“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 6 pm 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.”
I am so pleased to have Staci Troilo on Fiction Favorites today. Stacie has a five-book launch going right now and I’m proud to have her with me today. Staci is also a member of Story Empire. Staci the post is yours.
Ciao, John. Many thanks for inviting me here today. I’m super excited to be here. And hello to all your visitors!
I’m here today to talk about my Astral Conspiracy series. It’s technically science fiction, as it’s part of the acclaimed Platt and Truant Invasion Universe, but my saga is as much thriller as it is sci-fi, so I thought I’d have a little fun with my marketing and include pages from the top-secret government files on my main characters.
Today, I’m sharing info on Nixon Beck.
DOSSIERName: Nixon Beck
Occupation: Director, US Government AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program)
Of Note: No information found
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW BETWEEN AUTHOR (Staci Troilo a.k.a. D.L. Cross) AND CHARACTER (AATIP Director Nixon Beck) ON ASTRAL DAY (the day the world is alerted to the approach of alien ships) via video conference. (Video is eyes-only, file #4261918-V, director’s approval required.)
Subject photo available, file #4261918-GStaci: Hello, Director. Thank you for taking a minute to speak with me.
Beck: You have literally one minute. Go.
Staci: Oh. Okay. Well. Can you tell me what AATIP is planning to do when the aliens get here?
Beck: No.
Staci: (blinks a few times) No, you can’t tell me because AATIP doesn’t have a plan? Or, no, you can’t tell me because I don’t have clearance? Because I do have clearance.
Beck: (glances at watch then back into the camera; says nothing)
Staci: Okay. Well, I understand this isn’t the first time aliens have come to Earth. In fact, I have it on good authority that the US government has at least one in custody and has for a long time.
Beck: (stares into camera; says nothing)
Staci: Can you confirm that?
Beck: No.
Staci: No, you can’t confirm that? Or no, you don’t intend to because I don’t have clearance? Because, as I said earlier—
Beck: You do have clearance.
Staci: Yes. I can offer you proof, if you require it.
Beck: Do you honestly think you know something I don’t? I agreed to talk to you because you have clearance.
Staci: But you aren’t talking to me.
Beck: Because I know you’re recording this video interview, and I don’t know who you plan on sharing it with. Let me explain something to you, Ms. Troilo. You may have been cleared to talk to me, and I may have been asked to talk to you, but your audience has zero clearance. So, you’re lucky I said as much as I did.
Staci: But you haven’t said anything.
Beck: (more blinking)
Staci: Okay. Well, can you tell me what your roll is at AATIP, precisely?
Beck: That’s redacted. And your minute is up.
Staci: Director— (but his screen was already dark)
Beck makes his debut in the Astral Conspiracy series in book one, The Gate. You can read a brief synopsis of all five books below, and each one has links to its product page and a purchase link.
The Gate: When the hypotheses of disgraced ancient alien theorist Landon Thorne prove to be true, he travels across the globe in search of a way to communicate with—and perhaps stop—the approaching alien armada.
Full Blurb | Purchase LinkThe Stones: The invasion couldn’t be prevented, but there is a chance the Astrals can be driven away… if Landon Thorne can reach the Georgia Guidestones, unearth its secrets, and decode the mystery before the aliens stop him.
Full Blurb | Purchase LinkThe Nine: Landon Thorne and his team of resistance fighters seek a cipher to decode the message accompanying a cache of alien artifacts they’ve unearthed, but the government, a clandestine cabal, and the Astrals themselves stand in their way and might not only put an end to their plans—they might put an end to their lives.
Full Blurb | Purchase LinkThe Twins: When all factions converge for a human-versus-alien showdown, resistance fighter Reverie Sterling gets help from the least likely source. But even then, it may be too late for everyone she loves to make it out alive.
Full Blurb | Purchase LinkThe Lab: In the final showdown between Earthlings and Astrals, twins Asha and Vonn insist their long-lost grandfather has a plan to save humanity. It’s a long-shot, but the resistance takes it—and no one is prepared for the consequences.
Full Blurb | Purchase LinkAbout Staci Troilo/D.L. Cross
D.L. Cross has loved science fiction ever since she was a young girl and fell for Major Don West on television’s Lost in Space. To this day, she still quotes the show, though her favorite lines were spoken by the robot and the antagonist. Parallel universes or alternate realities, aliens or dinosaurs, superpowers or super viruses, time travel or AI… no sci-fi theme is off limits and all of them fascinate her. D.L. Cross also writes other genre fiction under the name Staci Troilo, and you can find more information about all her identities and all her work at her website: https://stacitroilo.com.
Connect online:
Website | Blog | Troilo Amazon | Cross AmazonTroilo BookBub | Cross BookBub | Troilo Goodreads | Cross GoodreadsSocial Media
Thanks again for hosting me today, John. And thanks to all of your fans for welcoming me. This post was as fun to write as the stories were, and I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Grazie!
This week marks the 69th anniversary of the first ‘I Love Lucy’ show on CBS television. This post was inspired by fellow blogger, author, and history buff Susannah.
The Olds from Eternal Road. There are only a few days left at 99¢ on Amazon. Click the car to go there. Come right back, though.
We cannot miss the first show, so let’s get in James 56 Olds and go there. So that we don’t cause a tear in the time continuum, grab the list of Top Ten Things Not to Do.
Top Ten Things Not to Do at the First ‘I Love Lucy’ Show in 1951
10 If you go with us, do not say out loud, “Lucy, you’ve got a lot of ‘splainin’ to do.” If you do, at best, you will be ignored. At worst, the director will take you out back. (You see, Maxence, those words were never said by Ricky. He may have used ‘splain in another context but never that line. Now the director wants you to take a hike. No, he’s not going to film you.)
9 If you go with us, do not ask Tiny, the WWF champ, why he’s not playing Fred Mertz. If you do, at best, Tiny will be distracted by the catered lunch. At worst, Tiny, who paid $50,000 for acting lessons and tried out for the part, will think you are mocking him. (Tiny did not get the part, Maxime because the director thought he was too menacing. She gave him the part of the night janitor instead. Not on screen but the actual night janitor. Oh yeah, here’s a message from Tiny. He wants to see you outside.)
8 If you go with us, do not bet anyone; the show will close after one performance. If you do, at best, you’ll only bet a dollar. At worse, you put up the Olds title. (Well, Maxton, this could have been not good if we hung around for another week. The “I Love Lucy’ show went on for six seasons with 181 episodes. Since you put the Olds up as collateral, it is a good thing we can leave before the bet is decided. Go warm it up since we only have six more things to cover, then we are outa here.)
7 If you go with us, do not make comments on how the show is filmed or the cast. If you do, at best, the pre-production noise will drown you out. At worst, cinematographer Karl Freund will hear you. (You now have Karl’s attention, Mayhew. He was the first to film a TV show in 35mm film with multiple cameras that moved. Freund also invented the flat lighting techniques used for filming TV shows. This technique eliminated shadows on the set. He thinks you are critical of the way he is doing things. He has a way to gain satisfaction, though. His second will be calling on you in the morning. You have experience in fencing, right?)
6 If you go with us, do not discuss the future success of the show. If you do, at best, everyone will be working and not hear you. At worst, the numbers you quote will probably cause all the actors to freeze. (After all, Maynor knowing the show would get five Emmys and have 40 million viewers in syndication would scare anybody. It looks like Ms. Ball wants a word with you, and she doesn’t look happy.)
5 If you go with us, do not point out that William Frawley and Vivan Vance do not speak to each other off-camera. If you do, at best, you will be ignored. At worst, the director will think you are from the media. (It is well known around the studio that the two do not get along, Medus. The director wants to make sure you are not going to write about it. I think he will let you out of this closet if you double dog guarantee you are not a journalist.)
4 If you go with us, do not wear your anti-tobacco t-shirt to the production. If you do, at best, it can be covered with a coat. At worst, the executive from Phillip Morris, the sponsor of the show, will spot you. (In the early days of television, Medus, the sponsors of shows often dictated content and frequency. Phillip Morris insisted the show be weekly instead of every other week, and Lucy and Desi desired. It looks like two huge guys are headed your way.)
3 If you go with us, do not suggest doing the show without an audience. If you do, at best. Lucille will not hear you. At worst, Lucille will think you are a TV critic. ( It was Lucille’s idea to use a live audience instead of canned laughter, Medwyn. She wanted the show’s spontaneous reaction to come through. She is now telling Tiny to help you out. Tell him where you came in, quick. Otherwise, he might not be fussy about using a door.)
2 If you go with us, do not mention re-run in front of Desi. If you do, at best, he will be talking to the director and miss what you say. At worse, he will think you are an industry spy. (Here’s the deal, Mehrdad. After the first year of the show, Lucy became pregnant and could not keep up with the weekly schedule. Since the show was shot in 35 mm film, Desi decided to air previous episodes from the first year to give lucy a break. The audience loved it and so the re-run was born. Desi set up the first syndicated re-run system which is still used today. BTW Desi wants to talk.)
1 If you go with us, do not suggest that ‘I Love Lucy’ become a radio show as well as television. If you do, at best everyone will think you are joking. At worse, someone will take you up on it ( A show was produced, Meinke. It was a compilation of the audio part of “Breaking the Lease” episode of the TV show. It never aired since Phillip Morris decided to sponsor “My Little Margie” instead.)
If you would like to hear some of the show here is a link for 8 minutes of it.
Today we are taking another tour of the neighborhood in search of Halloween decorations. I know you may be getting tired of them. Trust me; there are some unusual ones.
So get on the bus. Today we are serving Mai Tai’s or Mimosas in quart jars with fresh fruit; Omelets made to order, Belgium waffles, and candied bacon. For our entertainment, we have Bon Jovi and Sugarland.
Here we have a large spider who has obviously taken over this bush. No, I’m not going up there.
Here is something out of Craig Boyack’s imagination. I don’t think I’m going to bother their mailbox.
Two ghosts as far apart as they can get. It might be a domestic dispute problem.
Here is a friendly spirit. I think he can keep his Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
This poor guy has been chased up a mailbox tower by an undead dog. I think he would be wise to let the dog have the hat.
Here is what happens around Halloween if you leave your car parked in one spot for too long.
Another shot of the rear of the car parked too long.
A happy couple who have just finished their swim.
Someone cautious about wearing a helmet while riding their bike. Too bad the car was so big and heavy.
It seems that bullies come in all shapes and sizes. We need to report this guy.
A couple of pals hanging out with a giant.
I hope you enjoyed the tour. You can hang out a while and listen to music. I hope you have a great week.
I am so pleased to have Fellow Story Empire member and author Marcia Meara with me today. She is here to discuss Book Three of her Emissary Series. Marcia the floor is yours. (Well, the walls too.)
Thanks so much for having me here today, John. I’m pretty excited to be sharing the news of my latest release with you and your followers, and I’d like to take a moment to chat about angels in today’s fiction.
I don’t know how many of you have noticed, but angels on book covers in recent years do not look like they did when I saw pictures of them in Sunday school. Nope. Not at all. For one thing, they aren’t wearing robes and carrying harps. Mostly, they’re bare-chested with those washboard abs that are so admired these days. This always leaves me wondering how they have time for typical angelic duties, what with all those workouts over at the Cloud 9 Gym. (Poor Clarence from “It’s a Wonderful Life” was robbed. 😉 )
And though the term “Nephilim” is mentioned in Genesis, and sometimes defined as the offspring of an angel and a mortal, that was another concept that wasn’t bandied about much in popular fiction decades ago.
Regardless, love affairs between humans and angels, with or without offspring, are themes that have been pretty popular in many of today’s romance and urban fantasy novels. With those trends in mind, I had a lot to think about before beginning my Emissary trilogy. Just how did I want to approach my own angelic-themed tales?
My decision was to go in a very different direction. While this little fantasy doesn’t pretend to be any kind of serious religious work at all, I still wanted my featured angel to be very different from most I’ve seen gracing book covers today.
Is Azrael’s chest finely sculpted and utterly swoon-worthy? I have no idea. He wears a long white robe. Always. Even on the beach. But one thing I know for sure—he doesn’t cavort with mortal women. Ever.
Azrael is the archangel in charge of all things connected to helping souls cross over into Heaven after death, and he has always had far more important things on his mind than any sort of tom-foolery like that—especially in recent years. Due to the drastic over-population of the planet, the constant strife between countries, and the plethora of unsavory temptations everywhere mortals look, Azrael’s current problem is what to do about angels being desperately overworked. In an attempt to ease this impossible situation, the archangel believes hired help is the answer. He decides to form a team of emissaries from Heaven-bound souls he’ll pull directly out of line at the Pearly Gates.
Jake Daughtry is his first choice. Giving him some new powers, including a limited form of immortality and an ability to help humans avoid making very bad choices, Azrael sent his first emissary back to earth on a sort of trial run. It goes better than the angel expected, and before too long, Jake is joined by a second recruit named Dodger. From that point on, the growing Emissarial Team has been Azrael’s main focus. That, and trying to keep the disapproving Council of Angels from ending his experimental program outright.
Over the course of my three novellas, the archangel’s stern and righteous character has expanded to encompass a new understanding of human beings, and his strong connection to his two first emissaries has resulted in some surprising insights on his part. But though he has gained a lot more understanding of mortals and his temperament has mellowed somewhat, Azrael continues to enjoy seeing Jake’s startled reaction when he pops up behind him unexpectedly. And he still has not learned to use contractions.
Azrael’s emissarial program was growing daily, but it still met with stubborn opposition from many on the Council of Angels. Dodger’s request to be allowed to experience what falling in love was all about didn’t help matters, but Azrael thought the boy was onto something. He agreed emissaries who’d shared a loving relationship during their mortal lives would have a deeper understanding of human emotions and motivations, thus enhancing the skills they needed to do their jobs.
With that in mind, Azrael gave Dodger one chance to search for true love. He then laid down a daunting set of stringent rules and guidelines that could not be broken under any circumstances lest dire happenings occur. But while the angel sincerely hoped Dodger would find a way to make this endeavor work, he feared an avalanche of unintended consequences could be in store for his youngest emissary.
Sometimes even angels hate to be right.
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~~~
Will Azrael ever tire of popping up behind Jake just to see his first emissary fall out of his chair in shock? Will sharp-eyed motel owners ever notice a big red and white semi mysteriously appearing and disappearing from their parking lots overnight? And will Dodger be able to track down the mystery girl who caught his eye two weeks earlier to see if she’s really The One?
To find the answers to these and other angelic or emissarial questions, come along on one last adventure with Jake, Dodger, and that ginormous, glowy-eyed archangel, Azrael. They’re waiting for you!
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Bio
Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years and four big, spoiled cats.
When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. She enjoys nature. Really, really enjoys it. All of it! Well, almost all of it, anyway. From birds, to furry critters, to her very favorites, snakes. The exception would be spiders, which she truly loathes, convinced that anything with eight hairy legs is surely up to no good. She does not, however, kill spiders anymore, since she knows they have their place in the world. Besides, her husband now handles her Arachnid Catch and Release Program, and she’s good with that.
Spiders aside, the one thing Marcia would like to tell each of her readers is that it’s never too late to make your dreams come true. If, at the age of 69, she could write and publish her first book (and thus fulfill 64 years of longing to do that very thing), you can make your own dreams a reality, too. Go for it! What have you got to lose?
“Twiggy. What are you doing.” “Staying occupied till Friday. “Only two days to go.”
It is Wednesday Story Day time again, and last week, we were there when Carolyn pretty much told her father that she didn’t want his help. ADA Thomas now has a problem if she wants the case against Cortez to move forward. She must arrange to have Carolyn taken by the Mi5 agents. She rushed off to make some calls, and she is back in the room. We better get there so as not to miss anything.
“So, I just got off the phone with the FBI. They contacted the Mi5 agents, and it is all set.”
“What do you mean, ‘All set.’
“The agents have their orders, Lazar. They are within a few minutes of arriving at Carolyn’s dorm. They know to take her if she doesn’t come willingly.”
“Maybe I should try calling her again.”
“Sure, if you can get her to stay put, that might help.”
“Okay, it’s ringing. Hi Carolyn, aw, it’s voicemail.”
“Don’t leave a message.”
“Okay, I hung up. Why not leave a message?”
“If she wants to talk, she’ll call back. I didn’t want you to warn her and cause her to spook and run.”
“I guess leaving a message could do that. Good advice.”
“Thank you. Hold on. Here’s my contact from the FBI. This is Thomas. Uh-huh. Look, I have a few interested parties here. Can I put you on speaker? Okay good. Can you hear me?”
“Yeah, I can hear you fine. You hear me?”
“Yup loud and clear. I have with me a couple of officers from the Boston police, Lieutenant Mayfield of the State Troopers office, Robert Stennis, the defendant’s counsel, and the defendant Lazar Popović. Lazar is Carolyn’s father.”
“Thanks, Ms. Thomas. I appreciate the update.”
“So, where are we?”
“The Mi5 agents have reached the dorm. They are waiting for the go-ahead.”
“I would tell them to go ahead and take Carolyn into custody.”
“Okay, Hold on. I’m going to mute you while I talk to them.”
“We wouldn’t mind hearing the conversation.”
“Well, okay. It’ll only be one-sided. I’ve got them on the satellite phone.”
“Understood.”
“Hello, Reggie. Yeah, I’m with ADA Thomas, and it is a go. You need to take Carolyn into custody. Yes, that’s correct. It will be protective custody. Okay, I’ll be standing by. Ms. Thomas?”
“Yes.”
“You heard. They are going into the dorm now and will be apprehending Carolyn. They will call me when they have her.”
“I guess we can only sit and wait.”
“It shouldn’t be too long. Here’s a call. Yes, Hanover here. Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good. She did, huh? Going home? How long? Okay, call me back. Bad news I’m afraid.”
“What bad news?”
“Looks like she is gone. The agent reported that she is not there, and most of her things are gone too. They talked to the roommate, who said Carolyn packed some clothes and told her there was an emergency at home, and she was leaving.”
“You asked how long?”
“Yeah, the roommate said less than an hour ago.”
“She must have hung up and taken off. Lazar, how many rings on her phone until it went to voicemail?”
“Uh, two, I think. Could have been only one.”
“Yeah, she’s turned it off. This is not good. We could track him if it was on. I guess she knows what she is doing. She may have even dumped the phone.”
“What do we do now?”
“Got to put out a BOLO with an ATL.
“What does that mean?”
“Be on the lookout and attempt to locate. Don’t worry, Lazar we’ll find her. If she tries to leave England, we will get her.”
“I wish I were as confident, Priscilla. Now that my daughter’s life is on the line, I think I can call you Priscilla.”
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.”
This week marks the 93rd anniversary of the beginning of the construction of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. We should go there to mark this historic occasion. We do need to take our list of the things we should avoid doing so that we will not inadvertently put a tear in the time continuum. Let’s all get on board and get ready for an exciting trip.
Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Start of Construction of Mount Rushmore in 1927 by John W. Howell
10 If you go, do not stand under the ‘falling rocks’ sign. If you do, at best, the dynamite process has not started yet. At worst, you will need to get a very hard hat. (Just like a tourist, Marton. You see a sign that says not to do something, and you do it. Hope that boulder heading your way is a close miss and not a direct hit.
9 If you go, do not accompany Tiny, the WWF champ, as he climbs to the top of the Black Hills. If you do, at best, you both will make it safely. At worst, Tiny, who has a severe case of agoraphobia, might panic at any moment. (The sad thing is, Marylu when Tiny panics, he tends to throw things off of high places. Now that I mentioned that, it looks like he has changed and is now prepared to throw people off high places. Hope the landing is gentle.
8 If you go, do not tell Sculptor Gutzon Borglum that you think the figures on the mountain should be Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. If you do, at best, he won’t hear you. At worst, he will offer you a ride in a handbasket to the top. (You see, Massimo, Borglum wanted to have Lewis and Clark, Sacagawea, Oglala Lakota chief Red Cloud, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Oglala Lakota chief Crazy Horse. He was overruled by South Dakota historian Doane Robinson who thought up the idea.)
7 If you go, do not ask Gutzon when he thinks the project will be finished. If you do, At best, he’ll walk away. At worst, he will sit you down and describe in detail what needs to be done. (The project started in 1927, Mateus and was halted in October 1941 after funds ran out. Gutzon Borglum died of an embolism in March 1941. His son, Lincoln Borglum, continued the project until it was halted.)
6 If you go, do not mention to Gutzon that only the heads of the figures would be depicted on the mountain. If you do, at best, Gutzon will think you are joking. At worst, you will get into an argument with Gutzon. (The original plan called for the Presidents to be finished to the waist, Matias. When fining ran out, the work stopped. I see Gutzon is talking to some pretty big looking workers and pointing this way. You might want to get off the mountain under your own power.)
5 If you go, do not ask how much all this is going to cost. If you do, at best, no one will hear you. At worst, you will be overheard by Doane Robinson, the originator of the idea. (The matter of funding was turned over to a Congressional delegation and Calvin Coolidge. It was finally funded in 1925. Just for the record, Mats the whole thing cost $$989,992.32, which would be over $14 Million today)
4 If you go, do not only compliment Gutzon Borglum for the work going on. If you do, At best, none of the 400 workers will hear you. At worst. you will be overheard by Luigi del Bianco, the head carver. (Luigi did a lot of the work, Mattius. He Used dynamite and then a process called ‘honeycombing.’ This involved drilling holes spaced a short distance apart and then chipping the rock away. Luigi wants you to hold his pneumatic hammer for a minute. I wouldn’t if I were you.)
3 If you go, do not make bets about the amount of rock removed from the mountain. If you do, at best, no one will be interested. At worst, you have some takers. (Now the problem is how do you either collect winnings or pay losings, Maur. When the final tally is in, you may or may not be able to come back. I think the best thing s for you to stay until it is finished. I see a lot of the workers agree with me. By the way, the correct guess is 410,000 tons.)
2 If you go, do not try to measure the lights of the Presidents. If you do, at best you won’t find a way to do it. At worst, someone will give you a rope. (I thing dangling on the end of a rope with a tape measure is a little risky, Mauro. Maybe you should just get back to the top and forget it. The answer is sixty feet. There satisfied?)
1 If you go, do not ask Gutzon Borglum why the mountain is not named Borglum instead of Rushmore. If you do, at best, Gutzon will be busty planting dynamite. At worst, he’ll want you to light the fuse. (Mount Rushmore was named after wealthy investor Charles E. Rushmore who visited the area repeatedly in 1885, Maverick. It was made official in 1930 by The United States Board of Geographic Names. Goes to show not what you know but who. Of course, the name was originally Six Grandfathers given by the Lakota Sioux)
Since we are getting close to Halloween I thought it would be a good idea to check around the neighborhood to see if folks are getting into the spirit. Come on along. Today we are serving hard cider and donuts. We also have Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band playing on the bus.
So jump on board and we’ll be offLooks like everyone is asleep. We’ll have to come back to see them when they are awake.Looks like Mickey and Minnie Dracula are ready.Love the spider web. Those witch’s hats a very colorfulA black cat and pumpkin headed skeleton are enough keep me off the lawnAnother spider web and a skull in the flower bed.Another sleeping monster. Yes we will come back before HalloweenA cute topper for the mailbox
I hope you enjoyed the tour today. You can stay around and have more cider and listen to the music. Here is a Night Moves video
