All about the books we love

I ran across something today I wanted to add to my fannish 50 thing and I'll be damned if I can remember.

In the good news I finished the first draft of my slasher story. Now to let it sit and edit it.

In frustrating news, all the work I did on my school notes this week disappeared. Not in any of the files they were supposed to be. Luckily it came up in recently worked on and I recovered them. Geez.

I got my The Amazing Digital Circus movie exclusive t-shirt today. 100% cotton that feels like it has Rayon (which okay whatever) but is hand wash only.....WTF? I'm assuming the image will fall apart in the washer. but really?!?


time for my Buffy verse Fannish 50 questions

Day 10: Best SFX / most woeful use of SFX

Honestly Buffy was more about the costuming/prosthetics than big SFX. Probably the best was the last episode with Sunnydale falling into the hell mouth. Worst? S1 head ridges? Angel getting sucked to hell. Eh, not the most engaging question for this fandom. I know there was SFX but I'm just not bringing it to mind.




( all questions under here )

My mother just snatched my mint from my hand and gave me her mint because mine was full and her mint was a quarter of a mint. (Red Bird needs way better quality control)

So let me do this week's writing nonsense with a question. I just read 2 books with a similar beginning. We know how it ends in the very beginning and the book is about how we get there. It worked in one case and not the other. I think the difference is in how it was done. In the first, a suspense story, we know 6 women go on vacation together and we know someone dies. this worked because we don't know who is dead and the story opens like a blossom one petal at a time until we see it all.

In the second book, a horror, we know the protagonist is in a mental hospital trying to determine if she is sane and can be hung for murder and the story is about how she got there. But for me there was no mystery to it (not to mention I've seen this basic horror plot a million times)

The first added tension. The second deflated it. The question is, have you tried this scenario? Did it work? Have you read it? Did it work? I'm sure like most things there's no one answer but I have found what works for me and what doesn't.


Open Calls


Weird Alchemy Weird Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Horror

Saros Speculative Fiction Theme: Terminally Online

New Myths Second 2026 Window

Death by TBR Books Is Open For Novellas Adult Horror, Epistolary Horror, Mixed-Media Horror

5 Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in July 2026

37 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for July 2026

50 Romance Publishers Seeking Submissions





From Around the Web


Kicking Some As… Out of Your Prose

Recognize and Manage Burnout-In-Progress

Why We Need Heroic Stories: The Courage We Borrow From Fiction.

How to Turn an Anecdote Into a Story


Writing When the Spark Fades Out Too Early



From Betty


Four Signs Your Story Escalates Too Quickly

How to Write Three Types of Friendship Arcs

Six Ways to Bluff That Your Hero Will Die

Why You Should Watch Out for Hindrance Characters

Why Emotional Scenes Still Feel Flat

Amateur Sleuth Amateur Hour

Eyes Reveal Our Age at Death

That Old-Time Omniscient

How to Write Unique, Memorable Character Voices.

Principles of Plotting Part IV: Intersection and Redirection

How to nail the last line of the plot description in a query letter

The Story Within the Story: The Life Narrative of Your Character

How the Old Becomes New

In Defense of Writing for Children

Taking Your Book Ideas to the Next Level

At least as far as making doctor's appointments. I did manage to get a gastroenterologist appointment in 2 weeks here at home but there is no way to get the endoscopy before December. That's fine I won't be back until then anyhow. I was struggling to do this back home because I need a ride for the scopes. I'm WAY too rural for rideshares and all my friends work. I can't ask someone to lose a day of work for me. At least here family can cart me back from the hospital post procedure.


I was too upset yesterday to mention the visit with my favorite cousin my parents' age. She's been in assisted living for a couple years now, doing quite well. Had a cardiac event earlier this year (not a heart attack but scary enough apparently) Her friend ratted her out. She's not been out of her room for 7 weeks which is very unlike her. There is no real reason she can't at least walk down for dinner so it's apparently depression. It's very sad to see it.


Have fannish 50 friday recs


Mystifying Torchwood

Imprisoned Again The Fantastic Journey

Breathe Inspector George Gently

Inside and Out. Stargate Atlantis

Read This Torchwood

Irreplaceable Inspector George Gently

Turning Back. Hazbin Hotel

Correspondence from the Edge Stargate Atlantis

That Liar LIES! Hazbin Hotel

Dinner Conversation Teen Wolf

And two of the challenges I just finished have their master lists up with plenty of fandoms so check them out.

into a bar's masterlist

Unconventionalcourtship's masterlist

So today I went to the Honda dealer to look at another CR-V and went next door to the Hyundai dealer. Since Hyundai has made remarkable strides in reliability over the years it's now nearly as reliable as Honda and Toyota. After comparing the CR-V to the Tucson, I'm probably going to go with my first ever Korean vehicle. I mean Honda's warranty is 3 years. Hyundai has both the general car AND the electronics under warranty for 6 years/60,000 Miles and tops it with 10 year/100K miles on the driveline.

And then they offered me 0% apr for FIVE years.

It's hard to say no to that.


Came home, searched for end of life planning things that are also humorous found them (and then went to drink pickle brine so I can speed things along)


After that I saw something on Facebook that sounded so good so I went off the site to track it down in the real world so to speak. I found it. It's not some b.s. made up for FB. abruzzo sister tours and they do ancestral tourism. I will check into them more. This would be like archaeotours in Wales where I have a private tour. I am willing to pay for that. Hoping this is an option that doesn't have 1001 complaints lodged around them.




What I'm Reading Wednesday


What I Just Finished Reading:


One of the Girls - this was good


Our Wicked Gifts - not bad, horrorish



What I am Currently Reading:

Purra-normal Activity - a cozy mystery, so far so good

The Silent Companions - for summerween

The Harvesting - Zombie apocalypse fare


What I Plan to Read Next: some of my looming arcs (carry me to the grave or the seance garden) and things for popsugar

I'd probably be winging them at the CVS. So since they didn't check my 10 AM message about needing pen needles (and my inability to check my refills) they didn't tell me I was out until 7 PM so I had to call for a refill today. I was also out of my allergy pill so I went to get that (since I called it in on Thursday too along with glucophage) Well my needles were in progress when I got there. Can you wait 10-15 minutes for them?

Huzzah, of course. I go park, go in and sit. In less than 10 minutes the pharmacist comes over and says we don't have ALL your needles but we can give you 100 now and you can get the other 200 later. Sure. So I figure he was going to go slap my name on them and I could check out. I wait another 15 minutes. Maybe I missed my name. I go up and it says still in progress. Tech says 'i'll put it at the top. it'll be another 15 minutes.' But he just came out with them. WHY? Since I've been here 25 minutes anyhow? 'oh we had a post lunch rush.' Eye roll. And now I do have to go back again later in the week for the other 200.

And my eBill arrived from my electric company. Too much money. I look and they say I didn't pay. I check my records and yes I did. I look at the credit card used and it wasn't billed. Fan-fucking-tastic. Now I have to run down why


Sent out another story, old one for another food oriented horror. I'm not sure it's quite on target but it was worth the chance. This same publisher (see sweet screams from yesterday) will be having a female noir upcoming anthology trying to have noir without the misogyny.


Music Monday. I'm lazy tonight (and not feeling well) so if you have created playlists for any of your stories, share them. I thought I had more original fic playlists but I see one that's more than 2 songs.


But first up is my playlist for the novel length Hazbin story Hope Can Be a Cruel Gift (links to AO3) This one really reflected each chapter in this story. I put a lot of effort into this.





And my 1980s Monster hunting story. This one I put way less effort into. It's just songs I like from the 80s that I listened to in order to get into the flow while writing this.

Probably would have been a more joyous occasion without the would be king in charge.

It was quiet here and I like it that way. My brother and his wife came at noon (when it was still in the freaking 90s) and stayed for a few hours and left (that's how I like my visits too). Had some good chicken, some frozen boozy drinks, played some poker.

And then I dedicated the rest of the afternoon to the novel. About damn time. I've been on a few too many side quests.

Hope your day was good.

A big storm came in and it's so much cooler. Yay.

Have science saturday


James Webb telescope may have discovered a mysterious, never-before-seen substance on Pluto and Titan

'It sounds so impossible': Student studying fungus that makes users hallucinate tiny people may be on the verge of a scientific breakthrough

Ancient-DNA analysis solves 500-year-old mystery of what killed 2 Medici brothers

Japan's bold experiment to curb antibiotic misuse has been a huge success. Could it work in the US?

Ancient ring discovered underground in Scotland could be a Stonehenge-like monument

Early Homo sapiens may have lived in rainforests, new clues suggest — and it could overturn our understanding of human evolution

That's 43 C for my non-American friends. It's a little too hot to do anything which sucks because we're tired of being stuck here with mr. temper tantrum. Sigh.

Having issues with my right eye again. Just like the last two times, it started a couple hours after removing my contacts. Eyes felt like sand and fire, swelled up. Beginning to think the contact days are over BUT I need some when I swim because I'm functionally blind. I might try one of those types that are dailies.


I sent off another story today. There have been too many interesting open calls. I'm still working on my summer slasher. It might actually end up too short. Sigh. The one today has low pay but it was the steampunk story I wrote for Louisville and steampunk open calls are few and far between these days.


I'm going to have to find something else to do on Thursdays other than community recs. I'm terrible at it. I don't really go looking for them any more. I wonder what people would be interested in but I'm not sure it'll make much difference.


I did find something I would like to do. Carly is a Welsh book blogger that I've been listening to has something she does that I might like to try. Much of my reading any more is from the Popsugar challenge (and other various ones) but it's not really a full year of reading to me. I like this prompt jar trick.