StanleyWheeler

The Books of August There has been a whole lot of reading going on around here. I have a word to say about that, but first, a quote from Touch of Evil staring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Orson Welles: "A policeman's job is only easy in a police state." I thought it was a great movie. Both Heston's and Welles' characters had some great lines. I may do a full review later. It's currently on Netflix. Marlene Dietrich, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Dennis Weaver also have supporting roles. Back to the Guns Books of August. Let's begin with Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert  (of Madame Bovary fame) published in 1862--so it's not going to be found on the New Releases list. General Thoughts : If it is possible for a story to be entirely obscured, covered like a coffin in the grave by great heaping scoops truckloads of descriptive detail, and yet still hold promise enough to keep me reading, this is the best example that I've found. I nearly gave up se...

 I was able to get the rest of the photos from the pack trip downloaded. Those which feature a blue sky and discernible clouds are from the hike into a lake (not actually into the lake, just next to, beside, adjacent to). These two photos are particularly picturesque--a tribute to the talented photographer. They are of the same terrain from different spots on the trail, and different magnification. The two pictures below were taken from the same location (not the same location as the pictures of above). The first was taken of the setting sun without any magnification; the second one was magnified. The quality of all of these photos is entirely due to luck. Most of the time, I could not see the photo (on my phone) so I made my best guess and clicked. The smoke which filled the skies after the first day because of the many fires in the region gave a slightly eerie quality to the photos--especially to the zoom of the setting sun. I didn't take a fishing po...

We arrived here on Monday and began the nine and one half mile hike through rugged country in the middle of the day--during the hottest week of the year.  Part of the view from the first summit. The smoke from the nearby fires wasn't too bad that first day. It was somewhere near here that we met two diminutive lads who mentioned something about being on their way to return a piece of jewelry that had been giving them problems. I haven't succeeded yet in downloading the remaining pictures. The story of the death march and the successful plotting of a new book will wait until I can get the other photos--the much better ones-- included. *** I did get back in time to attend a daughter's wedding. There are days that shine like the brightest stars in the firmament. Yesterday was one of those days. To see one's children gathered in an important place, doing the right things for the right reasons is a premium parental pay-day. I couldn't help but look upon ...

While the saga of the war machine will continue, I prefer not to discuss that epic adventure today. Progress on Justice Resurgent is happening; just one more bend and it will be the home stretch at break-neck speed. I could finish it this month, but I'm having difficulty focusing on it because another idea for a fantasy series has possessed me. It's something that I've had in my head for years, and have made notes about from time to time--and now is the time to do it. Because I'll be away from civilization, I won't be able to write this week on JR , but I will be able to do some more plotting, characterization, and setting notes for the fantasy series using that centuries-old word processing system known as paper and ink. I'm learning that when it comes to writing and marketing, I've pretty much done it all wrong. I've written in three completely different genres. Apparently, I'm supposed to pick a genre and stick with it, build a following and re...