Wednesday, March 29, 2023 What a relief to be in my sanctuary. Sit down and relax relax with me. One day about five years ago, I remarked on my dislike of acronyms. Actually, I hate the blasted things. It inspired our marvelous Story Reading Ape to be a bit of a prankster. He spontaneously created … More Wednesday Rerun — The Glowing Pigs Meet Artie the Genius Chimp
Saturday, March 25, 2023 Hello, everyone. Welcome back to our weekend sanctuary. It’s in the weirdly magical town of Atonement, Tennessee. Today’s random reader things are from a blogger-author I’ve been privileged to collaborate with several times. That goes all the way back to Pip’s adventures, set in the 1920s, which were my first blog … More Weekend Serial — Atonement in Zugzwang: Episode 5, Featuring John W. Howell
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 Welcome to my sanctuary. I hope everyone is safe, warm, and dry. Sit back, have a cup of coffee, a snack, or whatever pleases you. There aren’t any calories here! Now, I invite you to enter my “Atonement universe” for this story I wrote back in 2018. I never furthered one … More Wednesday Writing — an Atonement TN Short Story
Saturday, March 18, 2023 Welcome back to Atonement, TN, everyone. If you saw my post yesterday, then you know that this new installment of Atonement in Zugzwang was driven by a recipe (from which I chose 3 things) created just for this post by the amazing Robbie Cheadle. Here’s a link to the post where you … More Weekend Serial — Atonement in Zugzwang Episode-4, featuring Robbie Cheadle!
Friday, March 17, 2023 Hello, everyone and happy Saint Patrick’s Day. I put a lot of thought into how to handle the next episode of Atonement in Zugzwang. You see, I asked Robbie Cheadle for a recipe to use to drive the next installment. I randomly chose the “three things” that drive that episode from … More Prelude to Episode 4 — A Special Recipe from Robbie Cheadle!
Saturday, March 11, 2023 Welcome to my sanctuary, everyone. After another rough week, I hope you are ready to enter this safe place and relax. The random reader things, which drive this episode are from fellow blogger and new author, Dan Antion. Last year he gradually released three books of a series. And a little bird … More Weekend Serial — Atonement in Zugzwang: Episode 3, Featuring Dan Antion
Saturday, March 4, 2023 Hello, everyone. Welcome back to my new, spontaneously written, reader-inspired serial, Atonement in Zugzwang. If you missed it, or if you need to refresh your memory, click here for Episode 1. Many of you know Resa McConaghy for the mural photos, Art Gown sketches, and the gowns she actually makes. Did … More Weekend Serial — Atonement in Zugzwang: Episode 2, Featuring Resa McConaghy
Thursday, March 3, 2023 Welcome to my sanctuary, everyone. A decade ago, I made my “brand” in the blogosphere by writing serial stories. Those stories were completely spontaneous and driven by random things from readers. The things set the location, most of the characters, and the plot. After finishing The Armadillo Files in 2022, I took … More #ThursdayDoors — To a New Interactive Serial
Saturday, February 25, 2023 Hello, everyone. I’m finally ready to take the plunge into an all new, three things style serial. You may have noticed that strange word in the title. To over-simplify, zugzwang (German for “compulsion to move”) is a situation found in chess and other turn-based games when a player is forced to … More New 3-Things Serial! — Atonement in Zugzwang: Episode 1, Featuring Chris Graham
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 Hello, everyone. Come in and make yourself comfortable for some writerly thoughts. For those who don’t care about that sort of thing, there’s a short story at the end of this post. Those of you who visit here on weekends know that beginning in January, I was getting ready to start … More Wednesday Writing — Planner vs. Pantser
Saturday, November 5, 2022 Hello, everyone. I’m back with more Weekend Shorts. Also, I brought along the Pumpkin Hat Girls again. They were up for some more Twilight Zone-ish fun. Back when I asked photographers and artists to send me three images that were “generally related” one another (unlike the randomness of the reader things … More Weekend Shorts — Do Not Enter, featuring Resa McConaghy
Saturday, October 22, 2022 Hello everyone, and welcome back to Spook-tober Shorts. A couple of weeks ago I introduced some new character-friends, the Pumpkin Hat Girls. They’re back for some more Twilight Zone-ish fun. BASED ON COMMENTS, I REVISED THE STORY TO INCLUDE AN EPILOGUE. Haunted Halloween Holiday is a delightful story by Robbie and … More Revised: Spook-tober Shorts — Sugar Fiends, featuring Robbie Cheadle
Saturday, October 8, 2022 Hello everyone, and happy October. I hope to use this series of short stories I’m writing to promote new books from indie authors, whenever synchronicity allows. Today that happened with the second book in Dan Antion‘s trilogy, “The Evil You Choose.” The title is what inspired my short story, although Dan has … More Spook-tacular Shorts — The Game of Sinful Delights, featuring Dan Antion
Saturday, September 24, 2022 Welcome to my sanctuary. You’re in a safe place. When I started this series of short stories, I had asked readers to send images I would use to spontaneously inspire the tales. Of course, I got off track, when inspiration flew under my nose. I read Kerfe‘s beautiful poem and asked … More Shorts for the Weekend — Red Phoenix, featuring Kerfe
Saturday, September 10, 2022 Hello everyone, and welcome back to this casual series of “Shorts for the Weekend.” They’re written by yours truly, but illustrated with images created by and/or supplied by the featured guest. Today’s images were provided by an author you’ve gotten acquainted with here, S.R. (Sarah) Mallery. She took the beautiful orange … More Shorts for the Weekend — Lemon Trees at Sunset, featuring SR Mallery
Saturday, August 27, 2022 REVISED INTRODUCTION Hello everyone, and welcome to the first in my series of illustrated short stories. Most, if not all of these will be stand-alone short stories. There are no other episodes of the story below. Writing long-running blog serials is really intensive work. I’ll certainly do another serial, but I … More Shorts for the Weekend — Urban Waterfalls or Can’t Find My Way Home
Saturday, April 9, 2022 Anyone would be surprised by how much I honestly do miss all of you. However, I’m being firm with myself in trying to give all of my focus (absurdly illusive though it is) to concluding “Dead of Winter.” I’ll back after I’ve written an ending that does the epic story justice. … More Meanwhile, if you aren’t familiar with Brother Love
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Last week, quite unexpectedly, a kitten wandered into my novel in progress. On a whim, I invited everyone to give me name suggestions for him. Those of you who know I’m a “cat person” are probably surprised that the kitten was a surprise to me… but I already had two other … More Named the Kitten
May 7, 2020 The multi-talented Resa McConaghy just did a post about my little collection of short stories, The Glowing Pigs – Snort Stories of Atonement, Tennessee. I’m tickled pinker than Deme or Honeybell! In addition to her lovely Art Gowns, Resa photographs and shares brilliant murals and street art that she finds. She’s used … More Resa Honors the Glowing Pigs — Graffiti Lux Art & More
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Laughter, they say, is the best medicine. So, wouldn’t be even better when something makes you snort? I write all sorts of stories. I’ve been told that I do some genre mash-ups. However, there’s one thing you can count on with my stories — whimsy. In the universe of Atonement, Tennessee, … More Laughter is good medicine — snorts are even better. #FreeBook
via An Interview with the wonderful, Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene Author and musician, Kevin Cooper (and his feline friends) invited me to his place to talk about my urban fantasy town, Atonement, Tennessee and the books that are set there. Of course they also wanted to know more about the calico of the novels, Lilith. … More Kevin Cooper and his cats had me over for “An Interview with Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene”
Saturday, February 9, 2018 Diana Wallace Peach started a monthly feature at her blog, Myths of the Mirror. I caved into the temptation to play along. Click the link to learn more. Each month, Diana issues an image as a prompt. This time, my response is a twofer! My first response is my alteration of … More Atonement Ganesha
Saturday, February 2, 2019 Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Yes, I realize I’m a little early. However, Atonement, TN’s porcine residents, Deme and Honeybell heard it is going to be the Year of the Pig. Those two glowing gals wouldn’t leave me alone until they got their own special post. Straightlaced Saturday will return next week … More Happy Year of the Pig, and a Bloomin’ Character Interview
Saturday, January 12, 2018 You may have seen me say it before —I don’t just like color. I need color. On days that I wear only black or even neutral colors I simply don’t feel very well. There are two reasons why I’m reminding you of that so stick with me. Bethany Gwen is a Goth character … More Atonement, TN Style & a Bloomin’ Review
Saturday, January 5, 2018 I had the next episode of Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers ready to post today. Instead, we’re visiting Atonement, TN. Why? Diana Wallace Peach started a new monthly feature at her blog, Myths of the Mirror. I caved into the temptation to play along. Click the link to … More Atonement TN Meets the Ice Dragon
via Tales from Fraggle Towers Monday, December 10, 2018 I’m having a Wayne and Garth moment for not realizing the fabulous Fraggle had done a rockin’ review of not just one, but all the Atonement books — at Fraggle’s Other Place. So, I’m doing an extra post to share it. I hope you’ll click over and … More Tales from Fraggle Towers
Saturday, December 8, 2018 When I was ready to publish Atonement in Bloom, blogger extraordinaire Dan Antion did the first ever (as far as we know) fictional Thursday Doors post. He used doors and buildings from his part of the country that made him think of my quirky fantasy town in Tennessee. Recently, with the photos Dan … More A Bloomin’ Barn
Saturday, November 24, 2018 Welcome, everyone. I hope you’ve had a wonder-filled week. Something fun and unexpected happened to me. More on that in a second. First things first. If I had never written Atonement, Tennessee then I would have never started this blog. I wouldn’t have written any of the 1920s serials, or met … More A Bloomin’ Otherworldly Pigs Snippet
Saturday, November 17, 2018 Welcome, to my sanctuary. Could I offer you some coffee or tea, and a pastry or maybe a breakfast biscuit? Something more unusual — perhaps herbal tea… maybe even catnip tea? I had a few days away from my job, and other than a migraine and snow (both on Thursday), it’s … More A Bloomin’ Good Week in Atonement TN – It’s Catnip!
Saturday, November 10, 2018 The amazing Sue Vincent recently hosted me at her Daily Echo blog. We were talking about superstitions and I shared some from my youth. I had a great time at Sue’s and I hope you’ll click over to visit her. I expect the townsfolk in fictional Atonement, TN would tend to be … More Superstitions You Might Find in Atonement TN
Originally posted on Myths of the Mirror:
I’ve been aboard Teagan’s tour bus for a few days and just hopped off for some biscuits and gravy in Atonement, Tennessee. While I’m at it, I’ll attempt a little magic for Teagan and share my review of Atonement in Bloom. But, oh, not so fast. First I…
Saturday, October 13, 2018 Straightlaced Saturday will not be at the steampunk train station today. This weekend I must not blog, no matter how much I miss visiting with you. Why? I have a ton of work to do before the Atonement, TN Party Bus is road worthy! So I’ve disabled comments today. However… Deme and Honeybell … More A Pause & a Review — (Cornelis will be back)
Originally posted on No Facilities:
Think of this cover as the door to a wonderful book. Today is a very special edition of Thursday Doors – I am sharing doors from Atonement, Tennessee, the charming and very mysterious town created by Teagan R. Geneviene in her series of novels. If you enjoy reading Teagan’s serial…
Friday, October 5, 2018 I debated when to run this post. I worried that it wouldn’t be seen between my serial posts — so I scheduled it as my Saturday post. Then I worried that you’d lose track of Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers… Have I ever mentioned that Springsteen was born to run, … More Another Bloomin’ Cover Reveal — But this time it’s mine!
Saturday, August 25, 2018 Deme and Honeybell, the otherworldly glowing pigs of Atonement, Tennessee had so much fun visiting with you recently that they talked me into letting them have the spotlight again today. Yes, it’s another snort story. If you’ve been following me for awhile, please forgive me for another rerun. The past couple of work-months have … More Matchmaking Pigs in Atonement, Tennessee
Saturday, August 18, 2018 Welcome everyone. You’ve entered my sanctuary. Today we’re visiting Atonement, Tennessee. I know it can be hard to find your way around in a fictional town. So, let’s have lunch at the local diner, L.O.L.A. Lola’s. I want you to meet the owner, Marge Tipton. Marge’s part in Atonement, Tennessee is quite small, but she … More Marge Tipton — Characters from Atonement, TN (& a Cover Reveal)
Saturday, August 11, 2018 Robert Matthew Goldstein is my “partner in crime” illustrating the #DieselPunk serial that you’ll find on my Jazz Age Wednesdays posts — “Hullaba Lulu.” Sometimes Rob also makes videos that parallel the Lulu-verse. He just did a fabulous one featuring (fictionalized) Nikola Tesla and the electric car that I wrote into the serial. That … More Baby You Can Drive My (Novel’s) Car
Saturday, August 4, 2018 What a relief to be in my sanctuary. Sit down and relax relax with me. 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 … More The Atonement Glowing Pigs and Artie the Genius Chimp
Saturday, July 28, 2018 Welcome, to my sanctuary. Come on inside and relax for a while. Writers are always talking about their WIP — or work in progress. At my “real job” I frequently have to ask executives and tech guys to “spell out” acronyms. I’m drowning in alphabet soup! So, I just now laughed when … More WIP vs LIP? Or Glowing Pigs and the Batmobile
Saturday, July 14, 2018 Welcome, everyone. There was an improvisational comedy show (1998 – 2004 or so) that always cracked me up. I thought it was the best exercise in creativity that I’d ever seen. It was “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Drew Carey, Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady, and Colin Mochrie could take any “line” … More Whose Line Is It? Mine?
Saturday, June 30, 2018 Welcome everyone. While I’m finishing edits to Atonement in Bloom, I chose to make things easy on myself and recycle a “writing process” post. Hats Off to You — What to Wear in Atonement, TN But first, a plea… What is your blog wearing? Yes, this is selfish of me. I see more and … More Hats Off to You — from Atonement TN
Saturday, June 23, 2018 I can’t believe that it was way back at Christmastime, 2012 when I published my urban fantasy novel Atonement, Tennessee. That makes it downright embarrassing that I still haven’t released the second book! It’s written, but I have little time to give the editing and proofing process. Although I’m getting closer. … More Books set in TN & Atonement, TN Revisited
Welcome everyone. I’m glad the weather does not usually effect our ability to have these virtual visits, but horse-feathers, it’s cold out there! Or at least it is cold for a lot of us. The question of what to wear is answered by “A coat!” Have you guessed that I’m leading into another writing process post? Some people … More What to Wear?
Hello everyone. Thank you very much for visiting. I know you are not used to seeing daily posts from me. However, I wanted to show my gratitude to the people who have been so generous in supporting me this week. Yesterday, it was Chris, the Story Reading Ape. Today it is Sally. I promise to … More The Smorgasboard Features Adelle’s Teapot, an Atonement, TN Story
Welcome back to Atonement, TN! I hope everyone has had a wonder-filled week. I’m delighted that you’re spending a moment from the holiday weekend here. Sometimes I get a few posts prepared ahead of time (and that’s nice for me). However, that hasn’t been the case for awhile. Anyway, just as I was wondering what I could possibly … More The Sleigh: Annie’s Inventory Notes — Features from Atonement, TN
Welcome back everyone. Thanks for coming to Atonement, TN! It’s great to see you again — I know it can be hard to find your way to a fictional town. I’ve been delighted with everyone’s support of my “pantser” serial stories. As most of you know, those stories resulted from a writing exercise I created for … More 3 Bloom Things — Features from Atonement, TN
It’s My 3rd Blogiversary! The second day of December marked the third anniversary of this blog. Like some other things, to me it doesn’t seem nearly that long — yet it also feels like something I’ve always done. To many bloggers and readers three years and 295 posts truly is not much at all. I … More When the Greatest Is the Smallest — Features from Atonement, TN
What Would Happen If There Was a Character Like… Welcome back to Atonement, TN everyone. Come on out to play! Are you ready for a little game? It doesn’t require a special arena, equipment, or athletic ability — and it doesn’t cost a cent. How My Writing Process Begins a New Story Have you ever … More What If — Features from Atonement, TN
It’s Moving Too Slow — What Shall I Do? As I grow my characters, and layer the elements of a new story, I’m always afraid that it is moving to slowly — because I’m doing precisely those things rather than something more exciting. How do I cultivate both characters and suspense, and work on more than … More Adding Suspense — Features from Atonement, TN
Building a House with Magic — The Mysterious Lodge Sometimes things don’t go as planned — as you saw last weekend. Thank you so much for coming back again. I’m also sorry you missed the Halloween treat from Isabel at Cakes and More 101. I was going to feature a recipe from her last weekend. Isabel has a beautiful … More Mysterious Lodge — Features from Atonement, TN
First an Update — My Writing Process I began drafting Atonement in Bloom about a year ago (as I’ve already whined). Last week I saw that a long “magical” interlude right after the opening needed to happen later in the story. You’d think that would be a simple matter… However, delaying that part of the plot actually caused … More 79 Words & Duct Tape — Features from Atonement, TN
Originally posted at Chris The Story Reading Ape‘s Blog. Many thanks to Chris Graham (aka The Story Reading Ape) for hosting me at his amazing Author Promotions Enterprise blog. “The Ape” generously promotes authors on his blog, and he offers excellent resources for our use. However, he’s also a gifted cover artist. Be sure to take a … More Writing from an Unexpected Point of View
A Mid-Week Challenge Yes everyone — I just challenged you (the blogger said with a Cheshire grin).Whether or not you see yourself as a writer, this will be a good mental exercise. Write a paragraph or a page — from the point of view of an animal. I find that creative writing is easier if there … More Atonement Character Interviews: Lilith
I blogged this snippet a while back — before the release of my novel, “Atonement, Tennessee.” Now that the paperback and e-book editions are available, I’m sharing it as a mid-week post for those who might have missed it. This excerpt, this calico calamity, leads the heroine of “Atonement, Tennessee” into a tense situation. Lilith the cat … More Calico Calamity an Atonement Excerpt
I thought it would be fun to post a Valentine for all of you — in the form of a short story. I admit the idea of writing a story for everyone came to me a bit late, so I knew I’d have to scramble to get it finished in time, especially since I wanted to … More Your Valentine from Atonement, Tennessee
The Story Begins I’m posting this especially for those who have requested something longer to read. I’m listening to your comments, and I aim to please! So here is a rather long excerpt from the beginning of “Atonement, Tennessee,” my debut novel, published on Christmas Eve 2013. With our “interactive” serials, The Three Things, and The Three … More Atonement, TN: Beginning
Don’t worry. I won’t leave you hanging with the Three Ingredients Serial. Episode-7, “E. coli, Marmite, Burner” is in progress. (Spock’s Sister and I worked out some changes to her ingredients.) I hope everyone will be thinking of food-related ingredients to send me for future episodes. You’re welcome to leave them in a comment. (Hint -hint.) While you wait for the … More Character Interviews: Lacey Hampton
There are several days to go before November breaks out in full blown NaNoWriMo. It would be against the rules for me to start writing my novel for this year’s National Novel Writing Month just yet. I have to wait until November to begin writing. Planning and other “writerly” tasks are allowed though. Images help me … More National Novel Writing Month 2013: Tatterdemallian
I can’t help feeling pretentious, announcing a cover reveal on my little blog, for my little novel, Atonement, Tennessee. I never delude myself that I write great literature, and this one is purely meant to be entertainment. (Granted, I am very serious about The Dead of Winter, but even there I don’t pretend to write … More Cover Reveal: Atonement, Tennessee
Teagan's Books 