Thoughts on Living the Life Creative
Invasive by Chuck Wendig (2016) – A new breed of aggressive ants kill a man in rural New York State. FBI futurist Hannah Stander gets called in to try and discover what happened. The answer will take her halfway around the world and to the doorstep of the world’s end. Chuck Wendig, NY Times best-selling... Continue Reading →
This post is part of a year-long series about short stories. Read about my "Year of the Short Story" HERE. Wait Till You See Me Dance by Deb Olin Unferth (2017) The collection struck me in a way none of the others in this series have. Olin Unferth walks a difficult line with these 30... Continue Reading →
The amount of energy that gets expended on the debate between E-books and traditional (DTB – Dead Tree Books) always amazes me. Because there’s not really a “debate” to be had. There is a clear and simple answer to the question. I’ll get to that in a minute. If you read through the threads, it... Continue Reading →
Time Traders by Andre Norton (1958) A young thief is offered a chance for an adventure through space and time. What begins as a secret war with enemies on Earth will end up testing his skills on multiple worlds. Norton is one of the big names in sci-fi of the 20th century. An award-winning author... Continue Reading →
There was no way that I was going to do a short story series and not include Ray Bradbury. When I am asked about authors I admire, Bradbury always tops the list. He is the author whose work strikes deepest into my heart and mind. If I am given the choice of an author to... Continue Reading →
Voices of the Foreign Legion by Adrian Gilbert (2017) - A clear-eyed view of the legendary fighting corps from the men who have been part of the Legion Etrangere. The movies have offered a romantic image of the French Foreign Legion. Men escaping their past or looking for adventure who enlist to serve in distant... Continue Reading →
Over the years, there is an accusation (quite just, I assure you) that I have an evil sense of humor. It's not so much that I am constantly torturing people with puns, Dad jokes and other snarky forms of humor. It's more that I seem such a normal, even boring sort of person. So, when... Continue Reading →
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire by Howard Pyle (1883) A collation of the various stories and ballads of the legendary outlaw, altered to bring some storytelling cohesion to them all and adapted for children. Pyle was a successful illustrator and children's author of the day. Most of the images... Continue Reading →
This post is part of a year-long series about short stories. Read about my "Year of the Short Story" HERE. Richmond Noir - edited by Andrew Blosson, Brian Castleberry and Tom De Haven (2010) - This is a wonderful collection of short stories done in the noir style. As Tom Robbins (author of among others "Even Cowgirls Get the... Continue Reading →
The first books I remember reading were The Bobbsey Twins. I have no idea why I got started with these stories of English children. My parents are gone so I can’t ask them. But the memory is clear. The adventures of children with whom I have almost nothing in common were a staple of my... Continue Reading →
Stories Are My Life 