Echoes of Narcissus by Jo Robinson

December 28, 2014December 28, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 3 Comments

Donna thought there was something wrong with her. That she was suffering from a mental illness that has caused her husband to despise her, distance himself from her, and cheat on her. She blames herself for the desolate, miserable thing that is her marriage and her life. Then she comes across a book that will change everything for her, and reading it, she discovers that there’s nothing wrong with her mind at all, but that there is something very wrong with her husband instead. Marco, she realises, is a malignant narcissist. A text book case. He has a real and documented mental disorder, and that he’s been controlling, manipulating, and abusing her for decades. The sudden full knowledge of all that he’s purposely done to her enrages her. Not sure how to leave after thirty years of what she finally knows has been intentional mental and emotional abuse from him, and believing that she has nowhere to turn, being so physically isolated, she bides her time.

Then she meets and befriends a group of unusual people who share her passion for gardening, and so begins her journey to escape. She joins her new friends in their project to assist elderly people in old age homes care for their small gardens, as well as secretly supplying those suffering from painful and terminal illnesses with medicinal herb and plant remedies, including illegal plants such as cannabis. As weeks go by, she delves into her memories, relearns what it is to be respected, liked, and loved again, and slowly she formulates a plan to safely leave her dangerous husband. But unbeknownst to Donna, Marco is in serious trouble, and has desperate plans of his own, and absolutely no regard for her safety.

** This is a work of fiction, but malignant narcissists really do exist, and it is a recognised mental illness. Unfortunately, many people never realise that they are involved with a narcissist, because their actions are so demonically bad as to be unimaginable and unbelievable, and so they spend their lives in misery, depression, fear, and isolation. If only by the accidental reading of a fictional story, I hope that this book will help even one person, unknowingly suffering narcissistic abuse, to realise that they don’t have to, and that it’s never too late to start over, be happy, be fulfilled, to love and care for yourself, and be truly loved and respected by others.

Available now from AMAZON

Jo Robinson very recently returned to her homeland, South Africa, after having lived in rural Zimbabwe for eighteen years. Her obsessive affection for the African continent, most humans, and all creatures feathered and furred are what inspire her writing. She is the author of African Me & Satellite TV, the science-fiction/fantasy series Shadow People, and a couple of short stories, which will be free to download from Amazon from 26 to 30 December, Fly Birdie and The Visitation.

To win eBook copies of Shadow People and African Me & Satellite TV, send Jo a message from THIS page.

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Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt Consume

December 27, 2014December 26, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 7 Comments

This is Saturday and time for a Stream of Consciousness. This is a regular feature and is a result of a prompt created by Linda Hill. You can go here to read all about it and join in if you wish. http://lindaghill.com/2014/12/26/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-december-2714/ This week’s prompt is “consume” and can be used in any manner. Here is my interpretation.

“What kind of soup is that?”

“Consommé why?”

“I just wondered. It doesn’t look like anything but clear brown water.”

“Figures you would say that. This is a very refined type of soup.”

“Why does that cup have two handles?”

“It’s a consommé cup. The two handles let you drink it with either hand. By the way don’t you have anything to do?”

“I was just passing by and saw you in the window.”

“And this means something?”

“I just thought you would ask me to join you. I am checked out to consume consommé.”

“Checked out? What does that mean?”

“I know how to consume consommé.”

“Who taught you?”

“You did.”

“When?”

“Just now. Hold the cup with either hand. Sip the consommé gently and have your pinky finger cocked just so. Am I right?”

“Sure. Have a seat. I’ll order you a cup.”

“Can I have a ham sandwich with that?”

“Sure.”

“And some wine?”

“Anything you want.”

“Something’s wrong?”

“You think?”

“You are being too nice.”

“Too much for you to consume?”

“I think I’ll leave. You’re mocking me.”

“Bye.”

Friday TGIF JohnKu

December 26, 2014December 20, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 8 Comments

Friday has made it again. This week seemed like it was super fast. I guess having the holidays off for most of you kept it moving along. Being the day after Christmas the main focus today is the return of all those wonderful presents you received from well-meaning folks. Sure bright green is supposed to lift your mood but not in a sweater. Yes, footed pajamas with a back door and bear motif are very comforting when you are ten years old (thanks, Aunt Helen) but now need to go back. That aftershave that knocks people off their feet and is guaranteed to lure the beautiful to your neck has no room in your current repertoire especially if you have forgotten what is expected when a beautiful person is on your neck. So it goes. All the wonderful sentiments are intact. The gifts which were to communicate them gotta go. Today’s JohnKu (a term coined by Words4jp) talks about this process. I hope you enjoy.

Evidence of love,

Opened and scattered around. . .

Triage done on each.

Wednesday Story Day – AKA Christmas Eve

December 24, 2014December 20, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 12 Comments

This Fire and bottle of Port are for Lisa A. Duke

Wednesday story day again. I hope everyone has finished up the Christmas shopping and can take some time to relax. Last week we left Billy asking Frank for a couple of bullets since he was a little squeamish about hitting someone with his gun. My favorite comments received were along the lines of “this will not be good.” Let’s pick up the story right where Billy has asked for the bullets and Frank responds.

“Billy. You are telling me you would rather shoot someone than hit them.”

“I guess so. I just can’t stand to hurt people.”

“You know shooting them hurts? Right?”

“Well, yeah but it is not the same. I don’t have to feel it.”

“Goodness a raving narcissist.”

“A what?”

“A narci─ Aw forget it. Here are the two bullets and if you shoot me with them I’ll kill ya. Also quit flashing that gun around”

“All loaded. Okay Frank. You can trust me. Thanks and Merry Christmas to you.”

“Huh? This is Christmas?”

“It’s Christmas Eve. You didn’t know that?”

“I guess it slipped my mind. Let’s go into the bank.”

“Right behind you Frank.”

“Whoa, what’s this?”

“What frank?”

“Sign says closed at three pm. What time is it?”

“Ten after three.”

“For crying out loud. Why are they closed?”

“It’s Christmas Eve Frank. Most Banks close early.”

“So while we were talking about your precious two bullets we could have been collecting the cash out of this bank?”

“I guess so. Maybe we should hit a gas station.”

“Billy. I am a finely tuned machine designed to strike terror into the hearts of bankers. Why the hell would I want to hold up a gas station?”

“Well, it is Christmas and in the holiday spirit gas stations people deserve to be terrorized too.”

“Shut up Billy.”

“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.”

“Shut up Billy.”

#RRBC Spotlight Author – Day Three

December 23, 2014December 20, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 19 Comments

Rave Reviews Book Club features an author each week. This week’s Spotlight Author is Craig S. Boyack. I am pleased to present him here on Fiction Favorites. Craig has a new book out called “The Cock of the South.” This is his first attempt at writing fantasy. It involves a group of conquered peoples banding together to ensure they have a place in the world. It is set in a Greco-Roman environment, rife with everything fans of those stories might expect. In his words then:

***

I wanted to read a good dwarf story at one point. I found some really good ones, and a few that didn’t quite measure up. I returned to this theme occasionally over the course of a few years. The idea stuck with me and I decided I wanted to write one myself. Why should elves get all the love?

I stewed about a plot and characters and ultimately decided I had to bring something new to the table. I didn’t want to write another story about Nordic style dwarves. I fussed about this for months.

About this time, the television show Spartacus was winding down. I enjoyed it, and an older one called Rome. I was sad to see the Greco-Roman setting disappear back into the Hollywood vault.

That’s how I arrived at the setting for The Cock of the South. Humans inhabit the entire world. Any special peoples would certainly fill more than one valley or kingdom. They might have different styles and mannerisms, just like us, but they would spread fairly wide to be a viable species.

I still needed a plot. I stirred the sediments in my brain once more and came up with one. The story is a scoop of Exodus, spiced with a bit of “hang together or hang separately.”

I wanted to change-up a few things from standard history. It’s a fantasy after all. I decided that Remus killed Romulus and founded the nation of Remus. Things progressed in a similar manner, but not exactly the same as Ancient Rome.

The main character is one of the Southern Dwarves, who was raised in the house of a prominent Remsian citizen. He is shorter and broader than his contemporaries, so the locals nicknamed him Cobby.

Cobby’s world gets turned upside down and he must flee his home. He becomes a great point of view for readers to learn about this world they’ve stepped into.

I hope you’ll give The Cock of the South a chance. There is a pretty cool dwarf movie making the rounds right now. If you’d like more dwarves please consider my story.

***

How writers go about producing a story is always an interesting topic. I love reading about the process of others. Rather than just lurk, I decided to talk about my own machinations as I wrote The Cock of the South.

I keep quick notes in an app on my phone. These are just a line or two to remind me of stray thoughts. When I keep dwelling on an idea I take out a notebook and fountain pen and expand the idea a bit. If it really sticks with me I start a storyboard.

This is my first fantasy story. Being true to the genre was important to me. I actually did mountains of research into mythology to spark my imagination. I didn’t want to rewrite one of those tales, so I stole bits and pieces to weave into my stories. I made small piles of index cards. These didn’t all get used, but I like to have notes to refresh my imagination.

It was equally important to me that I was true to the setting. Ancient Rome and Greek mythology are something readers are used to, and I wanted to use this to ground the story. I find that building fences with plot and setting serve as a governor to my imagination. The imagination flows and focuses in a different direction. My storyboard was covered with sticky notes to include more marble columns and bath houses at one point.

When it comes to characters I try to be a bit different. Hercules might be the best hero, but what if someone less qualified had to solve all the problems? I found a lost member of the Southern Dwarves who was raised by humans. His dwarven heritage has been hidden from him, and he lives as a short broad human. Because of his physical makeup the people around him nicknamed him Cobby.

I also wanted the freedom to vary some of the historical parts of the story. I stewed on this for a long time, but in fantasy the world ought to be different. It was a delicate balance to preserve the setting and believably change some elements. I dug deep into mythology and decided that Remus killed Romulus. Rome never got built and the nation of Remus took its place. This allowed me to modify weapons, change trade routes, and still keep some familiarity in the story.

I always try to challenge myself to try something new with each story. This isn’t obvious to the reader, but it’s important for my growth. In The Cock of the South, I wanted to use fairytale structure. This is a great way of telling a story, but casual readers might not pick up on everything.

Since this post is likely to be read by as many authors as readers here are some things I included. Cobby is the outsider of three brothers. Each brother represents one facet of the father. Cobby will have to master all three of these elements before he can succeed. There is a scene involving magical gifts from a friend. If you pay very careful attention, there are even seven dwarves together on one adventure. I included more elements, but this is a blog post and you’ll have to watch for others as you read the story.

I love this story, but readers will be the ultimate judge. I hope you’ll give The Cock of the South a chance. I had a great time writing it and hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

***

You can follow Craig at the following places:

His blog, Entertaining Stories. http://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com

On Twitter. https://mobile.twitter.com/Virgilante

You can pick up a copy of The Cock of the South at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4H37WC

Top Ten Things Not to Do During the Holidays

December 22, 2014December 19, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 33 Comments

This list is inspired by the holiday season and is as a result of watching the behavior of folks as we get nearer to the final day. As with all my lists there is not much redeeming value here but are designed to (maybe) get a smile. Also, some of these items may seem to be contrary to the spirit of the season but I can assure you they are.

Ten Things Not to do During the Holiday Season.

10 During the holidays, do not invite strangers to your home even if the spirit moves you. If you do, at best you may have an awkward moment or two. At worst, you might just wonder what happened to the house full of furniture which was there when you went off to church.

9 During the holidays do not accidentally drop more money than you intended into the Salvation Army kettle. If you do, at best you will have given to a worthy cause. At worst, you will have to explain to the family about the lack of presents due to your generosity somewhere else. (Yeah, they will understand.)

8 During the holidays, do not think you have to buy everyone you know a gift. If you do, at best you will certainly earn the cheerful giver award. At worst, you may create an identity crisis with those who did not buy a gift for you causing then to rush out and get you something or even worse re-gift the gift you gave them last year.

7 During the holidays always remind yourself that self-medication is not a wise thing during times of stress. If you don’t, at best you will get off easy with a nip of egg nog. At worst, you will find yourself saying some of the dumbest things to those you barely know and what you think are the smartest things to those who no longer call you friend.

6 During the holidays, do not put off your shopping in an effort to ‘get into the season.” If you do, At best you may have to pay more for items that are in short supply. At worst, all the gifts you were going to buy are no longer in stock and so you will have to make last-minute substitutions which will at best be second-rate and not at all what anyone can remotely appreciate.

5 During the holidays do not touch anything outside your home. If you do, at best you will come down with a cold from a germ left on that innocent door handle. At worst, you will be quarantined by the CDC due to the fact that whatever you picked up is not currently identified and is assumed to be as a result of a terrorist attack. The upside here is the CDC has a lovely assortment of Christmas carol CD’s which they are happy to play over and over again.

4 During the holidays, do not think you can pick up that holiday turkey on your way home Christmas eve. If you do, at best only the twenty-five pounders will be available. At worst, the only thing left in the meat department is a package of Hog Maw left over either from Thanksgiving or the butcher’s hunting trip.

3 During the holidays do not think you need to have an old-fashioned Christmas by subjecting your neighbors to your family’s off key carols. If you do, at best you will get polite smiles and no hot chocolate At worst, you and the family will need to run for your lives .as the neighbor yells “don’t worry Bruno already ate.”

2 During the holidays, do not try to attend every event of which you are aware. If you do, at best you will be sleep deprived and will have lost the spirit of the season. At worst, you will need to consume copious amounts of caffeine which will lead to an unnerving appearance which might cause holiday revelers to actually believe the story of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Or even worse think the Christmas tale of the Zombie is real.

1 During the holidays, do not despair over small things that you forgot. If you do, at best matters will seem worse as a result. At worst, your family will certainly be forced to look forward to the coming of spring when the state promises to review your case again.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday

December 20, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 13 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday and time for another prompt. This week’s prompt is “excuse” and it can be used any way the writer chooses. To learn more go to http://lindaghill.com/2014/12/19/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-december-1914/ Here is my contribution I hope you enjoy it.

“So what’s your excuse?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your excuse. You’re late.”

“Late? How can that be?”

“You were planned for arrival two days ago?”

“I don’t need an excuse. I had no idea about your agenda.”

“So you think you can excuse your behavior simply because you were ignorant as to the details?”

“Yeah, I guess you have my excuse.”

“Ignorance is no excuse.”

“So where is this place anyway?”

“Oh. Come on now you are using confusion as an excuse.”

“I am confused. No excuse intended. I just don’t know where I am.”

“Ever hear of heaven?”

“You’re kidding right?”

“About heaven?”

“Yes about heaven.”

“Yeah, I guess I am. This is the other place.”

Friday TGIF and JohnKU

December 19, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 16 Comments

Friday is the best day of the week. I’ll bet a lot of you are attending some kind of office or holiday party tonight. You may even be going to the boss’s house for a get together. If you are invited remember to wipe your feet at the door and don’t spill anything. I wonder who ever thought these things were fun. I remember one event where the boss had us all in for the holiday and I was standing admiring this large vase (pronounced VAHZE) on a pedestal. It was some kind of rare Asian art kind of thing and had its own light. I usually am impressed by things that have their own light. Well, long story short some oaf hit me from behind which caused me to carom into the base. This caused the vase (VAHZE) to begin to teeter back and forth in what could be the beginning of a death spiral Given the vase (VAHZE) cost more than I was worth alive, my life and employment passed before my eyes. When the vase (VAHZE) finally did its bow I caught it before it hit the floor. With shaking hands, I placed it carefully back on the pedestal. As I was adjusting it the boss came by and whispered, “Nice catch. You saved both our asses.” I loved that guy.

Today’s JohnKu (a term coined by Words4jp) is about holiday parties. Hope you enjoy.

Few days of worry,

Attending all the parties . . .

Paid back by the flu.

Wednesday AKA Hump and Story Day

December 17, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 21 Comments

Wednesday is story day again. Last week we left Frank and Billy deciding to rob a bank so that Billy could get some money together since he is broke. In fact, Billy does not have a gun or a car so Frank gives him an unloaded 9MM and will do the driving. The reason Frank unloaded the gun is he doesn’t trust Billy and thinks he could well shoot Frank by mistake. So let’s pick it up from there.

“So there is the bank Billy. This will be as easy as takin’ candy from a baby. You set?’

“What am I supposed to do Frank?”

“You and I are going to walk into the bank. We will ask loudly and with some degree of profanity to get down on the floor. We will further explain we are holding up the bank and if everyone does as they are told no one will get hurt.”

“Why are you talking funny Frank?”

“Funny?”

“Yeah, you’re acting as if I never robbed a bank before and I’m an idiot.”

“Oh, so how many bank jobs have you done?”

“One.”

“One? How did it go?”

“It was okay.”

“Just Okay? Tell me.”

“I got away with one hundred dollars.”

“A hundred dollars? You have got to be kidding me. Out of thousands you came away with one hundred dollars?”

“It was all tax-free.”

“You wonder why I talk to you as if you are an idiot?”

“Yeah why?”

“Shut up Billy.”

“That cold Frank.”

“Let’s go inside. Just do as I do and as we all know from the movies the guard will attempt to draw his gun. Just put your gun in his ribs and tell him to drop it. Got that?”

“Yeah sure. What if he doesn’t.”

“Then hit him with your gun.”

“Where?”

“On the head, arm or in the butt. I don’t care just don’t let him shoot you or me.”

“Frank?”

“What Billy?”

“I’m not comfortable hitting someone. Could I have a couple of bullets, please?”

“Shut up Billy.”

Top Ten Things Not to do In The Rain

December 15, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 31 Comments

This week’s list was prompted by the huge amount of rainfall that came down in California. I used to live in Sonoma and remember what it was like when the five and six-inch rainfalls hit. Most people are not aware that most of California is a desert and the people living there rely on the winter rainfalls to refill the reservoirs for use in the summer. It has been tough for the last few years since rainfall amounts were not up to levels that could sustain consumption through the summer. The latest round of rain has not eliminated the problem since fast accumulation generally means runoff as opposed to conservation. Our thoughts are with those in California and maybe a chuckle will help a little.

Top Ten Things Not to do in the Rain

10 If you are in the rain driving your car, do not engage cruise control. If you do, at best you may have a spin out. At worst, your car will continue at a constant rate of speed as you slide off the highway into the old river gorge which is swollen with rain water and moving at fifty miles an hour.

9 If you are in the rain driving your car do not cross a puddle of unknown depth especially if you see the back fin of an unidentified fish. If you do, at best rescue will come before the car sinks. At worst, you and your car will be the subject of the six o’clock news as the coast guard boards your temporary boat and claps you in irons

8 If you are in the rain and don’t have an umbrella, do not hold a paper over your head. If you do, at best you will end up wet and ink-covered. At worst, you might be mistaken for a person with a paper mache head and have to deal with parents of children who are sure you are from a different planet.

7 If you are in the rain, do not try to run to minimize the effects of the raindrops. If you do, at best you will simply get wetter faster as a result of your increased velocity. At worst, running in a downpour has all the makings of a two-reel comedy especially if you slip and fall into a puddle as you step off the curb. (You know a cellphone camera will catch that underwear flash and all)

6 If you are in the rain and standing with people to get on the bus, do not mention the rain. If you do, at best those around you will think you are an idiot for discussing the obvious. At worst, you may just be lucky enough to be able to get under an umbrella and then be told to move since you have made your umbrella mate uncomfortable with your observation of “wow some rain, huh.”

5 If you are in the rain and you are carrying anything, do not think you can keep it dry by shoving it under your clothes. If you do, at best you will have a cold wet lump next to your skin. At worst, those around you will think you have taken something illegally and turn you into the police who decide not to step out of their car in the rain but rather Taser you from inside the car.

4 If you are in the rain, do not try to eat your sandwich on the go. If you do, at best you will have to eat it too fast to save it from melting. At worst, you will be too slow and the best part of the sandwich will have run down the sleeve of the arm connected to the hand which was wrapped around the sandwich. This part of the sandwich will only be discovered when you raise your arm to ask a question of the visiting executive from the home office who will naturally think you rolled in something bad.

3 If you are in the rain, do not think your dog will perform as they usually do on walk. If you do, at best you and the dog will be in for a frustrating experience. At worst, your dog will associate rain with your disappointment and my want to help by leaving a surprise for you at the door before walk if it is raining outside to show you there is no need for the walk.

2 If you are in the rain and you have a flat tire, do not try to change it yourself. If you do, at best you will be soaking wet and dirty. At worst you might just be part of a freak accident where the car slips off the jack and rolls down an embankment only to become airborne until landing on a person’s roof below and coming to a stop in their living room. (While they are watching the six o’clock news about an earthquake in Asia) Okay, I’ll admit it’s not a realistic situation but hey, it could happen and why take the chance.

1 If you are in the rain, do not take your shoes off to prevent your Italian leathers from getting wet. If you do, at best you will only step on some strangers gum. At worst, you may step into a puddle that if you had your shoes on you would have tried to avoid only to discover someone let their pet piranhas loose for a run down the street without their leashes. The sad part is the piranhas were let loose prior to their tapir dinner.