An unexpected opportunity came up for me to travel to Paris to meet my husband. We will spend Easter together in this fascinating city. This will be my last post other than my committed posts for LatinosUSA and Writing to be Read until my return on 8 April. If you celebrate, wishing you a blessed Easter.
These are some pictures I took while crossing Westminster Bridge in the taxi. It was so hot, all the windows were wide open. The traffic allowed for decent pictures.
This is my favourite photograph from Japan. It was also taken from a taxi. I opened the window much to the driver’s horror – haha!
Have you ever got fed up with your job? Changing profession is the obvious answer. Of course, that’s somewhat more difficult when it’s one of those lifestyle jobs. And infinitely more difficult when your employer is Strowg, an age-old creature of the night.
A long time ago, Charles Hennessy struck a bargain with Strowg. This strange and darkly charming figure had a noble bearing, was clearly wealthy and offered something too tempting to resist. The keys to immortality. With hindsight, what a wonderful thing that is, the deal was a rather big mistake. The promise has yet to be fulfilled and being Strowg’s factotum grows more onerous and offensive with each passing year. Worse still, Strowg isn’t the same. The human skin shedding and the creature beneath it is terrifying even for someone acquainted with the diabolical. They live a nomadic existence in order to satisfy Strowg’s thirst for blood but they need to rest and have come to one of their boltholes. More than that, Hennessy hopes that a spell in Bledbrooke may restore what is lost in Strowg. Because Bledbrooke isn’t like other places. It’s home to an unknowable entity that could swallow Strowg whole and spit out the warped bones.
Hennessy’s life has to change and he’s right insofar as Bledbrooke is where that will happen. It just may not be how he expects.
My review
I wrote this review as a member of Rosie Amber’s book review team. You can find out more about Rosie’s reviews and review team here: https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.
Strowg is a vampire tale with a twist that I found intriguing and unique. The author demonstrated a thorough knowledge of vampire fiction with his references to how other authors have skewed the perceptions of the public about vampires due to sharing what he refers to as misconceptions like they have no reflections. According to this author, vampires do have substance even if they are filled with the blood of their victims and must, as a result, have a reflection. The author also references Stephen King and states that he better captured the truth about vampires in his works. I assumed the book he is referring to is Salem’s Lot which I have read twice. This information is shared through the thoughts and reflections of the book’s main character, Charles Hennessy, and I found these references memorable and highly amusing. There is also a female cat called Carmilla which brought to mind the book by that name which I also enjoyed and which is also a different take on the traditional vampire tales.
Stowg is vile and evil personified as a physical creature. He is deceitful and has misled and abused his once loyal servant, Charles. It is not surprising that Charles feels resentful and only continues with his duties to Strowg out of fear of the repercussions. These feelings leave Charles ripe for a romantic entanglement as he seeks mental escapism. This is a novella but the characters of Charles and his friend, Ramona, develop nicely and I became quite attached to them in a short space of time. Strowg was not appealing and was easy to despise. Strowg was certainly the epitome of everything that is unpleasant and evil in this world.
The story is entertaining and tinged with dark humour which is a nice change from the usual heavy vampire lore. Lovers of vampire tales will enjoy this different take.
Kim at d’Verse challenged poets to write an acrostic poem using someone’s name. When I read here post here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/03/19/meeting-the-bar-tell-me-your-name/ I realised there is a lot more to this form than I have previously believed. I embraced it and wrote two acrostic poems.
The second poem forms the name of my oldest son, Gregory, who graduated from University with Honours in Mathematics this week (with distinction). He is working as a tutor at the University while he does a Masters in Homological Mathematics. This poem is for the d’Verse challenge. Thank you, Kim!
I have also written a micro poem which is between the two poems and about my son.
Mother Love (for W3)
My son, you have made me so proud. It’s an
Outstanding achievement to pass Honours with distinction. Now,
There you are on the threshold of an exciting new life. I
Hope your hard work and dedication will serve you well. You are so
Ernest in your quest to find meaning in your life. Your
Resolve to help others up the education ladder makes you a
Lighthouse in the lives of those less gifted than you. You turn the
Ordinary into something brighter and better. You are calm and never
Vexed when things don’t go your way. This quality makes you quite
Extraordinary in addition to your unusual mind and abilities.
my best qualities
in your hands have become a
lighthouse in the dark
Gregory (for d’Verse)
Guidance kindly provided in your
Responses to your students. You are
Exceptional in your patience. Ready to
Guide others on their way and help
Overcome obstacles along the
Road to success: Yours and other peoples.
You are a wonderful teacher and person
Thursday Doors
This is the door to the Great Hall where the graduation takes place. It is from last year. We were later arriving this year so I couldn’t get as good a picture due to the crowds. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/03/19/polish-room-announcement/
These are some pictures from the graduation (click on the slideshow to see the pictures).
Story Chat Digest forms the basis of the Story Chat Digest anthology making it a unique and interesting collection.
About Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet: An Anthology of Short Stories & Poems (Story Chat Series Book 3)
Picture caption: Cover of Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet
Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet An Anthology of Short Stories and Poems
Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet brings together a vibrant collection of short fiction and contemporary poetry from writers across continents. Each piece stands on its own, yet together they form a thoughtful conversation about life’s moments—large and small, joyful and difficult, humorous and reflective.
Within these pages, you’ll encounter stories that linger like candlelit conversations and poems that capture the quiet textures of everyday life. Mystery, memory, family, resilience, faith, and friendship all find their place in this rich and varied collection.
The anthology grew out of the Story Chat community—an international group of writers and readers who share a love of storytelling and the discussions stories inspire. Throughout the book, readers will find Book Club Questions and Story Chat reflections designed to encourage conversation and deeper engagement.
Whether you are reading alone or with friends, this anthology invites you to pause, reflect, and enjoy the power of stories shared across cultures and experiences.
Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet is more than a collection of writing—it is an invitation to join the circle where stories meet, and conversations begin.
Purchase Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet: An Anthology of Short Stories & Poems (Story Chat Series Book 3)
A 5 star review of Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet: An Anthology of Short Stories & Poems (Story Chat Series Book 3)
This is such a cool idea for an anthology: There are stories and poems on a wide variety of subjects. Plus there are discussions about those stories and poems between the authors who wrote them. Readers see the prompts that the authors used, and pieces are grouped around those prompts/themes. Stories are flash length. Poems are free verse or sonnets or narrative or image-rich. It’s all good stuff.
My favorites were pieces that got me thinking about life and my relationships, starting with “Countdown” by Grant P. Ferguson. What would you do differently if you knew how long you had left to live? If you knew how long someone else had left to live, would you tell them? Tough questions. That’s what Ferguson’s protagonist had to deal with.
In “A Slight Delay” by Philip Cumberland, Samantha and her younger brother encounter a dangerous situation which got me wondering what I’d do in her shoes.
I enjoyed the poem “My Brother’s Soul” by Richard Daniels because it made me stop and ponder the nature of human souls.
The older I get, the more I think about aging, and Cathy Cade’s story, “As Old as We Feel” drove that point home. May our society respect and treat our elders kindly! (It was the perfect story for the section in the anthology of Quiet Endings.)
I could go on, but just know it’s a unique anthology with many different voices from around the world, giving readers different perspectives and different things to think about.
About Marsha Ingrao
Marsha Ingrao is the founder and online host of the Story Chat community and the compilation editor of the Story Chat series. A lifelong educator, she continues to foster global literary conversation through blogging, collaborative anthologies, and virtual gatherings.
After retiring from public education, she expanded her work into writing, photography, and publishing. She believes strongly in lifelong learning and the power of shared storytelling to build connections across cultures.
I always enjoy De Jackson’s quadrille challenges. This week, the challenge is to write a poem of exactly 44 words using the word bird.
My mom fell in the early hours of Saturday morning and fractured a rib. It is a ‘blunt instrument’ injury as she tripped over a small step going into the bathroom and fell forward into the wash basin. It’s been a tough week but she seems to be on the mend. A am in the ‘dog box’ for making her do the breathing exercises every hour. They hurt but they are vital.
Dora’s challenge is to write a poem embodying a landscape. I’m not sure if I followed the instructions properly (I’m very bad at following instructions) but I have written about how my waterfall painting has led me to a place of perfect peace as I have endured Mom’s fall and a difficult leaving period from my job. This painting has been a significant art undertaking from me. I started it in early December and I’m nearly finished. I’m hoping to be done next weekend. It is my best piece so far and I look forward to sharing the finished piece with you all in due course. In the meantime, I’m sharing a photograph of the waterfall.
Picture caption: My photograph of a waterfall I saw during a hike in the Drakensberg.
Thursday Doors
In early January 2025, my family stayed at a family hotel in the Drakensberg. I specifically wanted to do a short day hike to see the waterfalls and the ‘Grotto”.
These are a few photographs of doors at the hotel, Champagne Sports Resort.
roberta-writes.com 