by Marian Exall | Aug 7, 2026 | Musings
I have been preoccupied with war lately. Front of mind: the on-again, off-again senseless hostilities with Iran, and the interminable deadly stalemate in Ukraine. (VOTE, people, VOTE: it’s the least you can do!) Other conflicts continuing in Gaza, Lebanon,... 
by Marian Exall | Mar 6, 2026 | Musings
I enjoy the annual NYCMidnight short story competition. Writers are assigned a genre, a subject and a character, and have 2,500 words and a week to craft their effort. Only once have I been assigned a genre I’m comfortable with—historical fiction—but... 
by Marian Exall | Feb 2, 2026 | Musings
Sisu is the Finnish word for grit, resilience, and determination in facing difficulty. According to a Seattle Times story in January, the concept has its origins in Finland’s resistance to the Soviet Union during the Second World War. It continues today in a... 
by Marian Exall | Sep 24, 2025 | Musings
My sixth novel, Loners, will be published on October 13. Whaaat?! How did that happen?! I remember the thrill of holding my first book baby, A Slippery Slope, in 2012: “Now I can die happy!” I’d self-published the mystery, and when I say... 
by Marian Exall | Aug 15, 2025 | Musings
Romance with a side of eye-roll. For several years, along with thousands of other writers worldwide, I have entered the NYC Midnight short story competition. I love the challenge of writing 2,500 words in a randomly-assigned genre within a week. Stretching outside my... 
by Marian Exall | Aug 1, 2025 | Musings
“John had great big waterproof boots on…” So begins a children’s poem written by A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh. These are also the first words of my new mystery, Loners, to be published by The Wild Rose Press on October 13, 2025. The...
