A great post from Bob, highlighting how social concepts change over generations with the advent of better living standards and innovation. “The Bed-Time Book, written by Helen Hay and illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith. Photo by Plum Leaves,  CC BY 2.0  via  Flickr  (unedited) Do you like to read in bed? I do. Most of the time, I only read a few pages before nodding off. Usually my wife comes to bed after I do and turns out the light, and I usually wake up just enough to mark my place and put the book aside. Pretty harmless, huh? It wouldn’t have been thought so at one time. I recently came across a blog on the  evils of reading in bed , by Kristen Wardowski, who posts some great stuff about books, reading and writing. She, in turn points to an   article  in  The Atlantic  by Nika Mavrody. The gist of both posts is that there were two dangers, one very real and one feared. The very real danger had to do with how people were...

A short story by Elizabeth Newton  Originaly published on http://elizabethnnewton.com/2015/07/01/the-vineyard/ Elizabeth Newton has (so far), published two amazing books. 'Riddle' a twisted and interwoven story about murder, betrayal and revenge in a small town. The second is ' View from the Sixth Floor: An Oswald Tale'  which is a story of “what-if's?" What if the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 was a conspiracy? What if accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was innocent? What if....Below is one of Elisabeth's short stories, it may just give you reason to take a look at her books.  The Vineyard   My family has been producing one of the finest wines from the Carmargue region for several generations. Although we are a very small vineyard many have said our grapes are the sweetest and our wine has an indefinable “something”. Of course the distinctive color known as “grey of grey” contributes to the uniqueness of...

As you will no doubt see by the few posts on this blog (and the fact that there are far between) is because I am keeping the standards here very strict. Only those blogs which I find exceptional will appear here. I have known 'Rusty Rimes' as an internet 'friend' for some time. So it is with much pleasure I am posting this one today. I hope you enjoy watching and listening to Rusty's wonderful poem as much as I. You can 'follow' Rusty Rimes' on you tube http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC7V50kyG75PNtzIgVji7TA

    I have just finished reading a novel.    I shall not reveal which, or who the author was, because I shall be telling of a certain dislike within the pages of that book. I will say that this was the first book of hers that I have read and overall I quite enjoyed the story. But there was one thing that really annoyed me, and that ‘thing’ has taken the shine off a pretty good read.     I shall reveal what that ‘one thing’ was a little later, because firstly I need to explain the premise of this Rambling. As you will know I am a writer, and like most writers I like to read. I like to read good stories, be it a short story, a novella, or a full blown heavyweight novel. What I find most enjoyable is a book that speaks to me, a story with a captivating voice. I am not talking about audio-books, I am speaking of the written word. You may then ask, how can a book talk? So I shall, in my bumbling, haphazard way endeavour to explain. Wh...

This is a Blog I follow on WordPress  by   Peter Wells  in his blog called CountingDucks.  https://countingducks.wordpress.com I Had entered the winner’s circle: wealth, travel and: ( check,check,check. ) women:  mine and any one else’s I could charm. I could walk into any restaurant and they would say, “On us sir” and I would nod, because modesty is part of the package. I was a known speaker, whose financial visions had been aired on television. I had children by more than two women, all of them cherished and nurtured because that’s what civilised people do. My money was my own to spend in my lifetime, but my children could inherit my insights to light their future, and trust in their own abilities. All, well and good. Pat on the back for the big man, and mine’s a large one. Oh yes, I could  ” Hang out”  with the crowd and sniff a line of something: drink without regard to safety and spread the ...

    I have to post this story by Squid McFinnigan  on BRILLIANT BLOGS because it is so intriguing, but then I really shouldn't be that surprised as Squid writes so many wonderful, haunting and enchanting tales.     If you enjoy reading short stories and flash fiction then Squid is one of those writers you need to add to your reading list.   http://squidmcfinnigan.blogspot.co.uk/  We all have our treasures, things we’d dash into a burning building to rescue. If you were to ask Sam what his most treasured possession was he, would delve a hand into his pocket and produce a silver iPhone5S. He had queued for a full twenty four hours to make sure he got his phone on the day it was launched. His whole life was contained in it and he had not been parted from the phone for as much as a second since he bought it. When Sam was a teenager he knew he was destined to become a great actor. In high school he took the male lead in every p...