Barbara Custer October 10, 2020 8 Comments

The Great Pumpkin—Exploring the Senses

Amidst my counting masks, paper products, and other supplies to wither the Great Pandemic, my butterfly Mylar balloon whispered, “How about baking a cheesecake? A pumpkin cheesecake. After all, it’s that time of the year.” “What time of the year?” I rolled my eyes. “The Great Pumpkin’s coming.” My balloon had it right. So I […]

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Barbara Custer July 22, 2020 2 Comments

Amazon KDP Versus Lulu

Thing is, once I’m done laying out the magazine, the time comes to order proof and contributor copies. This time out, I’m packing at home and then mail all the issues because several times, Amazon has marked certain items “undeliverable” and then refunded me the money. This necessitated going through the ordering process again. I […]

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Barbara Custer May 6, 2020 2 Comments
author of Night to Dawn magazine

A Lift to the Apocalypse

Many folks stare and gasp when I inform them that a Mylar balloon has found its way into my shopping basket. “The balloon’s contaminated,” they warn me. True, I don’t know where that balloon or any other product I buy has been. This is why I wear a mask and gloves to the supermarket. At […]

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Barbara Custer April 16, 2020 4 Comments

When to Say When

These days, Facebook is rife with political discussions and the sharing of experiences at the grocery store. Along with my Mylar balloon adventures, I’ve ranted about a particular leader and gave the Acme a shoutout because they had most of the items I needed. My heart goes out to people facing eviction and job losses […]

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Barbara Custer November 10, 2019 6 Comments

Ode to Tom Johnson

I met up with Tom and Ginger in the early 2000s via letters, telephone calls, and email. At the time, I was adding to my Mylar balloon collection and short story writing. Tom and Ginger published Weird Tales, Detective Mystery Stories, Alien Worlds, and other magazines through their enterprise Fading Shadows. They published many of […]

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Barbara Custer October 30, 2019 2 Comments

Have Mummy Will Travel

Have Mummy Will Travel While my Mylar balloons guarded my house, I spent the weekend at Mohegan Sun Casino in CT. When I left, I anticipated shopping and light gambling with the slot machines. Ah, but my mummy buddy had a different type of gambling in mind. Dat’s wight, wabbits, I’m talking about the mummy […]

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