“I didn’t do anything!” squeaked Laora Nightwind as a hand grabbed the back of her tunic. She fumbled with the flute her twin had carved last year. “You are massacring music, that is what you are doing!” a stern voice spat back. Who was this stranger who dared insult her? She flailed in his grip … Continue reading Apprentice
A few weeks ago, my go-to writing site presented a challenging contest: Write a story of 1,000 words or less, using a list of words, and translate those words into a foreign language. I took the dog for a walk and imagined a fictional conversation with my mother, who grew up in Europe. This was … Continue reading Stubborn German
Yesterday, WordPress congratulated me for seven years of blogging. My first post was a brief statement about my site, Tavern Tales, being under construction. Almost two weeks later, I added another post—this time with more of an introduction to me as a writer, and my original intentions for my blog. Back then, I had a … Continue reading Happy Blogiversary to Me!
One of the last stories I wrote about Lyryk found her camped on the outskirts of the city of Irewick. Biscuit, her companion through the mountains, had left her side some days before, and she was pining for company. This was one of those flash stories that turned out extra short only because that moment … Continue reading Spring Luck
This week, we’ve been getting some much-needed wind therapy in South Dakota. I had my computer with me to keep an eye on my email, just in case something happened. While we’re away, I’ll leave you some pictures of our site preparation. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunGetting ready to construct ... (C) 2022, JJ ShaunWhile we … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 98
Most of the characters I write start off young and (mostly) innocent. They have experience in some areas of debauchery, but not much. Like most young adults, they think they know it all until they learn that their knowledge is incomplete at best and harmful at worst. In this excerpt of Lyryk’s story, she is … Continue reading The Cost of Naivete
We remain optimistic, even though our building permit is still wrapped in red tape. Despite the delays, our contractor is doing as much prep as he’s allowed without a permit. This way, when we finally score that Golden Ticket, he has everything in place and can get started. In the meantime, we spend a day … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 95
(C) 2020, JJ Shaun As our online Dungeons & Dragons group became more cohesive and took more risks, I decided to create a “just in case Skrie dies” character. (Skrie is the halfling healer with more than a pinch of rogue that I play in our game.) When I created this new character, I chose … Continue reading Getting to Know New Characters
This week, we took a day and drove to where our house is stored. Although we couldn’t see everything, what we saw was beautiful. Two rooms were inaccessible because the modular was still wrapped for travel. It was a “pinch me, it’s getting real” moment that we’ve both needed. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunExterior view. This … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 92
It has been another busy week. Our disaster loan is in the final stages of approval by the government agency handling the paperwork. Our building plans are in the hands of the county building department and should be approved sometime in the next week or so. Our contractor is preparing the area where the house … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 89
A piece of my scattered mind.
Tavern Tales
Poetry BLOG By Edge of Humanity Magazine
New Writing Engaging with the Sacred
50,000 Monkeys at 50,000 Typewriters Can't Be Wrong
J.J. Shaun 