@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

"Oh, okay," the Hero said, handing it back.
"Where did you even get that?" the Demon Lord said, cautiously replacing the now-humming rod back over the mantel.
"Huh? Oh, from the Saintess' bedroom."
The Demon Lord raised one eyebrow. "What were you doing in her bedroom?"
The Hero shrugged. "You know how women are about… doing things… in their own bed."
"Well, no," the Demon Lord said. "No, I don't actually know anything about that." (4/4) #wss366

"Huh," the Hero said, fishing in his pocket. "Is it like this?" He pulled a large jewel out of his pocket and turned it this way and that trying to fit it into the setting.
"Wait! What are you…" the Demon Lord said, reaching out.
With a loud click, the Crystal fit into the setting and the rod activated, emitting a loud hum.
"Ooh! Cool!" said the Hero, waving the rod back and forth.
"Be careful with that!" the Demon Lord said. "Who knows what you might summon if you're not careful!" (3/4) #wss366

"When you live a long time, you just end up with stuff."
"What's that?" the Hero said, pointing at an item hanging over the mantel.
"Ah!" he said. He got it down and handed it to the Hero. "It's a #Rod of Summoning. As you know demons are not born, but summoned."
"Hmm," the Hero said, inspecting it carefully. "What's this place?" He indicated a setting that seemed to be missing something.
"That's where the Crystal of Calibration went. It was lost during the Demon Rebellion." (2/4) #wss366

The Demon Lord poured a small glass of brandy and offered it to the Hero.
The Hero was distracted looking around at the amazing artifacts in the Demon Lord's study.
"Here!" the Demon Lord finally said.
The Hero accepted the glass and took a small sip making appreciative noises. Then he gestured at the items around the room.
"An amazing collection, my friend," he said. "I'm not sure I've seen so many rare grimoires. And that suit of armor is simply amazing!" (1/4) #wss366

I had an insight recently about why I was resenting the time I spend on elder and family care more now that I'm entering retirement: https://stevendbrewer.com/whose-time-is-it/

One of my favorite bits at this year's @SFWA Nebulas: Shannon Zelazny accepting the Infinity Award for her father Roger, and his reaction to the terrible movie adaptation of Damnation Alley: "They didn't ruin the book. It's still a great book. They just made a crappy movie." https://www.youtube.com/live/nmAxXj7-xxA?t=8668s

#WritersCoffeeClub How actively do you seek out criticism or critique for a WIP or a finished work?

It's a big lift to read and thoughtfully critique a manuscript, so I only really share manuscripts when people ask or have expressed an interest. I'm very pleased when my older brother and younger son will critique my manuscripts for me. My brother is particularly good at story structure and my son offers really cutting mockery of problems in the story that nearly always has me in hysterics.

#ScribesAndMakers What do you find compelling in a podcast? If you don't like podcasts, is there anything that could make you interested?

I don't like podcasts. The only thing I can imagine is if my life were such that I was stuck doing something offensive for long periods of time (like a commute) and needed something slightly less offensive to distract myself.

The Saintess let out a squeal of excitement that was choked off when the Hero and Demon Lord let their swords go past each other. They embraced and clapped each other on the back. They looked at the Saintess, who stood horror struck, and started laughing.
"Psyche!" the Hero crowed. (3/3) #wss366

The Saintess clasped her hands and smiled.
The Hero drew his sword, followed by the Demon Lord. They set themselves *en garde* and circled each other slowly.
The Saintess' eyes glowed with satisfaction.
The Hero and Demon Lord suddenly lunged at each other and made identical thrusts. (2/3) #wss366

The Hero and Demon Lord faced each other while the Saintess looked on. The Hero drew himself up to his full height.
"You backstabbing, double #crossing traitor!" the Hero hissed. "I trusted you!"
"That was your mistake," the Demon Lord said. "I never gave you any reason to do so." (1/3) #wss366

In the past week, I got author #scam solicitations from these addresses:
Kehinde Rokeeb <rokeeb.authorrelations@gmail.com>
Info.ashley Hamilton <info.ashleyhamilton@gmail.com>
Claire H <claireexpert.marketer@gmail.com>
Helen Isreal <helenisreal.teerc1@gmail.com>

Notice anything in common?

I wish Google would raise the bar for people getting "free" email addresses.

"Surely," he said, and removed the top easily.
He looked up and found her making an entry in a small notebook.
"And with that," she said, making a quick tally, "Your #rank is number 1. That shitty Saintess is dead last."
"Mother!" the Hero called, exasperated, from the dining room. (6/6) #wss366

The Hero's mother called from the kitchen. "Would you give me a hand with something?"
The Demon Lord scowled, but the Hero only made shooing gestures.
"Yes?" he said, as he entered the kitchen.
"Would you open this jar for me?" she said, indicating a pickle jar on the counter. (5/6) #wss366

"Thank you," the Demon Lord said, grinding his teeth with impatience.
Ten minutes later, he was showered and dressed. He returned to the dining room.
The Hero leaned back and smiled.
The Demon Lord opened his mouth to make his farewells. (4/6) #wss366

A few moments later they heard a quiet chime. The Hero's mother carefully wiped her lips with a napkin, stood, and said, "Your clothes should be dry now. I'll put them in the bathroom and then you can take a shower." (3/6) #wss366

The Demon Lord started to stand up, but the Hero kicked him gently under the table and warned him with his eyes to wait. The Demon Lord cursed under his breath, but quieted and determined to be patient. (2/6) #wss366

The Demon Lord shifted anxiously in his seat at the breakfast table. He had wolfed his breakfast quickly, but the Hero and his mother lingered over their meals, nattering about neighborhood gossip. (1/6) #wss366

Please insert treat to continue… #DogsOfMastodon

Tanuki-chan has a lovely beauty mark. Maybe more than one. #DogsOfMastodon