Gardening Articles ~Freelancing Life

 Before I started working for  Bazaarvoice, I was a full-time freelancer. My favorite niche was, and is, gardening. I wrote for Demand Studies and SF Gate for a few years. It was not the greatest company to work for, and I quickly found out I was not alone dissatisfied with it.

However, other writers have taken over my old articles from 10+ years ago. I do still have a few lingering online. 

Like this one, and it's now on a site called Week&. I found I have a handful left on the site. I do miss the gardening articles! 

I did some ghostwriting about yachts a few years back, too. I have no idea where they ended up! 😃

Freelancing is okay, but I'd rather spend my time writing fiction. And, as a freelancer you work on a project basis or for a content mill that underpays, so the money is not great unless you have a good gig lined up at all times.

 The freelance life isn't for everyone, I guess. I'd rather have the job I have now. I just jump online and do my work with no hassles. 

I'd like to eventually make enough money from my fiction books to do that full-time, but who knows if that will ever come to fruition. 

So for now, I read my product reviews for my day job and work on my books as much as possible. I still sometimes pick up some ghostwriting, but not as often as I used to. 

I leave you today with this little humorous little poem I wrote about eating holiday meals at the in-laws!

Prehistoric turkey

covered in an iceberg

of freezer burn. Who knows how

long it's been in that freezer? I'm frightened.

I don't want food poisoning again!

I pray for a

way out.

Slimy pie

Smells like baked beans

Oh, dear God! What is it?

What in the heck is mincemeat anyway?

Can I have some water, please?

My stomach is calling

Alka Seltzer!

Happy Reading!

One Of Those Days! ~ A Poem First Published in Everyday Weirdness

 Have you ever had one of those days

that’s just like all those other,

One of those days?

 

And end up in all the same places

that you always visited during,

One of those days?

 

And you run into the same people

With the same expressions on their faces

that you always saw,

On one of those days?

 

And did you ever hear the exact conversations

that you overheard before

by those same people

That you saw,

On one of those days?

 

And have you been ready to

pull your hair out,

just like you always do,

when you’re having,

One of those days?

 

So, you run home and

jump under the covers.

Only to toss and turn

just like you've always done after having,

One of those days.

 

Then, while drifting off to sleep,

You hope tomorrow will be different

But when you wake…

 

It’s just another one of those days

Just like all those other,

one of those days.

Happy Reading! 

Classic Movie Mondays!~ Dangerous

Just a reminder that I LOVE Bette Davis! 😁 However, I was a bit disappointed in this movie. 

Bette plays an actress Joyce Heath, who is supposedly jinxed and can't get work anymore. So, what does she do? She becomes a raging alcoholic! 

Franchot Tone plays Don Bellows, a man engaged, but easily distracted by Joyce. 

The movie takes off when Don sees Joyce in a restaurant and lies to his fiance and friend, so they'll leave without him and he can talk to Joyce.

Of course, she is drunk. Don tells her how much he loved watching her perform and that she inspired him.  Joyce doesn't care, she just wants to drink. She does, and she passes out. 

Don takes her to his country home for the night to sober up. The next morning, he convinces her to stay there while he's in the city. He believes some time in the country without alcohol can help her. 

BUT... the two fall in love, and Don breaks off his engagement. 

Don's put money into a play, so Joyce can return to theatre and prove she isn't a jinx. Don's plans are falling into place until Joyce repeatedly turns down his marriage proposals.

WHY? They are in love! There's this little secret Joyce has-- a husband who won't give her a divorce. 

Joyce, desperate to marry Don, tricks her ex and asks him to drive to the country with her for the weekend. He agrees. On the way, Joyce threatens to drive into a tree if she doesn't give her a divorce. He says no, again! 😕

Joyce says, "It's either going to be your life or mine. If you're killed, I'll be free. If I'm killed it really doesn't matter. If we both die-good riddance!"

Joyce drives head-on into a tree, but her husband lives. She's devastated. 

Don rushes to the hospital to see Joyce, only to find out she has a husband. He leaves without seeing her. 

Joyce wants Don, but he returns to his fiance and marries. Joyce is left with an injured husband she doesn't love. She'll spend the rest of her life taking care of him. 

I DID NOT like the ending. I know it has to be this way because Don had to find out the hard way how "dangerous" Joyce really is. 

I hoped for a change in her, but I guess the ending had to fit the title. She truly was an awful person. Maybe not a jinx but self-centered. 

"I'm bad for people. I don't mean to be, but I can't help myself." Joyce Heath

Would I watch it again? Maybe?

It's not a bad movie, and it does have some good scenes, it's just not as good as her other films. 

 If you get a chance to watch it, I'd say go for it! 

Flashlight Soldiers~ Poem

  

They are the flashlight soldiers,

And always come prepared

With pockets bulging with batteries

And the vow to “not be scared.”

 

They hunt beneath a moonlit sky

 Shadows lurking in the dark

Neutralizing them with their light beams

To banish them from the park.

 

The hunt continues for many hours

Until the night air carries their name

Halfheartedly, they say their good-byes

Agreeing tomorrow, they'll continue the game.

 

Once inside, they brush their teeth,

While protesting their bedtime, they yawn.

The cicadas sing in the cool night air

As night shadows creep across the lawn.

J. Jenks~ A Flash Fiction Story

Detective Jeremy Jenkins had spent forty years solving some of the police department's most difficult cases, but the company forced him to retire. He probably would have had ten more good years if it wasn't for the car accident that left him paralyzed. The sixty-seven-year-old man now lived in a three-room apartment with his companion, Chumpy, his pet monkey.

 Some say that old J. Jenks, a name his coworkers gave him, had gone a little crazy. He stayed cooped up in that small apartment with a monkey. But J. Jenks continued to work cases from his apartment window.

 "That wraps up the case of Lady in Yellow. She is not cheating on the gentlemen in 425. I've discovered the other gentleman caller is her brother." Jeremy closed his tattered old briefcase, rubbing his thumb across the gold engraving of his initials J.J. just like he had done when closing a case years ago. "Chumpy, it's time to find a new case." Jeremy wheeled over to the window and watched the apartment building across the street.

 "Chumpy, my binoculars!" He snapped his fingers.

 Chumpy leaped over to Jeremy with what he demanded and perched on Jeremy's shoulder. "You see that boy? That man just threw a mysterious package in the dumpster. I think I found our next case: The Dumpster Delinquent. It may have been drugs."

 Startled by the microwave beeping, Jeremy dropped his binoculars. "Chumpy, my pasta dinner," He ordered, snapping his fingers. Chumpy rushed to the microwave, retrieved the bowl of pasta, and took it to Jeremy.

 As Jeremy ate, he watched the alley to see if anyone came to pick up the package, but no one showed. The trash truck came and emptied the dumpster. "Another case closed, Chumpy. The package was ordinary trash."

 Jeremy jotted a few notes and closed his briefcase. He stared out the window. Tears filled his old, tired eyes. "I was one of the best back in the day," he muttered.

Where'd You Come Up With That? ~ Wednesdays!

I usually write these posts with one story in mind, but I'm doing things differently today. I'd like to write about coming up with ideas in general. 

If you've ever seen Ray Bradbury Theater, he says he'll never run out of ideas because he's surrounded by items that inspire him. (he's one of my favorite authors btw!)

This is spot on. A writer's brain is always in story mode, so anything a writer hears, sees, or even smells can trigger an idea. Sometimes it is just a title that comes to mind, and the story shapes around it. Other times it's an idea that has been done before, but needs a new twist. 

My short story, East of Omaha, was inspired by Bob Seger's song. "On a long lonesome highway, east of Omaha" That line made me think of hitchhikers, but it has to be a twist on the usual tales of picking up strangers. And the story has a different type of driver and hitchhiker encounter. One that ends up with some mistaken identity. 

My short story, Taste of Freedom, started with the title. I like the sound of it, but needed a story to fit. I had an idea for a story about a wife who goes a little berzerk. She goes to great lengths to get rid of her husband and literally gets her taste of freedom. (yes, there may be some cannibalism involved 👀)

Some ideas come from strange facts I've read. I have a title and story that came to mind when I read that a person can die from smelling farts in large volumes. 

The story I'm working on is entitled, "The Mason Jar Murders," and it's a crime/detective story. It is also a bit bizarre--as you probably guessed! 😂

Ideas pop up everywhere when a writer's brain is constantly in story mode! 

Happy Reading!

Rejection Is a Four Letter Word!

 

If you're a writer, I'm sure you'll agree that rejection is a four-letter word. No one likes rejection, and when you're a writer it's a normal part of everyday life. 

At first, I let rejection get me down. I doubted my ability to write. I've taken long breaks, but I always come back to writing. I love it! 

So, I don't deal with it the way I used to.

I used to take every rejection to heart until I had an epiphany. The editors, the people behind the rejection letters, are just opinions. What one editor doesn't accept, there are many more editors out there with differing opinions. 

I can't expect every person to like every story or book I write. It takes work to find the right editor, publication, and the right audience. 

So, I'll read the rejection. If it comes along with some notes and suggestions, I also consider them. But, at the end of the day, it's my story and if I like it, somewhere in this large world other people might love it, too!

Everyone has opinions and that's okay. I'll keep writing and remember rejections are one person's perspective.

Happy Reading!

Classic Movie Mondays!~ Alfred Hitchcock Hour

 Alfred Hitchcock is most famous for the movies he directed, but let's remember those one-hour little movies in his television show. While they technically aren't movies, they are entertaining, thrilling, suspenseful, and fun just like his movies. 

I've watched all of them thanks to streaming services that allow us to watch almost anything. Before streaming services, I watched the show on the Thriller channel through my satellite company, and the same episodes repeated often. At the time, my favorite episode was "How to Get Rid of Your Wife."

The episode starred Bob Newhart as Gerald, a mild-mannered man with a nagging, annoying wife. Gerald also loves another woman who doesn't know he exists. He puts together a plan to be free from his wife, which is absolutely genius! 😎 The episode is not only thrilling and suspenseful but also funny. I mean what else would you expect from Bob Newhart? He was the perfect choice to play Gerald. 

If you get the chance to watch it, please do! You won't be disappointed. 

The Newhart episode does remain one of my favorites, but the episode I watched recently knocked it out of the top spot. The season 3 episode, "An Unlocked Window" has it all~ it's scary, suspenseful, and a twist ending with a red herring to throw you off. 

 Oh, how I love an ending I didn't expect! 😀 

Everything about this episode was perfect. The house in the story reminded me of another spooky old place- The Bates Motel. So, from the beginning, you know someone creepy is going down in that house that gives off  Norman vibes. 

The man living in the house is ill and has two nurses caring for him, Stella and Betty. And, it just so happens that a serial killer in the area is killing nurses. Eeek!

The nurses are understandably on edge and Stella goes through the house to lock all the doors and windows. Okay, here's where the suspense comes in. The nurse closing the basement windows gets scared by a cat, so she forgets to lock one of the windows! 👀 Throughout the show, we get glimpses of the unlocked window flapping in the wind. *Red Herring*

The suspense comes from us knowing the window is open, and the jumpy, frightened people in that house just waiting for a killer. One lady, the housekeeper,  goes absolutely crazy with fear and keeps drinking alcohol, so we don't if she's out of her mind when she sees or hears scary things. 

This image with the crazy housekeeper and Betty is frightening and while watching you don't realize it until the end. 

The two nurses are frightened, but you get the sense that Betty is level-headed and isn't letting the serial killer news bother her.  I thought she was older and had been around a while so she 'ain't skeered' 

All the chaos in the house, the fear, the phone calls and the flapping window lead to an open door, footprints, and someone is in the house! 👀 How did this someone get in? 👀 Stella arms herself with a fireplace poker and creeps down the stairs. She hears a man's voice, so she slowly makes her way downstairs. She sees the door is open and she's about to call the police when she hears Betty.

Stell finds Betty gasping on the floor. She tells her the killer was in the house. The door is still open. Did he run back out? Is he still inside? When Stella kneels to help Betty, she is attacked by the killer.

SPOILER ALERT! If you've never seen it and plan to watch it, don't read below this point! 

Stella is attacked by Betty! She struggles with Betty and then in a dramatic ending scene, Stella pulls off Betty's wig and exposes her as a man. The killer has been in the house the entire time and that is CREEPY! 

That's why I love this episode. I seriously had no idea Betty was a man and did not expect him/her to be the killer. I expected the killer to come in through the window and sneak up the stairs. And, at first, I thought he did until Stella pulled off Betty's wig and ripped her dress exposing her hairy chest. 

I loved every minute of this show. Seeing it for the first time, unless you can tell Betty is a man, you wouldn't suspect her. I honestly did not. 

Even though I know how it ends, I'd watch it again! 😊

Even more updates!

 I have updated my pages on where to buy ebooks and children's books. The picture books are less pricey at Barnes & Noble, but I don't have an ebook format for picture books on B&N, yet. I'm still working on it.

On Amazon, the picture books are also available as ebooks and on Kindle Unlimited. So, you can read them for free if you have it. ❤

The adult ebooks are no longer on Kindle Unlimited because I can't enroll them now that they are available on many other platforms. I hope that's a good thing! 👀

Stories to Wrap Your Mind Around: Volume 6 will be available on September 1 as planned. I'm still working on editing for The Bindlestiff Myster, but I hope to have it available in October. 🙏

My next product is Opal and Ali. I started writing this one a long time ago, and I had 5 out of 10 chapters. I lost all but 2! I had writing saved on a disc that no longer works. I don't know if it's degraded or what, but I am not happy about it. 😡

Luckily, I still have some handwritten notes and an outline for all chapters, so I'll start again! I've made the cover. I love book covers on Canva. I think it'll inspire me to write!

 

I haven't written out a blurb or summary, yet. But, it's a children's story about a little girl who finds an unusual friend in the garden of her new home. 

It's not a picture book but a children's first chapter book. 

I'm sure I'll be back soon with more updates!! 

Happy Reading!

LitPick 5 Star Review for Ally Ally Oxen Free

I received an email informing me of my Five Star Book Review Award from LitPick. The book is the Kindle short  "Ally Ally Oxen Free, " which is also available on audible and iTunes. Here is the review and the link to it on LitPick.

When summer comes everybody seems to be doing something cool, except for Tom (he thinks it is cool, nobody else does). He is friends with Mr.Duke who owns a grocery store. Next to the store is a vacant lot. Mr.Duke is allowing Tom to do an archaeological dig in the lot. When he first finds something he is confused about what it is, but when he figures it out he realizes it is very important.

Opinion: 

I really like this book because of how it leads up to the ending. But, also I think this book is good because of the character Tom. He stands up for Nancy when she is teased and almost doesn’t care that the other kids think his summer will be bad. What’s better than a good character is some suspense. I really like a book with suspense, and this book has it. So overall this is a really good book. I would recommend it to anybody.

Happy Reading! 

Loving the audio version of Flashes of Fiction 1!

I heard and approved the first 15 minutes of Flashes of Fiction Volume 1, and it's great. Tonya Manns creates voices for each character that just brings them to life. I can't wait to hear the rest.

I have some free download codes for audio books. I'll most likely be having a giveaway next month, so readers can win a free audio book for Christmas. I'll be posting more info after Thanksgiving.

The giveaway will include Alfred C. Bogeyman, Ally Ally Oxen Free, and Mermaid's Kiss. Check back for details!!

Happy Reading!

Alfred C. Bogeyman New Audio Book Cover

This is the new cover for Alfred C. Bogeyman.  It is the cover for the audio book, and when rights revert back to me, it will be the eBook cover as well.
The audio book is in its final stages, so it should be ready within a week or so.
I love this new cover. It captures the creepiness of the story without being too scary.

 The eBook is also available on Amazon and from Fire and Ice YA Books.

It's a fun, creepy read for kids of all ages. The story is just creepy enough to make a good Halloween story.







Happy Reading!

Flashes of Fiction: Volume 2 Free This Weekend

Just a reminder that you can download Flashes of Fiction: Volume 2 Free over the weekend--through the 11th- when Flashes of Fiction: Volume 3 will be released.

Flashes of Fiction: Volume one is available for $0.99. You don't have to read the books in any order or all of them because they have five different short stories ranging from the bizarre to the humorous. Check out all the books I have available at  on my Amazon Author Page.

If you like stories like, The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Darkside, you may enjoy the unusual stories stories in these three volumes.

Free This Weekend! 

Available Aug. 11th

Available Now!

I'm searching high and low for my lost flash drive. Hopefully, I find it soon. If not, I have lost a great deal of work to do on Metamorphosis before I can release it. I found a very early version.

Happy Reading!!