Month: December 2025

Beauty Inside and Out #SixSentenceStoryThursdayLinkUp #Excerpts #WritingPrompts

It was nothing compared to what I had gone through the night before. After I was wheeled into the operating room, a gastroenterologist with a foreign accent introduced himself and said, “I can’t believe you’re fifty. I hope you’re as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside.”

I wasn’t wearing my wedding ring because I’d been told not to bring anything valuable to the surgery center. If I’d been using my head, I would have said, “Thank you. I’m sure my husband feels the same way.”

***

The above is an excerpt from My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds, now available ABSOLUTELY FREE as part of the Smashwords end-of-year sale. Please see below for details.

Thanks to GirlieOnTheEdge for inspiring the above with this week’s six-sentence story prompt in which the given word is “accent.” If you’d like to write something in exactly six sentences, using the word at least once, you can share it in the comments or click the link below to join the fun and read other six-sentence creations. Thank you for stopping by and merry Christmas to those who celebrate.

 

InLinkz – Linkups & Link Parties for Bloggers

 


Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

My Books Free from Smashwords This Month

 

I’m pleased to announce that Living Vicariously in Wyoming, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, The Red Dress, and My Ideal Partner are available as part of the Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale! This runs till the end of the month. Click here to visit my Smashwords author page and download these books ABSOLUTELY FREE! Happy reading!

 

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

 

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!

What Happened to the Barn in Bethlehem? a Poem by Abbie Johnson Taylor #WednesdayWords #Poetry #Reblogs

Here’s another of my poems that Patty published on her blog. This one answers an interesting question you might be asking this time of year. You’ll learn what inspired it. Thank you, Patty, for sharing the poem, and thank you all for reading.

***

In a cave below the Church of the Nativity’s main altar,

is the place where Jesus was born,

marked by a star with fourteen points, symbolizing fourteen generations

from Abraham to David to the Babylonian exile

to Christ, as mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew.

***

What Happened to the Barn in Bethlehem? a Poem by Abbie Johnson Taylor #ChristChild, #HollyJollyHolidays, #PoetryPlace – Patty’s Worlds

 


Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

My Books Free from Smashwords This Month

 

I’m pleased to announce that Living Vicariously in Wyoming, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, The Red Dress, and My Ideal Partner are available as part of the Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale! This runs till the end of the month. Click here to visit my Smashwords author page and download these books ABSOLUTELY FREE! Happy reading!

 

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

 

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!

The Mystery of the Missing Manger #WednesdayWonders #Reblogs #Inspiration

Have you ever had a Nativity scene in your home? Alice’s post reminded me of one in my maternal grandparents’ living-room when I was a child. Granddad built it, but I don’t remember what materials he used or where the figurines of Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child came from, but I do recall gazing at it when I was about nine years old. I loved the Baby Jesus, so tiny, as he lay in the manger, with Joseph and Mary looking on. On this Christmas Eve, I hope Alice’s post brings back such memories for you as well. Thanks for reading.

***

As my 75th celebration of Christmas draws near, my thoughts are filled with many memories of past Christmas seasons. Among these holiday memories are remembrances of manger sets or Nativity sets—those in churches, those in outdoor displays (such as part of the large holiday display of the Harris family, about four miles from our Blanford, Indiana, home), and those in homes. Both as a young child and as I grew older, I loved seeing these manger sets of varying sizes. The size and the craftsmanship did not really matter because each brought forth the true meaning of Christmas.

***

The Mystery of the Missing Manger | alice13wordwalk

 


Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

My Books Free from Smashwords This Month

 

I’m pleased to announce that Living Vicariously in Wyoming, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, The Red Dress, and My Ideal Partner are available as part of the Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale! This runs till the end of the month. Click here to visit my Smashwords author page and download these books ABSOLUTELY FREE! Happy reading!

 

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

 

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!

You Want What for Christmas? a Poem by Abbie Johnson Taylor #TuesdayTidbit #Poetry #Reblogs

Thanks to fellow author and blogger Patty Fletcher for publishing my poem on her blog today. She’s planning to post more of my work in coming days. So, please stay tuned.

Now, not only will you find my poem, but you’ll also learn what inspired it. Enjoy! As always, thank you for reading.

***

Did I hear you right, kid?

A hippopotamus?

Ho ho ho!

 

You Want What for Christmas? a Poem by Abbie Johnson Taylor #ChristmasWish, #HoHo, #PoetryPlace – Patty’s Worlds

 


Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

My Books Free from Smashwords This Month

 

I’m pleased to announce that Living Vicariously in Wyoming, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, The Red Dress, and My Ideal Partner are available as part of the Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale! This runs till the end of the month. Click here to visit my Smashwords author page and download these books ABSOLUTELY FREE! Happy reading!

 

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

 

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!

Her Decision #TuesdayTreasures #Fiction #Excerpts

After nine years of marriage, Tessa knew that the holidays were not a good time to ask her husband for a favor. But as she sat across from him in the living room on an evening in early December, she knew she had no choice. Their sons, Tyler, eight, and Josh, six, were asleep upstairs. Now was the time. She looked at Dan, stretched out in an armchair, his face buried in the newspaper.

***

The story excerpted above is from my collection, Living Vicariously in Wyoming – available ABSOLUTELY FREE from Smashwords as part of its end-of-year sale. (Please see below for details.) “Her Decision” started as a novel, but I got stuck and decided to make it a short story instead. Thank you for reading.

 


Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

 

My Books Free from Smashwords This Month

 

I’m pleased to announce that Living Vicariously in Wyoming, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, The Red Dress, and My Ideal Partner are available as part of the Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale! This runs till the end of the month. Click here to visit my Smashwords author page and download these books ABSOLUTELY FREE! Happy reading!

 

New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories

Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Published independently with the help of DLD Books.

 

The scene shows an isolated barn off to the right in a snowy field, probably shortly after sunset. The foreground is a mixture of white, blue, and brown shades. Behind the barn is a line of dense, dark trees, many of them evergreens. The sky is the pink one sometimes sees at sunset, and a full moon hangs above the treetops to the left. The title is in plain black letters against the sky with a white glow behind them. The author’s name is in white letters near the bottom of the cover.

Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.

 

As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.

In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.

The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.

 

Click here for more information and ordering links.

 

About My Monthly Newsletter

 

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to News from My Corner by sending a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io .  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go. Happy reading!