Errant Ruminant

Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.
―Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Errant Ruminant^*
. . . the official web presence for Todd Warner.

Welcome!

Todd and his wife Monica live on and farm a small homestead in North Carolina (USA). When not chasing errant beasties and mending fences, they both serve as real estate brokers operating throughout the Raleigh-Durham region. Additionally, Todd continues to dabble in various technical (computer) projects, all the while striving to carve out some time to write.^† Alas, the writing often gets short shrift as he commonly finds himself distracted by the responsibilities associated with wide-open acreage, fitful weather, and, of course, errant ruminants.

This site is intended to capture at least some of that activity.
Read my ruminations (blog), which can also be filtered by tags and topics.

If you wish to contact Todd, please review the details found here.

Curriculum vitae minimus

farm ~ hack ~ write ~ real estate

Meanwhile

Writer:
for me: poetry, prose (essay, memoir, fiction), journaling, blogging
for others: editing, freelance and for a regional literary journal
Farmer, Tandem Farms: honey bees, poultry, ruminants, a smidge of gardening
Real Estate Broker, Tandem Realty: helping people buy and sell homes, farms, and land. We are also affiliated with Navigate Realty, one of the most performant and respected firms in Research Triangle Park and the Carolina coast.
Tech Contributor: hacking, documentation, packaging, and other open-source technical dabblings

Erstwhile

Soldier, US Army: tanker, OD green, 1ea
Tech Drone: corporate coding, engineering management, product management, technical sales, documentation, marketing
Journalist/Columnist, fintech magazine: biweekly columnist

Orthogonal

Chess: rated 800 to 1200; come find me on LiChesss or Chess.com
Outdoorman: hunting, fishing, birding, hiking, stream-exploring, rock-flipping

Publications & Works in Progress^‡

Works in Progress

#AMSUBMITTING
—works currently seeking publication

Flash Fiction: "Stormbreak"

Saeculum
—novel, status: 1st draft ~50% complete

Premise/Logline:
With the world on the brink of collapse, a North Carolina farmer endures a terrible tragedy only to have responsibility thrust upon him in the form of a girl on the run.

Miscellaneous Works in Progress
—works currently in draft

Short Fiction: "Vulture"
Short Fiction (horror): "A Picnic in the Park"
Short Memoir: "The Five-Second Rule" - so many rejections (re-editing)
Poetry: … a number of poems
Novel: Saeculum (see above)

Works Published (selected works)

County Lines, volumes 7, 10, 11, and 12, published 2019 to 2024
—vol 12 published Nov 27, 2023, ISBN 9798343204599 - (Bookshop), (Amazon)
—vol 11 published, Nov 18, 2023, ISBN 9798864205518 - (Amazon)
—vol 10 published, Oct 17, 2022, ISBN 9798356027246 - (Bookshop), (Amazon)
—vol 7 published, Dec 1, 2019, ISBN 9781700507600 - (Amazon)
County Lines is a well-respected literary journal published by the Carolina Piedmont Literary Guild.

2024, vol 12, Cover Photo: "After the Rain"
2023, vol 11, Short Fiction (dabble): "That Guy"
2023, vol 11, Poem: "Amanda Takes the Stage"
2023, vol 11, Poem: "Adrift"
2023, vol 11, Poem: "Why and What For?"
2022, vol 10, Short Memoir: "Date Night: Misadventures in Teen Romance"
2019, vol 7, Poem: "Crepuscular Dreams"
2019, vol 7, Poem: "That Dog"

Ruminations (blog), 2019 - today
—a selection of posted creative works

2025, Mar 06, Essay: "The Story's End"
2024, Nov 31, Flash Folklore: "The Moon-Eyed People of Appalachia"
2024, Apr 17, Poem: "Crepuscular Dreams"
2024, Feb 26, Essay: "Panster-Friendly Story Planning"
2024, Jan 23, Poem: "Adrift"
2023, Dec 21, Existential essay: "Life and Loss"
2022, Dec 25, Eulogy for Carol Warner: "My Mother, In Memoriam"
2022, May 18, Eulogy for Lawrence Warner: "Grass. Sweat. Tractor."
2021, Oct 11, Essay: "Ruminations on Scouting"
2020, Jul 13, Fever dream (humor): "What the Hell, Will?"
2019, Nov 28, Essay: "Mutton, Capons, Culled Beef, and Spent Hens"

Errant Ruminant / ˈɛɹənt ˈru mə nənt /

noun

an individual who strives to break free from the flock, venturing out on their own—if even only for a moment—in search of something better, unique, more meaningful, or fulfilling
a deep yet original thinker
a particularly adventurous sheep, goat, cow, or deer

Though Todd Warner can sometimes be found typing away in various cafes and libraries scattered throughout the North Carolina Piedmont, you can often find him tied to his writer's desk at home on the farm. If you wish to contact Todd, please review the contact details found [here].
Missing from this list are the gobs of corporate work I have performed (marketing and technical writing), as well as the articles written during my stint as a columnist for a small fintech publication.

Updated March 6, 2025