The bats told me someone was coming up the road. They always sound the first alarm, with their little chits and clicks. From my position atop the border wall, looking out on a green living world, it always makes me smile. Because it means someone’s trying to brave Haunt. We…
I did plan for some character histories from “The Stiamaq Emerald.” As this is the first, I figured I’d start with a reader favorite! A number of you love Meilianna. It’s not hard to guess why. Even my beta readers thought she was a blast. I don’t often write such…
It could finally enter. It had invaded the boy’s dreams for weeks now. On and off, small touches, whispers and promises slipped into his growing mind. The entity could make the pain in his legs stop. It could bring Daddy back home. It could give them all the money they’d…
Hello, my name’s Chris Dirkins, with the Extra-Normal Podcast. We’re here with Roy, a genuine ghost, who’s agreed to talk to us about…Roy? You there? Yep, right here. Er, where? Oh right, you can’t see me. Here. Oh, I see, you’re on the chair. I just heard the thump. There…
If you’ve read fiction longer than 1 hour in your life, you’ve come across a writing stereotype. Old, tired, yet somehow still kicking, writing stereotypes are those ‘easy shortcuts’ some authors take to jerry-rig a plot or cut back on actual writing effort. Cliché characters. Transparent plot “twists.” You know…
“Mom, where did you get the recipe?!” I shouted into the phone. Panic edged the words and shook my fingers. That only made the fluttering in my chest grow. My eyes darted around the room. Scraping sounds came from behind the door. Silence came. Mom hadn’t picked up the call…
(With Answers, Even!) How old is ‘Silver Cane’? He’s in his mid-30s. Given his age, lanky frame, and having one of those long narrow faces like Andy Sixx (Black Veil Brides), people would likely label him a ‘punk rocker’ type if they saw him on the street. He doesn’t…
In olden days, far to the east, lived an emperor. He was fair, and just, and his people loved him. Yet something weighed upon him. He felt plagued by worry, every day. It ruined his sleep and clouded his thoughts. His advisors spoke of this among themselves. They wanted to…
Sannz stared down at the limb on the cutting board. The limb whose wrist he grasped in his own hand, with the other holding the chopping knife. It did look mostly human. Fingers, pinkish skin, a forearm leading down to an elbow. If you didn’t see the stump, of course.…
I felt the need to talk about something uplifting. Fortunately for all of us, I don’t have to pick up a heavy object and then make an ‘uplifting’ joke. Some months back, I took part in “The Menagerie” in Alameda. It’s what’s called an “Oddities Market” – an event where…
