I have just had the privilege of publishing my second short story, “The Pin,” on the Academy of the Heart and Mind website (on September 19, 2025). This was a fun story to write and revise – much more fun to revise than the novel I am currently working on. The inspiration for the story was a small pin, pictured at left, that has been in my jewelry box since I can remember. I don’t know where it came from, but I am guessing it was my grandmother’s or one of my great aunt’s and somewhere along the line it came to me. I never wear it, but I can’t seem to donate it either. What is an author to do? I wrote about it. It sat on my desk and I started asking questions: whose is it? is it gifted to someone? from whom and to whom? did they like it? I decided to make it a gift from a man to his girlfriend, but not a special occasion gift. I wondered if she would like it; if she would wear it. Then I had to dive deeper into their characters to discover who they were, what they did, what choices they make, and why. Short stories are great exercises in character development. I enjoy short stories with less plot and more character, and settings that are ordinary but “off” somehow. (Link to “The Pin” on the about me page.)