Top Ten Things Not to Do

April 28, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

Here is the 43rd installment of Ten Top Lists of What Not to Do by Marie Ann Bailey of 1WriteWay at http://1writeway.com and John W. Howell of Fiction Favorites at http://johnwhowell.com. These lists are simu-published on our blogs each Monday. We hope you enjoy.

Top Ten Things Not To Do When Attending a Parent-teacher Conference

When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not assume your child is never at fault. If you do, at best, you might be disappointed. At worst, you may find yourself explaining certain behaviors that could only be learned at home.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not try to explain away your child’s behavior with some made-up medical excuse. If you do, at best, you might be questioned about your own veracity. At worst, you might be explaining to child welfare the fact a medical exam found no medical reason for the behaviors.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not try to deny providing unusual help on the term project. If you do, at best, you will look like someone who has problems with the truth. At worst, you could be accused of being a severely overprotective parent with recommendations for counseling.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not try to ingratiate the teacher with abnormal compliments. If you do, at best, you will look like you have something to hide. At worst, the teacher will think you are shallow and assign the same trait to your child.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not assume the teacher will be impressed with your professional or work title and your forceful personality. If you do, at best, you may be in for a rude awakening. At worst, the teacher will think you are a bully and report you to the principal.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not do all the talking. If you do, at best you may miss some important information. At worst, the teacher will think you care more about yourself than your child and end the conference early with none of the issues resolved.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not bring along friends or relatives as support. If you do, at best, the teacher will feel outnumbered and end the conference early. At worst, the teacher will bring in a number of witnesses and pretty soon the conference will take on the appearance of a trial with you as the defendant.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not bring gifts. If you do, at best, the teacher will feel uncomfortable in giving you an honest evaluation of your child’s performance. At worst, the teacher will need to call the principal to witness turning down what they consider to be a bribe.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not call the teacher by the first name. If you do, at best, the teacher will believe you are rude. At worst, the teacher will get the feeling you are unnecessarily challenging the professional relationship which will not play well for the rest of the semester for your child.
When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not wear your most casual clothes. If you do, at best, the teacher will believe you are not serious about the conference. At worst, you may be unknowingly violating the school dress code and be asked to leave the building.

Friday Again so Soon – Ha Ha

April 25, 2014April 22, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 21 Comments

We finally made it to Friday. I have to say this was one hell of a week. I am working on my third novel and have set a goal to write 1000 words a day. This week I fell short. Not because I didn’t want to write , but I was busied out with projects needing done and pets needing help. It wasn’t as bad as I thought not achieving my goal, so I now need to whip myself into a frenzy and get back on the horse. It reminds me of the old question when faced with something which you believe has dire consequences. “What is the worst that could happen?” Once you face that question dealing with the issue is more manageable. So when I was pulling my hair out about missing daily numbers, I asked myself, “What is the worst that could happen?” I figured the worst would be a week’s delay in finishing my book. Since I don’t skydive, if I finish my book a week later than planned, it is no big deal. I don’t think the world will even notice. Okay I feel better. Now to the Margarita. Oh I almost forgot the Haiku. Here it is:

Worrying too hard,

About phantom dire results . . .

Breathe in deeply peace.

Silent Fury by Janice Ross – Rave Reviews Book Club Spotlight Author

April 24, 2014April 22, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 14 Comments

Silent Fury

In front a neatly positioned pile of rags

She sat in silent fury.

Green, red, white – yellow, pink, blue

Attend to her silent fury.

Silver shears elegantly trace

Each fabric in silent fury.

Adorned garments and stylish shoes

Lay in shambles in silent fury.

Furry cinnamon, dark coiled locks

Chopped down in silent fury.

Her disappointment, her hurt, her pain revealed

In mounting silent fury.

Illogical utterances, abuse of the mind

Caused her silent fury.

Unable to scream or rebel aloud

Released in silent fury.

Disastrous arguments a vain solution

Recourse in silent fury.

Yard brooms take a toll on battered skin

Low sobs in silent fury.

A fist, a belt, a size ten shoe

Accepted in silent fury.

“Blasted woman! Crosses in life!”

Condemnation in silent fury.

Unwanted kisses, unsolicited sex

Received in silent fury.

A jook inside her tender pink flesh

Pulsating in silent fury.

Threats to decapitate and stab her meat

Her flight in silent fury.

Rape, molestation and abuse

She responds in silent fury.

Physical, verbal, and emotional abuse awareness is very near and dear to me. It pains my heart to even think about the countless individuals that have suffered at the hands of others. Through my passion for this plight, I’ve published a series titled Damaged Girls. At the heart of the series is various forms of abuse, on a variety of different levels. Damaged Girls I, II & III are available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other online sites. If you do purchase and read, I would greatly appreciate some feedback. I can be reached at janice.ross@culturalcocktails.com

In addition, I’ve collaborated with several authors (Selena Haskins, T.M. Brown, Nicole Dunlap, Tamika Christy, and Adrienne Thompson) to offer a free collection of short stories under the title Just Between Us: Inspiring Stories By Women. In it we share intimate stories of self-realization, appreciation and abuse. I encourage you to sample our work.

Be informed. Speak out for others. Be a friend. Do not be afraid to fight for what is right.

Bio

Janice Ross was born in Guyana, South America and migrated to the USA in 1980. Although her citizenship certificate now reads the United States of America, she considers herself a citizen of the world. Sure she has not physically been around the world and back, but she’s travelled in her mind and dreams.

Janice is an author. She enjoys writing about social issues and personal experiences. Janice’s debut release was entitled Damaged Girls. She uses the three books in that series to detail the effects of different forms of abuse, discussing issues that are known to be taboo. Her next release, Jumping Ship, is a dedication to her country of birth and an introductory novella to the Island Hopping Series – due out in 2014. It’s poised to be a colorful and emotional experience of life, love and family. As of present, she is also a contributor to a short story collection – Just Between Us, Inspiring Stories by Women. And lastly, Loving Nate is a novella about the realities of losing one’s self to love.

Janice enjoys reading. And is drawn to stories with distinct characters that she can love or hate, characters she can form alliances with or characters that she can swear off and despise. She is also weak for a good cultural tale, preferably in the form of historical fiction. Janice loves to be taken off guard by clever language and settings.

Janice is also a devout supporter and promoter of other authors through social media. She hosts a weekly show, Cultural Cocktails, on the largest social radio network, Blog Talk Radio.

You can connect with Janice on

Website: www.culturalcocktails.com

Talk show: www.blogtalkradio.com/culturalcocktails

Blog http://jgrwriter.wordpress.com &

http://myculturalcocktails.wordpress.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/JGRWriter

FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/Cultural.Cocktails

https://www.facebook.com/jgrwriter?ref=hl

Google+https://plus.google.com/104579627944902429382/posts/p/pub?partnerid=gplp0

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/pub/janice-ross/58/691/894/

Wednesday AKA Hump and Story Day

April 23, 2014April 22, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 22 Comments

Wednesday is story day. Today’s story is about friends and helping others. We all want to help others and I’m sure we mean to help as much as possible. Sometimes things get in the way when we have good intentions, but don’t follow through. You know what I mean. For example, an author helped you launch a book on their blog, bought it, read it and put an amazing review up on Amazon and Goodreads. Sure you meant to pay back when they launched theirs, but after all, you were so busy with your own events, you really didn’t have the time. No time even to list it as a “want to read” on Goodreads. Well let’s be honest, you don’t really want to take the time. Besides, you heard from other friends the book was a bit unusual so you decided not to support it and therefore not possibly offend your friends. Well, if this sounds familiar this story is dedicated to you.

“Hey what are you doing?”

“Hi Frank. Making out a list of my friends.”

“Really why are you? Sounds like a waste of time.”

“Ha ha very funny.”

“No I mean who actually makes a list for their friends. You know who they are, isn’t that enough?”

“Well you would think so, but I am a little confused about who are really friends.”

“What difference does it makes. Friends are friends unless you want something.”

“What do you mean want something?”

“Friends tend to disappear when you ask them for things.”

“Then are they really friends?”

“Well do you define friendship in terms of what you get or what you give?”

“I never thought of it before, but I’ll have to say a little of both.”

“Now you’re talking. If you actually believe in give and take then I think you have a good idea of what friends are.”

“So what is the issue?”

“Not everyone believes the same way as you do.”

“What about you. Do you believe we are friends?”

“Yeah I believe we are close friends.”

“And you believe in give and take?”

“Sure I do.”

“Would you loan me twenty dollars?”

“What? And ruin a good friendship? “

Happy Birthday: Are You Watching Nonnie Write? Blog Tour

April 22, 2014April 22, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 6 Comments

I am happy to host Nonnie Jules, fine author and big supporter of other authors. So much so, she founded the Rave Reviews Book Club for such a purpose. So without further yammering from me here is Nonnie.

Welcome to day 6 of my 15 day “HAPPY BIRTHDAY: ARE YOU WATCHING NONNIE WRITE?” Blog Tour and I’m happy to be visiting with one of my fellow RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB members, John! I thank him so much for having me and my apologies for being tardy to my own party today.

This month marks the one year anniversary of my burst onto the social media scene and during that time, I have published three REALLY GOOD books and have learned so very much about the industry. Although I’ve been a writer for most of my life (actually, I was born one), I only just became a published author in 2013. Some might say, “In that short amount of time, what does she know?” Well, I’m here to tell you that “SHE” has learned a lot! “SHE” has taken the time to hone her skills in the writing department as well as her knowledge. “SHE” has taken the bull by the horn and run full speed ahead in building her author platform and establishing herself in the writing industry. “SHE” is making her name KNOWN.

On each stop of my tour, I am sharing with you tips on writing, publishing and support, all topics equally important to the writing industry. I hope that what I am imparting, you will take, mull over, and then act on in the best interest of YOU.

With that being said, here is…

MAKING YOUR NAME KNOWN BY BEING THE VOICE OF OTHERS!

As some of you know by now, I am the Founder and President of RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB, and many have asked what my motivation was behind forming the club. Well, some of you will get tired of my response, but I did it in support of others. I am constantly on the look-out for ways to promote and propel others. I truly believe that for me to be successful, I have to assist others in becoming successful first, or at the same time. I believe in lifting as I climb, and I practice all that I preach. I believe in that very attractive lady named KARMA! I knew that some of the struggles for authors were a lack of book sales and book reviews, and so what better way to support my peers than to offer an avenue to increase both sales and reviews for Authors. A book club of your peers (authors & readers) who have signed on to do JUST THAT… for the sole purpose of supporting you in this very manner. Hence, the birth of RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB.

I hand-picked my Governing Board and what was my most important criteria? …That they were all UBER-SUPPORTIVE OF OTHERS. And if you don’t know by now, I have created the best DREAM TEAM in the publishing and writing world! Have you met my board yet? Bruce A. Borders, Marlena Hand, Janice G. Ross, Kathryn Chastain Treat, Shirley H. Slaughter, Teri Garringer, Danica Cornell, and Beem Weeks are the reasons that this club is as successful as it is. Would you like to know HOW successful our club is? Well, let me tell you…our site RaveReviewsByNonnieJules went live on Christmas Eve, 2013, that’s not even a full four months and in that short amount of time, we have had over 26,419 site visits! We get around 20+ membership applications a day, but NOW, we’re very selective of who we allow into our fold. If you’re all about “self” and it reflects in your membership application based on your statements, then you’re probably not a good fit for us, because here at RRBC, we’re all about SUPPORT OF OTHERS FIRST! Here’s another example of what this club’s support can and IS doing for its members: my debut novel “DAYDREAM’S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE’S FRIEND” was chosen as the book club’s FIRST book of the month selection. When we started, I had only 1 book review. When my book’s run was over, I had 50 book reviews! How awesome is that? My e-book sales alone were almost at 200 during the time that my book was featured! Since that time, we have SPOTLIGHTED several authors and I’m sure they will all attest to the fact that the support they received from the club was UNEXPECTED and OVERWHELMING, both in the best way! We are making our name known because of the support we show and offer to our peers.

Now that I’ve shared that info with you, I’m going to leave you with this: If you want to be propelled to your highest, let your name be synonymous with support and let that support be for others. It’s OK to use your voice in support of you, but I think when that pretty lady named KARMA comes around your way, she will want to know that you used it louder in support of your fellow authors.

If you’re interested in supporting and being supported in high fashion, join us over at RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CUB. We’d love to have you!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

NONNIE Jules grew up loving books and everything about them. She has traveled the world, jumped out of planes and climbed many mountains, all thanks to the wonderful world of literature. She lives with her husband and two daughters on a very quiet strip of land in Louisiana, where red dirt roads and pick-up trucks go hand in hand. She is the Author of three great reads at present: “THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE TO RAISING (ALMOST) PERFECT DAUGHTERS,” 100 Tips On Raising Daughters Everyone Can’t Help But Love!; “Daydream’s Daughter, Nightmare’s Friend” (a novel); and “SUGARCOATIN’ IS FOR CANDY & PACIFYIN’ IS FOR KIDS!” Nonnie is also Founder and President of the widely-known Rave Reviews Book Club, as well as being a sought-after book reviewer with a strong “eye” for perfection. She continues to write from many different genres and hopes to teach and touch minds and hearts alike with her very unique style of writing. She loves positive feedback on her writing and personally responds to each and every email. Nonnie can be reached at nonniewrites@yahoo.com, on Twitter @nonniejules, and do follow her blogs WATCH NONNIE WRITE! {nonniewrites.wordpress.com} and ASK THE GOOD MOMMY {askthegoodmommy.wordpress.com}. Nonnie’s feet are firmly planted in her two most important platforms: Parenting & Support, where she continually invites the masses to join her.
BUY LINKS:

“THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE TO RAISING (ALMOST) PERFECT DAUGHTERS,” 100 Tips On Raising Daughters Everyone Can’t Help But Love! – amazon.com/dp/B00CP62O56; or createspace.com/4355124

“Daydream’s Daughter, Nightmare’s Friend“ – amazon.com/dp/B00GLM2VVM; createspace.com/4386308

“SUGARCOATIN’ IS FOR CANDY & PACIFYIN’ IS FOR KIDS!” – amazon.com/dp/B00IRIA0I4

Voices of Nature Blog Tour

April 22, 2014April 14, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 3 Comments

Stars Above (alouette)

Starry nights shine bright
Thousands of wee lights
Constellations light the sky
Darkness shows contrast
While clouds have gone past
Suspended in time up high

Pisces and Leo
Taurus and Virgo
Constellations light the sky
Sagittarius
Libra, Pegasus
Worlds of tiny lights float by

This is just a sample of the poetry you will find in Voices of Nature. There are dozens more poems for you to savor.

You can buy it here for only $.99 for Kindle – it also available in paperback ($7.19) on Amazon.

Poetry gives voice to what the eyes see and the heart hears.

Inspiration exists all around us. Beauty can be found in the laughter of a child or the blooms of a tree. Poems are one person’s interpretation of the world seen through their eyes and felt in their heart. Poetry is soul food – plain and simple.

Voices of Nature is a collection of poems that reflect the inherent splendor of nature all around us. This book utilizes a variety of poetry forms to paint word pictures.

One review said “The sheer variety of styles in this poetry book is amazing. Haiku, triple haiku, acrostic, rondeau, and so many others. Even better is that they explain the poems in the back, which is a great service to the curious reader.

Each poem is clear and paints a perfect picture of nature. Though, I have an odd feeling that both poets were tired of winter since that had the most amount of poems out of the season sections. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I did love the ‘Thunder and Lightning’ acrostic for the imagery and ‘New Day’ for the complicated style and bringing an odd sense of serene closure to the book.

I would highly recommend this poetry book. Even if you’re not into poetry, the pieces for every season will probably have you going ‘I thought the same thing.’

Pamela previously released a collection of love poems titled Dreams of Love with several five-star reviews. She has been writing for a short time, but pours her soul into her poetry.

Kirsten collaborated on a collection called Hope’s Flight.

This is a collection created by two poets – Pamela B and Kirsten A.
Both women enjoy exploring various topics and poetry forms. Many forms are represented in Voices of Nature (along with a short description of the forms for your convenience). Buy Voices of Nature for only $.99 today and experience the wonders all around us.

Ten Things Not to do with On-Line Dating

April 21, 2014April 20, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 22 Comments

Here is the 42nd installment of Ten Top Lists of What Not to Do by Marie Ann Bailey of 1WriteWay at http://1writeway.com and John W. Howell of Fiction Favorites at http://johnwhowell.com. These lists are simu-published on our blogs each Monday. We hope you enjoy.

Top Ten Things Not To Do When Signing Up With an Online Dating Service

10. When signing up for an online dating service, do not use your old high school senior photo in your profile. If you do, at best, your future dates might forgive you for being somewhat more overweight and wrinkled than your photo suggests. At worst, you might get sued by future dates for emotional and psychological trauma especially those who thought they were going to date an 18-year-old.

9. When signing up for an online dating service, do not say that you live in a foreign country because you want to appear exotic. If you do, at best, your future dates will be relieved to find out that you actually live within driving distance of them and they don’t have to pay exorbitant sums of money for a first date. At worst, your dream date who really does live in the country you claim to live in will out you to everyone else in the service and you will have to change your profile and your identity and actually move to a foreign country.

8. When signing up for an online dating service, do not claim to be a great cook when you still can’t make a decent peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you do, at best, your future dates will prefer to dine out anyway and will never find out your lie. At worst, your dream date will wind up in the ER after you actually try to prepare a romantic, home-cooked meal for your first (and now last) date.

7. When signing up for an online dating service, do not inflate your educational background so you can appear to be more intelligent than you apparently are. If you do, at best, your future dates will not be interested in your opinion on the Dunning-Kruger effect anyway and you’ll be saved from having to present yourself as an example of it. At worst, your profile will be tagged as someone who suffers from the Dunning-Kruger effect which you will find frustrating since your last name is not Dunning nor is it Kruger.

6. When signing up for an online dating service, do not minimize your educational background to appear to less intelligent than you really are because you are afraid of intimidating anyone. If you do, at best, your future dates won’t be interested in degrees anyway just as long as you can enjoy conversations with each other. At worst, your future dates will look like the cast from “My Name is Earl” or “Duck Dynasty.”

5. When signing up for an online dating service, do not claim to be fluent in any language when all you can say is “Hello” and “Goodbye” in that language. At best, all your future dates have the same native tongue as you, but no foreign language fluency so they get excited when you say “Bonjour” and “Adios” in the same sentence. At worst, your dream date will be fluent in the language you claim to be fluent in (let’s say, French, for fun) and invite you to a romantic getaway to Paris where the best you can do is say “Bonjour” to everything anyone else says to you, with the result that two hours into the romantic getaway, your dream date leaves you at a café with just your French-English dictionary to help you find your way home.

4. When signing up for an online dating service, do not claim to not have cats when you do just because the dream date you picked out is allergic to cats. At best, you never get together with your dream date but the second best date not only asks you out but also happens to like cats (and then you live happily ever after). At worst, your dream date comes to your place for coffee and, within five minutes, develops red, itchy eyes, sneezing and coughing fits, and a facial rash, even though your cats are not in your house because you had them boarded. All of this results in you being on the hook for your dream date’s trip to the ER and allergy medication as well as the boarding fees for a date that went nowhere.

3. When signing up for an online dating service, do not use a glamour photo for your profile, even if your friends insist it will get you more dates. At worst, all your future dates also use glamour photos so no one can complain when none of you look glamorous in real life. At worst, see the worst case scenario for #1 and then double it.

2. When signing up for an online dating service, do not present yourself as a social butterfly when in fact you get panic attacks when you have to speak to more than one person at a time. At best, your future dates will be flattered when you say you prefer evenings alone so you can get to know them better. At worst, your future dates will think your Howard Hughes profile is creepy since they assumed you loved the party life and eventually leave you to your evenings alone as a party of one.

1. When signing up for an online dating service, do not pretend to be anyone but who you really are. At best, you will find someone who will actually like you for yourself and you will make some new good friends. At worst, you’ll be stuck with a revolving door of dates but no relationships. (On the upside, that could be fodder for some good stories.)

Janice Ross – Rave Reviews Spotlight Author

April 18, 2014April 14, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 7 Comments

Jumping Ship Book Description

The year was nineteen seventy-five. Barren couple, Pearl and Edward Riley stumbled upon a newborn baby girl. Her cries could only be heard by a true mother, which Pearl immediately became. Bundled up with their new child, they discovered a parcel of artifacts and a scribbled note that read: Sakkara. Pregnant seamstress, Petrina Dugal, became a runaway at the age of twenty-six. She ran away from a brutish husband, Roger, and a well-loved South American home in Georgetown, Guyana; at the heart of her rebellion – an enigmatic lover named Michael Chen. Pet and Mikey, as they became affectionately known, allowed love to blossom in front of her police officer husband and an intrusive community. Were they not aware of the dangers? Or did the pursuit of love trump obligations?

Sakkara Riley grew up with two loving parents – adoptive parents to be exact. She never knew the circumstances surrounding her discovery, until the age of sixteen. She embarks on a journey.

Jumping Ship is an introductory novella to the Island Hopping Series. There are 7 planned books – representing each of the islands that Sakkara will visit along the way.

*****

Excerpt

The couple made necessary strides to not be too obvious in their conspiring. So, rather than take the most logical passage, a straight shot stroll became a sendoff march amongst the community. Mikey led the way, while Pet appeared to tag along from a mere three to four feet behind him. Her mind wandered on every possible issue. Luckily, the rainy season came twice for the year – around May to June/July and November/December to January. Their escape could’ve been wet and miserable.

At one point, they drifted towards the Seawalls, and she became elated at the opportunity to bask in the last bit of breeze she was to experience from its waters. She would never again enjoy flying kites along the path, nor taking a lonely Sunday afternoon stroll with murmurs and wafts. Their migration was a reminder that this would no longer be the case. In a daydream state, she took in the dry aroma of sand and seashells. The wind tousled at hair beneath the makeshift bonnet. Her eyelids dipped as a natural reaction to the Atlantic’s enticement. Pet’s senses guided her towards the path that Mikey was setting before her. His steps were urgent, yet steady; even his khaki’s swish-swoosh rubbing became a romantic melody. Her hips commenced twining in accord, while future-realities shattered her present circumstance. The delicate creature was spellbound.

When Mikey’s cool dodge to the right went unseen, within seconds Pet rammed into an oncoming fellow side-walker. All she was able to fully comprehend was the shimmery, jet-black combat boots – the very type that decorated her husband’s feet. The sharp edges of dark-colored pant bottoms swayed slightly against the stranger’s slender legs – a memento to Roger. She feared facing the ultimate tormentor. Her head remained low, while her hand unconsciously sought the entrance to the dark, silk wrap. Pet’s precious life and a delicate throat were in jeopardy. Tears rolled down her cheeks and cooled almost immediately. The breeze increased. A set of deep, honeycomb fingers attempted to pull away her facial shading.

Suddenly an arm gripped her waist and redirected her up Lamaha Street, and away from exposure.

* * * * *

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXYR2j7i2Ds

Embedded code:

Bio

Janice is also a devout supporter and promoter of other authors through social media. She hosts a weekly show, Cultural Cocktails, on the largest social radio network, Blog Talk Radio.

You can connect with Janice on

Website: www.culturalcocktails.com

Talk show: www.blogtalkradio.com/culturalcocktails

Blog http://jgrwriter.wordpress.com &

http://myculturalcocktails.wordpress.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/JGRWriter

FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/Cultural.Cocktails

https://www.facebook.com/jgrwriter?ref=hl

Google+https://plus.google.com/104579627944902429382/posts/p/pub?partnerid=gplp0

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/pub/janice-ross/58/691/894/

Friday is Haiku Day

April 18, 2014April 14, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 36 Comments

Today is known affectionately on Fiction Favorites as Haiku day. It is also the last day of the work week and a day we all look forward to having completed. It is also a day when we can take a moment to reflect on the previous week and take stock of what we have accomplished. Of course we need to be pretty sure of those things we put down on the accomplishment side of the ledger. One of the things I accomplished this week is a complete set of photos of my FJ 40. In order to do this, I had to put the roof and doors back on. The roof is no small feat since it weighs close to 400 pounds dripping wet. Now you may ask, why a full set of photos of your 1978 FJ 40 Land Cruiser? Well it is a sad day, but a day I knew was coming for the last year. It is now time to sell my beloved FJ.

I’m not selling her because I’m no longer in love. No far from it. I am selling her because I no longer have the time to pay attention to her as she has become accustomed. She sits for weeks with no-one to play with and talk. Her terminal rust is not getting any better and I have no time to treat the condition properly. Her heart keeps beating and she gets worn down since she must be driven routinely or her sensors and systems begin to malfunction. She becomes deflated with the lack of use. In short, I have another lover, my writing, with whom I am totally committed and it is not fair to her to stay with me.

I originally got her as a project car and did a lot of work to put her on the road. Now I must turn to other things and set her free. Oh yes the Haiku, I almost forgot. It’s titled Goodbye.

Goodbye by John W. Howell

Together is good,

One absent the other not . . .

A new day is here.

How about you. Do you look back and evaluate your week?

Wednesday Story Day

April 16, 2014April 14, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 24 Comments

The mid-week rest period is here. It is time to take a breather and prepare yourself for the rest of the week push. It is kind of funny how a small rest while engaged in some trying work can give you a second wind. This is really true of writing. I know after a few hours pounding the keyboard I am ready for something little different. Sometimes I take a break from the novel (third in the series) and do a little story. This is actually how story Wednesday came about. After two days of dealing with protagonist angst, it is really quite nice to let the brain rest and allow a story to flow where it may. After that exercise it is nice to return to the problem of the day with a new outlook. I’ll bet this works in other than writing situations as well. Try it and if your boss catches you writing a short story explain it is in lieu of a coffee break.

This week’s story is about a person who is in the situation described above and caught by the boss writing a story. It is titled: Caught. Hope you like it.

“So Al what are you doing there?”

“Uh . . . I’m just relaxing a minute.”

“Relaxing? It looks to me like you are writing something with a number two pencil no less.”

“Well yeah Frank. I’m writing a little story.”

“A little story? You are writing a story? About what?”

“Oh it’s about the office.”

“You have time to write stories? You know I’m still waiting for the Dilbert contract.”

“Yeah I know. I should have it to you by this afternoon.”

“Well that will be good considering it is two days late. Let me ask, will you be done with your story by then?”

“Oh it’s all finished.”

“All finished? Can I read it?”

“Why would you want to read it?”

“Well the way I look at it, you wrote it on company time and therefore it by rights belongs to the company. I represent the company so I have a right to read it.”

“I was using my coffee break time.”

“You union Al?”

“No.”

“Then coffee break time does not officially exist. It is a custom not a right. Hand it over.”

“It’s kind of personal.”

“Al?”

“Here you go.”

“Alright let me see. Humm the story opens with you coming into work. You grab a cup of coffee. More break time huh Al? Then you go to your cube. Boy this is exciting. Then your boss comes in and catches you writing a story. This sounds like real life Al. He demands to see the story. Uh Huh. While reading the story a large black shadow creeps up from the floor and surrounds the boss whose name is Frank. Geeze Al this is crap. Let’s see where was I? Oh yes here it is. The boss calls the work crap and then the large shadow . . .”

“Go ahead Frank. Then the large shadow does what?”