March 18, 2026
Readers ask where my inspiration comes from. The story, Another Walk in the Park from the Trips to the Edge mini-story collection, was inspired by an actual grave marker in a park near my house. I walked there frequently and wondered about the story behind it. Then my imagination went wild, and it took off in the form of this tale.
Here’s an excerpt from Another Walk in the Park
A friend of mine was with me on one of my woodland walks and as we stood before the headstone, she commented that the house does not like attention drawn to it and prefers that visitors disregard its presence. The story goes that the house burned down and that the area is haunted. Some park visitors have smelled smoke and heard screams. My visits had, up to this point, been uneventful, having established good rapport with the trees and nature spirits in the area. Yet there was always an underlying sense of an alternate dimension, of layers waiting to be discovered, and of the distant last wanting to be remembered, waiting to be explored.
While usually approaching with great respect and reverence, this time it felt different. It was as though the barrier was thinner, and the area was no longer off-limits. My feet were on the dirt path, but the grove beckoned me to visit, to experience, to cross into another time, another place. All six senses were on alert, prickling from past encounters with the area, teetering between honoring its solitude and an intense curiosity drawing me closer. Something tickled my ankle, and I realized I was standing in the overgrown grass halfway between the path and the headstone.
The headstone glared at me in silence, daring me to come forward, to break the seal and the unspoken agreement we had to remain apart. I telepathically assured this sacred space that I meant no harm and asked if I was being invited in. The answer flitted through my mind. I was to proceed at my own risk. Nothing would prevent me from being drawn into another world, if I chose to move forward. My choice, my responsibility. I became intensely aware of the sounds of creatures and leaves and wind. A butterfly came close to my face and fluttered off, as though reminding me that transformation was inevitable, warning me that once I took the next step, there was no turning back and nothing would be the same again.
What Inspires My Dark Fantasies
Every encounter is an opportunity to craft a story. The stories in Trips to the Edge: Stories of the Unexpected, were triggered by various experiences; such as the one mentioned above about the park I frequently walked in. Here are the moments that sparked the stories in these collections:
Dark Hollow Road – The death of my brother made my mind wander to the idea that he was in another dimension rather than gone, and there was a chance to reunite with him.
The Restaurant – My husband and I were in a crowded restaurant. The acoustics made sound bounce around the space, and it was difficult to hear. I thought I heard him order roasted mermaid, even though I knew that wasn’t on the menu.
Wrong Directions – My GPS/navigation system took me a roundabout way home that made me wonder what would happen if there was an entity in the machine that steered me wrong on purpose. Grabbing bits of information from daily life takes me on unexpected journeys that keep my mind entertained, and hopefully, takes readers into surprising realms, as well.
