Pick of the day
The Discharge
Posted by sean mcnulty on Fri, 21 Nov 2025
There was no sign of Mr Grant. No sign of anyone as a matter of fact. It was a miracle not to hear the TV blaring, to witness it in the state of off at all, but that it was. Upon ingress, Oran noticed that Phyllis’ blue coat was missing from the hanger near the door. It occurred to us then that she might have listened to her preternatural instincts telling her the threat was robust at The Martlet and so had opted to skidoo.
Read moreStory of the week

The Discharge
Posted by sean mcnulty on Fri, 21 Nov 2025
There was no sign of Mr Grant. No sign of anyone as a matter of fact. It was a miracle not to hear the TV blaring, to witness it in the state of off at all, but that it was. Upon ingress, Oran noticed that Phyllis’ blue coat was missing from the hanger near the door. It occurred to us then that she might have listened to her preternatural instincts telling her the threat was robust at The Martlet and so had opted to skidoo.Read morePoem of the week
Features
Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point
Thank you all so much for your wonderful contributions to our site this week.
My choices are as follows:
Poem of the Week is Jane Hyphen's brilliant 'The World is Closed' which is particularly apt for this time of the year:
Read moreXion Island Zero by Katherine Black - Out Now!
I'm very pleased to announce that Katherine Black (our very own Sooz Simpson) has just published Xion Island Zero, the sixth in her Inspector Nash series.
Here's a review by celticman and a link to buy:
Read more
Story and Poem of the Month
Our Story and Poem of the Month for October, very kindly chosen by Jane Hyphen:
Read moreThe Paper Over The Cracks by Ewan Lawrie
I'm very pleased to announce that Ewan Lawrie's third poetry collection is now available. Here's what he says:
Read moreWant to join ABCTales?
We've had to suspend the automatic joining facility for a while so if you would like to join us please email
Read morePosting From Your Android Phone - Fixed!
Some of you have been having issues with posting your work using an android phone. Ewan and John our techie have been working really hard to fix this.
Read moreBee's Journey
Picks of the Month

Early Lateness
Posted by Turlough on Sun, 26 Oct 2025
If I could turn back time, I’d write a song about it.
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Please Follow My Instructions ( For This You Will Need a Blood Orange)
Posted by VeraClark on Mon, 06 Oct 2025
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There is a blood orange on the table but it is not for eating. Citrus sinensis.
Blood oranges are the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation.
Your mother – before her heart stopped - stored blood oranges in the fridge. Liked them with a chill. She would use her broad thumb to gently apply pressure to the thick skin to puncture it down to the fruit.
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