Freda's Place

Time For A New Poem By Stephanie Mesler (aka Freda Frostbite) This is me, writing a new poem because it's time to commit poesy.  I know it is, because it's marked in my day planner.  2 PM on Monday afternoon--- "write a new poem."  It's not even in pencil.  I've inked it in between an appointment with the oncologist and tea with my great Aunt, who will, no doubt arrive on time with a bottle of something sharp to add to the tea, so I'd better get started.  She tells me the poem will be payment for her company.  So I am writing...a poem?...sort of.  Or maybe it's just an essay, a plain old boring essay about how poems do not submit to scheduling, no matter how determined the poet.  But no, this has to be a poem... doesn't it?  Because poems are about fleeting things, thoughts and feelings, colors, and odors...aren't they? Of course, sometimes they are about deep things, like water and philosophy, but in a poem, even broad subjects are to b...

Words With Freda Under The Sheets:  Stories From The Dark Side January 15, 2PM PST Book Island, Second Life

Please visit  Stephanie Mesler's Soundcloud pages to hear "Time Management" read by the author.

Ermengarde The Expansive Escape From Pig Hill GodSongs Just click the links above to Get Them All FREE December 25-29, 2015

Friday, August 21, 10 AM PST Freda In Progress:  Escape From Pig Hill by Stephanie Mesler Local Voice Writers' Block Café, Book Island, SL It's not the end of Donny's story but it is the end of Escape From Pig Hill, first book in The Ballad of Donny Granger.   This is the week Donny and Mags finally make the break from those who have tried to hold them back and keep them down.  Jeremiah Adelbaum will receive his just reward and Daddy Granger will have one less son to mold into his own image.  Join us on Book Island in Second Life to learn how Donny and Margaret will make their escape from Pig Hill.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Book%20Island/211/219/36

Friday, July 31, 10 AM PST Freda In Progress:  Escape From Pig Hill by Stephanie Mesler Local Voice Writers' Block Café, Book Island, SL http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Book%20Island/211/219/36 It's going to be another rough week for Donny Granger.  First, a run-in with his uncles, which threatens to turn ugly.  Thank goodness, one uncle is kinder than the others!  Then, Donny's worst fear is realized-- his secret is out.  How will Daddy Granger respond?  What will Donny do?

Friday, July 24, Freda will continue reading from her novel, Escape From Pig Hill.   This week, the Grangers lose Mama and Margaret Adelbaum loses a close friend and protector.  Join us for the reading on Book Island at 10 AM, US Pacific Time.  Slurl to:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Book%20Island/211/219/36   Read previous chapters of Escape From Pig Hill online or get your copy on Amazon.    

This Friday, July 17, Freda will continue reading from her novel, Escape From Pig Hill.   This week, Margaret returns to her home in the aftermath of personal horror.  With the help and support of the Granger family, she has the upper hand...for a while.   Meanwhile, Kathleen Granger is getting sicker and weaker.  It is clear that her end is near.  At least she is going out on her own terms.  Join us for the reading on Book Island at 10 AM US Pacific Time.  Slurl to:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Book%20Island/211/219/36   Read previous chapters of Escape From Pig Hill online or get your copy on Amazon.    

After a brief hiatus, Freda Frostbite returns to Second Life.  This Friday, July 10, she will continue readings from her novel, Escape From Pig Hill.   This week, Jeremiah Adelbaum, deals with the consequences of his choices and his daughter, Mags, spends a happy holiday with the Granger family on Pig Hill.  As always, Donny, stands by her through the hard times.  Together, they try to make things better.    Read previous chapters of Escape From Pig Hill online or get your copy on Amazon.    

Friday, June 19, 6 am PST A Mystery Revealed and Teen Rebellion , Escape From Pig Hill by Stephanie Mesler Live Lit With Freda Frostbite The Haven, Molson, Second Life http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Molson/140/151/761   Join us as Freda shares two new chapters from her recently published book, Escape From Pig Hill .   You can catch up on previously published chapters of the book by visiting  Ballad .  In this week's chapters, Donny stumbles onto a mystery and two teens plot rebellion. 

Many years ago, I wrote a story called, Ermengarde The Expansive.   Many years later, I published that story.  (You can get your copy here:  Ermengarde The Expansive )  Recently, I have begun a novella which will cover the part of Ermengarde's life following the birth of her daughter, Princess Rosalie.  While working on this tale, I have introduced Queen Ermengarde to Second Life and begun building The Twelve Realms, of which Obifobus is one, in Kitely.  I am not at all sure how I will use these virtual worlds to further develop Ermengarde, but I'm having fun muddling through, playing with some ideas.  For the time being, there is no Ermengarde in The Twelve Realms, construction being barely begun.  Ermengarde in SL is housed at Freda's Girls' new home in UUtopia.  Feel free to drop in there and explore this build in progress any time.  Perhaps you will run into the queen herself while you are there.   

Friday, May 22 at 6 AM SLT Live Lit at The Haven with Freda Frostbite Velma and Lucille Ride Again!   This week, one of Donny Granger's uncles will go missing.  When he returns, it is obvious he's not telling the whole truth.  Can you figure out where he has been and why?  Also those two mean girls, Velma and Lucille, cause trouble again.  Who will come out on top?  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Molson/140/151/761

Sunday, May 17 at 1 PM PST Live Lit at The Haven with Freda Frostbite Finally, Great News For The Grangers of PIg Hill:  Mama's Home! *Escape From Pig Hill* by Stephanie Mesler. Mama and Daddy Granger have been away for a long while.  It's been rough on their kids, not that life isn't always rough on the Granger children -- but finally there's a happy day on Pig Hill when Kathleen Granger returns after months of cancer treatments.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Molson/140/151/761

Freda Brings  Escape From Pig Hill  To The Haven Fridays at 6 am* In Local Voice In her first life, Freda has recently written and published a novel.  The  new book, Escape From Pig Hill,  is first being published  in serialized form on her other site .  Fridays, in Second Life, she is sharing the whole book in live performances at The Haven. The tale is told at 6 am* each Friday and Freda will be back to read more every Friday until the story is complete.  Join Freda this Friday at 6 a.m. as she shares her writing in the shade of the old-time tent at the Lasata Tent Revival Campgrounds . . . circa 1956.   Last week, in Chapter 11 of Escape, we learned why Mean Margaret Adelbaum is so mean.  This week Freda will perform chapters Twelve and Thirteen.  Find out of Donny's Mama is getting well again and see what our hero does to change a bully into a friend.    ...

Freda Brings  Escape From Pig Hill  To The Haven Fridays at 6 am* In Local Voice In her first life, Freda has recently written and published a novel.  The  new book, Escape From Pig Hill,  is first being published  in serialized form on her other site .  Fridays, in Second Life, she is sharing the whole book in live performances at The Haven. The tale is told at 6 am* each Friday and Freda will be back to read more every Friday until the story is complete.  Join Freda this Friday at 6 a.m. as she shares her writing in the shade of the old-time tent at the Lasata Tent Revival Campgrounds . . . circa 1956.   This week Freda will perform segments of her new novel, Escape From Pig Hill, and talk a bit about the process of getting the book from her head to the reading (and listening public).    *All times are US Pacific Time.    Here's your ride:  ...

Freda Brings Her New Book To The Haven Fridays at 6 am* In Local Voice Freda’s new book, Escape From Pig Hill, will go live in serialized form on her other site this Friday.  At last, she is ready to share the whole book in live performances at The Haven in Second Life.  The tale will start at 6 am* this Friday and Freda will be back to read more every Friday until the story is complete. Freda, this year's AVI choice winner in the spoken word and drama category, has been reading and writing her work in Second Life and other virtual worlds for many years now.  In her first life, she is the author, Stephanie Mesler, whose books include Love Lines, Ermengarde The Expansive and Adventures and Confessions of a Fat Lady Who Sings.   Mesler is a former college instructor who lives in Florida with her partner, her daughter, a fat tabby named Grace, and Rex, the Jack Russell Terrier who is the inspiration for her upcoming children's book, Woofy W...

You may recall that a little more than a week ago, I announced that I would be participating in a week-long Facebook Black-Out.  This was a week in which authors and writers who normally provide a lot of content for FB audiences did not log in to the giant social media site.  What follows is the note I write the day the black-out ended.   I sent it to folks who read me in Facebook and want to share it with all of you here.    Greetings everyone-- I have just completed a weeklong walk-out in protest against new FB policies that affect writers and artists who depend on social media for our PR. This time away has been very revealing. I learned several things during this experiment.   1. FB misses me when I am gone. Never before have I received email from FB telling me how much my participation is missed and how much I am missing while gone. I received at least two such emails a day during my 7 day boycott. Very interesting.   2. I...

 In SL, it looked like AJ was just sitting cozy, but in local voice, we heard him playing guitar and singing.  December 2014  Tuesday Babble (Open Mic) 1 pm US Pacific Time Freda's Place Café, Second Life Come to perform or come to listen and watch.  At Tuesday babble, everyone is welcome to come out and share their unique talents.  Poets, story-tellers, musicians, comediennes, actors, dancers, writers -- we want to see it all at Tuesday Babble.                              Live Literature Presents Freda, Live (Mostly) 2 pm US Pacific Time Freda's Place Café, Second Life Freda Frostbite is the author, Stephanie Mesler, in her first life.  This month, she'll be sharing part of the first work she will ever publish under her SL name.  Her novel, Escape From Pig Hill, will be released early Spring 2015.  Freda will share a coup...

When Lee was 14 years old, he met a nice girl named Cybil.  Cybil moved into the Episcopal Church rectory in Alma when her father was called to be the priest at the very church Lee had attended ever since the first night he went there with Mrs. White and her party for Christmas Eve.    Polly had joined the church after that first Christmas with Mrs. White too. Josiah Graham was furious when he found out his family had become church-goers.  Luckily for all concerned, it took  several years for him to notice.  It wasn't 'til one October when he was too sick with bronchitis  to travel around selling his Bibles that Josiah Graham learned his wife and son had joined the "Bible-thumping throng."  Lee always thought it odd a Bible salesman would speak so disparagingly of believers.  The boy asked his father about that once.  "How come you don't like church-goers, Dad?"   "Becau...

January 2, 2015   The new year has started well -- organized and productive, just as I envisioned.  The trick will be maintaining this newly established routine.  The routine of which I speak is one that allows me to use Second Life and Inworldz and other virtual worlds as vehicles for doing my first life work, one that gives me the freedom to be inworld as needed and not when not.    In virtual worlds, I am learning to say no rather more quickly than I am inclined to say yes.  That is a lesson I learned ages ago in my first life.  I figured somewhere along about 1987 that it is much easier to say no and then change one's mind than to say yes and have to renig on promises made.    For some reason, that reality was not immediately apparent to me in virtual settings.  Maybe it's because what we do in virtual worlds is ALWAYS optional, so saying yes to requests for my time, talent, and input seemed not quite so real as...