Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

 

 

I’m telling you, kid, its Wednesday. Friday is two days off.

Wednesday Story Day again. Last week we learned that a detective working on the Sandusky case was killed in an accident with a truck while he was on his way to church. Also, we witnessed Schmidt asking questions about Larry talking to his deceased wife. Before this confusion, Larry was going to contact the retired M.E. to determine if there is anything about the autopsy that wasn’t included in the report. I see Larry knocking on the M.E.’s door. Let’s go this should be good.

“Yeah, can I help you?”

“My name is Larry Dunfee with the Homicide Division, and I wonder if you have a few moments to speak with me?”

“Hold that badge closer will you detective. I don’t see as well as I used to.”

“No problem. Here you can hold it and the ID.”

“I assume you are a detective the way you are dressed.”

“Yes, sir. Homicide Division.”

“Yeah, that’s what your ID says too. What can I do for you?”

“Is there a place where we can talk?”

“Oh, my. Pardon my manners. Please come in.”

“Thank you. I have a case to discuss, and we should do so in private.”

“A case? Which one?”

“The Sandusky case.”

“You know I’m retired.”

“Yes, sir. After twenty-five years on the job.”

“And I never saw anything like it.”

“Like what sir?”

“Like a body without a heart and not a scratch on it.”

“That is why I wanted to talk to you. Is that possible?”

“I hardly think so. Would you like some coffee. I was just pouring a cup.”

“That would be terrific sir.”

“Call me Andrew. My name is Andrew. Sir makes me feel even older than I am.”

“Okay, Andrew. I wouldn’t want you feeling any older for sure.”

“Come into the kitchen. We can talk while I get us some coffee. You’ll have to excuse the place. I don’t get many visitors these days.”

“Looks swell to me.”

“The Mrs. would have my hide if she saw this.”

“She out of town?”

“In a manner of speaking. She passed a year ago.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss, Andrew.”

“Hit me hard. We were together for fifty years. I couldn’t believe it when she was gone.”

“I know how you feel. My wife passed a year ago as well.”

“I’ll be darned. What is the probability of two people in the same room having lost their wives a year ago? How long were you married?”

“Twenty-five years.”

“God that’s tough. At least I had more time with my Gina.”

“Gloria. My wife’s name is Gloria.”

“Both begin with a “G.”

“Hold on Doc. I’ve had enough on the fact our wives died a year ago. Let’s leave it at that.”

“As you say, Detective.”

“Call me Larry.”

“Do you take anything in your coffee, Larry?”

“Half and half and Splenda if you have it.”

“I take mine the same way. I’m sorry boy but there seems to be some kind of circumstance here, and you might as well go with it. Now, what about the Sandusky case?”

 

 

 

#NewBook: The Contract by John Howell and Gwen Plano

Gwen and I are visiting Tina Frisco today. A visit to her blog will immediately show you how supportive Tina is to other authors. She is also a gifted author and her book Vampyrie won the AUTHORSdb 2018 First Lines Contest. Congratulations, Tina and thank you so much for having us.

Tina Frisco's avatarTINA FRISCO

It is with great pleasure that I’m hosting authors John Howell and Gwen Plano on the blog tour for their new book. Please join me in welcoming them ❤️

*************

The CONTRACT between heaven and earth

By John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano

Thank you, Tina, for inviting us to join you today. We are so grateful to be featured on your lovely blog and have this opportunity to share a bit about our new book. You are an inspiration to all who know you. All the best to you!

The Contract by John Howell and Gwen Plano

Available on Kindle and in Paperback

Kindle priced at $0.99 for the introduction.

The CONTRACTis a different story for writers John W. Howell and Gwen M. Plano. For either of them, it is their first attempt at co-authorship. After a year of Hurricane Harvey and other challenges, they have created, what they have termed, an inspirational thriller…

View original post 713 more words

A Dynamic Duo of Authors: The Contract by John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano is now available!

Gwen and I are visiting Marie Ann Bailey on her terrific blog 1 Write Way. I have been following Marie since I started blogging and each time I visit her posts, I come away with beautiful thoughts that are worth remembering. Marie’s motto is “I am therefore I write.” I can’t think of a better way to describe her. Oh, there are two more things. She knits and loves cats. Thank you, Marie, for your help on the introduction of The Contract.

Marie A Bailey's avatarMarie at 1 Write Way

Today I am psyched to help promote a new book co-written by John Howell and Gwen Plano. They are both wonderful people and writers, and their new novel is definitely on topic for the time we live in. Read on for more about …

The CONTRACT between heaven and earth

By John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano

Thank you, Marie for inviting us to join you today. We are so grateful to be featured on your blog to share a bit about our new book. We know your passion is knitting and related arts and respect the amout of work that goes into each piece. We thank you for taking the time away from this advocation to help spread the word.

The Contract

Available on Kindle and Paperback

Kindle priced at $0.99 for the introduction.

The CONTRACT is a different story for writers John W. Howell and Gwen M. Plano. For…

View original post 609 more words

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #179 by Keith Channing

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 – pingbacks don’t often work.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries, with links to your own blog or web site, next Monday.”

The Photo.

Kreative Kue #179

“Okay, so how far have we moved?”
“Today?”
“Very funny.”
“I’m serious.”
“Yes, if you must joke, today.”
“Twelve feet.”
“Twelve feet? You must be kidding. I’m sure we have come further.”
“Further than yesterday’s sixteen feet.”
“This is insane. How can we continue to stay on this road when it is obvious the traffic isn’t going anywhere?”
“Um. Check the barrier in the middle.”
“Huh? Yeah, that does look pretty formidable. How about to the right?”
“The hills.”
“Drat. We’re trapped like rats. What kind of vacation is this anyway?”
“I think rats have a better chance. I would say it is a survival kind of vacation. We are out of water.”
“How can we be out of water? We packed enough for three days.”
“We’ve been sitting here for four.”
“We have? Where have I been?”
“A real good question. How’s that book coming along?”
“I guess I have been a little preoccupied.”
“I would call it ‘deep trance’ rather than preoccupied.”
“Well, there is a plot point I have been trying to work out.”
“That point where the man and woman are trapped in a cave and can’t get out.”
“That’s the one.”
“Art imitating life I think.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Did you work it out?”
“Yes. It seems they found an old flare gun and fired it through a vent in the ceiling of the cave and were rescued by the Coast Guard.”
“Oh, that is ingenious. Isn’t there a Coast Guard station near here?”
“Let me look on my phone. Oh yes, there’s one about three miles from here.”
“Do we have a flare gun?”
“Gosh no. Wait. Are you thinking of the cave rescue.”
“Could be. Open the sunroof. Maybe I can yell loud enough for help.”
“We are not in a cave.”
“Could have fooled me.”

The Contract – Guest Post with Mary Adler

Gwen and I are with Mary Adler today. Mary is hosting us to bring the news of The Contract to her readers. Mary is a writer and very supportive of Indie authors. A visit to her site will give you an idea of just how. Here is the link to her blog.

About Mary in her words.

I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, quite a long time ago. When I was six or seven, I moved to northern California, where my dog and I disobeyed orders and spent afternoons exploring the bay. We found rocks and shells, crabs and fish. I touched the sandpaper skin of a dead shark and popped the bulbs on the ends of the kelp washed up on the shore. An afternoon at the bay was usually followed by an afternoon of
confinement – if only we could have avoided the tell-tale tar from the Standard Oil Refinery that matted her fur together or ruined yet another pair of my shorts.

When I was fourteen, I returned to Pittsburgh and spent the next decades yearning to live in California again. I yearned through college, teaching in Head Start, marrying, having children, going to law school, practicing law, becoming an associate dean at a medical school, and pursuing photography. During the yearning years, I returned to California for visits to renew my spirit and research the mystery book I was going to write one day.

Finally, my dreams have come true. Sonoma County is home, and In the Shadow of Lies is the book I began researching so long ago.

Thank you, Mary.

 

Top Ten Things Not to Do While Reading a Book

Top Ten

 

 

The inspiration for this list came to me while traveling. I was watching several people reading books and doing other things. It struck me that there are several things that one should not do while reading a book. I hope you enjoy this list.

10 If you are reading a book, do not drive a car. If you do, at best you may lose your place when you drop the book to avoid an accident. At worst, you may lose the book when you end upside down in a culvert. (Didn’t see that curve while you were wrapped up in the murder scene huh, Esau?)

9 If you are reading a book, do not walk in heavy pedestrian traffic. If you do, at best you’ll avoid getting knocked down. At worse, you will run into Tiny the WWF champ as he is leaving his tactile psychosis support group. (Hard to believe someone has such a problem with being touched. I don’t think offering Tiny the book will offset his reaction, Efrain. Maybe running is a better choice.)

8 If you are reading a book, do not sip hot coffee without taking your eyes off the book. If you do, at best you’ll only spill a drop. At worst, you might miss your mouth and feel the joy of 180-degree liquid on your chest. ( Lucky for you your lap was under the table, Eloi.)

7 If you are reading a book, do not step onto an elevator. If you do, at best there is room for you. At worst, the elevator is packed with members of the NFL bargaining unit members, and they just lost a bargaining point to the owners. (Kind of shocking they wouldn’t make room for a dweeb with a book, Ealdun. Lucky for you your foot didn’t get stuck in the door.)

6 If you are reading a book, do not eat pasta marinara. If you do, at best your book is on Kindle, and the screen is cleanable. At worst, you are reading the first edition of War and Peace which you borrowed from the Library of Congress. (Looks like destroying a national treasure carries a significant penalty, Eban. Maybe A fishing trip to Canada is in order.)

5 If you are reading a book, do not operate machinery. If you do, at best the mechanism doesn’t have spinning blades. At worst, your machine is designed to chop a twelve-ton block of steel into one-inch pieces. (You might want to put that book down, Ebo. It looks like the feeding phase inadvertently has your shirt tangled with the twelve-ton block of steel.)

4 If you are reading a book, do not continue your free fall while skydiving. If you do, at best the exciting part will end in time for the ripcord pull. At worst, you are at the part in the book where the detective is about to expose the identity of the murderer. (Only two more pages and you’ll know, Edoardo. Too bad the ground is there in one.)

3 If you are reading a book, do not take the black five diamond downhill ski course. If you do, at best a ski patrol member will be close. At worst, your fall and roll was the beginning of the giant snowball that crashed into the lodge through the huge dining room floor to ceiling window. (Lucky you survived, Eero. Now the hotel management would like to know if you want to put the $50,000 window on your room tab.)

2 If you are reading a book, do not shoot the curl of a gigantic wave off the coast of Hawaii. If you do, at best your wipeout will be well offshore. At worst, you will ride the wave entirely distracted until you land on the shore. (Just how hard did you hit the sand, Egon? We sure hope you can get out of that ten-foot deep crater. Give Egan a hand for that unorthodox landing, folks)

1 If you are reading a book, do not continue to compete in the world airplane aerobatics competition. If you do, at best you might miss a loop. At worst, you may lose your orientation and think up is down and down is up. (Time to put the book down, Ekon. If you are quick, you just may pull out of this dive before dropping below the horizon. It is very hard below that horizon.)

The CONTRACT between heaven and earth By John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano

Gwen and I are honored to be a guest on Helen Valentina’s blog. Helen is a very talented poet, writer, and storyteller. Her Darker Realms series has kept me captivated with the pure genius of her horror writing. She also writes thought-provoking poems that teach, enlighten, and delight. Visit Helen, and you will see what I mean. Thank you so much, Helen I am always grateful for your support.

Helen's avatarhelenvalentina

Thank you, Helen, for inviting us to join you today. We are so grateful to be featured on your blog and appreciate your focus on elemental writing. We hope you find our book to be an example of such written passion.

The Contract

Available on Kindle and Paperback

Kindle priced at $0.99 for the introduction.

The CONTRACT is a different story for writers John W. Howell and Gwen M. Plano. For either of them, it is their first attempt at co-authorship. After a year of Hurricane Harvey and other challenges, they have created, what they have termed, an inspirational thriller that bridges heaven and earth.

Here is the blurb:

The earth is threatened with a catastrophic political event which could result in international warfare and destroy all life on the planet. In heaven, a divine council decides that extraordinary measures are essential. They call for an intervention that involves two souls returning…

View original post 548 more words

Views of the Neighborhood – Charlies Pasture

We have always like to visit Charlies Pasture nature preserve. The last time we were here the Hurricane damage prevented us from entering. There are still no cars allowed but we took a walk past the gate to see how the park fared in the hurricane.

Charley's Pasture

Here is the locked main gate.

You can see the hurricane-damaged sea wall. Those are mothballed drilling rigs in the background

A view of the seawall and the road. Quite a lot of damage.

Another view to give you some perspective.

While we were walking a family of dolphins came up to the seawall. This is the male. It was quite exciting to see them so close to the shore.

I asked how he was doing and he didn’t answer.

He’s starting his dive.

There are a mother and baby in the background as well as the male who is in the foreground

This is the mother and baby. The baby is a half a stroke ahead of the mother.

To give you an idea of the storm power this sea wall used to run all the way across that body of water

A shot showing the breach.

One last shot of papa. Notice the pelican stays pretty close. The dolphin stirs up the fish population, and the pelican is standing by to catch a hapless fish fleeing.

Available Now! ‘The Contract’ by John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano #bookboost #fathersday

Gwen and I are with Charles Yallowitz. He is helping spread the word about The Contract. Charles is the talented writer behind the Legends of Windemere the successful Fantasy series. Visit Charles and check out his many books. Thank you, Charles, for your help.

Charles Yallowitz's avatarLegends of Windemere

The CONTRACT between heaven and earth

By John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano

Thank you, Charles, for inviting us to join you today. We are very grateful to be featured on your Legends of Windemere blog. Though Windemere is of a world different from our own, it’s amazing how exciting the adventures can be. Thank you!

The Contract

Available on Kindle and Paperback

Kindle priced at $0.99 for the introduction.

The CONTRACT is a different story for writers John W. Howell and Gwen M. Plano. For either of them, it is their first attempt at co-authorship. After a year of Hurricane Harvey and other challenges, they have created, what they have termed, an inspirational thriller that bridges heaven and earth.

Here is the blurb:

The earth is threatened with a catastrophic political event which could result in international warfare and destroy all life on the planet. In heaven, a divine council…

View original post 602 more words

The Contract – between heaven and earth

Today Gwen and I are with Craig Boyack on his fascinating blog Entertaining Stories. Craig specializes in telling stories that are not only entertaining but demonstrate Craig’s exceptional creative talent. His newest release, The Yak Guy Project promises to be a terrific read. Thank you for having us, Craig.

coldhandboyack's avatarEntertaining Stories

I’m really excited to have John and Gwen stop by today. I had the honor of being a beta reader on this story, and I think you guys are going to like it.

The CONTRACT between heaven and earth

By John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano

Thank you, Craig, for inviting us to join you today. We are super excited to be featured on your blog where some of the most imaginative writing takes place. Also, we are so thrilled to meet Lisa Burton. We’ve wanted to try on The Hat, but we promised to be on our best behavior and besides who knows what could happen if we did. Thanks again.

The Contract

Available on Kindle and Paperback

Kindle priced at $0.99 for the introduction.

The CONTRACT is a different story for writers John W. Howell and Gwen M. Plano. For either of them, it is their first attempt at…

View original post 630 more words