—either they let guys in carrying concealed or they had no customers at all for part of the year.
The door slammed open, and Pehuen slid in. His breath puffed out in steamy heaves that crystalized and fell.
“Pilar!” He staggered toward her, stumbling over his own feet.
“Calm down, mi marido.” She waddled sensuously toward him, offering him the cigarette still warm from her beak. “I am here, as always.”
~ * ~
If you want to read the rest of the story — and you know you do — drop a buck and buy the collection.
Buy it for the Kindle at Amazon.
Buy from Smashwords in all electronic formats.
Buy from Barnes & Noble for Nook.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Write a story about a steamy penguin.
MA
Chris Graham
March 9, 2014 at 4:40pmI did a workaround Marian 🙂
Marian Allen
March 9, 2014 at 4:43pmWell, bless your heart! Have a banana! Have a whole BUNCH of bananas! 😀
Chris Graham
March 9, 2014 at 4:25pmHi Marian, got your book, but wish I could reblog this article to get you more sales 🙂
Holly Jahangiri
March 9, 2014 at 11:00amWell, that’s a side of penguins I’d never imagined!
Marian Allen
March 9, 2014 at 1:09pmHey, where do you think all those baby penguins come from? You think the stork brings them? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!
Jane
March 9, 2014 at 10:34amOh joy! Penguins with breakfast!
Marian Allen
March 9, 2014 at 1:07pmI know, right???