Tuesday, July 31, 2012

"Whisper" FREE August 1 st and 2 nd.

WHISPER     FREE WEDNESDAY (8-1) AND THURSDAY (8-2) The crew of the USS Whisper tries to get back to their rightful place in time after accidently being sent into the past over 200 years while testing a device to make the ship invisible. Captain Wiley Randolph and his crew fight against time, a 200 year old frigate, a Japanese Zero, and a German Wolf Pack of submarines. This is Thomas Wilsons first novel and the first in a series of Wiley Randolph Novels. Join Wiley on what is supposed to be his last mission. If you enjoy it coming soon is “Leviathan Deterrent”, a submersible Aircraft Carrier, Wiley's first command and the start of his new life. CLICK THIS LINK TO GET YOUR FREE COPY TODA...

Monday, July 30, 2012

Doldrums

When I first started reading on a regular basis it was reading series of books which kept me going from one book to another.  The series that stands out more than any other was Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin Series.  The first book of the series many are probably aware because of the 2003 movie of the same title which was based in part off pieces of several of the books, “Master and Commander.”  Through the books Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend and ships surgeon, Stephen Maturin, relate his adventures in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic War.  I have subsequently learned many things of a nautical nature from reading these many books which is one of my favorite genres. One of the terms I have picked up on is the...

Friday, July 27, 2012

Last Two Free Days for Whisper on Amazon

Mark your calendars if you haven't gotten your free copy of "Whisper"! August 1, and 2 nd - Next Wednesday and Thursday are the last two days it will be available for free on Amazon. Whisper -- Kindle BestsellerPraise for Whisper:"The concept of presented within the book– a new technology being created that can in a sense make people and objects invisible for a given set time and also transport an object or person to another time period–is pretty darn awesome! The author did a wonderful job of explaining how such a technology could be created and work effectively. " -- A.C."Really interesting concept that kept me intrigued throughout." -- K.K.Overview:** WARNING: Not for children or young teens. Contains mature language and situations....

Thursday, July 26, 2012

I’M A CRIMINAL

Yes, I know it is hard to believe but apparently I have broken the law and got caught.  My neighbor also got caught for committing the same crime.  Yes, apparently there is a crime wave going on in the suburb community of Independence, Missouri.  Have no fear my fellow readers, Officer Barney Badass is on his toes and ever vigilant and cleaning up crime in my neighborhood. Never mind that there has been numerous houses broken into over the last few months or that some higher department of law enforcement is running an undercover drug house in the neighborhood.  Or the fact that the local trash company regularly steals their own trash cans so we have to report them stolen in order to get new ones from the trash company;...

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Crisis Management

How an organization, government, company, or Army handles situations tells a lot about the leadership, experience and competence of that group. Many companies have policies and procedures in place to deal with specific events or crisis that may arise unexpectedly.  Regardless of the policies and procedures in place it is the people of that organization that either handle the situation or get handled by it.  Too many times people hide or escape behind the policies and procedures as means of doing nothing and not being held responsible for what does or does not happen. I have a hand written note that the previous manager who occupied my position at this company had stuck to his bulletin board before me.  I don’t know where he got it from but after reading it the first time...

Friday, July 20, 2012

Bikers - The Modern Cavalry

Some time ago I attended an annual charity benefit put on by bikers.  For some reason this event always has the biggest turn out and raises more money in Kansas City and the surrounding areas than it does anywhere else in the country for this charity.  This particular time it was estimated that over eight thousand bikers showed up to participate in this one day ride.  I have heard of many rides that have had many more than this number participating in them.  This was just the largest ride I had ever been a participant of. Now I have to put this in the proper perspective.  This was eight thousand riders who paid good money to participate in a ride for charity.  During the ride I was amazed at what eight thousand...

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Dawning of Understanding

So I am reading “Catching Fire,” the second book of “The Hunger Games” series.  I saw the movie, “The Hunger Games,” with my daughter weeks ago and then more recently read the book.  I always like seeing the movie first so that having read the book doesn’t destroy the movie experience for me.  The books are always better.  Every reader knows this.  Too many times I have read the book first before they made a movie about something and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth forever about the movie.  They did a good job on the movie of “The Hunger Games.” As I am reading “Catching Fire” I am seeing the characters from the movie in my head act out the scenes of the book as I did when I read “The Hunger Games.”  Only...

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Honing Your Skills

Over the last year and half I have done many posts illuminating aspects of writing and honing your skills as a storyteller.  I thought today I would re-cap the sum of my mini lessons up till now. 1.  Write your story.  I don’t mean about you, I mean tell the story that is rattling around in your head.  Describe for us the world in your imagination.  Make your characters come alive to us through your words.  Let us feel their passion, their pain, experience their plight, and let us celebrate in their victories, as we live vicariously through them as we read your work. 2.  Edit and proof the many layers that make up your work.  There are about as many facets to good editing and proofing as there is in writing the piece to begin with. 3.  Learn...

Monday, July 16, 2012

The Grumman Goose

For those who saw “The Expendables” and are awaiting for the release of the sequel you no doubt also fell in love with their plane, the Grumman Goose. In 1936, a group of wealthy gentleman from Long Island commissioned the Grumman Corporation to build them a commuter plane to get from Long Island to New York.  Grumman designed the light amphibian model G-21 Goose, which was their first mono-wing aircraft, their first twin engine aircraft, and its first aircraft to enter commercial airline service.  Because of its amphibian characteristics it was a natural for surveillance and military sea rescue service as it could literally go about anywhere. Crew 1 - 3, Capacity 5 - 7 passengers, Length 38ft 6in, Wingspan 49ft, Height 16ft...

Sunday, July 15, 2012

The Wonder of Flight

Today I watched as a bird flew down and landed on a railing.  As I have done many times for as far back as I can remember I wondered how terrific it would be to have the ability to just take flight.  I thought about something I read not long ago about how our reality is just our perception of the things we see as our brain can understand it based off the sum of our experiences and knowledge.  The article went on to expound on physics, reality, and our perceptions. I considered that if this were true and I was really something else as my body is made up of just a bunch of molecules connected together then I could imagine I was lighter than air and just launch myself into the air.  The bird which I was still watching...

Saturday, July 14, 2012

KEYS

I have a thing for keys and it goes way beyond just real unique, unusual, and old keys.  It could be that keys unlock things just as my love of books and useless tidbits of knowledge could be used to unlock things hidden, lost or that are to remain mysteries to be solved only by those who possess the required key or information. I relate my love of keys to my wife always having the key to my heart.  Before the clothes and makeup at her very worst I think she is the most beautiful woman in the entire world.  That it would be a toss-up as to which of us has the cruelest or more sarcastic sense of humor.  That no matter what she has my back and is always there for me.  I pray I always possess the key to her heart. I...

Friday, July 13, 2012

Friday the 13th - Lucky Days

I don’t necessarily believe in luck per say.  I believe more in the old saying that the harder you work the better luck you will have which really translates better into you’ll reap what you sow! As people grow up and learn of the conventions of the societies they inhabit they also learn of the superstitions that many people have.  Among those are such things as its bad luck to let a black cat cross your path, don’t walk under ladders and that Friday the thirteenths are unlucky days.  As we grow and mature we each decide which superstitions we will participate in and which ones we will ignore. Growing up a strange thing happened.  I realized on Friday’s that fell on the Thirteenth that I had the best, almost inspired...

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Know your Market and Write to your Audience!

Bullshit!! This is crap comes from agents, publishers, writing teachers who have never written a book in their life.  It’s trying to apply marketing psycho babble to writing.  Artists, Musicians and Writers cannot qualify, identify, label, profile, or categorize their audience much less attempt to be authentic and creative in a true sense to their audience through trying to target them. If you write with this approach you are probably doomed for failure in an already difficult and competitive playground.  Especially in today’s Global market economy where you never know where your stuff is going to end up or who might be reading it.  This is probably more true for the new and rising Indie Authors than traditionally published authors.  E-books are literally available...

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Color Research Is Grey Hot?

As a rather new author who is refining his skills as a storyteller, I pay attention to how other authors write.  What they write about.  Their style of writing.  What people are reading?  Which author is the latest craze and fascination in the literary arena this season and why? Once in a while books come along that start such a stir that even people who don’t normally read will pick up a book and read it.  I found it amazing that people are lending their E-readers to friends who don’t have one in order to read such books.  When I hear of stories that reach beyond the normal group of committed everyday readers and pulls in the occasional readers and even garners the attention of those who don’t read a book I...

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Inspirational Post for Indie Authors

I wish I had written this but I didn’t, Miss Colby R Rice did and I love it.  So as I am not big and discovered as of yet I can still make marketing mistakes, because I read somewhere that you shouldn’t put links into things which steer people from your blog or your books. I disagree with that philosophy as us Indie Authors need to work together to help, promote and help each other conquer the literary world through our combined efforts.  In the end we all will win and will be discovered as we re-awaken the world to the wonderful gift which is reading. So without further ado please click the link below and read a wonderfully inspirational piece about the myth of being an overnight success!! Thank You Colby, http://www.c...

Monday, July 9, 2012

A Breed Apart

There was a collection of actors who served in World War II who were the icons of the old movies I watched through the years of my life that epitomized what it is to be a real man.  Lee Marvin, Jimmy Stewart, and men like Ernest Borgnine were actors but they were role models also.  The movies and the characters they portrayed helped shaped a generation.  They were men of a different breed, a breed apart.  They were part of World War II and that scary, hard, and glorious part of world’s history and they survived to go on and become actors in some the best films ever. We lost one of the last of the icons this last weekend. Ernest Borgnine, (January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012)  Ninety-five years young. Best known...

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