A Meeting With Stephen King

https://www.longandshortreviews.com/miscellaneous-musings/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-for-april-29-2026/

Since this is a writing blog, let's keep this in the writing realm. I think I'd like to meet Stephen King. He is one of my Big Three writing influences along with Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. Unlike Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft, he is still alive. He seems reasonably approachable. He doesn't appear to think of himself as a Big Star, just as a guy who got lucky by being in the right place at the right time. 

The reason I say I think I'd like to meet Mr. King rather than giving a full, enthusiastic thumbs-up to the idea is because there's something bittersweet about meeting one's heroes, even when said heroes are 100% decent. The inner summer child for whom hope springs eternal can't help but imagine becoming friends with her heroes, and that simply isn't going to happen. 

I reckon that a meeting with Stephen King would go something like this.

"Mr. King..."

"Please call me Steve."

"Steve, I've been reading your books since I was thirteen years old. You corrupted me in all the right ways and made me want to be a writer too. I live in a remote rural area and listened to the Dark Tower series whenever I had to drive into the city for something for several years. I was so bummed when it ended. I have a lot to thank you for."

"Well, I want to thank you. Without readers like you, I'd probably still be teaching high school. Good luck with your writing!"

Then it would be time for him to greet the next fan and I'd be ushered off to my seat to wait for his lecture or what have you.

I know because this is how it has gone whenever I've had a chance to meet celebrities in the past. Chris Isaak and his drummer Kenney Dale Johnson are great guys. Chuck D of Public Enemy is a great guy. Who knows, if they had time to get to know me, they might think I was kind of cool in a weird, offbeat way. Things don't usually end up going down like that, though. Musicians and writers are extremely busy. They don't have time to sit down and make friends with random fans.

I still appreciate Stephen King for providing me plenty of terrifying and thought-provoking stories to inspire my already warped imagination, though.  

 

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Anyone else find the days blurring together?

 Good Morning to you! 

My life has gotten so intensely busy I must apologize for being late to post this morning. I imagine many of you are feeling the pressure as well. So many hats to wear, eh!

Well, on the bright side, I'm getting lots done! It's been the busiest April ever and I think May is shaping up to be the same. But isn't it heartwarming to feel spring in the air!

The birds have returned to our part of the world just recently! I heard the geese go over this morning and it was very heartwarming.

So, what can I share with y'all today? How about a poem I wrote recently for the book, Lament for the Dead.

The Rowan and the Reach

(written by the character in one of my books, Holt MacGregor, for Adaira Sutherland.)

 

The stars are voyagers, cold and far, 

They heed not the cry nor the bleeding scar. 

But here on the dirt, where the shadows creep, 

Is a vow that a MacGregor is sworn to keep.

 

I saw you by water, a spirit of light, 

A Rowan-sprite born in the teeth of the night. 

The book is a ghost of a land gone grey, 

But you are the sun of a brand-new day.

 

Think not of the steel or the bluff of the knave, 

For I’d trade every name for the life that you save. 

My heart is the mortar, my soul is the stone, 

I’ll build you a kingdom to call your own.

 

 Until next month, I bid you a fond adieux. 

January Bain/Storyteller

Read Eury The Greek by Steven A Coulter #NewRelease #MMRomance #DarkRomance

  

Eury The Greek

Key Words: 

MM Romance, Dark Romance, LGBTQ, Gay Romance, Forced Proximity, New Adult

Synopsis:

BOUND BY BLOOD, DIVIDED BY FATE

Separated as children by a bitter divorce, identical twins Procles and Eurysthenes have lived radically different lives. Proc, a handsome, confident teenage boxing champion, enjoys a life of privilege in Connecticut.

In contrast, Eury struggles for survival in San Francisco in a world that seems determined to break him, marked by relentless bullying, sexual exploitation, and gang violence.

When tragedy unexpectedly reunites them, Eury is humiliated when his brother discovers his reality. Proc vows revenge upon seeing his brother being victimized by a drug gang, their own mother and thugs at school, including a pay-per-view website featuring videos of Eury’s abuse. Proc fights for justice and to reclaim the brother nearly lost.

Can Eury conquer the darkness and summon the strength to recover, buoyed by his brother’s love and the surprise interest of a best friend?

Triggers: Rape, Sexual Exploitation, Drug Addiction, Humiliation, Bullying, Prostitution, Violence, Hunger

Get It Now:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Eury-Greek-Bound-Blood-Divided-ebook/dp/B0GR2DQ95N

Free Sample

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/eiqyu16smy

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Who am I?

Steve writes speculative fiction. He explores issues of consequence embedded in fast-paced adventure, exotic settings, nasty bad guys, reluctant heroes, and the audacity of love. His work is enriched by his varied careers – soldier, teacher, journalist, state legislator, corporate executive, and library commissioner. He has a BA and MA in Journalism and was a Lambda Literary Fellow in 2008 and 2013, later spending two years on the Board. He lives in San Francisco with his husband, Greg. They favor bittersweet chocolate.

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Join My ARC Team here

ROCK STEADY COWBOY by Lexi Post available for preorder!

  

ROCK STEADY COWBOY 

(Rocky Road Ranch: Book 5) 

by Lexi Post 

is available for preorder!

He's looking for a future. She's still running from the past.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA 

Kit Ford is ready for a fresh start when she takes the job as manager of the shooting range at Rocky Road Ranch. With a scarred face, missing fingers, and a career as a biathlete ended by a jealous woman, she's not looking for love. When a handsome cowboy is assigned to show her around town, she makes one thing clear: friendship only.

Nash Goodman wants what he's never had—a family. But every time he gets close to a woman, he ends up friend-zoned. When Kit shuts him down before he even tries, it's the final straw. Done with small-town possibilities, Nash ignores his attraction to her and takes his chances with an online matchmaking service for cowboys.

Kit told herself she didn't want more. But the longer she's around Nash, the harder it becomes to believe her own rules. She wants him—in her bed, in her life, in ways she swore she'd never risk.

Now she has to decide: keep hiding behind walls she built to survive, or fight for the man she's about to lose to someone ready to give him everything.

Releasing May 5th.

Catch up on the whole series here.

About Lexi:

Lexi Post is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of romance inspired by the classics. She spent years in higher education taking and teaching courses about the classical literature she loved. From Edgar Allan Poe's short story “The Masque of the Red Death” to Tolstoy’s War and Peace, she's read, studied, and taught wonderful classics.

But Lexi's first love is romance novels so she married her two first loves, romance and the classics. Whether it’s sizzling cowboys, dashing dukes, hot immortals, or hunks from out of this world, Lexi provides a sensuous experience with a “whole lotta story.”

Lexi is living her own happily ever after with her husband and her two cats in Florida. She makes her own ice cream every weekend, loves bright colors, and you’ll never see her without a hat.

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Read The Heron Prince by Kim Alexander #Fantasy #Adventure #EpicFantasy

  

The Heron Prince

(The Demon Door Book 2)

Synopsis

The Demon Door can be opened...but the price is deadly.

Prince Rhuun has found acceptance among the humans on Mistra, something he could never have in the demon realm of Eriis, not even as heir to its throne. What's more, he has even found love with the prickly, passionate heiress, Lelet va'Everly.

The idyll can't last. The prince has enemies who are after more than his throne. They are out for his blood…which holds the key to unsealing The Door between the two worlds, and the demons want in. When Rhuun is lured into a trap on Eriis, Lelet has no choice but to turn to a motley group of exiles, children, and madmen to help save him.

Lelet soon discovers that, like all things, rescuing the prince comes with a price. The secrets in Rhuun's blood may be worth killing for, but are they worth dying for?

More Info: https://books2read.com/HeronPrince
Buy Direct: https://kimalexanderonline.com/wp/product/the-heron-prince-4/

What are the other books in the series?

The Sand Prince

Two worlds. 

Bound by magic. 

Divided by a Door. 

On the barren, war-ravaged demon world of Eriis, the fierce queen Hellne fights to keep her people alive and her son Rhuun's heritage a secret. 

On the green and gentle human world of Mistra, demons have faded into myth. Only a handful of old men and fanatical children still guard The Door between the worlds. Different and shunned by his demon kin, Rhuun finds refuge in a book that tells of a human world of water and wonder. 

Forced by his mother's enemies to flee Eriis, he finds himself trapped on the other side of The Door in the very place he has read and dreamed about—Mistra. Chained to the deadly whims of a child who guards The Door, Rhuun must balance serving and surviving, even at the risk of exposing his true identity. 

Riskiest of all is his task of kidnapping an infuriating young woman who is about to find out that the demons of Eriis are much, much more than just an old bedtime story.

Check It Out: https://books2read.com/HeronPrince

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The Glass Girl

Love opens all doors…but betrayal locks them forever.


Newly blessed (or cursed) with wings and fire, Prince Rhuun of the demon realm of Eriis sees hope for his life in the human world of Mistra with his fierce human lover, Lelet va'Everley. She literally went to hell and back to save him, and she's not about to let anything—or anyone—ruin their perfect future.


All too soon, the claims of family, duty, and justice force Rhuun and Lelet to confront new griefs and old mistakes as they attempt to restore balance to the throne of Eriis. But, with every jealous rumor and each vengeful whisper, friends turn, family schemes, and forgotten enemies creep from the shadows.


Treachery in Eriis and betrayal in Mistra jeopardize what Rhuun and Lelet have fought so hard to build, threatening to tear apart the two lovers, their families, and even their worlds.

Check It Out: https://books2read.com/theglassgirl

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The River King

SOMETIMES LOVE DOESN’T CHANGE THE WORLD. SOMETIMES IT CHANGES ALL OF THEM.

Rhuun, the half-human and wholly reluctant prince of the demons has finally reunited with his fiery Lelet. It’s too bad they must hide behind a facade of icy indifference to fool those who are determined to keep demons and humans apart...by any means necessary.

There is more at stake than bringing the miracle of rain back to Eriis. It's not just sand and lost royals poised to come through the newly-opened Door. Something ancient is hungry, and fat, complacent Mistra won't stand a chance. Even worse, whispers and shadows speak of blood magic that could destroy not just The Door, but all Doors—forever—barring the way home for lovers and enemies alike.

Will the love Rhuun and Lelet have moved worlds to share be the very thing they must sacrifice to save their worlds?

Check It Out: https://books2read.com/TheRiverKing

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Who am I?

Kim Alexander grew up in the wilds of Long Island, NY, and slowly drifted south until she reached Key West. After spending ten rum-soaked years as a DJ in the Keys, she moved to Washington DC, where she lives with two cats, an angry fish, and her extremely patient husband who tells her she needs to write at least ten more books if she intends to retire in Thailand, so thank you for your patronage. 

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Free Regency Recipe: Sally Lunn Buns: Tea, Tradition, and a Taste of the Regency

Today’s contribution comes from Jean of The Delightful Repast, a freelance writer with a particular talent for all things culinary, celebratory, and well-mannered. With an English grandmother, a Southern grandmother, and a mother who mastered it all, Jean’s culinary instincts were practically inevitable. Her love of reading and cooking—often at the same time—feels entirely appropriate for a discussion of tea in Jane Austen’s era. She has kindly shared both her reflections and her recipe for the ever-comforting Sally Lunn bun.

    It was, I confess, something of a shock to discover that the ritual of afternoon tea—so dear to modern enthusiasts—was not, in fact, part of Jane Austen’s daily routine. The idea still feels faintly unsettling. Tea itself, however, was firmly established. Having gained popularity at court in the 1660s, it had, by the Regency period, become a staple across all levels of society. Jane Austen and her family would almost certainly have enjoyed tea regularly, most likely at breakfast and again in the evening after dinner.

    Of course, tea has always been wonderfully adaptable, slipping into any part of the day that requires comfort or pause. In my own household, tea appears no fewer than four times daily. My grandmother Elizabeth, hailing from the Lake District, took hers several times a day—including, on occasion, in the middle of the night. Her mother, Mary Ann, seemed perpetually in the act of putting the kettle on. And before her was Mary, a contemporary of Austen herself, though living at the opposite end of England.

    What, then, might accompany such steady tea drinking? Among the likely candidates are Sally Lunn buns - light, buttery, and equally suited to sweet or savoury toppings. The famous versions in Bath are impressively large, often six inches across and several inches high. My own interpretation is rather more modest. While they can be made the size of a hamburger bun, I prefer a smaller version, baked neatly in a muffin tin. One suspects the Bath purists might raise an eyebrow - but they are no less delicious for it.

Sally Lunn Buns

(Makes 18 )

4 packed cups (20 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

In medium bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure), whisk together flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In small saucepan, melt butter.

    With electric mixer, beat the eggs until fluffy and pale lemon yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. By hand with a dough whisk or wooden spoon, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the melted butter and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Cover with lid or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to three days.

    About 2 1/4 hours before serving time, remove dough from refrigerator. Stir down the dough, just a few strokes, with a wooden spoon. With a 1/4-cup measure or scoop sprayed with cooking spray, scoop dough into well-greased or cooking-sprayed standard muffin tins. Lightly butter a sheet of plastic wrap and place, buttered side down, over the buns. Let rise until puffy but likely not doubled in volume, about 1 3/4 hours. During last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

    Uncover buns. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer tins to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn the buns out of the tins onto the racks and serve warm or continue to cool before storing.

Read Virtually Screwed by Isla Olsen #MMRomance #AgeGap #RomCom

  

Virtually Screwed

Love & Luck Series Book 2

Key Words: 

MM Romance, Rom-Com, Age Gap, Brothers Best Friend, HEA, Online Meet Cute

Synopsis:

Blake
At 43 I’m supposed to have everything figured out, and if you’d asked me six months ago I’d have said I did: head of my own tech company, beautiful fiancée, amazing future all planned out...life was perfect. Or, at least, I thought it was…

So now I’m in New York after selling my company and fleeing San Jose, and for the first time in as long as I can remember I have nothing to fill my day—no meetings, no reports, no tests, no launch parties—and that’s how I manage to get hooked on Warpath 4 and somehow find myself sexting with a guy almost twenty years younger than me.

Say what?

Okay, here’s the thing: it didn’t start out dirty. It was all completely tame. Mild. Conversational. But then conversation turned to flirting, and flirting turned to dirty talk. And, well…let’s just say things escalated from there…

But it’s just a bit of fun. Right? It’s not like anything would ever work in real life. I’m too old, he’s still closeted. And let’s not get started on how I’m supposedly straight. It’s just way too messy. Definitely best if we never actually meet each other...

But what if we already have?

Turns out my virtual f*ck buddy is actually Owen Kelly, my best friend’s kid brother. Which leaves me pretty much screwed…

Get It Now:

Direct Ebook

https://www.islaolsen.com/products/virtually-screwed-love-luck-book-2-e-book

Direct Paperback

https://www.islaolsen.com/products/virtually-screwed-love-luck-book-2-paperback

Direct Audio

https://www.islaolsen.com/products/virtuallyscrewed

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085VGSCF1

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More in the Series

  

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Who am I?

Isla is a cocktail-loving, history-obsessed Aussie who writes low-angst, high-heat queer romantic comedy.

She is best known for the Love & Luck series and P.S. I Loathe You.

Some of Isla's favorite tropes include: Friends to lovers, queer-awakening, age gap, enemies to lovers, best friend's/sibling's ex, secret fling...and many more!

Fun Facts about Isla:

If she had a time machine she'd go to London on July 13, 1985, to see Live Aid.

She's travelled to 44 different countries 

If she could re-live any year of her life it would be 2000

Her all-time favourite books are Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters world

Her all-time favorite movie is Gladiator

Her all-time favorite TV show is Friends

Her all-time favorite song is "Live Forever" by Oasis, and she has the title tattooed on her forearm

The five people she'd invite to a dinner party are Neil Patrick Harris, JFK, Courtney Act, Miranda Hart, and Freddie Mercury

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