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,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Sweetwater Trail, flower pics, and a fresh batch of memes (Weekend Coffee Share #34)

    April 15, 2022 /

    Good morning and happy Friday! It’s an abso-freakin-lutely gorgeous morning down here in Satan’s Anus–54 and sunny, heading for a high of 88. But it looks like Weather Bragging Season is just about over–we’re supposed to hit 96 on Monday. *sigh* I’ve had a pretty routine week so nothing exciting to share, just the usual: desert pics, garden pics, and a steaming hot pile of memes. But before we get to all that: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. She has flower pix this week too, and they are *gorgeous*! Grab a drink, pull up a seat, and let’s get to it.

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    Janet Alcorn

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    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

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

    March 4, 2022
  • 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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    Flowers and Sunsets–and a Tragedy on my Campus

    October 7, 2022

    Agua Caliente County Park + 80s fun (Weekend Coffee Share #24)

    February 4, 2022
    Creosote, teddy bear cholla, ocotillo, and saguaros in foreground with rust-brown colored mountain in background in late afternoon light

    New story published, Organ Pipe Cactus trip, blog recap, recap, and New Years memes (Weekend Coffee Share #20)

    January 8, 2022
  • 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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    Collage featuring logos for BlueSky and Threads, photos of a spool of blue thread and a blue sky, and screenshots of Janet Alcorn's profiles on BlueSky and Threads

    Threads and BlueSky: New Social Media Options for Writers

    October 31, 2023
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    Are holidays for rest or productivity?

    December 7, 2022
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    20 years of blogging: a look back

    April 2, 2024
  • 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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    photo of candle-lit formal dinner setting similar to where most of the action takes place in my short story, "The Fourth Man"

    “The Fourth Man” won a prize!

    December 22, 2023
    Part of cover image for Deathlehem 2022 holiday horror anthology showing skeletal monster in Santa suit sticking clawed fingers into Santa's eyes

    Holiday horror short story published in Deathlehem anthology!

    December 31, 2022

    New short story published in Trouble in Tucson

    March 9, 2023
  • 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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    Joshua Tree Forest, writing news, books, and more pandemic memes (Weekend Coffee Share #30)

    March 18, 2022

    Dispatch from Up North, Part 2: Bootleg Lake, Arizona

    September 30, 2022

    Tucson Botanical Gardens + April review + a fresh batch of memes

    April 30, 2022
  • 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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    Closeup of Camille Pissarro rose, red and yellow stripes toward the center, red and pink stripes toward the edges.

    Camille Pissarro Rose (#FOTD)

    October 17, 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
    Yellow blossoms that look like calla lillies rising from lily-like green leaves, spattered with raindrops

    Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)

    January 20, 2022
  • 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

    You May Also Like

    Yellow blossoms that look like calla lillies rising from lily-like green leaves, spattered with raindrops

    Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)

    January 20, 2022

    Paying the price for my procrastination

    June 3, 2022

    Snow in Tucson and the monthly book round-up

    February 17, 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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    Neon sign that reads BOOZE BEDS FOOD

    Gratitude, wins and losses, and weird Bisbee (Weekend Coffee Share #9)

    October 10, 2021
    Cars on freeway heading into wall of clouds and dust

    Risking my life for new bookcases

    August 19, 2022
    Pueblo ruin, stacked red sandstone, showing multiple rooms and windows

    The Ancient Pueblo Ruins of Wupatki National Monument

    July 6, 2021
  • 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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    Podcast appearance, Michigan trip, and books

    June 17, 2023

    Sunset on the Santa Catalinas

    September 15, 2023

    California Delta Part 1: Paradise Cut (+Books! and Memes!)

    January 22, 2023
  • 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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    Sentinel Peak, Enchanted Hills, and Valentine’s Day nonsense (Weekend Coffee Share #25)

    February 11, 2022

    A Visit to Mission San Xavier del Bac

    July 14, 2023

    Flowers and Sunsets–and a Tragedy on my Campus

    October 7, 2022
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