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In Memory

Teddy was ten weeks old the day we met him at foster care. There was so much joy in his eyes when I picked him up, I knew he wanted to be mine.

I don’t remember which of us spoiled him the most as a puppy, but as an adult, he’d always sleep in our bed curled into the pocket at the back of my knees. We thought it meant he was my dog.

He was 15 ½ years old In January. We’d fought his illness as a family for fourteen months. On Thursday, the veterinarian gave us a circular entitled, ‘How to know when it’s time.’

Linda took this photo while we were deciding what to do. She made the appointment on Saturday morning and we grieved for another two days. The pain was unbearable, but I don’t regret the time we spent letting him know how much he was loved.

We held him in our arms until the very last, tears flowing, breath caught in our throats. Linda kissed his face. I told him he was safe; his daddy was there; he could finally be free of suffering. When the veterinarian confirmed his heart was still, we allowed an attendant to take him from us.

He will never be separated from us in spirit. His full name was Theodore Von Fledermaus; from t’ adore, meaning ‘I adore you’. It was a good name for a sweet, loyal friend. We loved him. He loved us. We belonged together. We will always miss his presence in our lives.

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In Requiem

It’s been a rough 24 hours for us. Our little girl Ellie Mae is gone, and we’re resigned to the idea she’s not coming back.

She didn’t have the stamina to go far from the house, so we think she must have fallen off the seawall. I’m still processing guilt for not having been there to rescue her, but she’d slipped away on purpose, and if that’s what happened I suppose at least she was doing what she wanted.

Ellie was 14, diabetic, nearly blind from cataracts, and weak in the rear legs. We’re not sure whether she was deaf or not — she never listened all that well, even when she was a young dog.

There were few pleasures left in her life. I’d taken to calling her ‘snoozey the dog’. The time to take her for the big sleep was approaching. If I’d known she was outside, I might have let her be — when you’re doing that poorly, you should have your way whether it’s a wise idea or not.

Ellie was independent, and not affectionate except in the presence of company, but she laid in my arms like she wanted to be there, and always sought me out after stepping on something sharp. I loved her, and I suspect she might have loved me.

Goodbye, Ellie Mae Ewok. I miss you, and always will

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The Illusion of Gravity by John Dyer – Book Review

With thanks to Ashley Manning

Ashley Manning

I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review

In book one of The Anye Legacy, on a distant planet a lab experiment goes wrong which leads Rivan Saraf on a journey that could save the people on his planet. Hostile foreign government agents, known as the The Vanya are in town and hunting Rivan down.

This book starts with a lot of information about the history of Anye world. It’s a lot to take in all at once and does make the book feel daunting. I would recommend reading it and not worrying if you don’t take it all in, you can come back later if you feel the need. Once the book actually starts it eases you in with a great opening that introduces Rivan and his family. It really slows the pace down nicely and gets you settled in before the main…

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Post-Vellum Euphoria

My novel Elbert was at 96,000 words, final chapters unsettled, manuscript no longer consistent with the outline. So, I went back to the beginning — in the expectation that a better understanding of where I started would suggest how the story should end.

After four laborious rewrites of the book’s opening act, the text was hitting 100,000 words, a surprise since I thought I was streamlining it. The good news — I know what I’m dealing with. Yesterday, I wrote:

“Elbert is a story about relationships, self-discovery, and the necessity of facing the future with courage and compassion.”
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Blurbed … again

And again, in case anyone’s looking …

One fine summer evening in 1928, Doctor Elbert Harrison answers the door to a furry lady saying she’s Sasquatch — a whimsical jest, softening the disclosure of a spacefaring civilization in the habit of visiting Earth, a preamble to asking if he’ll record a birth certificate for her soon-to-be-born child.

A cure for aging is forthcoming, a new life for an easy favor — but all is not well in the near future. The Great Depression looms on the horizon, threatening to provoke a flood of refugees from an Anye colony world long dependent on Earth for its food supply.

And that new life Elbert’s looking forward to will soon put him in the middle of it.

John Dyer Writes

Elbert is currently in first edit at 94,000 words. How's the blurb looking?

In 1928 South Dakota, a furry citizen of another planet enlists the aid of a human physician to ensure her soon-to-be-born son will someday be able to claim American citizenship. For Doctor Elbert Holland Harrison, the event sheds light on the real story behind legendary Gods, a family he didn’t know he had, a cure for old age, an opportunity for a new life.

But the Great Depression looms on the horizon, with the Dust Bowl catastrophe close on its heels — a one-two punch threatening an alien commerce empire that feeds two-thirds of Jivada’s population, its collapse potentially leading to an invasion of Earth.

And Elbert is about to find himself in the middle of it.

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Poetizing

Some authors read while they’re writing, a way of drawing inspiration from the mechanics of how another tells a story. I won’t say it’s a bad idea, but it doesn’t work for me – whatever I gain is cancelled out by an extrinsic narrative competing for space in my thoughts.

Recently, however, the poet River Dixon volunteered to read one of my novels. I thought I might reciprocate and, to my surprise, I find I can read poetry without forgetting what I was trying to write. The man knows how to turn a phrase – visit him at The Stories In Between.

Continue reading “Poetizing” →

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My audience is where?

My Facebook promotion (About the Quantum Soul Kindle campaign) wasn’t delivering results. So, I changed the focus this morning from North America to Worldwide.

Whoa! Post engagement is at 406 so far today … a big jump.

I’m getting post likes, page likes and click-through …

The largest volumes are from Bangladesh, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Mozambique, Senegal …

Only 14 reactions in North America out of 406 … What?

Thank you, international readers. I’m paying attention now.

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