Tales from the Raven

No, I’m not talking about a hot Russian love interest, nor the latest and most expensive caviar.  I’m speaking of the language, but I think it would be easier to pick up the guy and the fish eggs.
My Russian soon-to-be sister-in-law is joining the family here in America this winter, and we thought it would [...]

The long awaited opinionated non-dictated . . . okay, I’ll stop.  Here’s my list; feel free to share your own insights. 
Pros:
A writing group can be a motivation boost and make you accountable for how much writing you’re getting done.  They cheer for you when success strikes, and understand how even small recognition in the field can be a big [...]

The newest, coolest way to find funky gifts for all those impossible people on your gift list, firebox has every kind of nick-nack or novelty item.  
I found the gadgets and tech toys to be the most fun.  Check out the spinning, flashing mopods that keep you informed of calls, the slim SwissCard, for those of us who hate bulging pockets, [...]

Jill rested the bucket on the stair before her and gasped for breath.  These things were getting seriously heavy, and Mom wasn’t done yet.  She coughed.  The dust in the basement seemed to be sticking to her lungs.
She lifted the handle again and braced herself for the load.
The handle cracked. 
Her hand slipped. 
The bucket tilted, spilled.  The [...]

Impecunious >adj. having little of no money: a titled but impecunious family. 
Onomatopeic >n. the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., cuckoo, sizzle).
–the use of such words for rhetorical effect.
Winnow >v. 1 blow a current of air through (grain) in order to remove the chaff.
–remove (chaff) from grain: women [...]

10 – You start planning you Black Friday route in April.
9 – You walk out of stores with bags in your hands and no recollection of how they got there.
8 – You put your family to bed, then creep into the office to shop online.
7 – Your ebay buyer rating is Red Shooting Star.
6 – You have a pair of shoes [...]

Last year we were building our house and not keen about having Thanksgiving in our itsy bitsy apartment, so we bought last minute tickets and took a cruise with Royal Caribbean. 
Sounds fun, right?  Well . . .
*Warning: Rant Alert*
We stayed in one of the smaller cabins, deep in the bowels of the ship, and our kids were [...]

Most writers and writing instructors agree that we should learn from the masters. Study the greats of our genre, and throw in some Chaucer, Shakespeare, Kipling, and Twain for good measure.
But what about Michaelangelo?  Mozart?  Da Vinci?  Not only can the masters of other, non-writing fields prove a fabulous source of inspiration, as Dan Brown [...]

The film adaptation of Douglas Adam’s classic and humorous sci fi novel, featuring Martin Freeman as the harrassed Arthur Dent, Mos Def as cool customer Ford Prefect, Zooey Deschanel as the brilliant and beautiful Trillian, and Sam Rockwell as the one and only Zaphod Beeblebrox.
Pros: The screen adaptation remains true to the principal characters’ personalities (dual for [...]

This morning, five minutes after I’m supposed to have taken the kids to school, the fridge had an emotional collapse.  Maybe it was the thought of all those Thanksgiving leftovers.  Maybe it just felt under-appreciated.  Whatever the cause, it decided that was a good time to drop a shelf–the one holding the milk jug, of [...]