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This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

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Jazz Age Wednesday — Pip & Artie, Aghast at a Ghost

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Author Neil Gaiman for Get Caught Reading

May is #GetCaughtReading Month! Chris Graham, the Story Reading Ape himself, and I are together again to support this initiative that promotes the fun of reading for all ages.

Chris and I have collaborated on several short stories that include his character, a genius ape named Artie and my first flapper, Pip. It all started with Time Travel Esc-Ape. Then there was Pip in the Corn Maze, followed by the three-part Pip and Artie Meet Again.

I hope you Get Caught Reading our new story! It is set during the time-line of my upcoming novel A Ghost in the Kitchen. All right then, let’s get a wiggle on and head to the Jazz Age!

Pip and Artie — Aghast at a Ghost

Ghost Stories Magazine circa 1926

“Hello,” I answered the telephone. “Andy, tha―”

“Paisley Idelle Peabody, where are your manners. That’s no proper way to answer the telephone. Give me that,” Granny Phanny demanded as she took the receiver away from me.

“TREmont 3332, Peabody residence,” my grandmother spoke into the receiver as I turned my head so she wouldn’t see me roll my eyes. “Why yes Andy, you may. One moment please. Paisley, Andy is calling for you.”

Granny gave me a stern look and handed me the card she kept beside the telephone. It was titled The Telephone Pledge.

“I believe in the Golden Rule and will try to be as Courteous and Considerate over the Telephone as if Face to Face.”

It continued with such advise as telephone manners are as important for voice-to-voice courtesy, as face-to-face politeness. Instructions to speak directly into the mouthpiece with lips a half inch away, and keep mustache out of opening were included.

I got caught reading it aloud to my pal Andy. It wasn’t the reading that annoyed Granny, but my laughter.

Young Lucille Ball as Pip

“You’d best take that seriously or they might discontinue our service,” she warned.

“Oh Granny! They wouldn’t really do that,” I defended as she walked away with her best bluenose attitude.

My grandmother had distracted me to the extent that I forgot to put the finishing touches on my glad rags before Andy came to pick me up in his old jalopy. I had a special pendant with a beautiful labradorite crystal that I meant to show him. I had recently told him the story behind that gem and he was keen to see it in person.

Andy and I weren’t gone long before we went back for the pendant. However, during that short time a lot happened. I only wish I could have seen it firsthand.

You see, my friend Aristotle, also known as Artie, dropped in at Granny’s cottage. That wouldn’t have mattered if Artie was an ordinary guy. Unfortunately for my grandmother’s state of mind, Artie was a time traveler. Not only that, he was an ape! He was very polite, and a genius to boot, but an ape nonetheless. He was also the one who gave me the labradorite pendant.

This is how Artie described what transpired.

***

Artie, courtesy of Chris Graham

When she went into town with Andy, Pip carelessly left the labradorite crystal pendant laying out on her dressing table, instead of in her jewelry box. That wouldn’t have mattered with an ordinary necklace, but the pendant acted as a transponder which allowed Artie to find Pip when he went back in time.

As fate would have it, Granny found the labradorite crystal while tidying up.

She was strangely drawn to the pendant. Phanny Irene Peabody picked up the crystal and held it, soaking in its gentle glowing warmth.

A loud “pots and pans” type of crash startled her. The commotion was followed by a shouted string of words that sounded oddly foreign, but were obviously from someone who needed their mouth washed out with soap.

Granny, still gripping the pendant, hurried angrily towards her kitchen.

Meanwhile, as Granny ran toward the ruckus in her kitchen, Aristotle, the genius ape was summoned to his time machine by the labradorite crystal that Granny Phanny had unknowingly activated.

The pendant had sent a distress call. So, he dropped what he was doing, hastily donned his time travelling gear and activated his portable time machine motorcycle.

Artie’s portable time machine, image courtesy Chris Graham

Artie arrived in Savannah, Georgia of the Roaring Twenties.

Artie took off his helmet and gave a huge pointy fanged grin of satisfaction. He was excited at the prospect of seeing his friend Pip again, but of course he was also worried because of the distress signal.

The labradorite crystal pendant locator had worked a treat, bringing him just outside the cottage where Pip lived with her grandmother.

The link between pendant and locator had brought him within 30 seconds of the time when the pendant had sent the alarm.

As Artie hurried over to the cottage, the kitchen door burst open and what at first glance appeared to be a rotund man in Renaissance garb rushed out, ducking and weaving in an attempt to avoid the pots and pans flying behind him.

Artie bounded over and brought down what he presumed was an intruder in Pip’s home.

Granny appeared at the kitchen door and clapped her hands, applauding Artie’s heroics.

“Why thank you so very much! That strange looking man was in my kitchen. Bring him over here, so I can give him a piece of my mind.”

Dangling the figure by the scruff of his neck, Artie obliged.

Granny was so engrossed in seeing who had spilled her kitchenware, she didn’t notice that Artie wasn’t a man, until she looked up to thank him again.

Artie was careful not to grin, it showed his fangs too much for many humans and frightened them, so he gave a broad, but closed-lip smile instead.

Granny sank down to the ground in a fit of the vapors.

As she recovered, responding to the cool compress on her forehead and the muttered entreaties from two male voices, Granny slowly opened her eyes – and wished she hadn’t.

The man in the clothes of a Renaissance Era chef winked at her flirtatiously. Then with the sound of a fizzing pop, he disappeared into thin air!

The huge leather clad ape was still there.

Granny swooned again.

The end.

Chris Graham (for Agnes Mae Graham)

Don’t forget my mysterious new serial, Brother Love. Chapter 4 will go live on Saturday.

I’ll see you at the crossroads!

*******

Universal link to my Amazon Author Page

USA: The Three Things Serial Story: A Little 1920s Story Kindle

USA: Murder at the Bijou — Three Ingredients I

Amazon UK

USA: Atonement in Bloom

Amazon UK

USA: The Glowing Pigs, Snort Stories of Atonement, Tennessee

USA: Atonement, Tennessee

(E-book still on sale at 99¢ )

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Hidebound Hump Day — #WritingPrompt! The Guardian

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

#GetCaughtReading! May is Get Caught Reading Month. Artie is coming back to Jazz Age Wednesdays!

Artie, courtesy of Chris Graham

Get Caught Reading is a nationwide (USA) campaign to promote the fun of reading books for all ages. Chris Graham, the one and only Story Reading Ape, will be a story telling ape. We’re getting together again for a short story in support of this initiative. It will be here next Wednesday.

Now to Hidebound Hump Day

Be warned… I’m just dashing this off quickly. It is so hard to resist the prompts from Diana Wallace Peach. Then I read Rob Goldstein’s story (click here), and I simply had to join the fun.

Steampunk black man Brigitte Werner_Pixabay

Brigitte Werner, Pixaby

You’ve probably heard me bemoan my unfinished novel, the second book for the alchemist, Cornelis Drebbel. It includes one of my favorite “unfinished novel characters,” Jack. Since the steampunk story is so fitting for Diana’s gorgeous image prompt, Jack hopped into my head.

In my “Cornelis-verse,” the second novel happens in a parallel place where Cornelis crash-lands. There, Copper is not a little girl, but a quirky young woman. She grew up with Jack as her only companion. The vignette inspired by Dianna’s prompt takes place there.

The Guardian

Image by Teagan Geneviene

Jack didn’t understand why no one seemed to heed his warnings. He even created a probability chart when they would not listen. Being ignored when he presented data agitated him.

“The risk is far too great!” Jack insisted.

“I’m perfectly capable of handling any ack ruffians who try to bother me,” Copper told him in a tone that Jack thought meant disdain.

“We can’t stay here forever, old boy,” the Alchemist added.

“I understood what you both have said,” Jack replied. “However, a guardian is required. I propose that you at least hire a guard to protect you.”

The Alchemist chuckled. Miss Copper gave Jack the long-suffering look that meant she thought he was being what she called a mother hen.

“My grandfather was my guardian after my parents left. I’ve done just fine without a guardian since he disappeared.”

“Jack, my chuckaboo, we would still have to go into town to hire a guard,” the Alchemist reasoned.

Small Cornelis steampunk man dreamstime_xxl_87472463

Dreamscape.com

Jack admitted Cornelis Drebbel had a point, but it was no less dangerous. In frustration he hopped into one of the mine cars Miss Copper had automated several years before.

He went up to the surface, and out the hidden door of the mine. There he checked his weather instruments. He didn’t really know why, but whenever Jack felt uncertain or conflicted, he monitored the weather. Tracking the weather readings had been his very first job. When he worked with the data, an out of balance world seemed more comprehensible.

Jack paused. He detected a strong atmospheric gravity current in the area below his high observation point.

“A storm,” he muttered, instantly focused on his work.

The air pressure fluctuated. His aneroid barometer vibrated. Jack sat back on his haunches and then stretched to look at the device. It reminded him of the day the Alchemist appeared.

A stacked analogue recording barograph aneroid barometer

Jack’s first encounter with the Alchemist had altered him. He became more than a clockwork jackalope. He had fur and a bunny shape. His antennae took the appearance of antelope horns.

The gears in his head whirred as Jack remembered that day. Then they suddenly stopped, clicked into place.

Jack jumped back into the mine car, and went to the store room where Miss Copper kept her projects and inventions. She was becoming as skilled as the Inventor, her grandfather.

Miss Copper didn’t like Jack to catalogue her projects. However, she didn’t specifically forbid it, so he made an inventory when she was otherwise occupied.

“As long as she hasn’t moved anything, that one should be back here,” he muttered as he hopped to the back of the long storage room.

It was too big for Jack to move. Carefully he hopped from shelf to shelf so he could reach the switch at the back of the thing’s head.

Gears hummed. A tall clockwork man stiffly moved away from the wall. It took a few steps. However, with a screech of metal parts, it stopped.

Jack stopped too, when he heard Miss Copper behind him, clearing her throat.

Copper, Dreamstime

“Jackalope, what are you doing?” she asked in a too calm voice.

Jack’s horn shaped antennae twisted and tilted as he considered how to respond before turning.

“Oh, what have we here?” the Alchemist chortled. “Were you making yourself a friend, Copper? My, he’s a big one!”

Copper swatted Cornelis Drebbel, and the Alchemist popped away from her. An instant later he appeared across the room, beside Jack.

Jack held out a vial of glowing purple goo.

“Alchemist, you can finish this clockwork creature. I kept this sample from the pool that was created the night you gave me life,” Jack said. “Then he would be able to protect Miss Copper and you if you insist on leaving the mountain.”

Copper’s face relaxed. She looked at Jack in the soft way that made him feel balanced.

“Dear boy,” the Alchemist began then cleared his throat. “Your transformation… well, you see, it was a side-effect of uncontrollable events.”

“Do you mean I was an accident?” Jack asked, causing Cornelis to blush.

“Well accents happen no matter how careful a parent might be,” Cornelis murmured as if to himself and smirked. “Plus, there’s that mysterious device in your chest. Copper won’t let me take it apart so I can unravel how it works.”

Cogs and gears made soft sounds. Jack’s antennae twisted so that one pointed to Copper and the other to Cornelis.

“He means the heart my grandfather made,” Copper told him. “Before the things that happened that night, the heart already made you more than an ordinary clockwork creature. We don’t have another one.”

Pixaby

“Then you should remove the heart and use it in this one,” Jack declared, pointing to the huge clockwork man. “I’m not big enough to provide adequate protection.”

“No!” Copper exclaimed.

“I’m afraid it wouldn’t work out the same way,” the Alchemist told him. “I wouldn’t really dismantle you. Besides, Copper and I would have a huge collie shangle if I tried.”

Jack was assailed by an over-abundance of what he termed emotional data. He struggled to process so much at once. Mutely he again moved the vial of glowing goo toward the Alchemist.

“Well, I suppose we could try,” Cornelis Drebbel muttered.

The Alchemist found a bit of chalk and drew a circle around the clockwork man. He added various symbols. Jack only recognized a few of them. As he drew, Cornelis murmured in a language that Jack thought was a combination of Latin and an archaic West Germanic language.

The symbols and the Alchemist took on a green glow. Cornelis poured the purple contents of the vile along the circle.

Nothing happened.

The Alchemist looked crestfallen.

Abruptly, blinding light filled the storage room. When the light subsided, Jack saw the clockwork creature had changed.

“It wasn’t enough,” the Alchemist muttered.

When Jack was transformed, he was completely covered with flesh and fur and became sentient. However, the clockwork man had random patches of exposed metal and machinery. As Jack looked into his eyes, they seemed… unfinished.

“I don’t think he’s fully processed,” Jack commented. “Perhaps it will take some time.

The clockwork man turned to Copper. He dropped to one knee.

Brigitte Werner, Pixaby

“Haec protegimus,” he said in a rusty sounding voice.

“Blast it all, Cornelis Drebbel! Why did you have to use Latin in that spell,” Copper complained.

“It means this we guard,” the Alchemist explained in a voice that combined awe and self-satisfaction.

“The Guardian!” Jack exclaimed in delight.

The end.

This story was written for Diana Peach’s monthly write photo prompt. You can play along at her May Speculative Fiction #Writingprompt.

If you haven’t been part of my new serial, Brother Love here are links to the first two episodes. Chapter 3 will go live on Saturday at midnight Eastern. I’ll meet you at the crossroads!

Chapter 1. Chapter 2.

*******

Universal link to my Amazon Author Page

USA: The Three Things Serial Story: A Little 1920s Story Kindle

USA: Murder at the Bijou — Three Ingredients I

Amazon UK

USA: Atonement in Bloom

Amazon UK

USA: The Glowing Pigs, Snort Stories of Atonement, Tennessee

USA: Atonement, Tennessee

(E-book still on sale at 99¢ )

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

The Atonement Glowing Pigs and Artie the Genius Chimp

Saturday, August 4, 2018

What a relief to be in my sanctuary. Sit down and relax relax with me.

Photo by Unsplash (I don’t have a room like this, so let’s pretend.)

Last time, I voiced my dislike of acronyms. It inspired our marvelous Story Reading Ape to be a bit of a prankster. He spontaneously created a slue of acronyms as he wrote a story (yes, he became the Story Telling Ape), which continued the adventures of Atonement, Tennessee’s otherworldly pigs.

Please welcome back, Artie the Genius Chimp and creation of the Story Reading Ape. I proudly present to you, an original story by Chris Graham.

You can read Deme, Honeybell, and the Batmobile here. Without further monkeying around, here’s another snort story.

Artie Meets the Glowing Pigs

Artie, courtesy of Chris Graham

Artie the inventor and TSA-RT (Time/Space/Alternative-Realities Traveller) Chimp was in a right fix…

LYEDS (Light Years, Eons and Dimensional Shifts) from home; the SbMCW (Smallest, but Most Crucial, Widget) in his MTSA-RTM (Mobile Time/Space/Alternative-Realities Travelling Machine), had broken, leaving him well and truly stranded in the back-end of NW2 (nowhere/no-when).

To make matters worse, he was so far out of the TSCL (Time Space Continuum Loop), there was no light in that part of the multiverse, apart from his machine’s main headlight, which couldn’t reach back into heart of the MTSA-RTM (see above) “engine.”

The Naughty Chimps, courtesy Chris Graham

A thorough search of his EK (Emergency Kit) revealed the presence of an RW (Replacement Widget) and necessary tools, but the total lack of his H-T (Headband-Torch), probably “borrowed” by one of the other NGs (Naughty Chimps), so they could RTCiB (read their comics in bed), meant he couldn’t see to carry out the necessary repairs.

There was no other choice. Artie had to go into DPS (Deep Pondering State) in order to send out a TDS (Telepathic Distress Signal) and hope that an SSF (Someone/Something Friendly) would hear it and come to help.

2 Pigs

Within nanoseconds, his DPS was interrupted by a loud PLOP (a short sharp noise) and two glowing piglets greeted him.

“Hello Artie, our names are Deme and Honeybell, we are your DRs (Designated Rescuers), how may we help?”

“Hello, Deme and Honeybell, so good of you to come so quickly.”

“If you could hover over this compartment and increase your GFs (Glow Factors) a bit more, I should be able to see well enough to fix my machine,” Artie suggested to the pigs.

Ponderating Chimp, courtesy Chris Graham

In less time than it took to read this report, Artie removed and replaced the SbMCW (see above).

Being a well-mannered chimp, Artie gave Deme and Honeybell a lift back to their home, before returning to his.

The moral of the story?

Always check that everything is in your EK before leaving home.

Always practice your DPS, you never know when you might need to use it.

Always treat all creatures with respect, you never know when you might need their help.

TSRA

pig

***

The End.

***

If you have any questions about the “Atonement-verse” feel free to leave them in a comment. I love to hear from you. Hugs and glows!

***

Now, promoting my “partner in crime,” Chris Graham.

My Vibrating Vertabrae cover

A lovely book of poetry by Chris Graham’s mom

***

Here’s the requisite shameless self-promotion of my own books…

Atonement Video Cover copy

Bijou front only 2

Novel-book-The Three Things Serial Story-Teagan Riordain Geneviene-The Writer Next Door-Vashti Q-spotlight-author

The Three Things Serial Story: A Little 1920s Story Kindle

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

#GetCaughtReading 2018 — The Books & A Hullaba Lulu Extra!

Saturday, May 19 2018

Hello, one and all! Thanks for being part of my Get Caught Reading Month. Chris Graham – the Story Reading Ape and I had a great time with the mini-series.

You’ve caught me reading again. This time it’s The Sorcerer’s Garden by D. Wallace Peach. Diana calls her blog Myths of the Mirror.

I got this book on my Kindle recently, and I finally found a moment to open it. I can tell you that it did not disappoint. Diana is an amazing talent with “high” fantasy. She’s easily as good as Terry Brooks or Robert Jordan (my long-time favorites). Her world-building and prose are superb in this and everything I’ve read from her. And she’s written so many books! Just pick one and see if you can stop. (As the old potato chip commercial used to say, “You can’t eat (read) just one.”

I asked everyone to let me know what I had caught you reading. Your selections were so wonderful that I wanted to share the books here. I’ve included purchase links too. (Unfortunately I’ve only included Amazon, because… I have a real-world job and little time.) In no particular order, here’s what I caught you reading:

Caught You Reading!

The Contract John Howell and Gwen Plano (soon to be released)

Return to Hiroshima Bob Van Laerhoven

Mazie was Crazy Bradley Lewis

Dead on Arrival Karen Vaughan (Laura and Gerrie Series, Book 1)

Shopaholic and Sister Sophie Kinsella

Circumstances of Childhood John Howell

Ludwika Christoph Fischer

Three Against The World Sarah Stuart

The Bone Curse Carrie Rubin

The Hidden Life of Trees Peter Wohlleben

A Dead Guy at the Summerhouse Marian Allen

The Golden Serpent Luciana Cavallaro

Versions of the Self Christy Birmingham

Thank you kindly to Robbie Cheadle, author of the Sir Chocolate Book Series for mentioning that she’s reading my The Three Things Serial Story.

***

Hullaba Lulu Extra!

Valentino surveys the situation from atop the Ferris wheel, by Rob Goldstein

For those of you who are not “on the train” for my Jazz Age Wednesday feature, Hullaba Lulu… I’m collaborating with virtual reality artist, Rob Goldstein. Rob sends images and videos to illustrate this series, and he’s sending me “three things” to spontaneously drive each chapter of this pantser story. (You can see the entire collection of videos here.)

Lulu and Valentino on the great Ferris wheel, by Rob Goldstein

The characters have landed in a strange version of Atlantic City, in a nearly empty amusement park where your entry fee is paid in cheeseburgers, and the rides do frightening things. As I pantsered away to the action, I didn’t get to show Lulu and company on the rides. So here are some images from Rob to flesh out that aspect of the story.

A couple of angel-bots followed Lulu from the train to the park.

When the characters finally got onto Valentino’s diesel-punk train, I added some angel-bots to the cast. Rob let them get off the train to enjoy the Ferris wheel.

Valentino, angel-bot, and Lulu having some fun, by Rob Goldstein

I hope to see you at Jazz Age Wednesdays for more Roaring Twenties fantasy excitement with Hullaba Lulu. You’re the cat’s pajamas!

Now, promoting my “partner in crime” for this year’s Get Caught Reading story — Chris Graham.

A lovely book of poetry by Chris Graham’s mom

***

And my own shameless self-promotion…

The Three Things Serial Story: A Little 1920s Story Kindle

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Artie Meets the Alchemist Conclusion — #GetCaughtReading 2018

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Hello, everyone! I’m back for more Get Caught Reading Month festivities. Chris Graham – the Story Reading Ape and I collaborated for a mini-series in honor of this event.

But first…

You caught me reading another great book. This week, you’ve caught me reading one of my favorites by Sally Georgina Cronin — Just an Odd Job Girl.

Read the reviews of Sally’s books (and buy them) via a number of distributors. However, for my convenience in creating this post, here’s Amazon (click here), and Amazon UK (click here).

*******

Now back to the 2018 Get Caught Reading mini-series…

Previously in Artie Meets the Alchemist…

Artie was testing how fast his motor cycle/time machine could go down Route 66. Meanwhile Cornelis Drebbel was taking his road locomotive down to investigate, because the civilization alarm in the alchemist’s dirigible went off…

Over to Chris Graham…

Artie Meets the Alchemist

Conclusion

Artie’s portable time machine, image courtesy Chris Graham

Using all his strength, skill and a sizeable amount of good luck, Artie managed to avoid a collision with the rapidly approaching road locomotive. He basically ran off the road, over an embankment, somersaulting, while doing a 180 horizontally, and abruptly stopping on top of an unfortunate bush, (the only one for miles in any direction), miraculously still on his seat and gripping the handlebars…

From his vantage point, now facing the road, Artie watched the road locomotive stop with much clanking, squealing and copious clouds of steam. A tall man in formal attire, complete with top hat, and impressively bushy eyebrows, stepped down and hurriedly walked towards him, appearing to be asking questions. What the questions were, Artie didn’t have a clue at that time — he was still deaf and dazed by the unexpected acrobatics and abrupt stopping manoeuvres…

640px-Road_locomotive__John_boy__(5605531950)

Wikimedia Commons

Then, the man disappeared as the embankment quickly rose. In fact, the bush had decided it had had enough and collapsed, depositing Artie and the time machine back onto the ground.

The man scrambled over the embankment and after a quick check for broken bones (there were none), helped Artie remove his safety helmet. He barely paused at Artie’s simian features.

“Are you injured old chap?” he inquired in quaintly polite Teutonic English.

Artie shook his head, wondering at the stranger’s lack of reaction.

“Yes, I’ve met chimpanzees similar to you before. I’m terribly sorry to have suddenly materialised in front of you, old boy. You did a terribly good job avoiding a collision.”

Artie grinned his appreciation of the compliment.

“Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Cornelis Drebbel, and you are…?”

Cornelis Drebbel

Artie put out his gauntlet clad paw, “Aristotle, but please just call me Artie.”

”Your machine looks quite impressive Artie, some kind of motorcycle, but not one I’ve seen before, did you build it?”

”Yes, I did, and your road locomotive is the best I’ve ever seen. Regarding your sudden appearance, may I ask if you are a time traveler too?”

(Back to Teagan)

“A time traveler? Oh, my goodness no. Or well, I suppose you could say that I am. My companions and I were out for a jaunt in my dirigible and it came to my attention that they had not brought any books along. The jackalope has some but they were only about weather and empirical data. So, I set the civilization alarm in hope of finding a library. Do you happen to know of one?”

Artie, courtesy of Chris Graham

Artie ponderated for a moment, thinking it was good that they had both landed in that world and time. He gave Cornelis a big toothy grin.

The genius chimpanzee showed the alchemist an app specially adapted for his mobile time machine.

“This will show us the libraries around the world,” Artie told him.

“Oh, that’s quite amazing. Why there are more than two million libraries! We should find mechanical engineering periodicals for Copper, and weather science volumes for Jack, and romance novels for me,” Cornelis enthused. “Erm… I mean, history and science books for myself.”

“Indeed!” Artie agreed with a wink.

Then the very remarkable chimpanzee zoomed away on his converted motorcycle / mobile time machine. With a burst of rainbow colored light, he disappeared.

Cornelis Drebbel shook his head in admiration.

“Copper will never believe this,” the alchemist murmured to himself as he turned on his communication device. “Jack? Copper?”

“Yes, Alchemist?” the jackalope answered.

“I’m ready to bring the road locomotive back up to the dirigible. Could you give me a hand, old thing?” Cornelis asked.

Image by Chris Graham

“Of course, Alchemist. Were you able to find a library?” Jack eagerly inquired.

“Millions of them!” Cornelis cried.

“Conrelis Drebbel,” Copper began. “Why do you need help getting the road locomotive back up? You better not have damaged it again. I only just finished the repairs to it.”

Cornelis cringed momentarily. He really didn’t mean to abuse Copper’s mechanical talents, but it was certainly a relief that she was so capable. Besides, the main thing was he had found millions of libraries and there would be no shortage of reading material.

“Dear girl, you are going to be astonished at all the books you’re going to get,” he told her instead of answering.

“You wrecked the locomotive again, didn’t you?” Copper said in a resigned voice.

Cornelis wriggled his bushy eyebrows and smiled to himself.

***

The End.

Who won the drawing for a book from Teagan?

This month is all about encouraging people of all ages to read. Last week I offered a Kindle version of one of my books to the winner of a random drawing. I asked anyone who wanted to participate to leave a comment with the title and author of the book I’ve caught you reading. And the winner is… (drum roll…) Viv Drewa the Owl Lady!

Viv chose my 1920s stories. Since The Three Things Serial Story is only a dollar, I threw it in with Murder at the Bijou — Three Ingredients 1. Thanks to Viv and everyone who came out to play.

Next weekend I’ll show you all the books I’ve caught people reading. Meanwhile, ankle over to Jazz Age Wednesdays for my current Roaring Twenties serial.

Just because I can’t resist, here’s Rob Goldstein’s latest video for my Jazz Age Wednesday series, Hullaba Lulu.

Thanks for visiting. Mega hugs!

***

Now, promoting my “partner in crime” Chris Graham.

A lovely book of poetry by Chris Graham’s mom

***

And now my own shameless self-promotion…

Learn how to win a free Kindle copy of one of my books!

The Three Things Serial Story: A Little 1920s Story Kindle

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Artie Meets the Alchemist Video! — #GetCaughtReading 2018

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Hello, one and all! It’s Get Caught Reading Month. I couldn’t resist making a video for the mini-series Chris Graham – the Story Reading Ape and I are doing in honor of this event. Please click here for episode-1 of Artie Meets the Alchemist*. Video trailer follows.

***

Now, promoting my “partner in crime” Chris Graham.

A lovely book of poetry by Chris Graham’s mom

***

And my own shameless self-promotion…