Ripples evade us Traveling beyond our eye Touching shores unknown *** In this photo is my Turkish coffee from our latest visit to my mother-in-law’s. Her mother was known across Serbia as an expert in reading coffee grounds and tea leaves (tasseography); people would travel for days just to consult with her. As a result, we drink (at least) one cup with my mother-in-law every time we’re in town and see what the grounds have to say. More on that in a moment. During the pandemi

Lately I've been working on a variety of short stories in order to keep improving my writing skills as I work on long-term professional projects. Thrilled to share that one of those stories has found a home! My speculative fiction tale about a punishing deal with the devil, "With You," is now published in HamLit's 2020 Summer Issue: Second Place. This piece started as a terrifying nightmare that forced me awake in the middle of the night. One thought lingered as I wiped sleep