Everything seems fine at first, then reality takes the other fork. Beneath the turmoil, however, lies something unexpected, loosely described as Aesop meets the Brothers Grimm in an alternate reality, occasionally dark, with commentary on the human condition. Life Seemed Good, But…. is a funny, down-to-earth anthology of more than ninety short stories of life in and around the big Mystee Forest. Story elements include a porcupine who thinks he's a doctor. Alien fleas, a potato bent on world conquest. Rabbits are threatened by a hungry cow. The French Revolution sets the stage for a love story between fireflies. The author's first-person science projects typically involve lasers and kitchen magnets. We meet other seemingly normal people who just…aren't. Finally, wisdom from a turtle. Bell began writing as therapy while caring for his wife during her treatment for leukemia. What began as a way to cheer himself up later became a ten-year monthly column for a local bar magazine. These little tales form a world rich in obscure trivia, hidden meanings, and connections that reward attention. The endings are not always what we like. One reviewer called it "e;shockingly amazing."e; Revised 2026.

Everything seems fine at first, then reality takes the other fork. Beneath the turmoil, however, lies something unexpected, loosely described as Aesop meets the Brothers Grimm in an alternate reality, occasionally dark, with commentary on the human condition. Life Seemed Good, But…. is a funny, down-to-earth anthology of more than ninety short stories of life in and around the big Mystee Forest. Story elements include a porcupine who thinks he's a doctor. Alien fleas, a potato bent on world conquest. Rabbits are threatened by a hungry cow. The French Revolution sets the stage for a love story between fireflies. The author's first-person science projects typically involve lasers and kitchen magnets. We meet other seemingly normal people who just…aren't. Finally, wisdom from a turtle. Bell began writing as therapy while caring for his wife during her treatment for leukemia. What began as a way to cheer himself up later became a ten-year monthly column for a local bar magazine. These little tales form a world rich in obscure trivia, hidden meanings, and connections that reward attention. The endings are not always what we like. One reviewer called it "e;shockingly amazing."e; Revised 2026.

Everything seems fine at first, then reality takes the other fork. Beneath the turmoil, however, lies something unexpected, loosely described as Aesop meets the Brothers Grimm in an alternate reality, occasionally dark, with commentary on the human condition. Life Seemed Good, But…. is a funny, down-to-earth anthology of more than ninety short stories of life in and around the big Mystee Forest. Story elements include a porcupine who thinks he's a doctor. Alien fleas, a potato bent on world conquest. Rabbits are threatened by a hungry cow. The French Revolution sets the stage for a love story between fireflies. The author's first-person science projects typically involve lasers and kitchen magnets. We meet other seemingly normal people who just…aren't. Finally, wisdom from a turtle. Bell began writing as therapy while caring for his wife during her treatment for leukemia. What began as a way to cheer himself up later became a ten-year monthly column for a local bar magazine. These little tales form a world rich in obscure trivia, hidden meanings, and connections that reward attention. The endings are not always what we like. One reviewer called it "e;shockingly amazing."e; Revised 2026.