Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Perfect and perfectionist

Last painting of this year; acrylics / mixed media on canvas. 'Perfect and Perfectionist' (60x60 cm); based on my Flash Fiction story 'A thousand notes'. (Still available for free; read it here).

Prints, push pillows, mugs and more of this painting, can be ordered here.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Disclosure: Concealed now available

A new social thriller. Some parts are fiction, some parts, unfortunately, are true and still happening today...

This hard boiled thriller will take you back in time, to Golfito (Costa Rica). The story slowly reveals what happened there in 2003 and why people are murdered today for being there.

Synopsis: They were young. Hardly men at the time. Their mission: highly classified. To them it was no more than an adventure. But reality was harsh and relentless. Terrible doubts assailed them. Even though the army hushed it all up professionally,  these men would never forget. They shared a secret. A secret they would hide for the outer world . That was twenty years ago.
Now someone was brutally murdering them one by one. The offender systematically eliminated the former members of their team. The only way to survive was to cooperate. After all these years they had to rely on each other again. Had to trust each other again. They had to find the assassin, before he would kill them. Only one thing they knew for sure. One of them was the murderer…

Paperback, 203 pages: $14.99 / € 14,99 / GBP 12,95. Also available as e-Book: $6.99 / € 6,99 / GBP 5,25. Order your copy at your favorite retailer. You can also try Amazon or Smashwords.

All details in the IRC

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Words of wisdom and an act of love


Sometimes real life is more surprising than any storyteller can imagine. Life itself can be a Twisted Tale. 
Finishing up my next thriller, Concealed, I was looking for a quote I could use on the first page. I ended up with a man who is well known thanks to some of his famous quotes. But if I mention his name, most of you will say: "Huh? Hubba-Who?". 




Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Soft rocks


Replaced the image on the background of my website. Now using Part III of the triptych 'Clamorous Corals'. (Read the story in this previous blog).

Also replaced the images in my printshop. Added a new image for the triptych and also added all three panels as separate artworks. A much better solution for anyone who only wants one frame (print, pillow etc.), or who wants to create some distance in between the three panels. I love the idea of this coral rock printed upon a soft push pillow!


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Don't forget your Resume

Some jobs are just not worth all the trouble...

Excited about an invitation for a job interview Mackenzie enters a building he has never been before. Once inside, he realises he is part of a world he has never known before. A horrifying world no one has ever known before…

5769 Words; available as stand alone e-Bookat your favorite retailer. If you want to apply..., sorry: if you'd like more data or buy your own copy, click here!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Encore

Vinyed edition 216.04 is now available. Four stories, previously published as stand alone eBook:

  • A thousand notes
  • Morbid Match
  • Summer's over
  • Moon Spell
Order your copy for $/€ 6.99; GBP 5,25 (Paperback) or $/€ 5.99; GBP 4,25 (eBook) at your favorite dealer; you may also try Amazon or Smashwords.

Used an artwork named 'Old lover never ends' for the cover. For an explanation about this name, and ordering a print version of this artwork, read my blog 'Rusty'.
More about the Vinyed series on the dedicated page.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Lunatic

Space...the final frontier... 
Do I have to proceed? No, all of you 'Trekkies' know the magic words. These are not the voyages of the, you know, that specific starship... No, these words are the signal, the official start of a new adventure in space. Unfortunately not for everyone; however...
Exploration of the universe has been commercialized. Want to go to the moon? Look for the best offer; sign in and enjoy your flight. Everybody can be an astronaut nowadays. The question is: does everybody wants to? 

5182 Words; available as stand alone e-Book at your favorite retailer. Click here for additional data and ordering.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Favillusion




Rearranging my website and blog, I was told I should add a Favicon. You know, the small, no... tiny, or, well, actually extreme tiny icon picture, you see in browser tabs, address bars and more. 
(Hence the name, which means a 'favorite icon'). 
Haven't really noticed them?  No big deal... (duh-huh, favicons measure 16x16 pixels).

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Understatement


It's been quite a while since the last 'Twisted Tuesday' tale was published. But, as the new title says, summer is over, so here we go: everyone is back at school or back to work. The heat is gone; summer is over. Or, is it? A summer love may last more than just one summer. And occasionally a summer love is not what it appeared to be. As the Simmons family finds out, the heat of summer sometimes starts in the afterglow. They can only wish summer really will be over soon.

5461 Words; available as stand alone e-Bookat your favorite retailer. Click for ordering and additional data.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

P.S.

Famous last words? 
Everybody remembers his own favorites.
[Painting "P.S." 30x40 cm, mixed media
 on canvas by Eduard Meinema. 

Click here for ordering prints]
I recall one of Peter's visits to our (former) gallery. I showed him some of my own works, nervously waiting for his comments. As usual he gave comments in his own way: kindly but honest: 
"If it doesn't contribute to the picture... if you can remove items without changing the message; your thoughts or whatever you want to put on that canvas... let it out." (You've gotta know that in those days my paintings were, let's put it mildly, crowded with details). Then he added..."but the best part is, you can go on endlessly with any painting. Adding colors or materials; skipping parts... It's only finished when you think it is finished."

Still keep that in mind. For both my artwork and my writing.

Thanks for sharing some precious moments with us Peter.



Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Love on the dark side

Love isn't always poetic. A story for those who are not weak at heart. Erotic, sensual and cruel. Beware! 

SynopsisBest friends share secrets. But not all of them. Especially not the dark ones. Bill Ryan is confounded when he hears about the sudden death of his friend Leon Curry. Who brutally murdered his best friend? And why was Leon killed in such a lugubrious way? In an attempt to reconstruct the last days of Leon’s life, Bill Ryan finds out that friends can be strangers too.

Additional data and ordering, click here.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

A thousand notes

June 21, 1991.
She walked into the temp office. Looking for a job. I happened to work there. Took care of her registration and scribbled a short note upon her registration form: 'A very special lady'. Then what happened? Well, read the Flash Fiction story 'A thousand notes'. It's free! (Some of the best things in life are, you know. Like love for instance...).
A thousand notes, caught in exactly 500 words. Even though words cannot express how much I love my girl.

P.S. While you're reading, enjoy this:

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Written in the future

It's...a boy!
Not that much of a surprise; ultrasound revealed this secret months ago. Even the surprise of seeing your grandchild for the very first time no longer is an event you'll be looking forward to for nine months.
"It's a boy, he's waving at you...here's the DVD".
Hmm...for those who love the unexpected; life is losing its magic. Step by step.
But then...there he is! There's nothing more precious than a newborn child. Especially when it's yours. Suddenly you fear all the bad things in the world. Nothing may happen to him. Till you realize the same world has so many great things to offer. Wonderful things he will explore. One day. He's got a whole life waiting for him. A whole life to make his own mistakes and a whole life to celebrate his own victories.

It's (what I call) Twisted Tuesday; things don't always go the way you expect them to go. I have to leave both my grandchild, Jason, and my daughter, Femke, in the hospital. We all wanted them to be home today. But we all have to wait a couple of days.
Unaware I take a look at the calendar on the wall. Today, June 14, my grandchild is born. I see the months to come; printed on paper. And I realize not everything is known. The future is an open book you may write all by yourself.

When I leave the room my eyes are fixed on the calendar for one more time. I see the months, neatly printed in a row and I finally start to realize what was on my mind:
July
August
September
October
November
Hmm...dear Jason; seems you have a great time ahead of you...

P.S. Made the small painting above (20x20cm) today. A baby in my Skredch / pop-art style. Of course I didn't forget my granddaughter. So, here's the two of them together:


Friday, June 10, 2016

Carefully wrapped

You've gotta know how to exaggerate...
Finished and packed the first artworks of my Kickstarter project 'SOS-6'. These gifts are now on their way to Germany, USA and Australia. Thank you backers!

Thursday, June 9, 2016

In his secret heart

I fell in love with this title. Or actually subtitle of my latest compilation: Vinyed 216.03
Heck, if I were you, I would even buy this book for the title only! 

The title story 'In his secret heart' is one of those smaller than small fiction stories I wrote. Hard to tell much about the story itself without spoiling the clue. Honestly; 742 words. That's really short. I mean...take a deep breath and you may finish it in one sigh. It's so short I cannot even prevend you from reading it in full while you're having 'a look inside' (on Amazon) or read the sample on Smashwords. Yeah! Now you're curious, aren't you? Well, go on and read it!

P.S. If that's too much trouble, read this tiny synopsis: 
'Some secrets are kept a lifetime. So is this.'
That's what I call Dutch Treat folks!





Edition June, 2016
Content (18,550 words / 68 pages in print):
  • In his secret heart [#416050101, 742 words]
  • A New Beginning [#416050601, 6016 words]
  • Close to the Edge [#416052301, 2599 words]
  • Ameizan [#416060601, 9193 words]
Available as (click to order): 
eBook $/€ 5.99; GBP 4,25  Amazon KindleSmashwords e-pub( also: Kobo, Nook, Apple iBooks)
Paperback $/€ 6.99; GBP 5,25 Amazon

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Amazing?

One for the Science Fiction Fans:
A boy’s dream. And apparently a girl’s dream too. Travelling into space to be the first to explore new worlds. When scientists find mysterious rings around a new discovered star and intercept communication; it is a given fact. These are the first true signs of intelligent life. A discovery of unknown alien life offering many talented people the chance of a lifetime. Go wide young man!

9193 Words; available as stand alone e-Book at your favorite retailer. Additional data and ordering, click here.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Turn to stone


Turn to Stone (15x15x5cm)
Men already made rock paintings thousands of years ago. Nothing new about that. I like to use stones as 'canvas' for my paintings. The rough structure leads and spreads the wet paint into many directions. Sometimes unwanted. Sometimes surprisingly nice. Adding more water and sand helps to get the paint where I want it. However, most of the time my attempts to control the flood of paint are challenging and close to impossible. The most tricky part is the process of drying. It takes time for the sand to dry. Precious time in which you are impatiently waiting to go on. But you can't, because you must let the material do its own job. The final result is often only visible after a good night's rest. By then the paint may have turned much paler than expected. Or dripped into a direction you did not expect it to go. Oh well, it's all part of the fun. Once the first layer has dried you can move on and on an on. You can make endless changes and additions until you've got it right. Doesn't every little boy like to play with water and sand?
Turn to Stone, the entire rock; showing the rough plaster and paint.
Sign of the Times (15x15x5cm)
While putting some more sand and acrylics upon stones I was soflty whistling an old song. "Turn to stone" from ELO. The Electric Light Orchestra. Must confess I didnt know the exact words after so many years, but hey, that's when the internet comes in handy! 


The diving embers of the night 
(A fire slowly fades till dawn) 
Still glow upon the wall so bright

Stone Age (15x15x5cm)

So, I have named this series of five finished artworks 'Turn to Stone'. They are all handmade, unique, one of a kind artworks created with sand and acrylics upon a flat stone. Finished with glossy varnish to add some nice sparkles.
Written in the Book (15x15x5cm)

The piece titled 'In his secret heart', will be used as basis for a bookcover (Vinyed 216.03) to be published June 5. Check out all artprints in my printshop.
In his secret heart (15x15x5cm)

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Close encounters

Pretty much everything in this story really happened. Nevertheless, these are not the things you want to read in your travel guide. Maybe you should…

2594 Words; available as stand alone e-Book at your favorite retailer. Additional data and ordering, click here. 

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Bring back my love

Stolen babies. A mom’s worst nightmare. When a young mother finds her newborn has been kidnapped, she is devastated. Determined to get her baby back, she reveals the truth behind a strange series of missing newborns. Babies just like her’s.

6016 Words; available as stand alone e-Book at your favorite retailer. Additional data and ordering, click here.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Do you?

Would you dare? Accept an assignment from a stranger and make a few thousand bucks? John Masten is in doubt. He can really use the money. And the offer is tempting. Will he take the bet? Find the answer in Twisted Tuesday's story 'Wannabet.' 

4424 Words; available as stand alone e-Book at your favorite retailer. Additional data and ordering, click here.

Please note, this short story is also published in the compilation 'Vinyed 216.02 Dune.'

Monday, May 9, 2016

Vinyed 216.02 Dune

NOW AVAILABLE! The latest compilation of 'Flash and Shorts'. Edition May, 2016. 

Content (21.253 words / 75 pages in print):
  • Dune [#416031201, 991 words]
  • The Bonding [#416041001, 7372 words]
  • On purpose [#416041901, 4925 words]
  • Buddy [#416042701, 3541 words]
  • Wannabet [#416050501, 4424 words]

Available as (click to order): 
eBook $ 5.99 / € 5,99 / GBP 4,25:  Amazon Kindle, Smashwords e-pub (also: Kobo, Nook, Apple iBooks).
Print    ($ 6.99 / € 6,99 / GBP 5,25) Paperback: Amazon POD

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Scuba Doo

Oh boy! An old picture from September, 1990. Scuba diving with my buddy Silvano Coral (the bearded guy on the left) in Florida. 
After several tours around the reefs and the Keys, we decided to take a dive in a freshwater lake: Forty Fathom Grotto.
Greenish water; an old rusty motorbike and, of course, the caves. Every grotto piled up with catfish. What on Earth were we thinking?

Still remember our rental car. A horrifying thing which started to live its own life. Whenever we stopped, waiting for traffic lights or whatsoever, it didn't react to the brakes. It simply kept moving. Slowly heading in between the oncoming traffic. Driving by turns, we first thought the other was playing around. Until it got really scary and we illegally ended up at the middle of some crossroads. When we returned to the rental company to complain about this 'living Stephen King car', we ended up with a great replacement. A convertible. Two young dudes on holiday, driving around Miami in a convertible. That's the way!

This week's Twisted Tuesday is a story about scuba diving in The Netherlands. Making two dives at one day, as described in this week's Flash and Shorts 'Buddy', is what we did. 
Racing along the small country roads, still wearing our wet suits? 
Yep, also part of the deal. 
The rest of the story? 
Well, judge for yourself!







Synopsis: Two dive buddies enjoy a great dive in the Dutch waterway, the “Oosterschelde”. When they decide to make a second dive they do not realize some things do not get better...Beware the unexpected.

Buddy, short story, 3541 words.
Available as stand alone e-book at your favorite retailer. Additional data and ordering, click here.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Young and adult

Proud to announce a special book, written with my daughter Jeske.
Yep: the old guy and his youngest daughter. A unique combination (the story that is; but so are we ofcourse...). We have combined Chicklit, Young Adult (Fantasy) and Science Fiction into a quest for unknown (human) life at the bottom of the sea. Funny, romantic and exciting. A little bit of real science but...it remains fiction.



'AQUIFER - Twee werelden apart' is now available in the Dutch version. English translation, scheduled for the end of May. So, either be patient, or grab your chance to learn Dutch!

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Flippin'

We all know dolphins. Flippers. There's a small related family of dolphinlike sea mammals named Porpoises. 'On purpose' is a Twisted Tuesday story about these magnificent animals.

Synopsis: Dirk Roodt loves the beach. He strolls the beaches near his house whenever he can. By occasion he finds a dead body of a porpoise; a small, dolphin like mammal. When the number of dead porpoises is increasing, he comes to the rescue. A lonesome crusade against brutal fishermen who are protecting their fishing grounds. But is he fighting the real enemy? 


On purpose, short story, 4925 words.
Available as stand alone e-book at your favorite retailer. Additional data and ordering, click here.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Remember Dory

S.O.S. - 6
Time to remember...

June 17, the new Disney movie 'Finding Dory' will be released. Loved the first movie, and I've got great expectations for this one, but...as a result of the first movie, Finding Nemo, sales of Clownfish increased more than 25%. Now the aquarium industry fears an increase on sales of the popular Dory as well. Unfortunately, these beaties are not (yet) commercially bred. All specimens are wild caught.
The sustainable Aquarium Industry Association (SAIA) already launched a campaign in June, 2015 (have a look at the SAIA website to see all details).

I have created a Kickstarter project to make people aware of the situation. Read the full story (and support the project!) at S.O.S.-6
Enjoy the movie, but please don't forget about the situation of Paracanthurus hepatus (Dory's official name). Don't be a Dory. Remember!

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Life hereafter

Always a bit scary. Life after death. You either believe in it, or you don't. That's up to you. Or...is it?This week's Twisted Tuesday tale is about the bond between a grandmother and her grandchild. A bond they never had until grandma passed away...

The Bonding, short story, 7372 words.
Available as stand alone e-book at your favorite retailer. Click here for additional data and ordering.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Vinyed 216.01 Quadrennial

First compilation of my Short Stories and Flash Fiction. (All published seperately in the series 'FS / Flash and Shorts'.





















Edition April, 2016
Content (19.546 words / 68 pages in print):
  • Quadrennial [#416022901, 1170 words]
  • Man on a Mission [#415020501, 4325 words]
  • Barker [#416022301, 5050 words]
  • Gifted [#416030401, 4401 words]
  • Allotment [#416021701, 4600 words]
Available as (click to order): 
eBook $ 5.99  Amazon Kindle, Smashwords e-pub( also: Kobo, Nook, Apple iBooks)
Print    $ 6.99 (paperback) Amazon POD

The original artwork for the cover, especially made for this edition, acrylics, sand and paper on canvas; 40x120cm (check out prints, mugs and more in my printshop).



Saturday, April 2, 2016

Vinyed

Looking for a telling title for a series of books on short stories and flash fiction, I came across ‘vignette’. Its pronounciation [vin-yet] ending just like the pronounciation of my first name (which is abbrevated as): ‘Ed’. The meaning of the word, amongst others, ‘a short descriptive literary sketch’. How convenient…

A tiny adaptation, rewriting the word as Vinyed, and…done! A great title for a new compilation of my short(est) stories. Recognisable and descriptive. Check out the available editions here!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

A lot of men

Today's Twisted Tuesday includes a short story on a well known problem: refugees.

Incidents of war have caused a never ending stream of refugees: people moving up north, trying to escape the warzone in the Middle East. Politicians and civilians disagree on measurements to be taken. Meanwhile society grows suspicious about the real intentions of the refugees. Are they really escaping war? Merely seeking for luck? Or is something else going on…?

Need I say more? Remember, it's fiction! As always in my twisters: what you see is not what you get...
"Allotment" (4600 words) is available at your favorite dealer. If not, try one of the online retailers. Check out more details here.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Twisted gift

Today's Twisted story: 'Gifted'. For those who love things beyond imagination. And for those who don't...

Synopsis: "Predicting the future. Isn’t it something we all want? But, does foreseeing the future also mean you can change it? And what if you can’t… and you have foreseen your own, tragic future?"

To see full details or ordering, click here!

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Twisted Tuesday

Told you last week I am fan of Twisted Tales, like Roald Dahl's Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Mine are arranged in a series I named 'Flash and Shorts'. 

I have made it my personal goal to publish a weekly short or flash fiction, at least for this year. Starting today you will find a new FS entry every 'Twisted Tuesday'. Here's for starters: 'Barker' (5050 words): 
Walking the dog, Brandon Flinders sees flashlights in the sky. They seem to be moving towards an unknown, but nearby airstrip. Flinders wonders what’s going on. Smugglers…aliens? He tries to find out, following the lights in the middle of the night. What will he find?

Available as Stand Alone e-book at your favorite retailer, or check out these online retailers.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Flash 'n short

Ever since I've read Roald Dahl's short stories (Kiss Kiss, Switch Bitch...you name them) I have a special interest and love for his superb tales with a twist. It's clear why he named them 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination'.

There's a name for everything. Any writer has its own vocabulary, calling his short version fiction Postcard Fiction, Short Short Story or Flash Fiction. Apparently they have been known as Smokelong too as the time of reading was supposed to take as long as one cigarette. I only smoke small cigars, occassionally, so I can't tell you if it's true.

Clearly, writing short and flash fiction is part of the deal for me too. I write in a mix of science fiction, horror and mystery I used to call 'Twisted Tales'. That name appeared to be taken. So I came up with a new title 'Flash and Shorts'. Pretty much covers it all doesn't it?

I'm working on a monthly collection; the first edition scheduled for April. All of the shorts will also be available as standalone ebooks. So what's short and what's flash? Flash (Fiction) are very short stories of 500 - 1,500 words; Short (Fiction): 1,000 - 15,000 words. I published the first standalone today: 'Man on a Mission'. 

All FS fiction will be listed on a special page where you can read the synopsis and order any story as 'stand alone' ebook (only $ 2.99 / € 2.99 each). Please note the monthly collections will start in April; quarterly collections will be available starting July.