1 The boar was so close I could taste the stench of it. I pressed the butt of my spear into the rocky ground and shouted a challenge. The bleeding pig squealed and charged right onto my spear. It hit the crossguard and broke it off. I held on, staring at my death. Tem coveredContinue reading ““Peace Hostage” story so far”
Author Archives: Felicity Banks Books
#140: Antique Shop in a Small Town
CJ and I went exploring in “Grandpa’s Shed” in the small town of Fitzroy Falls (yes, the one with the waterfall). They’re really serious about their stuff. And there’s a lot of it. Because having thirty rusty saws isn’t suspicious at all. Remember those things? Tins. Who doesn’t feel strangely compelled to buy dozens ofContinue reading “#140: Antique Shop in a Small Town”
Three-Ingredient Thursday: Christmas Salad
Fine! I confess. There are four ingredients. I snuck in the sesame oil on the basis that although it isn’t USED as a cooking fat (which’d make it a freebie ingredient according to the rules), it COULD be. This is why I’m not a master criminal.* The ingredients are baby roma tomatoes, baby spinach leaves**,Continue reading “Three-Ingredient Thursday: Christmas Salad”
S#52: Have some delicious delivered to your house
Food is good. Food at home is better. Food at home with no dishes is one of the great pleasures of the modern age. I had Chinese this time. Mmm. . . duck and mushroom sauce. . . Here’s a link to a short story I wrote called “The Misbehaving Mountain”: http://www.onthepremises.com/issue_05/story_05_4.html And here’s aContinue reading “S#52: Have some delicious delivered to your house”
#175: Was it REALLY that bad?*
My brother is almost two years older than me. I have many childhood memories of sitting around bored, begging him to play “Risk” with me, and then enduring a long and torturous defeat. And then repeating the whole familiar pattern, over and over and over. There are two curious things about these memories. First isContinue reading “#175: Was it REALLY that bad?*”
#173: Love and Pirates
How many emails do you have in your inbox right now? I have three. Yep, three. Down from over four hundred. I only needed half a dozen folders (three just for writing – legal data, backups, and conversations with publishers). I also discovered a few old favourites (now in the “sentimental” folder). Here’s a photoContinue reading “#173: Love and Pirates”
S#17: Midnight Snackage
I took the chance to have midnight snacks with my sister and her husband while they’re here in Canberra. Unfortunately, she’s pregnant and sleepy so the fondue I prepared so carefully needed to be served at nine before she passed out. It was, however, the best serve of fruit EVER. Thanks to the magic ofContinue reading “S#17: Midnight Snackage”
#174: Visit a waterfall
Water + gravity = awesome. Through a convoluted series of events, some of my family ended up at Fitzroy Falls last weekend. The falls are astonishingly well maintained and well run. Some of you antipodeans may have heard that it’s currently Winter, noun, the middle of. The falls were still worth seeing – arguably, moreContinue reading “#174: Visit a waterfall”
When Good Libraries Go Bad (complete tale)
1 A tentacle circled my neck, squeezing the life out of me with agonizing skill. “Steve!” came Terry’s voice. “Steve! Wake up!” * I opened my eyes to Terry, leaning over me. He looked scruffy without his mind-mage robes on. “Your cthulhu nightmares suck.” “Sorry.” * We got up for breakfast. As the mind-mage, TerryContinue reading “When Good Libraries Go Bad (complete tale)”
Three-Ingredient Thursday: The Funny Scotsman
The Funny Scotsman woke me up three times last night (and he was rather lumpy toward the end too, if I’m perfectly honest). 1. Warm the milk. 2. Add melted chocolate to taste (and taste the rest). Save a bit to grate on top. 3. Mix in butterscotch schnapps to taste. It’s insanely delicious, butContinue reading “Three-Ingredient Thursday: The Funny Scotsman”
#5: Visit a lighthouse
I stole this idea from http://jandyslifeinwords.blogspot.com. Thanks! As you know, my parents shouted all their descendents a trip to the coast last weekend, and I knew I had to seize my chance! Lighthouses are intrinisically awesome. There’s the ocean right there, historic seafaring tales, shipwrecks, and of course I love the idea of a doughty solitaryContinue reading “#5: Visit a lighthouse”
Day at the Beach
This is my interpretation of Steff Metal’s suggestion #66 (Open an etsy shop). Every so often I’ll post an extra blog entry with a short story – and tag them all with the “Short stories” category so you can find them easily. This one is (clearly) inspired by my nephew at the beach last weekend.Continue reading “Day at the Beach”
#172: Macabre Expression of Love
Cast your minds back, if you will, to the year 2007. It was a gentler time, when global warming was only just invented and Kevin Rudd was super exciting. It was a time when CJ and Louise fell in love. (Well, CJ did. I was WAY ahead of the times.) To celebrate the fact thatContinue reading “#172: Macabre Expression of Love”
#172: Family Holiday
A family holiday can be a near-death experience. As you probably gathered yesterday, I’ve just been to the coast as part of a group of NINE people, all my immediate family (and partners, and a kid). My parents are unspeakably nerdy (insert “apple falling from tree” comment here), so my mind is now a confusedContinue reading “#172: Family Holiday”
#119: Eat Fish and Chips at the beach
You know what’s cool? The ocean. You know what else is cool? Lard. Combine the two, and the world is made of magic. Guess where I am right now (or at least, as I prepare this post)? I am in a beachside cottage with my parents (who are paying for the whole thing), my nephew,Continue reading “#119: Eat Fish and Chips at the beach”
#171: Explore the attic
My parents, presiding as they are over an empty nest, came up with the wacky notion that my sister and I should get our long-forgotten randomnesses out of the spider-infested boxes in their attic (specifically, the area between the ceiling and the roof). It’s a mysterious land of leaves and dust and fluffy, itchy insulation,Continue reading “#171: Explore the attic”
“When Good Libraries Go Bad” story so far
1 A tentacle circled my neck, squeezing the life out of me with agonizing skill. “Steve!” came Terry’s voice. “Steve! Wake up!” * I opened my eyes to Terry, leaning over me. He looked scruffy without his mind-mage robes on. “Your cthulhu nightmares suck.” “Sorry.” * We got up for breakfast. As the mind-mage, TerryContinue reading ““When Good Libraries Go Bad” story so far”
S#85: Random Club
On Steff Metal’s list of 101 ways to cheer yourself up (which you can find if you go to steffmetal.com and click on the link on the right) she wrote: Open your gig guide, close your eyes, and point. That’s where you’re going tonight. Dress inappropriately, and make the best of it. Since I amContinue reading “S#85: Random Club”
Three-Ingredient Thursday: Strawberry and Banana Milkshake
Fine. I admit it. I’m posting Thursday’s post on Wednesday. Today got away from me a bit. Also, the title might kind of give away the ingredients. Luckily, I forgot to photograph them before blending them, so here’s one photo with the final product + two of the three main ingredients. Another FABULOUS way to getContinue reading “Three-Ingredient Thursday: Strawberry and Banana Milkshake”
S#51: Guilty Pleasure
If there’s anything I excel at, it’s guilty pleasures. You want ’em? I gots ’em. Today was meant to be my final day of total digestive goodness – so much for that. I fell off the rails last Saturday, and haven’t yet managed to get back on (but I *did* make my weight goal, plusContinue reading “S#51: Guilty Pleasure”