NIGHT CRAWL

See what happens when you fail to read the fine print.

 

“Can I help you?” said Pete.

Most of the out of towners that showed up for the annual contest had more money than folks around here saw in a year. This guy’s designer fishing gear looked new, but the distain in his eyes as he looked around the shop wasn’t.

“Sign said you had night crawlers for sale. I plan on winning the fishing contest.”

Pete pointed to the jar of wriggling worms on the counter. “They’re ten dollars a dozen, but if you want to catch the biggest, you’ll need the special one. Guaranteed or triple your money back. Just be warned, there’s a price to pay.”

“I bet there is,” said the man glancing at his fitbit. “How much?”

“I can let you have it for a hundred dollars.”

“For one night crawler? I bet you won’t remember a thing when I come back for my money.”

“Written contract guarantees the biggest catch,” said Pete. He put a contract and a clear plastic cup on the counter. The long silver-brown worm inside it squirmed.

“Easy money. I’ll take it.”

“Make sure you toss a quarter in the lake as soon as you catch the winning fish,” said Pete.

“Sure. I’ll be back later for my three hundred dollars.”

—

As the sun set, Pete looked in the glass jar under the counter. He shook his head as a night crawler popped into it. “You didn’t throw the quarter in. I told you there was a price to pay.”

 

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Wolf Dawn and Star Touched.

 

Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers. But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.

 

 

 

 

 

Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends and herself.

WOLF NOTES: An Uncommon Interview – Larry Matthews

Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.

Larry Matthews was a broadcast journalist for 35 years. He was an anchor, reporter, investigative journalist, producer, editor and new director at major stations and networks. He has published 11 books, eight of them fiction.

 

Wolf: You’ve been rather busy, Larry. Now it’s my turn to be the reporter. If you could be any animal in the universe, what would it be and why?

Larry: In my younger days I probably would have said eagle or something like that. Now that I’m older maybe a Golden Retriever asleep by the fire.

Wolf: Nice. You can’t go wrong with a dog. What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?

Larry: When I lived in Japan, I saw a street vendor selling what I thought were raisin cakes. I ate one. They were not raisins. They were fish eyes.

Wolf: Can’t say I’ve ever tried that. If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?

Larry: Probably a knife. You can also use it to survive in the woods. A gun won’t help you eat.

Wolf: True, although a gun might help you catch something. You’d still need that knife. You’ve just been turned into a plant. Describe yourself.

Larry: A fern. They’re nice.

Wolf: And some are rather tasty. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?

Larry: Dog. No contest,

Wolf: I like your thinking. While walking in the woods you come across…

Larry: Fallen deer antlers. I have some woods by my house and there are lots of deer but I have never found antlers.

Wolf: Oops. I must have gnawed them up before you got there. If you could have a super power, what would it be?

Larry: Read people and understand their motivation.

Wolf: That’s great power to have for a reporter. There is a door at the end of a dark, damp corridor. You hear rumbling. What do you do?

Larry: Wait to see what happens.

Wolf: Ah, and observer. What five items would you want to have in a post-cataclysmic world?

Larry: A gun, a knife, a good lighter, a poncho and a fishing hook.

Wolf: No doubt you’d find food. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Larry: Darlene from Healing Charles. She’s very human and overcomes bad times.

Wolf: Describe a meal you would be served while visiting another world.

Larry: A space taco.

Wolf: Clever. What is your favorite body of water and why? (river, ocean, waterfall, puddle, bottle…)

Larry: Pacific Ocean. It’s vast and romantic.

Wolf: Very specific. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Larry: I was in radio for many years and I still love putting programs together.

Wolf: Thanks for stopping by. You can connect with Larry through these links:

https://www.facebook.com/larrymatthewsauthor.
Twitter:  @lawrencematthew

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of

Star Touched

Wolf Dawn

CATTLE RANCH

Think you’re having some problems? Take a look at what’s happening on Farmer Pappi’s ranch.

 

“Not again!” said Farmer Pappi.

He threw his hat on the ground and spouted a few choice words. Another twelve cows, gone. That made three dozen this week. No damage to the fence. No foot prints. No car tracks. Just gone. The cattle rustlers must have airlifted the animals out of the field.

What was left of his herd grazed nearby. If only they could talk. One of the cows pulled leaves off a bush with purple flowers, jostling a swarm of insects. Pappi muttered a few more curses as they fluttered around his head, then shooed the cow away from the plant.

Pappi retrieved his hat as the animal ambled off. A startled moo made him jump. Pappi spun around expecting to see a bandit. The cow stood a few yards away, shaking its head. After another bellow it’s back shimmered and a pair of butterfly shaped wings sprouted. It turned and nosed the strange new appendages then began to move them. After a few tentative flaps, the cow lifted into the air and fluttered away.

Too stunned to react, Pappi stared as it vanished over the hills. Cow’s aren’t supposed to fly. Heavy footsteps and another moo snapped him out of his stupor.

“Oh no you don’t,” he said, shooing three more cows away from the plant.

Pulling out his smart phone he snapped a picture and used the plant identification app. It didn’t take long to figure out the problem. Butterfly bushes were not good cow food.

Let’s Do A Shameless Self-Promotion Saturday!

LET’S DO A SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION SATURDAY!

charles french words reading and writing

Shout Out!

I found this idea for a Shameless Self-Promotion Saturday on Twitter, and I think it is an excellent one. So, today, shout out your book to the world! Give information about the book and where it can be found. Then be sure to reblog and share on other social media so as many people as possible can read out about it.

Remember, writers–we need to be our best promoters and publicists!

Here is information about my new book Get The Draft Done! Helping Writers Finish Their First Draft:

Many writers suffer from the inability to finish a first draft for a variety of reasons, and this problem can prevent them from finishing the crucial initial draft of a book.Through a series of practical suggestions and exercises, this book will help writers get the draft done!

amazon link

Now tell us about your book!

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Keep Writing, and Believe In Yourself!

charles french words reading and writing

(Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com)

To all the writers out there–this is a time of great stress and difficulty for almost the entire world. Please remember to breathe, to find some time to rest and relax, and then to keep writing.

Remember, you are a writer. Be proud of it, and keep working on your WIP.

Believe in yourself and the importance of your writing!

(Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels.com)

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Crisis Management

Food for thought while we are trapped at home.

America the Beautiful

Alan Zendell, March 14, 2020

In recent years, whenever our leaders debated foreign policy, borders, women’s rights, climate change mitigation, the nation cringed watching partisanship, special interest money, and individual self-interest derail attempts at reasonable resolution. We got angry, we poked fun at them, we argued among ourselves about what to do about it. Very little got done, but for most people life went on as long as there was food on the table, our families were healthy, and we could divert ourselves with what was really important: football playoffs, March Madness, taking the kids to Disneyland.

We watched our government fail to act or to act wrongheadedly time and again, but the consequences always seemed far down the road. When we were assured that it was all part of a grand plan to make America great again, the majority of Americans called Bullshit, but as long as money was…

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Interview of A. L. Kaplan on Matthew and Friends

Thanks to Larry Matthew for this great interview opportunity.

Click here to listen to the interview on Matthew and Friends.

Long time radio reporter, anchor, editor, producer, director, and host, Larry Matthews, hosts his show, “Matthews and Friends” seven days a week on Impact Radio USA at 8:00 am EST each morning, with new segments debuting on each Monday.

Larry Matthews, also the author of the book, “I Used to Be In Radio“, will bring along a multitude of topics, as well as interviews from an exciting lineup of guests.

 

Don’t forget to get your copy of Wolf Dawn an Star Touched.

STAR TOUCHED

Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers. Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends and herself.

WOLF DAWN

Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers. But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.