Today I am with Teagan R. Geneviene for Her Life Changes or Reinventions Feature

July 16, 2025July 16, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 1 Comment

Yes, I am on the road visiting Teagan and participating in her Life Changes or Reinventions Feature. Teagan has invited several bloggers to write about life changes or perhaps how they reinvented themselves. The image above, created by Teagan, shows a Terminator Robot with a couple of French Bulldogs. The image is a perfect example of Teagan’s creativity. I think the robot was very smart to take a couple of Frenchies on assignment.

I hope you will visit Teagan’s post today. Here is the link I will be providing some details on my life changes. While at Teagan’s post, you can get a taste of her amazing ability to craft compelling stories. Teagan not only writes beautiful books but is a real talent in creating covers and other images.

You can also visit her Amazon site to see all her books.

Here are two more images to entice you to come on over.

It looks like Tempeste found a miniature Terminator Robot friend.

This is a great image of a giant robot and a 57 Ford Fairlane. (Or it could be a miniature Ford Fairlane and robot.)

You can expect more creativity at Teagan’s Place.

About Teagan

Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene’s stories range from paranormal to high fantasy and urban fantasy, to whimsical versions of the various types of “punk,” to mysteries with historic settings… and anything else that strikes her fancy. Founder of the Three Things method of storytelling, her blog “Teagan’s Books” contains serial stories spontaneously written according to “random reader things” from viewers. Some of those serials have been rewritten into books, like “Hullaba Lulu,” and “Brother Love, a Crossroad,” and the series “Pip’s Three Things.” In addition to fiction, she has created the Author Tool Chest series of non-fiction works as resources for writers and anyone who loves language. Major influences include Roger Zelazny, Agatha Christie, Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and Charlaine Harris. You can find her books at her Amazon Author Page. See her book trailer videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoM-z7_iH5t2_7aNpy3vG-Q?disable_polymer=true

I have closed comments here, so come on over and comment there.

Tuesday Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – Genuine

July 15, 2025July 14, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 52 Comments

Today I randomly opened Detour on the Eternal Road to page 187. With eyes closed, I pointed to the page, and my finger fell closest to the word “genuine.” This is the prompt.

“Yeah sure. Tell me again where you found this?”

“Like I said, it was by a tree, and I was just looking around, and it caught my eye.”

“How did it ‘catch’ your eye?”

“Just look at how brilliant it is. Who would miss that?”

“Do you know how rare it is to find one of these?”

“I know that’s why I was so excited to show it to you.”

“Well, you did the right thing. We first have to determine if it is genuine.”

“How do we do that?”

“The easiest way is to rub it against a tooth. If it feels smooth, it probably is genuine.”

“You say probably. Can’t you be certain?”

“We have to do a couple of other tests.”

“Like?”

“The smell test. One sniff and I can tell the real thing from some kind of imitation.”

“Okay, then what?”

“The final test is taste.”

“Taste?”

“Yup. We put our tongue on it and then try to remember what the taste was of a one-carat treasure.”

“Since I found it, shouldn’t I be the one to determine if it’s genuine?”

“Usually, but I have more experience and can be very objective.”

“Alright, I trust you. Go ahead and tell me if it is genuine.”

“Umm smells right.

“Uh huh.”

“Feels smooth on the tooth.”

“So far, so good.”

“Yum tastes like I remember.”

“Hey, don’t eat the whole thing.”

“Eh, what’s up, Doc. By the way, caret is spelled carrot. Have a nice day.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do When Commuting to Work by Car

July 14, 2025July 13, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

This list was published by Marie Ann Bailey and me in November 2013. Since a lot of companies are asking workers to come back to the office from the bedroom, this list may be helpful.

10 When commuting to work by car, do not apply mascara or use an electric razor while driving. The former situation will have you likely wind up with a mascara brush sticking out of your eye as you slam on the brake to avoid hitting the car in front of you which decided to stop for the red light. The latter situation could cause you to shave up the side of your head, giving you a “hair style” unacceptable to your boss or to several urban gangs.

9 When commuting to work by car, refrain from driving like James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. At best, you’ll just wind up stopped at the next intersection while everyone behind you throws daggers at you with their eyes or maybe even for real. At worst, you’ll wind up alongside the road being attended to by a traffic officer eager to make his quota early, with everyone passing you with smiles of glee as they know you are getting your just desserts.

8 When commuting to work by car, refrain from listening to state or national news on your radio. Screaming expletives at the top of your lungs might make your fellow commuters worry that you are having a meltdown, at which point they will call the local police, who will only add to your near blood-boiling frustration by pulling you over and making you late for work, not to mention the possibility of you failing the “walk the line test” even though you haven’t been drinking.

7 When commuting to work by car, do not think you are encouraging the driver ahead of you to go faster by following them so closely that you can see yourself in their rear view mirror. Chances are they will suddenly step on the brake and cause you to read-end them which will result in (1) serious damage to your nice car that you will have to pay for because the accident was your fault (really, it was) and/or (2) serious damage to their nice car that you will have to pay for because the accident was your fault (really, it was).

6 When commuting to work by car, do not try to eat your breakfast and drive at the same time. At best, you’ll just gross people out when they see you stuff a double-Egg McMuffin in your mouth. At worst, the coffee you start to sip in order to wash down the Egg McMuffin will wind up covering your nice white shirt or blouse when you suddenly have to step on the brake to avoid hitting someone pulling out of a McDonald’s in front of you.

5 When commuting to work by car, avoid the temptation to pick your nose, pop a pimple, or check your teeth while waiting for a green light. With your luck, the other commuters viewing your activities will likely be attending the same business meeting that you have scheduled that morning, only their role will be as a grossed out customer.

4 When commuting to work by car, do not try to read The Wall Street Journal or finish that last chapter of your book while driving. With the former, you may wind up with a face full of newsprint when you rear-end the person in front of you and your airbag engages. At worst, you’ll never get to finish the book because the traffic cop saw you reading, pulled you over, and then confiscated your book (because, of course, it had been on his to-read list).

3 When commuting to work by car, do not expect to have a smooth commute when you’re running 15 minutes late for a meeting with the CEO of your company. Do expect that the city utility vehicles will be out in full force, trimming trees and picking up yard waste on every street that is normally part of your commute, making your commute time double and your chances of being fired triple.

2 When commuting to work by car, do not expect that your fellow commuters will be understanding if you alternate between speeding and slowing down because you are trying to check your text messages before you get to your office. At best, you’ll have some near-misses as commuters try to get around you and put distance between your bad driving and theirs. At worst, the same traffic cop that pulled you over in #4 and #9 will be more than happy to pull you over again since you are single-handedly helping the officer meet a quota.

1 When commuting to work by car, do not treat your driving as a right, but rather as a privilege which can be taken away at any moment for bad behavior. At best, you’ll rack up more fines and fees in a month than you pay in car insurance in a year. At worst, well, bad driving can lead to bad things happening to other people or to you. Be mindful. Be aware. Drive safely.

Views of the Neighborhood – Lake Travis Comparison

July 13, 2025July 13, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 78 Comments

Today, we are visiting Lake Travis to see what effect the rains here in Texas have had on the lake levels. The flooding was such a tragedy, and we don’t want to lose sight of those who lost their lives and those who are still missing. I think the health of the lake could be considered a memorial to all. The before photos were taken in August of 2022.

A shot looking toward the end of the lake. Remember the boathouse.

The same shot this week.

Nothing but green in 2022.

Water has filled in.

Lots of dry land and a dock on the shore.

More water and the dock is floating

Docks and a sailboat on land.

The docks in the water, and unfortunately, the sailboat sank.

The same dock and sailboat in 2022.

Another view

Looking toward the other end of the lake in 2022.

That view this week.

The kayak launching site in 2022.

Now, let’s go to the greenbelt and check out two waterfalls.

This is before the rain.

This week.

Before the rain.

This week

I hope you found this interesting. Keep all those folks in your prayers.

A reminder

Eternal Road – The final stop – The first book in the Eternal Road series, Kindle edition, is on sale now for 99¢. Sam and James battle Lucifer for the future of mankind. 4.6 stars https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GL135KQ

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Curl

July 12, 2025July 11, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 107 Comments

Saturday morning coffee is not a simple item that one wants. It is a crucial part of living that one needs to survive. A steaming cup with a bit of half and half is all that is necessary to continue down life’s path. Reaching for the half and half, a strange feeling came over me. The carton was too warm, and one sniff told me that the use of this would curl my hair. Then it hit me. Not only was coffee without half and half a catastrophic event, but something was obviously wrong with the chiller.

Holding my nose and taking the first sip was interrupted by the familiar Westminster chime of the doorbell. The Hounds of Hell took up their ear-bursting refrain and were redirected by a fresh knucklebone tossed into the soundproof room. Slamming the door brought the sound of silence, which spread like a relief wave over the household. Checking the windows for cracks brought me to the security monitor. Sure enough, centered in the view was a big-eared elephant. “You look like Dumbo,” was my greeting through the intercom.

“Letter for Mr. John,” was the reply. To prevent shutting down the security system, the suggestion was made to drop the letter on the porch. The elephant was having none of that. A mouse in his hat held up a sign. We work for tips. Heaving a sigh, the security system shutdown process has begun. The SWAT team needs to be put on standby. A quick text to the leader confirms that status. Also, the flight of A-10 Warthogs must be diverted. Another call to the commander puts that worry to rest. The SEAL team needs to be called off, and a call to the leader makes that possible. The control panel simplifies the shutdown process of the security system. The boiling oil vats are put on standby, the turret mortars disengaged, the Trebuchet on safety, the concertina wire rolled, the Claymore mines reset, the tower Gatling guns on safety, the moat net dropped, the alligators fed, the IEDs and shoulder-held rockets put away. The Proton torpedoes switched off. The locks on the door are thrown. And the door opened.

“Here’s your tip.” Handing the elephant a bag of peanuts and the mouse a wedge of cheddar, they smiled and, in turn, gave me the letter. The elephant started flapping his ears. Before long, both were airborne and out of sight.

The letter is from Linda Hill and reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “curl.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb, use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s blog. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2025/07/11/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-12-2025/

“Well, that was a mess.”

“What do you mean?”

“Warm half and half?”

“I just wrote that because then I could use the word curl.”

“Which is the prompt?”

“Correct.”

“A cheap way to do it.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, come on. You made up the story about the half and half. Feels like cheating.”

“Okay, Einstein. Tell me what part of this post is not made up?”

“Um. I think you have me. Time to curl our fingers around a nice cold VooDoo Ranger.”

“Sure, change the subject, why don’t you? Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“Wow, a 1972 Chevy Camaro Z28. Now we are talking.”

“I thought you would like it. I’ll sit in the back.”

“That’s nice of you. So there is always one thing. What is it with this car?”

“Nothing really. All we have to do is pay for gas.”

“Oh, that’s doable.”

“I thought so. Of course, it burns Nitro-methane.”

“How much does that cost?”

“$45.00 a gallon.”

“I almost hate to ask the mileage on this beast.”

“We won’t be going top end, so I would say 5 miles to the gallon.”

“That’s 90 bucks just to get there.”

“But in style, my man, and very quickly.”

“I have a headache.”

“A couple of Voo Doo’s will fix that.”

Reminder

Eternal Road – The final stop – The first book in the Eternal Road series, Kindle edition, is on sale now for 99¢. Sam and James battle Lucifer for the future of mankind. 4.6 stars https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GL135KQ

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

July 11, 2025July 10, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

Today’s good news story come from the TCD newsletter and is some further information on controlling microplastics. Noelle Granger sent this story to me. Thank you, Noelle

Fraternity brothers invent high-tech device that can solve dangerous issue with modern laundry machines: ‘We couldn’t be more proud’

“Finding solutions to reduce pathways of exposure to them is critical.”

by Jon Turi

Microplastics are a global problem, but three Case Western Reserve University engineering alumni have created a new device to tackle a major source of this pollution.

Max Pennington, along with Sigma Chi fraternity brothers David Dillman and Chip Miller, helped develop a washing machine filtration system called CLEANR that can remove over 90% of microplastic particles before they leave the washing machine and enter the environment, the New York Post reported.

The device was introduced in 2023 at the IFA Berlin appliance industry conference, where the company first showcased its VORTX filtration design that was inspired by the natural filtration system of fish gills.

That core technology employs a novel vortex filtration process that CLEANR says is 300% more efficient than other traditional filters.

The Shaw Institute, a nonprofit science research organization, put the company’s claims to the test and officially certified that it’s over 90% efficient at removing microplastic particles as small as 50 microns from washing machine wastewater.

“We couldn’t be more proud to have worked with CLEANR as part of our new program to validate innovative technology designed to greatly reduce plastic pollution,” said Dr. Charlie Rolsky, executive director of the Shaw Institute, in a press release.

“Microplastics are a major threat to human and environmental health. Therefore, finding solutions to reduce pathways of exposure to them is critical.”

Around 16% to 35% of microplastics in the environment originated from synthetic textiles, according to the European Environment Agency, with the majority of them being released during the first few washes.

Microplastics have even been discovered in remote ecosystems and are permeating our bodies, posing a massive threat to the environment and our health.

The good news in this story is there is another way to combat the release of micro[plastics into the environment. Today’s JohnKu talks about keeping the pressure on eliminating microplastics from our planet. I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Each little battle,

Will add up to a final win . . .

On the plastic war.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Mourning Texas Losses

July 10, 2025July 9, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 87 Comments

As you know by now, there was severe flooding in Texas, which as of today has killed 111 persons. There are still 170 missing. Initially, I was going to post a story about Twiggy and Tempeste in the rain, but in retrospect, it seems a little disrespectful at this stage of the search and rescue operation. So to those who lost loved ones, and to those who still have had no word on their missing moms, dads, sons, and daughters, we respectfully offer our prayers.

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Eternal Road The final stop is on Promotion

July 8, 2025July 7, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 44 Comments

Eternal Road – The Final Stop is included in the Kindle Unlimited Reader Giveaway sponsored by Authorsxp.com

eBook, Paperback & Kindle Reader Giveaway!

(1) Kindle Reader Winner
(2) Winners of eBook “Gift Baskets” of ALL ebooks
Other Winners of individual ebooks or paperbacks (randomly selected)

Also, Eternal Road – The final stop Ebook is on sale from Monday July 7th to Monday July 14th for 99¢ in the US. Here is the link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GL135KQ

The first book in the Eternal Road series has Sam and James battling Lucifer for the welfare of mankind.

Top Ten Things Not To Do When Trying to Get Published

July 7, 2025July 7, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 89 Comments

This list was posted in October 2013 and authored by Marie Ann Bailey and me. Since many people are trying to get published, it may be useful today.

Top Ten Things Not To Do When Trying to Get Published

10 When trying to get published, do not send a query letter to a publisher with the opening phrase “You probably have never heard of me, but that will change.” The publisher will no doubt get a big laugh, and your query will get a direct pitch into the trash can with the words, “Want to bet,” on the publisher’s lips.

9 When trying to get published, do not use cute gimmicks in your query letter to get the publisher’s attention. They will not appreciate whatever you send along with the letter, and may charge you for the cleanup later. This includes: glitter hearts, artificial snow, two tickets to the Bruins hockey game, a six-pack of beer, sand from your beach story, or anything else not on paper.

8 When trying to get published, do not think a personal phone call to the publisher will make a difference. You will only risk sounding like an idiot, even though you have thoroughly rehearsed your pitch. If you happen to find someone to talk to, being able to locate your query letter to receive the feedback you need may put you on hold permanently.

7 When trying to get published, do not, under any circumstances, show up at the publisher’s place of business in person. The publisher will be extremely embarrassed since they will have no idea what to do with you. Your query might just be placed in your back pocket as you are shown the exit into the alley.

6 When trying to get published, do not tell the publisher in your query letter that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them. The only thing that may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is the one second it takes for the publisher to pitch your query into the wastebasket with the words, “I’ll take that chance.”

5 When trying to get published, do not try to build rapport with the publisher with words like, “If I were in your shoes, I would be looking for a talented writer and by golly, I just happen to know one.” The publisher will have a nice laugh at your expense and will probably use your query in the next seminar on How Not to Query. Of course, he will be paid an enormous fee, and you will get…well…nothing.

4 When trying to get published, do not send a query letter before you have your fiction manuscript finished. Unless you are Stephen King, there is no publisher in business today who will jump at the chance to publish your story if it is still in the concept stage. Describing in detail what might be will probably get you a response of what actually is happening, a flat “no.”

3 When trying to get published, do not assume you have only writing in mind. The publisher will want you to carry most of the marketing work on your shoulders. Your query letter should stay away from self-descriptive words and phrases like: artist, literary principles, clean hands, introvert, higher calling, too good for others, filthy capitalism, save trees activist, reclusive researcher, and only want to write.

2 When trying to get published, do not admit you are only in this for the money even if you are. There may be a time when the publisher contacts you in response to your query. This is not the time to start pressing the publisher for a compact timetable because you need the money. Like banks do not lend money to people who need it, publishers know there is little money for authors and will pass on you for another, more motivated by non-monetary reasons.

1 When trying to get published, do not give up. There are a million potential reasons to keep sending queries, and who knows, your manuscript just might be the next million-copy seller.

Eternal Road – The final stop is on sale beginning today until July 14th. Here is the link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GL135KQ

The first book in the Eternal Road series has James and Sam battling Lucifer to save mankind.

Views of the Neighborhood – Flora

July 6, 2025July 5, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 84 Comments

Today, we are cruising the neighborhood to see what kind of summer blooms are available. We are catered by ABA of Austin. Our entertainment is The Cowsills.

Texas Peach Biscuit – peach compote, whipped cream

Avocado Toast – pomegranate, preserved lemon, mint

Khachapuri – baked egg, cremini mushroom, graviera, green onion

Açaí Bowl – blueberry, banana, pomegranate, dukkah, coconut, mint

Short Rib Shakshuka – local eggs, spicy harissa, graviera, roasted potato

Kefta & Eggs – lamb & beef kefta, fried eggs, tzatziki, lemon dill rice

Shawarma-Spiced Skirt Steak & Egg – fried eggs, crispy potato, tzatziki

Jerusalem Bagel & Smoked Salmon Spread – sumac red onion, tomato, caper, labneh

Kebabs – served with basmati rice, Grilled Mushroom, date, sherry vinaigrette, zhoug

Grilled Chicken – yogurt marinade, sweet pepper, zhoug

Lamb & Beef Kefta -lemon, olive oil, tzatziki

Grilled Salmon – sweet pepper, red onion, zhoug