A Giant Six Days

"It is unsinkable. God himself couldn't sink this ship."

Okay, most folks by now have seen James Cameron's landmark film, Titanic. I remember my wife and I hoping that it would bomb at the box office. Any film that cost that much money, just to re-tell a story that everybody already knew, sounded ridiculous to us. However, when we did finally see it, our opinions were quickly changed. I thought it was great. I own it on DVD and we watch it periodically.

Having written this, what follows really has nothing to do with the film. In 1907 and 1908, the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball Team won back to back World Series Championships. I'm quite certain, though there is doubtless very few people still alive to ask, that some idiot paraphrased the above line in the following manner: "God Himself could not beat the Chicago Cubs!"


Monday night, being a baseball fan, I sat in agony and watched the San Francisco Giants win and then celebrate a World Series Championship. It was not upsetting because I didn’t want them to win, even though I was actually rooting for the Texas Rangers to win. No, I was bothered by the terrible fact that I was once again watching some other team other than by beloved Chicago Cubs win a championship.

Now, before some uninformed person attempts to cheer me up, or worse, to chide me for “crying about” some trivial matter such as this; know this: it has been exactly 102 years since they last won what the Giants just shocked the world by doing. And that’s the other sobering thing about this particular win. Other than the pitching staff of 2-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain and closer Brian Wilson, they were a team of misfits. Nearly their entire roster was made up of players that nobody else wanted. World Series MVP Edgar Renteria was hurt three times and was widely suspected to be contemplating retirement during the season; Cody Ross was released by the Florida Marlins in late August; Aubrey Huff has been on 5 teams in ten years; Mike Fontenot, Freddy Sanchez, Pat Burrell - it's pretty much all the same.

In recent years, I have watched the Boston Red Sox break their terrible dry spell by winning it all, as well as the Chicago White Sox and now the Giants. In spite of the fact that I was not rooting for the Giants to win the World Series, I salute their terrific achievement. Congratulations, San Francisco Giants, to you and your fans across the country. You are world champions. Enjoy it, because one never know when or if this will ever happen again. The last time that the Cubs made it as far as the world Series was 1948...

"But this ship can't sink!"
"She's made of iron, sir, I assure you that she can, and she will. It is a mathematical certainty."


Now that I've gotten the depressing stuff out of the way, I'm off to happier news. Wednesday morning I was greeted by an e-mail from one of my newest friends. I have met so many wonderful people during this past year of discovery. The writing should be the highlight; the dream of it all coming true. However, sometimes I wonder whether it is actually the new friends that I never would have had the chance to meet that has been the high point. Jennifer Wylie is one of these new BFF's. If you have yet to meet her, this is your chance. She was kind enough to agree to read my novel and to offer her opinion. Bless her heart, she did, and you can read her wonderful review here. Thank you so much, Jennifer.

This past Saturday, the magazine that I write for was good enough to interview and review me as well. It is called Kings River Life Magazine and it is a local on-line magazine that brings local interest as well as arts & entertainment stories to the California Central Valley. They are even giving away a copy of the novel. That positive review can be read here as well. Not only this, but the same issue this week included my article about a celebrity artist as well as my contribution to a staff article about our collective favorite scary movies (for Halloween).

As if this was not enough, the preceding Friday saw my latest post for the Wicked Writers Blog. If anyone has yet to discover this particular blog, you've got to check us out. I am simply one of eight amazing writers. Again, the prompt was Halloween themed, but our topics are as varied as our genres. We're all terribly wicked, but our genres run the gamut. I am leaving a link here, for those of you who have yet to take the plunge.

Well, I think that's enough. Thanks for taking the time, especially for having to endure the baseball rant. I love my Cubs. I just hope they win one day while I am yet alive to see it.

We'll talk soon.

Halloween Weekend

Holy Crap, Batman! What a weekend this is turning out to be!

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. How are you all doing? Once again, I feel as if I should be apologizing for being absent more often than I'm not. However, as many of you know, when I'm not up early doing my day job, I am writing for this, that and the other.
This is what bring me to you this weekend...

My family and I make our home in the California Central Valley, near Fresno. Okay, who am I kidding? If you've read or read about my novel, you already know that I live in a small town south of there called Kingsburg. Anyway, I also work for a local on-line magazine based in the valley, Kings River Life. Today's issue features an extensive interview with me, a short but positive review of my novel and a giveaway.

Not only that, but my article on the artist, Rick Alonzo is also featured. If you have not heard of him, and I admit that I hadn't, he is quite the interesting subject. He is a Christian painter who uses martial arts, martial arts weaponry and gymnastics to produce his art and lead people to God.

The staff at the magazine were also asked to list their favorite scary films, and I offered my two cents on The Silence of the Lambs.

Truly, you can't miss my presence in this issue. If it were not for the tireless work of our publisher, Lorie Ham, one might suggest that the issue is mine this week. Not really! I do a lot of work, but nothing compared to what Lorie does.

In addition to this, as if this were not enough, I continue to post for Wicked Writers. Each week we follow our prompt and deliver thought-provoking and often times witty posts on various subjects. Every genre of fiction is represented and several of us write articles in other places. If you don't already follow along, I hope you will come over and check us out.

Well, it's been a busy weekend...and it's only just begun, to paraphrase The Carpenters. I'm still applying polish to the second book and awaiting word on the paperback release of the first book. Stay tuned for details on that.

Have a great weekend and a safe Halloween.

We'll talk soon.

Monday Morning Musings

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. I hope that everyone is well. Summer is now turning into fall, and I could not be happier. I haven't been a fan of summer since I no longer had my summers off! Lol!

Update: Things continue to be extremely busy as I attempt to hold two careers. Many, if not all, of you know exactly what I'm talking about. I have previously discussed all that I have been up to this year, so I will not bore you with the details. I will only mention briefly that I continue to attempt to keep this blog active, write articles for a local on-line magazine, contribute as a staff member of Wicked Writers, and keep up with any and seemingly all social networks.

You'll do doubt notice that I made no mention of doing any fiction writing. Well, I am currently giving the sequel to my debut one last pass before sending it off to Vamplit Publishing. It is tentatively entitled, Dance on Fire: FlashPoint. Dance on Fire is an e-book, but is getting its paperback release this fall. My thanks to all who have either read the book or have taken an interest in it and/or me.

New Music: Earlier this summer I spent some time discussing new music that I had been listening to. I continue to listen to the latest offerings from Train, Corinne Bailey Rae, 30 Seconds To Mars, and Krokus. So far this fall my feelings have been mixed with regards to my opinion of some new releases.

With Maroon 5 I must say that I have been disappointed. Songs About Jane was a brilliant record. It was the proverbial breath of fresh air. The band toured for several years on that one record alone, and my wife and I continued to listen to it well after that. However, the last two efforts since then, to me, have been stale and seemingly the same formula, and no longer fresh. I was pleased to hear that they were planning on using the great Robert John "Mutt" Lange to produce the new CD. This guy's name was seemingly on every album I owned in the early eighties by AC/DC and Def Leppard. He was at the helm for Heartbeat City by The Cars and Foreigner 4. Unfortunately, with everything that I have heard so far, it seems that his talents have been wasted.



I fell in love with Sara Bareilles quite by accident last year. I had heard her song, "Love Song", but did not pay very much attention to it. It was only when I found her concert on cable that I gave her the time and respect that this amazing young woman deserves. She writes very good songs, and from what I have seen and heard from her, gives a mean live performance. I was a little unsure about her newest release until I had played it a few times, but now I am playing it regularly. Give her a chance. She's so much more than just a pretty face...

This next CD that I have been listening to was a bit of a surprise. I like The Goo Goo Dolls; however, I probably would neglect to name them as one of my favorite bands were you to ask me. Yet, I gave this new release of theirs a chance when I saw it advertise on iTunes and found that I could not stop myself from buying it. Originally, I only bought four songs. After I had listened to them enough times, I went back for the rest. There are a couple that I can do without, especially when someone other than John Rzeznik is singing, but for the most part, it is a strong effort and has become a favorite of mine this year.

Hopefully, as the year winds down there will be many more surprises when it comes to both music and my writing. I'm looking forward to the next My Chemical Romance release this November 22, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. I hope to be celebrating my paperback release soon, followed early next year with news of the next book being published.

Anyway, that's enough for now. Thanks so much for your time and your encouragement.

We'll talk soon.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. I just wanted to let you know that I posted something Friday over on Marissa's blog, Something Wicked This Way Comes. It was just a fun look through the scariest films that my DVD library has to offer. There are some newer films and there are some classics. I hope you will take a moment to look it over and let me know what you think of it. I hope to take a look at some newer films this Halloween season so that I may post some reviews. Let me know if there is something that any of you think I might find interesting.

Thanks to all of those who took the time to watch my first-ever video blog last weekend, and thanks for all of the positive comments. I do believe the vlog will return. Whether or not I use it to read some of my work remains to be seen.

Have a great weekend.

We'll talk soon.

Video Blog: the next frontier

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. I apologize for not being around as often as I might want; however, hopefully this first-ever video blog will compensate for that. This is something that I have been wanting to try out for awhile, but just have not gotten around to doing. It is a bit rough. The lighting is a bit dark, but I was looking for a quiet spot in the busy house and the back bedroom was the only room available. In any event, it is all me. It is part summary and part thank you.

We'll talk soon.

Dance on Fire teaser

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. I posted this teaser back in April, and thought that I would go ahead and post it once again. The e-book version was published in February and the paperback is tentatively set for Halloween, 2010. The sequel is set for release either late 2010 or early 2011. What follows is the opening of the novel: Dance on Fire. It is a Christian/horror crossover. I hope you like it.

May 4, 2008
11:59 a.m.

The great beast paused in the dark and sniffed the cool spring air as if welcoming in the fragrant bouquet from a glass of fine wine held below his nostrils. Hands casually held inside the pockets of a brown leather coat, long single strands of his dark hair leaping and dancing in the light breeze, head held slightly elevated, he breathed deeply so as not to miss a single delectable whiff.

After all of these many years, he was close now. Before, he simply had a sense of it; perhaps one might call it a fool’s hope. Now he could smell it, taste it.
He was very close indeed.

The breath within it now spent, devoid of any flavor; the beast released it and stole another.

Cold, penetrating eyes pierced the moonless night as he was on the move again strolling languidly, almost if in a hypnotic trance eastward through the peach orchard. Had he already become intoxicated by the scent? Perhaps not the blood that led him, but what the blood was speaking to him. His eyes swept across his field of vision obscured as it was by the trees’ thick canopies. With each additional step, more of the approaching town was revealed: multi-colored light, the spectrum of sounds, the differing shapes of buildings. Looking was unnecessary, however. At this moment, he was as finely tuned to the world around him as he had ever been before. Ahead where the small town the clues had led him to met the open country, a coyote prowled cautiously, desperately searching for a morsel. To his far left was laughter. Actually, it was more like giggling: the squeals of drunken hyenas, intoxicated with the blood and flesh of their kill. Although in the case of these young men, much too young to drink, it was Budweisers that they were killing. He could actually detect the faint sound of the beer sloshing within the long-neck bottles held in the hands of these who probably thought themselves safely undetected among the rows of the raisin vineyard. This night, at long last, after much searching, longing, nothing could escape the beast’s notice.

He paused yet again, this time kneeling low to the earth that lay below his heavy riding boots. Though quite minimal, the scent of blood was now sweet and heavy in his flaring nostrils and parched throat, awakening a deeper hunger within him, as if that could be possible. The sensation seemed so new to him. It felt so virginal: like that first bumbling attempt at lovemaking; that first night away from home; that first bloodletting.

Yet, it was none of these. It was the sweet taste of revenge. The beast would have to salve that hunger with something else tonight, he knew, and perhaps tomorrow as well, but not for very much longer.

Claw-like fingers dug slowly and confidently at the ground until a tiny leg emerged. It was followed by another, and then a shriveled face. They stopped digging and wrapped themselves around the tiny head, where nails all too similar had recently gripped and snapped away the last of the cats’ life. Without a thought, the beast pulled the corpse from the shallow grave. He did not need to search for the wound that had drained the last of the creature’s life, but he did. He longed to see the wound. How could he not? Was this not what had been driving him, filling his days? And now, he would do nothing but enjoy it to the fullest.

He bent the pathetic little neck back until there was an awful crack. His expression showed little knowledge of the sound of it. When he found the matted place where cold lips such as his had drank, when he could see the bite that had drawn the blood, he brought it quickly to his mouth and blew away the dirt with a sharp blast of dank air. Now he did the unthinkable. He licked the wound, long and slow like a lover would the breast of his beloved. Then the great beast smiled a horrible thin smile as he looked up from it.

“At last,” he whispered, nonchalantly dropping the dead cat and gazing up toward the small town before him. He spoke as if to the entire population. “Nathaniel,” he declared, gritting his perfect white teeth as he did. “I have you at last. And when I am through with you the insignificant souls of this place shall gladly hand you over to me!”

The vampire immediately headed off into town, setting events into motion.
Kingsburg, California. It is a rural agricultural community in the heart of the San Joaquin valley, the richest agricultural valley in the world, so states the city’s official website. It was incorporated May 11, 1908. It has a population of over 11,000 and lies twenty miles south of Fresno, and nearly halfway between San Francisco and the city of angels.

It is the home of Sun-Maid: the largest and most well-known raisin plant in the world. The gold medal Olympian Rafer Johnson was raised here. The actor Slim Pickens, who rode a nuclear warhead in the film, “Doctor Strangelove”, was born here.
The Swedish Village, the signs read and the police cars and police badges proudly proclaim. The style of the buildings’ architecture, the baby blue and yellow colors of Sweden, as well as the frequent sighting of the traditional dress from one or another of the downtown business owners further testify to this. Signs at various points along the city limits greet strangers with the Swedish Word: Valkommen. It means exactly as it sounds which is “welcome”.

Every third weekend in May thousands of people converge on Kingsburg for the Swedish Festival. It is a time where nearly the entire town puts on its traditional dress and a show for the weekend, with the highlights being a dance around the May Pole on Friday night and a pancake breakfast and parade on Saturday. This year marks the 43rd annual celebration and the town’s centennial anniversary.

The festivities were set to begin in ten days.

Author Interview

Happy Friday, Fire Enthusiasts!
One of my newest friends in the Blogosphere has been good enough to interview me and post it on her blog, as we happily anticipate the fast approaching weekend. Her name is Jennifer Wylie and you can find the interview on the following link.

I have read some interviews where the questions were, dare I say, lacking. I was pleased to find that not only did Jennifer research me a little bit, but she asked things that writers would want to discuss and that other writers/readers would want to hear about.
I hope that you will not only visit her blog for my interview, but that you will begin to follow her as well, if you have not already been doing so.

Thanks for your time.

We'll talk soon.