Janet Alcorn

Janet Alcorn

Suspense | Horror | Romance

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Short story “Proof Text” published in Kings River Life

My short story, “Proof Text,” was just published in Kings River Life! “Proof Text” is a short suspense piece about an exhausted farm wife who must finish one essential chore.…

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March 11, 2025

“The Fourth Man” won a prize!

My short story, “The Fourth Man,” won second prize in the Arizona Mystery Writers annual short story contest! The Jim Martin Memorial Short Story Contest recognizes short mystery, suspense, and…

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December 22, 2023

Writing Your Own Destiny (interview on the Mysterious Goings-On podcast)

Want to learn how to start writing fiction and use short stories to further your writing career? In a recent interview I did for the Mysterious Goings-On podcast, I talk…

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December 10, 2023
  • Arizona,  Garden,  Photos,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Spring has sprung! (Weekend Coffee Share #33)

    April 8, 2022 /

    Good morning, happy Friday, and welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! It’s 59F and sunny right now, so let’s chat in the garden. Garden pictures Spring is in full swing out there, so I snapped a few pics before the inevitable hot weather wilts everything. The garden is a work in progress–and looks like it. This area was entirely covered in gravel when we bought the house in fall 2020. As you can see, we’re still constructing and planting, but at least it contains some green things: Some of those green things are actually blooming. The rose covered in flowers is Camille Pissarro. I’ve showed…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Brick path through trees with iron sculptures on either side

    Tucson Botanical Gardens and a few laughs (Weekend Coffee Share #15)

    November 21, 2021
    Spiny cactus with 2 pink flowers and one red bud emerging from top and sides. Petals are light pink around the edges with a dark pink stripe in the middle. Center of flowers is yellow with a green frond-like thing sprouting from the center.

    Pincushion cactus flower in Sabino Canyon outside Tucson, Arizona (#FOTD)

    August 10, 2021

    A Visit to Mission San Xavier del Bac

    July 14, 2023
  • IWSG,  Short Stories,  Writing

    My story became an audio drama (#IWSG)

    April 6, 2022 /
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    It’s the first Wednesday of the month, also known as IWSG Day. For those of you who are new to my warped corner of the interwebs, IWSG=Insecure Writers Support Group, a wonderful online community of, well, insecure writers. Once a month we organize our insecure selves into a blog hop, where we (you guessed it) share our insecurities. Or in my case, some of them. If I were to share all my insecurities, I’d fill a warehouse the size of that one at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark: If you’re as impatient as I am, skip to about 1:10 in the video above to see the warehouse…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    The most unethical practice in publishing

    August 5, 2025
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    What if I stopped writing?

    June 6, 2023
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    The importance of being influenced (#IWSG)

    February 2, 2022
  • Featured,  Short Stories

    “A Christmas Duet” is published in Harmony Magazine

    April 5, 2022 /
    Cover of 2022 issue of Harmony Magazine

    My short creative nonfiction piece about my mother’s last Christmas, “A Christmas Duet,” was just published in Harmony Magazine! I wrote the first draft right after visiting my mother on Christmas Day 2018. After a little revision and a lot of tears, I’m thrilled that this story has found a home. Harmony Magazine is a visual arts and literary journal published annually by the Medical Humanities department of the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Issues are available free online. You can find my story in the 2022 issue beginning on page 12. Note that it’s written under my real name, so now y’all know my not-so-secret identity. What’s “A…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    New short story published in Trouble in Tucson

    March 9, 2023
    Stable and horse fencing in a field of dry grass with a mountain in the background, taken outside Flagstaff, Arizona. This place inspired my short story, "Proof Text."

    Short story “Proof Text” published in Kings River Life

    March 11, 2025
    Orange bridge like a smaller version of the Golden Gate disappearing into grey fog. Setting for my award-winning mystery short story, "Walk Me Home."

    Check out my award-winning mystery story, “Walk Me Home”

    December 21, 2022
  • Arizona,  Photos,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Flagstaff, Writing Classes, and the last of the 2020 COVID memes (Weekend Coffee Share #32)

    April 1, 2022 /

    Good morning, and welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a drink, pull up a seat, and let’s get to it. Video of the Week I’ve spent the last several weeks inflicting 2020 COVID memes on y’all (see here, here, and here). We aren’t quite done yet, but before we get to the last batch, I have a treat for you. Trent McDonald, a fellow Weekend Coffee Sharer, created an excellent parody of “Yesterday” at the beginning of the pandemic. Thanks, Trent, for giving me permission to share your work here–I love it! Crisis truly inspires creativity. Writing News

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Cabin with orange-tan walls, redwood-colored trim, and a porch with 2 white chairs, trees behind and 2 garden beds in front

    Dispatch from Up North, Part 1: Salt River Canyon and Rainbow Lake

    September 23, 2022

    Late summer in Tucson–it’s hot and there are bats

    August 5, 2022
    Pueblo ruin, stacked red sandstone, showing multiple rooms and windows

    The Ancient Pueblo Ruins of Wupatki National Monument

    July 6, 2021
  • Flower of the Day,  Garden

    Maurice Utrillo rose in my Tucson garden (#FOTD)

    March 29, 2022 /
    Rose with red, yellow, and white stripes, yellow closer to the center and whiter at the edges

    It’s been awhile since I’ve participated in Cee’s Flower of the Day photo challenge. I need to get back to taking pictures of my garden now that spring is here. We just planted this Maurice Utrillo rose last weekend. It’s part of the Painters Collection of striped roses inspired by the French impressionists. We collect striped roses, at least as much as our small city garden allows. See more of our roses, most of them striped.

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    Janet Alcorn

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    We love our striped roses (#FOTD)

    August 11, 2021
    Closeup of velvet pod mimosa blooms in various stages, from buds to bright pink open flowers to faded light pink flowers

    Velvet-pod Mimosa (Mimosa dysocarpa)

    August 16, 2021
    Spiny cactus with 2 pink flowers and one red bud emerging from top and sides. Petals are light pink around the edges with a dark pink stripe in the middle. Center of flowers is yellow with a green frond-like thing sprouting from the center.

    Pincushion cactus flower in Sabino Canyon outside Tucson, Arizona (#FOTD)

    August 10, 2021
  • Garden,  Photos,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Garden pix and more COVID memes (Weekend Coffee Share #31)

    March 25, 2022 /

    Good morning and happy Friday! It’s supposed to be 91F today here at Camp WTF, and it’s still March. W.T.F. The worst part? In 2 months, I’ll be ready to kill for a day when it’s only 91. OK, I’ll stop whining. Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a drink, pull up a seat, and let’s get to it.

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Rose with red, yellow, and white stripes, yellow closer to the center and whiter at the edges

    Maurice Utrillo rose in my Tucson garden (#FOTD)

    March 29, 2022

    Website woes, garden pics and books

    April 24, 2022

    Flowers and birds and whining about the heat

    June 24, 2023
  • Arizona,  Photos,  Weekend Coffee Share,  What's On Your Bookshelf

    Joshua Tree Forest, writing news, books, and more pandemic memes (Weekend Coffee Share #30)

    March 18, 2022 /

    Last week I bored you with my trip to Vegas. This week I’m going to bore you with the drive home. Then we’ll talk books and time travel back to March 2020 for some more early pandemic memes. But first: welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and the What’s on Your Bookshelf Challenge, hosted by Deb, Sue, Donna, and Jo. Grab a drink, pull up a seat, and let’s get to it.

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    Janet Alcorn

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    A Visit to Mission San Xavier del Bac

    July 14, 2023

    Sentinel Peak, Enchanted Hills, and Valentine’s Day nonsense (Weekend Coffee Share #25)

    February 11, 2022
    meadow of dry grass in front of forested hills

    Lockett Meadow, writing news, memes, and more

    June 25, 2022
  • Photos,  Travel,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Vegas, baby! With a side order of pandemic memes (Weekend Coffee Share #29)

    March 11, 2022 /

    I spent my birthday in Vegas and won so much money, I’m going to retire early and write full-time. Just kidding. I did spend my birthday in Vegas, but I will not be retiring early, because I have absolutely terrible luck at gambling. Always have. Remember that line from the old Hee Haw song, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all?” Yeah, that’s me when I’m gambling. And if you’re too young to remember Hee Haw, consider yourself lucky and enjoy your lack of arthritis and hot flashes. Here’s what I’m talking about: You’re welcome. Before we go any further, welcome to the Weekend Coffee…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Nighttime view of entrance to Pike's Place Market including its iconic sign and clock

    An award-winning poem and a visit to Seattle

    November 11, 2023

    Flowers and Sunsets–and a Tragedy on my Campus

    October 7, 2022

    Fall Color in Sabino Canyon

    December 3, 2022
  • Arizona,  Photos,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum + how the hell did I get this old? (Weekend Coffee Share #28)

    March 4, 2022 /

    Monday is my birthday. I don’t normally get wigged out about birthdays, even milestone birthdays, but for some reason I’m a little bewildered by this one. Like, one minute I’m turning 40, celebrating with friends, convincing myself I’m not really that old, and the next minute I’m so old… Last week I shared that 70’s classic, Match Game, with you, so you should all know what to do now. Ready? Set? Go! HOW OLD ARE YOU? I’m so old: I get injured sleeping. I take pictures of small print on packaging so I can blow it up on my phone to read it. My joints and my digestion sound like…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Spring has sprung! (Weekend Coffee Share #33)

    April 8, 2022
    Pink cactus flower with white center

    Saguaro National Park 2: Critters and Flowers

    September 2, 2022

    A Visit to Mission San Xavier del Bac

    July 14, 2023
  • IWSG,  Writing

    I’m co-hosting the IWSG blog hop! (#IWSG)

    March 1, 2022 /
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    I’m so excited to be co-hosting the Insecure Writers Support Group monthly blog hop, along with Pat Garcia, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence! It’s my first time co-hosting any kind of blog hop, so like I do with every other new experience, I’m going to overthink it and write 17 drafts until the post is perfect. Just kidding. I’m going to do what I actually do with new experiences: dive in and flail around and probably look like an idiot but have a great time doing it (come to think of it, that sentence sums up my writing career quite nicely). Wanna come along for the ride? I have cookies…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    The most inspiring feedback I’ve ever received

    May 7, 2026
    The Etiquette of Voles by Karen McCoy

    My greatest fear as a writer–and a middle grade Victorian mystery

    May 6, 2025
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    How to keep writing when the writing gets tough

    June 1, 2022
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