I begin with the traditional symbol of the season. Daughter did most of the decorations. I contributed by staying out of the way.

We had a very merry Christmas, and I hope you did too. If you're wondering what to get with that Amazon gift certificate you got. Let me recommend this book the paperback of which I saw for the first time today. Although my author copies haven't yet arrived, one of my fans had received hers and let me take a gander at it. I like it.

Speaking of paperback books: I found this after diligent search some months back. I had to wait a lengthy time for it to arrive.

I've been reading it in gulps of a chapter or so at a time on a weekly basis. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it if you have even the least bit of interest in Desaix. Without a doubt, Napoleon owes his victory at Marengo to Desaix's timely return to the field. Fortunately for Bonaparte, Desaix wasn't able to remind him of that fact with every breath he took by surviving the battle.

I needed the book for both personal interest as well as research for a future novel--or series of novels--in which Desaix will play a prominent role.

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Daughter informs me that we are renaming the "Back to the Future, Back in Time" game to: "Back to the Failure" because we lose every time.

 Author Interview with Ron Lahr 

Author of

The Kathaldi Chronicles

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress. Right now I’m extremely close to finishing the first draft of the third book in my Kathaldi Chronicles epic fantasy trilogy, Destroyers of Kathaldi. The plan is to finish it next week, get to editing and rewriting, and release it on Monday, July 26^th. The books are about Dirk, a sarcastic thief, who is reluctantly drawn in to helping his friends try to save the Gods, and the world, from an ancient evil.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series? I wrote the first draft of book one, Children of Kathaldi, around twenty-five years ago. As a huge fan of fantasy it started with trying my hand at world building. I filled a binder with information about the races, Gods, towns and cities. As I worked on the history of the world the story just emerged.

Do you write in more than one genre? I definitely do. I’ve already mentioned the fantasy and I also write science fiction and humor. Although, you could probably classify all of it as humor. My first humor book, You’re As Stupid As You Are Fat: How To Talk To Women, should be coming out on Monday, August 9^th, and my first science fiction novel, You Get What You Steal, which I co-wrote with an old friend of mine, Robin Burchett, will hopefully be out on Monday, August 23^rd.

Note that this interview came to me in May, and it's posting in December, so Ron's humor book may already be available. I want to check it out. Perhaps he would like to provide me a copy to review?

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention. The Kathaldi Chronicles are written in first person but Dirk is basically telling the story, as if you were sharing a drink with him at a tavern. One reviewer called him an “unreliable narrator” since he is always building himself up and sometimes minimizes the contributions of his friends. It is different and the audiobook of Children of Kathaldi really showcases that. Alan Adelberg is the narrator and he captures Dirk perfectly. I think the audiobook may be the best way to experience Dirk.

 

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing? Dirk is definitely not me. I don’t believe the things he does and I would never treat people the way he does, particularly his friends, but if something had gone very wrong during my childhood I could have been him. We do share some of the same sense of humor but the difference is I think what he says is funny but I would never, ever say those things. I might think some of them, though.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you? My writing is very politically incorrect so if you are particularly sensitive to that, even when it is just in good fun, you are unlikely to enjoy my books.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why? R. K Billiau’s PrimeVerse trilogy. It is LitRPG and a lot of fun. I recommend it not just because of how much I enjoyed it but also because he is the one who encouraged me to get back into writing after my daughters were grown and had moved out. He still encourages me to this day.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why? Right now, since I only have the first two books of the Kathaldi Chronicles released I would have to say book one of the series, Children of Kathaldi. More specifically, the audiobook version. I think the folks at Spectrum Audiobooks did an amazing job on it. I’m very grateful that they were the ones who approached me about turning it into an audiobook.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most? As I mentioned before, R. K. Billiau encouraging me to write again was huge, and having an audiobook company offer me a contract was also amazing. It is hard to pick between the two but since Mr. Billiau is an old friend I guess I’ll give the honor to him.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often? Can we make your books into a television series that will run for ten years? I haven’t been asked that question yet but I’ve got my fingers crossed. On a more serious note my answer is that I like to be asked about people I know in real life serving as inspiration for characters in my stories. Mostly because I like to tell the story about naming a character, Dirk’s sister Val, after one of my friends who was giving me a hard time one day, and making her a very unpleasant person. She shows up in book two, Assassins of Kathaldi, and also appears in book three. I smile every time I’m writing her.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it? My personal motto is ‘Sleep is for the weak.’ I used to only sleep five or six hours every other night. I got so much done! Sadly, as the years pass I need more sleep if I want to accomplish anything useful but I still love the sentiment. And between helping my parents, family time, working on old cars, gardening and making as much food as possible from scratch (I make my own crackers – two kinds) sometimes sleep is hard to come by.

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Thanks to Ron for participating. I do note that he provided about 12 pictures to go with this interview. The pictures not used included an audio book cover, another copy of the series covers; lemon rhubarb bunt cake, apple swirl ice cream, potato chips, and a car. I was going to include one of those at the end, but neglected to download it.

If you haven't read my most recent politically incorrect work, you can find it by clicking on the picture below: 

 It's alive.

Or, it's live.

I did it. The Shrinking Zone is live on Amazon. 

This is my 9th novel. 9 is the number of novels I have written. The novels I have written are 9 in number. It all began with Justice in Season, which I wrote back in 2000-2002, and put on the big river site in 2012. I followed that with Smoke, and the sequel to the first novel Justice Resurrgent in 2018. The following year I published Threading the Rude Eye, and Power to Hurt, the first two books in my alternate history fantasy Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series. The third book in the series, Clamorous Harbingers, came out in 2020. I published two more books in 2021: Promise of Carnage and Flame, book four in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series; and this new stand-alone, The Shrinking Zone. The more astute among you, or anyone who can count, may notice that that only totals 8 books. Well, I wrote another one, Finding Jack-The Orb, which is the first in a trilogy, but I have no idea when I'm going to get back to that trilogy, so I removed that book from Amazon.

That's all a lead-in to saying that the price of this 9th book shall be 99 cents. 99 cents shall be the price thereof. Get it. Get it now.

One weird thing -- The Amazon reviews of Smoke are showing up on The Shrinking Zone page. I don't know why.

What do you need to know about The Shrinking Zone? It's a fanfare for the common man. The protagonists aren't supermen or grizzled special forces veterans. They're working-class patriots and families. The location is not some exotic locale, but a rural area on the Snake River Plain. The stakes begin small, but rise with the tension and fast-paced action. If you have hope for America, The Shrinking Zone is the book for you. Get it before it becomes reality.

I'm on to book 5 in the alt-hist-fantasy series--which is already started.

_________

The festive illumination du Chateau du Chat Gris began on Saturday. The contractor and I did all we could until we could take the weather no longer. The weather we couldn't take was cold and gray like a concrete slab in winter--with the added bonus of a freezing wind to challenge our combined will. I did get started before he came, but had to take those lights down because parts of each strand were defective. My wife had played a nice trick. She had labeled the box, "lights for the trees" and also in a faint and faded marker had written, "need fixed." I did test each strand before I put it up, and cast aside any that were totally dead. The problem was that of the rest of the strands half or more of the lights didn't work. The problem became apparent after I ran power to them. The tree lights went up more quickly the second time when the contractor got into the tree. I was tempted to make a Legolas joke while he was up there, but none came to mind that were witty enough to be worth mentioning.

To complicate the illumination installation, I got a call from local law enforcement about a matter that required contacting the secretary who knows how to generate the appropriate paperwork, and coordinating with the judge who had to review and sign the right papers to make sure things happened in a timely manner. Ultimately, it didn't slow me down much, because the contractor continued stringing lights while I talked on the phone.

Finally, the contractor insisted that he beat me in a game of cribbage. I nearly prevented that, but I let him get one 15 too many (or is it two many in this case? You won't get that if you don't know how to play cribbage), so he was able to count out with a hand of only two. I had plenty of points in my hand and crib, but had to count second. Naturally, he wanted to move on to dinner rather than let me get even. My desire for revenge has been left to fester.

I was hoping for another round of gaming fun with Les Freres Corses, but they haven't been able to come over yet. I did get to do Legos with the Goose, but her and her sister spent most of their time with their grandma and the college girl who is home for the holiday.

Merry Christmas!

 

It's Dystopia Monday. (That's not really a thing. It's only for today).  I've finished reading:

Here's the review I posted at goodreads:

Marina Fontaine's Chasing Freedom takes the reader into the belly of the rebellion and doesn't stop there. The rebellion is no overnight success. The story goes on for years. It follows the personal lives of multiple characters. Bad things happen. People die. This is a dystopia and things get worse before they get better. However, this is a story steeped in hope. In the midst of cruel atrocities, hope comes through. 

__________

I considered using the same title font for my dystopian novel, The Shrinking Zone, but instead elected to go with this cover and font:

Here's the description I've chosen:

Something is rotten in the USA.

The red-eyed results of clandestine government experiments attack isolated farms in the broken desert. Oppressive regulations, arrogant officials, and surveillance drones restrict movement, commerce, and basic necessities. The government boot heel is grinding hard.

 

When the red-eyes abduct a sixteen year-old girl, working class man Don Morgan must mount a rescue attempt against the merciless invaders of the broken desert. While fighting against the savage animals created by genetic engineering, Don must match wits with a mad demagogue and government agents to rescue the girl. He's going to need help.

 

Join three common men in the fight for their lives when a foray into the broken desert puts their families in jeopardy, and the fate of a nation hangs on the outcome. Never underestimate the men who love America.

Look for it on Amazon next week.

 

The Corsican Brothers were here at the Chateau du Chat Gris for Thanksgiving. The K-man got to help light (reluctantly) the final batch of coals I used to finish off the turkey. The bird turned out great, by the way, with a light smoke and orange flavor. It may have been as good as the turkey I smoked last year.

Following the gratitudinal repast, the four-wheeler refused all entreaties. It could not be persuaded, cajoled, or prodded into service. Instead, we enjoyed a rousing game that I made up on the spot. RC wanted to play a game with the Star Trek figures, and K-man manifested boundless enthusiasm for the idea as well. With five figures, a hunk of rigid insulation for a game board, homemade scenery and obstacles that consisted of a ruin, a big rock (played by an actual rock) a few trees and a wooded area, and the Guardian portal from The City on the Edge of Forever which came with some of the figures, along with several six-sided dice, some bottle caps and red wax, we sat down to the table to play. I should say that I sat down. The boys remained standing, moving about, and hopping with excitement. 

The visiting team included both Federation and Klingon crewmen. The home team consisted of two carnivorous dinosaurs, and a giant spider. It seems that the joint mission of frequent enemies had troubles with their small craft and had to land to effectuate repairs. While working to fix the problem, one crewman was bitten by a venomous creature. The venom didn't kill him, but sent him into a delirium and he leaped through the strange stone portal with a crucial part of the vessel. The rest of the team followed to find themselves in a strange new environment. Their mission required the crew to find the missing part, and to rescue the crewman who had gone unconscious, all while avoiding the unfriendly denizens who sought to make a meal of them. 

The game was complicated by the fact that RC insisted on adding more monsters/plot complications, and also a creature that wandered about according to his desires dispensing unsolicited healing. The Corsican Brothers had their men spread out for a more effective search. One Klingon bravely faced off with a dinosaur--and finished the game right there as a terrible lizard lunchable. 

One crewman took a wound in battle with a dinosaur; he escaped. Another red shirt made the dinner menu for a dinosaur, but the remaining crew escaped with the missing part and the passed-out crewman. A late arrival (one of RC's plot complications) tested his phaser on a dinosaur and found the results entirely satisfactory. I think the fact that most of the Star Trek figures were from the "Day of the Dove" episode, and carried swords rather than phasers or disruptors, is why the Corsican Brothers didn't think to try ranged weapons before they had already fed two comrades to the beasts. The giant spider did get in on the action, but neither took nor delivered any wounds.

In short, the Corsican Brothers and I had a great time with our little game. The chance to take a second or third action tempted the boys early in the game, but they began to see that the gamble usually brought unfavorable results. They stopped taking the gamble until the race to the portal at the end. After some close calls and frustrating die rolls, the K-man made it to safety with the crucial part, and RC carried off the unconscious crewman.

***

In other news, I'm working on the cover for The Shrinking Zone. Here are two possibilities for your consideration. I'm probably going to explore more font/color options for the title. 

Let me know if you think one is more appealing than the other for a novel categorized as a dystopian domestic thriller. It's a fanfare for the common man featuring action and adventure in a dystopian setting.

Here are some quotes I've included in the Author Foreword of the novel:

“May the Freedom and Independency of America endure until the Sun grows dim with age, and this Earth returns to Chaos.” –Toast given at a Massachusetts tavern in 1776 following the reading of the Declaration of Independence

“Show me that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men, without a consequent loss of liberty?” –Patrick Henry

“They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power.” –Patrick Henry

Get your copy of The Shrinking Zone in December.

 

I was going to give the main character a flip phone in a holster. It would have been perfect for him. Except the dystopian society in which he lives in the high desert of the Western U.S. won't let him have one. He doesn't meet the necessary criteria and his son has possible ties to a suspected domestic terrorist group. Electricity is an intermittent luxury for him and his wife. The internet and cell service are only two of the things the government has forbidden to them. 

(here's a photo of a lizard completely unrelated to the novel I'm writing)

In this dystopian thriller, Don is a hardworking, blue-collar man just trying to survive. When his best friend's daughter is taken by the half-crazed subjects of clandestine government experiments, he calls on Don to help save her. How can Don rescue the girl when he must struggle against a power-mad demagogue in the desert, savage hybrid beasts, rebel forces, and the crushing power of a state rushing toward totalitarianism?

Find out in The Shrinking Zone -- coming soon.

I've had some great times writing this novel this week. The action has built to a crescendo and the chips are hitting the fan with exceeding rapidity. At its core, the novel is about families and friendships, but it's wrapped in thrilling action with precious lives and the fate of a nation at stake.

 Links to my books are above.

Author Interview with

Cully Mack

Author of The Voice That Thunders Series

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I’m over halfway through writing my Voice That Thunders Series and currently I’m writing book five. The series features siblings, Mirah and Gabe, who become central characters along with a band of rebels fighting against immortals conquering their realm. Think epic battles with Immortals and beasts of all kinds, throw in elemental magic, huge plot twists, portals and unique worlds, and an ever-growing number of characters trying to save their world. If you love character-driven fantasy, you'll love my books. I warn you now; I don't go easy on them.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I have a fascination for mythology. The older the better. My primary sources are from myths from Mesopotamia. Most people have never heard of them. This is because, until around 150 years ago, the cuneiform tablets detailing their accounts was undecipherable. Mesopotamia is otherwise known as the birthplace of civilisation and its historical setting is in the ancient near east. Differing cultures lived in proximity, so there is a blending of myths and traditions. I mainly draw from the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Semites and the Babylonians.

YA readers may have heard the term Nephilim from Cassandra Clare’s series or watching Supernatural among other popular sources. Most modern Nephilim depictions are drawn from Semite sources such as the Book of Enoch, where they are portrayed in an urban setting and regarded as fallen angel/human hybrids. As interesting as this is, the Semite account is only one version of the mythos.

Mesopotamian texts differ on many topics. For example, creation epics, deity names and culture heroes. But they agree on one thing… the gods came, slept with human women, and created giant hybrid offspring. Yes, those Titans, gods and beastly monsters from Greek, Roman and biblical myths were known to older civilizations! Some saw these gods in a positive light, others as negative. It makes for great conflict. I wanted to create a work more aligned with the earliest accounts of this mythos.

Do you write in more than one genre?

I write high/epic fantasy, myth, legend and fairy tale retellings, and speculative fiction. I also short film scripts and creative nonfiction.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I’m not afraid to write what the story needs. In places, it’s dark (but not grimdark). People die! The battles are intense, blending weapons, magic and intelligence. No one is safe! I’ve got messages from fans to prove it. I always tell them the same, trust me, keep reading. The monsters are unique. Ever heard of Dactyrs or Dagani? The cast is huge, with two or three plot arcs often running parallel, and narrated from multiple pov’s. I’m a discovery writer, so the edge of your seat plot twists in unexpected ways. You’ll find romance and broken hearts (sorry). Even so, romance isn’t the main plot. I’ve been told many times that my writing is very visual and how reading my books is like watching a movie. I’ll let you be the judge of that…

 

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

For many years, I worked with people who were the most broken, those experiencing homelessness, isolation, trauma, and addictions. My characters tend to go down similar paths, and even though their journey darkens, in one form or another, it becomes a redemptive arc, finding themselves, who they truly are, kind of thing. I’m an advocate for nothing and no one can break me unless I give them the power to do it. So, yes, I test my characters to the point of shattering, and watch them rise from their brokenness into who they were meant to be.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I’m on most social media

Links:

Amazon author link: https://www.amazon.com/Cully-Mack/e/B07QBLXZLT

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19033629.Cully_Mack

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CullyMack

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CullyMack

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cullymackauthor/

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

Shawn Dressler’s A Tale of Cloak and Shadows. This was a new author for me. The prose is poetic, and the world is painted with vivid imagery. The way Galindel switches back and forth from the present to his memories is enchanting and intriguing. It’s not technically a novel, more of a prequel to the Kingdoms of Core series. Everything about it feels so alive and made for intense reading. The world building, characterization and dialogue were all spot on. An author to try out for sure.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

I’d recommend book three, A Fire That Whispers. But to get there, you’d need to read the first two books in my series. Why book three? My writing is stronger. What I loved most about writing this book, is how the two main characters are trying to discover the truth but are unable to discuss and compare their findings. Nothing is as it seems. I drop hints and foreshadow the plot. There are some huge plot twists! Other characters who know the truth are possibly lying. Even I didn’t know how it was going to play out until the latter part of the book. The reader learns the truth as the characters do, because that’s how it was revealed to me. This is the beauty of discovery writing.

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

I had the opportunity to return to university to study English Literature and Creative Writing. As a mature student, I had a blast. I stayed on and completed my Master’s in Creative Writing.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

How can I join your mailing list? The best way to do this is to sign up for Sojin. A free prequel featuring Ammo and Sojin, two side characters in the Voice that Thunders series. It can be read at any point in the series.  https://BookHip.com/QVLCRL

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Aristotle, Metaphysics

______________________________

Thanks to Cully for participating in the interview.

I had a great time writing this week. I did miss one day, but I made it up the next day. I'm on the home stretch in writing the dystopian thriller. It's an action adventure novel set in the near future--like the week after next--and it's a fun ride. Abductions, rescues, surveillance drones, government agents, farms attacked by gangs of drugged convicts, secret government experiments, oppressive government interference, conspiracies, plot twists, and unstoppable action are yours in The Shrinking Zone by Stanley Wheeler. Until that one is ready, I invite you to read my flintlock fantasy series in which the American Revolution, magic, and dragons collide. The series begins with THREADING THE RUDE EYE.

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