Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Walkabout Thoughts #15

My thoughts, while walking off long Covid and listening to podcasts...a blog designed and meant to be freely associating, on the run, and not perfectly edited:


Weather for the day… 58° and overcast.

Well this is going to be an electic blog today, I can just feel it!

Podcast for the day is Pod Save America, November 3 episode, "Last Call for Democracy." Obviously about the midterm elections this Tuesday.

Second podcast today is Political Gabfest, Live From Atlanta! But I don't really mention anything from it in this blog today as I was just finishing up the walk.

Instagram post for the day is...well? I didn't shoot one today. So I'll include this one from my friends...cartoonist Pat Moriarity and his son Jack's annual SausageFest in Port Orchard, WA which began years ago as an evening of grilling sausages apparently, on this past Halloween Monday night. That's Jack talking about the late famous Patrick Haggerty (who had died the night before the party), of Lavender Country band fame. I liked Patrick. We will all miss him. Especially Jack who's known him since he was young. This post is Pat presenting his son's band's Kiss tribute (only) that night. And this short post is the band getting started. I shot some music videos with those guys in the band and my fellow directors Kelly Hughes and Tyler Darkow, a year ago that have been in some film festivals now.

It was a great night as SausageFest always is (Patrick was there last year so it was sad this year without him not to mention, he died only the night before). Here is a newspaper article about Patrick's passing and here is a post on my Instagram of Patrick at Pat Moriarity's art showing a couple of months back in nearby Poulsbo, WA.


Here's articles on Deadline, one on NPRCNN, Seattle Times, about Patrick Haggerty. What's also sad about this is this, "WA’s pioneering gay country band Lavender Country releases first new album in 50 years"

Well... back to the walkabout thoughts... 

I didn’t walk yesterday, but I walked Thursday, the day before. Today is Saturday, and tomorrow it’s supposed to rain. It said it's supposed to rain today, but there's broken clouds, so I’m walking. Nice to see some blue sky.

I was set at home waiting for lunch time to arrive, multitasking by listening to a professor talk about the history of Winston Churchill on C-SPAN, and writing/editing my new book on my film, “Pvt. Ravel‘s Bolero“. I was just writing about how the film came to be, with a little history about me and how I got around to shooting some other films at this house and my last house and my house before that. Where we were for 16 years and where for a great part of their lives, I had raised my kids until they moved out as adults. Those are good memories. Mostly. Not so much the first year or two there as it was seeing the end of my marriage. But, moving on...

My friend and fellow local Indy director Kelly Hughes had shot some films at that house of 16 years in Suquamish, Washington. Then I sold that house and moved here to Bremerton. First we lived in a big house with my son and his girlfriend and her son. They had the whole downstairs while I had the upstairs with an incredible view. Maybe I’ll include a photo.

Included photo from my picture window at my previous house

Then after two years I moved a mile away to where I’ve now been for the past three years.

I had shot a film in college that I am detailing in my new book. I shot my first documentary in 1993 (25th Anniversary of Lost In Space) which was cablecast around the greater Seattle area on Viacom cable. Since then I have helped Kelly Hughes on some of his films. 

We moved to Bremerton and I shot a short film, “The Rapping“ (think Edgar Allen Poe, not Rap music), with my son, since we were just at the house there and could shoot whenever we were ready. 

I moved a to this new, smaller house and I shot my film “Gumdrop“, a short horror, based on one of my previously published true crime horror stories. A true story I had been told about by my university abnormal psych professor.


Which won some awards internationally at film festivals. Then while suffering from long Covid I tried getting back into filmmaking and I came up with an idea for, "Pvt. Ravel's Bolero”, a historical documentary and filmic poem. That film because it allowed me the opportunity to work as I could, when I felt up to it, and finish at my own pace. With no actors or no schedules. My first day working on it lasted only about an hour because it was all I could do for the day. Because of long Covid. I spent six months in post production on that film, after years of research I based at all on a poem I had written with the same title, back in 2014. That film is still winning awards at film festivals around the world. Each film I produced seems to win more awards that the previous film. So, maybe I’ll try to keep it up…


Wow, that got off the track of he walk today...

Anyway, one of the guys on the Pod Save America podcast just said, "I think everybody’s pretty much got to remind me to put your vote and forward this point."
 
Wait. He said that? I'm editing this later in the day now. Hmm... I would just say I pity those who are voting for MAGA Republicans. (I'm sure the podcast was talking something about THAT) I understand their mindset and how they got there, sure, though I don’t think many of them understand. Obviously Trump and Fox News, et al, have done everything they can to surreptitiously inject false information into a bubble so big people look around and believe it’s reality. The problem is and the problem always is with fascism that at first it all seems like fun games and cathartic and  reasonable… Until it’s not. And that’s where you get that quote about how first they came for this or that group when I said nothing but then they came for me and suddenly it was scary and only then I realized my mistakes too late! Obviously some fascists will always love their fascism. And those are the ones who at the end of Italy in World War II and in Germany and other countires (Japan) along with those who supported the Nazis & the Japanese Emperor, and their collaborators, or worse… Is exactly why those people were then judged and punished after the war. So, just don’t be those people.

Ballot drop boxes and polling places... Regarding these intimidating or at least they try to pretend they’re intimidating, although they look pretty silly, those MAGA “poll watchers“ and “ballot box observers“, especially the ridiculous armed ones… First off, unless they’re gonna shoot me on the spot... I’m not intimidated. I just find it very comical in a "Keystone Cops" sort of way. I would suggest, if you have to use a ballot box, take a friend and have them at least pretend they’re filming those clowns. And while those people are trying to film you, or to make you notice how they're trying to get your license plate number recorded, do the exact same back at them. It doesn't even have to be real, although I would suggest doing it for real. But when you’re being intimidated, intimidate them right back. If they escalate and it gets out of hand, call 911. For myself? I mailed my mail-in ballot in over a week ago, or whenever it was, but it was the next day after I got it. I put it in my mail box and our nice postal lady picked it up. MAGA freaks out about a secure drop box, but about mail in ballots in each voter's own mailbox? Nothing. Nada. No fear whatsoever! Whatever...it's all just stupid distractions and time wasting. And the meek shall inherit the earth and the dumb can have the Republican Party.

Podcast is now talking about President Biden's speech this week and President Obama‘s speeches. They’re talking about how people want to hear about the economy when the issue of a democracy is far more important. So here’s the thing, whether you elect Republicans this Tuesday or Democrats, the economy is going to get better. Maybe not so much if Republicans get in. Listen to what they want to do! When a Republican governor candidate says only Republicans will ever be elected again in my state if I get elected. What the hell is that? It's not democracy. Democracy is how the people have a say in things. Regardless how little you think they have now, in an autocracy you've got no say. Look at Russia's faux democracy with their petty dictator Putin doing whatever he wants. Their people don’t want war. Their people don’t want to attack their friends, relatives and loved ones in Ukraine. Russia is waking up. Slowly. When’s our MAGA gonna wake up? Every fascist state that’s been elected into office hasn’t lasted. Certainly not without a lot of abuse, restricting or ending civil rights, and harming and murdering its citizens. States should not murder their citizens. Which is why I’m against capital punishment. Except for those like Donald Trump who try to murder the State. That’s...kind of an exception.

By the way, regarding Obama's speech this week, take a look at that speech in a clip where he’s talking about Republicans who have said, openly stated, that they want to end Social Security. They've also said they want to end the VA because our promise to our veterans isn’t worth shit, apparently. And they want to end Medicare. And they don’t want healthcare for all. Anyway, look at Obama when he talks about that. He talks about how our parents and older people, like myself, as I am of that and I’m on Social Security, I’m on my retirement from my job, which isn't gonna make it for me, without my Social Security and my VA. But in that speech, Obama is not just saying it. He’s not just stating the party line as we see with MAGA Republicans running for office, those who you know most of them don’t believe in it. Except for some of the dumb ones. But Obama is genuinely pissed off and angry, very angry at that idea like the rest of us are, taking away from us the things we paid into over our lifetimes. And taking away our civil rights. All for a theocratic notion of authoritarianism and keeping one party forever in power. A vocal minority who don’t deserve power, or being an American citizen. Which frankly, they’re trying to destroy, while denigrating the quality and import of being a citizen in this country. They really don’t even deserve that which they’re trying to destroy. Like I said, fascists who embrace fascism always end up regretting it.

Now about Social Security… When I look at my statement, my history, I’ve been paying into Social Security since 1969. I was in ninth grade. Working after school. I’ve been putting my money into it and all of that was hard-earned. The first half of my life with a lot of physical labor, the second half with a lot of stress, emotional duress and intellectual exacerbation. They want to take that away from me? That’s theft, outright theft by the State. If they want to do that? What they need to do is to make a new pact with young America. Everyone who paid into Social Security should get their money back out of it, one way or another. Or it's theft. Preferably paying it out until they (we) die and then giving the overage to their descendants as is appropriate and legal. And they need to come up with a new plan, offer that to all citizens and have them not just have legislators vote on it. But they need a vast majority to agree to it and then go through their entire lives going forward, not expecting any help when they retire.

People need to be aware of a change like that over their lifetime. Not just when they are retired, when they are about to retire. So they plan to do this to people in long-term care homes who are so old they can’t get out of bed, or are ill but all of which who will die there. Who is going to pay for that if their Social Security and Medicare go away and their VA is shut off? 

If there’s one thing Republicans are expert at, it's to say things in their soundbites to get votes,  power and money, but aren’t very well thought out long term (or immediate term). And so they end up not implementing those things, which is basically lying to their voters. Or carrying them out and further wrecking our economy and our civil rights. It's getting pretty old, really.

By the way, that whole last paragraph above? That is about democracy. Protecting citizens against that kind of autocratic bullshit. They kinda see democracy at shoulder length, way off in the distance as some ideological conceptual idea of democracy. So too many don’t care about it, especially MAGA types. But that’s not what democracy is. Not functional democracy anyway. Democracy is there for not being run over by the State as they did in the USSR. It’s about Stalin not slaughtering millions of citizens because he’s paranoid. Nixon got paranoid at the end. Trump was getting paranoid at the end. Give him a second term see how paranoid he gets at the end of THAT. Especially if he were able to somehow put off his upcoming indictments for the crimes he’s committed. That’s where Putin is at now, terrified to leave office because it’ll come back on him. That’s what happened to Yeltsin when Putin took over. Yeltsin made Putin president to protect himself and his family because of his crimes. Putin‘s looking at the same situation, only worse because he’s been in power for over 20 some years. Because he slaughtered people in other countries. Because he’s had people murdered in other countries, in the most horrible ways. We’re going to see the same crap with Trump, which we were starting to see at the end of his first term. But he wasn’t desperate like he will be at the end of a second term. Or the end of his third term. We don’t need anyone as president or king for three terms... or life. I would say we don’t need anyone for longer than two terms. After that they get too cocky and careless. We probably also need some term limits in Congress. They could be long terms. With SCOTUS, too. We need to end this crap where you die in office from old age. Ruth Bader Ginsberg, loved the woman. But her dying really screwed up America since she died as a Justice on the Supreme Court. So that position ended up with not someone she would have wanted. How does that help?

If Republicans win on Tuesday, please change the name of the Republican Party to the MAGA Party. Now they may do that anyway, because they’re just coming right out and saying the stuff they couldn’t say, even 10 years ago, or five years ago. Just come out and admit who you are. If the majority of Americans see you as fascist or like the Nazi party as it ramped up to take over Germany in the 1930s, maybe that's who you are. When most of the decent world sees you that way, maybe you just are. Maybe you are. And Republicans, seeing Democrats as if they are fascistic or Hitler? They’re just making shit up like a third grader on a playground who’s being called out for being a bully (because he is a bully) but his response is what? To say, "No! You’re a bully, you’re a bully! Good grief. It’s embarrassing that grown adults in positions of power or running for positions of power, are acting like immature children. Unbelievable

Podcast just had a good point, we need to go from being "the protectors of democracy to the reformers of democracy". It’s true, because some of MAGA who are were pissed off, is about democracy needing reformation. We’ve all felt that. First off, the Money in our politics needs a vast reformation. Toxic capitalism being allowed because of lobbyists and big money being allowed in our elections. That’s got to change. We’re never going to please some of this MASGA crowd. But we can certainly make changes to lower them into a sense of "all right, I guess I can handle this, then. It seems reasonable to me anyway."

As they say on the podcast, the fact that we went back to lobbyists seven years ago and "ear marks", is bullshit. Citizens United? Gotta go. Toxic capitalists calling themselves legislators? It's got to go. They also said, if we want them to care about democracy we’ve got to make them feel like we’re willing to change our democracy. It could be they don’t really wanna get rid of it, they just don’t like how it is. None of us like how it is. Except those who are benefiting from at the most. The wealthy, the powerful, certainly too many legislators, Trump, too many mostly Republican governors.

Dammit I’m seeing tiny raindrops every so often now!

Apparently, when they polled people who said they were worried about threats to democracy, when they drilled down on that, it was mostly about corruption. Why didn’t we see this a year ago? 10 years ago? In the 1990s when Newt Gingrich started to use old Soviet KGB disinformation tactics to subvert the Republican party, evolve a "tea party" which morphed into a MAGA Party morphing into a cult of hero worshipers for a moron and failed businessman and failed reality star in Donald Trump. All we’re gonna get after Trump is somebody who’s better at being that kind of bad.

Again the podcast has a good point in why we’re drip bleeding Democrats to the Republicans. Because when you’re poor or working two jobs and bouncing from motel to motel because you can’t afford a house, no one is addressing that issue. Other than by saying "democracy is at threat". While the Republicans are lying saying they’ll take care of them. They may not know any better and shift to the Republicans. Republicans are going to fix it? They don't give a shit. They just want your vote. As with Trump who just says whatever you want to hear according to who you are in that room with him at that time. Then he has your vote and goes to say the opposite to somebody else. He (and they) dissemble and mumble and lie in such a way that when questioned, they can come back later to say they didn’t mean that, or, that’s not what I said. If you go and prove it or if a reporter goes and looks it up, those people are not gonna see that report in an hour or a day or a week. So much of this is about how, "A Lie Can Travel Halfway Around the World While the Truth Is Putting On Its Shoes."

“We have ceded the reform (of democracy) issue to a group that is full of corrupt Republicans.“

It’s ironic how the 2000 election actually was stolen and yet we backed down. Maybe shouldn’t have. But we did it because we didn’t want to cause some kind of constitutional crisis. Then in 2020 in what was the most secure election in history, without the problems of the 2000 election, we had a president who was begging for a constitutional crisis, begging for an insurrection, dying to apply martial law and somehow become King Trump. I’m sorry, but what kind of foolish ignorance is that who supports someone like that?

Remember, it wasn’t that long ago, just this year that Mitch McConnell openly admitted the big Republican problem in this election was their low quality of candidates running for office. He and Trump often say exactly what’s going on. And yet, the right people never hear the right message. While the wrong people sure hear the wrong message.

Warnock vs Wallace. You need a great football player, go with Walker. But not now! He’s beyond his prime. A prime that should never be in public office. Warnock is hands-down better candidate no matter what your belief system is. Unless you’re a Nazi of course. Or you just like stupid people. Or you’re really into automatons which actually the Nazi party built: "Follow your orders or will shoot you" And they blindly followed the orders to slaughter tens of millions of human beings, all for their ridiculous beliefs. The Christian nationalist beliefs by the way. Who the FBI tells us are our biggest domestic threat now, in our white Christian nationalist... Aericans.

The SCOTUS ruling allowing Republicans to make abortion illegal, which then happened almost overnight in some states, would’ve served America better had it happened in October. The only thing I can say pro SCOTUS about that is that we had 50 years to fix it in Congress and we failed to do it. Because we got lazy, thinking we were covered. Especially nowadays with these Republicans, don’t believe you’re covered. This was a knife fight Republicans carried guns to and are happy to shoot you in the back. I think though, Democrats have bigger guns. They just never realize it. Why do Republicans keep doing so well as a minority? It’s just like with cops and robbers. Police, or Democrats in this case, have rules to follow and decency they want to adhere to. Republicans, just think it's win at any or all costs to any or all others, as long as it's not them. They’re happy to break laws, mores, morals, rules, traditions, when they're the traditionalist conservative party. Maybe the Hypocrisy Party?

I just had a weird thought… Republicans built a wall trying to hold back democracy. But there was, of course, a leak. And Trump rushed right up and shoved his dick in it.
What squirted out of that little hole, accumulated a bunch of really disgusting people on the other side who wanted to switch to be, some Democrat to Republican, some Independent to Republican, with some Republicans who came out of their shells and entered that hole, rushing right up into... Trump's prostate. And unsurprisingly, they’ve loved being there ever since.

Podcast had another good point that if you’re denying polls and the scientific data that's the political version of denying climate change. Yes polls can be wrong, but there’s a lot of data out there and a lot of science to tell you a lot about what’s going on. Really, what their better telling us is what's trending and when it’s used to be something more specific, it starts to fall apart. You have to know what you’re doing. That being said, I studying statistics at university. I know, I know, people love to say things like there's statistics and there's damn statistics. Or you can make statistics tell any lie you like. But that's avoiding one obvious truth. Statistics can be like magic to give you accurate forecasts that are stunning in their accuracy. I've proven it myself using statistics where I gathered my own data, drew up my own formula and the results were stunningly accurate. Like magic, they foretold the future. I kid you not!

Republicans:
“Democrats rely too much on data.“ Well, do pilots rely too much on radar? 

For those in the bottom half of the economic classes, especially the lower economic class, and such, who really believes Republicans are going to save you? Republicans are famous for saying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Not for them, but say "others" need to do that (so as to not bother them, or cost them money, even if it saves money...yes, it's bizarre and at times, stupid). They’re very anti-Socialism. While Democrats are not pro-Socialism. Social programs are about people, society, social issues that are programs designed to help. How that's "Socialism" is beyond me (AND Republicans). Socialism is a political doctrine that has nothing to do with it. But if you think Republicans are the ones that are going to save the economy? Damn, that’s just dumb. People need to realize it's ignorant and naïve because they're believing Republican lies When if they look around at the Republican's platform over the years, what they say has nothing to do with helping those leaving the Democratic party because they think Democrats won't help. When they’re really our best shot. The good news? Just maybe all this transition period is a paradigm shift that will lead to fixing... that’s a stupid word, "revamping" )maybe?), our democracy And our country. But the best America has right now? It’s better we disband the Republican Party, throw many of them in jail who need to be. OK. It’s actually just a very few of them, but those in positions of power who also have many following them. Just take the Democratic Party, split it in half and call the conservative side, anything but a Republican Party. Because that’s dead now. They killed that a long time ago. And remember the Democratic Party of today was the Republican Party of Lincoln, because they switched back in the late 1800s. And if you don’t know about that, well, go look it up.

Damn, I’m just finishing up my 4th mile. I thought I could make five but suddenly the air turned cold and there’s a huge black cloud moving overhead from the Olympic Mountains, with all that cooler, moist air from the Pacific Ocean. And it’s supposed to rain today. Well maybe four is it today?

This photo is what I'm wearing today. It’s not raingear…but very comfortable for a walkabout today.


Democrats need to remember (while Republicans are welcome to forget this, when Republicans come back to be an American political party, then they can remember this to), no matter how bad things look leading up to the end of an election, the worse it looks, the more you need to vote, and the more you need to vote against the nonsense. At this point in time, that would be...the Republican Party.

So, that’s what it is. From the podcast...Republicans want to privatize Social Security. As they say, "cut the knot" on seniors. Good grief! Fuck those people!

Cheers! Sláinte!


Sunday, November 22, 2020

2 New JZ Murdock Books - Anthology of Evil II

Anthology of Evil has a sequel! It has been released as two new volumes, titled, "Anthology of Evil II vol. I" and "Anthology of Evil II vol. II The Unwritten"

Volume II by the way, was just nominated for a prestigious award (Nominated, which really means little other than a member / peer thought it worthy to be in the running for an award...still, pretty cool!).

You can hear more about these books and more when I speak with friend and fellow film director Kelly Hughes on his 2-Bit Horror podcast. There, we talk about my writing in general and a variety of fun things. I am also on live radio Chat and Spin, a UK show from Washington, England, recording the same day this blog hits the bandwidth. For more about me, you can visit my website with info about my audiobooks and film productions ("Gumdrop", a short horror, is my latest short horror film).

Brief aside December 11, 2020 update: Amazing news! My play, "Denude, a one act", was just selected by Jocunda Music, Film & Theatre Festival via FilmFreeway.com! Selected: Project has been selected to be included in festival.

It is about two guys in a foxhole during a war...or wars, opening in vietnam. 

Kind of a Twilight Zoneish play, that opens in a cross section of a foxhole so the audience can see the soldiers on stage in it, jungle surrounding them backstage and side. TRAPPIST, a 1972 Vietnam deployed soldier, and MENSES, a 1972 Vietnam deployed soldier

I found it in my writings from college, spiffed it up and sent it off and now it's in being performed a festival in Brooklyn, NY. Event date January 15, 2021


I should also mention my film, "Gumdrop", a short horror, has received another award from the Indo French International Film Festival for Best Short Horror...and is now a semi finalist in the Cult Movies International Film Festival in London.

Poster for "Gumdrop", a short horror

Now, as for my new books... 

Anthology of Evil II (Kindle version

First 50 free ebook download (coupon TE53V) from Smashwords!

Anthology of Evil II The Unwritten (Kindle version)

First 50 free ebook download (coupon KM72X) from Smashwords!

You may notice that the book covers are reversed. That's because they are really one book broken out into two volumes. Why? Allow me to explain.

These books are a collection of my newer short horror and sci fi fiction which have been published in magazines and anthologies with other authors and some, have yet  to be published. Tell now. So you're seeing them now for the first time anywhere.

First Anthology of Evil book cover
My first "Anthology of Evil" collection book cover

"Anthology of Evil" was my first published book, a collection of my first and older short stories. It opens with my first ever published short story. That was back in 1990 in an east coast quarterly horror magazine. "In Memory, Yet Crystal Clear", is a story all too familiar to America today that takes place in a dystopian society where the country put all their trust in just one man. A man we discover, who is mentally unbalanced.


My second book, the epic, "Death of heaven"

My second book, "Death of heaven", is an epic tale of two friends who grew up together, then lost touch as they both assumed their roles in life. Broken and somewhat lost, they come together again, one to save the other, who then saves him. They are happy to have found one another again, but under such dark circumstances? Dark circumstances we come to discover, that affects the entire world, the whole of humanity and takes us into an intergalactic tale of fear and escape.

Back to "Anthology of Evil". That collection of stories end with a novella titled, "Andrew". That story grew into the foundation for my second book, "Death of heaven". While my first book was a collection of my short published and unpublished short fiction and it ended with a novella, I wanted to write my second book in that series in the same format.

However, when writing "The Unwritten", what was to have been the ending novella, I went way beyond the reasonable length of a novella. I did not realize that until I was actually formatting "Anthology of Evil II. 

At that point, I was left with a quandary. What should I do?

I went back and forth about it until finally, I settled on the present solution. I would put out two books, volumes 1 and 2 would comprise the second book in the "Anthology of Evil" series. Since I had never put out a series before and had never really considered it, in doing it this way I would end up with volumes 1 & 2 of the second book in the series. I found that a bit entertaining. So I settled on doing that. And that was all the thought I gave it.

It wasn't under I was publishing the books that the consideration of price came into my mind. So anyone saying I was trying to make money by putting these stories out in two books rather than one, that thought had never come into my mind. At that time I did think about it and I did consider going back to a one book format. But I thought I would just price it appropriately and go forward as I had planned.

Until I ran up against Amazon's pricing policy. They would not allow me to do what I wanted to. By then I just wanted to be done with the process (it was 2020 and a very, very long and problematic year, as we all know). I just wanted to see them published at this point and move on to other things. And that led me to another issue, having literally nothing to do with these two books.

It is an issue I'm still trying to work out with Amazon about my first two books. But that mess, for another time. Besides, I do not yet know the resolution though I have suggested a few to Amazon about this.

By the way, what am I doing that I wanted to be done with this and move on? I published my books this time under my film production company, LgN Productions, which I started back in 1993. I also write screenplays. 

It is a true-crime story about a 17-year-old guy who protected a murder witness from the Tacoma, Washington mafia, a biopic screenplay titled, "The Teenage Bodyguard". It is currently being shown to a studio by my producer, Robert Mitas. Robert has produced films with famed actor/producer, Michael Douglas, who along with his father Kirk, all through my childhood had been a film hero of mine for just about forever. 

But right now? I am writing another screenplay that is a Frank Capraesque kind of a feel-good film, which America and the world really could use right now. Frank produced films like "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946) with Jimmy Stewart, which didn't do well at the box office when released, but has been an American Christmas staple for many decades. 

My current screenplay is a "traveling angel" story that takes place in "any town USA". I haven't pitched it to Robert yet, but very soon. I think he'll be excited about it.

Back to my new books:

"Anthology of Evil II" has sixteen stories total in it:

"Red Rain" - A Philip K Dick kind of story about two scientists who have had it with how humanity treats humanity and so, they do something about it. Well, one of them does. 

"Expedition Of The Arcturus" - First published in the online hard sci fi magazine, PerihelionSF - In the style of one of my first favorite sci fi authors as a child, Isaac Asimov. It's a story about Earth's first generational spaceship. Told in reversed timeline. Meaning, it begins at the end and, it ends at the beginning. It was the hook that got me that sale from the editor Sam Bellotto.

"Breaking On Cave Island"  - First published in "Giant Tales World of Pirates (Giant Tales 3-Minute Stories) (Volume 3)" in 2014 by Professor Limn Books LLC  & H.M. Schuldt.  An HP Lovecraft kind of tale about a pirate named Captain Lord Ritchie. This is a prequel to a story of mine in Book 1 of the series titled, "Poor Lord Ritchie". In this tale he is younger, obviously, and a pirate captain trapped in a underworld tunnel on a deserted island. Anyone knowing this character knows he hates wizards. Here you can finally find out why. 

"Jaonny's Apple Tree" - This is a story about a young alien boy on his home planet. Reminiscent of a Ray Bradbury, who is one of my all-time favorite authors. It's a pleasant tale told in a bucolic setting. Where no doubt, all is not what it seems. 

"In The Shade" - Originally published as, "Falling Up!", in "Final Ships In the Neighborhood (Giant Tales Apocalypse 10-Minute Stories Book 2)" in 2014, edited by  Professor Limn Books & H.M. Schuldt - I'd have to say this is based on myself and HP Lovecraft, as well as Isaac Asimov. This is a side story based on the last part of my book, "Death of heaven". If you like this story at all, check out the book. This, is nothing compared to what all happens in the original.

"Simon's Beautiful Thought" - Simon is a tech guy with an AI assistant on his phone like so many of us have. A bit of Isaac Asimov in this tale. Yes, this has been done before. But I wrote it a year before the movie, "Her" (with Joaquin Phoenix) came out. The question in this story is, do AI's get jealous? Or, can one just be a good friend with only your best interests at "heart" (or, at CPU?).

"The Regent's Daughter" - A short, short story that won a tiny award for "best tension" from the group that published two stories of mine mentioned above in the "Giant Tales" series of books. It reminds me of a Robert E. Howard story (he wrote the Conan books, among other things), with perhaps a little more ironic humor n it. It tells of a medieval nobody who gets the unique opportunity to interact with a royal beauty in the town's main square by the castle. It goes well, I think. So does our protagonist. Well, it is a memorable tale anyway.

"Mr. Pakool's Spice" - First published in "Hunger Pangs: Dark Confessions", in 2012 by Mayday Collective. I'm saying this is based somewhat on a Calvin A. L. Miller II zombie book, "Het Madden". Because I've only read two zombie novels and that's one Mine is a story about a widower trying to get his two young children to safety through the back wintry woods of Oregon after the zombie apocalypse hits. There is a slight association at the end with another zombie story of mine: "Japeth, Ishvi and The Light" in the first "Anthology of Evil" book

"Men Of The City" - This is an allegorical story spawned by the famous writer and artist, Clive Barker. He held a contest once based on a painting of the same name as my short story. He did not choose this story. He chose two other author's stories and they were good and did use his painting as inspiration. I just decided on a lark to take it...literally. I really like this weird little tale.

"Pvt. Ravel's Bolero" - This is a poem, based on Maurice Ravel and a bit of Hemingway, but with a kind of Edgar Allen Poe edge to it. What if Ravel came up with his famous "Bolero" while in the trenches of WWI where both he and Hemingway were kept from the main action and made ambulance drivers. What if opposing trenches one night discovered a very unknown thing in this kind of warfare: Humanity?

"Marking Time" (original 1969 version) - With a bit of a Stephen King flair to it, this is a story I wrote many years ago and details what I was told as a child by another child, while we were in the Cascade mountains on a search and rescue training mission, looking for a small downed aircraft. I had reworked this story, updated it, set it in Afghanistan, and published it in my second book, "Death of heaven". That first, second version (or is it second, first version?) is a ghost story and a special operations war story. This one is more intimate and gives the reader an idea of what kids for decades have gone through in the Civil Air Patrol. To be sure it is an extreme example. I got a lot out of being a Flight Commander in the CAP, and it helped, once I was an adult and had entered the United States Air Force. 

"Crashing Indulgences" - Another kind of Stephen King story about how far off relationships can go. Yeah, not much to say about this one, other that there may be highlights of the macabre and extraordinary.

"EarVu" - With a touch of both Isaac Asimov & Clive Barker, this is about a group of cutting edge (bleeding edge, really) scientists when one day, one of them shows up for work, and no one else does. It's a bit of a detective story that all takes place in a top-secret, secure research facility. New technology has been developed that will change the world. If it can ever get out of the lab.

"Rapture" - With the flavor of a Philip K Dick story, this happens in the near future. A private detective, or a "fixer", that's never really clear, is hired by a rich woman to take her to the inner city where she does not belong, to acquire a new illegal drug. That's the upside to this tale.

"Xibalba Unleashed" - This follows the lines of HP Lovecraft if he had turned toward the Mayan ancients and their mythology. It is an origin story that starts off in the action, recedes to the recent past into a famous Mayan cave that is the entrance to the underworld and then returns, making much more sense than when it started. This was written for the British "A-Z Horror Anthology" where I had the letter "X" and twenty-five other authors had a letter their title had to start with. The anthology got up to the letter "L" and then the project fell through. I had a minor motorcycle accident in the middle of writing this. When I returned to finish it, I ran over the word length and rather than possibly ruin it, I wrote another story entirely and submitted it. 

"X The Unknown" - This is that other story I submitted to replace the story just above. With a detective edge to it familiar to Edgar Allan Poe, this is about an FBI Special Agent in Seattle following a lead on a serial killer. Maybe it is the killer, the UnSub, maybe not. 

"Anthology of Evil II The Unwritten" - This is volume two, the second half of book two in the series and has only one story in it. But that is all the story that is needed: "The Unwritten". I detail more on this story in the back of the book. For now, I'll just say what the back cover says: "Three Hells. Three Universes. "One Solution". The book opens with a man strapped to a table in an old cabin in the woods. He cannot remember anything at first and has no idea why this woman is so into torturing him. This shifts to a lab of two scientists in another universe and an experiment and a society that is constrained and complicated. After this shifts to a far darker universe than anyone has ever experienced, we dance between the three until, in the end, it all comes together with an unforeseeable ending. 

My style of writing in my fiction is my own. As one critic put it, she could not figure out who I was from my writings, you can read her own words at the link, but it was high praise indeed.

Another critic in speaking of my book, "Death of heaven", said: "The book starts well and has a Books of Blood vibe, which really works well. It's in these tales that the author's writing ability shines. He demonstrates a lovely turn of phrase and some of the writing is almost poetic in its beauty."

"Books of Blood" were written by Clive Barker and are some of my favorite horror stories. He now has a new show based on these on Hulu. I read my first book of blood of Clive's back in the 80s and wrote to him. He wrote back. I got to meet him a few times but that was the early 90s at book signings. 

So I take the comparison to heart. Are these stories that good? That's not up to me. But if you like any of these, do give "Death of heaven" a read. And then just maybe, you'll find out why the "h" in Heaven" is not capitalized. 

Slainte!
JZ Murdock
Bremerton, Washington USA November 2020



Monday, November 6, 2017

Hollywood Girl Goes Author!

You may remember my Hollywood Girl blog on a web series created and starred in by the amazing Courtney Zito. Check that blog out for more about her and her show. Or you may remember my blog: Just why is Courtney Zito crashing the SuperBowl?  Both obviously about the same lady.


What this blog here and now is about is that she has just turned her talents to being an author and writing a book. What kind of book would this dynamic, attractive and talented actress, and comedic producer of a very funny show... write?


Well, a supernatural thriller of course! Titled Peripheral Vision, it's available now to pre order on Amazon. Check out her new video book trailer for it. It's pretty sweet! Drop by her Facebook page and let her know you hopefully pre-ordered the book. Coming out as an ebook first, it will later be released in print format. Teaming up with her in writing this book is writer Timothy Hammer.

See the Amazon description below at the end of this blog.

Courtney's an amazing talent (just watch an episode or a season (or three) of Hollywood Girl) who has been lost not only to the single crowd (she's married), she has also entered the role of parent. It seems like only yesterday she was a free and crazy Hollywood Girl and now she is branching out into a multitude of endeavors as only she can.

Far beyond the triple threat many fear as competition, just get out of her way and see where she goes!

Hollywood Girls has broken the bonds of videohood and entered the international realm of the novel.

Cheers, readers!

From the Amazon page:

Sometimes the deepest secrets hide in the the darkest corners.

As a little girl, Sarah suffered a horrific tragedy that would forever change her. She saw it coming before anyone else, but she could only describe it as the feeling. From then on, she always considered herself an “extra sensitive”. It was as if her mind knew something was going to happen, but she wasn’t able to fit all of the pieces together until after the fact. At night, while she dreamed, her visions played out both the past and the future, and sleep was often elusive. But with the help of doctors, and sleeping pills, she was able to silence the feeling for the better part of her life.

Now, as a thirty-something, “living the dream” in Los Angeles, she’s built a solid life for herself and put the tragedy behind her. But when she’s met with unexpected news, it causes a cataclysmic shift in everything she thought she knew about herself, and her family. Sarah’s estranged Aunt has died, and she has inherited her old farmhouse in the small Nebraska town of Homewood. Deep within the house, she discovers some very dark secrets. What she finds, opens up some frightening doors to the small town's past. Doors that were better left closed.

Oh yeah...this should be good!