Stephen Leary's Blog, page 16

My New Book: Queen of the Chess Cult and Other Stories

My new book, "Queen of the Chess Cult and Other Stories" is now available as a Kindle ebook on Amazon. The print edition will be online soon.

Table of Contents:

Foreword

Notes on writing short stories and the ideas behind this chess-themed collection.

Queen of the Chess Cult

The search for a beautiful queen who presides over a cult with a sacred book listing the moves of the perfect chess game.

Pawn Storm

Falling from the sky are snowflakes like chess pieces.

A Wasted Life

A man gives up chess but...

My Upcoming Book "Queen of the Chess Cult"

My upcoming collection of short stories called "Queen of the Chess Cult and Other Stories" should be ready in a month or two. Here is a listing of the stories with a short summary. I'm still finalizing some of the titles. I could add or subtract one or two stories but this is the likely lineup for the book. No knowledge of the game of chess is needed. The stories are literary with aspects of other genres such as detective, science fiction, horror.

Introduction
My ideas on the art of short stor...

Writers Don't Need a Quiet Place to Write

Famous authors counsel aspiring writers to "find a quiet place to write."

I've been searching for this proverbial quiet place my entire adult life and haven't found it. That's why I stopped looking for it.

Most people, like myself, live in big cities, and therefore so do most writers. Noise is a common feature of modern city living. Many people live in apartments and condos. People live in close proximity to others. Noise is a common feature no matter where you go.

Who has an isolated log cab...

Top 10 Places for the Obama Presidential Library

Where should Barack H. Obama's Presidential Library reside? News reports list several places that would like to have it. I thought it would be useful to compile a list of the locations that make the most sense. 10. Detroit, Michigan
The most liberal city in the country, so it would be an ideological match for Obama. Detroit is a burned-out shell of what it once was, a testament to its unending psychological commitment to liberal policies no matter what price is to be paid. But its proximity to...

Top 10 Things Never Say to a Bird

10. What lovely plumage. You come here often?9. It's not you, you're fine. It's your friends.8. Can you not do that when I'm under you?7. Do you want a bread crumb or can you do without?6. The shower curtain at the bird bath is broken.5. I have a nice comfy bird cage in my house. Wanna try?4. Didn't I see you in the shopping mall the other day?3. I'm an ornithologist and I'd like you to take part in my study.2. Want to say hi to kitty?1. Don't you know any other songs?

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Bestseller Or Literary Mode As a Writer?

Do readers and buyers of bestselling books want literary prose? Or do they prefer fast-paced writing without the frills and the deep thoughts?

Do readers expect good writing inside bestselling books? In most cases, I don't. There are some on the bestseller lists who are superior writers. But I would say most aren't.

A writer makes a choice. You write one way or the other. You Write with a different mindset when writing a bestseller as opposed to a work of literature. Combining the two is what...

Malaysia Flight MH370: Indian Ocean Fate

It was announced today by the Malaysian Prime Minister that the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 went down in the south Indian Ocean, far from any possible landing site, and all aboard are presumed dead.

The fate of the plane is based on Inmarsat satellite data. The plane is believed to have gone down about 1,500 miles southwest of Perth, Australia.

What the plane was doing in that remote place and why has not yet been discovered. Either it was taken there deliberately by one or both of the pi...

Top 10 Things Never Say to an Artist

10. I have one just like that at home!9. You follow that popular YouTube video just like everybody else!8. It's like Norman Rockwell through the eyes of a child7. This painting explains to me why artists starve6. I've got that paint-by-the-numbers book, too5. Did you run out of paint, or what?4. I'll buy it but I really only want that magnificent frame!3. Do you have anything with zombies?2. My 6-year-old paints too and hers look just like yours!1. Isn't that upside down?

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Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Emotional Trauma Theory

If Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crashed into the south Indian Ocean somewhere off the western coast of Australia, it raises the question why anyone would fly there.

Such a route would mean:
There is no destinationNo intent to crash the plane into a buildingNo intention of landing on a remote airstrip and hiding the plane

The point is to evade radar and "disappear" so no one knows where the plane is. The pilot deliberately headed south toward Antarctica until it ran out of fuel and crashed the p...

Top 10 Things Never Say to a Comedian

10. How come all your jokes are on the internet?9. Do you pay the club or do they pay you?8. That didn't sound like a joke. Was it?7. Do you have your own laugh track for live performances or does the club provide it?6. It looked like you were lip syncing your jokes.5. I thought it was funny but that just wasn't a quantum physics kind of crowd.4. How much do you typically pay for your jokes?3. Do you have a website where you explain your jokes?2. You'll need to keep in mind they use a Vaudevi...