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.

Today I am with Vashti Q Vega – The Writer Next Door

~ John W. Howell ~ 22 Comments

Today I am with Vashti Q Vega on her blog, The Writer Next Door. We have a new excerpt from Eternal Road – The Final Stop. Come on over. Here is the link.

https://vashtiqvega.wordpress.com/2020/09/29/new-book-launch-eternal-road-the-final-stop/

A little about Vashti

Vashti Quiroz-Vega is a writer of Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller. Since she was a kid, she’s always had a passion for writing and telling stories. It has always been easier for her to express her thoughts on paper.

She enjoys reading almost as much as she loves to write. Some of her favorite authors are Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Anne Rice, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and George R. R. Martin.

She enjoys making people feel an array of emotions with her writing. She likes her audience to laugh one moment, cry the next and clench their jaws after that.

When she isn’t building extraordinary worlds and fleshing out fascinating characters, she enjoys spending time with her husband, JC, and her Pomeranian Scribbles, who is also her writing buddy.

Her books

Thank you so much for your help today, Vashti.

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #282 by Keith Channing

~ John W. Howell ~ 43 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.

The Forward Observer by John W. Howell © 2020

“What’s it look like from there?”

“Not a bad view. I can see all the emplacements.”

“So, what are we faced with?”

“I would say their force is brigade strength.”

“OMG. How are they deployed?”

“Look like they are dug in about a half-mile from this wall.”

“Can they see you up there?”

‘Sure, but who cares. They’re not going to be interested in a ground squirrel. It looks like they have some artillery too.”

“Yeah, figures. The minute we start moving, they will open up. You see any lookouts?”

“Nope. There are a couple of chipmunks down the wall further.”

“Uh. Roscoe?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t cha think they might be like you?”

“Never thought of that. I guess they could be lookouts. Beats me where they found two guys that small, though.”

“Anything else?”

“No, and this squirrel suit is getting pretty hot.”

“Just take it off then.”

“And expose my self?”

“Oh, for heaven, sakes. You’re a raccoon. Who is going to pay attention to a raccoon?”

“The big dog sleeping under the tree.”

“Where the heck did prairie dogs get a real dog?’

“How do I know? Let me come back.”

“Okay. You’ve done well. Come on back.”

“Let me hide these acorns, and I’ll be right there.”

“Idiot.”

“Maybe I’ll wash them first.”

“Now, you’re talking.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do Working on the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869

~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

Top Ten Things Not to Do

Since I ran out of time yesterday I needed to repeat a post from September 24th of 2018. I hope you enjoy it cause who knows you may have forgotten it.

More of the historical backdrop for this set of Top Ten Things Not to Do. The Top Ten Things Not to Do Working on the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869

10. If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not forget to double-check your measurements. If you do, at best, you can correct any mistakes before the East meets West. At worst, the Westbound group will be in Promontory Summit, Utah, and your Eastbound group will end up in Provo.  (You only missed the union by a few hundred miles, Ferris. Maybe you can cut over before the three-foot snows.)

9 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not borrow Tiny the WWF champ’s sledge-hammer. If you do, at best Tiny will not know you have it. At worst, Tiny has been seeking help for his inability to let things go but has not covered the part dealing with possessions. (If you can, Forest, I would sneak that hammer back into Tiny’s tent since it looks like he is in stage ten of a meltdown looking for it.)

8 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not forget your gloves. If you do, at best you might be able to buy a pair. At worst, you will be using a shovel to dig out the rail bed for twelve hours a day. (It might be a good idea to get those hands wrapped somehow, Fredrik. Otherwise, I think you may be out of a job.)

7 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not light up your cigar as you are pouring gunpowder into the blasting holes. If you do, at best, the wind will save you. At worst, you will get a lesson in flight long before the Wright brothers. (That ringing in your ears means you are lucky to be here, Fakhir.)

6 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not complain about the food. If you do, at best, no one will listen. At worst, the cook, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute, has a huge knife and very tender feelings. (I think it might be time to try out those new running shoes, Flint. I don’t think an apology is going to work this time.)

5 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not decide to sleep out on the prairie even though the stars are beautiful at night. If you do, at best, the mosquitoes will carry you back to camp. At worst, your slumber will be disturbed by growling noises you never heard before. (Those are wolves, Finnigan. Playing possum is not going to help. I would get up and run screaming back to camp.)

4 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, I would not try to introduce smores at the nightly campfire. If you do, at best, your fellow workers won’t pay attention. At worst, you won’t have enough to go around, and the resulting riot will get you fired. (Now that you are way out here, Findlay, how you going to get back to San Francisco?)

3 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not start singing, “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” If you do, at best, you won’t remember the words and will stop. At worst, you’ll get to the part about Dina blowing her horn, and the rest of the workers will want to know who Dina is. (Looks like you have a credibility problem, Flynn. Everyone wants to meet Dina. You better figure out who is going to play Dina.)

2 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not think you can organize a union of workers. If you do, at best, your boss will stop you before you get too far. At worst, the railroad company and the government will escort you off the job and on to a buckboard heading back to civilization. (I guess no one told you, Fabian, that this was going to be dangerous, unsafe, hard work, and you would only get minimum wage.)

1 If you are working on the first transcontinental railroad, do not party too hard after the last spike is driven. If you do, at best, you will have a killer headache the next day. At worst, you might miss the train back to your city. (Well, Fachnan, it looks like you might be asking the local tribe of Native Americans if they have room for a blood brother. Don’t be too surprised if they are less than friendly. You just finished a railroad through their land without their permission.)

Today I’m with Robbie Cheadle at Roberta Writes

~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

Today I’m with Robbie Cheadle in South Africa with a new excerpt from Eternal Road. Please come on over. Here is the link.

https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2020/09/28/new-book-launch-eternal-road-the-final-stop-by-john-w-howell/

 

A little about Robbie.

Hello, my name is Robbie, short for Roberta. I am an author with seven published children’s picture books in the Sir Chocolate books series for children aged 2 to 9 years old (co-authored with my son, Michael Cheadle), one published middle grade book in the Silly Willy series and one published preteen/young adult fictionalised biography about my mother’s life as a young girl growing up in an English town in Suffolk during World War II called While the Bombs Fell (co-authored with my mother, Elsie Hancy Eaton). All of my children’s books are written under Robbie Cheadle and are published by TSL Publications.

I have recently branched into adult and young adult horror and supernatural writing and, in order to clearly differential my children’s books from my adult writing, I plan to publish these books under Roberta Eaton Cheadle. My first supernatural book published in that name, Through the Nethergate, is now available.

I have participated in a number of anthologies:

Two short stories in #1 Amazon bestselling anthology, Dark Visions, a collection of horror stories edited by Dan Alatorre;
Three short stories in Death Among Us, an anthology of murder mystery stories, edited by Stephen Bentley;
Three short stories in #1 Amazon bestselling anthology, Nightmareland, a collection of horror stories edited by Dan Alatorre; and
Two short stories in Whispers of the Past, an anthology of paranormal stories, edited by Kaye Lynne Booth.

I also have a book of poetry called Open a new door, with fellow South African poet, Kim Blades.

You can find out more about my adult writing on my adult writing blog: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/

Her Books.

Today I’m with Lauren Scott at Her Blog Baydreamer

~ John W. Howell ~ 13 Comments

Today I’m with Lauren Scott at her blog titled, Baydreamer. We have a new excerpt from Eternal Road – The final stop, so come on over. Here is the link.

New Book Launch ‘Eternal Road – The Final Stop’ by John W. Howell

A little about Lauren in her words

I can’t say I’m anyone special, except to those in my circle. I’m not a famous actress, singer, comedienne, chef, or entrepreneur. You won’t see my face on the big screen or TV. My name is Lauren, and I’m an ordinary woman on this mysterious planet. I’ve recently turned fifty-nine, am happily married for thirty-one years, and have two amazing adult children, a daughter, and son. Out of our litany of pets, we still play home to our nearly ten-year-old chocolate lab mix, Copper. After typing the last few sentences, my life actually appears to be far from ordinary. It feels extraordinary, even with the many hurdles I’ve jumped over to get to this stage in life – a life that is not devoid of struggles.

I devote most of my free time to writing, and any aspect in life can provide inspiration, not singling out any one emotion. I hope something that I’ve shared resonates with you, maybe even helps in a small way, brings joy, or serves as reassurance that whatever you’re going through, you are not alone.

I have also published two collections of poetry, New Day, New Dreams, and Finding a Balance. More information can be found on the Published Works tab, if you’re interested in purchasing copies.

Lauren’s books

 

Views of the Neighborhood – Limestone

~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

You know how hard it is to find neighborhood subjects during a pandemic? Well, real hard. It is a good thing we have our party bus and plenty of bloody mary’s today, cause today we are going to go look at limestone. I know, I know. Not the most exciting thing for sure, but we all like each other, and I have booked Big and Rich to play for us.

Lakeway has an abundance of Gen Rose limestone, and some of it carries traces of fossilized plants and animals. Unfortunately, The Producer and I could not find any fossils. It is believed the limestone was formed in the Mesozoic Era. For those without a calendar, that was about 108 million years ago.

So hop on the bus, help yourself to a bloody mary, grab a breakfast sandwich, and let’s go.

Our first stop is to look at a house that has been finished in Cordoba Cream limestone.

Views of the Neighborhood

Here is the side of a Target store with two kinds of limestone. Cordoba Cream on the top and Walnut on the bottom

A closer look at the Target store.

A couple of big chunks of limestone.

Here is a small stratum of limestone.

Some bricks made of Cordoba Cream limestone.

 

 

Views of the Neighborhood

Here is a hillside of undisturbed limestone under the turf retained by limestone blocks

Another hill of limestone. You can see the stratum lines even though they are covered in dirt and vegetation.

A fence made of limestone blocks.

Another block of limestone.

A wall made of smaller bricks of limestone

An exposed stratum of limestone.

A huge stratum of exposed limestone.

Milled blocks of Limestone as a landscape feature.

Another feature.

A fountain made of limestone.

Finally, our tour ends with another home finished with Cordoba Cream limestone

Today I’m With Dale Rogerson at A Dalectable Life

~ John W. Howell ~ 67 Comments

I’m with Dale Rogerson at her blog “A Dalectable Life” with another excerpt from Eternal Road – The final stop. Come on over. Here is the link.

https://adelectablelife.com/2020/09/26/eternal-road-the-final-stop-a-book-you-wont-regret-reading/

A little about Dale in her words.

“What to say about me? How to put into words that adequately describe me without blathering on? I am many things: Lover of words, widow, mother of two wonderful young men, excellent cook (why say otherwise when it’s been repeated?), dreamer, social butterfly, photographer, seeker of all things good health…

Now that I finally visited Tuscany, I feel the world awaits!

I would love to make a difference in this world by just being me (and who else could I be?) So,I am striving to let my authentic self shine.”

In my words. Dale is a superb storyteller, Poet, and Photographer. She is the mother of two, and, you can find her mostly giving of herself to others.

Here is a recent partial set of photos Dale took and used under the title. The full text is on her site.

The Moon, Playing Coquette

Like voyeurs, they watch, moonstruck, unwilling to leave, because, on this night, the Moon plays temptress. Unabashedly, she prances around fully nude, but tonight, though her light is bright, she keeps a sliver of herself hidden.

She is playing the seductress with a reverse striptease. She flirts with the leaves on the trees, coyly covering and uncovering parts of herself.

First one side,

then the other, concealing more of herself each time she shifts.

It is a sensuous dance that surprises the watchers. How can they be aroused by the addition rather than the removal of vestments? And yet they are. Enchanted, even.

At last, she finishes her dance, her new garment reminding her audience of a woman’s shoulder, decorated with lace.

Stream of Conscious Saturday – Prompt – Container

~ John W. Howell ~ 41 Comments

 

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again, and here comes Linda Hill carrying a big bag.

“Hi, Linda.”

“Hi, John, I have in this container the prompt for this week.”

“Can’t wait. What is it?”

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘container.’ Use the word ‘container’ any way you’d like. Or think about a container of some kind and write about it. Enjoy!”

“Gee, thanks., Linda.”

“You need a haircut, John.”

“Bye, Linda.”

There you have it. If you would like to join in the fun, visit Linda’s blog, and you can read how easy it is. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 26/2020

Container by John W. Howell © 2020

“Hey, man. What’s up?”

“Ah, the seventies man arrives.”

“Wow. Good mood I see. Linda Hill must have given you a perplexing prompt.”

“Not really, it’s just I have to figure out how to use the prompt.”

“What is it?”

“Container.”

“Easy peezy. Just use the word ‘container.’ Heck, you and I could use it several ways.”

“No, the word container was already used up top.”

“Up top? Where is ‘up top?”‘

“The beginning of the post. Linda used the word ‘container’ in describing what she had in a bag.”

“So that’s a noun. Use it as a verb.”

“Um.”

“He containered the virus.”

“Big stretch.”

“Okay, adjective.”

“Go ahead.”

“His belly resembled a container.”

“Bigger stretch. I think I’ll just use ‘container ship’ as my prompt.”

“Oh, excellent idea. You can talk about how they container things and where they store the containers.”

“And I can do it myself.”

“Ah, right you are. Me ? I’ll just walk to the container store and see what is new in closet items.”

“Or walk to the open container joint and have a few 12 ouncers.”

“That too. You stay and work hard. I’ll be off doing research.”

“Be careful I don’t want to have to bail you out of the drunk container.”

“I like what you did there. See ya.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

~ John W. Howell ~ 64 Comments

 

“Why are you at the door?”
“I think Friday is in there.”
“Little one. Friday is a day, not a being. Friday is everywhere.”
“Yeah, isn’t it great?”

Here we are having arrived at Friday again. I hope you all had a super week. I have been touring with some of the best bloggers. It has been an exciting experience. I suddenly realize why I only publish one book every 18 months. This is a lot of work. I also feel so much gratitude for those who have volunteered to host me and especially for those who continually stop to comment. I get a real sense of Family with this process.

Come the 30th of September, and all this tour stuff will be done. Then on to the dreaded AMS (Amazon Marketing System) for some fun with ads. I was so confused this week I put the TGIF moniker on the Wednesday Hump Day post. All of you were so gracious in not mentioning it.

Today’s JohnKu talks about promoting a new book. I hope you have a relaxing weekend and a good one next week.

Promotion by John W. Howell © 2020

The last word spoken,

When the journey is over . . .

Never “promotion.”

 

Today I’m with Teagan Genevienne at Teagan’s Books

~ John W. Howell ~ 35 Comments

Today I’m with Teagan Genevienne and another excerpt from Eternal Road – The final stop. Come on by. Here is the link

/https://teagansbooks.com/2020/09/25/john-howell/

A little about Teagan

Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene writes fantasy fiction.  Her blog is mostly limited to writing and related topics.  It began in 2012, as part of her “grand experiment” in indie publishing.

Though she wasn’t born there, she was enchanted by the desert southwest of the USA the first time she moved there.  Then work took her to Washington, D. C. for a decade. However, she has finally returned to those enchanting lands.

She had always devoured fantasy novels of every type.  Then one day there was no new book at hand for reading — so she decided to write one.  And she hasn’t stopped writing since.

Her writing is colored by experiences of her early life in the southern states and later in the southwest.  Major influences include Agatha Christie, Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and Charlaine Harris.

Most often she writes in the fantasy genre, but she also writes 1920s mysteries and Steampunk.  Her blog, “Teagan’s Books” also features serial stories spontaneously written according to random “things” she receives from viewers.”

A sample of her books

Thistledown           PIP Books – Three Things Serial

Midsummer Bedlam

Atonement TN collection