On the Election Results in the United States

To the United States,

You have voted to retain a state of ignorance–one which the planet cannot afford and which will continue to destroy the planet and its amazingly diverse life forms.

You have voted simply to ensure you can continue to express your hatred and intolerance for the diversity of life on this planet, and to engage in the violent and retributive acts that accompany said hatred. And you will eschew both integrity and common sense in dogged pursuit of that hatred.

You have voted for a individual whose motivation to run for president was pure self interest; a person who has no moral center, a person who is not only guided by self interest, but also of greed and who will not hesitate to exploit each and every one of you to maintain their bottom line and to rule with unchecked power.

Through all of the clear evidence about what sort of person Trump was, I held onto a last bit of faith that reason and ethical values would win out, and now there is only unequivocal certainty that the United States, when presented with a candidate that spoke with reason, with justice, with honour, and much more besides, has chosen the exact opposite.

As a result, the political climate in the United States has become denigrated to an unbelievably low standard that is more representative of a toddler throwing a temper tantrum, except those involved have not only the power of a presidency, but the warmongering tools to put their rage into effect on a global stage. It would be some sort of joke, except it is not even remotely funny that this criminal…this unhinged madman…has once again managed to con the general public to obtain dictatorship levels of power.

On this morning of the election, nowhere feels safe.

On this morning of the election, although it’s been a long time coming, it feels like the beginning of the end.

I’ll wrap this up by saying thank you, Kamala Harris, for your bravery and strength in running for the presidency of the United States, and I still have the tiniest bit of hope that good will win out…or at least common sense…

What a dark day.

Halloween Fun (Prizes too), and a book review!

As one of Resurrection Media’s “Scream Queens”, I wanted to share their horror-themed challenge they’ve created! It’s perfect for some Halloween fun…and you have the chance to win prizes!

Face your fears, and take RM’s Horror Villains’ quiz now! https://resurrection-media.com/the-villains-challenge/

And, while you wait for the witching hour on All Hallows’ Eve, immerse yourself in a literary encounter with a villain of a different sort. (Well, depending on your perspective, that is. But that’s a philosophical discussion best saved for another time.) https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-craft-stories-i-wrote-for-the-devil-by-ananda-lima/

And, a bit of sad news…Sirens Call Publications is closing up shop. Many of us horror and spec fic writers (myself included) have had pieces published within the digital pages of their fantastic eZine. They’ll be sorely missed. Here’s their “Swan Siren Song” post here: https://sirenscallpublications.wordpress.com/2024/10/28/scp-news-sirens-call-publications-is-closing-its-doors/.

I hope your Halloween is full of more delightfully spooky treats than tricks…and haunted locations to explore! See you in November!

(The photos below were taken at Fort Union, a location haunted by both history and by spirits, if you believe the lore. Sadly, I just learned that the also-haunted St. James Hotel in Cimarron, New Mexico served up its last spirits back in September of this year. Perhaps someone will buy it and continue to preserve its historic legacy. https://www.exstjames.com/)

Photos Credit: Patti O’Berg

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The St. James Hotel. https://www.exstjames.com/

 

Spooky Season is here!

Yay, October! Whee!

I love autumn!

Here’s some links to get you into the season!

October Horrorscopes: https://horrortree.com/october-2024-horrorscopes-literary-serial-killers-costume-edition/

Tarot Cards for Author Inspiration: https://horrortree.com/october-2024-tarot-cards-for-author-inspiration/

What are you creating for your costume this Halloween? I’d love to know…please share in the comments! Or let me know if you’re inspired to dress up as one of the literary serial killers I include in the horrorscopes over at Horror Tree!

Ten Whole Days (At Least)

I cannot believe it has been ten whole days (at least!) since I was on here and reading blogs. 

I am just really off my (time management) game, still. 

Is it the heat? I’m beginning to think I can’t blame it on that anymore, even though it’s still hot here. 

*wry laugh*

So, today is spent catching up on some blog reading, then off to set up interviews over at Horror Tree for (to-be-scheduled) posting, and then hopefully complete my horrorscopes for October (and my tarot-cards-for-inspiration post).

Or maybe I’ll just go take a nap, because I also seem to have misplaced my self-training to be an early bird, and am reverting back to being a night owl.  

I wish that I could dream impossible things into reality…

I think that yearning was part of what inspired my guest post over at Charles French’s blog, for his “Underground Literary Society” theme: https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2024/09/22/a-new-addition-to-the-underground-library-society-willow-croft-on-charlotte-sometimes-by-penelope-farmer/

Hope you enjoy the read! Thanks for sticking around while I get things sorted…

Goodbye, Summer Blues–Hello, Fiery Autumn!

Well, if Walmart’s seasonal schedule is anything to go by, it was already Autumn (and Halloween!) three weeks ago. Not only did the Halloween stuff start appearing, but also winter clothing, which was very disorienting as the temperatures were still reaching up into the 90s.

Cooler temps have arrived over the past week, but I’m still feeling sluggish and unmotivated to do very much (including keeping up with my blog-reading) except for hanging out with my cats when I’m not working at the day job.

Trying to catch up some today on blogs, but I at least managed to create my horrorscopes and tarot readings for September over at Horror Tree! Hope you find some inspiration or guidance!

Let’s escape the heat into our zodiacal-determined magical academy!

September 2024 horrorscopes: https://horrortree.com/september-2024-horrorscopes-which-magical-academy-should-you-attend/

September’s Tarot Cards for Writing Inspiration: https://horrortree.com/september-2024-tarot-cards-for-writing-inspiration/

Light Across the Seas

Okay, so the title of the post doesn’t really have much to do with this post…except for the fact that it’s National Lighthouse Day! (And I love lighthouses!) 

https://nationaltoday.com/national-lighthouse-day/

Things are still all maelstrom-y over here, but I did manage to write up my horrorscopes and my tarot-cards-for-inspiration reading…and I finished up some interviews and book reviews, with more to come soon! 

Still having a spot of trouble getting back into the habit of writing/editing short stories but maybe when school starts and time shrinks, I’ll get more on top of things.

And, as is a writer’s wont, even though I have several drafts and one-almost ready full-length manuscripts laying around, I had the ABSOLUTELY PERFECT IDEA FOR THE BEST NOVEL EVER and put everything aside so I could scribble down all my swirling ideas (speaking of maelstrom!)…

Anyway, here’s the links to my Horror Tree goodies:

https://horrortree.com/august-2024-horrorscopes-vengeful-nature-deities/

https://horrortree.com/august-2024-tarot-cards-for-writing-inspiration/

https://horrortree.com/the-spooky-six-with-deirdre-swinden-and-willow-croft/

https://horrortree.com/willow-crofts-spooky-six-interview-with-author-hailey-piper/

https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-iron-star-by-loren-d-estleman/

Some boring blather you don’t (and probably won’t) have to read. LOL!

A lot can change in a year, but I’ve kinda sorta almost officially set my compass for New England somewhere. I still am holding out hope that I can afford to explore around this region a bit, but at the same time, I don’t want a repeat of what it cost to get here (money I didn’t have, essentially). So I want to put every penny and planning prep into the next stage of my cross-country move.

I may just have to do a series of shorter moves rather than the exploration I’d hoped to do.

Anyway, if you read this far, go hug a lighthouse today!

No longer road-tripping, but still ramblin’…

Granted, driving back and forth multiple times and through multiple states as part of this move could hardly be considered “road tripping”, but despite the taxing ordeal, I find myself missing being on the road with just the bare minimum of stuffy stuff. And with nothing much else to do except rest and watch cable, of course!

As such, I’m having some trouble getting back into some sort of productive-as-all-get-out routine. The heat of summer makes a handy scapegoat, I suppose, so I’ll just blame that.

I have managed to knock out some book reviews for books that have their own rambling adventures in store for the reader (or kind of).

Check them out here:

https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-dead-girl-driving-and-other-devastations-by-carina-bissett/

https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-iron-star-by-loren-d-estleman/

And, in the meantime, I’ll be off trying to find ways to be less slothful.

But I have managed to resurrect my theme interviews (such as the Spooky Six) over at Horror Tree as well.

https://horrortree.com/willow-crofts-spooky-six-interview-with-author-hailey-piper/

Oh, and I found this post from a fellow blogger to be awesome (and awesomely funny!), so I just thought I’d share.

https://gigisrantsandraves.wordpress.com/2024/07/30/eve-and-adam-a-very-short-story/

How are you faring with this summer (if it’s summer where you are)?

Letter to a Literary Muse

Letter to a Literary Muse

Your time is spent nurturing fans, and I am preoccupied with once and future worlds. I am never in sync, but I see you in each parallel; we touch and go on our way. Constantly inconstant forces in each other’s lives.

But I have never been anytime; born in a thistle maze, kept captive in a briar patch, wandered worlds only in my head, where I dream dreams in Mobius strips: nightmares and fears; misplaced intentions and missed chances; a thousand thousand deaths, countless lost and founds.

This night, I dreamt in Celtic lore, both modern and past, once and future; my mind’s eye’s mirror reflection; dark red hair in cascades, hunter-green Victorian dress, among glass and metal and life-in-a-pod on a strange new world. There is no prickly nest to trap me; to hide me in thorny safety. I am exposed. Alone.

You. You see me. Not a mirror reflection. No haint from a past world. This is the future. Our future. You gently work a twig from my hair, and hold it for an eternity while our worlds dream themselves together.

One Derelict Disaster After Another…

It took a lot to get here…car problems and lots of other chaos. (I am tired of being the Chaos Fairy…anyone want to take over the job? LOL!)

What a big mistake it was to take an apartment without seeing it first. It has been a disaster from the start. 

Not that I had much of a choice. 

Anyway, I’ll stop complaining (well, in here, anyway) for now.

I’m working my way back into my blog-reading duties. At least they are more fun than a lot of other stuff going on right now. Sigh.

In any case, I spent yesterday completing my downsizing tasks…going through most everything I own and making a pile of boxes all over again in hopes of having a yard sale when/if it gets cooler.

I found this little vignette on a piece of paper when I was going through all my stuff. I liked it, even if I wrote it, and if I do say so myself. But maybe that’s because I dreamed it, and one’s dreams are always more interesting to the dreamer than to the people told about it. 

Hope things are well with all of you. I missed reading your blogs. 

Letter to a Literary Muse

Your time is spent nurturing fans, and I am preoccupied with once and future worlds. I am never in sync, but I see you in each parallel; we touch and go on our way. Constantly inconstant forces in each other’s lives.

But I have never been anytime; born in a thistle maze, kept captive in a briar patch, wandered worlds only in my head, where I dream dreams in Mobius strips: nightmares and fears; misplaced intentions and missed chances; a thousand thousand deaths, countless lost and founds.

This night, I dreamt in Celtic lore, both modern and past, once and future; my mind’s eye’s mirror reflection; dark red hair in cascades, hunter-green Victorian dress, among glass and metal and life-in-a-pod on a strange new world. There is no prickly nest to trap me; to hide me in thorny safety. I am exposed. Alone.

You. You see me. Not a mirror reflection. No haint from a past world. This is the future. Our future. You gently work a twig from my hair, and hold it for an eternity while our worlds dream themselves together.

June 2024 Horrorscopes and more!

The move day is looming!

If I pull this off with zero dollars, it will be a feat, I tell ya!

Anyway, that’s all very dull…but what’s not dull are the horrorscopes and tarot card readings for June!

And I did a couple of book reviews over at Horror Tree as well!

I miss reading all the blogs so here’s hoping I’ll be in Southern Illinois for long enough to catch my breath at least.

Book Reviews:

https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-momma-durtt-by-michael-shea/

Okay, I was too exhausted to find the rest of the individual links, but here’s a link to a whole bunch of good reviews (mine, and others).

https://horrortree.com/?s=book+review

Click on the pictures/links below:

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https://horrortree.com/june-2024-horoscopes-beware-the-creepy-children/

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https://horrortree.com/june-2024-tarot-cards-for-creative-inspiration/

Hope you all have a great summer!