Joanne Gruettner

🌈Published #Writer #Poet #Photographer + #Artist #Designer #DIYer | #Gamer | #RescuePet Mama | Amateur #Gearhead & #SpecialFX Make-up |🎥🎶📚& #Paranormal 💗er

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

3 of the blank XL journals/sketchbooks I've made. 2=I made for me, the 3rd one was for a friend of mine who is an intuitive medium & proud pagan.

And, although all the covers may look like leather, only the last 1 with the phoenix on it is.

[Ismael S Rodriguez Jr (Bulletproof Poet) (Izzy) @IsmaelR77859620]

The Child Who Asked Why Money Isn’t Real

The child sat cross-legged, holding a crumpled bill,
and asked, “Why is this worth anything?” Her voice
fluttered like a moth against the monk’s calm gaze.
He smiled. “Because we believe it,” then paused.
“But if belief breaks?” she asked, brow stitched with wind.
And so began the slow unraveling of debt.

The monk said, “A story, like a shadow, carries debt—
promises made by ghosts.” The girl unfolded the bill.
“It feels like paper,” she said, as wind
tugged it from her hand. “Yes,” he said, “just a voice
written by kings.” She stared. “Can kings pause?”
He blinked. “Only if we stop giving them gaze.”

She turned toward the river, lost in her gaze.
“Why do we owe things?” she asked. “What is debt?”
The monk exhaled, soft as snowfall. “Pause
long enough, and the world redraws the bill.
The tree gives leaf without ledger. The sky needs no voice
to explain itself. Only power fears the wind.”

The girl laughed, and her breath joined the wind.
“Then let’s pretend I’m the queen now.” Her gaze
sparkled. “And I erase money with my voice.”
The monk bowed low. “Then we are free from debt.”
She wrote on a stone instead of a bill:
You do not own what you cannot pause.

The villagers came. “She’s disturbing things,” they said. “Pause
this madness.” They wore suits, crisp against the wind.
She held up her hands, not a single bill,
only questions. “If value lives only in gaze,
then why do we kneel before invented debt?”
One man tried to silence her. Lost his voice.

The monk spoke last: “There’s truth inside her voice,
but the price of truth is that systems pause.
One child’s question can bankrupt a debt
centuries deep. Even gold trembles in wind.”
She closed her eyes, no longer seeking gaze.
In her fist, she crushed the last known bill.

And so the bill vanished, lighter than voice.
The wind remembered her gaze, her sacred pause—
and debt, at last, became a leaf without weight.

[Laken Brimicombe @LakenBrimicombe]

Aren’t lilies lovely?🌺🩷

[Grim, Indie Author @GrimCalebWilcox]

An excerpt from the book Grim is writing currently called Whispers of Power:

The bar had emptied a bit, patrons spilling out into the steer as the night dragged on. The dull hum of conversation faded into the distance, leaving only the flickering streetlights and the low growl of traffic.

Vincent moved to just outside the door, scanning the faces of those who had been escorted out, keeping his cool as usual. He was tired — tired of the agency’s demands, tired of the endless manipulation, tired of being the dog on the leash. But most of all, he was just tired of this shit — the endless grind of power struggles, the meaningless rules.

A man stumbled by him, tipsy from one too many drinks. Vincent barley paid him any attention — he’d escorted this guy out like he’d done a hundred times before.

But tonight was t like every other night.

“Hey, fuckface,” came the slurred voice from behind him, and Vincent’s eyes narrowed.

He turned just in time to see the man — tall, unsteady, with a sneer on his face — swaying toward him. The man threw his shoulder into Vincent’s chest, pushing him back.

Vincent didn’t move more than an inch. He let the man stumble off him, his expression cold.

“Listen pal, you’re drunk. Go home, before I have to —“

The man, in his inebriated haze, raised a fist and swung wildly at Vincent’s face.

It wasn’t even a real punch — just the kind of strike someone throws when they’re looking to pick a fight , a flailing swing fueled by nothing more than liquid courage. Vincent’s hand shot up, catching the man’s wrist in an iron grip. His training kicked in immediately, the instinct of military martial arts taking over like a switch had been flipped.

In one smooth motion, Vincent twisted the man’s wrist, applying pressure, forcing him to his knees. The man’s face contorted in pain, his breath catching in his throat.

“You really don’t want to do this, pal.” Vincent’s voice was low, a quiet promise. But his tone had the weight of experience, the warning of someone who had been through far worse.

But the man didn’t listen. He buckled and lashed out with his other hand — a wild swing to the stomach.

It was sloppy. Vincent was already in motion.

He sidestepped, dropping low as he used the man’s momentum against him. With a quick, efficient twist, Vincent brought the man’s body to the ground, slamming him against the brick wall of the bar with a sickening thud.

The man crumpled, his head smacking against the wall with enough force that for a brief moment, everything went still. There was silence before the man groaned, trying to push himself up. His face was pale now, sweat mixing with the remnants of his earlier drunken stupor.

Vincent stepped back, his fists still clenched, his breath steady. He wasn’t angry — not yet. But he was done. Done with this bar. Done with the people. Done with everything that kept him tethered to a life he didn’t want anymore.

“You good?” Vincent asked, his voice sharp. But the man wasn’t responding, not fully.

The the man’s body went still. Too still.

Vincent took a step forward, eyes scanning the prone figure. Something was wrong — more wrong than he initially realized.

That’s when he heard the sound.

The unmistakeable wail of sirens.

And the echo of thdd red front door slamming open.

“Shit.” Vincent muttered under his breath. He looked around quickly, eyes locking into Johnny, who had been watching from a distance, no doubt caught by the noise, by the commotion.

Johnny was still, his eyes wide. He hadn’t expected this. No one had.

Vincent’s mind clicked back into focus, every ounce of military discipline reasserting itself. But it was too late to clean this up. Too late to fix this mistake.

The cops arrived, rushing toward him as the man’s body was assessed. One of the officers glanced at Vincent, his hand already in his holstered weapon.

Tell us what you think… note this is the first draft. Lots of editing to do…

[Grim, Indie Author @GrimCalebWilcox]

We would like to get past the 7K mark for followers for Grim as he recovers from #Cancer surgery.

If you are 1A, 2A, or an author (Grim is an author), we will follow you back for him after vetting.
@StrytellinJerry

[Grim, Indie Author @GrimCalebWilcox]

#NowComesGrim

Get your copy today…
(Link in reply)

@StrytellinJerry
@grimbooksllc
@Author_S_Miller
@mcwilsonky
@DougBrown5000
#readersoftwitter

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

@GrimCalebWilcox @jgmacleodauthor @CavLiterature @accordingtowoz @mcwilsonky @wordrefiner @panda_editing @IsmaelR77859620 @lisamariehaden @jayson_lindseth @motorcycles_4 Please feel free to tag me in any posts so I don't miss anything. I'm just getting back online myself after dealing with the unexpected loss of my Mom in June & some unanticipated medical diagnoses that caught me a bit by surprise, so I'm currently trying to find my footing again

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

@GrimCalebWilcox @jgmacleodauthor @CavLiterature @accordingtowoz @mcwilsonky @wordrefiner @panda_editing @IsmaelR77859620 @lisamariehaden @jayson_lindseth @motorcycles_4 I read a little bit of the posts on the page regarding his health & his cancer surgery/recuperation, & while I don't know (or pretend to know) the extent of what he's dealing w/or going through, I applaud his drive to set to words to paper & craft such an immersive story/series🙂

[Mark Schultz @wordrefiner]

Words have meaning. The hidden spelling errors can be corrected by the Hyper-Speller at https://t.co/A6nt0vXDYE.
You can request a Free SAMPLE of proofreading for your book. 95 percent of books have been published with spelling errors.

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[Mark Schultz @wordrefiner]

I have been #proofreading for over 40 years; my Hyper-Spelling lets me find the invisible spelling errors computers miss in over 95% of published books. My book promotion and reviewing package help authors reach their maximum audience. Learn more at https://t.co/oqGT2n9PrQ

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

@LakenBrimicombe Happy (belated) birthday, Laken! I hope that U had yourself a wonderful day filled w/an overflowing abundance of fun,laughter,joy,things that brought a 🙂 to your face,& that some of the moments from your b-day will 1day become pt of some of your favorite memories.🙂🥳🎉🎊🎈🎂🍰

[Laken Brimicombe @LakenBrimicombe]

With Christmas getting closer by the day, I’m revisiting a feel-good favourite🦁✨

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

@LakenBrimicombe I love 💖💖 that book/series!!! It's been one of my ABSOLUTE favorites from back when I was a little kid through present day! 🙂👍

🦁🧹🧙‍♀️🚪

#TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe #CSLewis

[Laken Brimicombe @LakenBrimicombe]

Happy Caturday!😺

[George Cavanaugh @CavLiterature]

Real-life ghost stories and Award-winning Paranormal Thrillers!

Cocktails With Cav & Award-winning Paranormal Author Kimberly Brouillette (@writeright4u)!
"The Monastery Murders series grabbed me and drew me in!"

Check our profile's X Shop for all the great show links!

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

@Igotatrophyin81 Thanks, Tim..I really appreciate your kind words & offer to talk. I hope all is going well for you & your wife are both doing well & (just in case I'm not online much or beforehand) that you & your family have the merriest of Christmases & a happy & blessed New Year as well.🙂🤗

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

@GrimCalebWilcox @jgmacleodauthor @CavLiterature @accordingtowoz @mcwilsonky @wordrefiner @panda_editing @IsmaelR77859620 @lisamariehaden @jayson_lindseth @motorcycles_4 Pt 2 of 2: Please give him all my best & let him know he's penning himself an awesome book that I'm sure will be as captivating & intriguing to others as it was me. 🙂

(Btw, if he's ever interested or in need of a beta reader, I'm game.. 🙂 )

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

@GrimCalebWilcox @jgmacleodauthor @CavLiterature @accordingtowoz @mcwilsonky @wordrefiner @panda_editing @IsmaelR77859620 @lisamariehaden @jayson_lindseth @motorcycles_4 Pt 1 of 2: You're very welcome! 🙂 Like I said, other than some minor fixes, it's a VERY captivating read thus far, & considering that it's only a few paragraphs of an excerpt, he's got himself a VERY intriguing story going so far... I CANNOT wait to read more... 🙂

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

Pt14: I didn't sleep for more than 24 hours..all I did was sit floating between a state of being in shock & utter heartbreak & disbelief. When I tried to sleep, j/hours after she passed, the funeral home called to make arrangements, so I had to pause my grief to make decisions...

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

Pt13: Even after the BiPap was off, she was unfortunately too weak to talk, so we never got to hear her voice again... 😔😥😢😭

Her movements were so strained & weak, & she looked so frail compared to the force of nature she had always been all my life... & then, she was gone...

[Joanne Gruettner @TroxasTraxx]

Pt12: She couldn't talk because of the BiPap machine, but she squeezed my hand in recognition that she could hear all of us as we talked to her & she could blink & nod her head slightly...