After many delays, efforts to censor the book, and enduring intimidation tactics by school administration officials, the SFCC Pullman Campus Creative Writing Club is pleased to announce that this year’s anthology, Monsters, has finally been published.

In an email dated March 7, 2019, I learned that Dean of Student Services, Cynthia Vigil had gone so far as to contact the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Washington, who is reported to have told her she could not censor the anthology.  Attempts to do so violate the students First Amendment rights.

This is the first time administrative officials have attempted to censor student work.  (See: “Concern, condemnation after Spokane Falls student newspaper reports on sex scandal.” Seattle Times.  April 5, 2018.)  Ironically, both censor attempts were for the same reason, the administration does not like being reminded that sexual predators are monsters. Continue reading →

I was recently notified that my short story “Beezlebug” took 3rd place honors in the annual IDAHO Magazine fiction contest. (See a list of winners here.)

Beezlebug is the story of how a U.S. Army National Guard member is influenced by a lone mosquito to take action against his middle-aged neighbor lady. It is a delightful read for anyone who has a neighbor with whom they don’t always see eye-to-eye.

To read “Beezlebug” and other award winning short stories, visit my short fiction page.

All the hard work has paid off and now it’s time to celebrate! The SFCC Pullman Creative Writing Club is proud to announce the publication of their anthology, DYSTOPIA.  Authors will be at Thomas Hammer Coffee on Wednesday, June 6th to read sections of their work and be available to autograph copies for the public. Coffee and munchies will be provided.

Copies of the book are available for purchase from Bruised Books in Pullman and BookPeople of Moscow.  On June 4th copies will be available from And Books, Too, in Clarkston.  In addition, Aunties Bookstore and Giant Nerd Books in Spokane have agreed to sell the book just as soon as I can get a few copies to them.  Bookworms can read for free by using their library card.  Print copies of the book have been distributed to libraries in Whitman, Asotin, Latah, Nez Perce, and Spokane counties.

Books are available for sale on Amazon for $9.99 or $2.99 for a Kindle version.  Continue reading →

My story, Zucchini Bandits, won a Judges’ Choice Award in the 2018 IDAHO Magazine fiction contest.

Zucchini Bandits is a short story about an unlikely pair. Delfred Long was forced into an early retirement after surviving a heart-attack. Ronnie is a precocious seven-year-old. Neither are looking forward to spending the summer together. Over the course of the story the grandfather and granddaughter duo bond while engaging in zucchini related mischief and mayhem.

I have considered writing a series of short stories involving the adventures of Del and Ronnie, then compiling them into a chapter book.  Who knows what mischief the pair will be up to next?

You can see other award winning stories on the IDAHO Magazine website.

My story “Wild at Heart” won the Judge’s Choice Award in the IDAHO Magazine fiction contest. It’s just a short story and it’s written in three languages. I didn’t figure it would go anywhere, let alone get an award. You’d think that would be cause for celebration, but you’d be wrong.

Americans are hateful and spiteful, and I’m tired of that vitriol being spewed my direction. It’s why I wrote “Wild at Heart.” Authors usually avoid autobiographical characters, but I figured, why not?

Read Wild At Heart here.

So my story, is really an essay that could just as easily be titled, “A Day in the Life of Khaliela.” The only differences being, I work for the Census Bureau, not the Department of the Interior and I want demographic information, not water samples. Unfortunately, the people I meet are the same. I’ve been shot at while working in the field and I get death threats on occasion. The frustrating part of being a federal employee is, you are the target for the nation’s anger. In Idaho, a good many people cannot tolerate anyone who is different from themselves. When that anger is unleashed, it gets directed at me simply because I’m the one standing in front of them at the time.