Friday JohnKu – AKA TGIF – Good News

~ John W. Howell ~ 99 Comments

Hey, Friday, welcome back. It is so good to see you. We all could use a weekend, and I think you arrived just in time.

Today’s good news includes an animal story and an octogenarian story. Since I’m also an octogenarian, let’s do the animal story first, so at least we know we’ll get that one covered.

This is the story of a bull Elk and a couple of wildlife officers who cared.

About two years ago, a bull elk was spotted on a trail camera sporting a tire around its neck. It was evident that the tire posed no threat to the animal’s health, but since it could become entangled in the brush, it was decided to try and remove it. Four attempts were made over the period, and finally, last Saturday, officers Dawson Swanson and Scott Murdoch were successful in cornering the animal and removing the tire. Here is a video of the elk which led the officers to its location.

The other good news story is about an 81-year-old music teacher who is suffering from dementia. Paul Harvey had taught music for 20 years, and before that, he was a composer and classical pianist.  Five years ago, Paul began living in a memory care facility. Last September, he composed a two-minute piece using just four notes-F natural, A, D, and B natural. His son Nick posted Paul playing the composition on Twitter. The post went viral. Paul’s piece was recorded by the BBC Philharmonic orchestra and sold as a singe. The proceeds went to Alzheimer’s Society and Music for Dementia, which campaigns for music access for people with dementia.

Here is Paul playing his Four Notes piece. For the BBC Breakfast show. The first Twitter post by Nick Harvey will not play. Just skip to the second.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1320621712753524736

Paul was invited to conduct the BBC Philharmonic orchestra playing his Four Notes and an earlier composition named Where’s the Sunshine to mark the first anniversary of the recording. Here is a video with the whole story about Paul. His son reports that he is back with them while playing the piano.

Today’s JohnKu talks about hope and caring. I wish you all a beautiful weekend.

Four Lettered Words

A four-lettered word,

Can be more than disgusting . . .

Like hope and care can.

 

 

Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy and Twiggy Are Back

~ John W. Howell ~ 96 Comments

“Hey, you two. I think you ought to go out and play.”

“Our week off is over?”

“Boy, that went quick, Lucy.”

“Well, you know what they say. Time flys when you are having fun.”

“What are you going to do on the patio?”

“The same thing I was doing on the bed.”

“I was thinking of starting a rock collection.”

“There are enough here for sure. I don’t think the cabana boy’s been here for a while.”

“I think something is lurking in the dark place.”

“You always say that, Little one.”

“Yeah, I know. This time I think it is real, though.”

“Let’s just relax on the lounges and take a break. The first day back is hard.”

“I’m just not going to be able to relax until I find out what’s back there.”

“Just go then. I won’t be able to talk you out of it.”

“You were right. Nothing back there.”

“Why are you running then?”

“To get the old heart rate up there.”

“You look a little concerned to me.”

“Naw, I can tell you there is nothing there. Let’s go back to the house. There’s no sun today anyway.”

“I suppose we could do the starving dog impersonation and maybe beg a treat.”

“I have to tell you the truth. There was an ugly spider back there.”

“You afraid of a little ole spider?”

“With green eyes? I sure am.”

“Oh, please. You are fine. I’ll scratch the door.”

“Don’t you just love how mom reacts to that?”

#BadMoonRising Eternal Road: The Final Stop by John W. Howell #paranormal #supernatural #thriller #TuesdayBookBlog

~ John W. Howell ~ 26 Comments

I am with Teri Polen on her Bad Moon Rising feature. Come on over and while you are there check out her books. I have read all three and enjoyed each very much. Thank you Teri for having me today.

Teri Polen's avatarBooks and Such

If today’s author’s name isn’t familiar to you, I’ll bet you know his lovable furry friends Twiggy and Lucy from the pics of them on his blog (they totally steal the spotlight). Discussion has been made on previous BMR posts about the hazards of dunking for apples in the time of COVID, but I think this author has come up with a viable alternative. You just may not be sober once you finally latch onto that apple. Welcome John W. Howell!

Would you rather dunk for apples or carve a Jack o’ lantern?

I would rather carve a Jack o’ lantern. Before I get into why I like to carve Jack o’ lanterns, let me point out in the time of COVID how creepy it is to dunk for apples. Someone is coughing up a storm and then placing an unmasked head into a vat of apples floating in the…

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Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #333 by Keith Channing

~ John W. Howell ~ 59 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.

Warning by John W. Howell © 2021

“What’s up?”

“I need you to get into the tower and report what you see.”

“Report what I see? Is there anything special out there?”

“You must be kidding me.”

“Why?”

“Does the red sky look normal to you?”

“Red sky at night, sailors delight.”

“We are not on the sea, you idiot. Something is going on, and I need to report it up the chain if it’s significant.”

“Well, okay then. No use getting your tutu twisted. I’m going.”

“Call me on the radio when you get there.”

“Roger Dodger. You old codger.”

“None of your tricks either.”

*

“Hey, captain, come in.”

“I read you. corporal. You there?”

“You said to call when I got in the tower.”

“Yes, yes. What do you see?”

“Well, there is a big old desert out there.”

“I know that. What about the red.”

“It is actually more of an orangeish red.”

“WHO CARES ABOUT THE COLOR. WHAT IS CAUSING IT?”

“Sheesh. Let me scan the area. Uh-huh. Yup. That’s it.

“Okay, enough. What is it?”

“It is a dust cloud.”

“Okay, what is causing it?”

“As far as I can tell, I think it is a stampede.”

“A stampede? Cows?”

“No.”

“Horses then?”

“You won’t believe this.”

“Try me.”

“Gophers.”

“Gophers?”

“Headed this way.”

“What the hell?”

“I told you not to use that Gopher Gas.”

“How else would we get rid of them?”

“Negotiation maybe. There must be a million of them.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We? I’m the one who said we should be kinder. I think they are going to want to talk to you. You should know, some of my best friends are Gophers.”

“Well, that’s just swell.”

“The dust makes a beautiful sunset. Maybe you should come up here.”

“And be with a Gopher lover. No thanks.”

“Suit yourself. Those little feet are going to add up.”

“What do you mean?”

“When they run over you.”

“You are really strange. You know that?”

“Coming from someone who hates Gophers.”

“I don’t hate Gophers; I just see no need to live with them.”

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that. Over and out.”

 

 

Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Decide to Self-Publish Your Book

~ John W. Howell ~ 97 Comments
Photo by ron dyar on Unsplash

 

This post originally ran on October 12th, 2015. Those with memories of an elephant might like it again. For the rest of us, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

The inspiration for this list is my latest effort to self-publish the next John J. Cannon story titled His Revenge. Since I had absolutely no experience in publishing, the journey was a long winding road marked by plenty of mistakes. I’m sure the trial and error method is not over yet, but here is some of what I learned. Don’t forget I’m a fiction writer, so some of these lessons have been enhanced with dubious facts to make them more exciting and hopefully humorous. I would, therefore, resist publishing this list on the Huffington Post. (hear that, Arianna?)

Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Decide to Self-Publish Your Book

10 If you decide to self-Publish your book, do not drink any alcoholic beverages four weeks before and two weeks after you hit the publish button. If you do, at best, those little things you forgot are not necessary. At worst, you find out after six weeks you submitted the wrong cover with the manuscript. (You know the one. It has “fiction” spelled “fuction”).

9 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not try to edit the manuscript yourself. If you do, at best, you will have a fool for an editor. At worst, your book will be featured on a blog with the lovely title of “The Poorest Written Books of the Year.” (You are so lucky to have the top position)

8 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not think you don’t need to know how to format the interior. If you do, at best, your readers will be treated to several blank lines. At worst, your book will resemble something created by a room full of monkeys on keyboards. (Yeah, it can be done, but that one page with only the word “then” on it took the cake)

7 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not think that the cute Crayola picture done by your youngest as the cover is relevant to the book. If you do, at best you will miss some sales due to the confusion. At worst, you will get some letters from outraged parents who thought the story of a mass murderer was for children. (Ah well, you can always refund the money)

6 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not think you don’t have to follow the instructions on the publishing site. If you do, at best, you will finally give in and start over following directions after wasting many hours. At worst, you will be locked out of the site for one hundred years. (Most places have no sense of humor when it comes to messing with their process).

5 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not think the various choices offered by the site are not significant enough to understand the differences. If you do, at best, you may end up with a book that does not make you happy. At worst, your book is so expensive to produce you have no royalty or room to promote. (You are independently wealthy, Right?).

4 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not think you don’t need to order a proof copy. If you do, at best, you will miss some of those messy little typos and double periods. At worst, you totally missed the fact that you mislabeled the chapter headings and now have two of each. (The reviewers will have so much fun pointing out the mirror effect).

3 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not rush the process. If you do, at best, there will be something overlooked, but no one will notice. At worst, you forgot to include the dedication that you already read aloud to the recipient. (Hard to convince the person you were sincere after this omission).

2 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not think you can skip the marketing. If you do, at best your family and friends will carry you for a couple of sales. At worst, you will be one of several hundred thousand books published simultaneously and will be entirely lost in the numbers. (You did expect to sell your beautiful book, right?)

1 If you decide to self-publish your book, do not lay awake at night worrying about possible mistakes instead of planning every detail. If you do, at best, you will feel out of control. At worst, you will have a lot to worry about since, without planning, mistakes will happen. (Even with planning, there could be some, Nobody’s perfect).

Views of the Neighborhood – A Taste of Halloween

~ John W. Howell ~ 103 Comments

Hello. Today we are going to go out and find a taste of Halloween. Some may say it’s too early, but I can tell you, Lakeway goes all out for Halloween, and to see it all, we will have to make a few trips.

We are being catered by Cafe No Se in Austin. Yes, they have catered to us before, but we all liked their simple menu and terrific food. We also have invited Fleetwood Mac to play.

Menu

  • avocado toast, soft boiled egg, crème fraîche, arugula, Aleppo carrots
  • smoked salmon bagel, salmon, hard-boiled egg, pickled onion, tomato, caper scallion cream cheese, everything bagel
  • lemon-ricotta hotcakes, apple-thyme chutney, pecan butter, maple syrup
  • café scramble, roasted wild mushrooms, Fresno pepper, spinach, fresh ricotta, sourdough toast
  • sweet potato hash, two sunny eggs, crispy pork belly, kimchi, mustard greens, jalapeño, kale
  • cowboy breakfast, two sunny eggs, bacon, confit pork, borracho beans, tomato, roasted jalapeño, cilantro butter

Picture of an old time school bus

Let’s get going.

Let’s start with our old pals, the flamingos. There are orange and black versions.

A cute ceramic pumpkin on the mailbox.

A real pumpkin on the mailbox. Here in Texas, you don’t carve pumpkins until the last minute. The heat causes them to rot quickly.

A Talavera pumpkin is on the mailbox.

You may recognize the hand in this display of gourds.

The mushroom with seasonal enhancements.

Another Talavera ceramic with pumpkin.

A quick nod to the fall.

This ceramic bird looks a little upset. It might be the laughable cape or the construction noise next door. In any case, I took the photo quickly and ran.

A spider octopus or an octopus spider.

An armadillo skeleton who is obviously carrying a grudge. He shoulda have kept off the road.

Ah, a real hairy scary spider. I’ll bet the mailperson loves this.

So there is a taste of Halloween. There is more to come. So for today, sit back and enjoy the food and music. I hope you all have a great week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Lid

~ John W. Howell ~ 76 Comments

Stream of Consciousness

Being a lovely Saturday morning, I decided to motor to the local Starbucks for an overpriced coffee and blueberry scone. Arriving at the drive-through, I quickly calculated and figured I would be in line for thirty minutes. Heaving a big sigh, I pulled around to the parking area, grabbed my mask, and headed inside.

There was another line, but it was moving quickly. When my turn came, I ordered a Grande with room for cream and a blueberry scone. “All out of blueberry scones.” I thought a cheeky reply from the mixed purple and green-haired barista. I said to make it a plain scone then and was informed that it was also sold out. “What do you have?” She/her told me that they have everything else. By now, I had lost the desire for a scone and decided I would just get the coffee.

“John,” someone called. My coffee was sitting on the counter, and beside it was a blueberry scone. Not wanting to challenge fate, I took both and went to the service counter. I pulled the lid from the coffee and added some half and half. I sensed the shadow of a big guy pulling up behind me, so I made quick work of the stirring and turned to leave.

“You have my scone,” he said. His voice was so low and quiet I didn’t fully understand what he said. “My scone.” He surprised me with a louder voice. I suddenly understood that to continue to not understand might earn me a knuckle sandwich. I told him I was sorry and handed him the scone. He smiled and asked if I was John, who did a blog. I told him I was and he gave me an envelope. It seems he followed me to Starbucks for the purpose of delivery. He told me his name was Dog, the Prompt Deliverer.

I opened the envelope and read Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “lid.” Use it in the literal sense, use it in the metaphorical sense, use it any way you’d like. Have fun! While I was reading, Dog walked out the front door.\

If you would like to have, fun visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link  https://lindaghill.com/2021/10/08/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-october-9-2021/

Lid by John W. Howell © 2021

‘Put a lid on it.”

“Huh?”

“I want to use today’s prompt metaphorically.”

“Who you telling to put a lid on it and why.”

“I was rehearsing for my meeting with the POA.”

“Uh oh. What did you do?”

“Nothing. Well, I put up a sign protesting the dues increase.”

“And they told you to take it down?”

“They took it down.”

“Can they do that?”

“Yes.”

“So, what’s the point.”

Not sure. I just want to air my grievance.”

“Then what?”

“I’ll pay the dues.”

“But you will have been able to tell them they need to put a lid on more increases.”

“Not exactly. By ‘put a lid on it,’ I mean for them to shut the hell up.”

“Oh. I think it’s going to be a short meeting.”

“Maybe a visit to the pub might be more productive.”

“You think?”

“Let’s go.”

 

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

~ John W. Howell ~ 96 Comments
“What is that. Lucy?”
“I’m not sure. It might be a bear.”
“No it’s Dad.”
“Don’t tell him I said that about the bear.”
“Extra kibble causes me to lose my memory.”
“Come to my dish later.”

 

Look at that. it is Friday again and time for celebration. (hold it until after five, though). Having given a lot of thought to what I want this Friday post to be, I have decided that posting the news of the day only causes us a little angst. After all, there is very little we can do about the craziness going on in the world.

I have decided to concentrate on the good news side of life. So today, I’ll be posting two stories that have to do with animals. I hope you enjoy them. Yes, the JohnKu will still be here.

The first story is about a 101-year-old woman named Penny and a 19-year-old cat named Gus.

Penny and Gus
Photo courtesy of Humane Society of Catawba County (HSCC) in North Carolina

Gus came into the Humane Society of Catawba County shelter, and after a complete physical, his age was determined to be 19 years old (about 133 in human years). Typically, shelters have a problem placing cats at this age. “Gus’ age was exceptional, but we see older pets on a regular basis. We are still committed to these animals and working to find a new home for them, regardless of their age,” Jane Bower, executive director of the Humane Society of Catawba County, told Newsweek.

Penny had recently lost her cat, so her family was on the lookout for an older kitten. They visited the shelter, and so the rest is history. The shelter describes Penny and Gus as a match made in heaven. Penny reports Gus has made her place feel like a home and eats like a horse.

Our second story is about a manatee that has ventured into the canal area of my old stomping grounds in Port Aransas, TX. Manatees are very seldom seen on the West Coast of Texas, maybe once every other year. This one was observed lazing around. He also was photographed taking a freshwater drink from a hose near one of the private docks.

The Manatee is drinking from a hose.
Photo courtesy of the South Jetty in Port Aransas.

Greg Stunz is a professor of marine biology and endowed chair for Fisheries and Ocean Health at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He reported the Manatee had some significant injuries but were not fresh. Capture and treatment were impossible since the 500-pound creature slipped away in the murky canal after about an hour. Looks like the Manatee knew what was best, which most animals do.

Today’s JohnKu talks about peace of mind. I hope you all have a peaceful weekend.

 

Good News by John W. Howell © 2021

In the whole picture,

Finding more good in the news . . .

Is way easier.

 

 

Things Old and Forgotten – New Book by Mae Clair

~ John W. Howell ~ 91 Comments
“Hi to everyone. I know we normally have a post today.”
“Why aren’t we today, Lucy?”
“We have a special guest author Mae Clair, and the Boss is using our time to introduce her new book.”
“So we get the week off?”
“I think that’s how it works.”
“You really should look into the camera.”
“I thought I was. Oh well, here’s the Boss.”

I am so pleased to have Mae Clair on Fiction Favorites today. Mae and I are teammates on Story Empire, and I have known Mae almost as long as I have been blogging. She is a very talented writer and has composed a set of short fiction stories for your enjoyment. Here is Mae to explain her latest.

Hi, John. Thanks for hosting me today and allowing me to share my newest release with your readers. Things Old and Forgotten is a collection of short fiction that includes stories in several genres—magical realism, fantasy, speculative, even two that touch on mild horror.

As a fan of legend, I’ve always loved tales of chivalry. Robin Hood ranks among my favorite of all time. I have a small collection of books and a decent DVD collection devoted to “the hooded man.” Naturally, I couldn’t resist putting my own spin on the myth. Among the stories in Thing Old and Forgotten, you’ll find a very different Sherwood.

Below is a short excerpt from Robin of Sherwood. In this scene, John Lyttle, Marian, and Will Scarlett are in hiding, waiting for Robin to signal he has gained entrance to the Sheriff of Nottingham’s holding cells.

EXCERPT:
“I don’t trust him.” John Lyttle crouched in the darkness with his companions. Across the street, Robin darted for the police station. “He’s only doing this because we have his brother and I took his gun-thing.” As he spoke, his hand fell to the weapon tucked inside his waistband. Smith & Wesson, their captive called it, but the words meant nothing to him. Once, long ago, he’d seen something similar on a moving picture screen that survived the Purge. He knew the weapon was more accurate than a bow, capable of killing from greater distance.

Will grunted. “Reasons don’t matter if it nets us the Perimeter.”

John’s attention shifted to Marian. “You’re quiet.” She was Norman herself, the daughter of a rich lord from a neighboring shire. Disillusioned with that life, she’d joined up with the Saxons a year ago. Her loyalty was unquestionable, but John couldn’t help noticing the way she looked at Huntington.

“People can change.” Her gaze held challenge. “Aren’t I proof of that?”

Chastised, John fell silent. He refocused on the street, scanning for sentries. Across the way, Huntington’s long hair looked ghostly in the darkness. “Damn Norman’s pale as cream.” He scratched his beard. “What’s taking so bloody long?”

Scarlett’s glance was black. “What I’d like to know is where’d he get the key?”

“Where do you think?” Marian’s gaze flashed between them. “He had dinner with the sheriff. A good thief takes advantage of every opportunity.”

“Thief?” John snorted what he thought of the idea. “He’s an aristocrat, woman. If you’d stop making calf-eyes at him, you’d see he’s friggin’ nobility.”

BOOK BLURB:

A man keeping King Arthur’s dream of Camelot alive.
A Robin Hood battling in a drastically different Sherwood.
A young man facing eternity in the desert.
A genteel southern lady besting a powerful order of genies.
A woman meeting her father decades after his death.

These are but a few of the intriguing tales waiting to be discovered in Things Old and Forgotten. Prepare to be transported to realms of folklore and legend, where magic and wonder linger around every corner, and fantastic possibilities are limited only by imagination.

The book sounds excellent, Mae. All the best to you, and I hope everyone gets a copy

Thanks again for hosting me today, John. In honor of my love for autumn—a fantastic time to curl up with a book—Things Old and Forgotten will be on sale for .99c through October 31st.

PURCHASE LINK

US

UK

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:

Amazon| BookBub| Newsletter Sign-Up
Website | Blog| Twitter| Goodreads| All Social Media

 


 

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue # 332 by Keith Channing

~ John W. Howell ~ 55 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

What’s the Buzz? by John W. Howell ©2021

“I’m telling you there was this huge kid just loping along the street.”

“Kid? I thought someone said it was a marshmallow.”

“No. It was a kid who was made out of marshmallows, I think.”

“Did it have the words Stay Puff on his sailor hat?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“I saw the movie.”

“Movie? What are you talking about?”

“Ghostbusters. There was the Stay Puff marshmallow kid in the movie.”

“What’s it doing here?”

“You can ask that cop approaching, but I would say he’s part of the protest.”

“I guess that makes some sense.”

“Yes, after all, we are protesting the use of iconic symbols in advertising.”

“Huh? I thought we were protesting higher taxes.”

“That’s a good cause too. No, this is definitely to end the abuse of symbols that we know and love.”

“Like what symbols?”

“Smokey the bear, for one. The poor overweight guy in those Michelin commercials for another.”

“I’m speechless.”

“You didn’t know how far it went, did you.? Think Gerber, baby. How does that kid live down the representation he was given.”

“You’ll have to excuse me. I gotta go.”

“Oh, sure. Run out when the going gets tough. You ask the Roadrunner how she feels being tied to a cable company for so many years.”

“Uh. I think I hear my wife calling me.”

“Yeah, run home to mommy. Don’t even think of that poor bear container having to sit in pantries all across the US holding that honey. Does anyone ask if she would like some? Noooo.”

“What a cute baby. What’s her name?”

“Oh, thank you. Her name is Minnie.”

“After Minnie Mouse?”

“You have a problem with that?”

“Lovely name. Good talk. See ya.”