Hello there!
Welcome to the new folks who joined last month!
July was two things here in Ohio - hot and busy.
The family and I went to the Columbus Book Festival to (surprise) buy some books and meet some authors. We even attended a panel about “science fiction genre mashups” with Tobias Buckell, John Scalzi, and Yume Kitasei, of which I have proof right here:
It was very entertaining and interesting, and afterward I got my copy of “Arctic Rising” signed by Toby and my daughter had John sign our copy of “The Kaiju Preservation Society.” I haven’t read either of Yume’s books, but I’m interested to check them out. Overall, it was a great event. Everything seemed to run smooth, and there was lots to do and see throughout the day we attended.
Later in the month we visited my family in Buffalo, New York. We got to spend time with my Grandmother Marie who turned 100 this May, and go to an art festival in my old hometown of Williamsville. We also took in many of the culinary delights that the Western New York region has to offer - Mattina’s Pizza, Ted’s Hot Dogs, and Paula’s Donuts.
But what’s going on in the garden, you ask? We’ve already had a great crop of snap and snow peas, pickles are doing nicely and we’ve already canned a few for pickles, and the blackberries are very healthy this year.
Our zucchini hasn’t done well in the extreme heat, but luckily a visit to my wife’s family in Northern Ohio landed us some massive zuc’s which my daughter has been steadily backing into chocolate chip zucchini bread.
Lastly, sleeping dogs.
Oh yeah, I did some writing this month. JANET is getting some big revisions for better. More to come. I also wrote a short story that I’m submitting around, more on that later.
RECENT DIG ME OUT
Here are the June episodes of the Dig Me Out Podcast:
The Dwarves - The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking
Bruce Springsteen in the 90s Roundtable.
311 - Grassroots
Big Hate - You’re Soaking In It
Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes Maxi-Single
Accept - Restless and Wild
Paradox - Heresy
RECENT READS
The Best of Richard Matheson by Richard Matheson
My daughter and I watched a bunch of old Twilight Zone episodes, and I kept seeing Richard Matheson’s name pop up as the writer so I looked up his wikipedia page and realized I liked a whole lot of what he had written, even though I didn’t realize it was him. Bottom line - I’m late to the game, but I made it. Matheson is a must-read if you’re into smart, terse, scifi, horror, and psychologically thrilling tales. “Button, Button” (the film The Box by Richard Kelly) and “Duel” (a for-TV movie by Steven Spielberg) are among the more well-known stories in the collection. It also includes some fantastic finds, like the “Witch War” (think “Motherland: Fort Salem”), the dystopian “Dance of the Dead,” the creepy “Long Distance Call,” and so many more.
RECENT TV/MOVIES
STAX: SOULSVILLE U.S.A. (Max)
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (Disney+)
AMERICAN FICTION (Prime)
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA
RECENT MUSIC
Redd Kross - Redd Kross (2024)
Archive - Londinium (1996)
A few reminders before you go:
Help spread the word - leave a book review at Amazon or GoodReads!
All previous newsletters are archived. Lots of stuff to check out including a link to the original 2011 screenplay of THE BLACK SKY, hints and helps to get started on the real work easter egg hunt teased at the back of the book, and more
Spotify Playlists! I made them for when I was writing THE BLACK SKY, THE RED SKY, and there is also a special one for “The Dank” bar that is in THE BLACK SKY.
If you like instrumental electronic music, I have soundtracks for THE BLACK SKY and THE RED SKY available at most streaming services, along with several other releases.
Stay Safe!
Tim