ABCtales

An entry for the Frankenplot Challenge, The Gentleman's Wardrobe has tight writing and mystery in the mundane. This 3rd part of an ongoing piece by Jane Hyphen is pick of the day. Please do share, if you like it too. Do check out the earlier pieces, too. www.abctales.com/story/jane-h...

My latest blog entry: 'A Journey through Halloween' My take on this time of year including the story of Stingy Jack www.abctales.com/blog/marandi...

'A glorious collection of intimate connections with nature. Beautifully phrased, takes you to pleasantly unexpected places. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It fizzles, crackles with abundant and vivid life. A Must Read.' Review by @thewombwellrainbow.bsky.social Available from:

A seasonal short for #fragmentsfriday As ever, a huge thanks to @matthewmcsmith.bsky.social & @blackboughpoetry.bsky.social for giving the platform and to @helenlaycock.bsky.social for overseeing. Looking forward to reading all the other contributions

You would think that, having a vast fortune at your disposal, might be the cause for some celebration but that doesn't seem to be the case for Gwladys and Aefelthrith. www.abctales.com/story/philwh... @abctales.bsky.social

Our Saturday pick is Yutka's joyous, uplifting paean to a ramshackle band and the miraculous creation of music: tinyurl.com/538tpvwy

Gripping and breathless SoulFire77’s ‘Nobody Floats It This Time of Year - Part One: 2018’ is the Pick of the Day This is part 3 but do go back to the start! www.abctales.com/story/soulfi... Please share if you can.

Another wonderful piece from TOMCRA's compelling work in progress: www.abctales.com/story/tomcra...

Part four of a work in progress, written by SoulFire77, it's a slow burner, unsettling and precise. That's why it's our Pick of the Day today & you can find it here www.abctales.com/story/soulfi... Share if you like it , but not before going back to the start- here www.abctales.com/story/soulfi...

An extraordinary story told in poetic form. Shatterstar’s ‘One Daughter. One Policy’ is a remarkable read and is the Sunday Pick of the Day. www.abctales.com/story/shatte... Please share if you can.

I've long believed crisps to be as romantic as sunsets. And roses. Particularly cheese and onion. This beautifully written poem confirms that belief. Enjoy! www.abctales.com/story/ruthio...

Queen Beatle's 'Everything shower' is - as always - off-kilter, intriguing poetry with layers that we may discern or not. It's our pick of the day today. Do please share fellow ABCTalers. www.abctales.com/story/queen-...

Fabulous dialogue makes this episode of Sean McNulty's great new story Pick of the Day! Please do share if you can www.abctales.com/story/sean-m...

A powerful response to our Frankenplot Challenge, celticman's dark tale of diabolical covenants is our Sunday pick. Enjoy! www.abctales.com/story/celtic...

Soulfire77’s Les Miserables Find a Way is our Pick of the Day. Quinn breaks his arm skateboarding and thinks his time with the gang is over. Excellently written childhood adventures… www.abctales.com/story/soulfi...

This powerful, terrible poem from bhi is Pick of the Day! Please do share if you can www.abctales.com/story/bhi/po...

Pick of the Day - a slice of life, very well told and with quite a kick at the end. www.abctales.com/story/ewan/j...

Our Sunday pick is this captivating, and somewhat disquieting, meditation on memory. Enjoy! www.abctales.com/story/lille-...

Look what turned up in the post this morning: In the Shadow of Gods, a poetry collection by Rachel Deering. Looking forward to reading it @racheldeering.bsky.social #poetrycommunity

Delighted to be picked. Work in progress. War of independence. Yeats and the occult etc.

My two chapbooks: YOU: From Pissed to Publication @beardedbadgerbooks.bsky.social Gregor @sunburntsaints.bsky.social www.beardedbadgerpublishing.com/online-store... sunburntsaints.co.uk

ABCTales has a new prizeless (and priceless) competition. This is my entry... many apologies to EAP www.abctales.com/story/ewan/f...

Hard to believe I wrote this over 4 years ago. Do not panic: the Russian is translated at the end. I've no doubt you'll guess who Volodya is by then. #Poetry www.abctales.com/story/ewan/v...

#Shortstory. I nicked the title from a Leo Kottke song. The story is no relation really but ... well, here it is anyway. www.abctales.com/story/ewan/j... If you want to hear the song it's here youtu.be/ZQ7XqgkJ-rM

This #Poem is 10 years old. We're about a world record hundred metre sprint time to midnight by the Doomsday Clock today. "Peace in our time" anyone, "peace dividend"? It's called 'These Are The End Times'. www.abctales.com/story/ewan/t... Image : Vasnetsov's The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,

#PoetryAlert Not recommended for those of a prosaic nature. Hope Street www.abctales.com/story/ewan/h...

My poem ‘Pacific Geoduck Responds to a Meme’ has received a Best of the Net nomination from @anotherchicagomag.bsky.social! ✨ You can read it here: anotherchicagomagazine.net/2025/07/15/a...

ICYMI! My poem ‘Nesting’ from the latest issue of the incomparable @magmapoetry.bsky.social 🪺

#throwback to my poem 'jetsam', published in The Oxford Review of Books 🌊

A tiny poem about a mighty tree, published in the lovely @apricotpress.bsky.social 🌳

Completely honoured to see myself mentioned on this illustrious list of authors. And out of place with such greatness.

Well my little darling Saltburn you didn’t make the Polari Prize longlist (congrats to all that did), or sell a great deal of copies, or get many reviews, but I love and am proud of your queer madness, your mermaids, your nuclear power station meltdowns. renardpress.com/books/saltbu...

Gregor. 😊👇

It’s Bookshop Day and World Mental Health Day. So go and buy a book. They are good for your mental health.

I’m on the radio on the Late Late Book Show. You can listen below. Talking books. open.spotify.com/episode/2ppV...

And there’s an interview to go with the radio show… substack.com/@jonathanwel...

Latest substack has hit the airwaves. In it I talk about being on the radio, Netflix’s Below and the new Bond book. Not highbrow, not lowbrow, just brow. substack.com/@drewgummers...

Delighted that my ghost story is Pick of the Day at the brilliant @abctales.bsky.social 💙 Thank you! 🙏

Story: Say No To Him www.abctales.com/story/sean-m... Dust, rhubarb, and rebellion

A poem from my new book Contemplation of Roses about #October Art by Vincent van Gogh. #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #poetsofbluesky #poetsonbluesky #blueskypoets #autumn

Story: Whitechapel Via Monto www.abctales.com/story/sean-m... Widows, fiddle players, and assassins

Yipee, I've just found out that Contemplation of Roses has been made Book of the Month for October at the Poetry Kit - wonderful news since apparently the competition was stiff (scroll down below): #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #poetsofbluesky #blueskypoets #poetsonbluesky www.poetrykit.org

Story: The Lonely Saints www.abctales.com/story/sean-m... Blotches, broad swords, and gingham.

My latest story - 'Frankenplot: Carny' Flash fiction < 400 words set in a circus tent www.abctales.com/story/marand...

Very happy that my flash fiction 'Carny' is Pick of the Day at @abctales.bsky.social 🩵 www.abctales.com/story/marand... Thank you! 🙏

Work-in-progress about Yeats and the occult. www.abctales.com/story/sean-m... Little poets, country cures, and mellow times.

Beguiling and beautifully written. sean mcnulty's 'Someone New' is a great way to start the weekend. www.abctales.com/story/sean-m... Please share if you can

Bonfire-night then and now. Powerful words of warning from Celticman: www.abctales.com/story/celtic...

This haunting and wonderfully written story by TOMCRA, set in an utterly believable and disturbing world, is Wednesday's Pick of the Day: www.abctales.com/story/tomcra...

This moving story from Marandina brilliantly captures a life in 400 words. It is Pick of the Day! Please do share, if you can www.abctales.com/story/marand...