Games People Play

I’m a gamer.  Not a gambler, which most people in this word associate the term “gamer” to, but a gamer as a role player playing RPGs and other games that would be associated to such.  My bookshelf is riddled with gamer text books, my closet is full of magic cards and other collectable card games and I still find dice in the strangest of places.  I still have my PSP, we have kept the PS2 and upgraded to the PS4 and my son and I sometimes do battle with our 3DS, so, yeah, this house is a gamer house.

 

So now it take you down a little history:

 

Like many I started with board and card games with my family, however, I was introduced to computers at home at a very young age for my generation; five.  I’m forty-two now so you can understand having a computer in the house at that age for the times, the seventies, was a huge deal. 

 

The TRS-80 Model I took the entire dining room table with it’s main cpu unit, monitor, and all it’s wires and accessories.  These days, a piece of plastic the size of my pinky fingernail holds zounds more information than that monstrosity did back in 1977.  It didn’t even belong to us.  Mom brought it home from work because she had extra work to do on it she couldn’t accomplish during normal hours.  And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to teach her son a thing or two about something that’ll be commonplace when he becomes her age.  Eventually she bought a Model III when I was eight, upgraded to an Apple IIe when I was 14 then she finally relented to a IBM compatible 1megwhen I was a junior in high school.  This on top of having an Atari 2600 with 26 games to play up to a Turbo Grafix 16 by the time high school game around then going to the Sega Genesis for college.  I played RP computer games and went “online” when I was 14, before anyone coined the terms “internet” and “world wide web.”  So gaming was firmly established for me.

 

On the other end of the spectrum is tabletop.  Like most, I started with Dungeons and Dragons, more specifically Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1^st Edition then had to move on to 2^nd Edition.  Ah yes I remember thac0 very well.  After college I graduated to playing both the Palladium universe  White Wolf and finally by 1997 I discovered LARP and with the exception of Magic, something I picked up two years prior, the actor in me picked up live action role playing and never looked back… for a while.

 

The reason for this blog is two fold.  One, because my previous posting was drama filled and I felt I needed to get things off my chest and there are a few games out there I feel are really fun and need mentioning even if they have been discontinued.

 

Dream Park

 

Published by R. Talsorian Games, this one shot is the holodeck RPG.  Or maybe it’s Total Recall since your PCs tend to not have any memory as to why you are in this weird universe.  The premise is you and your friends are at this virtual theme park where you enter pods to go to this strange world with it’s own rules.  Of course you have an ordeal to endure as you might have a specific goal to complete but half the fun is trying to figure out this domain’s rules.

 

What got me hooked was the GM decided to send us into a world that was always a rock opera and we had to save Iron Maiden’s mascot, Eddie, from Hotel California before the residents’ steely knives devoured him.

 

If you find this book it’s well worth picking up and playing.

 

HoL: A Game

 

AKA Human Occupied Landfill and its only supplement, “Buttery wHoLsomeness.”  This one I picked up while waiting for a magic game to pick up and I could not put it down.  Now to warn you it’s chock full of crude adult humor and quite possibly many people couldn’t make sense of it.  I did, and even went so far as to run an event at GenCon with it using South Park as a theme.  It was independent then later picked up by White Wolf for their Black Dog line that didn’t last long.  Still if you want a game for a good riot of a time that goes with the lines of Cards Against Humanity, find this game.

 

Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game

 

Because of the rise to prominence of Game of Thrones, the Amber books, written by Roger Zelazny, has started to slip into obscurity.  The DRPG was based off the books and because it’s diceless can be done pretty much anywhere.  With my circle of friends it was always started with the question, “Where are you and what are you doing?”  Easily can take the time away on long car rides or waiting at the doctor’s office.  It’s hard to find copies of this one because Palladium bought the rights to Phage Press’s books but haven’t done jack squat about it but it’s a game that you can easily run a campaign for years on end.  That is if you’re into that sort of thing.  And being a god doesn’t hurt either.

 

Well, that’s my contribution for now.  Lets hope later days won’t include such drama like today did.

 

TTFN

Watch the Birdie

A couple of months ago I joined this social network with the only purpose that I had to in order to have a chance to get a residency on Amtrak, otherwise I couldn't even fathom joining it because I thought it was silly and a waste of time but mainly because I felt I would never get any followers.  I am not that sociable, at least not in real life, so I felt my tenure there would be short lived.  I have since not scored a residency (surprise, surprise) but I am still on Twitter, gaining more followers than I loose and creating a nice little circle of professionals for myself.  Many of us writers where I see it as a community of support for one another it is something I could not see before joining and now I can't see why I could never had joined.  Like the line in the Hellraiser moving when the psychiatrist was turned into a cenobite, "And to think, at first I resisted."


"One of us!  One of us!"


I'm mutually following many writers, whether if that's what they do for a living or it's a hobby.  A huge online support group in hopes someone will catch what I created and maybe help me go to the echelon of "published."  But still it's kind of nice knowing many others are in the same boat as I.  And it kind of depresses me knowing many others are in the same boat as I.  I also have actors and singers following, very talented people, some followed me first and I haven't a clue why.   Some are seemingly become a kind of friend, but again I am always reserved because what has happened to me in the past with people and what tends to still go on today.  However I do have tweeters who I converse with more than others.  It seems I've developed a sort of report with them so it's much easier.  But for the most part and certain air of distance is required.  This is a much different animal than Facebook, an entity I don't use nearly as much anymore.


"Keep it Professional"


It is really difficult for me to not just turn to everyone and pull a Jon Lovitz, "Buy my book!  Buy my book!" or "Hey, you see that link?  That goes to where my books can be bought.  Hint hint."  You think merely mentioning such low behavior in this blog is bad enough, but just look to the right.  See, lulu dot com stuff over there, but I digress.  Twitter, I figure, is all about this international support group.  I mean, damn, I can always pull this up with the app on my smart phone.  When a tweet happens to my interest my phone informs me until I pull it up.  So when I'm not sleeping I'm tweeting.  I never thought I would be that person.  But what I do is tweet in the response of others either in support or antidotal in hopes that someday others will respond in kind.  Never mind about my bad day or why I'm so depressed or why the f--- can't my books sell.  There's a good chance my followers are going through the same thing so I've learned to keep drama away from everyone else because I definitely don't want drama around me.  So far I think I have a good thing going and best of all I've avoided the trolls thus far. (Knock on wood.  Then again I'm not famous by any stretch.)  Which now brings me to...


"I Only Have Patience for so Much..."


I am not going to follow just for following sake, unless I'm a fan and they have some sort of fame or an organization to the point I don't expect a follow back, generally I give about a week of following until I decide, "Well this person is definitely not interested."  Then I unfollow.  Again I try to keep things mutual and professional.  There are two individuals who I've kept around who don't follow me back.  I have my reasons for keeping them around, but for the rest of y'all I try to keep it mutual, professional, and respectful.  Sometimes it's difficult, but I believe if I keep my composure everything can stay flowers and birdies and bunnies, relatively speaking of course.  Believe me, those of you whom I have kept around you make sense being mutual followers and I hope you never unfollow.  Others, well... I wonder what possessed them to follow because they don't fit in anywhere with the community I'm creating for myself, especially those twit bots!  I'm sorry, I will NOT purchase followers and I will not tolerate advertisements violating my twitterverse space.  Fortunately in this case the "Ignore it and it will go away" method is the only tactic you can use and oddly it eventually works.


Others tend to be companies I've never heard of, never will patron, or just isn't interested.  Again, I wonder what went through their heads to think I would be okay to follow other than they gotta try.  Maybe this time they'll get lucky.  But for the most part, I guesstamate  every nine out of ten tweeters are not twits so are generally cool.


By the way for some of you who I have a constant communication on twitter, and you know who you are, I give you this liberty:  if I start getting all dramatic you guys have permission to give me a good mental slap across the face.  I should know better but there are days my mama said, yes there'll be days like these my mama said.  (Mama said, Mama said).


Now...


I just have one twitterverse thing, @RESIAMUSIC, amazing voice.  Check out her song on vevo.


I'd say ttfn, but I have two other blog entries today.  It's Labor Day; go figure.  One is very serious and possibly drama filled so you have been warned but it's something I feel needs to be said.  So see you in a few hours.

When is "Past" still "Present"

Here's the situation:


I've come to this quandary before.  Maybe someone can give better examples than the ones I will share today.


About a year ago I took my son to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.  I decided to make a pit stop in downtown Nashville, Tennessee first to eat at a restaurant that used to be in my hometown in Michigan.  Gibson Guitars moved it down there and put it in the tourist area of downtown.  It has since been closed, but the conversation my son and I had on the way open thoughts about something far greater in music.


We turned the corner and saw Johnny Cash's restaurant.  Immediately my kid started a diatribe about how he hoped he wasn't going to hear Johnny Cash's music as we walked around.  Lets not mention the fact we are in the middle of Music City USA and most like were going to hear that such genre but I quickly derailed his train of thought.  What came to me was, yes, the Man in Black's main genre was country, however, I knew his work transcended beyond that.  His influence is huge, international even.  He was just generalizing and I corrected him.  Later I forced him to listen to "Ring of Fire" and "A Boy Named Sue" and he did admit, he was corrected.  But it made me think something deeper than this.  We've lost Mr. Cash over a decade ago, however, his music and his influence still inspire, revere, haunt, and captivate us now.  Yes, even the American Recordings, because it is easy to say when Johnny Cash performed a song he made it his.  Few performers can do that.  So it is easy to say, when we speak of him it is not "Johnny Cash was" but "Johnny Cash is" ?


This is what I ask of you.  Add to this list because I am hard pressed to make it complete.  Of course this is just "music."  Nothing else in entertainment but "music."  I also omitted Classical because a lot of that music has, of course, transcended over many centuries and can tell you a story without words.  That's an art form that is hard to master.


So I started with...


Johnny Cash


"A Boy Named Sue," "I Walk the Line," "Ring of Fire," "Folsom Prison Blues" just to start.  Even had his own TV show.  Even the American Recordings from where I listen to his renditions of "Personal Jesus" and "Hurt" constantly.  I could go on, but I began this entry with Mr. Cash so I move on.


Elvis Presley


His music spans from the fifties to the eighties though he past on in the late seventies, I doubt many cannot think of Rock 'n' Roll and Rockabilly without talking about the King.  Starred in many movies, still has legions of fans, his home is a shrine that attracts millions of visitors per year and has conspiracy theories about his death.  Even was a voluntary DEA officer just because he wanted the badge, that takes balls.  Not only a huge discography but a legend just as huge, Elvis most definitely still "is."


Frank Sinatra


The Chairman of the Board succeeded twice.  A lot of kids can learn a thing or two from this man.  As a singer he was on top of the world as one of the best crooners but his popularity took a nose dive.  He rebounded through his acting which eventually led to the Rat Pack.  I understand that maybe his style could be stuck in a certain time period, but you can still take down the fedora, dust it off, put it on and waltz to "The Lady is a Champ" or "New York, New York."  I still find myself singing at the top of my lungs when "I Gotta be Me" comes on my MP3 player in the car.   "Send in the Clowns"  I could go on and on... He did it his own way, love him or hate him, that's why Francis Albert Sinatra "Is."


Jimi Hendrix


Even if you were able to "beat" him, you could never copy him and definitely NEVER eclipse him.  An analogy I can give to Hendrix's guitar artistry is that to Hunter S. Thompson's literary style "Gonzo."  He's the only one... and nobody else can ever take it over.  "All Along the Watchtower" is a huge example of an artist make someone else's song their own with their unique style.  The thing with Jimi is I always find myself going back and listening to his music only to get something new out of it.  Whether it was a sound, a note, words, or a vibe, I never get the exact same feeling for his recordings.  Anyone could match is guitar work note for note but you can never capture his essence.  Lets not forget "Purple Haze" and "Foxy Lady," obviously.  I am sure other people can add examples here, but I'm sure it's easy to say Hendrix "is."


Michael Jackson


I may be reaching here, but here me out.  Well, not really hear me out, just read one word:  "Thriller."  I still have that cassette tape, I still listen to the title track religiously on Halloween (It's a staple) and to be honest, I can't find a bad track on the album.  Yes, he got "eccentric."  To be honest I would love to have my own amusement park and have a pet monkey.  Plus there was a statue of him in Prague.  "Bad" is good, "Dirty Diana" is good, "Black and White" is good, "Leave me Alone" is good... so on and so on.  I remember when he grabbed the world by storm and really didn't let go.  I almost agree with Harlan Ellison when he said "Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer of our time."  He's one of the greatest... but Michael Jackson still "is."


Janis Joplin


This is a somewhat harder choice.  I don't want people coming down and yelling all 27 club members should be included with this list just because Janis is on it.  She is an icon of rock.  There's no denying it.  "Piece of your Heart" with Big Brother and the Holding Company and "Me and Bobby McGee" released posthumously, eerie makes you feel like she's still there.  The impression she left on the few recordings there are around is so strong it nails you in the heart and knocks you to your knees if you are not careful.  That's why Janis "is."


Freddie Mercury


Okay, I'll admit I'm being sentimental.  I've always been a huge fan, so maybe it's giving me kaleidoscope eyes but when you watch past performances you have to admit you wish you were there.  I got to see their Live Aid performance on television... not at Wembley (Still was great) and he created until he passed on.  Granted, the man had fame himself, but he, like many before and quite possibly many after, created something that made him live forever.  The previous people did on this list, so did Freddie Mercury.  He is also the reason why I wish to create something that becomes famous in my writing.  I just hope not infamous.  Two examples; "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We are the Champions."  These songs will live on forever and are two examples of many why Freddie Mercury "is."
Les Paul


Someone who I follow on twitter would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't mention this legend.  I have seen performances of this man many times including one live.  He possessed two of the fastest hands on the strings of the guitar I doubt anyone can copy now.  Those who have never seen one of Les Paul's performances go look on YouTube at the very least.  It will blow your mind.  His guitar play seemed very simple and clear yet masterfully complex at the same time.  The very reason to this day Gibson's iconic guitar is called the Les Paul and Les Paul just simply "is."


Now, you guys have got to think of others.  There must be more.  Especially women.  I can't just have one woman on this immortal list.  I must be missing someone.  If you do chime in with one please be nice about it.  Don't be hatin' and I will give it equal respect on not being hatin' back.


Now....


I am currently reading Galactic Energies by Luca Rossi.  Now the author writes under the "Erotic" genre however there are enough sci fi and thriller elements in this book that it's erotic nature does not make it a distraction.  Rather, it has been working well with the story's plot; I cannot put this book down.  I will go as far as it is raw and elegant at the same time.  Aged 18 plus though, but it's really good.


And...


K.M. Weiland has a free short story when you join her mailing list.  I highly recommend it.  It will encourage you to check out her other stuff.


Well I guess that's it for this time.


ttfn

Not My Normal Sunday Blog Post: An Experiment in Self Service? (or) A Possible Contest?

It's been four years or so since I finished writing a book.  Apparently that's been long enough for dust to collect on said book when I pulled it off the shelf to look at it again to analyze a few things.


First, I was looking for my "gratuitous"  Zelazny moment in writing this novel and each of my three novels has one of these moments.  To elaborate, what I call a "Zelazny" moment is when a paragraph takes a full page or more to end.  If anyone has read  Nine Princes of Amber or any other of the five books that make up the Amber Chronicles you would notice right away that the main protagonist, Corwin, tends to ramble.  And I don't me ramble as to over elaborate on simplicity, rather, this man loved to hear himself speak.  Paragraphs tend to take, not one, not two, nor three, but up to five pages of text before the bloody paragraph was over.  After a while, usually when I would go back to reading the book again, I would just pass by these speeches to one's self by saying, "Words...ah, words....ah, words...words...more words..." until it was over.  With my three novels, I am guilty of it every time.  Granted, thank the fates, not nearly as bad as five pages.


So I found it in Daemon starting on page 58 and ending on page 60.  Normally I would mark that area with a book mark, but somehow the one on this one vanished.  In Shifter the offense is on page 73 to page 74, and that one began a frakking chapter.  And finally, in the train wreck that is Machete Mauler it begins on page 104 and ends on page 106.  I'm sure that one is really one big writing mistake since it is my first novel and a huge headache on many levels.  All the more reason why I wished it can stay in the shadows, but probably never will.  Here's why:


Back in 2005 I created my first self published book entitled Listen Like Fiends.  It was a collection of short stories that spanned over twenty years.  Also it contained that previously mentioned first novel.  (Shudders)  However I have been entertaining the idea on doing a redo on the collection without having that novel in it.  I've written a few short stories and a novelette since then, however there's a slight problem.  Well, make that problems.


Number one:  I paid nearly a grand to get it published, but with that grand came an ISBN number, a copywrite date and a LoC number plus the ability to sell it on Ingram books.  The company I went with weren't entirely truthful with their claims, as the local Barnes & Noble story was happy to point out to me a period after my self publishing, but I'm pretty sure at the time I had more going for me that most.  Yeah, sure, lets go with that.


Secondly: The company I went with constantly calls me up with "unbelievable offers!" for my book's exposure if I pay a nominal fee.  I paid a grand.  With me that's about as nominal as you are going to get with me.  Also, the telemarketers who call me up always have a problem with pronouncing the word "Fiends."  They believe it reads "Friends."  Now I have tried in correcting them and even asking them to spell the last word in the title.  Once they do I then ask them to pronounce it, which they do incorrectly.  Now, whenever I make the mistake in answering their phone call, if they mispronounce the word, and they ALWAYS do, I just say, "I'm sorry, you mispronounced the title again, au revior."  And hang up.  Yeah, I'm being a dick, but if they wanted my money so bad you'd think they'd use communication to fix the problem.  ::Sigh::


And third: Lulu.com, the website I currently have my works located is where I plan to put this collection, there's only one problem.  Under Listen Like Fiends it wasn't published for the public yet.  I can only blame my own procrastination here.  And since I took too long the files were permanently retired.


So, I have a preexisting book that I don't want to go away because it has all the official stuff on it, but, I feel the need to update it.  Here's where y'all come into play.  I need a title and a kick ass cool picture.  Usually just the title will do and I can find a picture that best fits it, but I'm gonna keep it open until the end of summer (Labor Day).  The one who can think of the best title will win a prize.  Now right now I have only thought of a first prize, not second or third, so as of right now don't expect it.  The one who can think of a title for me will receive the following:


The new compilation in special edition form (This will be with extra stories and ... ahem... poems) in case wrapped hard cover along with Daemon and Shifter in their special edition case wrapped hard covered form.  All the winner has to do is provide me with a current mailing address and i'll do the rest.  I'm not going to rely on another companies snail mail.  If it fucks up, I want it to be entirely my fault and cut out the middle man and possible name blaming.  And for the first novel?  If the winner want a copy of that I guess I'll get that too, if you really are a masochist.


Please send your entries to my twitter account only @daemondelall.  Not email through lulu.com or if you find something else somewhere else.  The only way this is going to work is through my twitter.


We now return you to your regularly scheduled program -


ttfn

Just Remember, It's All in Good Fun

So these past couple of days while I edit my first chapter of my new book and slugging through the internet (I don't surf.  I tend to fight through instead.) I came across this nice little documentary in hulu.com.


I'm a child of the eighties so I tend to regress back to that preteen and teenager of that time to stuff I liked a lot.  Usually that became cartoons.  Now I wasn't much of a comic book geek, though lord knows I tried.  For that stuff, in the end, it turned out to be The Sandman and Heavy Metal magazine (Yes I was able to buy them before I turned 18, go me.) and I had those collectable cards with the Marvel and D.C. characters to keep track of past history; kind of a colorful yet expensive version of Cliff notes.  But I ate up the cartoons.  And the older I got going into the nineties the older the subject matter the cartoons seemed to get.  Actually I think it got that way the more jaded my mind would become.  Tiny toons and Animanics became the pinnacle of this double entendre thinking before I gave up and conformed into the workforce.


In the middle of that there were these messed up colored pencil drawn short film cartoons called "Plymptoons."  I remember them physically wrong but too funny to ignore.  My parents tend to be in the living room the same time these shorts came on, mainly because we saw the ones being played on "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" but I remember the SNL ones too, and they dismissed them as nothing, mainly because they were cartoons.  I loved the "Argument" segments.  Every one of these films you just cannot help but laugh at them.  I also saw all the MTV ones, especially Liquid Television.


Now, 360 here, this documentary about the "Plymptoons" creator Bill Plympton and how the toons came to fruition, so to speak.  I give props to the lady who headed this documentary, she got Terry Gilliam to help do an intro for the movie and many other famous faces.  However, and I don't spoil it too much, but, The Hedgehog!  Oh, no no no. 


Just goes to show you cannot please everyone, not even me.  But, Ron Jeremy aside, I would definitely suggest this on your documentary's list of must view or even if you're a fan of cartoons/animation please view it.


http://www.hulu.com/watch/411924


Alexia Anastasio, @alexiaanastasio, directed and produced it.  Also, here's her website http://www.alexiaanastasio.com/ to check out what else in film she has done or is doing now.


A good retreat from the regular B.S. of real life you aren't really supposed to deal with on the weekends.


ttfn

Review, Not Askew

So second week on this as I search for lightning in a bottle.


First, what I intended to do with this blog, I still wish to do.  I like to comment on movies, television, music, books, and sports.  Sometimes I tend to loose the ability to rationalize and sound like a baby so I should have gotten a better grip on reality.  I hope a few of you can give me a good reality check. 


Now it's more supporting those who I am meeting on twitter and the plethora of literature, art, and music that can be found that not many people know.  That being said, I hope to get Kindle in the next couple of weeks so it can be easier for me to buy books and read them without breaking my checking account.


Second, this blog is about reviewing, and those few reviewers who I follow, and believe me it's like rule 34 but for reviewing.  If it exists as in pop culture, there's a reviewer for it.


A couple of years ago I supported a friend of mine who was trying to get with the website "That Guy With the Glasses" who has loads of pop culture reviewers.  Nash, @Nash076, was eventually accepted and now is a premier member of the site with his "WTFIWWY" segments and his weekly "Radio Dead Air" webcasts.


There's also the Nostalgia Critic, who started it all.  Linkara, @Linkara19, reviewer of horrible comics.  Film Brain, @FB_BMB, who "dissects" films apart.  Obscurus Lupa, @Obsurus_Lupa, who reviews the really cheesy, bad acting films that are so terrible they're funny and just begged to be mocked.  Todd in the Shadows, @ShadowTodd, reviews pop songs and actually plays them, sometimes better than the song itself.  Also, Diamanda Hagan, @Diamandahagan, is another reviewer I tend to enjoy.  This reviewer is more of the guilty pleasure type.


Another reviewer who is not a part of TGWTG is Derek the Bard, @derekthebard, who does his Chasing the Muse reviews. (http://blip.tv/chasingthemuse).  He's done a lot of reviews of cartoons and shows that I grew up with and also enjoyed while in college.  (I'm pretty old guys)  I encourage you all to give these folks a try, especially Derek and Nash.... not just because I've known them, but because they are pretty entertaining.


And lastly, the list of writers on my twitter is getting larger so my reading list is going to get huge as well as the blogs I follow.  Gonna be hard but I hope rewarding too.  Keeping myself busy is a good thing.


TTFN

You'd Think It was a Sabbatical

It's been long.  It's been four years.  But the reason for the huge layoff is obvious from past posts (some that I deleted).  This blog became "Wah wah waaaaah.  Me me me."


That's not what a blog should be about.


Lately I applied for a residency on Amtrak.  I sure a few of you have seen this either through facebook or twitter.  The problem was in order to apply for a residency I had to create a twitter account.  While naturally I was against create such a thing I couldn't even turn in an application without said account.  So I created one, reluctantly, and let it sit.


Obviously that didn't last long as I started to gain "followers" who I in turn "followed" back.  There is one big thing I have found out about twitter and that is to create a sort of "community" of professionals who can somehow support you and in kind you support back.  That what I have so far figured out a way Twitter can work.  If I know this was a possibility I would have joined Twitter much earlier than now.


Now that being said, there are two things that I feel need to be established here.  First, it's time I should do at least one entry per week, and two, I have a lot of books to read and review.  The first one is going to be Luca Rossi's _Galactic Energies_.  That said, I encourage you guys to at least look into this author.


Next, another blogger I've started to read is Charley Daveler, http://worsethanwas.blogspot.com  .  She's pretty good and I'd advise you all give her a chance read.


And now, I tend to also comment on music as well, normally best this, best that, worst, so on and so forth, but this time is to give someone a listen who's not well known yet.  Julie Gibb with her album "All My Yesterdays."  I currently have "Call Me, Baby" and "Cleveland" on my MP3 player along with "Woe is Me" where you can get for free when you sign up for her mailing address.  www.juliegibb.com


So I'm starting again kids.  Lets see how this stint turns out. 


One last thing; I've settled down to trying to finish what should be my next novel _Blood Water_.  The target is to get it done by the end of the year before I head to MagFest in January.  Self published of course.


So, TTFN