[from “The Eyak Interpreter,” a Kate Shugak short story So here we are in Anchorage, staying at Dad’s townhouse on Westchester Lagoon. Kate and Mutt are out for a walk on the Coastal Trail . There’s nothing on television and I don’t want to go anywhere until I don’t drool when I talk. Disgusting, so…
Read more …so I’m sitting here writing a post for my twenty-seven blog followers…
[from “Siren Song,” a Kate Shugak short story] The prosecution had rested the day before with an air of relief. The defense had recalled the investigating officer that morning, extracting without difficulty more evidence over time of many of Washington’s—the defense here coughed deprecatingly—family in the house at McKinley and Alder, as well as evidence…
[from “Cherchez la Femme,” a Kate Shugak short story] Most women hated Dulcey Kineen as much as their men loved her, of course. Margaret Meganack had erupted into Bobby Clark’s house when Marvin, that morning’s guest on Park Air, had strayed from the advertised topic, which was the current red salmon run or lack thereof,…
Read more …that little episode a while back involving Dulcey, Norma, and Norma’s boyfriend Chuck.
[from “Wreck Rights,” a Kate Shugak short story] Jim sighed. “My night for drunks in pickups.” “Every night’s a night for drunks in pickups,” Hazen said. “The woman driving the Ford Escort is dead. So’s the eleven-year old riding in back of her. The teenager riding next to her has at least a broken arm.…
[from “Under the Influence,” a very short Kate Shugak story] Kate stood up. Mutt cast a languishing farewell look at Jim and padded to her side. “You’re scaring me, Chopin. You’re starting to sound like a crusader.” I’ve already got a cause, he thought as he watched her walk out the door.
[from “Conspiracy,” a Kate Shugak short story] At the same time the Grosdidier brothers were settling on a command structure at home, they were willing, nay, eager to assert their independence abroad. There were a few years when Park rats had only to see the Grosdidier brothers coming in one door to exit immediately out…
[from “Nooses Give,” a Kate Shugak short story] The wolf’s eyes were yellow, the woman’s hazel, both wary and hostile. The woman said, “What?” “What ‘what?’” Bernie said. “What am I doing here? What do I want? Whatever happened to this thing called love?” He gave a hopeful smile. There was no response. “Come on,…
[from 2011] Some of you wanted to know what a nagoonberry was, so photo above is this berry of kings in the wild. It is a secretive little fruit, hiding its light in the deepest, darkest recesses of the forest, usually under air cover of a hundred or so squadrons of mosquitoes. That’s per plant.…
[And my Snerts blog post from 2006, because Lars couldn’t find it. *waves*] Folks have asked for instructions on how to play Snerts. Snerts is a multiple-player solitaire game. Yes, really. You need at least four players to make it really fun.
[*spoiler alert*: NOT an April Fool’s joke. I wouldn’t do that to you.] Great news from editor Clare Gordon at Head of Zeus, my UK/Commonwealth publishing partner– “No Fixed Line will be a Kindle Monthly Deal on Amazon UK for the entirety of April!” No rush, obvs, because the entirety of April! Click here. “Fans…