Scenery Changes
Picture

Follow our journey
& create your own.

writing
wisdom
acting
advice
knitting
​& More
Simple
​Living
Poems &
Reviews
  • Home
  • Schedule
  • Publications
    • Shadows of Eleanor
    • Pycroft Universe
    • Poetry & Short Stories
  • Sojourner Study
    • Doctrinal Statement
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

9/23/2017

Paint Me a Picture of Poison by Matthew E Nordin

Comments

Read Now
 

Paint Me a Picture of Poison
Available Now on Amazon Kindle


Picture

​Henry's endeavors to collect exotic artwork seemed all but lost to his aging memory. His life and the fate of his art collection take a dramatic turn when the eccentric artist Paulo arrives with a portrait painted with a deadly toxin. On the eve of the exhibit's grand debut, Henry is attacked and the painting is stolen. Although an increasing occurrence of his collection, the venomous portrait vexes his curiosity. Due to Paulo's incoherent behavior and the local police's lack of empathy, Henry finds himself solving the mystery of the stolen paintings alone.
​
​
​
Yet he discovers something unearthly while he investigates further into the enigma of Paulo's painting. The poison is not what it seems. Will this art lover remain safe on the other side of the velvet ropes, or is his wildest adventure about to begin? Find out in this story you will find difficult putting down. If a picture is worth a thousand words then there are a thousand reasons to discover the truth.




​An award-winning short story that will bring you to the vapors of death. In less than 5,000 words, you will discover why this won the Adult Professional Short Story Contest at Constellation 2017...
Picture
This short story was originally birthed during a random idea of an artist painting with poison. The work was then part of a collaborative work of short stories by other authors. Due to timing and other projects, I pulled the story from the collection to focus on other endeavors.
Meanwhile, my skills in writing improved. With the success of XR-404 and feedback from my incredible critique group, I had to enter this into the contest at Constellation NE. While there, I spoke to the incredible artist guest of honor, ​Arden Ellen Nixon, who went beyond my imagination for the spectacular cover art.
This work was inspired by my love of the classic Twilight Zone and Outer Limits shows. I hope you enjoy Paint Me a Picture of Poison and write a review of it on Amazon.
​

Share

Comments

9/23/2017

The Grace Raven (Poem)

Comments

Read Now
 
​During my time at Grace University, poetry became one of my passions. Many of the poems found in Musings of the Northern Poet came from my experience there. As such, one poem that I performed during a talent show became one of my favorite parody pieces. And so I give you my rendition of The "Grace" Raven, a parody of Edgar Allen Poe's classic.
"Once past the midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary,
Over tedious hours of theological lore,
While typing, nearly finished, suddenly all sound diminished,
And then came a gentle tapping, tapping at my dorm room door.
`'Tis my neighbor,' I muttered, `locked out of his own door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was the beginning of December,
And each class I took wrought its papers never done before;
So that now, to still the stress, I sat there repeating
`'Tis my neighbor wanting entrance to his dorm room door -
Some late student wanting entrance to his dorm room door; -
'Tis merely this, nothing more'

Presently curiosity grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was writing, well in fact typing,
And so forgive my uninviting, with you at my dorm room door,
But I scarce was sure I heard you' - so I opened wide the door; -
Empty hall, and nothing more.

Wandering into the hallway, quick I looked in dismay,
Thinking things annoyed students get written up for
But the silence was unbroken, and the hallway gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was one I seldom spoke before
This I whispered, and hastily entered my dorm room door
Merely this and nothing more.

Here I sat in my chair, when, with seemingly no care,
In stepped Dr. Eckman, my heart sunk to the core.
Not the least remark made he; not a minute did he teach me;
But, watching intently, stood by my dorm room door -
Watching he opened up my dorm room door -
Opened it wide and nothing more.

Then entered Burkholder, holding now the door secure,
Here came Pagenkemper, a cup of coffee he bore,
`Though art welcome in my room,' I said, `but I don't presume
nor would I assume that you came to stand by the door -
Tell me why you have come when it is nearly four.'
Quoth the teachers, `There's more.'

Scarce had I the time to wonder when here entered Nebecker,
And I began to wonder if soon every professor,
Would watch me writing, as I finish typing
This paper non-inviting of all profs at my door -
Standing there staring with eyes I can't ignore,
As if saying `There's more.'

Then Ramsey, Costello, Shope, Smith, Santoro,
Dr. Udd came also, all crowding 'round my dorm room door.
Hawkins, Holmes, Hoffman, Hood, took the place where others stood -
I tried as much as I could to finish the paper I began to abhor -
As I began to see less and less of my dorm room floor.'
While teachers entered my door

Dr. James and Zielke entered quite quickly,
With Dahlquist, Alford, and Shultz who let in more,
Soon every teacher was waiting for me to finish the paper
Even ones not mentioned later that taught in the days of yore -
As Halgee loomed over my shoulder I could have swore
I heard him mutter "There's more."

When at last my room was covered, and my mind simply shuddered,
As they stared at my screen cluttered with the final score;
Then, upon the keyboard sinking, trembling hands displayed my thinking
The conclusion now was linking back to the intro before -
Then a blackness all consuming cut through my very core
Only darkness, nothing more

Empty now my room was open, all the profs with words unspoken,
Vanished in the night, broken by darkness that was now over;
There I sat with empty screen, empty still my heart did scream
As my paper had also seemed to never be typed before,
And the light blinked on again to reveal the empty floor,
Only this, and nothing more.

And that word left unspoken, crept back into my mind now broken
As if I could just be choking, whoever walked by my dorm room door;
All those hours spent researching, theology books I'd been searching,
All the pages of enlightening will be remembered nevermore;
There is a moral to this story, One you should never ignore
Always save your papers, and lock your door"

​

Share

Comments

9/23/2017

Book Review: Make-Shift Angel

Comments

Read Now
 

I met Arden Ellen Nixon at a few conventions in the past. Her artwork always drew my eye toward the darker colors and details. She truly has a gift for paintings. In fact, she even did the cover art for my short story, Paint Me a Picture of Poison. This gift bled onto her typewriter as she crafted an incredible story. Here is my review of her book, Make-Shift Angel, available now on Kindle from Amazon.
Picture


​"It’s the simple pleasures in life that can bring us to our vice. But what happens when familiar passions are stripped from you? What happens when it’s stripped from an angel? Rand finds solace in those simple vices as he searches to answer the question of why such things were taken from him. Through his friendship with a medicated comic shop owner and another celestial, Rand searches for his purpose again. However, this is not so easy to come by for an immortal with insomnia.


Arden does an incredible job of bringing us inside one of her paintings. I found myself reading in awe at the masterpiece created by this author and artist. I hope you also enjoy the journey through the dark strokes of a celestial life created in this story. They say a picture paints a thousand words; yet through this story, a thousand images are formed."



I hope you get the opportunity to read it as well and vote up my review here:
https://www.amazon.com/review/R12X64QTTBV22/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01N5HS1B6&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text

Share

Comments

9/23/2017

Musings of the Northern Poet by Matthew E Nordin

Comments

Read Now
 

Musings of the Northern Poet

Available now on Amazon

"To this year, we say our farewell
That graced us with stories to tell"

Picture
​​

​Influenced by his love of God, his wife, and the Renaissance festivals; this collection of syllabic poetry will lighten the reader through its couplets and verse. From his best poems written while attending a Biblical college, to his lighter works from his involvement at local Renaissance Faires, these poems seek to inspire and reach the limits of the mind's emotions. Split into three sections, it is Matthew's desire to have others experience his life's passions: faith, hope, and love.

‘‘Our hearts will be filled with Your victory
Drowning in Your arms, consumed by Your fire"



These lines are a brief glimpse into the soul written throughout this collection of poetry. For over a decade, these poems have helped the author through some of the darkest times to remind him of the Light. Of course, it must include a section for those who would seek to find the more traditional love poem. And for those who like to skip to the end, you will find more of the quirky and specific works for those who share his love for Renaissance festivals and poetry.
For a taste of what you can find in the Musings of over 80 poems, here is one that was written after the compiling of poetry:

​
Culicidae Plague

The cloud descends over all exposed skin
Causing even the saintly ones to sin
Poison burrows in the fleshly recess
As the assailants thrive in the darkness
They squeeze in our locked houses and safe cars
Taking nothing yet leaving pain and scars
One resorts to a primitive reply
Grabbing whatever object is nearby
But the effects leave a sticky layer
Leaving with a numb taste to the sprayer
As we yell for this summer plague to end
Furiously beating abhorrent wind
While lighting our fires to protect and fight
The tiny deviled spirits of the night
Satisfied in their annihilation
When the faithful Deet brings our salvation


Share

Comments

9/21/2017

Book Review: Vengeful Hearts

Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Written by Susanne L Lambdin, “Vengeful Hearts” is a gripping thriller that has action from start to finish. The characters are set in Colorado after a virus has turned much of the population in zombies. This group of misfits must fight to conquer a vampire lord set on world domination.
​

Throughout the book, you come across all forms of creatures of darkness that are working for the evil Kaiser. The few humans that remain must fight to survive with the aid of some of the fiercest vampires and werewolves still fighting for good.
Leading the charge is a superhuman who’s infected with a mutation that only a handful of others share. The story will sink its teeth into your heart and brain as you go on a journey to overtake an ancient demon through time and ancient lands.

This book stands amazingly well on its own. The characters may be a bit overwhelming at first as much of their development is presumably in the first two books. One of my favorite characters, Smack, only makes a brief appearance and adds a bit of comedy to the dire situation. Be sure to check out the other Dead Hearts novels by Susanne L Lambdin.



​Find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PB3A52E/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_351_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CSWKJ5G5YV70JGD80MJV
​

Share

Comments

9/21/2017

Book Review: Out Through the Attic

Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
 I had the privilege of meeting Quincy J Allen at a convention in 2014. He is one of the two authors who inspired me to pursue my writing career with a serious passion. I hope to repay his inspiration in my review of his book Out Through the Attic:
“This buffet of brilliant short stories is perfect for a good read before bed. Each story had its own unique twists and turns to it. Quincy does a wonderful job weaving the Steampunk goodness in his mind to the stories.
It is hard to pick a favorite story out of all of them. I would have to say that the best surprise happened in “17” (I will not spoil it for you! Enjoy his imagination yourself). Each story worked its way around the words at a quick pace. I enjoyed picking up the morsels he shared with us and hope to feast on more of his work in the future.”


I hope you get the opportunity to read it as well and vote up my review here:

http://www.amazon.com/review/RNID2KNX7408Y/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00KVR06XS&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text
 
You can read more about it by clicking this link.

Share

Comments

9/20/2017

XR-404 by Matthew E Nordin

Comments

Read Now
 
10 minutes until the judges take away his pregnant wife. If they try to escape while the station is locked, the pod’s propulsion would vaporize all inside. Can they leave together or must they accept their fate?
Hope rests on planet XR-404; one of the last that allows unmodified children. Their unbridled love formed the child. In this love, they must decide. The judges are merciless. Hold your breath through this flash fiction as it may be their last.

Available now on Amazon
Picture

This story could be classified as a thriller mixed with dark comedy. As a flash fiction story, the entirety of the story is less than 1,000 words. It is a great read during a lunch break or something to make you smile throughout your day.
This story is the start of many short stories that will be happening in the same universe. Please let me know what you think about it on Amazon or in the comments below. I hope you enjoy the future stories and the search for XR-404.

Share

Comments

9/13/2017

Book Review: Clouds of War

Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
This historical fiction takes a steam-powered leap through the skies in the eyes of a merchant ship. Suffering the treacherous press in London, the airship Horizon must make haste to find work outside of the reach of a tyrannical corporation. With a few loyal crew members and a scattering of new recruits, Captain Galvin Roberts finds no lack of allies and opposition on his new endeavors. The help of an attractive press reporter finds some unexpected relief and work for the airship as well; along with added conflict to the Captain. However, the harsh reality of winter aboard an airship presents a greater risk during the Crimean War. Battling enemies both foreign, domestic, and internal, the crew must use all it can to stay afloat.
Melissa Ann Conroy shows us a part of a war that goes unrecorded by many writers. The heroic journey of the fantastical airship Horizon is a tribute to those suppliers of military needs in the dying camps of the front lines. It will instantly draw you into the struggle of a common merchant vessel becoming a true leader of the war effort. The loyalty of the crew and determination of the Captain should drive us all to excel at all we set about to do. Let’s fly the skies of war together aboard the Horizon!


Share

Comments

9/12/2017

Book Review: Expert Assistance

Comments

Read Now
 


​​I have had the pleasure of meeting Robert Collins at different conventions in the Midwest. His books always tempt me and I finally had a chance to read one of them. I was delightfully surprised by the adventure I took while reading Expert Assistance. Here is my review...
Picture

Jake Bonner is given a task he is not at all pleased to undertake. However, his more intelligent computer counterpart named Odin insists he use the odd jobs to help pay off his debts.
Their small scout ship is accompanied by the pop singing sensation, Evvie Martini, and the adventure takes a whole new spin. Jake must do his best to put up with the spoiled star as he tries to set up plans for his other task: leading a rebellion on Antioch Two.
With the star at his side and the AI overhead, Jake leads the planet to a rebellion that you would not expect. Be prepared to set aside time for this read as you will find it difficult to put down.
Robert Collins takes us down a trip into our imaginations to a fun time in our future. His use of pop references and science fiction nods are witty and quick. The dialogue is easy to follow and breathes life into the characters. I enjoyed the ride.

You can find more of his books and info about this great author here:  http://robertlcollins.blogspot.com/
He is also very active on Twitter (https://twitter.com/robertLcollins) and other social media.

Share

Comments

9/12/2017

A Preschool Teacher's Prayer (poem)

Comments

Read Now
 
The school year is about to begin for many children and many parents will have a sigh of relief. However, for us preschool teachers, it is a more somber sigh. All the dreams and joys they have will soon be lost down the hallways and locker rooms of life. Hopefully some of them look back to rekindle that spark for life and do things beyond our wildest dreams. For those of us who helped them get there, this is for you…
Picture

​A PRESCHOOL TEACHER’S PRAYER
Of all the saddest phrases, this one is true
It’s at the moment I say “good-bye” to you
No more seeing your energetic smiles each day
No more teaching and coaching as you play
It’s like a college separation
Knowing you won’t see them on vacation
As I filled them with numbers and ABCs
I hope there’s still time for “thank you”s and “please”
Such moments when they finally understand
Hesitations and fears when they grab your hand
No reward in life could ever match
Even the simplest of activities like catch
For farewells of their last lesson’s theme
No more time to pretend and dream
Now leaving but echos of “why”s and roars
And so with all their art on refrigerator doors
They begin the year of kindergarten
I just hope their preschool teacher won’t be forgotten
–Matthew E Nordin
​

Don’t make those grumpy bird faces, get the pout-pouts away and be a happy llama!

Share

Comments
Details

    Categories

    All
    Acting Advice
    Knitting And More
    Minimal Living
    Poems And Reviews
    Writing Wisdom

    Archives

    February 2023
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2017
    September 2017

    RSS Feed

Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter
  • Home
  • Schedule
  • Publications
    • Shadows of Eleanor
    • Pycroft Universe
    • Poetry & Short Stories
  • Sojourner Study
    • Doctrinal Statement
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact