Join us for this tour from Sep 13 to Oct 11, 2022!
Book Details:
Book Title: The Prickly Problem: Dr. Pete the Porcupine by Cheryl DaVeiga Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 44 pages Genre: Children’s Picture Book Publisher: Waterhole Productions LLC Release date: January, 2021 Content Rating: G. This children’s book is for everyone.
Book Description:
Quirky, magic-potion-making Dr. Pete the Porcupine finds himself in a sticky situation, perplexed by a terribly tricky case. Beloved by his desert neighbors for always fixing their prickliest problems, has Dr. Pete finally found a prickly problem he can’t solve? Follow Dr. Pete through this heartwarming tale as he and his desert friends learn the power of compassion, kindness, and friendship.
I love mermaids and unicorns, so I am super excited to share The Mermaid and the Unicorns by L T Getty. Isn’t this a gorgeous cover? And how about this fantastic guest post. Horses are such an elegant animal to watch. (guest post images linked to Wikipedia)
Ten Horses found in Mythology throughout the world
The horse is so iconic in our ancient myth and folklore, when I found myself researching what I thought would be an easy topic I found myself having a hard time narrowing it down. To qualify for this list specifically, the horse itself had to have supernatural qualities or features, as opposed to the many relatively ordinary yet magnificent steeds owned by famous literary and legendary figures. I also considered characters like Shadowfax from The Lord of the Rings, but decided against more modern depictions but feel free to discuss them below.
When I was researching this article I found that there was at times a bit of conflicting information (I’m looking at you, Pegasus). For the most part I’m going to go with the most common interpretation or origin. I encourage you to read more on the articles or discuss below.
Hippocampus
The name coming from the Greek tradition, although there were similar depictions among the Picts, Phoencians and Etruscans. The mythical water horse is said have the front half of a horse, with the back half of a fish, and was said to pull Poseidon’s underwater chariot.
Pegasus
The most common greek story the winged horse was named Pegasus, which came out of the head of Medusa after Perseus slew Medusa, but today the name has become synonymous with most winged horses in the western tradition. The winged horses are found throughout the world in myth and legend, from the traditional mounts of the Norse Valkyries and the Korean Chollima, if I try to start naming them all I’m likely to forget one.
Tulpar
The tulpar was a winged or swift horse found inside Turkish folklore, and is on the official state emblem of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Bashkortostan. The wings were not necessarily to indicate flight, but speed.
4) Uchchaihshravas
A seven-headed flying horse said to be created at the churning of the milk oceans. Uchchaihshravras is said to be the greatest horse, and was taken by Indra, king of the gods and used as his own personal mount but is also recorded as the horse of Bali, king of the asuras (demons).
Sleipnir
Odin’s seven-legged horse, said to be fathered by Svaðilfari and er… “mothered” by Loki when he was in the shape of a mare. Look, if you read Norse Mythology, you’ll know that this isn’t the least weird thing Loki has done. We could circle back to an earlier tangent on Pegasus if you’d like, but moving on…
6) Centaur
Okay, this one’s a bit of a cheat. They have the body of a horse, but the upper body of a man or woman. Originating from ancient Greek mythology, centaurs were sometimes rumoured to be more like wild horses, and were often depicted kidnapping human women.
7) Kelpie
A Scottish fae creature with shape shifting abilities, could appear human or in the shape of a horse. Virtually every significant body of water in Scotland is associated with some Kelpie. In horse shape, it would bid the unsuspecting rider to mount, then would take them to the nearest body of water and drown them, or at least give them a solid dunking.
8) Each-Uisge (Ech-ooshkya) (Scottish) or Aughisky (Agh-iski) (Irish)
Very similar to the kelpie, these were the more vicious variations. These shapeshifter horses were also of a tradition to let the rider on their backs, although they could take the shape of a handsome young man to come courting. However if they smelled water, their skin would become adhesive take their rider to it and drown, and then devour them, leaving behind only their liver.
9) Quilin
Another bit of a cheat, the quilin often is depicted in the west as a Chinese Unicorn, but they often have very distinct physical differences that aliken them sometimes more similar to a dragon. The quilin is scaled and often depicted with the body like a deer or a horse, and are almost depicted with hooves, and their appearance is often associated with the impending death of a sage or ruler. They have similar depictions in the Japanese and Korean mythology where they are called Kirin.
10) Unicorn
Unicorns have become synonymous with goodness and purity, and were often hunted for their horns, which were said to be able to cure poison. The trick was luring the unicorn, in which the help of a virgin was necessary to lull it to sleep. The unicorn is often depicted as very similar to a horse, but having some key differences; almost always they are depicted with a single horn. Some times these features include the tail of a lion and the cloven hooves of a goat, as well as the depiction of wings, although a more modern term naming unicorns with wings alicorns.
These are just ten mythical horses found throughout culture, and they’ve been depicted in many tales of folklore and legend, and many are staples in fantasy movies and literature to this day. What are some of your favourites above, and not on the list? What would you like to see more of? Who are your favourite individual horses as characters? Is Starlite from Rainbow Brite really the most magnificent horse, or do you prefer She-ra’s Swift Wind? Comment below.
What an awesome post. Thanks so much for sharing L T.
The Mermaid and the Unicorns by L.T. Getty
GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure
BLURB
Daphne’s a typical mermaid, and at least according to her, that’s a problem. She’s courageous and has a beautiful singing voice, but lacks the power of an elemental, the ability to command water with the sound of her voice. Jealous of her best friend, she makes a deal with a sea-witch, only to be betrayed, in place of her beautiful tail and flukes Daphne’s left beached with a pair of human legs. The spell keeping Daphne looking human will become permanent, unless Daphne can hunt down and bring the scheming Lorelei a unicorn horn before the next full moon.
Unable to reach her friends and family for help, Daphne doesn’t know how to walk, much less where to find a unicorn or how to catch one. Even if she’s successful, Daphne’s still not sure if she can trust Lorelei and her pint-sized kraken to keep their end of the bargain and let her return to the sea.
“What’s Pass the Lumberjack’s Hat Around?” she asked Esperanza once the other girl got called to go work the front.
“Possibly the worst song in existence,” Esperanza said. “You know how sometimes songs don’t make sense? At all?”
“Yeah,” Daphne said. “But sometimes, people don’t understand the hidden meaning…”
Esperanza arched an eyebrow, cleared her throat, then began to tap her foot before singing,
“Throw the mouses in the skittle
Round and Round a hey diddle-diddle!
Rubes be dark and ducks do quack,
Shall My Lady Love turn back?”
Daphne tried not to laugh. “You just made that up.”
“It gets better,” Esperanza said, still tapping.
“Round the goose to my captain’s ball,
The goat’s favourite clover is a free-for-all!
Dirty socks all about the town,
Pass the lumberjack’s hat around!”
Esperanza stopped tapping and made a face. “Fortunately, you need a half-gallon jug filled a third to blow, three people playing the spoons, and two violins to get an idea what it’s supposed to sound like. It’s also supposed to have a cowbell and a really loud drum, but most people just clang on whatever they find.”
Daphne said, “Can you teach me a song that would be appropriate for the contest?”
“Sure. I know what a bunch of the others said they were doing, so that way you won’t have anyone singing the same thing. I can teach you Maid in Mourning or Velvet Tears in less than an hour. Is there a specific song you’d like to learn?”
“Maybe something a little less weepy,” Daphne suggested.
“Okay—how about The Forlorn Rose or Indigo Woods? You’re allowed a single person for accompaniment…”Esperanza kept talking, but Daphne overheard one of the girls whistling, and then, someone sang,
“Shoo bee doo my feet turned blue”
“Dancing round and around my nose achoo!” sang the girl, sweeping nearby.
“The Duke’s in the henhouse and the earl’s a clown,”
“PASS THE LUMBERJACK’S HAT AROOOOUND!” sang the artist, horribly, from the main room.
“I don’t pay you lot to sing!” Irene shouted from where she worked near the ovens, but like all bad songs, the little diddy had caught on like wildfire.
“Pass the Lumberjack’s hat around, hat around, hat around,
“Pass the Lumberjack’s hat around,
“Until we get some GRAVY!”
Almost everyone in the bakery was stomping and clapping. One of the girls was dancing a jig on a table because she knew Irene couldn’t see her.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
L.T. Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and generally being creative.
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hi Everyone. I had a good week. We did some yardwork and I am happy the way it turned out. We’ll get a few more bags at our next hardware store stop. I plan on going further to the left, but, for now, my goal was getting rid of the prickly vines and plants around the faucet and electrical outlet.
It took us three days and some pool time to do the yardwork. It’s still pretty hot and we don’t overwork ourselves any more. That is one of the benefits of being retired. We have all day every day…But things are so much harder to do. Thank goodness for an easy cool down.
We made a trip to the beach for the Blue Angels practice.
All these days outside have set my allergies off, so today will be all about football.
I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken. It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current events and to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been hanging around for years.
I don’t remember much about the kid but I remember the way he looked at me once we were alone. The air shifted, like the oxygen suddenly disappeared. My breath was caught in my throat. I felt like I was on fire, and I knew it wasn’t the liquor anymore making me feel this way
I swallowed hard, trying my fucking hardest to stay calm. He stood from the bed, his gaze never leaving mine as he stalked toward me.
For fourteen, he was intimidating.
He leaned down, placing his hands on either side of my head. His gaze floated across every part of my face. Time was fucking frozen, but I was spiraling.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, my voice cracking.
“Kissing you.” Before I could interject, his lips crashed down on mine.
I was done for. Melting into the bean bag chair as a wave of emotions crashed through me like an angry sea. So many thoughts were going through my head.
I’ve never kissed a boy before.
Why did I like it so much?
Where is Gabe?
Why is he kissing me?
But the main one stirring in my head was what is he going to do next?
I never got that answer.
I never would.
Because while he was kissing me, Gabe was in our dads office, loading a shot gun, putting it to his head, and pulling the trigger.
The rest of that night and so many months after were one giant blur and My life crashed and burned. I never saw that Forster kid again.
And every night since, I’ve spent my time dousing my pain with the Lords amber embrace.
—
Urban Decay – Yolanda Olson
Perfect, pretty Emily Parker.
Pathetic, patronizing Julius and Josephine Parker.
They were the family that took me in when I was a young girl. They wanted to be the picture perfect family with two beautiful daughters to show off to their prestigious friends at their prestigious gatherings.
Most of what I can remember from childhood wasn’t so bad until Julius decided that I wasn’t good enough to be his daughter, but better suited to be in his bed instead.
Secret, painful trysts that happened whenever Josephine would leave for weekends away with her high society friends.
I never got over what he would do to me under the watchful eye of the moon, but that wasn’t what got me tossed out onto my ass.
Emily Parker caught us one night when I screamed a little too loud, and daddy dearest wasn’t quick enough to cover my mouth.
She followed the painful bellow to her father’s door, slowly pushed it open, and found him on top of me, his dick buried in my ass, fucking me like a drunken frat boy.
Little Emily Parker let out a scream, threw herself at us, and began to tear at my hair and punch me as violently as she could while her father pulled his dick out of me and tried to get her out of the room.
I thought she had come in to save me, but instead, she beat me while I was already down.
Julius bought Emily’s silence by getting her an exquisite diamond necklace and matching earrings.
It worked for a while, but the more he took advantage of me in he and his wife’s bed, the angrier she became.
I thought she was mad at him, but as it turned out, she was jealous.
She didn’t understand what it was about me that made him so ravenous and she hated me for it.
So, when Josephine Parker came home one weekend from a trip to Monaco with her friends, Emily Parker told her what had been happening.
Except, she told her that I would force her father to do things to me.
And Pathetic, Patronizing Josephine believed her.
Instead of sending me back to the home they adopted me from, she had friends come take me away and dump me in the middle of Skid Row.
And this is where I’ve watched them become even more prominent in their society of bullshit politicians, lawmakers, and kiddie diddlers. This is where I’ve waited, biding my time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike them down.
But the longer I lived on the street, and the longer I let the hatred fester, I knew that the best way to get to the Parker family would be through their darling daughter, Pretty, Perfect Emily.
I grabbed Long Flight Home by Cassandra Cripps on a free day. It is available on Kindle Unlimited and it was a very pleasant surprise, and I highly recommend it.
Long Flight Home by Cassandra Cripps is sooo much more than I had hoped for.
I’m sure I grabbed Long Flight Home by Cassandra Cripps because of the location, Alaska, the wild frontier. I have watched several TV shows located in Alaska, even a couple shows about the charter business in Alaska.
Their past is tragic, but their love is forever. How they find themselves and the suffering they go through to get to the place they feel they belong is wonderful. The vivid, detailed description of the location, Alaska, made me feel the wind and the cold, and revel in the beauty. It is rare when I get lost in a romance novel that doesn’t include murder and mayhem, so this was a wonderful surprise that I highly recommend to all readers.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
TK
I live my life by rules – too many fucking rules. But, it’s the only way. I messed up once. I slept with the wrong girl. Never again. The rules are my life, my guide. Until she walks in, and one by one, they all crumble. She doesn’t creep her way in like a worm. No, she soars in, like an eagle, refusing to be ignored and digging her claws into my heart. Leaving me vulnerable, wanting more. Wanting her.
Gracie
Home. Happiness. The words used to mean something. Until that night – over a decade ago. When they were stolen from me and my parents forced us to move. Now, I’m back in Alaska, flying bush planes for Homer Air. And, I’ll fight every step I take until those words are real again. The only problem is the reclusive fisherman whom I can’t stop thinking about, despite us fighting every time I see him.
ABOUT CASSANDRA CRIPPS
We all live in the illusions of our own realities. Cassandra’s reality lies between the quiet bridge of complex and chaotic. A single mother to two amazing boys, graphic artist, industrial sewer, author, avid home gardener, baker, reader, and introvert, her hats are many. A refined goth, she’s obsessed with tattoos, shoes, hair dye, chocolate, metal and hip-hop music, and all things dark and creepy except bugs, those are too creepy. Each of her books contains a piece of her reality. Tiny fragments laced with forbidden romance, defining miniature slices of her truths.
Book Title: Moving Target (Tactical Solutions International) by Maggie Clare Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 225 pages Genre: Romance / Romantic Suspense / Thriller Publisher: Wave Equation Media, LLC Release date: June 2022 Content Rating: R for explicit sex scenes, some violence, language.
“MOVING TARGET is an ideal beach, pool, or plane read. You’ll get so engrossed in the story, which
is equal parts romance and suspense, that you’ll have your tan or be at your destination before you know it!”– 5-Star Review on Amazon!
Book Description:
Teagan Tate has everything he’s ever wanted, but despite his wild success as a musician and his wild popularity with the ladies, he’s lonely. Meaningless hook-ups are getting old. There is one woman he’s interested in, but she won’t give him the time of day.
Maria Ruiz has no time for men like Teag – men with a revolving bedroom door who are too cocky for their own good. Sure, he has the body of a Greek god and a sexy Aussie accent, but as head of security for his band, Maria won’t risk her professional reputation. And as a woman who’s been there and done that, she won’t risk her heart.
Things take a deadly turn when Teag is the sole surviving witness to a cartel murder. Still recovering from his injuries, he’s forced into hiding with his sexy bodyguard. As their feelings grow into something unexpected and wonderful, a ruthless killer continues to hunt Teag.
Maria and Teag must rely on each other to stay out of his crosshairs, or they risk losing each other and their chance at love.
Chris Nancy Brown (Cross Security, #3) Publication date: September 9th 2022 Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Every child has a dream. More often than not, they end up being fairy tales instead of reality, because not everyone can have a happily ever after. But maybe, just maybe if we try hard enough, some of us can have our happy ending.
He was going to be James Bond and she was going to be a supermodel. Those were their childhood dreams.
After a brutal abduction that took place when she was twelve years old, Poppy Jones’ parents whisked her across the world in the hopes of hiding Poppy from her mysterious captor, the man she refers to as Surfer Man. The haunting words he left her with before he let her go were… “You were meant to be mine, but now isn’t the right time.”
Ten years later, Poppy’s dreams become reality on a beach in Spain when she is discovered by one of the top modeling agencies in the world. Unfortunately, when Poppy comes out of hiding, so does her captor. Surfer Man has resurfaced, and he is coming to collect what he believes is his… the girl he let go ten years ago. Poppy’s dream turns into a nightmare as she prepares to run again. That is, until she meets Chris Winters, a man who will do anything to protect her, even from himself.
Chris Winters had only one objective in life… join MI6, become the next James Bond. A goal he achieved at an early age. He had it all: killer good looks, beautiful women, danger, and intrigue. It was working for him until it wasn’t, and the killing machine he had become started to overtake him. Knowing he needed a change; he joins Cross Security and meets Poppy Jones. She’s breathtakingly beautiful, but unfortunately, she’s totally off-limits because she is also the client he has been hired to protect. Poppy is not what Chris expected. Beyond the shroud of darkness that has befallen her, he finds a glimmer of light, a light that is so addictive it threatens his carefully guarded control. Chris has to decide. Does he push Poppy away and keep her alive, or can he have her and risk dire consequences if her distraction proves to be too much?
It’s a deadly game to play. Who will live and who will die?
I watch from the sidelines as they turn the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen into an absolute goddess. The pictures I’ve seen of Poppy Jones online don’t even come close to capturing the stunning beauty I have my eyes locked on right now. There is something about her that goes beyond the physical. She has an innocent air about her. A sweetness that shines through. I haven’t spoken to her yet, but I know my preconceived notions about Poppy Jones are all wrong. She isn’t the spoiled, pampered princess I imagined her to be. That much is clear just from watching her interact with the people around her. She is polite, gracious, and friendly. She almost seems uncomfortable with the fact that everyone in the room is focused solely on her.
She doesn’t know I’m here. We have a meeting set up for later this afternoon. Today she is in a closed studio doing a photo shoot for one of the many lingerie companies that are clamoring for her attention. I don’t need to be here, but I wanted to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the woman everyone is talking about. Sometimes just observing a person when they don’t know you are there can tell you a lot more about them than a face-to-face meeting. I’ve certainly learned that throughout my years with MI6.
Drew Copeland filled me in on Poppy Jones’ background as soon as I returned to London a few weeks ago. Hers is an interesting story, for sure, but I need to talk to her myself. There are a lot of holes that need to be filled in. She will be able to fill in some of the blanks, but she won’t have the answers to the real questions that need to be answered. Questions I have been hired to find answers to. Questions like… who is the guy who took her when she was twelve years old? Why did he take her, and why did he let her go unharmed after less than forty-eight hours? The biggest question, though, is why—ten years later, after getting away with her abduction—is he back? I doubt Poppy Jones can shed light on any of those questions, but I still need to talk to her. I need to get to know her since I’m going to be spending a lot of time with her. We will start that process as soon as she is done with this shoot.
I originally thought this was going to be a babysitting assignment; I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m now taking this job very fucking seriously and I already know I won’t be passing it off to anyone else.
Hours go by and I watch in fascination as Poppy goes through the motions, doing everything the photographer and shoot director ask of her. She doesn’t complain that the lights are too bright or too hot. She doesn’t complain when they put her into backbreaking positions that no normal person should be able to get into. She doesn’t complain when the only sustenance that is offered are a few small sips of water. Instead, she smiles and flirts, keeping the mood light as hours tick by. It is apparent, even from my short observation, that everyone loves working with her.
By the time they are wrapping up, I have a much greater appreciation for the life these models endure. Sure, they get fame and all the money that goes along with it, but the work isn’t as glamorous as people might think. Not to mention all the other, less appealing issues that can arise, hence the need for my services.
“What do you think?” Drew Copeland asks as he steps up beside me and points his chin at the woman on the bed across the room.
“Beautiful,” comes out before I can catch myself.
Author Bio:
Nancy Carolyn Brown is an author of contemporary romance, fond of writing love stories about hunky badass men endowed with massive hearts, and strong heroines with just the right mix of sweet and sass… flaming hot chemistry and thrilling nail biting suspense is always guaranteed!
She loves cosmos and chocolate and a swoony good book with a strong storyline.
She lives in sunny southern Alberta, Canada with her high school sweetheart husband and naughty Bengal cat. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys the simple things in life like spending time with family and friends, reading and running with her favorite playlist blasting in her ears.
Force of Nature Skye Warren & Amelia Wilde Publication date: September 6th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Carter Morelli survived a violent childhood and dangerous missions. After he emergency lands the small aircraft, he faces something even worse: having someone depend on him. Geologis June Porter wants to study rocks. She didn’t plan to be stranded on a deserted island.
They aren’t alone on the island. A man hides among the broad leaves. He’s almost feral, this man. But he provides them shelter and food.
There are secrets in his hidden cabin. Desire, too.
Carter doesn’t want to care about the bookish, beautiful June.
But he doesn’t like this strange man’s interest in her, either.
Simmering chemistry wars with the need for survival.
Will they be found before they give into temptation?
Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance. Her books have sold over one million copies. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.
Amelia Wilde is a USA TODAY bestselling author of steamy contemporary romance and loves it a little too much. She lives in Michigan with her husband and daughters. She spends most of her time typing furiously on an iPad and appreciating the natural splendor of her home state from where she likes it best: inside.
Amelia is a USA Today best selling author from northern Michigan. Be her friend!
I had to share this for the title alone. It cracks me up!!!!!!
I am a sucker for a great cover and it’s usually the first thing that hooks me. I am happy to have Dana Hammer here to share her thoughts of the cover for her latest novel, The Cannibal’s Guide To Fasting.
The Cover — The Cannibal’s Guide to Fasting
First of all, I just want to thank the folks at Cinnabar Moth for putting together such an awesome cover. I myself have never been good at graphic design. To give you some idea of how bad at graphic design I am — I created the programs for my mother’s funeral … and they were vetoed. They were so bad that people simply could not allow them to be used, even at the risk of offending a grieving daughter. So any graphic designer who does a good job is basically a godlike magician in my eyes.
The cover for The Cannibal’s Guide to fasting shows a bunch of pressed wildflowers on the front. Igor, my main character, presses wildflowers as a hobby, and as a distraction from his craving for human meat. In his former life, as a research scientist, he thought botany was a silly hobby, not worthy of serious consideration. Now, he spends his free time pressing, observing, and meticulously labeling the specimens he collects. The pressed wildflowers are a symbol for how his world has changed.
The back cover features a tomato-based beverage. For legal reasons, this beverage does not have a name, but if you read the book, you will likely be able to guess what it is. I was especially pleased with the drink graphic, and I think it turned out beautifully.
The Cannibal’s Guide to Fasting by Dana Hammer
GENRE: Comedic horror
BLURB
Igor Fenenko, a former research scientist, is
a scary, scary man. Not only is he a massive bodybuilder with a spider tattooed
on his face, he has also been infected with Pestis Manducans — viral
cannibalism. Igor tried to resist indulging, but his research specimens smelled
so delicious. Who did it hurt, really, to nibble a corpse?
Caught, disgraced, and sent to a ‘rehabilitation’
center, Igor is now forced to live in a government-mandated Containment Center.
He spends his days pressing wildflowers, growing blueberries, and doing his
best to avoid human meat. More than anything, he wants a cure for the virus
that has ruined his life.
Igor’s brother, Karl, is also infected with Pestis.
But unlike Igor, he does not live in a Containment Center. He lives down by the
river, where he runs a cannibal rights group. At first, the group seems
harmless enough, if a bit creepy and overzealous. But when Igor discovers their
evil practices, he is forced to intervene.
Aided and opposed by rich eccentrics who have their
own agendas, Igor must use brains and muscles to find a cure while fighting the
urge to turn brains and muscles into a delicious lunch.
EXCERPT
Igor’s home is a single-wide trailer in a “community” that
the government has set up for former cannibals. Decent, lawabiding,
non-infected folks do not want man-eaters to live in their neighborhoods, but
they won’t go so far as to demand executions for the infected, and so the
forced cannibal community was born.
For a time, the infected were held in prisons and jails,
until those became too overcrowded, and the state was forced to find other
solutions. Now, the official plan of action is this: identify the cannibals,
send them to a treatment center, and then house them in secure, guarded
communities with their own kind.
Igor’s community is one of the nicer ones. The trailers are
small but clean, and the neighborhood is kept tidy and quiet. Each trailer even
has a small patch of lawn, for residents to use as they please. Igor uses his
for fruit and vegetable gardening. Some other people plant flowers, and some of
them plant nothing at all, but fill their yards with furniture or above-ground
pools.
Other communities aren’t so lucky. Igor is grateful for his
home, despite the security guards who occasionally take their jobs a bit too
seriously. Despite the constant scrutiny of the inspectors, despite the fact
that his ID lists his address as “High Risk Containment Center” and that any
time he has to show that ID to anyone, he gets glares or looks of disgust or
flat refusals of service. He is grateful, because without it, and without a
job, and without anyone willing to take him in, he would likely be homeless.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Dana
Hammer is a novelist, screenwriter and playwright. She has won over forty
awards and honors for her writing, few of which generated income, all of which
were deeply appreciated. She is not a cannibal.
