T-Shirt Quilt

There are two side benefits of my life. The first is that I have an Uber talented wife who can make quilts out of t-shirts. You have no idea how often that comes in handy. 

The other side benefit comes by way of the commitment around running I made last year. Remember? I said I would run a fun run a month? Well, I did. I messed up

Book Five, Line 1

Another for the first lines series. I've been adding some other series into my series reading quest. Right now I'm into Clear and Present Danger . . . Book 5 of the Clancy series. I have to admit, I love this book. I think I've read it four times. It's the quintessential techno-thriller if you ask me. 

It stands up too. I'm reading it now, it's 2023, and it was written in 1989, and it still stands up and is relevant. 25 years later and it's still awesome!

The first line, in fact the first 30% of the book doesn't even (or hardly doesn't) mention the main character . . . Jack Ryan. I think it's silly they've re-titled these as "the Jack Ryan series." I think they're just perfect military techno-thrillers.

First line? 

The room was still empty. The Oval Office is in the southeast corner of the White House West Wing. 

Three doors lead into it, one from the office of the President's personal secretary, another from a small kitchen which leads in turn to the President's study, and a third into a corridor, directly opposite the entrance to the Roosevelt Room. The room itself is of only medium size for a senior executive, and visitors always remark afterward that it seemed smaller than they expected. The President's desk, set just in front of thick windows of bullet-resistant polycarbonate that distort the view of the White House lawn, is made from wood of HMS Resolute, a British ship that sank in American waters during the 1850's. Americans salvaged and returned it to the United Kingdom, and a grateful Queen Victoria ordered a desk made from its oaken timbers by way of official thanks. Made in an age when men were shorter than today, the desk was increased somewhat in height during the Reagan presidency. The President's desk was laden with folders and position papers capped with a printout of his appointment schedule, plus an intercom box, a conventional push-button multiline telephone, and another ordinary-looking but highly sophisticated secure instrument for sensitive conversations. 

Very few authors could start a book like this. Writing just about office furniture, even the President's office furniture, could be a disaster. I think that Clancy has earned the right to start this way because the reader knows there will be pay off. 

Hot Six First Line

I took a bit of a break from the thick military techno- and historical thrillers that have been a part of my series reading committement and went to read from another series. I've read quite a few of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, but Hot Six was new.

The first line, as you would expect, was filled with whimsy.

Shaw and Ghosts

I'm reading a book entitled, How to Know a Person. It's all about being a better person and being a better person towards others. I'm not saying I have to be some better human, but we all need a bit of work right? 

In this book, the author quotes George Bernard Shaw and writes, "the worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of humanity."

World Building in Class and Books

Last week in Kentucky at a conference I got to sit next to a professor who was involved with freshmen classes. He was challenged in helping these students become inspired and want to enjoy the learning process. He created a class that focused on "world-building." 

As we talked and he became more and more excited to tell me about everything he was adding into his class and using to inspire his students, our discussion naturally went to books where world-building is typical and normal . . . Sci-Fi and Fantasy. 

My Favorite Person at Work

I have several BFFs at work, which is not unheard of right? We all have friends at work. Some friends are fun for one reason, some for others. This one friend is fun because she . . . like me . . . is an introvert. 

I remember in our Insightful Leadership course I presented to the class on introverts vs extroverts. The way I discussed it was that extroverts pull energy from others and rechannel it to groups. Introverts expel energy from themselves to others. It's not that introverts can't be outgoing it's just that it takes more energy to do so. 

Funny Ole World (with Funny Ole People)

I ran into this the other day and it floored me a bit. Isn't it funny how people act and react and expect things from others, all the while they're probably expecting the same from you?

It's funny how relationships work and don't work. It shouldn't be so hard should it? People who get along should just allow themselves to get along. 

Zen and the Art of Pool Maintenance

I remember when I was in college the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a big deal. Everyone was reading it and getting something out of it. So, I happened to have a logic and philosophy course so I signed up to read it. I hate to say it, but I got nothing out of it.

I know why now. I'm not a tinkerer. I'm just not. I like actionable things. I don't like to diagnose. Can I be a tinkerer? Sure. When I was an RTO in the Army I had to be a tinkerer. I hated being an RTO. I was ecstatic when that chore got passed on to someone else. My neighbor Filip was a tinkerer. He could sit out in his driveway for hours working on one bolt in his truck and have a great time doing it. Not me. I'd go batty. 

A Purple Place for Dying Covers

A while back I was comparing pulp covers for some of the books I've read. It's a fun thing to do isn't it? To see the evolution of book covers over time? I even have my own evolution. I've seen my covers change over time a bit. I think they're there now. I doubt I'll see many more versions of my cover. 

In terms of A Purple Place for Dying, there are myriad. 

One of My Faves

A secret favorite that anyone who reads this blog will know about me, is my penchant for enjoying silly romantic comedies. I love hallmark movies, enjoy main stream rom-coms, and even every now and then enjoy a good romance to read. 

I'm sure I've discussed this here before with my old roommate Luker. He was incapable of watching a sitcom. In the 90's when everyone else was watching Friends or Seinfeld, he had to watch Hallmark or Lifetime. He didn't like romance like I did, instead he just had to have the "whole story." He had to have two-hour time blocks of stories. I think he was the reason I got hooked on these. 

One of My Faves

A secret favorite that anyone who reads this blog will know about me, is my penchant for enjoying silly romantic comedies. I love hallmark movies, enjoy main stream rom-coms, and even every now and then enjoy a good romance to read. 

I'm sure I've discussed this here before with my old roommate Luker. He was incapable of watching a sitcom. In the 90's when everyone else was watching Friends or Seinfeld, he had to watch Hallmark or Lifetime. He didn't like romance like I did, instead he just had to have the "whole story." He had to have two-hour time blocks of stories. I think he was the reason I got hooked on these. 

Another in My Series Reading

 Anyone who knows me and this blog knows that I’m into reading serieses now. I’ve reading WEB Griffin’s Corps series. I’m reading Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series. I finished C.K. McDonnell’s Stranger Times series (which was a rare, wonderful, funny, find). I started the Sackett series, but kinda let that one fall off. I’m including some rare Dick Francis and that’s GOTTA be a series right? It doesn’t matter that he’s my favorite of all time. A Daniel Silva’s series. And now the third in the John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee series. 

These are so much like Lee Child’s Reacher series its just silly. Better, to be sure, but still, it’s like looking in a mirror. 

Won Another

I was worried about my fun run this month, because last month it was so bad. You’ll remember, it was August, and I ran a 10K and the conditions were so miserable that I bailed at the 5K mark. What were those conditions? 

Well, I’ll tell you. 

Back to the Grind

Lately I’ve had to hang up the ole type writer and get back to the dissertation. Actually this turn of phrase doesn’t work. I’ve had to hang up the creative writing and focus on the academic writing.

I was talking to a local Houston author friend, Shina (see her book HERE and order it!) and I told her how jealous I was. I think she works full time as an author and that’s the dream isn’t it? Full time writing. Full time creative writing even better.