Shortly before 4 a.m. the rain began. As is usual in the high desert, it came with a gentle westerly breeze. It started as a drizzle in the valley and a light rain along the Sandia Crest. But the volume and velocity of the raindrops steadily increased. That too was not out of the ordinary. But the rain itself was far from ordinary. The fourth casualty was Officer Rafael Sanchez. * * * At 3:15 he … Read more
Darlene Joyce crept out of the fourth house on the block. The night was a little humid, a little cool. The half-moon cast an eerie, shadowed glow over everything, just enough that everything was still 3D. But the circle from the mid-block street lamp flattened part of it, rendered it a painting of her yard. She closed the door quietly behind her, then glanced toward the corner. There it sat. A red Ford pickup, filled with … Read more
The party was in full swing at 2 a.m. The cops had been by twice in uniform, once at 10 to ask the partiers to turn the music down. Roger agreed. He owned the place. In his sneakers, jeans and a Cincinnati Reds jersey, he crossed the room. He turned the volume lower as he watched the older officer’s face. When the man’s eyes went soft, he stopped. “That’s good?” The officer nodded. “Yep, that ought’a … Read more
Hi Folks, If you are fortunate enough that a professional writer who is much farther down the road happens to offer a critique of your work (most won’t, and I don’t), consider carefully what he or she has to say. Then decide whether to apply it to your own work. Apply it or discard it. Up to you. However, if you receive any free critique of your writing from anyone else, my advice is to nod, … Read more
Hi folks, This short story was an experiment. I first wrote it as a blank-verse poem (unrhymed iambic pentameter). Originally, I was going to post the short story here first, followed by the poem. But WordPress won’t accept the formatting for the poem. If you would like a copy of it, please email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com and I’ll send it to you in PDF, complete with the cover. Enjoy! The night was cool and deep, already … Read more
Hi Folks, I first heard the term “jagged edge” (as applicable to writing) used by SF author CJ Cherryh at Eastern NMU in Portales NM. She was talking about writers’ block and how to conquer it. (This technique works well when writing any genre of fiction, not only SF.) If you’re still at the stage where the blank page is intimidating, or if you “get stuck” when you come back to your WIP after time away … Read more
Hi Folks, With this story, I’m shifting my free story of the week to Friday. Mainly because Kris Rusch posts a free story on Monday and I often share it on Facebook. Enjoy! The constant, thumping beat, beat, beat from the radio in the Lincoln was giving Eddie Potrano a headache. If he’d slipped into the back seat, he could have put up the glass. Probably he could have turned off the speakers back there too. … Read more
Hey Folks, Are you a reader? A writer? If you’re either or both, it’s time to STOCK UP ON SUMMER READING. ALL 200+ of my titles are On Sale for the entire month of July at 75% off at Smashwords. And yeah, other people’s titles are on sale too. (grin) 75% off means all of my short stories are FREE there. I write across all genres and in several voices. You’re sure to find something you … Read more