Tag: Books

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Wacky Wednesday: January 27

We are ending the month with some extra light wackiness. Our first old English insult is Scobberlotcher. This refers to someone who never works hard. It is believed to be derived from scopperloit and old dialect word for a vacation or a break from work. Skelpie-limmer refers to a badly behaved child. Coined by the Scottish poet Robert Burns from the old Scots word skelpie, meaning “misbehaving” or “deserving punishment.”

We have only one token food holiday today, National Chocolate Cake Day. This is the cake that most people prefer, and rumor has it has been around for a couple hundred years. The first chocolate cake recipe was published in 1847. The first chocolate cake is believed to have been made in 1765. Today is also Library Selfie Day, the fourth Wednesday of January. Arrange your collection of books and take a selfie with them. Then go to the library and look at their collections (assuming the library is open right now because of Covid-19). Or even go to the local bookstore and national bookstore. The point is celebrate books and libraries.

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Coffee and Contemplation: My Favorite Books of 2020

I enjoyed many of the books I read during this last year. I read more books than I have in an entire year and I’m proud of myself for that. There were two in particular that stood out to me. It wasn’t so much the stories themselves but the writing and the way the stories captured my imagination. This isn’t a book review. Not really. I hope what I say will encourage you all to read these books, though one might be hard to find. These were both new approaches to old ideas. And there was something supernatural and magical about them.

The first book is “The Wolfman” by Nicholas Pekearo. Many have said this is the best werewolf novel ever written. I’m inclined to agree. It was tragic that Pekearo died before seeing it published. The story is about a man who is a werewolf and uses this condition to hunt and kill bad people like murderers, serial killers, etc… The main character reminded me of my father in many ways. Both his good and bad qualities. Copies of this book are online. Physical copies are more expensive. I don’t think it’s being printed for the moment. If you prefer e-readers, it’s still more expensive than others. Just fair warning but it’s worth every penny.

The second book is “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern. The synopsis makes one think this will be a romance novel, but the romance is subtle. I didn’t notice the two characters were starting a courtship until half-way through. This could be because of the non-linear narrative. There’s no mushy stuff. There’s too much magic going on in the story. It has a little of everything and is well written. My enthusiasm for this novel overshadowed many of the others I read in 2020. This book is a little easier to acquire than the first one I mentioned. 

What were your favorite reads of 2020? I often stick with supernatural or magical realism type stories but please share any books that stuck out in your mind during 2020.

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New Book Coming in September

I have a new book on the way, releasing on September 17 of this year. The Morbid Museum is a collection of short horror fiction. The prevailing theme is death. Curated by Siris Grim who may or may not be an immortal being, but he knows his museum stuff and his death stuff.

The collection includes 19 stories presented as exhibits in a museum. They are all framed around the story of the museum itself. It will release in both eBook and Paperback. You can pre-order the eBook now. It will deliver to the device of your choosing on September 17.

This is my first full-length collection of short fiction. Some of these stories I wrote many years ago and I’ve tweaked and edited them over time. A trained eye will notice which stories I’ve written more recently as they are better written. Some stories I wrote over 10 years ago. Others I started writing 10 years ago and only recently completed.

I’ve begun development on my next collection of short fiction. It won’t be a sequel to this book but it will have similar themes. I hope you enjoy this collection and look forward to my future works. If you enjoy these stories, I hope you’ll consider my other works. Thank you and enjoy.

Visitors to the Morbid Museum seek the dark and twisted corners of the world. They are both terrified and intrigued by the unknown. Tales of killers, monsters, and madmen curated by the Master of Death, Mr. Siris Grim. Mr. Grim collects the darkness that everyone attempts to hide. He displays it within the corridors of his gruesome gallery. Who will be next to buy a ticket and walk the halls of the Morbid Museum?