Articles by Sand Pilarski

News

• Spring Plantings on the Wharf (April 22, 2002) News

  San Francisco's spring flowers

• Babe in the Big City (April 29, 2002) News

  Touring San Francisco on your own

• Manteca Police Dog Trials (May 6, 2002) News

  K9 units compete in Manteca

• Santa Cruzin' (July 27, 2002) News

  Part one of a three part series on dining and vacationing in Santa Cruz, California.

• Santa Cruzin' (August 3, 2002) News

  Part two of a three part series on dining and vacationing in the idyllic coastal town of Santa Cruz.

• Santa Cruzin' (August 17, 2002) News

  Part three of a three part series on dining and vacationing in Santa Cruz, California.

• Thank God It's Over! Party (December 16, 2002) News

  Chris Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo, throws a TGIO party in San Francisco every year, and guess who he actually knows exist?

• Waves at Pacifica (January 18, 2003) News

  Winter storms have been chilling the West Coast. Intrepid reporter Sand makes sure the wines and appetizers are weathering the winter okay.

• 42nd Annual Camellia Cavalcade (April 7, 2003) news flowers

  Second weekend in March -- time for the Camellia Show!

• Happy 16th Anniversary! (April 23, 2018) cover story announcement

  Goodness, it's hard to believe that the Managing Editor used to be that much younger...!

Comics

• Sere Poesey (April 22, 2002) comics

  Cartoon art a la Kliban

• Fever Dreams 001 (June 19, 2004) comic

  Forget about Burt's Bees. It's Bert's cockroaches you need to worry about.

• Fever Dreams 002 (June 26, 2004) comic

  Dog collars generally don't count when the invitation reads "Black tie only."

• Fever Dreams 003 (July 3, 2004) comic

  Howard Hughes: Aviator, movie producer, billionaire, turned scary old guy. Still has a way with the women, though.

• Fever Dreams 008 (July 8, 2004) comic

  Vintage Fever Dreams! Edwin slips a few last-minute gifts into his mother-in-law's carry-on to ensure a memorable flight.

• Fever Dreams 006 (July 24, 2004) comic

  Maybe Reading Rainbows should not include "Fear of Flying."

• Fever Dreams 007 (July 31, 2004) comic

  An inexplicable paranormal phenomenon made Mr. Smith's secretary disrespect him.

• Fever Dreams 009 (August 14, 2004) comic

  Behind the scenes at the Percy Platypus Puppet Place, the infamous dictator makes a decision to improve TV ratings...

• Fever Dreams 011 (August 28, 2004) comic

  Jeb and Marv find a solution to the age-old question of, "Is it dead, or is it just playing dead?"

• Fever Dreams 012 (September 4, 2004) comic

  It was only when he began to invite his friends that Babs minded her cat watching her take a bath.

• Fever Dreams 013 (September 11, 2004) comic

  Fashion fantasies versus the grim realities...

• Fever Dreams 014 (September 18, 2004) comic

  The number one reason to never flush small reptiles into the sewer.

• Fever Dreams 015 (September 25, 2004) comic

  Mysteries of the deep.

• Fever Dreams 016 (October 2, 2004) comic

  Midway through the Jones contract, did a bee fly into Ms. Barnes' blouse, or did she simply decide to seek employment elsewhere? We report, you decide.

• Fever Dreams 017 (October 9, 2004) comic

  Little Red Riding Hood hires Nunzio to be her new best friend.

• Fever Dreams 018 (October 23, 2004) comic

  Playing Dungeoness and Dragons.

• Fever Dreams 019 (October 30, 2004) comic

  The origins of war.

• Fever Dreams 020 (November 6, 2004) comic

  Mr. Smith should have known better than to get his secretary the good paper shredder.

• Fever Dreams 021 (November 27, 2004) comic

  Casual Fridays in the Antarctic.

• Fever Dreams 022 (December 4, 2004) comic

  Why kangaroos should never wear garter belts.

• Fever Dreams 024 (December 18, 2004) comic

  Kitty learns not to play in the fish tank.

• Fever Dreams 025 (December 25, 2004) comic

  Elves only get the week after Christmas off for vacation.

• Fever Dreams 027 (January 16, 2005) comic

  The Man in the Moon and Raiders receiver Randy Moss gets a message.

• Fever Dreams 028 (January 23, 2005) comic

  The only reason crocodiles buy vegetables.

• Fever Dreams 029 (January 30, 2005) comic

  Some appliances speak the secret language of animals.

• Fever Dreams 030 (February 6, 2005) comic

  A zebra's question ruins a beautiful friendship.

• Fever Dreams 031 (February 13, 2005) comic

  Billy Bob done saved us all!

• Fever Dreams 032 (February 20, 2005) comics

  Another fashion statement. Don't they look in a mirror?

• Fever Dreams 033 (February 27, 2005) comics

  Even the captain of the Nautilus had days where he muttered to himself, "Stupid squid."

• Fever Dreams 034 (March 6, 2005) comics

  Playing dead won't get you out of housework.

• Fever Dreams 035 (March 13, 2005) comics

  Commemorating the inventor of product warning labels.

• Fever Dreams 036 (March 20, 2005) comics

  The Future of Medical Help

• Fever Dreams 037 (March 27, 2005) comics

  A serious case of ponies envy...

• Fever Dreams 038 (April 3, 2005) comics

  The last not-so-funny joke by the royal sculptor Dumbhotep

• Fever Dreams 010 (April 10, 2005) comic

  The day indoor plumbing became cost effective.

• Fever Dreams 039 (April 17, 2005) comics

  Combatting the Rising Costs of Medical Care

• Fever Dreams 040 (April 24, 2005) comics

  Unmarketable Toys

• Fever Dreams 041 (May 1, 2005) comics

  Normally, Little Red Riding Hood knew better than to check the mail before breakfast.

• Fever Dreams 042 (May 9, 2005) comics

  Trapped in a relationship...

• Fever Dreams 043 (May 16, 2005) comics

  When unicorns quit smoking ...

• Fever Dreams 044 (May 23, 2005) comics

  The problem with teenage girl mummies ...

• Fever Dreams 045 (May 30, 2005) comics

  Flamingos with nothing better to do.

• Fever Dreams 046 (June 6, 2005) comics

  On impulse, Rhonda decides to spend the extra fifty and have the hairdresser kacked

• Fever Dreams 047 (June 13, 2005) comics

  Summer in the Jungle

• Fever Dreams 048 (June 20, 2005) comics

  Flying Fish

• Fever Dreams 049 (June 27, 2005) comics

  An injudicious mouse about to find the answer to his question...

• Fever Dreams 005 (July 4, 2005) comic

  Vintage Fever Dreams! It was an exceptionally hot summer in Pillsbury, and the doughboy went bad.

• Fever Dreams 050 (July 18, 2005) comics

  What suicide bombers don't seem to understand

• Fever Dreams 051 (July 25, 2005) comics

  It's no different in the insect world...

• Fever Dreams 052 (August 1, 2005) comics

  Bethie has no idea how to solve her ant problem.

• Peek of the Week 01 (August 1, 2005) comics photograph

  Our image of the week - a photo of fortnight lilies.

• Fever Dreams 053 (August 8, 2005) comics

  Wrong time to lift the camera ...

• Fever Dreams 054 (August 15, 2005) comics

  The mathematics of cat ownership!

• Peek of the Week 03 (August 15, 2005) comics photograph

  Oil painting, portrait of Babe and Howie

• Fever Dreams 055 (August 22, 2005) comics

  Junk Dogs of Two Types...

• Peek of the Week 05 (August 29, 2005) comics photograph

  A red dragonfly visits the garden

• Fever Dreams 056 (August 29, 2005) comics

  Some studies show that thought processes differentiate between males and females at an early age.

• Fever Dreams 057 (September 5, 2005) comics

  Now we know why the rent was so cheap!

• Fever Dreams 058 (September 12, 2005) comics

  The tragic delusions of small appliances

• Fever Dreams 060 (September 26, 2005) comics

  How your cat sees you.

• Fever Dreams 061 (October 3, 2005) comics

  Mabel was naive enough to believe that Zeke would never change.

• Fever Dreams 062 (October 10, 2005) comics

  Lucy has found the best beach in the entire world.

• Fever Dreams 063 (October 17, 2005) comics

  Despite their dismal record, ticket sales at Oakland remained brisk.

• Fever Dreams 064 (October 24, 2005) comics

  A disguise that almost worked ...

• Peek of the Week 013 (October 24, 2005) photo art

  Stunning intricacy of an anemone.

• Fever Dreams 065 (October 31, 2005) comics

  There's a new girl in town, and she's turning heads at the Monster Party!

• Fever Dreams 066 (November 7, 2005) comics

  Sure, they call him the "King of the Jungle" but you <i>know</i> his secret ...

• Fever Dreams 067 (November 14, 2005) comics

  Of course she's a real psychic...

• Peek of the Week 016 (November 14, 2005) photo art

  The "Angel Trumpet" flower emits a strong fragrance -- but only between dusk and dawn.

• Peek of the Week 017 (November 21, 2005) photo art

  Monarch butterflies cling to a eucalyptus branch at Natural Bridges State Park, California.

• Fever Dreams 068 (November 21, 2005) comics

  At dinner, Herbert realized his wife was right -- Junior <i>did</i> marry a pig.

• Fever Dreams 070 (December 5, 2005) comics

  Each year, Marge decorated with her favorite symbols of the Christmas season.

• Fever Dreams 071 (December 12, 2005) comics

  Sometimes you just have to call 'em as you see 'em.

• Fever Dreams 072 (December 19, 2005) comics

  Rattlesnake Christmas

• Peek of the Week 022 (December 26, 2005) photo art

  Kwanzaa celebrates the richness of Pan-African family, community, and culture. Digital photograph of an oil painting (1985) by Sand Pilarski.

• Fever Dreams 073 (December 26, 2005) comics

  After the holiday dinner, Madge is unfortunately reminded of the old adage, "You are what you eat."

• Fever Dreams 074 (January 2, 2006) comics

  On New Year's Eve, it's easy to make all kinds of resolutions. Two days later, though, it's much easier to take a nap.

• Peek of the Week 024 (January 9, 2006) photo art

  A memory of summer's warmth reflected in the colors of a turk's cap lily.

• Fever Dreams 076 (January 16, 2006) comics

  Although she knew it was wrong, Mr. Smith's secretary still often fantasized about him.

• Fever Dreams 077 (January 23, 2006) comics

  Bad backyard birding tips: Mr. Smedley has found a way to attract the elusive ferruginous hawk to his yard.

• Fever Dreams 078 (January 30, 2006) comics

  Shoes for pinheads, 2006

• Fever Dreams 079 (February 6, 2006) comics

  Mrs. Gott trudged to fill her bird feeder every winter day, accompanied by her faithful kitty.

• Fever Dreams Valentine (February 13, 2006) comics

  The worst question you can hear from your sweetie ...

• Fever Dreams 080 (February 20, 2006) comics

  Although she told co-workers it was just a minor case of spontaneous human combustion, Zelda finally had to admit she wore too much perfume.

• Fever Dreams 081 (February 27, 2006) comics

  The futility of gang warfare.

• Fever Dreams 082 (March 6, 2006) comics

  Prozac laundry day.

• Fever Dreams 083 (March 13, 2006) comics

  Why do sandhill cranes dance?

• Fever Dreams 084 (March 20, 2006) comics

  Another unexpectedly successful experiment in the search for clean energy.

• Fever Dreams 085 (March 27, 2006) comics

  An April Fools' Day joke about to go very wrong ...

• Fever Dreams 086 (April 3, 2006) comics

  Horace the Fly grew spider plants just for the ego trip.

• Fever Dreams 087 (April 10, 2006) comics

  Passing thoughts -- insights or insults?

• Fever Dreams 088 (April 17, 2006) comics

  Pterodactyl Poetry.

• Fever Dreams 059 (April 24, 2006) comics

  Aarrr ... can't ye tell it be Monday? (Originally appeared 2005-09-19)

• Fever Dreams 075 (April 24, 2006) comics

  Harold decided to do what his wife told him and take out the trash. (Originally appeared 2006-01-09)

• Fever Dreams 004 (May 1, 2006) comic

  An aerial view of a "big" showdown. An obese woman is surprised by a cat.

• Fever Dreams 089 (May 15, 2006) comics

  Despite assertiveness training, Hans the Rug could not keep people from walking all over him.

• Fever Dreams 090 (May 22, 2006) comics

  A woman must dress in a professional manner to succeed in business.

• Fever Dreams 091 (May 29, 2006) comics

  Kickoff of the summer games, and the little guys are winning.

• The Many Faces of George 01 (June 5, 2006) comics

  George Washington, the graffiti series: Angry George!

• Fever Dreams 092 (June 5, 2006) comics

  Despite many years of responsible wage earning, Gerald got no respect.

• The Many Faces of George 02 (June 12, 2006) comics

  George Washington, the graffiti series: Goofy George!

• Fever Dreams 093 (June 12, 2006) comics

  During Summer, Mort regretted being a ninja.

• Fever Dreams 023 (June 19, 2006) comic

  Thoughts of the mysterious praying mantis revealed!

• The Many Faces of George 03 (June 19, 2006) comics

  George Washington, the graffiti series! This week, Worried George.

• The Many Faces of George 04 (June 26, 2006) comics

  A child with an unspent dollar bill and a big imagination can find someone to talk to -- maybe even the Big Guy himself.

• Fever Dreams 094 (June 26, 2006) comics

  Different styles, different opinions. Do you like what you see in the mirror?

• The Many Faces of George 05 (July 3, 2006) comics

  George Washington knows that in matters of love, men must stick together. No matter what happens.

• Fever Dreams 095 (July 3, 2006) comics

  Deer in the headlights moment vs. Skunk in the headlights moment.

• The Many Faces of George 06 (July 10, 2006) comics

  "Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." Yes, George Washington really said that. Maybe he wouldn't approve of how we view hemp nowadays.

• Fever Dreams 096 (July 10, 2006) comics

  Never rush the artist.

• The Many Faces of George 07 (July 17, 2006) comics

  Some men don't look good in certain beards. George receives one that he finds unflattering.

• Fever Dreams 097 (July 17, 2006) comics

  Fashion design meets public safety.

• (July 17, 2006) comics

• The Many Faces of George 08 (July 24, 2006) comics

  George was around in the Sixties, wasn't he? There were a lot of fans of cannabis then, but they didn't call it hemp any more ...

• Fever Dreams 098 (July 24, 2006) comics

  Don't let appearances fool you -- they're tougher than you think.

• Fever Dreams 099 (July 31, 2006) comics

  It's always tough to wrap around all those Monday morning workloads.

• The Many Faces of George 09 (July 31, 2006) comics

  At times, you can be assured, George Washington is a master of disguise ...

• The Many Faces of George 10 (August 7, 2006) comics

  "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," they say. Especially a woman with a pen.

• Fever Dreams 100 (August 7, 2006) comics

  Pink is the new black?

• The Many Faces of George 11 (August 14, 2006) comics

  Uncompleted graffiti provides inspiration for a working student of the arts.

• Fever Dreams 101 (August 14, 2006) comics

  How flies seem in August.

• The Many Faces of George 12 (August 21, 2006) comics

  Ohhh, Incognito George!

• Fever Dreams Classic (August 21, 2006)

  Maybe a reading rainbow ought not to include "Fear of Flying."

• Peek of the Week 056 (August 28, 2006) photo art

  Playing with the colors of a dragonfly is fun!

• The Many Faces of George 13 (August 28, 2006) comics

  George, sometimes you should know when to keep your advice to yourself.

• Fever Dreams 102 (August 28, 2006) comics

  The early beginnings of the hard core women's liberation movement.

• Fever Dreams 103 (September 4, 2006) comics

  At the restaurant with the woman who wears too much perfume.

• The Many Faces of George 14 (September 4, 2006) comics

  Ooh - la - la, George!

• Peek of the Week 058 (September 11, 2006) photo art

  A double red hibiscus catches the afternoon sun.

• The Many Faces of George 15 (September 11, 2006) comics

  He who does not read comic books is condemned to be in one...

• Fever Dreams 104 (September 11, 2006) comics

  How toad phobias get started

• The Many Faces of George 16 (September 18, 2006) comics

  Ahoy, maties, there be a great Captain on board!

• Fever Dreams Classic (September 18, 2006) comics

  Fever Dreams Classic Captain Nemo

• Fever Dreams 107 (October 9, 2006) comics

  Sometimes people can't even see what's in front of their faces.

• Fever Dreams 108 (October 16, 2006) comics

  The Woman Who Wears Too Much Perfume will live a long life.

• Peek of the Week 063 (October 16, 2006) photo art

  The heart of a rose

• Fever Dreams 109 (October 23, 2006) comics

  Mondays in Cartoon Land

• Fever Dreams 110 (October 30, 2006) comics

  According to folklore...

• Fever Dreams 111 (November 6, 2006) comics

  Prime time TV Land...

• Fever Dreams 112 (November 13, 2006) comics

  That sweater appeared out of the darkness...

• Fever Dreams 113 (November 20, 2006) comics

  Due to unexpected injury, the left hand of the artist submits a guest cartoon

• Peek of the Week 069 (November 27, 2006) photo art

  Fall color in California -- Gaillardia

• Peek of the Week 074 (January 1, 2007) photo art

  What better way to start the year than with a cute puppy?

• Peek of the Week 077 (January 22, 2007) photo art

  Sun warms a winter lemon.

• Fever Dreams 118 (January 29, 2007) comics

  Why divas always perform with arms upraised.

• Fever Dreams 119 (February 5, 2007) comics

  One last snort...

• Fever Dreams 120 (February 12, 2007) comics

  A valentine for an unseasonably warm day.

• Peek of the Week 082 (March 12, 2007) photo art

  Almond Blossoms in Ripon, California

• Fever Dreams 121 (March 12, 2007) comics

  How love happens...

• Fever Dreams 122 (March 19, 2007) comics

  The woman who thinks she's better than anyone else gets a visit from the mirror fairy.

• Fever Dreams 123 (March 26, 2007) comics

  Mixed messages at the dinner table.

• Fever Dreams 124 (April 9, 2007) comics

  Before there were teeth-whitening strips, there was ...

• Fever Dreams 069 (April 16, 2007) comics

  Nerdak picks the wrong end for first contact. (Originally appeared 11-28-2005)

• Peek of the Week 089 (April 30, 2007) photo art

  Tiger Swallowtail in Spring

• Peek of the Week 094 (June 4, 2007) photo art

  A view of the intricate cluster of blossoms on a palm tree.

• Peek of the Week 098 (July 2, 2007) photo art

  A young kildeer photographed while following his parent along the sidewalk.

• Peek of the Week 101 (July 23, 2007) photo art

  A stormy summer Wyoming evening sky.

• Fever Dreams 126 (July 23, 2007) comics

  Billy knew his life had changed when his oatmeal became sentient.

• Peek of the Week 102 (July 30, 2007) photo art

  Rain on the droughty Pennsylvania roadways

• Fever Dreams 127 (August 27, 2007) comics

  Careers in advertising for today's youth.

• Peek of the Week 106 (September 3, 2007) photo art

  Morning light catches elderberry blossoms.

• Peek of the Week 107 (September 10, 2007) photo art

  Hot air blloon on a summer morning.

• Peek of the Week 110 (October 1, 2007) photo art

  A flamingo feeds at the Sacramento Zoo.

• Peek of the Week 113 (October 22, 2007) photo art

  A mockingbird peers in a studio window.

• Peek of the Week 117 (November 19, 2007) photo art

  Along Interstate 80 between Rawlins, Wyoming and Salt Lake City, Utah, amazing rock structures stand in the desert.

• Peek of the Week 123 (December 31, 2007) photo art

  A Christmas Goldfinch

• Peek of the Week 126 (January 21, 2008) photo art

  Brilliant colors adorn an ornamental pear leaf.

• Peek of the Week 128 (February 4, 2008) photo art

  The toad appears again, usurping the place of the groundhog in announcing the coming of spring.

• Peek of the Week 131 (February 25, 2008) photo art

  Droplets of water ornament a fern pine.

• Peek of the Week 134 (March 17, 2008) photo art

  Cherry blossoms in California.

• Fever Dreams 128 (April 28, 2008) comics

  Ducks on Sunday afternoons.

• Peek of the Week 143 (May 19, 2008) photo art

  Alstromeria in the garden look as though they were lit from within.

• Fever Dreams 129 (May 26, 2008) comics

  There was a reason that the Munchkins were so fond of Glinda ...

• Fever Dreams 130 (June 2, 2008) comics

  Why some countries serve fried cat.

• Peek of the Week 146 (June 9, 2008) photo art

  A California poppy closes its petals at sundown.

• Peek of the Week 150 (July 7, 2008) photo art

  A dragonfly rests, poised above the shell of her immature phase.

• Peek of the Week 154 (August 4, 2008) photo art

  Closeup of a clarkia blossom.

• Peek of the Week 158 (September 1, 2008) photo art

  Hot air balloonists test the propane burner in the darkness before dawn.

• Peek of the Week 162 (September 29, 2008) photo art

  A morning glory in the evening sunlight.

• Peek of the Week 168 (November 10, 2008) photo art

  Sunset illuminates a breadfruit leaf.

• Peek of the Week 174 (December 22, 2008) photo art

  Finches feed hungrily in the winter in the Central Valley of California.

• Peek of the Week 179 (January 26, 2009) photo art

  An unexpected treat from the heavens -- hail in Central California.

• Peek of the Week 183 (February 23, 2009) photo art

  Almond blossoms take center stage in Ripon, California.

• Peek of the Week 190 (April 13, 2009) photo art

  Painted ladies on photinia blossoms.

• Peek of the Week 197 (June 1, 2009) photo art

  A novel in progress.

• Peek of the Week 202 (July 6, 2009) photo art

  An unusual dragonfly visits the yard.

• Peek of the Week 233 (February 8, 2010) photo art

  Macro of moss on a springtime log.

• Peek of the Week 235 (February 22, 2010) photo art

  Almond blossom time in the Central Valley of California.

• Peek of the Week 239 (March 22, 2010) photo art

  Freesias in first bloom in spring.

• Peek of the Week 243 (April 19, 2010) photo art

  Killdeer eggs in an open nest.

• Peek of the Week 247 (May 17, 2010) photo art

  Tadpoles dine on spinach leaves in a small aquarium.

• Peek of the Week 254 (July 5, 2010) photo art

  Petroglyphs in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona.

• Peek of the Week 258 (August 2, 2010) photo art

  A visiting moth gives the photographer the chance to see its fur.

• Peek of the Week 261 (August 23, 2010) photo art

  Bracken on a dried bank has a beauty in its form.

• Peek of the Week 265 (September 27, 2010) photo art

  A wooly bear caterpillar predicts a normal-to-mild winter for Pennsylvania.

• Peek of the Week 268 (October 18, 2010) photo art

  Flames of a fall campfire.

• Peek of the Week 278 (December 27, 2010) photo art

  Reflections after a winter rain.

• Peek of the Week 282 (January 24, 2011) photo art

  Study of sunlight and shadow.

• Peek of the Week 287 (February 28, 2011) photo art

  Almond blossoms in Ripon, California, USA, 2011 crop.

• Fever Dreams 131: With No Announcement (March 28, 2011) comics

  Birdwatching surprise!

• Peek of the Week 296 (May 9, 2011) photo art

  Ants help pollinate a lemon blossom in the Central Valley, California, USA.

• Peek of the Week 301 (June 13, 2011) photo art

  Dietes bloom in morning light.

• Peek of the Week 305 (July 11, 2011) photo art

  Artichoke blossom, close up!

• Peek of the Week 307 (July 25, 2011) photo art

  A dragonfly suns himself in summer morning light.

• Peek of the Week 328 (December 19, 2011) photo art

  Nandina berries drip after a winter rain.

• Peek of the Week 338 (February 27, 2012) photo art

  The sweet spring blossom of a snow pea, a promise of winter's end.

• Peek of the Week 343 (April 2, 2012) photo art

  A California poppy furls its petals at sundown.

• Peek of the Week 352 (June 11, 2012) photo art

  Who likes peppers? Observe the classic charm of the leaf-cutter bee.

• Peek of the Week 358 (July 23, 2012) photo art

  Behold the destructive power of this garden monster!

• Peek of the Week 361 (August 13, 2012) photo art

  A red dragonfly sparkles in the evening light.

• Peek of the Week 364 (September 3, 2012) photo art

  Back yard tightrope walker!

• Peek of the Week 367 (September 24, 2012) photo art

  The marks of time tell a story of meatloaf, cakes, and a beloved kitchen utensil ...

• Peek of the Week 373 (November 5, 2012) photo art

  A close look at the weathered bark of a eucalyptus tree.

• Peek of the Week 381 (December 31, 2012) photo art

  A western scrub jay stops by to share breakfast.

• Peek of the Week 386 (February 4, 2013) photo art

  Winter color in California's Central Valley -- cedar waxwings.

• Peek of the Week 390 (March 4, 2013) photo art

  It's that time again in the Central Valley of California: almond bloom!

• Peek of the Week 392 (March 18, 2013) photo art

  Droplets turn to gems in the morning light on a nasturtium leaf.

• Outhouse of Light (April 1, 2013) photo art

  Was it the source of his inspiration? Did he run out of ideas? Or was he just trying to demonstrate that some people will buy anything? (Originally appeared 2004-03-27.)

• Peek of the Week 396 (April 22, 2013) photo art

  Spring's promise of fruit to come.

• Peek of the Week 401 (May 27, 2013) photo art

  And what's the first thing you'd like to see in the morning?

• Peek of the Week 406 (July 1, 2013) photo art

  Late-season ferns at Del Valle Recreational Area near Livermore, CA, USA.

• Peek of the Week 411 (August 5, 2013) photo art

  Close up photograph of a deceased tiger swallowtail butterfly.

• Peek of the Week 413 (August 26, 2013) photo art

  Amazing to be on the scene, to hear the "boom" that signalled the winner of the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup on the San Francisco Bay!

• Peek of the Week 416 (September 16, 2013) photo art

  A sailboat sweeps beneath the Bay Bridge on San Francisco Bay.

• Peek of the Week 420 (October 14, 2013) photo art

  Autumn, and another beautiful sky.

• Peek of the Week 423 (November 4, 2013) photo art

  Golden hibiscus lights up the shadows.

• Peek of the Week 432 (September 29, 2014) photo art

  A young tourist in San Francisco, California, USA.

• Fever Dreams 106 (November 3, 2014) comics

  At the late night laundry scene...

• The Visual Art 04 (March 23, 2015) photo art

  A Spring portrait of welcome guests.

• CATS FROM MARS! (March 28, 2016) photo art humor

  Just when you thought you were safe...

• Fever Dreams 117 (October 2, 2017) comics

  Maurice liked to throw pieces of fish to his wife's cat.

Short

• The Aser Stories 03a: Descent to the Underworld (May 6, 2002) short fiction fantasy

  An Aser short story: a darker tale of dreams and symbolism

• Memory of Wehr (August 31, 2002) short

  A science-fiction short story. A symbiotic relationship, an eternal love.

• Fire Night (October 5, 2002) short

  A fire sweeps along the grasslands, bringing destruction. Nature gives and nature takes away.

• Orange Sky (October 25, 2002) short

  Moms used to shop while dads played a quick game or two at Bill Harry's grocery store and bowling alley. A little bit of everyone's lives changed the night it burnt down.

• The Traveler (November 25, 2002) short

  A planetoid comes on an irrevocable path of collision. Where will you go when the world ends?

• The Aser Stories 36a: Madly In Love (March 3, 2003) short fiction fantasy

  Judging from the looks of things, Danner really must take a long look at her apprenticeship to the wizard Cloudraft... and whatever else is going on in his castle laboratory.

• Just Passing Through (March 31, 2003) short fantasy fiction

  Gotta keep movin' when you're on the road...

• Uncle Edgar's Fishface Story (March 31, 2003) short

  Another of the Memoirs of Edgar Macassar

• The Aser Stories 40a: Customary Behavior (April 28, 2003) short

  An Aser story about foreign customs, forebearance, and fabrications.

• Aser Writes a Letter (May 5, 2003) short fiction fantasy

  Time for a letter home to let the relatives know everyone is still more or less alive.

• The Greatest Horse in Racing (June 2, 2003) short

  From the Memoirs of Edgar McCassar. Uncle Edgar remembers the most exciting Triple Crown of his life, when Secretariat won the hearts of horse lovers everywhere.

• Cherylness (October 9, 2004) short

  It's the story of a murder story, gruesome, sordid and inexplicably based in Des Moines. Again. An entry in the "Write Fiction Like Cheryl" contest, wherein the goal was to write a tale like assistant editor Cheryl Haimann would if Cheryl ever wrote fiction. Which she doesn't. And after reading this selection, we may just know why.

• Blossoms (March 13, 2005) Cover story short fiction Contemporary

  Amada's stories of her father made the winter's cold more painful. But Spring is coming, and with it, a new bloom.

• Ghosts of Christmas Present (December 19, 2005) cover story short fiction christmas ghost

  Dorothy Hall found three more children to add to her family. The only problem with that is that they're in the garage, and have been dead for ten years. At Christmastime, even ghostly kids could use a mother who cares about them ...

• Uncle Edgar and the Mountain Storm (May 1, 2006) cover story short fiction humor

  Uncle Edgar was watching the evening weather with me the other day, and told me not to worry so much about the freakish unseasonable rains we've seen this Spring. "You want weather to worry about? I'll tell you what kind of weather you'd need to worry about!"

• When We Were Pirates (September 18, 2006) cover story short fiction

  The "Calcutta Sly" was known in every port from Amsterdam to Mombasa by her distinctive flag and powerful sails, and no finer ship ever rode the indigo swells or carried a finer crew.

• Color in the Garden: The Hopseed (October 23, 2006) short nonfiction

  The hopseed bush can be grown into a nice tree, and adds color and texture to warm-climate gardens.

• NaNoWriMo 2006: Turning Point (November 6, 2006) short nonfiction essay

  Writing a novel in 30 days? That's insane. The voices inside you head are all to glad to tell you what a thankless, silly challenge NaNoWriMo is.

• Finding a Snowberry (December 11, 2006) short nonfiction

  What was the strange bush in the back yard when I was a child? The leaves were soft, it had no thorns, and in the summer I'd find grape-sized berries as white as snow ...

• The Aser Stories 01: Popping the Big Question (February 5, 2007) short

  How can I tell if I have a big ass? The first of the Aser stories.

• Nom de Plume (February 5, 2007) nonfiction essay

  The prospect of writing stories that could be seen publicly might scare the bejabbers out of you. The only solution? A pen name.

• The Aser Stories 02: Soup du Jour (February 12, 2007) short fiction

  Why on earth would you ask a hedge shaman for recipes?Ya think she's Betty Crocker or something?

• A Little Love (February 12, 2007) short fiction

  A cold and dreary day dawned, with only laundry and the sound of her own footsteps to keep her company. No wonder Sarah was ready to fall in love.

• The Aser Stories 03: The Labor of Love (February 19, 2007) Short fiction

  Aser and her Twosday night beer are interrupted by a lizardman. A lizardman with love on his mind ...

• The Aser Stories 04: The Wrong Question (March 12, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Sometimes having the right answer doesn't help at all when you weren't supposed to actually respond the question.

• What the Heck Has Been Up with the Press? (March 12, 2007) Announcement

  Explanation of the difficulties we had from February 24th, 2007 to March 9th.

• The Aser Stories 05:Habit and Stubbornness (March 19, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  Relationships, undergarments and long-dead lechers mark keep Aser company along the road.

• Just Family (March 19, 2007) cover story short fiction fantasy

  You know, there are things you can say when it's "just family" and then again, there are things you might say that are "just too much."

• The Aser Stories 06: Judge, Jury, Shaman (March 26, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Illiteracy is a curable ill. Aser encounters a town in which the malady is preferred to the consequences of the cure.

• The Aser Stories 07: Crosspasses Market (April 2, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  Take a deep breath -- there's something on the breeze. Must be the Twosday Market in Crosspasses.

• The Aser Stories 08: Raising Children (April 9, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  They're not pets, they're not a different race. You've got to take into consideration their future and what's good for them, or some shaman might have a talk with you.

• Out in the Cold (April 16, 2007) short fiction

  In the middle of suburbia, a murder-suicide leaves a house haunted by the weeping of a baby, and a garage as cold as a tomb.(Originally appeared 11-07-2005)

• The Aser Stories 09: On A Roll (April 23, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  What do you do with too much money?

• The Aser Stories 10: Awards (April 30, 2007) short fiction humor fantasy

  Have you ever wandered around an art show and tried to figure out the rationale of the judges? Have you ever made a work of art so wonderful you were sure you deserved a prize?

• Fevered Dreaming 01 (April 30, 2007) short fiction humor

  He was everywhere; she could not escape him. Then she found her fortune and knew what she had to do. Short fiction based on the Fever Dreams comic.

• The Aser Stories 11: Rabbit From a Hat (May 7, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Aser and Danner manage to unload some cash, score some authentic minestrone, and meet a wizard and a griffin.

• The Aser Stories 12: A Question of Nudity (May 14, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Cloudraft the Wizard is eager to begin his vacation -- and my, won't he love to meet new people at the Nudist's Faire. Who knows, maybe he'll meet the broad and greasy sisters Knifeheart, Thiefheart, and Wolfheart ...</

• The Aser Stories 13: The Price of Freedom (May 21, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  What are you willing to give up in order to do what you want? Will you sacrifice your time? Your morals? Your money?

• The Aser Stories 14: A Mile Toward Change (May 28, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Ase Ur-Jennan receives a letter asking for help, and remembers an incident in the woods ...

• The Aser Stories 15: Moguls (June 4, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  It's the ever-popular question: "Why me?"

• Fevered Dreaming 02 (June 4, 2007) short fiction humor

  Yet another time that a war was begun over a lovely woman ... but this time the war will end with a defeat, even though Bert will call it "a truce."

• The Aser Stories 16: Easy Street (June 11, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Fat, dumb and happy? Aser and Danner get it their way, right away, and it ain't over 'til the dwarf in the coconut bra dances the hula...

• The Aser Stories 17: Point of View (June 18, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  If you're hot and thirsty, the best thing in the world is a glass of ice water. If you're stranded in the snow, you'd just as soon be having your eyebrows scorched off at the seat next to the fireplace.

• The Aser Stories 18: On a Silver Platter (June 25, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Win every bet? Make money hand over fist? Sounds good to some of the Jennan Clan, and they don't want to give up the opportunity, even to the point of war ...

• The Aser Stories 19: The Difference Between Men and Women (July 2, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Is it just societal molds and preconceived attitudes that make men and women seem so different? Are we all just pawns of the system?

• The Aser Stories 20: Families and How They Are (July 9, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  At family get-togethers, why do relatives pick and snipe when what they really need is to make great harmony together?

• Fevered Dreaming 03 (July 9, 2007) short fiction humor

  She was an expert on office efficiency, but she had one thing more going for her: she was psychic.

• The Aser Stories 21: Gourmet Dining (July 16, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  Who eats this stuff, anyway?

• The Aser Stories 22: Is As Does (July 23, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  People will judge you based on what you look like, but they can be very wrong. The truth is found when your actions do the talking.

• The Aser Stories 23: Image Is Everything (July 30, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  Hoke the Horrible is hard at work, and Margot the Troll nearly trips over someone who is going to change her life.

• The Aser Stories 24: Crime and Punishment (August 13, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  If you teach your children how to behave properly, they might not have to face the consequences of having someone else teach them the hard way.

• The Aser Stories 25: Rose-Covered Cottages (August 20, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  What kind of house suits you?

• The Aser Stories 26: Junk Mail (August 27, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  Why don't littering laws apply to your mailbox?

• Just One Rule (September 3, 2007) cover story short fiction

  An Aser story.It's not always wrong to hide your emotions, and sometimes it's even a good idea to let people know when you're upset. However, if your job is to be attentive to patrons, then perhaps personal drama ought to take a back seat to making sure that the people who pay your wages are taken care of ...

• The Aser Stories 27: Dynamite (September 10, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  Whether one cheats on taxes and gets away with it, or nicks the neighbor's tomatoes in the dead of night when no one sees, the deeds are still wrong, just like the big stuff of robbing and plundering and getting away with it because no one is willing to stop you

• The Aser Stories 28: The Ghost of Garfer Miller (September 17, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  A courtroom drama! Which cousin really inherited the mill? Sometimes it's better not to know ...

• The Aser Stories 29: Raccoons (September 24, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  Some experiments are better left undone. Raccoons are cute, but they lack certain social skills.

• The Aser Stories 30: The Perils of Sympathy (October 1, 2007) Short fiction fantasy

  Be very, very careful when you listen to someone's tale of woe. Maybe you should even tape your mouth shut.

• The Aser Stories 31: Money Talks (October 8, 2007) short

  Rocklift the Mage is using a potentially disastrous tool to make money, not caring what she ruins or hurts along the way. If money is her only measure for good, then nothing Aser can say will convince her that her business plan is a mistake.

• The Aser Stories 32: Whose Fault Is It? (October 15, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  For some, pain is their mode of communication and their way of obtaining what they think they need.

• The Aser Stories 33: Legal Torture (October 22, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Most of the time you're not allowed to cause discomfort or pain to people around you. But there is one nasty, notable exception ...

• Let's Do the Zombie Shuffle (October 29, 2007) poetry humor

  Bad boys should know better than to mess with the girl whose mother knows the ins and outs of voodoo ...

• The Aser Stories 34: Common Language (November 5, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  When you camp for the night, and get ready to have your evening meal, you really ought to make sure you know with whom you're about to share your fire.

• The Aser Stories 35: Endangered Species (November 12, 2007) short fiction fantasy humor

  Rocklift the Mage is on a mission to make certain that fools who interrupt her cash flow become extinct.

• The Aser Stories 36: Harsh Words (November 19, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  What can you do with the unrepentant and unrelenting Bad Guy? Aser and Danner face the consequences of messing with the malevolent mage Rocklift.

• The Aser Stories 37: Dumb Animals (November 26, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Sometimes you need to ask before you fix a baboon's problems.

• The Aser Stories 38: Taking Sides (December 3, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  "Taking Sides" -- The idea of conflict over the results of weather really annoys a shaman.

• The Aser Stories 39: Working Dogs (December 10, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  Tied to your job and wish you had another?

• The Aser Stories 40: Happy Endings (December 17, 2007) short fiction fantasy

  "And they all lived happily ever after..." Now just how does that work?

• Postcards from the Past 1: St. Valentine's Day (February 11, 2008) short fiction

  Winter needs some kind of break from its cold and dismal days. After weeks and weeks of staring at the cold walls and hearing people cough, a little warm breeze and an unexpected smile can make a young woman's heart remember Spring ...

• The Aser Stories 41: Funny Business (March 3, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  A golfer gives up his favorite game, Lady Seaguard no longer gossips and complains, and deception is daily routine. What the heck is that all about?

• The Aser Stories 42: Natural Selection (March 10, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Office politics in action on the trail with an eight-foot troll, a talking dog, and two educated baboons.

• The Aser Stories 43: Adding Insult to Injury (March 17, 2008) short fiction

  Cloudraft the Wizard gets on Aser's last nerve and everyone runs right out of sympathy for his plight.

• The Aser Stories 44: Courtesy Call (March 24, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  An Aser story. Drinking extra beer and crying outrage, Aser and Danner show Margot the troll what being a hedge shaman with a mission is all about.

• The Aser Stories 45: Hot Stuff (April 14, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Aser, Danner, and Margot the Troll find a really excellent tavern -- but it has a nasty secret, and not just that a certain bartender has a thing for trolls...

• The Aser Stories 46: Take My Shaman ... Please (April 21, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Staying mad at each other is easy until you realize how silly you look doing so. Cloudraft the Wizard and his hot former apprentice let two angry empaths trade insults for them.

• The Aser Stories 47: Just Thievery (April 28, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  An Aser story. A legal question besets the company: is conjuring an object the same as theft? And just to keep things interesting, is "demanding"a tip for delivering a message the same as theft? Do chickens really count as "theft"?

• The Aser Stories 48: On the Fly (May 5, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Okay, so maybe blowing up the evil wizard Fellmount's house wasn't the smartest thing Aser and Danner ever did. The clans of Ur suggest they not let the door hit them on the ass on the way out.

• Bonfires (May 5, 2008) cover story short fiction

  The encounter was just chance, but both of them knew that there is a fire that can be sought when one is cold and alone. Sometimes the world seems so cold, and a life can seem like such a lone spark in a vast emptiness, that finding fire is the only solution human eyes can see...

• The Aser Stories 49: Run for Cover (May 12, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  An Aser Story: The evil wizard Fellmount has every intention of tracking down the two shamans who exposed his wicked deeds -- now Aser and Danner have no choice but to pay their respects to certain deceased relatives.

• The Aser Stories 50: The Friend in Need (May 19, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Moonlight, a graveyard, and who can you turn to and call your best pal?

• The Aser Stories 51: No Words For It (May 26, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  An Aser story. Is there anything sicker than an entire community of mimes? First appeared 2003-11-29

• The Aser Stories 52: Stinkin' Kids (June 2, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Kids never believe their elders about anything. Is it any wonder we can't stand them?

• The Aser Stories 53: In a Spirit of Healing (June 9, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Part of a shaman's work is to tell how things are with the world of the Unseen. Spooky? Maybe. But sometimes being the Voice of a ghost is pure job satisfaction.

• The Aser Stories 54: Letting Go (June 16, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  An Aser story. Planners, loggers, coopers, and whores -- this isn't your usual cast for "Singin' in the Rain."

• The Aser Stories 55: Small Comfort (June 23, 2008) short ficiton fantasy

  Just what you need when you're feeling left all alone to face the music is one more crabby ghost griping about desertion.

• The Aser Stories 56: Oz Can Keep Them All (June 30, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Once again Aser and Danner are snatched from the evil wizard Fellmount's clutches in the nick of time. Whose stupid idea was this anyway?

• The Aser Stories 57: Animal Tracks (July 7, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Still on the run from the treacherous wizard Fellmount, Aser and Danner make a risky side trip to try to find the magical baboons Narsai and Guillaume. How do people get so attached to animals, anyway?

• The Aser Stories 58: Knowledge is Power (July 14, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Aser and Danner take one last break among the Ghost-folk and find that fish-breath and spectral lounge-lizards inspire them.

• The Aser Stories 59: Ace in the Hole (July 21, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Cornered between the deadly river and the fields of Kaladang the Axe, Aser and Danner get to insult the evil wizard Fellmount one last time.

• The Aser Stories 60: Fish Story (July 28, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Recent history gets tweaked as Dan Ur-Jennan relates how she single-handedly defeated the army of Kaladang the Axe. Well, of COURSE there's lots of beer involved!

• A Story-teller of Shaddir (August 4, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  In the great square of the western plaza in the mountain city of Shaddir, a story-teller gives a history lesson that may or may not be largely hearsay. So what does a crowd want, the McNeil-Lehrer Report?

• The Aser Stories 63: Second Thoughts (August 11, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Well, yeah, we knew what we were doing! Or did we? Good intentions sometimes have to backtrack for practicalities. Oh, and did we mention that wizards are jerks?

• The Aser Stories 63: The Second Step (August 18, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  You know how they say "The first step's a doozy?" Well it's a piece of cake until you decide to put the next step in front of the first.

• The Aser Stories 64: Second Chances (August 25, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Sometimes you start out on the wrong foot, and hope for a way to put things right. And if you can't, you at least hope no one has anything to throw at you.

• The Aser Stories 65: Taking a Shot (September 1, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Aser and Margot are trying to figure out what to do with their tagalong Melody. The only problem is, Melody wants to figure this out for herself.

• The Aser Stories 66: For What You're Worth (September 8, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Set yourself on the auction block. What is it that makes you a marketable item?

• The Aser Stories 67: The Simple Life (September 15, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  No liquor, no elf sex, and no worries. Sometimes you don't need all the extra stuff that complicates your life and gives you stress-wrinkles.

• The Aser Stories 68: The Silk Fable (September 29, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Ask a smartass Ur-Jennan a question and get an involuntary education. Aser expounds on the origin of silk.

• Fevered Dreaming 04 (October 13, 2008) short fiction

  Tommy had eyes only for her, a passion, a partner ... a purpose...

• The Clans of Ur (October 27, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  A prologue to all the Aser stories. The lands of Ur, the seven Clans, and a creation story about the origins of birds and their gifts.

• Fevered Dreaming 05 (November 10, 2008) fiction spoof

  They told me it was the best thing I could possibly do for myself, and yet it took literally years before I could find the motivation to make the Big Step...

• The Aser Stories 69: Fire in the Hole (November 17, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  When family members visit, there's bound to be griping, gossip, and conversations about "what-is-your-hand-painted-on-so-you-can't-write-more-often?" But when the family member is also your boss, you know something's up, just like when you smell smoke, you know there's a fire somewhere ...

• Rat in the Attic (December 8, 2008) cover story short fiction

  If you hear it, but don't see it, is it really there? What if it's just too cunning to be caught?

• The Aser Stories 70: Dinner Dates (December 15, 2008) short fiction fantasy

  Good table manners aren't just a formality -- bringing uncouth guests to a dinner date really annoys people.

• Fevered Dreaming 06 (December 29, 2008) short fiction humor

  He knew the sound of the doorbell at that same time on certain days -- on the other side of the threshold was that which no man should have to face at the end of a busy day ...

• The Aser Stories 071: House Call (January 12, 2009) short fiction fantasy

  Don't you just hate it when the worker at the next desk flumps down with two boxes of tissues, throat lozenges, cough syrup, a bottle of aspirin, and a sore red nose and says, "Yuck, I can't remember when I've been this sick! I was up all night coughing my guts out!" Ooo, so does Aser.

• The Aser Stories 072: Starve a Cold (February 16, 2009) short fiction fantasy

  If your main concern is profits and not the health of your hired help, the neighborhood shaman is probably not the most auspicious person to ask for assistance -- unless you want what is really coming to you.

• The Aser Stories 73: Elspeth, Ad Nauseam (March 16, 2009) fantasy, short fiction

  A ring around the moon is a sign to the weather-wise: a sign that says, "Get your old bones moving and get out while you can." At least that's what Aser is about to find out.

• The Aser Stories 74: Flying Monkeys (March 23, 2009) fantasy, short fiction

  There are lots of tales worth telling, but few worth losing a beer over.

• BassAckwardYastronomy (March 30, 2009) essay spoof astronomy Orion

  A familiar constellation is slipping away as the Northern Hemisphere oozes into Spring.

• The Aser Stories 75: Coalition Forces (April 27, 2009) fantasy, short fiction

  Banding together, people can accomplish more than they can on their own. What if a dragon shows up on your doorstep? Who are your allies then?

• The Aser Stories 76: A Bone to Pick (May 4, 2009) short fiction fantasy "The Aser Stories"

  It's high time for the ghost of Garfer Miller to move on from the planter in front of Aser's door. Unfortunately old Garf isn't looking forward to what waits for him in the next world &mdash; or who.

• The Aser Stories 77: "Are We There Yet?" (May 11, 2009) short fiction fantasy dragon

  Excitement! Adventure! A glittering creature of myth and legend to travel with! Who could ask for a better vacation than that? Dudalos the Dragon is about to help Aser find out.

• The Aser Stories 78: Judgment Call (May 18, 2009) short fiction fantasy

  A dragon centuries old might impart the Mysteries of the Ages, and traveling with him, Aser might have the adventure of a lifetime. Sure. And Aunt Tilla might have shown up naked for other reasons than bad decisions on her part.

• The Aser Stories 79: Just Don't Say It Before Spring (May 25, 2009) short fiction fantasy

  There is a time of year when it's better to hold your tongue unless you want to set out on the road early, hungover, and on the outs with those you love.

• The Aser Stories 80: Cabin Fever (June 1, 2009) short fiction fantasy

  The visit was lovely, the company so welcome -- until the snow and ice made visitors into residents. And even suddenly fellow residents are fine -- that is, until the beer runs out.

• Pecking Order (June 22, 2009) short fiction birds people work

  It's not just the chickens that do it ...

• Fevered Dreaming 07 (August 3, 2009) short fiction humor dogs

  The monster lurked in its cave, waiting for Tristan to turn his back ...

• Fevered Dreaming 08 (October 5, 2009) short fiction

  Ted Gnarles made preparations for care for his exotic plants, even though he was 85 years old.

• The Aser Stories: Sidelong (February 8, 2010) short fiction fantasy

  Another trip with Margot the Troll, but this one is starting differently. Looks like Aser did something unexpected, and not at all appreciated ...

• String (May 24, 2010) cover story short fiction

  If you knew civilization as you know it was about to end, how would you prepare? If the end of civilization took you by surprise, how would you survive? Piker Press staff and contributors hope you enjoy our various stories about post-apocalyptic times.

• With No Announcement (March 28, 2011) short fiction

  Suddenly the pieces of an relationship all fall into place ...

• A Rose By Any Other Name (May 30, 2011) short fiction crazy woman

  The message was clear and frequent -- someone had a greeting for Barney ...

• Hiding Something (September 26, 2011) serial fiction fantasy

  An Aser story. Headed North towards Centaur Country, Aser finds that her companions still wonder what she was up to before their journey began ...

• Uncle Edgar and the Troll Under the Bridge (November 19, 2012) cover story short fiction humor

  It was about this time of year that Uncle Edgar stopped by with one of the stories that led to the publication of <i>The Memoirs of Edgar McCassar</i>. Maybe Edgar was prone to the sampling of his father's still as a child ...

• The Forgotten Boy (July 7, 2014) fiction low fantasy

  Part One of Five. The traveling shaman Aser finds more at the edge of field than a good night's sleep...

• The Forgotten Boy 2 (July 14, 2014) fiction low fantasy

  Part Two of Five. A child, forgotten and alone, yearns for someone to talk with. Does it matter if he's dead?

• The Forgotten Boy 3 (July 21, 2014) fiction low fantasy

  Part Three of Five. Sometimes a journey goes quicker when there is company -- even if you have to carry him in a sack...

• The Forgotten Boy 4 (July 28, 2014) fiction low fantasy

  Part four of five. Targold the ghost is about to see something he never imagined in life...

• The Forgotten Boy 5 (August 4, 2014) fiction low fantasy

  Conclusion. On a whim, Aser decided to carry off the remains of a boy to take care of his ghost. A simple enough task, but one thing makes it difficult...

• Get Political: Secret Strengths (October 31, 2016) short fiction humor

  He was her helpmate, her support, and her secret. And no one knew, especially not the constituents.

• Object, Flying, Unidentified (January 16, 2017) short science fiction humor

  What could be more profitable than a catchy line of merchandise and a UFO convention?

• The Accursed (October 23, 2017) fiction witch

  All the troubles in the world -- where do they come from, and whom should we blame?

• Place Settings 01 (April 20, 2020) fiction life love

  December, 2007. Oh, yes, the year the recession hit home hard...

Nonfiction

• Do It Yourself Canine Trials (May 13, 2002) nonfiction

  Kids, try this at home.

• Tales No Taller Than Ourselves (May 20, 2002) nonfiction

  Percy and the Ghost

• Proud Projects (June 17, 2002) nonfiction

  An Old Dresser for a New Bedroom

• Revenge of the Tent Dwellers (June 28, 2002) nonfiction

  How to make a gorgeous outdoor bedroom. Including a 05-08-04 update to the original article.

• Tales No Taller Than Ourselves (July 13, 2002) nonfiction

  Spiritual Intervention

• God's Favorite Macaroni Salad (July 27, 2002) food macaroni salad

  When God makes macaroni salad, he uses this recipe

• The Last Monday in May (May 26, 2003) nonfiction

  An essay for Memorial Day, recalling a time when all of Mifflintown knew its veterans by name.

• What They Should Have Said (November 1, 2003) nonfiction

  Born, died, buried. Now what ghost could be content with that kind of story?

• My Father's Ghost (November 8, 2003) nonfiction

  Was it an omen to steer two boys clear of a life of crime, or just an interdimensional rift that made this ghost appear?

• Piker Pets: Babe (May 29, 2004) nonfiction

  The first thing you think when you see Babe is "BIG" and the second thing is "TEETH." Really, he's the best sweet honey-bunkums ...

• Tortillas y Tacos (June 12, 2004) nonfiction

  Cover story.

• Peek of the Week 09 (September 26, 2005) photograph flowers

  A water lily blooms in a shaded pool.

• Peek of the Week 11 (October 10, 2005) nonfiction photo art

  Light and shadows in the morning sky

• Peek of the Week 028 (February 6, 2006) photo art

  A seagull rests in the sunlight at Santa Cruz.

• Peek of the Week 030 (February 20, 2006) photo art

  Almond blossoms announce the arrival of Spring in the Central Valley of California

• Golumpki, or Cooking Under Pressure (March 6, 2006) nonfiction cooking recipe

  My husband's Polish family gave me the gift of a recipe for golumpki, a cabbage roll that will undoubtedly be served in Heaven.

• Peek of the Week 033 (March 13, 2006) photo art

  A nasturtium that survived the winter.

• Peek of the Week 037 (April 10, 2006) photo art

  The skeleton of last summer's papyrus and a rainbow combine to bridge the seasons.

• Peek of the Week 041 (May 15, 2006) photo art

  Red, white and blue flowers in nasturtium, carnation, and lobelia.

• Peek of the Week 043 (May 29, 2006) photo art

  We remember Flanders Field and all the places our servicemen have given their lives to preserve the peace of their citizens.

• Peek of the Week 045 (June 12, 2006) photo art

  A choppy San Francisco Bay tosses the sailboat "French Kiss."

• Peek of the Week 047 (June 26, 2006) photo art

  A juvenile scrub jay comes back for seconds when the food is peanut butter.

• Peek of the Week 053 (August 7, 2006) photo art

  California poppy illuminates the garden.

• Peek of the Week 066 (November 6, 2006) photo art

  A white-throated sparrow stops by for the winter in the central valley of California.

• Oatmeal Cookies (October 22, 2007) nonfiction food memoir recipe

  Sand recalls a favorite recipe, and a family tradition, from her childhood.

• Easy, Easy Nachos (January 14, 2008) food

  Getting ready for the big game? Just looking for a tasty snack to take the edge off winter? Try some delicious and trouble-free nachos!

• The Lowly Bean (January 28, 2008) food

  A simple soup, easy to prepare and quite delicious, can be made with the greatly overlooked Great Northern beans.

• Grocery Shopping: Pantslegs or Plastic? (January 28, 2008) nonfiction information

  Excess fabric in the closet, too many plastic grocery bags in the world. There's a inspiration there, and a wholesome direction to take. Making your own grocery bags isn't that difficult.

• Simplicity: Spinach Soup (February 11, 2008) food

  An easy Lenten soup with lots of flavor? Try spinach soup and you'll be ashamed at how delicious a meatless meal can be.

• Winter Color: Tecomaria Capensis (February 18, 2008) gardening

  Tecomaria Capensis -- brilliant orange flowers in winter in temperate zones, rich growth -- and about as welcome as ants at a picnic.

• The Lettuce Habit (March 17, 2008) nonfiction information

  Some people are willing to admit addiction to the mundane and wondrously crunchy iceberg lettuce. Sand Pilarski details her habit.

• Bacon-Wrapped Mushrooms: Barbecue Appetizers (May 19, 2008) food

  Managing Editor Sand Pilarski shares a favorite barbecue appetizer: bacon-wrapped mushrooms.

• Chicken Wings Made Easy (July 7, 2008) food

  The main problem with this recipe for chicken wings is that it's very difficult to make enough of them.

• Chicken Cordon Bleu (August 11, 2008) food

  Chicken Cordon Bleu is a rich and delicious entree, and not all that difficult to make, either. Here's how ...

• Turn Off the Main Road: Color The Skies! (August 18, 2008) cover story nonfiction

  No other sound is like it -- it's not a hiss, it's not like the sound of the wind; though loud, it is nothing like a shout or an explosion. The sound of purposeful flames leaping out to heat the air, to make the air lighter than you ever thought it could be -- that sound is a jubilant roar, the sound of a dragon exulting in power, the power to make people fly ...

• Ohh, Pesto! (August 25, 2008) food pesto recipe

  There is nothing to compare with pesto made from fresh basil, right out of the garden. This is an easy recipe for a delicious pesto.

• Learning About Creation (October 20, 2008) essay

  It's not about perfection, not even about the finished product; Creativity is never still. A child's sketches have a lot to teach ...

• Turkey Soup: Love Those Leftovers! (December 1, 2008) food

  Sand Pilarski shares a savory soup recipe for the last of the leftover turkey.

• A Transformation (January 26, 2009) nonfiction photo essay nature dragonfly

  In winter you treasure the memories of summer past, and the hopes for summer to come...

• Gazpacho: A Summer Soup (July 20, 2009) food gazpacho recipe

  Tomatoes, cucumbers, crisp white onion -- add juice and seasoning, and presto! a delicious and refreshing cold soup!

• Brunch Casserole (March 8, 2010) food breakfast casserole

  Here is a recipe for a very hearty and delicious breakfast or brunch casserole -- and it's easy, too!

• Banana Bread: An Old Favorite (February 21, 2011) food recipe "banana bread"

  A sweet treat to share with family and guests: banana bread.

• Legendary Pumpkin Pie (December 23, 2013) food

  "What the heck is that?" ask the guests. "It's a pumpkin pie," I tell them. "Just shut up and try a bite. Oh, so now you want the whole pie for yourself? Tough, you're going to have to share!" An heirloom recipe from my father's family brightens our gloomy winter season.

• Lima Bean Pot Pie (January 18, 2016) food recipe

  Food of the gods - recipe and history.

• Remembered Flavors: Tony's Salad and Firehouse Chicken (September 25, 2017) food chicken and salad

  Half a century later, a cook learns how to make some of her favorite foods...

• Minestrone At Last (August 20, 2018) food minestrone

  Somewhere, out there in the wide world, there was a minestrone just waiting to happen...

Opinion

• How Almonds Are (September 7, 2002) op_ed

  An essay on the life cycle of the Central Valley almond tree.

• Mortal November (November 4, 2002) op_ed

  November is for taking stock of mortality. A look at death and the cycle of all things.

• 129th Kentucky Derby Un-coverage (May 5, 2003) op_ed kentucky derby

  Sports coverage of the Derby? Where? Where? Noooo, not NBC!

• Anybody's Field: The 2003 Belmont Stakes (June 9, 2003) op_ed

  He upset the race in the Kentucky Derby. He won the Preakness by nine lengths. But bad weather and two big colts ended Funny Cide's run for the Triple Crown.

• T-3, A Must See Summer Movie (July 7, 2003) op_ed Movie Review

  Whether you want them or not, Sand and Bernie give you their opinions on Arnold's new movie <i>Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines</i>.

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Still Waters Run Depp (July 14, 2003) op_ed Movie Review

  Sand and Bernie hit the theater again this weekend, and review <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i>. Say, sweetheart, who's shivering ye timbers now?

• Lack of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Save Your Cash (July 14, 2003) op_ed Movie Review

  Oh, dear, another day over 100 degrees, and off Sand and Bernie go to the movies again. We love you, Sean, but it's time to put an icepack on your head and cover your ears...

• Seabiscuit: A Big Movie That Included the Little Horse (July 28, 2003) op_ed Movie Review

  Bernie and Sand sneak off to the movies again, to check out the Triple Crown horseraces' hype of <i>Seabiscuit</i>. Was the little horse really that much of a superstar?

• Lara Croft Tomb Raider 2: Lara, Please Shoot the Director (August 11, 2003) op_ed Movie Review

  Bernie and Sand slither off to the movies again to see if <i>Tomb Raider 2</i> is really as bad as some critics have claimed.

• Pinot Grigio - The Reality Series (October 6, 2003) op_ed

  How do I love the dry white wine called Pinot Grigio? MMmmm, let me count the ways!

• Secondhand Lions: Old Fashioned Fun at the Bijou (October 6, 2003) op_ed Movie Review

  Sand drags Bernie off to the movie theater again. "Look honey, this one has horses and fish and shotguns in it! I call that a Must See!"

• One Market Restaurant: A Review on a Rainy Friday Evening (January 17, 2004) restaurant review

  We've been wanting to try this restaurant for years. At last we had the time to spare, at the right time of day, and the properly dressy clothes -- time to check out the fabulous One Market Restaurant!

• The Smell of Fear (November 20, 2004) op_ed

  Run for your life! Hold your breath! Get the gas mask! Weapons of Mass Destruction, move over! When perfume allergies can cause you to cough until your throat bleeds, trying to get people to ease off the Eau du Paris is worth raising a stink.

• Fifth Anniversary Issue (April 16, 2007) cover story nonfiction essay

  Welcome to the Piker Press, now celebrating our FIFTH anniversary as a weekly ezine dedicated to keeping writers WRITING. Five years go by very quickly, and it was with a good bit of surprise that I realized how far we've come on this merry adventure.

• Notes From the Office (September 24, 2007) opinion essay

  A new feature from the Press: information and maybe a little opinionatin'.

• Notes From the Office 03 (October 15, 2007) Announcement

  The winds are bringing about a change in the climate of writing ...

• Notes From the Office 06: The Eatin' O' the Green (March 17, 2008) opinion essay

  The Piker Press Staff considers, remembers, and instructs about salads.

• Anniversary Number Six! (April 7, 2008) cover story

  Founded in April of 2002, the <i>Piker Press</i> got its start with a tiny band of writers who, having giddily written their first full-length novels during National Novel Writing Month in November of 2001, found themselves eager to write more, but with no venue willing to take a chance on unknown, unpublished authors. What this has meant is that the Piker Press has had one goal from the very start: encouraging writers to keep on writing.

• Notes From the Office 09: Mondays (June 23, 2008) Announcement

  Managing Editor Sand Pilarski weighs in with an explanation about Mondays.

• Rough Times Caf&eacute;: Housing (April 13, 2009) editorial

  When your job suddenly ends, or is summarily suspended for an ambiguous length of time, what do you do when the house payments simply can no longer be made?

• Notes From the Office 14: Admissions and Submissions (April 27, 2009) editorial updates "changes in the Piker Press"

  Things look a little different, and don't seem to work? You call this progress? Well, yes ...

• Notes From the Office 15: Birds on the Brain (May 11, 2009) editorial updates "Upcoming Bird Issue"

  What's coming up in the future? A "Birds" issue?

• Notes From the Office 16: Comments Redux (June 22, 2009) news editorial

  The latest news from the desktop of the Piker Press.

• Notes From the Office 18: Look Out! It's the Aliens Issue! (August 24, 2009) cover story editorial

  Yes, it's late, but it's worth waiting for! The Staff of the Piker Press comes through with all kinds of ideas that have just been waiting for the right moment ...

• Notes From the Office 19: Oh, No, Not Again! (August 31, 2009) editorial "10K For Labor Day"

  It's almost time for the annual writing challenge, ten thousand words written over Labor Day weekend: 10K For Labor Day!

• Notes From the Office 20: Words, Witches, and Time Travel (September 21, 2009) editorial

  Upcoming themed issues include October 19: Witches, and January 11: Time Travel.

• Surrogates: Man, That Would Save A Lot of Time Not Shaving My Legs (September 28, 2009) movie review "Surrogates"

  Sand Pilarski escapes the heat wave the usual way -- to the movies! This time the film is "Surrogates."

• Notes From the Office 21: Singing on a Keyboard (September 28, 2009) editorial "About Writing"

  If you love to write, then write is what you should do, and stop worrying about whether it will win awards or make you rich.

• Notes From the Office 22: Welcoming New Authors (October 19, 2009) editorial

  Welcoming new authors Paula Petruzzi and Effie Collins.

• Notes From the Office 23: Delays and Vacations (October 26, 2009) editorial

  Excuses, excuses. Oh, wait, dog barf?

• Notes From the Office 24: Time Travel (January 4, 2010) editorial

  Notes From the Office 24: Time Travel

• Notes From the Office 25: YO IS OLD! YES, WE IS. (March 29, 2010) editorial

  <p>With this last issue of March, my mind is already beginning to spin at the thought that the Piker Press is coming up on EIGHT years as a weekly ezine.

• Notes From the Office 26: Alternate Realities (April 12, 2010) editorial

  What a fine, fat issue for the 8th Anniversary of the Piker Press!

• The Shame of What We Are: Book Review (December 20, 2010) book review "The Shame of What We Are"

  Sand Pilarski reviews Sam Gridley's novel, "The Shame of What We Are."

• Notes From the Office 27: The New Year (January 24, 2011) editorial

  News, news, news!

• Notes From the Office 28: February 2011 (February 21, 2011) editorial

  Notes in February from the Editor's Desk.

• With No Other Announcements, Either (March 28, 2011) cover story essay

  Well, if we told you what was going on, we couldn't say that it was ...

• Ninth Anniversary of the Piker Press (April 25, 2011) cover story essay writing

  From April of 2002 to the present, each week a new set of wonders appears ... in the pages of the Piker Press.

• Destructo-Week (April 30, 2012) announcement

  Yes, we noticed that we were dead in the water for a week! Now we're back ...

• April Fools' Day! (April 1, 2013) cover story essay April Fools Day

  A day of suspicion, a day of wariness ... who knows what foul villain is going to trip you up just because it's the first day of the fourth month!

• Captain America - The Winter Soldier: Movie Review (April 28, 2014) movie review "The Winter Soldier"

  While Bernie gets back in line for more movie popcorn, Sand sneaks in her review of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."

• Mr. Boardwalk: Book Review (June 9, 2014) book review "Mr. Boardwalk"

  "Read this book!" A richly told coming of age story set in pre-casino Atlantic City, "Mr. Boardwalk" by Louis Greenstein is a brilliant mix of humor and heart.

• Birdman: Movie Review (February 2, 2015) movie review "Birdman"

  Finally the local theater gets around to showing "Birdman," an Acadamy Award Nominee for Best Picture...

• The 13th Anniversary Issue (April 13, 2015) cover story retrospective anniversary issue

  How many computers have I used up in the past 13 years?

• Drifting Too Far from the Shore: Book Review (October 10, 2016) book review "Drifting Too Far from the Shore"

  Charlotte "Muddy" Rewis is getting up there in years, and knows how precious memory -- and life -- are. Her own memories seem more real to her than the world around her in Niles Reddick's book "Drifting Too Far from the Shore."

• Super Sport: Book Review (May 22, 2017) book review "Super Sport"

  The Editor doesn't often review books, but a new one by Ralph Bland? The Editor couldn't wait to read it!

Poem

• Fishface Poetry (March 31, 2003) poem

  Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water... From silly limericks to hymns of praise, a collection of poetry dedicated to the fish face phenomenon.

• Peanut butter and ritz cracker sandwiches (July 24, 2004) poem

  Poem

• Wicked Mother (August 21, 2004) poem

  Poem

• Celery and Peanut Butter (September 4, 2004) poem

  Poem

• Solstice Time (January 1, 2005) poem

  Poem.

• Peanut butter and raisins on saltines (April 10, 2005) poem

  Poem

• Oh, Tom -- With Greatest Apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning (July 25, 2005) poem humor

  Let's celebrate "Can't stand Tom Cruise Week" with a sonnet from a Piker Geeze! "How do I loathe thee ... ?"

• Spring Thaw (February 13, 2006) poem rhymed

• Woman Can Translate Bird Languages (March 27, 2006) poem rhymed humor

  A woman can listen to the flocks of sparrows and understand what they are saying. Is it about the tragedy of global warming? About the pollution of the air?

• When I Dream (December 4, 2006) poem unrhymed

• Mysteries of Toenails (January 29, 2007) poem unrhymed humor

• In the Trunk (April 2, 2007) poem rhymed humor

  A ride in the trunk is what this woman needs ... and the secret, savory destination ...

• Retrospective, At The End (April 7, 2008) poem unrhymed

  This lover meditates upon the end of All, and the loss of the Beloved. Originally appeared 2006-03-06.

• No Tracks (April 21, 2008) poem rhymed

• cooties (August 11, 2008) poem unrhymed

  You know them when you see them, and you can never forget how some people have them...

• Porch Chickens (March 23, 2009) poetry

• ... Young (May 23, 2011) poem unrhymed

  On my doorstep -- So different -- After so many years ...

• Remember This, Girls (July 4, 2011) poem unrhymed

  ... She called to them from darkened windows, promising passionate embraces ...

• Wings of Tale (July 18, 2011) poem unrhymed

  Write a complete story in just under one hundred words ...(Originally appeared 2002-07-05.)

• A Future in Vegetables (August 1, 2011) poem rhymed

  What other hidden food delights did Mom and Dad hide from their daughter's plate?

• Write (October 24, 2011) poem unrhymed

  ...What whispers in the dark? stars in the night, white on black ...

• Bzzz-ness (September 2, 2013) poem art

  An illustrated poetic treatise on politics and the flies of summer.

• My Little Life (November 17, 2014) poem rhymed

  The value of life, in verse.

• The Ballad of Jimmy the Rat (March 30, 2015) poem

  The historical chronicling in lighthearted verse of Jimmy the Rat and his run-down motel.

• Artisan (April 1, 2019) poem rhymed

  Not only is it April Fools' Day, April is also Poetry Month.

Serial

• Dreamer 01 (May 12, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  Solange Ambris fell in love with Mr. Wrong. And oh, now the scumbag has trashed their marriage and disappeared. Sully recalls her life and the healing help of dreams. <i>Book I -- Fish and Froth</i>.

• Dreamer 02 (May 19, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  <i>Book One -- Fish and Froth</i>: Musing on her dreams, Sully also ponders whether or not her sister is a little golddigger.

• Dreamer 03 (May 26, 2003) Serial

  <i>Book I -- Fish and Froth</i>: Sully describes her two greatest passions -- dreaming, and Adam. One has been the best thing to happen in her life, and one -- oh, guess which one -- the worst. Adam is the one nightmare she doesn't want to wake from...

• Dreamer 04 (June 2, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  An ocean of overlapping memories with a sky painted with dreams... Sully talks about bathroom dreams, dreams about falling, and falling dreamily in love with the handsome and hormonal Adam.

• Dreamer 05 (June 9, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  Meeting Adam was like a dream come true. You know the kind of dreams we're talking about -- the ones you never tell your mother.

• Dreamer 06 (June 16, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  Desire, death, and destruction! When you play with fire, expect to get burned. When you play with Adam ...

• Dreamer 07 (June 23, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  The heart of the matter: Adam, and Sully's faith. If you leap from the top of a tree, but have true faith, will you fall? What if you're leaping for the most attractive man in the world?

• Dreamer 08 (June 30, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  It's Moving Day for Sully, whose memories of how much she loved Adam exist side by side with the sense of loss when he divorced her. New place, new town, new life.

• Dreamer 09 (July 7, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  "Mommy, Mommy, last night I dreamed I was the leader of commando assassins!" But wait, isn't that just what a kid needs to get through grade school? And wouldn't it be helpful knowledge to get through some adult days, too?

• Dreamer 10 (July 14, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  Sully walks into a bar and sees Adam with a pig under his arm. "Where'd you get the pig?" she asks. And the pig says, "He pulled into town this afternoon..."

• Dreamer 11 (July 21, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  Poor suffering Sully gets the chance to wallow in the lap of luxury while she sorts things out -- unaware that what she will learn at the Estate is going to change her perspective on life completely.

• Dreamer 12 (July 28, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  Crossing new thresholds, Sully remembers learning that her attraction to Adam was more like an addiction, she admits to a reliance on her religion, and parasails above the Aquaducts of Roth.

• Dreamer 13 (August 11, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  <i>Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary</i>: The death of Sully's father is unexpected, untimely, and leaves the boulders of the mountain grieving along with his family.

• Dreamer 14 (August 18, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  <i>Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary</i>: How the heck did Sully's little sister get away with digging up the back yard when they were kids? Aha, Dad figured out a way ...

• Dreamer 15 (August 25, 2003) serial fiction life relationships

  <i>Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary</i>: Bodie and Andersol next door are like Siamese twins -- but joined at the mind, not the body. Sully, curious about allegations of incest goes next door to check it out.

• Dreamer 16 (September 1, 2003) Serial

  <i>Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary</i>: Did the lady who leads the singing at church really sound like a three-year-old with fingers up his nose?

• Dreamer 17 (September 15, 2003) Serial

  Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary: Sully's mother wants no one's help and no one's sympathy, even in the face of her husband's death. Her life has been steeped in disappointment, leaving her as strong and bitter as coffee brewed far too long.

• Dreamer 18 (September 22, 2003) Serial

  Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary: Nightmares by night and by day -- sometimes the only place you can battle feelings of despair is in your dreams.

• Dreamer 19 (September 29, 2003) Serial

  Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary: The sorrows of the present have their foundations in the past. Sully recalls her mother's sucesses at bartering garden goods and forgery for hire.

• Dreamer 20 (October 6, 2003) Serial

  Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary: Enjoying the security of a dog with Very Big Teeth, Sully once again asks prying questions about romance in the lives of her neighbors.

• Dreamer 21 (October 13, 2003) Serial

  Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary: Some dreams don't mean anything; they're just for fun. Sully's subconscious mixes snakes and figure skating, and in waking hours, Sully mixes a little Cheech and Chong with a game of marbles.

• Dreamer 23 (November 1, 2003) Serial

  Sully flashes back to the kind and easy days of simply indulging in neighborhood gossip, pondering parents and children, and whether Mary LeMay's son is really a major league jackass.

• Dreamer 24 (November 8, 2003) Serial

  We dream of knowing the future so that we can win the lottery or know which stocks to buy. What if what you saw in the future was a nightmare? There's a flip side to the phrase "a dream come true."

• Dreamer 25 (November 22, 2003) Serial

  Sully makes a leap of faith and relies on her closest family -- her brother-in-law Charles, who has only the tiniest clue about life without riches. His children have a better grasp on what tears should be for.

• Dreamer 26 (November 29, 2003) Serial

  Sully's mother has a will of iron. Have you ever heard someone say that they'd rather die than accept help from someone else?

• Dreamer 27 (December 6, 2003) Serial

  Sully and her sister Jesse start sorting out their feelings about their mother's death, with five children snuggled around them. Sully tells of a dream of seeking fanciful creatures in a barren place; in her dream is she hoping to find some good in the face of loss?

• Dreamer 28 (December 13, 2003) Serial

  Sleeping in a tent can make you wonder why on earth people ever built houses. Sully finds that camping out with five nieces and nephews under the age of ten can be enough fun to nearly make her forget that she never had any children of her own.

• Dreamer 29 (December 20, 2003) Serial

  Single and childless. Not what Sully had in mind for the rest of her life when she met Adam. Musing on her attachment to her sister's children, Sully reminisces about coming to terms with Adam's infidelity and her own middle age.

• Dreamer 30 (January 3, 2004) Serial

  Both parents died. Now the daughters have to go through a houseful of personal effects. Sully doesn't want to face what she'll find out about her mother, and she's not quite sure how to face her sister Jesse, either.

• Dreamer 31 (January 10, 2004) Serial

  <i>Book Two: Seeking Sanctuary</i> Pity the poor child who thinks she could have prevented her mother's death. Will anything ever expunge that sense of guilt?

• Dreamer 32 (January 17, 2004) Serial

  <i>Book Two: Seeking Sanctuary</i> A burden of guilt and a sense of isolation put Sully into a sad spiral downward into self-disgust and depression. Where are all her friends now?

• Dreamer 33 (January 24, 2004) Serial

  Book Two -- Seeking Sanctuary: Bodie and Andersol left suddenly, and have returned in tears. Sully's grief over the deaths of her father and then her mother is heightened by hearing that there are worse ways to become an orphan.

• Dreamer 34 (January 31, 2004) Serial

  "It was the worst year that we could ever remember," Sully would say in later days. "By the end of the summer we were nearly afraid to let anyone we loved out of our sight." The death of her brother-in-law makes Sully reexamine her own life, and gives her the resolve to lay some ghosts to rest.

• Dreamer 35 (February 7, 2004) Serial

  Autumn leaves, spring blooms; summer's greens and snow scattered all about -- marble and granite and flagstone: images of remembering the timeless Dead.

• Dreamer 36 (February 14, 2004) Serial

  Every action that we make contributes to the edifice that we become, like bricks building a foundation or tower. Sully dreams of houses unfinished, and houses with pink walls, and of a heart that has to answer to no one.

• Dreamer 37 (February 21, 2004) Serial

  Book Three -- Remembering At Last: "I was ready to put up a sign in my front yard," Sully said. "One that said 'No solicitors, and that includes anyone who tries to fix me up with single friends and relatives.'"

• Dreamer 38 (February 28, 2004) Serial

  In a small town church congregation, you can run but you cannot hide. Sully does not want to meet John. John does not want to meet Sully. Mary LeMay traps them in the church where they have to at least pretend to be nice to each other. Well, mostly.

• Dreamer 39 (March 6, 2004) Serial

  Bodie and Andersol and Sully join forces to plot a day of total irresponsibility. They're going to shirk work, avoid family, and party till they fall down. Yes, sounds like a plan!

• Dreamer 40 (March 13, 2004) Serial

  Bodie Talles has arranged a play-day in the city of San Francisco with lots of food, drink, and fun. But is there an ulterior motive, and is that a hint of romance in the air?

• Dreamer 41 (March 20, 2004) Serial

  "Just what I wanted for the holidays," Sully muttered to herself sarcastically. "A hysterical sister and all five of her kids in trouble. Merry Christmas to all."

• Dreamer 42 (April 17, 2004) Serial

  After Jesse's five children take on the schoolyard bully and break his nose for him, Jesse has a Christmas gift for Sully -- she gets to pick up the pieces and sort them out. "I don't even worry about it," says Jesse. "Sully just eats that kind of crap right up."

• Dreamer 43 (April 24, 2004) serial fiction family

  Sully's sister has decided that she loves to visit Sully often -- as long as the next door neighbor hunk is home. "When her husband was alive, I practically played her role as wife. Now that he's gone, I'm just about playing her role as mother," Sully grumps. "Am I a faithful sister or am I just stupid?"

• Dreamer 44 (May 8, 2004) Serial

  Change comes running through peoples' lives like a freight train whose schedule includes no stops in the near future. Standing in the middle of the tracks with your hands on your hips, saying, "No, I don't think I like this" gets you exactly where?

• Dreamer 45 (May 15, 2004) Serial

  The Bride and Groom are closeted, the wedding celebration is done. What is left to do besides lure a single man off to the wilderness to look at wildflowers? "Get your mind out of the gutter," Sully says. "You people all have sex on the brain."

• Dreamer 46 (May 22, 2004) Serial

  Sully, you are so up-tight that you squeak when you walk. Why not take a walk on the wild side with the dude from the East Coast? You know he's hot.

• Dreamer 47 (May 29, 2004) Serial

  Why is the one who wanted to keep the vows the one who is considered a dope? When did integrity become a liability? Why is an abandoned wife supposed to hang out a flag that says, "For sale by owner?"

• Dreamer 48 (June 5, 2004) Serial

  The children decided that they had had enough of private schools and uniforms and strictness, and arranged to go to public school. They didn't request the change of schooling from any of us adults, didn't ask for our input, preferences, requirements -- none of that. They planned their campaign and went directly to war.

• Dreamer 49 (June 12, 2004) Serial

  "In my dreams," Sully said, "my sister is always still a child. That's probably because I think she's evaded her responsibilities as a mother. If her second husband didn't like the kids so much, she'd probably have sold them by now."

• Dreamer 50 (June 19, 2004) Serial

  "You can only turn down a free summer on the Riviera once before everyone you know calls you an idiot for the rest of your life," Sully said. "So I went. And while I was there, away from friends and family, I found out what I missed, and what I didn't miss."

• Dreamer 51 (June 26, 2004) Serial

  "His mother, my sister, my best friends all wanted me to jump into John LeMay's lap. Maybe they wanted me to do that so that they didn't have to worry about an old maid. But maybe they should have asked him first who all he was keeping company on a late Saturday night," Sully says irritably.

• Dreamer 52 (July 3, 2004) Serial

  Sully finds estate life very easy -- until she finds out that her sister and her in-laws find her sex life to be a matter of speculation on a daily basis. Worse yet, the kids overheard everything.

• Dreamer 53 (July 10, 2004) Serial

  Does Sully really want to know the truth about the woman in John's apartment? The truth is that Sully didn't want her to be there, and has only just figured it out.

• Dreamer 54 (July 17, 2004) Serial

  Sully has been the proverbial paragon of virtue since she married Adam so many years ago, even after he deserted her. Everybody knows that, even her admirer, John the romantic policeman. Fate knows all about virtue, too, and is not always sympathetic.

• Dreamer 55 (July 24, 2004) Serial

  Sometimes it's only when you're about to lose something that you realize how valuable and necessary it is. A dream symbol of a silvery sky makes Sully shimmer suddenly.

• Dreamer 56 (July 31, 2004) Serial

  Okay, for five years Sully has pretended not to have any interest in John LeMay. Now she knows, he knows, his mother knows, their friends know -- duhh -- yes, there is an interest. And ohh, Sully does remember that she used to be Hot Stuff.

• Dreamer 57 (August 7, 2004) Serial

  First John backs away from Sully in the kitchen, then Sully walks off and leaves him in annoyance. Are these two never going to figure out what they want?

• Dreamer 58 (August 14, 2004) Serial

  "Blame it on him nearly getting killed. Blame it on a mid-life crisis. Blame it on me, I don't care," Sully says. "I'm not passing up the chance to spend a weekend alone with the Romantic Policeman."

• Dreamer 59 (August 21, 2004) Serial

  The paragon of virtue, Aunt Sully, has feet of clay. She knows that, and can live with that weakness ... but can she explain away that weakness to the kids? And we know she can't hide from it in her dreams.

• Dreamer 60 (August 28, 2004) Serial

  There has got to be no worse time in history to have a lover who's a New York City policeman that on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Sully and John are dropped into the crucible of the disaster, and must find a way to keep their relationship intact -- or admit that it would never have worked out, anyway.

• Dreamer 61 (September 4, 2004) Serial

  Sully remembers at last who she is, and why she is, and what she has to do. No one is going to like the solution much, but the symbols of Sully's dream are inescapable.

• Dreamer 62 (September 11, 2004) Serial

  John and Sully are ready to pay the price for being "right." It's a high price, but no where near as valuable as being able to say the word "love."

• Dreamer 63 (September 18, 2004) Serial

  Oh, my goodness, there really is a counted cross stitch panel with "John + Sully" in a heart on a tree! Is it really time for Sully to consider that her life should mesh with that romantic policeman?

• Dreamer 64 (September 25, 2004) Serial

  Oh, Patient Readers, it's The End, and someone named Adam shows up at Sully's front door ...

• Dreamer 22 (April 10, 2005) Serial

  A tall, dark, handsome man and hundreds of white roses -- the redhead who wouldn't tell her name -- Sully's mother recounts the tale of her romance. Too bad it had to end this way. (First appeared 2003-10-20)

• Time Traveler 01 (July 18, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Chapter One of <i>Time Traveler</i>, a novel by Sand Pilarski. It should have been a lazy, romantic morning, full of smug memories from an evening of lovemaking. Instead, it wound up being the moment the rose-colored lenses fell away, revealing a battered woman living in a cage made partially from her own permission. For better or for worse, this is the moment one woman begins defying conventions to make paths of her own choosing. But the less traveled path is always the rockier one. *Parental Advisory*

• Time Traveler 02 (July 25, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Part Two of <i>Time Traveler</i>. No one really knows how Life, the Universe, and Everything came to be. Origins are lost from memory, even the origins of the people we come to be ...

• Time Traveler 03 (August 1, 2005) serial Fiction contemporary romance

  Augusta accepts a lunch invitation from the phallus-obsessed Radigan, and finds heavenly food and a disconcerting observation by a tall, dark stranger. "I wasn't looking for anything more than food," she says. "Maybe it would have been better if I had just gone hungry."

• Time Traveler 04 (August 8, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Why is it time to think of romance? Is it the sound of the waves against the cliffs? Is it the caress of the fleece blanket against Augusta's cheek? Is it missing the old familiar face of Moersgard, or can it be -- the thought of something new?

• Time Traveler 05 (August 15, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  It's the social event of the season, and for the first time in nearly ten years, Augusta doesn't have a date for the occasion. In fact, her ex-lover Moersgard is going to show up with his new hottie ... but that's not the most disturbing incident of the evening ...

• Time Traveler 06 (August 22, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Paperwork, paperwork, and every second has to count to get through the day. But what if your concentration is broken by an arrangement of flowers that puts you in mind of a phallic symbol? Quick! Think about something else!

• Time Traveler 07 (August 29, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  And now Augusta finds out: Valentine is not only handsome and talented, but is charming as well. "Where have you been all my life?" he asks, and what her heart might answer is, "In the dark and alone."

• Time Traveler 08 (September 5, 2005) contemporary fiction, romance

  In class, the discussions turn to Heaven and Hell. But this week, the teacher is the one who cannot pay attention. Hell: the handsome violinist hasn't called. Heaven: he's sent a note. Hell: it was sent last Friday and Augusta has only received it now. Heaven: Augusta is getting more and more involved with this captivating young musician. Hell: sweet as it all seems, Augusta knows better to fall into a trap like this. But it seems she's about to anyway.

• Time Traveler 09 (September 12, 2005) serial fiction contemporary romance

  In the classroom, the topic is Purgatory -- getting rid of the old earthly baggage before beginning a new existence in the afterlife. Roman Catholic shedding of earthly sins. New Hebrides shedding of pigs. Outside of the classroom, Valentine shows up to court Augusta sporting a fat lip and a cut-up face -- the scars earned shedding an old relationship. Does this mean he intends to embark on a new relationship with Augusta? Despite her best efforts, this flirtation doesn't seem to want to stay casual.

• Time Traveler 10 (September 19, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Since Ariadne fell for the mostly naked Theseus and gave up both the magic ball of string and her virginity, people have been doing foolish things for love. Augusta still recalls when "good girls" didn't call boys on the phone. Now, with a first kiss that couldn't be more romantic or tantalizing, she's left contemplating the change over her lifetime of sex -- from something that decent people simply didn't do outside of marriage to something that professors were almost certainly going to do with handsome young musicians they had only recently met.

• Time Traveler 11 (September 26, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  He'll show her <i>his</i> if she'll show him <i>hers</i> ... but this is a more adult show and tell, with unspoken issues clouding their views.

• Time Traveler 12 (October 3, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  It's all about Time. Time the vast distance, Time the villain. Augusta could travel back in Time to tell herself how good life has become, and how to avoid the mistakes that were made. But if she did, she wouldn't grow up to become Augusta. Ah, but maybe that would have been better and she would have missed Time's cruelest trick of all.

• Time Traveler 13 (October 10, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Images of the children she babysat while in high school press against Augusta's brain. Every single one of them is older than Valentine. When she began her affair with Moersgard, Valentine would have been a boy of sixteen! What should have been romance has become a horror story.

• Time Traveler 14 (October 17, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  If Valentine promises to love her until the end of Time, will Augusta believe him? Will she lose her resolve to leave him? And will she follow through on her decision to be honest with him?

• Time Traveler 15 (October 24, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  What would you be willing to give up for the person you love most? Riches? Power? Everything, you say, but what if what you had to give up were your fears and preconceptions?

• Time Traveler 16 (October 31, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  At last, a rainy night with no conflicts or worries, and only one thought in common. The door opens, and Valentine steps across the threshold.

• Time Traveler 17 (November 7, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Love is patient, Love is kind ... Love is selfless, Love makes life worth living. Doesn't Love overlook our faults and rejoice in our differences? Doesn't it?

• Time Traveler 18 (November 14, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Where is the playful lover who kissed from her hand all the way up her shoulder and neck to find his way to her lips? He's not in Augusta's bed, or her arms, or her kitchen, and she no longer knows where to look for him.

• Time Traveler 19 (November 21, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Heartbroken, Augusta turns once more to her best friend Kimsky. But Moersgard, her former lover, shows up on Augusta's doorstep for a visit. Is it enough to take her mind off of Valentine?

• Time Traveler 20 (November 28, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  The phone rings. But the voice is not the one Augusta most wants to hear, and she limps back to Ohio, to Kim and Burlie's home remedies for heartbreak. Hope there are plenty of munchies!

• Time Traveler 21 (December 5, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  "I read books about older women and younger men; I talked about what it was like being in love with a younger man; and I thought about the younger man almost all the time, except when I was cooking or stoned," says Augusta. "Kimsky said I should get a prescription for medical marijuana and become a chef."

• Time Traveler 22 (December 12, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Neil Radigan is new and improved, and a date with him actually starts out with fun and laughter, but then Fate steps in to rub Augusta's face in her heartbreak.

• Time Traveler 23 (December 19, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Why does knowing that it's better this way hurt so damn bad?

• Time Traveler 24 (December 26, 2005) serial fiction romance contemporary

  The lusty Moersgard has some revelations for Augusta, and a tentative job offer.

• Time Traveler 25 (January 2, 2006) serial fiction romance contemporary

  It's showdown time, and Valentine and Augusta are both furious -- but they're angry about things that don't even exist.

• Time Traveler 26 (January 9, 2006) serial fiction romance contemporary

  Augusta makes her plans for escape, but Jacob Moersgard has plans of his own, and is a manipulative mastermind who knows just what buttons to push.

• Time Traveler 27 (January 16, 2006) serial fiction romance contemporary

  The bittersweet conclusion of Time Traveler. Augusta speaks to her class of karma, not as retribution, but acceptance of self, acceptance of consequence and release. A return to true love's arms doesn't mean happily ever after, but sometimes to break the cycle, you have to accept the reality of self.

• Transitions (February 16, 2009) cover story serial fiction

  This week in the Piker Press, we begin a new serial fiction feature: "Transitions." Told from Owen Reich-Ambris' point of view, the story recounts a season of changes that occurred in his family's household, and how one weekend of the past summer affected them all ...

• Transitions 02 (February 23, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  The Five have collected information from their most recent sortie -- but now they have to figure out what it all means.

• Transitions 03 (March 2, 2009) fiction family relationships

  There's a room in the mansion that belongs to Owen alone ... and it holds a precious secret.

• Transitions 04 (March 9, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Blended families tend to have an overabundance of uncles and aunts unrelated to one by blood. Owen's family is like that, too. It's just about like having your own personal standing army hanging around ...

• Transitions 05 (March 16, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Who understands each other best? Twins, and people who are truly in love. Who is there to understand you when you're neither a twin, nor in love?

• Transitions 06 (March 23, 2009) fiction family relationships

  The reasons for Aunt Andersol's odd behavior are unknown, but certain things don't look too good ...

• Transitions 07 (March 30, 2009) fiction family relationships

  Marca makes a dangerous decision to try to solve the riddle of her aunt's strange behavior. It's one step closer to understanding, but not enough ...

• Transitions 08 (April 6, 2009) fiction family relationships

  Drama at school, drama at home ... the only thing left is to go outside and take a walk. But good luck with that, with a monster storm raging.

• Transitions 09 (April 13, 2009) fiction family relationships

  Both Aunts arrive at the mansion, but they act very differently from one another. Owen has been stationed to greet them and get as much information as possible.

• Transitions 10 (April 20, 2009) fiction family relationships

  Mysteries are no longer important when the family has to hear the bad news ...

• Transitions 11 (April 27, 2009) fiction family relationships

  Things are settling down a little in the house, enough so that Owen's mind is free to find things to get into ...

• Transitions 12 (May 4, 2009) fiction family relationships

  Aunt Sully finds out that there's much, much more to the mansion than she ever knew before. Owen has plans for this unexplored territory ...

• Transitions 13 (May 11, 2009) fiction family relationships

  He sweet-talks the aunt, he sweet-talks his mother -- is any wonder Owen's oldest sister feels she must thrash him now and then?

• Transitions 14 (May 18, 2009) fiction family relationships

  The rest of the weekend is at peace. Monday, however is going to knock someone's socks off!

• Transitions 15 (May 25, 2009) fiction family relationships

  The mysteriously-behaving aunt returns, but the situation is anything but improved ...

• Transitions 16 (June 1, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  There are concerns, and there is family drama, but what really matters is whether the pretty girl is going to smile at him ...

• Transitions 17 (June 8, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  The week is much like any other week for the older Reich-Ambris kids: school, activities, formal dinner ... yet their age is starting to catch up with them, and they are no longer the cute little kids in adult style clothing...

• Transitions 18 (June 15, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  While Aunt Andersol throws a fit, bad news is just waiting to be found out...

• Transitions 19 (June 29, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  What a way to begin Fall Break -- the dog is gone, and Owen's secret identity is revealed ...

• Transitions 20 (July 6, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  How do you get through the day when the girl you always imagined dumps you before she's even your girl?

• Transitions 21 (July 13, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Years have gone by, the estate always being the same for the children. As they've grown older, the gap between 'outside' and 'inside' has grown wider.

• Transitions 22 (July 20, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Fall Break has begun, the family has gathered, the feast is served -- yes, what everyone needs is a surprise and a shock to kick things into high gear.

• Transitions 23 (July 27, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  The big secret is out -- but once again, eavesdropping is the only way for the kids to find out the whole story ...

• Transitions 24 (August 3, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  They got away with the goods -- now, what to think about the knowledge they've accrued?

• Transitions 25 (August 10, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  The eavesdropping has been moderately successful ... but there's a cop in the house and the Five could be busted for their crime ...

• Transitions 26 (August 17, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Suddenly all those riding lessons make a whole lot of sense ...

• Transitions 27 (August 31, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Rachel manages to hold her own with the ebullient Reich-Ambris clan, with the help of John LeMay, Sully, and the legendary scrapple.

• Transitions 28 (September 7, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Sometimes what is supposed to seem like an important experience is just everyday stuff. But then, everyday stuff is kind of comforting, isn't it?

• Transitions 29 (September 14, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Even for a rich kid, can't a friend just be a friend?

• Transitions 30 (September 28, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Riding again with his aunt, Owen gets a lesson in land management.

• Transitions 31 (October 12, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  A hinge is beginning to turn, creaking a door open. Things are changing more rapidly now, and who knows what will lie beyond this door?

• Transitions 32 (October 19, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  A growth spurt and the unexpected invitation of Andersol to Claire's rooms give Owen the opportunity to learn something new ... something that has his grandmother interested.

• Transitions 33 (October 26, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Owen breaks open his journal to clear his thoughts, and finds more questions than answers.

• Transitions 34 (November 2, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  A roaring fire, a powerful storm, hallways darkened but for flashlights -- excitement! Adventure!

• Transitions 35 (November 9, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  If the touchiest hothead in the house is hungry and pregnant, maybe it would be a good idea not to make her angry ..

• Transitions 36 (November 16, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Having lived a life of relative luxury, the family is becoming aware of the many benefits of electric power when they have none. But at first, the darkness and simplicity and ways of coping seem like an adventure ...

• Transitions 37 (November 23, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Without heat, the house is damp. With damp comes mildew. What the hell is up with being rich and having to put up with that?

• Transitions 38 (November 30, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  It's time for heroic efforts! They'll clear the road! They'll ride over the mountain for supplies! High adventure for the whole family!

• Transitions 39 (December 7, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Oh, so this is what real work actually is?

• Transitions 40 (December 14, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Riding off to rescue on her snowy white pony sounded exciting enough, but once again, the Five are reminded of just how hard work can be ...

• Transitions 41 (December 21, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  From hard work and cold, the family moves into town where electricity and comfort are again available. However, along with the ease of take-out food comes the complications that arise in 'normal life'...

• Transitions 42 (December 28, 2009) serial fiction family relationships

  Warm and dry once again, the kids nevertheless must re-enter the dull and inevitable world of school ...

• Transitions 43 (January 4, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  The change in the household is accelerating, and Owen is aware of the future coming towards him faster and faster ...

• Transitions 44 (January 11, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  The family is back on an even keel with one another, but the changes that are about to happen to the estate may shake things up ...

• Transitions 45 (January 18, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Things are getting ready to change in the Reich-Ambris household, and Grandmother is the first to take action over it.

• Transitions 46 (February 1, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  In which a reporter snaps a picture of the family, and Andersol begins to worry about being seen in the newspaper. The family is going to have to come up with a plan.

• Transitions 47 (February 8, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Once again, Owen becomes aware that he and his siblings have led anything but a normal life as children ...

• Transitions 48 (February 15, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Plainly times are changing for the Reich-Ambris family. What has been a blessedly private existence is about to become a family under the magnifying glass of the public press ...

• Transitions 49 (February 22, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  A spy is discovered, and only increases the need for a plan of action ...

• Transitions 50 (March 8, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  This year has been all about change; and now Owen has to realize that change is about him, too.

• Transitions 51 (March 15, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Multiple big changes have come to the Estate; the Five mostly are trying to stay out of the way, but the changes will affect all their futures...

• Transitions 52 (March 29, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Owen is counting down the days until the change in the household takes place -- will he find satisfaction in his new status, or disappointment?

• Transitions 53 (May 3, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  The family is breaking up to separate continents, but what is on Owen's mind is ...

• Transitions 54 (May 17, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  With most of the family in Italy, Owen is finding communication to be changing in his life, and perhaps it's time for him to share some of the words his father handed down ...

• Transitions 55 (June 7, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  The mansion is very empty, but all that quiet provides a space for a lot of thought ...

• Transitions 56 (June 28, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Sure, Owen and Rachel have been pretending to be engaged, but what about when real feelings start to surface?

• Transitions 57 (July 5, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Owen, John, and Sully discover a secret in the mansion that has been kept since Owen's father's death years ago ...

• Transitions 58 (July 12, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  There's more to the Estate than just the estate. Knowledge of that could change the way the family sees the world ...

• Transitions 59 (August 2, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Travel is broadening, they say, but does it also set the travelers apart from what they have known?

• Transitions 60 (August 9, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  As spring moves in, the changes in the family relationships are moving more and more quickly ...

• Transitions 61 (August 16, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  The new suite is finished, and it is time for Owen to move to the third floor. Yet doesn't that move of a few steps put him a lot farther away from the comforts of his childhood?

• Transitions 62 (August 23, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  News has come from Italy -- but this time it's of a rather disturbing nature for a son filled with concern about his mother.

• Transitions 63 (September 6, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  They're not little kids anymore, and the events of the past months have put the Five into new molds. Things will be changing even more soon ...

• Transitions 64 (September 20, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Four children have been born. Half-siblings, siblings once removed --? What are the new babies supposed to be?

• Transitions 65 (September 27, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Owen may be the upcoming Man of the House, but that doesn't mean he won't make mistakes ...

• Transitions 66 (October 4, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Summer brings Owen yet a few more steps out of the world of his childhood...

• Transitions 67 (October 11, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Summer is hot, and so are the situations one can get into ...

• Transitions 68 (October 18, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Christine shows up to heat up a summer morning ...

• Transitions 69 (October 25, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Owen finds anger lurking in his adolescent body, first for being too young, and then for being old enough to face some new responsibilities.

• Transitions 70 (November 1, 2010) serial fiction family relationships

  Conclusion.

• Going Hungry (May 4, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Serial fiction set in the time of the 2007 economic crash. Gloria Melton finds out the rocky truth behind her parents' life.

• Going Hungry 02 (May 11, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  In disbelief at her late father's secret life, Gloria runs head-on into her mother's reality.

• Going Hungry 03 (May 18, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria's mother's time to act was apparently years ago -- and she missed it.

• Going Hungry 04 (May 25, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Food and shelter -- those are the important things, right? Unfortunately, to get them, you have to have money...

• Going Hungry 05 (June 1, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  There is a chance -- if they can manage to find jobs, they can keep the house. But where do you find a job when times get rough?

• Going Hungry 06 (June 8, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria thinks she can keep the family together in their own house because she's got common sense and a work ethic...but her education in the real world is just beginning.

• Going Hungry 07 (June 15, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  There's a good reason your mother taught you to be nice to the people you meet...

• Going Hungry 08 (June 22, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Will has made it through his first day in the orchards, Philli found full time work -- but will it be enough?

• Going Hungry 09 (June 29, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  This is it -- the pivotal moment, can they keep the house or are they on the street? Or is it?

• Going Hungry 10 (July 6, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  The gardening service, the newspaper subscription, the cleaning lady have all been eliminated from the budget. Even the boyfriend is gone. What else can they do without?

• Going Hungry 11 (July 13, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  It's easy enough to open a bank account...but do you have any money to put into it?

• Going Hungry 12 (July 20, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria knows she can do whatever job she has to in order to keep her family in their house...and now is the time to prove it.

• Going Hungry 13 (July 27, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  The recession of 2007 is all too real for Gloria. No money, no jobs, no security...

• Going Hungry 14 (August 3, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  You've learned that you're in dire straits financially. You've learned that there are no jobs out there to bail you out. The next lesson is finding how to survive on what little you still have...

• Going Hungry 15 (August 10, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria and her mother are back on the same side again, but there's only one thing that will keep them side by side in their own home...

• Going Hungry 16 (August 17, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Just when Gloria thought her prospects had darkened, a second chance at the job of cook's assistant arrived. It's a chance she mustn't screw up...

• Going Hungry 17 (August 24, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Well, it's a job...

• Going Hungry 18 (August 31, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  In a gleaming commercial kitchen, Gloria expects magic and culinary wonders. But maybe even the rich just put their pants on one leg at a time...

• Going Hungry 19 (September 7, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  After the shock of the first day of work, Gloria can't help wishing for the life she used to have...

• Going Hungry 20 (September 14, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Starting a new job, cooking for the family, managing the bills...Gloria thinks that should be enough to earn her some breathing space. Wait, it's not?

• Going Hungry 21 (September 21, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria is beginning to understand the real value of money -- that's how you pay for food. And if you don't work, you're not going to be able to eat...

• Going Hungry 22 (September 28, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Observing Maria the cook in the kitchen is something of an eye-opener to Gloria. She keeps learning things that she'd never want to do...and doing things at home she never thought she'd have to.

• Going Hungry 23 (October 5, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Two days off? Two days to prepare for the whole next week, but at least the Meltons will have some family time. Really?

• Going Hungry 24 (October 12, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria has learned how to take charge of the family finances, how to deal with teen drama, and how to effectively shop for food. The next rite of passage awaits her...

• Going Hungry 25 (October 19, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  You cook, you clean, you get through another day...

• Going Hungry 26 (October 26, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  A month ago, they were just three bereaved kids. Now they've become something more...

• Going Hungry 27 (November 2, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  The Meltons have found a new meaning in life -- keeping a roof over their heads. And for Gloria, it's actually becoming less about the paycheck...

• Going Hungry 28 (November 9, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  No more trips to the mall; no more dinners at the chain restaurants. Gloria must not only re-think spending money, she must also learn to think about food in a different way...

• Going Hungry 29 (November 16, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  "An easy day," Maria had told her assistant. "Just one meal." Gloria finds out what one meal can contain...

• Going Hungry 30 (November 23, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Interesting perspective, working for people who have everything they need, as much as they want, and a future that's certain. Wait, didn't Gloria used to live like that? How quickly we forget...

• Going Hungry 31 (November 30, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  The Melton household is in flux; her lifestyle is suddenly solitary; but there is one place that Gloria is starting to feel comfortable...

• Going Hungry 32 (December 7, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  The Melton kids have taken over their household, but don't they still have a mother to watch over them?

• Going Hungry 33 (December 14, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Taking a job as a cook's assistant wasn't the career that Gloria had anticipated, but there's a lot to be learned in a kitchen, and not all of it is about the food...

• Going Hungry 34 (December 21, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria has accepted her role, and Will's, as wage earners. Can their mother?

• Going Hungry 35 (December 28, 2015) serial fiction family money food

  As much fun as Gloria is having with her job, the backdrop is still a hungry, hurting economy...

• Going Hungry 36 (January 4, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  The Melton kids have rolled with the punches and taken on things they never thought they'd have to do. And yet, their old lives still have a lot to contribute...

• Going Hungry 37 (January 11, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Just when Gloria thought her job was getting easy...

• Going Hungry 38 (January 18, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Another week gone by, another day off. With the mortgage paid again for another month, Gloria can just let her mind relax...

• Going Hungry 39 (January 25, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  The mother-daughter relationship is wearing thin between Philli and Gloria, but they still need to respect each other to get through their economic crisis...

• Going Hungry 40 (February 1, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  In spite of the economic down-turn, Gloria is grateful for the new way of life that is keeping food on the table. Life can be good even if money is tight...

• Going Hungry 41 (February 8, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Maria is gruff and grumpy to most people, but she does know when to kick the chicks out of the nest...

• Going Hungry 42 (February 15, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Three days to prepare for Maria's departure. And then Gloria will have to take a big leap of faith in herself and land on her feet...

• Going Hungry 43 (February 22, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  So her late father's mistress has come to live in the Melton household. The mistress her father supported financially is now going to be supported by his widow and kids? How wrong is that?

• Going Hungry 44 (February 29, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  At any time, Lolo could walk into the house. The only solution? Get out of there!

• Going Hungry 45 (March 7, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  With Lolo in her mother's house, and Maria in the hospital, Gloria has to find her footing again in her own kitchen...

• Going Hungry 46 (March 14, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria has faced the worst she can imagine -- meeting Lolo face to face. And she made it through that horror. But she has to make her way through every day after, too, and where the on earth is Will?

• Going Hungry 47 (March 21, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  This is it, Gloria's in charge. In charge of the kitchen, that is...

• Going Hungry 48 (April 4, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  And when does life ever go on the same way, every day?

• Going Hungry 49 (April 11, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Will has moved out, made a little home for himself elsewhere. What is "home," anyway?

• Going Hungry 50 (April 25, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Will is gone. Gloria and Ben can take up the slack in the household chores, but are they close enough as siblings to ride out the changes coming?

• Going Hungry 51 (May 2, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria has just found out that her mother is thinking about moving the family out of their house. Is this what a day off is supposed to be like?

• Going Hungry 52 (May 16, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Death and financial loss changed her family's life forever. Gloria faces another change -- this time from inside herself...

• Going Hungry 53 (May 23, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  And now Gloria can see Lolo with different eyes, ones that aren't looking through a red haze of anger. Are people ever what you think they are?

• Going Hungry 54 (May 30, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Good food, fellowship, peace in the household ... until the anchor of the family begins acting strangely...

• Going Hungry 55 (June 6, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Since Will left home, Ben has been on his own -- all too long?

• Going Hungry 56 (June 13, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Philli is up to something, but she's not telling what it is. Steve is looking awfully good, but is that really the right thing for Gloria to see? And Will -- he's happy...is younger brother somehow leading the way?

• Going Hungry 57 (June 20, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  When everyone pitches in, a party isn't an expensive affair...and when the party's over, it doesn't have to be an ending.

• Going Hungry 58 (June 27, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  In an autumn full of changes for the Meltons, change itself has become the new normal...

• Going Hungry 59 (July 4, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Ben and Gloria have been trying to figure out what their mother is up to with her secretive behavior. Sometimes secrets reveal themselves...

• Going Hungry 60 (July 11, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  So dear old Mom has a boyfriend. Why would she want to keep him a secret from her kids? Not like Gloria's keeping Steve a secret...

• Going Hungry 61 (July 18, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Gloria realizes that she has to take Steve seriously. Her brothers are working every chance they can because they're taking money seriously. Why can't Philli do that with motherhood?

• Going Hungry 62 (July 25, 2016) serial fiction family money food

  Conclusion. The relationship with Steve is solidified, and now they just need to keep on going. But is the destination really finalized?

• Out with the Trash (January 23, 2017) cover story serial fiction life

  Emily has been married to Mark for many years, and life has treated her well enough. But New Year's Eve is about to reveal to her some things she'd rather not see...

• Out with the Trash 02 (January 30, 2017) serial fiction life

  After that outrageous New Year's Eve party, Emily is more than ready to just settle down and try to forget what she saw. If only she hadn't drunk so much! Oh, the if onlies...

• Out with the Trash 03 (February 6, 2017) serial fiction life

  With the dawn of New Year's Day, Emily has destroyed thousands of dollars' worth of her husband's prized antique statuary. But there's nothing to do but keep on going...

• Out with the Trash 04 (February 13, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Emily has spent New Year's Day feeling ill while cleaning up the house after the party the night before, and she's just about done with it all...

• Out with the Trash 05 (February 20, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Emily has had a rough start to the new year. But surely that's all behind her now...

• Out with the Trash 06 (February 27, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  January 2 has turned out to be much better than New Year's Day, and Emily is ready for life to turn happy again...

• Out with the Trash 07 (March 6, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  The secret forest friends may provide entertainment for Emily, but they're a more dangerous secret than most. She could cover up a broken statue, but there's no covering up the smell of skunk. But maybe Emily is luckier than she thinks...

• Out with the Trash 08 (March 13, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  About to run to her father for help, Emily remembers how she met her father's wife...

• Out with the Trash 09 (March 20, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Remembering how Middi had come to be a friend, Emily heads for haven in Santa Cruz.

• Out with the Trash 10 (March 27, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Safely in Santa Cruz, Emily can begin to relax a little -- but only a little...

• Out with the Trash 11 (April 10, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  The Shroeder dwarf wasn't what he appeared to be, and now Emily must chart a new course...

• Out with the Trash 12 (April 17, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Emily returns home from her father's house to find something she would never have expected...

• Out with the Trash 13 (April 24, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Something is not adding up in the Fatzer household. Secret keys and secret skunks and secret papers...maybe someone needs to be straightforward?

• Out with the Trash 14 (May 1, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Mark now knows his dwarf is a phony, and he's pretty mad about it, but Emily still wants to find out what's up with the Michigan connection...

• Out with the Trash 15 (May 8, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Once words are said, they are out there in the universe, echoing forever, and you can't put them back in your mouth. Maybe Mark should have remembered that and kept his trap shut...

• Out with the Trash 16 (May 15, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Emily has rebelled and bought herself a computer, a new secret to match Mark's secret communications with the university in Michigan. And she's willing to give Mark enough rope to hang himself...

• Out with the Trash 17 (May 22, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Emily has made things easy for her husband to continue his mysterious plans. Is she right about her speculations?

• Out with the Trash 18 (May 29, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Unnerved by the prospect of an FBI investigation, Emily must still face the ongoing mysterious behavior of her husband...

• Out with the Trash 19 (June 5, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  The photo that Emily has found is troubling, but not completely damning. If it is another piece of the puzzle, then Emily doesn't know how it fits...

• Out with the Trash 20 (June 12, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Alternating between dismay and fury, Emily begins to take stock of what her life has become...

• Out with the Trash 21 (June 19, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  With Mark gone halfway across the country on his mysterious errand, Emily has had some time to take stock of her life. There is no choice but to keep moving forward...

• Out with the Trash (June 26, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Mark is gone, visiting his parents in Michigan. Back in California, Emily and her investigative partner Spoon are going to search for more clues...

• Out with the Trash 23 (July 3, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Confronted with seeming proof of Mark's misbehavior, Emily must begin to make her way past it, or through it, or...?

• Out with the Trash 24 (July 10, 2017) serial fiction life relationships writing

  Shaken by her discoveries, pushed to her emotional limits, Emily grabs her wooden spoon and takes a step -- is it in the right direction?

• Out with the Trash 25 (July 17, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Mark is still keeping his real purpose of his trip to Michigan secret, and Emily follows suit by keeping secret all that she has found out about him. Life has changed...

• Out with the Trash 26 (July 24, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Things just don't make sense. And while Emily has to admit she's been deluded, there still ought to be a way to put all the clues together...

• Out with the Trash 27 (July 31, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Her latest round of espionage lands Emily and her car in an icy ditch. Can she accept a rescue?

• Out with the Trash 28 (August 7, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Was a car wreck the best part of Emily's week?

• Out with the Trash 29 (August 14, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Much makes sense to Emily now, but there are still connections to make...

• Out with the Trash 30 (August 21, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  So much is now so clear about what went on at New Year's; but the journey isn't over yet...

• Out with the Trash 31 (August 28, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  It doesn't matter that the skunk back-tracked Emily to her house; and who cares if the skunk sprayed the neighbor's cat? Emily has only begun to imagine the solutions she needs...

• Out with the Trash 32 (September 4, 2017) serial fiction life relationships

  Conclusion. This author rather wishes that Emily could stick around longer, but it's time to say good-bye...

• After Life (October 30, 2017) cover story serial fiction death

  Everything happens so fast, and you can't make it go away again...

• After Life 02 (November 6, 2017) serial fiction death

  They were out to kill her boyfriend, but Roj got in the way. But that wasn't the end of it...

• After Life 03 (November 13, 2017) serial fiction death

  Roj has found out for certain that she is dead. But not completely gone -- and apparently there's a few things she can still do...

• After Life 04 (November 20, 2017) serial fiction death

  They killed Roj, they killed Danny Chuster ... but weren't they gunning for Matt?

• After Life 05 (November 27, 2017) serial fiction death

  Roj is heartbroken that Matt can't recognize her, even though he heard her speak to him, but after all, she wasn't there to idly chat...

• After Life 06 (December 4, 2017) serial fiction death

  Roj left Matt sleeping, and trashed Garrison's pristine office. What else does a disgruntled ghost do?

• After Life 07 (December 11, 2017) serial fiction death

  Pleased by Garrison's reaction to the state of his office, Roj continues her investigations...

• After Life 08 (December 18, 2017) serial fiction death

  With Garrison's credit card information safely tucked away in the Personnel Department, Roj is ready for wider investigations...

• After Life 09 (December 25, 2017) serial fiction death

  It was such a satisfying lunch date with Garrison that Roj simply must learn more...

• After Life 10 (January 1, 2018) serial fiction death

  In shooting the thug, Roj may have saved Laurella's life and family, but what will it do to Roj's soul?

• After Life 11 (January 8, 2018) serial fiction death

  Trashing Garrison's office had been fun for Roj, shooting Thug Boy had been disturbing, but trying to figure out how to be properly dead ...

• After Life 12 (January 15, 2018) serial fiction death

  There are voices out there in the world of the spirit, and they are bothering Roj. Surely they can't be right, can they?

• After Life 13 (January 22, 2018) serial fiction death

  Spending Garrison's money was entertaining, but Roj has some real business at hand...

• After Life 14 (January 29, 2018) serial fiction death

  Roj doesn't think of herself as a ghost, even though she's dead. On the other hand, who's there to teach her about being a ghost?

• After Life 15 (February 5, 2018) serial fiction death

  Finding Matt drunk with a loaded gun by his bed is not going to make Roj any more sympathetic to the man who wants him dead...

• After Life 16 (February 12, 2018) serial fiction death

  He's not the biggest trout in the pond, but Roj knows that Garrison is up to a lot of fishy business...

• After Life 17 (February 19, 2018) serial fiction death

  Roj has done her best to ruin Garrison's plans, but somehow, that's not all she's here for...

• After Life 18 (February 26, 2018) serial fiction death

  Inexplicably, Matt's gun is reloaded -- even though he's passed-out drunk. And yet, that's not the only mystery Roj has to solve...

• After Life 19 (March 5, 2018) serial fiction death

  Gerry has been driven away by the revelation of her less-than-stellar spirit. What has Roj got left to do but spy on Duchamps?

• After Life 20 (March 12, 2018) serial fiction death

  Roj and her hauntings have begun to make a number of people uneasy. It's time to up the ante...

• After Life 21 (March 19, 2018) serial fiction death

  Bashing Hammer was satisfying, and haunting illegal drug production was okay, but Roj knows there's more to learn...

• After Life 22 (March 26, 2018) serial fiction death

  Having learned painfully about the choices she made in life, Roj turns again to Matt's dilemma...

• After Life 23 (April 2, 2018) serial fiction death

  Along with the satisfaction of getting the corrupt Hammer in trouble, Roj has managed to get Matt to safety. But is it enough?

• After Life 24 (April 9, 2018) serial fiction death

  Matt is awake and sober for about ten minutes before someone tries to kill him. What's it going to take to save this guy?

• After Life 25 (April 16, 2018) serial fiction death

  Roj has seen how love changes a human being into a new creation. Did she and Matt have that, or was that stolen from them by her death? What more must she understand in order to save him?

• After Life 26 (April 30, 2018) serial fiction death

  Learning so much even after being murdered has Roj ready to play hooky from school, and Hennessey is an easy target for her to tease. And let's not forget Garrison! But sometimes play goes a little too far...

• After Life 27 (May 7, 2018) serial fiction death

  Having irrevocably destroyed the trust between Hennessey and Garrison, Roj spies on Duchamps to see his organization crumbling, but she's gone too far...

• After Life 28 (May 14, 2018) serial fiction death

  Roj has learned a tough lesson about teasing the wrong people, but that's not going to get her the answers she needs...

• After Life 29 (May 21, 2018) serial fiction death

  Gerry the ghost's memories have given Roj something new to think about: a life spent in relationship with God. But Roj has no life left, so now what?

• After Life 30 (May 28, 2018) serial fiction death

  Gerry has disappeared, and Roj has had an interesting review of memories with Desai. Something is still eluding her, though...

• After Life 31 (June 4, 2018) serial fiction death

  Gerry the ghost found some answers of her own, and passed on her wisdom to Roj in a way Roj could finally understand ...

• After Life 32 (June 18, 2018) serial fiction death

  Conclusion. "All things have a purpose," Desai says. What is the purposeful key Roj must find to open that one last lock?

• Place Settings 02 (December 7, 2020) serial fiction family

  With her mother about to leave widowhood behind, Gloria Melton must reassess her own footing within the family...

• Place Settings 03 (December 14, 2020) serial fiction family

  Time for Maria to set out the Sunday Baker feast, and ponder the changes in her life...

• Place Settings 04 (December 21, 2020) serial fiction family

  Now let's see Sunday morning through Gloria's eyes...

• Place Settings 05 (December 28, 2020) serial fiction family

  Is it worth worrying about? Or is it just that it's dark and damp and ugly...?

• Place Settings 06 (January 4, 2021) serial fiction family

  Gloria is comfortable working with Maria in the Bakers' kitchen, but that doesn't mean there are no surprises...

• Place Settings 07 (January 11, 2021) serial fiction family

  Gloria has her life under control, or thinks she does. At least it seems that way as long as no one else is around...

• Place Settings 08 (January 18, 2021) serial fiction family

  A make-shift room in a barn...is that the secret to happiness?

• Place Settings 09 (January 25, 2021) serial fiction family

  Being hired to work in the Bakers' kitchen was a life-changer for Gloria; with the job, she was able to keep her family off the streets. Renting a room in Maria's house...how is that going to change things even more?

• Place Settings 10 (February 1, 2021) serial fiction family

  The Melton siblings still have their secrets...

• Place Settings 11 (February 8, 2021) serial fiction family

  And then there's Ben...

• Place Settings 12 (February 15, 2021) serial fiction family

  Maybe we should have a look at another side...

• Place Settings 13 (February 22, 2021) serial fiction family

  How long did Maria live alone? With Gloria in residence, things may begin to change...

• Place Settings 14 (March 1, 2021) serial fiction family

  In one day, Maria got rid of every bit of the upstairs furniture in her house except for Gloria's room. Why?

• Place Settings 15 (March 8, 2021) serial fiction family

  Finally, some breathing room in their lives, finally, a reunion...

• Place Settings 16 (March 15, 2021) serial fiction family

  Love is in the air in the Bakers' kitchen, sharp and sweet...

• Place Settings 17 (March 22, 2021) serial fiction family

  It's nearly Christmas, and inevitable that moms expect family to be home for the holiday...

• Place Settings 18 (March 29, 2021) serial fiction family

  Ah, the Downfall of the Americas...

• Place Settings 19 (April 5, 2021) serial fiction family

  A week off from the Bakers' kitchen! Celebration time, indeed...

• Place Settings 20 (April 12, 2021) serial fiction family

  Gloria is hosting her first Christmas potluck...

• Place Settings 21 (April 26, 2021) serial fiction family

  Tom had his secrets, Philli had hers; Gloria keeps some secrets from her brothers, and Ben -- well, Ben keeps some secrets, too...

• Place Settings 22 (May 3, 2021) serial fiction family

  Love is rarely simple...

• Place Settings 23 (May 10, 2021) serial fiction family

  Steve's getting transferred, and maybe that gives Gloria some breathing room for other important things...

• Place Settings 24 (May 17, 2021) serial fiction family

  Something has to be done for Lolo, to be sure, but right now the task is bringing Maria's house into the 21st Century...

• Place Settings 25 (May 24, 2021) serial fiction family

  "Just a little something for sandwiches," she says...

• Place Settings 26 (May 31, 2021) serial fiction family

  Finally, a chance to just sit and talk...

• Place Settings 27 (June 7, 2021) serial fiction family

  Food can make a lasting memory. Gloria thinks she's found a bridge to get by her mother's wrath...

• Place Settings 28 (June 14, 2021) serial fiction family

  The holiday is approaching -- why not have a party...

• Place Settings 29 (June 21, 2021) serial fiction family

  Lolo is safe for the time being, and Maria wants to eradicate the memories of her bad marriage...the solution?

• Place Settings 30 (June 28, 2021) serial fiction family

  Lolo is safely at work, and a rainy day makes Gloria think about food...

• Place Settings 31 (July 5, 2021) serial fiction family

  A rare visit by Will brings the Melton siblings together again, and sparks memories...

• Place Settings 32 (July 12, 2021) serial fiction family

  The hailstorm is past, but has left some unexpected benefits...

• Place Settings 33 (July 19, 2021) serial fiction family

  It's the end of the year, time to take stock of what is in the kitchen, and what is important in life...

• Place Settings 34 (July 26, 2021) serial fiction family

  A house party is perfect for a rainy holiday ...

• Place Settings 35 (August 2, 2021) serial fiction family

  A peaceful afternoon after a tumultuous morning. The house party could use a simple, fun day...

• Place Settings 36 (August 9, 2021) serial fiction family

  Life is so good when there's more to it than just enduring...

• Place Settings 37 (August 16, 2021) serial fiction family

  There's a time for grief, and a time for remembering...

• Place Settings 38 (August 23, 2021) serial fiction family

  Conclusion. You have to know where you want to be, and you sometimes can't do it unless you take a stand...

Unknown

• Practice Pieces (December 18, 2004)

  Cover Story

• Fever Dreams 105 (September 25, 2006) comics

  Mr. Smith never should have made his secretary arrange his vacation travel.

Essay

• 10 K for Labor Day (September 4, 2006) cover story nonfiction essay

  What? Some of the Staff of the Piker Press have gone missing? Maybe they're sitting at their keyboards, trying to figure out how to stretch "And then a giant gopher came up out of the ground and ate them all" into say, 500 words or more? Looks like it's that time of year again ...

• A Bouquet for Mother's Day (May 7, 2007) cover story essay

  Happy Mother's Day this week! Our cover story is dedicated to mothers everywhere, a bouquet of exotic blooms from the Modesto Tropical Plants Show held on 14th and 15th of April, 2007.

• Into the New Year (December 31, 2007) cover story photoessay hot air balloon

  You wake up in the dark, wondering if the dog or the cat or the alarm is going to be the first to force you to get up. Everything is silent, and you don't move, not wanting to stir up the household by blundering about the room in the dark to look for a clock. And in the misty musings that tangle thoughts in the night, you remember that the date is going to be December 31st, the last day of the year. New Year's Eve. A thrill races through you: by this time tomorrow, dawn will be about to break on an entirely new year.

• Notes From the Office 08: Fairy Tales (May 26, 2008) cover story nonfiction essay

  Once upon a time, there were a bunch of Writers who had all kinds of words trying to pour out of their heads, through their fingers, and into print. Having little opportunity to get published, the Writers felt sluggish and sad, like highways with a magical traffic jam. Then one day, a tall blonde editor with a silver sword and an imagination like a wizard par excellence appeared, struck a computer with a spell of coding, and made The Piker Press appear ...

• Seven Years of Piker Press (April 20, 2009) cover story essay writing "Piker Press" anniversar

  April of 2009 brings the Piker Press another anniversary as a weekly ezine. To kick off our eighth year, this issue presents the thoughts of some of our writers about their writing itself. Many thanks to all who have contributed to the Piker Press in the past, and best wishes to all who will share their words and images in the Piker Press in the future.

• The Half-Crazed Hedge Shaman: Featured Blog (January 6, 2014) essay featured blog

  If only birds could read, we'd put warning labels on the patio door...

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• In This Issue (January 12, 2015) overview

  A quick overview of this week's Press.

• In This Issue (January 19, 2015) overview

  A quick overview of this week's Press.