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    Cold as Ice, Warm as Cat Farts…


    2009 - 02.15

    I had every intention of spending Valentine’s curled up in bed while watching another movie marathon. But it wasn’t in the cards. Instead, I was invited to an impromptu ghost hunt at a closed theater again. While no ghosts showed, there was plenty of laughter to be had. I, crowbar in hand, trying to put a hole in a wall which might lead to a secret tunnel… and, with my bowler hat on, looking more like a sadistic Vaudeville murdering act. (I do need to get a copy of that picture taken of me pretending it was a cane.) Then, of course, making Jeri nearly pass out with laughter at my imitation of a local “action news” weatherman with his strange, crack-like jerky movements almost pantomiming the day’s forecast.

    Strange, but true.

    We all nearly froze to death in the auditorium. I crawled into bed late and didn’t defrost for a good hour. I managed to collect a few nifty odds and ends from the building. Nothing of any consequence, but then again my flashlight died as soon as I arrived. That’s what I get for bringing my cheap plastic one instead of the club-a-man-to-death Mag-Lite.

    Today, I spent almost the entire day reading a new book I’ve wanted for a long time. It is Steve Cooper’s first novel, With You in Spirit. After reading Deadline last year, I knew I’d like it. And I was far from disappointed. It’s difficult to sum up the books wonderfulness into a few words. Not to mention the comedic cast of characters. A wealthy family of Cape Codders owing their fortune to parking meters. A creepy chauffeur. A ghost with a penchant for Gloria Gaynor. And, best of all, a blind, portly psychic with a flatulent seeing-eye cat. I highly recommend it to anyone.

    Otherwise, I’m gearing up for another long writing week. We shall see how far I manage to get over the next five days. I’m trying not to put the cart before the horse. But I am optimistic. April is turning into a busy month for me, so I must get the writing done in a few weeks and any tweaks hammered out through March. Luckily, I am using a day-planner again, so I can keep everything in check.

    It’s the final push now, so no holds are barred, no waiting for information to add to the book. What I have I have, and that’s what I’ll use.

    A Book of the Dead


    2008 - 01.18

    “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
    -Mark Twain

    Yes, you heard correctly yesterday: I actually read a book! It has probably been two years since I’ve taken the time to sit down and read. Probably not so wise for a writer. Reading is just as important as practice writing.

    Though I have no intentions of becoming a critic or reviewer on this journal, I felt the need to pass word on about this book and its author. It’s not very often that I find myself reading at 1:00 AM, so tired that I can’t remember which character is which, yet I glance ahead and tell myself, “Just one more chapter… it’s a short one.”

    I hunted it down after first hearing about it somewhere. I had to look in a few bookstores before finding it. And then what did I do? I glanced at the first two lines, told myself I’d read it next, and forgot it for two years.
    Deadline, by Steven Cooper, has to be one of the funniest books I’ve read in quite some time. You wouldn’t think a story about a murdered gay investigative reporter who loathes his job could be funny, yet it is. Just because Damon Fitzgerald finds himself dead, that doesn’t mean he’s ready to give up on the bigger story. In his view from the afterlife, he recounts the events of his life, personal observations, and glimpses of the afterlife in a celestial version of heaven.

    It’s very fast-paced… and one of the few books I’ve (literally) read within a 24-hour period. I have to laugh, though… the author is an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter living in Orlando, Florida. It makes me wonder if he’s ever felt these things toward his job. He’s also the author of two other books: With You in Spirit and Saving Valencia. I’ve read reviews of both of them and they are certainly on my “to get” list.