tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26496551965463271362024-03-13T01:06:15.086-07:00Bobbi A. Chukran, Author 2023. Celebrating 42 years as a published author. I am mostly a gardener, storyteller, blogger, and writer of short fiction. Previously worked as a non-fiction author of gardening and crafts books/articles. Also an award-winning playwright.
Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-69121280502406214172021-12-22T07:45:00.002-08:002021-12-22T07:45:47.672-08:00Free-to-Read-Online Christmas Ghost Story Published in Kings River Life<p> Dear friends,</p><p>I'm happy to say that my short story "Aunt Jewel and the Christmas Spirits" has just been published online at Kings River Life.</p><p><a href="https://kingsriverlife.com/12/18/aunt-jewel-and-the-christmas-spirits/">https://kingsriverlife.com/12/18/aunt-jewel-and-the-christmas-spirits/</a></p><p>It's a light-hearted look at how Christmas traditions can still remain, even in the time of a worldwide pandemic. </p><p>And honoring the tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas time...well, let's just say that Aunt Jewel, Kendra and Jeremy have a surprise guest.</p><p>Join the wacky denizens of Nameless, Texas again as they plan an old fashioned Christmas!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdMjm76BlAsWhjw0aDaRRC-qWq-Ua1Flp17aYIsFZsDUPcJ2wgVJtg9JnQCczUcLrwJRoT0MGaaR1kkN7DBZ2fDlPTssDUFC4BpFGTAVoaODbHmEFWb0a3JMAtH64ZT4zN6hvCLUqoj_b86BHmuXDU8V4Oo7zmjb8INtILF1EfbHDoSqK-i3k9fRUP=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="640" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdMjm76BlAsWhjw0aDaRRC-qWq-Ua1Flp17aYIsFZsDUPcJ2wgVJtg9JnQCczUcLrwJRoT0MGaaR1kkN7DBZ2fDlPTssDUFC4BpFGTAVoaODbHmEFWb0a3JMAtH64ZT4zN6hvCLUqoj_b86BHmuXDU8V4Oo7zmjb8INtILF1EfbHDoSqK-i3k9fRUP=w428-h222" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandmother Jennie Neal's recipe for Green Tomato Mincemeat.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Holidays!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">bobbi c.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-80330284991300358712021-10-25T16:56:00.001-07:002021-10-25T16:56:38.481-07:00Free Story to Celebrate Halloween! And the Inspiration for the Story<p> Dear friends,</p><p>Years ago, my husband and I took a day trip as we often did to a nearby small Texas town, Jarrell. Some of you might remember the great Jarrell tornado that wiped out a lot of the town back in 1997. It's one of time-warp places that still has a lot of the old houses, churches, etc. intact, although abandoned.</p><p>We happened on this old place. Beside it was an old Aerator windmill, water tank and fire truck.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6CA3d2-UY6QQWx0lD11oGZswTOsNDepg_HXRpHkrzGKFle5Qcj3S8Jcf1YPsyI4hgc3OU9hprIYATlaWOHEfjKXUSy7DMnyGBwS5T3jdq1gm4rDzKsRArD0wjg35dXb1qD-kIJB8x5A/s2048/oldhouseJarrell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6CA3d2-UY6QQWx0lD11oGZswTOsNDepg_HXRpHkrzGKFle5Qcj3S8Jcf1YPsyI4hgc3OU9hprIYATlaWOHEfjKXUSy7DMnyGBwS5T3jdq1gm4rDzKsRArD0wjg35dXb1qD-kIJB8x5A/w320-h240/oldhouseJarrell.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5dIlVc44USL0GV78f0Ydm6fmIB3BqGOIrTKVLlvuWyZIcOejVzWPIeahxP1JIMCbloHeCqm0tB6fOZPOY3NVAFz_-ayxfZ81UTC8gMzgrLOkA6IUfWHpwiZjhwfTG_idACql7G6vzsc/s2048/FTTBCoverOct2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1527" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5dIlVc44USL0GV78f0Ydm6fmIB3BqGOIrTKVLlvuWyZIcOejVzWPIeahxP1JIMCbloHeCqm0tB6fOZPOY3NVAFz_-ayxfZ81UTC8gMzgrLOkA6IUfWHpwiZjhwfTG_idACql7G6vzsc/w239-h320/FTTBCoverOct2021.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>My aunt had lived in a house much like this, with a horrible old storm cellar for tornadoes and to store winter veggies and canned goods. I wondered, does this old house have one, too? I wasn't able to find one because many of the entrance doors were buried under years of dirt. And snakes were always a possibility!</p><p>My writer imagination started whirring and before long, after going home, I'd written the story, Family to the Bone.</p><p>It was quickly accepted by Dark Moon Press for their e-magazine, Dark Eclipse and published as my first "horror" story in November 2014.</p><p>A few weeks ago, while going through old photos, I found the house pic. I found the old story, re-edited it, and with some Photoshop magic I turned my original photo into the cover for a new Kindle e-short.</p><p>And in celebration of Halloween, it's FREE on Amazon this week. I hope you enjoy the story and that it gives you a few frissons and shivers. </p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Family-Bone-Texas-Horror-Short-ebook/dp/B09HST7HL4/" target="_blank">FREE HALLOWEEN SHORT STORY LINK</a></p><p>Happy trails,</p><p>bobbi c.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DOWa2hzTxCsuWKXuQCG0x82icvBWeLG-OhmtBphsKkJ-X7I9KyHzVQCMe19Tn2ot-Fz5qagS6u-GPRuJ0bQnHtfFrRx_StPmh2iH15jb270gQepy6eVRz1l88ACl3oHm-Ep-267znuc/s2048/watertankJarrell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DOWa2hzTxCsuWKXuQCG0x82icvBWeLG-OhmtBphsKkJ-X7I9KyHzVQCMe19Tn2ot-Fz5qagS6u-GPRuJ0bQnHtfFrRx_StPmh2iH15jb270gQepy6eVRz1l88ACl3oHm-Ep-267znuc/s320/watertankJarrell.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiCaphZZVtBKHF_Q26JERbJtvZLCuVW5Pp2obROHhvMx0cnUoug1IvWP1zL6xz0vob-_pwjFijFo6U4dMYPxGjQRSMnHgte4qkxhoP4Rt-y00xlqLBwbjDnMAkoBD84AdJ_2oRoRs8es/s2048/Jarrellfiretruck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="2048" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiCaphZZVtBKHF_Q26JERbJtvZLCuVW5Pp2obROHhvMx0cnUoug1IvWP1zL6xz0vob-_pwjFijFo6U4dMYPxGjQRSMnHgte4qkxhoP4Rt-y00xlqLBwbjDnMAkoBD84AdJ_2oRoRs8es/s320/Jarrellfiretruck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div> <br /><i>All photos Copyright 2021 Bobbi A. Chukran<br /></i><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-18147688703246431882021-10-14T09:27:00.001-07:002021-10-14T09:27:04.907-07:00New Short Story Published in Black Cat Weekly #6!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghe_Iwd8BU6IurQaG3KXQwgAYL3FYgR9837BN4cC6w8qVInP-pPlpYRrv-IsB3GU5HtV2ZaRhYrO_e1bjTuP5Gv1cpV0VP7zgL05xVh6Ul4X057dTaczox3mbSmbIK_0c9nSxYHYj8OfU/s853/BlackCatWeekly6Cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghe_Iwd8BU6IurQaG3KXQwgAYL3FYgR9837BN4cC6w8qVInP-pPlpYRrv-IsB3GU5HtV2ZaRhYrO_e1bjTuP5Gv1cpV0VP7zgL05xVh6Ul4X057dTaczox3mbSmbIK_0c9nSxYHYj8OfU/w302-h403/BlackCatWeekly6Cover.jpeg" width="302" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I'm happy to announce that my short story, The Passing of Big Mama Mayhall, has just been published in Black Cat Weekly Magazine, #6!</p><p>The story is what I call one of my "macabre Texas farmhouse noir" mystery stories, a bit Hitchcockian and with a bit of black humor. Although BCW is usually a reprints market, this is a brand new story.</p><p>Other stories in the 400+ page issue (!) include a great new ghost story by Barb Goffman and a traditional type zombie story by John Gregory Betancourt, publisher of BCW, and two full novels.</p><p>BCW is a relatively new zine from Wildside Press, the company that also publishes Black Cat Magazine, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Weirdbook and an amazing array of classic story reprints in their "megapacks."</p><p>The issue is only $3.99!</p><p><a href="https://bcmystery.com/bcw6/">https://bcmystery.com/bcw6/</a></p><p>Happy trails!</p><p>bobbi c.</p><p><br /></p>Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-62588548925179898792021-09-14T19:12:00.004-07:002021-09-14T19:14:00.165-07:00<p> Dear friends,</p><p>It's been forever since I updated this blog. Today, I worked on my publications list and although the links aren't all there yet, the list is pretty much up-to-date.</p><p><a href="https://bobbichukran.blogspot.com/p/publications.html">https://bobbichukran.blogspot.com/p/publications.html</a></p><p>You can find all of my in-print books and Kindle stories (including my "Nameless, Texas" series) over on Amazon.com, on my Author's Page.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bobbi-A-Chukran/e/B005UK1P7M">https://www.amazon.com/Bobbi-A-Chukran/e/B005UK1P7M</a></p><p>Take a look!</p><p>Happy trails from the Chihuahuan desert of New Mexico!</p><p>bobbi c.</p><p><br /></p>Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-77758420226874054772020-07-02T09:17:00.001-07:002020-07-02T09:17:17.836-07:00Short Stories! The dessert in a great meal of fiction!Hello from the desert of New Mexico!<br />
<br />
After wrestling my blogs back from the black hole of the 'net, I'm back.<br />
<br />
Over the years, I've written all lengths of things---from a 300,000 word resource guide, to a 50-word flash fiction story, and everything in between. I'm most comfortable with short stories of less than 5,000 words and novellas, which are usually less than 40,000 words.<br />
<br />
As a reader, I'm finding that I read a lot more short stuff and less very long novels.<br />
<br />
Now, given my attention span and interest, I'm mostly writing short stories. And I love it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/583654" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqanuIB2HVxs8QHUKt_mmbljS8p1BnS_NS-iO-ReDCp6ckid37fzoLjrYcwz2CovZ1T-punW7a7Qnyl_HMVZGZxkPvKy0UyfErKdQCN4z9L93Adm9UvzpkU3r6wlF5mNY0wX0kShsV2U8/s320/FaB_FinalMedium.jpeg" width="213" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/583654" target="_blank">50% off thru July 31st at Smashwords!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Interestingly enough, I got back into short fiction after writing a slew of ten-minute plays and monologues for youth theatre, many of which went on to be published, produced and win awards. </div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some of them were then turned into short stories. Writing short stuff seems to suit me well.<br />
<br />
Thing is, I've heard people who are avid readers say that they "never read short stories." Or "I only read novels because there's a character arc." Or there are others who read an occasional short story.<br />
<br />
I wonder, what would entice you, as a reader, to try more short stories? There's a lot of great short fiction out there these days--from literary stories with ambiguous endings (LOL) to all kind of genre stuff.<br />
<br />
And if you have a favorite novelist, chances are somewhere they also have a collection of short stories, or stories in an anthology.<br />
<br />
Think of fiction like a good meal. The novels can be the main course, and the short stories can be the dessert. :-)<br />
<br />
Why not try one?<br />
<br />
Happy trails!<br />
<br />
bobbi c.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-33804195137749868002017-10-04T10:49:00.000-07:002017-10-04T10:49:04.373-07:00New Thanksgiving Humorous Mystery Anthology Available!I’m pleased to announce that I have a short Thanksgiving caper story,
"Nameless Turkey Trot of Terror" in <b>The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth
Course of Chaos</b>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEo6Qv7MLsHwtB-E-mW1dcB01fBH6nxpKdCoQ1q50hIJ_7IBj2W8vt9qyNK0WLEqe_BI65IyOmULzZ8k9ZgAquQ_v07lKUhsJtlBEM_YIjZMp5dBjUSa5dfDf6q_qhQQuSNsdsdJULJI/s1600/9781945447150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEo6Qv7MLsHwtB-E-mW1dcB01fBH6nxpKdCoQ1q50hIJ_7IBj2W8vt9qyNK0WLEqe_BI65IyOmULzZ8k9ZgAquQ_v07lKUhsJtlBEM_YIjZMp5dBjUSa5dfDf6q_qhQQuSNsdsdJULJI/s320/9781945447150.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
The fifty volume of this new anthology of humorous Thanksgiving murder
mysteries is now available for pre-order in paperback and hardcover
from the publisher's website. The current release date for print is
October 17th, but if you pre-order through these links you will
definitely get your copies before that.<br />
<br />
If my friends order through the pu<span class="text_exposed_show">blisher's website, then the authors get quite a bit more from the sale. Just sayin'. LOL.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
Also, you can purchase and download the ebook version RIGHT NOW from
their website in PDF, Kindle or EPUB formats. In fact, all you have to
do is purchase the book once and you can download all three formats at
any time. You can also use the special tool on their website to send the
ebook version directly to your Kindle or Nook.<br />
<br />
The ebook can
currently be preordered through Amazon or Apple’s iBookstore, but if
readers want it RIGHT NOW they can only get it from the Untreed Reads
store or through their exclusive early release with <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FDriveThruFiction.com%2F&h=ATPRRddTCFGIYJ4vEQmtCMcAgBmX4My_4oTEEVmOGAVkq-bRbIzgd8_Nqio9vmF7F39o80cGe3E77mPS5GthgXLCsc-P1MGhZXq6rJUkIvCzZ-DVM5ehpiBBpn7zVHW8g_t56vhGDHt1kj19ezgGZDvPHEIubECef9LfbZfTDlO9QXa-nzj_vQHuiUtPaW9xgDFsIp2hvMvle-cS5snOLIyw2ifwT6bzK6a-vR1yvp1jb5FFWRu7cWWHxHpj5s_i1gtLCqGfVMnKS3LkHiAS5toizP1E4LGy2wd0zBYdfxzNBGmFIvoMIan7" target="_blank">DriveThruFiction.com.</a> Readers who preorder the ebook at Amazon or Apple will receive the title on October 17th.<br />
<br />
Here are the links:<br />
<br />
TKWC5 At The Untreed Reads Store (print and ebook): <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2FvLckVX&h=ATOAYbqiYVxmCKJ2FbhYmqYeOlMGfXv5TBWlB8tIGYFO4P-JOAYJ7GT_9XSO1q3z-mnPI-yRu6t7efzpbGldBRGS-ejrzCMDLdSpWICTfVDlMgMSQoWjCz1Vmi1npm4RBPUHghfaAclxn6AB6gj2GinR0gbGtDGQQe4PIrCEs2a9cfWBanRmHnhBLn1AYAWpQt_DzorgWR9IULCoY1naDbGr2zU14TsaUqpXb1w5mo_as9dsjYo61LN1P4PZFkUmrpgCAb4q35D9YOU-BywW60gwmD0vRt0SjyhmMu7FisA7O1acYll0lJU6" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/vLckVX</a><br />
TKWC5 Ebook At DriveThruFiction (EPUB, KIndle, PDF): <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2FkPBfyh&h=ATNtsFt0ollnT4EcB9gMDb2NSRWL6_18duexpxskqf3n-S_pm-0TSoxUhg4u8XvwDsxdmpi3jW53yzYXK3N__XwHTSVQ8HsT57BCpS8qtjKvcksTd2pLmK3zIl1cn_w24dLHgE_O9VQ4V1I7T1-Xr6YS6NCijXwpC_Rnafeq1V6L6LNqC2VOIqaeaYBH6QiP7iWIh2njVFXXFRQc_Pgso98e6FD2H3ZiXEuw5yXxFGqpUkInacRRraFb-svtZhUD0_uTuUSWs-a5Cfo25k-FDKxlNt9vozM-3XBRlaOpi91XfpoijaEQxLkG" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/kPBfyh</a><br />
TKWC5 Ebook Preorder at Amazon: <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F2g04t4O&h=ATMXqeKoXgBAYInVC_oE6FeSkPvUB1pAAdJnBQ1AkM0bPJ54P-VBCfjW1QPEMUQpf2M-VswwObY4NbNPS-SmEiXhSnxxyZDuG94iQfWbeBGZU0jOV82O2ngYisHjhYq3oyPC_uhARuOHiu9xXWL5wQuu6P3zE01lkulkIZg0JEUUoBNoRle60ItQRav9X0gZhSkbNCoCZmSeiu0FRNJYexzdPMPKBEfI2aXMfxivisjoiuIXrsUkd-JoiQDWdbTO5X07-PuiPOqFWFwK0wVAjjHMqV2YmJ00cPAtBjP_55m-4VpRK1PXfltp" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/2g04t4O</a><br />
<br />
I hope everyone enjoys the anthology!<br />
<br />
Happy trails!<br />
<br />
bobbi c.<br />
<br />
bobbi a. chukran </div>
Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-49080742575435566352017-09-29T10:03:00.001-07:002017-09-29T10:03:15.328-07:00New publication! Yay!I'm excited to announce that one of my recent fun stories, The Nameless Turkey Trot of Terror, will be published in Untreed Reads THE KILLER WORE CRANBERRY 5!<br />
<br />
There have been four volumes of these popular FUNNY Thanksgiving-time murder mystery anthologies, and I'm pleased to add my name to the list.<br />
<br />
Will post pics of the cover ASAP!<br />
<br />
Happy trails,<br />
<br />
bobbi c.<br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-24817569605973290802017-05-19T12:07:00.000-07:002017-09-29T09:59:01.887-07:00Where the heck have I been?Dear friends,<br />
<br />
Poppin' in to say that yes, I'm still alive! Barely. One year ago I went in for a "routine" surgery and eleven days later, was diagnosed with a life-threatening (shall we say "flesh eating bacteria?") infection and rushed back into emergency surgery. I had two more surgeries over the next two days. Infected tissue was removed and a horrible Borg-like device was attached to my lower abdomen--a wound vac.<br />
<br />
I ended up with an incision about 14" long and 4" wide. <br />
<br />
For many, many months after I was able to go home from the hospital, I had visits from home-health-care nurses three times a week for very painful changes of dressings/sponges and the application of a huge sheet of adhesive film holding it all together. I carried around a vacuum pump with me. <br />
<br />
Bottom line, a year later I'm "healed," they say. I have a horrible scar and my belly button is off center. Psychologically, I have good days and bad days. Yes, they admitted I got the infection in the hospital. Yes, I could sue them. Still thinking about that one. <br />
<br />
In the meantime, I have a helluva lot of ideas for stories. After all, I do write horror stories, science fiction AND murder mysteries. :-)<br />
<br />
bobbi c.Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-56988469485158268532016-12-07T07:52:00.001-08:002016-12-07T07:52:12.992-08:00Free Kindle Book--Perfect for reading aloud during the holiday season!CATTYWAMPUS CHRISTMAS, Christmas comedy novella, is free for the Kindle for a week starting Wednesday, December 7. Like a lot of my short mystery fiction, it's also set in the tiny Texas town of "Nameless," although with some new characters.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60lEj-FrFbURJu6XYPJEF0ujfUxWujqm5NwyDYcMtkO7Ck1qT3tTHuLyM7rN86ych0XulK07N5X-82TCSLUdI74MrsigwzmlHsAiAxjuY-WGMRJmt7vu7cy1cttSVxjAGpd_2VbLSn4c/s320/CattywampusSantaFINAL.jpg" width="240" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2hgMXLF">http://amzn.to/2hgMXLF</a><br /><br />When Dorothy Norton (Dot) returns to her parent's home for the holidays and gets bonked on the head by a Volkswagen-wielding neighbor, all sorts of strange things are set in motion. From a traditional Christmas turned upside down to an errant computer to a Santa Claus that is not your typical ho-ho-ho jolly old elf, this hilarious tale will make you laugh out loud and maybe even lose a bit of your eggnog. This "clean read" is perfect for reading aloud during the holiday season.<br /><br />The book is based on one of my prize-winning young adult plays. Think the Wizard of Oz meets Lost in Space meets Monty Python. With no murders. :-)<br /><br /><b>The Story of this Novella</b><br /><br />This story was based on a play I wrote for a competition a few years ago. I wanted to pay homage to the Wizard of Oz, the legend of Santa Claus, and my love for old toys—not to mention play around with a few really bad puns and some pop-cultural references I hope my readers will enjoy. It finally came together in an award-winning play titled "Dot and the (Amazing Technicolor) Quest for the Real Santa Claus." Ever since then, I've wanted to turn it into a novella. While I was editing the manuscript, the characters got busy and expanded the story a bit.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy the heart-warming trip to the North Pole as Dot takes a journey of the imagination with Cattywampus Horatio Bonaparte, the black cat, Bo Raggley, the stuffed rag doll, Robot and the Christmas Fairy.<br /><br />By the way, as a young woman, I did make a stuffed doll named "Bo Raggley" for one of my nieces. As far as I know, that doll never talked. But she was always interested in fashion. ;-)<br /><br />Thanks for looking, and happy holidays!<br /><br />bobbi c.<br /><a href="http://bobbichukran.com/">http://bobbichukran.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-69174818640150913612016-01-22T19:10:00.000-08:002016-09-27T07:26:46.881-07:00Story Accepted for New Anthology!I'm pleased as a grackle in the Wal-Mart parking lot to announce that a new mystery short story, Cat's Outta the Bag, will be published in the upcoming (mid-March) anthology, BLACK COFFEE---STORIES FROM THE NOIR SIDE OF TOWN (Darkhouse Books).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Coffee-Andrew-MacRae/dp/0996182896/">https://www.amazon.com/Black-Coffee-Andrew-MacRae/dp/0996182896/</a><br />
<br />
It's a dark tale of infidelity, nefarious doings, murder and mayhem set in Texas, right outside Austin. And yes, there's a cat in the story. ;-)<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for further news!<br />
<br />
Happy trails,<br />
<br />
bobbi c.Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-14155991307036471942015-12-05T15:07:00.000-08:002015-12-05T15:07:42.251-08:00Light-hearted family fun!Why not start a tradition of reading aloud a story or novella at Christmas-time? Here's a good place to start, and the price has been reduced to $1.99 for the holiday season for the Kindle e-book. It's also available in paperback.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrWNE-HCQXC2Hs6tkv6l7HfC3G0B8ktQL5QS4muJqhA5vSg38PTrJUSH4kLarO6oEbausgbUSjRghVtL6ys4XSlMEn4yG_aAvr9xrsP4h0rJtCKNxOajfUgU8AZVFtHp0eZ6fx2Eucbw/s1600/CattywampusSantaSmall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cattywampus-Christmas-Bobbi-Chukran-ebook/dp/B00PMC3BUW/">http://www.amazon.com/Cattywampus-Christmas-Bobbi-Chukran-ebook/dp/B00PMC3BUW/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Think "the Wizard of Oz meets Monty Python." :-)<br />
<br />
A delightful tale the whole family will love! Laugh-out-loud funny, this
holiday fantasy will warm your heart. When Dorothy Norton (Dot) returns
to her parent's home for the holidays and gets bonked on the head by her neighbor's car while out chasing a runaway inflatable, all sorts of strange things are set in motion.<br />
<br />
From
a traditional Christmas turned upside down to strange toys that come to
life and a Santa Claus that is not your typical ho-ho-ho jolly old elf,
this hilarious tale will make you laugh out loud and maybe even lose a
bit of your eggnog.
<br /><br />And furthermore, it's a heartwarming (or is that heartBURN?),
nostalgic holiday tale about Christmas family traditions and the
consumer culture and lots of
wonderful horrendous puns, British dialect and lots of pop references
and what-not. And dreams that come true. (Or do they?)<br /><br />
And yes! There's even Elvis. Of course. How could there NOT be?
<br />
<br />A 17,000 word fast-read "clean" story suitable for all ages.<br />
<br />
Happy trails!<br />
<br />
bobbi c.<br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-62373015158005346172015-11-30T13:48:00.001-08:002015-11-30T13:48:40.679-08:00Looking for a fun Christmas short story?Like small town mysteries? How about ghosts?<br />
<br />
If so, try my "Holly, Hemlock & Mistletoe." Available on Amazon for only $1.29.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Holly-Hemlock-Mistletoe---Texas-Ghost-ebook/dp/B00R6H9XT4">http://www.amazon.com/Holly-Hemlock-Mistletoe---Texas-Ghost-ebook/dp/B00R6H9XT4</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1-HFE1Lx1d6zf2SILML6YsRJethy-6m71OFumYhFFkgLkL9cOb1y4RzhVXQCFAJgsV4u0dZK2tnZ_P8N2_NOCeZen1JWlhxCGReQec3uz_meooiMHtOO6R-co959RtlrUKYYC6Rpl3g/s1600/Hemlock-Mistletoe-Cover-Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1-HFE1Lx1d6zf2SILML6YsRJethy-6m71OFumYhFFkgLkL9cOb1y4RzhVXQCFAJgsV4u0dZK2tnZ_P8N2_NOCeZen1JWlhxCGReQec3uz_meooiMHtOO6R-co959RtlrUKYYC6Rpl3g/s320/Hemlock-Mistletoe-Cover-Kindle.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-26183698987918766452015-11-04T13:58:00.001-08:002015-11-04T13:58:24.560-08:00Short Stories for the Thanksgiving Season<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXpmHOayf3xlW33UteYg8qOcNwm6rGYHvTcIyGCbOe6bBcnnca9tlsBzE7pRSOQm8Jk1IqVFTOuhQYryQudfPFzurWrOk14P0WyphgHcUqKAi5PYO3RrQSh3I_aJis0PupdsgUrZahyphenhypheno/s1600/ThanksgivingPinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXpmHOayf3xlW33UteYg8qOcNwm6rGYHvTcIyGCbOe6bBcnnca9tlsBzE7pRSOQm8Jk1IqVFTOuhQYryQudfPFzurWrOk14P0WyphgHcUqKAi5PYO3RrQSh3I_aJis0PupdsgUrZahyphenhypheno/s320/ThanksgivingPinterest.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
<br />
Dear friends and readers,<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Over the last few years, I've written three short stories inspired by the Thanksgiving season. And especially, the foods associated with it. Everybody has a few extra minutes now and then, during lunch, while having afternoon tea, etc. Take a look and see if any of these whet your appetite! And please feel free to share with your special peeps.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aunt-Jewel-Poisoned-Potlikker-Nameless-ebook/dp/B00FBPLUCG" target="_blank">Aunt Jewel and the Poisoned Potlikker</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aunt-Jewel-Purloined-Pork-Loin-ebook/dp/B00DFA2QAE" target="_blank">Aunt Jewel and the Purloined Pork Loin</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Death-Do-Lollys-Diner-Nameless-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00OO5IMPC" target="_blank">Death at Do-Lolly's Diner </a><br />
<br />
I hope you enjoy these as much as you love pecan (or pumpkin) pie!<br />
<br />
Happy trails,<br />
<br />
bobbi c.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-72141515425257049872015-09-25T14:45:00.000-07:002015-10-19T16:28:37.137-07:00New Mystery Story Published!My new story, "The Conflagration at the Nameless Cotton Gin" has just been published in the first anthology from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Published by Untreed Reads and available in all formats.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFVjo29XspPSfqYFlduE1sRQp-kSgloeuM2cS6Py-8gYibYR1Gv3tUQZeoipimH_ytiKfyr6xkXGrtbpDvGTC_syV4f3BTp0OYH5z0hymQOgAvaUgIO9jj-888TClGWyEA5ycBEfCd3I/s1600/FaB_FinalMedium.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFVjo29XspPSfqYFlduE1sRQp-kSgloeuM2cS6Py-8gYibYR1Gv3tUQZeoipimH_ytiKfyr6xkXGrtbpDvGTC_syV4f3BTp0OYH5z0hymQOgAvaUgIO9jj-888TClGWyEA5ycBEfCd3I/s320/FaB_FinalMedium.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>
Pre-order the paperback, or buy and download the e-book version <a href="http://bit.do/flashandbang2015" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-57196874252069120512015-07-17T09:56:00.000-07:002015-07-17T09:56:09.820-07:00New Science Fiction Anthology--STORIES FROM THE WORLD OF TOMORROW: The Way the Future Was!I'm pleased to announce that my macabre science fiction story, Perfect Progeny, has been published in the new Darkhouse Books anthology, STORIES FROM THE WORLD OF TOMORROW: The Way the Future Was!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39DrefRrROYsdTSWL7Kmw_p0eXAYNsSNNbmhTzfosUWQz-YIqYOYmbFZQ1SK1vk0bkJkKdJ7szHIHN6CI6_AG5_JgNMNmecfbCjQKcZKVM3ajketJEW6rSq0hyphenhyphenCiphcoQpojoLpKzIPA/s1600/41CY4a8bCEL._SX323_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39DrefRrROYsdTSWL7Kmw_p0eXAYNsSNNbmhTzfosUWQz-YIqYOYmbFZQ1SK1vk0bkJkKdJ7szHIHN6CI6_AG5_JgNMNmecfbCjQKcZKVM3ajketJEW6rSq0hyphenhyphenCiphcoQpojoLpKzIPA/s320/41CY4a8bCEL._SX323_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stories-World-Tomorrow-Andrew-MacRae/dp/0996182810">http://www.amazon.com/Stories-World-Tomorrow-Andrew-MacRae/dp/0996182810</a><br /><br />Editor Andrew MacRae and Wenda Morrone, fellow Dorothy-L and Short Mystery Fiction Society members, also have stories in the book. <br /><br />Other contributors are: Thresher Grey, Cassandra L., Michael Chandos, Matthew Pedersen, Michael McAndrews Bailey, Sebastien Mantle, Stephen Hill, Craig J. Ham, Raymond K. Rugg, Deborah Walker, William Stanforth, Rick Bruner, Donna Stephanie Cage and Amanda Bergloff.<br /><br />This was a really fun story to research and write. The premise was interesting--what ABOUT all those new inventions they touted at the 1939 NYC World's Fair? What happened to them? Did they ever come about? I used the relatively new invention of hydroponics that amazed people at the fair (Growing food in water? Incredible!), coupled with my own contemporary concerns about GMO foods to craft a dark story about the possibilities.<br /><br />BTW, for some fascinating historical photos, check out this site:<br /><br /><a href="http://time.com/3879706/1939-new-york-worlds-fair-photos/">http://time.com/3879706/1939-new-york-worlds-fair-photos/</a><br /><br />bobbi c.<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-78167095912476667332015-04-26T07:33:00.000-07:002015-04-26T07:33:14.953-07:00New historical short story published--free to read!I'm happy to announce that my short story, "The Interview," is now available in the online mystery magazine, Over my Dead Body. It's a free read, too! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.overmydeadbody.com/theinter.html">http://www.overmydeadbody.com/theinter.html</a><br /><br />This is one of those historical stories that is personal to me because of the location. Make sure you read the Author's Note at the end, too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There are also eight other free stories there in the new issue.<br /><br />Thanks for your support!<br /><br />bobbi c.<br /><a href="http://bobbichukran.com/">http://bobbichukran.com</a>Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-77976894261023035482015-04-19T14:28:00.000-07:002015-04-19T14:28:27.185-07:00Great Review of HALLOWEEN THIRTEEN--A Macabre CollectionKings River Life magazine has reviews of five e-books in honor of Earth Day, including my first collection of short stories/poetry, HALLOWEEN THIRTEEN--A Collection of Mysteriously Macabre Tales.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yIczYszYY5ZNRcB9qtdBW90T6Y1qT4S-0HbvNNWEybnQZc1WtoPgBp57y-5RdZFQdnQM4UHWAY9NJwTKMhyphenhyphenVXq_g1RUOF1KDFhXeJFzEd0k-1jigUJJPxFzyqA8yIj4hQJ5TI3ueZ5U/s1600/FINAL_HWEEN13Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yIczYszYY5ZNRcB9qtdBW90T6Y1qT4S-0HbvNNWEybnQZc1WtoPgBp57y-5RdZFQdnQM4UHWAY9NJwTKMhyphenhyphenVXq_g1RUOF1KDFhXeJFzEd0k-1jigUJJPxFzyqA8yIj4hQJ5TI3ueZ5U/s1600/FINAL_HWEEN13Cover.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a></div>
<br />
I love getting reviews by librarian Cynthia Chow because she "gets" me and my writing--twisted, black humor, offbeat and sentimental. Umm, yep, that's me! LOL <br />
<br />
There are also reviews of books by Janis Patterson, Kathy Bennett, K.K. Chalmers and Andrew MacRae.<br /><br /><a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/04/18/five-mystery-ebooks-for-earth-day/">http://kingsriverlife.com/04/18/five-mystery-ebooks-for-earth-day/</a><br /><br />bobbi c.<br />http://bobbichukran.blogspot.comBobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-61261256611731049742015-03-22T20:30:00.002-07:002015-03-22T20:30:29.954-07:00Progress! On Writing the MacabreOne of my newer short stories, "The Interview," has just been accepted by OMDB (<a href="http://www.overmydeadbody.com/" target="_blank">Over My Dead Body</a>), a quality online mystery/crime e-zine. OMDB reviewed my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dye-Dyeing-Dead-Bobbi-Chukran/dp/0944577121" target="_blank">DYE, DYEING, DEAD</a> novella last year and I'm excited to see some of my fiction in it. Tentative publication date is April.<br />
<br />
I sent out two more stories tonight, one to a UK publisher. This makes seven stories that are still out, making the rounds. I'm learning patience.<br />
<br />
My newer stories are morphing more into the gothic, horror or "strange/macabre" story realm, which is fine with me. Actually, I've been writing them, but didn't really realize it until recently when I put my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Thirteen-Collection-Mysteriously-Macabre-ebook/dp/B00OAG2A5S" target="_blank">HALLOWEEN THIRTEEN macabre short story collection</a> together. I've been a fan of Poe, classic ghost stories, Alfred Hitchcock, Night Gallery, Twilight Zone, etc. since I was a wee tot. Nothing much has changed in that area.<br />
<br />
A recent trip to a local abandoned family cemetery has me thinking about more ghost stories. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVaZ7BBnNI_tC1bOvJs0Mp9598lB4u-_ZKdqUqR0zgg3M3W6uk4CD6GNMQKflw8JOzTTqQXdUgdUFpJuPHVsWzv2t8ihyw-j5d4LzRAwYZfQN81ZGTmFKsa805DehK-efeOdceuXIl90/s1600/Gardner_cemetery_7-24-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVaZ7BBnNI_tC1bOvJs0Mp9598lB4u-_ZKdqUqR0zgg3M3W6uk4CD6GNMQKflw8JOzTTqQXdUgdUFpJuPHVsWzv2t8ihyw-j5d4LzRAwYZfQN81ZGTmFKsa805DehK-efeOdceuXIl90/s1600/Gardner_cemetery_7-24-13.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of the Williamson County Historical Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Happy reading!<br />
<br />
bobbi c.<br />
<a href="http://bobbichukran.com/" target="_blank">http://bobbichukran.com </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-90381500472823814782015-03-16T07:49:00.003-07:002015-03-20T16:29:14.291-07:00Miss Essie and the Green-Glittered Tiara--A New Story!<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A new story written just for my readers for St. Patrick's Day 2015. I suppose you can call it "magical realism." Introducing a new character to the Nameless, Texas family--Miss Esmeralda Wofford, AKA "Miss Essie."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hope you enjoy the story, and feel free to share it with friends, Romans, countrymen and the gardeners you know and love--you know the drill. After a few weeks, it will be removed and published on Amazon for the Kindle.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For more "Nameless, Texas" stories, please check my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bobbi-A.-Chukran/e/B005UK1P7M" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tIReYO35ZMsrfzWTj_bluoJz7Nn4tl7c4GrYFhNy3hwKY8DcQNQcE9z1Io32hwccXAQ_E6Wkg_Vi64D8lsUEBp57_u9_7QcvHL1pDKtggmHK9kNQAKzJeTwXhJX6XlQ3aYvjFQPqvW0/s1600/greentiara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tIReYO35ZMsrfzWTj_bluoJz7Nn4tl7c4GrYFhNy3hwKY8DcQNQcE9z1Io32hwccXAQ_E6Wkg_Vi64D8lsUEBp57_u9_7QcvHL1pDKtggmHK9kNQAKzJeTwXhJX6XlQ3aYvjFQPqvW0/s1600/greentiara.jpg" height="312" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073711037 9 0 511 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.MsoFooter, li.MsoFooter, div.MsoFooter
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Footer Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
tab-stops:center 3.0in right 6.0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.FooterChar
{mso-style-name:"Footer Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-locked:yes;
mso-style-link:Footer;
mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Essie and the Green-Glittered Tiara</span></span>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A "Nameless, Texas" story</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">by Bobbi A. Chukran</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">http://bobbichukran.com </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Copyright ©2015</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Esmeralda Wofford loved holidays—holidays of all kinds.
She didn't care whether it was one of the big ones, like Christmas, or the
smaller ones—she saw them all as an excuse to carry on and have some fun. At her age, which was between 59-years old and
dead, she was just old enough not to worry about what her neighbors thought
about her anymore. She'd quit doing that
back in her 40s. According to her
daughter Lee-Ann, that was one of her failings.
Miss Essie liked to think it was one of her strengths, one of her better
traits. "Too many folks think they
have to act like the Pope," Miss Essie said to Lee-Ann. Although, being a Southern Baptist, Miss
Essie wasn't quite sure what the Pope did, but she was sure he was a devout man
who would never wear things that embarrassed his children. Although, she did
wonder about that pointy hat.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"There goes Miss Essie," her neighbor Beulah
Sproule, said, snurling up her nose like she'd smelled a skunk. "Carryin'
on like a blamed fool, swannin' all about town in that damned tiara." Beulah always spoke in a loud voice to make
sure the object of her ire overheard her.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beulah Sproule wouldn't know a bit of fun if it bit her on
the ass, Miss Essie thought then tittered behind her hand. She loved saying word like "ass"
because she knew that in general, old people weren't supposed to say words like
that. She got a small thrill out of doing things that old people weren't
supposed to do. Although, she wasn't
quite sure who made up those rules.
She'd like to meet them someday, and give them a piece of her mind. She made a mental note to use several cuss
words when she did.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Essie had been overjoyed when she saw the St. Patrick's
Day tiaras the weekend before at the Wal-Marts.
Nameless, Texas didn't have very many places to shop, and the Wal-Marts
was where everyone went to buy their necessary evils like Fleet enemas and glass
measuring cups. And optional decorative pieces of ornamentation like tiaras.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The tiaras were bright green, fashioned with three giant cardboard
shamrocks all across the top, and were covered with green glitter. If Essie's sister Myrtle had seen it, she
would have called it gaudy. Essie just
thought it was lovely. Sparkles always
caught her eye. And green was her favorite color.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Essie was especially fond of anything with glitter on
it, and if it was a bright color, even better.
She'd picked up the tiara in the store, glanced around to see if any of
the clerks were watching (they never were at that place) and she slipped the tiara
over her short cap of white hair, to make sure it fit. It did, so she wore that tiara all around the
store, just to gauge the reactions she might get. After shopping for a few other needed items
like spring Oreos with blue centers and Little Debbie cakes with sprinkles, she
quickly made her way to the check-out counter.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Why, isn't that pretty?" the checker girl
asked. "I'll bet your little
granddaughter is going to love wearing that." Miss Essie frowned then said, "I'm sure
she will." She knew how to pick her
battles. And the checker girl at the
Wal-Marts was not the place to wax eloquently on how adults should learn to
have a bit of fun. After the checker
girl scanned it, she slipped the tiara back on her head, the price tag flapping
in the wind, and walked out of the store, her head held high.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although it was only the day before Saint Patrick's Day,
that didn't stop Miss Essie from showing off her new tiara on her jaunts about
town. The ladies at the Nameless Public
Library smiled when she walked in, because they were used to Miss Essie's
weekly Monday afternoon visits. She always
checked out an old romance novel to occupy herself during the upcoming
week. This week, she chose a frontier
story named LEATHER AND LACE. She hoped
it had some juicy bits in it. She
couldn't stand to read a boring romance unless it had some juicy bits.
Otherwise, why bother, she thought?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Don't you look fine today!" librarian Laura Belle
said, smiling and wishing that she had the guts to wear something like a
glittery green tiara to work. She knew the kids she worked with at Story Hour
would love it if she did.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The teen-aged volunteer, Sally Dorrell, stared and her jaw
dropped when Miss Essie walked in. She couldn't
think of a word to say.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Poor child, Miss Essie thought. She's still of the age where
she wouldn't be caught dead in public with something like this on her head. I'll bet she's afraid one of her friends
would see her, twitter about it and it would be all over school in ten seconds
flat.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Essie liked to walk from her home to the library and
back, to get some exercise and fresh air.
She didn't take her old 1956 Chevrolet out unless it was absolutely
necessary. No need wasting gas while her
two legs were still working. Week after week, except when it was too cold or
too hot, Miss Essie made the almost one-mile walk to the library.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Occasionally, afterwards, she'd stop off at Do-Lolly's
Diner, at the edge of downtown, for a bowl of soup, saltine crackers and a
small bowl of banana pudding for dessert.
She loved Do-Lollys because it was normally a friendly, warm kind of
place. And their food was like her mama used to cook back home in Ft. Worth.
She thought the coffee tasted like coffin-varnish, but she needed a jolt of
caffeine that late in the day.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This Monday, as she walked in, the dull roar ceased for a
moment, and all went still. Essie looked
around, found an empty booth and slid in, smiling at everyone as they stared at
her tiara. "How y'all doin' today?" she chirped. "It's a wonderful day out, isn't
it?" A few of the regulars murmured
their howdys.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Essie smiled again and pointed to her head. "If
anybody else is interested, and from the attention I’m getting, it looks like
you might be, they had more of these tiaras down at the Wal-marts. Only $3.99, too. I thought it was quite the bargain, considerin'
how much glitter they put on it."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embarrassed, the diners looked down at their plates, and
pretty soon the clack and ping of cutlery on old china plates commenced.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over in the back booth, a few ladies of the Nameless Garden
Club clucked their tongues and shook their heads. "What is that old fool
up to NOW?" Mrs. Pepper Smythe, president of the club, asked.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Good lord, would you look at that!" Her sister
exclaimed. After a bit of tsking and
clucking, they turned their attention back to their garden salads with fried
chicken strips on top. With low-fat ranch
dressing, of course.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Essie finished her soup, smacked her lips loudly, paid
her bill, leaving exactly 25-cents tip for her server like she always did, and
tottled back out into the sunshine.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Usually nothing much happened on Miss Essie's jaunts into
town, but since this was early spring and many things were changing. It had
been a long, cold, wet horrible winter and Miss Essie turned her face up to the
sun, like a sunflower. She hadn't gone
too far before she noticed something buzzing around her ear. She flicked her hand at it, shooing it
away. Probably an old fly, she thought. "Shoo!" she cried. "Get away from
me, you nasty thing!" Miss Essie
never could abide flies since she learned that they regurgitate the last bite
they ate before taking a bite of something new.
She kept an old cat, Mr. Bodiddles, inside her house because that cat
was a goin' Jessee when it came to catching flies. That cat would sit quietly for hours, watching
the flies in Miss Essie's kitchen window, then SWOOP! he was up on the
windowsill snappin' that fly up in his mouth and gobbling it down.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She was always amazed how fast that cat would snatch up
those flies. "He's a fly snatcher,
all right," she remarked to the postman once when he witnessed the cat
snatching up two flies at once.
"That's why I keep him around, nasty old cat," she explained,
giving him a well-deserved pat on the head.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Essie walked a few more blocks, and before long, there was
more buzzing and whirring near her ears.
She flapped her wrist at it, knocking her tiara to the ground. "Well, would you look at that!"
Miss Essie exclaimed. That green
glittery tiara was covered with bees! Being a gardener, Miss Essie knew that
bees were her friends. She had never
killed a one of them. She was even loath
to kill other flying things like wasps--other than flies, that is. Even the yellow jackets that everybody else
hated, Miss Essie let be. She could
never be sure if one of those flying creatures would be the ONE that would end
up pollinating her heirloom Mr. Stripey tomato.
She had grown one from seeds over the winter and it was just starting to
bloom when she planted it in her garden. She just didn't want to take the
chance. She'd had a problem with
pollination the year before. Miss Essie
had read about the whole bee collapse THING, and was worried. So she tried to
co-exist peacefully with the winged creatures in her garden.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Using her foot and flapping her hands, she shooed the bees
off the tiara, picked it up and replaced it back on her head. All the flapping was to no avail. She picked
up her pace, and by the time she got home, the sound of the buzzing and tiny whirring
wings was about to make her dizzy.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seeing the writing on the wall, Miss Essie carefully removed
the tiara, thought for a moment then planted it in the dirt right beside her Mr.
Stripey. The bees, seeing they had it
much better in the garden than they'd had on an old cardboard tiara (even one
covered with green glitter), finally flew off and busied themselves in the
rosemary and nectarine tree that had just started blooming the week before. And as Miss Essie watched, one fat one buzzed
over and bumped at her Mr. Stripey.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Essie stood for a minute in the garden, and watched.
"Welcome to your new home," she said, her cheeks flushed. She felt a bit embarrassed whenever she
watched any pollination actually happening, and finally turned away. She wondered if she could bring more bees
home the next week. Perhaps if the tiara
was red, she could gather more of them? No, she decided, she'd attract hummingbirds
that way. The bees definitely liked the
green glitter. Perhaps if she covered the tiara with a bit of plant pollen, or
honey?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Essie slowly climbed up into the big old white rocking
chair on her back porch, in the shade, and slowly started rocking. Rocking and thinking about the miraculous power
of green glitter.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">END</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Copyright ©2015 by <a href="http://bobbichukran.com/" target="_blank">Bobbi A. Chukran</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-4565030659188503332015-02-28T08:39:00.003-08:002015-02-28T08:39:48.377-08:00TestingIt seems that some of my blog posts are showing as black text on black. This is just a test. Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-80460958860003687102015-02-06T08:22:00.000-08:002015-02-06T08:22:00.937-08:00The Catalyst -- An Original Poem by Bobbi A. Chukran<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
For Freebie Friday, I offer for your entertainment an original poem reprinted from my first collection <a href="http://amzn.to/1t3yTFv" target="_blank">HALLOWEEN THIRTEEN--A Collection of Mysteriously Macabre Tales</a>. Enjoy! Bobbi C.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Charlemagne Std Bold";
panose-1:0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-2147483473 1073750090 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;} </style><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="Catalyst"><span style="font-family: "Charlemagne Std Bold"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Catalyst – A Poem</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bookmark: Catalyst;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyone who
lives with cats has observed this strange behavior.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: Catalyst;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The olde folks say that when the silvery light of the harvest moon</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">strikes the edge of the oak grove at just the right angle</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Something from the roots of the pin oaks</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">slithers out and comes to life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">They say that when that Something from the roots</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">comes alive, it snakes its way into the</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">local feline population and bewitches them</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">like some primal bizarre fairy tale,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and their eyes gleam like rubies</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYMLBZTcg5kR_gzafc4r7ae8i90lXhtWT4LdaWqWMuMf6h7hsK5kpN6CRMdb-m24r31nVG8vmHSePjWLfnOsPHX2CWYXND9LWjtSyhxTobMbwEYL9fqHvyIDW5yzhryCxmv1YZSzik6I/s1600/missyinbw-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYMLBZTcg5kR_gzafc4r7ae8i90lXhtWT4LdaWqWMuMf6h7hsK5kpN6CRMdb-m24r31nVG8vmHSePjWLfnOsPHX2CWYXND9LWjtSyhxTobMbwEYL9fqHvyIDW5yzhryCxmv1YZSzik6I/s1600/missyinbw-copy.jpg" height="200" width="182" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and they go insane for about four hours in the</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">middle of the bright moonstruck night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Their backs arch and their rat-thin tails bush up </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">as big as evergreen trees and this frightens them </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">so that they bush up even larger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">They go seeking fresh meat dripping with warm blood,</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">even those who usually turn up their</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">nose at anything but their everyday kibble,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">their eyes big and dark and luminous</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">in the moonlight their howls will</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">raise the hair on the back of your neck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The males seek females</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and the young and frisky chase the old </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">until they fall down in a heap from exhaustion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hissing (oh, you've never heard such a noise!) </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and growling and general caterwauling</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">can be heard all the way to the far side of the village</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">during those nights when the harvest moon</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">alights the edge of the grove.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">At dawn the Thing slithers back</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">to its womb of roots and soil and stones </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">to await the next emergence</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and the cats skulk back home,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">blink their dilated eyes in surprise </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">at the sunlight,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">curl up,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and ease their
heads down </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">on their paws and wait…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">wary and watchful,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">for the next harvest moon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-IaJwL2FEQ4YBHx7XrtgHlKnkogpPJ2o5S4X_hyphenhyphenP3Cm-ZgKVZEWhpmoeDBG_G0ld3uwxDnj6gVf-Z75NHzLJsPSt-z7J6nePddv45DC1YvxoVYRG1GkatiYadDQqPyO7H_ljyhUwYGM/s1600/MissyFANGS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-IaJwL2FEQ4YBHx7XrtgHlKnkogpPJ2o5S4X_hyphenhyphenP3Cm-ZgKVZEWhpmoeDBG_G0ld3uwxDnj6gVf-Z75NHzLJsPSt-z7J6nePddv45DC1YvxoVYRG1GkatiYadDQqPyO7H_ljyhUwYGM/s1600/MissyFANGS.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
<br />
Reprinted from <a href="http://amzn.to/1t3yTFv" target="_blank">HALLOWEEN THIRTEEN--A Collection of Mysteriously Macabre Tales</a><br />
Copyright ©2014 Bobbi A. Chukran <br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-7233855550290362572015-01-23T08:48:00.000-08:002015-01-28T18:24:25.822-08:00FREEBIE FRIDAY! A Dark Southern Gothic Folktale<span style="font-size: small;">A free dark fantasy folktale for your weekend reading pleasure. Inspired by a Cherokee legend and first published in The Clockwise Cat and reprinted in <a href="http://amazon.com/author/bobbichukran" target="_blank">HALLOWEEN THIRTEEN</a>, my collection of macabre/strange short stories.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-link:"Body Text Char";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:6.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:none;
mso-hyphenate:none;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;
punctuation-wrap:simple;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;}
span.BodyTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Body Text Char";
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-locked:yes;
mso-style-link:"Body Text";
mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-hansi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-font-kerning:.5pt;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Revenge of the Ulagu </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">by Bobbi A. Chukran </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">"Hon, I wish you wouldn't use chemicals around the house. It's not good for
the kids, or for us," Coralee complained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">"You've read too many of those tree hugger magazines," Herbert said,
wagging his head back and forth, squinting his little beady eyes and aiming an
aerosol can of wasp spray towards a huge nest of yellow jackets up under the
eaves of the farmhouse. "That's just a load of horse-shit, you ask me. Now
you get back, you don't wanna get stung. You know how yeller jackets are. When
I spray 'em, they're gonna go crazy! Remember last time you got stung you swole
up like a melon."<br />
<br />
Coralee stepped back inside the safety of the screen door where she cast a wary
eye on Herbert. He sprayed the nest full of yellow jackets, and sure enough,
they went insane, flying straight for him. He dropped the can and ran, almost
escaping. One of them, however, was faster than he was. It landed on the side
of his face and stung.<br />
<br />
"Damn!" he yelled, slapping at the wasp and knocking it to the
ground. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">He ran back into the house
and into the kitchen. Coralee frowned and cursed under her breath, hating the
fact that the nest had been destroyed and hating the fact that her husband was
so ignorant when it came to using toxic chemicals around the children and her
garden. She knew there were better ways. Her native ancestors believed in
living in harmony with the insects, birds and wildlife, and she believed the
same thing. She shook her head, but made up an ice pack and applied it to the
side of Herbert's face, feeling sorry for him because he was such an idiot.<br />
<br />
That night, Herbert's head throbbed, and his jaw was swollen to the size of a
baseball. "I think the stinger's still in it," Coralee said. "We need to get the stinger out. My
grandma says if you don't get that stinger out, other wasps will come back for
it later."<br />
<br />
Herbert was mule-stubborn and wouldn't let her look at it. "That's just an
old wife's tale. Something your grandmother said just to vex me," he
grumbled, took a few allergy capsules and went to bed. He tossed and turned for
a while. The pain was almost unbearable but finally Herbert fell asleep.<br />
<br />
About 2 a.m., Herbert was awakened by a strange thumping vibration at the
bedroom window. There was a small tree beside the house, so he assumed it was a
branch tapping against the windowpane. He turned over and tried to go back to
sleep. Then he heard a buzzing sound, so loud that it reverberated in his head
and filled his brain with nothing but the loud buzzzzz. He got up and walked to
the picture window. He saw a large shadow, thought he was dreaming, but it
became obvious that he was not. Herbert, not being terribly smart (and proving Coralee
right about that), opened the window to get a better look. At that moment an
enormous yellow jacket, the size of a large dog, flew in and attacked him, its
huge stinger pressing itself into the side of his neck over and over until he
was paralyzed from the venom. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">His wife lay asleep in
their bed, not twenty feet from the window, but she didn't hear a thing.<br />
<br />
The yellow jacket wrapped its legs around Herbert like he was a dead fly and
flew out the window, carrying him with it.<br />
<br />
The next morning, Coralee called the county sheriff and reported Herbert
missing. She told them that he had disappeared during the night, and as far as
she knew, he had. The only other thing missing besides Herbert was his ugly
plaid pajamas, which she said he'd worn to bed that night. She figured he'd
been kidnapped since he would have certainly changed clothes had he run away
from home on his own. For the life of Coralee, though, she couldn't figure out
who would want to kidnap Herbert.<br />
<br />
Three days later, while searching for Herbert, the sheriff found a cave filled
with hundreds of man-sized cells, in a network of tissue paper thin walls, each
holding the white grub-like larvae of oversized yellow jackets. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">In the back corner was a
human skeleton, wearing Herbert's ugly plaid pajamas. The body was identified
by dental records (and the pajamas). His bones had been picked clean. No
obvious cause for Herbert's death was ever found. As for the large larvae,
entomologists were called in, but their only theory was that a few wasps had
mutated because of something in the local environment. They'd never seen
anything like it! The cave was sealed tight and a warning sign was erected over
the entrance.<br />
<br />
After Herbert's funeral, Coralee sat on the front porch rocking and sipping
sweet tea, watching the yellow jackets hover around the door. She remembered
her Cherokee grandmother telling her the story of Ulagu, a giant yellow jacket
that would snatch small children and take them back to its nest to feed to its
young. She remembered the story about the stinger and how they'd always come
back to reclaim those they'd lost. She believed that the old stories had basic
truths at their very roots. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">Coralee didn't know what
had really happened to poor Herbert, but she had a good idea.<br />
<br />
In no time at all, the yellow jackets rebuilt their nest beside the front door,
and as far as Coralee was concerned, it would stay there. She vowed that a wasp
nest would never again be destroyed on her property.<br />
<br />
She smiled and rocked and rocked as the yellow jackets gently buzzed around her
head.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">END</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">-------------</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: small;">Bobbi A. Chukran writes gothic small-town tales and is the author of the
"Nameless, Texas" story series. She lives near Austin, TX in a tiny
town full of characters that are fodder for her fiction. She gardens like a
fool, herds rescue cats, blogs and carries on at <a href="http://bobbichukran.blogspot.com/">http://bobbichukran.blogspot.com</a>.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-52983325047895437002015-01-23T05:10:00.000-08:002015-01-23T05:13:58.379-08:00Cozy-Noir Fiction: Where rain-slick streets and cozy kitchens intersect<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE
ANTHOLOGY OF COZY-NOIR</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where
rain-slick streets and cozy kitchens intersect</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Review
by Bobbi A. Chukran</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgWqhs3V96h1-1SQdnXJ6B80Zn0jLu9hiNJ9gIekYr8OCNPJmJtbhEI2kbsU-_35GvAHXvktYud5wAwQ_GYGwMK2zIgph7C0a2VDGFBH-dZw7Erjq8rX7hWif8Agc4FSXlCFyVqGm7Sg/s1600/2014-CN-FrontCover400x600x72Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgWqhs3V96h1-1SQdnXJ6B80Zn0jLu9hiNJ9gIekYr8OCNPJmJtbhEI2kbsU-_35GvAHXvktYud5wAwQ_GYGwMK2zIgph7C0a2VDGFBH-dZw7Erjq8rX7hWif8Agc4FSXlCFyVqGm7Sg/s1600/2014-CN-FrontCover400x600x72Web.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
is something for everyone in this new anthology of mystery cozy-noir
fiction. Cozy-noir is that "mood indigo," murky meeting
place where rain-slick streets and cozy kitchens sometimes intersect. On
the surface, cozy-noir is a "self-contradicting theme," but the authors
were inspired to make it work in some unique ways.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thirteen
authors, Robert Lopresti, Judy Brownsword, Magdalena Jones, Herschel
Cozine, L.E. Schwaller, Percy Spurlark Parker, Michael Guillebeau,
Kate McCorkle, David Himmel, Lynn Kinnaman, Wenda Morrone, John Haas and <a href="http://amazon.com/author/bobbichukran" target="_blank">Bobbi A. Chukran</a> (myself) contributed stories that run the gamut from dark and murderous to
light and tongue-in-cheek.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
stories were set in small towns and large cities and in diverse locations---from
the Ozark hills, New York City in the 1940s, a Chicago penthouse, a
Canal Street bar, a pizza joint, a Texas honky tonk, a county fair,
a masquerade charity ball, diners where you just might run into the
wrong dame, a small town where jukeboxes play sad country songs to a
home where a bedroom game turns deadly.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are stories of lust, murder, deceit, mayhem, revenge—with a smattering of
knitting and a few servings of pie.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cowboys,
mobsters, private dicks, lawyers, bodyguards, devious dames and your
average Joes star in each of these stories of cozy-noir. Editor
Andrew MacRae did an admirable job of selecting a diverse overview
of characters, locations and story types.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disclaimer:
Although I do have a story in the book, I purchased a paperback copy from
which my review was written.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://darkhousebooks.com/"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://darkhousebooks.com</span></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Available
in paperback and e-books </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://amazon.com/author/bobbichukran" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://amazon.com/author/bobbichukran</span></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-59543100231405567332015-01-04T10:37:00.001-08:002015-01-04T12:14:21.173-08:00DYE, DYEING, DEAD ON SALEFor a limited time, the first "Nameless, Texas" novella is on sale at Amazon for only $1.99 this week (regular retail is $2.99). If you're a fan of Aunt Jewel, Jeremy, Kendra and the other quirky folks who live in the small Texas town just outside Austin, you'll enjoy this first longer novella in the series.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvRlTqJyv8hAuHdIEzz6Jx4lZQogm3xF9PeJYYV2Pbp9gDgqPe8FRkq-SWKOYIOuMJJyZT3ZhSYY3H2_8DLmlAADvc8eFO8KGdy3guzVUJ1me5lvso7E6bQFdSKwx6KgxePGYyZsgZiY/s1600/DDDsmallCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvRlTqJyv8hAuHdIEzz6Jx4lZQogm3xF9PeJYYV2Pbp9gDgqPe8FRkq-SWKOYIOuMJJyZT3ZhSYY3H2_8DLmlAADvc8eFO8KGdy3guzVUJ1me5lvso7E6bQFdSKwx6KgxePGYyZsgZiY/s1600/DDDsmallCover.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dye-Dyeing-Dead-Nameless-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00M0DADFW">http://www.amazon.com/Dye-Dyeing-Dead-Nameless-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00M0DADFW</a><br />
<br />
And while you're there, also check out the other short stories in the series.<br />
<span style="color: #686767; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #686767; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #686767; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none;"><span><br />Also available Now in E-book and paperback at these Online Retailers:<span><br /><span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/459882" target="_blank" title="">SMASHWORDS</a><br /><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dye-dyeing-dead/id901493077?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank" title="">APPLE</a><span><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/1tTGWRR" target="_blank" title=""><span>BARNES & NOBLE</span></a></span></span></span></span><span> <br /><a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dye-dyeing-dead" target="_blank" title=""><span>KOBO</span></a><br /><a href="https://www.createspace.com/4917965" target="_blank" title=""><span>PAPERBACK</span></a><br /><span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
Happy trails!<br />
<br />
bobbi c. <br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649655196546327136.post-30529279505745276802015-01-03T08:55:00.001-08:002015-01-03T08:55:43.477-08:00One more time...If you still haven't read my First Annual Christmas Gift to my Readers short story, <i>Holly, Hemlock & Mistletoe</i>, it's been reprinted over on the wonderful BURIED UNDER BOOKS blog, edited by Lelia Taylor<br />
<br />
Take a look, and while you're there, check out some of the other interviews and reviews.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://cncbooksblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/a-short-story-for-your-christmas-pleasure/" target="_blank"> https://cncbooksblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/a-short-story-for-your-christmas-pleasure/</a><br />
<br />
Happy New Year to all!<br />
<br />
bobbi c. <br />
<br />
<br />Bobbi A. Chukran, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16678371925926783260noreply@blogger.com0