Writings Of Jim Fanshier

Welcome to my world of storytelling.

Most of my writing is light hearted where you'll smile and have a good time.

I am impressed with authors who can create an intricate who-done-it where all the events lead to a climatic resolution. I'm not detailed enough to pull that off.

But what I do well is create characters you will enjoy spending time with. You will be concerned about what happens to them.

I come up with ideas based on "what if..." and "wouldn't it be funny if..." or "what would you do if...".

While most scenarios are amusing, I do sneak in some drama, satire, and affairs of the heart. Definitely some stories you have never heard.

To give you an idea of my stories and what the characters are like, click on the images below to find out more.

Strange characters:

Unique stories:

I draw you into characters that you care about as they are put into strange situations. For example...

Step into the life of a recent college graduate given a magic branch to fulfill his lifetime dream -- just one at-bat with his hometown Seattle Mariners. He knows the magic will not last and he should be satisfied with this one at-bat before everyone's expectations grow too large. But how can he stop?
A couple in 1945 England is ashamed because they do not have a ghost for their castle. Their son is killed in WW II, but does not want to spend eternity with his parents, so helps find them a ghost.
A teenage boy in the 1950's is hoping to make it with the cute blonde. But darn it all, they're interrupted by an alien invasion.

You can find my work on Amazon, which allows unknowns like me to self publish their work. Pick your media; it's all available in print or as an E-book. I also have one work as an audio book.

My latest novel is an urban fantasy where a young couple gets to experience their greatest dreams ... beyond what they could ever imagine. But at a cost they may not want.

Chip Murphy would like just one plate appearance for his hometown Seattle Mariners. His girlfriend Shirley Nelson would love to play just one of her compositions with a professional ensemble.

One dream for one night.

They are given a branch with magic buds that lets them fulfill these dreams. But the branch has more buds. So, Chip plays more games and becomes a star and the great hope for leading the Seattle Mariners to the pennant. Shirley tours with a professional woodwind quartet led by the greatest clarinetist in the world who says she is his muse.

They know the buds will run out and they should quit before their hopes rise to where they could never return to their true lives. But the temptations are too great. How can they stop when their dreams have taken over their lives?

The printed book is on

An E-book version is on

"Everyone else goes on about the ghosts in their castles and we don't have one."

"We've been wanting a ghost for Walker Castle forever."

Walker Castle was without something that all of Duke and Katharine Walkers' friends had in their homes. A ghost. Other castles had several spirits, and prestigious ones at that, too. A beheaded queen of Henry VIII. A mistress of France's King Francis I. An Egyptian King. Shamed, the Walkers would do anything to have a ghost in their castle.

Then toward the end of WW II, their son Nigel is killed. Through a talisman, an American solider can communicate with Nigel's ghost. With inside contact to the spirit world, the two try to find a ghost for Walker Castle.

But finding a ghost is not as easy as they would hope.

The printed book is on

An E-book version is on

Light-hearted and amusing, my collection of short stories.

Included here are stories that are a bit different. How about...

Hundreds of time travelers gather on the deck of the Titanic to view it striking the iceberg.
So many aliens attack a small town that the local sheriff requires you to fill out an ARFA, 'Alien Request For Action' form.
A woman?s husband has been taken over by aliens, and she prefers him that way.
A reluctant genie offers all the wishes you desire. But no one is interested.

There are also tales around the campfire where you find...

A little monster that a babysitter has to watch, but is not allowed to see.
Trick-or-treaters where the sweets became a little too tempting.
You can also read about television viewing of the future, where you not only select the movie, but which actors appear. Humphrey Bogart turning into Michael Bolton? Ingrid Bergman becoming Sharon Stone at the flick of the remote?

The printed book is on
An E-book version is on

My first published novel, the fantasy satire, "The Groll."

Tax auditor George Taylor angers a shaman, who unleashes the wrath of the most evil creature in any world ... the Groll. George's world is unraveled and he loses all he has, unless he can retrieve his broken candy dish from the land of the Groll in the magic world of Negani.

For Reading...

The printed book is on

An E-book version is on

For Listening...

The audio book from

More Information...

There is so much more you can find out about The Groll, including sound clips with the voice actors.

To see what my writing is like, here are excerpts from short stories that readers have enjoyed.
A boy takes the best looking girl in his high school to Makeout Cliff, just as aliens begin to land. They Came A 17th Century swindler gets tricked by the genie of the lamp. What They Wished When invaders take over bodies of earthlings, one wife considers this to be an improvement. Invasion Of The Boring People

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Location:

Portland, Oregon, sandwiched around a long stay in San Diego, California.

Professional Life:

Now retired, but there was a time where I was a print journalist (when that career existed), a technical writer, then engineering jobs involving software in semiconductor manufacturing then watermarking audio and video media.

Real Life:

Married with two adult children who have gone on to produce three grandchildren for us.

I love it when my grandson says to me "Tell a scary story."