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Hi all!
Good afternoon! It is Sunday 20 September 2026, 15:13 SAST (14:13 ZULU) as I write this. Due to that I would not be available tomorrow to upload chapter 11, I am doing it now. I hope you don’t mind me being a little out of schedule, but I believe a little early would be no problem for you.
The rest of the week is going to hectic, but I will be on par again by Saturday next week and the normal schedule will continue.
Thank you for understanding.
Here is Chapter 11 of “Playing Solitaire.” Enjoy!
All the best and God bless!
Bye 4 now!
Jody.
Hi all!
And so the week went to pieces before I could say “SouthernHemisphereUnionOfPotatoGrowersAssociation”!!! Just like that. One moment all was fine and I was getting chapter 10 ready for publishing on Thursday past. But it was not to be.
And it all started with an invitation to an Official Farewell Function for the retirement of an Officer. My redhead just put her foot down with the words: “You have to go! No excuses!”
Oh goody! I get to wear my ceremonial togs again. Medals and all! LOL! Lucky the ceremonial sword is not part of the step-outs anymore. I just don’t know how I would have got that past airport security.
And so started the rat race of getting airline tickets, booking a rental car, find and secure accommodation in... (I’m not allowed to say as it is a surprise for the retiring Officer. He reads Jody Daniel stories too. (LOL!!!) Securing kenneling for the two cats. Secure an UBER to the airport and back. Just for two days! Phew! I wish I still had my Cessna 210. Then I could have flown the way in 5 or 6 hours, including a fuel stop halfway to the destination. And it would be cheaper than South African Airways anyway.
So, the bad news is that I will miss another Thursday posting, but the good news is that the Monday postings will go ahead as per schedule. I hope you guys and girls will forgive me for that.
Here is Chapter 10 of “Playing Solitaire.” Enjoy!
All the best and God bless!
Bye 4 now!
Jody.
(2026-09-14, 06:42 SAST) (04:42 ZULU)
Hi all!
And so the week starts off again. Monday, Monday – So good to me. I just love Mondays. No rush hour traffic! No boss to reschedule my to-do list.
Well, not entirely true. I need to get the next chapter uploaded to SOL before 07:00 AM SAST. Why? Because it is nearly midnight in Canada, and if I upload before the Canadian Midnight, the chapter gets published around 10 or 11 am SAST, so I can check to see if all is as it is supposed to be before the USA wakes up.
THEN it is time to stop and smell the roses. Sit out on the patio in the slanting winter sun and have my 3rd mug of coffee.
Isn’t life just great in retirement?
Here is Chapter 009 of “Playing Solitaire.” Enjoy!
All the best and God bless!
Bye 4 now!
Jody.
(2026-09-07, 06:58 SAST) (04:58 ZULU)
Hi all!
What a ride since Monday! Let me explain.
For those of you that do read the comments at the end of the chapters, will recall a comment by 10R2007 to what I responded with draft lyrics for a song called “Play Misty for Me.” (I found out there was never a song by that title, only Clint Eastwood’s movie that featured the song “Misty.”)
Well, big was my surprise when my long-time reader in the south states of the USA, (Not 10R2007 that sparked that silly moment of inspiration.), responded with a full studio recording of “Play Misty for Me”. AND a request for permission, from me, to include it on his next album! I returned; “YESYESYES !!!!” (One word.)
Thank you, 10R2007, for that comment, and thank you to my friend, wherever in the USA you are, for taking the time to set that lyrics to music with the full instrument backing and producing one outstanding brilliant track! I just love the country / blues / Rock vibe!
Here is Chapter 008 of “Playing Solitaire.” Enjoy!
All the best and God bless!
Bye 4 now!
Jody.
(2026-09-03, 06:48 SAST) (04:48 ZULU)
Hi all!
I had an interesting email with a question. It basically said that big parts of the stories go about people just sitting around and talking. Well, there is a logical explanation for this style of writing I employ.
I read some books in my time and also a lot of stories on SOL. Something that I found was that a lot of authors seem to think that the reader will “fill in the blanks.” I prefer to let the story tell itself in a logical chronological order. I keep certain facts hidden until it is time to reveal it. Thereby I create an: “Ah ha! I saw that coming,” moment for the reader. It is satisfying for the reader to be shown that he was right in his assessment all along, but it also offers me the opportunity to “twist the script” a bit and give the reader the insight into what he though was right and what karma dictated must be taken into account.
In most stories I found that the MC is the ultimate superhero that always do the right things. That is unrealistic. The MC can be wrong. The MC can be hurt. The bad guys must also be realistic. They must think to themselves and act on it.
That is what makes a story believable. Although it is fiction, it must be believable. It must be like it can really happen. I write my stories not only out of the viewpoint of the MC, but I step into the shoes of the bad guy and write about what I should have done if I was in the bad guy’s shoes.
The MC is not always right, but the MC is the MC and will get it right in the end. And sometimes the MC gets the girl in the end. Not always... Just take “Desert Rose.” The MC did not outright get the girl in the end, but he was close.
Here is Chapter 007 of “Playing Solitaire.” Enjoy!
All the best and God bless!
Bye 4 now!
Jody.
(2026-08-31, 06:57 SAST) (04:57 ZULU)
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