Brother Love 8 — A Confession

Oh my, Quite the revelation. Wonderful episode looking forward to the next one!!

Brother Love 7 — A Lament

Okay, that was great! Loved the ending today you should do that more often! Oh, haven’t heard Minnie Pearl in years!

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Crows by Dan Antion

Welcome back to the crossroads.

This chapter turned out to be for the birds — or rather for the magpie. If Brother Love was a television series, then this would be the quirky musical episode.

I was already working with music because of the “thing,” Elvis Presley, from Mary J. McCoy-Dressel. That’s when Jinx, the magpie, got in on the act. Then John W. Howell commented about the Buddy Holly song, That’ll Be the Day. Of course that became another “thing.” At that point, I just went completely off the rails. Yes, there’s more punishment — I even narrated the ending with a new sound-bite… That’s supposed to be my scary voice, but whatever.

John specified the Buddy Holly version of That’ll Be the Day. Mr. Holly wrote the song during the general time-frame I’ve given…

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Hidebound Hump Day — Fiona Fights Back

Love the Red currant jam and machete idea for answering the door. I know of at least one occasion in which I could have used that idea.

Teagan's Books

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Fiona Finch Thief costume full length Fiona Finch as imagined by Rob Goldstein

Rob and I are together again!

Last year I was kicking around a serial idea with Rob Goldstein, Who did the beautiful illustrations for Hullaba Lulu. I envisioned a steampunk satire of The Scarlet Pimpernel. My heroine is Fiona Finch, the Pink Pimpernel. Her story is one of foppish frivolity, sarcasm, and a load of alliteration. She’s a cutie with curls and dresses all and only in pink. Secretly she’s still all pink, but she’s also so much more, just as was the Scarlet Pimpernel, but with steampunk gadgets galore — and still more pink. Now you know Fiona. That’s part of the background for this bit of nonsense.

Recently, Staci Troilo was saying how life could be too bizarre for fiction. I hope her trip to Bizarro World wasn’t as bad as mine —…

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Brother Love 6 — A Ring

Teagan's Books

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Rottary phone black Dan Antion Vintage rotary phone, photo by Dan Antion

Welcome back to the crossroads.

As you know, Dan Antion shares his photographs to illustrate Brother Love. I make the serial “interactive” by letting things left by readers drive everything about the story.

I’ve completed at least six long-running serials here at Teagan’s Books — each of them written spontaneously and driven by “things” from readers. Perhaps the thing I enjoy most about writing these serials is involving you readers. I just had another idea for how to do that. I’m naming the businesses in fictional Parliament, Mississippi after readers! Keep an eye out for a couple of them today. I hope you’ll take a moment to visit all the links.

The reader “thing” today is a Coke from Mary J Melange. Be sure to check out her marvelous blog. Say hello to Gibbs and…

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Brother Love 5 — A Face

Looking forward to what happens with Tammy and the “Bird Lady”.

Teagan's Books

Saturday, May 25, 2019

4th n Vine Sign Image tomfoolery from Teagan

Welcome back to the crossroads.

As you know, the popular blogger and photographer Dan Antion illustrates Brother Love. I try to bring Dan into some of the process of creating the story. The “things” for this chapter led me to a scene that required some knowledge I didn’t possess — dark-haired actresses of the era. At the time Dan was visiting his brother, Bruce, and they both took up the challenge. Read on and you’ll see what I mean.

Sometimes my life creeps into my stories, with small parallels. I’ve been having a disfiguring allergy problem. (It’s finally a lot better, thanks. Apparently running its dreadfully long course, just as they said.) I guess that’s why my narrator for this story became conscious of her appearance in chapters 4 and 5.

Birdie Devovo can’t afford to dress “to the…

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