Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Happy birthday, Jadzia Dax!

I was glad when I found out that it wasn't Terry Farrell's idea to leave "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."  The new Dax wasn't nearly as likeable.  But she was excellent in "Becker".





Monday, November 17, 2014

The Privateer's Cross available now from JMS Books!

Originally published under the title, Soumets-toi a moi, The Privateer's Cross has been published and released now from JMS Books!



Blurb:

Henry meets Cole in a spooky cemetery for a quick hook-up during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  During their encounter, Henry finds a beautiful object in a pile of dirt.  They take it back to Henry’s hotel room and discover they have picked up an ancient and very valuable crucifix.  Suddenly, they are being followed by the ghost of a pirate, wanting his treasure returned.  They seek help for their situation only to find out it is Jean Lafitte, the French pirate who operated out of New Orleans in the nineteenth century.  Unfortunately there is no where to hide from a ghost, even among the thousands of people in town for the celebrations.  What must Henry and Cole do?  If they don’t give it back to him, the ghost has a particularly cruel fate awaiting them

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

"Invisible Curtain" released today!

The third Corey Shaw mystery is available today from Wilde City Press!




Paranormal sleuth Corey Shaw is enjoying vacation with his family in the Baltic Sea when terrorists bomb restaurants hosting World Cup parties in London and Copenhagen, just as his cruise ship leaves port.  Although the United States isn’t attacked, Corey and his colleagues are unavoidably drawn into the investigation with or without the blessing of international intelligence agencies.  When a third bomb goes off in St. Petersburg, Russia, Corey is convinced the terrorist is aboard his ship, or at least connected with it. 
Corey is torn between protecting his family and a ship’s dancer whom he’s falling for and helping keep the world safe from terrorism.



Excerpt:

Faruq Boussora gauged the distance between vehicles driving westbound on Lower Thames Street and when a gap appeared, he dashed across to the median, ignoring the horns blaring at him.  His heavy backpack jostled on his shoulders, causing him to stumble.  The straps rubbed sore spots on his back no matter how he tried to shift its weight.  He hacked a few times to clear his lungs of the diesel smoke and the stench from his nostrils.

He was on a mission of peace.  Although he knew many would think it was one of murder and terror, he didn’t care.  The infidels would see the truth, see the error of their ways.  They had developed weapons that were an abomination to mankind.  The infidels were abominations.  How would they like having those weapons turned against them? 

Would that make us just as guilty if we use them as well?  No.  The ends will justify the means.  Isn’t that the phrase the infidels always used? 

Faruq fancied himself being part of the new ambitious program.  Why else was he chosen for this mission, hand-selected from dozens of candidates?  He trained for months and now he was ready.

Faruq crossed Byward Street and entered the relative quiet of Great Tower Street.  A few steps away, he walked into the Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub, a popular gathering place in London despite its macabre moniker.

He scanned the interior, noting with satisfaction the place wasn’t completely full.  The smell of food made his mouth water and his stomach growl with anticipation. More people entered behind him but his favorite booth sat empty and he made his way to it, avoiding waiters and waitresses carrying trays of food and pitchers of beer.  He sat his backpack on the floor underneath the table, relieved to be unburdened from its weight, and slid into the seat.
 
A young waitress with bleached white hair hanging to her shoulders appeared at his elbow. 
“ ’allo, Mr. ’alliwell,” she said, giving him a bright smile and making an effort to pronounce his name.  “’aven’t seen you in ‘ere for a while.”  Her tongue piercing glinted in the dim light of the pub as she spoke. 
Faruq bit his lip, preventing a smile from splitting his face at the alias he’d given her.  It sounded so proper, so British.  And Sarah was so sweet, so gullible.  “Hello, Sarah.  It’s been a few weeks, yes.  I had business in America,” he said.  He had worked hard to drop his middle-Eastern accent and perfect the Queen’s English.  Maybe I should add a South London drawl?  No, that would be overkill.
“Well, it’s great to see ya again. Gonna be stayin’ with us a spell?”  Sarah asked.  She balanced a tray in one hand and put the other on the table, shifting her weight. 
Faruq ignored the question and tried to divert his gaze from Sarah’s ample cleavage.   “The place looks just the same as the last time I visited.”  He glanced around the pub.  Nothing has changed.  That’s good.
“Expected us to tart the place up, did ya?”  She laughed.  Faruq smiled back.  “The usual?”  He nodded and Sarah withdrew.
Faruq leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, resting his chin on interlaced fingers.  Of course, he hadn’t expected them to renovate.  He would’ve found that out weeks ago if they had.  Therefore, no last minute changes to his plans.  From his earlier surveillance of the place, he chose this booth as the most advantageous spot from which to launch his mission.
His handsome and uncharacteristically fairer-than-normal features let him blend in with the Londoners without drawing attention to himself, and his mastery of their speech and even a few dialects made his disguise complete.  Since 9/11 and the 7/7 London bombings, Faruq felt all eyes were on him and anyone who even resembled someone of middle-Eastern descent.
 
As well they should be, he thought with grim satisfaction.
 
 
 

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Invisible Curtain to be released November 12 from Wilde City Press!

The third installment in the Corey Shaw mystery series, Invisible Curtain, will be published and released by Wilde City Press November 12!!


Blurb:

Paranormal sleuth Corey Shaw is enjoying vacation with his family in the Baltic Sea when terrorists bomb restaurants hosting World Cup parties in London and Copenhagen, just as his cruise ship leaves port.  Although the United States isn’t attacked, Corey and his colleagues are unavoidably drawn into the investigation with or without the blessing of international intelligence agencies.  When a third bomb goes off in St. Petersburg, Russia, Corey is convinced the terrorist is aboard his ship, or at least connected with it. 

Corey is torn between protecting his family and a ship’s dancer whom he’s falling for and helping keep the world safe from terrorism.


Monday, November 3, 2014

Happy birthday, Tom Servo!

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is one of my all-time favorite shows!  It's snarky and sarcastic wit in slicing and dicing horrible movies made it a must-watch every week for me.  Unfortunately, after it's end at Comedy Central, SyFy picked it up and it had another good run, but now lives on in Youtube videos.

The voice of the irrepressible Tom Servo, Kevin Murphy celebrates his birthday today!




Friday, October 31, 2014

The Privateer's Cross available November 16!

My story "The Privateer's Cross" will be released from JMS Books on November 16!

Henry meets Cole in a spooky cemetery for a quick hook-up during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  During their encounter, Henry finds a beautiful crucifix in a pile of dirt.  Suddenly, they are being followed by the ghost of a pirate, wanting his treasure returned.  Unfortunately there is nowhere to hide even among the thousands of people in town for the celebrations.  What must Henry and Cole do to escape the fate that the ghost has in mind for them?



Excerpt:

A familiar figure crossed the intersection ahead of them.  Henry recognized the tattoos and beefy arms, which now held onto a limp body draped over John’s shoulder. 
“Don’t ask,” Henry cut off Cole’s obvious question.  “You don’t want to know.” 
They passed by a narrow opening between two buildings.  A tall, handsome man in a pirate outfit stepped from the shadows and onto the sidewalk.
Soumets-toi รก moi.
Cole jumped with a cry of surprise at the sudden appearance. 
Henry heard Cole shout and spun around.  “What’s the matter?  Are you all right?”
“That pirate scared me.
“What pirate?”
“The  one standing right…”  Cole broke off as he looked back down the street, but Henry saw no one.  Cole paled.  He ran back to the opening.  “There was a guy standing right here.”  His voice shook as he pointed to a spot on the sidewalk.
“What did he look like?”
“Cute.”
Henry was beginning to see a trend in Cole’s paranormal sightings but decided not to mention his  thoughts.
“He was dressed as a pirate, I think.”  Cole said.  “Kinda like the guy on the float last night.  I think it was the same guy on the float and the one in the mirror this morning.  Now I’m certain I’ve seen him before somewhere but I can’t remember.” 
“I wonder if this has anything to do with the crucifix we found,” Henry mused.  “Come on.”
They wandered through the abandoned streets to Decatur Street, where the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and French Quarter Visitor Center stood.  The museum employee, whose name tag identified her as Ann, seemed to be pleased and surprised to find someone up and around as early as she was.  She gave them a big smile.
“This is one of the largest museums dedicated to preserving the history of one of New Orleans’s roguish sons, Jean Lafitte,” she announced, the pride obvious in her voice.  She motioned to a portrait on a nearby wall. 
Cole grabbed Henry’s arm.  “I think that’s him!”
“What?”  Henry and Ann said simultaneously.
“That’s who?”  Henry asked further.
“I think that’s the guy I keep seeing.”  Cole paused for a second.


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Happy birthday, Sigourney Weaver!

One of my favorite actresses, Sigourney Weaver, celebrates her birthday today!  I never liked horror movies growing up because they gave me such nightmares, but I sat through "Alien" and loved it!  Its sequel "Aliens" is one of my all-time favorite movies.


I love her comedies as well as her drama roles.  Check out this scene from "GalaxyQuest"!



"Breathless" gets 4 Heart Review!

Check out this great review of "Breathless" from MM Good Book Reviews!

https://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/breathless-b-alex-morgan/ 


Monday, October 6, 2014

Horatio Hornblower is 41 today!

When I first heard Ioan Gruffud was going to be the new Professor Reed Richards in the movie version of the Fantastic Four, I was skeptical.  I had seen him in the Horatio Hornblower movies where I became a fan of his.  In "King Arthur", he played an uber-sexy Lancelot.



Seeing him in such dramatic roles from English history, I wondered how he would transfer to American pop culture.  He has truly shown us what a great actor is.  In the Fantastic Four movies, he comes across well as the hopelessly geeky, romantically awkward and faithful to his audiences.  I'm glad he became part of the Marvel Universe!



Sunday, September 7, 2014

Happy birthday, Mira Furlan!

Mira Furlan, the beautiful actress who played Ambassador Delenn on "Babylon 5", one of my favorite television shows of all time, celebrates her birthday today!


Here's just an example of Mira in action!

http://youtu.be/CHViV4HyObc

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Friday, August 29, 2014

Reclining your seat is a "known dick move"? Not necessarily



The two separate incidents this week involving passengers fighting over reclining seats are problems that have been a long time coming.  I fly frequently and yes, it's annoying when the person in front of you reclines their seat but I understand trying to get a modicum of comfort from an uncomfortable situation.  I don't mind when someone reclines their seat when they do it slowly.  The ones that lean forward, winding up, and then slam their seat backward unexpectedly, knocking everything off your tray table is a "dick move".

http://gawker.com/seat-reclining-wars-escalate-as-second-flight-is-divert-1628328481/all

These 'knee defenders' are also a "dick move", because they prevent someone from attempting to grab a quick nap, while still allowing the offender freedom to relax.

Flying, a necessary evil these days, is becoming more and more uncomfortable and dangerous, and not because of terrorism.  On a recent flight from Baltimore to Denver, there were several toddlers on board.  They took turns screaming.  When one would stop its tantrum, we had only a few minutes silence before the next one piped up.  Even noise canceling headphones could not completely drown out the noise.

Southwest Airlines boarding procedure is slightly better than the cattle-call it used to be.  But now, we have to check in exactly 24 hours in advance to keep from getting in the dreaded "C" group (C stands for Center Seat).  I haven't seen any of their "No fees for changing flights" commercials probably because that was a blatant lie. Their flight attendants are not as funny as they think they are.

I ignored my mantra that 'No good deed goes unpunished' on my trip to Idaho last week on United Airlines.  At BWI, they post signs for all 5 groups in a Southwest-ish style so people know where to line up.  Since my seat was at the BACK of the plane, I was in the LAST boarding group.  Like Southwest, United boards from the front of the plane to the back.  Those of us in the last boarding group were encouraged to check our bags for free, since the overhead storage space would probably be taken by the time we boarded.  Being a conscientious flyer, I volunteered.  The very last person boarding was a large woman with a large suitcase, but they found room for it.

It's no wonder we lose our patience so quickly when flying.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Godzilla vs. Gigan

Released in Japan in 1972, American audiences didn't get to see Godzilla vs. Gigan until August 1977. Giant cockroaches have come to Earth and have taken over human bodies. Of course, they need Godzilla out of the way so they summon Gigan to get rid of the pesky monster.  Unfortunately, G-Man had to face King Ghidorah as well, but Anguirus (sometimes foe) comes to his aid.  The Godzilla Tower is destroyed and the bug creatures as well.


Check out Anguirus' unique fighting style:  http://youtu.be/-GxHA94_BMs

Friday, August 22, 2014

Kristen Chenoweth auditions for Star Trek!

Hilarious!  But I think we can see why J.J. Abrams went with Zachary Quinto instead.





Monday, August 18, 2014

Anniversary of Godzilla 2000's USA release



Today marks the 14th anniversary of the USA release of Godzilla 2000, bringing relief to those of us still stinging from the insult of 1998's Matthew Broderick film.  According to IMDB.com, the 1998 version was to be the first of three movies from Tri-Star, but since it got such terrible reviews, Toho abandoned the idea and brought back the original Godzilla.

The discovery of a huge, unique rock under the sea grabs the interests of scientists from all over the world, wondering about its origin.  Until it begins to behave  strangely.  Exposure to the sun reveals it to be a flying saucer buried under the waves for millions of years.   Its intentions become clear as it begins taking over Tokyo by siphoning off its energy with invisible tendrils.  It's up to the G-Man to save Earth once again.

 Godzilla vs Orga

It was good to see Takehiro Murata in a lead role, when in some movies he's relegated to a walk-on part.


Saturday, August 16, 2014

Project Runway Wall of Weird

In the TV series "Smallville", the editor of the high school newspaper Chloe had a huge bulletin board where she posted all the weird things that had happened in Smallville since the meteor shower (Spoiler alert:  The meteor shower was fragments of the planet Krypton that came to Earth the same time as Superman's spaceship).  The season of Project Runway, they seem to constructing their own Wall of Weird.  I'm no expert on fashion but it seems they choose the ugliest (or one of the ugliest) designs each week.

Check out Amanda Valentine's fringe-crazy winning design.  Based on their past record, I expected them to go for Sean Kelly's disaster, which resembles Sandhya's first win.










Thursday, August 14, 2014

Happy birthday, Halle Berry!


Halle Berry, born August 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio, is the perfect actress to play Ororo Munroe (Storm) in the X-men movies and she's one of the most beautiful women ever!

She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Monster's Ball.



Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Alfred Hitchcock born today in 1899

Alfred Hitchcock, the undisputed master of suspense, was born on this day in 1899.  Although the violence in his films may be tame by today's standards, his movies still rank as some of the scariest of all time.  "The Birds" and "Rebecca" are two of my favorites.    "Psycho" is listed on imdb.com as #32 of the top 250 movies as voted by viewers.  I still remember being surprised to see Doris Day in "The Man Who Knew Too Much", since I was only familiar with her comedy.


“I'm a writer and, therefore, automatically a suspicious character.” - Alfred Hitchcock



The "Psycho" house


Dame Judith Anderson was deliciously evil in "Rebecca"


Still from "The Birds".  Creepy just to look at!


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Lauren Bacall dies at 89



Another tragic loss today as Lauren Bacall passed away.  I considered her the last of Hollywood royalty and a fantastic actress.  Coming on the heels of Robin Williams death yesterday, her passing seems to cut deeper than ever.  We're losing so much talent.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Oklahoma screws it up again.

This gay couple, Grizzly Bear and Teddy Bear, was together for 20 years, longer than most straight marriages in Oklahoma, waiting for the state to approve same-sex marriages.  Oh, the hatred!  Okies, sit in judgment of yourselves, not each other.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepage3/couple-together-years-runs-out-of-time-waiting-for-oklahoma/article_7b1fdb08-c123-552e-aaf9-d7b9e523dcce.html


Sunday, August 10, 2014

Foss Lake gives up her secrets



Last year, two cars were found submerged in Foss Lake in western Oklahoma, a state park about 13 miles west of Clinton.  At the time, they were believed to be the final resting place of six people who disappeared in 1969 and 1970.

"Police believe the cars ended up in the water due to the way the road narrows into the concrete dock, according to the Canada Journal. Perhaps they didn’t realize that the road ended and the cars continued into the lake."

How do you confuse a boat ramp for the highway?

http://www.examiner.com/article/oklahoma-bodies-found-lake-cold-cases-of-6-bodies-2-submerged-cars-solved


Saturday, August 9, 2014

Happy birthday, Gillian Anderson!



Just a few days ago, David Duchovny celebrated his birthday and today is his X-files' co-star Gillian Anderson's birthday, born August 9, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois.  As Special Agent Dana Scully, she was the perfect counterpart, always cynical and forever skeptical, to Duchovny's Fox "Conspiracies are Us" Mulder.  I think she surprised us X-philes when she recognized an informant's story as an episode from a "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show"!  I always thought Mulder should've figured that one out.

She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, Television for her performance as Dana Scully




Friday, August 8, 2014

Project Warehouse 13

Project Runway, Season 13 continues its weirdest season yet.  Designer Sandhya racked up her second win, only because she escaped elimination last week because of her immunity.  This week, the designers were challenged to create a look that could appear on the cover of Marie Claire magazine in the year 2034.


This is the winning design.  So in the future, women will be wearing shifts with pockets?  She looks like Queen Amidala in her underwear, after putting on make-up and before the wig. One of the runner-ups, Kristine put an ugly, quilted blanket over a mini-skirt with combat boots.  If this is the future of fashion, may heaven help us.



Thursday, August 7, 2014

Switch Hitter receives another great review!






Nice review from a Top 1000 reviewer on Amazon;

This book is a down and dirty little quickie, but it was much more in-depth and suspenseful than I expected. Be warned, this book involves a sick, obsessed fan and the scenes are a bit graphic. If you have issues with sexual assault, you may want to be wary of this one.

I have to say I was surprised and pleased by just how much story the authors were able to pack into this little novella. But that being said, I would have loved it if it had gone even further. I really loved the developing relationship between Cap and Jase and would have liked to have seen more between them. As it is though, it's a very good story about two very alpha males who enter into a somewhat forbidden relationship. Neither one can be gay and stay on top of their careers, but they are so awesome together. I did enjoy the way that the story played out especially the climax with Cap.

It was an interesting little story and I would definitely read more by these two.

Happy birthday, David Duchovny!

David Duchovny, the adorkable Special Agent Fox Mulder from one of the best television shows in the history of TV, was born today in 1960.  Mulder never met a conspiracy theory or alien theory that he didn't love.  With the awesome Gillian Anderson as the ever-skeptical Special Agent Dana Scully, Duchovny had top-billing for seven seasons until he was replaced by Robert Patrick playing Special Agent Dogget.  Duchovny made several appearances in the last two seasons of X-files.
He showed his humorous side when he wrote an episode for the X-Files, "Hollywood, A.D." in which his then-wife Tea Leoni starred.  The scene with Dana Scully running back and forth in the background to show how she ran in heels while Fox Mulder is engaged in a conversation is hysterical!  So is the scene with the triple split screen showing Fox Mulder, Dana Scully and Assistant Director Skinner are all taking bubble baths at the same time.



Duchovny showed more of his comedic side in the movie "Evolution" with Orlando Jones and Sean William Scott.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

After 10 years, Rosetta catches up with a comet

Launched back in 2004, the European Space Agency's probe Rosetta has rendezvoused with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, somewhere between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.  Sometime in November, Rosetta plans to place the lander Philae on the comet's surface! Until then, she's going to observe the comet from about 100 km, the closest a probe has been to a comet, to find the best spot for Philae.


Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Back in 1978, the International Sun-Earth Explorer was launched, did its job and then was deactivated.  It was reactivated in September 1985 and diverted through the tail of Comet Giacobini-Zinner, over 4700 miles from the core and then Halley's Comet in 1986 at a distance of 31 million kilometers.  In March 1986, ESA's Giotto flew within 600 km, taking the closest pictures of a comet at that time.



Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon!

Today would have been Neil Armstrong's 84th birthday had he not died back in 2012.  He has always been one of my heroes, since landing on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission July 20, 1969.  I remember watching the moon landing on a black & white TV, just shy of my 7th birthday.  It was his accomplishment with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins that made me want to be an astronaut in the second grade up 'til now!

Monday, August 4, 2014

Gentle Ben saves a crow from drowning!



Proving once again that bears are gentle people, this bear in the Budapest Zoo helps a crow out of a pool and from certain drowning.  The crow isn't exactly gracious, giving the bear a peck on the cheek, but the bear doesn't shirk his duty.  Watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCnkCG0UZWc


Saturday, August 2, 2014

5 Heart review of Murder at the Green Lantern!

My friend Portia de Moncur shared a link to a review of Murder at the Green Lantern on mmgoodbookreviews!  The reviewer Lisa said she enjoyed the paranormal aspect of the book!

"Telepath, telekinesis, teleport, can actually do systematic earthquakes, hover in the air are just parts of what you can see in this story. I loved it and cannot wait to read the next book in this series."





https://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/murder-at-the-green-lantern-by-alex-morgan/

Friday, August 1, 2014

Happy birthday, Joe Elliott!

Happy birthday to Screamin' Joe Elliott, Def Leppard's front man!


Project Runway Weird Season 13

The number 13, since the Templar Knights were betrayed on Friday the 13th, has been regarded as unlucky or having negative connotations.  That seems to be the case with the thirteenth season of Project Runway.  When designer Carrie Sleutskaya got eliminated last night, she said between tears she was confused, frustrated, and baffled by her losing design and by the winning one.  Everyone was surprised by designer Sandhya Garg's win last week. I have to admit I'm confused, too, by the winning dresses, if I can call them that.  
 Dishcloth material?



This is fashion?  It looks more like a 6th grade Arts and Crafts project.


I've never had an eye for fashion and I thought Project Runway would give me an insight to that world, but now I have no idea what fashion is.  Maybe tacky is 'in'?

Monday, July 14, 2014

Murder at the Green Lantern available from Wilde City Press!

The second novel in my Psionic Officer Corey Shaw series is now available from Wilde City Press!



Blurb:

After a fetish party at a gay bar in Washington, DC, a young man is murdered and left nailed to a St. Andrew’s Cross.  Paranormal gay sleuth Corey Shaw thinks someone has passed a divine judgment on him, and may be a signal to other gays in the city.  The mystery leads him on a trail from Boston to the halls of the U.S. Capitol Building in DC.   


Excerpt:

As he looked into the room beyond, his breath caught in his throat at the horrific scene just a few feet inside the glass. The young man nailed to the St. Andrew’s cross was naked and blood from a huge gash in his throat drenched the lean muscular body. Nails had been driven through this wrists and feet, which were also bloodied. Corey sickened at the sight of the poor soul.
“We’re calling the night crew to see if they saw or heard anything when they closed,” the detective said when Corey returned to the first floor. “Maybe someone remembers him from last night.”
“I saw him.”
Detective Nash whirled around on him. “You did?”
“For a while,” he answered. “I remember him very well. He was flirting with everyone, including me. Asking for drinks and suggesting that he may reciprocate, if you get my drift.” That memory now seemed to be years ago and the fresh face of the young man was a stark contrast to the ghostly white specter he just saw.
“Not really.”
“Buy him a drink and he may go home with you.” Corey turned to face the detective squarely in the eyes. He understood. This was no mere wallflower. The victim made himself an easy target. If he teased someone and then rejected him, that could provoke a murderous ire in some people.
“Did you buy him a drink?”
Corey glanced at him sharply. That was an inappropriate remark from one law enforcement officer to another. But the detective’s expression showed Corey that he meant no disrespect. Just curiosity. Or was it something else? His earlier question about the Psionic Corps’ interest in the case hinted that he may have misgivings about Corey’s paranormal abilities.
That’s it, Corey thought. Since by his own admission at being at the scene of a crime shortly before it occurred, the detective considered him to be a suspect. He was not offended, because he would be suspicious if the positions were reversed.
“He was so plastered by the time he made it to me, he could barely stand up. I’m not picking up a drunk no matter how cute he is.” Corey spoke matter-of-factly so Nash could get the point. He could tell by the slight change in the detective’s posture and the tone of his voice, Corey thought he did. Even after his stout denial, he didn’t look placated.  “But plenty of other guys did.”
“If he was so drunk, why didn’t you offer to take him home instead of having him drive?” Detective Nash asked in a mean voice.
“I’m not a taxi service, detective. He wasn’t showing any indication he wanted to leave, certainly not unaccompanied. I knew he’d find a ride. In more ways than one.”
“Maybe he did but with the wrong person,” Nash grumbled.
Now he’s shifting his anger and judgment to the victim, Corey thought. “He may not have found someone at all.”
“I doubt if they would’ve closed up if there were still customers in the bar, so he must’ve left with someone, who brought him back here and murdered him.”
“It’s too soon to be jumping to conclusions like that,” Corey said, surprised that Nash made the comment.
“So you think it wasn't someone here at the Green Lantern?” the detective snapped.
“I'm just saying we can't limit our search to the guys that were here last night, detective.” Corey responded.
The interrogation of Chauncey was finished and he stood behind the bar as Corey approached. He hurried over, extending his hand. “Hi, I’m Chauncey Avant the manager of the Green Lantern. Did I see you here last night?”
Corey introduced himself and Chauncey’s eyes grew wide in surprise when he heard the Psionic Officer title.
“Do you recognize the victim?”
Chauncey shook his head. “I didn’t see his face.” He shuddered at the recollection. “As soon as I saw…him, I ran out of the room and dialed 911.”
“Remember the skinny twink wearing only red gym shorts and the Celtic knot work tattoo around his right bicep?”
Chauncey searched his memory.  “You mean Aiden?”
“Maybe. He didn’t introduce himself to me. Are there many other guys that come in here dressed like that with that tattoo?” Corey gave him a minute.
“It’s gotta be him then.” The manager choked a little as he lowered his head.
“I take it he was a regular?”
“Almost every weekend.” Chauncey pulled himself together. He wasn’t trembling any more.
“Did you know him well?”
“Not outside of the Green Lantern. I only knew him as Aiden. I’m sure there are plenty of guys that know him better.”
Of that, I have no doubt, Corey mused. “I noticed that he was very popular.” He emphasized the last word with raised eyebrows.
“If you mean ‘slut’, yes. He was always bragging about how many men he slept with,” Chauncey said sneering. “I don’t think he ever brought money with him. He always wore those skimpy shorts that obviously didn’t have a place for his wallet. He could get anyone to pay for his drinks. All he’d do is rub that flat stomach and his crotch up against them and he got what he wanted.”
“Did he ever return the favor? Like he intimated to me?” Corey wasn’t ready to admit he almost fell for Aiden’s game.
Chauncey brushed some imaginary crumbs off the bar. “Yes and no. Aiden liked to tease the older guys, the uglier ones, the ones he thought didn’t have a chance in hell of getting picked up. He’d make them think they could take him home, but usually he went after the young, good-looking guys. The muscular, beefy men. Those were the ones he left with.”

Friday, May 23, 2014

Mary Fallin is the worst governor in the country

This is something we've known for a long time. She's certainly giving Rick Perry a run.  Back in 1999, the Columbia Review rated the Daily Oklahoman as the worst newspaper in the country, saying it sucked the intelligence from its readers.  Supposedly, it has made some improvements in the past 15 years but I don't think there's hope for the government, not after Sally Kern, Frank Inhofe and Tom Coburn.  I love my home state but they're showing a collective mindset of stupidity when it comes to elected officials.

http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/mary-fallin-countrys-worst-governor-243539011803




Friday, February 7, 2014

4 out of 5 Stars for "Switch Hitter"!



Sean Norris of World of Diversity Fiction blog gave Switch Hitter 4 out of 5 stars!

Read his review here:  http://sean-norris.com/?p=4048


Monday, February 3, 2014

Review of "The Legend of Devil's Creek"





I downloaded this book based on the blurb, since it sounded like a good paranormal thriller.  It was a good mystery but I wasn't prepared for the stomach-churning scenes.  Alexander gets a little too graphic in his depictions of the grisly murders that take place in the vicinity of a small college on an island in Washington's Puget Sound.  But they were nothing compared to the tales of child abuse and animal abuse, recalled by the enrolled in a philosophy class at the university.

The gruesome deaths mirror exactly a series of deaths that occurred in the same area nearly a century before.  Back then, a young boy, horribly abused by a step-father, dies at the hands of schoolmates who bullied him without mercy.  Soon after, all the bullies are murdered in horrible fashion.  Afterwards, several more deaths, known child abusers and wife beaters, are killed the same way.  Mysteriously, the murders cease but the killer is never caught.  Some eighty to ninety years later, someone is targeting child abusers and wife beaters again. 

Riddley has just transferred to St. Jerome and is befriended by Chapman, a former high school, buddy of his, Boyd, Lazko, Sandhurst and Catherine.  They are all enrolled in the same philosophy class.  Their professor engages them in lengthy discussions on evil.  Despite the grisly murders being nearby, the class discussion doesn't address the Devil's Creek killer.  Riddley and his classmates discuss the evilness during camping trips involving drinking, smoking weed and swapping growing-up stories, my-step-father-was-worse-than-your-step-father type tales, which serve as the basis for child abuse scenes.

As more bodies are found, the local law enforcement is grasping at straws, since clues are scarce.  They suspect one of Riddley's friends but the final unmasking is a surprise, as any good whodunit should.

Still, Alexander leaves a number of questions unanswered.  For example, why did the killer copy the early murders to the smallest detail?  How did he find his victims?  How could he forge a signature?  What was his connection to the elderly woman who was a friend of the boy killed so long ago?


The Legend of Devil's Creek killer is a good psychological thriller but certainly not one to read on a full stomach.