Month: October 2017

Fall is my favorite time of the year. Why, you ask? The biggest reason is because the temperatures begin to drop in the South and the changing of the leaves. Living close to the Blue Ridge Mountains is great for taking day trips up to see the beautiful colors; the fiery reds, the crisp burnt oranges and the sun-kissed yellows.

The second reason is because it means that football season is soon upon us. Now I know the season is well underway, but, as I sit here, watching our local middle school playing, and waiting for the JV game to start, I figured this was as good a time as any to type out a new blog post.

Thirty-five years ago, when my family moved to small town South Carolina from Hixson Tennessee (Go Wildcats!), I was a fifteen year old sophomore, about six feet tall and 300 pounds. The day I walked in for registration the football coach walked up to me and asked, “what position do you play?” And I replied, “usually third chair trumpet, but I haven’t tried out here yet, so I don’t know.” Yes! I was a band geek! I ended up playing mellowphone (that’s a marching French horn) during marching season, French horn during concert season and trumpet with the jazz band.

Anyway…back to football. I’m not much on crowds or noise, and avoid them whenever I can. But I like watching football games, and listening to the bands, so, when I go to a game, I tend to sit as far away from the crowd as I can and still see the action. There is just something about a small town high school football game; the lights, the stadium, the concessions and the announcers voice, booming over the loudspeakers, that brings everyone together. It’s one time that social standing, class structure or what side of the tracks you come from doesn’t matter. It’s everyone united for a common goal: to cheer on their team. I’m fortunate that I live close enough to my high school alma mater to come and relive those times, 30+ years ago, in the stands and on the field, cheering and playing. And, speaking of concessions, I absolutely love hot dogs! Well, the best hot dogs I ever had was at a middle school football game several years back. Our son was playing for the middle school, and I was at one of his away games. During the first quarter I went to the concession “tent” and got two hot dogs. Now, the parents of the players of the other team were in charge of the concessions, and they had a charcoal grill set up and had several slow cookers full of homemade chili. They were so good that I went back during the second quarter and got two more, then two more at halftime and again just before they packed up! They were so good that I started looking at their school website just to see when they were playing at home again. And it wasn’t even our school! Haha!

I also live close to my college alma mater, and go to as many games as I can, although, I admit that I haven’t been the most faithful alum. I wasn’t a traditional college student, but that’s a post for another time.

Another author that I have had the pleasure of meeting on Twitter is Richard Klu. Richard writes in the style of H.P. Lovecraft, commonly referred to as Cosmic Horror. His book, Cabals of Blood will be releasd October 30, and he put out a call for ARC readers. I used to read mainly sci-fi and horror in my teens, and even read some Lovecraft, so I told him I’d be an ARC reader for his new book. Since it has been decades since I read any of H.P. Lovecraft’s works, when I got the ARC copy of Cabals of Blood, I’ll admit that it took me a few tries to get into it. I went back and read some of Lovecraft’s works again to get into the rhythm of the stories. Once I found that rhythm, I had no problem reading, and enjoying Richard’s stories. What follows is my review of Cabals of Blood.

H.P. Lovecraft was an American short story writer around the turn of the twentieth century, writing in the genre of dark, horror fiction, sparking the ‘Cosmicism’ movement. While reading Richard Klu’s Cabals of Blood it is easy to see that he is a true fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s works, and that said works have had an influence on Klu’s writing style, as evidenced in his thoughts, descriptions and characters. Richard Klu does an excellent job with drawing his readers into his stories by painting such vivid and colorful pictures of his characters and the different places to which he draws the readers’ minds. He has managed to create modern stories while keeping in the tradition of Lovecratian story telling, and, like Lovecraft’s Cthulhu, Richard Klu has created his own unique beings that become recurring characters  in a lot of his stories. I think that any fan of horror fiction, dark fiction, science fiction or H.P. Lovecraft will enjoy reading Cabals of Blood by Richard Klu. I know that I enjoyed reading in this genre again, and look forward to reading more by this author.

That’s it for my review. I hope you liked it. If you want to follow Richard, and read more of his works, he can be found on Twitter at @Richard_Klu_ and at his website: richardklu.com

When I decided I wanted to write my first book, I created a Twitter account, so I could follow writers, authors, editors and others in the business. One of the first authors I started following was Welsh author, Graham Watkins. I saw his tweet for free books, and decided to go to his website and check them out (my most favorite words in the English language – besides All-You-Can-Eat – are Free Books!), and I am so glad that I did!

Graham, who refers to himself as an “apprentice wordsmith, learning the craft” has written several books in the genres of non-fiction (Exit Strategy – his first book after retirement and The Art of the Book Fair: An Indie Authors Guide to Selling at Book Fairs), historical fiction (The Iron Masters and A White Man’s War) and, most recently, suspense/thriller (The Sicilian Defense). He is a brilliant writer, who puts a lot of time into researching his books, so that he can present the most accurate accounts of his stories possible.

However, it was his books on Welsh myths and legends that grabbed me, and put visiting Wales on my bucket list. To me, the greatest thing that defines a town is the stories that come out of them, whether it be about its history, famous people, and, yes, its legends and myths. Graham relates some very interesting tales of people and places and events from Welsh history that makes me feel that I was there, or wish I could have been. I have always been a fan of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, but never realized that so much happened in Wales. I started out by reading Secrets, Stories and Scandals of Ten Welsh Follies. One of the stories I liked the most was “Tan y Coed”, which is kind of like the ultimate man cave, completed by Sir Charles Woodall in 1894. I then read Legends and Myths from Wales – North Wales, where I read “The Death of Arthur”. Sir Bedevere has always been my favorite Round Table knight! After reading The Iron Masters Volume 1 and The Sicilian Defense I had to read more myths and legends, so I bought Welsh Myths and Legends: 80 Myths and Legends from across Wales (cover shown above), thus whetting my appetite more for wanting to see and experience this wonderful country myself.

Graham may consider himself an apprentice wordsmith, however, I have really enjoyed reading his books, and will continue to read them, always looking forward to the next one. You can find Graham on Twitter at @GrahamWriter and at his website: grahamwatkins.info

 

Like many people I have a bucket list. It’s not a very long list. Just a few places I’d like to visit and things I’d like to do. I’m a pretty simple man. Also, like most I’m sure, I can’t seem to complete anything on it, because my bucket is so full of holes that I have to keep plugging it to keep what little is in there from falling out.

I’ve recently added a new place to my bucket list. That is to visit the country of Wales. Why Wales, you ask? Well… keep reading and I’ll tell you. My daddy’s family has been traced back to the mid 17th Century Scotland. Other than a few names, though, I don’t have much information on them. I do know that the spelling of my surname, Black, is of Welsh origin, and that the Black name is associated with the Scottish Clans McGregor, McClain and Lamont. Our tartan closely resembles that of Clan Gregor, who was labeled as enemies of the king and ran up into the mountains. My theory has always been that my ancestors were of Clan Gregor, who ran up into the mountains and into Wales, where the name was changed in an effort to hide and live peacefully, without  retaliation from the Crown. Again, this is just my theory. I’m not a historian, and my reasoning could be way off base.

But the reason I’ve recently added Wales to my bucket list is not to go on any genealogical expedition. It’s because I have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of one of Wales’ great authors, Mr Graham Watkins. Look out for Bucket List: Part 2 to learn more about Graham and his books. If you just can’t wait for Part 2, you can go to his website at, grahamwatkins.info, and check out his library.

 

Whenever I am near you, I can hear you calling me. I can feel you pulling me to you, and anticipate the time we will spend together.

I look at you, and marvel at the beauty of you. The way the warm sun glistens off of your undulations, as you glide gracefully, giving life to all in and around you.

I feel so at peace whenever I am in your presence. You are my sanctuary; my safe haven; my refuge from the world. Every anxiety, every worry, every care slowly ebbs from my head, down through my feet, as I give myself over, and feel you move over me.

As much as I wish I could, I know I can’t hold you. As you continue to move, I know that you belong to others. So I leave you, longing for the next time we can be together.

But shhh…I am the one here now, and this is my time.
(The photo above was taken at my favorite spot on the river near my house)

Twenty-seven years ago today my life changed for the better. That was the day that my trophy wife and I said, “I do” in front of a packed church of friends, family and a lot of other people from the church and community. After a year long engagement she still wanted to marry me. Go figure. I make no secret in the fact that she literally saved my life way back then, and have openly admitted that to anyone who cared to listen. If she hadn’t come along when she did I don’t even want to think of where or what I would be right now. I wasn’t in a good place in my life, and was wandering aimlessly at twenty-two years of age. Because of her, and her unwavering dedication to our marriage, our family and our home, I have so much more than I ever thought I would ever have or deserve.

Through this past twenty-eight years together, twenty-seven married, she has managed to keep me grounded and focused, in spite of myself, and I have accomplished so much that I wouldn’t have left to my own devices. I am the father to two very incredible children, whom I affectionately refer to as our  ‘adult offspring’ and of whom I am extremely proud. I am a college graduate, a homeowner, my truck is paid for, I am well-known and respected in my community, and I have managed to remain in the same career field for the past twenty-one years, even though time, wanderlust and ADD have often made me want to throw it away and do something completely different. Now I can see the light at the end of the retirement tunnel. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I owe who and what I am to her.

We have definitely pushed our vows to the edge of the envelope, especially the “through the bad times” part with our various illnesses. Now that we are empty nesters and she is retired, maybe we can focus more on the “through the good times” part of the vows.

Thank you, Lynn for not giving up on me, even though I have, and will probably continue to give you good reason to lol. I Love You, my trophy wife.

If we want to make America great again, we have to make America WORK again. I’m not talking about creating jobs. There are jobs out there. I see “Now Hiring” and “Help Wanted” signs all over. No…I’m talking about the ones who refuse to work, because it’s easier, and apparently more profitable, to sit at home and get a check, while I bust my butt to provide for my family – and theirs, too! Now, I’ve never been one to say we need to do something, then just sit back and wait for it to happen. I do have some ideas about this that, may or may not make sense, but at least I’m throwing something out there. What does make sense is the more people working, the more money floating around in the economy. Also, it gives people something to do…a reason to get up in the morning.

From my 21 years in my current career I know that there are barriers to obtaining – and keeping – gainful employment, such as addiction, mental and physical disabilities and educational barriers to name a few. I’m not a huge fan of big government. In fact, I’m anti-partisan, but that’s beside the point. I think that the federal government and individual states should be working together to put more money into programs and service providers whose main function is to help others overcome such barriers. I would even support tax breaks for these providers, dependent upon the number of people they help and place into employment-ready status. Unemployment is a national problem, and should be tackled AS A NATION! There are resources that the Feds have that states don’t have, and the same for states that the Feds don’t have. Merge people!! Now…for the big idea…read on…

The biggest issue facing many states across the nation is infrastructure. Roads, drainage, utilities, bridges and buildings all need repairs and upkeep. Taxes for gas and cigarettes and booze, blah, blah, blah, keep being imposed to “cover costs”, but nothing is getting done. Stop the fake check claims and put those that are able to work! The federal government needs to turn some things over to the individual states, but they also need to work more closely with them on others and make sure they have the resources to do what needs to be done. If a person can work, then you tell them, “You want your benefits? Okay, this company needs workers, so you are going to report to them and work for them. You will be paid minimum wage, and you will have minimum health and medical benefits for you and your family. The health and medical will be at no cost to you and your gross minimum wage salary will be taxed and deducted from your monthly benefits. If you refuse to work, or you lose your job because of your own devices, you lose your benefits. It’s that simple.”

Here’s where the Feds and the states come in. Employers can’t afford to hire a lot of workers due to salaries and health insurance, however, more workers would mean more contracts, which means more money for the contractor. The Feds would already be paying the salary for the extra workers through the above mentioned benefits check (thus subtracting their salary from the benefit check). Then you get a few insurance companies to offer minimum coverage for the employee and their family (which also could be deducted from their check), and the employer has more workers for no more cost to them. Offer tax breaks for the participating insurance companies and also to the employer for every one they hire full-time, once their economic status improves.

I hope this isn’t too confusing. Like I said, it may or may not make sense. From 1933-1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a federal program that offered work and educational opportunities for young single men. I’ve said for decades that we need to bring back a modern version of the CCC to rebuild our infrastructure. So, two things from this blog:

1. Federal and state governments need to merge and work together, and…

2. WORK UP AMERICA!!

I.

Oh, were it but a cloudless night, and the full moon was high up in its realm, then I would tilt your face up toward the sky, so that the man in the moon could gaze upon it and know that such beauty existed on the earth as it does in the heavens.

II.

When I see you I like to think that, somewhere in time our paths have crossed and, in that crossing of space and time, we smiled a little smile to each other, and warmed each other’s heart.

When I was a kid I played outside most days. Home video game consoles were either not on the market, or were a new concept (did anyone else have Pong?). I remember playing hide and seek, kick the can, touch football and other games, when I wasn’t jumping my bicycle over earth ramps and riding through the woods. This was also before mountain biking became popular. Well, I recently read a great young adventure book, The Adventures of Nick and Billy: The Mystery of the Rougarou, written by another man whom I have had the pleasure of meeting, Michael Hoard. Curious to know what a Rougarou was I Googled it. It is a beastie, well known of in Louisiana folklore, with the head of a wolf and the body of a man. Being a lifelong wolf man fan, and occasionally looking like one myself, when I get a little lax on my grooming, I knew that I was going to love this book, so I bought it.

The story takes place in the Louisiana swamplands. Best friends Nick and Billy have been waiting all year to have great summer adventures at the ‘swamp camp’. On the first day they encounter one of their neighbors running scared through the swamp and talking about the Rougarou! Not wanting to see their neighbor leave his lifelong home, the boys decide to get to the bottom of this, and their adventure turns out to be more than they bargained for, taking every outdoor skill they have learned in their twelve years on earth to get through alive.

Now, I have never lived in Louisiana, however, I have spent my share of time in the woods, and have even been in a few swamps. Reading this book took me back decades to the times when I was camping, or just building forts in the woods and making up adventures with my friends. I highly recommend this book for upper elementary through middle school ages, as it has great lessons about the outdoors, friendship, neighbors, love, persistence and teamwork. I also recommend it to anyone of any age who can relate to growing up in the outdoors, however you grew up.

Right as I was finishing the book Michael Hoard was awarded 1st Place for Young Adult at the 2017 SIBA awards for The Mystery of the Rougarou. So…if you want to read an award winning adventure, buy this book! For more info you can check him out at his web site, goo.gl/r6UnFq or on Twitter at @hoard_michael.

At one point in my career I worked with convicted felons who were either on probation or parole. Most of them had been ordered to do some kind of substance abuse program, and it was my job to refer them to the appropriate treatment program. I’ve never been an addict, nor am I naive enough to think that a person is going to stop using drugs just because a judge or releasing body has told them they have to stop. But I wanted to do the best I could for them, so I talked with a lot of them about their addictions, so I could get some kind of understanding as to what they felt and why they did it. I talked with AA/NA facilitators and substance abuse counselors, and even have a copy of the “little blue book” somewhere in my possession.

I recently read The Third Step by author William Lobb, and it gave me a look into addiction that far surpassed anything I had ever heard from anyone I ever talked with. It was one of those books that, even though I couldn’t relate to the main character, Frankie’s, need for pills and alcohol, I could find other things to relate with. This was one of those books that I found myself losing sleep over, because the deeper Frankie went, the deeper I went, too. I just didn’t want to stop reading. In a review I posted, I said that any one of us could be Frankie. We all have our gods and our demons. Frankie’s may have just been one and the same. The ultimate internal battle between good and evil.

Frankie danced with the devil while trying to gain an understanding of who he thought God was to others and himself. Did he figure it out? I strongly suggest you read it for yourself and find out. This is a great book that will make you wonder, at times, if it is fiction or biography. William Lobb has written what he knows. I’m glad he has put that part of his life behind him, and has written this deep insight into addiction and human condition.