Chantel Reads All Day set up her 2022 Reading Challenge, and when she did, it sparked an idea for a year-long, interactive short story. So, welcome to Book Club Capers inspired by this reading challenge. Twelve book club members embark on a year of riddles or puzzles, desperate to get it right. Continue Reading
Short Stories
How Expensive Is FOMO? About 50K. Good Thing I LOVE to Write
What's wrong with me? Oh, a lot of things, trust me. From my inability to remember anything I'm supposed to do (and I used to forget nothing I said or did--ahhh... those were the days) to my "shiny syndrome," you name it, I've got something wrong with it. Here's the deal. I've been doing Continue Reading
A Declaration of His Dependence: a short story
Hello! If you’re here because you’re a regular reader or subscriber to my blog, well thank you! If you came through via some social media link, I hope you'll take a moment to sign up for my newsletter. I have semi-weekly free books (most of the time), semi-weekly free episodes of my serial Continue Reading
Did You Know There’s Actually a Lucky Penny Day?
I have a confession to make. When I was a girl, I didn't like pennies. Somewhere around age eleven, I got the idea that they weren't worth the trouble. If I found one on the floor in my room, I'd vacuum it up. I know... I know... Then one day about twenty years ago, I was reading an article Continue Reading
Winking, Blinking, Nod(ing): A 2020 NaNoWriMo Parody
It happens every year... the annual NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) parody. I've done a few of these, of course! The Night before Nano (A "T'was the Night Before Christmas" parody) The Raven (as in Poe's, of course) Tease (as in Joyce Kilmer's "Trees") Till November (A "My Continue Reading
Love & Independence (a short story)
It just wouldn't be right to celebrate Independence Day without letting the Independence Islands celebrate with us! After all, these islands got their name during the War for Independence! Here's a short story about current day islanders and the history that made them who they are today! Happy Continue Reading
Love in the Window (a short story)
It came up on my Facebook feed--a contest for a short story. The theme? Ways characters encourage one another during the Covid19 pandemic. They were looking for encouraging stories about how communities come together, how faith is shown in isolation and used to bridge communities that couldn't Continue Reading
A Poem on Your Pillow Day… Who knew? (a FREE short story)
There's a "holiday" for everything from tweed day to lazy day (although I could get into that one). I wanted something to go with last year's May Day story, "Bringing in the May," but what comes after May Day? Mother's Day. Um... for a fledgling relationship, that might be pushing it. Continue Reading
Have I Got a Birthday Gift for YOU!
The paper cutter sliced through another sheet of cardstock—another. One by one, I stacked sheets in piles. The base, the image layer, patterned paper, ribbons, tags… Once I’d gathered all the pieces, assembly began. Some needed coloring, others just layering. As much as I love to use ribbons and Continue Reading
When This Life Denies You Coffee, Wait 10 Years
Ten Years Ago... A U-Haul, three pickups, and two cars pulled up in front of the house at 241 Holly Circle just as Richard Stephens pulled his mower from the garage and checked the gas reservoir. A man about his mother’s age climbed down from the cab of the U-Haul and called out, “Okay, Ruth! Continue Reading
From Disaster to Delightful: How Aggie Saved Christmas
The battered journal sported several places where pages had been tipped back in with washi tape. Still, Aggie flipped back and forth from her hand-printed index to the coordinating pages, comparing original Christmas ideas with the shopping list she’d created. Luke popped his head in the door and Continue Reading
How Is My Dad Spinning in His Grave but Not Dead?
It began innocently enough with a parody on the "If you give a mouse a cookie" books. Just an innocent look into the mind of an author with a new character idea. The next year, on October 31, while I was handing out candy to ghouls masquerading as kids--or vice versa, it's hard to tell which Continue Reading
