The King of Ezram

2/12/2018 - "THE KING OF EZRAM"
Submitted first two chapters to critters.org for critiques. Received lots of good reviews. This work is slated to be one of four works in the Anthology "Destination: Infinity".
 

2/12/2018 - "THE KING OF EZRAM"
 Rewrite in progress. Not that there's anything drastically wrong with the story as it is, but there's been one sticking point in part of the plot. After a full rewrite it bothered me enough to go off and find a way to explain the complete back story in three or four pieces that would be added in throughout the story maintaining the systematic plot development. In the process I've added quite a bit to the word count but had to rip out several sections to make it fit properly. I've also decided to change the title slightly to make it more germane.

At present this work is to be incorporated into an anthology along with "Little Ann", "A Light in the Window", and "Destination: Infinity". No date has been set for publication.



12/11/2014 - "THE BOOK OF EZRAM"

Will consist of three sections (unless I change my mind!).

For those of you coming back to read the latest EZRAM blog posting, you will note that I have changed everything! That's because I have decided to turn this into a multiple segment story.

This is the latest on the book cover for all the novellas (or whatever size they end up being) combined.

Section One - The House of Ezram
      This is the story of Hugo and Sally and how he is kidnapped and brought into the world of The House of Ezram, the place where he was born. Throughout the story he slowly comes to realize his heritage and the destiny that his parents had planned for him. But as he learns about his past, he also leans about his families enemies and the dangers that abound in this seemingly pristine paradise. He is surprised when he is confronted by his older brother; a brother that is under orders to kill both of them. Both Hugo and Sally escape back to a place where they believe no one will find them. Sally is bitten by a poisonous insect and he takes her back to Earth for treatment. By the time she recovers both Harold and Vlad have caught up with them and Hugo finally understands what he needs to do. This is where the first story ends.

Section two - The King of Ezram
     The first section has already been published on smashwords.com, and serves as the beginning segment. In this section we pick up with the life of Hugo and Sally 10 years and three kids later as they are finishing their tour of duty, so to speak, as the King and Queen of Ezram. For the future I hope to expand on the use of the dimensional traveler, maybe a quick stop back to visit George the Pterodactyl.

Section Three - Destinies Children
     The third section will be titled (still subject to change) Destinies Children. The intent here is to continue seveeral years after our hero and heroine have stepped down from their exalted position and resumed their lives among the normal folk of their realm. Think that will be easy?
The title alludes to the antics and adventures of their children along with Vlad's and possibly the use of the dimensional traveler as well. As I gaze into my crystal ball things are still a little misty and I haven't finished part two yet!

M. L. Humphrey

Short Stories of all types

SHORT STORIES OF ALL KINDS

Short Stories of all types is really very ambiguous, don't you think? I have a list of several short story titles such as: "Mr. Klien's other Bottle", Mr. McDonalds Magical Miniature Zoo", "Holding cell", and "The Doctor and Mr. Jones". The first two are titles that peaked my imagination and for now just take up a little bit of memory on my hard drive. Of the second two, "Holding Cell" is a rather bizarre tale that seems to have no beginning, no end, and no purpose; it's just a place I know of near where I grew up taking place at a time before I lived there; that is before the road was paved, probably about 1946. Maybe some day I'll do something with it. The last one, "The Doctor and Mr. Jones" is complete, very short, and meant to shock the reader. That is if you don't figure it out before you get to the end. I'll add more to the list as I go along.

"ONLY A PICTURE ON THE WALL"

7/22/2018   *** NEW***
Had a great idea for a short story on the way out for the evening. Actually remembered it the next morning and quickly put down 1500 words and pretty much the whole story. I passed it to a friend to take a look at. Not only did he also point to the beginning not fitting but he uncovered a few points in the magical process I hadn't thought of. of. I rewrote the beginning and fixed some holes in parts of the dialogue and now I'm happy with what I have.  The story only spans about a week and has only two characters, the prison guard and the inmate.


"A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW"

4/15/2018
Over the last year and a half I've been through this several times. It needs maybe once more with a new set of rules and then it will be ready for an anthology I've planned for later this year.

3/6/2016 - This little tale has been fighting me ever since I finished the first few chapters. I've got most of the characters laid out but the interaction between them depends on several factors that I haven't fully defined yet. I had wanted this to be a dark tale with a scary ending but it keeps trying to turn itself into a romantic tale. I've set it aside for now until I can decide whether to give in or attack.

2/2/2016 - Yes dear fans I'm starting a new project and of a darker nature than I've previously attempted. I've written three chapters so far, enough to get myself in trouble. Why, you ask? Because most of the stories I've written so far have happy endings and it's not my intention for this one be quite like that. I've two other chapters written that bend the other way and I'm resisting the urge to go that way. Wish me luck.


"TIME FOG"

4/15/2018 - No progress at this time.

3/6/20016 - Major update to the story line. In fact I've changed direction a couple of times since this was first posted. I've added some more content but the general theme is still the same. The "Time Machine" is now an antique automobile discovered in the back of the wood shed. Our main person has inherited the farm when his Aunt Pearl, his father's older sister, passes away. She was a widow and her husband, Syd, was an eccentric inventor. I originally had the idea of having to go out through the woods to (deleted story line) but decided that was unnecessary. I've also expanded the number of characters and added some mystery, maybe I'll add a villain or too? That will be decided as I develop both the characters and the plot.
  
8/18/2015 - I've been interested in the idea of someone purchasing or inheriting an old farm with lots of land in a peaceful, rural, and somewhat hilly area. There is an old machine that had been used for dragging logs out of the woods for fire wood. However, on a foggy evening, the woods is not a very good place to be. Take the wrong turn and you end up in a ghost town full of people from the 1880's. Go the other way and its prohibition era and you've just been caught snooping around an full blown and active still. Now where do you suppose that other turn will take you?
But that will have to wait as before I could get two chapters written I had this other great idea, and I called it "The Observer."

"THE OBSERVER"
7/27/2018 - Considering separating the two stories. It will shorten the Bena-a-Ji but the story will flow better. Can use The Observer as another story and try to fix it's original problem  for an ending.
(see further info se below)

3/15/2018 - Renamed "The Ben-a-ji" and greatly expanded to encompass a greatly expanded scope. I've also added a new type of character htat can be looked at as either a savior or destroyer. This creature was created in the far distant past and is hunted for by the people of this world. They know it has a secret ppower and there are those that wish to bend it to their own will. But the Ben-a-ji's purpose is more subtle than that and the civilization that created it left no word as to its true purpose.
This will be a daunting task, to take an existing story and encapsulate it within another of wider scope and purpose. I've already had to make some major decisions and, for the moment, stap back and think it through.

1-31-2018
From the previous post "The Observer" started back in august of 2015 as a short story but I had trouble with the ending so it has languished for the last year while I thought it over. Now the only way to proceed is to expand it onto a larger canvas. That also includes a new title 'The Ben-a-ji". I've expanded the background to bring in a few more characters. It will take some work to bring the rest of the story up to the detail of the original. One of the new characters is the Ben-a-ji itself. For this character I borrowed the template from Arthur C. Clarke's Vanamonde. Only the template, the character is completely different.


3/6/2016 - This story was originally written to go in my first collection of short stories called "Five for Tomorrow" and replace "Uncle Phid's Closet" as that one was to short compared to the other four stories. For some reason it annoyed me as it didn't seem to have a good ending. I've written a couple of new endings and so far I like what I've added, but they did nothing to complete the story the way I wanted it too. Therefore I've relegated it back to the Short Stories bin.

8/18/2015 - Mr. Marvin Rolla is an observer; excuse me, a professional observer. What is he observing you ask? Well just about everything and anyone. Does he creep up to your window and peer inside? Absolutely not! Mr. Rolla is a professional and does not stoop to such disgusting means to observe. Then there's Ms. Candace Catwell, a wealthy socialite; excuse me again, wealthy, unattached, scheming, socialite who has managed to weasel her way onto the Board of Appraisers for the city of Towson, Indiana. Meet Mr. Peyton Garvey, a dreamer and schemer constantly looking for the next get rich easy scheme. And then there's Mr. Paul Martin, the senior member of the board and a little perturbed about having to work with the other two schemers, but his little sister Minerva talked him into helping her husband Peyton get on the board. Peyton in turn helped Ms Catwell. It drove Mr. Martin wild. The only other character of any merit, and he has quite a few, merits that is, is Hamm. Big, strong, rugged Hamm, and close friend of Marvin Rolla. But, then again, Marvin Rolla wasn't his real name .

"TERMINS PRIME" => Retitled as "Gateway"

4/15/2018 - I wasn't happy with the title after thinking it through. As with most of my works they tend to morph into something of their own; I'm just there to put it on paper (so to speak).

5/20/2016
It's an interesting title to begin with, but the story line came first. Whether you want to call it interdimensional travel or an invasion of ghosts... You can decide if you so wish. It has a tragic beginning leaving our not so much a hero wandering aimlessly across the country. By happenstance he lands in the mid west working in and eventually buying the family oriented Starlight Bar & Grill. Now, that seems tame enough until one stormy night when most of the regular customers have stayed home, and several new people enter his life. Some are from his childhood, some he knew from his time in the Navy and a few he's never known before but know him quite intimately.
As this is a short story, and I've just started, there's not much more to tell; so you'll have to read it to find out what really happens.

"UNCLE PHID'S CLOSET" [or: The face in the closet]

3/6/2016 - This was slated to be just a short tale as part of a collection of short stories. That's when I decided to cut the 1929 part off; it stands perfectly well as just taking place in 1957. So, instead of being part of the collection (go see Four Tomorrows) I smoothed it out a little more and just released it as a short story by itself on smashwords.com. Somewhere along the line I may reuse the part I've removed in another way; I tend not to throw anything away; who knows, I could write a prize winning book from the scraps. Well, I can dream can't I?

8/18/2015 -  I added this to my first compilation of stories but couldn't conceive of a good way to bridge the 1929 part with the 1957 part so I chopped off the first part and added it in as a very short story.

4/25/2015 -   I started writing this one under a different title, and as yet I don't have it completely ironed out. The story begins in 1927 before fast forwarding to the 1950's then jumping back in time to 1927. No, this is not time travel, but a story spanning generations. The main characters are Phineus Edwards and his grandson Jerry. It's a little rough right now, but it's as good, if not better, than many of the short stories I've read over the past 50 years.I'll report further when I iron a few more wrinkles out of it.


"HIGH JACKED"


 My next idea for a short story is tentatively labeled "High Jacked". And, with any early project, that may change as the story unfolds. Unlike my recent excursions into the many aspects of the realm of science fiction, this story derives from two main sources, the movie "UP" and a Monty Python short  entitled "The Crimson Permanent Assurance", and resembles neither one of them or maybe I should say I added a nightmarish twist as I mangled the two entirely separate sources into a story about a young couple and an old house. Of course I will mix in a few 'wee folk' just to make it seem real.
How's it coming, you may ask? Well, let's just say that I've made some notes and created the necessary folders on my computer, so I've committed space at least, for now I'll start writing notes and see where it leads me.


"THE DOCTOR AND MR. JONES"
About the most I could say about this one is that it is completed but not published and it is most likely the shortest story I've ever written.


"HOLDING CELL"l
Possibly the weirdest story I've ever written (so far) as it apparently has no real beginning or end. My inspiration for the setting is a little turnoff place with a watering trough on Vermont route 14 between Woodbury and Hardwick. Yes, those are both real towns in Vermont. And just why our person is sitting there is anybodies guess. It may sound strange, but it was an experiment that maybe fizzled or maybe not?


There are a few others that I won't list here as they will probably languish in obscurity until I have the time and inclination to continue with them. There's nothing unusual in that, many authors have ideas and grand designs on what to do with them that get relegated to the back pages of their notebook or hard drive, whichever the case may be.

Tails of the North - [ Published ]

Authors notes on Tails of the North.

This is really a two part  radio play (or two separate plays), which I wrote for a group that I belong to. I wrote the first one in a couple of weeks and we revised it for six more weeks. The second one was written nearly two years later and was performed as written.

While the first one was originally written as a stage play with a lot of emphasis on sight gags, it was rewritten as a radio play while the second episode was only written as a radio play. The sight gags for the first one are included.

Science Fiction? Not a chance. But it is fiction, and you should be able to judge by the cover that there is a modicum of comedy involved; well, actually quite a bit. The main character is the famous mountie, Sargeant Pressley, and in the first  episode, he is tasked with finding the bank robbers, all the while being plagued by Nellie, who seems to be in constant distress, and the lack of a tent.

The second episode adds a whole new set of characters, with some cameos of characters from the first episode. In this episode our hero runs into all sorts of people from his past while trying to find a single missing person. Things quickly spiral out of control and the usual calm and collected Sargeant Pressley is assaulted from every angle by meddling and political wrangling. In the end he finds out that his new assistant is none other than... But that would be giving it away, wouldn't it?

So, I guess you will just have to read it to find out, won't you.

Well? "WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

Toll Booth - [ Published ]

What to expect...

 How would you feel if your boss offered you the use of his vacation cabin in Hawaii and you arrived at this cabin in the woods instead? The key fits the lock and they have a nice quiet week alone. But what about the strange tracks outside the cabin? What is lurking just outside the door?

The buss picks you up to take you to a luxury resort but gets detoured to the frozen tundra of a small island in Alaska and then to the deserts of Africa. Now that's something to write home about.

What would you think when you open your door, expecting a nice warm and sunny view, and find yourself looking down into the mouth of an active volcano?

These adventures and several more await you within the covers of this book.

Authors notes on Toll Booth.

This was my second endeavor and another idea that had been bouncing around in my head for quite some time. Again, I stuck to moderate Science Fiction utilizing matter transmission mixed with a little time and dimensional travel. Odd as it may seem, the story decided to go in a different direction that what I had in mind; and that frustrates me to no end!

The whole premise here is that a small company has hit upon the secret of matter transmission whereby they could move commuters from one point in the country to almost any other point in the world. You could live where ever you wanted and essentially work anywhere else. No, it wasn't exactly the idea I had, but this implementation worked out better than my original idea.

I set other parameters as well, one of which was that it would be a series of short stories in the same vein as a series of Twilight Zone episodes; usually with an unexpected twist at the end. The other parameter was that it would use the same main characters throughout. Oh, I suppose you could call it the "Adventures of Reuben and Marcus", but that would be an oversimplification.

So far, the main comment is that it is to short. Well, I can always add more stories. I attempted to publish a rougher version of the first story, "The Golden Ticket", on another web site without much success. Perhaps that choice was not the best place to try it out, and it was a rough draft.

If you're wondering where the concept for this story came from, let me tell you that like most kids, I use to read comic books; especially space themed ones. There was one story about a young man way in the future that restored an old car from the 1910's. Once he had it running, he took it out for a ride and one dark night in the woods the road became very old looking with grass growing down the center. He didn't watch where he was going and went off the road and hit a tree. He woke up to the farmers daughter tending him... Whatever, the main idea here is that he moved back in time. When this idea resurfaced in my mind I envisioned that depending on which branch of the road you took through the woods you could go anywhere in the world. It was only a short jump from there to turn it into a matter transmitter and eventually, a time machine. The progression resulted in the series of short stories that I call "Toll Booth".

Anyway, I enjoyed the project and I may revisit it again some time in the future.

As for you the readers, "WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

Little Ann - [ Chasm of Time Series ]

Litttle Ann - Chasm of Time Series

This is the latest version of the cover and is somewhat different from the original only in what it doesn't have. This one is just as good and simpler.

11/29/2014
It has been a year since I last updated this blog. I have just recently found the time to revisit this book and possibly address some of the issues I've heard comments on.

I have gone completely through the text and made some minor revisions here and there. Most of the changes were modest; I found very few misspellings and only a couple of grammatical errors. After a few tweaks I'm satisfied with the story. Again, its beginning and ending were predefined by "For Lorne", the original manuscript it was cut from. I don't have a publication date yet, it will probably go in as an updated manuscript. I also plan to redo the cover as it is way to complicated; I tried to reference to much on the cover, it needs to be greatly simplified.

So, if you're a fan of this book, you should also be interested in what happens to Little Ann afterwards. Does she meet her intended, and has she met him before? These burning questions and much more will be revealed as her story continues in "Beyond the Chasm of Time".

12/28/2017
The following is still mostly accurate but many changes are taking place with other parts of the series. See the Chasm of Time Series blog for more info. At some future point I will rearrange and remove some of the older portions dealing with this series.

There are now   5 distinct books comprising the Time Chasm stories; chronologically they are:
Time Chasm: Volume One:
1: "Beneath the Double Suns" which tells the story of the beginning of the empire; 
2: "Colony", which tells of the ill-fated flight of the For Lorne; 
3:"Little Ann", a short story about Ann Lyndes and her life growing up as an orphan; Ann grows up to be one of the main characters in "For Lorne" and "The 5th Agent"
Time Chasm Volume Two:

"For Lorne and The 5th Agent" written separately now combined as "Beyond the Chasm of Time"