All Blog Posts (5,810)

There’s an old joke with a few variations but each has a similar theme. One example of the joke might be: A woman wants to vacuum the living room. Taking the vacuum out of the closet, she notices the disarray of the shoes. Kneeling down to straighten the shoes, she spies a stain in her favorite coat. She takes the coat to the kitchen where she keeps the stain remover and sees the pile of bills on the table. Forgetting the coat, she sits down to pay the bills but realizes she hasn’t balanced…

                It’s almost voting time. So, here’s my vote for those who aren’t concerned with the Joneses, and who don’t

feel they need to follow them. And here’s my endorsement of those who don’t particularly care about how much money

the people down the street possess, or whether those people are seeking some sort of public office, or whether they’re

basically liberal or conservative.

                And…

Why Managers Should Not Play Favorites

Firstly, you’re opening yourself and the company you work for to get a nasty lawsuit!

Secondly, no one is worth losing the respect of your team.

I’ve seen managers play favorites time and again, and always for the wrong reasons. I remember a person who was consistently number 1 in sales. But that was the only thing he was good…

(« Tea In The Studio » by poligraf)

« Infused » is the third movement of the suite and is intended to communicate the energy felt in the state of inspiration and hyperactivity, prior to the…

Choosing the Right Type of Subject

When deciding what the subject of your sentence will be, you have three types of nouns from which to choose: creatures, things, and ideas.…

Today is the final day of Banned Books Week 2012.

This celebration should have the support of every writer and reader and we should keep its message in mind throughout the year. Particularly in a time when libraries across the nation are closing because of lack of funding and schools, libraries, bookstores and, yes, publishers are being assailed with bans and challenges to our freedom to read.

The community where I grew up didn’t even have a library until I…

By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

Remember the son I wrote about recently... who had a health crisis?  I worried for his mother, I cared so much.  He seems to be doing okay, he will be going for tests to see what is going on with him.

I was really shocked at something I heard yesterday.  A guy I've been paying close attention to for the past 2 years... told another lie!  Time after time, I've witnessed lies he tells to make himself look good.  He has a…

Okay, I'm sure many of you have this problem.  Working on my next novel, and ideas start popping in about the next book idea.  I write them down, but then its hard to get back to the current work.  I think I rushed through the ending of my first novel, to start this one, and now its happening again.  Do I put this away?  Do I try not to think about my next project?  What do you do?

By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/Granny Gee

I was sitting at my computer one evening about six years ago.  I was home alone, Skip was driving long-distance.  I heard the happy sounds of Tommy, his wife and the children.  They knew to just unlatch the gate to come on in... just to be careful not to let the dogs out.  I trusted them, knew they'd be very careful.. so, I sat there.

 …

My guest today, Dawn Colclasure, shares her thoughts on writing poetry and how the author can escape into his/her own special world.

Read her full post on my official blog - http://empyricaltales.blogspot.com/2012/10/guest-post-dawn-colclasure-escapes.html

By Gloria Faye Brown Bates

I am sitting here at my desk, looking out the window of my mind.  I don't see anything, yet... I know that whatever I want to see ... is there.

I do see something now... it's another tall, big, blonde muscular guy, who reminds me of Tommy, my son.  I see him off in the distance moving around working on his big truck, doing maintenance on it. …

My friend, and author, Kate Tenbeth has an exciting new release! Here is the official story from her publisher: http://empyricaltales.blogspot.com/2012/10/kate-tenbeth-is-unlucky.html

Music, Culture, Metaphysics,  Spirituality.

Nuance  Webzine. Stephanie Lynne Thorburn.

Stephanie Lynne Thorburn.

-…

Until The Next Time... For Now My Mind Will Relax, Find Peace

This evening I held Tommy's Arctic Express jacket close to my heart.  He used to be so proud of that jacket.  He got it when he first began driving a tractor trailer years ago.  It looked so nice on him.  Now.... I have it, I wear it when I begin missing him, or when I'm cold.

I am missing Tommy this evening.  I was thinking of his beautiful smile... when he turned one of those smiles on someone,…

           Coming soon, within a few weeks… 'It's Not A Lovable Pet Story' ...Written across the front cover, are the words: 'It's Like Reading a Three Dimensional Sci-fi Horror Movie Within Your Mind', which is a bold statement of pleasurable reading. The shocking action will jump into your mind's eye.

            As if they're being turned into vicious serial killers, our lovable pets are viciously…

(« Ashram » by Nicholas Roerich)

« Into The Ashram » is the opening chapter of the « Entering The Stream » trilogy, which also comprises « The Chrome Lake » and « Leaving The Ashram. »

This first chapter is…

Hi!  I'm Gwen.  New to this community but I've been writing for years.  Please read my short story called "Taxidermied" about a couple's encounter with a taxidermy project gone wrong. It's only 99 cents.  I love horror!  If you have any horror stories let me know! I love new authors.

 …

Beaufort Betrayal is a story set in the beautiful seaside town of Beaufort, N.C.  The protagonist, Tory, thinks that she has it all only to wake up in a drug induced amnesia with nothing but her skills to help her through.  Soon enough she discovers that is not enough and starts to rely on God as never before.  Through his love for her, she is able to remove herself from a web of lies and deceit.  The book is for everyone.  The guys will appreciate the info on boats and sailiing.  The ladies…

Skip was standing at the counter, enjoying dipping his doughnuts in his hot coffee.  I could see he was in another world... the world of tasting something so good!

Skip loves doughnuts.  Not only loves doughnuts, he can make them.  Skip can bake, cook with the best of them.  These doughnuts passed the test... they were 'perfect'.  Skip loves to tell me about how doughnuts are supposed to be made... don't overproof them, don't over-cook... under-cook them. 

If…

                                                 UMAT’S SNOWMAN

                                     A breathing portrait on notebook

Mushtaque B Barq

Umat was repeatedly sneaking her looks through that half broken window protected with iron grill which was seizing side glances which Umat was trying hard to take hold of the Vast Blue , yet the grill was enough irritating to produce different views of the cloudless sky. Her face was partially held by some unknown grief…