Meet Ireland's legendary "Man of the Mists," experience the life of one woman through a sacred oak tree, or delight in the old-world vs new-world clash between an annoyed pooka and a digitally savvy teenager. In this first volume of the "Trio Tales" series, author Judith Cullen celebrates her heritage inspired by family and friends, and she even invites the fairies out to dance.

One woman's view from the median of life, author Judith Cullen serves up a collection of ten essays and short stories all written around or related to her personal experience of turning 50. "This is a collection of stories that all begged to be written. ... Sometimes "reality" and "fancy" are woven together into the same piece, while others define themselves clearly as one or the other. I happily yield to the reader to enjoy them and make their own judgments. I am not telling "

Meet "S" - a cat in the prime of her nine lives. From her superior feline perch, se swipes a paw at adventures in traveling, her favorite games, along with lessons in art and respect. "A Trio of Cat Tales" is a "feliniously" philosophical journey with plenty of insights and exploits for cat lovers and the "cat owned."

The newest addition to the Trio Tales short story series is a tribute to fathers, containing three stories based on family tales repeated around the kitchen table during the author's childhood, where all great family legends are born. In "The Little Lord Fauntleroy Suit" a young boy in 1898 Chicago struggles between peer pressure at school, and his determination to make his immigrant parents proud of him. Can he find a solution to make everyone happy? In "Flying Down to Couer D'Alene," and "The Skunk War" the scene moves west to life stateside in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. In these...

Short Story Author Judith Cullen presents a collection of collections All of the "Trio Tales" series of fiction monographs published in 2013 (Irish Tales, Cat Tales, and My Father's Tales), plus additional short stories. Visit the clueless, techno-savvy teenager from "The Shadow by the Gate"; experience the horrors of moving from a cat's perspective in "Travels with S"; and be amused at a military convoy missing the mark in "Flying Down to Coeur D'Alene." Add to that the sensual delight of a toddler experiencing the world around him in "Walking to the Music," and the award-winning ghost...

Welcome to paradise: the South Pacific of the 19th Century, full of ancient island cultures and Euro-Western colonialism. In this latest installation of her "Trio Tales" series, author Judith Cullen joins with native Tongan storyteller Illaisaane Filikitonga Tome to share stories steeped in the history of a kingdom, and with an intimate connection to family, and the power of belief. "An Island Miracle - Earth" re-imagines "tuku fonua" and the journey of King Tupou I to this historic act of dedicating all of Tonga to the Christian God, rather than bow to pressure from colonizing foreign...

Coffee shop culture is like that of pubs and taverns, even the most corporate places strive for a certain "local watering hole" quality. The best of them seem to have the same successful ambiance: clean, friendly places where the really good baristas know the customers by name and favorite beverage. It's a mix of the familiar, the intimate, and the anonymous. Inspired by the arrival of a new laptop, author Judith Cullen began a weekly ritual in 2014 of spending Friday mornings in a local coffee shop. The result of this common literary practice was fruitful, with inspirations reflecting from...

Some journeys are measured in city blocks, and some can only be measured by how they change your life. In this new collection in the "Trio Tales Series" the stories are focused on journeys, large and small, which take unexpected turns or which lead to unanticipated places. In "The Unexpected Path" little seven year old Ann thinks she knows best and takes an alternate route to travel the block and a half to school in the middle of a harsh mid-western winter. It all goes well, until she gets stuck in the snow. In "The Empire Builder" a young woman leaves her home and family to journey to a...

What really creeps you out? These stories feature the unknown, unseen, unexplainable, and unexpected. They won't horrify you, but you may begin to feel uneasy, get that prickly feeling on your skin that causes you to rub your arms and look around for what might be lurking. They may inspire you to check under your bed at night, make certain your closet door is securely latched and your windows locked. "The Blackberry & Other Tales That Creep" features four unique short story adventures by Judith Cullen, with illustrations for "The Blackberry" & Gorak the Gobbler" by well-known cartoonist and...