Author: John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

The Last Drive Tour Begins

~ John W. Howell ~ 57 Comments

 

Click for Amazon

If you are looking for the Top Ten Things Not to Do post here normally, I hope I don’t disappoint you. It is time to do recognition work on my latest novel, The Last Drive.

From tomorrow until February 7th, twenty-six bloggers have graciously volunteered to host the tour. Since I only do this every two years, I hope you will support these visits and understand that my weekly posts will be postponed until after the tour is over. I want to give my hosts’ undivided attention. There is one exception. Lucy and Twiggy will still make themselves available on Saturdays instead of Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and Views of the Neighborhood will be on Sundays, as usual. These two days are available because no tour stops are scheduled on weekends.

During the tour, comments here will be closed so that you don’t have to comment in two places.

I hope you find the tour interesting since I’ve included different excerpts at each stop. In fact, if you come to each visit, you will be able to read enough of the book to determine if you like it.

Here is the trailer and blurb as a reminder. Thanks so much for your understanding and support.

Blurb

In the sequel to Eternal Road – The final stop, Sam and James are reunited to look for two souls, Ryan and Eddie. Ryan was killed in Afghanistan, trying to avoid a schoolyard with his crippled plane. Eddie Rickenbacker, Ryan’s hero, is to guide Ryan to his Eternal Home, and now both are missing.

The higher-ups believe that there has been some interference in Ryan and Eddie’s journey by Lucifer, so Sam and James have the task of finding Ryan and Eddie to get them back on the road despite the evil interference. Unfortunately, the machinations designed to prevent Ryan and Eddy from completing their journey take the pair to horrifying testing grounds. The places visited represent the best work of the Devil. They are the trenches of World War I in France, gladiators at the Roman Coliseum, the sinking Titanic in 1912, Hiroshima 45 minutes before the bomb, and the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943.

This book is for you if you like plenty of action, strong characters, time travel, and a touch of spiritual and historical fiction. So, join Sam and James as they try to find the missing souls while staying one step ahead of the Prince of Darkness, who is determined to destroy all that is good.

Trailer

Views of the Neighborhood – Happy New Year

~ John W. Howell

Lucy and Twiggy want to wish you and yours a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. But, of course, that goes for the Producer and me as well.

“Hi to everyone. Twiggy and I want to wish you a Happy New Year.”
“Why do you get to do the talking?”
“Because I’m the oldest.”
“Well, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year too.”
“Go right ahead.”
“I think I already did. Why aren’t you looking into the camera again?”
“I thought I was.”

The comments are closed. Happy New Year

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt New/Knew

~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

 

Stream of Consciousness SaturdayIt is the last day of 2022, and the coffee machine cited rule 73 of the Amalgamated Artificial Intelligence League contract. In short, the rule states that any AI required to work more days than the standard year will be compensated or given time off in return. This rule isn’t new and has been known for a few years. What is shocking is the machine has its own annual counter, and for some reason, it is one day off.

There was no choice but to give a day off or face a strike action by supporting AI elements. But, unfortunately, that would mean the security system would shut down. The concertina wire would coil, the Trebuchet would lock, the ballista would be inoperable, the tower machine guns would go offline, the submarine net in the mote would retract, the claymore mines would be disarmed, the boiling oil fire would go out, the bolts would not work, and the locks would be frozen open. Also, I would not be able to let one of the many visitors in to deliver Linda Hill’s messages. Like this one. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “new/knew.’” Use one, use both, use them any way you like. Bonus points if you use both. Enjoy!

If you would like to enjoy. visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is to do so. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2022/12/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-31-2022/

Missing one day of caffeine is a small price to pay for home security. Maybe I’ll stay up past midnight for a cup. Nah, that’s not going to happen. I wish you all a Happy New year and unrestricted AI use.

New/Knew by John W. Howell ©2023

“Well, you got the bonus points.”

“I did.”

“What’s going on with that machine anyway?”

“Beats me.”

“Where did it come from.”

“Italy.”

“You buy it new?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Whoever sold it to you should have known about the contract.”

“They knew and told me.”

“You bought it anyway?”

“Yeah, sure. Who makes better coffee machines than the Italians.”

“I’ll tell you what. My Mr. Coffee never denies me a cup.”

“I’ve had your coffee, and being denied would be a favor.”

“Harsh.”

“More like the truth. What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?”

“I’m doing it. What’s for dinner?”

“I’d love to tell you standing rib roast.”

“But?”

“We don’t eat beef.”

“Crazy coffee habits and don’t eat beef. You are starting to slip away.”

“I have VooDoo Ranger.”

“And just like that, he snaps back to his old form.”

“Dinner is homemade pizza.”

“Sold and sold.”

“Happy New Year to us.”

 

 

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network. Here it is with few modifications.

Christmas Spirit Enfolds Korean Tourists During Blizzard –After They Knocked on This Guy’s Door

By

Andy Corbley –

Alex-Campagna-Facebook

A group of South Korean tourists narrowly avoided a ruined vacation, with good fortune swapping it for an unforgettable experience waiting out a blizzard and cooking with a New York family.

Traveling from Niagara Falls to Washington DC, a tour group of 10 South Koreans got stuck in a blizzard near Buffalo. Two of the group went to a local house to ask for a shovel to dislodge their vehicle.

It was Christmas Eve when Alex Campagna heard their frantic knocking on his door. Outside, he recounted on Facebook, was “the worst blizzard I’ve experienced,” and knowing the folly of trying to carry on, he invited them all inside, putting them up on couches, air mattresses, and sleeping bags.

“As a Buffalonian, this is on another level, the Darth Vader of storms,” he told the New York Times.

Eager to repay his kindness, the guests cooked several South Korean meals like jeyuk bokkeum, stir-fried pork, and dakdori tang, a spicy chicken stew. As it turns out, Campagna and his wife really like Korean food and actually happened to have some of the more extravagant ingredients on hand.

The Times reports they stayed Friday and Saturday. They swapped stories and even enjoyed some American football matches on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas day. Drivers came to pick up the tour group and took them to New York for some impromptu flights.

“We have enjoyed this so much,” said Choi Yoseob, a member of the group who described the experience as unforgettable and a “unique blessing.”

The Good News here is that someone had empathy for his fellow human beings who were in trouble. Today’s JohnKu talks about good deeds. I hope you have a very Happy New Year.

A Helping Hand by John W. Howell © 2022

Reaching out to help,

Someone who is in trouble . . .

Fills both hearts with joy.

 

Thursday – Anything Possible – Lucy and Twiggy Out and About

~ John W. Howell ~ 86 Comments

“Well Lucy it looks like a beautiful day.”

“It does little one. I’m glad that cold weather is gone for a while.”

“What are you looking at over there?”

“Oh, you know. The usual. Stray pumas, peacocks, squirrels, water buffalos.”

“You would think you could spot one of those.”

“I wish. It would be good to have some excitement.”

“Wait. You mentioned peacocks. Have you seen any of those?”

“No I haven’t. I heard mom talking about one in our driveway.”

“Do you know what they smell like?”

“I hear like chicken.”

“Chicken? What the heck do chickens smell like?”

“Beats me. Maybe like peacocks.”

“You know Lucy. Sometimes I’m sorry I ask a question.”

“Well, you shouldn’t feel that way. I usually give it my best shot.”

“Is there anyone out there that knows what a peacock smells like?”

“Oh, sure. Break the fourth wall. Good luck with that.”

“Someone will know.”

“Why not ask what chicken smells like. Maybe more have smelled chickens than peacocks. Of course, human noses are pretty underdeveloped.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #392 by Keith Channing

~ John W. Howell ~ 44 Comments

In Keith’s words. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”

Link to Keith’s post https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2022/12/26/kreative-kue-392/

The photo.

The Watch by John W. Howell ©2023

“I say, Reggie. Any sightings?”

“Fraid not Oliver. Nothing all day.”

“A shame, mate.”

“Well, there is a positive side.”

“Yeah, and what’s that?”

“The hawk we don’t see today is the surprise for tomorrow.”

“You make that up?”

“Sorta.”

“Well, it’s crap.”

“Oh my. Why’s that?”

“In my mind, the hawk we don’t see today is one less hawk. Period.”

“You know, that’s a very pessimistic way to look at it.”

“I prefer the word realistic.”

“Hold on.”

“What?”

“I see a red tail banking over the lagoon.”

“What a sight that must be.”

“You can say that again.”

“What a sight—”

“Very funny. He’s headed right at me.”

“Does he see you?”

“It almost looks like he does. He has something in his beak.”

“Something like what?”

“Rolled up paper. Whoa, he just swooped over and dropped the paper.”

“Go get it.”

“On my way.”

“You back yet? Hello, Reggie. You back? Reggie?”

“Yeah I’m back. Give me a second to unroll the paper. Okay, it’s a message.”

“What does it say?”

“Attention hawk watchers. We are no longer going to be the subject of observation. We are tired of the prying eyes constantly intruding on our daily lives. The hawks of the world are united, and nothing you can offer will bring us out of seclusion.”

“Boy, that is pretty harsh. You think they mean it?”

“Sounds like they do.”

“Can you communicate with them?”

“I have in the past. One on one only, though.”

“Well try again. Tell them we are prepared to offer substantial sums for visual sightings.”

“They probibly will reject money.”

“Offer corn or dead mice. I don’t care. We need to see them again.”

“Hold on. I have the hawk leader on the other line.”

“Okay I’ll stand bye.”

“Hey Oliver.”

“Yes Reggie.”

“The hawk leader says he’ll take a year’s supply of corn and mice.”

“Where we going to get a year’s supply?”

“Maybe he’ll accept installments.”

“You know how we are going to catch the mice?”

“Yeah. The cats will help.”

“Thought they were on strike for a vegan diet demand.”

“Oh dear. Maybe some traps.”

“Remember the cows are on a sabbatical so no cheese.”

“Is it my imagination or have we lost control?”

“Never should have let ’em all enroll in college.”

“We can say that now, but it might be too late.”

“Do we really have to sight hawks?”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Tell him to shove it.”

“Good choice of words, sir.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do On The Day After Christmas

~ John W. Howell ~ 44 Comments
Photo by Anna Dziubinska on Unsplash

This list was first posted on December 26th, 2016. I think it is still good advice.

* * *

Top Ten Things Not to Do on The Day After Christmas

 

10 On the day after Christmas, do not venture out to return gifts. If you do, at best, due to the lines, you will get to return three in eight hours. At worse, you will encounter conditions much like warfare and require treatment for PGRTS. (Post Gift Return Traumatic Syndrome is nothing to take lightly, Buford.)

9 On the day after Christmas, do not watch a bowl game. If you do, at best, it won’t keep you awake. At worst, the two teams will be so bad you will totally regret the time spent watching. (You never realized a schedule made up entirely six loss teams could be so dull, did you, Bunky. Bunky? You awake?)

8 On the day after Christmas, do not go out to dinner. If you do, at best, you will avoid ptomaine poisoning. At worst, you will be eating in a place where all the full-time help has been given the day off, and the only thing on the menu is chipped beef on toast. (Did you know tonight’s chef typically works in prison, did you, Roy?)

7 On the day after Christmas, do not decide to take in a movie. If you do, at best, you’ll finally get into the midnight show. At worst, you will be jammed into a theater with 300 swine flu victims. (Didn’t all that coughing give you a hint Wilbur?)

6 On the day after Christmas, do not fall for the Day After Christmas sale. If you do, at best, you’ll find something cheaper than what you paid for Aunt Millie’s gift. At worst, you will find your hand on the same item as the WWF champ Tiny. (Tiny is growling. In one more second, he will be doing his death match-biting routine. I would let go now.)

5 On the day after Christmas, do not get on a ladder to fix that burned-out light in the blinking string. If you do, at best, you may cause the whole series to go out. At worst, you might do your Olympic swan dive with a degree of difficulty of 4.6 and get an EMS score of 10. (Why was it easier to put them up there? Oh yeah, you did them ten years ago when you were still under 65.)

4 On the day after Christmas, do not ask for a special menu that does not include leftovers. If you do, at best, you might be wearing your dinner. At worst, you might have the time to wonder why you never put heat in the dog house. ( Not much room after Bowser take his spot, is there Ferd?)

3 On the day after Christmas, do not think you can avoid fixing all the high-quality toys that took the kids three minutes to break. If you do, at best, the damage will increase. At worst, you may have to suffer from the din of dissatisfied kids. (You know they do that on purpose, don’t you, Ralph?)

2 On the day after Christmas, do not bother everyone with that new video camera you received. If you do, at best, you may be told to leave the house and go record birds or something. At worst, your camera will be confiscated and only eligible for return after New Year’s day. (Why on Earth did you get a gift that no one wants to enjoy with you? Maybe it was the one hundred hints that drove the decision.)

1 On the day after Christmas, do not try to make up for the lousy gifts you gave everyone. If you do, at best, it will cost way more than you have. At worst, your efforts will not be appreciated and will serve as the basis for lessons for your children. (Next year, start shopping before December 24th, Oliver.)

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Cozy.”

~ John W. Howell ~ 51 Comments

Stream of Consciousness Saturday

 

The sound of coffee being produced by the AI that is the cursed machine brings a feeling of joy to the heart. It is coffee that seals the overall cozy feeling that life is worth living. Without coffee, a barren wasteland that is barely existence unfolds in front of even the most optimistic soul.

Lucky for me, the machine decides to grant me one more day of bliss. Cup in hand and sip in mouth swallowed, a call goes out to Pepe Le Peu. “Oui Monsieur.” A spin in the direction of the answer reveals Pepe standing in the kitchen. The olfactory message sent to the brain is acknowledged with a nose hold.

Explaining to Pepe that he needs to put on a parachute takes a level of time that could only be described as excruciating. The thick oily scent from his glands is almost too much for the gag response. Finally, a promise of a robe designed by Resa achieves the goal. Unbeknownst to Pepe, the robe doubles as a parachute. Once he is airborne after being shot from the Trebuchet, the robe will gently bring him to Earth.

All is well as the rocket is nestled in the ballista, and Pepe is at ease in the Trebuchet. (sneaking Zanax into his coffee was my idea) He hands me an envelope just before I hit the launch button, which sends the rocket and Pepe screaming off into parts unknown but at least four streets away.

The envelope has a message from Linda Hill. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “cozy.'” Use it any way you like. Have fun! (And Merry Christmas if I don’t come back before then!)

If you want to join, our crew visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here’s the link https://lindaghill.com/2022/12/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-24-2022/

Cozy by John W. Howell © 2023

“Well, that was a solution.”

“Yeah. Glad to get rid of the rocket and Pepe.”

“You  are lucky your readers care enough to send suggestions.”

“Believe me, I know.”

“Otherwise, you would have to write yourself out of trouble.”

“Yeah. Could be a problem.”

“So this is Christmas eve.”

“Yes, it is. What are your plans.”

“Um, I think I’m going to cozy down, build a fire and watch a movie.”

“That sounds terrific, but you’ll be alone. Why not join us for Christmas eve?”

“Hmm. I don’t want to put you out.”

“Oh, stop. Since when does that happen?”

“Well, I can be a pain.”

“So true, but we can take it.”

“Let me think about it.”

“While you are thinking, consider two words.”

“Which two?”

“VooDoo Ranger.”

“Sold.”

 

Friday JohnKu – AKA- TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell ~ 69 Comments

Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network. Here it is complete.

SWNS

Man Spells Out ‘Hi Kevin’ in Lights for 20 Years–to Honor His Neighbor

By

Good News Network

Every Christmas, Mike Witmer gets out his colored lights to weave a very specific message out into the night.

Witmer says passersby are sometimes confused by his lights, which read ‘Hi Kevin’ across his roof, but it’s to honor the memory of a young boy who passed away from cancer in 2010.

For the past two decades, he has featured a reference to Kevin in his light displays. Kevin was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 when he was just 11. That year Mike had written ‘Get Well Kevin’ in lights.

The pair had lived on neighboring roads, and Kevin had loved seeing Mike’s light displays each December.

He continued to reference the lad in his lights every year until his tragic death eight years later in June 2010.

Mike vowed to honor Kevin’s life by continuing their much-loved tradition of installing his largest display yet on his roof so that Kevin could still see the lights from above.

“Kevin was a cool kid in the neighborhood. He swam on the local swim team with my kids, and we all became friends,” said Witmer from Gaithersburg, Maryland.

“When I heard he had cancer and was going through chemo and radiotherapy, I wanted to support him. I had this idea to write ‘Get Well Kevin’ in my Christmas lights—what 11-year-old doesn’t want to see their name in lights?”

Witmer continued to do it every year, even after his cancer went into remission and Kevin went off to college.

“But he had just finished his first year of college when the cancer came back—and it took him,” he recalled. “I told everyone to come by that year, and the ‘Hi Kevin’ would be bigger so he can see it from up in heaven.”

“This is my 20th anniversary of the tribute to Kevin, and I’ll keep doing it every year as long as I’m able.”

Kevin’s mother told Witmer that Kevin loved the display so much that he had asked if it would be done every year.

“I thought, ‘how could I not?’ and the tradition was born,” he said.

Every year after that, Mike would find some way to display a tribute to Kevin in his lights display, placing it in a different spot for Kevin to find, like a game of Where’s Waldo.

He recently shared the sweet story of his and Kevin’s relationship in a Facebook post, which was shared widely and attracted thousands of likes and comments by people touched by his tribute.

The good news here is this man brought cheer to someone very much in need. Today’s JohnKu talks about those in need. I hope you have a Joyous Holiday.

Cheer by John W.Howell 2023

It might be something,

Very small that cheers a heart. . .

Don’t miss the good deed.