Call in the Night Now, I would like to clearly state, for the record, that I had no involvement in the matter other than the fact that I discovered the body, okay? I reported it to the police straight away, in person and without going anywhere near the room upon finding my employee. Do you understand that? Good. Now, let me tell you why I believe that this was the work of a lunatic that has been harassing our store for the past month. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Daily Short Stories from The Penned Sleuth

Call in the Night - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 055

Broken Notes David plucked every out-of-tune string before positioning his fingers into a chord. The bow touched the strings lightly and with every slow movement, the violin produced a low hum. Rotating the bow as he dragged it so he made use of every string, David discovered a tune in his own mind. The tune was awful and it reverberated in the dusty, grey attic. Still, there was nobody around anymore to hear him, so he began to play more confidently. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Broken Notes - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 054

12 Ways to Take Your Writing to the Next Level: Tips on How to Improve Your Writing Skills We all write and we all want to improve our writing skills. Writing is a skill that can be developed with time and practice. Yet, practice without direction is pointless, as you won’t achieve your goal if you don’t have one. If you want to write like your favourite author, or phrase better sentences or simply polish your work, these tips are for you. Here are 12 ways to take your writing to the next level! https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/12-ways-to-take-your-writing-to-the-next-level-tips-on-how-to-improve-your-writing-skills

12 Ways to Take Your Writing to the Next Level: Tips on How to Improve Your Writing Skills

What Apocalypse? We stood there in our dark apartment and stared out at the city. It was surprising to see the city end up in such a sorry state in a short time. Not a single light could be seen. Of course, there were city-wide blackouts before, but never as long as this. I suppose it was the sign of the times. Nobody had the income to meet the demand of the rising fuel price. Soon the demand hit the people hard and it brought the animal nature out. Months later, the army claimed the fuel for their tanks and other military vehicles. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

What Apocalypse? - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 053

No Trespassers We scoped out the house from a distance. It was a small building near the highway, hidden away amongst the trees. We watched the resident, an old woman, sit on her porch. It was a boring sight, but we needed to find out her routine before we decided to rob the place. The good news was she was the only resident, we didn't see anyone else, but the bad news was she never seemed to leave the house. We thought we might get lucky and she would drive the pickup to go grocery shopping, but it was been close to two weeks without her stepping off the property. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

No Trespassers - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 052

The library was a marvel on its own. I loved the feel of it and planned to spend as many of my days there as I could. I found peace amongst the bookshelves and the faint echo of my steps only added to my enjoyment. Of course, I tended to it as well. Nowadays, all people cared about was surviving and scavenging, but at least in these dark times, I found my light. I read, I read every book I could get my hands on. If I had to choose between extra food and a book, I will eat what I have with an adventure in my mind. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

To Face a Wolf - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 051

It was hard to tell where I found myself. Last I remembered, I was coming home to a dark apartment. I made myself a cup of coffee, planning on staying up a little longer than my body would like. I entered my room, I found a book waiting on my bedside table. It had neither a name nor cover that hinted at what was inside. I plucked it up and flicked through the pages, scanning a passage here and there before climbing into bed. It seemed interesting, so I flipped back to the beginning and began reading. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Red Fox I - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 050

The Wee Free Men is the start of a series of novels following the young witch, Tiffany Aching. In this first novel, Tiffany faces her first challenge, as nightmares become reality and invade her home, the country of Chalk. She is armed with her wits, a frying pan and the Nac Mac Feegle, a band of tiny, blue-skinned pictsies. However, will it be enough to face the evils coming out of Fairyland? Here is my spoiler-free review of The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett! https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/the-wee-free-men-by-terry-pratchett-book-review

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett - Book REVIEW

The alarm blared, causing me to roll off the bed and faceplant into the floor. When did the alarm ring? It was either blaring at the wrong time or it wasn’t working. Unfortunately, it was one of those important days where you needed a blaring alarm at the right time. The airport was waiting and the nerves began to set it. Luckily, I had somebody in my life to share the load with. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Travel Fear - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 049

“Skies are clear, Alpha, you are good to go,” Jackson reported through the radio. “Roger that, Hawk,” the officer replied With that, Jackson flicked a few switches and leaned back in his seat. The jungle canopy below was now replaced with the ocean. It was a truly amazing sight, especially at these speeds. Ahead of Jackson and his co-pilot, Jimenez was the carrier. A large ship used to hold aerial support like helicopters and jets. Despite such a heavy load, the carrier was also armed with heavy artillery, including both anti-air and sea weaponry. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Hawk - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 048

Anna lived near the coast. There were no sandy beaches and warm sunshine, but rather rocky cliffs and constant bad weather. It was something you got used to living up north, but there was something Anna could not get used to; the thunderstorms. Living so near a cliff that fell off into the ocean, she constantly dreamt of a terrible accident that always involved the cliff being struck with lightning powerful enough to send a massive part of the land, as well as her home, into the ocean. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Broken Storm - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 047

The sun was a constant reminder of life to me. If I felt its warmth when I opened my eyes, I thanked it. The desert is unforgiving and some would say it is all because of the sun. I found that it is fruitless to base blame on something quite like the sun. We were in a situation that wasn’t easy, true, but many have thrived in it. You need only look at the plants that make it through the years or the towns and cities. Stone walls protect them from the sides, but there is no roof above them. Sunlight is needed or we would never leave the caves. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Desert Sun - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 046

While it wasn’t the genre I started writing in, Mystery was the genre that inspired me to write. Specifically, detective stories packed with cliches. For me, nothing beats a story about a fiercely intelligent person who casually pieces together every detail and catches the culprit in the end. Recently, I decided it was about time that I started writing my detective story, so I began my research and decided to share what I found in this blog post! https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/the-detective-story-writing-toolkit-facts-and-tips-for-writing-mystery

The Detective-Story Writing Toolkit: Facts and Tips for Writing Mystery

For us, since this mess began, the trenches were home. From the kids who lied about their age to the veterans, trench warfare has always had the same effect on the troops. It was a terrible combination of depression and desperation; feelings that were brought on by the lack of food and quality defences. To make it fair, it was the same for the enemy as well. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Trench - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 045

Ink on paper; is there anything better? I used to work as a cartoonist for a newspaper in my hometown, a small place away from most civilization. It wasn’t near the highway or any suitable tourist site, but still, we managed. Suddenly, around my late twenties, I was offered a job to draw for a cartoon program on the television. It was a dream opportunity that I could not pass over. https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

The Cartoonist - The Penned Sleuth Short Story Podcast - 044

Providing you with daily short stories of all varieties from horror to comedy to adventure. Journeys of all kinds for you to enjoy!

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Daily Short Stories from The Penned Sleuth

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