BS alert! Amazon currently allows 7 days to return ebooks – and that MUST change. A petition you need to sign…

Click on the image to sign the petition

Amazon’s current policy for E-books – from Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200144510)

Returning Kindle Books

Books you purchase from the Kindle Store are eligible for return and refund if we receive your request within seven days of the date of purchase. Once a refund is issued, you’ll no longer have access to the book. To request a refund and return content, visit Manage Your Kindle, Click the Actions button next to the title you’d like to return, and select Return for refund, or contact customer service.

I’m trying to move up through the Goodreads ranks, and I could sure use your help :)

Good morning, all! I’m on several lists on Goodreads, and sure could use some votes…a vote on any or all lists is surely appreciated 🙂

Vote on “Great Indie Novels”

Vote on “New Authors to Read”

Vote on “Best Debut Authors”

Thanks, everyone!

I’m trying to move up through the Goodreads ranks, and I could sure use your help :)

Good morning, all! I’m on several lists on Goodreads, and sure could use some votes…a vote on any or all lists is surely appreciated 🙂

Vote on “Great Indie Novels”

Vote on “New Authors to Read”

Vote on “Best Debut Authors”

Thanks, everyone!

Hey y’all! “Verses of Athine”, the newest “Daughters of Ares Chronicles” volume by my buddy Shannon Mcroberts, is out on Smashwords…get it today!

Click on the cover to get it on Smashwords!

Book Description:

Take what you know about mythology and throw it out the window…

Do you have any idea what Zeus, Odin, Pandora’s Box, Atlantis, Machu Picchu, Hera, Nike, Dragons, Vlad, Clones*, and Vampires have in common? Athine does!

The Daughter of Ares Chronicles follows Athine as she uncovers the secrets of her destiny while interacting with key figures from many mythologies. Athine is not your ordinary immortal born goddess. Learn of her mysterious origins, learn why Zeus hates her so much, find out where vampires come from, and learn what really happened to the dragons.

An update on Melia Taylor, my publisher’s wife…

I’m very happy to report that Melia had her surgery, came through it just fine, and is now resting comfortably in the family home. Tim wanted me to pass on his and Melia’s thanks to all who took the time to add a word of encouragement or pray on their behalf. I’ll add my thanks, as well!

Thomas 

Man has blurred the line between good evil and bad evil…

Think about this. Since the beginning of recorded time, man has had a whole love/hate thing going on with ol’ Beezlebub – and you know what? It’s still raging, and the lines between good evil and bad evil are getting badly smeared.

Good evil and bad evil? Let me explain.

Consider these gentlemen:

James Arness and Christopher Lee. What do they have in common?

Answer: They both played a monster in a movie. James Arness, sheriff Matt Dillon in the hit TV series “Gunsmoke”, played the monster in the equally popular movie “The Thing” in 1951. Christopher Lee – That’s Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee – has been in 276 films, including major roles in both the Star Wars saga and Lord of the Rings trilogy – and also played the Lord of Darkness (that’s Dracula to you youngsters) a total of five times.

Okay, now another question. What do actors Tony Curtis and Brian Dennehy share? Answer: They both played monsters too. Except – they were cast in roles depicting real monsters.

The legendary Tony Curtis played in over 120 films over 50 years, and has shared the big screen with such stars as Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, and Gina Lollobrigida.

And he also played Albert DeSalvo – also known as “The Boston Strangler” – who was tried and convicted for slaughtering 13 women over the period of a year.

Then we have Mr. Brian Dennehy. Monsieur Dennehy is the proud owner of two Tony awards for his work on the stage, has had roles in countless TV shows and almost 30 movies, his most remembered part likely being Sheriff Will Teasle in “Rambo: First Blood”.

And while he was at it, he took a few months to play a guy by the name of John Wayne Gacy (aka “The Killer Klown”), who was put to death by lethal injection in 1994 for the sexual assault of at least 33 boys and young men from 1972 to 1978.

 So. What’s the difference between these two groups? The answer is, of course, nothing. At least not to the media moguls. Allow me to give you a few more statistics, from a couple other sources.

Movies first. I’ll pick one of the most popular horror movies ever – “The Omen”. That’s right, the blockbuster that described the coming of the anti-Christ. It came out in 1976, grossed over $60,000,000 and was the fifth highest-grossing film of the year. Oh, and it was re-made in 2006 (that brilliant group decided to launch it June 6^th – that’s 06/06/06. Better yet, kickoff time was 6:06:06 a.m.), and was subsequently followed by four more “Omen” movies. Now, if cranking out a full-length feature (better yet, five of ’em) about the coming of someone who’s going to cast darkness over the entire earth ain’t just lovin’ evil, I really don’t know what is.

In fact, it’s a little disturbing how we fail to delineate between the baddies who are a direct result of a writer eating pizza too late in the evening, and nutcases who go off their rocker and start running around and killing people indiscriminately with rifles from overpasses. (“D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear” – launched in 2003). That’s becoming more and more prevelant, if you ask me. Too prevelant.

An even more recent example – the trial of Casey Anthony from May to July, 2011. For those who don’t recall, Ms. Anthony was brought to trial for murdering her three-year-old daughter Caylee. For a number of reasons, Casey was found not guilty, to the outrage of many. In fact, it’s widely believed that during the time of the trial, Ms. Anthony was the most hated person in the country. And in 2013, only 18 months later? Rob Lowe played head prosecutor Jeff Ashton in the Lifetime movie “Prosecuting Casy Anthony”. Funny, huh?

Now, the case can be made that it’s all just entertainment. That even if the story is about a real life horror, it’s interesting to see how some of the most vicious killers in history came to perform their agregious deeds. Okay, fair enough. I have to admit that peeking behind the curtain to see what makes a man (or woman) morph into a murderer can be a fascinating prospect. But, we’ve blurred the line and allowed the dark world of genuine villians to meld in with ours.

Maybe this will show you what I mean. The video game has become one of the most prevalent pasttimes for young folks from five to 25. And you know, they’re fun. My son is 16, and when he was younger, he and I spent many an hour battling nazis (no, I’m not going to capitalize the term – sue me), and blowing zombies to Kingdom Come. But, I find it disturbing when a game that allows you to execute cops, women, and old people is one of the highest selling video games ever.

(Grand Theft Auto, all five versions of it). In fact, Grand Theft Auto IV sold 3.6 million copies the first day, and sole 6 million over the first week, garnering $500 million in sales. And I’ve played it. You think a game about World War II is violent? Picture a city street crowded with people and a guy with a shotgun, machete, and basball bat running around and shooting, beating, and slicing anybody he wants. Complete with blood, screaming, the sound of the blows and crunching of bones. That, my friends, is brutal.

 Can I hear you say Columbine? Virginia Tech? Sandy Hook?

Now, I’m all into the supernatural monster stuff. Let’s face it – if werewolves didn’t exist (at least, in legend), I’d have had to write about the Grand Canyon in my debut novel. Or maybe the mating habits of the Great Horned Owl. Compelling, huh? Nope, I’m lovin’ being smack dab in the middle of a writing world that embraces any book that will scare the snot out of you.

 But all that other garbage? I say we take all the real-life stuff I’ve mentioned here, add in any I didn’t, set them on fire, and sip a crisp Chardonney while we watch it burn. Because, see, all the folks who step across the line and kill don’t deserve to be glorified. They need to be put away (either for life or without one, either way suits me ) and forgotten. Let the scientists and psychologists figure out what went wrong. We’ve already smeared the line between the imagined evil and the real McCoy for far too long.

Trust me, my friends, werewolves are a lot less dangerous.

 

 

I’m asking for prayers for Melia Taylor, my publisher’s wife…

Tim and Melia are going through a tremendously difficult time right now. Melia is battling a disease that I’ve come to hate with a red-eyed fire – cancer. In fact, she’s going under the knife tomorrow in an attempt to rid herself of it, and she could use all our prayers. I would ask that you comment on this post in a show of support and love. Thank you so much.

Thomas

 

Good morning “The Clearing” blog tour continues this morning – I interview with my dear friend Donna Galanti – and also a giveaway of “The Clearing” AND copies of my new paranomal short “Do Unto Others” – come join us!

Click on the cover to go to the post and the giveaway!

Book Description:

After twenty years in the Marine Corps, Major Frank Cutlip comes home to the quiet hills of his beloved Pennsylvania to take up a new life as the sheriff of Allegheny County.
Professor Beth Lowe took up a post at Paxton University because she became enamored with western Pennsylvania’s charms, a more enduring love than she thought she would ever feel for a man.
When Beth’s dog is savaged by wolves, their peaceful lives are shattered, and their fates entwined. On the brink of death, the dog not only survives but grows larger… and more vicious. A thousand-year cycle of carnage is reaching its climax once more, and the peaceful wooded hills will soon be smeared with blood. 
Sheriff Cutlip leads his community in a hunt for the hidden terror, but then his own brother is bitten, his blood corrupted by the ancient evil. The sheriff must confront terrible choices, and he can’t do so alone.

‘The Clearing’ — a novel of ordinary people thrown together in extraordinary circumstances. 

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

An excerpt:

Beth punched the sheriff’s number into her phone as she pulled out of the parking lot. “Sheriff’s office,” came a high, evenly modulated voice, “Deputy Gibbons speaking.”

“Good morning, Deputy. I wanted to report that my dog has been bitten by a wild animal of some kind.”

“Yes, ma’am. Your name, please?”

“Beth Lowe.”

“Alright, Ms. Lowe, when did this happen?”

“My dog got out of the yard last night, and was gone all night. When he came home this morning, he had been bitten on the neck. He seems to be fine, but I thought you should know.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “You say it happened last night?”

Something in the deputy’s tone rang an alarm, “Yes, that’s right. Why?”

“Nothing, ma’am. What’s your address and phone number please?”

She recited the information, and the deputy thanked her, told her the sheriff would be in touch, and hung up. What was with him? she thought. He had sounded so spooked.

Back at the house, the ladies laid extra blankets in the dog’s bed, filled his food bowl, and attempted to put Flapjack down to rest. He would have none of it, and bounced around the room, mouth a’barkin’ and tail a’waggin’. As he paused to catch his breath, Barlow the cat strolled in casually. The moment his eyes fell upon Flapjack, he froze. He didn’t hiss, fluff up, or bare his teeth. He remained in position, one paw poised in mid stride, his yellow orbs fixed upon the dog. Flapjack slowly turned his head. Rising to his feet, he gradually lowered his head and regarded the feline with a level stare. They both remained in their respective positions while both Beth and Lizzie sat transfixed.

The ring of the telephone jarred everyone, and Beth stood to answer it, her eyes on Flapjack as he shook his head slightly, as if waking from a trance. For his part, Barlow seemed content to offer Lizzie an opportunity to scratch his ears, but he cut a wide circle around the dog to do so. Beth would later recall this was the last day she would see her two pets in each other’s company.

 

An excerpt from the article I wrote about the origins of the werewolf – and a link to the giveaway of “The Clearing” AND copies of my new paranomal short “Do Unto Others”!

Click on the cover to read the rest of the post and the giveaway!

Excerpt:

Werewolf.

 

Read that word, then close your eyes. Go ahead – see what pops up.

 

It was pretty gruesome, right? Right. Because no matter your age, gender or geographic location, that word will summon some kind of savage, snarling baddie. You know why? Because, from Lon Chaney, Jr. as a loping, agonized werewolf (“The Wolfman” – 1941), to Jack Nicholson’s transformation from a worn out, tired publisher to a cock-sure lady’s man as the result of a werewolf bite (The movie “Wolf” in 1994), Loup Garoux is one of the oldest – and most beloved – monsters in history….

“The Clearing is on some lists on Goodreads and it could sure use your help “_

Hey all! Well, my book is now on about six lists on Goodreads. I’d sure appreciate some votes. As you know, visibility is the name of the game. Votes on any or all of the lists are much appreciated!

Click on the cover to vote for it!

An excerpt:

Beth punched the sheriff’s number into her phone as she pulled out of the parking lot. “Sheriff’s office,” came a high, evenly modulated voice, “Deputy Gibbons speaking.”

“Good morning, Deputy. I wanted to report that my dog has been bitten by a wild animal of some kind.”

“Yes, ma’am. Your name, please?”

“Beth Lowe.”

“Alright, Ms. Lowe, when did this happen?”

“My dog got out of the yard last night, and was gone all night. When he came home this morning, he had been bitten on the neck. He seems to be fine, but I thought you should know.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “You say it happened last night?”

Something in the deputy’s tone rang an alarm, “Yes, that’s right. Why?”

“Nothing, ma’am. What’s your address and phone number please?”

She recited the information, and the deputy thanked her, told her the sheriff would be in touch, and hung up. What was with him? she thought. He had sounded so spooked.

Back at the house, the ladies laid extra blankets in the dog’s bed, filled his food bowl, and attempted to put Flapjack down to rest. He would have none of it, and bounced around the room, mouth a’barkin’ and tail a’waggin’. As he paused to catch his breath, Barlow the cat strolled in casually. The moment his eyes fell upon Flapjack, he froze. He didn’t hiss, fluff up, or bare his teeth. He remained in position, one paw poised in mid stride, his yellow orbs fixed upon the dog. Flapjack slowly turned his head. Rising to his feet, he gradually lowered his head and regarded the feline with a level stare. They both remained in their respective positions while both Beth and Lizzie sat transfixed.

The ring of the telephone jarred everyone, and Beth stood to answer it, her eyes on Flapjack as he shook his head slightly, as if waking from a trance. For his part, Barlow seemed content to offer Lizzie an opportunity to scratch his ears, but he cut a wide circle around the dog to do so. Beth would later recall this was the last day she would see her two pets in each other’s company.