storycomic.podbean.com/e/ep-501-ask...

Fun interview with a great Vermonter. Go give a listen

#writingcommunity #iraq #iran
trowbridgedispatch.iamaiken.com/p/stacy-from...
Thoughts of American Warriors engaged in Iraq during a 23 year war; expanded to Iran and beyond. An old campaigner’s hopes for peace.

Rampant, this is Squad 51 in bound with a 55 year old male experiencing ST elevation on the 12-lead EKG.

I think it is perfectly fine for dyslexics to write and even run for president.

STOLEN MOUNTAIN | Kirkus Reviews When a shady land developer starts stiffing local contractors, it’s up to EMS captain / amateur sleuth Brighid Doran to expose the scheme.

#booksky #writingcommunity
A book review. “Stolen Mountain” released while I was still in hospital following a significant oopsy.

“A smart and insightful little mystery that leaves a big impact.” <i>Kirkus Reviews</i>

www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

oldie but goodie!

One Author’s Quick Guide to Voice-Over Techniques Part 3 of Recording Audiobooks - tricks and techniques for doing your own voice-over of your audiobooks, by an author/narrator of 3 novels.

#writesky #booksky Author shares voice-over techniques for recording audiobooks.
open.substack.com/pub/imaiken/...

author recording audiobooks has images of mics, cables, and amps while discussing a setup for doing narration/voice-over work with Reaper to match ACX rules

#writingcommunity #booksky
author recording audiobooks describes a basic setup for voice-over/narration work. It discusses ACX, Reaper, and makes recommendations on mics, cables, and amps
www.iamaiken.org/p/author-rec...

Iraq 2006, Iran, Alaska Barriers, Sandbags, War

#writesky #booksky

My journal entry of 20 years ago. Me: beg description of war's end. Same as March 2026. Similar to 1898 & 1871 America. themes of my upcoming novel: "Captain Henry: 2½ Insurrections, 2 Wars, 1¼ Centuries and a Story of Love"

open.substack.com/pub/trowbrid...

#writesky #booksky
Phlebotomist- I’m reading your book.
-Oh, I am certain I don’t know what you are talking about. A book?
-The Little Ambulance War
-Humm? Shrug.
-I was on xxx ambulance service. You said it aloud.
-Did I?
So much for using a pseudonym to avoid any local recognition.

Substack and Censorship Don't like something on Substack, use mute feature or scroll to the next.

Don't like something, use Substack's mute feature. Substack succeeds because it does not censor. I shall defend your right to say whatever nonsense you want. I may chose not listen. It goes both ways. Freedoms are hard. #writesky #booksky #substack
open.substack.com/pub/imaiken/...

The Anxiety Knob Authors - climb through the page to adjust tension for your readers: up and down. As a panelist invited to discuss how writers create tension, I thought I'd drop an essay on the topic

#writesky #booksky
Authors - climb through the page to adjust tension for your readers: up and down. As a panelist invited to discuss how writers create tension, I thought I'd drop an essay on the topic
open.substack.com/pub/imaiken/...

Philosophy & the internet protocol superimposed on a shadow that looks like a human face in profile

#writersky #booksky One trick for dark, tough, miserable days. Winston Churchill called them Black Dog Days. Recognizing the humility of a data packet, I can sometimes navigate through such a day by looking at one destination/one step only

www.iamaiken.org/p/philosophy...

yes

If You Can, You Must When is too much, too much? The old saying is: If you can, you must. Is this still true? It is ok to walk away from EMS after decades of public service?

#writeSky Short story "When you can, you must" asks the question, when can a hero hang her cape and let others carry the burden?
open.substack.com/pub/trowbrid...

“Do you identify as disabled?” – & the confusion that followed

Asked recently if I "Identify" as disabled, I had to think, then write...
#ADA #writing #disability
open.substack.com/pub/imaiken/...

A few steps artists can take to enhance online privacy. The investment will benefit us all and likely save money.

open.substack.com/pub/imaiken/...

#writingcommunity

#1 Smile! (forgot)
Wonderful interview with Liliana @ Reslient Now Podcast about a first responder's and author's take on Resilience.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...

#2 Look at camera once in while (forgot)
#3 Make fun of self anyway (nailed it)

#booksky #writing

#writingcommunity #writing #booksky following a meeting with 2 dozen authors from North America and Africa yesterday, I recognized that every authentic author has a distinctive voice find yours - free yourself from genre and type.
www.iamaiken.org/p/authors-be...

Book excerpt: ‘The Little Ambulance War of Winchester County’ EMTs Aaron and Alex break the rules to bring humanity to the street-worn and war-torn

nice except of my novel “The Little Ambulance War of Winchester County” on an EMS magazine website: www.ems1.com/book-excerpt...

I. M. Aiken short stories 2025 01 cooking bacon with propane 2025 02 when johnny goes marching home 2025 03 firefighter's statue 2025 04 first corn 2025 05 the joker 2025 06 3 faces of raven 2025 07 the night the plane crashed 2025 08 kahlil's wall 2026 01 just another novels: 2024 The Little Ambulance War of Winchester County 2025 Stolen Mountain in pipeline for 2026 Captain Henry - a novel The Parable of the Lady Slipper - a novella on deck for 2027 sales and revenue???

#booksky #writesky
accidental podcast (thx substack). all y’all knew this but if you post an audio thingy there, it IS as podcast. on january tooth, i recognized I need to be more formal with seasons and episode #.
published 1 novel, 8 short stories. submitted 1 novel + 1 novella to Catalyst Press

waiting for a blackhawk 01jan2006 baghdad iraq

20 years ago - My boss (i have camera). each of us greet new year’s dawn. private caption “WTF”. public caption: waiting for a bird. today i still wonder wtf we did in Iraq (then and now). i do prefer peace. oh well, someday? happy new year

p.s. we're still there

#writingcommunity #booksky

"stolen Mountain" and "the Little ambulance war of Winchester County" made the winter book recommendation list from Vermont Public radio #VPR .. I was flattered by the description of "fun".

image of building in iraq 2006

a quick listen or read: a the story of shared work, shared accomplishments in 2006 Iraq called "Khalil's wall"
trowbridgedispatch.iamaiken.com/p/kahlils-wall
novel # 2 was published over a month ago. Please go buy "Stolen Mountain" wherever you buy your books, audio, or otherwise

Second novel STOLEN MOUNTAIN has a pub date of 23OCT2025. The usual flurry if reviewing final edits, reviewing PDFs before printing, reviewing cover designs, and standing in a room with book people happened. Suddenly, we're a go.
#booksky #writing #writingcommunity

KBO

Murmuration The sublime moment of feeling part of a rural EMS team working silently through a routine end-of-life 911 call.

short story anyone? 18 min written/audio trowbridgedispatch.iamaiken.com/p/murmuratio... #ems #booksky #shortstory

#writesky #startrek Congruency: An explanation in Wikipedia that the details about Spock "may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a particular audience."

thank you world, may this bring you joy too
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spock

Microsoft Word & Predictive Editing The frustrations of a dyslexic writer learning that our tools fail us

Fussed at expanded "help" from MS Word, this author asked "why?" Why change a reliable, functional tool? Hose and horse are not particular related and can't easily be alternates.
www.iamaiken.org/p/microsoft-...

Author Aiken’s novels echo Bernie’s concerns about Vermont’s health care crisis - VTDigger Many emergency service providers, in Vermont and across the U.S., work on a volunteer basis or are severely undercompensated, especially those that serve rural areas. “Rescue squads rescue people. We ...

@vtdigger.bsky.social Love your work. thanks #writers #ems #novels
vtdigger.org/2025/08/08/a...

new #shortstory about #alaska called "3 Faces of Raven" by I.M. Aiken (oh, me, right). Free on substack
trowbridgedispatch.iamaiken.com/p/3-faces-of...