April 23, 2017

“Requiem for a Caged Bird” – a Novel by Dory Fiamingo

“Requiem for a Caged Bird” – a Novel by Dory Fiamingo

We’ve been fortunate to have published both a previous work of fiction and some original fine art by Dory Fiamingo in the past. The woman is a creative maelstrom, and has finished another novel, Requiem for a Caged Bird. It’s a great read, it really is. We hope you get to read it in its entirety in the very near future (as we have), but for now we’re presenting a special Three Days of Dory excerpt, yes, you guessed right, for the next three days! Here is the first of three short tastes from this wonderful work of a contemporary fantasy fiction. Sebastian (“Bastian”) is an almost-immortal private eye able to leap from one world to another. Maggie, the love of his life, had walked out on him thirty years earlier. She shows up at his cosmic bookstore,…

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April 2, 2017

Faux Fiction Audio: The Cast

Faux Fiction Audio: The Cast

Writing, reading, recording  and sharing our creative work   Our featured podcasts for March were the first four episodes from “Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective.” The show was written, directed and produced by Ruby Fink, who heads up her own audio studio and staff of talented, hard-working performers of Faux Fiction Audio out there on the Left Coast [where else?]. What began for Ruby as something simply fun to do has turned into her passion. What next? She hopes a business, specializing in producing podcasts and audiobooks for authors. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, you can continue listening to Mickie here [we’re up to Episode 5, “Brawn and Brain”], while you wait for Ruby and her cast to get Season Two up. You can also listen to the Mickie podcasts on iTunes [podcasts, store, search “mickie mckinney”]….

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March 31, 2017

Podcast: Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective, Part IV

Podcast: Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective, Part IV

From left to right: Violet Faux as Samantha, Lucas Faux as Mickie, Leann Faux as Burner and Writer-Director Ruby Faux.   Here’s the news, Fictional Cafe habitués: Although this is the last episode in the story of the chemistry lab explosion, it’s not the last in the Mickie McKinney story. If you like what you’ve listened to here, please head over to Faux Fiction Audio to listen to more. The next episode is “Brain and Brawn.” This is such a unique theme in today’s podcasting, featuring a teenager in middle school who solves mysteries and problems for his classmates. A tip of the barista hats to Ruby Fink, the series creator, and to all the folks who listened to weekly episodes on her site. They have inspired her to keep going. She and her talented team…

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March 28, 2017

Podcast: Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective, Part III

Podcast: Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective, Part III

Mickie’s back in this third, continuing story of the boy detective who solves mysteries at Maple Ridge Middle School in exchange for anything made of sugar. In this episode, Mickie and his sidekick Samantha Hayes (pictured) begin a new investigation: there’s been an explosion in the chemistry lab. Was it a simple accident or something more? The principal  thinks it’s the former, but Mickie, of course, thinks it’s the latter. Enjoy this two-part, skillfully plotted, often humorous and always entertaining story. The second episode comes your way in two days, and more all week. Please click on the arrow below to listen to Mickie McKinney, Part III.  

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March 17, 2017

Podcast: Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective Part II

Podcast: Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective Part II

Do you remember your days in high school? Well, we do too, even though we didn’t have our own private eye running up and down the halls. This week, we continue the adventures of Mickie as he cleverly and humorously solves case after case for his fellow students. Further adventures await in the weeks to come, and next week we’ll have a very special treat for you – in addition to the latest shenanigans of our boy detective. Please click on the arrow below to listen to Episode 2 of “Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective.”   Mickie McKinney is the brainchild of Ruby Fink, who wrote the story and developed this unique, original and exceedingly well produced podcast series. Ruby studied Film Production at Chapman University’s Dodge College, with a minor in Narrative and Dramatic Literature….

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March 14, 2017

Our Intrepid Barista in Paris

Our Intrepid Barista in Paris

Simran P. Gupta, our newest Barista and a student at Simmons College in Boston, is doing her study abroad semester in Paris. For her, it’s Literary Paris, and we’re delighted to share her impressions, feelings, and experiences with you. Stumbling Through Paris: On Settling In During My First Five Weeks As I write this, I am sitting in Shakespeare and Company’s bookstore café, situated right on Rue de la Bûcherie with a view of the Seine and the Notre Dame de Paris. The winter weather is temperate, which means I can often sit at the tables outside this and other cafes, under a heated terrace with a blanket over my lap while I sip my chocolat chaud or café au lait. I often joke that I have “moved in” to Shakespeare and Co. It’s my…

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March 9, 2017

Podcast: “Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective”

Podcast: “Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective”

Today and throughout every Friday in March, we’re excited to present you with a new original series podcast, “Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective.” We think you’ll be delighted, listening to these episodes, which are performed by the cast of Faux Fiction Audio and directed and produced by Ruby Fink. It’s been quite a while since we’ve published podcasts with such high production values. This is a very original and entertaining series about Mickie, a high-school lad with Sherlock Holmes’ powers of deduction, and his sidekick, Samantha Hayes. You’ll learn more about how all of this came to be and who the performers are in coming weeks, but for now, let’s listen to Episode 1! Please click on the arrow below to listen to Episode 1 of “Mickie McKinney, Boy Detective.”   Faux Fiction Producer, Writer, Director and Editor Ruby…

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February 26, 2017

Free Coffee, Anyone?

Free Coffee, Anyone?

Dear fellow Fictional Café members: You may recall the recent posts about my trip to Taiwan and the story of Dante Coffee, our sister coffee shop in Taipei. In one of the posts I asked, “Could a cup of home-brewed coffee from Dante in Taipei, Taiwan, be in your future?” Here is the answer! While having my morning coffee at Wei Ni’s charming coffee shop I bought a box of six single-serve coffee pods, just so I could give them to you, our Fictional Cafe members, free! These coffee pods are, in our American experience, rather unique. The pod hooks over the edge of your coffee cup [see below] and you pour steaming hot water through it, kind of  like steeping tea. It’s fun, even if you only get to do it once. I have six Dante coffee…

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February 25, 2017

Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death

Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death

That’s what Patrick Henry said, right? Pretty sure. I may be wrong. But anyway, it’s Sunday, February 26, so tomorrow is February 27. That’s Monday. I know I’m right about that. Monday always follows Sunday. So tomorrow, Monday, you get to find out what these coffee messages are all about. Look for it. It’s called “Free Coffee, Anyone?” Don’t want to miss out on that, do you?

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