A redundant expression is an expression where each word in the expression means basically the same thing. For example: If you attend the opening, you will receive a free gift. Free gift is a redundant expression. Think about that for a moment. A gift is something that is given to you at no charge. When something is free,…
Would you be protected by arches or archers? Would an area or an aria be sung in an opera? Does a knight wear armoire or armor? Would you hire three assistance or three assistants to help you with your work? Do you have to write an assay or an essay for your history class? arches,…
The English language is full of confusing words, and they become even more confusing when you don’t always see them used the right way. Lead and led are two words that are often used the wrong way. He lead the horse to the stall. He led the horse to the stall. Which one of the…
Claire lives in Aztlan, a land of magic. Haunted by memories of her mother’s violent death that she witnessed when she was only five years old, Claire is now twenty-five. The time has come to make a final decision about whether or not she wishes to follow in her mother’s footsteps, in the footsteps of…
Did you realize that lightning and lightening have different meanings? I used to think that either one could be used to describe the flashing light show that takes place during a thunderstorm. Then I took the time to look up the word lightening and discovered just how wrong I was. The lesson learned? Don’t ever…
The homeless people in Isla Vista, California are disappearing. The ducks are vanishing from the park, and the rats are disappearing. The disappearance of the rat population is a welcome thing, but the ducks? A homeless man searches through the trash for food. The piece of meat he finds isn’t exactly what he had expected…
Does your worst day even begin to compare with the day that Ian is about to have? Ian’s life goes from bad to worse when he walks into a coffee shop located inside a bank to apply for a job. While he is filling out the application, the bank is robbed by the infamous Busty…
Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night is a book of short stories. Each of the stories is about relationships. They tell about the mistakes made, words misunderstood, and the resulting misadventures had. All of the stories revolve around life in Santa Barbara. This book has twelve short stories. One…
When you are bitten by a snake, do you need an anecdote or an antidote? Do math students learn how to measure an angel or an angle? Would you be taken on a picnic by your aunt or your ant? anecdote, antidote An anecdote is a story. Jerry had an anecdote to share about every situation in…
Can anyone ever escape his or her past? “Hello, Sin.” That whisper sent her into a panic. How could someone have found her? Identities have been changed. Now known as Will and Diana, Sin and Lee have moved to a new place and have new jobs. Diana (Sin) is a police officer; Will (Lee) is…
