Recently, I was having an off day, feeling sad and anxious. My spouse and I headed out to hike in one of our favorite local parks. We both find that getting out in nature often lifts the spirits. We followed one of our usual trails winding among the valley oaks along a dry creek bed. …
Author: J.L. Henker
J.L. is a writer, blogger and host to the YouTube Channel: Women Fantasy Authors. She is currently doing final edits on a high fantasy novel, querying fantasy/sci-fi short stories and facilitating a support group for women fantasy writers. Her career has included book seller, used/rare book buyer and bookstore manager. She lives in northern California with her partner Diane and a very spoiled cat name Leo. Find out more at www.jlhenker.com.
Jack London: Writer, Revolutionary & Dystopian Author
I recently visited Jack London Beauty Ranch State Park and spent time in the House of Happy Walls (built by his wife Charmian after his death), which houses the Jack London Museum and is full of books and artifacts of their life together. A short hike brought me to the haunting ruins of Wolf House which was …
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Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia Have Nothing on Us: Welcome to the New Rebel Alliance
For now, Darth Maul has won. I wish it were simply a movie script for another Star Wars film, but it's real and it's happening here in the US and around the world. We can't wish it away. The evil overlords are here and fighting to destroy all that is good and just. Now we …
POW! SMACK! WHACK! – FOR THE LOVE OF COMICS
I participated in a thread on BlueSky where you listed one book a day for twenty days (no explanation) that had influenced you. Some books came to mind immediately, others took more thoughts. You can see the full list here. Then I began to think of what in my early years ignited my love of …
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Books Everywhere (Book Nerd Nirvana) *** Welcome to My Happy Place
I volunteer once a week with my local Friends of the Library organization. I sort donations, look for rare and/or collectible items and research their value (which I then list on eBay). We sell most of the donations in our used bookstore which is located right inside the library and also at twice-a-year book sales. …
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Threads: The Art of Sewing & Social Media
I switched from the bird app when the Nazis arrived and found a home on Threads. It struck me how appropriate that name is. There is a fantastic and diverse community of #womensupportingwomen, especially in the writing community #bookthreads. Threads were not always just a cute social media name but an integral part of women’s …
Lessons from Geekdom: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Cons – Find Your Community & Your Voice (Diversity Welcome)
Now that Covid has calmed a bit, the in-person cons are back. Prior to Covid, I attended FogCon several times (a smallish con in the East Bay that is currently on hiatus) and the Mother-of-Them-All WorldCon 2018 in San Jose. I know I'm with my peeps the minute I walk into the venue simply by …
What If I Told You You’re Never Too Old to Follow Your Ultimate Dreams?
The other morning I was getting ready to go out and spotted a slip of paper from a fortune cookie sitting on the corner of my desk. I remember collecting it months ago and had forgotten about it. Somehow, on this particular morning, it magically showed up. As a person of an age where every …
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A Writer’s Mind: Restoring Sanity among Magnificent Mushrooms, Luminous Fall Colors & the Wisdom of Mother Nature
A few days ago, I took my first fall hike into the woods to enjoy a spectacular November day in Northern California and look for signs of mushrooms. It's a little early for mushroom season, but we had a decent rain about a week ago, so I was hopeful. We found a smattering of early …
Capricious Cats, Thunderstorms of Thor and Other Unsolvable Mysteries
Maybe we shouldn't have named our cat Leo. He certainly thinks he's king of all things...like my laundry. He's right in the middle of it when I throw it on the bed. I literally have to shut him out so I can put on clean sheets and fold my t-shirts. His other talents include fetch, …
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Bookocalypse…Madness & Mayhem of the Most Spectacular Kind
I have books stacked everywhere…on my work table, in boxes under the table, in storage cases under my bed as well as several book cases. Yes, I read a lot, but that’s not what this is all about. I have OTHER PEOPLE’S books crowding my space. That’s correct, most of them aren't mine. No, I’m …
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A Singed Heart: Remembering Paradise Lost
I grew up in a small town. That's not unique...a lot of us did. But not all small towns are nestled on a stunning ridge overlooking the central valley of California on a road that (at the time) ended high up the mountain. I could see all the way across the valley to the coastal …
Too Old to Start Writing? Balderdash! Age is Your Badass Superpower
I didn't really start writing until I semi-retired, which gave me more time to pursue my dream of producing a novel. Since I started this process over five years ago, I've had many doubts about my sanity and the wisdom of starting a writing career later in life. A FogCon Panel on It's Never Too …
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Chipped, Foxed & Shaken: How to Evaluate Rare & Collectible Books (Beginners Guide)
Do you have stacks of old books, some by famous authors, or simply piles of your favorites? Have you ever wondered if some of them might be valuable? There are some basic things to look at to determine whether to keep or take to your closest thrift store. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com Probably …
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J.L. Henker, Author 