New Short Story – Just in time for the holidays

12 Saturday Dec 2020

Posted by dtkrippene in Love of Reading, New Book

Tags

Animal Stories, Anthology, Holiday Reading

My story, “Man’s Best Friend”, is a humorous take on how earth changed after its former inhabitants return fifty-thousand years later.

***************

The award-winning “Sweet, Funny, and Strange” series of anthologies from the Bethlehem Writers Group, continues with this collection of twenty-five tales about real, legendary, or imaginary animals. From snakes to ducks to unicorns, there are tales here to match any mood, provide a chuckle, or warm a heart in our latest anthology, Fur, Feathers, and Scales.

This eclectic assemblage of stories includes terrific tales from beloved BWG authors including Courtney Annicchiarico, Jeff Baird, Jodi Bogert, Marianne H. Donley, DT Krippene, Emily P. W. Murphy, Christopher D. Ochs, Dianna Sinovic, Kidd Wadsworth, Paul Weidknecht, Carol L. Wright, and Will Wright.

Among our tales, Peter Barbour recounts a legend in “Why Bats Live in Caves,” Jerome W. McFadden asks the question of what animal to choose to be in “Recycled,” A. E. Decker shares an appreciation of cephalopods in “Tipping Point,” Ralph Hieb imagines an unconventional pet in “Buttons,” andDiane Sismour, in “Critter,” reveals that mules are not the only equines that can have a stubborn streak.

In addition, we are happy to present the winning stories from the 2019 and 2020 Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Awards. Angela Albertson, our 2019 winner, shares her heartfelt “Oranges and Roses,” and our 2020 winner, Brett Wolff, gives us a good laugh in “Hubbard Has a Fancy Bra.”

So cuddle up with your favorite pet-real or imaginary. No matter. You’ll find just the right story to share. Available from Amazon Books.

Fur, Feathers, and Scales: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales (A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology) – Kindle edition by Group, Bethlehem Writers, Donley, Marianne H., Wright, Carol L.. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Portable Magic

30 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by dtkrippene in Love of Reading

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Love of Reading, Reading, Writing

Boy Reading theflickerees.deviantart_com

Autumn’s Shade – theflickerees.deviantart.com

As a writer, it’s a requirement to keep one’s skills honed. To quote a master of modern fiction, Stephen King, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. Simple as that.”

My reading stack is mountainous. Books I want to read, books others want me to read, books fellow authors want me to beta-read, and books my wife wants me to read, which deserves a separate category since it’s usually non-fiction (insert gag reflex). I don’t hate non-fiction, mind you, it just isn’t on my priority list. Unless it’s research for a novel, or a good science article, the real stuff bores me fast.

To quote Mr. King again, “Reading a good long novel is in many ways like having a long and satisfying affair“. Given the occasional stink eye I get from my wife, one wonders if she views my writing muse as the other woman in that satisfying affair. I don’t know what she’s worried about since it’s all in my head.

Do you see the boy in the graphic above wearing glasses by a window on a rainy night? That was me. I was a middle child of seven, geekish, card-carrying four-eyes by age ten, preferred loner – you get the drill. My second home was the library in small town Wisconsin. That’s where it all started.

Continue reading →

Disassembling a Fairy Tale with Charles Kiernan

26 Monday May 2014

Posted by dtkrippene in Guest Blog, Love of Reading

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Aponte Literary, Books, Charles Kiernan, Folklore, Grimms Fairy Tales, LehighValley Storytelling Guild, National Storytelling Network, National Youth Storytelling Showcase, Storytelling, The Goose Girl

Illustration by Heinrich Vogeler – Wikipedia

When was the last time you read, or heard someone read, a real fairy tale? Did you know the Brothers Grimm printed over 200 stories, but most of us are aware of only a handful? Centuries ago, fables were told by word of mouth, perpetuated by folks who couldn’t read, or couldn’t afford a printed version. When the Brothers Grimm collected and published popular folklore in the nineteenth-century, it opened a completely new door to literary romanticism in Europe.

Fellow Aponte Literary author, Charles Kiernan, is one of those rare talents that can hold an audience captivated with his storytelling, no matter how many times you’ve heard the tale. It isn’t just the words, it’s how it’s told. I had the privilege last month of listening to Charles dissect the elements of a traditional fairy tale. He was kind enough to share this knowledge on Searching for Light in the Darkness.

And yes, his resemblance to Mark Twain is uncannily accurate.

*****

Continue reading →

Ms. Hushbequiet No Longer Lives Here

14 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by dtkrippene in Future Trends, Love of Reading

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

BiblioTech, Future of Books, Information Commons Area, Libraries of the Future, Little Free Library, Local Libraries, Lori Nix, Lower Macungie Library, National Library Week, New Canaan Library, public libraries, The New Community Center

From: pkchai DepositPhoto.com

Who remembers the horn-rimmed spinster with the arctic scowl and tummy-curdling hush at public libraries of old? Removing a book from the reference section got you two to five. The libraries of my youth were colonnaded stone and brick edifices with many corners for a kid to hide. Libraries had significance in a time when books cost more than some folks made in a week, and everything was free with the coveted library card. The universal alibi for teens when asked where they’ve been: “I was at the library”. More than just a place, it was an adventure, a journey, an opportunity to peek over a weighty tome to see if Margie at the other table, noticed me.

Continue reading →