It was time to go. I’m not sure what prompted this. I was as popular as ice cream, I had lots of friends. I oozed confidence and possessed youthful energy more powerful than the sun. I took a step anyway. It was a new place with lots of brick buildings connected by concrete paths that … More Steps
Photograph from Ralph Hotchkiss Archive: March 1944 – Italian peasants using a ferry built by the US Army Corp of Engineers. This is part 2 of a historical non-fiction short story. It is based on song lyrics written by Major Frank Pellegrin about a doughfoot named Joe Maloney who meets an Italian girl named Rose … More San Pietro Rose Part 2
Photograph from Ralph Hotchkiss archive: Captain Ralph Hotchkiss (Left – my Grandfather & Major Frank Pellegrin) Ravello, Italy March 1944. This is a historical non-fiction short story. It is based on song lyrics written by Major Frank Pellegrin about a doughfoot named Joe Maloney who meets an Italian girl named Rose after the US Army … More San Pietro Rose Part 1
There is no better selling tool than a well organized sales trip … More A (Sales) Trip Down Memory Lane, Into the Present
Michael Hotchkiss winterlinestories.com Frank and Joe were face down in the muddy depression they had clawed out; the best version of a foxhole exploding shells and the persistent whiz of bullets would allow. The only other sounds were the variety of screams from soldiers being hit. The dissonance of armed conflict would be much worse … More Saving Private Maloney
Photo: Major Ralph Hotchkiss and major Frank Pellegrin in Naples, Italy August, 1944. Photo taken by Sherman Montrose (ACME Photo) February 25, 2017 I have spent a great deal of time in the last year researching a specific topic that I had no idea fate would place in front of me. I’m speaking of the Italian Campaign of … More San Pietro Rose
Amanda, Pete and Rob were new to the jailbreaking business. If Rob had not been wrongly convicted of assault, none of them would have ever thought of orchestrating one. College degrees and well-paying jobs did not a conspiracy to commit a felony make. They were three months in the planning and a few hours from … More Jailbreak
This story is by Michael Hotchkiss and was part of our 2016 Winter Writing Contest. You can find all the Winter Writing Contest stories here. Mimi was abandoned at birth. She had spent the bulk of her young life at a facility called Hope House for orphans so was no stranger to tough living. The…Read … More The Runaway – Short Fiction Break
This is the forward to the upcoming publication of Winter Line Stories. A book based on stories my grandfather, Major Ralph R. Hotchkiss, wrote while embedded with the US 5th Army from 1943 through 1945 during the Italian Campaign of WWII. FOREWORD “They’re trying to kill me,” Yossarian told him calmly. “No one’s trying to kill … More Winter Line Stories – Forward
Mike Hotchkiss – Nov 1, 2016 There are many professions that require verbal interaction. There are times where this is a pleasant experience and times when it is extremely awkward. The issue becomes thus if the person you are engaging sings from a different songbook – typically of his or her own making. Now it’s … More Speaking Moronic
Mike's Write 