30 Octber 2026

Published October 28, 2026 by rochellewisoff

The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Jennifer Pendergast

Prompt Description: We are on a beach. Gentle waves are lapping the shore and the sun is reflecting on the water. In the foreground, amid some large rocks is a helmet as worn by knights of old and an embellished sword. Leaning against a large slab is a cell phone.

Click the performing frog to join.

Genre: Edited Novel Excerpt
Word Count: 100

EMOTIONAL ARMOR

Aunt Ingrid’s inflamed gaze held Gracie captive. “You are a swimmer?”

The girl squirmed. “Yeah.”

“You wear a skimpy costume when you perform.”

Gracie braced herself for a lecture. But who had more of a right to deliver one than this heartbroken mother? She cast her gaze downward murmuring, “It’s a swimsuit, not a costume.”

“I don’t see much difference.”

Gracie reached into her purse and fingered the bottle of Ipecac she’d planned to use after lunch. One or two more times should do it to get down to her goal weight. Then she would stop. No harm. No foul.

GOOD NEWS! We’ve made some progress on the audio book. Seventeen more chapters recorded. Only twenty-seven more to go. 😀

23 October 2026

Published October 21, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Nobbinmaug

Setting sun is shining dramatically through clouds silhouetting houses and trees. A bit of light is reflecting off of two cars in the foreground beside the house to the right. If you look closely, you can make out a garage door.

This week marks my 14 year anniversary as Friday Fictioneers Facilitator. A handfull of you were here before I came aboard. Thank you for sticking with me. 😀 Shalom, Rochelle.

CLICK FROG TO JOIN THE FUN

Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count:100

BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

“Whatcha inventing now, Pop?”

Young Dick watched his father nail a bedsheet between two trees in front of his automobile on which he’d propped a Kodak movie projector.

“I’m building an outdoor theater for Grandma.”

The boy tilted his head. “Because she hates sitting in seats in the theater because she’s so y’know…mm…big?”

Pop chuckled. “She’ll be more comfortable watching movies from ol’ Suzabelle here.”

“May I sit in the car with her?”

“Why the whole family can pile in.”

Not long afterward Pop, Richard Hollingshead, found investors and on June 6, 1933, opened the first 400-acre drive-in movie theater.

A little more info.

16 October 2026

Published October 14, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

This week’s prompt takes us into a narrow kitchen. on the right we see cabinets and a stove. There’s a refrigerator at the end. On the hardwood floor there’s an oval rug. To the left it looks to be a long bookcase filled with books. At the very end, in the middle there’s a wall with decorations and a door with a lock.

Just a reminder: This is a community of writers. Comment on the stories of others as you would like them to comment on yours.

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Genre: Fiction
Word Count: 100

MOUNT EVEREST SPECIAL

“How’s the novel coming?” Louise peered over Thelma’s shoulder.

“Not so great.” Thelma’s empty stomach rumbled. She stood and stretched to ease the kink in her neck. “I need sustenance.”

“How about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”

“Nah. The only excuse for jelly we have is your aunt’s poisonberry jam.”

“Hey, that’s not a very nice thing to call it.”

“Okay. Kerosene preserves then.” Thelma sliced an onion. Breathing in the pungent aroma she proclaimed, “Now that’s what goes on a peanut butter sandwich.”

“Ugh!” Louise wrinkled her nose. “You can’t possibly be serious.”

“It worked for Ernest Hemingway.”

To know more about Hemingway and PB&O Sandwiches Click

Incidentally, I had to try it out for myself. Peanut butter and onions makes a tasty combo. 😉

9 October 2026

Published October 7, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

This week’s prompt has us walking along a path under a bridge. To the right there is a narrow stream. The stream is flanked by grassy banks. On the pillars of the bridge you see splotches of mud and muddy handprints.

CLICK the frog to join.

Genre: Anecdote?
Word Count: 100

MUDSLIDE

“Back in Abraham Lincoln’s day political candidates fought dirty,” said my fifth-grade teacher.

Suzie raised her hand. “Did they brawl in the mud like wrestlers?”

“Not exactly. What I mean is that instead of proclaiming their own good intentions, politicians spent their time ripping into their opponents.”

“Yeah,” said Billy. “They’d make speeches about the other guy’s nasty deeds to make themselves look good. Right, Mrs. Gerard?”

“Precisely. Fortunately, we’ve moved beyond those times as a civilized nation.”

Today, some sixty years later, head pounding, I switch off a mudslinging, political advertisement on television and sigh. “What happened to ‘civil-ization’?”

2 October 2026

Published September 30, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

This week’s photo features a castle nestled in green rolling hills. There’s a bush of red flowers in the foreground.

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

A TWIST OF FATE

“Please help us abort,” begged the desperate father.

Irene refused. “If the baby dies, Hitler wins. He’s murdered enough Jewish children already”

The young Polish housekeeper had harbored twelve fugitives in the cellar of Major Rügemer’s grand home for two years.

One day he came home early and met his uninvited guests.

Despite his anger and fear, he agreed to keep Irene’s secret in exchange for certain favors.

When Rügemer’s family rejected him after the war for his part in saving Jews, the baby’s parents took him in. Little Roman Haller knew the former Wehrmacht officer only as Zaydeh—grandpa.

CLICK to know more about this valiant woman. (It’s worth the watch).

It’s hard not to have mixed feelings about Major Rügemer. Here’s more of his story.

25 September 2026

Published September 23, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

A swimming pool greets us in the foreground, surrounded by a fence. There are a few people in the water, standing in the shallow end. At the end of the pool there are deck chairs. There are buildings and trees in the background. Dive in anywhere with your take on this prompt. 😉

CLICK the frog to dive in.

Genre: Just the facts
Word Count: 100

ONE OF THOSE DAYS THAT SHOULD BE DROWNED AT BIRTH

Every year, the American Cancer Society challenges lap swimmers to raise money for the cause by swimming five miles in a month. Each of us receives a medal for the first $25 collected.

Tuesday, after my swim, I took the usual selfie for my Facebook page. As I gathered my swim gear, my iPhone slipped from my grasp into the deep end. Its screen never dimmed.

The lifeguard rushed to my aid. “Would you like me to get that for you.”

“No, but I can’t find my goggles,” I replied in a panic.

“Ma’am, they’re on top of your head.”

Epilogue: At this posting, Tuesday is two weeks in the past. I’m happy to report that my iPhone dried out and continues to work well. No doubt the young lifeguard had something to tell his friends and family about the dingy old lady at the pool. At least I hope he got some mileage out of it 😉 I certainly have. I am my own anecdote. 😀 Shalom.

Click the link to check out my Facebook donation page. (Note: This Facebook page will disappear after September.) https://www.facebook.com/donate/1113614497852702

11 September 2026

Published September 9, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © A member of the Fields Family who didn’t care to be Identified. 😉

This week we’re looking at the front of a two story building with a classic facade. The front door is covered by a colonial style roof and pillars. Behind it to the right is a red brick building. The windows are multi-paned rectangular and arched at the tops. The yard in front is green.

Click the frog to join the fun.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

AUGUST 18, 1790

Jacob squirmed on the wooden seat between Papa and Grandpapa Aaron. “Why are we in synagogue today? It’s not Shabbat.”

Grandpapa patted Jacob’s knee. “I came to this colony of Rhode Island to escape oppression in Brazil when I was your age.” He pointed to the man sitting in the seat of honor. “This day you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”

Years later, Jacob told his own son, “I will never forget the day President Washington spoke these words in this very place, ‘The government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution, no assistance.’”

CLICK to know more.

21 August 2026

Published August 19, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

The prompt this week is the front porch of an old hotel in Missouri. There are stone arches in front. Double wooden doors welcome the guests. There is a light over the front doors. Through the glass on the doors and the windows you can see the pleasant lobby. Welcome! Enjoy your stay! 😉

CLICK the frogs to join

Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

BLACK THURSDAY

Henry had a lucrative position with a Kansas City bank, a dream home, and a beautiful wife. The world was his oyster.

He’d booked a room in Booneville at the Frederick Hotel where they’d spent their wedding night. It was a crisp October day. Perfect for celebrating their first anniversary.

As he was packing the telephone rang.

Tears blurred his vision that night at dinner. How can I tell her we’ve lost everything?

As he groped for the right words, Ginny blurted out. “Oh Henry, 1930 is going to be the best year ever! You’re going to be a daddy!”

14 August 2026

Published August 12, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

This week’s photo is of ten nesting cups with images of Russian buildings engraved on them. They go from large and detailed to teeny tiny. They looking to set in order on a wooden table.

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

POETIC INJUSTICE

“I adored the stage,” said Bubbe Gittel of her time in the Moscow State Jewish Theater. “I had a crush on the director, Shlomo Mikhoels. A gifted poet.”

I switched off the TV. My grandmother’s stories beat summer reruns.

“During the war Mr. Stalin kept us safe from Hitler and made Shlomo the head of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee.”

Bubbe’s smile faded. “The war ended and with it, Stalin’s favor.”

“They called it an accident, but I saw it with my own eyes. A KGB monster shoved Shlomo in the path of a speeding truck.”

“Why, Bubbe?”

“Need you ask?”

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Shlomo or Solomon Mikhoels

31 July 2026

Published July 29, 2026 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

The prompt this weeks is of a rotted tree stump. Growing profusely from the wood are rows of turkey tail mushrooms. They look like columns of fans or tails of turkeys.

CLICK THE FROGS TO HOP ABOARD

This week, as I’ll be traveling out of state to visit my brother in North Carolina, I’m taking the easy way and posting a snippet from my novel LAST DANCE WITH ANNIE (soon to be available in audio).

Genre: Literary Fiction
Word Count: 100

ROUGH ROAD TO RECOVERY

Once the doors shut and the vehicle began to move, the EMT picked up the ambulance phone and poised his fingers over the buttons. “Do you want me to call your husband?”

Elise’s panic mushroomed. “Husband?”

The young man’s cheeks flushed as he pointed at her wedding ring. “I assumed—”

Elise swiveled the gold band around her ring finger with her pinkie and thumb. They’d had a terrible fight at the restaurant about her dinner—or lack thereof—as always.

Tony had filled a plate with chicken and vegetables and plopped it front of her. “Dammit, Elise, eat something!”

********************

A few more photos from our recent recording session. Jadyn, the young man in the photo will be voicing the male characters. The young lady sitting is my publisher Lia Wu.