I don’t know how I have managed to do so much reading lately. I think listening to audio books definitely helps me make good use of my time. I have three more reviews of great books to share before Christmas just in case you are looking for last minute presents.

Swamp Ghosts: Riverbend Book 1 by Marcia Meara

I listened to the audio book of Swamp Ghosts and I really enjoyed both the book and the narrator. The narrator’s voice perfectly complimented the story and really added to my enjoyment of this book.

Maggie Devlin is a beautiful but conflicted woman with a past. She has lived alone, providing for herself by running ecotours from her boat, for a long time. She is independent and she doesn’t get involved with men, particularly men who either work for her or who she works for. That is until Gunnar Wolfe comes into…

You may remember how Azure Fire Publishing has both hired me to be their Editor-in-chief and asked me to publish my fantasy/sci-fi books with them.

I now have some more exciting news to share: Patakis, the largest Greek publishing house, has bought in advance my next 3 children’s books and will publish them next year in Greece. Which means I am officially a hybrid author, as they also offered me a cash advance (a small one, but hey, it’s the principle, right?)

The new books continue the adventures of the little boy, his dog, and a few new cast members including a dragon (some Musiville favorites also make guest appearances). Their titles are Valiant Smile, Whisker Smile, and Lola’s Smile. All books will now be officially part of the Mystery Smiles series (the old name, Niditales, will now be phased out).

The first book will…

Hi, Gang. Craig here again, and I’m back on the topic of starting a story. I also want to weave in the importance of a good notebook. For reference purposes, here are the links to the previous posts. New Story and Media Res.

I get ideas all the time. Most of them are pretty worthless. Other times, I jot a line or two into my phone or iPad and store it away. These can become stories all by themselves, but more often will appear as a situation in something I’m already writing.

Occasionally, I’ll share a vignette on my own blog, and this is what happened back in November. The value goes beyond just entertaining my followers. I have a category in the sidebar called Short Stories and Vignettes. Surprise! It’s another form of notebook for me.

This little story doesn’t even have a title. It’s very short, so…