black cat – WordyNerdBird

Why Friday the 13th Is A Good Day

Far from being unlucky, Friday the 13th is a day that I have reason to enjoy.

March 13, 2020 wordynerdbirdLeave a comment

Happy Friday the 13th!

I suppose most people are superstitious about something, but for me, this one is a matter of perspective.

My fictional black cat, Friday, leapt into existence on a Friday the 13th. From that first creepy story, he grew into a creature with a mind of his own — like all cats, really— and a killer sense of justice that springs into action whenever someone is behaving very badly. With a twitch of his tail, magic happens and horrible people get what’s coming to them in the most macabre ways. It’s all very satisfying… but of course, punishing people fictionally is like that.

I so wish Friday was real. There are days when I wish I had someone like that to deliver a dose of poetic justice to someone who particularly deserves it. “This looks like a job for Friday!” has become a catchphrase between my best friends and myself, which comes in quite handy at those times when you can’t express how we feel about someone or a situation as honestly as we might like to.

I don’t really believe in luck, and I certainly don’t think certain days or black cats are bad luck.

I enjoy Friday the 13th because it reminds me that sometimes great things grow out of chance ideas. And, it’s fair to say, it beats most Mondays hands down.

Friday appears in Curious Things and Curious Times by Joanne Van Leerdam. Widely available in all online stores in paperback and ebook.

Curious Times Ahead.

There are, indeed, some very Curious Times to come.

September 20, 2018September 29, 2018 wordynerdbird4 Comments

A year ago, my character Friday didn’t exist. He didn’t appear in my imagination until Friday 13th of October, when I wrote a spooky piece of flash fiction featuring a black cat. At that time, I didn’t expect it would be any more than that.

Friday had other ideas. He showed up again the next day, and the next, and the day after that, too. By Halloween, I had written thirteen macabre stories featuring Friday, a magical black cat with a penchant for poetic justice.

“A lovely collection of tales, overseen by a
cat who defends his person with almighty
power. A little gory, and a lot killy. ;-)”

Playing with common superstitions, the old proverb “curiosity killed the cat” and the strange events that happen in the stories, I titled the book of these collected stories ‘Curious Things’.

Of course, it’s not the magical cat who ends up in trouble. It’s the people who allow their curiosity, dishonesty or greed to get them into bad situations who find themselves on the wrong end of Friday’s magic.

Friday was, quite naturally, rather pleased. He purred his way onto bookshelves, rubbed against the ankles of those browsing the YA, paranormal and horror bookshelves, and wrapped his sleek black tail around readers’ hearts.

“This cat is like Karma on four legs.”

He enjoyed the attention and adulation of his fans so much, he began to demand I write some more stories for him. Being a cat, he’s most accustomed to getting what he wants. And so, Friday’s next book, titled ‘Curious Times’ is due to be released in early October, right on time for Halloween reading!

I’m very excited to reveal the cover of ‘Curious Times’ right here, for the first time!

Curious Times Cover eBook

‘Curious Times’ will be available in all major and some minor digital stores, and widely available as a paperback.

Stay tuned on social media and this blog for an announcement of the book’s release!

The Day After Friday.

After the fury of writing 13 short stories on a theme in 16 days between Friday 13th and Halloween, in addition to working and meeting various other commitments as a responsible adult, I spent a day deliberately not writing anything. My brain was fritzed.

November 2, 2017 wordynerdbirdLeave a comment

November 1st was a strange day for this writer. After the fury of writing 13 short stories on a theme in 16 days between Friday 13th and Halloween, in addition to working and meeting various other commitments as a responsible adult, I spent a day deliberately not writing anything. My brain was fritzed.

What I originally thought was just going to be the one mildly horrific story on Friday 13th turned into a series of 13 short horror stories featuring a black cat named Friday with a penchant for curious events. That darned cat just took over, and kept on presenting me with situations and superstitions to explore and present in different ways. I guess I should have expected that, given how cats tend to have a mind of their own and do whatever they please, regardless of what people think.

I also confess to having fallen in love with Friday. He’s affectionate, loyal and feisty. He’s mysterious – it’s never really clear whether he’s entirely responsible for the things that happen, or whether he’s a catalyst for some greater force of justice, but he’s always there when strange things happen. Either way, I’ve loved having him around.

Promo Friday Stories copy
Friday’s stories are available to read for free at WordyNerdBird Writes until 11.59pm EST on Friday, November 3rd.
After that, they’ll be appearing in a book at some time in the future. I’d love to have you read them and leave a comment or two in response.