Sizzling Sofa Stories by Stuart R. West's Sofa

Click here for the first book created on my fine upholstery.

I am Stuart's sofa.

I'm the couch hub of the Midwest, the loveseat heart of suburban Kansas. An upholstery covered melting pot suitable for every race, color, creed, and religious bottom of humanity. There are eight million stories to be told from my cushions and this is one of them. For you see...

Wait. Hold on a minute. It's a lie. All of it!

My life is boring. I get to service Stuart's rear-end only. Day in and day out, he sits on me, writing. Sure, some times his wife parks on me, but as far as variety? Forget about it.

Frankly, watching someone write is really, really boring.

On occasion, though, I'm privy to the insights of the writing process. For instance, Stuart's frequently asked "where do you get your ideas?" Usually--as is his lame and lazy approach--he responds "I don't know." (See what I mean? BORING.)

This hammock thinks it has it bad? Try being me, Stuart's suffering sofa!

But last week, something interesting finally happened. While wearing me down (and would it hurt Stuart to sit on my other side on occasion?), Stuart received a text on his phone.

It read: Hey! It's Theresa! I'm using Tim's phone because I lost mine! See you in a bit! DON'T text back on this phone!

This set Stuart to thinking, never a good idea. He didn't know a Tim or Theresa. He couldn't very well text back, either, tell Theresa she had a wrong number. After all, she'd strictly forbidden him to do so.

Weened on thrillers and mysteries, Stuart started pulling pieces together. Clearly, Theresa was cheating on Tim. The heart emojis sealed the deal. Should Stuart warn Tim? Write back anyway and let Theresa know she had the wrong number?

What did Stuart, the man of inaction, the writer do? Nothing. Altogether now: BORING.

Several hours later, Theresa texted back: Thinking bout you. Had a great time.

Again, Stuart didn't respond. Through-out the day, Theresa kept texting, her anxiety ramping up with each missive: Helloooo? What's wrong? Why aren't you responding? Dammit, talk to me!

Finally, Theresa's final message: That's it. I'm talking to Tim. Even more troublesome? Theresa attached a photo of a baby in a car seat.

Like a Hitchcockian protagonist from days of old, Stuart had unwittingly become an unwilling, silent partner in an affair, the fourth member of a sordid situation that would undoubtedly end in murrrderrrr.

Yes sir, it was the most excitement I'd had since I was a wee settee at the sofa factory.

Stuart deliberated, didn't have a clue as to what to do. In his typically inert fashion, he decided to fashion the incident into a thriller to be written at a later date. The seed of an idea had been planted and his mind began to water it.

So...that's where one of Stuart's book ideas came from.

Wait! Here he comes! Gotta' run. I'll talk to--Oooff!

Another comedic thriller I helped birth, yet never get any credit for!

Stuart R. West's Books We Love Author's Page: http://bookswelove.net/authors/west-stuart-r/

Happy Summer Everyone! by Nancy M Bell

Laurel's Quest, Book 1 in The Cornwall Adventures click here for more details.

A trip to England sounds like a grand adventure, but Laurel Rowan can’t escape from her true reality. Her mother is terminally ill, and her father needs her to go so he can spend his time at the hospital. On a train to Penzance, Laurel meets a new friend, Coll. On the property of her host, she stumbles upon a magical spring. There she meets the White Lady, who offers her a chance at gaining her heart’s true desire, if only she can solve a riddle.
Pursuing her quest amidst the magic of the Cornish countryside, she is aided by Coll and her new friends Gort and Aisling. They are also helped by creatures of legend and myth, Vear Du, the Selkie, Gwin Scawen, the Cornish Piskie, Belerion the fire salamander, Morgawr the flying sea serpent who does Vear Du a favour, and Cormoran, the last giant of Cornwall. The friends must battle the odds in the form of bullies and confusing clues. Will they emerge victorious? Will Laurel have the courage to solve the riddle and fulfill her quest?

This is the first novel of mine that was accepted for publication and such holds a special place in my heart. Laurel's Quest is perfect for lying on the beach or in a shady hammock and enjoying her adventures.

I can't believe July is almost over. The summer has gone so fast already. The lilacs are long past, the peonies (they bloom way later here in Alberta than they do in the East) are dropping the last of their petals and the delphiniums are starting to bloom. Another July event I truly enjoy is the poetry day at Stephansson House near Markerville, Alberta. Stephan G Stephansson was an Icelandic immigrant who came to live near the farming community of Markerville. It had, and still does, have strong Icelandic population. He worked hard and did most of his writing at night after a long day in the fields and on the farm. His love of the beauty of nature comes through strongly in his words even when translated into English. I'm sure they are far more beautiful in when read in his native language.

While visiting his home and sharing my poetry with other very accomplished poets,I could almost feel Stephan's presence as the wind whispered through the tall spruce trees. The location is well maintained and the inside of the house is a treasure.

Stephansson House

Although the temperature right now is 26 Celcius, the summer solstice has passed and the days are gradually shrinking back on themselves. In my mind, the solstice or June 21st is not the first day of summer but mid-summer's eve. A time of magic and joy. Also the time when the Holly King of winter begins to win the battles he lost leading up to winter solstice when the Oak King became ascendant. The mighty battle of light and dark on which all our hero tales are based are balanced by the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.

Even though it is hard to imagine it on a hot sunny day such as today. Before we know it the bright flags of autumn will be flying, geese will be on the wing, and the cool breath of winter blowing on our cheek.

There is beauty in every season and I can never decide which is my favourite. Usually I lean toward whichever season I happen to be experiencing. Although I must say I do like the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn in particular. I think it's the change, the feeling of a foot in two seasons at once, partly winter and partly summer.


Till next month, stay well, stay happy, and keep reading.

You can see what I'm up to at my website. www.nancymbell.ca

I can also be found on the first of every month at the Canadian Historical Brides Blog. Please come by and say hi.

Series and How They Began

Murder and Mint Tea started the mystery series featuring Katherine Miller, retired nurse and retired church organist. Though she doesn't wait a third career, bodies seem to find her. This began as a short story that was rejected with this comment "This sounds like the synopsis for a novel." I then had to learn how to write novels. For a number of years the short story and the letter sat in my file cabinet gathering dust. Then I found the story and soon had the story broken down to an outline for a book. The book sold well, even had a version on tape. Because of this, I set out to write a second and a third. I'm now working on the sixth to be released when it's done. Murder and Sweet Tea.


The second series I'll talk about is a four book YA written under J. L. Walters. This was a bit different for the start. I tell myself stories as I'm falling asleep. The written plan for the book came to over 100 pages so I knew I had to write what I thought was a trilogy, except it turned into four books. The story followed the coming of age of two sets of twins from the destruction of their home to the ending of the villain.



I do have other series but they're not complete. There is the Moon Child series based on six women who have July birthdays and how they meet the men of their lives. The second is Opposites where the opposite signs of the Zodiac women meet the men of their dreams. There is the Seduction series that is complete.