Happy 4th of July, everyone. Stay cool, safe, and have a blessed day.
JP
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
CHICKEN LIVER BLUES: STORIES
Chicken Liver Blues: Stories
Chicken Liver Blues is an inimitable collection of twelve stories that at times barrels and swerves down rural backroads kicking up gravel and dust in its wake, and other moments it’s a calm late-night country cruise that soaks up the stars, the moon, and the heavens while contemplating the meaning of life.
In TWENTY DOLLARS, a working-class man whose marriage is on the brink of unraveling is convinced to go out for another night of drinking, but this time his night out with the guys changes his life in more ways than one.
BLUESMAN OF THE WOODS involves a young guitar rambler and his desire to make it to the big time. He thinks an old family friend can help, but the old friend is feeling the effects of a family tragedy and needs a jumpstart of his own.
In THE LETTER a regretful, old writer comes down from the hills to make his yearly pilgrimage to town to hand-deliver a birthday letter to his estranged daughter.
In the country noir story FORSAKEN LAND, Sheriff Randall King is feeling the repercussions of losing his younger sister and of a deadly shootout, both of which happened one year before. But as always, the sheriff is waiting with readied guns for whatever trouble comes his way.
ONE STEP CLOSER TO HEAVEN involves a young couple who is convinced that eliminating all the free-roaming sexual predators of the world will give them full access through the Pearly Gates.
In the horror flavored THE MAN IN THE MEADOW, a young boy seeks an inhumane course in order to deal with a school bully but finds out his chosen tactic is a messy one for all involved.
Ride shotgun on this memorable journey that looks in on the struggling working-class, the old moonshiners, the backwoods guitar pickers, the demented Jesus freaks, the alcoholic spouses, and other notable characters who try to make it through life the only way they know how...for good or ill.
In TWENTY DOLLARS, a working-class man whose marriage is on the brink of unraveling is convinced to go out for another night of drinking, but this time his night out with the guys changes his life in more ways than one.
BLUESMAN OF THE WOODS involves a young guitar rambler and his desire to make it to the big time. He thinks an old family friend can help, but the old friend is feeling the effects of a family tragedy and needs a jumpstart of his own.
In THE LETTER a regretful, old writer comes down from the hills to make his yearly pilgrimage to town to hand-deliver a birthday letter to his estranged daughter.
In the country noir story FORSAKEN LAND, Sheriff Randall King is feeling the repercussions of losing his younger sister and of a deadly shootout, both of which happened one year before. But as always, the sheriff is waiting with readied guns for whatever trouble comes his way.
ONE STEP CLOSER TO HEAVEN involves a young couple who is convinced that eliminating all the free-roaming sexual predators of the world will give them full access through the Pearly Gates.
In the horror flavored THE MAN IN THE MEADOW, a young boy seeks an inhumane course in order to deal with a school bully but finds out his chosen tactic is a messy one for all involved.
Ride shotgun on this memorable journey that looks in on the struggling working-class, the old moonshiners, the backwoods guitar pickers, the demented Jesus freaks, the alcoholic spouses, and other notable characters who try to make it through life the only way they know how...for good or ill.
Monday, June 29, 2026
Kids' Stories
Daniel and the Woodland Gnomes
.jpg)
Daniel Martin's day of fishing and outdoor fun is starting out terribly. An argument with his little brother has him feeling an enormous amount of shame. After an encounter with two woodland gnomes, Daniel begins to feel somewhat better. But for now, he must put aside his family troubles so that he can help reunite the anguished little gnomes with their own brother who has been captured by a dastardly troll named Odium.
Like a Real Wizard
.jpg)
Andy has one dream—to become a real wizard.
When his friends reveal a secret portal to a hidden world of magic, Andy finally gets his chance. But with danger lurking around every corner and everyone insisting humans can't perform spells, he'll have to prove that determination can be more powerful than magic itself.
Like a Real Wizard is an exciting adventure that reminds readers that believing in yourself is the greatest magic of all.
Faith, Love and Moonshine: An Appalachian Tale (The Moonshiners Series)
Frank Jamison is a proud Appalachian man who relies on his moonshining business to help his family endure the harsh and troubled times of the 1920s. When Frank finds out the local authorities and federal revenuers are seeking to dismantle his operation for the second time in three years, grave memories resurface for the seasoned moonshiner, and an old-fashioned, backwoods shootout now seems inevitable. (cultural heritage, historical)
Faith, Love and Moonshine is a standalone short story but also serves as the first two chapters of the novel Moonshiner's Justice.
Friday, June 19, 2026
Anniversary for Brothers of the Mountain: Heart of the Frontier (Stories 1-7, Vol. 1)
I know. I just posted an anniversary announcement for Where the Gravel Lane Ends, but who cares. Let's do another one.
Today marks ten years since the release of Brothers of the Mountain: Heart of the Frontier. Without looking at the numbers, I would guess this one has been my most consistent seller. This book contains the first seven stories in the series, which has eleven in total thus far. I plan to add a Volume 2 sometime in the future.
Anyway, here's from the back cover. Links are below if interested.
Brothers of the Mountain: Heart of the Frontier follows the lives of brothers Henry and Lucas McCarty. Come along on their journey as they travel from eastern Kentucky to America’s untamed western frontier where they seek a life of freedom and exploration as mountain men and fur trappers. The stories within not only portray extreme action and adventure but also represent the special breed of men who were willing to risk their lives in the adverse and hostile conditions of America's western frontier in the 1820s and 1830s. These stories have been arranged in chronological order. (novel-in-stories)
Pride of the Shawnee - Lucas McCarty has his sight set on America's western frontier. He wants to be a trapper and explorer while his brother, Henry, rides along to escape a tragedy that has changed his life forever. However, a blood-thirsty stranger is on their trail, and getting out of the mountains of Eastern Kentucky alive will be a feat all on its own for the McCarty brothers.
River Pirates - Henry and Lucas cross the Mississippi River with hopes of catching up to William Ashley’s trapping brigade and reuniting Little Otter, a young Shawnee boy, with his mother and father. But first, they must deal with a couple of no-good river pirates whose dirty and reckless means to making a quick dollar places them directly on the fighting side of the McCarty brothers.
Two Buffaloes - Life is getting tough on the frontier for the McCarty brothers. Dealing with starvation, sickness, and now the vicious murder of an innocent family is more than they can handle. It seems their only hope of survival is to take up with the Shoshone chief, Two Buffaloes. First, they must prove themselves worthy to the old Shoshone leader by taking on the ruthless Blackfoot warrior, Mighty Wind.
Grizzly Rendezvous - An ornery grizzly is on the prowl and making life tough for a few settlers that happen to get in its way. Lucas, who's also had a run-in with the mighty beast, has had enough. It's up to him and an old trapper named Jude to track down the bear and set matters straight.
Blood on the Prairie - When Henry and Lucas encounter a severely beaten Indian maiden matters become personal, especially for younger brother Lucas. With a band of cutthroat Indians wreaking havoc across the frontier, the brothers set out to stop the renegades and try to prevent what could become a bloody massacre of an unwary Shoshone village.
Justice in the Valley - Henry and Lucas McCarty are heading to the port of the Missouri River to cash in their bounty of beaver pelts. Along the way, they stop at the frontier town of Fog Valley for a much-needed rest and drink. They meet a few interesting characters, and their visit quickly goes from bad to worse when they discover their pelts are stolen. With their livelihoods at stake, they must track down and teach the no-good, thieving culprit a valuable lesson ... and you can bet it won't be a pretty one.
Savagery of the Blackfeet - The McCarty brothers have experienced many troubling and even gruesome events ever since first stepping into the uncompromising American West. This time their hopes, dreams, and ultimately their lives hang in the balance when they come face to face with members of the bloodthirsty Blackfeet tribe.
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Anniversary for Where the Gravel Lane Ends
.jpg)
Today marks five years since the release of my short story collection Where the Gravel Lane Ends. It's a collection that I'm certainly proud to have published. Like a lot of short story collections, it doesn't receive the attention that novels do. And that's okay. The medium isn't for everyone. But I'm still proud of it. Links are below if interested.
From the back cover:
An assortment of twelve stories that begin in the gritty depths of rural noir and slide down the literary spectrum into the tragedy and triumph that is contemporary realism; then shuffle through small-town America where carnivals and psychedelic awakenings are experienced, and finally, the last three stories take a detour into the strange and surreal.
In DOWN ON THE FARM, Army veteran Lyle Mullins loses his farm to the bank and is now being forced to leave. But for Lyle, cowering to the bank’s orders will not be an option.
In MY BROTHER’S FLAG, Jake McGee carries an abundance of grief for the loss of his little brother, which also hinders his ability to coexist with his grandfather who has come to visit for the summer.
In ARCADE MONEY, two boys go door-to-door swindling people in the neighborhood for a quick dollar to spend down at the arcade, but their cheating ways are met with unforeseen consequences.
In the Americana flavored CARNIVAL FUN, Preston Monroe sets out to see his favorite wrestler at the town carnival, but his course is rerouted by fistfights, barking carnies, freak show mermaids, and lizard people.
In PAINTED SMILES, a young boy gets to know his grandmother and finds comfort in an unorthodox family tradition.
In WHERE THE GRAVEL LANE ENDS, a brother and sister go on a strange school bus journey that takes them to see their deceased father.
These are only some of the stories to be found in this entertaining collection. Discover pain and sorrow, love and joy, and the strange and off kilter throughout this entire mixture of tantalizing tales.
Some of these stories first appeared in other publications.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
The Broken Reality Series
In the Broken Reality short story series, we look in on the strange, the offbeat, and the unexplainable events that happen to common people in everyday life. Come along and explore the realms of soft science fiction, weird fiction, horror, the paranormal, mystery, and the psychological. These are standalone stories that can be read in any order.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)