Welcome Back!

This blog has been down for 3 years...only reason I was on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook too much. Oh, and I couldn't get into my blogs until today.  Come on Google make it a little easier. Difficult to remember passwords 3-4 years old (You are supposed to change the for safety).

The Synchronicity War....Part 1 - 4 by Dietmar A Wehr

The "Synchronicity War" Parts 1-4, a great series of space war, future technology, robots, Artificial Intelligence and Time Travel.  What could be better for a Science Fiction enthusiast? One of the best series I've read since the "Foundation" series by Isaac Asimov!  Great characters, especially the AI's...even the short sighted "politicians" of which we evidently can't get rid of! The author creates a very visible future of humankind and potential risks of space colonization.  There are others out there!

My 2014 Fall Kindle Reads:

"The Blasphemer" by John Ling

"Radioactive: A Prepper Survival Story" by B J Knights

"The Decay" Survival Fiction by Roger Hayden

"Broken Lines" Survival Fiction

"The Dead Raod: Isolation" Survival Fiction by Robert Paine

"The Terminals: Spark", SF by Michael F Stewart

"The Circuit: Executor Rising", SF by Rhett C Bruno

"Titans", SF by Edward W Robertson

"Slow Burn: Destroyer" SF by Bobby Adair

"Slow Burn: Infected" SF by Bobby Adair

"Slow Burn: Zero Day" SF by Bobby Adair

"Noble Intentions, Season One" by L.T. Ryan

"Frozen Past" by Richard C Hall

"Tiger" by Wesley Robert Lowe

"EMP Los Angeles" SF by Frank LaFlamme

"Parker: The Story of an Apocalypse Survivor" SF by Ben Stevens

"Crash" by Michael Robertson

"Dust to Dust" SF by Scott Cook.... Its about those little Grey bastard Aliens!

"Children of the After: Awakening" SF by Jeremy Laszlo

"Raptor 6" a military action/adventure by Ronie Kendig

"The Dawn, The Bombs Fall" by Michelle Muckley

"Out of the Past" a Mystery by Renee Pawlish

"The Sun Killer" by Diana Dwayne

"Maelstrom: The Downing of Eagle One" by R L Young

"The Lost Alien Artifact" SF by V Bertolaccini

"Ebola K" SF by Bobby Adair...great and timely novel of airborne Ebola!

"Silent" by D M Mitchell

"Back on Murder" a mystery by J Mark Bertrand

"Deadly Stillwater" a mystery by Roger Stelljes

"Season of Blood: Midnight Harvest" horror by Elias Anderson

"The Shadow of Armageddon" by Jim LeMay

"Origin: Season One" by Nathaniel Dean James

"Irreparable Harm" by Mellisa F Miller

"Apocalypse: The Wasteland Chronicles" by Kyle West

"Buzzworm" SF by Theo Cage

"The Code Within" a spy thriller by S L Jones

"The Imperial Connection" by Edward Anne Charles

"Six Million Accusers: Catching Adolf Eichmann

"Wanted" by Nick Stephenson

"The Cold Pool" a mystery by Chris Ward

"Blood & Justice" by Raven T Hill

"Day of the Vikings" by J F Penn

Kindle Reads Spring 2014

"Angel Eyes" by J G Curtis

"Aurora Darwin" by Amanda Bridgeman, a Sci-Fi thriller

"Wildfire Chronicles" by K R Griffiths

"Hollywood Assassin" by MZ Kelly

"Officer Jones" by Derek Ciccone

"Taboo" by Casey Hill

"Witch Lake", by Lillian Bishop & Constance Williams

"Enigma" by Tony Healy, a Far From Home novel

"Rushed" by Brian Harmon

"Eye of the Witch" by Dana Donovan, a witch mystery

"Absolution" Susan Fleet, a murder mystery 

"The Lucifer Genome" by Glen Jeter & John Craney, a biogenetics thriller

"Resurrection" by Arwen Elys Dayton

"The Jupiter Paradox" by Hylton H Smith, quality science-fiction

"Rise Headless & Ride" by Richard Gleaves, a Jason Crane mystery

 "Deadly Aim" by Patricia H Rushford, a murder mystery

"Gingerbread Man" by Maggie Shayne, a witch mystery

"Thompsons Bounty: A Ship Out of Time" by Duane Gundrum

"The Angels Assassin" by Samantha Holt, a Medieval story 

"You Killed My Brother" by Keith Rommel, a mystery novel

"The Artificers Apprentice" DJ Edwardson

"The Time Crystal" by Ethan Sommerville & Max Kenny

"Revelations: The Merlin Chronicles" by Daniel Diehl

2013 & 2014 Winter Kindle Reads

"Mark One" by John Hindmarsh ...A thriller about clones!

"Off World" by Robin Parrish ...Mars mission goes horrible wrong!

"Immortality Gene" by John and Sheilia Chapman

"First Activation" by D.A. & M.P. Wearmouth

"Lion of Babylon" by Davis Bunn

"Black Monastery" by William Stacey...a Viking tale with supernatural repercussions!  A LibraryThing winner!

"The Fifth Crusade" by Mark Rutler...Another Viking tale of a master Icelandic Blacksmith joining the last Crusade.

2013 Summer & Fall Kindle Reads

"The Prophet" Books 1 & 3 by John Matthews...a thriller 

"The Martian" by Andy Weir...a sci-fi thriller

"Assassins", Book 1 (Waters of Destiny) by Ian Watson & Andy West

"Death Overflows", Book 3  (Waters of Destiny) by Ian Watson & Andy West

"Noir: Shades of Grey #1" by Kristie Lynn Higgins

"Dead Doughboy Walking" by Kevin J Hollock

"Jet" by Russel Blake

"Far From Home Legend" by Tony Healey

"Interrupt" by Jeff Carlson

"Atlantis Gene" by A.G. Riddle

"Red Star Falling" by Ian Hocking

"Maximum ride: Angel" by James Patterson

"Asylum: 13 Tales of Terror" by Matt Drabble...Deliciously Creepy! 

"Clouded Rainbow" by Jonathan Sturak

"LZR-1143 :Perspectives" by Bryan James...the very first Zombie stories I've ever read, pretty damn good!

"Virginia Day Zero" by Sean Cregan

"Blood Land" by R S Guthrie

"First Alien Contact, First Interstellar War" by Dennis Hiatt

"Primal Shift: Episode One" by Griffin Hayes

"The Aurora" by Adrian F Fulcher

"Gray Lake" by David Bain...creepy supernatural horror!

"Northworld Trilogy" by David Drake..sci-fi fantasy, very cool!

"Long Eyes & Other Stories" by Jeff Carlson

"Strange Attractors" by Jeffrey A Carver

"Neptune Crossing" by Jeffrey A Carver

"Total Secession" by Adam Cornell...a political novel of the end of the Federal Government! 

"Information Cloud" by Peter J West

"If I Die Before I Wake"....republished from 5/2009

“Time for bed”, shouted Billy’s mom. It was 8:30 PM and a normal, rainy Tuesday evening. Billy finished brushing his teeth, put on his Spider Man pajamas and came into his room, a very clean & organized room, a factor due to his mom’s fetish for neatness, not Billy’s.

Billy automatically knelt beside his bed, next to his mother. Prayers before bed was another of mom’s heartfelt nightly rituals. Tonight, he figured it was his 300,000 nightly prayer…or at least it felt that way to 4-year-old Billy.

Folding his hands, just like mom, he recited the prayer:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
If I should die before I wake
I pray the lord my soul to take

Lately Billy was starting to wonder about what that prayer meant. What was a soul? Why would he die during the night? What would kill him and take his soul? He kept these doubts to himself. He didn’t think his mom would like the questions, let alone provide an answer. So Billy thought in silence. He was starting to get a little worried about that prayer, maybe even a little scared.

Billy lay in bed, in the dark, wondering, worrying, and getting nervous. He had just remembered something Grandpa told him weeks ago when he broke a vase, by accident, at Grandpa’s cabin. Grandpa had told him the “Boogie Man” would come in the night to take bad little boys. Yeah, that was it, the “Boogie Man”. Maybe he came to kill you and take your soul?

The old house creaked and settled, making familiar, but still scary noises. Billy could not sleep. He imagined “Him” waiting in the dark, perhaps hiding under the bed? Or maybe in the dark closet, whose door Billy was sure, was closed only a moment before.

His soul, where exactly was it? If he could hide it, or protect it during the long dark nights, maybe he would be safe. Perhaps he would not die or have his soul taken by the ”Boogie Man”. A tissue dislodged from the headboard bookcase by an errant breeze, fluttered down and landed on Billy’s face. It felt like the caress of bony dried fingers, the fingers of “Him” coming to take his soul! Billy screamed. He screamed like his life depended on it. He screamed until his mother rushed into the room and turned the light on. The light saved him. That was the key, light! Light to drive out the darkness and the fear. Light to keep the “Boogie Man” at bay.

From that night on, wearing his Spider Man pajamas, and safe with his Spider Man Night Light illuminating the shadows, Billy was no longer afraid for his soul, of dying in the night…nor of that stupid, scary prayer.

Yes, Billy is safe….safe until the power goes out during a thunder storm, or the bulb in his Spider Man Night-Lite stops working! Good night Billy, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite!” Bed bugs?

Pending Post....

Newest Reads:

"Long Eyes & Other Stories" by Jeff Carlson

"The Martian" by Andy Weir

"Strange Attractors" Chaos Chronicles I & II by Jeffrey A. Carver

"Total Secession" by Adam Connell

"Information Cloud" by Peter J. West


Reviews coming soon!

"In Her Name: The Last War"- Trilogy by Michael R Hicks

I have not enjoyed a Science Fiction series this much since
reading the Isaac Asimov, "Foundation" series years ago!

The author has created great science, believable characters, and alien worlds.  Just when you think every plot and space exploration concept has been used up, like a dirty sock, you get proven wrong by a unique new author (new to me)!  Always a pleasant surprise.

I downloaded this to my Kindle Fire and found I ran the battery down before I ever put the book down!  I recommend this author to any hard core science fiction fan!  I plan on reading the prequel series of how the Empire started as well!

Hey Hollywood, these novels would make a great screenplay!

Wordstock has come and gone.  Not very well publicized this year, as much as previous years or else I was overwhelmed by politics!

http://www.wordstockfestival.com/about/

Review: "The Masada Protocol" by Lee Broad

A thriller set between the brokerage houses of NYC-London to the streets and countryside of Israel. Desperate to prevent another Holocaust, a rogue cabal of Israeli security and military decide to unleash all of Israel's nuclear missiles on a massive preemptive strike against it's enemies, mainly Iran!


The characters are intriguing and memorable...ruthless and highly believable! It is a great read, which I recommend to anyone interested in current topic political books of this type!

"The Traveler's Companion" by Christopher John Charter

This novel took a sharp turn from normal Science Fiction...an original idea!  "The Zone", a rift in space/time caused by mini-black holes, formed in a super collider, allowed individuals to create the world of their dreams, only limited by their imagination.  That it eventually made one go insane, was a minor side effect.  The plot was interesting, the characters memorable, and the climax appropriate!  I recommend this eBook to any hard core sci-fi fan!

I forgot to mention this was a "Free" Kindle eBook from Amazon!

Why I Love My Kindle Fire!

Before I had my Kindle Fire I bought the the Apple iTouch4....the apps beat the heck out of Android apps that run on the Kindle Fire, but obviously the small screen, even with the text enlarged to maximum, is difficult to read.  Enter the Kindle Fire, which I purchased in March of 2012.  The screen is perfect for eBooks, about the size of a paperback. Best features are the ability to change type faces, background color, text size and brightness...this really comes in handy when your a geezer and read late at night!  I don't play video games, so there are none...the news apps, weather, etc that I use daily on the iTouch aren't even available in android (WHY?) The Fire does play video well and Netflix works great, as well as MLB.TV....no it's not "Retina Display", so clear on the iTouch4 that you can see the baseball in a pop fly, even though the small screen.

Still, I made "trade UP" to the 7" iPad when it comes out...can still download eBooks, hopefully it will have a Retina Display" also.  Meanwhile I enjoy ready the Free Kindle Books available...there are hundreds, I store them in "The Cloud), not on my device! Downloads take only seconds...less than 5!

"The Pope's Assassin" by Luis M. Rocha

A great book with familiar characters from "The Last Pope".  As mentioned in another review, I am Catholic and a former Catechism Teacher for three years at St Mary''s School in Auburn, NY.  I have always enjoyed conspiracies of the Church as a plot in any thriller...there are many.  It had been about a year previously, when I read "The Last Pope" by the same author, but immediately recognized the main characters.  I look forward to new books by this author, and highly recommend them all!

"The Guardian" by Robbie Cheuvront & Erik Reed

As a Catholic and former Catechism Teacher for three Years, I am always intrigued by conspiracies involving the church. I found this book to be well written, and as far as I can tell, well researched. While written as a Thriller, it is also a book of faith in the Lord, the Church, and oneself! It was difficult to put down once started.  Many times I reread passages from the Bible mentioned in the book.  I found it an enjoyable experience and would recommend this to anyone interested in thrillers and/or Church conspiracies.  As I write this review, I can easily see myself rereading this in the near future.

"The Deep Zone" by James M. Tabor

This is an action-adventure novel about a new disease that is resistant to all anti-biotics (man made?)...first effecting soldiers in the Middle East it spreads like wildfire with a 90% fatality rate within days of exposure!

The only know "cure" lies at the bottom of a miles deep cave system in Mexico....the race begins! If you've been fascinated with caving or the idea, the majority of the novel takes place underground.  Personally..NO WAY!

The author also wrote the novel "Blind Decent".  I recommend this to readers of the genre.

"Agent X", by Noah Boyd

Agent X is a continued saga of "The Bricklayer"...a rather unorthodox part time FBI agent and part time bricklayer.  Steve Vail, the bricklayer, has no love of doing anything by the book or authority.  He does what needs to be done, and gets results...much to the dismay of the criminals in his path, many of whom end up dead! Kate Bannon is Vail's on again, off again love interest.  Also and FBI agent, she is more by the book and Vail's methods keep a barrier between them.  It is a well written novel and I look forward to more similar stories in the future.  I'd recommend this novel to anyone interested in crime, action-thrillers genre.

Science and Religion Readings for the Godly and the Godless

by Alan Boyle

Religious holidays such as Easter and Passover usually spark a spate of stories about the intersection of science and religion, and that's especially the case during this presidential election year. Some folks seem to assume that the scientific and spiritual ways of looking at the world are fundamentally at odds, but a new poll commissioned by ScienceDebate.org suggests that scientific issues are hugely important to religious believers as well as non-believers.

This year, there's plenty to choose from, whether you're of the godly or the godless persuasion. Here are seven recently published books to get your brain working, organized alphabetically and covering a range of perspectives on science and religion:

"Born Believers: The Science of Children's Religious Belief," by Justin Barrett. One of the common views about religious formation is that kids are merely taught to believe what their parents believe. Barrett, a psychologist and anthropologist who's associated with the Fuller Seminary, takes another tack, citing research that suggests children have an innate inclination toward the "God idea." Based on those findings, Barrett comes up with checklists for becoming a confident atheist (step 2 is "do not have children") as well as for encouraging a child's religious development.

"Free Will," by Sam Harris. The well-known atheist addresses the well-known paradox of free will vs. determinism in this slim 96-page paperback. Harris cuts through quantum claptrap to argue that free will is an illusion, but he also argues that causes and consequences, intentions and actions provide a basis for morality.

"God and the Folly of Faith: The Incompatibility of Science and Religion," by Victor Stenger. This latest volume from philosopher-physicist Victor Stenger argues that Christianity held back the progress of science for a millennium, and that the current perspectives provided by science and religion on the origins of the universe, complexity and consciousness are incompatible. Stenger also decries the negative influence of organized religion on global issues such as overpopulation and environmental degradation.

"The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion," by Jonathan Haidt. A social psychologist focuses on why people of different ideological stripes find it so hard to get along, and suggests that it goes back to our evolutionary tendency toward "groupishness." Religion and politics provide ways to define in-groups and out-groups, and conservatives turn out to be better than liberals at taking advantage of those natural tendencies. Haidt also lays out some strategies to break the us-vs.-them impasse that has made American politics so uncivil. (Check out the strategies at CivilPolitics.org.)

"The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain: A Neurologist's Search for the God Experience," by Kevin Nelson. Near-death experiences, out-of-body sensations, battles with the devil, religious ecstasy and psychotropic drugs all figure in this exploration of the neurological basis for altered states. I like the fact that Nelson doesn't pass judgment: "No matter if we could know how every single brain molecule makes spiritual experience, why the brain is spiritual will remain for many of us our most treasured mystery," he writes. "There is room in the brain for faith."

"Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion and Naturalism," by Alvin Plantinga. This book is something of a counterweight to Stenger's book, arguing that the seeming conflicts between science and religion are due to the scientific method's, um, methodology. Notre Dame philosophy professor Alvin Plantinga puts a lot of weight on the seemingly "fine-tuned" nature of the universe, which is definitely open to debate. And speaking of debate, there's an earlier book on this topic, titled "Science and Religion: Are They Compatible," which features a back-and-forth between Plantinga and atheist philosopher Daniel Dennett.

."Why Religion is Natural and Science Is Not," by Robert McCauley. This book draws upon findings in cognitive science and evolutionary biology to make the case that the human brain is naturally more suited to religious belief than to scientific inquiry. McCauley's conclusion is that the scientific perspective poses no real threat to religion, "while the unnaturalness of science puts it in a surprisingly precarious position."

More readings in science and religion:

•Gospels of science

•Stephen Hawking says God's not needed

•How to get a cosmos from nothing

•Richard Dawkins puts 'Magic' on a tablet



Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. .

Best Selling eBooks

I was surprised today to find out from the Wall Street Journal that a "Best Seller" category for eBooks even existed.  Indeed, even our affiliate Amazon.com has such a category!  For some time on my "Library Thing" site, many new authors promote their books via free copies of eBooks.  It would seem only logical to have a best seller list for them! As book stores and printed books fall by the wayside, the digital media will continue to grow.  Good luck authors!

The Top 10 Books to Have in Your Shelter or Hide-Away

I'd like to suggest what I consider to be the top 10 books to have in any survival bunker or hide-a-way. Disaster survival may be from a few days or forever depending on what happens. Reference books can be put to good use at anytime.

 

1. Bible
2. How New Way Things Work By David Macaulay
3. Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills By Abigail R. Gehring
4. Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement
5. The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook
6. The Vegetable Gardener's Bible By Edward C. Smith
7. The Survival Manual (Outdoor Life): Urban Adventure - Wilderness Survival - Disaster Preparedness By The Editors of Outdoor Life Magazine
8. Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture By Judith Coffin, Robert Stacey
9. The Art of Blacksmithing By Alex W. Bealer
10. Nature's Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants By Samuel Thayer

 

There are of course almost an infinite numbers but I believe these books will be a valuable resource for a long time. All can be ordered through Amazon.com by clicking on one of the links in the side bar! Remember, "Knowledge is Power"!

 

Current Novels Under Review

The gracious folks at Library Thing have provided me with the following novels to read and review!

• The Popes Assassin, 2011, by Luis M. Rocha
• The Guardian, 2011, by Robbie Cheuvront & Erik Reed
• Agent X, 2011, by Noah Boyd
• The Deep Zone, 2012, by James M. Tabor

Reviews will be published as reading is completed.  Thanks Library Thing!

The Secret Soldier

by Alex Berenson (C) 2011

One of my books from Library Thing, it is a novel of terrorism, political scandal and family drama within the House of Saud.

John Wells, former CIA operative is "hired" by the elderly King Of Saudi Arabia to stop a brother from toppling the regime after the King's Granddaughter is assassinated.

The race is on from covers locals in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Saudi Arabia to stop the plot.  with little or no backup from Washington, DC, Wells uses experience and skills to prevent what could become WW3.

It is an interesting read, and I recommend it.

Back to Reading!

After a 6 month hiatus from reading, due to my purchase of an ITouch-4 and spending hours per day on-line,

I am currently reading a Library novel called "End of Days", by Robert Gleason, (C) 2011.

Yes it's about the Apocalypse. Will do a proper review upon completion, stay tuned.

Local "Art" Papoose Style Baby Carrier

This is a beautiful product made by a local Native American Artist.  The top is leather, possibly deerskin. This one was $250.  Fabrics are Pendleton like wool, in various colors & designs.  Please contact portlanddesigncollective@gmail.com !  Phone in Portland Oregon 503-964-1231

I happened upon this shop while waiting for the light-rail train.  There is 4,000 sq ft of unique locally made clothes & products.  Check it out.

WORDSTOCK: Portland Book Festival

OK, it's October in Portland, Oregon and time for "Wordstock".  The book event of the year!

Wordstock is a literary art and education organization that celebrates and supports writing in the classroom and in the community. Our mission is to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people’s lives.
Our programs include Wordstock for Teachers, a professional development program for K-12 teachers that trains them to change the way they teach writing; Wordstock for Kids, our creative writing instruction program for students that works in the Portland Public Schools; an annual series of skill and knowledge workshops for practicing writers, called Wordstock for Communities; and an annual weekend showing of movies adapted from literary works, called The Wordstock Book-to-Film Festival. Our flagship program is our annual book and literary festival in Portland, by far the largest such event in the Northwest, known nationwide as Wordstock. We believe showcasing the artistic accomplishment of contemporary writers at our festival is one of the most compelling examples of writing’s power that we can p
http://www.wordstockfestival.com/