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What’s in a word?

When I was not so very young (i.e. should have known better), I made a casual remark, using a phrase I’d grown up with and never questioned. I said that someone had “welshed on a deal”. Another person sitting at the table took me very severely to task — I had disparaged the people of…Read more What’s in a word?

Buses Are aComin’

My first novel was set in the Sixties of my young adulthood, and I've never stopped trying to understand that troubled time. For that reason I accepted an advance copy of this book by Charles Person in exchange for an honest review: I did find this book surprisingly hard to get into at first, given…Read more Buses Are aComin’

I’ll get by. . .

with a little help from my friends. Here's a quick 100-word story I wrote to a prompt from our prompt guru Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for Friday Fictioneers. PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook “You gonna reopen, Nate?” “Nope. I’ve had enough.” One by one we surveyed the damage and sat to commiserate. Then Pete came in and…Read more I’ll get by. . .

A Scam in Two Acts

I first wrote this as a reply to a blog post (https://laurierking.com/2020/07/the-case-of-laurie-and-the-monegasque-prince/) by writer Laurie R. King, New York Times bestselling author of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books and many others. It was such fun to write that I decided to brush it up and re-post it here. My event is a bit dated now…Read more A Scam in Two Acts

Choose Wisely, my Friend

A 100-word story again, because this picture just got me to thinking: © Jennifer Pendergast There is a game my family played with three dice marked L, R, and C. If L or R came up when you rolled, a penny went to the person on your left or right. If C came up, you…Read more Choose Wisely, my Friend

The Shadow in the Wave

PHOTO PROMPT © Jean L. Hays A 100-word story from long ago:Water sluiced off her body as she sprang up from under a wave. The next rolling wall of water was translucent green, containing for a breathless moment an arching shadow. A dorsal fin. Her heart recognized the sweet smile.“Look!” she cried to the others.…Read more The Shadow in the Wave

“the glimpse traveler”, by Marianne Boruch

I don't usually do book reviews unless something strikes me as unusual. This is cliché Sixties memoir, except that it isn't. I didn’t want it to end. As a memoir it reads like most, meaning “This happened to me once and I'm still trying to figure out what it means.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s…Read more “the glimpse traveler”, by Marianne Boruch

Some revenge is good piping hot.

I've been a bit too busy to try the Friday Fictioneers prompt lately. But as I wrote a comment (a rather long one -- 50 words) on Dale's story, I realized maybe I could expand it to make a story of my own. So here it is: PHOTO PROMPT © Todd Foltz Catherine peeled an…Read more Some revenge is good piping hot.

“Show, don’t tell” — does it just apply to writers?

Show me! Every writer has been admonished, “Show, don’t tell!” There are blogs and articles and arguments galore. It refers to the use of words. It refers to using description to bring events alive in the reader’s mind and heart, rather than flat narrative that tells the reader what's happening and how they should feel…Read more “Show, don’t tell” — does it just apply to writers?

Hank Phillippi Ryan does it again

Just finished a 1st Readers ARC copy of Hank Phillippi Ryan's new book, "The First to Lie". Hold onto your seat – this book isn’t a roller coaster ride, it’s the Wild Mouse! Starts out slow and easy, but then don’t think you’re just going to go down – you're going for a ride! It’s…Read more Hank Phillippi Ryan does it again