FSF Challenge - Human

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Human

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Shameless plug section!

The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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Putting some real-life experiences to work here on FSF... 

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A Sign Of The Times

     One after another, they passed by, briefcase in hand, on their way to work in the Emerald City of corporate and government offices that covered blocks of the city center, never giving so much as a glance to what surrounded them along their journey. Bernie knew those people, if not personally, at least in spirit , for he was once one of them, on his way up the ladder to bigger and better things. He held a sign that said, "Please help," but was about toss it in the trash for all the good it did when one man, seemingly no different than a hundred others who had passed, stopped in front of him. Their eyes met as he pulled a couple of dollar bills from his pocket and put them in his cup. There were no words spoken between them, and none were needed, for they both understood so much more than they wanted to know. 

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Image "Homeless Man" courtesy of Mantas Ruzveltas FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

New Short Story Submission - Dance

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I have just submitted a new horror short story for consideration in an anthology to be published by World Weaver Press. The anthologist, Rhonda Parrish, has published before, so we'll see how this goes. They had a deadline of 11/30/2013, so I submitted just in the nick of time.

It's another fairy story, but unlike my story The Fisherman and His Wife that I hope will SOMEDAY be published by Fringeworks, this is a bit darker. It's not that I have a thing for fairy stories, it just happened to work out that way...

Until I hear further on my submissions, there are always these to read!

A Tinker's Damn  ( sort of dieselpunk flash fiction  )

Going Home  ( Werewolf  )

A Matter of Personal Taste  ( Mummy  ) 

Please stop by and give them (and the other stories) a read!

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The horror anthology, Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition  by Burial Day Books, includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack. Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Big Gunpowder River

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I promised a while back to put up a few pictures from the the Big Gunpowder River area, and so I shall. Right now, in fact. Not only one, but three of them!

This first shot is just to give an idea of what the river looks like for those who may have never seen the river. This would include most of the population of your irrelevant little planet. Did I say too much? Just ignore that last remark...

This area used to be populated with a number of small farms before about 1900, and there are quite a few old foundations and walls throughout the valley. The following photo is from an old foundation I pass by on one of the trails. It might make a nice texture image or background. The stones are weathered and quite covered with greenish-gray lichen and moss.

And I can't possibly pass up the chance to post a picture of some fungi. As a horror writer, anything that feeds off of the dead is fair game. Instead of tree mushrooms, perhaps they should be called tree ghouls. In addition, they can be quite interesting with the various colors and patterns they display.

No, I don't know which mushrooms are safe to eat, but I've heard they're often found in small cans or shrink-wrapped packages. I haven't run into any of those yet during my hikes.

Feel free to use the images, or any part thereof, as is or modified, so long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that (in order as they are displayed):

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Image "BIG_GP_RIVER_9238.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

Image "ROCK_WALL_9298.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

Image "TREE_MUSHROOM_9298.JPG" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

I Gotsta Get Paid (My First Paycheck As An Author)

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I know a lot of beginning writers are out there sending their work off to some e-mail address to people they've never seen hoping their work will be published. And if any compensation was promised, hoping they'll actually get paid.

Well, Burial Day Books kept their word, so I thought I'd let any aspiring authors out there know. They published my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack, in their anthology Gothic Blue Book III. It's just as important to mention the publishers who help us out as it is to promote our work.

@Thee_Undertaker So if anyone asks if Burial Day Books pays, here's the proof. And fairly fast, too! Thanks again! pic.twitter.com/xynbPa9ah5
— K R Smith (@WOKRSmith) November 22, 2013

@WOKRSmith @Thee_Undertaker You made our night! Thank YOU!
— Burial Day Books (@BurialDayBooks) November 22, 2013

I'm supposed to be smiling in that picture, but it looks more like I'm constipated. I really am smiling. Hey, I'm a writer, not an actor...

@WOKRSmith @Thee_Undertaker The books are on their way!
— Cina Pelayo (@cinapelayo) November 22, 2013

The books are part of the payment, too.

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The horror anthology,
Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition by Burial Day Books,
includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack.

Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Pieces

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Pieces

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The horror anthology,
Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition by Burial Day Books,
includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack.

Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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This one's dark and short. I've been trying to cut the length on some of my stories. I've always been envious of those who can do these challenges in just a few words.

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Special Delivery

     The flash lasted but for a split-second, the sound barely longer. Now only smoke lingered as a reminder of their brief existence. Those still standing wandered about in shocked silence. The unfortunate ones, their lives as shattered as the glass that shredded their bodies, were scattered among the debris. It was a message, but no one understood its meaning or knew the intended recipient.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Dragons!

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Every now and then, a writer needs to get away from the computer (or pad and pencil) and get out into the real world. It refreshes the mind and provides a bit more exercise than sitting at a desk. So, off into the nearby woodlands of the Big Gunpowder River I went, hiking up the hills and breathing in the crisp autumn air. But wouldn't you know it, there must have been some fantasy writers nearby because I was overrun by dragons. Huge, man-eating, fire-breathing dragons! And here I was without my sword. My mother always warned me about that.

Okay, perhaps they weren't quite so fearsome as I've made them sound, but they were, nonetheless, very interesting. I think the first one is an Eastern Red-backed Salamander even though it doesn't have a lot of red on the back. I thought it might be a Northern Dusky, but it didn't have the ridged tail, so I'll stick with the Eastern Red-backed variety. But don't quote me on that—I'm not an expert. I don't even play one on TV.

I think this next one is a Northern Slimy salamander. No offense, little fellow. I wasn't the one that named you.

There were a few other photos I took along my way that will eventually make there way here as a weekly photo. Some might even be useful as backgrounds or book covers. But if you plan to take any hikes along the Gunpowder, don't forget your sword! There are dragons out there!

Feel free to use the images, or any part thereof, as is or modified, so long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "ERB_or_ND.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

Image "Northern_Slimy.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com - may be used with attribution

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Letters

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Letters

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Gothic Blue Book III - Graveyard Edition by Burial Day Books

Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

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Veterans' Day was just a few days ago, and I wanted to write something for this, but couldn't come up with anything meaningful. Then Lillie's serendipitous prompt provided the way. It's not exactly fiction; it is based upon the events of my father's life.

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Man of Letters

     He never quite completed his education in the normal way; indeed, he was graduated early from high school so that he could begin basic training. It was his first time away from the small mountain town where he was born, the Army sending him first to Georgia and then to California, and once deemed ready to fight, directly into the Ardennes offensive—what most would come to know as the Battle of the Bulge. There was little chance for direct communications with those back home, but there was the mail, irregular and unreliable as it was from the battlefields of Europe. As the dark shroud of war covered the world, those brief notes were the only tangible evidence he still existed to friends and family. Despite his poor spelling, and having never attended a single day of college, he became a man of letters. 

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

News: Gothic Blue Book III and Burial Day Books

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I have a little bit of news on Gothic Blue Book III and Burial Day Books. These are from Twitter:

Great news! We now have extended distribution of our Gothic Blue Books! As soon as we get a list of stores and libraries we will post them.
— Burial Day Books (@BurialDayBooks) November 13, 2013

It will be interesting to see where they end up. My poem in a real bookstore...maybe. Hard to imagine.

A great mention for @burialdaybooks GOTHIC BLUE BOOK III: THE GRAVEYARD EDITION ! -- Indie Spotlight http://t.co/bHMteUW3Py
— Burial Day Books (@BurialDayBooks) November 13, 2013

The Daily Dead. Not exactly The New Yorker, but I'll take it! You haven't lived until you're in the Daily Dead. To find the part about Gothic Blue Book III you have to scroll down a ways, but it's there.

Thanks to our friends at @horrorsociety! The Gothic Blue Book III – The Graveyard Edition http://t.co/UeXKVZ43jY
— Burial Day Books (@BurialDayBooks) November 13, 2013

And finally, the Horror Society. They were good enough to list the authors, including me!

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Gothic Blue Book III Available In Paperback Edition

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Gothic Blue Book III from Burial Day Books is now available from Amazon (Paperback edition)!

Now I can see my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack, in print! 

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Gothic Blue Book III #horror anthology now available in paperback! http://t.co/7BeayPEGLj
— K R Smith (@WOKRSmith) November 13, 2013

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It's a little less than the planned price at $6.65.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - The Fungus Among Us

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I may be a little early with this week's image, but that's alright since I won't have to worry about it later. This is another photo taken along the Little Gunpowder a while back. I liked the blue and green bands in the fungus that was covering the side of a fallen tree. This might make an interesting background image for a project. Size 1200 x 800.

Feel free to use the image, or any part thereof, as is or modified, so long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "BLUE-GREEN_FUNGI.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Dancing

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Dancing

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First of all, just a subtle hint. You really need to buy this book. It's titled Gothic Blue Book III by Burial Day Books. It's available on Amazon.

It has a poem in it that I wrote (along with other stuff, I'm sure) called The Ballad of Drunken Jack. It's about a ne'er-do-well who fails to understand the proper way to treat a young lady. She, however, gets the point across in the end.

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This week's entry, which is a bit on the romantic side, is dedicated to Bethanne Strasser, my romance novelist blogger-buddy who has a new book coming out soon, and to Mary, the red-haired girl I knew so many years ago.

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Dance Hall

     Sandra stood silently by the door with the other girls who were talking about the boys that had asked them out. She tried not to let the hurt show through her feigned indifference; she was the girl who was never asked, never had any stories to tell, and always felt awkward with her blaze of hair, blotchy face, and crooked teeth. Mark paced along the other side of the hall, fidgeting with his backpack while watching a girl that seemed so beautifully different; she had soft, coppery curls that flowed so naturally around a face flecked with orange, and a slightly twisted tooth that made her lip stick out just enough to be cute. He waited until most of the others had started back to class before walking over and saying, "I—I was wondering if you'd like to go to the prom." Though the event was still some weeks away, with the reply of an imperfect smile, their hearts were already dancing.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Sunset

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This is a photo taken with an old Kodak digital camera some years back of the clouds at sunset. It was taken in eastern Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. It's not a super-high resolution image - only 800 x 600.

Feel free to use the picture as long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "BC_SUNSET.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Erased

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Erased

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A dark story, perhaps appropriate for the times...

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Manual Deletion

     To most, he was just another face in the crowd until he disappeared one night. After that, his name was spoken everywhere, but only in the hushed tones of frightened people who were now his followers, followers of a man most had never seen and never would. There was no explanation coming from the government, and none brave enough to ask, but those in power were unwilling to risk that someone might. They ordered the electronic commands issued that would traverse every network, invade every system, remove any connection to those who knew him, and delete every record of his existence. Slowly, the man who was just another face in the crowd became the man without a face at all.

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This comment came in via Twitter - not sure why the comments weren't working at the time, so I'll post it here:

@WOKRSmith For some reason I can't comment on your blog. But, I wanted to say how spectacular your FSF is this week! Love it!
— FSF (@5SentenceFic) November 6, 2013

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Gothic Blue Book III Available

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Gothic Blue Book III from Burial Day Books is now available from Amazon (Kindle edition)! 

Gothic Blue Book III,
Edited by Cynthia Pelayo

I'm rather excited about this since it contains my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack!

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Authors and their works in this issue:

Meg Belviso              MUST LOVE CHILDREN AND CATS 
Die Booth                THE GHOST BRIDE 
Melissa J. Davies        EZABELL FROWNED

Lance Davis              THE VIEWING 
Nicole DeGennaro         THE KEEPER 
Mathias Jansson          DEAR MADAME INSANE

K. Trap Jones            THE BASEMENT 
Michael Kellar           THAT WHICH REMAINS 
Edward J. McFadden III   SINS OF OUR MOTHER

Jessica McHugh           AUNTIE GRAVE 
Georgina Morales         A DIARY OF MADNESS 
Cortney Philip           DIARY OF A DOOR MOUSE

Jennifer A. Smith        AND ALL THE TRIMMINGS 
K. R. Smith              THE BALLAD OF DRUNKEN JACK 
Peter Adam Salomon       THE QUESTIONER’S APPRENTICE

Jay Wilburn              REST 

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I guess I'm going to have to set up an Amazon author's page now! The Kindle edition is only $0.99. The printed book will be about $7.00, and should be out soon.

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Determination

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Determination

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This is Part II of a Five Sentence Fiction story I wrote some time ago called Wardrobe Malfunction. It was based on a dieselpunk/steampunk story from another FSF writer, Rogue Tinker. And by continuing the story, I get to use the word dieselpunk again which, for some reason, always excites me.

When we last left our heroine, she was trapped on the side of an enormous analog computational engine that controlled the city's entire infrastructure, with part of her goggles jamming the works...

Yes, I know that's happened to all of us at one time or another, so I'll try to come up with something more original in the future.

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Escape

(or Wardrobe Malfunction, Part II)

     Her muscles were beginning to quiver, exhausted from clinging to the side of the enormous mechanical beast that governed the city's workings, but she was determined not to have her life end splattered on the ground below—or worse—pureed among the pinions. Unable to move the top of her body because of the goggle strap jamming the mechanism, Ysabelle slowly raised her foot closer to where her right hand had a tenuous grip on the oily metal. With her foot finally resting on the metal bar beside her fingers, she pulled a small knife from her boot before wedging her leg into the framework for support, and then delicately sliced the leather to free herself. Once again able to maneuver, she used the blade to extricate the strap end out of the cogs, and the myriad of gears resumed their rotation, as did, unfortunately, the entire section of clockwork on which she was perched. Although Ysabelle was hiding the fact that she was a young woman from those who thought her occupation to be the soul domain of men, few in the crowd that had gathered to observe the spectacle would have suspected even if they had been within earshot, for the next words she uttered were most assuredly unladylike.

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Image courtesy of Lillie McFerrin's FSF website / Lillie McFerrin Writes

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Bumble Bee On Sedum

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I took this a couple of years ago on flowers I'd planted around the house using a Canon SD850 on macro setting.

Bumble bee on sedum

Feel free to use the picture as long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "Bumble_Bee_On_Sedum.jpg" ©2013 K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Malice

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This week's writing challenge from Five Sentence Fiction ( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:  Malice

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I had to have a little fun with this one....

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Communications Breakdown

     "To help everyone understand all of the new words we've learned, we're going to play a little game," the teacher said, "where everyone gets to tell me something about those words. We'll start by describing something you might experience from malice."
     The teacher called on each young student as she went around the room, all of them describing in great detail some dark scenario, until she noticed a girl in the back nearly in tears. When questioned, she asked, "Why does everyone hate me?"
     The confused teacher put her arm around the child and said, "We don't hate you, Alice!"

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Image "Girl Crying In Mothers Arm" courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - White Heath Aster

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I snapped this cute flower along the banks of the Little Gunpowder River.

Feel free to use the picture as long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

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Image "White_Heath_Aster.jpg" courtesy of K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Flash Fiction - A Tinker's Damn

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My flash fiction story, A Tinker's Damn, is now available on the latest issue of The Were-Traveler webzine. It's just a story about a fellow and his hobby.

It's a sort of dieselpunk* / steampunk horror.

The other two stories I have on the site are:

Going Home  ( It's tough finding out you're a werewolf )

A Matter of Personal Taste  ( My mummy always told me not to play with my food ) 

Please stop by and give them (and the other stories) a read!

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* You just know if I have a chance to use the word dieselpunk anywhere, I'm going to do it...

Image "Spider" courtesy of bejim / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Free Photo - Clouds

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It's been a while since I posted a weekly photo, so I figured I'd better put one out here. This week's photo is of the sun behind the clouds. I took this while stuck in a traffic jam during the ride home from work a few weeks back.

Feel free to use the picture as long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

Image "Clouds_7_2013_M.jpg" courtesy of K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

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© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved