tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27141795157550647372024-03-13T08:42:27.148-07:00Shaun of the Not-so-Dead.A blog on writing, the horror genre, and the occasional mad rant.Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-10274779255151591362023-10-06T01:43:00.002-07:002023-10-06T14:34:12.700-07:00Video Game Review: The Callisto Protocol <p>This game was lauded as the spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, and as it was being made, it certainly looked and sounded the part. Some of the people who made Dead Space were even working on it, trying to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was the original series. <br /><br />For one that loved the Dead Space series so much, it took me until the game was free for Playstation Plus members to play it myself. Maybe it was just balking at the cost of $70 - $100 for the game. Maybe it was because the streamers I watch on Youtube never got past more than two episodes of game play. I don't know why I really kept putting off getting it. <br /><br />But I'm glad I did. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwY6eaF9SNdPStdMjK9K8Gm3mKCpx2d6SbEmUIC52shSu0QkrKcsxABxIDyCwb5JYHjxpFLoFRPq2l_jqnbpKv9E2gQ-Y-v_w8py2JeS9DtAunr3K1gc66sDcCtIswZzHel3iMFLuSSu57ELdeRrskF0jTbvhYmGElR7fyftXBkzwsp6iG8qgtQXWdXk/s820/the-callisto-protocol.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="820" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwY6eaF9SNdPStdMjK9K8Gm3mKCpx2d6SbEmUIC52shSu0QkrKcsxABxIDyCwb5JYHjxpFLoFRPq2l_jqnbpKv9E2gQ-Y-v_w8py2JeS9DtAunr3K1gc66sDcCtIswZzHel3iMFLuSSu57ELdeRrskF0jTbvhYmGElR7fyftXBkzwsp6iG8qgtQXWdXk/w400-h225/the-callisto-protocol.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This game is beautiful. The environments, the graphics, the sound are all so amazingly well done. The premise, the people working on it, it should have been one of the best horror games ever made. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was rushed out unfinished. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That may confuse some people, as it wasn't plagued with issues like Cyberpunk 2077 or No Man's Sky. It has an ending and the story is pretty coherent. Different areas bring back memories of Dead Space 1, 2, 3, and even The Last of Us. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No, there is a full game here, and there's lots of parts that are terrifying, require skill, and that are fun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Where I started to notice things is a small detail in the first area. A screen that was part of the background with words. In a lot of games, you'll see screens like this that are blurred, or covered with symbols that are otherwise unreadable. However, you expect lore in a game like this, and a screen in English that's readable you expect to give a hint or two about the story going on behind the story. No, this screen was in English, it was readable, and it was gibberish, and not even in a "The guy writing this was panicked and freaking out while writing it." style. It was "The scene in the, the, they, wasn't in charge. Files are ready to transfer as soon as I, I, they, the.". It was either badly AI written, or it was placeholder text that nobody ever got back to finishing.<br /><br />The next thing I noticed was that there was no system to actually tell you where you were supposed to go. Games that are linear enough can get away with that, but this game has multiple paths at times, and it's very easy to get lost and lose track of where objectives are. In addition to that, the more linear sections tend to lock doors behind you, so if you go down the path, you're very likely to find yourself unable to back track and it's easy to miss things. <br /><br />Not that you have enough inventory to collect everything you find anyway. Multiple times early in the game, I was forced to choose between ammo, health, or things to sell for credits to buy upgrades. Off one beaten path I found a room with several items, and I ended up having to leave almost all of them behind, opting instead for the health packs and ammo I was already carrying. At 60% of the game finished, I didn't have a single weapon fully upgraded because money was so hard to save up, and a lot of things to sell were left behind until I was too far along to go back for them when I finally found a store.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmFoPh5h1nNiHBFd-s9oNzvXKU0q_9GdQ6kdG_JQIVRIdRg8b8ULkzfS4tvRo7jH9PYs8ADPaY5AT_xswq1thbF8_SuIr8S72FRWUM1lVnsn30yPTT0CyDXe5MpRrrRTQVHKOdJoO6VfRutKkxhyEUMb7G99qkGhmyN5l17ZJN7QIKRNH1JUyY_a9U6w/s944/the-callisto-protocol_6123324.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="944" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmFoPh5h1nNiHBFd-s9oNzvXKU0q_9GdQ6kdG_JQIVRIdRg8b8ULkzfS4tvRo7jH9PYs8ADPaY5AT_xswq1thbF8_SuIr8S72FRWUM1lVnsn30yPTT0CyDXe5MpRrrRTQVHKOdJoO6VfRutKkxhyEUMb7G99qkGhmyN5l17ZJN7QIKRNH1JUyY_a9U6w/w400-h225/the-callisto-protocol_6123324.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />Yeah, you'll want health and ammo over money.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Then there's the controls. In addition to shooting and melee attacks, you have a very nifty little dodge ability. Too bad in tight quarters and when you're facing multiple enemies it usually helps you get killed more than it saves you. I died several times because a perfect dodge against one enemy ran me right into another enemy that I couldn't dodge. There's also been a few times a dodge ran me right into a wall and not out of attack range. Hit detection when you or enemies are a few steps above or below is also poor, meaning you miss more often than not while enemies whale away on you. </div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enemies also have a habit of spawning into your blind spots close enough to attack you before you know they're there. There's even an entire type of enemy who's whole purpose is to blindside you as you come around corners from half a room away. (They grab you and then you have to fight them off before they drag you across the room and into a waiting mouth.) <br /><br />Finally, there's the bosses. There's the final boss, which is huge, terrifying and worthy of being a final boss. There's also a monster that's just two regular enemies stuck together that you have to fight off four times. That's it. Two bosses. One that you fight four times. The first two times you face him are also so close together that you really don't have a chance to build up your inventory from the first fight before it shows up again. Trust me, I scoured every corner trying to find health and ammo. <br /><br />That's a lot of issues, but the game is still playable, and a lot of it is still fun in spite of how frustrating parts can be. What it comes down to is the game clearly needed a few more trips through Quality Assurance. Having finally played through it myself, it's actually really easy to see why what should have been one of the best games of the year ended up being so quickly forgotten. <br /><br />Still, if you're looking for an action-horror game without worrying about the lore and love a good challenge ala Dark Souls, you'll probably love this as it is. <br /><br /><br /></div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-24633097704983173862022-05-11T10:30:00.002-07:002022-05-11T14:31:58.896-07:00What is the chupacabra? <p> If you're expecting a writing post today, I'm afraid you'll be a little disappointed. This post is about a cryptid, and a thought that popped into my head which actually explains it pretty well. I was trying to figure out where to write this little dissertation and I figured this would be as good a spot as any. </p><p>Now, it's worth pointing out there are currently two versions of the Chupacabra running around. The original, reptilian version from Puerto Rico, and the canid version in Mexico and the Southern United States. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwCWlXpDyWrIFFpcr7Vm8NcTMZtMfvQULYgqK_MQwJZ8z0MJOIRfXU4nhxZt0KwvXfq0s-NNEhWWjW68VplvdSgsBx_lBtE13QQycx-694vNdBai7DgCtZ9v9nidn5c2JVoP62tOrtX34u5HIqUNWubIezLGWpVYqFSioeuLZApRTzT06pvK487i4/s600/1160a5ea52d29c7feeeb5c63b9951227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwCWlXpDyWrIFFpcr7Vm8NcTMZtMfvQULYgqK_MQwJZ8z0MJOIRfXU4nhxZt0KwvXfq0s-NNEhWWjW68VplvdSgsBx_lBtE13QQycx-694vNdBai7DgCtZ9v9nidn5c2JVoP62tOrtX34u5HIqUNWubIezLGWpVYqFSioeuLZApRTzT06pvK487i4/s320/1160a5ea52d29c7feeeb5c63b9951227.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For this blog post, I'm going to be talking about the original Puerto Rican version. And what is this post about? I think I know what it is. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtS3xqt3SRh0pZwvNrQJpksa_79bI2sXzcs9V6zeCfXQglkr91XPJ3D39FjX7LGGXgKfwgr2x-SvARRfFO6kJ3Zg4biqDz1GeqUhuWWOQ-eVFv8SFizy4QtNIE11HOW1RqRgXFSq-wHgVf8CvJjEu2bTLWMVm93wLhDiiDjbdRGjsWm63eqrvYEHM/s1600/0387%20P1000491.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="1600" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtS3xqt3SRh0pZwvNrQJpksa_79bI2sXzcs9V6zeCfXQglkr91XPJ3D39FjX7LGGXgKfwgr2x-SvARRfFO6kJ3Zg4biqDz1GeqUhuWWOQ-eVFv8SFizy4QtNIE11HOW1RqRgXFSq-wHgVf8CvJjEu2bTLWMVm93wLhDiiDjbdRGjsWm63eqrvYEHM/s320/0387%20P1000491.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think it's an iguana. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're paying attention, you might already see some of the similarities. The red spines certainly stand out, don't they? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Your first thought might be, "Wouldn't the people of Puerto Rico recognize an iguana though?" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Actually, no. Iguanas aren't native to Puerto Rico. It's thought they were brought in through the pet trade in the 1970's with some animals escaping or being released into the wild. This actually lines up almost perfectly with the first reports of Chupacabra attacks which began in 1975. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Iguanas aren't big enough. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Iguanas can grow to be over six feet long, and early reports of the Chupacabra claim it to only be about three feet tall, so the size is actually pretty close. Now imagine you get home from work late one night and find the biggest lizard you've ever seen for a brief moment on the railing of your deck before it dives off into the bushes or charges up a tree. You'd probably be forgiven for thinking you just saw a monster. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Iguanas eat fruit, not blood. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Actually, this is where it starts to get interesting in my opinion. Yes, most people are aware that iguanas like bananas, lettuce, and other fruits and veggies; however they are also known to like eggs, and have even been known to eat baby birds whole. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's also worth noting these are an invasive species. The foods they usually like isn't really available, so they have to try new things and see what sustains them. We've seen invasive species actually turn from herbivores to carnivores when they have to find new food. The perfect example of this is the fish called the Pacu. In it's native home, it eats nuts that fall into the water; however, when dropped into the rivers of Papua New Guinea, they started eating anything and everything. They even started attacking people swimming in the water. I'll also point out that another well-known herbivore, the white-tailed deer, has been documented killing and eating birds, so just because something USUALLY doesn't eat meat, doesn't mean it won't. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Iguanas are also highly territorial, and have no problem attacking animals bigger than themselves if their temper is tested. Iguanas could kill chickens over territory, as opposed to for food. That would explain how the animals don't seem to have any other injuries. Of course, that doesn't explain the deaths of larger animals like mules or cows, but it's not very easy to imagine the stereotypical reptilian Chupacabra killing a cow either. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As far as the blood goes, while doing my research for this idea, I've come across multiple statements that in many cases, the animals being "drained of blood" was an over-exaggeration, and many of them were never actually given a real necropsy, so it can be hard to say where this part of the story really stands. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One last point I want to make, while reports of attacks by Chupacabras in Puerto Rico do continue to this day, despite a brief surge in the mid-1990's, they have thinned out considerably since the end of the 1970's. This would correlate very well with people getting used to seeing the iguanas running around and being able to recognize them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Is this definitive? Hell no. But it does check quite a few boxes and, most importantly to me, it makes sense. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Or they could be aliens. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What do you think? </div>Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-54425272258580022622022-03-23T22:47:00.002-07:002022-03-23T22:47:50.992-07:00Review: Helluva Boss<p> Horror fans are a special bunch. We laugh at things that make other people say "What the fuck?" and "Oh My God!" As one might expect, there's not much chance of shows like that making it on prime-time TV, or really even onto a popular streaming service. </p><p>Thank God for YouTube. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYuspGcINnen7ZDTHK8QdSkuW1-l9ESaMRee_23zI12hpOmUUR0Oz5CyamOeA_IUUw2HpkwETYQzmwgBHBkqLsRTm48B2caVAsgyLOqcLOSNUZSO2Yonm6IojKdBgVlNEHLE0ZGB93wkYSTwjppp7ayE91DFa_m9S1zJktZIaVYNnYiYPCZHPxhSj/s930/mEHUgujxM62HtOyqNgZFENMIqgb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="620" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYuspGcINnen7ZDTHK8QdSkuW1-l9ESaMRee_23zI12hpOmUUR0Oz5CyamOeA_IUUw2HpkwETYQzmwgBHBkqLsRTm48B2caVAsgyLOqcLOSNUZSO2Yonm6IojKdBgVlNEHLE0ZGB93wkYSTwjppp7ayE91DFa_m9S1zJktZIaVYNnYiYPCZHPxhSj/s320/mEHUgujxM62HtOyqNgZFENMIqgb.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Helluva Boss is a YouTube cartoon series that checks all the boxes for me as a twisted horror fan. It's dark, dirty, hilarious, and at times unbelievably wholesome. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The series follows a trio of Imps from Hell as they run and work for a business called I.M.P. (Immediate Murder Professionals). The crux of the business is that humans go to Hell, and hire them to go to Earth and extract revenge on the people who killed them, or caused them to be sent there. The characters include the owner of the business, Blitz, happy married couple Millie and Moxie, and Blitz's adopted daughter Loona, a hellhound. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course, we go with them on a few missions, but we also spend a lot of time with Blitz, seeing how he got the ability to go to Earth (which he isn't supposed to do), and we cross paths with demons from his past. </div><p>There is plenty of blood, and no shortage of innuendos and sexual themes (The antagonist of the third episode is a succubus and her crew, taking advantage of spring breakers). Also, these are demons, living in Hell, so there's lot of demonic and satanic iconography. </p><p>The show is so much deeper than a titillating gore-fest though. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuz3NcQVLwjV5F7CMpp-iSDpuG9G9u3iHDuEfS2r5RM0xwgFO5Zx6TWG1_Nefw_mVkExIlz0vbhpPObYvQPzuuWhOTzFYUIlbnRX3BcdlIqsz26JJ7l9vrAp9b0jOJbKOM58RzTCl1kL0rfLjhgEltwQ9BkNhG0GjVW8znNiFrL1RdqOJBHeRHn_aD/s1920/909585406e1f35546_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuz3NcQVLwjV5F7CMpp-iSDpuG9G9u3iHDuEfS2r5RM0xwgFO5Zx6TWG1_Nefw_mVkExIlz0vbhpPObYvQPzuuWhOTzFYUIlbnRX3BcdlIqsz26JJ7l9vrAp9b0jOJbKOM58RzTCl1kL0rfLjhgEltwQ9BkNhG0GjVW8znNiFrL1RdqOJBHeRHn_aD/s320/909585406e1f35546_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Moxie and Millie are a happily married couple, loving and supportive of each other in a way you would never expect in such a place. Blitz also has relationships, one being the father-daughter relationship he has with Loona, and another being a sexual/semi-romantic relationship with Stolas, a demon prince. A fair part of the show revolves around these relationships, in addition to the one between Blitz and Moxie. <div><br /></div><div>The show is helped along by great animation, and just as great voice actors. You might recognize Richard Horvitz from Invader Zim voicing Moxie, and Brandon Rogers as Blitz. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQlsNDSnV0eLSzsnv-RLO9Gky6aU4klxwQkI6_wO_ebiAlajupbFIi0Esi1woBlRZ0LL_runGXRI1xyka9-jJxBW3KIfvbNZSLG8zmLT4C7_Bg34A7NcyliX4wzpXw9CPnQv2arb7Oxch6Uxim8fbLfrnMwetFyD8zX1-SMgLsbRxH_H6GWWRGxGb/s1280/mmEJYkP5mpWsgsJPxLulcL6y4Ir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQlsNDSnV0eLSzsnv-RLO9Gky6aU4klxwQkI6_wO_ebiAlajupbFIi0Esi1woBlRZ0LL_runGXRI1xyka9-jJxBW3KIfvbNZSLG8zmLT4C7_Bg34A7NcyliX4wzpXw9CPnQv2arb7Oxch6Uxim8fbLfrnMwetFyD8zX1-SMgLsbRxH_H6GWWRGxGb/s320/mmEJYkP5mpWsgsJPxLulcL6y4Ir.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't wait until the second season comes out and I can't stop recommending it to all my twisted friends. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://youtu.be/el_PChGfJN8" target="_blank">If you haven't seen it, check it out here</a>. That's really all there is left to say. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCiT4RBG26tDxH1dCkZNdfW2w-1Yxp2dRmCca-PTI0j2jkao4pr0N5Lu5Zq0KLy2mba-ollkHDwar9Ss5Z--2VMzH9cQS3hsgUTlzW5nF5eFk07BP73h4ZVmjzZBQYNVl43kfHBefOjQXte7hEpyuYNjR3loLWgyvuuZPqli0O1njgojDbyjHzlHc/s465/5%20stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="465" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCiT4RBG26tDxH1dCkZNdfW2w-1Yxp2dRmCca-PTI0j2jkao4pr0N5Lu5Zq0KLy2mba-ollkHDwar9Ss5Z--2VMzH9cQS3hsgUTlzW5nF5eFk07BP73h4ZVmjzZBQYNVl43kfHBefOjQXte7hEpyuYNjR3loLWgyvuuZPqli0O1njgojDbyjHzlHc/s320/5%20stars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-38550011788491452152022-02-17T04:18:00.000-08:002022-02-17T04:18:40.157-08:00Movie Review: Antlers<p> I haven't forgotten about this blog. Subjects worth commenting that I haven't already done just seem to be coming in few and far between. That being said, this was a movie I was rather eagerly anticipating and was finally able to catch. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Spoilers Below!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxH-xUfLKX4r0CTE7T2wD1SabU792mW-ixwYJ0f2bGRdXHNKYC4u-1A6rCvlCmGqZd6MfgxrDQjS4abHocexREatVosakWr1hGeiKTqAJlAoE8AjqMzyezxdC-Ld29hlPC0HM0VUxI3rytjdrgs56S73UIm_7PTc7qangKKAuSTJQetEJCqRbWZ4We=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="796" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxH-xUfLKX4r0CTE7T2wD1SabU792mW-ixwYJ0f2bGRdXHNKYC4u-1A6rCvlCmGqZd6MfgxrDQjS4abHocexREatVosakWr1hGeiKTqAJlAoE8AjqMzyezxdC-Ld29hlPC0HM0VUxI3rytjdrgs56S73UIm_7PTc7qangKKAuSTJQetEJCqRbWZ4We=s320" width="255" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A Guillermo Del Toro produced horror movie, so you know it's pretty good. In addition (and this isn't a spoiler for anybody who really knows their horror monsters) it's about the Wendigo, which is one of the few creatures that really gets to me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The story is pretty straightforward, even if the characters it follows isn't conventional. (Though, Del Toro does have a habit of placing children as the main characters of horror movies. I'm looking at you, Pan's Labyrinth.) A couple junkies have set up a meth lab in an old mine, which ages ago was used to trap a Wendigo spirit. The men delved <strike>too greedily and</strike> too deep and the monster takes possession of one of them, killing the other and eating him. The man does manage to make it home, where he finds the will to not eat his two kids, locking himself in the attic of their house. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The story focuses on one of the two kids as he does his best to provide for himself and making sure to keep his dad fed, while still going to school. He doesn't do a very good job (I think the kid is supposed to be 9-ish.) and his teacher is suspicious that the boy is being abused. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That suspicion leads to people going to check on him at home, becoming a snack for his dad, and allowing the Wendigo to fully transform. All your usual monster shenanigans happens now, with the boy's teacher finally facing the creature and managing to kill it's current host. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqdYPFHl-ToWmc3_ZY3ZSqFdnIhrg1HIr9VPhV3hu4wI3lO2kAgVTtxJxA-8ZKOeKu-Qhmd0NXUZoNE64OegnImBHY84GcGuly8wG5sHKmxYYpDSJFfVnEk6t96v8Ten2em-JMF1sXSOibOlaAh0Izf4mlhttFh_-oscxYAmUaj9Y1NNnr7WtSImZX=s3200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="3200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqdYPFHl-ToWmc3_ZY3ZSqFdnIhrg1HIr9VPhV3hu4wI3lO2kAgVTtxJxA-8ZKOeKu-Qhmd0NXUZoNE64OegnImBHY84GcGuly8wG5sHKmxYYpDSJFfVnEk6t96v8Ten2em-JMF1sXSOibOlaAh0Izf4mlhttFh_-oscxYAmUaj9Y1NNnr7WtSImZX=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With Del Toro's name, and one of my favorite monsters, I was really hoping for something to blow me away. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, This is a good movie. The cinematography is great, all the acting is good. I would definitely recommend this movie to any horror fan. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I do have several issues with it though. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first thing I want to point out, because it stood out to me from the VERY beginning, and lingered the whole film, is that the movie is set in Oregon. The Wendigo is a creature from the Northern reaches. It's based on cannibalism, so dropping it into a state with mild winters doesn't make a lot of sense. It would be much more common in the territories of Canada, Alaska, or the Northeastern states. It's not even that being in Oregon is central to the story, the setting of the woods, the mountains, the water, the mine, all of that would actually be easier to find in Alaska. A lot of the panoramas even look like Alaska more than Oregon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also want to bring up the young boy's character switch at the end of the movie. Through most of the movie, he's displaying some serious abused / Stockholm syndrome about his father, saying lines like "As long as I feed him, he'll love me." At the end, though, at the last moment he switches sides and is instrumental in defeating the creature. There's nothing in the character throughout the whole movie to justify his sudden change of heart. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The music wasn't very memorable either, for example, as I sit here, I can't think of a single moment where I was even aware of the music or the sound. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All that being said, altogether, it is a good little horror movie, but it's nothing spectacular. Worth watching while it's streaming to be sure. So turn it on, sit back for a bit, and enjoy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0xdDQqvJPep9lR7-Dp1a7S_qu-wheTdt8P8rT9V7TO3jlTRTvS_T9cfwNdg6AxsIl29M87ZGBs81LDFBKfE3FtR8-GcMIQUoI1FoWzzThB2JMFjBg9bPapWHO0n73nv5D6I5g9uTOeba5N0BEra4FliKyGIYfyV-xzC5w8sSAm2tDRVe2EO4crzlm=s672" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="672" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0xdDQqvJPep9lR7-Dp1a7S_qu-wheTdt8P8rT9V7TO3jlTRTvS_T9cfwNdg6AxsIl29M87ZGBs81LDFBKfE3FtR8-GcMIQUoI1FoWzzThB2JMFjBg9bPapWHO0n73nv5D6I5g9uTOeba5N0BEra4FliKyGIYfyV-xzC5w8sSAm2tDRVe2EO4crzlm=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-84313218155986894202021-05-11T22:45:00.001-07:002021-05-11T22:45:40.185-07:00New Release! "Burrows" is out in the wild! <p> It's been a while since I posted here. I've got a few drafts I've poked on, but nothing to post, but this one is easy. </p><p>I've been talking about Burrows for a little bit, but now I'm letting ya'll know that it's out! My next Cryptid novellette is up on Amazon! </p><div style="text-align: center;">The Gobi Desert is a treasure trove of dinosaur fossils, giving up some of the most famous and complete skeletons found in the world. Sherene Carter and her team are hoping to uncover the next big skeleton in the dunes and rocks. What they find is a legendary creature that's much less dead than the bones they're looking for. An even better prize to announce to the world, if they can survive it...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094D79822" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1272" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VCsk38igees/YJthBaA4hQI/AAAAAAAAGjE/GEcLSGczk0gpZ_t7rS-EpjavnIALv5diQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/trex.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the cover to go see it on Amazon!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I like how well the Cryptid books do, even as short as they are, so I'm planning to do more. Eventually having a whole series and doing collections. As you can see from the pages on here, <a href="https://shaunhorton.blogspot.com/p/cryptids.html" target="_blank">Cryptids are one of my interests. </a> So, I have a lot of material and knowledge to run with. </p><p>So if Cryptids are your thing, too, go grab and check out Burrows, and the Cenote. Then hit me up on Twitter and let me know what creatures you want to see next! <br /><br /><br /></p></div>Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-46295886336961106232020-10-07T23:27:00.001-07:002020-10-08T13:25:30.753-07:00Start Prepping! NaNoWriMo is coming!<p> It's October, and what does that mean? </p><p>Well, yes, ghosts, pumpkins, and other spooky things, but for writers it also means November is coming, which means, NaNoWriMo! I'm going to be making my own attempt at it this year to try and get my creative juices flowing. I haven't been idle this year, but I haven't gotten anywhere near as much done as I want. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Class-5-Audiobook/B08GKTT4BP?asin=B08GKTT4BP" target="_blank">The Class 5 audiobook is out now</a>. </p><p><a href="https://books2read.com/u/3kWwOn" target="_blank">Hannah</a> and <a href="https://books2read.com/u/bpD9Mq" target="_blank">Paths: Three Short Horror Stories</a> are now available on Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo ebook platforms. </p><p>But in the grand scheme of things, that's not much. I haven't released a new work since Hannah in 2016. Now, for success in writing, a good backlog of works is one key, but somewhat regular releases is also another major aspect. I've posted short stories here and there on this blog, but that's not a new release. Also I don't make money from these posts. There are ways to monetize a blog, but I'd rather not clutter up your screen with ads. </p><p>I do have several pieces I've started, the novelette Burrows, as I've mentioned before. I've also started on a new novel tentatively titled "Suckers" about a swarm of Chupacabra's in a casino. I'm aiming for more of a horror-comedy vibe with that one, but we'll have to see how it turns out. I also have dozens of other ideas and starts saved on my computer. </p><p>So. NaNoWriMo is coming up, I have a plethora of ideas and starts to work with. What's the plan? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nS769pwjXC8/X36m8DyMlBI/AAAAAAAAFM8/G4BtH59LQ5cQk7TS2u44Bo2wCXdGm54AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s620/what-is-nanowrimo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="620" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nS769pwjXC8/X36m8DyMlBI/AAAAAAAAFM8/G4BtH59LQ5cQk7TS2u44Bo2wCXdGm54AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/what-is-nanowrimo.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Well, the plan is to write. To get up every morning before I go to the day job, and write. It doesn't have to have a specific word count. It doesn't even have to be on the same work as the day before. The point is to get up, and get to work. </p><p>Mood doesn't matter. Tired doesn't matter. This is about writing. Words on a page. Editing and deciding if those words are any good comes later. </p><p>That being said. I do have some goals I want to reach. </p><p>1. 50,000 words down by the end of November. Whether I get any one work done or not, that's the goal. I'm hoping if I can get this down, getting up and getting some writing done will become a habit and something that continues well after the month and the challenge is over. </p><p>2. Finish the first draft of Burrows. Honestly, I'm about 2/3rds of the way through Burrows. You'd think the finale would be pretty easy at this point. Characters are established, along with the setting and the monsters, and now it's just time to throw them all into the blender and see what comes out. Honestly I've been having a hard time with it though. Here's hoping just forcing it out will give me something to work with in the editing process. </p><p>3. Get a solid start on a new novel. I have several ideas and starts already, but I'm talking about getting something like 10,000 - 20,000 words down. Something I can look at and know this will be my next major work to get released. As it's been said, the hardest part of writing is the beginning. The blank page where you don't have anything set. No characters, no setting, no plot. If I can get a good jump on that, maybe I'll be able to make 2021 my year with multiple new releases to pass on. </p><p>That's it for now though. I'll be setting up more, prepping, trying to decide on which pieces to work on and so on and so forth. As long as the world doesn't explode anyway. </p><p>Get started, and good luck! <br /><br />~ Shaun</p>Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-17241626257134468442020-09-09T22:55:00.002-07:002020-09-09T22:55:12.992-07:00Video Game Review: The Last of Us 2This game has been a long time coming. <a href="https://shaunhorton.blogspot.com/2015/02/review-last-of-us.html" target="_blank">Check out my review of the first game</a> to get a good feel for the world this series takes place in. Check it out, then come back. It'll be worth it, and I'll wait. <div><br /></div><div>Okay, welcome back, but before I get into the review proper, I have to give this warning. </div><div><br /></div><div>SPOILERS BELOW THE IMAGE</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzaqDRRMeAk/Xw_nPDNi7JI/AAAAAAAAEv8/0LYnf8RzpQQ-Ts2mnijFJf4Bl30z7cIjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1305/the_last_of_us_part_2_crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="1305" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzaqDRRMeAk/Xw_nPDNi7JI/AAAAAAAAEv8/0LYnf8RzpQQ-Ts2mnijFJf4Bl30z7cIjQCLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h268/the_last_of_us_part_2_crop.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Now, you've been warned. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Last of Us 2 starts almost exactly where the first game ends. Ellie and Joel are living with Joel's brother Tommy, growing up, doing their part in the little community. We meet more people, offering us glimpses into the love life of Ellie and the friends she's made since they returned. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course though, the repercussions of their previous encounters comes back to haunt them. It's really rather typical gang-warfare types of stuff. "They killed our guy, we have to kill their guy in return, then they have to kill our guy in return.." and round and round we go. Not much of a surprise. There are a few plot twists, and point-of-view changes, to enhance the idea that there isn't really a right and a wrong side. I feel like that takes away some of the emotional and mental impact of some scenes though. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, an expertly placed arrow-snipe on an unsuspecting enemy feels a lot worse when you're not sure your current character is a hero or not. And let's not get started on the dogs in the game.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klOxtVL7EqM/X1m7CUYcqfI/AAAAAAAAFGs/aDRyzLhWeLUyvgybqDe7XJ86_nKhd5rsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/last-of-us-part-2-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klOxtVL7EqM/X1m7CUYcqfI/AAAAAAAAFGs/aDRyzLhWeLUyvgybqDe7XJ86_nKhd5rsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/last-of-us-part-2-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Clickers and infected are back, giving you some enemies that are always fun to dodge and kill, but they seem to be relegated to the background and plot points more than anything. The main thing here is the story though, which doesn't revolve around the plague which has engulfed the entire world. <div><br /></div><div>For a game that has been so long in the making, almost everything is as good as you would expect. Controls are tight and accurate. Music and sound queues are beautiful and perfectly fit their scenes. Visuals are intense and beautiful as the need arises. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now for my most controversial opinion. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is not a fun game. <br /><div><br /></div><div>This isn't a game you come back to, to replay or to collect stuff. It would be more accurate to say this isn't a game, this is an experience. Now, it is an experience worth having. It has a lot to say about the human condition, dealing with the consequences of your actions, and how life can blind-side you. It makes you do things you don't want to do, like kill your opponent's dogs before they can find and attack you. It makes you question whether the character you're playing is the hero or the villain of the story. </div><div><br /></div><div>None of these details are bad things, but they don't make for a fun video game experience. To be fair, the first game did tease some things along these lines, but they weren't front and center and you still always felt that you were doing the right thing, even as you stuck an arrow into another scavenger's throat. Some games encourage you to be the villain, or to just do whatever you want like the Grand Theft Auto series. But they're built around those themes so you expect it and can have fun with it. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMFZUGvMI7Q/X1m-9QhC9XI/AAAAAAAAFG4/NzXFk0afq5QPsbY8hxmWSohV3sGf7qzFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/the-last-of-us-2-how-many-chapters-are-there.original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMFZUGvMI7Q/X1m-9QhC9XI/AAAAAAAAFG4/NzXFk0afq5QPsbY8hxmWSohV3sGf7qzFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/the-last-of-us-2-how-many-chapters-are-there.original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Playing through such a meticulously well-crafted and plotted story-based game though, and then finding out you might be the villain, does not make for a very satisfying gamer experience. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's disappointing, honestly. That they spent so long and so much work on the game, just to leave players feeling hollow by the end. There were so many directions they could have gone. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is still worth playing, just for the experience, but make sure you're prepared for how dark and grim it's going to get. I suppose that makes it a really good example of the Horror genre though. </div><div><br /></div><div>For all that, The Last of Us: Part 2, only gets 3 out of 5 stars. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5DJiOZgzEZY/VROEBOE2NBI/AAAAAAAAAsY/1Qtq0z0MV74o9XoXkGqz3hyLcY5ZRNHHACPcBGAYYCw/s672/three-stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="672" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5DJiOZgzEZY/VROEBOE2NBI/AAAAAAAAAsY/1Qtq0z0MV74o9XoXkGqz3hyLcY5ZRNHHACPcBGAYYCw/s320/three-stars.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-57013160136688737552020-07-08T01:30:00.001-07:002020-07-08T13:15:17.121-07:00How goes 2020? Whew, <div><br /></div><div>Describing this year, as most people know, would require a string of expletives longer than blogger would probably allow. If a writer took everything that's happened in the past six months, made it into a book and submitted it to a publisher, they would be blasted for a story that made no sense and was completely unrealistic. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pandemics, murder hornets, and the most powerful country on Earth falling from grace. Sheesh. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jajcO-S-PU/XwVtvKdOtdI/AAAAAAAAEso/rUPx21ETdTAzSWGB6pg0KSIFGSoTjphVgCK4BGAsYHg/s276/download%2B%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="229" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jajcO-S-PU/XwVtvKdOtdI/AAAAAAAAEso/rUPx21ETdTAzSWGB6pg0KSIFGSoTjphVgCK4BGAsYHg/w345-h229/download%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quiet now, but I'm betting they reappear for the climax.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Still, the world hasn't stopped turning (yet), and nothing stops the marching of time. </div><div><br /></div><div>At the start of the year, I made a blog post announcing my plans for the year, and while the chaos of the past six months has been an interruption, I'm still trying to carry on along those lines. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EWZJ9JC" target="_blank">Class 5</a> is being narrated as I write this, by a great and excited voice actor. The deadline to get the entire book recorded is the end of July, so I'm hoping to have a finished product up and available to listen to by mid-August. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hl2JrYNFilE/XwVxKcPb4kI/AAAAAAAAEtE/7IMaxEKLtv0Blx9QQVDvRpdbnZA1-RlUgCK4BGAsYHg/s2400/Class%2B5%2Baudio%2Bcover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="2400" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hl2JrYNFilE/XwVxKcPb4kI/AAAAAAAAEtE/7IMaxEKLtv0Blx9QQVDvRpdbnZA1-RlUgCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Class%2B5%2Baudio%2Bcover.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>For other older works, I have made the decision to pull my slower sellers PATHS, and Hannah from Kindle Select and to move them over to Draft2Digital once their current runs expire at the end of July. This will allow me to offer them up on such platforms as Kobo and iTunes. Hopefully this will expand my readership a bit more, as not everyone likes Amazon. We'll see how that goes though and I'll make announcements when they should be up and running on those platforms. </div><div><br /></div><div>For new works, I've made a lot of progress on "Burrows", but it's still not to the editing stages yet. You'd think with the quarantine we've been under, I would've had a lot of time to devote to writing new stuff and could pump things out faster, but that's just not how things work. I also haven't made much progress on new shorts to make a good collection with. </div><div><br /></div><div>Writing has not slipped from my mind though, and I have had a few pokers in other fires. I signed up for a workshop on how to write role-playing adventures, which should give me another outlet to get my name out there, as well as new information on how to promote and other ways to get and use ideas and approaches. <br /><br />Should be interesting the next few months, so make sure you're following me on either <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaunEHorton" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ShaunHortonAuthor/" target="_blank">Facebook </a>to keep up on announcements. <br /><br />Stay safe out there in this proto-apocalypse! <br /><br />~ Shaun</div>Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-13890032585299111182020-05-02T15:28:00.000-07:002020-05-02T15:28:10.466-07:00Death of the AuthorSo, a friend showed me a video on Youtube where there's a woman discussing the phrase "Death of the Author". I honestly didn't know what this was referring to, and I wasn't really sure after watching the video either, so I looked it up on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_the_Author">wikipedia</a>.<br />
<br />
Death of the Author was an essay by a French literary critic, Roland Barthes, in 1967. In it, Roland argues against the idea that to really understand a work, you had to know about the author's personal life, attitude, and society. The simple layman's terms goes something like this.<br />
<br />
What the author wrote: "The curtains were blue."<br />
<br />
What critics saw in the text: "The curtains being blue is a representation of the author's sadness and depression at his upbringing and his unhappiness at the lack of progress in society. From this we can infer that he was possibly even feeling suicidal while he wrote this scene, as he specifically points out the blue curtains and this was his way of asking for help."<br />
<br />
What Roland thinks the author meant: "The curtains were blue."<br />
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<br />
Now, the video I saw was very convoluted and bounced around, but she was trying to play devil's advocate, using contemporary examples, fan fics, and interviews with an author friend. She also compared the extreme ends of the spectrum.<br />
<br />
That's what I think it is. A spectrum. No two writers write the same way and bits of ourselves do slip into our writing. A scene may come across as more somber than it should because we just weren't feeling ourselves that day. That's one of the things editing is for though, to address voice and try to make sure it fits the narratives and is fairly uniform throughout the book.<br />
<br />
Personally, when I write "The curtains were blue." it means the curtains were blue. I don't write in a way that incorporates my mental state, usually, into my descriptions. There have been times when I've written scenes or characters with a specific place or person in mind and I have been somewhat subjective in my descriptions of them.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not going to say there is or isn't a right way to write, or to read these books. Sometimes there is subtext to a scene or a character that has a personal connection to the author. One of the examples the woman in the video used was J.K. Rowling's pronouncement that Dumbledore was gay, calling it a publicity stunt that Rowling did because sales were slowing down.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WmLZhTPdRs/Xq3uF7ahSrI/AAAAAAAAEWI/HIOh7K1rZ480UiZ1N0tQZLSB2Xhq40X8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Albus-Dumbledore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="968" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WmLZhTPdRs/Xq3uF7ahSrI/AAAAAAAAEWI/HIOh7K1rZ480UiZ1N0tQZLSB2Xhq40X8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Albus-Dumbledore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Most writers, when they really create a character, they go into way more detail than will ever be revealed in the story. They figure out the character's upbringing, job history, likes and dislikes, past relationships, all that just to make sure the character is real enough to write about.<br />
<br />
As far as Dumbledore is concerned, as someone who's read the Harry Potter series multiple times, there is never really a point anywhere that his sexual orientation is needed, or is even convenient, to be explained. It has no relevance to most of the story, which is about Harry, not Dumbledore. That doesn't mean Rowling didn't know that detail the whole time she was writing, and then, when someone asked her about it, she finally had the chance to explain it, so she took it. It certainly didn't come across as a publicity stunt or trying to squeeze more sales out. (For God's sake, the woman's a millionaire now.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, the point of "Death of the Author" is that the author is irrelevant to the story and doesn't know any more beyond the end than the reader. When you're reading, the writer may as well be dead or have never existed at all. While that's not true, it's also not true that you have to know the author's life story and read into every little detail to appreciate the writing.<br />
<br />
Many writers will be happy to discuss their work after the fact, if you want to know what happens to characters after the book ends, feel free to ask. I'm happy to discuss my works. My attitude after a book ends though, is that if there was really more of interest, it would be part of the book, so for the most part, assume a happy ever after, or at least a normal, boring, average life like all of us real people live.<br />
<br />
~ ShaunShaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-89301667744719756392020-02-27T02:16:00.003-08:002020-03-20T15:35:06.550-07:00Short Story: Identity<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p>Just a nice little short story today, inspired by one of the classics. Enjoy. </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
awoke, and the smell was the first thing she knew. Her nose was assaulted with
the scent of blood and decay. Awareness of touch returned next, telling her she
was bound to a chair, in a cold room. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
held her eyes shut, hoping as long as she didn’t see it, she could be convinced
her other senses were lying. The stench continued to grow, creating a knot in
her stomach as she tried not to vomit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
sound of heavy boots coming down creaking, wooden stairs caught her attention,
forcing her to open her eyes. There was no holding back the contents of her
stomach after that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
was in a basement, although it looked like someone had tried to convert it into
a half-assed butcher’s shop. The wall to her left was lined with box freezers,
and in the center of the room was a large wooden table, made of thick planks.
Next to her were more chairs, some with fragments of rope still attached to
them. Almost everything, from the freezers, to the table, to the floor; were
covered with stains, ranging from a dim red, to black.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bloodstains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
footsteps descended on her right, and the sight of the man that stepped down
the stairs made her tremble. He was over six feet tall, and heavily built, that
much was obvious even under the raincoat he was wearing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">“Please
don’t struggle too much. I don’t want you to get hurt.” The voice was thick and
spoke in a slow, methodical manner, as if every word was carefully examined and
measured before it was allowed to leave his lips.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
started to cry, if this giant of a man didn’t want her injured, it could only
mean things even worse than death. Her eyes squinted shut as she sobbed, doing
her best to ignore the sounds of his boots on the floor as he approached her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Something
soft brushed her cheek, and her eyes flew open, her body jerking back from the
touch. The giant was kneeling in front of her, a handkerchief in one
outstretched hand. He’d wiped away some of her tears. This close, she couldn’t
avoid seeing his face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
was covered with scars, and looked mis-matched. Julie wondered if he’d had a
stroke, as one side of his face was so out of place next to the other. Even his
eyes didn’t belong together, one was deep brown, while the other was blue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
looked at the handkerchief, he held in his right hand, which had long feminine
fingers attached to a thick, swollen palm. Seeing the twisted thing before her
was enough to jolt her out of her sobbing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“There.
There we go. No need to cry now.” He stood up, tucked the handkerchief back
into his pocket and turned to the table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What…what
are you going to do with me?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
am sorry for taking you so forcefully last night. You looked like one that
could help me.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“H-help
you? With what? Why do you have me tied up like this to help you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You
would run away if I didn’t. I just want someone to help me find out who I am.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
pulled a chair over in front of her, then dragged around an extension cord. The
long fingers pulled an electrical plug out from under his raincoat and
connected it to the extension. Then he sat down in the chair and looked at her.
He pulled the handkerchief out again and gently dabbed at her lips and chin,
wiping away the last vestiges of her vomit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
would tell you my name, but I honestly don’t have one. Why don’t you tell me
yours?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“J-Julie.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s
a nice name. I bet it suits you very well. Can you tell me about yourself?”
What makes you a Julie?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
started trembling again. If she stayed silent would he hit her? Beat her? If
she told him, would he sell her off? Carted out of the country in a box to be
some random man’s sex toy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I…I’m
twenty-six, engaged. My fiancé and I…were trying to get…pregnant.” Julie lied, trying
to come up with some kind of story, something that he might take pity on and
let her go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
man just nodded. “I see. You must love your fiancé very much to say yes to
marriage and to have a baby with him. So, you’re straight, then? Or maybe bi?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I…I’m…bi.
I like women, but I love my fiancé too.” Maybe she could get sold to a woman,
she couldn’t imagine that wouldn’t be preferable to being owned by some
strange, rich, man. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
see. What about your hobbies? Your job? Do you like animals?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
questions were starting to throw her off now. Being sold into the sex trade
didn’t seem like the kind of people who cared about the things you enjoyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
like animals. I used to volunteer at an animal rescue group. We took in stray
dogs and cats, cleaned them up and then found them good homes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
smiled a little bit, his face twisting unnaturally around the scars. “I like
that. I don’t know much about myself, but I know I like animals. At least, most
of me likes animals.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Are
you…looking for people who share your interests? There’s websites to meet and
talk to people and groups at the library, or you could take classes at college
or…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
held up his other hand, a gesture that was obviously meant to stop her
rambling. Like the rest of him, this hand didn’t match either. Instead of long,
slender fingers, this hand, his left, had fingers that were short and pudgy.
The two middle fingers and thumb were shades of purple, like they were heavily
bruised, or even broken. He suddenly seemed to notice that she was staring at
his fingers and quickly withdrew his hand back under the raincoat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Sorry
about that. My left hand is unpleasant to look at right now.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’ve
told you about me, like you asked. Tell me something about you now. It’s only
fair.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
still had no idea what he wanted her for. This wasn’t adding up to a
kidnapping, and he certainly wasn’t acting like he planned to kill her. There
was no way she could ignore all the dried blood around the room though…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well,
I suppose. I like you enough now. I think you’ll fit in. I don’t know who I am.
I’m trying to find myself. It’s hard when everyone is so different though. I
see little pieces of myself in other people, but then in other ways we couldn’t
be more different. I don’t understand how that works.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
slowly stood up and walked over to the table, the extension cord following him.
The giant stood there a moment, then grabbed the raincoat and pulled it over
his head and off. His back was a mass of scars, along with a rainbow of
different skin tones and bruises. There was a fresh incision around his right
side that still had sutures holding it closed, even as a thin line of pus
flowed down his back from it. The plug that he had stuck into the extension
cord was clearly visible now, the wires running up his back and disappearing
under his skin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
slender fingers of his right hand reached back and pointed to a patch of skin
that seemed to stretch from just under his shoulder to down below the waistband
of his sweatpants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This
was John Harmon. He liked animals too. He was forty-two and worked as a
bartender. He also had a daughter, and two grandsons.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie’s
eyes widened as she noticed the scars on his back made a circle around the skin
the giant was pointing at. He turned, and she saw his entire body was a
patchwork of different skins. The left side of his chest was muscular and
covered with dark hair, while the right had a breast that sagged heavily. The swollen
left hand pointed at the breast next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This
was Sarena. She wouldn’t tell me her last name, but she did like animals. She
was lazy though. No schooling, no work, she only wanted to marry a rich man.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
walked over to the freezers now as he talked, the extension cord following him,
staying plugged into the cord coming out of his back. He dug through the freezer
on the end, eventually holding up a bag of blood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Do
you happen to know your blood type, Julie? It’s okay if you don’t. Seems like
most people don’t.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
pulled out a different bag and set it on the table, before going over to a
cabinet in the corner and rummaging through it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But
yes, most of me likes animals a lot, so I think you’ll fit in pretty well. That
really seems to be the thing that brings most of me together.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What
the fuck are you?” Julie’s voice trembled as she watched him walk around the
room, collecting various tools and setting them on the table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What
am I? That I can answer. I am a product of the people around me. When I was
first born, I was only made up of 4 men. But some parts didn’t fit, or didn’t
feel right, so I’ve been trying to find the right mix of people to create the
real ‘me’. Since I was born, I’ve tried adding in parts from a
hundred-seventy-three people. Men. Women. The oldest was sixty-four. The
youngest was sixteen. Straight, bi, gay. If I’m going to be honest, that’s
probably the easiest part of me to describe. I’m probably bi, because why limit
yourself to one side or the other?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
laid out the tools on the table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Unfortunately,
most of the parts don’t last. You saw my left hand. That was Samuel Carter. He
was twenty-eight, gay, liked dogs, but not cats, overweight. He was a
hematologist, but had been out of work for the last three years.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
giant stood at the table again, his back to Julie. He lifted a large cleaver,
and slammed it onto the table. When he turned around again, the part of his
left hand which had been Samuel Carter was gone, cut clean off. A mix of blood,
pus, and thick, brown sludge oozed from the wound. Then he was approaching her
with the cleaver and a rubber strap. The slender fingers of his right hand
grabbed her arm, and Julie felt how cold his touch was, like he wasn’t a living
thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
pulled out her left arm, tying the rubber strap tightly around the bicep. Then
he grabbed her hand, spreading the fingers in the middle. In a move that was as
smooth as could be, he lifted the cleaver and brought it down on her hand,
severing the top half with her thumb and first two fingers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
screamed as the pain flooded through her body, the strap slowing the bleeding,
but still letting enough through to spurt in time with her heartbeat. He
grabbed the strap and tightened it down even more before taking the severed
hand and returning to the table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
bit down on her lip, trying to do everything she could to not go into shock.
Already she was getting light-headed, and the room was starting to spin. Then
searing pain shot up her left arm again and she went limp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
first thing she noticed when she woke up was the throbbing headache she had.
Slowly, Julie opened her eyes, praying the last time she opened them had just
been a doozy of a nightmare after a long, rough night of drinking. The
throbbing in her left hand told her otherwise. Something was also poking into
her right arm. She turned to look and saw a catheter had been inserted, and was
attached to a bag of blood that hung from the wall. Reluctantly, she turned to
look at her left hand. All that was left was the pinky and ring finger, the
rest was gone, and the huge wound it had left behind was charred and burned
like someone had tried to cauterize it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
screamed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
giant came down the stairs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">“You’re
awake. That’s good. I was hoping I got the blood stopped soon enough.” He
smiled, and held up his left hand. The swollen, purple fingers of Samuel Carter
were gone, in their place were tan, slender, familiar fingers, held in place
with a mixture of staples and sutures. Blood and pus oozed out along the seam,
but somehow the fingers and thumb flexed and moved. “Looks like we get along
well, after all.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">Julie
wanted to scream; but a knot had formed in her throat, making her gag. Her body
convulsed, twisting in the chair. The giant came over, looking concerned. He
reached out for her, and Julie tried to twist away from his disgusting,
jigsaw-puzzle hand even as a new wave of convulsions started in her guts. The
combination sent the chair over to one side with a crunch, the extra distance
ripping the catheter out of her arm and adding a new spray of blood to the
floor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then
the giant’s hands were on her, strong but gentle and firm; and cold as ice. He
righted the chair, and set about stopping the blood that was oozing from her
arm. She just sat there, gasping for breath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Please
don’t panic, I need your help. I need you to tell me who I am. Who we are.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
couldn’t answer if she wanted to, she just sat there and let the giant move her
arm, wrapping it up in gauze. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Just
rest for now. I want to talk to you more, and I’ll bring down some food later
if you think you can handle it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her
head hung limp as she sat there, and with what little breath she had recovered,
she sobbed. The giant stood there a minute, then slowly went back upstairs,
leaving Julie alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
knew her life was over. The giant was going to take her apart, piece by piece,
and replace his own slowly rotting parts. The best she could hope for was that
she could die with the next piece he took. Maybe an arm, or a leg, something
where she could quickly bleed out before he could stop it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her
weight shifted to the right, settling into the chair. It creaked. She glanced over,
not willing to believe the sound was anything but an old piece of furniture
groaning at even her meager weight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
chair’s arm was split and cracked. It wasn’t broken, but the fall had
definitely damaged it. Julie wiggled, her arm throbbing where the catheter had
torn out. The chair’s arm wiggled with her. She stared at it, trying to figure
out what she could do to break the arm enough to get free. Another hard fall
might do it, but it would bring the giant back, and if it cracked further but
didn’t break, he might notice it. Even if it broke, she would need time to get
free from the rest of the ropes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part
of her wanted to just give in to despair, settle into the chair and accept her
fate; but there was a small ball of heat in her chest, a smoldering rage at the
indignity of having her hand stolen, that wouldn’t let her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Before
she even realized it, Julie shifted her weight to the left, then threw herself
back to the right as hard as she could, pulling the chair over and smashing
onto the floor. The chair hit with a crunch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
wiggled her arm, testing the chair. The arm had broken off and was in her hand.
She could already hear steps on the floor above her, but excitement flooded
through her now. One hand being free gave her enough space to wiggle around the
rope which tied her to the back of the chair. She could easily get free if she
just had enough time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
heavy steps were coming down the stairs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
let herself go limp, hoping he wouldn’t notice the broken arm right away or how
loose the rope around her chest was. She heard him sigh as he saw her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
felt him lift her up and set the chair back on its feet. “Oh, look what you
did…” He was leaning down and inspecting the broken arm of the chair. Julie was
almost too scared to move, but as he leaned in, she took the broken arm in her
hand and jammed it into his face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
giant fell back, clutching at his face, and Julie was suddenly in a frenzy,
worming her way out of the rope which held her to the chair and clawing at the
large knots that held her other hand and feet. Free, she moved towards the stairs,
but felt the giant grab one of her ankles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
wish you hadn’t done that, now I have to replace that eye.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
grip on her ankle was the slender feminine fingers of his right hand, but the
grip was impossibly strong. She looked down and the piece of the chair was
jutting out of his face, pus and blood leaking out around it and running down
the twisted flesh. She spun around and stomped on his forearm, over and over
trying to get him to release his hold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Let.
Me. GO!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
kicked out at his face next. He was a mountain of a man, but he was on the
ground while she was on her feet; she connected with the piece of wood sticking
out of his right eye, jarring it and pushing it deeper, finally getting a grunt
out of him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
can’t let you go, Julie. You are a part of me now, I need you to stay.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
looked up at her with his one eye, his face expressionless under the scars and
the fluids that covered half of it. Julie was a mix of disgust, rage, and fear
at the complete lack of anger and the matter-of-factness in his voice, even
with the piece of wood still sticking out of his face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
grabbed the cleaver off the table, swinging it as hard as she could in one
hand, hacking at the hand that still clutched her ankle. Nothing spurted, he
didn’t howl in pain, just more of the disgusting mixture flowing from the
wounds, pooling on the floor as Julie swung over and over. She started
screaming as all her emotions broke free. Then she could finally pull her leg
away, the severed hand still clutching her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Julie,
please, you are a part of me. Help me understand us…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Understand
this, you Frankenstein freak!” Julie continued screaming as she stepped back in
reach of the giant as he reached for her with his other hand, swinging the
cleaver and hacking at his face. He just looked up at her with his one eye,
expressionless as she sliced up his face and head. He was pushing himself up
with the oozing stump of his right hand as he reached for her with his left,
almost unfazed by her hacking at him. Julie grabbed his left hand by the wrist
and slammed it against the top of the table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And
give me back my fucking hand!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
cleaver plowed through the giant’s wrist, separating his left hand cleanly. She
grabbed the hand and ran back and up the stairs, leaving him on the floor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Upstairs
was an old house, badly neglected and empty, but she quickly found the front
door and dashed outside, the sun blinding her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
the first time, she noticed how clear and clean the air smelled, and when she
could see, she recognized where she was. It was an old housing project which
the development had fallen through. A few other houses stood around in partial
states of completion, but the road led out to a main street. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julie
paused to pry off the hand which still hung onto her ankle, and hobbled down
the road, clutching the hand that had her own fingers and thumb stapled to it. She
wondered if they could still be reattached. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-4540498492867665902019-12-19T04:32:00.001-08:002019-12-24T02:28:54.503-08:00Plans for 2020A new year, and a new decade is coming up right quick, and it would be a shame if I let the momentum I've built up this year die down. For my fans though, fear not, because I have plans to continue pumping out stuff in 2020. Now, of course, as much as I wish otherwise, my writing is on the back burner to the day job and life, so I'll add the caveat that everything here is subject to change. Stuff may get pushed back by months or years, or get canceled entirely. These are the things I'm currently working on though, with an eye to finishing sooner rather than later. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>Cryptids</u></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
Cenote was always meant to be the first of a series based around cryptids. Creatures like Bigfoot, the Kraken, and other monsters reported to be true but always just out of sight. I'm writing this blog while taking a break from a piece tentatively titled "Burrows", which will be my second Cryptid novelette/novella. I'm working towards getting the first draft done before the new year, with editing and cover art finished in the first couple months. If everything lines up, "Burrows" should be out by March.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>Audiobooks</u></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
PATHS does alright, but Cenote continues to do well, with the audiobook version of my first Cryptid work now up to 22 ratings and holding an average of 4 out of 5 stars. What I'm working on next is turning my most popular novel, Class 5 into an audiobook. This is a much more daunting task, since it'll be a 4 - 5 hour piece, and covers multiple characters. Right now I'm trying to pull out adequate parts to make an audition that will give narrators an idea of what they're in for, while letting me hear how they approach different situations and characters. I'm also expecting this to be available by the end of the first quarter of the year, so hopefully by April.<br /><br />Likewise, if "Burrows" lines up and gets release in the timeline I'm hoping, expect the audiobook version to be available a month or two after the ebook. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>Short Stories</u></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
Short story collections are generally not a big seller, especially shorter collections. PATHS was always meant to only be a sampler, to introduce people to my writing style and approaches. It's also always been the weakest of my published works. So, while I'm not expecting it to be a big seller, I'm working on compiling a lot of the short stories I've released over the years into another collection. Most of them you can find here on my blog, but there's just something nice about having all of them, and possibly new stories, in one place. This isn't a priority though, despite how little work it would actually take, so if it comes to fruition, expect it probably around the summer. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>Novels</u></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
This is the one that's the most unlikely for the year. I'm working on a couple different pieces, but with everything else going on, getting them finished, edited, cover art, beta'd, and re-edited will probably take more time than I'll be able to allocate this year. Still, things change, and for those who are interested, I want to give you a little idea of everything I'm working on. The first will be another story set in the Class 5 world, titled Class 5: Hybrid. Expect to see a few characters return, and a deeper look into what's going on in the background of this world.<br /><br />The other work is another Cryptid-based piece titled "Shivers". As you can probably guess, expect something cold. This may work out to be another novella-sized piece eventually, but right now with its plot written out, I think it'll be a full-sized novel. We'll see as work continues on it though.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As you can see, I have more than a couple irons in the fire, and here's hoping 2020 turns out to be as great a year as 2019 turned out to be. That's the thing about being a writer, it's about the long-haul and constantly expanding the backlist. A $100,000 advance would certainly be nice, but the odds of that have more zero's than the check would have, so it's best to keep plugging away at it, which is exactly what I plan on doing.<br /><br />With that, have a happy and safe holiday season, and we'll see you next decade!<br /><br />~ Shaun</div>
Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-84178302226789016492019-12-16T14:00:00.000-08:002019-12-16T14:00:02.604-08:002019 Wrap-up Whew. It's been a bit of a tumultuous year for my writing. A few downs, but quite a few more ups. So, let's get into the review of 2019.<br />
<br />
After a long time coming (around a year and a half between submission and publication), my first real short story sale saw print in the voluminous book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MR41CRC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3">TRANSCENDENT</a> by Transmundane Press. Now, to be sure, this wasn't a big payout, and turnout for it has been muted. But this is a good collection of short stories by a quality publisher. I am happy to report that I did see a brief, uptick in sales of my other works after it's release. So that was a good way to start the year, even if technically the book was released in 2018. (December 26th, to be precise.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VGgbdLNWH48/W6tLCWskIMI/AAAAAAAACZw/3j-VYX9yrg4EKewItM5096simdXK1u6DACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Transcendent%2B-%2BAmazon%2BKindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1061" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VGgbdLNWH48/W6tLCWskIMI/AAAAAAAACZw/3j-VYX9yrg4EKewItM5096simdXK1u6DACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Transcendent%2B-%2BAmazon%2BKindle.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
After that, I also got a bit busier here on the blog. I managed three posts in all of 2018, and this year I managed quite a few more. While it wasn't up to the level of once a week like I did several years ago, it's been nice to get somewhat back into the swing of things and let my thoughts out a bit. Whether the blog helps with sales or not has been up for debate since I started it, but it's not a bad idea regardless.<br />
<br />
So, after the year started off well, and then slowly rolled into more of the same, I decided it was time to try something different. An author friend of mine had seen some success turning his stories into audiobooks, so I thought I would give it a try. First up was PATHS: Three Short Horror Stories. The expense wasn't too much, and the returns were decent, if not significant. Enough so that I decided to do the same for my other short work, Cenote.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Paths-Three-Short-Horror-Stories-Audiobook/B07S5YVTQ4?asin=B07S5YVTQ4"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9TmMR2NcQF0/XfDjjdZ606I/AAAAAAAAD1g/PGxB2ruZaYkAO3Q4IEUXccx9UmJCz3oxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/PATHS%2BAudio1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Cenote blew up. While I honestly wasn't expecting much from it when I made the decision of who to narrate the story, I chose someone that was a Youtube book blogger with a following of over 50,000 people. And she told people when the book was available. In the months since its release, Cenote went from 9 ratings on Goodreads.com to 78! With all the accompanying sales that you would expect from that. Cenote is currently the only one of my works to come close to paying for itself. It's recouped the editing costs, and is over halfway to recouping audiobook costs. Things have slowed down, but sales still continue, and I'm hopeful that it'll be in the black next year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Cenote-Novelette-Audiobook/B07W4MBZ68?asin=B07W4MBZ68"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EdAL-d7ilaA/XUNNYDW2z2I/AAAAAAAADaw/gQBjOS6RuwEtjfJBeNtTr8o7xit7SfRKACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Cenote%2B-%2BAudio%2Bcover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There was one big let-down this year, <a href="https://shaunhorton.blogspot.com/2019/12/due-diligence.html">which I wrote about last week</a> so I won't go into too much here. But to put it simply, I didn't do my research on a publisher that accepted a short story I wrote for their anthology, and I lost first edition rights to a story I'm honestly pretty proud of, to an anthology I'm not excited to tell people about. </div>
<br />
Not a major year, by any means, one short story, and audiobook editions of older works. But that doesn't mean I've been idle. I've posted several new short stories here on the blog this year, and I've got a few different works in progress heading into 2020. I'll delve more into that next week though.<br />
<br />
I was planning to put the 2019 wrap-up and plans for 2020 in one post, but this is getting a little long, so check back next time when I go over what I'm planning for next year and what you all have to look forward to from me.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, thanks for reading and I'll catch you all later.<br />
<br />
~ ShaunShaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-15757917142545350912019-12-11T03:36:00.000-08:002019-12-11T03:36:45.110-08:00Due DiligenceAs a writer, it's very important to pay attention to who you approach and who approaches you in your business dealings. So, while I'm going to spend a fair bit of this post complaining, I want it clear right up front that the only one to blame in this situation is myself.<br />
<br />
When you're shopping around for a literary agent, a publisher, or a submission call, the single most important thing to do is to research a person or company before you submit. If you don't do it then, at least do it before you sign a contract. I forgot.<br />
<br />
I have a 2019 wrap-up post in the pipe where I'll discuss everything else I've done this year, but to put it simply, after coming off a successful and exciting acceptance of a short story early this year, I got a second acceptance, and I jumped into it without looking. I regret that now.<br />
<br />
That's not to say I didn't see the red flags. I did look up the publisher that posted the call I submitted to. I looked through their catalog and while a few things didn't quite set right, I continued. I got the contract in my email, and a lot of that didn't sit or sound right (or actually legally binding), but I continued. There were delays and communication issues, but I continued. (Granted, at this point I had signed a legally dubious contract, so I felt somewhat obligated.) The book missed the target date for release (Halloween) by almost two weeks, and all I could do was shrug and wait.<br />
<br />
And now the book is out, although it's only available on the publishers website in a physical form, and it's not available on Amazon or anywhere as an ebook.<br />
<br />
As I said, I really have only myself to blame for missing all the red flags.<br />
<br />
I spent most of the year excited and looking forward to announcing the second anthology to have one of my works in it this year. Now, even though there is a physical copy of the book available, I can't even take enough pride in it to tell people about it, or where to find it. It's disheartening.<br />
<br />
I want to be clear though, that in no way do I think the publisher meant to short the writers who's work was included in the anthology. There was never anything purposefully vindictive or under-handed in any of our correspondence. At worst, I feel like this is a publisher that just doesn't really understand what it takes to run a business, or how to approach being a serious publisher. It feels like someone had a bit of success with what started as a hobby, and they're trying to run with it.<br />
<br />
I just want to put this out there and emphasize that as an author, you are your own best advocate. That means being informed and doing your due diligence and research on any person or company you may enter into a business deal with. Don't be afraid to say "You know, this really isn't working for me." at any point during negotiations if you're not comfortable with the red flags you see popping up. Even after a contract has been signed, don't be afraid to make contact and see if things can be cleared up, or prodded in a different direction.<br />
<br />
PAY ATTENTION! If something doesn't jive, go with your gut. It's usually right.Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-58016467364160139952019-10-11T13:40:00.003-07:002019-10-11T13:41:08.188-07:00Short Story: Feeding TimeWelcome back to another new short story this week. Enjoy!<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">"One
more week. Just one more week and this will be someone else's job." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
stood back from the edge of the water and looked out across the lake. The water
lapped slowly at the earth around it, like an animal tasting a corpse before
digging in. The moon hung low, but enough to be seen over the trees, casting
the water in an ugly yellow light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alvin lifted one foot, his eyes unblinking as
he watched the surface of the water, and reached it beyond the perimeter of the
shore, into the boat. He made sure his balance was relatively sure before his
other foot followed and he was now on the water. The small boat rocked gently
with the additional weight and he lowered himself onto the seat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Satisfied,
he set down his bag and the bucket and grabbed the oars. The handles were smooth,
worn from years of being passed around all the people that lived along the
lake. They gave him a small degree of comfort, that so many people had followed
the routine without incident. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
shore receded slowly, the wake of the boat small, but on the glass of the lake
they might as well have been ten feet high. Breaths came in slow, shallow
whiffs; eyes starting to dart left and right as he glided further out onto the
water. The silence was unnerving in the middle of the lake, even the calls of
the crickets on the shore seemed to vanish into the darkness underneath the
trees that lined the banks, as if the very sound itself refused to tempt the
water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ADgEBzXYp3E/XaDouh5GxjI/AAAAAAAADoc/aXvNICLFw041ZwYSSkYGe3lSG4ezSL6vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/full-moon-over-the-lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="550" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ADgEBzXYp3E/XaDouh5GxjI/AAAAAAAADoc/aXvNICLFw041ZwYSSkYGe3lSG4ezSL6vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/full-moon-over-the-lake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">His
aged muscles seemed to stiffen more with every stroke of the oars, and he could
feel his heart </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">crawling up inside his chest with every beat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then
something tapped the boat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
froze in place, breath forgotten in his sudden fear, the boat drifting along
from the last pull of the oars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then
the buoy floated past, lightly bumping the side of the boat as it moved beyond
the marked spot. Breath returned in an explosion of relief, but much of the
anxiety remained. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One more
week...one more week...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alvin
locked the oars in place and opened his bag, pulling out the cutting board and
knife which had come with being chosen for the month of August, along with the
boat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
first fish out of the bucket was a rainbow trout, about ten pounds. One he
would have been rather proud to catch himself. There were no fish to catch in
the lake, though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">First
he cut off the head, then went down the body, blood flowing out across the
cutting board and dripping into the bottom of the boat. Once he had five good
pieces, he scraped them back into the bucket and grabbed the tail of the next
fish. He wished he could have cut them up earlier, in the kitchen sink, but the
blood was key to making sure the fish were found quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
sound from shore grabbed his attention, and his finger slipped, running along
the edge of the knife and adding his own blood to the pool on the cutting
board. Eyes watering, he jammed the finger into his mouth, using his tongue to
measure the slice, as well as to keep himself from crying out. It wasn't a bad
cut, but he didn't have anything with him to cover it in his bag. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Please don't taste
me...please don't taste me...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
tried to think about what he could do with it as he sucked on the finger,
unconsciously trying to will it to stop bleeding. His eyes looked out at the
shore as well, trying to see the source of the sound that had distracted him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
cut refused to stop bleeding, and every moment he spent trying to think about
his finger was a </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">moment longer he was going to be out on the water. He gave up,
his finger throbbing and bleeding as he returned to the bucket of fish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Trevor!
I found it!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
voice carried across the lake, skipping across the water like a smooth rock.
Alvin's eyes widened and he turned to where he thought it had come from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Movement in the shadows underneath the
Carter's willow tree made him focus; the anxiety in his veins crawling through
him like worms, spreading along every nerve. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">She
was the first to step into the moonlight. In the dingy yellow light, long hair
flowed out behind her and bare breasts bounced as she pranced down to the end
of the bank and jumped into the water with a loud splash. Alvin's stomach turned
at the sight of her treading water, facing the bank, but he didn't dare call
out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Trevor!
Hurry up!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Sasha,
keep it down. People do live on this lake, you know." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
man followed from under the willow, stumbling a little, the familiar shape of a
beer bottle held in one hand. He tossed it off into the water, making Alvin
flinch from the splash before the man dove in after the woman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">"So?
Everyone's asleep at this point. Look at all the trees, I guess these weird
people don't want views of the water."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alvin
was frozen as he watched them swim out further, then embrace. A small speck of
self-disgust finally grew large enough to force his eyes away, and then they
flicked back and forth, scanning the water for other signs of disturbance. His
body trembled as he looked around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
couple was splashing now, the woman moaning, but something else had caught
Alvin's attention. A sense more than anything else, a presence that demanded to
be noticed. His eyes started to water from being stretched open, but he refused
to even blink as he saw the first movement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
small wake, barely perceptible on the still water. Over by the bank near Mary
Anderson's house. It moved slowly towards the couple as they bobbed up and
down, wrapped up in each other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
bloody knife, cutting board, and pieces of fish clattered into the bottom of
the boat as Alvin's body shook. The sound was like an explosion in his ears and
as the wake paused, his stomach lurched, threatening to send back his spaghetti
dinner. He instantly felt shame at the relief as it then continued toward the
trespassing couple. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
woman grew louder as the wake shrunk and vanished, leaving the surface smooth.
Alvin's mouth moved, silently calling out a warning that his throat wouldn't
release. He tried to swallow, but even that caught. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then
the couple was gone, sucked under the surface. Not even air was passing through
Alvin's throat now as he watched and waited. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
were two big splashes, one as the man broke the surface ten feet from where
he'd gone under and swimming furiously for the bank. The other was the woman,
propelled straight up out of the water, letting loose a garbled scream through
a mouth full of water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
thin shadow shot up out of the water after her, grabbing one leg and pulling
her back down, almost slapping her against the surface of the lake. Then she
was gone underneath again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
man continued splashing and swimming until he reached the bank, pulling himself
completely out of the water and up onto the grass in front of the willow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Sasha!"
Sasha, where are you?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alvin
knew she wasn't going to rise up again. His brain was screaming to grab the
oars, row back to the house, get in his car and get out of town. To leave and
never come back. Not a single part of his body replied. His heart ached in his
chest with as hard and fast as it was pounding. He hadn't even noticed the warm
liquid pooling inside his jeans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
man was now on his feet, standing at the edge of the lake, calling out his
girlfriend's name. His voice echoed across the now still water. Then the
creature launched out of the water, knocking the man onto his back. There had
been no big splash, no huge disruption of the water. It just emerged, as if it
was an extension of the water itself, flowing up and taking form on land. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
stood over the man. A thick, snake-like body held up on three sets of long,
spindly legs. The body continued back into the water, part of it waving back
and forth, making small waves some ten feet out from the shore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A short neck wove back and forth, a wide, flat
head looking him in the face. Then its head split open and lunged forward,
enveloping the man as he screamed. The whole body undulated backward, sliding
back into the water, dragging the man with it as he flailed uselessly, his
screams muffled inside the creature's throat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">At
the surface of the water, it flung the man back and forth, slapping him against
the top of the lake. Then it vanished down into the depths, dragging the
trespasser with it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alvin
sat in the boat, trembling violently, the bucket of fish all but forgotten.
Within moments, the surface returned to its smooth, placid look. A mirror,
perfectly reflecting the yellow moon above. He knew he had to get back to the
shore, get off the water. There was no way he could move fast enough though,
not in the little rowboat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">His
hands covered his face as he closed his eyes, trying to gain some kind of
composure. Even with his eyes closed, he couldn't get rid of the image of the
woman's body launched out of the water as she screamed, or the man, pulled
right off the bank. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
pulled his hands away, suddenly aware of his finger again, still dripping
blood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">FUCK!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
lifted his head and swung around, scanning the entire surface of the lake.
Surely it couldn't smell his blood under the water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nothing
stirred. There were no small wakes on the glassy surface. No sign of anything
coming for him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gotta get away!
GOTTA GET AWAY!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
was moving before he knew what he was doing. Alvin grabbed the handle of the
bucket and threw it behind him as hard as he could, then his hands were on the
oars before he even heard the splash, powering the boat to turn and move in the
other direction as fast as he could, his finger throbbing, bleeding more,
running down the handle of the oar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
hadn't counted on facing the direction he had thrown the bucket during his
escape. There was a second splash where the bucket had shattered the surface,
and then the familiar v-shape of a wake heading towards the dingy he was
rowing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alvin's
heart was about to explode in his chest, trying to power his escape, to make
the boat move even faster. He turned his head, trying to see the shore of his
property from the corner of his eye, then looking around for something closer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">His
body froze again as he saw the second wake approaching him. Then he puked into
the boat as he saw the third. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh God...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Collapsing
into the bottom of the boat, Alvin grabbed the knife and tried to make himself
as small as possible, ignoring the wetness in the bottom of the boat, the fresh
vomit, the blood of the fish he had cut up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Its
power source gone, the boat slowed to a gentle drift. Then softly bobbed on the
water. Alvin lay there, his breath coming in shallow gasps. His hand squeezed
the knife as he thought of his wife laying in bed, probably reading, waiting
for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh God, Anna, I'm
not coming home...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nothing
happened. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
forced himself to take a slower, deeper breath. Then he felt the bump on the
bottom of the boat. Then another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">"GO
AWAY!! GO THE FUCK AWAY!!!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
looked up at the yellow moon, full in the sky. Then he saw the first of the
clawed fingers reach over the edge of the boat and slowly grip the side. Two
long, black fingers, reaching over, pointed nails digging into the wood. Then
another pair gripped the other side. Then another pair down near the keel.
Another. Another. Nine separate pairs of clawed fingers gripped the rim of the
rowboat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Alvin
waited for them to try and grab him. They didn't. He didn't know what they were
doing until the first slosh of water fell inside the boat. They were pulling
the whole boat under the surface. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Oh
God! Fuck, no! No! NO!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Silence
returned as the boat and Alvin were swallowed by the lake itself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-71281672248308779512019-10-04T14:21:00.002-07:002019-10-06T07:11:30.028-07:00Short Story: Hit and RunWelcome to October everybody! It's a little later in the week than I planned, but here you all go! A nice new little short story for you all to enjoy for the spooky season! The plan is a new short story every week this month, so check back for new posts all month long!<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Jordan scrubbed the corner of the bumper, dipping the brush in the bucket and splashing a fresh layer of bubbles and suds across it. He really didn't have time for such a menial chore before work, but it had to be done. It certainly wouldn't do to have everyone at the office see his prized Mustang so dirty. It looked like he was done though.<br />
<br />
He dropped the sponge back into the bucket and pulled out the microfiber towel, drying the front of the forest green Mustang GT with as much care as he could. Jordan stepped back and admired the car.<br />
<br />
"Lucky it didn't get any scratches, but there, good as new."<br />
<br />
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<br />
He smiled and went back into the house, changing out of the jeans and t-shirt he'd worn to clean in and changing into his business suit. His briefcase was ready and waiting by the door and he grabbed it on his way out.<br />
<br />
Briefcase safe in its spot on the passenger seat, Jordan walked around the front of the car to get in the driver's side. A quick glance should have been to revel in how smooth, shiny, and clean his car was, but his eyes were drawn to a dark spot on the left end of the bumper.<br />
<br />
"Fuck!" Jordan knelt down and stared at it. There was no way he'd missed a spot. It was also still wet. As he watched it started to run down the front of the bumper. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped it away, looking at it closer against the white fabric.<br />
<br />
It was red. Blood.<br />
<br />
He peered up at the sky, to the eves of the house, and into the branches of some of the neighborhood trees. Some stupid hurt bird decided to fly over his car, letting its filthy blood drip onto his prized Mustang.<br />
<br />
He couldn't waste anymore time washing the car again though, so he just wiped it off with the handkerchief, tossed the bloody rag into the garbage can, and headed to work.<br />
<br />
Jordan knew the route like the back of his hand, having driven it almost every day for the last five years. He glanced over at the Darchester House as he sped past, at the monkey puzzle tree that stood thirty-feet high in the Carter's front yard. The only thing that wasn't normal for his Monday morning drive to the office was a bunch of caution tape at the corner of Tremont and Bond. He wondered what had happened and made a mental note to check the internet when he got to work.<br />
<br />
He backed into his parking space right on time, in spite of having left his house easily ten minutes later than usual. Jordan smirked to himself as he got out and walked around to get his suitcase.<br />
<br />
Spots. There were four spots on the left corner of the front bumper. Three of them were already running down and one was about to drip onto the ground.<br />
<br />
"Fuck. It just isn't my day, is it?"<br />
<br />
He checked the trunk, and managed find some paper towels. They weren't the softest or most absorbent, but it was enough to wipe away the spots and smears on his bumper. Satisfied enough, he threw them away and went inside.<br />
<br />
Jordan's day at his desk was average for a Monday. Emails to reply to, calls to make. It was just an ordinary day. At least until he noticed a few of the girls in the office whispering and pointing in his direction. He wished that had been a normal part of his day, but he brushed it off and tried to focus on his work, waiting until nobody was looking at him again before reaching into the back of a drawer and pulling out a single-shot bottle of whiskey.<br />
<br />
He poured it into his empty coffee cup and threw it back before anyone could notice, tossing the empty bottle back into the drawer.<br />
<br />
Time passed and it was almost lunchtime. Jordan's buzz was in full swing with almost half a dozen shot-bottles now sitting empty in his drawer. It took him a minute to recognize the look of concern on his friend Kevin's face when he walked up.<br />
<br />
"Hey Jordan, everything okay?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be? Just another Monday morning."<br />
<br />
"You sure? I saw your car in the garage when I went for lunch."<br />
<br />
Jordan immediately sat up, his mood souring in a moment. "What about my car?"<br />
<br />
"Did you hit someone's dog or something on the way in? There's blood all over the bumper on the passenger side."<br />
<br />
"What? No. No, nothing like that..."<br />
<br />
Jordan shot out of his chair and down the hallway, bursting into the garage. A few people were standing in front of his car, looking down at the bumper. Kevin was right. The whole front corner of the passenger side looked like someone had taken dark red paint and splashed it across the car. It dripped down off the bumper into a pool of red which was slowly spreading across the pavement.<br />
<br />
One of the women from earlier was standing there and saw Jordan.<br />
<br />
"What did you hit?"<br />
<br />
"Nothing. I didn't hit anything! This is some fuckwad's idea of a stupid joke!"<br />
<br />
Jordan jumped into the driver's seat and peeled out of the parking garage, speeding through the town to a small car wash. He spent his lunch break and then some rinsing and scrubbing down his car, getting the thick, sticky substance off. Clean once again, he got in and slumped into his seat for a moment. His whiskey buzz was wearing off. Jordan reached up and adjusted the rear-view mirror, just in time to see some young girl run behind his car calling for her mom.<br />
<br />
"What a fucking day this is turning into."<br />
<br />
He pulled out of the car wash, stopped at a gas station to refill on shot-bottles, and headed back to the office. He chose not to back in this time, in case the joker decided to hit his car again before the end of the night.<br />
<br />
Work ran late, and there was only two other people in the office by the time Jordan snuck his last shot bottle in the bathroom and shut the clamps on his briefcase. Walking into the parking lot made him nervous, but at a distance, he could see there were no new splashes on the back of his Mustang. A sigh of relief escaped him and he gave in to the fresh whiskey buzz putting a little spring in his step.<br />
<br />
As he got closer, he noticed a puddle underneath his car, rolling slowly out into the parking garage. He stopped and looked at the thick, reddish fluid that seemed to be flowing toward him. Then continued on, holding his head up as he got into his car.<br />
<br />
"Nope. Nothing there. I'm just drunk and imagining things after this shitty day."<br />
<br />
He backed out of the parking space, ignoring the large pool that his tires left marks in and trailed behind him as he drove away. Jordan flipped on the headlights, finding the one on the passenger side weak and obscured.<br />
<br />
He slammed on the brakes as a little girl ran across in front of him in the parking garage. He could hear her calling "Why?" to her mom somewhere on his right, but ignored it and sped on as quickly as she passed.<br />
<br />
Jordan sped through the streets, wanting nothing more than to get home after such a long, fucked-up day.<br />
<br />
Specks started to hit the windshield, flying up from the passenger side of the hood. Jordan tried to ignore them, and when he couldn't anymore, he flipped on the wipers, which did nothing but make red smears across the glass.<br />
<br />
"Why?"<br />
<br />
The little girl's voice echoed in his ear, giving him goosebumps. Something touched his right arm, making him jump and forcing him to turn and look.<br />
<br />
A small girl was sitting there in the passenger seat, blonde hair stained red with blood which ran down her face and stained her shirt.<br />
<br />
"Why didn't you stop?"<br />
<br />
Jordan jerked away from the girl, pulling on the wheel. The green Mustang jumped the sidewalk, yellow caution tape flapping by before the car plowed straight on into the large Oak tree which stood just beyond the corner of the intersection of Tremont and Bond.<br />
<br />
Jordan's chest bounced off the steering wheel, cracking ribs and knocking the wind out of him, making him unable to scream as part of the engine was shoved back into the car, underneath the dashboard, crushing his legs and pinning him in place.<br />
<br />
As shock set in, all he could hear was the little girl's voice.<br />
<br />
"Why? Why didn't you stop for me? Why didn't you stop? why didn't you stop? <span style="font-size: x-small;">why didn't you stop? </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">why didn't you stop....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-81682062978568607182019-09-18T15:48:00.000-07:002019-09-18T15:48:29.810-07:00Shaun's "How-To-Write" SuggestionsLast week I talked about "How-To-Write" books and how many of them are fairly bunk. I thought that this week, I would go over the main points that I would discuss if I were to write a How-To book on writing. These are based on the things I've learned since I started my little writing career back in 2013 (wow that seems like forever ago now.) So read, learn, and enjoy, completely free of charge!<br />
<br />
1. Write what you want, but make sure that it's right.<br />
<br />
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<br />
One thing you'll probably hear a lot is "Write what you know." Throw that out the window. Write what you want. My novel Class 5 is based in Arizona. I've driven through there a few times, but I live in Washington state. My personal experience with Arizona is peripheral at best. Why did I pick Arizona to write about? Dunno, to be honest. That's where the story told me it needed to be. I picked Arizona before I wrote about scorpions, or knowing the alien creature was susceptible to dehydration.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Once the location was chosen though, I read up on it. Arizona is hot and arid, but it's not a desert wasteland. There's a huge variety of plants and animals that live there. Temperatures can have a difference of more than 35 degrees from the height of the day to the depths of night. I also made sure, since this story had a strong military presence, that I looked up everything that would pertain to the story that I wasn't familiar with, like ranks, unit formations, and specific firearms.<br />
<br />
So, forget writing what you know, just start with writing, and if you have to, learn about it along the way. Just make sure you get as much right as you can.<br />
<br />
2. The more eyes you can have on your work, the better.<br />
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Seriously. Get eyes on your work that aren't yours. Beta Readers, editors, proofreaders. It doesn't matter how good you think you are, you're going to screw up, and having other people read the work before it's actually published will ALWAYS help.<br />
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Beta readers will help you make sure your story is going in the right direction and point out where you go off the rails a bit. Most importantly though, they'll tell you if your story is entertaining! If your work isn't holding a reader's attention enough to get through the whole thing, that's a major problem, and without beta readers it's one that you likely won't find out until it's been published.<br />
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Likewise, find a good editor. This probably won't be cheap, but it's an indispensable part of writing, especially if you plan to self-publish. Languages can be complicated, and even if it's your birth language, you're going to get some of it wrong in writing. Punctuation, grammar, syntax, regional dialects, slang, all are going to make your life harder. Not to mention that after spending hours upon hours of staring at the words, you're not going to see them clearly. You're going to see what you meant more than what you put down. It doesn't even matter if you're an expert with a PhD in English Composition, you're going to need someone else to look it over. Don't be cheap. Pay up, and get a good editor to go through your story.<br />
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3. Luck plays a part.<br />
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<br />Deny it all you want, but luck does play a part in your success as a writer. Luck isn't random though; luck is all those factors that you have zero control over. Things like how many other new books are released that day, how saturated the genre for your story is, how close your book's release is to people's paychecks, whether your book gets suggested among "if you liked THIS book, you may also like...". If you're trying to get an agent or in with a publisher, you may have the luck of being the seventh story of that type the agent has already been handed that day. Your script may happen to land in their inbox just as they accept their limit for the reading period.<br />
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But while luck will play a part in your writing career, you can work around it. Keep writing. Don't let a setback or rejection slip deter you. As the saying goes, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." The more you put your work out there, the more likely you are to drop it on someone's desk right when it's what they're looking for. It's the same for selling to an agent, to a publisher, or to a reader. That's the thing about luck, the more you play, the more the odds even out, and once that breaks even, it's all about you and how much work you've put in.<br /><br />So, there you go, the three biggest points I would put into a "How-to-write" book. As all advice goes though, it's up to you to take it, or not. These are just the things I've learned in my time being a writer. Your mileage may vary.<br /><br />~ ShaunShaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-7985854647067781662019-09-12T04:27:00.002-07:002019-09-12T14:22:48.954-07:00How-To-Write books?Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Is how the saying goes. But is it really accurate? Maybe in some cases. In writing, I don't believe it is. It seems like every self-published writer also tends to put out a book touting their success and instructing other authors how to reach that brass ring of success. Whether they're actually as successful as they claim is entirely up for debate, as just about anyone can slap a gold star on their book and there's a hundred ways of gaming the system to claim your work is a best-seller.<br />
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I'll be honest though, I've considered a few little booklets myself, collections of posts from this very blog where I've touched on how to write. I'm not actually conceited enough to think any of my advice is really worth paying for. I'm not really sure anyone else's is either.<br />
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Now, being an author isn't an easy thing. Lots more struggle through and never see any real measure of success than the ones that are making their house payments from their writing. So I can see the allure of trying to find ways to step up, and advice from the people who claim to have made it seems as good a source as any. Here's one of the things though, we can't see their finances. We don't know what bar they have set to claim success.<br />
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But I digress. I'm not here to tear down everyone who's ever written a how-to-write book. One of the reasons for this blog is to share the things I've learned on my own journey through the perils, highs, and lows of authorship.<br />
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I've read several books on how to write. I even have ones that I like and that I would gladly recommend. Stephen King's 'On Writing' is an awesome one.<br />
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But I've learned a few things about how-to-write books by reading them, and that's really what I want to share here. Completely free, you don't even have to download a separate PDF file or anything.<br />
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1. There are no hard and fast rules for writing a book.<br />
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Really. Half these how-to books contradict themselves, if not each other. Use Adverbs. Don't use Adverbs. Write out your whole plot, let the story write itself. etc. etc. If any one of these rules really held true, all these how-to books would say exactly the same thing, but they don't. All these books like to tell you if you follow everything they put forth, you'll find success, but how can that be true when not a one of these books agree on any single rule?<br />
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2. None of these how-to books are explicitly wrong or right.<br />
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Like I said, different people have different values to determine what success is. Likewise, every one of these books have different expectations for the ideas and suggestions they offer. As well, there isn't one single path to publication and different situations mean different outcomes. All this means that what works for one person might only work partially for someone else, or it might not work at all. Some of them have ideas that are worth exploring, but don't think you're going to get rich and famous following a single person's blueprint. Read them, think about what they say, but take everything with a grain (or shaker) of salt.<br />
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3. Very few of these books will talk about one of the most important aspects of finding success as an author. Luck.<br />
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I'm not trying to say that success might or might not happen no matter what you do. As the quote goes, "The harder I work, the luckier I get.", but to say that luck plays no part, or to not talk about it at all feels a little disingenuous to me. Some people get their manuscript in front of just the right eyes at just the right moment to get accepted. Some people might get their manuscript dropped on the desk of the agent who's already read several versions of that story that week. Their work might pop up in front of a very vocal critic or fan right when that person has time to read it and tell everyone about it. Why does one person's book find acclaim and success while another's languishes, even if they do everything the same?<br /><br />There really is no magic formula to success as a writer. No how-to book is going to teach you everything and lead you to riches and fame, no matter what they might say or how successful the author claims to be. Read them, sure, but take everything with a grain of salt, and consider how much their advice reflects your own position and goals. In the end, everyone's journey is their own, and nobody else's, and no two journeys will be the same.<br /><br />~ Shaun<br />
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<br />Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-74050721344957595132019-09-07T13:58:00.001-07:002019-09-07T14:03:12.164-07:00Kids in Horror: HeroesKids pop up in Horror as victims, and as monsters, but they also can be the heroes of the story. It may seem a little far-fetched at times considering the stakes and the opponents they face, but is there anything really as cheer inducing as watching a kid or kids take down a villain that's been running around killing everyone else around them? Or maybe they don't stop the villain, maybe it's all they do to find a way to survive the horror that nobody else is escaping.<br />
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Danny Torrence from The Shining, for example. Even with his special gift, it's all he can do to escape from the evil of the Overlook Hotel, and the madness of his father. It's not that he survives just because he's a kid though. He survives because he recognizes the danger he's in, and thinks of ways to escape. Running into the hedge maze, retracing his steps in the snow; the kid is smart and is thinking of what to do. He isn't stopped by the fact that the crazed man chasing him is his father, which is what would paralyze and be the doom of most kids. He recognizes the danger and does what he has to do.<br />
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One of the things that sets children heroes apart from their adult counterparts is the fact that most people completely disregard them. Kids and their crazy imaginations, am I right? How many times could scenes of murder and mayhem just be avoided if people had listened?<br />
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How many times did little Andy Barclay in the classic Child's Play movie try to warn his mom and other adults that Chucky was evil and hurting people? In the end, Andy had to overcome his own desire to trust his only friend, and light the evil little bastard on fire.<br />
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Usually though, it takes a group of kids to face the evil, to make up for their smaller size and lack of physical ability and experience. Most recently we have the kids from the Netflix series Stranger Things, and the remake of Stephen King's IT. There's also no leaving out the older, cult classic The Monster Squad.<br />
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Why do kids make great heroes in the end though? I think it's because they win in one of two ways. They either grow up while we watch and lament the loss of innocence and the leaving behind of a simpler, easier life; or they win through the qualities that make them children, that same sense of innocence, imagination, and the stubbornness that the world should be a certain way just because we want it to be.<br />
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As I've said recently, it's all too common for their innocence and naivety to lead a child to be the victim of horror, so I think when it's that same quality that leads them to victory we cheer that much harder. We're proud of them, and we wish we could go back to that easier life, while carrying that much strength. I think there really are no better heroes than kids.<br />
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~ ShaunShaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-91824766511780887242019-08-26T01:43:00.002-07:002019-08-26T01:43:18.448-07:00Villains don't have to be sympathetic. Fair warning, this is going to be more of a rant than anything else, but this has been bugging me all day. Also, there may be a few spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen 101 Dalmations.<br /><br />Disney is doing an "origin" story for the villain Cruella DeVil, the antagonist of the 101 Dalmations movies.<br /><br />
Now, why? Are they really scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas?<br />
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Now, here's the thing for me. A lot of villains and even monsters can be sympathetic. Take the shark from JAWS. He's not swimming around the island eating people because it wants to. It's an animal. It's hungry. While not a usual source of food, there's a lot of soft, pink things that don't fight back flopping around in the water that satisfy that hole in the stomach for a while. Some of them do have a hard shell to smash (boats), but still, an easy meal compared to chasing down a tuna or a seal. It's just an animal trying to live from one day to the next.<br />
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Some people are driven to villainy because they don't "fit in" with the heroes, or they look different and get ostracized and start acting out because that's how people expect them to act. Sometimes a character only looks like a villain because we're only shown things from the heroes point of view, even though the hero might do things that are exactly the same or worse through a different lens. How often do we see a hero avenge the death of a loved one on the villain and cheer, but boo when a villain's acts are driven by the same ideas of vengeance?<br />
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But this bitch. THIS bitch...<br />
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This bitch offers to buy all 99 puppies her "friend" has, and when she gets turned down, dog-naps them all to skin them alive and use their fur to make herself a Dalmation-skin coat. When the dogs escape, she gets in her car and nearly runs an innocent man off the road in her rage because the puppies were hiding in the back of his truck. Over the opportunity to wear dog-skins as fashion.<br />
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Now, to be fair, the movie's only been announced and other than Emma Stone playing the title role, we know nothing about it. It could be that Cruella is, like her namesake, a monster from the start. I can't really see much of a movie in that though. So it's likely a movie about how Cruella used to absolutely LOVE dalmations, the picture does show her with a few of her own. Maybe something horrible happens to them and she just can't get over their loss and literally wearing their skins is the only way she can feel close to them again?<br /><br />Cruella is a pure villain. She's a fine character without being sympathetic.<br />
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I'm sorry, but No. There is nothing redeemable in the villain from 101 Dalmations. We don't need to feel pity for someone whose end goal is animal abuse and murder. We don't need to see how she went from a normal human being to a complete psychopath. We don't need a movie to make excuses for animal cruelty.<br /><br />WE DON'T NEED A MOVIE TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY.<br /><br />To me, this movie is a horrible fucking idea and shouldn't get made.<br />
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Period.<br /><br />~ ShaunShaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-26814298178171227602019-08-15T05:00:00.003-07:002019-08-15T05:00:50.031-07:00Kids in Horror: Monsters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kids can take on more forms in Horror than simply the victims. Sometimes, they're the monsters.<br />
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If it's the innocence of children that makes their deaths in fiction so unbearable, what about when they have no innocence, or when that innocence gets twisted into something else entirely? The best example again returns to Stephen King's Pet Sematary, where little Gage, once the victim, returns to life but with a thirst for murder. It almost twists at you to the point where you don't know what to feel. The scene of his death is heartbreaking, but when he comes back and turns on his family and neighbors, it's with such violence and ferocity that you can't even feel pity for him, even if he didn't ask for what he became. At the same time, you can't see him as just another murderous monster to be stopped, so everything is conflicting, which is part of what makes this story so powerful.<br />
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Sometimes though, it's because of that innocence that they take such dark turns. They don't have a full understanding of how the world works, or why things are the way they are, so when left to their own devices, they reach ideas and conclusions that just aren't acceptable in the world at large. Even at young ages, without the burdens of society, children can turn to violence and savagery every bit as brutal as any adult could unleash. Is there a better example of this than The Lord of the Flies by William Golding?<br /><br />I think this version of children is the most terrifying, as I don't think there's any human which has a stronger bond to their natural instincts as a young child. Human beings are hunters by nature, we kill things for food, for territory, and for safety. At that level, we also have little qualms about killing others of our own kind, or even engaging in cannibalism. All the violence and horrific acts are justified in their minds, and no matter how much we don't want to admit it, we understand it. We see mirrors of ourselves in it before we turn away.<br />
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It does happen, though, that sometimes people are just broken from the start. Whether children can really just be born evil, I don't know, but with an organism as complicated as a human being, there are bound to be errors in the programming occasionally. In this vein, we have stories like The Omen, where the children are evil from the very beginning. It might be because they are the spawn of Satan or some other religious sect, or it could be that they're just broken. Regardless, these are easily viewed as more monsters than men, and it's easier to cheer for their destruction as they seemingly had no innocence in the first place.<br /><br />The main thing about these monsters is that because they're so broken, they're unpredictable. There's no instinct behind their actions, nothing relatable in their motives, and because of that they can do anything. Children acting out some form of revenge have limits. Children acting on pure instinct still have limits. People, even children, that are just broken human beings from the start, don't. They're psychopaths, and one of the scariest things about psychopaths is that you can't see them for what they are until it's too late. And that goes ten times greater when that psychopath is a child.<br />
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So, I know some people can't stand to see children as victims, but what about the monsters and villains? Thoughts? Any favorites out there?<br />
<br />~ Shaun<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<br />Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-37379787350569739372019-08-08T13:56:00.000-07:002019-08-08T13:56:21.697-07:00Kids in Horror: VictimsChildren in horror can be a bit of a touchy subject. Some people refuse to read anything which has hints of child abuse or graphic descriptions of violence against them. I can't say I blame them too much, it is something that makes me a little bit squeamish. I say that even though some of my own works have scenes which fall along those lines.<br />
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Class 5 opens with a scene which features the death of a young boy, and it includes a scene of the boy's father finding the body later on.<br />
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Hannah has a scene where the family dog attacks the son, and later a twisted version of that same pet kidnaps the daughter.<br />
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Killing a child isn't something that should be done haphazardly, and certainly not, in my opinion, done just for shock value. It should be important in the context of the story.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VdwSRZprEAs/XUvfJtc3vdI/AAAAAAAADdU/m5s5M35HVj4G5OWLJzM6ZgDk8vCpMG1vwCLcBGAs/s1600/MV5BZmU4ZDk2MGItOWM4ZC00YTJhLWJkYjUtNDViOTFkOGJmNjUzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE2NzA0Ng%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="600" height="234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VdwSRZprEAs/XUvfJtc3vdI/AAAAAAAADdU/m5s5M35HVj4G5OWLJzM6ZgDk8vCpMG1vwCLcBGAs/s320/MV5BZmU4ZDk2MGItOWM4ZC00YTJhLWJkYjUtNDViOTFkOGJmNjUzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE2NzA0Ng%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the earliest scenes of a child's death in movies is of poor little Maria in the classic Frankenstein. The scene isn't gruesome, or even dark, it's sad. It's important because the scene brings focus on the monster's childlike innocence, and how he's not evil. The scene becomes tragic because he's not trying to kill Maria, it's completely accidental as he tosses her into the water where she drowns because she can't swim. He just wanted to see her match the flowers after she pointed out how pretty they were floating on the water's surface. Without this scene, it would be much harder to feel pity for the monster later on when the town is chasing him and calling for it's death while he has no idea why everyone hates him so much.<br />
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The death of Alex Kintner in JAWS was one of the more gruesome scenes we've seen of a child's end. There are several reasons for this scene though. It shows that nobody is safe, not even in a group (though he was out further than everyone else). It broke the mayor's hold on the problem in a way that he couldn't keep it quiet anymore, forcing the community to see and acknowledge the issue facing them. The resulting press conference also led to the introduction of Quint, so his character doesn't just feel dropped into place later on. It's also a major psychological moment for Chief Brody, who likely would've had the memory flashing through his head as he ran to his own son on the beach after their small sailboat is knocked over, and the guilt likely assisted in forcing him to accompany Quint on the shark-hunting expedition in the end, in spite of his fear of the sea.<br />
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This is one that shook a lot of people. It really comes out of nowhere and even though it's not graphic, the implied carnage is easy for most people to imagine, especially thanks to the kind of things that commonly get shown on the news and on social media these days. The death of Gage in Stephen King's Pet Sematary is so important that there wouldn't be a story without it. It's the strength of the sense of loss, something most people can relate to, that drives Gage's father to test the power of the pet sematary, setting in motion a series of events that are all as horrible, or worse, than the one that sets the whole thing in motion.<br />
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Children are innocent. They don't know the truth of the dangers and horrors of the world around them. That's what makes it hit so much harder when dark fates befall them, and why so many people can't stand to see these kinds of scenes. Their deaths are almost always "Wrong place, wrong time" and they rarely have any hand in the things that happen to them. Maria just wanted a friend to play with, Alex Kintner just wanted to play on his raft a few minutes more, and little Gage was just chasing the kite string. People don't like seeing bad things happen to innocents, just like with pets.<br />
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Still, I don't think any horror story should be avoided simply because a child dies. As my examples show, even in death, many of them showcase the beauty of childhood innocence, they illustrate the power of grief, and show that life does still continue.<br />
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And isn't that the point of horror? That no matter how hard or bad things get, life (usually) goes on, and things do get brighter again eventually. You know, unless you bury your son in an ancient graveyard possessed by pure evil...<br />
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~ Shaun<br />
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Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-35926813641112575532019-08-01T13:41:00.000-07:002019-08-01T13:41:00.385-07:00Audiobooks! In any business, it's generally a good idea to experiment. Buying ads, posters, signs, commercials; trying new products, things like that. The same goes for writing and being an author. It's a fair idea to try something new and different every so often.<br />
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I tried something new myself a few months ago, and while it hasn't turned into a windfall, writing is a long-game, and it certainly seems to be helping with that.<br />
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One of my shorter works available for purchase is PATHS: Three Short Horror Stories. It's just three short stories, unconnected, to give people a cheap little entry into my writing styles and moods. The stories themselves are more gothic than gore, and include a scientist taking part in a rare tribal ritual, a man trying to take advantage of the discovery of time travel, and a man haunted by the ghost of his wife that discovers things may be different than he knows.<br />
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So a few months ago, after seeing some projects from one of my fellow authors,<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5766025.Karl_Drinkwater"> Karl Drinkwater</a> (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Karl-Drinkwater/e/B006JZWOPE?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1564690388&sr=1-1">Seriously, go read his stuff, it's awesome!</a>), I decided to try an experiment and make PATHS available as an audiobook.<br /><br />Like setting up for Kindle, the process is actually pretty simple, as there's a single website, ACX.com, that has most of the work already done for you. I just had to sign up and put my information in as a content creator, and away I went.<br /><br />It starts with an audition. I selected a short piece from PATHS to represent what I thought would be the hardest challenge to a narrator, and posted it up. After a week I had 35 auditions of people reading the piece to choose from, a lot more than I expected, and after listening to 35 different versions of a two minute section of PATHS, I narrowed it down to four, and then chose my narrator.<br /><br />From there, ACX has a pre-written contract where I fill in the dates I would like to see the project completed by, and how much I'm willing to pay for it, and I send it as an offer. If the narrator accepts, then it's on to the next stage, and not falling back to another audition. </div>
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Thankfully, I haven't had to fall back to my second choice yet. The narrator I chose accepted, and we were off to the races. About a month and a half later, and PATHS was available to purchase as an audiobook. Not just on Amazon, but also on Audible, and even on iTunes! So it's expanding my reach to places I hadn't actually been on before! <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Paths-Three-Short-Horror-Stories-Audiobook/B07S5YVTQ4?asin=B07S5YVTQ4">Sales were decent and it's already got two ratings / reviews</a>, so I'd consider that a success for the long-run. </div>
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With that, I decided to wander a little further down this path and make <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJBF8DO">Cenote</a> an audiobook as well. It's well into the process now, in fact, we're just waiting for QA approval and for it to go live. So watch my Twitter and Facebook page for the announcement which should be coming up in a few weeks. </div>
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<br />In the meantime, go check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7FW6FYqPLeQIXMSulBfOLw/featured">Merphy Napier on Youtube</a>! She's the narrator for Cenote, and she also does video book reviews.<br /><br />I'm happy to say all this excitement has me back into a writer/author mode, so hopefully I'll also have some new reading material for all of you to check out soon too! </div>
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Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-33908206424946167452019-07-27T15:03:00.000-07:002019-07-27T15:03:23.016-07:00Video Game Review: Bloodstained: Ritual of the NightIf you're a fan of horror video games, you know the name Koji Igarashi. If you don't go find a way to play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, then come back to read this review. Widely regarded as the best Castlevania game ever made, it really set the stage for the Metroidvania style of games that are crosses between side-scrolling action and exploration-RPG games. Despite Symphony of the Night's popularity, it became increasingly difficult for Koji to convince the major company he worked for to put actual effort into similar games. So, like most creatives with a vision, he took it to Kickstarter. In 2015, Koji launched a Kickstarter campaign for the game what would become Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, looking for a modest sum of just $500,000.<br />
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In July of 2019, after having raised a final tally of over 5 MILLION dollars, Bloodstained released.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YWbGCvETfuo/XTy3pXJr-OI/AAAAAAAADZc/9NZbPpG0OmYhVmkL3KUxOpkMmgbeUPxSwCLcBGAs/s1600/header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="460" height="186" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YWbGCvETfuo/XTy3pXJr-OI/AAAAAAAADZc/9NZbPpG0OmYhVmkL3KUxOpkMmgbeUPxSwCLcBGAs/s400/header.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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From initial screenshots, I was actually concerned this would just be a re-skin of Symphony of the Night. I was wrong.<br />
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Now, to be fair, Bloodstained is more than just the spiritual successor to Symphony. The controls, the game-play, the enemies, the music; all are reminiscent of Symphony, but Bloodstained is its own game. The story and world-building are fairly unique, bosses are challenging in different ways and memorable, and abilities are varied and give a wide range of customization for playing styles. It also has multiple endings if you manage to fully explore the castle and are adept at figuring out how to use the myriad abilities you can gain throughout the game.<br />
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The story follows Miriam, a shardbinder, in the 1800's. Alchemists have raised demons to ravage the world, in order to prove their abilities have merit in the face of the industrial revolution. Shardbinders are people with the ability to basically absorb demonic abilities, though if they absorb too much, they turn into crystals themselves, with no way to turn back.<br />
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Miriam is looking for her friend, Gebel, a fellow shardbinder that seems to have used his powers to summon a huge castle full of demons and is poised to set them loose on the world once again. She has to find and stop him, while wondering what happened to make him change to wanting to destroy the world. Fortunately, Miriam isn't alone. She has an alchemist partner who can create items and food, as well as enhance the shards she collects. You also come across a town that's been ravaged, but still has survivors that can sell you items, buy things you have extras of, and give you side quests. You'll also come across others looking for Gebel to destroy him.<br />
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The castle isn't simple and straightforward either. There are bosses that guard abilities you'll need to reach different areas to progress through the game, so expect a lot of back and forth as you explore the castle looking for Gebel. You can even reach him without having explored all of the castle.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-38EbS-385J8/XTzI2LxkuMI/AAAAAAAADZ0/I_tZMxdIcsIiNUE7ZB617o1dnHbeywa7ACLcBGAs/s1600/Valac_Header_%2528Proper%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-38EbS-385J8/XTzI2LxkuMI/AAAAAAAADZ0/I_tZMxdIcsIiNUE7ZB617o1dnHbeywa7ACLcBGAs/s400/Valac_Header_%2528Proper%2529.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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(FYI, this is ONE boss.)</div>
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The game is excellent, even though it had some issues with the version available for the Nintendo Switch. I haven't sat down and binged a video game for quite some time, and I kept coming back to Bloodstained, even after I finished it, just to go back for monster/item farming, as well as to track down the optional bosses. Not only that, I highly anticipate this being a game I come back to further down the line. It's just that much fun to play. I only wish other games came with this level of quality, and companies wouldn't hurry out bug-ridden, paywall-locked games.<br />
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Definitely pick this up and play it if you can. PS4, PC, I'm not sure if the Switch has been patched yet, but it seems the bug isn't consistent, so you may want to give it a try anyway. </div>
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~ Shaun</div>
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<br />Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-6492395863700432932019-06-12T16:44:00.002-07:002019-06-12T16:44:09.223-07:00Movie Review: Godzilla: King of the Monsters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since Legendary's <a href="http://shaunhorton.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-godzilla.html">Godzilla</a> came out in 2014, I've been waiting for this to release, and now it's finally here!<br />
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And it's so nice to see filmmakers not just taking a property and twisting it into what they want, but paying homage and respect to a property's origins and keeping it as it's supposed to be.<br />
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This is a Godzilla movie. This is a Godzilla movie as it should be with the power of Hollywood behind it. But Big G isn't the only one in the movie, they brought back the main gang from the classic Toho lineup.<br />
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Godzilla, Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan all have starring roles in this movie. The story brings in a group of eco-terrorists, who believe setting all the titans free to wipe out mankind is the only way to save the Earth from the pollution and climate devastation we've wrought. They view the titans as the defenders of the Earth, here to respond to the 'fever' that is humanity.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the first titan they awaken is Ghidorah, who turns out to be much more destroyer than defender. Unfortunately, as one of the most powerful titans, he awakens and commands the others to help him in his destruction. Godzilla isn't one to let his reign go unchallenged, however, and battles the three-headed beast more than once, ultimately facing Ichi, Ni, and Kevin (the director's names for Ghidorah's three heads) in a final showdown in Boston, with Mothra and Rodan providing a side bout before Mothra gives Godzilla the assist, and ultimately the win.<br /><br />Now, that's about it for the story, barring a plotline following a family quarrel between a husband and wife that work/worked for Monarch; but don't let that fool you. This movie is packed with action, humanity, and fun. Is it going to win an Oscar? Probably not, unfortunately, but there's more to movies than awards.</div>
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If you're a real fan of Godzilla, this movie has so many easter eggs and hints of the future to make you squee. While Legendary made other titans of their own to populate the world with, there's still hints that other Toho favorites may pop up in the future.<br /><br />The most obvious is the military's creation and use of a weapon called the Oxygen Destroyer. Not only is this a call-back to the very first movie where that was how they killed Godzilla, it is also the device that births the monster Destroyah, one of Godzilla's deadliest foes.<br /><br />In the movie, we see them taking a 'Hollow Earth' storyline, and see Godzilla resting in a massive underwater temple obviously built specifically for him. This could be a vehicle to bring in other titans who originally came from deep within the earth, such as Megalon. (Nobody really wants to see that though.)<br />
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The revelation that Ghidorah isn't part of Earth's natural order and is likely from space also comes up, opening the door to alien races showing up with their own titans in tow. I certainly would love to see what Legendary would do with permission to use Gigan.<br /><br />Anyway, the next chapter in the Monsterverse is Godzilla vs Kong, scheduled to be released March 13th, 2020. While story details are still scarce, my money is on G and Kong having a good wrestling match before being forced to work together against a bigger threat. But we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?<br /><br />
~ Shaun<br />
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<br />Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714179515755064737.post-53351972908241223222019-03-05T19:53:00.002-08:002019-03-05T19:53:44.081-08:00Video Game Review: Resident Evil 2 (2019)I played the original Resident Evil 2 on the N64 in 1998. It was the first official horror game I ever got to play and it freaked me out pretty good. The controls, the monsters, the rationing of ammo and health items, were completely unlike anything else I'd ever played before. It was a singular experience that took many years to find a game that could replicate the feelings of real anxiety and trepidation RE2 caused.<br />
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21 years later, a remake of that classic game emerges and shows why the game was so awesome.<br />
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It's been so long since I played the original, that I honestly forgot how the game went. Some parts, like the police station, lickers, and the Tyrant were easy memories, but the underground lab, the multiple fights with William Birkin, and many of the sections with little Sherry felt brand new. For a bit, I was more comfortable calling this Resident Evil 2.5, rather than a remake, that's how different it felt to me.<br />
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I won't delve too deeply into the story, since most people are probably familiar with it, and with the later adventures of the characters, but here's the basics.<br />
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Leon Kennedy is on his way to the Raccoon City police department to start his first day on the job as an officer. On the way into the city he picks up Claire Redfield, who is also on her way to the police station to look for her brother Chris, who is part of the RCPD's special S.T.A.R.S. unit. (You know about Chris as one of the characters of the first Resident Evil.) As they get into the city, they get separated, and manage to make their way to the police station.<br />
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With the zombie outbreak in full swing, punctuated by mutations creating such monsters a Lickers, undead dogs, and a giant alligator, they have to work separately to find ways out of the city. They find other survivors, delve under the city to a secret lab where the outbreak actually started, and eventually face the architect of the virus that caused everything.<br />
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The graphics are everything you've come to expect from the current generation of gaming consoles and computers, but seeing such classic creatures in their new high-definition form feels like they've really pushed the envelope. Environments are extremely detailed, but lack any notable easter eggs that I could find, which made me a little sad. </div>
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Music and sound are artfully crafted, never overpowering the moments and filling levels with ambiance that ups the creep factor. That you can hear the Tyrant's footsteps while he's nearby, even though he's not in the same room is an incredibly nice touch and really makes you feel like you're being hunted. </div>
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The biggest differences to the classic version are the controls and cameras. Gone are the clunky tank controls and security camera views which made the original a beast to play at times. In their places we have much more standard 3rd-person controls with an over-the-shoulder view, which puts you much closer to the action and gives you more of a sense that you're in control of the character you're currently following. </div>
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They don't stop there, though. They've even come up with some original DLC for people who can't get enough, following some of the people (and bodies) you find while playing through as Leon and Claire. To top it off, Capcom has said that they're willing to consider doing a similar remake for Resident Evil 3 if this one does well enough. Which I'm pretty sure it has. </div>
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If you played the original, or like horror games in ANY style, you'll love this game. It gets under your skin and will creep you out in ways few games do these days. I promise. </div>
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~ Shaun</div>
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<br />Shaun Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447960569470530712noreply@blogger.com0