This year marks the first time that I entered the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Competition, and I plan on competing for years to come. It was a fantastic opportunity to stretch my writing muscles. Unfortunately, my first assignment was a comedy, which is not my forte. But I crafted a story, Birthday Blowout, that placed within the top fifteen of my group. I got psyched by the result, and I absorbed the feedback from the judges and prepared for the next challenge of round one.

Unlike the initial assignment, when the latest one arrived, I knew how the story would unfold. I took the prompt, Historical Fiction at a school dance with a photo album, and crafted the tale that effortlessly flowed into my mind...

Tombyards & Butterflies, what do you think of when you hear those two words? For me, I can’t put these two objects together. I can’t picture something as beautiful as a butterfly swarming over a tombyard, not that it’s actually a thing. But that’s besides the point. I’m here to talk about the book Tombyards & Butterflies, A Montague and Strong Detective Agency Novel. Honestly, I don’t remember what possessed me to pick the book up. The author is not one of my regulars, and when I re-read the summary, I’m not sucked into the world. But I’m glad that I pulled the trigger and bought this book...

Looking back at my youth, I remember two things that I loved, Greek mythology and Magic the Gathering. The stories of divinities and legends fascinated me, and I dove headfirst into those studies. From the Olympian gods to the Titans, I craved more than I ever got in school. Then outside of school, I enjoyed playing Magic with my friends. Though I also relished collecting the cards and the artwork that inked each one. As with everything, these interests began to wane. Fortunately, college allowed me to explore the lore, but my interest in Magic sputtered out.

Well, a couple of years ago, my friend partially pulled me back into the game. While I didn’t have a strong desire to follow his plunge, he captured my attention with one tidbit. He mentioned that one recent series...

My final Patreon exclusive story for October came up as a political satire. Sitting down at my desk, I mulled over what I could write about but kept coming up short. After banging my head off the wall, I decided to get some guidance and reached back to the past catalog of NYC Midnight’s Flash Fiction Challenges and found a prompt. With the skeleton of a story in one hand, I still needed to flesh out the rest of the details. Somehow I needed to come up with a satire that took place in a mayor’s office and featured a magnet...

Rylan’s crew has finished their investigation of the Larian platforms. With dead platforms and an unresponsive storage device, they returned to the ship. While the initial tests proved fruitless, Rylan hoped that data might be recoverable. But with nothing gained from the examination of the platforms or the computers, Rylan guided the shuttle to the last place where they might discern the truth about the massive destruction, Laria’s Records Room...

My second Patreon exclusive story for October is a crime caper, which means Jessica is coming returning. When I wrote my first one, I dove into a high-end thief, and well, Jessica was born. While I still owe her a last name, and she’ll eventually get one, I’ve grown attached to her. I continually reach out to her to pioneer this genre when it comes up. With a main character in hand, I needed a law for her to break...

Last month, we witnessed Sylvia escape a dungeon designed for wizards and battle with a mercenary as well equipped as she is. She escaped her assailant, but she needed to recover before making her next move. And so for this month, we will continue following Sylvia’s story as she strives to understand what happened to her life...

The Aurorans dispatch a ship, Escort One, to the first planet in the solar system. Early in the trip, Britt argues with the pilot Isaac about every detail. Despite those arguments, Isaac and Jessica pilot Escort One to the new world. Once they settle into orbit, they begin the required surveys. As they orbit the planet, they wait for the surveys to conclude...

My first Patreon exclusive story for October is an Action-Adventure tale. To help practice and prepare for NYC Midnight’s Flash Fiction Challenge, I pulled the prompt from one of their past challenges. It is incredible how wild these prompts can be. Bunker down and get ready for my take of an Action-Adventure set in a slum and featuring a chainsaw...

Endless wonder. What runs through your mind at those two words? For me, the answer is Warehouse 13. And considering just how prevalent the line is that connection makes sense. But only when you consider I finished watching the series again. I may end up buying the show through Amazon Prime, but in the meantime it’s available to stream for free with IMDb TV. The only caveat with that is the sheer number of commercial breaks. The service seems to be more aggressive than other similar ones. Thankfully, the content rises above the pesky ads...

After checking on his friend, Darren returns to the Academy to resume his studies. During the first martial arts class after his return, Darren faces the stern sneer of Volodar Selorn. Despite transforming his body for this teacher, Darren receives the elf’s anger at every turn. Volodar constantly demands more from Darren than any of the other students at the Academy...

Unlike the earlier installments, I did not stalk the release of White Sands Volume 3. So, when I saw the final book of this trilogy available, it was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, as with all things, life got in the way, and I didn’t buy it the moment I made my discovery. But I promised myself that I would add this book to my collection soon. Well, I recently did just that. And over the last couple of nights, I concluded Brandon Sanderson’s first foray into the world of comic books...

Almost a year after agreeing to relinquish their region’s right to the scientists, Marcus and a handful of other farmers craft a handful of plows. With those crude tools, the farmers of the Eastern Region plant a more bountiful crop. Shortly after planting, Marcus and Talia abandon their farm and rush headlong to the Central Region’s best hospital so Talia can receive the best care for her condition...

While some citizens are still healing from the devastating attacks of a mysterious new enemy, the colony must remain diligent. Scouting teams are scouring the forest, searching for some clue to the enemy’s identity. Caleb attempts to retrace Keldon’s path, and His team scouts the western forest closest to the colony...

Patricia’s fingers caressed the photograph in the album. Her fingers kept tracing James’s close-cropped brown hair. As Patricia ran her finger across the cheek on the image, she stifled a sob. Wincing under the scrutiny of James’s warm eyes, she buried her face into the album, struggling to restrain her tears.

When she calmed her sorrowful eyes, Patricia lowered the book. As she studied the picture, she caught sight of the banner for the homecoming dance over their head. She ripped her gaze away from the photograph...