Political Year 2012

We are on the threshold of what is guaranteed to be a memorable election year.  And that doesn't necessarily mean a good thing.  At stake are political clout, parochial agendas, and fragile egos…oh yeah, there's also that American way-of-life thing, foreign commitment, and domestic responsibilities.  Although many parallels can be drawn between the Mayan calendar's 2012 and the American Political Year 2012, there are probably greater consequences associated with the American political year than the end of the Mayan calendar.

As the United States stands in the doorway of 2012 it’s a country polarized almost beyond recognition in red and blue.  Okay, so maybe that's an understatement on my part.  Each passing day of hope for common sense and compromise on the part of civic and political leadership is giving way to the bombast and self-aggrandizement of distinct party agendas…and NEVER the twain should meet.  Just listen to ideologues and party leaders on any given day and on any given issue.  There is a hatred there that dips its toes comfortably into the pool of bigotry.  It doesn’t matter what the issue is there is always a political slant--either negative or positive--and none of which is moving this country in a positive direction.

This all concerns me…okay, it scares me.  The daily political reality defines this nation as red or blue, but what happened to red, white, and blue?  Did we have a "Red Dawn" event that I missed?  How did we allow our social growth and development to slip back to the color hatred and ignorance similar of a few generations ago?

Where have these attitudes and standing up for "what's right" gotten us?  For the past year Congress as a governing body has been leadership ineffective--little or nothing has been accomplished.  Although, I must admit, they have become quite good at finger pointing.  But it does become quite tiring to hear blame placed on the President for issues that Congress has the ability to correct.  This isn't a dictatorship, so why does the Congressional finger pointing keep trying to give him that ability?  And as for the President, I really appreciate efforts to help veterans and their families, but the administration probably has a lot more in common with Jimmy Carter than the Reagan years he likes to quote from in recent speeches.

Currently, unemployment is being sustained at levels that are keeping our economic growth floundering on the world market.  Education of our youth has been dumbed down due to cost cutting strategies that large numbers of IT positions go unfilled because many of our citizens are not trained and qualified to handle the job.  Consequently, this leads to out-sourcing the positions out to international markets with populations trained and educated to meet the technological advances.  And the list of issues goes on and on--as does the finger pointing.

Not much longer can the American people accept or ignore what is going on with our leaders.  Like with any family there has to be the ability and acceptance of give and take to be successful.  Hard lining like what we are experiencing is dysfunctional.  Putting the progress of a nation in the backseat to a polarized political agenda is reckless and irresponsible.  And in the mean time these stances continue to drive the train into 2012.  Hopefully, common sense will prevail and the realization will set in that it's not red, not blue, but red, white, and blue that will be the road for our nation's success.

The Star Collection

The blood pressure has been down to normal for too long--one of the drawbacks of retirement.  Consequently, I reentered the ego consuming publication world, a world of predatory rejection slips and paychecks are the elusive dream.  Up to this point it had all been hobby writing and educational ramp up for this day.

Okay, so much for the drama.  This afternoon saw the launch of "The Star Collection" off to an editor's slush pile in hopes of capturing her attention as the last great hope for American literature.  And failing that, I will quietly take the $700 check and peddle my next brilliant opus down the street.  I'm easy.

"The Star Collection" is a flash fiction piece of only 898 words that reaches into the hereafter.  Built from the theme: The grass is greener on the other side, it follows an old man's transition onto the other side where he discovers heaven has been around him all the time.

The evolution of this work was a step out-of-the-box from start to finish.  I woke up yesterday thinking about star formations, and by the time I got out of the shower the outline was pretty much complete, as was the simple theme.  By lunchtime the first draft was complete and ready for some of the more technical research, and that night my wife read through the draft.  The next day (today) the final draft was ready, a potential magazine found, the story was submitted just after dinner, and two hours later a confirmation notice was received saying it was in the system.

Okay, that all said and done, its now time to move onto my own slush pile and final draft ready the next one.  No rest for the wicked.

A World without Borders

Gone is a valuable market medium for writers, whose repercussion will be a boost in the arm for electronic publishers and companies like Amazon.com.  Gone also is a significant opportunity for authors--especially new or struggling authors--to reach out to fans or expose themselves to new ones with face-to-face interaction.  Should be an interesting way ahead.

"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" by Ed Gorman

Although I have read Ed Gorman's blog for a couple of years, the Sam McCain mystery, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" is the first novel his I've had the opportunity to read.  Written in the popular detective noir, it was an enjoyable read with twists and turns that leads the reader all over the board as to "who done it" and pulls it all effectively together for the surprise ending.

Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the international situation of the time adds to the tension of the story--or maybe it just me having been really scared senseless as a child living through that moment in history.

Strongly recommend this novel, which has also left me hungry to explore other detective "who done its."

"Interface" by Mark Adlard

Mark Adlard's 1971 novel, "Interface" is the opening volume of his science fiction Tcity trilogy--a look at social engineering and evolution in the twenty-second century.  The later volumes include "Volteface" in 1972 and "Multiface" in 1975.

Much of the story is located in a megacity referred to as Tcity, which is located in Northeast England between the Rivers Tees and Tyne.

Adlard takes a look at the weakness of a utopian while also making a powerful point of showing how this could also be a feasible reality if societies don't pay attention to the working of their government leaders.  In addition, this world is caught up with a miracle material known as stahlex--similar to how our past generations were caught up with the developments of plastic and aluminum, to name but a few.  But this unique material is the product of a corporation of the same name that has also been running Tcity and its people for years.

The novel's most involved character is Jan Caspol, who will continue to make appearances in the other two volumes of the trilogy.  In "Interface" he is a mid-level manufacturing manager that comes to the increasing realization the good life of their utopian world has come with a cost to individual and collective creativity.  Unfortunately, this consciousness comes when the ranks of the city dwellers begin fighting back for freedom from them utopian world.

Am really surprised this book and the others of the trilogy aren't popping up on SF "must read" lists.  Adlard blends complex themes--and in some cases, he accurately predicts what's come--into a science fiction read that can easily stand along side works of "1984" and "Fahrenheit 451."

Found this jewel at Book Buyers on Lighthouse in Monterey, California (a family favorite for used books).  They have a considerable science fiction collection that spans the years.

Let The Healing Begin

The death of Bin Laden was announced tonight--an event that was almost a decade in the making.  He was the source of great death, pain, and sorrow that has littered our history since 9 September 2001.  It was the events he put into motion that resulted in the loss of 14 friends and comrades for their selfless efforts to put an end to the actions he put into motion or inspired into motion.  There are very few people in this country and others that have not been affected either directly or indirectly by this war.

Thanks to our special operations community this person is no more.  Unfortunately, it's a bittersweet moment.  Yes, Bin Laden is dead, but the violence and fear won't end here.  His death means pending craziness as others step up activities to show they possess the courage and bravo to provide the new leadership for al Qaeda.  Consequently, this will not be a time of renewed peace or a return to the world only ten years ago we embraced and enjoyed.  We cannot nor must not let our guard down despite this time of celebration.

Finally, this is a time for celebration and for many it brings with it a sense of closure.  So, lets enjoy the moment, even if it's no longer that hoisting a strong one for those who never got to see the arrival of this day.  This time belongs to WE THE PEOPLE!!!  This should not be a time of political accusations, running red or blue agendas, or personal gain.  I say again, this time belongs to WE THE PEOPLE.  This event is for all of us to let the healing begin--don't take that away from the American people.

"The Way of Kings" by Brandon Sanderson

"The Way of Kings" by Brandon Sanderson is the opening installment of his new series, "The Stormlight Archive."  Sanderson has come to the forefront of the fantasy genre through his work on the home stretch of Robert Jordan's popular series, "The Wheel of Time."  He had been selected by Jordan's widow to complete the series based on his early work, "Mistborn: The Final Empire."

Ten years in the making, "The Way of Kings" has all the earmarks of becoming one of the genre's "must read" series.  His depth of characters--both the primary and secondary--draws you into their individual worlds and keeps the reader engaged throughout the 1,007 pages.

Like all good fantasy works there involves a quest, and it's no different for here.  But what Sanderson adds to his literary strategy is the quest for self-identification or self-fulfillment.  In the case of Brightlord Dalinar Kholin it is an effort to find out the destiny of his visions and pull to fulfill the standards and expectations of ancient book, "The Way of Kings."  And for Kaladin, it his escape from the reality of who he was and who he is that brings him face to face with what must be.

"The Way of Kings" is one of the best fantasy works I have read in some time and look forward to the next volume.

"The Hero" by John Ringo & Michael Z. Williamson

"The Hero" by John Ringo and Michael Z. Williamson is a continuation of Ringo's popular Posleen War series.  This particular book is set about a millennium after the other main Posleen works--a time when the human race is divided between those who live around the core of planet Earth and those who live on the out fringes; the humans and the Darhel are attempting to come to terms with one another; the Posleen efforts are now more of a minor insurgency; and a new enemy, the Tslek, are on the horizon.

The storyline focuses on the Darhel member of a Deep Reconnaissance Team, one of two survivors of fratricide attack on his team, as he tries to prevent an artifact from falling into the traitor's hands.  This is a very simplification of the plotline, but don't want to spoil the story for others.

I must say "The Hero" is not an opus indicative of Ringo's storytelling talents.  It was almost like the two authors just threw something together in order to meet a publisher's deadline.  Most surprising was the lack of character depth of the protagonist, Tirdal San Rintai--not the norm for Ringo's previous characters.  Bottom line: a disappointment.

Fallen Hero - First Sergeant James A. Mercer

Dear Jim,

It seems apropos when General Gonzales called me this morning of your passing I was staring across Monterey Bay at Fort Ord (or what remains of it).  The shock of your loss brought an immediate gush of memories of our time there.  The good, the bad, the ugly all marched its way through my mind in an almost effective blocking action against the pain of losing someone close.

It was a time of challenges and new beginnings when 1SG Jim Mercer greeted his new commander at the door of the orderly room.  You, the veteran leader--okay, so you had been there only 30 days more than me (so zip it and listen, First Sergeant.  These are my memories.)--welcoming the brash new commander who was wondering what in the hell he had gotten himself into.  Much to the surprise of many we clicked as a command team rather quickly, which I credit to you as the consensus builder and common sense overlay for all we did and accomplished.

Through deployments to Central America and the first Gulf War we took our Soldiers and brought them all home--a great feat in my book.  Throughout this time you were always a crucial source of inspiration, experience, and fun.  I just can't imagine history being written any other way.  More importantly, you were there through some very troubling and dangerous times--and I'll leave it there.  Nuff said about that.

Jim, its unfortunate the spectrum of time is an unsympathetic delusion of what is and is not.  Although the memories it provides feel like events and meetings were only yesterday; yet, the reality is that time has passed us quickly by since the last good bye.  Now you have stepped off the Green Ramp for a heavenly deployment.  So I will not say farewell, but wish you good-bye as the advance party for the deployment that awaits us all.

In keeping with the mission protocol we shared too long ago:  "First Sergeant, I'll see you on the other side."  Good-bye, my friend.

Michael

A Writer's Working Environment: Music

As far back as I can remember music has always played a major role in my life, which seamlessly expanded into my writing environment.  Over the years of involvement in writing programs, reading the bios of authors, and in discussions with other writers I found it interesting the number of others who use music as part of their creative process.

I find when in work mode it can't be just music in general, but some times it’s a particular album and some times it's a special play list created to help get through a particular scene or even an entire project.  In the case of "Juxtaposition Reality" the entire HALO music collection (especially HALO III) is providing the working ambiance.  And with "The Dew Drop Inn" there are two selections that help with the creative background: Yes - "Keys to Ascension" and Roxy Music - "Avalon."  And the list goes on and on and . . .

Bottom line -- make the writing process fun.  (God knows the selling process is what makes this work).  You may not only find this an enjoyable working environment, but the creativity of who/whom you listen to may also prime your creative juices.

What is playing as I write this?  Jefferson Airplane - "After Bathing at Baxter's" and "Surrealistic Pillow."

"Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey"

Just completed reading "Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey" by the late-Nicholas Schaffner.  A very informative book on the foremost band to expound on its psychedelic foundation and still dominate the musical line-up of classic rock radio around the world.  There are a couple of drawback that tend to bog down the reader.  Schaffner gives an obsessive amount of pages to the rise and fall of Syd Barrett with unrelenting details on his eventual slip from the realities of this world.  The other is the often childish row between Roger Waters and the rest of the world.  Fortunately, there is a wealth of information and insight into the evolution of the band's creativity and thinking.  The behind the scenes perspective of the world's most iconic bands is well worth the read.

"The First Rule" by Robert Crais

Robert Crais' "The First Rule" is a return to my favorite protagonist, Joe Pike.  Traditionally left in a support role for Crais' popular Elvis Cole, Pike is a source of action packed drama in his own right.  Having spent over three decades in the military, it is easier to relate to Pike's temperament, his sense of values, and the frustration of what others see as right and wrong.  As a long-time reader of Robert Crais - "The First Rule" is one of his best to date.

HALO: Evolutions

Just completed reading "HALO: Evolutions," the recent collection of short stories from the HALO world.  The TOR and Bungie brought in a team of heavy hitter writers to help not only feed the appetites of the full-spectrum of HALO fans, but to also fill in some of the blanks on the ongoing HALO history from a intimate look at the infamous Dr. Halsey to the impossible life and mysterious disappearance of Admiral Cole.  A good read for the avid HALO fan as well as the non-fan looking for a taste of what it's all about.

A Writer writes . . . Always

"A writer writes . . . always," from Throw Mama from the Train is one of my favorite all time movie lines, and one I have been living by for the past few months.  Unfortunately, that may not be such a good thing; there are other things in life that either fall from the proverbial plate or get left in the dust.  This blog site is a good case in point.  Yes, there are other issues in this category, but I'll save those for a good therapist.

The intent of this site is to provide lessons-learned to other striving writers . . . or serve as an example as to why you should look to other ambitions in life.  Those who have answered the calling will tell you this is not for the weak of heart!  Alas, I digress.

Lets start afresh: The intent is to provide lessons-learned and provide some transparency to my way down this creative road.

A recent addition to the site is the "Currently Reading" list over on the right.  I can usually manage approximately three books at a time and will strive to keep the list updated (please note I am not a fast reader).

What is not up-to-date is the "One Last Hero" status.  Actually, the manuscript is on hold for the near future.  Originally it was stood down to rush a novella, "Juxtaposition Reality" onto the green ramp for publication.  Unfortunately, the magazine closed down; so, now comes the process of finding another publisher.  In the meantime, the manuscript for "Dew Drop Inn" its weirdness aplenty is in revision for a possible eBook.  "So the story goes."

Bottom line, the site will focus more on this writer's lessons-learned.  I think for the next posting we'll take a look at the music that helped to formulate and sustain different writings (am writing this to Yes' "Live at Montreux 2003").

See you then. And remember, "a writer writes . . . always."