Author Archives: Val

Book Review: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Posted on January 1, 2018 by Val

A member of my book club chose this as one of our reads this year. The novel is based on a true part of America’s history: Georgia Tann and the Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society. According to historical records, Tann … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Scared Spitless anthology

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Val

Disclaimer: My story, “Dorsal Fin,” appears in this anthology. The anthology was published several years ago, and I thought I’d wait a while to review it to avoid an immediate conflict of interest. I receive no financial benefit regardless of … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Beach Road by James Patterson and Peter De Jonce

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Val

A friend loaned me this book as a “quick summer read.” I put it on a stack that got misplaced over the summer, and I recently found it again. Quick—she wasn’t kidding! Even going to bed exhausted, I was able … Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction: Hot for a Reason by Cathy MacKenzie

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Val

Welcome to The Spot Writers. December’s theme is to write a story that involves baking or a fire, something to take our minds off the chill in the air. This week’s story comes from Cathy MacKenzie. Cathy’s one-woman publishing company, … Continue reading →

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Fantastic Friday: Life on Mars

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Val

I dreamed about David Bowie (as Ziggy Stardust) last night, so I thought this would be a fitting topic for today’s Fantastic Friday post. One of my works-in-progress involves a journey to Mars. I’ve been fascinated with the concept ever … Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction: Warm by Val Muller

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Val

Welcome to the Spot Writers. This month’s theme is to write a story that involves baking or a fire, something to take our minds off the chill in the air. Today’s story comes to us from Val Muller. If you’re … Continue reading →

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Fantastic Friday: Thirty Days of Thankful

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Val

I found this image on my Facebook feed. The prompts come to us courtesy of www.TextMyJournal.com. If you’re on social media, you’ve probably seen people posting one thing to be thankful for per day. November is always a hectic month … Continue reading →

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Flash fiction: The Library by Cathy MacKenzie

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Val

Welcome to The Spot Writers. November’s theme: write a story set in a library. This week’s post comes from Cathy MacKenzie. Cathy’s one-woman publishing company, MacKenzie Publishing, has published its second anthology, TWO EYES OPEN, a collection of sixteen stories … Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction: Needle by Val Muller

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Val

Welcome to the Spot Writers. This month’s prompt is to write a story that takes place in a library. Today’s post comes to us from Val Muller author of The Man with the Crystal Ankh and The Scarred Letter. Val … Continue reading →

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Fantastic Friday: Recipes to the Rescue

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Val

We went to Cracker Barrel this summer, and they had this fantastic new kale and Brussels sprout salad that makes it seem like you aren’t even eating things that are good for you. We had a potluck a few weeks … Continue reading →

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