Fall is in the air.

Fall.

This Saturday fall begins for the northern hemisphere. Well, it still feels like summer here at F 100 today. I love fall it is my favorite time of the year. The colours change and the crisp air makes me feel good. I miss walking in the leaves on a crisp day in a jumper. My fall will come in mid to late November here. I am ready for a change this year has been a long hard one on my friends and myself. Princess is looking forward to cooler weather so she can run on the walking path. As it is now she hates walks.

I am thinking of my Halloween Village and have started getting bits to add to it. I have also been thinking of ghosts stories. Every year when I get my village I think of Jack. My dear Jack passed away six years ago this October. He loved Halloween and the village. He passed away at looking at the village and I feel his spirit each time I put it up. I know he is here. I have seen him out of the corner of my eye many times. I have heard him getting settled in his favorite spot.

With the cool air it is time to tuck in with a good ghosts story. Cuddle up and read a scary tale or two. I suggest Haunted Bedtime Stories you will like the tales.

I am working on 3 projects and have a creepy one about ghosts going on. I have also been working on staying healthy too.

Do you have any spirits living with you? I would love to hear about them. If you would like to tell us about your ghosts or spirit let me know?

This was a lovely Sunday all day walking along the Thames River in London. I miss that.

Spiders know things we don't.

Well, Rachelle ask can I do a little bit for your blog. I said YES! After all she is a great writer and dear friend. So here is her thoughts on Spiders. Which I like. Yes the spiders and her writing.

Spiders -- a lot of people are scared of them. A lot of people hate them. Not me. I am intrigued by their graceful dance as they spin their webs. I enjoy watching them wind their victims in silken strands. When I clean house, I cringe as I carefully remove any spider webs. When baby wolf spiders hatched in a Q-Tip box in my bathroom, I carried the box to my herb garden, where I could watch the babies learn to spin their webs.

My fascination with spiders carries over into the Dime Store Novel series. You see, the realms are connected by a weave. Until the web began to weaken, spiders were the only beings who could travel to any realm. It is the spiders' job to keep the weave  repaired -- and as it weakens, that job becomes nearly impossible.

The spiders are also messengers -- if you're willing to listen. The whispering widows are the primary messenger spider. In Rips in the Weave, an orb spider tell Sassafras Cats that her sister is in danger.  She goes to see the whispering widows to learn more. Here's an excerpt:

Sassafras kneeled in her damp flower beds, turning one rock and then another, whispering softly. “Widows, what news is there of Delilah?” No spiders answered. She walked into the woods, turning over rotten logs one by one. At last she saw the shiny black body, guarding several eggs sacs. “Where is my sister?”

Not my concern

to teach those who won’t learn

“But she is mine. The orb spider said you might know something.”

More to worry, little time

to care where humans spend their time

“I can see that. It’s unusual to have so many egg sacs, isn’t it?”

Only this one holds my litter. The spider wrapped two arms around the nearest sac, as if to hold it close. For these I am my sisters’ sitter.

The whispering widows speak in verse. Sometimes their words are puzzling. Sometimes they are prophetic.

One day will hatch protectors of the weave

Four tiny saviors, keeping gods at bay

Without them, Nightmare reigns, yet none believe

Like all prophecies, those of the spiders might come true or might have a veiled meaning. To find out, you'll have to read much further in the series than Rips in the Weave.

But one thing is certain...the spiders know things we don't. How else would they be able to create such works of beauty from a strand of thread?

Grab a cuppa.

Grab a cuppa and we can chat a bit.

Well, summer is rolling away so quickly. This weekend is the close of summer for most in America. I miss setting up my class. I miss getting my son his back to school supplies and the Mum are you mad I will not wear that! 

I have also been reading blogs. So many good ones so little time. One theme that keeps popping up people treating others rude and mean. What is the point? You are not a push over. There is a limit to what you can take as well. I have noticed this for a few months. So being polite is a reason to abuse the person, to some people. It is the only way for them to feel better about them selves. Just because you are polite person doesn't mean you are a push over.

You should always say thank you. If someone does a kindness such as RT your blog and book say thank you. It wont hurt. Off soap box now.

Writing is hard work it is a job. It can be very hard at times so you just keep going. Do not give up keep writing.

Myself I am writing at a steady pace now. With three writing projects going on all different its fun. It is also why you see so little of me. I do drop in most mornings on twitter to say hello. You can say hello.

OH, if you would like to do a guest blog here let me know.

So this weekend coming up how about reading. So many great Indie writers are out there and if you haven't read my work go for it. 

I am tired and hope this make some sort of sense. Thanks for the love and support. 

Happy August to you all! Sit down have a cuppa, as if you were sitting here with me. Here in Arizona school is back in session and the streets are quiet again. Well, it's so hot the kids can't go out and play if they wanted too. 

I have been reading many blogs so many are worrying about things that they can't change. Maybe it comes with age and time, but relax. I finding worrying over things you have no control over is a waste of time.

I also have read a few blogs about summer vacations or as I call them holidays. Well, those days are limited for most. Those who have full-time jobs a two week holiday is usually spent dealing with their kids or house. I know my summers as the kids grew up were spent repairing the house or going to ball games, swim meets and driving everyone about. I had little time to do leisure reading or getting lost in a museum. As a good parent your children come first. As a Teacher I was also preparing for the following year of school. Now I miss the ball games and swim meets and racing around taking them here and there. 

Its funny what you miss. At the time it is one thing then later it's another. My advice relax and enjoy your life now. Now I have time to write my passion and spoil my Vampire Corgi. OH you know! Well, I do spoil her a bit. Yes, you do see many pictures of her daily. I like you have mundane chores to do as well. 

I took a ride yesterday and took a few pictures for a young man who told me America is all shiny and new and McDonald's everywhere. There is good and bad no matter where you live or whats going on in your life. You just make the best of it. Realize that what is going on right now will pass and parts you will miss and parts not so much. 

It seems one of my family feels you would like to hear about me. Why I no longer teach, well its health problems. I am not a moaner, I just get up and keep going. Yes, some days better than others. If you want to really know please DM and I will tell you.

I am getting ready to start reading a new book, problem is which one! I have been writing slow but the two who have read what I have love it. Which is saying a lot because it's not their cup of tea and its yet to be edited. 

So what has your summer been like and what did you read? Yes, I want to know!

All the World's a Game...

All the World's a Game - The Beginnings of Dime Store Novel

Sometimes a story starts with an image. Sometimes with an overheard conversation. Dime Store Novel started with a game.

We owned a game shop at the time -- a little place frequented mostly by teenage boys. Some nights we held a role-playing game in the basement. That night John was running a game we'd never played before -- Call of Cthulhu, a game based on the fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. John was the storyteller. I played a young herbalist named Toledo Cats who had a mangy cat named Voodoo. Tony, a friend of ours, played Hanover Fist, a young detective who had a thing for Toledo.

The time - the 1920s. The place - a haunted house in New Orleans. We were ready to rock. Officer O'Malley made his first appearance as a ghost who calls Hanover and tells him he needs to investigate this house. O'Malley didn't have a first name yet or a wife and daughter -- those details of his life would emerge much later. Hanover's parents owned a restaurant and a friend named Doug played a priest who sat in the restaurant slurping soup. If you've read From the Gator's Mouth, you know that  Doug's slurping priest gets a cameo. The story was suspenseful -- what story about a house haunted by zombies isn't? But it was also humorous.

John went on to run several other Call of Cthulhu campaigns. Tony always played Hanover Fist. I rotated between Toledo Cats and Regan Worth, the flapper daughter of a bootlegger who loved to flirt with Hanover.

The characters stuck. John got the idea to write a series called Dime Store Novel. He took a stab at one using the Lovecraft mythos. It was close, but not quite right. One night before dinner, we were talking about the world. I said, "Why not create our own mythos?"

The light went on. Soon after, Agatha, the earthbound swamp goddess was born, followed shortly thereafter by Caprice, the goddess of chaos. As the stories evolved, the gods proliferated. Khrou-ach, the storm god, and Acongojar, the pain god, became antagonists inRips in the Weave and The Desert Rose. Chiindii, the god of the desert, and Ravir, the goddess of pleasure, are key to the plot in bothThe Desert Rose and The Reunion. We also gave fairies and goblins a different twist. I don't want to spoil the fun, so you'll need to read the books to figure that out. The good news is, you can get The Reunion kindle edition FREE during our Lucky Friday the 13th special (Friday 7/13 through Monday 7/16). We'd like to invite you to escape the humdrum world of day to day and experience the world we created at a gaming table in a cool, dimly lit basement.

The Dime Store Novel characters blog at http://dimestorenovel.blogspot.com.

A huge Thank you to the great writers of Dime Store Novels! Go, get and Read!

Hello, listen to the people talk.

I have spent the last week without a computer. I have worked but I also listened to people. 

As a writer I pay attention to how people talk, it will help you will later write. I did not hear one person speak in perfect English, German, Spanish or pig latin. Even those with perfect language skills speak as the rest of the world does. Not one person when asked how are you? Said Well, Good was what they said. Well, is the response the grammar cops want you to say.

Thank you for the love while I was computer less! I learned a few things and heard many more. My advice take a few days off and listen to the world. You will be surprised. Also read so you have your own opinion about any subject. Forming ones own opinions is rather liberating. Even if we don't agree I am your friend.

I am reading a book thats not my usual. It's a Philippa Gregory book 'The White Queen'. A Historical drama it is something. I will let you know what I think when I finish reading it. Yes, I do read to Princess she likes it. I think the Kings and Queens and knights in shiny armor fascinate her.

What are you reading? Tell us please. Oh, you have no time to read. Well, get a book read a chapter at bedtime each night. Turn off the electronics and enjoy.

Summer

Well, summer is here at long last for most. It means reading and relaxing for some. Then you have the rest of us who are doing a hundred things at once. I  try to read my friends blogs during lunch, that works some days. Then I have days I am eating as I do everything else. I have to admit I do forget to eat lunch somedays.
Time is a limited commodity for all of us. Just think when you say I have no time to read. Do you read blogs, tweets, email and edit your work? Well, that is reading. Now as for reading for entertainment I think tweets and the newspaper count.  I have a luxury my kids are grown up so I have a bit more time to read at bedtime. Only if I am not thinking about my work. 
It is summer time and you should not be so hard on yourself. Today do the best you can, it will work out in time. Please don't put so much pressure on yourself, I know you are all hard working people.
I want to thank you all too. You are all good fun. I need to get back to writing now, this book is going to be great! Go get a nice book to read, a half hour before bed. So what Indie writers book are you reading now?