#thiswritinglife
For those of you who have asked, “Where did the idea for Wash Gowan’s mansion come from?” Behold. I takes my ideas where I finds ’em. This time it was on Laughing Squid.
The type of men who pride themselves on their willingness to kill.
Around about 2005 expat British author Richard Grant decides to drive the 900-mile stretch of the Sierra Madre Mountains in northern Mexico. The Sierra Madres, a rugged, comfortless and dangerous place, are home to drunks, druggies, marijuana growers, meth cookers, drug lords, bandits, rapists, murderers, Mormons, mestizos, cave-dwelling Indians and entire companies of corrupt Mexican…
Read more The type of men who pride themselves on their willingness to kill.
Lagniappe Sunday
Quote: “DARO: We were told this was about keeping the galaxy safe from extremists who don’t share our values. Alderaan isn’t that. We’re peaceful. We comply. But seeing that thing’s massive dish warming up like that, it certainly doesn’t feel like protection. It feels like something else.MODERATOR: Have you felt this way for a while?DARO:…
The Roadhouse Report – May 2026
More THG links Dana Stabenow Made Me a Danamaniac (My Bookcase Slays interview) Historical Novel Society (lovely review of The Harvey Girl) Order for Kindle US → Order for Kindle UK → Watch the Video → Watch the Video → …
Let’s get this Friday started!
#thiswritinglife
Love Tom Gauld.
James Byrne explains the genesis of Des the Gatekeeper
Dana sez, Now and then I bat my eyelashes at authors of books I have loved and ask them to write a little something for the blog. Sometimes they say yes. James Byrne writes When I decided I wanted to create a single male protagonist action/adventure mystery, the first thing I needed to do was…
Read more James Byrne explains the genesis of Des the Gatekeeper
“They chased me out of the goddam sky with a flare?”
Des is back! As in Desmond Aloyius Limerick, a Renaissance man slash wetwork guy, what a Korval Scout would call “first-in” as in first in to any dicey situation where someone he likes needs help. He’s officially retired from being a gatekeeper, the guy who can open any door, but friends of his keep getting…
Read more “They chased me out of the goddam sky with a flare?”
Lagniappe Sunday
Quote: “They then dropped the animal off at a farmyard with a blanket to warm up and dry off before wandering on to, presumably, regular moose activities.”Dana sez, O Canada. (h/t The Morning Dispatch) Quote: “We need to recognize that Trump’s authoritarianism arose in part from a perception that our government couldn’t do anything well,…
Random Saturday
ICYM this. I’ve made it a dozen times and it works every time. It even scales down pretty faithfully for smaller servings, something I’m always looking for in recipes. (I wish Ina would write a cookbook on “Cooking for One.”) I’ve made this with angel hair, spaghetti, linguini, even penne. You can add Silver Salmon…
