Blog of Oonah V Joslin -- please visit my Parallel Oonahverse at WordPress

where I post stories and poems that have not been seen elsewhere - also recipes and various other stuff. http://oovj.wordpress.com/

and see me At the Cumberland Arms 2011









Saturday 31 October 2009

Have a biscuit




Cinnamon shortbreads - bats, cats and creature pumpkins - go on, take one Mmmmm :)

Friday 30 October 2009

Micro Horror

Here's a link for one by me and one by my friend (and mentor) John Ritchie
http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/holding-on/
http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/john-ritchie/dismas/






Family gathering of ghosts. All completely bats!
And a skeleton staff at the window :)

Le Phantome de la Maison, Salt & Pepper and SNUFF

Le Phantome de la Maison is a large candle holder ghost. Takes a chunky candle and the flames make him look like he's laughing.





Salt & pepper and SNUFF
Salt & Pepper are very affectionate as you see and SNUFF pops out of that cone like a jack-in-the-box. He's white cotton so most of the year he hangs from a candle tree just like a snuffer so he's especially pleased when it's Holloween.

Thursday 29 October 2009


These Ghosts are all from Scotland. Wick, Ed, Ted and Fred are a single candle from John o'Groats. Inset, from Inverness, Jasper, Casper and Spooky. Jasper is trying to look like Casper who can scare effortly. Spooky is just down right cute no matter what he does :)

Wednesday 28 October 2009

More hauntings from my house


Boo, Boo-boo and Baby Boo superimposed on the curtain that hangs behind my front door all year round!
A ghost is for ever -not just for Halloween :)
Latest story at Micro Horror

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Reep and Sweep

These two are tea light holders and very pretty. Wonder what they talk about?
Reeping and sweeping I suppose...

Monday 26 October 2009


These 4 look after the houseplants. Percy, Rachel, Titch and Monty.
On a more literary note...
My latest Competition entry on the Napoleonic theme is now up at Micro Horror
http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/the-bonaparte-tree/

There is a fantastic crop of horror there in this year’s competition so why not stay a while and …drool.

Bewildering Stories this week features a poem by me ‘Moonwalking’
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue358/moonwalking.html

‘Breathe’ by John Stocks who is also a North East poet
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue358/breathe.html

and a story ‘Sir Simon’s Well’ by Welsh writer and friend, Jennifer Walmsley
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue358/simons_well.html
Check them out.

Sunday 25 October 2009

Let me introduce you to my family of ghosts

Soot & Snow are garden ghosts who preside over a bowl of shamrock and black grass. They have a candle each inside at Hallowe'en. As you see, they're dead friendly! More tomorrow!

Monday 19 October 2009

Poem at BwS

Definitions could be defined as a 'found poem'. I found it because of my husband's studies and the story of W.C. Minor's life was so ironic I just had to write about this remarkable and troubled man. It is about the curse of mental illness which affects the lives of not only those who suffer from it - whatever 'it' is. The definitions keep changing to suit the times. We no longer call people mad, cretinous, lunatic, criminally insane...

In Minor's day Schitzophrenic was a term that hadn't yet been coined. It was undoubtedly the label they would have used in the C20th. Here, in the C21st, the label might be different. We are still awaiting the breakthrough that will lead to a cure.

http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue357/definitions.html

Sunday 18 October 2009

Where did you get that hat,,,


We had a nice walk on the beach today - a bit nippy! But nice ;)

Thursday 15 October 2009

Got it!

Just got my copy of Toe Tags :) You really, really want to read these 21 stories, you know you do :)http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fStoreID=1841476

Monday 12 October 2009

Smolensk - The First Time

Micro Horror has a competition running once again and so I just had to send something. The theme is The Past http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/smolensk-the-second-time/ Smolensk - The First Time
Napoleon's army passed through Smolenk twice in 1812 and the first pyrrhic victory of an already weakened force, was followed by the dubious success of reaching Moscow only to retreat in one of the harshest of Russian winters over already scorched earth, by the same route on which they arrived. This story gives a voice to that horror.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Pippa Little

National Poetry Day I attended a reading by Pippa Little at Morpeth Library. Good event. Good poetry. Nice work, Pippa :)

Sunday 4 October 2009

Com'allye at Bewildering Stories

A longer than usual story from me. You know how they say you should write about what you know, you know? Well this one is a stew of unadulterated Ulsterisms. Watch the inhabitants of Glenslade walk the line of political correctness :) http://bewilderingstories.com/issue355/comallye1.html

Thursday 1 October 2009

October Links

Just got my copy of Toe Tags :) You really, really want to read these 21 stories, you know you do :) The Tourist Trap http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fStoreID=1841476 First up The Professional Job at 10FLASH written for the challenge http://10flash.wordpress.com/the-professional-job/ and a right pickle! A Lack of Breeding is at Static Movement this month and I'm sure you knew a Selena once... http://staticmovement.com/alackofbreeding.htm Smolensk - The First Time Micro Horror has a competition running once again and so I just had to send something. The theme is The Past http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/smolensk-the-second-time/
Comallye - A longer than usual story from me. You know how they say you should write about what you know, you know? Well this one is a stew of unadulterated Ulsterisms. Watch the inhabitants of Glenslade walk the line of political correctness :) http://bewilderingstories.com/issue355/comallye1.html
Definitions http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue357/definitions.html Both Feet in the Past http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/both-feet-in-the-past/

Definitions could be defined as a 'found poem'. I found it because of my husband's studies and the story of W.C. Minor's life was so ironic I just had to write about this remarkable and troubled man. It is about the curse of mental illness which affects the lives of not only those who suffer from it - whatever 'it' is. The definitions keep changing to suit the times. We no longer call people mad, cretinous, lunatic, criminally insane... In Minor's day Schitzophrenic was a term that hadn't yet been coined. It was undoubtedly the label they would have used in the C20th. Here, in the C21st, the label might be different. We are still awaiting the breakthrough that will lead to a cure. http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue357/definitions.html

The Bonaparte Tree http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/the-bonaparte-tree/

‘Moonwalking’http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue358/moonwalking.html

The Vast Horror of it http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/the-vast-horror-of-it/

Holding On http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/holding-on/

The Old, Old Story at Micro Horror