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Break a Leg!

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 Hello and Happy Summer!  I've always been one of those people who tells friends to "break a leg" before a big performance, presentation, or event. To me, it was simply a fun way of wishing someone good luck. Recently, though, someone called me out on it. "Why would you tell someone to break a leg?" they asked. It was a fair question, and it sent me down a rabbit hole to find out where the phrase actually came from. The explanation I'd always heard was rooted in theater superstition. Actors and actresses were believed to be wary of wishing each other "good luck." The thinking was that openly hoping for success might somehow tempt fate and cause the performance to go badly. So instead, performers would say the opposite: "break a leg." By wishing something seemingly unfortunate, they hoped the reverse would happen and the show would be a success. It's a charming story, and one that has been repeated for years. But as I dug a little deep...

"In Thin Air" - Installment Eight - The Edge

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  PREFACE During the Victorian era, “penny magazines”—often called penny dreadfuls—revolutionized storytelling. These serialized thrillers were sold in weekly installments for just a penny, bringing suspenseful tales to the working class and transforming fiction from an elite luxury into an affordable pastime for the masses. Today, in the Information Age—somewhere between TikTok scrolls and rapidly shrinking attention spans—I’m resurrecting the spirit of the penny dreadful. But this time, it’s completely free , delivered right here on my blog. So without further ado… (drumroll please) Welcome to my first serialized short story of "In Thin Air":  Installment Eight The Edge The drive to the trailhead took almost an hour. Snow still clung to the higher elevations, lingering in patches beneath the pine trees. Daniel drove with one hand on the wheel and the other resting casually on the center console. For a while they talked about ordinary things. Work. Travel. The absurd price o...

"In Thin Air" - Installment Seven - Trust Me

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  PREFACE During the Victorian era, “penny magazines”—often called penny dreadfuls—revolutionized storytelling. These serialized thrillers were sold in weekly installments for just a penny, bringing suspenseful tales to the working class and transforming fiction from an elite luxury into an affordable pastime for the masses. Today, in the Information Age—somewhere between TikTok scrolls and rapidly shrinking attention spans—I’m resurrecting the spirit of the penny dreadful. But this time, it’s completely free , delivered right here on my blog. So without further ado… (drumroll please) Welcome to my first serialized short story of "In Thin Air":  Installment Seven Trust Me  The Monday after the snowstorm, Front Range Energy felt aggressively normal. Phones rang. Printers hummed. Grant in accounting was microwaving salmon again like it was a personal attack on the entire office. Caroline sat at her desk staring blankly at a spreadsheet while her coffee went cold besid...

"In Thin Air" - Installment Six - The Basement Door

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  PREFACE During the Victorian era, “penny magazines”—often called penny dreadfuls—revolutionized storytelling. These serialized thrillers were sold in weekly installments for just a penny, bringing suspenseful tales to the working class and transforming fiction from an elite luxury into an affordable pastime for the masses. Today, in the Information Age—somewhere between TikTok scrolls and rapidly shrinking attention spans—I’m resurrecting the spirit of the penny dreadful. But this time, it’s completely free , delivered right here on my blog. So without further ado… (drumroll please) Welcome to my first serialized short story of "In Thin Air":  Installment Six The Basement Door By the time Caroline reached Daniel’s house, snow had started falling through the mountains in slow, drifting sheets. The chalet glowed warmly against the darkening hillside, golden light spilling from the windows like something out of a luxury vacation catalog. It looked safe. Expensive. Normal. She ...

"In Thin Air" - Installment Five - The Chalet

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  PREFACE During the Victorian era, “penny magazines”—often called penny dreadfuls—revolutionized storytelling. These serialized thrillers were sold in weekly installments for just a penny, bringing suspenseful tales to the working class and transforming fiction from an elite luxury into an affordable pastime for the masses. Today, in the Information Age—somewhere between TikTok scrolls and rapidly shrinking attention spans—I’m resurrecting the spirit of the penny dreadful. But this time, it’s completely  free , delivered right here on my blog. So without further ado…  (drumroll please) Welcome to my first serialized short story of "In Thin Air":  Installment Five The Chalet By the time Caroline’s GPS told her to turn off the highway, the city had already disappeared behind her. The road narrowed, winding upward through dense pine trees and quiet stretches of mountain air that felt a little too empty for comfort. Daniel had texted earlier: You’ll love the view. As h...

"In Thin Air" - Installment Four - The Article

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   PREFACE During the Victorian era, “penny magazines”—often called penny dreadfuls—revolutionized storytelling. These serialized thrillers were sold in weekly installments for just a penny, bringing suspenseful tales to the working class and transforming fiction from an elite luxury into an affordable pastime for the masses. Today, in the Information Age—somewhere between TikTok scrolls and rapidly shrinking attention spans—I’m resurrecting the spirit of the penny dreadful. But this time, it’s completely  free , delivered right here on my blog. So without further ado…  (drumroll please) Welcome to my first serialized short story of "In Thin Air": Installment Four The Article The lunchroom at Front Range Energy always smelled like reheated leftovers and burnt coffee. Caroline sat across from Jenna at one of the tables by the window, picking at a salad she wasn’t particularly interested in eating. Outside, downtown Denver looked bright and normal. Sunlight bounced ...

"In Thin Air" - Installment Three - The Second Date

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  PREFACE During the Victorian era, “penny magazines”—often called penny dreadfuls—revolutionized storytelling. These serialized thrillers were sold in weekly installments for just a penny, bringing suspenseful tales to the working class and transforming fiction from an elite luxury into an affordable pastime for the masses. Today, in the Information Age—somewhere between TikTok scrolls and rapidly shrinking attention spans—I’m resurrecting the spirit of the penny dreadful. But this time, it’s completely  free , delivered right here on my blog. So without further ado…  (drumroll please) Welcome to my first serialized short story of "In Thin Air": Installment Three The Second Date                                                                          Daniel picked the place. A dim bar do...