WHAT INSPIRES A STORY?

I have have made no secret that the inspiration behind the title story of my new book came while doing battle with invasive brambles in my own backyard.  It was actually less an inspiration than a connection.  That spark is reflected in the story when Cara says "The whole genus has power issues."  I am sure I said something much more colorful while I was picking yet another clipped cane from my clothing.

I had encountered the Snohomish Tribal legend of the Blackberry several years earlier in a very humble but utterly charming volume I bought in a local sandwich shop called “AH MO: Indian Legends from the Northwest” compiled by Judge Arthur Griffin, and edited by Trenholme J. Griffin.  I fell in love with it and encountered the similar versions of the tale from other sources after that.  The Griffin books (there are two, I believe) are full of short, wonderful tales that are a mix of origin stories, legends, cautionary tales. I recommend them.

If you love First People and First Nation stories as much as I do, you might also enjoy this website First People - The Legends.  It has a wealth of stories from an astounding array of native traditions. One of my all time favorites from this site is the Omaha legend of "How to Count to 100."

Here's a peek at part of one of Rick Geary's sketches for The Blackberry and other Tales That Creep.

A snippet of one of Rick Geary's sketches  for "The Blackberry"

 

Cara's neighbors, the Halls, have ties to the Native American community.  Dave shares his tribe's tale of the blackberry after Cara has had her first infuriating  encounter with the bramble that just won't go away.  Then Dave shows her something remarkable and more than a little frightening about this specific plant.

(from THE BLACKBERRY by Judith Cullen, copyright 2015)

"Dave laughed, 'That out there is not the blackberry of our legends, Cara.  You’ll find that the native blackberry is still a bush, and still duly humbled as the high ones intended.  This plant is not native to these shores.  It is an invasive tourist brought by Europeans for berry production.  It is known as the Himalayan blackberry.  The European settlers didn’t know quite what they had when they brought it here, and they lost control of Rubus armeniacus.'

 “'The whole genus has power issues, I think,' Cara muttered".

 ##

The Blackberry and other Tales That Creep coming soon to Amazon for Kindle and in Paperback.

NEW AUDIO SAMPLE from "The Blackberry"

We received a lovely thank you card from the Smyrna Public Library in New York State recently.  It is one of two libraries currently carrying my published works in paperback.  Thanks to the success of our recent Kickstarter campaign, there will soon be more!

Today's post includes a new audio sample from the title story – The Blackberry – originally written in 2014.  In this sample you get a sneak peek behind the events which inspired me to ask the question “what if a blackberry actually had evil intent?”

As people in the northern hemisphere begin to resurrect their gardens from the rest of Winter, see if this episode is not a little familiar to you.

Click Here for The Blackberry Audio Sample

If you have been following Gorak the Gobbler and are finding it frustrating that the re-posting is so far back, CLICK HERE to go directly to the latest installment.

Coming Soon: the cover reveal of The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep!

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CAT . . .

Here's an early bit of fun.  Early because it has elements of a "Throw Back Thursday" to it, and this is being posted on a Wednesday.  Also early because even as I type, Rick Geary is working on sketches and final art for The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep.  (I am so excited!!!)

Not to let the cat out of the bag either literally or metaphorically: it is no secret that I am among the "cat-owned" and have been for most of the last 30 years.  Elements of each of the unique feline personalities I have had the pleasure of sharing my life with are in my 2013 collection A Trio of Cat Tales.

In The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep three of the four stories have cats in them: "Sprinkles" from The Blackberry; "Miss Kitty" from Her Own Words; and "Spot" in Gorak the Gobbler.  That last one is a tribute to Commander Data's "Spot" from Star Trek Next Generation. My cat friend at the time used to love Spot. She would always come up to the TV when Spot was in an episode and pat the screen.

The character of "Sprinkles" from The Blackberry is definitely taken from Miss Sadie, my current cat-panion.  This is not the first time Rick has drawn Sadie (though he has no idea of this cat-nection).  Back in 2002, when Miss Sadie was the resident cat at Tacoma Little Theatre, we commissioned an image of her as she had become the mascot of one of our Education programs.  So here is the Sadie art from 2002, the sketch of Sprinkles, and Miss Sadie in her current capacity as resident art and literature critic.

Sadie as depicted by Rick Geary for Tacoma Little Theatre in 2002 (I own the original!)

Rick's sketch of "Sprinkles" from "The Blackberry"

Miss Sadie, in all her "felinious" glory: cat-panion extraordinaire

Also, check out this great video of Rick talking about his art and process. I think it is way cool that he loves his pencils as much as I do, and still uses Rapidograph Pens. Mine are still around here somewhere, and probably need a good soaking.

STILL TIME TO BECOME A PART OF The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep.  15 days to go and even though we have made goal, more money means more books in libraries, wider distribution, and just possibly more art!

GHOST STORIES: "The Blackberry" Concludes

The Blackberry

By Judith Cullen

© 2014

Continuing . . .

“The whole genus has power issues, I think,” Cara muttered.

“Come with me,” Dave reached out a hand to Cara and both she and Marcy followed him upstairs. He paused in the hallway to grab a pair of binoculars and the three of them mounted two flights of  stairs to the top of the Hall’s home. 

The top floor was one open room under the eaves, with storage and some work areas for both Marcy and Dave.  At one end there were French doors that opened onto a small balcony which overlooked Cara’s yard.  They were just high enough that they could see over Cara’s small house to the lot beyond.  Dave handed the binoculars to Cara.

“Take a look,” he said.

GHOST STORIES: "The Blackberry" ~ Part 2

The Blackberry

By Judith Cullen

© 2014

Continuing . . . 

Weeks went by and Kuja never did come home. Kiley and Cara slowly acclimated to the new environment and started to get to know their neighbors in the little cul de sac. 

There was Sheila and Tom across the way, with their sons Roger and Dan. 

There was Mrs. Wiley who lived alone in a little cottage-like house with arbors full of flowering plants and azalea bushes the size of industrial packing crates.  She had painted her front door bright purple, and had three cats.  Sprinkles had already made a loud and somewhat unfriendly foray into the territory of the Wiley cats. 

Then there was Dave and Marcy Hall, her next door neighbors.

Marcy was the adult leader of Kiley’s troop.  Cara had been envious beyond belief at Marcy’s garden.  It was an artistic arrangement of raised flower beds and winding hedges, all filled with beautiful plants with useful purposes.  Marcy was happy to enumerate the uses of each plant, it’s healing and dietary properties, and how to prepare it – whether tincture, salve, or solution.  Cara was overwhelmed, and could not help but be in awe of Marcy.

GHOST STORIES: "The Blackberry" ~ Part 1

This story was inspired by a particularly impassioned gardening incident in my back yard.  While not a traditional ghost story, I don't think there is anyone in the Pacific Northwest who would not agree with me that Rubus armeniacus seems possessed, to have power issues, and a will totally unbecoming a plant.

Enjoy!
*****

The Blackberry

By Judith Cullen

© 2014

The knock at the front door was insistent.  “Fix the door bell.” Cara grumbled as she hustled around piles of

boxes, heading for the front door. “I’m coming!”  It had been a week but their new house was still a complete chaotic disaster.  That’s what came, she told herself, from moving on a Sunday.  It had been all she could manage to get everything out of the truck and roughly sorted, even with the help of hired movers.  Then she had to hunt down a few essentials, get Kiley and Sprinkles fed, settled, and still get herself ready to start a new job the next day.

She swung the door open, reminding herself to smile, and met the worried face of Sheila from across the circle.  “Oh God,” Cara thought, “we’ve only been here a week, what’s gone wrong already? Had Kiley been too friendly and chattering?  Has Sprinkles been picking fights with other pets?” Kiley had thought the cat looked like chocolate ice cream with Halloween sprinkles all over it. Despite the feline’s fanciful name, it had a notoriously scrappy disposition outside the immediate family.