Wisdom in the Stacks, April 27th
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 1st Corinthians 1:19 NKJV
Photo Credit: Daily Mail, Alamy Stock Photo (9:28 on the clock)
Dear Readers,
I am grateful for you all—I’m not one to do the “milestone” thingie, but I’m at fifty-four subscribers and two hundred and thirty-two followers. A more important standout for me is there are only four more Mondays in my school year and then starts my summer break. I will be busy with various projects and promotion, but I plan on getting in the water often.
First Things First: Thank you, God for being my Almighty Muse and for Jesus for saving my soul. I have had a good school year and have been blessed to teach some wonderful and talented students. Some of them even laugh at my negative patriarchal humor (a.k.a. bad dad jokes). I am blessed to have a wonderful wife, stepsons, daughters-in-law, and grandkids who like me to be goofy (plus, there is a fourth grandchild on the way this fall!)
Also, I took part in another fun collaboration. This time for S.L. Stallings’ wonderful collection “The Antique Trading Post” with stories about cursed objects. (My favorite being a deceased woman who didn’t want her photo taken). My contribution was an old muzzle loader with cursed bullets: “Strike True or Stray Cruel” https://jeffreycummins.substack.com/p/strike-true-or-stray-cruel?r=4r6kwu I am hoping to participate for another of her collections next month!
Shout outs (in no particular order): Tabitha Litherland, Amy Delcambre, S.L. Stallings, Sharon Cummins, Brianna Goodman, J. Redmerski, Phil Pinelli, Thomas Moore, Inge Snip for being faithful readers and commentators.
Fellow Christian writers: Janine Eaby and Anna McClure (cont;nue to inspire!)
Fellow Arkansans writers: Travis Knight and Jean Marie Bauhaus
Along with Travis, I have had some excellent note-sharing over the writing process (which is just as stimulating as “you can do it, my homey!”) with Jason Arehart, Ricardo Jose Romeu, Stephen Duffy, Jack Varrone, and Leo Vaughn
We are here to encourage one another. We are to forgive much because much has been forgiven us!
Second thing:
Upcoming Full Moon Ghost Tales Posting Schedule:
April 29, 2025 Super New Moon “Haunting My Hometown” Parts 4-1” (on Substack)
May 12, 2025 Flower Moon “She’s My Rider” (on Substack)
**will double stack with “Memory in a Bottle” which is a BRAND NEW tale for S.L. Stallings’ upcoming “Haunted Places” collection. This is based on my trip to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and second tales I acquired there
June 11, 2025 Strawberry Moon “Blue Harvest” (on Substack)
**reposting “Holes At Tearing” (on Substack)
July 10, 2025 Buck Moon “Lethe Home” (on Substack)
**reposting “A Sort Of Homecoming” (on Substack)
August 9, 2025 Sturgeon Moon “The Day the Ghost Walks” (on Substack)
September 7, 2025 Corn Moon “Night At the Black Orpheum” (on Substack)
October 31, 2025 Collection of all 13 Full Moon Ghost Stories ( on various platforms)
Third thing: once the collection has been published, I will put these thirteen tales in a table of contents for a subscription fee of $3.99 which will be the same as an eBook on the usual platforms.
Fourth thing: I do want to reshare the challenge post I answered for Travis Knight which introduces me as a writer: I’m a writer who…
“… thrives on the rhythm of the words and smashing images together and colliding phrases into each other (this comes from years of lyric and songwriting). I want my words to cut.
I’m a writer who usually comes up with a title first which leads To questions like “What is that about?” I come up with images near the rising action and the climax and the falling action. I have to find a beginning and write through to discover the ending.
No matter how weird or wild the Idea or theme or concept, I have to ground it in gritty reality before things go kablooie!
Fifth thing:
Serial Book Teaser: Seriously considering doing a book serial on Substack next year. I usually don’t put the cart before the horse and promise things I can’t deliver on. I have a good idea brewing and have started on notes and sketches.
Summer Promo:
I will be promoting my other two self-published works before the ghost story collection is published.
If you are interested in my longer work, I have self-published two fiction books on the usual platforms:
My first book, a Young Adult fantasy, published in 2021. Here is the ebook edition:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CDX58SP/ref=x_gr_bb_series?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_series-20&binding=kindle_edition
My second book, a post-modern, post human re-telling of A Christmas Carol, told through the lens of depression, medicaitons, and recovery, published in 2023. Here is the ebook edition:
Long Term:
I am about half way through my latest novel which is a steam-balloon adventure story ala Jules Verne in a post-apocalyptic world. This is about a grandpa who makes the steam balloon in order to take one last great adventure only to discover that his granddaughter has stowed away on board. And shenanigans ensue!
Read on! Write on!
@Janine Eaby, thanks for the like!