IS TRUTH REALLY STRANGER THAN FICTION? by Penny Hutson

 

On a recent sojourn to one of my favorite places, Barnes and Noble, I found the most unusual book. While searching for anything I could find on Joan of Arc, the history of France and the Hundred Years War, I stumbled upon Bad Days in History: A Gleefully Grim Chronicle of Misfortune, Mayhem, and Misery for Every Day of the Year by Michael Farquhar. The cover depicted a cartoon drawing of a wooden Trojan Horse and an ancient Greek soldier tentatively holding an apple up to its mouth. It made me smile, so I added it to my other finds and headed to the on-site Starbucks. With a cappuccino in one hand and a stack of paperbacks and hardcovers cradled in my other arm, I commandeered a table to peruse my treasures.

In the Bad Days in History, the author chronicles the epic misfortunes and terrible bad luck of some of the most absurd and often little-known occurrences of our time with a touch of light-hearted humor. Plucked from the ancient days of yore to the 2000s, this tome consists of 365 uproarious blunders and catastrophes from around the world.

‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE MURDER by Penny Hutson

 ‘Twas the night before murder when all through the book,

Not a character was plotting, not even the crook.

Reading page after page and absorbed with delight,

Every chapter expecting a murderous sight.

There I sat nestled all snug in my chair,

Reading my mystery book without care

My husband lay snoring aloud on the couch,

As I continued to read in a deepening slouch.

 

THE REAL VALUE OF A WRITING CONFERENCE by Guest Blogger Penny Hutson

Whether you’ve attended many conferences in the past or none, if you’re on the fence about going to one this year, let me reveal a little secret to you. Although individual writers may have specific reasons for participating, such as searching for an agent or publisher, networking with other writers, learning more about craft or marketing, having their work critiqued or even entering a writing contest; the truth is that the real value of any kind of conference is its power to motivate and inspire us.