Paul's Scribblings

Burn Notice: The Fix

2009-07-09T10:05:00.016-04:00

Last week I finished reading, Burn Notice: The Fix by Tod Goldberg. Simply put – it’s the best tie-in I’ve read. Granted, I haven’t read tons of tie-ins, but I’ve read more than a handful of Doctor Who books and a few Star Trek books.

The Fix reads just like an episode of the show. Sometimes tie-ins try to go further or tangential to shows, while some provide a story as close to the t.v. experience. I guess there is room for all kinds, but I liked that this novel felt so much like viewing an episode.

The story takes place after the end of Season 1, and the cover dovetails nicely with the DVD cover for Season 1.

They have done the same with Season 2 and the latest novel, The End Game.

I wish I had held off and saved the book for reading between seasons. Season 3 is airing now. I received The End Game in the mail yesterday via Amazon, and I look forward to reading it between seasons as a nice tie-me-over.

I’m glad also that there are only two novels and no one is trying to churn out a monthly series (yet.) It makes for a nice treat that I can keep up with.

I don’t know if it’s worth reading if you’re unfamiliar with the series, but if you are a fan and not a total t.v. junkie (in other words, you read) then I highly recommend giving The Fix a read.

Northwest of Earth by C. L. Moore

2009-06-22T10:02:00.005-04:00

Northwest of Earth is a collection of the tales concerning the space-ways faring rogue, Northwest Smith. Descriptively, one's first impression is that Smith is the prototype for Han Solo. Ray-gun at the hip, leather outfit and scarred face, Smith is an outlaw of the solar system. These stories, written during the Weird Tales heyday of the 1930s, feature the typical solar system of a dry Mars and jungle Venus, but both quite habitable and populated by various races.

While Smith is pure space opera character, though, these stories are not. These stories read far more like Clark Ashton Smith's weird stories. The planets are full of ancient mysteries, lost races, strange civilizations. Smith constantly encounters cosmic horror style antagonists, not aliens. The only time the ray-guns blaze are when dispatching an ancient monster. No shoot-outs here, nor any spaceship dogfights. The stories have far more atmosphere than action.

So, as a different, scifi take on atmospheric weird tales, the Northwest Smith stories are worth a read.

But, as a pure adventure space opera read, Northwest of Earth are not the stories you are looking for.

On a side note; this collection comes from Paizo's Planet Stories line. They have put many old tales into print with more to come. Check them out if you haven't!

The Kobayashi Maru

2009-06-05T13:27:00.005-04:00

After viewing the new Star Trek movie, my wife declared "That's not how the Kobayashi Maru test went!"

Of course, it didn't - the altered timeline took care of that.

The KM test was introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It is a test of character for budding Starfleet officers, where defeat and death are the only option. We learn only that Cadet Kirk "reprogrammed the simulation so it was possible to win". Those are the only details ever offered.

I do not know if the novels are as canon to the Trek universe as the Star Wars novels are to Lucas' universe. But, some are fun "what-ifs" that fill-in holes. I've read some good Trek novels, and some that weren't much better than low-tier fan fiction.

This novel informs us of what really happened during that test. My wife had the book and I decided to read it.

The premise is simple. Kirk, McCoy, Scott, Sulu and Chekov are stranded in a shuttle accident and pass the time revealing how each, in turn, dealt with the infamous test.

Without giving away spoilers, I will say that this book was good, not great. It had some fun moments and some moments that were too "touchy-feely" for Trek.

Pros

Cadet Checkov's solution to the K.M. scenario

Cadet Sulu's introduction to Federation and galactic politics.

Cadet Sulu's solution to the K.M. scenario

Cadet Scott's solution to the K.M. scenario

Cons

Cadet Kirk's solution to the K.M. scenario (just didn't believe it)

Kirk being more fatherly than commanding

Cadet Checkov's follow-on "test" (more like an episode of Survivor than an officer training exercise)

Author telegraphic justification. McCoy literally states, "That's so in character!" after Kirk reveals how he beat the K.M. scenario. Sulu states that his solution is neither funny nor clever before he even begins his flashback.

In fact, Sulu's story is poignant as it tangents off the relationship between Sulu & his great-grandfather and his great-grandfather's death. It's not a bad B-line, but it's more of an downer than an upper.

It's a quick read, not a bad way to pass some time for a Trekker if you find it at a used book shop.

An Empire Unacquainted With Defeat

2009-05-28T13:18:00.011-04:00

Or, perhaps, A Blog Unacquainted With Updates, eh?

Thanks you faithful few who still check back here.

I haven't been writing and because I wanted to keep this blog somewhat focused on writing, I haven't been blathering here. (blathering a bit on Facebook, who knows why)

Reading has been slow, too, but I finally finished Glen Cook's Lord of the Silent Kingdom. I'm not very objective about Cook, I'm a fan boy. I enjoyed this novel but the politics of church(es) and state(s) make this a somewhat complicated world to explore. Cook says it's no different from real world history, and I'd agree. A little streamlining might help, though. The novel just ended, clearly waiting on the next novel for some resolution. But, I mostly enjoyed it, went along for the ride, and there were some surprises along the way. I'll be reading the next novel in the series.

Meantime, I am more excited about a collection of Cook's earlier stories concerning the Dread Empire (a different series, altogether.) The novels were collected in omnibuses by Night Shade Books and now the short stories have been collected and are finally being released. I can't wait to get this book, An Empire Unacquainted With Defeat, on my shelf. I've only ever found one short by Cook, who mostly writes novels.

I have moved onto a Mack Bolan novel, Interception, chock full of violence and intrigue, ghost-written by a friend, Nathan Meyer (his name is buried in the front piece.)

Writing-wise, I am still slowly outlining a couple of things in my head, gathering some research notes, and hope to generate some real, meaty outlines (if nothing else) over the summer.

There, that should be enough links to keep you busy

Reading meme

2009-04-08T13:38:00.004-04:00

Got this from Blog of the Beast.

I know I like Robert E. Howard but I'm still surprised how often he comes up in my answers. I do read more than REH, really I do.

1) What author do you own the most books by? Glen Cook. It could be Robert E. Howard if you count various collections but between The Black Company, The Dread Empire and the Garret P.I. series, I have to think I have more Cook. David Drake count is up there, too.

2) What book do you own the most copies of? I don’t really keep multiple copies of anything. Robert E. Howard takes this by default – I have some duplicate collections between the Baen series and the Del Rey series though the contents aren’t an exact match.

3) Did it bother you that both these questions ended with a preposition? No.

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with? None that I am aware of. A few I might lust for (Red Sonja.)

5) What book have you read the most times in your life? I’ve read quite a few twice but I don’t think I’ve read any book more than that. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, God Knows by Joseph Heller, It by Stephen King - I recall reading twice. Lately, I’ve been answering this question a lot (and “favorites”) and it makes me want to do a bunch of re-reading – but my “to-be-read” pile is already too large.

6) What was your favorite book when you were 10 years old? I don’t recall.

7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year? The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller. Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns was a classic. …Strikes Again was utterly nasty, vindictive, unbelievable crap. Just my opinion.

8) What is the best book you've read in the past year? Tie. Sharpe’s Fury and Sharpe’s Escape by Bernard Cornwell. I’d never read any Sharpe before. Now I want to read the rest of the series.

9) If you could force everyone to read one book, what would it be? The Conquering Sword of Conan by Robert E. Howard. I want people to disassociate “Ahnuld” from the character and see how rich, wonderful and original Howard’s character and writing really are. Personally, of the Conan stories, I like ones found in this collection the most.

10) Who deserves the win for the next Nobel Prize for literature? No idea.

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie? I am always hesitant about such things. On the one hand, there are many stories I’d like to see visually, but I am always afraid Hollywood will miss the interpretation and do it wrong.

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie? See above.

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character. None that I recall.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult? I don’t think I have.

15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read? Not really sure. Difficult because I didn’t like it but made myself finish it or difficult just getting the words into my head and understood? Either way I’m not sure I have an answer.

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've ever seen? The only Shakespeare play I’ve seen live was MacBeth when I was in college.

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians? The French. I respect the Russians but we’ve been allies with France for a very long time.

18) Roth or Updike? N/A. (haven’t read ‘em)

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers? N/A. (haven’t read ‘em)

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? Milton.

21) Austin or Elliot? N/A. (haven’t read ‘em)

22) What is the biggest, most embarrassing gap in your reading? I’ve read a lot of classics, but I’ve missed a lot, too - particularly from the 20th century.

23) What is your favorite novel? At this point, I’d have to say The Black Company by Glen Cook.

24) Favorite play? I don't have one.

25) Favorite poem? “The Return of Sir Richard Grenville” by Robert E. Howard

26) Favorite essay? N/A

27) Favorite short story? “Worms of the Earth” by Robert E. Howard.

28) Favorite work of non-fiction? I haven’t read enough non-fiction. I read history for research but none really jump out at me. I did enjoy Band of Brothers. There are some current titles that intrigue me, but I never seem to read a non-fiction when it’s current.

29) Favorite writers? Glen Cook, Robert E. Howard, Karl E. Wagner, David Drake, Ian Fleming, Joseph Heller, Dan Abnett and plenty of runners up.

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today? I don’t know.

31) What is your desert island book? If you’ve seen the bookcases in my house then you know this is impossible for me to answer. Maybe, just maybe, Eons of the Night by Robert E. Howard because of the variety, but it lacks any Conan, Kull, Kane, Bran Mak Morn or Cormac Mac Art stories so I don’t know if it would work for me. Maybe one of the Del-Rey "Best of" Howard collections for variety including some of the classic heroes he created.

32) What are you reading now? Lord of the Silent Kingdom by Glen Cook and a Warhammer 40,000 trade paperback comic, Exterminatus.

Wow. Sorry for a fallow month.

2009-03-23T14:53:00.005-04:00

Lots of things on my mind but nothing worth dumping here.

I suppose I could take time and start posting on various subjects but if I'm going to do any deep writing, it should be on my fiction.

Yes, the gears in my head are churning over some writing possibilities but nothing has been committed to page yet.

I read a good Warhammer trade paperback comic, Condemned by Fire.

(that's right, Heff - pictures!)

It features a Witchhunter, but it is not Mathais Thulmann (see my earlier post.)

These comics, produced by Boom-Studios (as opposed to Black Library, who handle the prose novels) are very nice, though I will be waiting for the tpbs because they are a little thin and pricey as individual issues.

Posting this from a MAC at work, just for fun. (running a job on my pc right now, anyway)

What was I reading, then?

2009-02-23T11:09:00.001-05:00

There came across my Web travels a list of "Best Loved Books" as declared by the BBC. The idea of the meme was to note which ones you've read, and - if read - whether you liked or hated them.

Some were popular novels, and some were classics usually read in school.

I have barely read any of them. The odd thing about this is that I have read many things - I have a minor in English and you would think I would have had more hits on such a list, even if most of the books were outside my usual recreational reading genres.

I recall many books in high school that other students were reading that I wasn’t; ‘A Catcher in the Rye’, ‘1984’, ‘Animal Farm’, ‘Lord of the Flies’.

Never read ‘em - still haven’t.

In fact, I’m thinking of listening to the audiobook of ‘Lord of the Flies’ this year.

I read ‘Catch-22’ voluntarily during my senior year, it was a never a requirement for me.

How about you? Any “standard” books that most students read that you never did?

leftovers

2009-01-20T19:35:00.003-05:00

New year. This is a leftover bit of flash from last year. Enjoy.

"One if by Land" by Paul R. McNamee

Powerful swimming strokes propelled Dusimi across the inlet. Reaching the opposite shore, he scrambled among slimy, slippery rocks, finally finding purchase on dry, rough stones above the waterline.

Beneath the moon, the stone tower loomed over him; a strange structure with archways at its base and not a single opening or arrow slit anywhere along its vertical length. Dusimi wondered how the abandoned structure had been defended in ages past. Entering under an archway, he found no entrance over his head, only stone.

Chilled, he dressed in clothes taken from his oil skin sack. He removed his steel mace from the bag, looped the chord to his belt. The gray spit of land was desolate except for the mysterious tower. The ebony-skinned mercenary felt uneasy.

The rough stones of the tower’s outer wall provided plenty of footholds and handholds. Dusimi, a natural born climber, deftly scaled the structure. He crawled over the crude, jagged crenellations of the peak onto the roof.

Under the moonlight, Dusimi espied the hole in the center of the roof; a hole created by design and ringed by cut stones. He skirted the illogical aperture, which provided the only entrance into the tower. Peering cautiously over the opposite edge of the roof, the moonlight exposed a small armada bobbing on the waves. Dusimi knelt to ready his signal lanterns.

Wood scraped rock and someone muttered a curse far below. Dusimi halted, glanced over the roof’s edge. A large rowboat rubbed against the rocks. One man tied off the boat to a jagged stone outcrop, while seven other sailors clambered from the vessel.

A grappling hook scraped across the roof until it caught the wall and held taut. Apparently, the men were not as adept at climbing as Dusimi. He guessed their purpose was the same as his; to signal their land-bound allies of their arrival.

Dusimi crouched and waited. Using his knife, he impaled the neck of the first man who came over the wall. Silenced, the dying man struggled with his attacker. Dusimi had no time to waste; he pushed the man into the waiting maw at the center of the tower roof.

Too late, the black warrior turned to the grappling hook. The second man was over the wall and charging with drawn sword. The man slashed, Dusimi swerved, pressed forward and caught the man’s ribs with glancing blow of his mace. His opponent staggered but recovered before slipping into the waiting hole.

More grappling hooks clattered against stone. Men yelled from below. Dusimi charged, feinted and spun the man around with a fierce blow to the head, sending the leather-armored sailor to the same fate as his comrade, into the belly of the tower.

The tower trembled, Dusimi lost his footing, clutched the crenellations for support. Looking down he saw two sailors swinging wildly on their ropes, feet dislodged by the tremor. But it was not enough. The other men gained the roof before Dusimi could cut a single line. Grim faces encircled him, weapons gleaming in moonlight.

“Black devil,” one face said.

“Send him to hell what he did to our lads,” someone else suggested, pointing a short sword at the hole.

The tower trembled again, and something disgorged from the stone mouth. Fleshy with suckers along its length, it lashed around one man’s waist and pulled him forward. Other tentacles, each the thickness of a man’s arm, emerged from the hole, seeking prey.

Whatever slumbered in the tower had been aroused by flesh and blood. Dusimi joined the melee, beating at the flailing tentacles with his mace, but the spongy flesh resisted damage from such a blunt instrument. The men with swords fared better, though writhing appendages bodily knocked more than one man over the crenellations to their death on the rocks below.

Dusimi retrieved his oil skin bag. His knife slashed open leather flasks of oil, and he tossed them into the hole. Dodging tentacles, he opened a lantern and lit the wick. Darkness swallowed the flame as it plummeted into the abyss.

Firelight and an inhuman, unearthly shriek burst from the hole. The tower reverberated again and again as the creature, insane with pain, slammed its bodyweight against the sides of its chamber. However small it had been when it found refuge in the tower, it had grown too large to exit the hole.

In the chaos, Dusimi found a secure grappling hook. Wrapping his hands in the oil skin bag, he grabbed the rope and slid down to the ground, never looking up, even as stone cracked and men screamed.

The bottom floor of the tower collapsed. The burning beast fell to the ground like a sickly shooting star. Still shrieking inhumanly, its horrific cries carried across the still night for leagues. The thing slithered over the tumbled, broken rocks and plunged into the ocean, smothering the flames upon its blubbery hide.

As it quickly passed through the moonlit shadows, Dusimi briefly thought of squids or kraken - but how one might survive in a land-locked tower away from the sea for years was a mystery he dared not ponder too deeply for sake of his sanity.

Dusimi fled across the rocks, not chancing that the vile beast might return from the water. Dusimi did not consider the mission a failure. He had not lit the lanterns, but the creature’s shriek of pain had warned everyone that hell was breaking loose.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-06T09:18:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm still here. Just haven't had a lot of time to write anything. Holidays were great - baby Gwyneth met lots of cousins and other relatives.

I'm still reading blogs even if my replies are few and far between.

And Heff - I will get a beer out to you one of these days - sorry I missed the holiday window, but I'll still get you something regional if not seasonal.

The Sky People

2008-12-21T16:00:00.003-05:00

Finally finished S. M. Stirling's The Sky People. I thought it was fun, though I'm somewhat easily amused. I'll admit that while I have read Tarzan and the first five Mars/Barsoom novels, I have not read E. R. Burroughs Venus tales - so I don't have the a measure of comparison.

I liked the alternate timeline of the Cold War and an inhabited solar system - though having to explain it all and make it part of the mystery tied down the action in some spots.

Good stuff, I'll be checking out In the Court of Crimson Kings sometime.

For now, I think I'll take a break from novels and read some short stories from various sources until the new year.

'6 random things about me' meme

2008-11-25T09:20:00.009-05:00

From Charles - Like Charles, I usually don't go for these things but I'm bored and feel like rambling.

1.) Baseball. I really don't follow other sports, and I don't follow much outside of the Red Sox. I was in Little League for one season. Ironically, I wound up on the 'Red Sox' and, like the real team at the time, we tied for first place in our division but lost in a playoff tie-breaker. But thinking back now, it was a neat thing when our coach told us mid-season that we were competing for first place. None of us knew until then. It was a real "Wow!" moment.

2.) Shirts. I really enjoy a comfortable casual shirt. I look forward to cooler weather when I can put on the flannels. A few years ago I discovered VermontFlannel. They are more expensive but they are made in U.S.A. so if you're interested in one for Christmas, by all means stop by and support them. I've been acquiring one shirt per year but missed this year because usually instead of ordering online, I buy one at the Topsfield Fair. We couldn't go this year because it was too close to Linda's due date. Maybe Krampus will bring me one.

3.) Books. Not only do I read, but I collect certain books. Not first editions of Mark Twain or anything, mostly paperbacks. I have nearly all the Conan books - Howard originals and pastiches alike. I am three short. I have all the Ian Fleming James Bond novels. Complete sets of some S&S series - like, Flashing Swords and Swords Against Darkness. One thing you might not suspect is that I am a Joseph Heller (Catch-22) fan, too. I have hardcover copies of all his books except one. I was fortunate enough to have some generous friends who bumped into Joe annually and secured me two personally autographed books from him. I only regret that we never found a way to get me to the annual party to meet him in person.

4.) Guns. I grew up with guns but I don't own any. (I do own some rapiers and a Maori warclub, though, so be careful when you come knocking. ;) ) We weren't a hunting family so I rarely fired guns but I knew where the ammo was and how to load and unload. As Charles said, it's about respect not fear. Or, it should be.

My father and I ordered a flintlock Tower Pistol (1750 British Colonial pistol) kit from Connecticut Valley Arms back in the day. (Apparently they don't do recreations anymore, and that is a shame.) The finished product still hangs over the fireplace back home.

5.) Hobbies. Speaking of that pistol, if I had extra time (and money - be careful what you wish for in this economy ;) ) to indulge in more hobbies, black powder shooting would be one. Not with modern muzzle loaders but with historical pieces/kits as I have an interest in that. Aside from the hobbies that I currently attempt to keep up with (reading, writing, guitar, old Xbox games I've barely touched.) I would add to the list - tabletop miniatures (Warhammer/Warhamer 40K), more video gaming with a new system (PS3, maybe?) and I'd love to try an organized RPG - preferably find someone running a Solomon Kane campaign!

And I'd really like to get back to hiking. For me it's more about seeing wildlife than conquering mountains, though, so just walking through the woods is fine, too.

6.) Writing. I started this blog to make posts about writing and fell off that wagon (as evidenced by this self-indulgence) as I fell off the writing wagon. For any who wants to read more about writing, hang in there. I do have plans for a historical novel. My hope is to thumbnail the outline and characters sketches in December and start writing again in January with a New Year's resolution.

We'll see how that pans out with the baby and all. ;)

Thanks for reading.

Of all the gall

2008-11-18T09:30:00.002-05:00

So, apparently it's not unheard of to have a gall bladder attack as a result of pregnancy/delivery.

Linda's okay now but we lost a few days in the hospital last week. She will have surgery next month to remove her gall bladder.

Luckily, both sets of grandparents are relatively close-by and were able to round robin. The baby had no issues switching temporarily to a bottle with formula.

At least I got some reading done at the hospital. Finished Witch Finder and started S. M. Stirling's The Sky People.

Over-and-out for now.

Full Metal Elves

2008-11-06T09:54:00.001-05:00

Because I have a twisted sense of humor, I find this extremely funny.

NSFW language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydF9rHC02Hg

Mathias Thulmann

2008-10-29T15:42:00.004-04:00

Taking a break from fatherhood and work to discuss Mathias Thulmann, Witch Hunter of the Empire (of the Warhammer novels.)

There are three novels, and I am reading the second one now, Witch Finder. They are great fun, and if you like Solomon Kane, they are worth checking out. They are like reading a Hammer horror movie from their heyday.

As they often do, the Black Library are reissuing all three novels in an omnibus edition; due in November. The edition will include two previous short stories and a brand new tale. I guess that's kind of like a band releasing a greatest hits album with a single new track to entice fans to buy a collection they already own.

But, it is a sweet cover...

Been a little busy ...

2008-10-21T21:13:00.002-04:00

.. our daughter Gwyneth was born on Friday morning. :)

Kane is back

2008-09-30T09:14:00.007-04:00

Just when I thought I was done with comics...

Well, not "done". I still buy plenty of graphic novels and collections but I had stopped buying monthly issues.

Post Road Pumpkin Ale

2008-09-25T09:06:00.006-04:00

I can't rip the image from the animation, but here's the webpage.

Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale.

It was good. Not as heavy on the spices as the last, but the nutmeg was still a little strong.

Speaking of pumpkin, Dunkin Donuts seasonal Pumpkin Spice Muffins and Donuts are now available.

This morning's breakfast was iced coffee, pumpkin donut and AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" on repeat.

Yeah!

E tu, Stratego?

2008-09-24T08:33:00.006-04:00

I'm not sure why - I guess it's because of those Sharpe novels - but I really wanted to pick up the game Stratego. Do you remember that game? I never had it as a kid but I think one of my friends did.

Well, just this month, the basic version of Stratego has gone from Napoleonic armies to fantasy motif with knights, wizards and dragons. It is an admitted attempt to appeal to a wider strata of people.

*sigh*

Why can't they leave the base edition as Napoleonic and make a fantasy edition as a special?

What's wrong with piquing a kid's interest about history?

Yeah, get off my lawn. ;)

Raccoons bring the funk.

2008-09-19T09:06:00.004-04:00

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ccd_1221743340&p=1

(ok, it's really a pheromone thing, but still very funny)

Thoughts from the slush pile

2008-09-10T21:26:00.002-04:00

Jason (von DarkMoor) said we were free to post in generalities about our slush reading, so I thought I would.

The single failure I see with nearly every story is the pacing, and the lack of getting to the heart of the story. In the case (genre) of heroic fantasy, I think that is very important.

Personally, I'm not one for pure action and plot. I like to get atmosphere and setting - but that can be imparted while action occurs.

Nearly all the submitted tales (that I have read - I only receive a portion of the pile) introduce the characters, have dialogs (or info dumps) about who and what their backstory is...then we get the monster...then the monster is dispatched.

I guess no one wants to show their hand early. I suppose some might be trying to build suspense. But the first thing I would do is start with the monster and someone battling it from the first word. "In medea res" - that is one thing screenwriting taught me. You can't waste film and budget getting the story going. The same can apply to prose - especially where action/adventure are the focal point.

Maybe it's a high bar, but I always go back to Robert E. Howard's tale, "The Black Stranger". That story had such a breathless violent opening - Conan hunted by and battling the Picts. While the following excerpt is not from the very first word, by the third paragraph or so (after Conan is described stalking through the woods, even though he is supposed to the hunted, not the hunter) we get this...

..the Cimmerian bounded into the path behind them and plunged his knife between the shoulders of the last man. The attack was so quick and unexpected the Pict had no chance to save himself. The blade was in his heart before he knew he was in peril. The other two whirled with the instant, steel-trap quickness of savages, but even as his knife sank home, the Cimmerian struck a tremendous blow with the war-axe in his right hand. The second Pict was in the act of turning as the axe fell. It split his skull to the teeth.

That is how you open a story in this genre, my friends!

And the first pumpkin ale is...

2008-09-02T00:37:00.003-04:00

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, from Delaware (not MD, as I misreported last time.)

This was one of the ones I would consider over-spiced. The nutmeg and allspice were overpowering, and the alcohol content was high. Not the smoothest or pumpkin-est.

Aside from that taste test, we had a quiet weekend with beautiful weather. Made sure to get some A.O.D. time with a book and a guitar. (Ass On Deck - our new deck that was built this summer - want to ensure I do more than just cook on the grill out there!)

Laughing out loud (really)

2008-08-26T17:30:00.000-04:00

But it's not even September

2008-08-24T19:45:00.001-04:00

Yeah. I was supposed to keep this blog about my writing, but...

I was at the liquor store yesterday. I was grabbing some beer for our summer cookout. (For those who live in a state where beer is at the supermarket and liquor is a separate store, that's not how it is in Massachusetts.)

The Pumpkin Ales are out already. There were at least five different microbreweries with Pumpkin Ale on the shelf.

I enjoy Pumpkin Ale. I love autumn when Dunkin Donuts carries pumpkin muffins and pumpkin donuts.

But, come on, summer ain't over yet!

I like most Pumpkin Ales but it is a seasonal special and usually has spices and some brands overdo it. I think I'll note which ones I prefer this time around. I just wish I could buy one of each instead of a six-pack each to find out. And for those who say a six-pack shouldn't be an obstacle--well--spiced ales really aren't for bludgeoning brain cells en masse.

Yeah, I'm a beer snob.

Into the Ages?

2008-08-21T22:50:00.000-04:00

I had much fun reading Captain Alatriste and listening to two Sharpe audiobooks this year.

I wonder if I should try writing a straight historical action adventure novel. No supernatural, no sci-fi - just some hard hitting warfare at some point in human history.

Slushing

2008-08-07T22:03:00.000-04:00

I've joined the slush readers over at Rogue Blades Entertainment. Seeing as how I haven't been writing much, maybe I can do something from the other side of things.

I was reminded of all the used book hunting I have done (and continue to do) searching for 'heroic fantasy' and lamenting that new stuff wasn't coming out (with very few exceptions.)

I wanted more, more, more Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane and Cormac Mac Art (Andy Ouffutt's CMA series notwithstanding) and I still want more.

Maybe RBE can address that hankerin' jones.