I’m not a huge Batman guy, or any hero that tries not to kill people. Yes, yes justice is important and and all that. But how many times can we read about throwing a guy in a cell, him getting loose and hurting people again. …
Read MoreReview: Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti #Youngadult #Graphicnovel
Hunger as Motive Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti (Four/Five Stars) Perhaps Gaiman’s best adjustment to this timeless tale is the accent he places over the hunger that Hansel and Gretel’s family endured. Using hunger as a motive for these children’s actions …
Read MoreReview: The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman
Four of Five Stars The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman, is an ‘adult’ fairy tale novel (a novella, really, or close to it) that follows a middle-aged narrator who is inexplicably drawn back to the lane he grew up on. …
Read MoreGratitude and humility following the release of “Consolation of the Rose”
I blinked away the tears as I drove. It took two days before I realized what I had just shared with everyone. I had taken a healthy chunk of my pain and rendered it into a small magical pill exceeding no more than 1000 words. …
Read MoreConsolation of the Rose — A new, free urban fantasy drama #flashfiction
I am (happy? sad?) to release a new flash fiction, urban fantasy drama. This story is the closest I’ve come to writing about myself and what’s going on in my life. Many families are decimated by cancer each day. Yeah, this story goes there. The …
Read MoreEnjoying a better book diet.
I fear a world where everyone reads the same stuff. A new year just turned and with it came troves of book lists telling us all about the most best and/or most popular reads of 2015. Gaggles of readers are now catching up with what …
Read MoreShellycoat the Bogle and Old Gregg #FolkloreThursday
The Bogle (Bogey Man) is a type of Scottish/Northumbrian folkloric creature. One particular Bogle, Shellycoat, is somewhat of a trickster, preferring to confuse and frighten its victims instead of using violence. Shellycoat wears — you might suspect — a coat of sea-shells adorned with seaweed. …
Read MoreMuch respect and many thanks to Philip Pullman.
Because of the Oxford Literary Festival's attitude to paying speakers (they don't) I can't remain as a Patron any longer. I've resigned. — Philip Pullman (@PhilipPullman) January 13, 2016 I have to say that Mr. Pullman’s stance touches on something close to the hearts of …
Read More5 Fantasy-Inspiring Landscapes v.1 #writespiration #landscapes
Siebengebirge (Seven Hills), Germany A hill range along the Rhein in Germany that evokes images of serpents and dragons. Popular among tourists, much of this volcanic landscape is accessible through and protect by the Seven Hills Nature Park. Paradise Valley, New Zealand Peter Jackson has …
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