Another Perfect Cup art

by on September 7, 2025 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Raconteur Press has been putting art in their anthologies for some time now. The art was originally inspired by the general theme of the anthology and often placed between stories to emphasis the theme. With Coffee Adventures, the art placed in front of each story was themed to that individual story. I giggled like a school girl when I saw the art for my story, and one of the things I’ve always looked forward to since that day is finding out on publication day what art they would pair with my story to make it pop even more.

The art Cedar Sanderson created for Another Perfect Cup nailed exactly the right feel for me. It shows William Carter as he really is. An old man enjoying a cup with a beautiful faery. Yes, he still wears the face of a young man, but he is truly old, and Cedar captured the essence of both characters in this art. I smile every time it comes up in my screensaver filled with art designed for my Jack of Harts universe. And yes, William Carter is part of that universe. He simply sees everything from a pre-industrial perspective.

Cedar Sanderson created this piece, and Raconteur Press published it in the Coffee Adventures anthology with Another Perfect Cup and many other fine stories.

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Another Perfect Cup

by on September 6, 2025 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Another Perfect Cup was the second William Carter story published by Raconteur Press. It is the second of four parts that have been published or contracted for publishing, and tell the story of the first day William and Joanna met, and what they did over the next three days. They faced goblins, vampires, an Indian trickster spirit god, and the kind of demon giant foe it takes Indian spirit gods to kill. Plural.

William Carter is a Puritan son of Connecticut trained to hunt otherworldly creatures and threats to mankind.
Joanna is an otherworldly faery.

Together they explored the differences between otherworldly creatures and threats to mankind. William saved Joanna’s soul the first day they met. If you want to see what he does on a second date, go over to my jackofharts substack. It was an exciting enough tale for Raconteur Press to publish it, and now it is available here. And of course I am absolutely biased in loving it and hope you enjoy it.

Art is courtesy of Cedar Sanderson and the other fine folks at Raconteur Press.

Another Perfect Cup on jackofharts.substack.com

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Moggies of Mars

by on September 5, 2025 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Sword and planet action with a feline twist! The mighty warriors of a planet fur, fur, away wield edged weapons and radium guns in their unceasing battle for the diminishing resources of a vanishing civilization. The kittens cry out for water, and the princesses fight alongside their mates to provide for them. Moggies of Mars is a loving tribute to the Barsoom series of Edgar Rice Burroughs! Explore the moons, the planets, and the canals that never were! Amazing tails are waiting for you…

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Coffee Adventures

by on September 4, 2025 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Raconteur is publishing another anthology this weekend, and I will be doing the same on my substack. For now, I suggest you take another look at a previous anthology they published that had one of my stories in it. In Coffee Adventures, you never know where a good brew will take you, or what you will do for a good brew. In my story, Another Perfect Cup, Captain William Carter and his fine faery lady Joanna find themselves doing important and dangerous things with an amazing brew as the final reward. This story covers the second day they know each other. He saved her soul on the first day. What will he do on the second date?

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Miami Red

by on September 3, 2025 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

We are often limited by the technology of our time. But sometimes technology advances even as we are watching it.

Captain William Carter is a man who has seen technology advance from the horse and buggy to the locomotive and all the way to the automobile and beyond.

In Miami Red, I wanted to write the feeling of speed, of never slowing down, of having a literal deadline and buying time at every turn. The picture I chose for my substack image I thought managed to convey that feeling.

And now Grok Imagine is allowing people to put pictures to video, and it is very good at what it does. I’ve been testing it, and this was one of my earlier tests. Speed sounds like revving engines and squealing tires and it fits the feel I was going for.

Click here to see the video

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