ETERNITY'S TEST is now available on Amazon!

NOW Available on Amazon for Kindle! CLICK HERE

What started out as a simple request from a colleague turned out to be an incredible journey.  I had the spark of an idea immediately when Eleseren Brianna (aka Donna Kantaris) invited me to write a companion piece to her own short story, written in support of an installation of 2D and 3D virtual art, "The Curio."

She specifically ask me to do a story from the perspective of the colossal stone and metal "Enkeli" figure that she had created and spun a story about. "Enkeli" is the Finnish word for angel.  How does and angel end up in the wilderness, as the one in Eles' story does?  And what could that mean?  Research, followed by several weeks of brooding contemplation amidst the turmoil that was last fall's U.S. presidential campaign followed, and in the aftermath this story came flowing out like an emotional imperative.

After letting it steep and revise, it still has that imperative feel about it, which lead to me deciding to publish it as a stand alone story, instead of tucking it into another collection.  It deserves its own focus.

Not everyone likes ir reads Kindle, I understand that.  but I am offering a special deal for folks on my mailing list, so if you are brave enough to READ MY NEWSLETTER announcement of this release, you can take advantage of the deal offered my subscribers!

If you enjoy it, don't forget to leave a review of Eternity's Test on Amazon.  Every little bit helps!

Coming in July and August - several event appearances, and more short stories.

COMING THIS MONTH: "Eternity's Test" for Kindle

With all the things going on in the world, and in my life these days, I have decided to release December's story of a near fallen angel and the lessons he learns encased in stone and metal in the wilderness over millennia.  It seems like just the right thing to do.

So, keep an eye out for ETERNITY'S TEST to be released this month in Kindle only through Amazon as a stand-alone piece of short fiction.  The time has come: be ready!

For those of you who read the original last year, you may remember that this story was inspired by a virtual world sculpture by Eleseren Brianna (Donna Kantaris).  She also write a story about "The Curio" in which some 19th Century vacationers come upon its compelling presence deep in the Scandinavian wilderness.  Her story was very much one of observation and supposition, done in the format of a 19th C diary.  She asked me to consider creating a story from the sculpture's point of view.  And that, as we say, is that!

More coming, so stay tuned!

"The Curio" by Eleseren Brianna, created in Second Life

ALL TOGETHER NOW with GORAK

The wheels of Amazon have done all there turning, and all the appropriate connections are now connected on a single sales page for Gorak the Gobbler . When you have a publisher behind you, it happens more smoothly.  When you are an independent, like myself, it doesn't always.  But now it's all there!

Not only that, but the first reader review is in and it is five stars!

"I have heard Ms. Cullen read all three tales presented in this tome in virtual worlds -- a rare privilege. Now to own the book with my own two hands! Awesome!

"Being old school (and ancient in my years) I adore having an actual book to thumb through, put bookmarks in and look at fondly when it rests in my book case. However, is is also available in Kindle, so have at!

"That said, Ms. Cullen's talents as a storyteller allow one to gambol in joie de vivre. I am a decidedly G-rated old crone, the Gorak tales touch on fun, fantasy, exploration, personal growth, emotional awareness and acknowledgement, and joy in the glory of living. I wish I had them in my youth. I'm definitely glad I have them in my elder age.

"I recommend this book to all. And if you get a chance to hear the author share the tale verbally, hop to it!"   ~ "Rd Plasschaert", Amazon Reader Review (five stars)

HE'S HERE: Now Available on Amazon!

Now available for Kindle Amazon sales page 

And also now in Trade Paperback

Get your copy today!

GORAK is on his way, this week!

That's right.  The small, oddly wise, extremely red little guy will have his very own volume of tales, released this week on Kindle, with the paperback available shortly after.

Here's a glimpse from one of the stories in this new volume:  Gorak Returns.

The big plastic storage bin of sewing and craft scraps that her Mom kept in the hall closet had been dragged into Ellie's room, and its contents were strewn all over her bed: scraps of fabrics in rainbow colors, papers with different printed designs, ruffled lace trim in varying sizes, ribbons galore, cellophane packages of beads and sequins twinkling in the light. Standing in the middle of the chaos, feet planted apart, arms spread wide and grinning was a creature Ellie had never seen the like of before.  Around its red head was tied a scrap of fluffy pink marabou.

"Me Gorak!  Ellie McCormick wanna dance?" it said.

COMING in May!

The rumors are true . . . Gorak the Gobbler is getting his own book!

Coming mid-May to Kindle, closely followed by paperback, the original tale first published in The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep, plus two additional stories.

Ever think about how pressures of life eat away at you, gnaw at your confidence?  What if there were a magical creature who gobbled away at those very things?  The things that attack and diminish your sense of self: self-confidence, body image, stereotyping, anger.

Gorak the Gobbler specializes in young people's problems. He enables them with his own brand of wisdom, and playful logic.

"...life like drinking soda.  All go one way and no stopping: Sip, gulp, no matter.  But when bubbles build up, only one ting to do - let em out!"

Stay Tuned!

MORE Preview and the Final Book Trailer - for now!

The final Book Trailer has been released, and the finishing touches are going into the final story.  What a wild, insightful journey 2015 has turned out to be.  Look for the release of A TRIO OF IRISH TALES II very soon! When teamed with the first set of tales, they'll make a terrific gift for the Celtic-hearted (or just the story lover) on your holiday list.

And now: more from Liam Killough . . .

***

The Fairy Tree (Selection #3)

By Judith Cullen

© 2015

 He soon found himself at a fork on the road he had taken out of town.  One road was bristling with signs and newer pavement.  The other seemed to disappear into the undergrowth as it ascended up a hill.  He tried to peek up it in case it was someone’s drive, for it did not seem to be marked as “private.”  Suddenly the words of a poem came unbidden into his head.

They’d been studying poetry at school, mostly Irish poets.  There’d been a lot of time spent on W.B. Yeats and George William Russell and other late 19^th, early 20^th century poets.  Liam didn’t always understand the politics laced through the poems, but he was working on understanding the struggles behind the words.  The teacher had spent one day focusing on contemporary poets of the period from around the world, and had read several poems by an American, Robert Frost.  The words just popped up from nowhere in his mind and he spoke them out loud, startling himself, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

PREVIEW: the Last Selection from "Patrick's Path"

W.B. Yeats by George Charles Beresford
from Wikimedia Commons
(Public Domain)

Patrick’s Path (Part 5)

By Judith Cullen

© 2015

“…I am haunted by numberless islands, and many a Danaan shore,

Where Time would surely forget us, and Sorrow come near us no more;

Soon far from the rose and the lily, and fret of the flames would we be,

Were we only white birds, my beloved, buoyed out on the foam of the sea!”

Pat paused and looked at Declan as he sat beneath the tree with his eyes closed.  There had not been a single “Crap!” uttered through the entire poem.  He waited silently for his teacher to respond.

“Well, you know the words sure enough, I’ll give you that.  The recitation was not without merit, and you’d not have embarrassed yourself at a poetry gathering. Look at the poem again, as if it were a story.  Look for the images in the words and try to bring them to life using only the sound of your voice.”

Pat reached for the slip of paper in his pocket.

“No, don’t look at the words!  The words are in your head, boy.  Find them there.  They are ideas, not printed type.  Take a moment.”

Coming in November: MORE IRISH TALES

2013's A Trio of Irish Tales is by far my best selling collection, ever. Finally, the much promised second volume of stories is heading for completion and will be released in plenty of time for the holidays.

A Trio of Irish Tales II features two stories that rejoin characters introduced in volume 1, and the third story introduces an entirely new cast of characters in a situation inspired by real places found in Ireland.

In "Two Houses" a young American couple on their honeymoon find their ties to Irish heritage are far more insistent than just a simple perusal of genealogies.  As the past disturbs their future, Mark and Cate must unravel the mystery of two houses that suffered very different fates, but that are somehow connected.

"The Fairy Tree" reunites us with young Liam Killough of "The Shadow by the Gate."  He and his family have settled into life in rural County Wicklow, but Liam is at continual odds with farm manager Rose McLane. The tension has been mounting and explodes with unexpected results, leaving young Liam desperate to set things to rights again.

"Patrick's Path" features Pat Flynn from "In the Mists." Pat is 24 now and he's tired of always walking in everyone's wake - following along behind.  He wants to find something that he is passionate about; something that he can claim as his very own. He also wouldn't mind catching the eye of Daimhin Finnegan.

More stories, more adventure, history, romance and mythology.  Three modern tales steeped in the lore of an ancient land.  A Trio of Irish Tales II will call to your Celtic soul, even if you never thought you had one.

Coming to Amazon for Kindle and in Paperback.

Join my new Stories by Judith Cullen mailing list to get special email pre-release updates and news of events!

***

Come to Ireland

By Judith Cullen

© 2015

It happens again and again,

Whispered on the conscience

Subtly suggested coincidence

Inviting, voices entreating

replying, repeating

“Come to Ireland.”

Calling in books, in poems,

A dozen chance implications.

“We’ve been to Ireland,

We just got back in”

Jealously ecstatic

“Come to Ireland.”

Land of past mothers and fathers

Bosom of soul-filled heritage

Yearning past tense, for welcome

On someone else’s native soil

immigrant, heart of toil

“Come to Ireland.”

“One day, child of the scattered,

your heart and your heartland

will reunite once more.”

Murmuring promises sent

Wafting on a green wind

“Come to Ireland.”

##

FOR KINDLE READERS: It is not just the words, it's the pages that count!

The Four-One-One on KOLL & Kindle Unlimited

By Judith Cullen

Image courtesy of Jeri Lloyd and her trusty devices - Thanks!

Do you own a Kindle or use a free Kindle app on your computer?  Do you download electronic books from Amazon?  If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, here are some important tidbits of information, and we all know that information is golden.  You might already know this, though information like this tends to come in very small print on the users end.

Amazon has two great programs for Kindle users: the Kindle Owners Lending Library (KOLL) and the new Kindle Unlimited.  Authors/Publishers are allowed to make their titles available through these programs based on options they are given when they upload their books and manage the title's settings for distribution.

KOLL is a benefit of Amazon Prime membership and allows you to choose from over 800,000 books, which you borrow for free with no due date.  This program only works for people who have Kindle devices.  So if you have downloaded a Kindle Reader program onto a PC, you are out of luck.

For a set monthly subscription fee, Kindle Unlimited lets you explore over a million titles on any device that has a Kindle Reader app program.  Additionally, Kindle Listening makes titles for which there are both text and audio formats available wherever you see “Kindle Unlimited with Narration” listed.

BEAUTY ON THE INTERSTATE is on Sale!

FIVE STARS FOR "BEAUTY ON THE INTERSTATE"!

 "If you have ever had a long drive, be it vacation or vocation, you will be able to relate to these stories. ...She (the author) somehow seems to find details and situations that we can all relate to... An excellent read that makes you think, nod understandingly, crave the open road, but most of all - smile."    ~ Amazon Reader Review

“Beauty on the Interstate” is a collection of short stories and essays inspired by life in motion on the highways and byways, where tales form and reform at a rapid pace, and reflection is possible, but only at 60 mph. 

On Sale NOW for Kindle and Paperback through Amazon!

LIFT OFF! "The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep" is Launched!

The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep is now on sale through Amazon!

In a few days the sales pages will be merged, but right now,
CLICK HERE FOR KINDLE
and
CLICK HERE FOR PAPERBACK

LAUNCH BREAKFAST ANNOUNCED!  
Live in the Puget Sound area? Join me for a very informal Launch Breakfast Saturday morning, May 16th between 9 & 11am at the Original Pancake House, 601 S Pine Street in Tacoma. I am going to pour something berry-like over some yummy pancakes and celebrate the amazing journey that has been this book.  Breakfast is Pay-Your-Own, I am afraid.  But I will have a limited supply of books with me and a ready pen for signing.

(I am sure there are rules about how you should conduct an event like this, but I don't know them yet, so I am just going to have a good breakfast and a good time with (hopefully) some good company)

What really creeps you out? These stories feature the unknown, unseen, unexplainable, and unexpected.  They won’t horrify you, but you may begin to feel uneasy, get that prickly feeling on your skin that causes you to rub your arms and look around for what might be lurking. They may inspire you to check under your bed at night, make certain your closet door is securely latched and your windows locked. 

“The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep” features four unique short story adventures by Judith Cullen, with illustrations for “The Blackberry” & “Gorak the Gobbler” by well-known cartoonist and illustrator, Rick Geary.

Appropriate for Young Adult and Older. 

Thanks to everyone for their support on the amazing journey that has been this book.

DON'T FORGET TO POST YOUR REVIEWS ON AMAZON,  and stay tuned for more news.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep 

. . . has begun the Pre-Launch Sequence.  

Let the Countdown Begin!

We are just hours away from Lift Off!

1  Question: To the left you see what we think of when we think of a single blackberry.  Is it a whole fruit?

Answer: Yes, and no.  What you see here is not a single fruit, but many.  Blackberries, like Raspberries and all the various varietals thereof, are aggregate fruits. They are made up of very small, circular fruity units called "drupelets."

As in other kinds of bush berries, blackberries too are packed with numerous plant nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and dietary fibers that are essential for optimum health. The berries are very low in calories. 100 g provide just 43 calories. Nonetheless, they are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber and Xylitol, a low-calorie sugar substitute in the fruit fiber which absorbs slower than glucose inside the gut. It, thus, help in steadying blood sugar levels.

So they are really good for you, . . . as long as they are not eating your pets.

FOR THE HOLIDAYS . . .

Convenient for stocking stuffing, or with the new Kindle Matchbook program, you can get a lovely discount when you buy both the Kindle and Print version of any title. So buy them both, keep the Kindle for yourself, and gift the print version to a friend or for your part in that great holiday tradition: the gift exchange.


Now Available - A TRIO OF TRAVELING TALES - the last collection for 2014 featuring three great new original stories. This Trio includes: "The Unexpected Path", "The Empire Builder", and the popular "Lawrence Street."

Available on Amazon for Kindle and in Paperback

All my titles are available in time for whatever gift-giving necessity you have.  I doesn't have to be dawned with holly and mistletoe.  It might involve a kinara or a dreidel. It could include the burning of a Yule Log.  Does not matter.

Who on your list might enjoy one of these? Click and see!

NEW COLLECTION RELEASED!

It's official! Coffee Shop Talk is live today!  

There's a bit of something for a lot of different people in this collection: humor, insight, poetry, reflection.  And then there's the name.  If you like Coffee, Shopping, Talking, or any combination therein - YOU SCORE!  The collection seemed to write itself, actually.  I just woke up one day and said "Whoa!  Lookee there!"

Coffee Shop Talk includes twelve essay/stories, and a smattering of the best of this year's poetry, including "December Sojourn" which will be featured in the Tacoma's Laureate Listening Project launching in January, and "Blue Lotus Dream" from this year's Art-Inspired Writing Project with Proctor Arts Fest.

One story for each month of the year - though it takes a lot less time to read them than that :

• Coffee Shop Talk
• What Wiles?
• Seeing Red
• The Pink T-Shirt
• Finding Mck
• Invisible Me
• Go Slow
• Walter's Sundat
• You Are Not alone
• My Mother's Hands
• Thankful Forward

Amazon takes a few days to get things totally synced, but at present you can purchase the book for KINDLE or in PAPERBACK. My collections are compact, and meant for reading "On-the-Go" or for gift giving - they fit great in your average sized Christmas stocking!

You can also find my other titles from 2013 and 2104 by clicking in the tabs at the top of the page. THEY ALL fit in stockings!

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!
 

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.

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."

FIVE STARS for "Reflections from The Golden Wheel"!

 FIVE STARS! a reader also sent me a personal message that was so lovely and heartfelt that it brought tears to my eyes.  Pass the link for Reflections from The Golden Wheel along to someone you know.  It is one woman's view of life from its median ... and it is shared in the hopes that others will find comfort, understanding, and perhaps even joy!

UPDATE:  In recognition of WomenArt's Swans Day Celebrations, you can download the Kindle version of this title FREE from Amazon today through Sunday!  Women are loving these stories, and finding the sentiments both moving and joy-inspiring.  If you like it?  RATE & REVIEW IT!  If you LOVE it?  SHARE THE LOVE - RECOMMEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS! 

Click to hear Audio Samples ...
**Draft of Chapter 9
**Selections - Chapter 10

Here's the review...
"A collection of essays that offers a glimpse into the thoughts and emotions of a woman who is going through self evaluation and reflection. I could identify with several of the points she made. I am of her generation, and while I have had some of the same emotions, I hadn't quite worked through them to the point of seeing them with any clarity. The author offers some quite poignant insights that surprisingly brought me comfort. I look eagerly look forward to more writing from Ms. Cullen. "

COMING SOON in Ebook form for Kindle and Kindle Readers!

Coming in December just in time for Holiday Gift Giving: two ebooks of my own collected short stories.  Audio versions to follow in 2013.

Three Irish Tales ~ A trio of short stories inspired by Irish folklore and the author's own Irish family heritage. Includes the legends of the Bile Rath, the Far Liath, and a pesky pouka.

Reflections from The Golden Wheel ~ "I'm not the first person to turn fifty. I am not likely to be the last either, but who knew that so much change would be part and parcel of clocking a half century?"  ...The Golden Wheel is a mix of fiction and non-fiction musings mirroring one woman's journey through the "wheel of the year" surrounding her fiftieth birthday.

I'm finally doing it!  I am finally publishing my own work.  Will post when these collections go on sale.  Might be that you know someone who might enjoy these.  It's a chance to support your local "maybe-not-so-starving-but-trying-to-pay-the-damn-utilities" artist.

Fabulous Illustrations by Micki McIntyre.