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.

Tuesday – A Little Personal – Kreative Kue #308 by Keith Channing

April 20, 2021April 19, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 76 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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The photo.

“Okay, so the next thing you need to know is not to touch that pole with your beak while sitting on the wire.”

“Why’s that?”

“If you touch the pole, you will create an ungrounded connection, and the electricity will fry you.”

“Geez. Why do you guys sit on these wires anyway.”

“You mean to tell me you don’t sit on wires back in your town?”

“Heavens no. We have trees.”

“Trees?”

“Yeah, big green bushy things that have limbs you sit on.”

“Sounds nice. Well, anyway we have no trees, so I’m trying to give you some pointers on how to survive in the big city. How long you going to be here?”

“Just a week. I have to attend a nest clearing. My cousin is becoming an empty nester.”

“Lucky bird for sure. Okay, back to the lessons.”

“Why are you hanging upside down?”

“I’m not upside down. See that bug on the sidewalk.”

“Un-huh.”

“Don’t touch it.”

“What do you mean. All bugs are fair game.”

“Not that one. He’s a made bug.”

“Made bug. What does that mean.”

“He is a member of the bug mob.”

“Yeah, so.”

“You touch him, and you’ll have every bug in town wanting to cash in on the hit notice.”

“You serious? I never met a bug I couldn’t handle.”

“Hornets?”

“Well, no. I stay away from them.”

“They are the mob enforcers.”

“Good to know. What else?”

“Don’t take any popcorn from the old lady on the bench.”

“Why not?”

“She has a cat in her valise that loves birds. The popcorn is bait.”

“Good grief. I need to get back home.”

“You flying?”

“Yes.”

“Watch out for the Peregrine Falcons.”

“The what.”

“Birds of prey. They sit on the buildings and wait for pigeons.”

“I’m not a pigeon.”

“Some are nearsighted. Just be careful.”

“How do you survive in this jungle?”

“I keep my wits about me and one more thing.”

“What’s that.”

“I pay protection.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Are Moving

April 19, 2021April 18, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 97 Comments

This post was originally run on April 18th, 2016. If you remember it, I hope you like it again. If not? I hope you like it. (My desires are small)

Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Are Moving

10 If you are moving, do not wait until the movers show up to begin thinking of what you want to pack. If you do, at best, you will have a lot of hourly overtime to pay. At worst, your crew is likely to leave to move someone else and suggest you get organized in the meantime. (A little embarrassing to be left alone in the middle of a mess, isn’t it?)

9 If you are moving, do not pack your crystal pieces with your hand weights. At best, you might get some chips. At worst, you will arrive at the new place with a box of crystal snow. (You were going to take the weights out but forgot, huh Bunky?)

8 If you are moving, do not forget to put your frozen food in a safe but frigid place. If you do forget, at best, you will have a bunch of thawed food on arrival. At worst, the thawing food will be in a place to drip through at least six boxes of your clothes. (Those white things look beautiful with that pot roast branding.)

7 If you are moving, do not be tempted to throw out your old pots and pans just cause you are tired of them. If you are, at best, you will need to replace everything before you can eat at home again. At worst, you didn’t realize the cookware was a precious gift from your parents, and now they are going through the dumpster. (How were you to know that was their first set?)

6 If you are moving, do not try to save and pack that delicious casserole you had last night. If you do, at best, it will be spoiled during the trip, and you’ll know it. At worst, you will ignore the signs of spoilage and dig in. (Those sirens you now hear is EMS. Gotta hope they get there in time)

5 If you are moving, do not think you and your friends have to consume all the liquor the night before the move. If you do, at best, your headache, chills, and nausea will be gone around 3:00 pm. At worst, you will not only be sick but will have to deal with five or six comatose friends. (Pretty hard to carry that dresser over all those bodies, isn’t it, Buster?)

4 If you are moving, do not tell the movers to put stuff “anywhere.” If you do, at best, you will have a living room that looks like a bedroom. At worst, you will have one room filled with furniture. (It’s the first room you enter, right?)

3 If you are moving, do not think your boxes don’t need marking because you remember what’s in each one. If you do, at best, you will be opening boxes and searching for things for a week. At worst, you will finally give up and stack all the boxes in such a way as to imitate the world’s worst hoarder. It (Pretty tough for the sunlight to get in through all those boxes. You say you feel like a rat in a maze?)

2. If you are moving, do not forget to fill out the forwarding cards for your new address. If you forget, at best, you will wonder where your mail went after three months. At worst, you will begin to wonder about all those phone calls regarding your lights, water, cable, and telephone. (That is until they all go dark. Now a rat in a dark and lonely maze.)

1 If you are moving, do not have friends’ help. If you do, at best, there will be only a few dented, scratched, and broken items. At worst, you realize no one knows how to dismantle your bed and couch, and you are forced to leave them behind. (How in the hell did those items get into the apartment in the first place?)

Views of the neighborhood. Earth Day Fact Find – Part One

April 18, 2021April 24, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 83 Comments

Today we are heading out for an Earth Day Fact Find Scavenger hunt. To feed us all, I asked QI restaurant in Austin to put on a Dim Sum brunch. They agreed, and here is what that brunch looks like.

Dim Sum Brunch Menu

Crab Meat Fish Maw Soup Dumpling 蟹肉鱼肚汤包

Scallop Caviar Sui Mai 鱼子酱带子烧卖

Lobster Dumpling 甜菜粉龙虾饺

Crispy Har Kaw with Sea Cucumber 炸海参虾饺

Sautéed Baby Bok Choy 炒白菜

Sautéed Water Spinach 炒空心菜

Snow Crab Ball 雪蟹球

Shrimp Stuffed Chinese Eggplant 煎酿茄子

Potato Shrimp Ball 脆薯虾球

Salt and Pepper Shrimp 椒盐虾

Crispy Turnip Cake 萝卜糕

Chao Shou 红油抄手

Dan Dan Noodle 担担面

Scallion Pancake Curry Dip 葱油饼咖喱酱

Szechuan Spicy Cucumber 四川黄瓜

Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce 豉汁排骨

Chicken with Cashew Dumpling 腰果鸡饺

Beef Potstickers 牛肉锅贴

Shrimp Har Kaw 虾饺

Pork and Shrimp Sui Mai 烧卖

Chicken Shiitake Sui Mai 东菇鸡烧卖

Cilantro Shrimp Dumpling 香菜虾饺

Basil Chicken Dumpling 九层塔鸡饺

Steam BBQ Pork Bun 蒸叉烧包

Steam Lobster Dumpling 龙虾饺

Shanghai Soup Dumpling 小笼包

Seafood Soup Dumpling 海鲜汤包

Chicken Feet 鸡爪

Pan-Fried Beef Bao 生煎牛肉包

Sugarcane Shrimp 甘蔗虾

Chinese Sausage Sticky Rice 糯米饭

Chicken Taro Egg Roll 香芋鸡春卷

Curry Beef Puff 咖喱牛酥

Steam Egg Cream Bun 蒸奶黄包

Egg Custard Tart 蛋挞

Sesame Ball

Pineapple Puff 凤梨酥

Baked BBQ Pork Bun 烘叉烧包

In addition to our top-shelf bar, we are offering Sake,

A 2018 Pighin Pinot Grigio, and 2016 Gary Farrell Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir. Today’s entertainment is Little Big Town.

Let’s get on the bus.

Here is what we are doing. We have to use clues and find the fun fact question. Here’s what the Parks and Recreation says.

As part of The City of Lakeway’s Earth Day celebration, Parks & Recreation invites you to join us for an event that will test your environmental knowledge in a scavenger hunt-style game!

From April 10 – April 25, ten Earth Day-themed questions will be hidden in Lakeway City Park.

So we will use the clues to find the place and the questions. I will do my best to answer them. If you have a better answer, you can put it in the comments section. Since there are ten clues and questions, we will cover the first five today. Next week we will finish.

Clue 1. This area is a favorite for a human’s best friend. Dog Park

So here is the question. My guess is urban runoff is the biggest pollutant to rivers and lakes.

Clue 2. Finding this next location is a slam dunk! Basketball court

My guess is false. Tissues, paper towels, and wet wipes don’t disintegrate

Clue 3. Step off this exercise equipment and down the small path to find this question.

My answer is all of those items can be composted.

Clue 4. While you sit along the edge and enjoy the scenic view, you may see a question too.

Plastics is my guess as the most common thing found along water.

Clue 5. Lakeway pride flies high at this location.

I think the heater/air conditioner uses the most energy.

So that is the first five stops for today. I hope you enjoy the week and remember this is the only Earth we have. Have some food and enjoy Little Big Town.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Mash

April 17, 2021April 16, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time, and there was a small envelope lying on the front sidewalk. I opened it, and here is what it said “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “mash.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!”

If you would like to have some fun, visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2021/04/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-17-2021/

“Why are you staring at the piece of paper. Oh wait, don’t answer that. It has to be Stream of Consciousness time again.”

“Yes, it is. This week is a one-word prompt that has me flummoxed.”

“Flummoxed, eh? Must be a big word.”

“You just get in from Toronto? No, it isn’t a big word. it’s a confusing word.”

“Like antidisestablishmentarianism?”

“No, like mash.”

“Mash?”

“Yeah, mash. What can you do with mash?’

“Oh, man. How about a song and dance?”

“Song and dance?”

“Yeah, Monster Mash and Mash potatoes.”

“No, everyone will do those.”

“Okay, then let’s go to sour mash.”

“Sour mash? What the heck is that?”

“The makins for whiskey. You get corn and let it ferment and—”

“That will be fine. We don’t need to go on about sour mash.”

“How about Mash 4077?”

“The TV show? Um, that’s another one everyone will do.”

“Okay, I’m close to giving up. How about an idea from you?”

“I could talk of the Mash bike.”

“Yeah, that would be a real crowd-pleaser.”

“At least it would be unique.”

“Like green hair.”

“It is getting close to lunch.”

“yeah, so what does that have to do with the prompt?”

“The pub is calling.”

“I’m always game for that. You need to complete your prompt exercise.”

“Okay, how about we have a black and Tan and . . . wait for it. . . bangers and mash.”

“You did it.”

“Yup, I did.”

“Let’s go. The first is on me.”

“Uber is waiting.”

Friday John Ku – AKA- TGIF

April 16, 2021April 15, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 92 Comments

“You look for Friday over there. I’ll look over here.”
“How will I know it’s Friday?”
“Believe me you will know.”

It is Friday again. This week has flown for me and I can’t put my finger on why. I guess the why doesn’t matter anyway. The important thing is it was a good week. Well, I have to be very honest. At my age, every week is a good one. At least I have myself convinced of that which makes life much more enjoyable.

Looks like Texas is approaching 34% of the population has received at least one shot of the COVID Vaccine. 21.2% of all Texans are fully vaccinated. This is a change of about 7% for each category since April 2nd. There are reports that estimate at least 30% of Texans do not plan to get vaccinated at all. So the so-called herd immunity level; of 70% looks iffy right now.

People will “likely” need a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine as a booster within 12 months of being fully vaccinated, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said yesterday. Looks like the virus is here for a while.

The number of COVID cases across the US is beginning to rise given the lifting of restrictions by the states. My belief is the restrictions were lifted too early. This could be a very tense summer indeed.

Today’s JohnKu talks about the importance of a positive mental attitude. I hope you all have a safe and happy weekend.

Have you ever asked,

Yourself the title question . . .

What is your answer?

If your answer sounds

Like there needs some improvement . . .

Attitude is first.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy and Twiggy Outside.

April 15, 2021April 14, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 110 Comments

“Looks like a nice day to be outside.”

“Yeah, it does. Not too hot and lots of clouds.”

“I see mom put out some flowers.”

“Yes, Little One, the first of the season.”

“Hey, what’s this. Somebody left a piece of kibble here.”

“I would leave that alone if I were you.”

“Whoa. This has a real bite to it.”

“I told you to leave it alone.”

“I don’t think I ever tasted anything like that before.”

“That’s cause it’s not kibble.”

“What is it then.”

“I suspect it is squirrel poop.”

“I’m glad you are so fast, Lucy.”

“Yeah, why were you chasing me anyway?”

“Calling that kibble squirrel poop. Hey, do you hear that?”

“Whatever it is, you sure picked up speed.”

“We need to get in. There is danger.”

“Hold on, Little One. Mom will open the door.”

“No time, no time, I gotta save us.”

“Okay, Little one. I’m coming to help bark the door open.”

“See, I told you so. A delivery truck for next door.”

“Well, at least it’s not UPS.”

“I wonder if I can bark this one to Tulsa?”

“Easy Little one. Let it rip.”

War of Nytefall: Savagery by Charles E Yallowitz – Blog Tour

April 14, 2021April 11, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 32 Comments

It’s Monster vs Monster and Only One will Keep His Head!

For the first time in over a century, Clyde will know what it means to feel powerless and weak.

Headless bodies appearing across Windemere is only the beginning as Clyde faces the terrifying vampire hunter, Alastyre. Able to match the Dawn Fang leader in power and ferocity, this new menace shows no signs of weakness or mercy. With both friends and enemies getting dragged into the battle, Clyde will have to find a way to become stronger. For that, he will have to accept an ancient challenge and pray that those he cares about and trusts can hold Alastyre at bay.

Which monster of Windemere will claim the top of the food chain?

Want to hear more? Enjoy this Teaser!

Alastyre disappears for a moment before reappearing in front of Clyde and grinning at how the Dawn Fang does not react. “I have waited many years for this day. You probably don’t remember me since it has been so long. The temptation to tell Mab the truth when she was my captive was so strong that I knew I needed more time to mature. I should only feel happy and excited when we are about to clash. By the way, your enemies put up an entertaining fight. It lasted no more than a couple of minutes, but I enjoyed it. My hope is that your reputation is true and I will get to use my full power for once. The thought of ripping your head off and adding it to my collection is one of the few dreams that gives my life meaning. Is this where we’re going to fight? I see that there is a lot of sand and giant boulders scattered about. Do you use this courtyard as a large rock garden in order to relax? You are a more amusing monster than I expected.”

“I don’t like you,” Mab growls before she is grabbed by the face.

“A drug-addicted worm should watch-”

“Put . . . my . . . partner . . . down,” Clyde growls from behind the hunter. The illusionary vampire fades away as the real one materializes, his gauntlet sword already pressed against the man’s meaty neck. “You say we’ve met before and you’ve been training to fight me. Looks more like you’ve altered yourself to become a freak. The smell of your blood reeks of corruptive magic and demon influence. There’s a hint of Dawn Fang and dragon in there too. You’re nothing more than a glorified golem. A bunch of parts and auras cobbled together to turn a weak mortal into a monster. I’m not impressed, Alan Stryker. Still, trying to strike fear into the rotting hearts of my kind? At least your name isn’t as stupid as it was before.”

“Wait, do you mean that guy who attacked you outside of Lord Shallis’s castle?” Titus asks with a chuckle. He grunts when his sister is thrown into him, the force sending the siblings crashing against the patio’s railing. “I told you that keeping him alive was a mistake, but I didn’t think it would turn into this. You must be angry that nobody believed your story about vampires that are immune to the sun. Is that what this is about?”

With a casual flick of his finger, Alastyre sends Clyde’s sword and arm flying across the courtyard. “No, because it was another hunter who survived and told that tale. Your leader was so distracted with Mab biting him that he failed to notice a second mortal that he failed to kill. I focused on recovery and getting stronger because I refused to follow such a ridiculous plan. The fewer people who knew about the Dawn Fangs, the better my chances were at being the one to succeed. Please know that I only want to destroy your leadership. Originally, I wished to wipe all of you out of existence, but that could prove to be impossible. You monsters are more talented at hiding than anything else I have hunted, so I could never be sure of your extinction. The next best thing is to take over Nyetfall and use it as a jail for your kind. All Dawn Fangs will be contained on this island once they no longer have their precious rulers. Don’t you agree that this is much better than extermination, Clyde?”

“I have no opinion because it’s never going to happen.”

“Do you accept my challenge?”

“You never officially made one.”

“I demand that you fight me to the death.”

“Thank you for being straightforward and not making me hunt you down.”

“We fight in an hour then.”

“Why not now?”

Alastyre points while mentioning, “You are still missing an arm. I want to face you at full strength.”

“Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance,” the Dawn Fang says as he continues healing the injury.

Get a copy of this vampire action adventure for
99 cents on Amazon!
Help spread the word by adding it on Goodreads!

*****

Want to catch up on War of Nytefall?Grab the volumes 1-5 for 99 cents each ($5 total)!

Interested in more Windemere? Then don’t forget to check out Charles E. Yallowitz’s first series: Legends of Windemere

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyallowitz/

Enjoy the fang-filled adventure by clicking here!

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

April 14, 2021April 13, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

It is Wednesday Story Day again. Last week, Larry, Andrew, and Mike Moore arrived at the warehouse where the SUV was found that spirited ADA Thomas, Lieutenant Mayfield, and Lazar Popović away from the highway patrol headquarters by two guys posing as agents of the FBI. Supposedly Lazar will be traded for Carolyn. When our boys pulled up, the warehouse had many patrol cars around it, and Moore asked everyone to stand down. Let’s get to the warehouse, so we don’t miss anything.

“Patrol one. Moore here.”

“Go ahead, Moore.”

“Are you men in place to breach the structure?”

“Affirmative. We have someone at every entrance..”

“Okay, good. So we don’t shoot each other I think we ought to go in the main door in front. You people in position can make sure no one sneaks out the back. You. copy?”

“Loud and clear.”

“Good. Have a couple of troopers meet us at the front. We will go in on my count.”

“Roger that, Moore. Trooper one out.”

“Moore out. Okay, Larry, you have a sidearm, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Andrew?”

“I only have my two arms.”

“Fine. You stay here. Larry, follow me.”

“Right behind you. Bye, Andrew.”

“Keep your head down, Larry.”

“Larry, when we meet up with the troopers, I’m going to ask you to stay behind us, okay?”

“You’re the boss.”

“Hi, guys. My name is Moore, Special Agent. FBI.”

“Sampson here. You know me as Patrol one.”

“Sounds like our communication gear is working fine. Okay, here’s how we are going to do this. Let’s check to see if the door is unlocked. If not, we need a ram up here.”

“We already checked. It’s unlocked.”

“Great. Then let’s hit it. Your guys can penetrate and loft a couple of stun grenades.” We’ll follow you.”

“Does that guy in the suit have a vest?”

“No, he is going to stay behind me.”

“Okay, sounds good. We are ready.”

“On three then. One, two, three. Go, go, go.”

“Hot damn. Someone’s shooting.”

“Launch the grenades.”

“There they go. Okay, shootings stopped. Let’s go.”

“Shit, a lot of smoke.”

“Yeah, that happens. Stay low. We don’t know how many were in here. Nevada Highway Patrol. Put down your weapons.”

“Oooh.”

“Here’s one. Put the cuffs on him. He looks stunned but not badly hurt. Man, that is some weapon he has. Talk about machine guns. Careful now there could be more. I don’t see Thomas or Mayfield anywhere.”

“It looks like there was just one guy left behind.”

“Check to see if anyone made it out the back.”

“Patrol one to troop. See anyone come out the back.”

“Patrol two negative.”

“Patrol three, negative.”

“Patrol four, negative.”

“Well, that covers it. We are pretty clear in here. Doesn’t look like the rest are here. I hope that guy can tell us something.”

“Don’t count on it. They work for Cortez, and loose lips are not one of their approved habits.”

Welcome to Harmony Kent and Her New Release – The Vanished Boy

April 14, 2021April 11, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 82 Comments

I am very pleased to welcome Harmony Kent to my blog to talk about her latest mystery suspense novel. So without further delay . . .

Hi everyone. Harmony here. Thanks so much, John, for letting me visit with you today. I’m so thrilled to share the launch of my latest book with you all.

The Vanished Boy is a mystery suspense novel based around a teenaged boy, who’s gone missing. The book follows the mother as she trawls through her missing son’s online life and realises, to her horror, how out of the loop she’s become.

The inspiration for this novel came from watching a number of movies based on how our lives both revolve around and are influenced by the Internet and mobile devices. Although these movies covered many genres such as murder/mystery, thriller, and the supernatural, they all centered around the same theme: Apps and living life online. This led me to ponder how many of us spend our lives in digital pursuits rather than physical—both the old and the young? For many people, their actual physical lives become but a shadow compared to their online existence.

Mostly, the shift to a digital world happens slowly. It’s incremental and, too often, insidious. All of which led me to ask how well do we actually know our children? Our loved ones? Those around us? What might be going on in the shadows?

From that inspiration and questioning, this story was born. Much of life and our actions originate from the same needs and wants: to be loved and accepted, the ability to differentiate between truth and lies, and the things we do to cover our mistakes and make ourselves look better than the reality instead of owning who we are. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Below is an excerpt from the book:

His words remind Carole she was supposed to have submitted the final draft of the marketing agreement over the weekend. No wonder Dan sounds so annoyed with her. But it’s so unfair. She’s never let him down once until now. And, quite frankly, until she has Jayden back safe and sound, her boss and her work can go to hell.

She mumbles a curt ‘thanks’ and hangs up. More tears spill onto her cheeks and drip off her chin. Carole grabs more kitchen towels and scrubs at her face with hard, angry strokes. She balls up all the coffee-and-snot-sodden sheets and throws them into the bin. With a sigh, Carole grabs her mug, rinses and dries it, and fixes a fresh cup of coffee.

Exhaustion drags her down, and she falls onto the chair rather than sits. The kitchen clock accuses her of wasting hours. At a little past nine, she hasn’t opened the laptop yet. Guilt pierces her guts, and her stomach roils sickeningly. Carole bites her lower lip and drags the machine toward her. At least she left it plugged in when she fell asleep. When she lifts the lid, and the screen loads, the battery indicator glows green and full.

Carole keeps digging, though somewhat aimlessly after yesterday’s dead end. She’d felt so sure those two accounts would have led the police toward Jayden. Something nags at her, but every time she tries to focus on it, the damn thing slithers away like a spiteful snake. Her phone rings. Again.

The blurb.

It’s so remote out here. Anything could happen …

A missed phone call in the night is all it takes.

When Carole’s 18-year-old son goes missing, she breaks into Jayden’s laptop to try to understand his life.

All too soon, Carole discovers just how little she knew her boy.

And when one lead after another dead-ends, the distraught mother has to face the unthinkable.

Sucked into a sticky web of deceit and lies, nothing is as it seems.

When your life turns

inside out and upside down,

who would you trust?

Author Bio

After spending around thirteen years as an ordained Buddhist monk, living in a Zen Buddhist temple, and six years after a life-changing injury following a surgical error, Harmony Kent returned to the world at the tender age of forty.

Now, she is famous for her laughter, and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She’s even won a few awards. Harmony lives in rural Cornwall with her adorable husband, ever-present sense of humour, and quirky neighbours.

Harmony is passionate about supporting her fellow authors.

Links

Website: https://harmonykent.co.uk/

Story Empire (co-authored): https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Page: author.to/HarmonysBooks

Twitter: @harmony_kent

Goodreads: Author Page

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/harmony-kent

The Vanished Boy Sales Link: http://mybook.to/TheVanishedBoy

Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives 2021 – #Potluck – Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Start of Construction of Mount Rushmore in 1927 by John. W. Howell

April 13, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 15 Comments

Sally G. Cronin has honored me with a repeat of one of my posts. As you may be aware, Sally a big promoter of indie authors. A visit to her blog will show you how you can take advantage of Sally’s professionalism. Look around and you will see there are so many ways she can help promote you. Thanks again, Sally