It's a slow period in the publishing arena for me. And since there's not much to report, I'll just do what I sometimes do and review a TV show or movie.
I was a kid when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the world's first black superhero Black Panther. He first appeared as a supporting character in the comic The Fantastic Four. I figure it was Jack Kirby who came up with the concept. But I might be wrong. It could be that Stan Lee told Jack to draw a superhero from Africa, i.e., the first black superhero, and Jack did. I'm content to give them both credit for the concept of the Black Panther and his backstory.
The concept was certainly unique. The Black Panther is the king of a hidden African kingdom, and not just another tribal kingdom, but one that more resembles the advanced technological nations of Europe, albeit, entirely African. And this fictitious nation called Wakanda will have a one-up on the European nations. It will have "vibranium" which is a rare metal from a meteor that landed in Wakanda some years earlier, and provides the means to create highly specialized devices.
For instance, Captain America's shield is made from vibranium. I never really learned just how the Americans managed to get the vibranium from Wakanda to make the shield, since no one was supposed to even know that Wakanda existed. Nevertheless, it's one example of a special something made from vibranium. And the movie came up with a bunch of other stuff as well.
The Black Panther, even as a kid was always one of my favorite superheros. You might ask me why. I'm not black. And I had no special connection to Africa. But there's one thing about me, and it's something that I wasn't taught. And it's something of which I can be proud. Skin color never mattered to me. It just never did. Throughout my youth, in the 60s and 70s, skin color was a non-issue to me even as all the riots and racism, (both white AND black racism, that is,) raged all around me.
To me people were people, and it didn't matter what color was their skin, what country was their origin, or what language did they speak. And to this day I remain the same. And when I see others who do not share that belief, I can only shake my head and consider them with disgust.
Whenever my students happen to bring up skin color or nationality in any negative way, I chastise them immediately. I tell them the same thing I just wrote above. And I ask them why does anyone have to consider people as white people, or black people, or brown people, or this kind of people or that kind of people? I ask them why cant we all just be PEOPLE, and leave it at that? And I can sense that they agree with me. It's a wonderful feeling to sense that from kids.
But for adults, perhaps it's just an impossible thing. Just like it's impossible to get rid of all the guns in this country. It's just an impossible thing. It's the world we live in. And however it goes, I won't be in it for that much longer. But my sons will and their sons. What's in store for them?
Showing posts with label Sons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sons. Show all posts
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Summer Over - Back to Work
Well, summer vacation is over, and it's time to get ready for work. But for me, work is great. I love my job. The classroom is my second home. I've considered writing a book on how to be a successful teacher. One of my secrets, of course, is just that. Making your classroom like your second home. A teacher has to love being in his/her classroom to be a successful teacher.
It's the same as being an author. A successful author has to love writing to be a successful writer. That doesn't mean all writers who love writing will be successful. I might venture to say all teachers who love teaching will be successful. Not necessarily, I know, but it's a good bet.
So back to the classroom, get it ready, prepare for those teacher meetings, which sometimes are fun, too, and then, get ready for the kids. Lucky for me I'm an art teacher. That means not only do I get to teach art, I get to make art at the same time. Which is great. You get to create. Which is what I'm all about. Creating. I create things. Books. Music. Art. Statues. Whatever.
I still find time to write. I do want to create that third book in the Killer series. Most likely it will be the last Killer book. Most likely. As for the MG/YA book -- Inside the Outhouse? Yeah...will probably finish that one day. And most likely that will be the last book I write. Not because I don't like writing anymore. I don't have time anymore. I'm finding that I have to dedicate the time to the wife and two sons.
Strangely, the older they get, the more they need me. You'd think the opposite would be true. I'm finding that it's not. High school and college is when they need me more than ever. As youngers I've been there for them. As young adults I'm needed even more. That means I'd better stay healthy and be available to them for advice and for support. I'd better be up to the task. Now more than ever.
Books are great. Being a father is greater. That's the real world. Sheesh, I've talked about John Dunn a lot. How in the heck did he manage being a father with over a hundred children of his own? I've only got two!
It's the same as being an author. A successful author has to love writing to be a successful writer. That doesn't mean all writers who love writing will be successful. I might venture to say all teachers who love teaching will be successful. Not necessarily, I know, but it's a good bet.
So back to the classroom, get it ready, prepare for those teacher meetings, which sometimes are fun, too, and then, get ready for the kids. Lucky for me I'm an art teacher. That means not only do I get to teach art, I get to make art at the same time. Which is great. You get to create. Which is what I'm all about. Creating. I create things. Books. Music. Art. Statues. Whatever.
I still find time to write. I do want to create that third book in the Killer series. Most likely it will be the last Killer book. Most likely. As for the MG/YA book -- Inside the Outhouse? Yeah...will probably finish that one day. And most likely that will be the last book I write. Not because I don't like writing anymore. I don't have time anymore. I'm finding that I have to dedicate the time to the wife and two sons.
Strangely, the older they get, the more they need me. You'd think the opposite would be true. I'm finding that it's not. High school and college is when they need me more than ever. As youngers I've been there for them. As young adults I'm needed even more. That means I'd better stay healthy and be available to them for advice and for support. I'd better be up to the task. Now more than ever.
Books are great. Being a father is greater. That's the real world. Sheesh, I've talked about John Dunn a lot. How in the heck did he manage being a father with over a hundred children of his own? I've only got two!
Friday, July 7, 2017
Hawaii Vacation Over
So I was an A-reader or a Beta reader as some would say. And the writing was quite good. He's a talented writer and story-teller, and his story is one that I would say deserves to be published by the infamous Big Five. But that means an agent is required. Yes, the ever elusive literary agent. I'm considering going that route again for my novel The Vase. It deserves the Big Five as well.
But we all know how that goes. Fingers crossed. My brother lives close to a lot of beaches, and I guess when you live in Hawaii, who doesn't? I particularly liked Waikiki. It's one of the most famous beaches in the world. For a lot of reasons. There's a lot of people there. A lot of action, too. My son took surfing lessons, and he was a natural.
I was never a skate boarder when I was a kid, so I never had an interest in surfing. I mean, I liked the Beach Boys music, but surfing was never my thing. But my youngest son is good at skate boarding, and he was good at surfing too, on his first attempts. He looked like those dudes in the movies. I was proud of him. He wants to go back to Hawaii and get his own surfboard, too.
As for me? I'm good right here in California. Still, since my brother lives there, and in a really big house in an upscale part of Oahu, I have no reason not to go back. Hawaii is famous for other things too, not just the beaches. So yeah, it was all good. Right now, I'm back to work in perfecting The Vase. That's a real good story too.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Kong-Skull Island OK
I did not really want to go see Kong-Skull Island, but it was my younger son's birthday weekend, and he wanted me to take him to see that movie. I relented. As for action adventure movies, it was okay. But it had so many holes in it, and the writing could have been so much better. I left the movie thinking if the producers, director, and writers wanted to, they could have made that movie into a movie to be remembered. As it was, it won't be.
As far as King Kong movies go, I'd rank it with that forgettable Kong movie from the seventies. Peter Jackson's King Kong still rates as the best, imo, followed by the original from the thirties. And to me, those are the only ones worth seeing. Like I said, the other two are forgettable.
Now for an evening with your son, this latest one was okay. I don't believe I wasted my money. It would have been a waste had I seen it alone, but time spent with your son is never wasted, and so...
As for holes, they were too obvious. The first one that struck me, is the ship had four helicopters on the deck, and it was all that would fit. The next thing you see, is over a dozen of them flying toward Skull Island. It's like, wait a minute... Where did all those extra copters come from?
Then when Kong suddenly appears, he throws a strike from a distance. Meaning a tree comes from out of nowhere and lands a bull's-eye into the lead copter. Then Kong himself jumps out of nowhere and starts swatting the copters out of the sky like mosquitos.
Okay, it can be argued the copters are caught by surprise, and Kong gets two or three of them. But do the others recover from their shock and fly beyond his reach? Why, no, they don't. They start circling around him firing their machine guns at him. You might say that's what they should do. If that's what you say, then you're not so smart. What I would say is get those choppers beyond arm's reach of the big ape. Surely, soldiers know that machine guns have a long range. But instead of flying beyond Kong's reach to shoot him, they remain within his reach so that he can continue to swat them down.
And that's exactly what he does until every chopper is swatted out of the sky. Every single one of them. I just can't believe not one pilot had the brains to say, "You know, maybe I should fly a little farther away from that monster so he can't grab my copter like he's doing to all the other copters, and smash it to the ground." Nope. Not one. At one point the civilian guy said, "Get this chopper out of here!" but the brainless pilot replies, "You're not the one who gives me orders."
So of course that copter, too, gets swatted down like all the others. I am not one to verbalize my displeasure during the course of a movie out of respect to my fellow movie goers, but I instinctively said "Bullshit!" out loud at that point. My son didn't mind. He agreed. No one turned to frown at me, so I'm thinking everyone else agreed too.
There were many other holes, but there were good things, too, btw. The special effects were good, and the acting was good. Samuel Jackson, although overexposed by being in just about every movie these days, is a good actor and played his part well. The guy from WWII had a good role and played it well. The British secret service guy was well cast, and well written.
I don't know why they made the bad monsters legless. I'm talking about the "Skull-crushers" as the old dude called them. They crawled around using their front two legs, or arms. It reminded me of the crippled son from the TV show Viking. I think they should have had rear legs, and ran around like lizards, but whatever.
There was another thing that bugged me. There were too many useless deaths. Too many dudes getting offed just for effect, it seemed. The lowest point being when John Goodman's character was offed. It just didn't work. Nor did the killing off of most of the soldiers. The surviving soldiers were one white, one Asian, and one black. I guess they wanted equity. Of course, no female characters were killed. The girls seemed immune to any danger. In this movie you had to be a dude to die.
There were so many other holes, like since when do apes stand straight like a man? King Kong was standing straight the whole time. Even my wife made that point. I had noticed it too, but there were so many other holes, that one, although major, was minor in comparison.
So go with your son, and have a good time. My son did like the movie and was glad we went. I was glad to spend time with him at the movies. A show like this is good for that. But that was all it was good for. Too bad we missed The Great Wall. Was that one any good? I'll find out soon enough when it comes on TV. Until then...
As far as King Kong movies go, I'd rank it with that forgettable Kong movie from the seventies. Peter Jackson's King Kong still rates as the best, imo, followed by the original from the thirties. And to me, those are the only ones worth seeing. Like I said, the other two are forgettable.
Now for an evening with your son, this latest one was okay. I don't believe I wasted my money. It would have been a waste had I seen it alone, but time spent with your son is never wasted, and so...
As for holes, they were too obvious. The first one that struck me, is the ship had four helicopters on the deck, and it was all that would fit. The next thing you see, is over a dozen of them flying toward Skull Island. It's like, wait a minute... Where did all those extra copters come from?
Then when Kong suddenly appears, he throws a strike from a distance. Meaning a tree comes from out of nowhere and lands a bull's-eye into the lead copter. Then Kong himself jumps out of nowhere and starts swatting the copters out of the sky like mosquitos.
Okay, it can be argued the copters are caught by surprise, and Kong gets two or three of them. But do the others recover from their shock and fly beyond his reach? Why, no, they don't. They start circling around him firing their machine guns at him. You might say that's what they should do. If that's what you say, then you're not so smart. What I would say is get those choppers beyond arm's reach of the big ape. Surely, soldiers know that machine guns have a long range. But instead of flying beyond Kong's reach to shoot him, they remain within his reach so that he can continue to swat them down.
And that's exactly what he does until every chopper is swatted out of the sky. Every single one of them. I just can't believe not one pilot had the brains to say, "You know, maybe I should fly a little farther away from that monster so he can't grab my copter like he's doing to all the other copters, and smash it to the ground." Nope. Not one. At one point the civilian guy said, "Get this chopper out of here!" but the brainless pilot replies, "You're not the one who gives me orders."
So of course that copter, too, gets swatted down like all the others. I am not one to verbalize my displeasure during the course of a movie out of respect to my fellow movie goers, but I instinctively said "Bullshit!" out loud at that point. My son didn't mind. He agreed. No one turned to frown at me, so I'm thinking everyone else agreed too.
There were many other holes, but there were good things, too, btw. The special effects were good, and the acting was good. Samuel Jackson, although overexposed by being in just about every movie these days, is a good actor and played his part well. The guy from WWII had a good role and played it well. The British secret service guy was well cast, and well written.
I don't know why they made the bad monsters legless. I'm talking about the "Skull-crushers" as the old dude called them. They crawled around using their front two legs, or arms. It reminded me of the crippled son from the TV show Viking. I think they should have had rear legs, and ran around like lizards, but whatever.
There was another thing that bugged me. There were too many useless deaths. Too many dudes getting offed just for effect, it seemed. The lowest point being when John Goodman's character was offed. It just didn't work. Nor did the killing off of most of the soldiers. The surviving soldiers were one white, one Asian, and one black. I guess they wanted equity. Of course, no female characters were killed. The girls seemed immune to any danger. In this movie you had to be a dude to die.
There were so many other holes, like since when do apes stand straight like a man? King Kong was standing straight the whole time. Even my wife made that point. I had noticed it too, but there were so many other holes, that one, although major, was minor in comparison.
So go with your son, and have a good time. My son did like the movie and was glad we went. I was glad to spend time with him at the movies. A show like this is good for that. But that was all it was good for. Too bad we missed The Great Wall. Was that one any good? I'll find out soon enough when it comes on TV. Until then...
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Patriot's Day - Sad Movie
I took my son to see Patriot's Day, the new movie with Mark Wahlberg starring as the real life Sgt. Saunders in the Boston Police Department. It was about the horrible experience the people of Boston had to live through due to the despicable Islamist terrorists who detonated bombs at the Boston Marathon. Three people lost their lives, including a small boy, and many people lost one or even both of their legs.
Just what kind of evil person could do that to someone? I mean even their worst enemy? How could a small boy and two obscure women, and the many people crippled by the blast even be considered enemies? I guess if you have evil in your heart, like those two brothers did, and the one brother's wife, then you can consider anyone an enemy.
As far as movies go, the movie was well done. It's not a movie I would have chosen to see if there were any of the movies that I would have preferred. But John Wick 2, XXX 3, and Jack Reacher 2 aren't out yet. And it was a night that I was supposed to take my son to a movie. I had promised my son I'd take him so we decided on being patriotic, and we chose Patriot's Day. The movie turned out to be a sad reminder of the scumbags out there who want to kill us. They twist their reasoning, I suppose to warrant such vile acts, and then go through with it.
What's worse, these twisted-minded murderers come from other countries to enjoy American freedoms and then they go about trying to destroy the lives of the Americans who are here. We have all of our agencies who are supposed to prevent that, but they don't. San Bernardino happened after the Boston horror. And the Orlando massacre happened even more recently. There wasn't much protection if you would ask any of them. At least the San Bernardino murderers were killed by police. And the Orlando murderer was killed by police. And the people in Boston came together to catch one and kill the other who did it in Boston. And thankfully the one they caught is on death row.
So I would like to know what is going to happen next? Who will be killed next? In what state, what city, and how many people will be murdered next? What will our government do to protect the American people next? What they've been doing so far sure hasn't worked. Not if you ask the people in Boston, or San Bernardino, or Orlando. Or Fort Hood.
We've got enough nut-jobs of our own to worry about. Oklahoma, Sandy Hook, and the high school and theater in Colorado are plenty proof of that. And the murder rates in every major city are more proof of that. Especially Chicago. We have enough of our own murderers to worry about. We don't need murderers from other countries coming here and adding to that.
How can it stop? Don't ask me. I'm not a politician. If I were, I'd be the most hated politician who ever existed in America. Why? Because I'd get rid of every gun in the country. Except for those belonging to the police and the military. It's weird if you think about it. I'd be hated for trying to save lives by getting rid of every gun that doesn't belong to someone who's job description requires it.
So I guess it's a good thing I'm not a politician. Because as far as I know, that's the only thing that would work. And if that could somehow be accomplished, no more people would be murdered by guns. But my tenure in politics would be short. I wouldn't get re-elected. They'll tell me the scum can still make their pressure bombs. Like the brothers did in Boston. But the cop they ambushed would not have been shot. I'm sure his family would be happy for that.
The movie Patriot's Day was realistic. It was a good movie. But I wouldn't have gone to see it if there were some action movies out to see. Let me make something clear. Movies are the only place I want to see guns and shooting. Because in the movies, it's all fake. It's all just acting. Those people are just pretending to shoot people and they're pretending to get shot. They get up after taking their falls, and they collect a paycheck. And those paychecks are for a lot more than what I make as a school teacher. So good for them. But it wasn't good for the real people they depicted in Patriot's Day. Those people stayed dead.
In my books, Killer of Killer and Killer Eyes, it's all fiction. Sure, there's killing. But no one really dies. It's entertainment. Like when I was a kid. The neighborhood kids would come over, and we'd play with toy guns. We'd pretend to shoot each other, and we'd pretend to get shot, and we'd pretend to get killed. Sometimes we played games like who could enact the best at getting shot and killed. It was all fake. That's the difference.
My son said after the movie, "What a sad movie." And I thought to myself he was right. I want to be entertained when I see a movie. Not saddened. And entertainment means knowing that the people in the movie didn't really get hurt and they didn't really die. But in Boston, they really did.
Just what kind of evil person could do that to someone? I mean even their worst enemy? How could a small boy and two obscure women, and the many people crippled by the blast even be considered enemies? I guess if you have evil in your heart, like those two brothers did, and the one brother's wife, then you can consider anyone an enemy.
As far as movies go, the movie was well done. It's not a movie I would have chosen to see if there were any of the movies that I would have preferred. But John Wick 2, XXX 3, and Jack Reacher 2 aren't out yet. And it was a night that I was supposed to take my son to a movie. I had promised my son I'd take him so we decided on being patriotic, and we chose Patriot's Day. The movie turned out to be a sad reminder of the scumbags out there who want to kill us. They twist their reasoning, I suppose to warrant such vile acts, and then go through with it.
What's worse, these twisted-minded murderers come from other countries to enjoy American freedoms and then they go about trying to destroy the lives of the Americans who are here. We have all of our agencies who are supposed to prevent that, but they don't. San Bernardino happened after the Boston horror. And the Orlando massacre happened even more recently. There wasn't much protection if you would ask any of them. At least the San Bernardino murderers were killed by police. And the Orlando murderer was killed by police. And the people in Boston came together to catch one and kill the other who did it in Boston. And thankfully the one they caught is on death row.
So I would like to know what is going to happen next? Who will be killed next? In what state, what city, and how many people will be murdered next? What will our government do to protect the American people next? What they've been doing so far sure hasn't worked. Not if you ask the people in Boston, or San Bernardino, or Orlando. Or Fort Hood.
We've got enough nut-jobs of our own to worry about. Oklahoma, Sandy Hook, and the high school and theater in Colorado are plenty proof of that. And the murder rates in every major city are more proof of that. Especially Chicago. We have enough of our own murderers to worry about. We don't need murderers from other countries coming here and adding to that.
How can it stop? Don't ask me. I'm not a politician. If I were, I'd be the most hated politician who ever existed in America. Why? Because I'd get rid of every gun in the country. Except for those belonging to the police and the military. It's weird if you think about it. I'd be hated for trying to save lives by getting rid of every gun that doesn't belong to someone who's job description requires it.
So I guess it's a good thing I'm not a politician. Because as far as I know, that's the only thing that would work. And if that could somehow be accomplished, no more people would be murdered by guns. But my tenure in politics would be short. I wouldn't get re-elected. They'll tell me the scum can still make their pressure bombs. Like the brothers did in Boston. But the cop they ambushed would not have been shot. I'm sure his family would be happy for that.
The movie Patriot's Day was realistic. It was a good movie. But I wouldn't have gone to see it if there were some action movies out to see. Let me make something clear. Movies are the only place I want to see guns and shooting. Because in the movies, it's all fake. It's all just acting. Those people are just pretending to shoot people and they're pretending to get shot. They get up after taking their falls, and they collect a paycheck. And those paychecks are for a lot more than what I make as a school teacher. So good for them. But it wasn't good for the real people they depicted in Patriot's Day. Those people stayed dead.
In my books, Killer of Killer and Killer Eyes, it's all fiction. Sure, there's killing. But no one really dies. It's entertainment. Like when I was a kid. The neighborhood kids would come over, and we'd play with toy guns. We'd pretend to shoot each other, and we'd pretend to get shot, and we'd pretend to get killed. Sometimes we played games like who could enact the best at getting shot and killed. It was all fake. That's the difference.
My son said after the movie, "What a sad movie." And I thought to myself he was right. I want to be entertained when I see a movie. Not saddened. And entertainment means knowing that the people in the movie didn't really get hurt and they didn't really die. But in Boston, they really did.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Football Season is Upon Us
I mention college football, too. I don't actually show any pro or college games. I just talk about them in the book. What I do show in the book mostly, (three full games and the second half of another,) is high school football games. That is the focus. High school football. And there's a lot of it. I had to be sure I had the high school football rules right. There are some differences between high school rules and pro rules which I'm more used to, and probably a lot of people are more used to. But I had to be sure I had the high school rules right. With three full games portrayed in my book, and the second half of another, it was very important I had that right. The plot of the story is the high school games. It's what drives the storyline.
There's a city parks and recreation flag football league portrayed in the story, too. The main character is actually a city parks and rec employee, and it's his job to organize and referee those parks and rec flag football games. It's a major part of the storyline, too, btw. And there's at least two or three city flag league games portrayed in the story.
There's sandlot football, too. As early as chapter one. If you don't know what sandlot football is, I will tell you. It's when a group of guys, (or gals) get together and play a football game. There's no refs, no pads, sometimes not even a football field. Maybe it's at a park, and sometimes it's on the street. If it's on the street, it won't be tackle. But if it's on a grass field often the guys play tackle. Even without pads. It can be brutal. It can be painful. But it sure is fun. That is if you love the game of football. And a lot of people do. So much so, that football is America's number one sport. It has been for a long time. It's my favorite sport, that's for sure. It always has been.
Not just my favorite sport. It's one of my all time favorite things, period. Sure, I have a wife, I have two sons, (both of whom play football, btw,) and even a mother-in-law. Sure I'm a teacher with hundreds of students and a classroom, (two classrooms, actually, one for drawing and one for ceramic sculpture,) and sure I love all of those things. Sure I love art, (being an art teacher, that's a given,) and sure I love music, like everyone else. (I even write and compose my own music!) And sure I love writing about things that fascinate me, like great heroes who are magnificent martial artists, like Trent Smith in my two Killer books. And sure I love history, which is what propelled my book about the true life story of John Dunn, and even my Middle East thriller called The Vase.
Yes, I love all of those things. But football is right up there at or near the top of all things I love. So one day I wrote a novel about it. You know already how it came about, because I've blogged about it before. I had a dream. No, not like MLK. I had a dream about football. Several dreams, actually. Since high school, I've said many times, I've had recurring dreams about football. If you want to get into the psychology of it, it's probably because my own football experiences were never fully realized. I never reached my full potential. Bad decisions and bad luck were large parts of that.
I had some minor success at the high school level, but I fell far short of what I should have accomplished. And mostly, it's my own fault. Sure there were the bad luck injuries. But again, had I made better decisions, who knows if those injuries would have happened. It affected my later bad decisions. I might have played in college, but I didn't. Bad luck? Bad decisions? They went hand in hand in my case. Sure I played sandlot football. A lot of sandlot football. And my last hurrah, so to speak was a stint in a city parks and recreation flag football league.
But again, it was far short of my potential. Okay, that's the psychological angle behind my recurring football dreams. Which led to the story in Second Chance, my football novel. I dreamed it. When I woke up, I thought, wow, that was like watching a movie. So then I thought, I should write it down. I did. Then I thought, I should write it as a novel. I did. And now it's being published. So that's the history of how Second Chance, a Football Story came about. It's a great story. If you like football, you'll love this book. Watch for it next month. Stay tuned.
Friday, January 1, 2016
What Lies Ahead in 2016
The years fly by, and now so has the year 2015. Today is the first day of 2016, so what lies ahead? My John Dunn-Heart of a Zulu book will be published this year. It was a long time in the writing, and I really think it's an entertaining book to read. It's based on a true story. A really fascinating story about a white man who lived with the Zulus in South Africa. It's a story that hasn't really received a lot of attention. A couple writers did write about John Dunn. Oliver Walker, in the 1940s wrote a couple novels about him. I have one of them. Charles Ballard wrote a thesis about him, which became a nonfiction book, I believe. But all three of those books are out of print, and near impossible to acquire.
Ian Knight, the world's foremost authority on anything Zulu or Zulu War, wrote a small piece on him, more like an essay, really. But it did contain some valuable information on Dunn, which I used in my book. But no one else seems to have given much attention to the John Dunn story. Not even the people or historians in South Africa. Donald Morris did mention him in his book, The Washing of the Spears, which was appropriate. That book is like the "bible" on the history of the Zulus.
But what else will happen in 2016? Well, I expect to finish my two WIPs, Inside the Outhouse and Killer on the Payroll. Inside the Outhouse, my first MG/YA book, is a book I'm writing for my students, who are MG students, btw. They want to read my books, but since my books aren't for kids, I can't let them. So that one is for them.
Killer on the Payroll may be the final book in my Killer Series. It will wrap up the Trent Smith story, and I'm not sure if I'll write any more books after that. It takes a lot of time and the return is not really worth the effort. I found a small degree of success with it. But that small degree of success is too small, imo. It was fun, but it was also a lot of work. A lot of work that paid no dividends. Like my artwork. That's why I don't draw or paint anymore. It's a lot of work. Work that doesn't return anything other than a small satisfaction of knowing I created something nice. Like my music.
So what will I do instead? Who knows? I'll be teaching art like always and I'll be fulfilling my fatherly responsibilities. I have a son in college and another son in the eighth grade. That takes a lot of time and work, too.
Ian Knight, the world's foremost authority on anything Zulu or Zulu War, wrote a small piece on him, more like an essay, really. But it did contain some valuable information on Dunn, which I used in my book. But no one else seems to have given much attention to the John Dunn story. Not even the people or historians in South Africa. Donald Morris did mention him in his book, The Washing of the Spears, which was appropriate. That book is like the "bible" on the history of the Zulus.
But what else will happen in 2016? Well, I expect to finish my two WIPs, Inside the Outhouse and Killer on the Payroll. Inside the Outhouse, my first MG/YA book, is a book I'm writing for my students, who are MG students, btw. They want to read my books, but since my books aren't for kids, I can't let them. So that one is for them.
Killer on the Payroll may be the final book in my Killer Series. It will wrap up the Trent Smith story, and I'm not sure if I'll write any more books after that. It takes a lot of time and the return is not really worth the effort. I found a small degree of success with it. But that small degree of success is too small, imo. It was fun, but it was also a lot of work. A lot of work that paid no dividends. Like my artwork. That's why I don't draw or paint anymore. It's a lot of work. Work that doesn't return anything other than a small satisfaction of knowing I created something nice. Like my music.
So what will I do instead? Who knows? I'll be teaching art like always and I'll be fulfilling my fatherly responsibilities. I have a son in college and another son in the eighth grade. That takes a lot of time and work, too.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Second Chance @ 71,367 and Counting
My WIP, Second Chance, is not even at the climax yet, and it's over 71,000 words. That means this book might reach over 80,000 words, which is not what I thought would happen. I'm not putting in any filler. I'm writing it as it comes. I had thought it would only be about 70,000 - 75,000 words. My shortest novel. But not anymore.
It's interesting how that works. I outlined the story, but as you write, a lot of other things happen that aren't in the outline. It's like the writer is actually living the story. It's real for the writer. That's probably why readers will never connect to a story like the writer does. Maybe some readers do. Those readers who are more empathic. And there's probably a lot of readers who are.
For Second Chance, however, only readers who know football will be able to connect to that story. I hope a lot of readers like football. It's kind of a personal story for me. I played football, I loved football, so much so, that at one point in my life it was the most important thing to me--the most enjoyable thing. I made many mistakes, however. And wouldn't you know that the mistakes I regret the most in my life are those mistakes I made regarding football.
If someone can say that their worst mistakes were those that involved football, then you can also say that their mistakes weren't so bad. After all, how important, really, in life is football? It's only a game. But for me, in my life, it's true. My mistakes regarding football have been the ones that have haunted me for most of my life. I've had recurring dreams for the last forty years about those mistakes. Even the story in Second Chance came to me in a dream. A dream! Maybe once I'm finished with this story, it will be some kind of a "coming to terms" thing.
One thing that resulted from my mistakes, at least, was they enabled me to advise my oldest son. And from that advice, he's living his football "dream." He was a star running back for his high school team. He was the team's MVP, the league's Offensive Player of the Year, he made the All Star team, played in the All Star game, scored a TD in the All Star game even, and he's playing in college now. So it could be true that because of my advice he's not making the same mistakes I made.
Second Chance is a football story. Who reads football stories? Maybe no one. We'll see.
It's interesting how that works. I outlined the story, but as you write, a lot of other things happen that aren't in the outline. It's like the writer is actually living the story. It's real for the writer. That's probably why readers will never connect to a story like the writer does. Maybe some readers do. Those readers who are more empathic. And there's probably a lot of readers who are.
For Second Chance, however, only readers who know football will be able to connect to that story. I hope a lot of readers like football. It's kind of a personal story for me. I played football, I loved football, so much so, that at one point in my life it was the most important thing to me--the most enjoyable thing. I made many mistakes, however. And wouldn't you know that the mistakes I regret the most in my life are those mistakes I made regarding football.
If someone can say that their worst mistakes were those that involved football, then you can also say that their mistakes weren't so bad. After all, how important, really, in life is football? It's only a game. But for me, in my life, it's true. My mistakes regarding football have been the ones that have haunted me for most of my life. I've had recurring dreams for the last forty years about those mistakes. Even the story in Second Chance came to me in a dream. A dream! Maybe once I'm finished with this story, it will be some kind of a "coming to terms" thing.
One thing that resulted from my mistakes, at least, was they enabled me to advise my oldest son. And from that advice, he's living his football "dream." He was a star running back for his high school team. He was the team's MVP, the league's Offensive Player of the Year, he made the All Star team, played in the All Star game, scored a TD in the All Star game even, and he's playing in college now. So it could be true that because of my advice he's not making the same mistakes I made.
Second Chance is a football story. Who reads football stories? Maybe no one. We'll see.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Birthdays and Holidays
So December 9th is my birthday. Another year flies by, and another year older. I'm still young enough, but my sons are getting big. My oldest is 18, and my youngest is 12. My oldest played football in college, and my youngest had his first year in Pop Warner. That was a lot of time and effort, that Pop Warner. More than the high school years for my other son.
But the day will come when my sons move out to go to college, and then, if they're anything like me and my brother and sisters, they'll never move back. That will kill me. But I'll have more time to write books, no?
Don't think so. My wife is the one who is always demanding my time. She's the one who considers my book writing efforts as direct competition for my attention. I swear I give her more attention than I give my books. Had I given my books more attention, they'd all be finished by now. All five of them. And then some.
But whatever. I'll have to remember one thing. It's your family that matters more than anything, not your art, or your music, or your writing. Your wife, your sons, and maybe even your students, if you're a teacher like I am. Writing is great, though. You get to create your own worlds, your own characters, and your own events. Your own antagonists and villains, and even entire races of alien life.
But the latter would be directly tied in to my sci fi story I began writing years ago, and adapted into a graphic novel, that I never finished. I've been thinking of finishing it lately. Boy, would my wife get mad at me then!
But the day will come when my sons move out to go to college, and then, if they're anything like me and my brother and sisters, they'll never move back. That will kill me. But I'll have more time to write books, no?
Don't think so. My wife is the one who is always demanding my time. She's the one who considers my book writing efforts as direct competition for my attention. I swear I give her more attention than I give my books. Had I given my books more attention, they'd all be finished by now. All five of them. And then some.
But whatever. I'll have to remember one thing. It's your family that matters more than anything, not your art, or your music, or your writing. Your wife, your sons, and maybe even your students, if you're a teacher like I am. Writing is great, though. You get to create your own worlds, your own characters, and your own events. Your own antagonists and villains, and even entire races of alien life.
But the latter would be directly tied in to my sci fi story I began writing years ago, and adapted into a graphic novel, that I never finished. I've been thinking of finishing it lately. Boy, would my wife get mad at me then!
Monday, October 20, 2014
No, Didn't See Fury
Well, I didn't get to see Fury. I was busy watching my sons' football games. One on Saturday and one on Sunday. One a college game, and one a Pop Warner game. One was a loss and one was a victory. One looks like it will be in the playoffs, and other no. But still, a proud father was two great sons.
As for Fury, well, we'll see when I see it. Will keep you posted.
As for Fury, well, we'll see when I see it. Will keep you posted.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Back to Work-Summer's Over
Yep, back to work, setting up my classroom, and I'm just about done./ It's a good thing, because tomorrow is report back day. All teachers will be meeting here at my school, and then it's meetings, meetings, and then more meetings.
Next Monday the kids report, and it's back to the grindstone. My oldest son begins college this year, and he'll be playing football at the college level, so that's a lot to look forward to. And my youngest son, still in Middle School, will be playing Pop Warner football, so that should be some fun, too.
But I have to pay the bills, so being a teacher gets that done. As for my two up and coming books, Killer Eyes, and John Dunn, well, that's a lot to look forward to, too. Killer Eyes is just about done. I'm just waiting on the Beta Reader comments, and that should be any time soon. And then I'll submit it. It should be published by Melange Books by the end of this year.
As for John Dunn, well, I'll wait until I'm done with that one, then we'll see who publishes it. That will be an exciting time for me, as well.
Next Monday the kids report, and it's back to the grindstone. My oldest son begins college this year, and he'll be playing football at the college level, so that's a lot to look forward to. And my youngest son, still in Middle School, will be playing Pop Warner football, so that should be some fun, too.
But I have to pay the bills, so being a teacher gets that done. As for my two up and coming books, Killer Eyes, and John Dunn, well, that's a lot to look forward to, too. Killer Eyes is just about done. I'm just waiting on the Beta Reader comments, and that should be any time soon. And then I'll submit it. It should be published by Melange Books by the end of this year.
As for John Dunn, well, I'll wait until I'm done with that one, then we'll see who publishes it. That will be an exciting time for me, as well.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
From Martial Arts to Israel to the Zulu War to Football
I have written four books, and have started a fifth. But unlike some authors, I'm an author who doesn't stick to just one genre. Obviously, Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes are martial arts action books. That genre could be called Thriller or Action Adventure. The Vase is set in Israel, and has to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so that genre could be called Suspense or Intrigue. John Dunn, Heart of a Zulu is definitely Historical Fiction, even though many of the events that take place are not fiction and the characters really lived, and really did most of the things they do in the book.
But my latest novel, Second Chance, which I've only just begun, by the way, is a football story. I'm not sure what genre that is, maybe Sports. And the funny thing about that one is that I actually dreamed the story. Not from beginning to end, but I dreamed the plot of the story. I'm inundated with football right now. My oldest son played at his high school, and was a great player, earning All League, Most Valuable, and League Offensive Player of the Year awards. He just played in the North South Charlie Wedemeyer High School All Star game, and he even scored a touchdown in that game.
My youngest son is starting up in Pop Warner football at this time, and will be having his first football practice tomorrow. I'm the kind of father that goes, not only to every game, but to the practices as well. And maybe it's because of all this football around me, not to mention my own football memories, that prompted the dream. But I thought it was a great story, so I started writing it. But that's four different genres with five books.
I've heard that authors should stick to one genre. That way they have a platform, or a brand. Their brand is the genre they write, and their platform, like a blog, will focus on all things that include that genre. Well, I can't do that. I think it's because I have a lot of different interests. I love martial arts action movies, for one thing. And that's why I wanted to write about the world's greatest martial artist in my Killer books.I have an interest in Ceramics, being a ceramics teacher, so that's why I wanted to write The Vase. I have an interest in the Anglo Zulu War, and that's why I wrote John Dunn. And I have an interest in football, thus Second Chance.
Even though I do plan to write a third book in the Killer series, it's not unlikely I will stray to yet another genre altogether, one which I haven't written in yet, and that is what I intend to do with an MG/YA book I've been planning called Inside the Outhouse. And what is my interest that sparked that idea? I'm a Middle School teacher! So having an interest in what my job involves led directly to the idea for that future book. And that would make five different genres. We'll see what else pops up.
But my latest novel, Second Chance, which I've only just begun, by the way, is a football story. I'm not sure what genre that is, maybe Sports. And the funny thing about that one is that I actually dreamed the story. Not from beginning to end, but I dreamed the plot of the story. I'm inundated with football right now. My oldest son played at his high school, and was a great player, earning All League, Most Valuable, and League Offensive Player of the Year awards. He just played in the North South Charlie Wedemeyer High School All Star game, and he even scored a touchdown in that game.
My youngest son is starting up in Pop Warner football at this time, and will be having his first football practice tomorrow. I'm the kind of father that goes, not only to every game, but to the practices as well. And maybe it's because of all this football around me, not to mention my own football memories, that prompted the dream. But I thought it was a great story, so I started writing it. But that's four different genres with five books.
I've heard that authors should stick to one genre. That way they have a platform, or a brand. Their brand is the genre they write, and their platform, like a blog, will focus on all things that include that genre. Well, I can't do that. I think it's because I have a lot of different interests. I love martial arts action movies, for one thing. And that's why I wanted to write about the world's greatest martial artist in my Killer books.I have an interest in Ceramics, being a ceramics teacher, so that's why I wanted to write The Vase. I have an interest in the Anglo Zulu War, and that's why I wrote John Dunn. And I have an interest in football, thus Second Chance.
Even though I do plan to write a third book in the Killer series, it's not unlikely I will stray to yet another genre altogether, one which I haven't written in yet, and that is what I intend to do with an MG/YA book I've been planning called Inside the Outhouse. And what is my interest that sparked that idea? I'm a Middle School teacher! So having an interest in what my job involves led directly to the idea for that future book. And that would make five different genres. We'll see what else pops up.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Hot July Day in Bay Area
As you may or may not know I live in the Bay Area, AKA Northern California, and it sure is hot today. It's in the 90s, and sometimes it gets over 100. It's July after all, and it's in July when my stories in Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes take place. That wasn't really planned, nor is it specified more than once, I think in KOK.
The Vase takes place in April, and John Dunn is an ongoing time frame, where it could be any time of the year. But weather is not really a factor in any of the stories. It's a nighttime scene in KOK where I specify the weather is fine, since it's in New York in that scene, and New York can be cold in the Winter, so that was a necessary description.
As for my upcoming novel, Second Chance? It's Fall of course, because it takes place during football season. Yeah, football season stretches from Summer to Winter, but the bulk of it takes places during the Fall. And football season is upon us even now. My son is already practicing for the college team he'll be playing for this coming Fall. He played in the High School All Star game a couple days ago, and scored a TD on a 30 yard run. He's a great player.
Meanwhile, buy a copy of Killer of Killers before Killer Eyes comes out. It's a must read before you read Killer Eyes. And don't forget about The Vase. Thanks.
The Vase takes place in April, and John Dunn is an ongoing time frame, where it could be any time of the year. But weather is not really a factor in any of the stories. It's a nighttime scene in KOK where I specify the weather is fine, since it's in New York in that scene, and New York can be cold in the Winter, so that was a necessary description.
As for my upcoming novel, Second Chance? It's Fall of course, because it takes place during football season. Yeah, football season stretches from Summer to Winter, but the bulk of it takes places during the Fall. And football season is upon us even now. My son is already practicing for the college team he'll be playing for this coming Fall. He played in the High School All Star game a couple days ago, and scored a TD on a 30 yard run. He's a great player.
Meanwhile, buy a copy of Killer of Killers before Killer Eyes comes out. It's a must read before you read Killer Eyes. And don't forget about The Vase. Thanks.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Football Stories--Second Chance
Usually I blog about the books I write. Like Killer of Killers, Killer Eyes, The Vase, and the one that I'm revising now, John Dunn, Heart of a Zulu. And I'm going to be working on Second Chance very soon, as well. Of course, Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes are martial arts action stories about the worlds greatest martial artist. The Vase is a suspense story taking place in Israel. And John Dunn is about the real life adventures of John Dunn, who lived in South Africa in the mid to late 1800s.
But Second Chance is a football story. There's been some good ones. The TV show Friday Night Lights I think is the most recent. Then there were others like Brian's Song, the Brian Piccolo story, Charlie's War, the Charlie Wedemeyer story, and others, like North Dallas Forty and Any Given Sunday, which were made into movies, too.
So my new book is called Second Chance, and like I said, it's a football story. I dreamed it, and when I woke up and remembered it, I decided I would turn it into a novel. It's about a football player who gets a second chance. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's the basic premise.
Like I did when I was young, my son is playing football, and with football on my mind so much, it's not unusual for me to dream about it. And this last dream has resulted in a great story to turn into a novel. I'll be finishing John Dunn first, and then I'll be going full speed ahead with Second Chance.
In the meantime, please buy copies of Killer of Killers and The Vase by clicking on the images to the right of this post. That would be appreciated. Thank you.
But Second Chance is a football story. There's been some good ones. The TV show Friday Night Lights I think is the most recent. Then there were others like Brian's Song, the Brian Piccolo story, Charlie's War, the Charlie Wedemeyer story, and others, like North Dallas Forty and Any Given Sunday, which were made into movies, too.
So my new book is called Second Chance, and like I said, it's a football story. I dreamed it, and when I woke up and remembered it, I decided I would turn it into a novel. It's about a football player who gets a second chance. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's the basic premise.
Like I did when I was young, my son is playing football, and with football on my mind so much, it's not unusual for me to dream about it. And this last dream has resulted in a great story to turn into a novel. I'll be finishing John Dunn first, and then I'll be going full speed ahead with Second Chance.
In the meantime, please buy copies of Killer of Killers and The Vase by clicking on the images to the right of this post. That would be appreciated. Thank you.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Rock Concert-Black Sabbath Tomorrow
Black Sabbath, the original heavy metal band, indeed the inventors of the genre, are performing tomorrow down in LA, and I will be there. I'm taking my 17 year old son, and it could very well be Black Sabbath's final performance in the Western Hemisphere. They're going back to Europe to continue their tour, and if they ever come back to the Americas is anyone's guess. As of now, I don't believe that they have any more concerts scheduled in this half of the world, and when this tour is over, who knows if they'll ever tour again.
They've already lost original drummer Bill Ward due to reasons that have never been made clear, and Tony Iommi, the lead guitarist has been having some serious health issues. He's overcome them for now, and is able to tour, but even if he stays healthy, who knows if they'll ever tour again. If they put out another album, my bet is they will, but will they put out another album? It took them over thirty years to put out their latest album called 13. I hope they do, but I won't be holding my breath.
So since they do happen to be my favorite band, I will see them, and take in every moment of the concert, as I do every time I see them. And when it's over, I will only be able to relish the memories, and consider the time well spent with my son. He is graduating from High School this June, and it will be a good way to celebrate. Can't wait. Tomorrow's the day. I'll give another review on Monday. No doubt it will be a good one.
They've already lost original drummer Bill Ward due to reasons that have never been made clear, and Tony Iommi, the lead guitarist has been having some serious health issues. He's overcome them for now, and is able to tour, but even if he stays healthy, who knows if they'll ever tour again. If they put out another album, my bet is they will, but will they put out another album? It took them over thirty years to put out their latest album called 13. I hope they do, but I won't be holding my breath.
So since they do happen to be my favorite band, I will see them, and take in every moment of the concert, as I do every time I see them. And when it's over, I will only be able to relish the memories, and consider the time well spent with my son. He is graduating from High School this June, and it will be a good way to celebrate. Can't wait. Tomorrow's the day. I'll give another review on Monday. No doubt it will be a good one.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Author Page Up on Amazon.com
I've finally managed to make an author page on Amazon, and it wasn't even difficult. All you had to do was click on the Author page link, which I happened to see for the first time a couple days ago. Initially, I put up a photo, but then I remembered that other authors don't typically put in their photos on the Amazon Authors Page, so, in order to be more like them, I took the photo out.
Speaking of photos, I use four different photos for my social media. The one you see on this blog was cropped from a family outing at a beach some years ago. The photo on my Teacher's Website, which is the same one on the Melange-Books Author's Page, is another cropped photo from a day or weekend at some beach, and it's why I'm wearing sunglasses in both of those photos.
My Facebook photo is cropped from a photo that was taken while I was on a boat, or ferry, on the way to, (or maybe on the way back from) visiting the Alcatraz Island a couple years ago. So, again, it's why I"m wearing sunglasses.
But there is one where I'm not wearing sunglasses. It's the Goodreads author photo, (which I also use on Authors Den.) I'm not wearing sunglasses in that photo because the photo was taken at nighttime. But it's still a photo taken at some beach somewhere. The reason they're all photos taken at beaches is not because I'm a beach bum, it's just that over here in California, there's a lot of coastline, and beaches are everywhere, as we travel up and down the California coast.
So who cares about photos anyway? Not me, personally, but I guess some readers might be curious as to what the author looks like. What really counts is the writing. The story. And the characters. And what happens with those characters. The premise of the story and the plot. And again, the writing. A great story can be ruined by lousy writing, and great writing doesn't guarantee a great story.
That's the bottom line when it comes to books. Hopefully you will find my stories, (and my writing,) agreeable to you and your tastes in books. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Speaking of photos, I use four different photos for my social media. The one you see on this blog was cropped from a family outing at a beach some years ago. The photo on my Teacher's Website, which is the same one on the Melange-Books Author's Page, is another cropped photo from a day or weekend at some beach, and it's why I'm wearing sunglasses in both of those photos.
My Facebook photo is cropped from a photo that was taken while I was on a boat, or ferry, on the way to, (or maybe on the way back from) visiting the Alcatraz Island a couple years ago. So, again, it's why I"m wearing sunglasses.
But there is one where I'm not wearing sunglasses. It's the Goodreads author photo, (which I also use on Authors Den.) I'm not wearing sunglasses in that photo because the photo was taken at nighttime. But it's still a photo taken at some beach somewhere. The reason they're all photos taken at beaches is not because I'm a beach bum, it's just that over here in California, there's a lot of coastline, and beaches are everywhere, as we travel up and down the California coast.
So who cares about photos anyway? Not me, personally, but I guess some readers might be curious as to what the author looks like. What really counts is the writing. The story. And the characters. And what happens with those characters. The premise of the story and the plot. And again, the writing. A great story can be ruined by lousy writing, and great writing doesn't guarantee a great story.
That's the bottom line when it comes to books. Hopefully you will find my stories, (and my writing,) agreeable to you and your tastes in books. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Captain America Movie
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| Movie Version of Captain America |
But my older son didn't like it. He thought it was too cliché, and too formulaic. Wow. But as I thought about it, he was right. I still liked the movie, but he was right. You could predict who the bad guy was, even though it was supposed to be a shocker near the end.
And ditto for the twists in the plot. They were all predictable. But I still liked it. Maybe I was just falling back on my Jack Kirby days. Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, are the real creators of Captain America, not Stan Lee. Back in the day, Jack Kirby was king. And I still remember all of those great characters he created and illustrated while working for Marvel.
And even though I've complained that most of Marvel's characters have been allowed to be changed, (many significantly, and most not to their betterment,) the movie version of Captain America, at least, is still pretty much true to his comic book roots.
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| Captain America drawn by Jack Kirby |
Would I have preferred a different actor? Yes, but the actor was acceptable. At least he was the right size for Captain America. And he had blond hair. These were musts for the part, and Chris Evans had that. I would have chosen someone with the face like Jack Kirby had drawn it, but maybe I'm being too picky. What face might that be? Well, a face like Robert Redford's would have been good. (In his prime that is. Ironically, he had a part in this latest movie.)
But the story was just another Hollywood formula story. I would like to see a movie that is true to a comic book story. Sadly, it will never happen. Bottom line, was it a good movie? Despite my son's opinion, my answer is yes.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year
And may your 2014 be a great year. My 2013 was a great year. My second book, The Vase, got published. My son had a great year playing football for his high school. It was his senior year, and he was selected the M/O Offensive Player of the Year for his league, not to mention the Most Valuable Player for his team. He was also listed as an Honorable Mention in the All-Mercury News Football section for the year of 2013.
So, yeah, 2013 was a good year indeed. I hope 2014 will be even better. I expect to get the sequel to Killer of Killers published this year, and the only thing that might make it better is if my sales perk up. But that depends on the people who read this blog. Buy a copy! You'll like the story, the plot, the characters, the action, the suspense. Let me know what you think! And thanks in advance.
So, yeah, 2013 was a good year indeed. I hope 2014 will be even better. I expect to get the sequel to Killer of Killers published this year, and the only thing that might make it better is if my sales perk up. But that depends on the people who read this blog. Buy a copy! You'll like the story, the plot, the characters, the action, the suspense. Let me know what you think! And thanks in advance.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Football Camp Coming Up
My oldest son is a football player. He's a great one, too. Takes after his dad. you know. He'll be a senior this coming up year, and I'm taking him to a college football camp. It's for high school aged players, and since he's been doing very well, I thought we might take advantage of his athletic skills, and maximize them for his senior year. He's already been to one football camp and one combine.
It's a good father and son thing. Especially since we both love football so much. So we're leaving tomorrow and we'll be back late Sunday night. Might take the whole family. My wife likes going places, so might as well take her too, and the little brother.
Football has always been one of my favorite things. I even like football stories. I liked Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and I liked North Dallas Forty with Nick Nolte, and I even liked The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds. The first one, that is. The second one, well, even though it had Burt Reynolds in it, Adam Sandler just didn't make for a convincing football player. Maybe it's because he's not. And he couldn't pull it off.
As for me writing a football story? I've thought about it. But no. My next book will be the third book in the Killer series. I was hoping to get started this summer, but that won't happen. I'm still rewriting the first one, and then I'll have to rewrite the second one. Maybe next year. We'll see.
It's a good father and son thing. Especially since we both love football so much. So we're leaving tomorrow and we'll be back late Sunday night. Might take the whole family. My wife likes going places, so might as well take her too, and the little brother.
Football has always been one of my favorite things. I even like football stories. I liked Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and I liked North Dallas Forty with Nick Nolte, and I even liked The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds. The first one, that is. The second one, well, even though it had Burt Reynolds in it, Adam Sandler just didn't make for a convincing football player. Maybe it's because he's not. And he couldn't pull it off.
As for me writing a football story? I've thought about it. But no. My next book will be the third book in the Killer series. I was hoping to get started this summer, but that won't happen. I'm still rewriting the first one, and then I'll have to rewrite the second one. Maybe next year. We'll see.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Monday Blues
It's Monday, but that's not why I'm feeling blue today. It's because this is the last week of school, and I always feel blue the last week of the school year. Most teachers seem to welcome the summer vacation as much as the students do. But not me. And I don't really know why. I sometimes think it's because I enjoy my job, and I love being here. Particularly at my current school. I've worked at schools before that I hated. Maybe most of them. But for the last thirteen years, I've loved the school where I work. And I thought that that was why I wasn't so ecstatic when the school year ended.
And all of that is probably true, but there could be another reason. Time just goes by so fast, and when the school year closes out, that is just another way of life letting me know that another year has passed by. Like your birthday. On your birthday, it's the most obvious event that drills it into your head that another year has passed. You're a year older. No getting around it. But just as eventful, I think, is the passing of the school year. At least for a teacher. At least for me. The crop of students you had will turn into another crop of students when you come back in the fall.
And then it starts all over again. And sure enough, the time will fly by and it will be summer vacation again. And in the meantime, you had another birthday, and you're a year older. And the years seem to be moving faster all the time. Especially when I see my kids growing up. My oldest son is 17. Ouch. Next school year is his last year of high school. I've seen my friends kids grow up, and both of my sisters' kids grow up. Now it's happening to me. But not yet. I've still got some time. And I'm living it to the fullest, you can believe that.
And all of that is probably true, but there could be another reason. Time just goes by so fast, and when the school year closes out, that is just another way of life letting me know that another year has passed by. Like your birthday. On your birthday, it's the most obvious event that drills it into your head that another year has passed. You're a year older. No getting around it. But just as eventful, I think, is the passing of the school year. At least for a teacher. At least for me. The crop of students you had will turn into another crop of students when you come back in the fall.
And then it starts all over again. And sure enough, the time will fly by and it will be summer vacation again. And in the meantime, you had another birthday, and you're a year older. And the years seem to be moving faster all the time. Especially when I see my kids growing up. My oldest son is 17. Ouch. Next school year is his last year of high school. I've seen my friends kids grow up, and both of my sisters' kids grow up. Now it's happening to me. But not yet. I've still got some time. And I'm living it to the fullest, you can believe that.
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