Want to Read a Spook Story? Angels and Saints, now available!

 Dear friends and readers! It's been a while since I've updated here. Getting settled back in Texas has taken a bit out of my desire to write much. But I'm back at it, and have a string of new stories coming out between now and the end of the year.

Just wanted to mention one of my newest stories that came out yesterday from Undertaker Books. "Angels and Saints" is a bit of a departure for me from my "Nameless, Texas" short stories I've been writing over the last six years or so. It's a "weird western" story, with what might (or might not) be, a ghost. It will also be appearing in a printed anthology early next year.

I have several other "weird Western" stories out there now, and I'm having a blast writing them.

This is a free download once you sign up, so take a look! 

By the way, the carved wooden angel on the cover is from my collection. Rudy and I bought it 35 years ago on our honeymoon to Santa Fe. We made the loooong trek to Taos and visited the woodcarver's studio, where I bought this and a free-standing santo carving.

Happy trails from the Oasis of West Texas! 

https://BookHip.com/KJHHVZQ

Back in the Saddle, Again!

 Howdy, folks! It's been a while since I posted here. I am still writing. Sort of. Recently I announced I was sick and tired and decided to retire. Well, I'll tell you what! Several GREAT friends threatened to tie me up, smear me with molasses and sit me in a bed of fire ants.

SO! I am not retiring. Changed my mind. LOL!!

If you look at the pile of papers that appear on the top photo here, you'll see what I'm going through now. Yep, unfinished short stories, bits 'n bobs of novellas, plays and notes for other projects.

I did manage to finish one story that's been sitting here, collecting dust, and sent it out. I have good feedback so far from it, so fingers crossed.

Short update -- We moved to Las Cruces, NM, a little over six years ago and spent a lot of that time locked down during Covid. Yep, I got the monster, because I decided to help a poor sick lady in the Wal-Mart pharmacy find aspirin. I tell you what! I won't do THAT again. Just kidding. I might. ;-)

Anywho, I survived, barely. I do have residual lung issues and diminished desire to help little old ladies. Heh. In the meantime, I got an inoperable macular hole in one eye, a probably diagnosis of Sjogren's Disease and got banged up badly in a fall in my garden! For cryin' out loud! 

After our sojourn in Las Cruces, I decided I wanted to move back home, to Texas, where your eyeballs don't get blasted by the high UV rays from the very high altitude every.single.time. you go outside. Plus, there's No rain there! None! Ugh.

We visited San Angelo, Texas, thirteen years ago and always said we'd go back. Well, we did. And we're stickin' here. It's beautiful and very green here, in spite of being in West Texas. AND it RAINS! They don't call it "The Oasis of West Texas" for nuthin'.

Did I mention I'm starting to write again?

Can't beat that with a STICK!

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

The beautiful Concho River

Free-to-Read-Online Christmas Ghost Story Published in Kings River Life

 Dear friends,

I'm happy to say that my short story "Aunt Jewel and the Christmas Spirits" has just been published online at Kings River Life.

https://kingsriverlife.com/12/18/aunt-jewel-and-the-christmas-spirits/

It's a light-hearted look at how Christmas traditions can still remain, even in the time of a worldwide pandemic. 

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.

Join the wacky denizens of Nameless, Texas again as they plan an old fashioned Christmas!

My grandmother Jennie Neal's recipe for Green Tomato Mincemeat.

Happy Holidays!

bobbi c.

Inspiration for my Story, "Family to the Bone"

 Dear friends,

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.

We happened on this old place. Beside it was an old Aerator windmill, water tank and fire truck.

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!

My writer imagination started whirring and before long, after going home, I'd written the story, Family to the Bone.

It was quickly accepted by Dark Moon Press for their e-magazine, Dark Eclipse and published as my first "horror" story in November 2014.

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.

I hope you enjoy the story and that it gives you a few frissons and shivers. 

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Bone-Texas-Gothic-Horror-ebook/dp/B09HST7HL4

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

 
All photos Copyright 2021 Bobbi A. Chukran

New Short Story Published in Black Cat Weekly #6!

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!

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.

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.

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."

The issue is only $3.99!

https://bcmystery.com/bcw6/

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

 Dear friends,

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.

https://bobbichukran.blogspot.com/p/publications.html

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.

https://www.amazon.com/Bobbi-A-Chukran/e/B005UK1P7M

Take a look!

Happy trails from the Chihuahuan desert of New Mexico!

bobbi c.

Short Stories! The dessert in a great meal of fiction!

Hello from the desert of New Mexico!

After wrestling my blogs back from the black hole of the 'net, I'm back.

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.

As a reader, I'm finding that I read a lot more short stuff and less very long novels.

Now, given my attention span and interest, I'm mostly writing short stories. And I love it.

50% off thru July 31st at Smashwords!

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. 

Some of them were then turned into short stories. Writing short stuff seems to suit me well.

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.

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.

And if you have a favorite novelist, chances are somewhere they also have a collection of short stories, or stories in an anthology.

Think of fiction like a good meal. The novels can be the main course, and the short stories can be the dessert. :-)

Why not try one?

Happy trails!

bobbi c.