WWIV Book 1

FOUR WWIV Books are now available on Amazon.
Click here for more information.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Happy Friday --- I Think

There's a lot going on in the world right now. A whole bunch. And all of it is super important. Thus, I'll keep this brief so you can get back to those important issues.

Massive Blizzard Strikes East Coast

Two to three feet of snow, in places not used to getting that much snow all at once (much less an entire winter). Travel will be impossible, cities will be paralyzed, food has disappeared from most store's shelves. A true apocalyptic event (albeit temporary).

In Minnesota, we call that kind of thing Wednesday.

Will Smith Joins List of Actors Boycotting Oscars

They have a problem in Hollywood. And it's the second year in a row. But let's face it, this isn't a new problem for them. Have you seen many films? If so, you know they're not all that culturally diverse.

So a group of over-hyped stars (at least in their minds) with over-sized egos want me to worry about a show/event where they pat each other on the back and give out meaningless awards and make speeches giving undeserved adulations to one another?

I don't think so.



Donald Trump Continues to Lead in Many Polls

If you're a mainstream conservative, you grimace every time you see him on TV. Or hear his name mentioned anywhere. Liberals? They are hoping (perhaps praying) this run ends -- quickly. Not that any of their candidates has the answers.

Someone asked me the other day if I thought The Donald would receive the Republican nomination. Maybe, I said. But history is not on his side. Early front runners typically fade. Back in 2008, our current President was barely a blip on the political radar at this point going into Iowa.

And by the way, I truly doubt we will see a Commander in Chief in the next fifteen to twenty years that will make any difference. Our country is too divided right now. Until someone has the guts to fix that problem, the Bush and Obama years will be seen as "good times".

Here's My Point

Everything is temporary, people. The three issues above? Just blips on the radar today, gone with tomorrow's sunrise (okay, we'll have to wait a while for the political thing to play out). But in the long-run, none of this really matters.

Once the Darkness arrives, a whole lot of things won't matter. Of the three above, only a major storm (of any type) will ever have an effect on your life. No one will remember who won what award, who Donald Trump was, or even what life was once like.

Don't believe me? Start reading - WWIV -- Darkness Descends.

According to one reader, it scared the sh*t out of her.


See you next week...perhaps,


e a lake


(go ahead, click on one...I double-dog dare you to)


                           

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Best Selling Author -- Leave me OUT!

Consider the graphic below. Don't just glance at it, read it. Read what's written under each picture.



You smiled, didn't you? At least at a couple...the ones you've actually read.

Me? If we count across the top from left to right, I've read numbers 1, 2, 3 & 5. I've read plenty of other Hemingway, so number 4 will have to wait. As for James Joyce's Ulysses - I'm not sure I'm smart enough to read that one.




Show of hands: Who has read 1984

I create in the dystopian and post-apocalyptic genres. As such, Orwell's classic is the standard-bearer for me. But, this doesn't mean everyone loves the novel. Look at these quotes:

"I read it in (high) school, but I didn't really like it. It was weird." -Former Neighbor

"I think Orwell was on drugs when he wrote that book. It's so far-fetched." - College Buddy

"Kinda boring. I prefer Brave New World." 

That last quote comes from my beloved wife of nearly 36 years. How dare she! It is well known that Huxley was an alien from some distant planet, only sent to earth to confuse us. (Okay, I made that part up; but I get irrational when defending George Orwell).

When I ask people about Moby Dick, the reactions are the same

And this is my point. People find a master like George Orwell weird. Herman Melville is boring in their opinions. James Joyce...who even knows. Way beyond the normal person.

Yet, these books are classics. I mean full fledged, 100 percent classics. Even dissenters agree with that thinking. As for people admitting to actually wanting to read these epics... crickets.

I'd love to write a classic, the next Great American Novel

But I don't want people to think I'm dull, or boring. For me, I would rather have a nice group of fans who enjoy the fiction I create. I'm not looking to be forced upon teens in high school. NO! That would give us an entire generation that would read only one of my books, and then say something stupid like this:

"Oh yeah, the teacher made us read e a lake in high school. WWIV or something like that. She said it was a classic. Classic dullsville!"

Selling a few more books would be great. But I don't want to end up in the trash heap of literature! No sir, thank you. I'd hate to be relegated to the likes of Orwell, Melville, Joyce, and Steinbeck. Geez, that would be just awful...right?


Until next week, tell me how many of the six highlighted books you've read. Has anyone had the courage, time, and stamina to read all of them? Let me know.


e a lake


(books below are interactive, so go ahead and click on any of them)



                           

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Perhaps "won't you be my friend" is a better way to ask this. But you get the idea, right? Tell me you didn't hear Fred Rogers singing when you saw the heading? Deny to me, right now, you didn't sing the jingle!


I Need Your Help!

Yep, I do. And I'm not afraid to ask for it.

You see, I need "First Readers". At least, that's what I'm calling them/you. I need 15 to 25 diehard readers for my latest book that will be released later this month. I need to find every last mistake in this one, and you can help. And I need some reviews for Amazon the day it is released.

Here's what I provide to you:

1. An electronic copy of book three - WWIV - Basin of Secrets. Preferably I will provide it in pdf format, but I can be flexible on that.

2. A FREE copy of the paperback (WWIV - Basin of Secrets) sometime in February or March (when it is available).

3. My undying love and thanks.

Here's what you provide in return:

1. Read the entire novel.

2. Provide me with feedback on any mistakes you find, or any questions you have on the book.

3. When released on Amazon, leave an honest review.

That's it, really! I give, you give,  and perhaps we establish a long-lasting relationship. If we "like" each other, we can do this all again with the release of my next book(s).



Thank you for considering becoming a First Reader.


Have a great first week of 2016,


e a lake


(books below are interactive, so go ahead and click on them)