Friday, May 29, 2015

"Wanna see something really scary" 2015, update.

The first week in August, to coincide with my release of DEAD: Snapshot--Leeds, England, I will be attempting to launch a wee bit of a blog tour. However, I would like for it to be a cross-promotional deal where my fellow horror authors perhaps put together a bit of a promo package featuring their newest release.

I have already had a few takers. Okay, I think it is now up to three including me...but you have to start someplace. Right. And, for my readers, what other blogs do YOU visit? Time to start compiling my tour list of hopes and dreams for places for this tour to appear. Because, as of now, we also currently have THREE stops on the tour...they belong to me (natch), Rhonda Hopkins, and Heath Stallcup. Those individuals are also hopefully joining me on the tour as well, so...start showing them some love now.

Who knows, I may even have the new Ava on the hook as well. However, since blog tours and I have not always gotten along for various reasons, I have decided that perhaps I should begin my very own. Now, I am hoping for maybe four or five authors who would like to step up to the plate and take part in this first annual (hopefully) "Wanna See Something Really Scary?" blog tour.


I will be the one to contact blogs (any who join are encouraged to suggest, and I will attempt to make contact) and set a lineup for the tour. By June 20th, I will finalize the list of participants and begin the task of reaching out.

So, since I know many of you, and have worked with several of you, I am tossing out the invitation. If you are interested and can commit to putting together a small package that will consist of a "All About My New Book" self-interview, a picture (and hopefully cover of the soon-to-be-released or recently released title), and a couple of things to be announced later, then drop me a line at twbrown.maydecpub@gmail.com with "Wanna See Something Really Scary" in the subject line informing me of your intention to be a part of this little soiree.

Also, if you HAVE a blog and wish to host, by all means, let me know so I can put you on the list of stops.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Still no film students or indie types...

Know anybody who wants to break into making films or maybe shoot a web series?

Seriously. Do you? Then you may want to send them here to read this post.


Zomblog is really what started it all for me. Granted, I never intended it to be published. It was simply a warm up exercise as I got my writing chops in shape to pen the DEAD series. That is not to take anything away from the Zomblog saga. Overall, it is pretty good, and I did learn a lot in the process. Even better, some very constructive reviews came along that helped shape me into a more proficient writer.

This series was my first entry into the KDP program which led to a single weekend download extravaganza of over 10,000 copies of book 1. That opened the door for me as an author and the rest is history.

So, now, I would like to make an offer to a YouTuber, aspiring indie film producer, or group of college kids looking to put something together for class or just to get the practice. Zomblog is perhaps the easiest of my titles to convert to film. So I am offering it up. No advance fees, no licencing deals or hurdles to jump through. I figure the exposure this book gets through you will sell a few copies for me. That is good enough. 

I am living my dreams because of this little book. If I can give somebody a nudge by allowing them to use it, I consider it a win-win. 

Interested? Then email me at twbrown.maydecpub@gmail.com with "filming Zomblog" in the subject line. 

I may not hear from a single soul (and as of yet...I haven't gotten a sniff)...but if you don't put it out there, nobody will know. Right? So, if you know somebody, or you know somebody who knows somebody...or, if you are that somebody...drop me a line.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Memorial Day 2015



Honor all who served, all who still serve.

That is all for today.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Crying zombie baby stolen?

Some say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

Who am I kidding? If you think you just had one of your more original ideas hijacked by somebody making millions...you might be a little bit miffed.

So, what could I possibly be talking about? Today, I am just sharing a little of a perceived bit of  idea stealing. Now, I want to start by stating that I know people often have similar ideas without ever having been exposed to the other. 

For instance, I doubt I came up with the idea of some people being immune to the bite. I do know I had not read anything of that nature before I wrote Zomblog and  DEAD series. I have seen it pop a few times in recent history, and have been told it is part of that Sy-Fy channel zombie series. It's cool. Hey, aren't we all sort of building off the Romero legacy? I can deal with that sort of thing. Granted, I have been told by MANY others that there seems to be a bit more idea borrowing in that Sy-Fy channel show of my Zomblog series to the point where my daughter says she refuses to watch it. Personally, I have not watched, so I can't comment either way. Maybe I will give it a spin someday and see for myself.

There is an actual dialog scene from another game called State of decay that basically steals part of the narrative from an early scene by Steve in DEAD: The Ugly Beginning. I even replayed it a few times. Is it exact? No, but it is close enough to really be suspicious. They just sort of re-word the following passage:

It may seem corny, but no one I’ve met since it began can give me a solid answer as to how it all rolled into motion. Sure, there are theories: Government Bio-weapon gone awry; Super-virus; alien particles from space; demons from Hell; and global warming. Each gets equal billing when you hear the topic come up. Maybe it’s a mix of all of the above. Or, maybe God got tired of us messing up his toy. And if you don’t believe in God…well then you can refer back to the list and pick your favorite. Honestly, I don’t give a damn. I’m too tired from running. How I ended up leading a band of survivors in this Romero-Hell is my new reality. The time for blame has long passed.

Hell, maybe I am just being delusional.

However, the other day, I was playing this epic zombie game on my XBox One called Dying Light. It has an amazing story and is everything that DEAD ISLAND wanted to be, but just could not pull off. So, I was really floored when I was moving around the town and came upon the sound of a baby crying!

Any of you who have read my stuff know what i am talking about. And I can VERY safely say that I have never encountered anything like that before. Now, again, maybe I am just tripping, but I invite you to check out the video. You get a hint of it right around the 5:42 mark, and a much better hit at 7:44. Not only that, but I also introduced the idea of my child zombies being just a little different.




Now, do they use my idea in its exact nature? No, but still...

So, am I delusional? Or should I be flattered?...Annoyed? What do you think?

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

A Real Life Underworld

Today, I am happy to be hosting a bit of a book tour by an author named Heather Siegel. Her book, Out from the Underworld is a tale all too common in our broken society. If we were not immersed ourselves, then I imagine most people know somebody who had a very non-Brady childhood. The book is solid writing and tells Heather's story from the early days on and is full of unsavory and unpleasant moments. Have there been children who endured worse? Sure, but that is not the point. Here is one author laying her soul bare and sharing her LESSONS. I never understand people who "can't finish due to the language" or whatever. What is here in these pages is an uncensored look at ONE story. There is depth and emotion from the author that will pull you in and keep you turning the pages. Is it sad? Yes. But is it truth? Absolutely. This is a story worth reading.

Everybody will find the parts that resonate with them specifically, but more than anything, I think what I took away from this was a person who has the ability to take a horrible situation and, instead of being a stereotype that falls into the same pattern, makes a conscious effort to rise ABOVE. Too often, people dealt a bad hand use it as an excuse to repeat bad behavior. I have always found that weak at best and more of a construct of having that idea preached at them from the mindless TV drones and people who think they are helping by providing such excuses. Bravo to Ms. Siegel for sharing such a raw tale, and doing so in such eloquent fashion.


Get your copy HERE.


Book Description:

Heather Siegel was six years old when her mother disappeared, sending her father into a tailspin that took Heather and her siblings down with him— from a comfortable suburban home to a barely habitable basement apartment, a dark world they soon found themselves fighting to return to from the exile of foster care, then fighting even harder to escape.

Forty years later, Heather Siegel tells the remarkable story of how she and her siblings, Jaz and Greg, banded together to find out what happened to their mother and fight their way Out from the Underworld with nothing but their wits, determination, unbreakable bonds and gifts for humor and compassion to sustain them. A wrenching, inspiring story filled with heartbreak, hope and love, Out from The Underworld will move you to laughter and tears.

Where to buy the book:



Author's Bio:

Heather Siegel holds an MFA in nonfiction writing from The New School. Her work has appeared on Salon.com and in The Mother Magazine and Author Magazine, as well as in various trade publications. She was a finalist for the 2010 Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Award in Nonfiction Writing, the 2011 San Francisco Writers Conference Nonfiction Writing Award, the Carolina Wren Press 2012 Doris Bakwin Award and the 2012 Kore Press First Book Award. A multi-creative person with interests in the arts, nutrition, health and beauty, she has founded several independent businesses, including a coffeehouse, a café, an organic juice bar and a natural beauty bar. She currently lives with her husband, Jon, and daughter, Julia, in the woods of Long Island in a house filled with light.

Connect with Heather:  Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter


A Real Life Underworld

I know there are some people who think that subterranean living is no big deal. I mean basement apartments are certainly a part of American living and can even be seen as a great way to gain some extra income. But I am not one of them. Every time I see an ad to “refinish your basement” I think, “Not in a million years, thank you very much.” I’ll keep mine for its intended use of storage space, and to hold the house’s plumbing, electrical and heating infrastructure.

Maybe this is because the basement that I grew up in was much more like an underworld than a home. Or maybe my disdain for basements has as much to do with the other underworlds that seem braided into our lives during those years we lived beneath the earth.

 There was the underworld of the funeral home that my undertaker father worked in, replete with “walk-in freezers,” a casket room, an embalming table and a cosmetics counter where my Dad artfully applied “life” back into the cheeks of the deceased. And there was the dark underbelly of a world that my mother unfortunately fell into—and which eventually pulled her away from us—including the hot blinking lights of NYC and some unsavory characters she befriended.

Metaphorically speaking, there was also the underworld of thought in my family—something I would come to describe as a sort of “victim mentality” that the adults around us all seemed to share and pass on, as their parents before them had passed onto them. It would be a mentality that I would rally against—as would my siblings—deciding to end it with us and our generation.

But it was also that damn basement that made me hate basement living so much.

And it didn’t help that the place was haunted.

I’m not talking soft core hauntings like memories, thought there were certainly memoires floating about that place-- of my mother and the good times, as well as her mysterious absence, something that no adults around us wanted to talk about.

I’m talking hard core apparitions.

Were these spirits passing though on their way to hell? It wouldn’t be unlikely, I remembered theorizing as a fourteen year old girl to my brother, Greg, who was 12 and my sister, Jaz, who was 16. We were, after all, halfway there.

Maybe we were on their turf!

There was the time that Jaz walked on the treadmill and felt a hand clamp down upon her shoulder and yank her off the machine. Or the time Greg woke to a man standing over him; when Greg blinked the man had vanished—but had left a scent of cologne in the air. Or the myriad of times I woke to feel hands pressing down on my throat and chest. Many years later, as an adult, I would watch the movie The Entity and think, “Oh, hey, I know that evil spirit! He used to frequent the basement.”

Besides being haunted, the basement was also… well, it was a basement: cold and dark and moldy and full of insects, it lacked anything remotely connected to the warmth of a home.  Suffice it to say, were weren’t going to win a spread anytime soon in the pages of Architectural Digest.

Black and white checkered floor tile had been glued down over cement (and not very evenly, I might add; it was an unusual day when I didn’t stub a toe). On top of this sat a pair of frayed, brown, velour couches that some distant relative had discarded--which we’d arranged into an L-shape to face the nineteen-inch television abutting the stairs. (Now that I think about it, those stairs were actually the one architectural feature the basement did have, even if they did symbolically remind of us our descension to the lower world).  Overhead, fluorescents-- of course-- blazed and flickered, illuminating things we’d rather not see, namely that our refrigerator, a thirty-year old dinosaur that likely had come with the purchase of the house, sat as its own piece of furniture in the living room.

“But why can’t we just slide it into the kitchenette? It’s embarrassing,” we begged our father.  This plea happened during our last stretch in the basement, when he had taken us back there—yet again—and it made us question things in a new way. We had also done everything we could to camouflage the unit such as draping it with cloth and buying a fake plant to shroud it. But no matter what we did, there remained a refrigerator in our living room.

“God, you guys act like it’s a dead body,” our father said. He liked to say things like that, as if we were the crazy ones for caring that four of us inhabited 800 square feet of dampness. But we knew better. We lived in middle class suburbia and no one we knew had a refrigerator in their living room.
For that matter, no one we knew lived in anything other than a cape or a ranch home with windows; nor did they sleep on futon mattresses or spritz their a hot water heater as part of their cleaning routine in the “kitchen.” (I think in my mind now I am still constructing the louvered doors I longed for to hide that embarrassing heater).

We had been through a long rough patch, my sibling and I, but moving back for this final stretch was a complete demotion to us, to a status even below foster children. At least while living in other people’s homes we had had them to blame for the chintzy furniture and bad taste in draperies. Now what could we say?

Of course it’s true that we were happy to have a roof over our heads, happy that we weren’t homeless and made to sleep beneath the open sky—although now and then it did rain upon me; for the foot of my futon caught the bathroom drip from above. But it was also a senseless kind of roof, seeing as our father worked a profession that paid a middle class salary that could afford us a place above topsoil.
Have I mentioned that the place was also dangerous?

Just navigating to the back steps, down the bush-lined path at the side of the house, one needed a machete. The evergreen brush was so sorely overgrown that frequently one of us would come bursting through the screen door cradling a poked eye or a scratched forehead. I do believe there was a hedge clipper in the garage, and I even recall my father outside on occasion snipping away, but those bushes seemed to me symptomatic of my father’s life issues then; the more he clipped, the more wild and untamable things became.

There was also the fact that when night fell we could not see two feet in front of us. How many nights I walked that path alongside the house, as if on a pirate’s plank, knowing an awful inevitable awaited me around that bend.  Sometimes, as I rounded the back edge of the house, I’d ward off my potential attacker, “Alright, Let’s get it on! You want some of this?” Sometimes I cowered at a leaf rustle, fumbled with the key and hoped for the best.

Once inside, little perils seemed to mock us, like the cheap mirror squares on our bedroom door, the end corners of which nipped at our passing fingers; or the bathroom shower tile wresting itself from the wall with each watering, and once, with the assistance of mildew, freeing the corner soap dish that nearly severed my big toe.

Most mocking-- and probably actually dangerous-- of all, was, of course, the monster living inside our bedroom closet: the oil burner. Our clothes hung along the plumbing pipes, but the closet was reserved for the great whale who heaved and growled wintertime, yawning awake. The only separation between us and its noxious breath was a thin wall of paneling. 

We did not know it yet, but the cats-- in further rebellion perhaps—were using the floor beneath the belly of this beast as an alternate litter box. Countless nights I jolted awake smelling the fresh scent of shit and would flick on the light, searching frantically for its source.
     
The quality of air—if I want to be so generous as to call it air- was pretty scary, too. We all chain smoked, including Greg, when he was old enough to stand inhaling, and then sprayed the air heavily with Lysol to hide the smell from our grandparents-- and not once do I think we ever opened a window. I am also remembering that we had no vacuum. Although we did have carpet.

 Blue speckled, the carpet was in Jaz’s and my “bedroom.” On the days when I could no longer take the chaos of our overflowing ashtrays and clothes piles, I would “clean” by folding all the clothes into neat piles, emptying the ashtrays and sweeping the rug by madly swinging the broom towards the door of mirrored glass. Pennies and paperclips and odd bits of plastic would hurtle forth, threatening to crack and shatter the glass. All the while, a plume of dust and dander would rise like a tornado from the earth. I would hang in there as long as I could, but finally the sneezing attack would begin. And I would not—could not—stop, going twenty, thirty sneezes in a row. I would have to dash outside and sometimes wait hours before returning, before my lungs and sinus passage would finally settle down.

Thinking about it now, is it any wonder that I still suffer residual health issues—that we all do?
It was there that my sister began suffering from migraine headaches, her central nervous system going on alert sending a tingling sensation through her fingertips.

(“Stress,” my father insisted).

It was there that Greg’s heart, that miraculous little organ that once healed itself of a pinhole, would skip a beat now and then.

(“Hypersensitivity,” my father said).

And it was there that we never knew when we woke if it was night or day. If we were dreaming or awake. If we were dead or alive. 

Subterranean living: Needless to say, I don’t think I will ever come around to liking it. 

Monday, May 18, 2015

I'm a MENSCH! Take that, World!



Sometimes, you feel like you can't win. The world keeps throwing you solid gut punches. But then you step back and remind yourself where you were a few years ago...where you are now...and that you get to do what you LOVE for a living. So, when people you think you can count on treat you like garbage and turn their backs...when those you considered friends scurry away like rats on a sinking ship (or roaches when the lights are turned on), you have to take stock of what is good.

It is too easy to let the downers take hold in your spirit. You have to be able to look at the big picture and see all the people who still stand by your side. You have to revel in those amazing moments that, despite the best efforts of some, still come loaded with good things. 

I made a commitment a few weeks ago when the last surge of hatred and petty BS was flung at the wall by the wingless hate-monkeys. I chose to stop listening. And I also started crossing names off the list of people who I gave two bits about. 

I love being a writer. I love hearing from the thousands (yeah...it really has come to grow into the thousands...go figure!) of readers who enjoy my work. I let them be what matters instead of the ass-munching scabs who scale over and flake off...only to try and return every single time I reach a new plateau. And I will continue to rely on the wonderful people who read my work and find entertainment in it.

I have one creedo that I will continue to cling to as I reach out a hand and try to offer a lift to any of my fellow indie writers trying to see their own dreams come true. Be careful of the asses you kick on the way up...those will be the same asses you kiss on the way down. And despite where you might stand today...gravity will eventually win.


In the spirit of starting off a new week, I wanted to share a snippet of my world with you. This weekend, I was able to see my book and my name on the big screen in front of over 10,000 people. I was able to watch the mama Newfie that will be bringing our new family member into the world as she earned some very prestigious titles in obedience and draft dog work.

And then, this morning, I opened my email to find this letter that I will share a small part of with you, but just as important, this is the sort of thing that I will focus on...the people who matter, because, despite what others think they know...the haters do not know ME...or even have a clue as to the TRUTH. They simply live in the vacuum of ignorance. I ain't goin' away, folks. Get used to it.

"My instincts tell me that life has been a bumpy ride for you, but you've taken those experiences and put them into your writing  - I hope it's been cathartic and stopped some of the past following you around like a bad smell.
(Your forewords say so much about you!).

As our hero, Stephen King, says, write about what you know.
That's what you do.
You know how to write about people.
Your apocalyptic world is a framing device for writing about the human condition.
And guess what? It works.

In Talmud, there is a saying - whoever saves one life saves the world entire.
The great thing about Talmud is that you can unpick it, translate it and look for meaning indefinitely. 

So, for me , there's more ways of saving a life than rescuing someone from a burning building.
There are lives within life - I thought that pain had robbed me of the part of my life that goes wandering off into the world of words.
And that was OK.
It had to be.
I've become accustomed to loss.
But your DEAD world brought my world of words back to life. 

Let morphine do its worst - it can't take that away from me.

You're a mensch, Todd.


Kol tuv"


And I end with one final picture of Lady Tutu...mama to our future family member. Do your worst, World...but I still get to smell puppy breath!

And I AM A MENSCH!

Friday, May 15, 2015

My new web page AND maybe even an action figure!

So, thanks to friend and avid Ava reader, I was introduced to Shawn Sampson & Co. He and his team are currently hard at work building my soon-to-be-released web page. It will be the hub and place to go for all things relating to my books and such. It is where I will hold exclusive contests, giveaways, and all sorts of groovy stuff.

That said, there will be a newsletter, and perhaps even a monthly video sitdown where I share things about my upcoming books. Heck, I might even read a few sample chapters! You will be able to subscribe to my newsletter (yes, it is free, you silly rabbit!), as well as get the jump on signed merch, special tee-shirts, and all sorts of stuff. It will be where I release my movie-style trailer for the DEAD series this coming October. NO, I did not say that DEAD was being made into a movie. I am having a professionally produced trailer made for the series. 

As far as the newsletter, I was thinking twice a month. Honestly, do you really have time for more than that? Also many of you may not know that @AuthorTWBrown is now the Twitter handle to follow in regards to things exclusive to me.

So, as Shawn nears completion on my site, I will keep you posted and announce things when it is ready for the unveiling. You can bet there will be prizes and such, so don't miss out. Also, it will be the main hub for the upcoming "Wanna See Something Really Scary 2015" blog tour. So far, I have THREE willing participants who will be joining me on this little jaunt around the cyberverse. Sure, it might be a short jaunt, but every journey starts with a single step...so...

Last, I might actually be having an "action figure" of me being made. I will (if all goes well) be holding a copy of my book DEAD: The Ugly Beginning. That might make a fun prize. Hmm...we shall see.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

The "Wanna See Something Really Scary?" blog tour.



The first week in August, to coincide with my release of DEAD: Snapshot--Leeds, England, I will be attempting to launch a wee bit of a blog tour. However, I would like for it to be a cross-promotional deal where my fellow horror authors perhaps put together a bit of a promo package featuring their newest release.

Who knows, I may even have the new Ava on the hook as well. However, since blog tours and I have not always gotten along for various reasons, I have decided that perhaps I should begin my very own. Now, I am hoping for maybe four or five authors who would like to step up to the plate and take part in this first annual (hopefully) "Wanna See Something Really Scary?" blog tour.


I will be the one to contact blogs (any who join are encouraged to suggest, and I will attempt to make contact) and set a lineup for the tour. By June 20th, I will finalize the list of participants and begin the task of reaching out.

So, since I know many of you, and have worked with several of you, I am tossing out the invitation. If you are interested and can commit to putting together a small package that will consist of a "All About My New Book" self-interview, a picture (and hopefully cover of the soon-to-be-released or recently released title), and a couple of things to be announced later, then drop me a line at twbrown.maydecpub@gmail.com with "Wanna See Something Really Scary" in the subject line informing me of your intention to be a part of this little soiree.

Also, if you HAVE a blog and wish to host, by all means, let me know so I can put you on the list of stops.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Enough is enough!

Okay, wake up...slip into running gear, leash up the dog...hit the road for a three and a half mile hill course. Get home, check email. Reply to the AMAZING fans who take time out of their day to drop me a line. (Seriously, I never thought I would get fan mail...it is too surreal.) Reply to the 5 or 6 companies that contact me to review their products for Amazon. Write reviews for the ones I have tried and tested.

Take a shower.

Back to the office for a writing session. Working on DEAD: End, the new DEAD: Snapshot--Leeds, England, UnCivil War, and the next Ava (something about roller derby Valkyries in Texas). Get in some editing for my clients that send me their work. And swap back and forth between that array of desk work.

Between sessions, get in some house cleaning. If the weather is good, pop outside and get in a little of the yard work that never seems to be caught up enough to just let go for a few days.

Back inside for some more writing. Duck into the studio and either have a recording session or an editing session. Working through DEAD: Snapshot--Portland, Oregon as an audible release that I hope to have done by the end of the month.

Back into the office for another writing/editing session. Housework. To the yard. 

WAIT!

Somebody told me that working at home as a writer was a breeze. Nothing to it. Set your own hours...chill. Did I miss a memo?

Friday, May 8, 2015

They're all gonna laugh at you...

The Fourth was with us. And the buzz is growing about the new Star Wars movie. However, in the spirit of Friday, we can always use a good laugh to end the week. So, if you have never seen these...you owe it to yourself. Darth Vader vs. Adolph Hitler?

BEGIN!




But, like any good Star Wars saga...it does not end there. Oh no.



And the trilogy concludes. Who won? Who lost? You decide.


Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Know any college students making films?

Seriously. Do you? Then you may want to send them here to read this post.


Zomblog is really what started it all for me. Granted, I never intended it to be published. It was simply a warm up exercise as I got my writing chops in shape to pen the DEAD series. That is not to take anything away from the Zomblog saga. Overall, it is pretty good, and I did learn a lot in the process. Even better, some very constructive reviews came along that helped shape me into a more proficient writer.

This series was my first entry into the KDP program which led to a single weekend download extravaganza of over 10,000 copies of book 1. That opened the door for me as an author and the rest is history.

So, now, I would like to make an offer to a YouTuber, aspiring indie film producer, or group of college kids looking to put something together for class or just to get the practice. Zomblog is perhaps the easiest of my titles to convert to film. So I am offering it up. No advance fees, no licencing deals or hurdles to jump through. I figure the exposure this book gets through you will sell a few copies for me. That is good enough. 

I am living my dreams because of this little book. If I can give somebody a nudge by allowing them to use it, I consider it a win-win. 

Interested? Then email me at twbrown.maydecpub@gmail.com with "filming Zomblog" in the subject line. 

I may not hear from a single soul...but if you don't put it out there, nobody will know. Right? So, if you know somebody, or you know somebody who knows somebody...or, if you are that somebody...drop me a line.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Mud, Cheese, and meeting the troops.


This weekend was one of those ones where you get to Monday and actually feel like you are getting to take a break. I was booked solid. Friday, we had to hurry downtown to beat the protest marchers who stood in all the busiest intersections to shut down afternoon traffic. (Yeah, on a Friday when people just want to get home from work and chill...great way to build support for your cause by keeping people jammed bumper to bumper while they wait for you to get the hell out of the way.) Denise and I had tickets to see Richard Cheese. 


For those not familiar with the name, he does lounge singer-style covers of modern music by artists like Metallica, Nirvana, Taylor Swift, and Snoop Dogg. Zombie fans will remember his remake of the Disturbed hit, The Sickness that played during the mall montage in the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. The opening act was "iPod on a chair". We were not too surprised when a man walked out and gave us the opening act as pictured above. Yep...an iPod on a chair.


Once the band came out, a real swinging vibe was laid down and we got to sit back and get ready for the reason we came. Richard Cheese did not disappoint. He gave a solid two hour show including a pair of encores. For the second encore, they were out of music, so they covered "Easy" by the Commodores and he did the guitar solo with his mouth. You know how we have all imitated a killer lick in that gawdawful way we have where we try to impersonate the sound of a guitar? Well, RC brought it to another level.


All in all, it was a great night that we capped off with a stop at Lardo's and then a gourmet ice cream shop. And we were even home before midnight! Which was great since I had to be up early on Saturday for my first obstacle course run of the season. The Survivor Mud Run was a pretty easy start to the season. I will think back on it fondly when I am in the middle of the Spartan course this year doing my burpee penalty after failing at an obstacle. (And yes, I am a realist and know I will fail at at least one. The hope is to not fail at more than 6...last year's number.)


Before the race I was able to say hello to some of our troops who had one of their APC rigs set up. They were even kind enough to give me a bit of a tour and explain some of the particulars. One of their team was not on duty and an active participant in the race, so he got my ticket for my free beer that I always give away. (Sober since 1994!)


As 9:30 am drew near, I tried to stretch out a bit. It was cloudy and just a wee bit chilly. So the old bones and joints did not want to get loose. Not that it makes that big of a difference with the slow pace I "run" at, but still...nothing worse than a cramped hamstring at the halfway point.


I took my spot at the rear of the pack and waited for the countdown. Once I hit the trail, I was actually passing a few people. I see a lot of people walking these courses. To each his (or her) own I guess. But for me, it is called a Mud Run, not a Mud Walk. Now, for those out there that I saw who were well over their suggested weight-versus-height ratio...mad props. You walk on and rock on! I will be the one cheering you on. But when I pass the 20-somethings who are half my weight and hear them actually complain...I got nuthin' for ya.


The good news is that I finished in a respectable (for me) 45-ish minutes. My only gripe was that one of the "mud pits" had asphalt for its base. My knees and elbows look like I fell off a motorcycle...and landed on my knees and elbows. Still, it was nice to get the first one out of the way.

Sunday was all about yard work. We are building a tiered garden on the side of the house with all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies. So I logged in over 20,000 steps on my Fitbit. Woo-hoo! I love the weekends.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Martian Saga finale!

Get it HERE!

Once again, we are treated to a superb tale written by Brent LeVasseur. In the final(?) installment of the Aolean: The Martian Girl saga--AOLEAN: THE MARTAIN GIRL (part 5) THE GREAT PYRAMID--everything comes to a fulfilling and thrilling conclusion. If you have invested yourself thus far in the four offerings leading up to this point, then you will not be disappointed. (And neither will the wee folk if this has been the bedtime ritual these past weeks.)

The book comes with all of the wonderful art that you have come to expect, and there is enough humor to keep the adults entertained as well as a plethora of action and adventure. No spoilers, but the ending will satisfy. 

If you have yet to grab this amazing tale, I highly recommend starting with book one and working your way here. (Wouldn't make much sense otherwise.) All in all, this is fun...as it should be.




Book Details:

Book Title: Aoléon The Martian Girl: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Saga - Part 5: The Great Pyramid of Cydonia, written and illustrated by Brent LeVasseur
Category:  Middle-Grade, 130 pages
Genre: Science-fiction and Fantasy
Publisher: Aoléon Press
Release date: February 1, 2015
Content Rating: G


Book Description:

AolĂ©on, Gilbert, Bizwat, Helios, and Zoot make it to their final destination - Cydonia where AolĂ©on’s parents are being held captive. They infiltrate a secret underground base and are confronted by a small army of sentrybots.

Bizwat lends Aoléon and Gilbert some of his advanced combat skills via a psionic brain dump. However, this may not be enough to save them from overwhelming hostile forces that will do anything to stop them.

They finally meet Pax - the Martian who originally set them out on the mission to discover the truth about the Luminon and his plans to invade Earth. However Pax is not who he seems to be, and through a turn of events, they uncover the true power behind all that has been happening on Mars.

Will they be able to rescue AolĂ©on’s parents and save Earth from invasion?

Read part 5 to find out!


Meet the Author:

Mr. LeVasseur enjoys crafting good stories based on lovable characters designed to translate well to multiple media formats such as books, games, movies, and toys. He lives in New York when he is not commuting between Southern California and Olympus Mons, Mars. His hobbies include writing, 3D animation, musical composition, and intergalactic space travel. He also enjoys various sports such as skiing, running, and exospheric skydiving.

Connect with Brent:   Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  AolĂ©on: The Martian Girl