I am the guest today at Sally Cronin’s beautiful post, Sally’s Cafe and Book Store. A visit to Sally’s place always brings new information about authors, books, and life itself. Thank you, Sally it is an honor to be here.
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.
Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Language
It is Stream of Consciousness time again and this week’s prompt is “language.” If you would like to join in why not wander over to Linda Hill’s place and read how. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2017/05/12/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-1317/
Language by John W. Howell © 2017
“What did the guy say?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean ‘not sure?”‘
“Well I asked the questions, and he answered me I think.”
“I have to ask you directly. What did he say?”
“He said ‘Jeremiah was a bullfrog. He was a good friend of mine. I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine. And he always had some mighty fine wine.”‘
“For heaven’s sake. Those are lyrics to a song by the Three Dog Night.”
“I thought it was a little strange but considered he was talking in a different language.”
“The language is English. How could it be different?”
“Well, it could be code for something else.”
“I would say it was drunk for something else. So we still don’t know where we are?”
“We are here, but the question is where is here?”
“Now what language are you speaking.”
“Poetic right?”
“Stupid if you ask me. We need to get directions out of here.”
“We gotta get out of this place if it’s the last thing we ever do.”
“You are starting to wear on my last nerve.”
“Shush, big boys don’t cry. Big boys don’t cry.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop in the name of love before you break my heart.”
“Think it over.”
“After I’ve been good to you.”
“Think it over.”
“After I’ve been sweet to you. Stop in the name of love.”
“Before I break your head.”
“Huh? What just happened there?”
“We need to find out where we are.”
“I just got lost. Every river I tried to cross.”
“Enough.”
“Okay. Let’s try to find someone who speaks our language.”
“Maybe Spotify.”
Book Launch – Ritual of the Lost Lamb by Charles Yallowitz #Fantasy
Dark times are waiting for the champions in
RITUAL OF THE LOST LAMB!
Death is a blessing that the Baron is not ready to bestow upon his new toy.
In the chaos surrounding the Spirit Well, Luke Callindor has disappeared and the only clue the psychic scream of agony that Dariana cannot ignore. Knowing that a journey to Shayd will result in their ultimate battle, the champions have devised another way to rescue their friend. With permission from the gods, Nyx has begun the Ritual of the Lost Lamb. It is a long and exhausting spell, which is made even more difficult by a new threat that is out to make all of the Baron’s enemies suffer.
It is a race against time where every minute lost brings Luke Callindor one step closer to a fate worse than oblivion.
Grab it on Amazon!
Add it to your Goodreads ‘To Read’ List!
Excerpt: Audience Granted
Having said her piece, Nyx gnaws on a hunk of jerky and sips at a waterskin while the others discuss her idea. She refuses to admit that she is having second thoughts about breaking a god seal even with permission. The last time she accomplished such a feat was by accident and resulted in her magic being sealed for days. Nyx shudders at the memory of feeling so many lives ending at her hands and takes a sloppy drink of leathery water to steady her nerves. The result is a full body convulsion of disgust and a hacking cough as the liquid goes down her windpipe. Flicking a green beetle off her shoulder, the channeler impatiently paces in a circle and wonders why the others are taking so long.
The hairs on the back of Nyx’s neck rise and her arms become covered in goosebumps as a pulse of energy ripples through the clearing. She is about to ask her friends if they feel anything, but stops when she sees that they are frozen in time. The half-elf’s heart pounds in her chest as she fears that the Baron is about to attack. More terror seeps into her mind when she expects to turn around and find Luke’s tortured body dangling before her eyes. Not wanting to be caught by surprise, a flaming disc appears in her palm and hums as she searches for the source of the powerful spell. The snap of a twig to her left causes Nyx to hurl the fiery circle, which splits into a swarm of deadly copies that would destroy any normal enemy. Against the ebony platemail of Gabriel, the discs puff into balls of harmless smoke that remain hovering in place.
“Your friends have agreed to your idea,” the Destiny God states, ignoring the mortal’s amusing attack. He removes his black cape, which becomes a vague chair for the nervously bowing channeler. “Now, this is unique. In fact, it is quite unheard of, which is why I am granting you an audience. The Law of Influence says I cannot get involved, but nobody has ever asked for permission to do something like this. Needless to say, all of us are very curious to see how all of this plays out.”
“I want to unseal the Ritual of the Lost Lamb,” Nyx politely requests while she takes a seat on the cape. An enchanting warmth rises from the cloth and she nearly falls asleep from the blissful energy that infects her body. “This is the only way to save Luke without marching into the Baron’s territory. We both know that is what he wants. With the forbidden ritual, I can gather my little brother’s residual energy and bring him home. None of us will be at risk since it’s a combination of a summoning and teleportation spell.”
“Strange that you know about a spell designed by channelers. Especially since it has not been used since the ancient Race War,” Gabriel says with a nod of his head. Urging voices in the back of his head causes the god to hum with his mouth closed, the spell jolting the sources of his rising irritation. “The Ritual of the Lost Lamb was taken from mortals before my time, but I understand the reason it made the gods worry. Such a thing could be the first step into summoning a deity against his or her will. Possibly even stealing immortality. Though I believe times have changed and we should reconsider the sealing.”
“Time is also running out,” the channeler replies, shying away when the powerful deity stares at her. A flickering realization that the Baron’s power might be on the same level of Gabriel gives her the courage to meet the man’s piercing eyes. “I apologize for sounding like I’m rushing you. Yet, it has been said that the gods and goddesses have no concept of time since you exist forever. That means I have to push even though I want to speak with respect.”
“In other words, you want a decision now.”
“That would be best, sir.”
“Sadly, I cannot agree to your terms.”
“I haven’t made any terms.”
“Exactly.”
Need to catch Legends of Windemere from the beginning? Then click on the covers below!
You can start for FREE . . .
Or grab the $4.99 ‘3 in 1’ bundles!
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
3D Conversion by Bestt_graphics
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Also Available in Single eBooks:
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover art by Jason Pedersen
Interested in a new adventure? Then grab your Kindle & dive back into the world of Windemere! Don’t forget an apple for Fizzle.
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 his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.
Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com
Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF
I hope you are ready for the weekend. This has been a good week for me with more words written on the WIP. I did add a tweak on the Amazon Marketing Services promotion. I paused the first and launched a second and can report that I got fewer impressions but more clicks per impression. (For those who wonder Amazon charges by the click and you can set the price per click in advance) I also got a sale (I’m in no hurry to figure this out) on significantly less clicks and impressions. The only thing I changed was the promo blurb. I kept the keywords and number of keywords the same and the price per click the same.
So what conclusion can I draw?
- The promo blurb is important
- The same keywords and number do not deliver the same number of impressions from promo to promo.
- The keywords that did not get any impressions were the same from promo to promo so that means my price per click on those keywords was too low.
- I need to keep experimenting with the mix.
Today’s JohnKU talks about experimentation. I hope you all have a good weekend.
Experiment By John W. Howell ©2017
To solve a problem,
Many techniques are at hand. . .
Why trial and error?
Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy Visit
“Hi, Boss.”
“Hi, Lucy. What do you want.”
“I was thinking about this post.”
“Everyone’s going to believe that one, but okay what were you thinking?”
“The title is ‘A Little Personal’ right?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And mostly when you are doing animals you are putting pictures of those stupid seagulls, herons, pelicans, and what not.”
“Stupid is a harsh word but yes.”
“What is wrong with putting pictures of Bailey, Stella, and me?”
“There is nothing wrong. Here let me put up a shot of bailey.
“What about Stella?”
“Here is one of Stella. You know how hard she is to capture on film right?”
“Yeah but run it anyway.”
“Okay here it is”
“Now how about some action shots. You know some video of Baily and I doing a ruckus in the yard.”
“You are kidding me, right? Here is an action shot of you two.”
“Aw come on. We have others”
“Hmmm let me look. Oh here is one.”
“You ran that one before.”
“For heaven’s sake. Try this one.”
“Now we are backsliding. Any more of Stella?”
“Here’s one.”
“I think I’m going to give up.”
“Well, you did manage to get some exposure. I’m sure everyone thought you were precious.”
“Come closer and say I’m precious.”
“Time to sign off. Say goodbye, Lucy.”
“Goodbye Lucy.”
Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day
It is Wednesday Story Time again. Last week we left Mrs. Murphy and Lucas discussing Lucas’ personality. From the discussion, we got a distinct impression that Mrs. Murphy cared about Lucas and maybe cared a little too much. It is time for Lucas to get back to work and that is where we left off.
“Thank you again, Mrs. Murphy. Talk to you later.”
“Be careful on that ladder, Lucas. mind your feet and hang on.”
“Yes, ma’am. I will.”
“And don’t look down to much it’ll make you dizzy.”
“Miss Harriet. I’ve been on ladders since I was six. Don’t you worry.”
“Maybe I’m being silly, but I hate heights myself and just don’t know how you can handle it up there.”
“It’s fine ma’am. I’m like a chimpanzee.”
“Mind if I watch you go up?“
“No that is fine with me. See I put one foot at a time on the rungs and make sure I have a hand free to grip.”
“Doesn’t that paint can get in the way? Shouldn’t you use a rope to haul it up after you get there?”
“Aw, that takes a lot of time Mis Harriet. it’s just as easy this way.”
“What? I can’t hear you.”
“I think I’m up so high my voice is trailing off.”
“All I heard was off, Lucas.”
“MRS. MURPHY. CAN YOU HEAR ME?”
“Yes, Lucas when you yell like that I can.”
“OKAY THEN. EVERYTHING”S FINE. I’M GOING TO START PAINTING NOW.
“As for me, I’m going in the house. I can’t stand to watch anymore.”
“HA HA HA. DON’T WORR— OOPS OH MY GOSH YAAAAA.”
“W-wha? Lucas are you all right?
“Mmmmumgh.”
“Lucas speak to me. Are you okay?”
“Nine…one…one.”
“Yes. I’ll be right back. I’m going in to call.”
“H-hurry Mrs. Murph—”
“Don’t Lucas. Stay with me, Lucas. Lucas. Lucas open your eyes. Help me, someone. Please help me.”
Tuesday – Anything Possible Creative Kue #122 by Keith Channing
Keith explains. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; and either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithkreates@channing.fr 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.
“Psst. Hey, mister.”
“W-what? Who said that?”
“You waiting to see the doc?”
“Are you talking to me?”
“Who else is in the room. Look around. No one here but us two.”
“Wait a minute. Cats can’t talk. Is this some kind of prank?”
“It would be called a punked. And no this is not that.”
“So what is it? Somebody throwing their voice?”
“No. See my lips moving. I’m really trying to talk to you.”
“So what do you want?”
“I’ll tell you what I don’t want.”
“Whats that?”
“The damn operation that’s what.”
“What operation?”
“Man, you are real quick aren’t you?”
“No need to be rude.”
“Yeah, sorry. I’m using my cat brain and my human voice. Sometimes the two don’t work together right.”
“No problem. Let me ask again, what operation? You look fine to me.”
“Then why do they say I need to be fixed. I don’t feel broken.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re going to be neutered.”
“Neutered? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you won’t be able to sire more cats.”
“And how is this a good thing?”
“Well, for one thing, you won’t be bringing unwanted and perhaps abandoned kittens into the world.”
“I get that. What do I get out of this deal?”
“You won’t be fighting with other cats and will possibly live longer.”
“Okay, most of my fights are over romance. Are you saying there is no more romance?”
“Yup. All of that will be forgotten.”
“So they are going to fix my brain?”
“No. Just the things that cause your brain to go crazy at the sight of a female. Everything else remains the same.”
“So no fights and no romance and you say I may live longer.”
“That’s what they tell me.”
“Maybe it just seems like you live longer with all that boredom.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“You been fixed?”
“More or less son. More or less.”
Top Ten Things Not to Do in Your Spouse’s New Car
The inspiration for the list was the rotation of an old car for a new car for my wife. Yes, it was her turn for a new vehicle and brought to mind some of the things that I will never even think of doing in it.
Top Ten Things Not to Do in Your Spouse’s New Car
10 In your spouse’s new car, do not eat a fast food anything. If you do, at best the lingering smell will give you away. At worst, all efforts to contain the mustard will fail in one small conspicuous spot. (You never thought mustard could stain leather did you, Ferd?)
9 In your spouse’s new car, do not park anywhere near the shopping cart return area. If you do, at best all the returns will be in the slot. At worst, the car will collect shopping carts as if it is a magnet. (Maybe you could claim you were attacked by zombie shopping carts huh, Bosco?)
8 In your spouse’s new car do not take the dog. If you do, at best you’ll need to vacuum out the hair. At worst, the dog needed a nail trim and a bath so now the seats are not only dirty but also scratched. (You could claim a wild raccoon got in an open window or just leave home, Buford.)
7 In your spouses new car, do not pick up anything from Home Depot. If you do, at best the potting sold dirt can be cleaned up. At worst, the technician forgot to replace the oil cap on that chain saw which makes the back seat area look like a CSI crime scene. (Don’t worry about the consequences Tex. You won’t live to see tomorrow.)
6 In your spouse’s new car, do not follow that gravel truck. If you do at best you’ll stay back far enough to avoid the falling rocks. At worst, the replacement windshield is only $1200.00. (You better hope the guy can get it done today huh, Bunky?)
5 In your spouse’s car, do not park in a tight spot. If you do, at best your neighbors will take great care not to ding your car. At worst, you’ve blocked in Tiny the WWF champ who has just arrived to attend his first counseling session on overcoming claustrophobia. (No telling when he will stop trying to get out of his car. Maybe when his door falls off or your car has been crushed enough to give him freedom, Putz.)
4 In your spouse’s car, do not change the radio. if you do, at best you can remember to set it back to the original station. At worst, you will forget and be the recipient of a “no use” order. (Hard to follow that order when your car is blocked in huh, Buster? Hint. Don’t even think about taking that car.)
3 In your spouses car, do not exceed the speed limit when told not to do it. If you do, at best no one will know. At worst, even though you tried to cover it up, your ticket is being used as a training event for the local police and covered by the six o’clock news. (Your best bet is hit the circuit breaker at 5:59 and blame a power outage. Handling the neighbor phone calls will be a trickier matter huh, Ralph?)
2 In your spouses car, do not have a cup of hot coffee while you drive. If you do, at best that small spill will be caught by your shirt. At worst, the unseen pothole makes the coffee go airborne leaving some interesting stain patterns on the light-colored upholstery. (You now know that those OXY-Clean commercials overpromise huh, Pal?)
1 In your spouse’s car, do not drive on that new asphalt road. If you do, at best a few spots will come off with mineral spirits. At worst, your spouse’s white car appears as if it is a prop in a new One hundred and One Dalmatian film. (The sad part is you were told to avoid that area right, Pard?)
Views of the Neighborhood
Today’s Views of the Neighborhood is all about the ferries that connect our island to the mainland. There are two ways on and off the island. The first is a causeway at the South end of the island and the second is a ferry ride at the North end.
Here is an archive photo of Mitzi the first ferry to serve our Island in 1922.
This next archive photo is of the Nellie B in service in the 1930s and 40s. In 1968 the Texas Department of Transportation took over ferry operations and the rides became toll-free.
Now in modern times, the Ferry service has the latest equipment and technology.
This sign gives ferry riders an idea of how long the wait will be in enough time to turn around if they choose.
This is a shot of the latest ferry put into service in 2010. It carries twenty-eight cars. There are two of these giants.
The next photo is of the older and smaller twenty car model of which there are six.
This photo is of the landing at Aransas Pass on the other side of the channel.
Here is a shot of the Port Aransas side of the channel
You may have noticed that each of the Ferries has a name. The names of the Ferries are past Executive Directors of the Texas Department of Transportation. Here is a close up of the Arnold W. Oliver.
These mothballed oil drilling rigs are across from the Port Aransas side.
It just so happened that a freighter was passing by.
Then a barge going in the opposite direction
In front of the barge is a dolphin surfing the bow wave.
My producer said to leave out the drilling rigs, freighter, and barge pictures but then Dan Antion’s voice hit my ear. “Leave ’em in,” he whispered.
Ferry operations are twentyfour hours a day seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year.
Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Inter-“
It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this week’s prompt is “Inter—” Yes, that’s right we must use words that begin with Inter. If you would like to join in, I would suggest a visit to the feelings doctor. No, wait that’s not right. I would suggest a visit to Linda Hill’s blog to find out how. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2017/05/05/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-617/
Inter by John W. Howell © 2107
“Now class I want you to intermingle with the international students during intermission.”
“Aw gee Mr. Thompson. Do we have to?”
“Billy, how are we going to interchange knowledge of our cultures if we don’t interact with one another?”
“Oh, I don’t know. maybe we can play baseball or something.”
“I’m not sure our colleagues will be interested in a game that is not internalized in their own country.”
“Huh?”
“Baseball is intertwined in the fabric of America but has not been consistently interpenetrated in the rest of the world.”
“We could teach them.”
“Interesting concept, Billy. Let me interpolate your offer to the other counselors and see if there are any interregional possibilities to make that happen.”
“Huh?”
“I’m going to interview the other counselors to see if they can interpret to everyone some form of a game that you all can play.”
“Oh.”
“In the interim I want you to be prepared to interchange the skills of the game with others.”
“Okay. I will be ready.”
“And if you need an intermediary intermittently or on a regular interval just call on me.”
“Sure, Mr. Thompson. The first thing I need is an interpreter.”
“How come?”
“To interpose your words into something I can understand.”
“That hurts, Billy.”
