iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

October started yesterday with temps in the 80s, because sometimes that’s how we roll in NE Ohio. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to fall. #October #fall #amriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Donkey Coffee in Athens, OH (near Ohio University) recently commissioned my son Jack to provide artwork to display in the shop. These are just a few samples. Looking forward to driving there in a couple weeks to see it all in person. #DonkeyCoffee #OhioUniversity #AthensOH #surrealart

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Finally! My copies of FREEFORM FLINCH, the new anthology from #FlinchBooks. The lineup Includes “Misfit Justice,” my tale of three individuals with enhanced abilities, doing what they can to make their corner of the world a less threatening place. www.amazon.com/Freeform-Fli... #smallpresspublishing

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

This weekend’s Saturday Night Noir (from 1942). A tangled but intriguing mix of political intrigue, a love triangle, racketeering and murder. Based on the 1931 Dashiell Hammett novel of the same name. #TheGlassKey #VeronicaLake #AlanLadd #filmmoir

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Mail call! A bit of police procedural film noir from 1948, starring Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart and Don Taylor. The film was adapted for television a decade later and ran as a weekly series on the ABC network for four seasons and 138 episodes. #TheNakedCity #filmnoir

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Writers: I haven’t asked this in a while, but what’s everyone working on this weekend? Me: Two magazine articles, a blog post, and a novel that I’ve been trying to wrestle to the ground for more than a year. You: ?? #writing #amwriting #writinglife

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Reposted by John C. Bruening

Win Scott Eckert ☄️ 🦖🐍🐒🦀🐢🐘🦕🦣🦞🦒🦍🌞🌛🗻🪐💫(He/Him) @woldnewton.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Hey, I’m in this one! Mayhem and murder in 1901 London. Ageless femme fatale criminal mastermind and her acolyte Madame Sara (from Meade & Eustace’s stories in The Strand Magazine, 1899-1901). Check it out!

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

New! Volume 2 of SHUDDER STORIES, from Becky Books! Featuring “Green Ghost,” a novella by Jim Beard (@writerjimbeard.bsky.social), with short stories by Win Scott Eckert (@woldnewton.bsky.social), Laura E. Perez, and me. www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFYWHJV3 #ShudderStories #horrorfiction #BeckyBooks

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I’ll be in Avon, OH (about 23 miles west of downtown Cleveland) next Sunday afternoon with lots of books to sell and sign. And there will be 99 other authors there too, representing various genres and subgenres. Stop in and say hello! #NorthCoastIndieAuthorBookExpo #indieauthor #indiepublishing

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The most amateurish photo of the World Trade Center that you’ll see all day, taken by me in the summer of 1986. My story (via the link) of where I was and what I was doing on the morning of 9/11/01, and how I’ve tried to navigate through the world in the years since. jcbruening.com/twenty-five/

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

These three guys — along with an entire crew of 23rd-century explorers and adventurers — made their debut on network television sixty years ago this week. Some memories of my first experience of Star Trek via the link. jcbruening.com/still-going-... #StarTrek #StarTrek60

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Mail call! I’ve watched this one many times since its original release in 1987, and I’ll be watching it again soon as research for an article I’m writing. (And even if it weren’t for research purposes, it’s still an overdue addition to my movie library.) #TheUntouchables #KevinCostner #SeanConnery

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

FREEFORM FLINCH, from #FlinchBooks, is a collection of ten tales — including “Misfit Justice,” by yours truly. No hard and fast genre restrictions here, just a snapshot of what happens when you let ten imaginative storytellers off the leash. Available now via the link. www.amazon.com/Freeform-Fli...

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I’ve seen this movie numerous times since I was a kid. Released sixty years ago (August 1966), it was an ambitious bit of Cold War sci-fi that has held up over time. A few memories in the link. jcbruening.com/inside-job/ #FantasticVoyage #sciencefiction #sciencefictioncinema

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Tony Bennett was born 100 years ago this month (August 3, 1926). Sinatra once called him “the best singer in the business.” The link connects to a story that goes from rags to riches (more than once). jcbruening.com/the-best-in-... #TonyBennett #TonyBennettCentennial #GreatAmericanSongbook

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I’ll be in Avon, Ohio (about 23 miles west of downtown Cleveland) on Sunday, September 20, for the North Coast Indie Author Book Expo. If you’re anywhere in the area that afternoon, stop in and say hello. #NorthCoastIndieAuthorBookExpo #indieauthor #indiepublishing #smallpresspublishing #amwriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

My haul from Pulpfest 2026 last week. Stories by authors from 1940 up to the modern day: @craigmmcdonald.bsky.social, David Goodis, Regan MacArthur (writing as Clint Reno), Joe Wilson (writing as C.J. Calder), and Robert Sidney Bowen (writing as Barry Barton). #Pulpfest #pulp #amreading #amwriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

A 25-year veteran of the Cuyahoga County Public Library is retiring. She’s been a positive force in the NE Ohio writing community for more than a decade. Read about her via the link to my blog. jcbruening.com/the-write-la... #CuyahogaCountyPublicLibrary #amwriting #writingcommunity #writingife

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Sixty years ago today (July 18, 1966), guitarist Bobby Fuller was found dead in a car outside of his Hollywood apartment. But “I Fought the Law,” recorded by the Bobby Fuller Four in October 1965, lives forever. jcbruening.com/bobby-fuller... #BobbyFuller #BobbyFullerFour #IFoughtTheLaw #TexMexRock

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

This guy got on Japanese TV sixty years ago today (July 17, 1966) and launched a crusade to protect the earth from kaiju. I share some memories (via the link) of a giant intergalactic hero whom I discovered when I was in kindergarten. jcbruening.com/using-the-be... #Ultraman #kaiju #JapaneseTV

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

My first novel published ten years ago today (July 5, 2016). Check out the link for a look back at the origin of a masked hero and the early days of an ambitious little publishing company called Flinch Books. jcbruening.com/ten-past-mid... #TheMidnightGuardian #FlinchBooks #smallpresspublishing

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Remembering that other day — almost 170 years after 1776 — when we took a stand for the cause of freedom and changed the course of history. jcbruening.com/the-eyes-of-... #DDay #IndependenceDay #freedom

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Mail call! The 1944 noir classic starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. Based on the 1936 James M. Cain novel of the same name, and nominated for seven Academy Awards. #DoubleIndemnity #FredMacMurray #BarbaraStanwyck #EdwardGRobinson #filmnoir #classicfilm

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Unsolicited advice for writers: Your name, your brand and your reputation are all connected. If an interaction of any kind is threatening any or all of the above, that’s an alarm you should be listening to. Never hesitate to shut that shit down. ASAP. #writinglife #boundaries

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Mail call! “There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission…” Season One (September 1963 to May 1964) #TheOuterLimits #classictelevision

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

My teenage memories of CBS Radio Mystery Theater (1974-1982). jcbruening.com/resurrected-... #CBSRadioMysteryTheater #radiodrama #oldtimeradio

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Writers: The weekend is upon us. What are we working on? Me: Too many things (one novel, two short stories of my own, edits to a handful of stories by other writers scheduled for an upcoming anthology). You: ??? #amwriting #writingcommunity #writinglife

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Mail call! A collection of short stories by a contentious little Cleveland native who turned out to be one of the most innovative and talented writers of his generation. #HarlanEllison #speculativefiction #sciencefiction #amreading #amwriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

My recap of ShortCon 2026 this past weekend in Alexandria, VA. jcbruening.com/short-report/ #ShortCon #crimefiction #shortfiction #amwriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

RetroFan Magazine #45 (July 2026) includes my article about Billy Blastoff, a space-themed toy that was popular from its initial holiday roll-out in 1968 until about 1971 or ‘72. Billy was under my tree in ‘68, and he’s still one of my favorite childhood memories. #BillyBlastoff #RetroFanMagazine

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

I posted a Q&A on my blog (see the link below) with author Paul Malmont about his 2006 novel, THE CHINATOWN DEATH CLOUD PERIL, published twenty years ago this week. Big thanks to Paul for graciously taking the time to do this. jcbruening.com/chinatown-re... #PaulMalmont #TheChinatownDeathCloudPeril

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Mail call! Book one in @MRuthMyers’ series about Depression-era private detective Maggie Sullivan. I’ve actually been meaning to check out this series for several years now. #mruthmyers #crimefiction #detectivefiction #amreading #amwriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

I’ll be here in two weeks, on the eve of ShortCon, the annual one-day workshop in Alexandria, VA, for writers of short crime and mystery fiction. Looking forward to seeing some of the friends I made last year and hopefully making a few new ones. #NoirAtTheBar #ShortCon #crimefiction #amwriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Mail call! The complete television series based on novelist Ed McBain’s long-running series of 87th Precinct novels. The show originally aired from September 1961 to April 1962. That’s a couple years before I was even born, but I’ve always been curious to see it. #EdMcBain #classicTV #crimefiction

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

That moment when your editor gives you an extension on your short story deadline, not because you asked for it but because it happens to work better for his production schedule — and you were ready to make the original deadline work but you’re relieved as hell to have the extra time. #amwriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

This week marks filmmaker Roger Corman’s centennial (April 5, 1926). I share a little bit in my blog about my earliest memory of Corman’s work and his impact on American film in the latter half of the 20th century. jcbruening.com/roger-corman... #RogerCorman #independentfilm

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

This guy essentially owes his existence to a mistake in public perception, and yet he’s figured out a way to stick around for 95 years. My blog post about the hasty, somewhat backward origin of “that Shadow character.” jcbruening.com/a-shadow-tak... #TheShadow #pulpheroes #pulpfiction

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

After several weeks of researching and wordsmithing, the 3K-word magazine article (3,335, to be exact) is in the hands of the editor. Tomorrow I dive back into the other three or four projects that are due in May and June. #amwriting #writinglife

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Mail call! The complete television series (119 episodes, 1959-1963) on DVD. This is actually part of some research for a writing project that will get into high gear later this year. (Sometimes the research can be the most fun part.) #TheUntouchables #RobertStack #EliotNess #classicTV

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

The first installment of my interview with Grace Ximenez has been posted on her Pulp Underground discussion forum. This was a lengthy but fun Q&A. #writing #amwriting #writinglife pulpunderground.proboards.com/thread/503/i...

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

It’s been a while since I’ve tossed this one out to the #writingcommunity, but what’s everyone working on this weekend? Me: A novel, a couple short stories, a magazine article, some editing, a blog post that will go online in a couple days. You: ??? #writing #amwriting #writinglife

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Flinch Books, the small press I co-founded, will be a sponsor at this year’s ShortCon, a one-day conference in Alexandria, VA, for writers of short crime fiction. To register for the June 6 conference, follow the link below. www.eastcoastcrime.com#/

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

March is International Small Press Month. Show some love to the smaller and lesser-known publishers that are operating outside of the mainstream to create engaging and entertaining books that deserve your support. #NationalSmallPressMonth #smallpresspublishing #indiepublishing #amwriting

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

“Bye Bye Blackbird” was written 100 years ago by Ray Henderson and Mort Dixon. It has since become a jazz and pop standard that’s been reinterpreted by hundreds of artists. Check out the link for a bit of musical history. jcbruening.com/the-long-goo... #ByeByeBlackbird #jazz #GreatAmericanSongbook

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

This weekend I’m writing about a 100-year-old jazz standard, a writer who turned pseudoscience into a cottage industry, and a masked hero who takes on an army of giant robots. If you’re looking for some kind of thread to tie all that together, don’t bother. #amwriting #writingcommunity #writinglife

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Question for the writers as we head into another weekend: Are you generally more productive during long stretches of extreme weather, or do things like crippling cold temps or suffocating heat and humidity tend to shut you down? #amwriting #writingcommunity #writinglife

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

I’m a little late to this party (it originally aired on Hulu in 2016, but I’m watching it on Netflix), but I’m three episodes in and really enjoying it. I already want to read the 2011 novel by Stephen King (who was one of the executive producers). #11.22.63 #StephenKing #JamesFranco

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Born 120 years ago today (January 22, 1906): Pulp writer Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian, Kull the Conqueror and other fantasy heroes. This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the REH biopic, THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. jcbruening.com/hollywood-ho... #RobertEHoward #TheWholeWideWorld

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John C. Bruening @jcbruening.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Every day. All of us. Preferably toward a better place. #MartinLutherKingJr

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