bay_alexison

And I feel safe in saying I got off light in comparison. I mean an inch of ice in Texas? That is about twice as heavy as power lines are rated at. TN is an ice over nightmare. MA is still getting snow, NY too. I kept my power and for me that's all that mattered. I have off today AND tomorrow.

Mom's long distance driving me nuts 'well you can clean now, should be spotless.' I try to explain that's not how it works. I mostly still did grading and getting another chapter ready for the nursing AP. This takes time. Tomorrow I think I should be able to clean.

Okay my reading buddies, help me out. I was going to read Check, Please Sticks and Scones for the Popsugar challenge prompt of favorite winter olympic event. Yeah I honestly have none and now the library can no longer get that one. Ugh. So rec your favorite winter sport LGBT book. Doesn't have to be hockey. Figure skating is fine, hell if you have a biatholon fave hit me with it. got a snowboarder couple? Cross country skier who meet bigfoot?

You know that flipping fish? So I'm in the kitchen cooking dinner and I hear it flopping. Rocket is playing with it. I am happy. He sees me watching him and no lie throws that fish away from him like it was fire and stalks off embarrassed to get caught. frakking cats

it's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is #11 a song with a long title. Share your faves too.

( here are a few )





here's the whole prompt list

( it's under here )

Out of fear of jinxing anything I shall say nothing until I know this storm is fully over. But one of the things I did today was to try and entertain a bored feline. I turned on my tesla coil...only to remember this wasn't the tesla coil Halloween decoration but it does have swirling mist. Rocket could care less. And I had a flipping fish toy that you have to plug in to charge.

I was standing in TJ Maxx excited to find this. the lady next to me was too. We both scampered off, happy dreams of excited kitties dancing in our heads. I charged it today. I got my video recorder ready. I even swept the carpet so it'll look better. I pour out a line of catnip on the fish and get it to flipping. Rocket stares up at me, wtf food dispenser? why did you give me this? But...it's cute. Play with it! He side eyed me into non existence. I even say on the recording, I'm having more fun with this than you. He does the line of nip off the fish's flank and leaves me there with my stuffed fish.

What does this have to do with writing? I've been thinking about pets in literature. I'm reading one right now Sugar and Vice with a dog (that maybe too many chapters are about). I'll be honest I don't usually give my characters pets. I tend to forget about them. In fact, I think Angel Dust and Fat Nuggets (his pet hell pig) is the most I've ever written a character with a pet and half the time I still forget about Nuggsy.

How do you feel about pets in literature? Of course it's popular. But how do you handle the pet in question in a way that whatever it is compliments the story instead of distracting from it or leave us wondering where it went? I'm not including police dogs/search and rescue in this because they are easy to make integral to the story. Ditto stories where the animals are telling it? Do you write them? Are you like me and sort of dodging it? Curious minds want to know.

Open Calls

Pathways to Imagination: Whispers Made Flesh Stories where the unseen insists on becoming known

Sley House Press February 2026 Window Romance/Genre Blend. Send us your horror, sci-fi, or fantasy with strong romance elements.


Book of Madness Cosmic Horror based upon the cthulhu mythos (though doesn’t need to include characters or deities from the mythos)

Shared World A fantasy-horror, sword-and-sorcery world called Shared World. Think Conan meets Cthulhu! It can use their pre-existing ideas, or new ones

Agita Magazine

Root Smoke: Now Seeking Submissions


From Around the Web

How to Find the Right Literary Agent for Your Book

Making Quiet but Effective Moves: An Introverted Author’s Guide to Successful Marketing

Book Marketing on Amazon: How to Get Your Book Seen, Clicked, and Bought

The Pros and Cons of Launching a Book Without a Publicist

The Hidden Constraints in Your Writing

Harlequin France ‘trials AI translation’ and they fired their human translators

Notes from the Editor’s Desk: January 2026
From Betty

Want to Write Throuple Romance? Warrior Princess Assassin Shows How It’s Done ooo i need time to digest this one

How to Improve Your Attempts to Write Fiction for Change.

Writing Goals: Going from "Aaagh!" to "A-ha!"

The Hidden Constraints in Your Writing

How to Use Character Tropes Without Writing Cliches

Tagline, You’re It! Summing Up Your Story In Two Sentences.

Betrayal And Plot Twist: 5 Ways to Hide Your Villain

The Real Story: Character Journey as Structure

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus Entry: Managing Time

Alia Hanna Habib Offers a Guide to Finding an Agent

How to Write Righteous Anger in Fiction (Without Turning Your Hero Into a Villain)

The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Writers, Part 3: Using Beta Readers in the Self-Editing Process

The Timing of Your Publishing Dream: How to Keep Writing Through Setbacks and Detours

Be Wanted in the Inbox: What Outlaws Can Teach Authors About Email List Health


Who Are You? A Writer’s Take

Listen Like a Writer: What Taylor Swift Can Teach Us About Story

The Sum of Our Longings

so my brain doesn't spiral out thinking about yet another ICE murder which is bad enough but it's the entire Trump admin (him included) trying to paint the victims as the violent aggressors. He had a legal carrier permit (which is something the right loves until they don't apparently) And what good does FBI resignations do when all that leaves is Trump's minions?

Or the fact that my student loans want me to slam my head into a wall. I tried to pay them last night and I had to update my account. I didn't want the multfactorial verification be a text because I often can't get texts here. I selected Email but it doesn't work. And doesn't work. And doesn't work. Okay fine I'll do text. I can't change it without calling them. I call today only to find out they don't work weekends. HOW are people who work all day expected to call you? Fine, I'll call next week but I gotta pay now. Phone option it is. I try that. and it keeps trying to delete my bank account. It takes me calling back and going thru it all four times before it works.

So what IS positive?

Well it's going on midnight but it's not snowing yet. (with my luck it means the power will go out over night. I can not leave it this hot in here and sleep. Ugh. I have it hot so it'll take longer to cool if I DO lose power)

Since it wasn't snowing I pay for the online Abney Park Dark Academia concert with like 20 minutes before it airs. It was actually really good. He's getting good at creating storylines for his concerts.

I had orange/peach ketel one vodka/St Germaine elderflower martinis with a twist of orange not lemon because of the infused vodka. Yum. I put all my liquor on the porch so it was icy. that was nice.

I made a call to my college friend who lost her dad about two weeks ago. I think I need to call more often. As with ELD who I talk to often, there is just something nice about actually talking to people.

I was able to cook off all the things I wanted to. The one mistake was the Aldi's struesel which I cooked to the package instructions to the least time suggested. Mom was right. I should have done less heat, longer cook. The outside had begun to burn, the goo came out but the inside puff pastry is near to raw. On the other hand it IS tasty and I would get this for company (and cook it lower and slower)

I finished the class work. I need to clean tomorrow if I have power. Here's hoping. (I suspect no one is going to work on Monday anywhere east of Kansad)

I forgot to share my story yesterday so have it now.

Title: Wake Up Your Dream

Summary: Emotional hurt and drained, Angel escapes to the carousel outside the hotel. Heaven is going to be barred to him, he just knows it. He’ll never see Molly again. What is even the point? He’s ready to give up but his friends have a different idea.

Rating: teen

Notes:Written for the allbingo prompt of Sing You Sinners and the lyrical titles bingo prompt of Lyric with "sleep" or "wake". I chose Wake Up by Julie and the Phantoms
Also written for spikesgirl58’s 6 word challenge. The 6 words were Subway, Proposal, Carpet, Priority, Nap, & Spend

( story )


And it's Science Saturday


Arctic blast probably won't cause trees to explode in the cold — but here's what happens if and when they do go boom since this was clickbait all over the place this week, here is what it is.

Scientists may be approaching a 'fundamental breakthrough in cosmology and particle physics' — if dark matter and 'ghost particles' can interact

'Pain sponge' derived from stem cells could soak up pain signals before they reach the brain this would be game changing

2,400-year-old Hercules shrine and elite tombs discovered outside ancient Rome's walls

Medieval 'super ship' found wrecked off Denmark is largest vessel of its kind

'Goddess of dawn': James Webb telescope spies one of the oldest supernovas in the early universe
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cosmic-ring-cosmology-principle?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-ushttps://cornerofmadness.dreamwidth.org/2190354.html"> A massive cosmic ring may challenge a key assumption about the universe

It was a good day. I actually slept 6 straight hours without waking up. People were in lab and engaged. I bounced early and thought well it's still sunny, let me do the laundry today (I do it on the weekend) and then go to Jackson for gas/food things I don't have, don't need, but want.

I have big heavy clothes so I need all three washers including the hated front loader. I plug in my quarters and go to turn it on cool water instead of blazing hot and...someone has broken off the temperature control knob. Well that's fun.

Put quarters in the big heavy sheets one and realize...it says out of order in small letters on the screen. Won't give me back my quarters and I REALLY want the sheets clean if the power goes out this weekend. Now I'm yanking stuff from the middle washer before it gets wet and shove the sheets in.

Go to the car to run to Jackson while this washes. My battery dies. I'm praying it's the battery (AGAIN) and not my alternator. Call AAA. It'll be at least an hour (well at least now I can finish laundry before leaving. Call Dad to wish him a happy birthday and tell him I'm stranded in the RV park's back alley (AGAIN. My battery has died back here before). He arrives an hour later and he has the big wrecker that could haul three cars. I feel bad as he has to back it out.

I race my dead-battery to Auto Zone and the guy looks at me we can't replace them in a honda CR-V. What? You have before. What year is it 2015. Oh, yeah we CAN do that. Over 2018 we can't because if you make one mistake which is too easy to do and the computer dies. I have never heard of this and resolve to ask Dad who obsesses over cars and he has a CR-V too (he had never heard of it and is now on a mission to find out) Frick and Frack might just be incompetent because he couldn't even get the housing off my battery and needs to get his coworker. He manages it. The terminal cover snaps off. he drops the battery in sideways, barely gets it back out. I drive off 230$ poorer just happy they didn't destroy my car (try Advanced Auto next time. Also they couldn't find me in the system. I've been there so many times....)

Kroger's of course is a nightmare. And the assholes in Jackson jumped the gas price over 30 cents since the day before (should have got that at work where they haven't) I get all kinds of things I can eat cold if the power goes out. That'll be tomorrow morning's excitement. I go to the library to get the book that was on hold.

I get home and my computer is off. Did I already once?!? Nothing else is blinking but firefox and edge both say thanks for updating so I think an update was forced.

I bought myself Archway Ginger snaps as a treat. They one of the few processed cookies I actually like. I now have a tons of salami, PB&J, and hard boiled eggs plus apples. I will have food.

Saying a little prayer for everyone's power.

But there was one good thing today beside Dad liking the gift I gave him. It's also my book birthday. Check it o ut!!




here on Amazon Paper back, hard back and ebook


Fannish 50 recs. Plenty of them. You can read if you're snowed in.

A Reason For Living Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem

How to Train Your Alpha Teen Wolf


An Unacceptable Loss Stargate Atlantis


Defining Love Torchwood


Workaholic FAKE


Honoring Satedan CelebrationsStargate Atlantis


Adaptability Torchwood


Not Restful The Fantastic Journey

JACKASS.OCT.11.19XX87_1.TRANSCRIPT The Murderbot Diaries

Adjacent


An Unexpected Discovery Stargate Atlantis


Awkward Conversations Chainsaw Man


listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness Helluva Boss


Alive Again Torchwood


What Cowley Knows. The Professionals


Too Hot for Comfort Stargate Atlantis


I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me). The Professionals


Pillow Talk 9-1-1


Reflection At Bedside A Study in Emerald


Winter Wonderland The Sentinel


But What If There Was a Demon vs Dinosaur Cage Match? Buffy the Vampire Slayer


Being Prepared Due South


The Fear of Not Knowing Due South


Premonition Doctor Who


One More Tattoo Teen Wolf