Regular Criminal Brief commentator alisa dollar says of herself: Published in Range Riter Anthology; Daily Devotions for Writers; weekly “slice-of-life” article in the Frankston Citizen News; and an online sci-fi anthology. Day job – Assistant to the Director of Water Resources Center at Texas Tech University. Married 41 years to the only man who willingly […]

FACEBOOK ’EM, DANNO by Deborah Elliott-Upton I have friends. Or at least I’m told I do on facebook.com My virtually-minded friends said, “Everyone is doing it,” and although Mom always said I didn’t need to do what everyone else was doing, I joined. Just as I became one of the Facebook group, the Facebook group […]

PAST FUTURE by Deborah Elliott-Upton Monday night I spent an evening with Maya Angelou. Okay, so it wasn’t just the two of us. It was the two of us and about another couple of thousand, give or take a few. Listening to her, it seemed as if the two of us were having a conversation […]

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND by Deborah Elliott-Upton It was a cool day and very clear. You could see a long way – but not as far as Velma had gone. – —Farewell, My Lovely “Tall, aren’t you?” she said. “I didn’t mean to be.” Her eyes rounded. She was puzzled. She was thinking. I could see, […]

IT’S ONLY WORDS by Deborah Elliott-Upton It’s only words, but words are all I have to steal your heart away. At least that’s how I remember the lyrics. The point is: I do remember the meaning of the lyrics and even the tune. (Admit it: it’s now in your head, too!) I’ve always wanted to […]

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE by Deborah Elliott-Upton “Hold my calls, Velma,” I said as I grabbed my trench coat and the new Fedora sent to me by an anonymous benefactor. “Even the ones from Stephen King?” she asked, the cigarette holder languishing from her fingers like a permanent extension. I sighed. “Is he […]

FINDING NIRVANA by Deborah Elliott-Upton “Yes, there is a Nirvana; it is leading your sheep to a green pasture, and in putting your child to sleep, and in writing the last line of your poem.” – Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) In the interview I conducted a couple of weeks ago, I asked a multi-award winning author […]