CELEBRATING VETERANS DAY! Monday, November 11th at Noon

Korean War Memorial from Wikimedia - photo by Lounger1963

"It was a simple trip over the mountains, if 'simple' can be considered an apt description for any military convoy.  During wartime, convoys are well organized groups of ships or motor vehicles traveling together for mutual support, often with armed defense support from aircraft.  There was a war being fought, but the convoy was stateside, not in Suwon or Wonju.  The Korean War raged miles away across the Pacific Ocean, but the only adversary this convoy was trying to navigate around was civilian taxpayers."  

~ Flying Down to Couer D'Alene

Celebrate Veterans on November 11th with two stories of life in "this man's Army" from the Korean War. I'll be streaming two of the stories live online from A Trio of My Father's Tales  - Flying Down to Couer D'Alene and The Skunk War.  Honor the commitment that our men and women in arms have made for centuries with stories that will make you smile, as well as remember.

IMPORTANT NOTE . . . In order to be able to listen on your computer or device, you may need to use an enabling application. Don't wait till story time!: CLICK HERE for links to helpful sites to make certain you are able to listen to streaming audio on your computer

 . . . CLICK HERE to be connected to the Shoutcast stream, which will go live 10 minutes before the posted start time.

Tips/donations for making these sessions possible are gratefully accepted.(see the donation button in the right hand margin)

WE PLACED! HUZZAH!

 Thanks to everyone who read and supported Her Own Words, this year's ghost story.  It was on two contests and placed in author Lissa Bryan's Ghostwriter Ghost Story Contest!  This is the first writing contest I have entered since I entered a DAR Essay competition in Junior High School, so this was a fun experience for me.

Visit her Contest Blog to enjoy the winning entry and the other submitted story entries.

This month will be a month filled with little bits and bobs.  Miracles: A Trio of Island Tales is due to be completed, plus the assembly of an anthology of this year's stories which will be available in paperback in early December. It will include all of this year's Trio Tales plus some bonus stories and a few poems. If you have enjoyed this year's stories, and have readers of such fiction on your holiday to-buy-for list, this just might be the thing for them.

I'll be celebrating Veteran's Day by reading from A Trio of My Father's Tales live on stream, November 11th.  Stay tuned for more on that and other live sessions.

Also stay tuned here for updates on The Dickens Project - Tacoma: a  simul-presentation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol in Second Life(c) and before a live audience in my hometown of Tacoma, WA. More information may be found on that by Clicking Here!

Happy November!  And don't forget to be thankful!

TRIO TALES UPDATE ~ Everyone has an opinion. What's yours? Take Our Poll!

Okay, let's face it ...I am not J.K. Rowling.  Who the heck is?  But I have come to believe that the audience for short stories, short subjects, microfiction in general is growing.  You can read it on a commute, while waiting, when you just need a break.

Short Stories help me learn as a writer, and refine my craft as I work towards longer compositions.  I am in love with the form, and I cannot imagine not writing short stories. Some of the stories already published could yet emerge as longer works. Maybe even "proper books."  Which are your favorites?  Take the WHICH ARE YOUR FAVORITES? poll in the right margin, and share your thoughts!

There were some great responses after last weekends TRIO TALES Promotion ... here's the most recent:

"Each one of these three stories contains a learning lesson. Two of them were military in nature so I felt more at home with both of those. 

"... I was trying to pick my favorite but am unable as all of them resonated with me.

"Highly recommended."      ~ Amazon Reader Review, FIVE Stars

"A TRIO OF CAT TALES could actually have been written by a cat!
 
"Judy has such a way of telling these sweet stories from the feline point of view that the reader could almost believe that "S" had taken the keyboard and written them herself. "S" tells her tale as she goes through different life situations with her owner "She". As the reigning Cat of the House "S" sizes up each of the scenarios she is dealt and handles them with kitty-cat grace and aplomb. Well...except for in "Travels with S", which is tale #2. Here we do witness a good bit of yowling and more than a few tears, but don't worry. Everything ends okay. As a cat-owned human who has moved several times with felines in tow I got a big kick out of "Travels with S"!
 
"Those humans who have a cat reigning in their household will especially enjoy this book."      ~ Amazon Reader Review, FIVE Stars

"... Judy’s characters are strong and very real. The dialog rings true, and fellow Irish-Americans will enjoy (and perhaps recognize) the familial banter in the second tale, The Shadow by the Gate. Liam, its young protagonist, reminds me a little of me as a teen.

"A TRIO OF IRISH TALES is not a thriller, but it does keep you turning pages. Judy does with pooka, the man of the mists, and dancing fairies what others do with bullets and mayhem. The book’s charming mysticism grabs with plenty of character and just a pinch of suspense. The writing is conversational, and Judy’s voice is as friendly and open in her book as it is at her readings. The pace, flow, and tone precisely complements the stories.

Although they are fresh from Judy’s mind and two of three stories take place in today’s world, all read like traditional tales. In the first tale, entitled “In the Mist” a girl’s dream of romance is shattered, and her passion draws her from safety into the hidden dangers of the mist. In the Shadow by the Gate, Liam, a jaded teenaged technophile is thrust into a startlingly real world of traditional mysticism. The book finishes with The Oak, a story of one woman’s life as the river of time flows past her, her home, and her family.
 
A TRIO OF IRISH TALES is a great read. It’s both pleasant and engaging and should appeal to all readers, not just those of us of Irish descent. I recommend it. 
~ Amazon Reader Review, FIVE Stars

FREE KINDLE PROMOTIONS ~ Friday and Saturday!

Coming This Weekend -  Free Promotions of TRIO TALES:

Saturday, September 7th ~
A Trio of My Father's Tales will continue to be available free on Amazon for Kindle. CLICK HERE
A Trio of Irish Tales will be available for ONE DAY ONLY free on Amazon for Kindle. With refreshed text! CLICK HERE

To read about A Trio of My Father's Tales and listen to audio selections - CLICK HERE
To read about A Trio of Irish Tales and listen to audio selections - CLICK HERE

NEW TO ME AND MY WORK?  Learn more about in this great interview by fellow author Stephanie Mesler on her site A POET'S PROGRESS (Click here)


Coming Later this Month ...

The Island cultures of the Pacific are deeply rooted in spirituality.  It does not matter whether it is christian or indigenous beliefs. Living in tropical splendor their lives are infused with faith, and a belief in the real power of miracles.

Miracles: A Trio of Island Tales whisks the reader to the Island Kingdom of Tonga in the late 19th Century.  It is a time when European and American colonialism are at their height, and many Island Nations find they must choose sides.  Through three miracles: one each of earth, water, and fire, we get a glimpse into the rich and unique Tongan culture, and begin to see how they have remained strongly independent and a sovereign nation.

A TRIO OF MY FATHER'S TALES Released on Amazon!

Finally!  After months of stalling and reworking the dam has burst and A Trio of My Father's Tales is finally live on Amazon, and CreateSpace.  It comes in Kindle and Paperback formats.

Click Here for the Amazon sales page
Click Here for the CreateSpace Page (paperback only)

The newest addition to the Trio Tales short story series is a tribute to fathers, containing three stories based on family tales repeated around the kitchen table during the author’s childhood, where all great family legends are born. 

In The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit a young boy in 1898 Chicago struggles between peer pressure at school, and his determination to make his immigrant parents proud of him.  Can he find a solution to make everyone happy?

Click Here to listen to an audio sample from The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit

In Flying Down to Couer D'Alene, and The Skunk War the scene moves west to life stateside in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.  In these two individual tales, the rigor of Army life meets the ebb and flow of different men from all over the country, different concepts of authority, and what it really takes to be a leader.

Click Here to listen to an audio sample from Flying Down to Couer D'Alene

 

“Ms. Cullen's writing is lyrical and touching, the rhythms and characters stick in your mind like a really good tune. I have the feeling she could write about tin cans and readers would come away with a sense of satisfaction and wonder.” ~ Reader Review, A Trio of Cat Tales

"Stories as well written as this have a way of opening windows…" ~ Reader Review, A Trio of Irish Tales

"Ms. Cullen has a gift for storytelling.”  ~ Reader Review, A Trio of Irish Tales

Check Out the tabs at the top if the page for links to my other published works.  As always, if you LIKE them, REVIEW them, if you LOVE them, pass the word - like, SHARE, RECOMMEND!

AND if you are a member of AMAZON PRIME you can borrow my book for FREE! 

NEW! NEW! NEW! Inspired by the approach of friend and fellow author Lesley Ann McDaniel, I am forming a Launch Team for the next round of releases and promotions.  Like to help people?  Like building win-win relationships?  This could be for you ... check out LAUNCH TEAM in the tabs at the top of the page!
 

LIVE READING THIS SATURDAY!

Judy's Stories will be in the Proctor District of Tacoma this weekend!

Judy's Stories - North Tacoma
Saturday, June 29th at 3pm (60-90 minutes)
Mason United Methodist Church
2710 North Madison Street in the Proctor District

I'll have copies of my three published works and be reading selections from the "damn near released" A TRIO OF MY FATHER'S TALES including The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit, Flying Down to Coeur d'Alene, and The  Skunk War.

To Listen to Audio Sample from Flying Down to Coeur d'Alene CLICK HERE
 (c)2013 by Judith Cullen

COMING THIS MONTH! "A Trio of My Father's Tales"

The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit (Excerpt)

“What the Earl saw was a graceful, childish figure in a black velvet suit, with a lace collar, and with love locks waving about the handsome, manly little face, whose eyes met his with a look of innocent good-fellowship.” (Little Lord Fauntleroy)

***

"Kevin hated it.  He really hated it.  It was bad enough being seven years old.  It was bad enough that his family were struggling, working class Irish immigrants.  It was bad enough that he had the male trademark family ears, which where on the large side and stood out from his head.  These things he might have handled with all the random deftness of his seven years.  What young Kevin Cooney really could not manage was the damned suit. If his mother had not sewn it for him with her own hands, he would not have worn it at all.  But in 1898 all Kevin knew was that the suit was important to his mother, and it was absolute torture to wear it."  

(c) 2013 by Judith Cullen

Listen to an audio sample from a different part of this story by Clicking Here 

A Trio of My Father's Tales is my tribute to Fathers, containing three stories based on several family tales we used to begged my Dad to repeat over and over again around the kitchen table: "The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit", "Flying Down to Cour D'Alene", and "The Skunk War." 

Available soon on Kindle and in Paperback through Amazon.

See tabs above for other titles currently available, and for live reading sessions by the author.

AMIDST WRITING, PAINTING, & PROMOTING ... Inspiration!

I have author friend Stephanie Mesler to thank/blame for turning me on to haiku as a way to warm up my writing brain.  Seriously, it has been since fifth grade!  Combinations of some tough decision making, and self reflection that has been going on for several years now (welcome to middle age!) resulted in this six haiku cycle today:

MORE THAN
(c) 2013 by Judith Cullen

more than just typing

more than a sum of the tweets

more than just some post

counting characters

words to catch your interest

is this all I am?

an artist, writer,

more even than these - woman

not just tweets or posts

want to know “the more”?

not hype of type – the surface

beyond "seems to be”?

to know takes some time

more will require your patience

more is so much more

more than mere words read

more than art and artifice

take the time – see more

Great new reader review of A TRIO OF CAT TALES on Amazon ~ Click Here !

Preview of A TRIO OF MY FATHER'S TALES coming next week!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! A New Short Story!

My Mom as a child

I am paying tribute to the two Moms in my life (pictured here) and to all Mothers everywhere today with this special Audio Clip of my recent short story Walking to the Music. In this story, a toddler is inspired to take his first steps by the sounds of his Mom playing a Grand Piano.

Click Here to enjoy Walking to the Music
by Judith Cullen (c)2013

My sister : the other  "Mom" in the family

As with all the audio downloads on this blog, this one is offered freely. I am an artist and fledgling indie author.  I only ask if you enjoy the files and decide to keep them, you consider leaving something in the tip jar on the right hand margin.  Even $1 helps keep the stories coming!   

Many Thanks and Happy Mother's Day!

Coming Soon!

The release of A Trio of My Father's Tales in Kindle and Paperback.     

Carroll D. Cullen circa 1898

Does this seven year old boy look happy?  He wasn't.  It was 1898 in the immigrant neighborhoods of Chicago, where a little boy lived with his Irish-born parents who dreamed of a bigger and better life for their only son.  Find out the lengths he went to in order to shed the various effects of that scratchy, itchy, hot, embarrassing costume in "The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit."

A Trio of My Father's Tales is my tribute to Fathers - three of  the many family tales we begged my Dad to repeat over and over again around the kitchen table: "The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit", "Flying Down to Cour D'Alene", and "The Skunk War."

See the tabs above for other titles currently available:
Reflections from the Golden Wheel, A Trio of Irish Tales, and last week's purrrfectly delightful release:  A Trio of Cat Tales 

IT'S MAY! IT'S MAY! ~ Time for New Things and to Hug Your Mom!

It's May!  The bees are buzzing, the birds are chirping, and life is returning in abundance.  It is a great time to be alive, and an even greater time to celebrate family: those on two and four feet!

With May comes lots of great things: Sunshine, Mother's Day! Our plan is to contribute to the joys of spring triumphant, and hopefully we can help you do so as well!

NOW LIVE AT AMAZON.COM:

A Trio of Cat Tales in Kindle from Amazon
And also in Paperback from Amazon 
(Costs a few pennies more but if you are a Prime member, you save a bundle on shipping)

Also available in Paperback through Createspace 

Meet "S" - a cat in the prime of her lives.  From her superior feline perch, S shares adventures in traveling, her favorite cat games, as well as lessons in art and respect.  

A Trio of Cat Tales is a “feliniously” philosophical journey with plenty of insights and exploits for cat lovers and the “cat owned.”

 CLICK to listen to a selection from Chapter 1: The Story of S
 CLICK to listen to a selection from Chapter 3: S and the Cable Guy 

 DON'T FORGET MOTHER'S DAY! 

UPDATE BULLETIN:  There will be a special audio short story posted for Mother's Day - FREE (tips accepted) . . . so be sure and come back on Sunday for "Walking to the Music." 
Short Stories are a great way to say "I Love You", especially if Mom loves Celtic Tales, or appreciates the middle of life.  A Trio of Irish Tales and Reflections from The Golden Wheel are incrediblt portable and make great gifts.  Both are available in Kindle and Paperback ~ See the tabs at the top of the page! You can also check out my Author Page at Amazon's Author Central


 CLICK to listen to a selection from Chapter 10: Reflections from The Golden Wheel

 CLICK to listen to a selection from Chapter 1: A Trio of Irish Tales - "In the Mist"

Both of these titles coming soon as Audiobooks! 

LATER THIS MONTH:

The release of A Trio of My Father's Tales in Kindle and Paperback.     

"A great storyteller" was not the first thought people had about my father.  But he was an Irishman, so it was in his blood.  There were stories he used to tell that we, as children, asked him to repeat over and over again at family meals.  

Here is a tribute to my father with three of those stories: "The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit", "Flying Down to Cour D'Alene", and "The Skunk War."