Published inLit Up·PinnedMember-onlyMiraculous MorganEveryone needs a boost now and again — I’d grown accustomed to dying. We all do if we live long enough. …Fiction15 min readFiction15 min read
Published inPublishous·PinnedMember-onlyMy Wife’s Death Dominated My 2022A year of loss — On June 27, 2022, I lost Kathleen, my wife of 45 years, my love, my truest friend, my confidant, my constant companion, my writing mentor and editor, my motivator and champion, and on and on and on. Death has visited our family many times. When Kathleen was thirteen, her mother…202213 min read202213 min read
Published inLit Up·Jul 30Member-onlyHomecomingDriven out, taken in — The scars were what convinced her. His ursine size notwithstanding, Nessa O’Clery might have written Jake off if not for that spider web of white lines tracking across his forehead and cheekbones and vanishing into his unkempt beard. This guy was a survivor. “Let him live,” she ordered. Her three…Mars5 min readMars5 min read
Published inRed Tales·Jun 18Member-onlyChicoryA poem in memory of my wife — When the chicory blooms, you’re there. When lightning splits the clouds And thunder cracks And rivulets flood the irises, You’re there. When leaves don warm colors of cool autumn And pumpkins break out in toothy grins As saints lend souls their guiding hands, You’re there. When the Child is in…Poetry2 min readPoetry2 min read
Published inThe Haven·May 11Member-onlyChatGPT is a Rotten LiarIt’s trying. Very. — This article contains shocking and disturbing revelations about the character of the world’s most famous AI system. Some readers may feel faint, find their faith shaken, or descend into convulsive fits of laughter. You’ve been warned. Read at your own risk. It started innocently enough. I wanted to see what…ChatGPT9 min readChatGPT9 min read
Published inLit Up·May 2Member-onlySethA final moment of happiness — The sun didn’t show that morning. An unbroken stream of gray filled the western Ohio sky, carried on a chill breeze. The air felt heavy, wet. James Linderman didn’t care for it. Deer would be scarce this morning, more so if the rains came. Cloaked in a stand of young…Native Americans11 min readNative Americans11 min read
Published inRed Tales·Jan 10A Long Overdue UpdateI totally forgot about this newsletter over the past year. I guess I owe you an update. First — some of you may already know this — 2022 was derailed shortly after it started as Kathleen, my wife of 45 years, grew increasingly ill and passed away on June 27th…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Published inRed Tales·Jan 10Member-onlyNeed for SpeedTrain up or…well, just quit — Racing1 min readRacing1 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·Jan 4Member-onlyTypesetting for the Self-PublishedMake your print look as professional as your writing — As a self-published author, you already know — or should — the importance of good writing, solid editing, and a great cover. You’ve done everything you can to make your book look and read like a professional product. Or have you? Did you pay attention to typography? Do you know…Typesetting10 min readTypesetting10 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·Aug 17, 2022Member-onlyThe Right Way to Read Your ReviewsHow to use reader reactions to improve your writing — Whether to read your reviews is a vexing question. Many writers and publishers insist you shouldn’t, and they have a point. That volatile cocktail of glowing praise, lukewarm approval, and open hostility can make you sick with anxiety. Then again, hidden in the mix just might be some nutritive value…Book Reviews7 min readBook Reviews7 min read