tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42991205441769676122024-03-12T17:31:22.707-07:00Accessible ChaosAnother blog in the endless stream of people talking about stuff, and books, and reading, and underwater basket-weaving. MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-32439284640874228652014-08-26T19:09:00.001-07:002014-08-26T19:09:32.109-07:00Suspense!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8tu4eNbDdLM/U_09Z1Mq2WI/AAAAAAAAAYE/-1RBxL-_w6I/s1600/oldradio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8tu4eNbDdLM/U_09Z1Mq2WI/AAAAAAAAAYE/-1RBxL-_w6I/s1600/oldradio.jpg" /></a></div>
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So I'm a fan of Old Time Radio. OK, maybe more than a fan; these old shows keep me company while I write and sit in my dungeon.<br />
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By far the longest-running show on the radio, Suspense was a half-hour (and sometimes hour)-long radio drama that brought the best actors to the sound stage. Works from such authors as: Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Cornell Woolrich, Dorthy L. Sayers and H.G. Wells were featured. Vincent Price and Orson Welles even did a show or two.<br />
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You can check out Suspense, along with a ton of other great shows at the Internet Archive. Copyright is long gone on a lot of these, and they are great:<br />
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<a href="https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Certified_Suspense">https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Certified_Suspense</a><br />
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<br />MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-15395921631787427272014-08-21T10:54:00.001-07:002014-08-21T10:55:15.639-07:00An Interview with Brian BashamA big thanks to Brian for the interview! It was a ton of fun<br />
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<a href="http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/2014/08/author-interview-with-martin-gibbs.html">http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/2014/08/author-interview-with-martin-gibbs.html</a><br />
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Check out this guy's stuff<br />
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<a href="http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/">http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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<br />MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-43059783472650008702014-07-29T06:13:00.000-07:002014-07-29T06:13:33.423-07:00Love is a Pale Road...... for Death waits at the end<br />
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Don't trust the living....</h2>
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<span style="background: white;">Bailey, a simple farmer, has
been tasked by a dead man to murder a dangerous warlock. While he follows the
guidance of this otherworldly companion, Bailey finds himself in a dark, scary
new world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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... and in love.</div>
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So is it merely a love out of convenience, or has Abby honestly fallen for the simpleton farmer who talks to the dead? Her own dark designs will collide with those of the man Bailey follows, but the boy's young heart cannot easily be torn from this strange new love.</div>
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Love is a pale road, for Death waits at the end.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Pale-Road-Martin-Gibbs-ebook/dp/B00M7CH7C8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406639574&sr=8-1&keywords=loves+pale+road" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y0KH-9I5sRU/U9agTCTiHuI/AAAAAAAAAWw/aBHUgINQIM0/s1600/Love'sPaleRoad2.png" height="320" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“Soon <i>he</i> would
come. He always came. In between the spaces. Spaces between the sounds in the
music. Fa and Ma called them notes, but a note is written on paper. I cannot
write on paper. I play music and Fa calls it notes. He—not Fa—comes to me
between the notes. His name is Lyn; I don’t think he even has a last name, or
if he does, he’s already forgotten it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lyn is dead.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“Do people call you names, Bailey?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“Men in the inns call me retarded and slow-face. But they
are drunk, Fa says.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“Drunk, yes. Stupid, too. You’re not retarded at all, and
that is a nasty word!” She reached out her very white hand and it was very soft
on my face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Abby smelled like a bonfire in the Fall. We
burned a lot of leaves and dead weeds. I really liked that smell. “You smell nice,
Abigail.”</span></span></div>
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MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-37761789463290431162014-07-24T06:27:00.000-07:002014-07-28T06:08:24.951-07:00An Author "Friend" Wrote This:<br />
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This is Bizarro Western. I love a good old Zane Grey as much as the other guy, but this stuff is beyond the pale. I'm super good friends with Zulu Gorefiend (wink-winke, nudge-nudge), so I will say no more in case I perjure myself.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jumpers-Purple-Claim-Bizarro-Western-ebook/dp/B00M242D20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406208234&sr=8-1&keywords=jumpers+of+the+purple+claim">http://www.amazon.com/Jumpers-Purple-Claim-Bizarro-Western-ebook/dp/B00M242D20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406208234&sr=8-1&keywords=jumpers+of+the+purple+claim</a></div>
MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-82525393094039577412014-05-20T11:16:00.002-07:002014-05-20T11:17:32.082-07:00The UntyingThe last installment of The Untying is DONE.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C3MT50Y">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C3MT50Y</a><br />
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It has been for a long time, but I've been working 9-5 on my real job, trying to finish my contracted books, and playing withe the kiddos.<br />
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Anyway, as most things go, I think this is the better book of the trilogy. Maybe I just got a little better at things, or it's because it's the conclusion, or... who knows.<br />
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Many thanks go to Jodi Ralston for her awesome critique of the novel and for valuable advise for changes.<br />
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In any case, here is the cover. Karri Klawiter, you do awesome work! (http://artbykarri.com/)<br />
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<br />MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-32423912023082361812014-05-08T08:05:00.001-07:002014-05-08T08:05:44.010-07:00A Drunkard's Journey - Now a Love StoryYes. You read that right. I'm keeping the trilogy available, but I've taken Bimb's story and re-purposed it into a love story, called <i>Love's Pale Road.</i><br />
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Why a pale road? Because Death awaits at the end.<br />
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Currently it's with my publisher, so we'll see if it can see the light of day.<br />
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Love is a pale road, for Death waits at the end.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bailey, a simple-minded farm fellow, is thrust into a web of
deception, betrayal and violence. Tasked with murdering a dangerous warlock, he
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When Bailey falls in love, the crafted plan disintegrates.
The dead man should have known that trusting the living would be a losing
proposition...<o:p></o:p></div>
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MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-2837353440028839392014-04-02T19:04:00.001-07:002014-04-02T19:04:25.590-07:00A Drunkard's Journey -- Revised, Republished... Ready for Prime Time?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">So
I got my rights back from the publisher who had been working on The Spaces
Between. The contract simply ended and I decided not to renew, because I
thought it would be fun to try and promote this on my own. Crazy talk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyway,
a lot has changed with this book, although the story has not. A few items of note: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Sped up the slow parts and kept the action</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Torplug and Qainur have become Darrell and Bruce. I laugh every
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">The entire trilogy has been published now. The story is complete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>The
simple-minded and the insane. Mercenaries, demons, drunks, and unstable men.
The dead and living. A world full of simpletons and simple technology, but
cursed with unbelievable magic and powerful warlocks. Thus is the world of The
Spaces Between. Zhy, the town drunk, finds himself on a journey with a brazen
mercenary and an uppity mage. They are followed by an idiot man-child,
listening to voices in his head. As they creep closer to their stated goal,
each man realizes he’s only a pawn in a scheme: A scheme concocted by one of
the travelers. A drunkard’s journey will begin with laughter and end in misery.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Untying-Drunkards-Journey-Martin-Gibbs-ebook/dp/B00C3MT50Y/ref=la_B005LIAKT2_1_6_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396490319&sr=1-6">http://www.amazon.com/Untying-Drunkards-Journey-Martin-Gibbs-ebook/dp/B00C3MT50Y/ref=la_B005LIAKT2_1_6_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396490319&sr=1-6</a><br />
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MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-45161568825889430542014-02-06T08:34:00.001-08:002014-02-06T08:56:35.652-08:00Here Comes Voltaire! And He's Bloody Pissed Off!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Voltaire's Excellent Adventure!</b> </span></div>
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<i>Gatsby, Booze, Voltaire, and HOT Philospher Action is coming your way...! </i></div>
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<br />
Arthur Graham and Martin Gibbs have officially fallen off the deep end and present the latest in bizarro terror and filth:<br />
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François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, is back and ready for action! Armed with only his wits, his wig, and his mighty cleaver (which he did not have in 1484), our daring and dangerous hero accepts a critical mission to save some very minor characters from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.<br />
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Wait, did you say MINOR characters? Who CARES if Klipspringer or the owl-faced man die horrible deaths?<br />
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The Universe cares, that's who. Its very fabric could be torn asunder, leaving gaping holes in time, space, and the plot of this very book. Should Voltaire fail, the consequences will be unacceptable. For you, Dear Reader, shall awaken in the morning married to the boil on the Queen of Spain’s buttock.<br />
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Pain, suffering, sex, squirrels, and advanced weaponry pervade this towering work of modern-day literature. Those who hold The Great Gatsby in high esteem will fawn over this nouveau look into its world, composing dissertations on its scope and the in-depth philosophical questions it raises.
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<br />MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-72373565772548821382014-01-31T06:23:00.001-08:002014-01-31T06:23:20.310-08:00Voltaire's Adventures Giveaway!!!<div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget80462"><!-- Show static html as a placeholder in case js is not enabled -->
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
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<div style="float: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20418668"><img alt="Voltaire's Adventures Before Candide by Martin D. Gibbs" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388692085l/20418668.jpg" title="Voltaire's Adventures Before Candide by Martin D. Gibbs" width="100" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20418668">Voltaire's Adventures Before Candide</a>
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by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5754534.Martin_D_Gibbs" style="text-decoration: none;">Martin D. Gibbs</a>
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<div class="giveaway_details">
<p>
Giveaway ends February 20, 2014.
</p>
<p>
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/80462" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
</p>
</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/80462" class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink">Enter to win</a>
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</div><script src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/80462" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-40404540423248025162014-01-28T06:25:00.004-08:002014-01-29T06:27:09.185-08:0060 Flavors of Paranoia - "Ex Ordo Chaos"Thanks to the crazy fun crew over at 69 Flavors of Paranoia!<br />
<br />
<br />
A short story I wrote is now up and available for free: It is a tale of chaos, order, despair, and the end of the Universe!<br />
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<a href="http://www.69flavorsofparanoia.com/ex-ordo-chaos-order-chaos/" target="Blank"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">http://www.69flavorsofparanoia.com/ex-ordo-chaos-order-chaos</a></span><br />
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<br />MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-33695392876747377702013-09-24T09:24:00.001-07:002013-09-24T09:24:05.713-07:00I've Signed on With Ellechor!I've landed a deal with Ellechor, a Christian Publishing House, for the three kings' books, and two more books as yet to be titled... I'm thinking of "Echoes of the Nativity" or something like that for the theme. One does not have to read all books in order, but they do relate to one another.<br />
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It is a very exciting time!MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-82556882166186802102013-09-03T06:37:00.000-07:002013-09-03T06:37:51.035-07:00The Spaces BetweenThings come around full circle it seems! My publisher tried out a few cover concepts, which I absolutely loved, but we're back to the original, as it were. I think I like this one better:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awPvJXtFEAk/T5r-4Y2SPYI/AAAAAAAAAE0/T-wXOAiYMMc/s1600/cover+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awPvJXtFEAk/T5r-4Y2SPYI/AAAAAAAAAE0/T-wXOAiYMMc/s320/cover+new.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Nasty old Ar'Zoth there in his tower, possibly eating chestnuts; patiently waiting to kill anyone who stops by for a visit. Or maybe that is someone else? One of the travelers perhaps?<br />
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--> Thanks to all the readers who have given great reviews. I appreciate it. Although I wish someone would mention the dirty little twist...MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-54615568903823156072013-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:002013-08-09T10:31:21.343-07:00Glib-Glub Glibbitty Glub<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WCd_1iBHaKY/UgUmeGw1AzI/AAAAAAAAAO8/iBOjfFO7neg/s1600/car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" jsa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WCd_1iBHaKY/UgUmeGw1AzI/AAAAAAAAAO8/iBOjfFO7neg/s320/car.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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Glib-glub, glibitty glub,<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a man in my tub;<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sexy hot smoking little roly-poly bub:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hair on his back. He’s got a mix-tape to dub.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Glib-glub, gluttony gub,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rivers of cheez-whiz poured over snails;<o:p></o:p></div>
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Suds soak through and soil their tails:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Little Roly-Poly sucks the juice and hits Record.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Glib-glub, glistening tub,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Upon the floor is a little shrub;<o:p></o:p></div>
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We eat the berries, though they shimmer:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Poison scars my throat; Meat Loaf croons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Glig-glub, glibitty glub,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A hot man in my tiny tub;<o:p></o:p></div>
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A bloated, stinking, slimy sub:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Not the prostitute that I had ordered.<o:p></o:p></div>
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[ I told you I was crazy ]MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-30979197285787021102013-06-20T06:28:00.000-07:002013-06-20T06:28:04.957-07:00The Great GatsbySo the follow up to "Voltaire's Adventures Before Candide" is a tale from the Great Gatsby; a riff on the piano player Klipspringer and his alcoholism, shoes, and gardening.<br />
<br />
Rooster Republic Press is working on the editing and cover design, and we are getting there... though it would have been cool to have done by the time the movie came out, the book is still timeless and I don't feel bad. Here is an excerpt:<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Baskerville Old Face', serif;">When you are eating, throw an Offal to the Dogs
that are under the Table, lest they should be tempted to bite you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Baskerville Old Face', serif;">Voltaire<i>, Zadig, </i>or<i> “The Book of Fate”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Baskerville Old Face', serif;">Their
kisses were frenzied, hot, and wet. His perfect curls were now loose, her
bodice torn asunder by his frail philosopher’s hands, presently fondling her
smooth, pale flesh. Emilie’s breathing was heavy, labored, while he merely
groaned in pleasure, his lids nearly closed. Sunlight streamed into their
bedchamber, catching dust motes in their perfect bars before alighting on the
array of clothing scattered across the floor. The dawn’s bright light was
reflected in the keen edge of the heavy-handled cleaver, resting quietly in the
corner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Baskerville Old Face', serif;">A soft
knock at the door nearly stopped his heart, a knock most genteel and familiar.
She whispered something in his ear as he continued his tender caress, slim
fingers on the verge of parting her wet and waiting—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Baskerville Old Face', serif;">The knock
repeated itself. Softer, yet more demanding and assertive this same time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Baskerville Old Face', serif;">“My
dear...” she purred.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Baskerville Old Face', serif;">“Ahh...” he
sighed, her hands clasped around his rising—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Baskerville Old Face', serif;">The door
began to buckle under a barrage of incessant knocks.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-14725864432817632902013-04-19T12:02:00.001-07:002013-04-19T12:02:44.291-07:00iWonder<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
iWonder<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
Martin Gibbs<o:p></o:p></div>
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His iPhone, clutched in a sweaty palm, hums;<o:p></o:p></div>
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Send photos, posts, updates, texts, text, texts—<o:p></o:p></div>
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meaningless bytes spewed into the ether,<o:p></o:p></div>
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helped along by a rusting cell tower.<o:p></o:p></div>
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An iPod dangles from its bleached-white cord<o:p></o:p></div>
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stuffed in the back pocket of his faded Gap jeans;<o:p></o:p></div>
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next to the Blistex and pack of gum.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The petite box blares a useless top 40 hit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Inside his designer backpack, the iPad churns,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Beeps, chirps, peeps, and tweets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A Fortune 500 executive beats him at Fruit Ninja;<o:p></o:p></div>
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he sends more texts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A chimpanzee in man’s clothes; devolution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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iPhone, iPad, iPod, iTV, iCantdealwithreality...<o:p></o:p></div>
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neck permanently hunched; bowed as if he were 100.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He sends more texts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Text, text, text, text; brainwaves are zero.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Faster, faster—doesn’t wait for a reply...<o:p></o:p></div>
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The iBeam falls from the nearby tower;<o:p></o:p></div>
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death is swift, heavy, and loud.<o:p></o:p></div>
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... His only reply.<o:p></o:p></div>
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MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-57247112109226696152013-04-16T14:35:00.003-07:002013-04-16T14:35:57.218-07:00Why Proust?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Are you just reading that to be snotty?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I looked up from the book, current <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Within a Budding Grove.</i> Contrary to what you might think, the voice was not from a family member, but it came from inside my head. (Yes, there are many of them, but let’s just tackle one thing at a time.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The voice had a point, and a very valid one. Why would someone choose to read the 3,000 pages of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In Search of Lost Time</i>, outside of a college course? What would the purpose be, if only to show to friends and family how special and manly they are by reading this monstrous work? Manly may not be the right word, actually. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many reasons for reading <em>À la recherche du temps perdu</em>, and it does not involve trying to be snotty. Or manly. Last night I hit a part in the book where I discovered a little seedling Proust had planted long ago; that seedling burst into life and smacked me across the face. I know there are many more, since I’m only on Volume 2 of 7. But this scene gave me pause, and now I can reflect on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i> I am reading this thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It began about fifteen years ago, while I was browsing the literature section of our local Borders bookstore. The building is now home to Books-A-Million, and the storefront is deceiving—there are too many bare shelves now. It makes one cry. Anyway...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had heard of Proust through Monty Python and their “Summarize Proust Competition,” and, after seeing this sketch, I did a minimal amount of research. Knowing only that the 3,000 page epic was considered one of the best pieces of literature of all time, I sought it out in the bookstore. The first thing I noticed when I opened up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swann’s Way?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">smelled </i>good. It was clean and crisp, and it felt like it had just come off the press. (This was the Vintage Press edition.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, I’m a book-sniffer. I also read in the bathroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moving on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I read the first page: “For a long time I used to go to bed early. Sometimes, when I had put out my candle, my eyes would close so quickly that I had not even time to say ‘I’m going to sleep,’” and I was struck immediately by this line. Here was the beginning to a very long, drawn-out memory of time gone by. But there was the hint of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">recapture</i> in there, also, the overpowering feeling that the author was trying to go back in time, freeze it, put it in a bottle, if only for a moment. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This</i> I could understand; if I let my mind wander back over the good times and the bad times, I felt a tugging at my heart, the brewing of a hope that I could also regain what was lost. But one can’t regain time. And so, as I read the book, sniffed it a few times, and read a few more pages, I could feel Proust calling to me: “Read this. But not now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though I could understand the concept, the idea, the power of the opus, I was not mature enough for it. I still needed to cut my teeth on other literature. But yet, every week I would visit Border’s, seek out Proust, sniff, read, and put him away gently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">... And here we are, fifteen years later, 920 pages in, and fully addicted. Am I reading this to be snotty? No.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m reading this because I have tried to recapture the past, the lost memories, the emotions; smells that drift across my nostrils carry me at once to another time and place, and a thousand swirling memories rush through my head. The taste of a perfect steak carries me back to a road trip on Route 66, the smell of fat fryers in an alley to Germany, and the sound of a mourning dove to my childhood: A boy asking his dad why the bird is crying..... As with Proust, these memories are not linear. To and fro; forward and backward, time slips and dives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is also something to be said about the man who wrote all of this. In today’s world of 140-character conversation, there is no way a work of this length could be accepted by modern readers. Which is a shame, since we really can’t appreciate how taxing it was to write this novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why Proust?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why not. It <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> change your life, and if you are able to see yourself within these pages, it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> change your life. And not in a snotty way.</span></div>
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Marcel_Proust_1900-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Marcel_Proust_1900-2.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-71790114822545146912013-03-08T08:13:00.001-08:002013-03-08T08:14:30.173-08:00Who Wants to Read "The Untying" for Free?I'm about ready to pull the trigger and release the last book in the Drunkard's Journey.<br />
<br />
However, I still don't think that it is as clean as it can be. I know, I know, take a look at The Spaces Between. Boy, does that first installment need some work! I've learned so much through this process of writing, and have had the help of so many folks along the way. <br />
<br />
So... who would like to have a free copy of this to give it one last go-through? All I'd ask is that you provide feedback on the story, point out any errors, or tell me to just quit now and never write again.<br />
<br />
Send an e-mail to <strong>glyndwr99 (at) gmail (dot) com...<em> </em></strong>if you are interested.<br />
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<em>"We shall cease our fight with the Dark when the very underworld lies frozen."</em><br />
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<em>The final chapter of A Drunkard's Journey races to its conclusion. Zhy, Fanlas, Wrenflang, and a host of strangely-named characters speed westward. Their goal: To find and blow up the very viaduct to the demonic underworld. But can it be destroyed? </em><br />
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<em>Meanwhile, Bimb finds himself dead-but-not-quite-dead. Since it helps the plot, he can't be gone forever. Plus, he still has a hell of a big mess to clean up, since he started all of this. Dead, but able to control certain forces of nature, Ar'Zoth's usurper can either make things right or destroy the world himself.</em><br />
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<em>A few Beldeners have decided to strike out at the demons. Some will have success, but others will die horribly.</em><br />
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<em>The Untying is a fast, action-packed conclusion to the trilogy. Questions are answered, knots are sewn up, and men become heroes. Except... in bringing about the conclusion, there is one knot that needs to be untied.</em>MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-80138846835410072592013-02-07T10:25:00.000-08:002013-02-07T10:25:08.793-08:00Who Likes a Good Western?I have a stack of Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour books, and once in awhile the urge hits me to read these old stories. Now, a few folks have lambasted L'Amour (and others) over a few things. I quote a Goodreads review:<br />
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He uses Indians simultaneously as "noble warriors" and "bloodthirsty savages" and justifies the take over of their land with the old "their time was passing..." illogical--as if there wasn't an agent behind their passing. <br />Reading one of his novels, one gets the feeling he never did any research required of historical novels. Details are always vague. Little reference is made to historical events, ways of doing things, or period details that would lend credence to his imaginings. His stories could just as easily been set on Mars for all the research that shows through his writing. But Americans are already disposed to believing all this romantic Old West bullshit, so you don't have to try very hard.<br />When a writer taps into our national myths, they don't have to be accurate or true, because most of our national myths are lies already believed</blockquote>
-- Ryan Mishap<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1123600.The_Empty_Land#other_reviews">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1123600.The_Empty_Land#other_reviews</a><br />
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Some strong words, there, and it really makes me think when I puck up a Grey or L'Amour book.<br />
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However, there is still something about westerns that captures me. It's the wide open spaces, the tiny little towns that somehow cling to life in the rugged country, and men who stand up for the little guy. Granted, there are many stereotypes and cliches that fill these stories, but the old west still has its appeal.<br />
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Who else likes to read westerns?MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-6560552328757179052013-01-30T09:58:00.001-08:002013-01-30T09:58:30.415-08:00Why Do I Write?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have asked myself this question a lot in the past twelve months. There have been numerous times where the craft of writing has been almost squashed by drives that were off-target and wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Writing has been a passion for me since I can remember. I had a very inspirational freshman English teacher who motivated me to write and seek publication. My first poem was published in 1991 in a small kids’ magazine. And in the subsequent years, I kept writing, keeping his words of wisdom in mind:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Expect rejection<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t quite your day job<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will write a million words before anyone notices you. And they still probably won’t<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do not give up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep writing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Those are still sound words of advice. However, the world changed in a hurry with the advent of self-publishing and the decline of the major publishers. A few people had unbelievable success, and a million writers tried to follow that path. Sadly, I was one of them. Thinking that my work had value, and would appeal to readers, I threw my hat (and a lot of $$$ for editors, graphics, advertising, etc) into the fray. And, apart from a rising credit card bill, I did learn a few good lessons from this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anybody can publish whatever they want, whenever<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The gatekeepers have changed. They are now book review bloggers (I tried my hand at that, too), and Amazon's ranking algorithms<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All five-star reviews are fakes, one-star reviews are from other authors trying to sabotage you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Market, market, market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5)</span><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep writing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, my “lessons” are a little tongue-in-cheek, but one gets the idea. We’ve gone from an ideology of creative work, and little monetary reward (but great personal satisfaction), to a very cut-throat world. Sometimes I find myself looking at successful authors with disdain and jealousy, instead of seeing them peers in the art. This <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> art, isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was frustrated, low, depressed, and almost ready to give up. And then a reader of one of my books (a book I had not even mentioned in any medium) left an honest, review. Yes it was five stars. But I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t expect it, since I’d not done any marketing at all. I read the review shortly after I finished A Memory of Light, and suddenly my entire perspective shifted back to 1991.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">KEEP WRITING! I don’t do this for fame or fortune. I never have. Why would I try to fall into that rut? Sure, we’d all love to quit our day jobs and write all the time, do book tours, etc. But is that really the ideal? My time is compressed, which lets me focus on a given task and give it the attention it deserves. If I had all day to just write, I’d wind up watching Days of Our Lives and eating Oreos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So... why do I write?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s FUN. I have so many stories swirling in my demented mind, and they all want out! So I put them to screen and paper, and hope for the best. If you're not having fun doing something, stop it. I can't possibly make millions if I don't market the crap out of my stuff, but I don't care. I just want to tell stories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If only one person, ONE reader likes what I have written, I have succeeded. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-78656900495956437972013-01-16T10:23:00.003-08:002013-01-16T10:23:57.452-08:00The Untying -- The Conclusion to A Drunkard's JourneyThe last installment of The Untying is nearly done. While the entire story is completed, I'm moving a few things around and shoring up some loose threads. Many thanks go to Jodi Ralston for her awesome critique of the novel and for valuable advise for changes. I will be promoting her business here for sure!<br />
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In any case, here is the cover. Karri Klawiter, you do awesome work! (http://artbykarri.com/).<br />
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<br />MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-76213632593554749002013-01-14T11:08:00.000-08:002013-01-16T10:16:55.850-08:00Voltaire's Adventures Before Candide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16151210-voltaire-s-adventures-before-candide">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16151210-voltaire-s-adventures-before-candide</a><br />
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This frolicking, insane, half-baked novella has been published by Bizarro Press! It includes the original tale of Voltaire and his space- and time-traveling frenzy before composing Candide. Additionally, we have the novella, "Eyre currents... of fire!" in which Voltaire is tasked with the ill-fated rescue of Jane Eyre, who is burning alive. And finally, a gratuitous picture of a -- no, sorry, a prequel to the whole shebang, the story of how Voltaire got his special cleaver (which he did not have in 1484) in the first place. MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-16681781238043451772012-11-11T10:00:00.003-08:002012-11-11T10:00:57.094-08:00Following Yonder StarIt is official! Following Yonder Star: The Untold Trials of the Three Kings, has been released on Kindle, Nook, and in paperback!<br />
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The place to follow it is here:<br />
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<a href="http://hisholylight.blogspot.com/">http://hisholylight.blogspot.com</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kindle: </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A2XQ9AU"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A2XQ9AU</span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nook: </span></span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/following-yonder-star-martin-gibbs/1113751261?ean=2940015908657"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/following-yonder-star-martin-gibbs/1113751261?ean=2940015908657</span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Centaur','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Subtitle: The Untold Trials of the Three Kings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Centaur','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">On a cold December night in Bethlehem, three mysterious foreign rulers paid homage to the newborn King of Man. They promptly vanished into history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Centaur','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Who were these unequaled men? What hardships did they endure on their voyage? How much did they sacrifice of themselves?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Centaur','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This story details their harrowing journey across deserts, through a suffocating moor, over a towering mountain, and into the chamber of Herod. Throughout, they were tested by the devil and themselves. But at each test, they reaffirmed their strength, determination, and faith. The Three Kings persevered: So can we.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Centaur','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Following Yonder Star is a story that will reinforce the true meaning of Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-69312270682851820842012-10-22T10:57:00.002-07:002012-10-22T10:57:34.308-07:00Proust and DumasSo I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo for the first time, and have signed up on Goodreads to read the full <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>À la recherche du temps perdu,</em> (Davis translation for Swann's Way, and Moncrieff for the rest).</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Intending to read only a short portion of Swann's Way, I got pulled into the world of Proust, sucked down into the meander and flow of his marvelous phrasings, and carried away by long descriptions of memories. The writing is unbelievably good. I understand the aversion to </span><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">such purple prose and endless sentences, but by gosh it is gorgeous.</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">And it reminds me how crappy my own writing is.</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Sure, the classics are part of my bizarro work, but each read of those great works has really been selfish, to be honest. I'm using well-known literature to promote my own misguided stories. It's probably OK, since nobody reads bizarro, but it's still a little icky.</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">So to read Proust, purely for edification and enlightenment, is a moving experience. One realizes that there have been giants that have paved a path, giants whose footprints dwarf our own, and whose quality of work we may only fumble at. I've always been a reader, true, but having gone over to the author's world had stunted my outlook somewhat. At one point, I selfishly thought that my work was on par with modern-day masters, and maybe even thought I could challenge the ancient heros of the written word.</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Though halfway through Cristo, and partway through Swann's Way, this experience has been humbling to the point of paralysis (as far as writing goes). What is the point in continuing? Why bother to put pixels to screen when you will never touch such greatness?</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">But that is also folly.</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">As writers, we should always strive to be better. Practice is one avenue. I believe that reading a very powerful tool for the writer. For me, reading the masters of the craft--those who have gone hundreds of years before--is the way to go. They have laid a foundation atop which most modern literature stands, and to ignore them and bask in our own self-imposed glory is silly. </span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">What in the Sam Hill am I talking about?</span><br />
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<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Read. Read Proust, Joyce, Tennyson, Dumas... Authors, take off your writing hat and <em>read.</em> I'd encourage you to take a long hard look at your own craft. There are days when I feel like pulling the plug on all that I have out there and starting fresh... I'd like to blame Proust on that, but I also had to set aside ego and the "business" of writing and examine past and future. It is both terrifying and therapeutic to look at oneself and realize that you aren't the next Robert Jordan. Can you get there? That is up to you and what you put into it.</span><br />
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MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-22682997841531717042012-10-01T10:29:00.000-07:002012-10-01T10:29:04.983-07:00Following Yonder StarNew Book coming this Christmas!<br />
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Excerpt from the Prologue: <br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Centaur;">He felt as old as the hill he climbed. The vaunted, once-strategic, and impossibly high Hill of Vaws challenged him daily to climb its height and worship at the temple atop its craggy summit. The mound in the desert had once been relevant; now it looked out over a wide, empty and sere desert. Atop the hill’s scrub-covered crust, an equally ancient temple clung barely to live, kept going only by the priest and his four apprentices. A joint popped and he reflected again on retiring. But a glance at the gilded star atop the shrine, its glittering outline and the shadow it cast upon the hill, reminded him of his purpose here. Chapped lips creaked open in a half smile.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Centaur;">A joint popped and he reflected again on retiring. But a glance at the gilded star atop the shrine, its glittering outline and the shadow it cast upon the hill, reminded him of his purpose here. Chapped lips creaked open in a half smile.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Centaur;">The golden star was a beacon of sorts, a thing by which to herald the Liberator, Savior, Redeemer, or Protector as He was wont to be named. Though the star reflected light, it was said that it would glow like the sun should the Liberator come. The priest, the star, the pillar, the chapel, and even the hill itself waited patiently for the Son of Man. “Glow like the sun,” the priest panted. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Centaur;">At one time, twelve wise men had kept constant vigil inside the chapel; they had long since passed on, leaving only the old priest and his apprentices. Finding young men to devote their lives to a run-down building atop a barren hillside in the middle of nowhere was almost impossible—and he wasn’t sure how long these men would remain. The perils of youth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Centaur;">The ancient priest put his head down and trudged the remaining feet to the top of the hill. He was bent over with exhaustion and sore, tired muscles. It took an effort to straighten his frame, and a chorus of pops and snaps sounded. The priest grimaced and gazed out at the brown and dusty desert that stretched on in seemingly endless directions all around the hill.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Centaur;">A few scrubby trees near the chapel provided shade and aromatic herb bushes imparted the area with a sweet and heady fragrance. Being the highest point in the area, the vantage provided a vast overview of... nothing. Far beyond his vision, behind a cloud of dust, the large city of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city></st1:place> hulked in its teeming of humanity. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city></st1:place>... the old priest sniffed at that word—he called it by another name entirely, Urušalimum, an ancient name for an ancient settlement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
MartinGibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209473718191944980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4299120544176967612.post-89183376942778585232012-09-18T11:58:00.001-07:002012-09-18T11:58:17.197-07:00GoodkindlesHey all, check out Goodkindles<br />
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