Remember Me ? (+ New Youtube reading)
I recorded a quick reading of the prologue to Blue Summer for your entertainment on our YouTube channel.
Andy Williams Said It !
There be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases
Long long ago
The Blob - Fighting the Red Menace
What was interesting was this concept of an unstoppable creature…bent on eating the population of the small towns. True to form, the highschoolers were trying to warn the authorities - but it was too late ! The monster noshed on increasing numbers of the PA populace, eventually making its way to a movie theater (which is in Phoenixville, PA), before the heroes can make their way across the street (in reality, 11 miles away) to hide in a diner before the Blob can be defeated (spoilers !). Bottomline, for this Cold War kid, the whole concept was a look at the spread of Communism. As the Blob absorbed more and more people - the redder it got.
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year !
As is tradition in the JES Campbell household, we are celebrating our (well, for me and “E”) our favorite holiday, Halloween. This year, we will be giving away free copies of both Blue Summer and Gruff Ending on Kindle during the month of October. The giveaway for Blue Summer will take place from 21 through 25 October, and for Gruff Ending from the 27th through Halloween !
Slipping the Gears - EP 9
Slipping the Gears Episode 9 will be published on Amazon Vella this week. The series follows the exploits of the worldly Gnome Nesrick Welemdiass as an inquiry unfolds into the murder of his landlord, the Widow Ramsey.
Delta Means Difference
The Delta variant isn’t a whole lot different, from my understanding. But the goalposts have changed from the day I wrote the above - now we have a vaccine; and even the low-end of the dosages offers some protection. USA Today reported (8/4 #s) The U.S. has had more than 35.3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 614,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 200 million cases and 4.25 million deaths. More than 165.3 million Americans – 49.8% of the population – have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Yet, More than 90% of new coronavirus infections across the U.S. are from the delta variant. Hospital beds in Florida and Louisiana are at a premium . According to Reuters, the contagion level for younger children is higher.
Why I Write…
Slipping the Gears (Pt 6)
The carving was neatly done in the bark, providing an almost life-like model of a cicada; one of many they had overheard on their journey today. It had been almost deafening at times listening to their alien cries back and forth as they committed to their mating dance. As she watched the carving, a spark glowed within it, pulsing for a moment, then lay dormant again. She waited, and as it again came to light, Chamylla could make out small, intricately carved gears turning within its fragile shell.
“Beautiful.”
She stroked the carving’s carapace, and it looked like it twitched, so she withdrew her hand quickly. From above, she saw some movement as two more of the mechanisms began to slowly crawl down the bark of the tree. Two more began their methodological journey from the roots, Another alighted from a branch upon high. Soon, she was staring at a dozen of the things, each with a pulsing light that beat faster as they approached the singular point of the original carving.
How the Weird West Was Won
The Weird West is a genre of writing that combines elements of Western tropes with a touch of other writing genre , like horror, fantasy, etc. Think Wild Wild West (steampunk), or Cowboys and Aliens (sci-fi).
Slipping the Gears (Pt4)
Last we left off, a murder in the small farm town of Ferncombe of the Widow Ramsey by an outsider, Nerick Welemdiass. Chamylla, an Alcolyte of the Temple of Pelor, continues to discuss their meeting of the Widow Ramsey and Nesrick Welemdiass.
Slipping the Gears (Pt3)
Last we left off, a murder in the small farm town of Ferncombe of the Widow Ramsey by an outsider, Nerick Welemdiass. Chamylla, an Acolyte of the Temple of Pelor, takes the stand at the inquest to discuss their meeting of the Widow Ramsey.
Slipping the Gears (Pt 2)
On Pet Sematary
Slipping the Gears (Pt 1)
The Conversation
Announcer : Yes, viewers welcome back to Conversations , with your host, Guede Nibo !
<There are loud applause as Guede Nibo walks onto the spotlit stage, accompanied by the sound of a band playing somewhere off stage right. Two purple and black striped chairs sit facing one another. A small, circular, silver table sits between them. Seated upon it is a pitcher and two glasses. The camera and spotlight follows Nibo as he shakes hands with the audience who sits in the darkness outside the view of the spotlight. The music cuts as Nibo takes to center stage, while applause continue.>
GN: Thank you, thank you … and thank you !
Support Your Local Necromancer
“I seek an audience with your village necromancer”
Recovery
What can be said other than to take time for oneself and ensure that you are taking care of your immediate needs ? Cleanse your thoughts and take time to b-r-e-a-t-h-e.
A Christmas Post
Christmas Eve came on a Wednesday this year, and although school had been excused for over the past week and a half, with many more days off to come, the excitement of Christmas Day was almost palpable throughout the town’s youth. The adults had been well engaged, lights having been hung about the downtown La Plata area, decorating the streetlights and businesses down Main Street. Advertisements for A Christmas Carol were backlit on the Port Tobacco Player’s marquee, although the stage would be closed for the holiday in preparation for the 1981 season.
Only Twelve Days More… (another shameless promotion)
Our current campaign is moving along slowly, so the story is still being written and we hope to get something out early in the next year. ‘Cause haven’t we all just had enough with 2020 ?
It’s the Most Creepiest Time of Year !
Winter has always held a, well, … “chill” … over my senses when it comes to comparing it with the other seasons. I think the first I noted it was when I saw A Christmas Carol (I think the earliest one I can remember was the 1984 version with George C. Scott, albeit I think I remember a black and white one from 1951 which I am sure I saw previous to this), and so always associated the winter season with tales of ghosts . This time of year also marked the family’s yearly trip to Massachusetts, and driving past the road signs to Sleepy Hollow as we passed through New York solidified this belief, and as we passed by the signs of Salem, ever drifting into Lovecraft country, my mind would race with wild tales.
Howard Moon had it right : Ice flow, nowhere to go…Lost in the blinding whiteness of the tundra….Arctic Death - Infinite night.