December 22, 2010
Merry Christmas in Miniature: An Original Christmas Tale by Robert W. Walker
Today I have the pleasure of again presenting an original Christmas tale I ran a couple years back by Robert W. Walker, author of some 40 novels.
Walker's latest is the exciting TITANIC 2012, Curse of the RMS Titanic, a multi-genre thriller that touches both past and present, featuring his well-known detective, Inspector Alastair Ransom.
Be sure to return tomorrow for Part 2 of our seasonal tale. Merry Christmas!
The Thief of Christmas Present
By Robert W. Walker
(Photos: Christmas Santa House by C. Verstraete, see more pix)
Julia rushed into her mother's room, her eleven-year-old arms flapping as she said, "Joannie stole my Christmas presents! I just know it was her!"
"Your big sister wouldn't do that, Julia."
"Then its one of her girlfriends."
"I've talked to Joannie, and she's given the third degree to every friend who has been visiting the house since Thanksgiving."
Julia's eyes filled with tears. "Musta been that boyfriend of hers then!"
"He seems like a nice, respectful boy, and whatever would possess him to steal your miniature Christmas presents from beneath your miniature tree?"
Anna Waldron hugged her daughter to her. "We'll find the stolen goods. They're likely somewhere on a shelf. Thoughtlessly moved by one of your little friends."
"No, no mom! I don't let anyone reach into my dollhouse and take out anything, not the figurines, not the furniture, and certainly not the presents under the tree."
Anna wondered how this could keep happening to her daughter. Julia had put heart and soul into her miniature house this year. In fact, she'd begun creating the tree, the ornaments, lights, stockings hanging over the fireplace, and the presents beneath the tree since last Christmas.
She'd got it in her head that her dollhouse ought to have all the ornaments and decorations of any home, that Mr. and Mrs. Cluewellen and their three children who lived in the miniature house ought to have a wonderful Christmas too.
Julia had worked so hard to make it happen, and now, day-by-day, all her work was coming unraveled. The day before she noticed an ornament missing from the tiny tree. The day before that one of the stockings she'd labored so hard to make was gone from the mantel. Poof. Now two of the tiny presents from beneath the tree-gone. Stolen.
"At this rate," moaned Julia, "by the time Christmas gets here, the Cluewellens won't have anything left."
Anna patted Julia's hand. "And The Christmas Crook of the Present will have won!"
"We can't let that happen, mom!"
"We must act, set a trap."
"A trap?"
"Yeah, we'll wire up a trap that will snap on those sticky fingers."
"Then you think it's Stevie?"
"I hope not, but your little brother is at that age. I sure hope he hasn't lied about this."
"Well...it's not a ghost. I asked the Cluewellens if they'd had any problems with anything like a poltergeist, and they said no."
"You believe them?" Mother Waldron laughed, but Julia stared at her, eyes saying, 'not funny'.
"They don't lie, cheat, or steal, mom."
"Neither does your brother or your sister for that matter, young lady."
"Well I'm not lying about it! Someone's stealing the Cluewellens' Christmas right under our noses."
"You set the trap," suggested Anna. "I'm going to set up a concealed camera, so we can get to the bottom of this before..."
Julia looked up at her mother, wondering why she'd stopped talking. "Before all of the presents and decorations are gone?"
"Before you make your sister and your brother angrier with you than they already are."
"Angry with me? I'm the victim here. Me and the Cluewellens."
"Honey, you have accused both of them of stealing and lying about it. Then you accused their friends."
Julia nodded, and for a moment Anna thought her child understood and agreed, but then Julia said, "It could've been one of Stevie's dumb friends."
"Well now, we're going to find out, aren't we?"
"You think it'll work, mom?"
"At the rate things are disappearing, my hunch is that whoever's behind the theft will be back."
They put the trap into play.
They wisely left the miniature house untouched and unmoved, the same enticement as ever.
An entire day and most of the evening went by with young Julia wanting to check the Cluewellens' living room and tree every hour, while her mother insisted they wait and see. When Anna decided the camera's battery would be in need of help, mother and daughter went into her room to determine if anything had been taken. They found the front door closed. Julia gasped when she looked in through the windows. The entire tiny Christmas tree had been taken! All about the front door and steps, glitter appeared like colored snow. Whoever was behind the theft, cleaning up after him-or herself-wasn't a concern.
"It's got to be Stevie or one of his goofy friends," Julia said, tears forming. "Maybe Stevie's too chicken to tell on Tad."
"Let's reserve judgment and see what the camera says."
They made popcorn and popped the film into the USB port of the TV and sat down to watch the unfolding events. Unfortunately, during the first hour, nothing unfolded.
"This is a real snore and a bore," Julia complained, tiring of the popcorn as well.
After a while, Julia began making up a storyline to go with the miniature people inside the house on the screen, and it was so vivid that her mom could almost imagine that the little Cluewellen family was as real as Julia believed them to be. She began to see Mrs. Cluewellen move that feather duster in her hand. But clearing her head and eyes, Mother Waldron thought better of saying she'd begun to see the miniature people roaming around inside their miniature house. Maybe the miniature was haunted at that....
(** Don't forget to see Part 2 of the Christmas Story, The Thief of Christmas Present, by Robert W. Walker tomorrow.
(c) 2010 RW Walker published by http://candidcanine.blogspot.com
December 20, 2010
Miniatures Monday: Egyptian Wizard Boxes
A few of the recent boxes (1/12th scale) I made for my wizard's room, this time with an Egyptian theme.
December 12, 2010
New Christmas story: Christmas at the North Pole Compound
Think you know what goes on at the North Pole during Christmas time?
In Christmas at the North Pole Compound, it's not all Fa-la-la and Ho-Ho-Ho when Santa's elves find someone's stolen the gifts!
Can Chief Elf Investigator Finius Flaherty crack the case by Dec. 24th and save Christmas?? A fun, lighthearted holiday crime story for all ages! - Only .99 cents!
On Kindle and Kindle for pc. (Don't have a Kindle? Download free Kindle for pc.)
December 09, 2010
December 08, 2010
Remembering John Lennon
Today's the anniversary of John Lennon's tragic death.
Imagine... what other wonderful music he might have made...
Imagine... what other wonderful music he might have made...
December 07, 2010
Oprah picks classics; what about small, indie and midlist authors?
Looks like Oprah has dug in the classics archives for her next two Oprah's Book Club picks: “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens. She reportedly hasn't read either one.
I admit, I can't remember all of these two, either, but playing devil's advocate, why not pick the appropriate "A Christmas Carol" (most having seen the movie, probably never read it in print) or "Oliver Twist?"
While Oprah can choose whomever she likes, it's a shame that author Jonathan Franzen, not only lied but got a second chance on her show. Not that second chances are bad, but at the same time, perhaps some lesser known authors could have better benefited from the push?
It's a shame that only names from big publishers, "literary"-style books, and much older classics have been chosen. While everyone should read the classics, will they, even with the "Oprah" touch?
With eBooks and the Kindle selling like gang-busters, wouldn't it be "novel" if Oprah or any of her staff perused some of the many worthwhile eBooks and short story collections by lesser known small press, indie and mid-list authors?
Wouldn't a Kindle or any eBook reader with a selection of books be a neat gift and focus? A suggestion perhaps?
** What do you think?
December 03, 2010
Merry Christmas! Free Artisans in Miniature December issue
An early Christmas gift! Check out the free December issue of the Artisans in Miniature (AIM) magazine.
And don't forget to check out the daily miniatures projects in the free AIM Advent Calendar.
My New "Baby!"
December 02, 2010
AIM: Artisans in Miniature Miniatures Advent Calendar
How fun! Enjoy a miniature Christmas project a day by AIM artisans.
Click door one and two at this link to access the AIM Advent calendar. Use this link to go to a door each day in December.
Click door one and two at this link to access the AIM Advent calendar. Use this link to go to a door each day in December.
AIM: Artisans in Miniature Miniatures Advent Calendar
2010-12-02T02:00:00-06:00
CA Verstraete
AIM advent calendar|
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December 01, 2010
Wisconsin Regional Writer's Contest
WISCONSIN REGIONAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION SPRING WRITING CONTESTS OPEN JANUARY 1
WRWA Spring contests open January 1, 2011. Entries must be received by March 15.
WRWA Spring contests include the Florence Lindemann Humor Contest, for nonfiction essays or articles with a humorous theme, and the Al P. Nelson Feature Article Contest, for nonfiction articles with a link to Wisconsin. Reminiscences have dominated previous contests, but profiles, essays, how-tos, travel, humor, and round-up articles have made their mark, too.
The contest rules PDF can be found on the WRWA website.
WRWA Spring contests open January 1, 2011. Entries must be received by March 15.
WRWA Spring contests include the Florence Lindemann Humor Contest, for nonfiction essays or articles with a humorous theme, and the Al P. Nelson Feature Article Contest, for nonfiction articles with a link to Wisconsin. Reminiscences have dominated previous contests, but profiles, essays, how-tos, travel, humor, and round-up articles have made their mark, too.
The contest rules PDF can be found on the WRWA website.
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