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.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

~ John W. Howell ~ 38 Comments

Ah Friday

Another Friday and I have to say this week was quick. (I guess I always say that in one way or another) I spent some time with the youngest daughter helping hang some things (shelves, curtain rod, etc.) in her new apartment. It is always nice having some one on one time. She took me to a great place for dinner, and we had a chance to chat a little which is something I always enjoy. She is so adult that it is scary. The rest of the time was spent running around to various doctor appointments which is the life of a senior citizen.

I did mail the manuscript for Our Justice (The third of the John Cannon Trilogy) to the editor, and she is working on it now.

My JohnKu talks about feeling good about accomplishments. I hope you enjoy it.

Feeling Good By John W. Howell © 2016

Coming to the end,

Of a challenging project. . .

Think how accomplished.

 

Thursday – A Little Personal

~ John W. Howell ~ 51 Comments

One of the things our Boxers Lucy (L) and Bailey (R) love to do is dig in the sand. They are especially happy when they come upon a gopher mound. To date, no gophers have been injured by these two. They continue to try but are up against a foe with superior intelligence. (Just looking at these two will confirm the previous sentence.)

Miners

 

Here they are. You be the judge.

Intelligent

 

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

~ John W. Howell ~ 41 Comments

 

College photoWednesday Story Time again. Last week we were surprised to find out that Father Lightfoot was, in fact, a FBI agent. I think Ben is in a bit of hot water since he unloaded the fact that he had planned to blow up the Student Union. I’m not sure but to the agent, this might sound like terrorism. Let’s go back to the hospital and see what is happening next.

“Yes, sir. I’m with the FBI. Now tell me a little more about this plan of Mrs. Worthe’s.”
“Gee father… er …Mr. Lightfoot. Do you think I need a lawyer?”
“You can call me Raymond, Ben. Why would you think you need a lawyer?”
“Well, I just told you I was going to blow up the Student Union. That’s a crime, and you are a FBI agent.”
“All true Ben. If you want to get a lawyer you sure can do that and we can stop talking right now.”
“You sound like there is an ‘or’ in there somewhere.”
“You are pretty perceptive Ben. There is an ‘or.”’
“What is it?”
“Well, we have had our eye on the Worthes for some time. They have been doing some strange things with offshore savings accounts. These activities seem not consistent with law-abiding behavior.”
“What do you think they’re doing?”
“We are not one-hundred percent sure. In fact, we have several agencies involved.”
“Several organizations?”
“Yes. As you know, the Worthes are authorized by the ATF to supply demolition materials for construction companies.”
“ATF?”
“Sorry. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. These are the guys responsible for policing the laws connected with these items. Explosives fall under the firearms section. The Treasury Department is interested in the money flow overseas.”
“Anyone else.”
“Yeah, Homeland Security is interested in the source of the money. The IRS is interested in taxes on the money. The CIA is wondering who is paying the money.”
“Is everyone standing in line?”
“No. The first line of the investigation rests with the FBI. We are authorized domestically and will be the liaison to the others. So here is the deal, Ben. You help us, and we will help you.”
“W-what do you want to know?”
“We want to know everything you know and then we want you to find out what is going on.”
“You expect me to spy on the Worthes?”
“Well, ‘spy’ is a harsh word. Let’s just say we would like you to report what is going on.”
“You know Mrs. Worthe doesn’t trust me. Right?”
“No, I did not know that. Hmmm, maybe we have the wrong person.’
“No, wait. I may have overstated the situation.”
“So what is it?”
“She wants to take my thumb to ensure that I don’t talk to anyone about what I know.”
“Oh, that. I’ll just tell her you didn’t say anything. She’ll believe me and then I think you will be good to go. No more talk now. We will be in touch.”
“How do you know she didn’t overhear this conversation?”
“The orderly outside works for me. I have texted him to get Mrs. Worthe now. I will have a private conversation with her. I’ll see you later.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Creative Kue #75 By Keith Channing

~ John W. Howell ~ 19 Comments

Although the title of this post is Anything Possible, it seems that the possible becomes Keith Channing’s prompts. In his words, he 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 – for reasons I have yet to fathom, pingbacks don’t seem to be working.

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 #

Over There by John W. Howell ©2016

“I see what you’re saying, Helen. That man looks strange.”

“I know right. What do you suppose he is doing?”

“I can’t really tell, but it looks like he has his arms outstretched like he is waiting for a hug.”

“You don’t imagine he is one of those huggers I’ve read about.”

“Huggers? What are you talking about?”

“Oh. These dirty old men go around hugging people for no reason.”

“Dirty old men? This one looks pretty clean.”

“I’m not talking about their clothes. I’m talking about their moral character.”

“You don’t suppose there is anything dirty about a hug?”

“Are you kidding me, Ruth? Some old guy grabbing you and giving you a squeeze. You would find that uplifting?”

“Well, I think there may be extenuating circumstances where it would be okay. I’m curious about that guy, though.”

“Curious how?”

“He is looking to heaven like he is a preacher asking for supplication. Look how his hair glows.”

“Supplication? Glowing hair? OMG, I just figured it out.”

“Figured out what?”

“That man is not just a man.”

“You mean?”

“Yes, that is Donald Trump.”

“Okay, I’ve reconsidered. A hug is out of the question. I need more wine.”

 

 

 

Ten Things Not to Do When You Have House Guests

~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

Annoying guests

The inspiration for this list happens every year here at the coast. We naturally get a number of visitors that one would not normally get in the city, and we learned there are a few things not to do while they are in the house.  Hope you like it (BTW this list is entirely fictional and does not reflect any particular action by any individual visitor).

Ten Things Not to Do When You Have House Guests

10 If you have house guests, do not ask if they have special dietary requirements. If you do, at best you will demonstrate how truly mannerly you are, and the answer will be, “No.” At worst, you will be given a list that includes, vegan, lactose intolerant, and gluten-free. (You realize the only thing you can serve is tea)

9 If you have house guests, do not ask if they have a preference for the kind of water to drink. If you do, at best you will get a request for a brand not available to you. At worst, the brand ordered will cost more that a fifth of vodka in a bottle half the size. ( Given the amount consumed you are also wondering if they are using it for bath water as well.)

8 If you have house guests, do not forget to tell them where to put their wet towels. If you forget, at best they will throw them on impervious surfaces. At worst, you will find them hanging from some of your newest fabric furniture. (The stain looks remarkably like Mother Teresa doesn’t it?)

7 If you have house guests, do not ask if they have laundry to do. If you do, at best the machine will be running in shifts all day. At worst, you will be seen as a member of the staff and expected to do the laundry. (Well you offered right?)

6 If you have house guests, do not answer the question, “What can we do now?” If you do, at best whatever you suggest will be rejected. At worst, after the first activity, you will be the designated events chairperson for the rest of the visit. (You forgot to issue wristbands, and now one person is lost.)

5 If you have house guests, do not put out more than one roll of toilet paper at a time. If you do, at best the paper will disappear with no explanation. At worst, your plumber will eventually get the pipes cleared after removing several toys and rolls of paper.(The parents should have warned you that their kids do this in all the hotels.)

4 If you have house guests, do not lug numerous sand toys to the beach. If you do, at best the kids will play with one for a minute. At worst, there will be too many toy choices, and you will be the cause of several kid meltdowns while they try to decide which one. (Now you know to have them pick one at the house right?)

3 If you have house guests, do not make chocolate available as a  treat choice. If you do, at best your towels will have permanent handprints. At worst, once your guests leave, you will come to the realization that you will need to convert your decor to jungle to take advantage of the Zebra like marks all over the place. (Well, you’ve been meaning to make a change right?)

2 If you have house guests, do not serve anything that melts. If you do , at best you will find little puddles of melted food everywhere. At worst, when you least expect it you will come across a sticky melted spot for years to come. (How that spot got on your pillow is still a mystery. Getting the pillow off your hair is still a painful memory moment isn’t it?)

1 If you have house guests, do not tell them they are welcome back anytime. If you do, at best the good ones will be back next year. At worst, the bad ones will be back next week. (Now you know you could have said nothing right?)

Sunday – Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 44 Comments

Happy May Day. This weekend is the Texas SandFest here in Port Aransas. I had hoped to get some pictures to share, but unfortunately due to the high tides I could not get down the beach to the event.  The traffic is such that the wait to get to the site would be way too long taking the one road on the island. The Texas SandFest is a major sand sculpture competition that brings artists from all over the world. Here is a link to the Sandfest Facebook page where you can see at least some of the displays.

https://www.facebook.com/TexasSandFest/

Here is a picture of the beach where you can see evidence of the tides and a nice reflection of the sun on the water.

 

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt Zoo

~ John W. Howell ~ 36 Comments

Stream Of Consciousness Saturday

 

Another Saturday and so it is Stream of Consciousness time. Linda Hill has given us a very nice prompt, “Zoo.” She says we can use it alone or as part of another word. I’m going to try to put Zoo in each line of dialog. If I can’t fit it in the conversation will be over. If you would like to join this madness fun click on the link and go see what is going on.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS April 30/16

Zoo by John W. Howell © 2016

“So what was that Zoo something movie?”

“Zoolander?”

“Yeah that was it. It wasn’t about a zoo though.”

No, it was about the modeling industry which is a zoo of it’s own.”

“Yeah, I remember the character’s name was Darrell Zoolander and he was no paleozoologist I would say.”

“What is a Paleozoologist? Sounds zooty.”

“Zooty? What kind of word is that? Gadzooks, it sounds like you are in another world.”

“Zooty is an old term for someone who is sharp. Goes back to the 1940’s when there were guys standing around in Zoot suits. back to my question on Paleozoologist.”

“I’m really lost now on how your mind works with that zooty thing. A Paleozoologist is someone who studies ancient animals.”

“I thought that was a Paleontoligist. How did we get zoologic all of a sudden?”

“Look up at the top. Does the prompt say anything about toligist? No it says zoo. Why would I use a word that didn’t have zoo in it. I’m forced to be a Zoophile. Besides Paleozoologist and Paleonoligst are the same science.”

“Zoophile? We need a dictionary.I think you more resemble a Zoophite anyway.”

“Zoophite? Somehow I don’t think that is a compliment. So in keeping with your insult, I think you are in reality a Zoomorph.”

“I happen to know what a Zoomorph is and I resent being called animal-like.”

“Well you’ll just have to get over it. I’m the head keeper here and want you to come eat your Waterzooi.”

“I hate Waterzooi. Besides I’m supposed to have greens not stew. Where’s my zoosporangium.”

“You are a hippo for heaven’s sake. This is a zoo. I’m the zookeeper. You don’t get to call for zooporangium.”

“Some fun you are Bazooka breath.”

“Call me more names why don’t you? Just sit on your wazoo and smile for the folks.”

“Fine. I’m going to call the zoological society and file a complaint.”

“Good luck holding the phone.”

 

4 Wills Publishing – Interludes Tour – with #RRBC’s Harmony Kent

~ John W. Howell ~ 69 Comments

It is my pleasure to host a stop on Harmony Kent’s 4 Wills Interludes Tour. Harmony is a fellow member of Rave Reviews Book Club, and it is a treat to have her with me today. The post is your’s Harmony.

Harmony Kent

Thank you, John. Hi, everyone. Harmony here. Thanks for joining me on my three-day tour with 4Wills Publishing and my fantastic host for today! You can find details of my other stops here: 4Wills Upcoming Events.

The first thing I have to tell you is that I’ve crossed over to the dark side, LOL, and ventured into writing Erotic Romance.

To date, I have six books published, which you can find HERE.

books banner copy

My seventh and latest book is INTERLUDES: a collection of A collection of short erotic fiction that will tickle more than your taste buds and wet more than your appetite.

Kindle Cover Interludes small copy

With a range of genres and styles, this book has enough steam for everyone.

GREY MANCHESTER—contemporary romance in 1000 words. Will Nadine choose to drop her knife or her knickers?

DOUBLE TROUBLE—ménage a trois in 2000 words. After a dry spell, Sophia gets more than she bargained for with a solicitor and a teacher.

DRAGON KISSED—shifter romance in 3000 words. Jenna’s life is fairly run of the mill until she has a flying accident. With a dragon. All is not as it seems in this fiery romance.

TRYST—contemporary romance in 4000 words. Polly pushes the boundaries on a workplace night out.

LOVE ON THE CORNISH LINE—contemporary romance in 5000 words. Becky falls flat on her face, and madly in love. Her weekly commute home proves to be anything but routine.

THE INLAW—contemporary romance in 6000 words. At 43, amputee Carla never expected in her wildest dreams to be called a MILF by a hot young stud. Trouble is, he’s her son in law’s brother. And young enough to be her son. Sparks fly when she’s caught with her hands in the biscuit tin.

NIGHT NURSE—contemporary romance in 7000 words. Denise has only weeks left to live. What constitutes life, though? What fills the yawning hours of empty days? Who are you once the chemo and the cancer have stripped you bare? What to do?—Go out on a slow fizzle, or with a big bang?

OVERBOARD—contemporary romance in 8000 words. When Stella falls overboard in the middle of the Pacific, she gets more than she bargained for. Sharks and storms not withstanding.

ALIEN LIAISON—alien romance in 9000 words. When the military transport, Lunas Two, crash lands on Zorth, Jay is given the job of liaising with the locals. She’s seen plenty of aliens in her four years of service, but never one as finger licking good as Lemo. How far will she have to go to keep the peace?

SAVING FACE—historical romance in 10,000 words. Non-related step brother and sister, David and Annalise, break all the rules in this steamy historical romance. Forced to live apart from the love of her life and into an arranged and loveless marriage, Annalise has to grow up fast. When all is lost, will she be able to save face?

READER ADVISORY: This book contains explicit sex scenes and language hot enough to melt your Kindle. For mature readers only.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

From Grey Manchester:

‘What do you want?’ Nadine asked. The metal handle of the knife felt hot in her hand. Why hadn’t she put it down yet? What did she intend? Which kind of payment would she give him?

They returned to their silent stare-off, and Nadine felt even more ambivalent toward this man who had been her friend since primary school. As a precocious five-year-old, his deafness had intrigued her and drawn her to him. She’d learned sign language for him, and how to lip-speak. Today, she deliberately withheld signing. Make him work for her words.

She hated that they couldn’t yell and scream at one another when they needed to blow off steam. Well, she could yell at him, but his deaf-muteness always rendered her thunder pointless and ineffectual.

Frustration … such an apt word. It described a multitude of feelings and unfulfilled want.

Noisy thoughts tore the taut silence asunder. Could she, in all fairness, continue to blame him for the attack? One punch—that’s all. Self-defence. He hadn’t heard her approach. She ought to have known better. His recent assault had left him jittery and vulnerable.

Nadine stared at his delicate hands, now clenched while his arms hung at his sides. She loved those hands. Those flexible fingers. The things they could do to her. A memory grew wings and fluttered in front of her. Their first time. His touch. The first time he’d touched her in that way. Two not-quite-sixteen-year-olds discovering each other.

INTERLUDES is available for pre-order now for just 0.99!

Buy it now and have it automatically delivered to your ereader on Monday!

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

If you’d like to keep up to date with my new releases and news, please sign up to my mailing list HERE, or alternatively, you can visit my website at www.harmonykent.co.uk.

You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.

For more sneak peeks, please join me on tomorrow’s tour stop, where you’ll find another tantalising excerpt from Interludes.

Thanks so much for stopping by and saying hi 🙂

“The tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.”

Crossing Bedlam is Now #99Cents! #dystopia #ASMSG

~ John W. Howell ~ 2 Comments

Great Author. Great Story. Now great price. Yowzaa

Charles Yallowitz's avatarLegends of Windemere

To celebrate the new cover, I’ve dropped the price of Crossing Bedlam to 99 cents. Will this price be forever?  I’m not sure right now.  Treat it like a limited deal.  At the very least, it’ll be going on through the month of May.

Click on the cover below to see the Amazon Page!

Crossing Bedlam by Jon Hunsinger Crossing Bedlam by Jon Hunsinger

The United States of America has been crippled. Violently contained by a global military force and left without its leaders, the country has become shattered and chaotic. A decade has passed since the first strike and a new landscape has emerged where survival is more important than anything else. Who will uncover the truth behind the attack and revive this once great nation?

It certainly won’t be Cassidy and Lloyd since they couldn’t care less about that stuff. She is a young woman on a mission to honor her mother’s dying wish…

View original post 77 more words

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

~ John W. Howell ~ 38 Comments

sayfridaycancelled

Another Friday to celebrate. Woo Woo. My celebration is for a week well spent doing catch-up on my “work around the house” chore list. I have often commented that living by the Gulf is like being on a boat. There are a number of things that have to be constantly maintained. Little stuff like door locks, door bells, lamps, fixtures, vinyl fence, and even siding.

Since I have finished book three of the John J. Cannon trilogy and am just waiting to send to the editor, I have a little free time each day. Having time will be a temporary situation since my next book is calling for an edit. Yes, the first draft is done, but I’m sure it is a big mess and will need more work.

So, I got out the power sprayer and went to work spraying everything that would tolerate water. That included the whole exterior of the house and all the vinyl railings and fence. I must say the house looks better not covered in salt and sand.

I also put lubricant in all the locks and managed to change out some vent covers which had deteriorated as a result of the sun.  In addition, I reconditioned the doorbell (which is an annual affair)

All in all a productive time. I expect my wife will be shocked upon her return from Austin where she has been helping youngest daughter move. Today’s JohnKu talks about doing some things you don’t want to do.

The List by John W. Howell © 2016

Your daily conscience,

On the refrigerator…

For what seems like months.