aaronjedwards.com

Reading and Writing Wrap Up 2025

Aaron — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:28:00 +0000

What have I been reading this year? And what have I been writing? If you want to know about the 31 books I've read, as well as the four novellas I'm writing, I'd love to tell you about it!

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Werewolves On Planet Koira 4

Aaron — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:14:00 +0000

What happens when a pack of werewolves find themselves on a planet with 8 moons, and a full moon every night? This year's October Scary Story blends science fiction with horror.

And why is there a cat on this space ship?

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What Am I Reading, What Am I Writing: November/December 2024

Aaron — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 18:30:00 +0000

The last time I wrote a blog entry, I talked extensively about getting back into writing fiction. I am proud to say that I’ve put myself in high gear on this front, and have no plans of slowing down anytime soon. The last three months, I have written, well, a lot. Update on the story I was working on back in September I was working on a piece called Abnormal back in September. I spent two months getting through two drafts of this project. I’ve made many changes, added chapters, and decided Abnormal works best as a novella as opposed to a short story. I’ve let Abnormal breathe during the month of November, and I’m about to dive back into editing. I hope to prepare Abnormal for beta readers (and if needed, a sensitivity read) by January. By the way, if you’re interested in beta or sensitivity reading, drop me a message. Miscellaneous writings in October I published a playlist to AudioPerfecta in October called Fall Moods: New Wave, Dance, Electronica, and More. I’ve been obsessed with this type of music for the past three months. I guess this isn’t a writing, but it is something published. Another project I completed in October, is a story titled: The Lion of Luisa. It’s a tragic high fantasy short story that differs quite a bit from my normal writing style. Side note, there is a companion sci-fi short story that I plan on editing sometime in the next year. Both stories came from an early version of Abnormal. They were my protagonist’s dreams, but I decided they just didn’t fit with the greater story. I decided that The Lion of Luisa and the companion story should be stand alone short stories instead. November Novella In November, I participated in a writer’s cohort through Willamette Writers. I set a goal to write a novella of 25,000 words. I finished said novella early and I ended up with a piece that is 30,000 words. This is the longest piece of writing I’ve ever written, and I’m damned proud of myself. The project is still just a rough draft, don’t get me wrong. It’s a total crap fest with plot holes, inconsistencies, and so many other problems, but first drafts are always crap. And it’s my crap. But you want to know more about the story, don’t you? The working title is “Anchor to the Real World” and it’s about a group of people who have special skills. One person can go without eating, one person can summon a hand held dragon, the protagonist can teleport herself and manifest bad coffee. Anchor to the Real World has several layers and a few subplots, so it’s not just about the “special skills” mind you. That’s just the setting. There’s a lot of interpersonal drama, a few twists you won’t see coming, and even a bit of personal growth. Also an anti-corporate sub message. I’m hoping Anchor To the Real World turns out to be a fun ride for my readers. When will it come out? Well, sorry, it might be awhile. Again, it’s in breathe mode and only a rough draft. I might try to work on it in January. Stay tuned! By the way, an extra big thanks to my partner, everyone in my various writers groups, as well as those in different social media platforms that have been encouraging me on this and other projects. Community makes all the difference in my creative endeavors. What will I be working on in December? Like I said earlier, my main project for December will be editing Abnormal. I’m looking forward to spending some time with Tessa (my protagonist). I only hope I don’t read it now and say “This is total crap!!!” But if I do, well, I can fix it I guess. I have a couple smaller projects at audioperfecta.com. The first is a playlist in honor of my 50th birthday! Yeah, I’m turning the big one – I’m scared. How did I get so old? But I digress. Anyways, I’m not sure what I’m putting on said playlist yet, I’ll be figuring that out over the next week or so. I’m thinking about “50 songs that make me happy,” or something like that. The other entry at AudioPerfecta will be my annual Holiday Hall of Shame! Yes, I’m bringing this series back like I’ve done for the past six years. I don’t know what songs I’ll be adding to this article, but I’m looking for ideas. If you know some truly heinous Christmas or holiday songs I’ve not included in previous years, let me know in the comments below! And what am I reading? In my last blog post, I mentioned I was reading This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amel El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. I’ve finished it, and I LOVED it. Like I seriously loved it. A twisted romance that spreads itself through time and space. The next thing I read was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. I’ll admit, I didn’t like this book at first. It was slow and hard to read – but this style sets up the protagonist and their voice. Once I got about halfway through, I really enjoyed the book. So be patient with this one, as it’s rewarding in the end. The next book I read was Bunny by Mona Awad. What. A. Trippy. Wonderful. Creepy. Odd. Beautiful. Freak of a book. To top it off, this was such a great read during the spooky season. It also makes me want to get an MFA in creative writing. Make of that what you will I guess. Finally, I read the book Normal People by Sally Rooney. This is a wonderful piece of art that frames the relationship between the two protagonists as they go through young adulthood. If I have to pick a favorite book out of the group, this is the one. In fact, this is probably my favorite read in several years. As far as what I’m currently reading, I’m nearing the end of Sunderworld V-01: The extraordinary disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs. It’s a fairly trippy book involving a secret and magical section of Los Angeles. I actually bought it after hearing Riggs himself read from the book. I then met the Riggs and got my copy signed, and I made myself a fool in front of him. I wanted to go back and say “I’m sorry I’m such a dork, I’m autistic!” But I digress. I’m also reading, a series of weird AF short stories from a book called Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E Kirby. These stories make Bunny look like a kids book! But It’s a fun read for certain. By the way, if you have a suggestion for something new to read, I’m always looking for my next read. I just ordered Geek Love by Katherine Dunn so I’ll be diving into that soon, but in a couple weeks when I finish, I’ll want something new. Come find me! That’s all for now. But if you want to keep in touch, come follow me at: Threads: Where I talk about my writing, neurodiversity, and any other topic that comes to mind. Bluesky: Where I attempt to mimic what I do in Threads. Facebook: Where I participate in a bunch of groups and share weird memes. Good Reads: Where I share what I’ve read, what I’m reading, and what I want to read. Tik Tok: Where I’m just silly. Thanks, everyone! Until next time. And be sure to check out AudioPerfecta.com later this month for the playlist and the Holiday, Hall of Shame!

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The Lion of Luisa

Aaron — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 17:06:00 +0000

This year’s October scary story is a little different. The Lion of Luisa was never supposed to be a stand-alone, but rather a dream in another story I am writing (more information here). This dream just didn’t fit the greater story, so I decided to replace it with another dream. I still wanted to do something with the Lion of Luisa though. I worked hard on it, and it deserves to be read. So, here we are. I will say this story isn’t scary in the traditional sense, but it does have a bone-chilling conclusion. I don’t want to spoil the rest of it, so let’s get right into things! The Lion of Luisa …I foresee a day when this statue will rise from its cement platform! When this giant lion will trample our enemies. When the mauve of his face, cobalt blue of his mane, and metallic gold body shall flex its gigantic muscles to lose its claws and devour our hated ones! These words, carved onto the base of the great lion, were just as mysterious as the lion itself, as no one knew who wrote the words. There were great debates, sure. Some say the great and ancient Queen, Lesthia. Some say an unknown scribe or the concubine of Kontani the Terrible. Skeptics even believed the words were written by a priest, not to prophesy a great and glorious victory over the Choliria, but as a ploy to rally support for a dying religion. Despite the debate on who wrote the prophecy, most believed it would, someday, come to fulfillment. The statue itself rose twenty feet from platform to head, and thirty-five feet from front paw to back end, with its tail neatly tucked to its left side. Its eyes were made of gigantic rubies and stood out of proportion to the rest of its body. A widely held belief is the statue could read one’s thoughts if one looked straight into the gigantic ruby eyes. The statue’s angry, open jaw gave the illusion of saliva dripping from its teeth, as though it could not wait to devour the evil before it. The statue’s platform felt out of place. While the lion had color – mauve, blues, and golds, the platform was just a slab of gray cement, three feet tall, and barely large enough to hold the lion. While the statue and the platform seemed like disconnected pieces, no one could separate the two. Of course, many had tried – be it with crowbars or strongmen, and even lasers – yet there seemed to be no way the statue could be separated from the platform. The lion almost seemed to be a prisoner of the platform. Perhaps the inability to separate the lion from the platform was the very thing that kept the people of Lusia believing in the prophecy. Still, some skeptics stated that the priests had developed a special glue to hold the statue in place, for until very recently, all scientific discoveries were known only by the priestly order. It’s probable and well believed that the priests held back at least some of their discoveries from the general public. Goodness knows that anyone else in their place would do the same thing. The lion was never known as a god, but rather as an agent of God. The lion would devour the people of Choliria like a servant bidding on his master, the protector of Lusia. While the people of Lusia did not regard the lion as a god, they knew it to be the only thing of this world directly touched by God, so the statue was revered as sacred. For decades, and maybe even centuries, the farmers would bring their first fruits of the season for the statue to eat. The fruit sat in the sun, rotting as the lion did not eat. The people of Lusia often wondered if the statue deemed the fruit unworthy. For countless seasons, the farmers strived to improve their crops, so as to feed the lion, but yet the lion would not eat. And then, one day a high priest Zebo theorized that the fruit was ok, but the statue could not reach the fruit. After all, the statue could not move. The people of Lusia began putting the fruit directly into the statue’s jaws. However, the statue still would not eat of the fruit. After two seasons, it was deemed a fast throughout the land was in order. On the forty-sixth day of fasting, the high priest Zebo announced a “vision” from God! No one had claimed to hear from God since the prophecy. The vision was of the lion speaking to the eldest and most revered priest, Malevo: Feed me not this fruit. It is lovely, it is tempting, it is indeed good. But the fruit is also wrong for me, the emissary of the judgment of god, to feast on anything but the flesh of the enemies of Lusia! Instead, feast on the first fruits yourselves in honor of the eminent victory over the enemies of Lusia! Feast in honor of their burned cities, of their flocks destroyed, of their gold, which you will use to build an eternal temple to the God who has sent me here. Everyone, even the skeptics, rejoiced upon this new prophesy. Many of the elderly and weak had died because of the great fast. Many poor families could not afford the first fruits, yet they gave them anyways. But now the sacrifices were over, and instead, replaced with a great feast – benefiting solely the population of Lusia. Much time had passed since the second prophecy. The Cholirians had requested a truce because of a great war between the Plasins of the Eastern seas. Because of the war, and the peace with the Cholirians, many of the Lusias believed the lion of the prophesy not to be the statue itself, but rather a symbol of the present time. Choliria was nearing defeat, and the lion had not sprung from his cement platform. Perhaps the cement platform represented the sea, for it was not till recently that the Plasins were able to build ships strong enough to free them from their islands in the East. But the faithful believed this was all in line with the great prophesy, and one of two things could happen. The lion might rise from his platform just in time to smash Choliria in the name of the God of the Lusias – snatching victory from the Plasins. The second option, the Plasins would be defeated, and the Statue would rise at a later date. Six months more passed, and the Plasins had destroyed Choliria. The cities were burned, and the people were either dead or enslaved in crowded camps on the coast. Most of the country was uninhabited. It was decided by the priests of Lusia that a party should be sent to scout out the land. The road into Lusia led past the statue. As the small party trekked past the lion, they stopped to say a prayer… “Oh great beast of Gold, oh, symbol and champion of the God of Lusia. See here, before you! The cities of our enemies have been burned, the people, gone – enslaved or dead! Oh, be merciful to us. If ye shall rise now, know that we, of Lusia, are amongst the ruins of the Cholirians. We enter to find what spoils we may, so we might build a great and wonderful temple to our God, to your master.” An hour later, the party had crossed the border. It had been centuries since any Lusia had walked in the lands of the Cholirians, and they knew not what to expect. As they approached the northernmost settlement of Claeb (also known as Itgobde), they found a cement platform, almost identical to that which the statue stood upon. Near the statue base was a golden body, much like that of the lion, and a shattered head made of the colors mauve and blue. An exact duplicate of the statue. Destroyed. “Surely, this must be some kind of joke!” “No, it must be of the Cholirian god. He has been defeated, so his champion has died. Their wicked ways consumed by our god, by the God of the Lusias!” We are not amongst those who should discuss this matter. Let us do what we were sent to do, and report of this to the priests upon our return.” “Aye! It is the best plan. The priests are wise, and we are fools.” The men, seven in all, agreed and moved on. Most of what they found in Claeb was broken. The city stood in ruins and the Plasins had taken all they could carry back with them to their sea dragons. Still, the party found more than enough gold, jewelry, and fine pottery to carry back with them. They decided to grab what they could and depart for home. Two days later, the party crossed the border into Lusia, and saw the cement platform of the statue, but not the lion. Glory! The statue has risen! The prophecy has been fulfilled! Let us go inform our fellow citizens of Luisa so we might feast! But, cautiously, one of the men approached the platform to find an inscription where the lion once sat. The letters read: Beware of words spoken of this, the lion, the statue. They shall lead you to death and destruction. Verily, I say, there is another lion, and the two lions are linked; they are but mates. If one has been destroyed the other shall roam the ends of the world for all of eternity, for the two lions are linked. And the two lands on which the lions sit are linked. If one is destroyed, the other shall fall. The End I hope you enjoyed this story. Usually, I would link to some of my other stories, however, I am in the process of rewriting a few of them. For instance, I totally rewrote the story of the Purple T Rex. It’s so much better than the version that appears on this site. I’m not sure where I might publish it yet, but it’s coming. Happy October everyone, and may it be spooky and scary, but not too scary.

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What am I writing, and what am I reading?

Aaron — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:17:00 +0000

While I use this website traditionally for personal essays, informative articles, and the occasional October Scary Story, this post will be more of a blog style. I am embarking on some new writing projects, and I am really really really excited about it Yes, really! What, pray tell is that project, well I am so glad you asked! What am I writing? The short version: I picked up a story I started about sixteen years ago and decided I needed to finish this damned thing. The story follows a woman living in a world that values hyper normalcy above all other values, and her struggle living in said world. When I started writing the story, I had no idea that I was talking about neurodivergence. I knew nothing about the subject and I had no idea that I had autism. Now I understand, and now I know what I was trying to convey through that story. But I digress. Do you want a sneak preview? I know you do. Just remember, this is a ROUGH draft and there WILL be typos, spelling errors, awkward language, and the like. You have been warned. As soon as Tessa finishes talking, she sheds her jacket to reveal a mauve tank top, and a large pair of white feathered wings. She spreads her wings and takes to the sky. Racing towards the sun, Tessa flies past a flock of wild geese. “Squawk! Squawk!” The lead goose scolds Tessa as if to say “get out of our way, human!” Tessa laughs, and swoops downwards to a quiet beach. As Tessa lands, she sees a giant cave leading towards – who knows where. Suddenly she finds herself whirling like a funnel cloud down through the the cave. She nearly crashes into a stalagmite as she travels the path of the cave. The cave slopes downwards, slightly at first, but steeper the further she travels. Finally she drops straight down, into a hole. “How far did I just drop?” Tessa asks no one but herself, “100, 200 feet?” As Tessa looks ahead, the cave is lit up – somehow. There is no light source, but there is plenty of light. Tessa looks at the brown and grayish stones lining the walls and walks forwards for what feels like ten miles until she comes to a hole that leads straight up. Again, she spreads her angel like wings and flies upwards. Upwards. Upwards. Until finally she reaches the surface. She looks around to see no land, only sea. Tessa has no idea which direction to find shore, but she doesn’t care – she knows she can find her way back. Tessa looks around from about fifty feet in the air, and sees a hammerhead shark playing with a humpback whale. She flies into the water and joins in their game. First the hammerhead tosses a ball to Tessa, who tosses the ball to the whale, who tosses the ball back to the hammerhead and back once more to Tessa. And then they play hide and seek in a coral reef. There you go. The very first preview of my latest magnum opus. Seriously though, thank you for reading it. I am super excited about this project. Why am I concentrating on fiction right now? Good question, I am so very glad you asked! OK, ok, it was me that asked on your behalf, but I am sure some of my readers are wondering why I chose to pick up this story at this time. A few weeks back, I was in my head just a bit too much. I had a free day, so I picked up a graphic novel and headed out to explore the brand-new lobby at PDX (stunning remodel by the way). The graphic novel I took with me to read on the MAX was It’s Lonely at the Center of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood. Quite an amazing autobiographical story that made me realize – I need to create. More importantly, I need to write fiction. I don’t know what about this story inspired me to do so, like I said, it’s an autobiography and not a work of fiction. Nevertheless, it did the job. For the record, I could not be happier with this course correction. I love my work at audioperfecta, and plan to continue there (as well as the occasional piece on this website). That being said, I am always at my best when I prioritize fiction. And why am I writing/finishing this particular story? Well, I have no freaking idea. It was just a flash of inspiration I guess. Maybe there’s a bit of subconscious involved. As I said, this story is all about dealing with a neurotypical world when one is neurodivergent. This topic has been on my mind for several months, as I dive into the rabbit hole of what it means to a late 40s person to find out that – hey, I’m autistic! There are also a few other stories in my backlog I am working on or at least plan on working on. I of course have an October Scary Story coming up. I also have a short short story going up on Medium fairly soon. Heck, the other day I reviewed an even older story (9000 words long and unfinished) that I thought was garbage, but now I think I might just want to rewrite and finish it sometime soon. Any other recommendations on good reads? Why yes, yes I do! I am currently reading This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amel El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. The book is a time travel fantasy written from the point of view of two different characters. Quite interesting, and has even had some influence in the story I am currently writing. I’ve also been reading the Phonogram graphic novel series. If you like music and you like fantasy, you have to read this series! Another graphic novel worth checking out, Satelite Falling by Steve Horton (someone I grew up with). A creative story about a human living in an alien world, and the problems she encounters. Oh, and if you’re into Transformers, the new Image Comics series is amazing. I also want to mention two short film channels. There’s Dust, a sci-fi anthology channel created by different filmmakers. Three films in particular I recommend: Home In Time, A Week With Rebeca, and Freya. Another channel, Omleto, is in a similar vein – well, not scifi, but an anthology of amazing short stories by various filmmakers. Three to check out: Pickled Herring, Night Cafe, and Vanilla. A few books and graphic novels I have on my to-read list: Rose Volume 1, The Last Night, Snotgirl: Green Hair Don’t Care, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime, and Shit Casandra Saw: Stories. Oh, and the song “Dancing With Tears in My Eyes” by Ultravox is on perpetual repeat in my head right now. A damned sad song, but so good! Go listen to it! Right now! I’m serious. Come find me! Want to know more about what I am up to? Come follow me at: Threads: Where I talk about my writing, neurodiversity, and any other topic that comes to mind. Medium: Where I share some of my favorite writings. Facebook: Where I participate in a bunch of groups and share weird memes. Good Reads: Where I share what I’ve read, what I’m reading, and what I want to read. Tik Tok: Where I’m just silly. Thanks, everyone! Until next time.

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What is Disability Pride Month?

Aaron — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:30:00 +0000

On July 26th, 1990, President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. The ADA protects people with disabilities from employment discrimination and enables better access to goods, services, and communications for people with disabilities. Enacting the ADA was a huge deal; some even see July 26th as disability independence day. Throughout the years, Disability Pride has been celebrated as a day-long event but has since evolved into a month-long celebration. Join me as I explore the history and celebration and discuss some common misconceptions about Disability Pride Month (aka DPM). What is the definition of Disabled? The ADA defines a person with a disability as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. A few broad categories of disability include physical, behavioral, developmental, sensory, cognitive, social, and emotional. A disability can be from birth, or it can happen later in life. Is Disability Pride Month related to LGBTQ2+ Month? Disability Pride Month is for all people with disabilities. A common misconception is that Disability Pride is an extension of LGBTQ2+ Pride Month. This confusion is understandable, as LGBTQ2+ Pride Month is often referred to as “Pride.” However, pride is a concept that does not belong to one particular group. Every marginalized group has the right to celebrate themselves. While we are on the subject, the back-to-back placement of the two pride months is a coincidence. Again, Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July because the ADA was signed into law on July 26th, 1990. Likewise, LGBTQ2+ Pride is celebrated in June because of the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969. Both dates are important to their respective communities. The history of DPM and the ADA Disability Pride started as a day-long celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the ADA. New York State extended the celebration to a month in 2015. While the celebration has yet to reach national status, there are celebrations in 12 states. Cities such as Los Angeles, San Antonio, Cincinnati, and several others have disability pride celebrations. The ADA was first introduced to Congress On March 12, 1990. On that day, 1000 people marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand that Congress pass the bill. When they reached The Capitol, they crawled up the stairs as a physical demonstration of the inaccessibility of public buildings. Among those who climbed the stairs was Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, a disabled eight-year-old girl. The Disability Pride Flag Yes, there is a disability pride flag! So, what does it mean? The black field (sometimes charcoal grey) stands for those who lost their lives via neglect, abuse, eugenics, suicide, or otherwise. A diagonal band cuts across the flag, and symbolizes cutting across barriers people with disabilities must deal with every day. The diagonal band has a series of five colored bands. The red band stands for physical disabilities, the green band stands for sensory perception disabilities (such as blindness, deafness, and the like). The blue band stands for mental illness. The yellow band stands for neurodivergent disabilities. The white band stands for invisible and undiagnosed disabilities. How to celebrate Disability Pride Month The American Bar Association states: “Disability Pride Month celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism.” Disability Pride is a time to show the world we matter. Some cities, most famously Chicago, have a DMP parade. If your city or state does not recognize DPM, write your officials. Also, don’t forget to share your stories on social media using the hashtags #disabilitypride and #disabilitypridemonth. If you want to be an ally, there are several things you can do. If you run a business, make a point to hire workers with disabilities. People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed than people without disabilities. Parents can teach their children to be inclusive and acknowledge disability. People with disabilities experience child bullying more than people without disabilities. Something anyone can do is examine their language and challenge themselves to eliminate ableist terms. Have you ever said someone is “broken?” Do you ever use “lame” as a pejorative? Do you ever call someone or something “insane or crazy?” These terms can be hurtful to those with disabilities. What better time than DPM than to replace harmful terms with alternative terms? The most important thing an ally can do is to pay attention. The ARC’s theme for 2024’s DPM is “We Want a Life Like Yours.” This theme reflects the disability community’s dreams for life experiences that are too often denied. Ask yourself, “Am I unknowingly creating barriers that disabled people must navigate? Am I making a disabled person’s life harder?” Why isn’t it “Disability Awareness Month? Disability Pride Month is a month to shake the shackles of shame put on us by society. We are not lesser, just because we lack certain abilities. Earlier I said everyone deserves to feel pride. This means a feeling of satisfaction in who one is, and what they have accomplished. In short, DPM is a time to celebrate ourselves. While we constantly want to bring awareness to the table, ultimately Disability Pride Month is about us – not what well-meaning people need to know. One last thought. Disability will happen to everyone who lives long enough. Celebrating Disability Pride is not just about your neighbor, your friend, or perhaps that random person you see sometimes. Disability Pride is also about your future.

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