Amanda Flieder
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
  • Bookstore
  • Contact
  • Short Stories
  • Story Shares
  • Blog
Welcome to the Blog for Amanda Flieder
​Updates on Fridays

Thoughts, Words and Random Ideas...

Daion Echoes through Transglass: Epilogue

10/8/2021

2 Comments

 
    Sick kids for half of this week, thankfully just colds they recovered from fairly quick and only a few days of school were missed. Their teachers were so good about communicating, too, which meant we had bits of homework to keep everyone from getting too bored while stuck at home. And now it's a long weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving), so I guess sleep schedules are officially wrecked lol.
    Autumn clean-up cravings hit me hard this year, so the past couple weeks have been yard and house clean-up (and clean-out lol). The yard looks pretty good, but half the house is a shambles of half-finished tasks. At least it's possible to see the end result peeking through the remaining mess. Progress!
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
The Epilogue is out! The story is told! Click the image to read from the beginning, and check back next week for the free downloads :)
    I've been able to pick and poke at a couple of my short stories during this past week. Not much happened for new words, but lots of editing improvements were had during the hours at my keyboard. I've been able to sort of get a plan together for the next story to blog out, which will start November 5th if all goes well. Keep an eye here next week for the free downloads of Daion Echoes through Transglass. I hope you get to have a good weekend!

Epilogue

        Trevor crouched to adjust her son’s jacket, making sure the brilliant green of the collar trimming complimented Lott’s eyes as well as she believed it should. She also checked that his shirt was staying tucked. The full-faced frown he directed at her was achingly similar to the expression his father wore every time she’d fussed about his appearance and she smiled to see the resemblance. This little boy in front of her was growing out of everything again and she hadn’t had time to shop for a new shirt after realizing this one was too small only an hour before they’d had to leave the house. If she’d known yesterday…
        She never thought she’d one cycle live landside, but here she was, counting hours and days. Here we are, she corrected the thought and hugged her boy.

Read More
2 Comments

Daion Echoes through Transglass: 7-5

10/1/2021

1 Comment

 
    Well, we're one election down and one to go. The sham of a federal election barely concealing the attempted power grab was an expensive failure on the part of the Liberals to gain a majority seating in parliament. Thank goodness it failed. I unfortunately am one of the many Canadians who live in the majority of Canada which is not southern Ontario, and therefore is obviously not the federal "favorite child" who controls election results in our current voting system.
​    Ahem: <Steps onto soapbox to rant>.
Fair Vote Canada's pie graph comparing the differences in popular vote percentage and awarded seats
Canada voted, but your vote may not count. Click the image to read the full article in the Halifax Examiner.
    My personal hope in the federal election was for a weak Conservative minority, intent on recession and pandemic economic recovery, balanced by a strong NDP opposition to ensure fair and equal opportunity for Canadians throughout the recoveries, with both parties working together for electoral reform, a just transition to renewable energy, and positive climate crisis action. That... didn't happen.
    Once again, our proven-utter-failure First Past the Post voting system let down Canadians. And, once again, it looks like political jockeying is going to force regular people to keep demanding actual, progressive, meaningful change because our supposed representatives prefer to represent self-interest rather than Canadians.

    The balance of our country's federal power essentially didn't shift, so this election (costing a reported $600 million Canadian dollars) was truly a monumental waste. The only reason we had a snap federal election was because the Liberal party, lead by the internationally recognized fool, Justin Trudeau, believed it's swallowed propaganda in Ontario was willingly eaten by the rest of the country. Now all Canadians have to deal with another term of unconcealed lies, global embarrassment, and both weak climate change policy and inaction for electoral reform. Thanks to the gerrymandering to hold Liberals strong in key Ontario ridings, of which those supporters seem to believe they "saved" us from evil Conservative overlords, all of Canada is stuck with those ridings' proven inept party of choice. Again.
Image of Canada with the percentages of
Canada desperately needs electoral reform, click the image to read more from Fair Vote Canada.
    As for the other election, advance polls for our city's mayorship start this coming Monday. I don't even know where to begin to look for those who are not blatantly corrupt or self-serving at these small polls. Our Premier is watching in surprise as our health care system collapses, after jumping gleefully onto every opportunity he was able to create to reach this point, and cities and townships are trapped in the nightmare of trying to keep the peace as constituents die and protest. And the main question I hear on the radio that Edmonton politicians seem to be focusing on during the past couple of weeks is: "How can we revitalize the downtown core?"
    Seriously? That's their Big Question?
    Bit of back story for you, friends. As warned by every city who tried to influence the decision, a downtown stadium and/or arena deters people from an area due to the crime they attract. The arena our city's politicians at the time demanded was "in the interest of revitalizing the downtown community and businesses" was voted down by constituents three times before being pushed through in a backdoor deal. It has since been a financial drain on the city and – surprise, surprise – a draw for crime activity within the downtown core, ensuring accelerated small business closures and less people visiting the remaining businesses and downtown events (and that was before Covid showed up and geared the decline to an even faster pace).
    Sorry, Useless Folks Making Selfish Decisions, you killed downtown Edmonton when you lined your pockets with the money skimmed on the backdoor arena deal. Now we all have to live with that failure.
    How about, instead of flogging that long-dead horse of "revitalizing downtown", you start acknowledging the growing numbers of Covid deaths and Long Covid survivors and enact useful aide and support for our community's families and victims? How about some city-wide contact tracing, and support for Edmonton Districts' schools and teachers to re-implement 2-week isolations after close contacts? What about ensuring safe access to opioids and addiction recovery support for those growing numbers of people with addictions whom our provincial government has denied by closing safe dosing locations? What steps is Edmonton taking
– aside from lip service – toward meaningful Truth and Reconciliation with our local Indigenous populations, inclusive of city policing reform? And, as our federal government chokes any chance of economic recovery for the main industries Edmonton supports, how will the city ensure housing security and affordable access to retraining for skilled workers and their families?
    The city is in crisis, which is doubled due to your own actions and those of the politicians before and above you, and your talking point is to "revitalize downtown" while holding an election in the middle of a pandemic. Awesome.
    Just. Freakin'. Awesome.
    Sigh: <Climbs off soapbox>.
    On a non-politics note, I got some writing time this past week and I loved every minute of it. This weekend appears to have more available hours I can spend at my keyboard, too.
​    That creative activity combines nicely with the expected sunny Autumn weather perfect for hanging out with my kids in. Some walks and playground time is definitely in order for the next few days. With things outside my little world the way they are right now, thank goodness for some escapism and family time. :)  I hope you get to have a good weekend!
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
Need to know what led up to now in the story? Click the image above to read from the beginning :)

7-5

        “Looks like the handle for a manual hand crank,” Lissa said, not impressed.
        “Well, yeah, this is,” Leo agreed. “But,” he said, drawing out the word as he gave the handle a shove and started rotating the circle in the floor. Heavy decking scissored closed across the top of the tunnel gap, covering the small pit completely and interlocking in the same pattern as emergency doors. Leo kept cranking and a smooth, third, thinner section of decking slid across the top and then lifted to be level with the floor under the current flooring. It hissed as the mechanical autoseal inflated.
        “So, rather than escape the same way you got in, we’re both now stuck in here?” Lissa asked.

Read More
1 Comment

Daion Echoes through Transglass: 7-4

9/24/2021

0 Comments

 
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
Read the whole story so far - for free! Just click the above image :)
    Time management is not one of my strong traits today. Flip side, I somehow managed to get a lot done and had a really good day. But thinking is like walking through Jello: lots of resistance and everything is sticky. So... today's brain is not good for planning anything, but was still in-the-moment productive.
   ~Balance~  LOL
    I hope you get to have a good weekend!
For real and seriously, that's all I've got for today.
No blurb. I just hope you do get to have a good weekend. Bye! :)

7-4

        “What’s so important he has to stay behind to finish?” Leo asked, catching up to Captain. Mollin was leading the way using his linked smart and handheld to light the hallway ahead.
        “If we crash landside with all ordinance, Dockland will take half the planet out with the explosion,” Captain replied through gritted teeth. “He’s ensuring all munitions are launched into safe orbits. Dockland crashing will be an extinction event for anything living on the surface of this world, but at least the world will still be here to resettle again later.”

Read More
0 Comments

Daion Echoes through Transglass: 7-3

9/17/2021

0 Comments

 
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
Click the image above to read the story from the beginning - or get caught up from where you last left off :)
    I got to do some writing this week! My head space feels better, and the ridiculous-level busy of life has subsided for the moment. My anxiety is having a tough time accepting that the ridiculous-level busy has paused, but the pause means having time to address the anxiety. Kind of a win-win lol.
    We're getting ready for another market for our Flieder's Foods home business, although we don't know if the market will continue as planned as it's still a couple weeks away. Our Premier and his party seem to be surprised that dropping nearly all health precautions for the entire summer, during a pandemic, has caused an extreme fourth wave which hasn't peaked yet. 
    The UPC party needs to resign from leadership. They've failed so much. The populace is needlessly dying as a result. Our economic recovery from the last global recession, which had been on track with the rest of Canada, has been delayed by years beyond what the pandemic has caused as a result. Time for a change.
    Please, mask up, get vaccinated if you can, and keep your hands clean. I hope you can have a good weekend.

7-3

Content Warning: fear, and bodily injuries.
        Leo was panting and wincing, and completely grateful to see Captain had arrived. She was bleeding from a cut in her forehead and one of her arms was hanging loosely in a bad way.
        “Mollin has a live link into Shiner’s systems through a handheld and his corrupted smart,” Leo explained. “Are you all right?”
        “I was on a maintenance ladder for the initial impact. Do you have control of any of Shiner’s systems?” she asked, glancing toward Mollin and then scanning the room. Her boots crunched over the broken glass which had been the antique handheld’s screen as she limped past panels for NavCom and knelt to press her fingers against Lastin’s throat.
        “I’ve cut into Shiner more than I ever did or could here,” Mollin confirmed, cocking half a smile at her.

Read More
0 Comments

Daion Echoes through Transglass: 7-2

9/10/2021

0 Comments

 
    This week has been a whirlwind of post-garage-sale house cleaning catching-up. My hands don't really work today, but I *think* everything is set up that I can have some quiet time this weekend. Hopefully.
    I'd cross fingers for luck but that would be extra uncomfortable while trying to type this blog post up lol.
    My oldest is aging into double digits this weekend. On one side of "mom brain", it's hard to believe she's ten years old. On the other side of "mom brain", it's tough to remember she's not an adult yet despite being almost the same height as me... (As my youngest likes to remind me, I'm short and they're tall.)
    Off to cake making and final tidying! I hope you get to have a great weekend :)
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
We're into the final Chapter now! Need to get caught up? Click the above image to check out the story's page :)

7-2

Content Warning: fear, and bodily injuries.
        People’s smarts were coming back on as Mollin darted out of the control room. Leo set his to max brightness and then snapped it off his wrist. “Everyone, we need some emergency lighting. If you can, snap your smarts to the walls,” he said, doing exactly that as he said it.
        A line of people had strung together along one side of the hallway outside the control room; crew members who had been drawn by the counting and then stayed due to the glow from the panels. A few stood and snapped their smarts to the walls, providing hopeful lighting in the otherwise perfect blackness.

Read More
0 Comments

Daion Echoes through Transglass: 7-1

9/4/2021

0 Comments

 
    Sorry for the late update! This week has been busy enough that I'm feel like I'm back working on field construction sites lol. It makes for short hours and long days, but so rewarding because the work is ours. Making candies and shirt decals is a lot better than steel construction. (At least it is for me!)
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
Click to read from the beginning :)
    The kids are back in school as of Thursday. Our school did a staggered start, so only half-full classes last week and then all kids begin regular classes after the long weekend. I really hope this type of staggered start continues for the rest of time. It's so much easier for the kids to get oriented in the classrooms, and it seems easier for the teachers to meet and adjust to their new kids in class.
    No writing time for me this week, but not much surprise there with the amount of food and shirt orders. Fingers firmly crossed for a couple hours weekly I can steal away with my keyboard once the school routine gets settled. I hope you get to have a great weekend!

7-1

        “Dockland exists,” Captain’s voice interrupted Leo’s thinking. “This exploration exists. All Coalition worlds exist! You are in violation of Coalition non-settlement law by claiming this sector!” Captain was shouting again.
        Shiner’s readings were smaller and smaller as the distance between Shiner and Dockland read smaller and smaller.
        “Come on come on come on,” Leo muttered, hitting his fist to his forehead in an attempt to clear his thinking so he could figure this out. Why did Lissa want him to hear this right now?

Read More
0 Comments

Daion Echoes through Transglass: 6-5

8/27/2021

0 Comments

 
    Todays 1-week update: no writing time, much busy, and the garage sale last weekend was a blast. We still need to have another garage sale in our own garage because we brought home more things than we wanted to pack back, but we had fun. As a bonus, we made enough to cover school supplies and buy a storage shelf for the "food room" (where the freeze dryer lives).
    This weekend will actually have days off ​and down time. My husband and I are both scheduled for floats. It's been a long time since I was this excited to do nothing! He goes tomorrow night and I go Sunday afternoon. We didn't even have to arrange a sitter! And I have a chiropractor appointment tomorrow morning which will hopefully get rid of the pinched nerve migraine and tingly arm.
    Speaking of feeling ouchy and having a numb hand, feels like it's time to get off the computer. I hope you get to have a good weekend!
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
Click the above image to start reading from the beginning :)

6-5

Content Warning: This section includes description of a terror attack against a large population, depicting destruction of structures and persons.
        Everyone’s smarts chimed and the report from the latest scheduled sweep showed Shiner had made yet another change in course. This latest change added an additional forty-five minutes to their route. Leo checked the still holo he’d captured and saw that, now, Shiner would arrive only fifteen minutes in advance of what Leo was gaining confidence in being the second pre-InterStel ship.
        “Lastin?” Leo called, lifting the handheld off his lap and setting it aside. “I can’t find anything similar to what you’re thinking are errors. I guess keep making note of it and we’ll see what comes up,” he said. The tone of his voice almost convinced himself he didn’t have a still vid on his smart right now that showed NavCom routing of the ‘error’ following exactly along Dockland’s pre-programmed route here.

Read More
0 Comments

Daion Echoes through Transglass: 6-4

8/20/2021

0 Comments

 
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
Almost finished Chapter 6... need to catch up? Click the above image to read from the beginning :)
   It was a busy market last weekend, and a lot of fun. Many thanks to the people manning the next table over who introduced me to a delicious dairy-free cheese. Zero risk of personal tummy upset after tasty pizza? Yes, please!
    My sister in Calgary and I arranged a last-minute trip to meet half-way on Tuesday. I packed up the kids and we all had a great time checking out some small town attractions. So thankful for being fully vaccinated and masked. Now for the under-12 vaccine to be released so that knot of worry can untie from my stomach...
    We have a table at a big community garage sale this weekend, so zero writing time this week. Got my fingers crossed for a few hours next week, but will have to see how the days work out. I hope you get to have a great weekend!

6-4

        Relief flowed through the control room. Leo glanced over his shoulder when relieved comments came from what should have been the empty space and hall behind him. He hadn’t realized there were people gathering outside the control room in the hall now that Shiner’s arrival time was approaching. A grin pulled at his lips as he turned back after noting a few heads bowed low over smarts. People were looking up the records to make their own comparisons between Shiner and Dockland. The relief ran thicker as those doing the immediate comparisons shared the quick results of their searches with anyone close to them.
        Mollin stood and walked over to pick up the old handheld, then leaned over NavCom as if sharing looking up something to show Leo. “Why did you say you were still scared if you know Shiner isn’t a threat? Or are you just pretending so all of us who didn’t know would feel better?” Mollin asked in a whisper only Leo could hear.

Read More
0 Comments

Daion Echoes through Transglass: 6-3

8/13/2021

0 Comments

 
    The 2-day Trade Market starts tonight for our freeze dried foods business! I'm really nervous and really excited. Mostly I'm just hoping it goes well and we sell a bunch of treats which make people smile. It's been a grind the past few weeks, getting enough stock made up to fill a table and display, but we did it.
    Now to get the last minute stuff sorted out  to be moderately ready with our set-up: spare masks, table sanitizers and covers, shelving and displays, etc., etc., etc.... 
    On the writing side of life, I got keyboard time! My husband and I both hit our respective limits on Tuesday, so he watched a movie and went to bed early and I hoarded all the hours between supper and bedtime for getting stories out of my head. This short story series is full of surprises and I'm loving it! 
    Off and running to get the last things done and packed up. I hope you get to have a great weekend!

Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
Click the image to read from the beginning :)

6-3

        Leo picked up his fork and started eating because – face it squarely – Lissa was right. The group Trevor had volunteered onto was under orders to focus on sealing hulls and ensuring operation of the over distance engines. Component transporters were pressuring completed sections of fleet ships with safe atmosphere from their own systems, and Dockland’s remaining seven lifeboats had all undergone tethering connections being added to their life supports. ​

Read More
0 Comments

Daion Echoes Through Transglass: 6-2

8/6/2021

0 Comments

 
    I got my second COVID shot on Wednesday! Yay! Only two weeks to maximum inoculation! I also got the reassurance that my immune system, although having had a bit of a break the past year and a half, is still reared up and ready for action. Thursday's immuno-response was impressive in how dedicated my body was to the cause. I felt like I had mono again. Thankfully I could sleep through most of the day because my kids are old enough they don't need mom. A lot of extra cookies were eaten, but the oldest made sure the youngest also got some fruits and veggies and toast for lunch. Today I'm feeling a lot better, but the sleepy brain fog is lingering so... we'll see how it goes.
    This week has been a little on the "too busy" side, but my husband and I are in the final push to be ready to pedal our freeze dried wares at a trade market next weekend. "Too busy" is to be expected when preparing stock. Any time asked, in my opinion anyway, freeze dried foods prep will beat out fresh foods prep for markets; freeze dried can be prepped weeks in advance :)
    
Aside from food things, over in vinyl and heat transfer decal things (and on a really fun note), a local artist has been working with us to put his graphics onto shirts. It's been amazing to see the creativity, and absolutely awesome to watch our products turn into his first sales. He's been drawing for years, but hadn't ventured into selling his works until a few weeks ago. Now he's got us excited for him and what the coming years will bring. I feel like this will become a story of "oh yeah, he had us put some of his first graphics on shirts a few years ago..." as we look at his latest artwork adorning expensive walls or gracing high profile clothing. ​
Daion Echoes through Transglass by Amanda Flieder
Click the image to read from the beginning :)
    (That could be my writer-brain creating fan-fic, and I'm so here for it. His art is really good. I want to see him go places with it.)
    As for my own creativity... it's still buried under 16-hour days alternating between being mom, a food person, and a shirt person. Ideas and plot-hole fixes abound, bouncing around in my brain, but I don't have time at the moment to do anything with them. It's frustrating, but reality dictates a focus on paying bills. Unfortunately that isn't something writing has gotten to a point of doing for me yet. It's still my favorite creative endeavor, however, so hopefully after the trade market I'll have a few hours a week to get back to my keyboard and let these stories out. I hope you get to have a great weekend!

6-2

        Teal moved seats to the empty one in front of P.O.R.A. Her motions on the controls were accompanied with the ticks, beeps and tones everyone working in the below decks control room had gotten used to hearing.
        Leo leaned his elbows onto the edge of the P.D.E.W. console and opened a news page. Head articles were all about Coalition Games now, and he had to scroll down to find anything about the full probe into Senior Coalition. ​

Read More
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    AManda FLIEDER

    A weekly blog updating on Fridays with quick personal blurbs about me, as in what's going on during my life as an Author and mom, and that doles out my short stories and novellas in bite-sized parts for everyone to read for free!

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    July 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
  • Bookstore
  • Contact
  • Short Stories
  • Story Shares
  • Blog