Atonement in Zugzwang, Episode 13. #ThursdayDoors Writing Challenge — Old Green Eyes

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Welcome to my sanctuary in the fictional town called Atonement.  I have two novels and a small collection of short stories set in this town.  Doors afficionados might not have visited this place yet, but I hope you will for this “short story.” It’s actually an episode of my blog serial.  … More Atonement in Zugzwang, Episode 13. #ThursdayDoors Writing Challenge — Old Green Eyes

Wednesday Writing — 2 #BookReviews from Olga Núñez Miret

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 I wasn’t going to do a Wednesday post, because I had something for Thursday Doors.  I’ve been having a personal difficulty that left me exhausted, but when I saw two wonderful reviews from Olga Núñez Miret, I felt rejuvenated.    As Olga said, “Winter is no longer coming. It is here … More Wednesday Writing — 2 #BookReviews from Olga Núñez Miret

Announcing Dead of Winter: Journey 12 — Goddesses

Monday, December 28, 2021 Announcing the December issue of Dead of Winter! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.  I’ve been working hard to finish the next novelette in “Dead of Winter.”  Happily, I published it on Christmas Eve.   Here’s the Blurb Dead of Winter: Journey 12, Goddesses So far in the Journeys … More Announcing Dead of Winter: Journey 12 — Goddesses

Thursday Doors Challenge & Free e-Book (UPDATED)

Thursday, December 16, 2021 Thursday Doors Challenges Thursday Doors Badge Challenge I’m updating this post to include an entry for the Thursday Doors Badge.  Here’s my humble offering. Thursday Doors Favorite Doors Challenge This time, I’m the one responding to a challenge.  The host of Thursday Doors, Dan Antion has a few challenges going this … More Thursday Doors Challenge & Free e-Book (UPDATED)

Wednesday Writing — Dead of Winter Challenge Responses

Wednesday, December 15, 2021 Dead of Winter Creativity Challenge Welcome, everyone.  I hope the week is going well for all of you.  Today I’m showing links to some of the wonderful responses to my Dead of Winter Creativity Challenge.  Each is a different form of creativity.  I’ll continue to collect responses until December 24, 2021, … More Wednesday Writing — Dead of Winter Challenge Responses

Wednesday Writing — Dead of Winter Challenge

Wednesday, December 1, 2021 Welcome December! Welcome to my cozy sanctuary in the Land of Enchantment.  For many years I lived in dread of December’s weather… and January, and February, and even March when I lived on the east coast.  However, in the high desert southwest, I love December and the rest of winter.  Speaking … More Wednesday Writing — Dead of Winter Challenge

Giving Thanks

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 Happy Thanksgiving In my country, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.  I’m giving thanks for all of you no matter where you are.  Despite the many times “we” (as a country or segments of the population) have brought shame upon ourselves, I’m also thankful to live here, to have been born here. I’m … More Giving Thanks

Announcing — Dead of Winter: Journey 11, The Sumelazon Escarpment

day, November , 2021 Announcing the November issue of Dead of Winter! Thanks for your patience this month.  Allow me to present the latest novelette in Dead of Winter — Journey 11, the Sumelazon Escarpment  I know you’re wondering how many installments are left.  Don’t hold me to it, but I think there will be two … More Announcing — Dead of Winter: Journey 11, The Sumelazon Escarpment

Wednesday Writing — Dead of Winter is coming

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 Dead of Winter is coming However, it’s taking more time to get the November novelette ready. I didn’t simply choose stop/start points in the 1,000+ epic I wrote a decade ago. Each month, in addition to editing the manuscript, I reorganize things for a better “serial” flow. Also for this format, … More Wednesday Writing — Dead of Winter is coming

Wednesday Writing — Readers Outside Your Genre & #BookReviews

Wednesday, November 3, 2021 Happy November, everyone! Thanks for visiting my sanctuary.  Pour a glass of your favorite beverage, and maybe get a snack, put your feet up and relax here for a moment.  One of the things that delights me most is when a reader enjoys my stories — even though they don’t usually … More Wednesday Writing — Readers Outside Your Genre & #BookReviews

Wednesday Writing — Cover Reveal for Journey 11

Wednesday, October 27, 2021 Hello, everyone. As the Journeys of Dead of Winter draw near their end, so does this year.  For my location, the approaching solstice (Halloween, Samhain, and other names) falls halfway between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice.  In most of the countries of Dead of Winter, it also marks the … More Wednesday Writing — Cover Reveal for Journey 11

Roberta Writes – My YT reviews of Dead of Winter Journeys 6 & 7 and short readings —

Thursday, October 14, 2021 I’m breaking my “twice weekly posting” pattern.  Author Roberta Eaton Cheadle went to so much work to do reviews, complete with videos, of two novelettes in my “Dead of Winter” series. So how could I not share?  Comments are closed here because Robbie deserves the full spotlight at her blog.  Please click … More Roberta Writes – My YT reviews of Dead of Winter Journeys 6 & 7 and short readings —

Announcing — Dead of Winter: Journey 10, Pergesca

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 The October issue of Dead of Winter is here! Welcome everyone! Thanks for your patience this month.  Today I announce the latest novelette in Dead of Winter.  It seems like only a few weeks ago that I started these Journeys.  Now we are on the tenth month. Wow.  We are nearing … More Announcing — Dead of Winter: Journey 10, Pergesca

Hidebound Hump Day — Cornelis Drebbel 39 Conclusion

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 It’s time for Hidebound Hump Day, my chuckaboos!  I’m grateful to everyone who started this wild ride on the #steampunk train, and then the submarine.  What mode of transportation will we take next?  As you know, the serials on this blog are pantser stories. They are completely unplanned. I let the “three … More Hidebound Hump Day — Cornelis Drebbel 39 Conclusion

Hidebound Hump Day — Cornelis Drebbel 38

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 It’s time for Hidebound Hump Day, my chuckaboos!  I’m grateful to everyone who started this wild ride on the #steampunk train, and then the submarine.  What mode of transportation will we take next?  Hang on tight.  This is the penultimate episode of the serial! Previously with Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman … More Hidebound Hump Day — Cornelis Drebbel 38

Cover Reveal! Murder at the Bijou – Three Ingredients-I

  Ta-dah!  I’ve finally finished the technical aspects of book-izing the second of my blog serials. About the Novel Murder at the Bijou – Three Ingredients-I is the second of my “three things” style of blog serials.  As with the first serial, The Three Things Serial, a Little 1920s Story, it was a spontaneously written (“pantser”) … More Cover Reveal! Murder at the Bijou – Three Ingredients-I

Three Things Serial Shout-Out

#TuesdayBookBlog at Olga, Author Translator Please click this link. My little 1920s novella, The Three Things Serial Story, just got a lovely endorsement from Olga Núñez Miret.  Of course I couldn’t resist sharing! Please drop by Olga’s blog to say hello — comments are there.  Check out her extraordinary collection of books too.  Stay tuned here as well. … More Three Things Serial Shout-Out

Copper, the Alchemist, & the Woman in Trousers: Episode 29

Chugging Along Slowly The steam locomotive to the Victorian Era is almost at the platform to take you to Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers.  Although, it’s chugging along rather slowly. One of the landslide of things that derailed the locomotive last weekend was the cold I had Saturday. Happily I managed to fight … More Copper, the Alchemist, & the Woman in Trousers: Episode 29

Copper, the Alchemist, & the Woman in Trousers: Episode 23

To those of you in the USA… Happy Independence Day!  In celebration, rather than taking you to the Victorian Era on our usual steam locomotive, this time we’ll bring all our picnic paraphernalia and get on board a red, white, and blue decorated dirigible and soar into our story. Steering the airship is Kathryn, aka … More Copper, the Alchemist, & the Woman in Trousers: Episode 23

Copper, the Alchemist, & the Woman in Trousers: Episode 19

Every picture tells a story… Or it does if the camera is in the hands of Timothy Price at T&L Photos. The photographs make for a chronicle of day-to-day life for Tim and his family in “the land of enchantment” — also known as New Mexico.  That family includes a four-footed crew of felines that keep … More Copper, the Alchemist, & the Woman in Trousers: Episode 19

UPDATE: New Interactive Serial – What do YOU want?

Hello everyone, As of Monday evening, most people want to start an all new serial from scratch.  If that’s not the option you’d choose, then be sure to cast your vote! The poll will stay open until Friday, January 16th. No need to re-comment on this update unless… Whatever form the new serial takes, I’m going … More UPDATE: New Interactive Serial – What do YOU want?

Rewind – Three Things Episodes 10 – 14

Welcome back to the 1920’s everyone.  I really appreciate you dropping by for this “rewind” of the first interactive serial. But first, I want to update you on my My National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) progress, since that is what has taken me away from writing the serials. This is what my homepage showed me Friday. … More Rewind – Three Things Episodes 10 – 14

Three Ingredients: Granny Is Angry, What Would You Do?

Granny Fanny was so angry, frustrated, and worried about Pip that she couldn’t take any more.  Granny says she’s sending our flapper home to her father! You know… I just realized that last weekend I forgot to add a “ghostly ingredient” from the Jar of Spooky Things.  But that’s beside the point.  I had an … More Three Ingredients: Granny Is Angry, What Would You Do?

Three Ingredients II – 11: Red Currants, Baked Beans, Polish Sausage

Am I in an odd “place” or is it just the weather? The moon? Solar flares maybe? Could it be this week’s ghostly ingredient from the Jar of Spooky Things? I can’t define it — this odd mood, so I may as well just roll with it.  However, be warned that it might make this episode of … More Three Ingredients II – 11: Red Currants, Baked Beans, Polish Sausage

Three Ingredients – 20: Beef Drippings, Dandelion & Burdock, Salmon

Hello everyone.  My heartfelt thanks to all of you for coming back.  You supply the “ingredients” that built the mysteries in our 1920’s story — that’s what makes the serial interactive.  Now our story is drawing closer to revealing some of the answers to those questions and mysteries. Without further ado, here is Episode-20.  Bon appétit! 20.  … More Three Ingredients – 20: Beef Drippings, Dandelion & Burdock, Salmon

Quaint New Look

When I chose the design-theme for this blog, I was attracted to the bright colors and the sense of movement I perceived in the design.  However, lately I’ve been thinking that modern look is not a good match for the 1920’s setting of the serial stories — or my novel, Atonement, Tennessee. I couldn’t find anything … More Quaint New Look

Three Ingredients – 13: Pigeon, Microwave, Prune

Lucky 13 — that’s how I’ve always thought of the number.  There have been cliffhangers in our serial lately.  Will Episode-13 be lucky for the characters? Ishita at Kooky Cookyng supplied the “ingredients” today.  She playfully threw me a curve with “microwave.” It took a bit of storytelling for me to work that into a 1920’s … More Three Ingredients – 13: Pigeon, Microwave, Prune

Happy 2014! Three Ingredients Serial – 4: Graham Crackers, Apples, Cream Cheese

I for one am quite happy to welcome the arrival of 2014.  Did you notice that the new year begins on a new moon?  To me, that makes today very special.  May it bring wonderful new beginnings to all of us.  Happy New Year everyone! This time our ingredients are from Alexandra of “A Scholarly Skater.”  … More Happy 2014! Three Ingredients Serial – 4: Graham Crackers, Apples, Cream Cheese

Three Things: 23 – Dissolute, Rocky, Bonehead

I’m finally here with another episode of our little 1920’s story.  The characters have been nagging at my thoughts.  I don’t know what I’m going to do with them during November, while I’m trying to write an entire (new) novel in a few short weeks, for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! Maybe I’ll skip the fun part … More Three Things: 23 – Dissolute, Rocky, Bonehead

Three Things Serial: 14 – Finger Waves, Shoe Horn, Cummerbund

Today’s “things” are from an innovative thinker in Albuquerque.  I think they help bring life to the story and our characters — a glimpse of their day-to-day life. Remember, if you need to catch up, the full story lives at the Three Things Serial page. Finger Waves, Shoe Horn, Cummerbund The old fire engine roared … More Three Things Serial: 14 – Finger Waves, Shoe Horn, Cummerbund

Three Things Serial: 2 – Ballerina, Fireman, Astronaut

Come on now everyone — don’t let me down about sending “three things.”  Words, phrases, that’s all it is; whatever pops into your head.  As an example, I’m taking “things” from The Daily Prompt.  Today’s was a thought provoking post. They asked what you wanted to grow up to be when you were ten years old, and … More Three Things Serial: 2 – Ballerina, Fireman, Astronaut

Three Things Serial: 1 – Oscillating Fan, Scent, Cowboy

August 3, 2013 Here begins the “Three Things Serial Story.” Mary kicked things off with Oscillating Fan, but to keep things consistent right from the start, I needed to use three things.  So I took two more “things” from Mary’s last two blog posts: Scent and Cowboy. The Three Things Serial Story With “things” sent … More Three Things Serial: 1 – Oscillating Fan, Scent, Cowboy