When you think of scary stories, your mind bounces to the fantasy or fiction genres. Demons, dragons, psychological thrillers, bad guys with bombs, etc. It seldom draws you back to a time in history when decadence, immorality, and self-indulgence were so pervasive that it was viewed as noble. I’m talking about the period before the U.S. Civil War. In his 2024 release of The Demon of Unrest, author Erik Larson details the years and actions that led up to the Civil War. Larson, as he has in all...

Photo by Foden Nguyen on Pexels It seems the older I get, the more questions I have. The world is changing, and some concepts have exceeded my grasp. Here are a few things I am pondering: On many of the social media sites I frequent, Lifestyle blogs seem to be quite popular. Let’s face it, people want to stay relevant. They want to know what the latest and greatest ideas and trends dominate today’s world. Keeping up with the times is important. However, the dependency on strangers who post on...

Writing Flash Fiction can be tricky. Adhering to publisher size limitations or word count requirements is necessary for article acceptance; any noncompliance results in rejection. When that number of words is small, often limited to five hundred, the author must capture your attention quickly yet not reveal the ending until the very last words by crafting a compelling ending that keeps the audience thinking long after the story has ended. With luck, it will bring a smile to the face of the...