“Close Enough” came from the expression “close enough for government work.” What would that look like over galactic or planetary distances? How badly could a non-responsive agency botch things, and what kind of NORMAL people might put themselves in a position to depend on that agency? Here’s the Blurb Could a Messier object be any … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: December 2023
Writing Wednesday: A Writer Should Know WHY They Write
Last Week’s Goals All three posts published on schedule last week. I had two stories to find markets for Monday, and was able to find open markets for both of them through The Submissions Grinder. Since it doesn’t keep track of where I’ve already sent a story, I have to rely on the spreadsheet I’ve … Continue reading
Meandering Monday about What To Write, But It’s Christmas, So Here’s a Free Read of the Only Christmas Tale I’ve Published So Far: “Sleep with the Snowmen”
Merry Christmas to all!!! I only have one Christmas-themed short story, so I thought I’d put out here in its entirety again this year for a free read. Enjoy! (And if you’re so inclined and enjoy the story, there are various links below that will allow you to express that enjoyment in various ways.) Not all … Continue reading
Fractured Fragment Friday: No Matter What You’ve Smoked, “Cannabis Alienus ‘alien dope’” May Be Too Much For You
“Cannabis alienus ‘alien dope’” originated from something that really happened to me (no, not the alien slug.) My family moved out of state before my junior year of high school, and two years later (after graduation) I made a trip back to what used to be home, to try reconnecting with people I knew. Aside … Continue reading
Writing Wednesday: Are You Setting Your Goals Yet?
Last Week’s Goals All three posts published on schedule last week. I had five stories to find markets for Monday, and was able to find open markets for two of them through Literarium (my last chance using them before they shut down.) I’m experimenting with The Submissions Grinder and was able to place another two … Continue reading
Meandering Monday about Reasons to Remove Joe Biden From The White House
My apologies for allowing politics to intrude in the middle of our holiday festivities, but this stuff never leaves any of us alone. Sure, we have an election coming up next year, but I think we’ve already had to put up with too much. Debt is rising, and inflation along with it (yeah, it isn’t … Continue reading
Fractured Fragment Friday: Tembrol Brent Endures Some Odd Traditions On Swordsmaster: Deception’s Release Day
Today is the release day for Swordsmaster: Deception! The promotional preorder period is over, but I’m participating in Smashwords’ End of Year Sale (so all my collections and novels are 50%-off; links are available at the bottom of my Current Promotions page), so Swordsmaster: Deception is still available at a discount – see below. Here’s … Continue reading
Writing Wednesday: A Holiday Pause
Last Week’s Goals All three posts went up as planned last week. I had five stories to find markets for Monday, but was unable to find open markets for any of them (maybe the usual end of year/holiday shutdown), at least not on Literarium, which closes its site in one week. (I still haven’t researched … Continue reading
Meandering Monday about UFO’s
There’s been a lot in the news the last couple of years about UFO’s. It’s hard to know if it’s really newsworthy, or the stories are just a distraction from some other piece of real news (“Look at the shiny object. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.) I heard a congressman on … Continue reading
Fractured Fragment Friday: An Ambush Exposes Sandrik’s Abilities In Swordsmaster: Deception
When I published the original Swordsmaster in 2019, the story was something I had thought about for FOUR DECADES. I had started the rough draft in 1979, but I abandoned it eighty handwritten pages in (due to inexperience, a recalcitrant character who refused to do what I had planned, and, well, LIFE.) Even when I … Continue reading