Friday, May 31, 2013

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!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

FIVE STAR REVIEW for "A Trio of Cat Tales"!

It was a real pleasure to read this review this morning.  Writing small short story collections and publishing them in "fiction monographs" was/is a big risk.  It is great to hear that someone not only loves the stories, but appreciates the format.  Pass on the love! Share them!

"A perfect primer for any cat owned people out there and fair warning for anyone considering going into feline servitude. As you read these stories from the cat's perspective you come to realize that everything a cat does is perfectly reasonable from their point of view no matter how confounding they are to us. In some ways the art of the short story is becoming lost as people have so many more distractions put upon their time. It is wonderful to see an author putting out new stories that can be shared with young and old alike. This small volume can be read quickly and then passed to friends and family for years to come. I defy anyone with any experience with cats to read this and not smile and nod knowingly." 
~ Amazon Reader Review

A TRIO OF CAT TALES is available in kindle and paperback - makes a great gift!  Click Here!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

WE'VE BEEN NOMINATED! For a Liebster Award!

What's a Liebster Award?  I asked the same thing.  I would like to tell you that it is a prestigious, snooty award, but it isn't.  What it is, is a fun way to explore and recognize small, independent bloggers, as well as spread the word about your favorites.  Check out the Liebster Award tab above to find out and participate.

Many grateful thanks to Stephanie Mesler at A Poet's Progress for the nomination!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

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 


Saturday, May 4, 2013

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."