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Hi all!
I just love that new feature on SOL where all reader comments of all stories are listed all together. I makes sure I don’t miss a comment of any of the 15 stories listed.
Boy—did I really write fourteen and a half stories? One million, five hundred forty-six thousand, three hundred and sixty words. The number hangs in my mind like a distant echo, too large to grasp all at once. Each sentence, each paragraph, each sleepless night stitched together into something vast and quietly overwhelming. I can almost feel the weight of it in my bones—the long hours, the flicker of a screen in a dark room, the way the world shrank to ink and imagination.
I need a rest.
Not the kind of rest where you simply close your eyes and wake up to the same walls, the same routine—but a true escape. Somewhere far removed from deadlines and blinking cursors. Somewhere the air itself feels different.
A tropical island, lost in the endless blue of the Pacific Ocean. The kind of place where time dissolves into the rhythm of waves. I picture it vividly: sand so white it glows under the sun, soft as powdered sugar beneath bare feet. The ocean stretches out in impossible shades of turquoise and deep sapphire, its surface calm and glassy, disturbed only by the occasional ripple of a gentle breeze.
The horizon blurs into the sky, a seamless gradient of blue that feels almost unreal. Palm trees sway lazily, their shadows dancing across the shore like whispers. The scent of salt and warm coconut drifts through the air, mingling with the distant hush of the tide rolling in and out.
I’m lying back in a weathered wooden chair, the kind that creaks softly as you settle into it. In my hand, a cool glass beaded with condensation—something bright and orange, glowing like a captured sunset. A tiny paper umbrella leans at an angle, playful and unnecessary, while a slice of pineapple clings to the rim, golden and sweet.
The first sip is slow. Cold. Refreshing in a way that feels almost like relief itself.
No word counts. No unfinished chapters. No pressure to create.
Just the sound of the ocean, the warmth of the sun, and the quiet, well-earned stillness after a long journey of words...
Poof, the dream ends. Someone voted a 5. A freaking FIVE!
Here is chapter 7 of “Let the river run.”
Enjoy.
Goodbye 4 now!
Jody.
(2026-04-09, 07:30 SAST.)
Hi all!
And here we go again. A schedule is a schedule and publishing of a chapter must be done, even if it is Easter Monday. I sure hope that you are having a great long weekend.
I know that Easter is not celebrated in every country, but here in South Africa it is a big thing.
Enjoy the long weekend!
Here is chapter 6 of “Let the river run.”
Certified AI free. Gluten-free and contains no added preservatives! Not some processed, hall-hallucinated Logic-Goo from a server farm in Silicon Valley. My stories are the real deal just like a good farm-to-table meal, it is “grown” from words of manual labor, research, and lived experience.
Goodbye 4 now!
Jody.
(2026-04-06, 07:14 SAST.)
Hi all!
To those of you that do celebrate Easter, a peaceful and joyous time with family and friends. Help the young ones to find the eggs in the Easter-egg hunt... (and keep some for yourself. LOL!!)
Here is chapter 5 of “Let the river run.” Enjoy.
Until Monday. Goodbye 4 now!
Jody.
(2026-04-02, 07:01 SAST.)
Hi all!
Phew! I am uploading chapter 4 right now. Well, in fact it is already uploaded and just waiting on SOL to do their part.
And the plot thickens! The story is developing with a few sub-plots, and I am having fun writing it. I think I will take it slow on writing for a week or two and just get a few chapters ready for publishing.
I’ve got 9 chapters in hand, and I will start to upload them soon. Currently I am writing on chapter 14 and have got up to chapter 13 back from the editors. Let me work on getting them ready for publishing.
Here is chapter 4 of “Let the River Run”. No earth-shattering stuff happening. But it is essential to for plot and character development.
Anyway, it is midnight in Central USA (my one editor just went to hit the sack. That’s the marvel of WhatsApp. We know what each other is doing. LOL!!) and chapter 4 is in the system. I will post this blog just now.
All the best and God bless!
Bye 4 now!
(2026-03-30, 07:05 SAST.)
Hi all!
It was a real busy week, but all went down as was scheduled. Even 2 full chapters were presented to the editors. If all goes well I might be able to post 2 chapters a week again soon. No promises, but let’s see how it goes.
AND... there might be a surprise for some long-time readers, but that all depends on what the editors say and if they are happy with the concept of some old friends returning...
Here is chapter 3 of “Let the River Run”.
All the best and God bless!
Bye 4 now!
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