![]() | No ratings.
Brief insights into my writing world. |
I started my blog in June 2016, intending to have a place to get my stories in the hands of readers. I started with one follower -- my wife. I post a daily quote, as well as short stories and vignettes. Alas, current events pull my attention and I've added current events to the mix. You can find my Tavern Tales at: https://jjshaun.com/ Enjoy! |
Adrah had never felt truly at home in the village, where people called her “Wanderer,” though no one knew exactly where she’d wandered from. They whispered as she passed, casting quick glances at her face, hoping to glimpse whatever secrets she carried. She’d grown used to their stares, but it was the mirror that made her uneasy. The reflection was one she never recognized. ~~~ Read the story at https://jjshaun.com/2025/06/29/reflections/ |
The sun rose early over the Dragonspine Mountains, casting its golden light across the forested valleys below. Birds screamed, warnings piercing the trees. Dry wind twisted through the cedars. The sky stretched cloudless. ~~~ Read the story at https://jjshaun.com/2025/06/22/the-longest-day/ |
Once more, First Reader and I took to the streets to protest against the insanity happening across the United States. Like the last few protests, we stayed local once again. Unlike the Hands Off march in early April, we certainly didn’t have to bundle up for the cold. The weather was quite the opposite, in fact. By the time we left the rally, temperatures had crept into the low 90s F. We broke out sunscreen instead of layers. ~~~ Read the full post and see the pictures at https://jjshaun.com/2025/06/15/no-kings-2/ |
Smoke curled from the vendor stalls, thick with the of charred meat and burned spices. The market pulsed with activity—flickering hands, quick bargains, laughter too sharp and sudden. Beneath it all, beat a different rhythm. It was the beat of watching eyes. Of footsteps that didn’t belong. ~~~ Read the story at https://jjshaun.com/2025/06/08/dont-look-now/ |
Qilynn and the group met Master Vance at breakfast. “You’ll guard the wagon as we travel to Thistle,” he said. “We need to deliver supplies and medicine to the village. Questions?” ~~~ Read the story at https://jjshaun.com/2025/06/01/qilynn-thistle/ |
Sue woke early to the rustle of paws on the tiles, a clear sign the cats prowled the kitchen. Maynerd, the long-haired tabby perched on the windowsill, surveyed his imaginary kingdom. Toffee and Piper tangled on the floor, pawing a loose corner of the old rug. ~~~ Read the story at https://jjshaun.com/2025/05/25/the-zucchini-incident/ |
Zephyr Alterian balanced on the edge of the roof, knowing her next move would determine her future. If she tried to jump the span, she’d miss and the guards below would have her. If she swung down to the window, the result was the same. So, she did the only thing a young, naïve trainee would do. She sang a discordant bar to confuse her pursuers, turned and tumbled between their legs, hoping against hope she was quicker than them. ~~~ Read the full story at https://jjshaun.com/2025/05/18/zephyr-alterian/ |
Dreamstalker walked into the city without leg irons for the first time. The sensation, while long in coming, felt odd. She kept looking over her shoulder for the guards that weren’t there. ~~~ Read the story at: https://jjshaun.com/2025/05/11/dreamstalker-into-the-city/ |
The dagger was all too real. Talya’s fingers hovered a breath above the obsidian blade resting on the velvet-lined pedestal; its edge shimmered beneath the flickering lamplight like oil on water. Magic hummed through the room like the buzz of insects—low, invisible, suffocating. She never nicked nothing like this before. Now, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. ~~~ Read the full story at https://jjshaun.com/2025/04/27/ashes-and-echoes/ |
Another weekend, another protest. Once more, First Reader and I stayed local rather than travel to the Big City. We used to head there because not much happened in our town, but now rallies happen every day to protest what’s happening with our government. We The People of the United States are more than a little sick of the shenanigans going on in Washington D.C. ~~~ Read the post and see the pictures at https://jjshaun.com/2025/04/20/no-kings/ |