John Wick Gets a Flat Tire and Runs Out of Gas

So I finally saw John Wick Chapter Four. I was very happy that Halle Berry had no part in it, but that didn't save it. Not for me. Because it was really just the same ol', same ol' all over again. And again. And again. And again. I mean how many fight scenes and over-the-top killings from start to finish can a person tolerate? I mean, talk about overkill. Literally AND figuratively. Killing, killing, and more killing. It was too much. And this is coming from a guy who wrote a book called Killer of Killers along with a sequel called Killer Eyes. (That would be me.)

So someone might ask, "Hey dude. Since you wrote a book called Killer of Killers, and it's about a dude who kills, how come you're criticizing a movie that features another dude who kills. Well, I might answer, "Because in my book, Killer of Killers, and in its sequel, Killer Eyes, there was a lot more than just non-stop scenes with non-stop killing going on. My books had plots, and a message, and morals, and love interests, which means romance, and strong friendships, and back-stories that tied everything together to forge a strong story-line, with several strong three dimensional characters.

Look. I really liked the first two John Wick movies. I was even a fan. But then, starting with Chapter 3, which they called John Wick Parabellum, and included the aforementioned Halle Berry, it was getting to be too much. Another word for it is gratuitous. Yes. Gratuitous violence, and gratuitous killing. It was just too much. It glutted the senses. It was as if it made killing to be ho hum and even boring. I already wrote that Halle Berry playing the part of a female John Wick reduced the significance of the John Wick character. He was no longer special. It was as if anyone, even a five foot two inch 110 pound, middle-aged woman could be a John Wick, which meant that ANYONE could be a John Wick. And that meant the John Wick Character was just another person that anyone could be.

In my books Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes, it was cleary demonstrated that the main character, Trent Smith, was the greatest martial artist in the world. And only one person can be the greatest something in the world. Plain and simple. And he only killed people who had already proven themselves to be murderers. In John Wick, the dude killed for "markers" and that meant he killed innocent people.

Nevertheless, I liked the first two movies. It should have ended with the third installment, without a Halle Berry role, and it should have been written in a way that satisfied the story, the premice and the characters. But they got a flat tire in the 3rd movie, and then in the 4th movie they plain ran out of gas. Oh well. It was fun, like I said, at first. But then, it wasn't anymore.

New Year - New Hope

Well the new year is here, and with it comes new hope. I have two books with a publisher who doesn't seem to have any inclination of going out of business. That would be Melange Books, the publisher of Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes. Melange has treated me well, and the books sell, seemingly well enough, albeit with inconsistency. But what do I expect? Melange is a POD publisher, and that means no bookstore placement. All sales are online, either through the Melange website or Amazon. I think there are other online sites, too. Like Smashwords, and such...

But the new year brings the fact that one of my other publishers will go out of business. Knox Robinson, as I had said in an earlier post, is throwing in the towel. I had placed them as a higher ranked publisher, because I was under the impression they were not a POD publisher and would get their books into bookstores. Alas, that was not to be, because they are folding this month, and that's that. The rights to John Dunn and Second Chance will be reverted to me and with that reversion comes new hope.

And what is that new hope? Another shot at the Big Five. I think an author can truly call his career a success if he makes it to the Big Five. But that takes a connection, I suppose. You look at several of the Big Five books, and many of them suck. Worse than Disney's Star Wars, too. I mean really suck. You ask yourself how is it that the Big Five published these books, when they suck so much. It's an unanswered question.

But whatever. I have three books now that are available to be placed with a new publisher. I can go with my remaining publisher, Melange, but again, I want higher stakes with those books. Melange is good for my Killer books, since they were the first publisher to believe in me. But with The Vase, John Dunn, and Second Chance, I will shoot for the moon. Why not? They are great books, with great stories, and great writing. You never know unless you try.

So while I'm still kickin' I'll keep on trying. Never give up, never surrender. that was a line from Galaxy Quest. That was a great movie, btw. Loved it.

Killer of Killer Sales Picking Up

I got my annual sales report from my first publisher Melange and it showed a marked increase in book sales over the past year. That was nice. I don't expect to be on the best seller's list any time soon, but it was a nice surprise to see Killer of Killers selling better than ever.

I guess it's like that sometimes. If the trend keeps up, who knows what might happen. I had the idea to send a copy of the two books to Dustin Clare's agent and see if something might happen in the film department regarding those books.

The idea behind that is it seems Dustin Clare's career really isn't taking off like I think it should. And I'm sure like he wishes it would. He's working and making films, but not like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, or Jason Statham. I think movie producers just haven't found the right vehicle for him yet. And that's where Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes come in.

I mean Jason Statham wasn't all that famous before his Transporter movies catapulted him to stardom. Same with Cruise and Pitt. They each had a movie or a franchise that brought them fame. I'm thinking my Killer books could do that for Dustin Clare. Of course it would need top directors and fight scene coordinators. Like Corey Yuen. He was the man in charge of the Transporter movies, and many other great martial arts movies.

So I tried to contact Dustin Clare's agent, but found out you have to pay to join some website and only then you get the information you need. I passed. Why? Because it's not a sure thing. I can't see myself paying for information that will get me nothing in return. I'm not at that stage yet. If it never becomes a movie, that's fine. Trent Smith will still live on the pages of the books.

And I will get back to writing about the world's greatest martial artist soon. The third book is started, and I plan on finishing it. Some day. Someday soon.

Summer Nears - And that means Football

Summer is upon us. And for me, at least, that means football season is coming. Not yet. I'm still enjoying the NBA finals. My local team, the Golden State Warriors appear to be the best team in history. That's something. I had never been a basketball fan, really. But when the local pro team happens to be the best pro basketball team in the history of the sport, well, if that doesn't get someone interested, then nothing will. It did. And I am.



Nevertheless, my sport has always been football. I played it, I followed it, and I even dreamed it. Which led to the writing of my fifth book, Second Chance. It's a football story. And I found that other writers of sports books, particularly football books, were great people. I corresponded with Carl Deuker, author of Gym Candy, and John Coy, author of Crackback. Both authors were nice enough to send me endorsements for Second Chance, after I had sent them digital versions of the book.

And how can a person be nicer? Neither man owed me anything. Yet they took the time out of their busy schedules to help out a fellow author. And I will be sending each of them a copy of my book Second Chance, just as soon as the books I ordered for my author signing arrive.



So, yes, I will be going to a bookstore for an author signing this summer to promote all of my books. And since Second Chance is a football story, and the summertime is the season which ushers in football season, it would be the best time to promote Second Chance. Of course, my John Dunn book is being released this summer, and I will be promoting that one too.

And why not promote both of my Killer books? Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes are available and quite entertaining as well. I'll be promoting all four books. And what about The Vase? Well, that one won't be available for another year I think. And when it is, it will be better than ever. Much better than the version that had been released a couple years ago. Stay tuned.

Main Characters in my Novels

Dustin Clare

First and foremost I would love to see my debut novel Killer of Killers and its sequel Killer Eyes come to the big screen. Or even the small screen, as I believe it would make a great TV series as well as a franchise of feature films. But for a move franchise or TV series to be successful, you would need star power. Jason Statham provided that for a bevy of films. The Transporter, The Mechanic, and now he's adding his star power to the Fast and Furious franchise.

In addition to Statham, there are countless other examples. Daniel Craig, Vin Diesel, Keanu Reeves, Bruce Willis, Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sean Connery are the most familiar in the movie franchises. The TV show series include relative newbies like Anthoney Starr, Toby Stephens, Ray Stevenson, Kevin McKidd, and then older actors who made the transition from the big screen to the small, like Jim Caviesel and James Spader.

Amber Heard

So star power is important for the success of a franchise or series. Sometimes producers have rolled the dice and won. Statham was not an A-lister when he was cast for The Transporter, but they rolled the dice on him and he turned out to be a winner. Other times producers don't roll the dice. Instead, they go with a proven star, like Keanu Reeves, who was already an A-lister when he was cast as the lead in John Wick.

Hannah New

So for Killer of Killers it would be a roll of the dice to cast either Dustin Clare or  Georges St. Pierre. I'm on record as being okay with either one of them as Trent Smith, the world's greatest martial artist. Both are capable fighters on screen, as St. Pierre is a world champion in real life, which would sure add a ton of authenticity to his casting for the part. But can he act? That's the question. Clare can. There's no question.

What about the female role? I used to think Amber Heard would be right for the part. She certainly looks the part. A beautiful blonde woman in her prime. But there is one question hanging over my shoulder. Can she act? I have not seen any indication that she can. The bit parts she's had in the few movies she's been in are inconclusive. And I hear nothing in the news or internet that makes me think she can. And the fact that her roles are so few and in such minor movies, reinforces that.

Lili Simmons

Which makes me want to think other actresses would be better for the part. Actresses whom I know can act. Two come to mind. Hannah New from Black Sails and Lili Simmons from Banshee. They can act very well, at least they did in those TV shows. I haven't seen them in much else, so I'm waiting to see about that. Still, I've been convinced. They are pretty enough, and they can act. Here's waiting to see how it comes to be.

Waiting for the next Dustin Clare Movie

Dustin Clare. Where the heck is he?

This is not the best photo of Dustin Clare, but with the proper director, I believe he could make a great Trent Smith, the world's greatest martial artist, as portrayed in the novels Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes. After all, he stole the show in Spartacus, in which he played Gannicus, a champion gladiator in Ancient Rome. And because he portrayed a very convincing champion gladiator, I believe he could play a very convincing martial arts champion, too.

But where is Dustin Clare? He had a very small part in the TV show Strike Back. A very small part. Pretty much insignificant. But at least it was an appearance. Where the heck is he? I mean in the popular STARZ TV show Spartacus, this guy STOLE the show. He was great in that show, and he did steal the show. No other actor held a candle to him. I would have thought his performance would have drawn the notice of some movie producers. But apparently no movie producers were watching.

Meanwhile, actors like Jason Statham, Matt Damon, Keanu Reeves, and Vin Diesel, keep rolling along with tough guy parts in movie after movie. Even old guys like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis keep playing tough guys despite the fact they're past their prime.

I know Dustin Clare has fans out there. He's got plenty of fans who clearly wish he'd be in some other role than the insignificant parts he's been scraping off the bottom of the movie role barrels since the final cut of Spartacus. Maybe he just needs the right vehicle. And my two Killer stories could be it for him. In Killer of Killers, the world is introduced to Trent Smith, the greatest martial artist since Bruce Lee. I even paid Lee a mention in the book as a sort of honor to his memory.

The story doesn't end there. It picks up in the sequel Killer Eyes, in which Trent meets a pretty tough chick, of whom I gave mention in yesterday's post. It could go on. I may or may not write a third Killer book. I've been so focused on my John Dunn book of late, I haven't paid it much thought. I did start a third one, but that doesn't mean I'll finish it. Maybe I will.

In the meantime, I'd like to see Dustin Clare kick some ass in another movie besides Spartacus reruns. Killer of Killers would be perfect for him. or maybe, as one reviewer put it, the role should go to a REAL martial arts champion. Well, I can't argue with that. It's all about the acting. Or maybe it isn't. After all Bruce Lee wasn't coming down with any Oscars for his movies. But he didn't have to act when it came to fight scenes. That was his expertise. But it doesn't matter. Whoever Dustin Clare's agent is, he's got to get his ass in gear, and get Dustin into another TV show or movie.

What's he waiting for?

Movie Sequels to look forward to

As a man who appreciates the cool, tough alpha male hero, as opposed to the cool, tough alpha female character of whom I blogged recently, there are some good movie sequels coming soon.

Triple X, or XXX is one of the top sequels I'm looking forward to. I was first introduced to Vin Diesel as an actor playing a tough guy in the movie Pitch Black. When I saw that movie I thought that Vin Diesel made a great tough guy, the likes of which I hadn't seen since the golden age of tough guys. I posted about them just recently. And in XXX Diesel played a great tough guy. The first sequel to XXX was without Diesel unfortunately, because Diesel made the mistake to take a role in a Disney movie instead. And with no apologies, Ice Cube didn't cut it as Diesel's replacement in the role. But Diesel is back in the third installment of the XXX franchise, and I'm glad for that. It's a role made for Diesel, just as Riddick is a role made for Diesel.

Then you've got the sequel to John Wick coming soon. I was never convinced that Keanu Reeves made a good tough guy, but he is a good actor, and he was convincing in the role of tough guy John Wick in the first movie. Let's hope he can carry that through the sequel as well.

Then you've got the sequel to Jack Reacher coming soon. Like Keanu Reeves, I've never been convinced that Tom Cruise was a tough guy. He did make a convincing tough guy in the Mission Impossible movies, however, and as Jack Reacher, he was passable. I guess his acting skills were up to the task, so I do look forward to the second Reacher movie soon.

Then, for me, at least, there's the top tough guy in the movies today. It's Jason Statham. He's the real deal when it comes to tough guys, and he brings that authenticity to the screen every time. The first time I saw him was in Transporter. I was convinced from the get go. All three Transporter movies with Statham as the main character Frank Martin, were terrific. Then they replaced Statham with some no name actor, and the franchise bottomed out. But Statham went on to play other tough guys, and he's been great in all of them. Unfortunately, it's not another Transporter movie coming soon, it's another movie featuring a tough guy role he played. It was a remake of a Charles Bronson movie called The Mechanic. Usually remakes are not as good as the originals, but the Statham remake of the Mechanic was by far the superior movie, and that's saying a lot, because Charles Bronson is most definitely on that list of tough guys from the Hollywood golden age of tough guys! So the sequel with Statham reprising his role as the mechanic is called Mechanic Resurrection, and I look forward to seeing that one as much as any of them.

So that's four sequels of tough guy movies. And my character Trent Smith from the Killer of Killers books is right up there with the best of them. Trent Smith, being the world's greatest martial artist could probably beat any of them in a match. Whether on the street or in the ring, Trent Smith is dominant. It's why he's the world's greatest martial artist. Which may bring me to the third and perhaps final story for Trent Smith. The third book will have Trent Smith prove that not only is he the world's greatest fighter, he's the world's greatest killer. But how can that be? First you'll have to read Killer of Killers and then Killer Eyes. And when you're finished with those two books, look for Book Three in the killer series. I've toyed with titles, but I'll not put out tentative titles anymore. I'll wait until it's finished. Then I'll announce it here on the blog. Until then...

Eternal Life and/or Immortality in Literature

In movies and literature, the concept of immortality is used often. You see it everywhere. Of course, ancient civilizations celebrated the concept with their mythic gods. The Greek gods, the Norse gods, and other mythic gods of which I'm less familiar, but the concept of immortality is ever present in them all. Then of course, you have the Christian belief in the resurrection of Christ and being "saved" by Christ will grant everlasting life. That one's in the Bible.

And over the years, the concept has been revisited time and again in the movies, in books, and the way to which this is brought about is through various means. Technology, magic, science, and the good old vampire methods, which began with Dracula. Actually, the vampire storyline has entertained the eternal life concept over and over. You had Barnabus Collins, in Dark Shadows, and countless other variations of the vampire story, up to and including the horrible Twilight series which warped and twisted the mythos in a horrible way. But whatever. The vampire thing has been made into more movies and more books than any other twist on the immortality concept.

Then you have zombies, but that's not really immortality. They're dead! Just reanimated. They're walking dead bodies, like the TV show calls them. The Walking Dead.

The first time I saw the concept of eternal life and/or eternal youth in the movies, other than the Greek gods, and Christianity, was the movie "She" which starred Ursula Andress as an Egyptian queen who had bathed in a magical fire, which gave her eternal youth. I was intrigued by that movie, and I had never forgotten it. The premise was great. The fire was caused by a meteor that struck earth in a remote area, which resulted in a temporary blue fire. And if you walk into that fire, your body is changed to where it never ages from that point on. The meteor strikes once every five thousand years or so. But the blue fire only lasts about ten minutes. Of course, the Egyptian queen met a ghastly end at the climax of the movie, when the meteor struck again. It turned out that going into the blue fire a second time takes away your immortality. Sorry for the spoiler. But the handsome protagonist, who was also the love interest of the queen had the opportunity to bathe in the flames himself for the first time. And so he gets immortality. But without the love interest, what was the point of living forever? That was the paradox.

Anyway, it's a concept that fascinates all of us. We love life. We don't want to give it up. We would love the opportunity to live forever, as young men or women, in our prime. And that concept is in my Killer Series. Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes. So if you haven't read my Killer Series, I should tell you it's more than just a martial arts action adventure. It's more than just a love story between Trent Smith and Samantha Jones. It has to do with the drug named Eternity. Yeah, the Eternity Drug. It stops aging. How? It's explained in a very scientific way. I researched the concept and came up with the most logical way for science to conquer the aging problem. I ought to get a patent on it, really, because the way I explain it in the book makes sense. Why haven't the scientific experts figured it out? I gave them a head start in the book, so maybe they will.

So you might ask what happens to Trent Smith in the book? You'll have to read both of them to find out. The story is wrapped up in Killer Eyes. But that doesn't mean the story can't continue in a third episode. Read Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes. It's a new and fresh take on the age old concept of Immortality. And in my opinion, it's the best take on the concept of eternal life, eternal youth, and immortality that has ever been written. Imo.

Leave Politics Out of Stories

During this political year, I have been amazed by all the hatred spewing from all the mouths of people and media outlets towards various candidates. Totally amazed. So much hatred. And in my opinion, this hatred is mostly unfounded. I can't stand hatred. Can't understand it. A lot of it is phony. Phony hatred, meaning the haters really don't hate, but they want to use hatred to influence others to vote the way they want them to vote. I think that's deceitful. I guess you can call it deceitful hatred.

This is not a political blog, and I have mostly kept politics out of my books. But what do my books contain that might be considered political? Well, my two favorite books are about killing. Vengeful killing. It's not political, I don't think, but it does connect with capital punishment. Meaning killers who kill people are killed as a result of their killing. The main character Trent Smith has no qualms about killing killers who kill with impunity. That means he doesn't worry about those killers who have already been convicted and sentenced. He kills only those killers who escaped justice. They don't escape him. But he doesn't use guns. He doesn't even believe in guns. He hates all guns. He even wishes they had never been invented.

So those two things, believing in capital punishment, but not believing in guns, is smack dab in the middle of what might be considered Liberalism and Conservatism. Meaning Liberals don't believe in capital punishment, and they don't believe in guns. Whereas Conservatives do believe in capital punishment and they do believe in guns. So there you have it. Trent Smith is half one and half the other. Smack dab in the middle.

As for The Vase. It's a comprehensive story, meaning it presents the good and the bad of both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The main character is a Muslim. Agnostic is what he really is. But he's already lost a son who was radicalized by the fundamentalists of the region. And there are the IDF captains, both former and current. But they are agnostics, too. But you do have the Zionist, who also has lost a son to the violence of the region. You have it all. Everything represented, and the book itself does not take sides. The story is straightforward, and the reader can conclude for him/herself what to believe once it's over and done with. I thought I'd have more input from that story from readers, but it seems the readership of that book is very slow. Maybe it just takes more time to catch on. I am curious for comments to come forward, seeing as to the controversial subject matter.

John Dunn is not political. However, the story is connected to Apartheid. It takes place in the 1800s when Apartheid was taking shape. It wasn't called that yet, but the story contains the events that make Apartheid happen in the years following the story. The John Dunn story is a true story. And even though John Dunn was a part of the Zulu nation, he too is another example of just how my stories split Liberalism and Conservatism right down the middle. I say that because even though Dunn was a member of the Zulu nation, he was forced to fight on the side of the British during the Anglo-Zulu War. And he did contribute to the English victory over the Zulus.

Yet Dunn retained his place amongst the Zulu people even after that war. Once the dust settled, he went back to his Zulu wives and his life in Zululand. He continued to raise his one hundred plus half Zulu children to the best of his ability, and oversaw the territory that he held in Zululand after the war. He was a perfect example of a man who was able to manage the events that were out if his control to the best of his interests and the interests of those who depended on him. It's really an extraordinary story. More so because it's a true story. Which makes it all the more interesting. And perhaps the most political of them all. Without meaning to be.

Original Review for Killer of Killers

Speaking of reviews for Killer of Killers, here's the very first review Killer of Killers received, shortly after its initial release back in 2012. (Again, corrected spelling, mine.)

By Melange Books, LLC

Sep 22, 2012

Dan Spanton's review of Killer of Killers by Mark DeRobertis Sep 18, 12 

Charles Bronson was five nine. Chuck Norris is five ten. Trent Smith could stand between them and blend in perfectly. He's five nine and a master sensei of Budo ju jitsu. Smith has left the martial arts academy, and the teacher, Shoji, who mentored him. He's become a rogue vigilante, but not for money. His mission is to give justice to the innocent victims of murder. The world he now enters contains a dark mirror image of his teacher Shoji. This evil counterpart is a man named Soriah, who controls a team of extraordinary assassins. Soriah possesses a miracle drug that repairs cellular damage quickly, and may prolong life indefinitely. Trent Smith must not only contend with Soriah, but also with a voluptuous blond detective named Samantha Jones. Jones wants him behind bars, but first she wants to sleep with him. Life is rough. The action scenes alone make KILLER OF KILLERS a must-read. I'm generally a fan of copfiction, and I can't remember when I've read fight scenes with this much impact. DeRobertis has an eye for detail, and readers who enjoy the authenticity of skillfully drawn settings and characters won't be disappointed.

So along with the Amazon reviews I posted on Monday, I'm thinking the consensus is obvious. People really like the book Killer of Killers. I'm thinking that people will like its sequel, Killer Eyes, too. Maybe they'll like Killer Eyes even better. After all, most people liked From Russia with Love better than the first Bond movie, Dr. No. It's all a matter of opinion. I'm hoping the opinions keep coming. Read Killer of Killers. Tell the world what you think. And thanks.

Stephen Amell, Dustin Clare, Antony Starr

These three guys are relatively new to the Hollywood scene, but all three make great leading men of action shows. I mean, if you've seen their shows, you'll have seen them fighting, getting knocked around, knocking others down, and making a pretty violent mess of things. But that's what happens in action shows. My book, Killer of Killers, and its sequel, Killer Eyes, are action stories and then some. By that I mean they're both action-packed, and they certainly do have violence. So these three guys would be great for the leading role, which is Trent Smith.

Antony Starr is 40. That means the movie, for him, would need to be made right about now. But for Amell and Clare, who are both 34, there's a few years to go before age becomes a factor. As for the rest of the cast, I've made several posts about what I thought about actors for those roles. Only an actress for the role of Susie Quinn needs to be found.

But if Amell, Clare, or Starr were to be cast as Trent Smith, I'd be cool with that. Yeah, I've been partial to Dustin Clare, having been swayed by his performance in Spartacus, but any one of these actors would fit the part, going by looks and the way they fight on screen. Sure, Amell is a bit too tall, but movie magic could fix that, no problem. Heck, if they can make the actors in The Hobbit look like dwarves, then that proves it.

Check out these photos. Each one fits my vision of Trent Smith. Which one would you prefer?



Stephen Amell





Dustin Clare

Antony Starr

Era of Great Action Shows

As I recall the past year, and the past several years, I realize that TV and the movies have had a wonderful run of action/adventure shows. And I'm not referring to the slew of superhero/comic book shows that are currently all the rave. I'm referring to the wonderful action adventure movies like the Bourne franchise, the Transporter franchise, the new Mission Impossible franchise, and independent films like John Wick and Jack Reacher.

We also had Sylvester Stallone's comeback with his latest Rambo film , and his newer franchise The Expendables. The list goes on, to be sure, because I haven't even mentioned any of the martial arts shows that have been popular for several decades.

And there's more. On the premium channels of TV, which is the latest TV craze, and in many ways even better than the movies, you have the Game of Thrones, Spartacus, Black Sails, Strike Back, and my personal favorite, Banshee. I haven't even checked out Into the Badlands yet.

I love shows where the hero is a cool dude. But more than that, the hero is a great and fearless fighter. In other words, he's a badass. And when I set out to write my Killer books, that was my goal. To create the ultimate badass. In my books, Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes, the main character, Trent Smith, is the ultimate badass, because he is the ultimate martial artist. Of course, he's not the only great martial artist. He's had some run-ins with other great fighters who have gone the distance with him, so to speak. They say a great hero is measured by his foes. So that goes without saying.

But Trent Smith is undefeated. Period. In every category of fighting. Sure there are times when he's not in top form. It's not as if he dominates every fight he's in. That would be boring. Leading the life he leads is a struggle. But he's a great hero. He prevails.

So if you are looking for a great hero, and a great story, whether for fun or for a film project, check out Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes. Read the reviews. I'm finally getting some on Goodreads and Amazon. Perhaps one day I'll post them on here. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Heroes and Cops

To my chagrin, I've noticed that there seems to be a common, and/or overdone theme where the hero is at odds with the local police force. Or there seems to always be at least one particular cop who has some kind of vendetta against the hero of a show.

I've been catching up on Arrow, lately. The entire first season, there was a cop who for his own reasons had to "bring down" the hero, known as the "Vigilante" or "The Hood." I don't know if he'll ever be called his comic book name, "Green Arrow" or not, but the "Vigilante" or "The Hood" saved the cop's daughter's life, he saved several other lives, even saved the cop's life, but the cop is just hell bent on bringing him down anyway.

It's been resolved by season two, but now the cop's daughter is hell bent on bringing down the hero. That gets resolved too, but the whole thing is just overdone. It's old. It's tiring. And I can't stand seeing a cop wanting to bring down the hero, when there's so many other real bad guys running around that really do need to be brought down. I mean these priorities suck. It goes toward a lessening of my appreciation for a show.

In my own story, the Killer of Killers story, that is, sure there's the beautiful blonde police detective, Samantha Jones, who is tracking the hero, Trent Smith, but not to arrest him. I know one of my reviewers said she wanted to arrest him, but that was an error on his part. Samantha Jones never wanted to arrest Trent Smith. What she wanted was to convince him to join her side, meaning, she had a partnership with a certain billionaire who was an enemy of another billionaire, and both billionaires wanted to hire Trent Smith.

To be clear, Samantha Jones was not a crooked cop. She was a humanitarian, and the one billionaire, Abraham Soriah, had already demonstrated a lack of concern for the public at large because he was withholding a wonder drug that cured all disease. It even stopped aging. The other billionaire, Karl Manoukian, who was very much attracted to Samantha, promised to use the drug to help humanity. The question was did he really want to help humanity, or did he just say that to Samantha because he had a big time crush on her?

But the point I'm making is that the cops were not hot on Trent Smith's trail, and there was no cop who was hell bent on bringing Trent down. That's the concept that's overdone, and I'm tired of it. Now that Arrow is over that, here's hoping it doesn't recur in another variation. We'll see. In the meantime, check out Killer of Killers and its sequel Killer Eyes, available now by clicking on the images to the right of this post.

Amber Heard Popular with Readers

It seems that actress Amber Heard attracts a lot of blog readers. Whenever I mention her in this blog, my readership spikes. So here's another posting mentioning Amber Heard. Her popularity is important to me, but at the same time somewhat curious. After all, she's no A-lister amongst the Hollywood elite. That list would include favored actresses like Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba, Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie, and, of course, the Oscar magnet, Meryl Streep. Amber Heard's most noteworthy event wasn't even a movie. It was her marriage to A-lister actor, Johnnie Depp.

But I've said often that if Killer of Killers were to ever be made into a movie, Amber Heard would be perfect for the role of the female lead, Samantha Jones, the beautiful blonde police detective. And based on the amount of readers her name attracts to the blog, I must conclude that I am not the only one who thinks Amber Heard is beautiful.

So, paired with Dustin Clare as the main character, Trent Smith, I think Amber Heard would do well, and, perhaps, along with Dustin, find her breakout role in the movies. She's only been in a few movies at this point, none of which has propelled her to frontline stardom.

But the competition is fierce, especially for a beautiful blonde actress, and that's because there really is no shortage of beautiful blonde actresses in Hollywood. For instance, I still haven't found the drop-dead gorgeous black actress who would be good for the role of Susie Quinn, and not for lack of trying. I am not suggesting there are too few beautiful black actresses. But I have a particular vision for that role, and so far, none of the actresses of whom I'm aware fit that vision.

As I've mentioned recently, Jill Marie Jones, the actress from Ash vs. Evil Dead comes close to fitting that vision. As you can see in the photo to the left, she's extremely beautiful. In Killer of Killers, Susie Quinn is described as one of the most impressive women Trent Smith had ever seen. But Jill Marie Jones is 40 now, and that won't work. You can't have a 40+ actress playing the part of an exotic dancer, and I think most people would agree with that.






Although clearly dated 2002 in the lower left corner, the photo below proves that Jill Marie Jones would have fit the part of Susie Quinn quite nicely. But time stands still for no one, so the search for Susie Quinn goes on. For now, it's Dustin Clare and Amber Heard. Their breakout roles are waiting for them. And those roles can be found in the Killer Series. Click on the images to the right of this post, and buy your copies today.

Dustin Clare vs. Stephen Amell

After watching and enjoying The Flash TV show, I began watching Arrow, and my impression of actor Stephen Amell was such that I thought he might be good for the part of Trent Smith. But then I thought no. He's too tall. According to his bio, he's 6'1", and that automatically disqualifies him for the role of Trent Smith.

You see, the whole point behind Trent Smith, the main character of Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes, is that he's the greatest martial artist in the world. He can win any fight, not because he's the biggest or the tallest, or the heaviest fighter out there. He's the most skilled. And as Bruce Lee proved years ago, you don't have to be the biggest, or the tallest, or the heaviest fighter to be the greatest fighter in the world. You do have to be the greatest martial artist, however, and that's exactly what Trent Smith is.

So, if there are any action movie makers out there interested in making KOK or KE into movies, then the actor should not be taller than, say, 5'10" which is what Dustin Clare's bio says he is. But I'm not convinced Dustin Clare is that tall. I'm thinking he's 5'8", which is still right to play the part of Trent Smith. Trent Smith is described in the first book as being 5-9, so an actor who's 5-8, 5-9, or 5-10 will be fine for the role.

I first saw Dustin Clare in the Spartacus show a few years ago. My how time flies. It really has been a few years ago. And Dustin Clare was excellent as the champion gladiator, Gannicus. He stole the show, actually, and that is because of his great screen presence. It's got a lot to do with the directing, too, I'm sure, since Dustin's role in Strike Back was so minor and irrelevant, he had no chance whatsoever to steal that show. It was a disappointment to me.

Will Dustin Clare ever get another opportunity as an action hero? I hope so. If the part is right, if the writing is good, and if the director knows what he's doing, then Dustin Clare would be a great actor for the right kind of action hero. And Trent Smith is just the right kind of action hero and it's waiting for him. Stephen Amell would have been good, too. But he's not just right. (Too tall.)

Banshee's Anthony Starr impressed me, but he's 5-11, and that's too tall, also. Unless, like the bio for Dustin Clare, the 5-11 height listing is an exaggeration. But he's getting too old. He's 40 now, and that's not good for the future of the franchise. Dustin Clare is only 33, so time is on his side, especially if they want to make all three movies, two of which have already been written. But time flies, so movie-makers, heads up. Killer of Killers starring Dustin Clare is an action movie waiting to be made.

James Bond vs. Trent Smith - Who Would Win?

In a scenario that would never happen, the what if kind of story is nothing more than some fun. You know, the what if the Hulk fought Superman, who would win? It's different than Bat Man vs. Superman, because Bat Man and Superman are from the same "universe," so it's a scenario that could happen, (as it's going to happen in a movie coming out soon,) whereas Superman and Hulk are not from the same universe, so it can only be a what if question.

So for fun, I pose the what if question: James Bond, the world's greatest super-spy, vs. Trent Smith, the world's greatest martial artist, who would win? Well, Trent Smith would win, of course. He's the world's greatest martial artist!

But that's only considering if they were placed in a fighting ring with ropes containing them, and no secret weapons available. As you might remember, in one of the greatest fights in the history of film, James Bond was able to defeat Red Grant, (played by Robert Shaw in From Russia with Love,) only because he managed to use a hidden knife from his "super-spy" attache case.

Other Bond movies portray Bond defeating his opponents while using a variety of other super-spy weapons, but in a ring, with no weapons, Trent Smith will win every time.

And that goes with anyone else put in a ring with Trent Smith. Including the greatest boxing champions, the greatest wrestlers, and the greatest action heroes from any genre. But this does not mean superheroes. Forget Superman, Bat Man, Spider-man and the like. Even though it's all fiction, it's not science fiction, where people have super powers, super strength, or adamantium claws that come out of their wrists.

No. If anyone fights Trent Smith, Trent Smith will be the winner. He's an expert martial artist, a master of the world's deadliest art, and he knows how to disable, paralyze, or kill anyone with the touch of a finger. Good thing he's a good guy. But some people might not agree with that. Some reviewers have questioned whether or not he's a good guy at all. Well, I think he's a good guy, but I wrote the books, so maybe I'm biased. Read Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes and decide for yourself.

More Shootings, More Guns

Another mass shooting yesterday. This is not a political blog, but I have come to a recent conclusion about my own beliefs regarding political topics. I hate guns. And even though I wrote the book Killer of Killers four years ago, it's interesting to me that the main character, Trent Smith, also hates guns.

Of course, being the world's greatest martial artist, a master of the world's deadliest art, Trent Smith doesn't need guns. He can kill anyone with a strike of his hand or fingers. He's an expert in the human nervous system and coronary system. He can kill, paralyze or disable anyone, or induce a slow death, whatever he chooses to do, which is usually what the person he's up against deserves.

You see, Trent Smith will only kill those who have been found guilty of murder, and then escaped justice. But those people will not escape Trent Smith.

I wonder if my own hatred of guns was a factor in making Trent Smith also hate guns. He will never use a gun. He will use a katana, however. In Book Two, Killer Eyes, Trent is up against countless Ci Ke killers who are armed with katanas, and Trent, being an expert in the use of a katana, has no qualms about picking up a katana and using it to defend himself against his katana-wielding adversaries. In fact, Trent is an expert with a variety of martial arts weapons used throughout the long and bloody history of Japan and China.

But never a gun. In the first book, Killer of Killers, Trent makes the statement, "Guns and knives, weapons of cowards." as he throws one of each out of a window. In Book Three, which I'm writing currently, Trent disarms another gun carrying villain, and while tossing the gun to the ground, he admits that he wishes guns had never been invented.

Well, I'm not saying that I wish that much, but I personally believe that either no one should be in possession of a gun, or everyone should be. Like in the days of the American West when every adult man walked around with a six-shooter on his hip. Did that prevent mass shootings? Not sure about that, because clearly there were a lot of shootings back then, what with Jesse James and the like running around. But at least people were able to shoot back. Unlike yesterday.

Look, I've got no solutions to the mass shooting epidemic here in America. I'll leave that to the politicians. That's their job. As for me? I'll keep on teaching art and writing books.

Glenn is Alive!

Yeah, Glenn's alive, but we knew that. It was only too obvious that Glenn was alive, as just about everyone and their grandma figured it was the other dude's dead body being torn apart. It was a cheap trick, and it was even cheaper to keep Glenn's story on hiatus the way they did.

But, whatever. Walking Dead is still going nowhere, what with the stupid teenagers acting stupid. You have the nutty teen girl who doesn't want to live in the safety of people who don't want to kill her. And you got the stupid teen boy, who, even though his father was a child beater and a wife beater, and a murderer to boot, harbors a revenge factor, meaning he wants to kill the man who saved his life at least once, and twice if you count the time Carl saved him.

It's stupid writing, but there's some good stuff, too. I like that head lady, Deanna? and her appreciation of Rick, as she should be appreciating him. And I like Carol, and I like Michonne, but I don't like the ridiculous Morgan and his continued insistence of preserving a bad guy's life. But hopefully, Carol will put a stop to that. If she does, that will be cool.

Whatever. It's a show that's been going on for five years, now, so you have to expect some shaky plot twists, and stupid characters, otherwise, how do you have the internal conflict? You can't just have zombies over and over again. So there you go.

On another note, I've got to keep making progress on my MG/YA novel, as it's been in limbo for a week or two now. I have to figure out a plot twist, a subplot, and a climax which won't be easy. It's not going to be as long as the others, but that's okay. MG/YAs don't have to be.

And I've got to complete Book Three in my Killer Series. Books One and Two turned out so well, I must say, I'm very proud of them.  Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes are some of the best stories I've ever read or watched. Ever. No bias intended, but they are so good, it's unbelievable. I set a high bar with those two books, so I have to make sure book three is up to that standard. Stay tuned.

Killer Eyes Now Available!

Killer Eyes is published! It was released yesterday on Halloween. The digital and print formats are published, and available for purchase. Only 2.99 for digital, btw, so very affordable if you are so inclined to read on an electronic device. More and more people are turning to that format. It's the future, and the future has arrived.

I am also confident that all typos are eliminated, and it's an error free book. Nothing is wrong with that book, and I even feel that it could well be the best book I've ever written. Killer of Killers is my favorite book, but Killer Eyes, really, is a continuation of that same story. It picks up where Killer of Killers leaves off, so it could be considered an extension of the same book. Well, it's called Book Two, after all, so, yeah, it's the second book of a continuing story.

It's a story that centers around the world's greatest martial artist, a man who detests guns, as does this author, and detests injustice. But what moves the plot is the wonder drug Eternity. Called that because of the drug's ability to cure disease and stop aging. But when you have a drug like that, there are people who want to hoard it and administer it to only those people worthy of living forever. It doesn't mean mistakes can't be made and mistakes are certainly made. And it doesn't mean that there aren't side effects. There certainly are side effects.

All in all, the Killer Series is currently a two book run, and yes, there will be a Book Three. Can't say exactly when Book Three will be ready, it's still a WIP. But don't worry. Each book is a self contained story unto itself. None of the books in the Killer Series end with a cliffhanger. I never liked waiting a year to see how a cliffhanger is resolved in TV shows that end a season that way. Nor would I like it in a book. So no, it's not like that with my books. Each book has all the immediate issues resolved. There may be a continuing story arc, but nothing urgent in terms of immediacy.

Buy your copies today. They are both available, and you'll love them if you like Martial Arts thrillers. I can guarantee it.

Hatred for Guns Projected into my Stories

Guns, guns, guns. It seems like a lot of, or most of the action stories, be they novels, movies, or TV shows, use guns. A lot of guns. It seems that most, if not all the action heroes use guns, unless their stories take place in an era before guns were invented, of course.

There's a couple shows, Bunraku, for instance, where the action takes place with no guns. That's because, in Bunraku, guns are outlawed. And now there's a new TV show coming soon, called Into the Badlands, where, like in Bunraku, guns are outlawed.

But in the real world, guns are prevalent. More than prevalent, actually, and society is surely paying the price for that prevalence. Movies, novels, and TV shows are reflecting that prevalence, often focusing on the price for that prevalence.

I hate the price that's being paid for that prevalence, although, fortunately, that price has not affected me personally, and I hope that remains true. Nevertheless, I have projected my own personal hatred for guns onto the main character in my Killer Series.

In Book One, Killer of Killers, Trent Smith never uses a gun. He is a deadly martial artist who can kill with his bare hands. He makes one comment in the story when he disarms a bad guy, and tosses the gun and knife away. "Guns and knives...weapons of cowards." That was the only allusion to his feelings about guns in the entire book, other than the fact that he never uses one.

In Book Two, I don't think Trent makes any comments about guns, but he still never uses a gun. He is forced to use a katana, however, and he just happens to be an expert. Being trained in Japan, that is a very realistic development. He's a master at Kendo, which is the art of using a katana. The fact that Trent Smith holds the rank of Judan automatically suggests he's a master with a katana, and he most certainly is.

But when it comes to guns, in Book Three, which is a WIP right now, I do put in there that Trent wishes guns had never been invented. Now I'm not so extreme in that belief, personally, but I do wish guns were limited to the military and police. I don't think 'Johnny Average' needs a gun. I don't believe in hunting, either, btw. I don't recognize the "sport" in shooting an animal that's grazing, and/or minding its own business in an area where it's at home. But the world is the way it is, and all I can do about it is write great stories. And that's all I'll ever be able to do.