Category Archives: bestiary

How to Identify Ents

In Tolkien’s books, young or youngish ents are mentioned. Where I live, though, the ents are obviously a later stage in the life of trees. You only find them in a mature forest that is not well manicured. An ent-woods … Continue reading

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In which five people outwit one bird

I’ve remarked before that the way to see owls is to go out without either binoculars or camera.  Ignoring my own advice, my friend Elaine Bergstrom and I went out to Seminary Woods, fully armed with cameras, to listen to … Continue reading

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Creatures from the Black Lagoon*

* This is not a paid promotional announcement One of my favorite places to visit is Wakulla Springs, where The Creature From the Black Lagoon was filmed. I’m more interested in the other creatures in the black lagoon, and this … Continue reading

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You too can get these results

Double Dragon took care of creating the covers for my novels, but I was on my own when it came to reissuing Kindling on Smashwords. Needless to say, I am not a professional artist. What my studio lacks in equipment, … Continue reading

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New Publication – A Royal Academy holiday story

Merry Christmas and Happy Kindling! Kindling, an 11,000-word Royal Academy novella, is now available on Smashwords for only $0.99. See what happens when you mix  the Demonology Department’s self-appointed curmudgeon, a banshee, a dragon, and the world’s messiest, most dangerous … Continue reading

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Poetry Friday

My mother would never even let us make fun of the dog. I think she was affected in her youth by this poem, which is in one of the few books I have from her childhood. It had been so … Continue reading

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Wol

The best way to see owls is to go out without binoculars or camera. Well, not precisely — the best way to see owls is to go out without those things, having forgotten that going out without them is the … Continue reading

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Poetry Friday

This is the first substantial poem I ever memorized, and still one of my favorites. And now I have actually observed the Gnu! G stands for gnu, Whose weapons of defense Are long, sharp, curling horns, and common sense. To … Continue reading

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Sex and the Single Duck

Someone asked me yesterday why Rho, the protagonist of Advice From Pigeons,  studies incubi in ducks. Actually, Rho studies incubi in ducks because it is the hot topic in his field. Like a good PI, I steered my character toward … Continue reading

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Mystery bone

In real life, I found this on the Texas gulf coast – both disarticulated (isn’t it elegant?) and as parts of carcasses. So, whose bone is it and how did you tell? Give it your best shot.  I’m interested in … Continue reading

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