Date:	2009-11-02 23:41
Subject:	Monty Python may sue Chris Christie
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused
Music:	The usual iTunes Shuffle

For the New Jersey peeps...tomorrow is voting for Governor day (and a few other local elections as well). I found this article unsurprisingly typical. Does NJ really want a governor, who was a lawyer for 22 years, who may be sued because he doesn't understand copyright infringement?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-lewis/chris-christie-rips-off-m_b_341598.html

And the world keeps spinning...


Gary . . .

You may remember back in February I had posted that my wife's father had stage 4 lung cancer. Saturday night he lost the fight. He was home with family and he went somewhat quick. I can't think of much else to say. Just don't forget to take time every day to let the people in your life know how much they mean to you. Life's too short and our friends and family move through it way too fast.

Namaste
Gary . . .

Date:	2009-09-16 18:04
Subject:	Dr. Paul's Words of Wisdom
Security:	Public
Mood:	calm
Music:	Midnight Syndicate: Born of the Night

http://trueslant.com/fpaulwilson/2009/09/16/live-virus-in-the-h1n1-vaccine/

If you're wondering about the flu vaccine, read this article. Dr. Paul knows what's talking about.


Gary . . .

Date:	2009-09-10 22:45
Subject:	Appearances This Weekend
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

Yeah, so it's short notice, but, if you're around south or central New Jersey this weekend, you may just find me.

Saturday, the 12th, I'll be signing and selling my books at the bookfair, here: http://njwritersconference.com/

Sunday, the 13th, I'll be at the Red Bank Street Fair, signing and selling the same books at the Liberty States Fiction Writers booth: http://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/calendar/

You may notice on the LSFW calendar, on Sunday, the 20th, I'll be with the LSFW again at the Jamesburg Street Fair.

Oh yeah... the following Saturday, the 26th, I'll be at Horrorfind in Hunts Valley, MD, hanging around and doing a reading between 6-7pm. http://www.horrorfindweekend.com/index.html

Hope to see you soon!


Gary . . .

Date:	2009-07-06 13:14
Subject:	A very entertaining blog (if I do say so myself)
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative
Music:	Jackson Browne: Lives in the Balance

There's a great post on beliefs and writing over here: http://project4word.blogspot.com/ by yours truly. Well worth the time to read it. Let me know what you think.


Peace,
Gary . . .

Date:	2009-06-30 23:47
Subject:	Project 4Word
Security:	Public
Mood:	happy
Music:	iTunes Shuffle: I Ain't Got No Home (Bruce Springsteen)

Hi all,

Because I know you need one more cool place to be, I give you Project 4Word: http://project4word.blogspot.com/

This is a blog started by Seton Hill University alumni from 2004. They've graduated from the Writing Popular Fiction masters program and decided to have a group blog. And after this passed weekend's writing retreat, they invited me along for the ride.

The retreat was awesome and I'll post more about it shortly. Suffice to say, I've rarely met a bunch of enthusiastic genre writers like these people. This was my second year and I expected a bit of second time let-down, but found none of it. If anything, I think I had a better time this year because I knew more people who introduced me to more people. Absolutely awesome.

This is the second year the retreat was open to the public (thanks to Ambassadora for talking it up on her LJ last year) and though I felt a bit awkward last year for being one of the few non-graduates there, this year was pure fun.

A huge thank you to the 106 crew (you know who you are). And to the rest of you, stop by, subscribe and enjoy. As it's just started, I don't know where we're going, but it should be a fun ride.


Peace,
Gary . . .

Date:	2009-06-14 23:13
Subject:	Come to the Panel...
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused
Music:	silence...

Here's where I'll be on Tuesday night. If you're in the area, you should come.


"THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!"
How Authors Keep You Turning Those Pages

A free panel by
The New Jersey Authors’ Network

Tuesday, June 16, 7-9 p.m.
Ringwood Public Library
30 Cannici Drive, Ringwood, N.J.

Seven novelists share their secrets:

* Lee Barwood, environmental thrillers
* Peggy Ehrhart, Steven Rigolosi
and Cheryl Solimini, mysteries
* John Grant, fantasy & political satire
* Gary Frank and E. F. Watkins,
paranormal thrillers

Come learn the tricks of the trade!

Date:	2009-05-21 22:43
Subject:	Do you have the time to listen to me whine...
Security:	Public
Mood:	aggravated
Music:	none right now

Green Day's new CD, 21st Century Breakdown, has some questionable lyrics to the point that Wal-Mart, the country's largest seller of CDs, won't carry it. In other words, unless Green Day chooses to censor themselves, Wal-Mart won't carry the disc. Green Day's response? They aren't changing a word.

Here's the article: http://new.music.yahoo.com/green-day/news/green-day-lashes-out-at-wal-mart-policy--61988870

Imagine writing a book or putting together a CD and bleeding your heart into it, only to be otld that unless you clean it up, the largest retailer in the country won't sell it. It's called censorship. Who the hell is Wal-Mart to censor musicians? Is the American public so incapable of choosing what's appropriate, that we need Wal-Mart to censor music (and I'm sure literature) for us?

Oh sure, Wal-Mart gives artists the opportunity to come out with a "clean" version of CDs, but who decides what's "clean"? Who else? Wal-Mart. So, in other words, you speak your heart and if a few overpaid Execs at Wal-Mart are offended by what you say, you either rewrite the songs to suit "Them" or you can forget being carried in their store.

To be perfectly fair to "Them", they have the right to refuse to sell anything they choose. But they don't have the right to censor what we listen to. Unfortunately, in this money hungry world we live in, too many musicians are willing to give in to Wal-Mart's demands just to sell CDs.

I've never stepped foot into one of those stores and I do not plan to. This just solidifies my disgust. As a writer and musician, it is reprehensible to me that in this day, we have to have execs censoring what we listen to and what we read. We, the American public, are smart enough to make decisions for ourselves.

Have a nice day.


Gary . . .

Date:	2009-05-08 13:25
Subject:	Living Authentically
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative
Music:	iTunes 2007 Disc 2

What does living authentically mean to you? How do you live authentically when the world around you pulls you in every other direction?


Gary . . .

Date:	2009-04-26 22:59
Subject:	Sunday Night Update
Security:	Public
Mood:	exhausted
Music:	iTunes DJ Playlist

Nancy's dad's home with oxygen. Nancy said he was doing better yesterday. The 3-6 month prognosis seems to have come from the doctor based on how dad looked when he was in the ICU. Now I'm sure there were other factors, but do you tell a patient he's got max 6 months to live because he doesn't look good? Apparently, he had a heart attack the day he was brought in. No wonder he didn't look good. He looks like someone with cancer on chemo.

In other news, my neighbor's mother died. My uncle's mother died. My stepmother is going for tests to see if her cancer's returned. What the hell is going on?

Nancy's going to interview for her job tomorrow. The position is shifting under a new business area so she has to interview to keep her job. Un-freakin-believable.

On Tuesday, I bring my Mazda in for repair. Oh, I didn't tell you (or maybe I did). Last Wednesday, someone hit my car in a parking lot and took off. $1,100 worth of damage to the rear bumper and the tail light plastic. One and a half months old. No note. Nothing. I was on my way to a gig and needed a cord. Somehow, the show turned out awesome even with everything going on.

All the dishes in this house were clean; then we ate dinner.

Cut the lawn today in the 80+ degree heat. Not fun but it looks better than I thought it would.

Did anyone see the CSI episode at the Star Trek/Sci-Fi convention? Awesome show. Real geek stuff. I was able to name the Star Trek episodes they parodied. I don't know if that's good or bad.

Liberty States Fiction Writers meeting was quite enjoyable. The main meeting was on the Male POV. Lively discussion that turned into a psychological cross-section of gender issues.

Lastly, I was the featured guest at a chat at www.Writerschatroom.com. It was awesome fun and everyone had a great time.

Novel Update: I'm on page 95. It's coming along really well and I like it much better than what it had been.

I think that's everything.

Be well, take care, have fun, and don't forget to tell the ones you love that you love them. Don't assume they know because you told them last week. Tell them again. Thank you.


Peace,
Gary . . .

Date:	2009-04-23 23:06
Subject:	Having is not just "Having"
Security:	Public
Mood:	aggravated
Music:	The TV (Why? I don't know)

As a writer, words are everything. If you tell yourself someone has cancer, it keeps it at a distance, like someone has a cold and they'll be over it soon. It's like oh, my friend has a new TV. It's no big deal. It's about possession and that's about it.

But when you say my father-in-law is dying of cancer, it turns so f'king personal and becomes near to impossible to digest in even the smallest bite. The doctors say he will not see Thanksgiving or Christmas. As far as I can think, there's no way to rationally take that in. Someone close to me is going to disappear soon from all these lives and all we can do is say goodbye.

I know people die. It happens every day. Life goes on. And all that bullshit. But in the meantime, when you're in this space of having to be a spectator in a relatives slow demise, it really rips your heart apart. It's not just watching my father-in-law, but my wife, my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law going through this.

Writer-self aside, no pretty words: this sucks.


Gary . . .

Date:	2009-04-23 22:47
Subject:	Writers' Chatroom
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

Hi all,

If you're around Sunday night, April 26, stop over here: http://writerschatroom.com/ at 7pm EST and say hello. Just follow the "Enter Chatroom" link to the chat. I'll be talking about writing, the first two books, the next book, and who knows what. Bring questions and we'll have some fun. And one lucky person will win an autographed copy of Institutional Memory.


Gary . . .

Date:	2009-04-05 16:58
Subject:	Concern Fun "Run" / Walk
Security:	Public
Mood:	content
Music:	Quietness

Another day like any other day and there are people starving in the world. Thousands of them. Did you know that a child dies from hunger-related illnesses every five seconds? Go ahead. Count. 1…2…3…4…5. There's one. Every five seconds.

Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries.

To that end, they hold a hunger fun run/walk in Central Park every year in April. This year, I'll be taking part in the event to raise money for Concern Worldwide and their American affiliate, Concern USA. My wife, Nancy, and my friend, Jim, and I have formed a team, Running Down a Dream, and we'll be walking (or slowly running) the 4 miles through Central Park to raise money and awareness of this organization and the great work they do.

The economy hasn't made giving very easy and no one expects anyone to give a lot. But even if you donate one dollar, it's something. If you can give more, $5, $10, $20 or even $50, that'll go a long way to helping Concern Worldwide continue their mission throughout the world.

We're all on this planet to help each other, to make a difference, to do something greater than what we believe we're capable of. We can end hunger and the suffering going on around the world. We just need to reach out and give a little.

Thank you in advance for any donation you can afford. Please pass this letter and these links to everyone you know and together we can end hunger.

Thank you for your time. We now return you to your normally scheduled reading.


Peace,
Gary . . .

If you'd like to join our team, you can get more information on the Hunger Fun Run/Walk here: http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=300411&lis=1&kntae300411=B6A7355186154948AB4CC5CB59EBF2ED


My personal donation page is https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=300411&supId=249486512


Information on Concern Worldwide (USA) can be found here:
http://www.kintera.org/faf/help/helpAboutOrg.asp?ievent=300411&lis=1&kntae300411=38E36040B0B145598A361D6AB334A857

Concern Worldwide's website: http://www.concernusa.org/

Date:	2009-03-17 10:19
Subject:	Something New!
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused
Music:	Solomon Burke: Don't Give Up On Me

According to Tower.com's sales ranking, Institutional Memory is number 186 on the Top 100 Erotica - Lesbian list! Now that's awesome. I may have to reread the book to find those scenes that I don't remember putting in there, but I'll take the ranking!

Gary . . .

Date:	2009-03-09 13:34
Subject:
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused
Music:	Dead Can Dance: Dead Can Dance

Another day like any other day and there are people starving in the world. Thousands of them. Did you know that a child dies from hunger-related illnesses every five seconds? Go ahead. Count. 1…2…3…4…5. There's one. Every five seconds.

My friend Jim brought an important organization, Concern Worldwide, to my attention. This group is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries.

To that end, they hold a hunger fun run/walk in Central Park every year in April. The difference this year is that I'll be taking part in this event to raise money for Concern Worldwide and their American affiliate, Concern USA. Nancy, Jim, and I have formed a team, Running Down a Dream and we'll be walking (or slowly running) the 4 miles through Central Park to raise money and awareness of this organization and the great work they do.

The economy hasn't made giving very easy and no one expects anyone to give a lot. But even if you donate one dollar, it's something. If you can give more, $5, $10, $20 or even $50, that would go a long way to helping Concern Worldwide continue their mission throughout the world.

We're all on this planet to help each other, to make a difference, to do something greater than what we believe we're capable of. We can end hunger and the suffering going on around the world. We just need to reach out and give a little.

Thank you in advance for any donation you can afford. Please pass this letter and these links to everyone you know and together we can end hunger.

Thank you for your time. We now return you to your normally scheduled reading.


Peace,
Gary . . .

For more information on Concern USA: http://www.concernusa.org/

If you'd like to join our team or for more information on the Hunger Fun/Walk

My Personal Donation Page

Date:	2009-02-19 21:21
Subject:	Prayer Request
Security:	Public
Mood:	sad
Music:	None

Hello everyone

We received some very upsetting news this evening. My father-in-Law has been told he has metastatic cancer and they are in the process of finding the primary site. They think it may be lung cancer that spread to his abdomen. I am asking for prayers for his healing and for strength to weather this storm.

Additional prayers are needed as well for my step mother, Mary, who had healed from her breast cancer last year and now she is being worked up for leg pain that is either a fracture or a tumor.

Thank you.
Gary . . .

P.S.: Apologies to anyone who already received this from Nancy

Date:	2009-02-12 12:43
Subject:	Wonderin' aloud... Musicians vs.Writers
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused
Music:	Title Tracks CD 3 (homemade mix)

Why is it, when a musician goes independent and puts out a CD on a small label (or their own), their hailed as champions of freedom of music, bucking the system and doing what they want.

But when a writer goes independent and puts out a book from a self-pub or POD press, they're looked at as ... well, not a champion of anything.

Just, you know, wonderin' aloud.


Gary . . .


P.S.: Anyone know what band the subject (Wonderin' Aloud) is from?

Date:	2009-01-19 00:01
Subject:	News of the World
Security:	Public
Mood:	complacent
Music:	iTunes "Party Shuffle": Styx: Number One

With apologies to any Baltimore Ravens fans...

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now the AFC division champions and will go to the Superbowl to play... the Arizona Cardinals? Hey, you Giants fans happy that Arizona beat the Eagles?

So Ken Whisenhut, former offensive coordinator for the Steelers, gets to see his old team from the other side of the field. Irony's pretty ironic, isn't it? I feel bad for the Cardinals. To come all this way, make it to the Superbowl for the first time ever, only to inevitably lose to a superior team. Sigh.

My third novel, Fallen Angels, is in the revision stage. Nancy thinks it'll be completely done in two months, but we'll see how much rewriting it needs. I saw a movie the other night which inspired me to change the race of beings from what they are to what they will be (makes sense, huh?), hence a good chunk will need to be rewritten.

What's Fallen Angels about? Two homeless people who meet up with this gent who tries convincing them they he's an angel and they are as well and he needs their help in a battle against an evil that will devour humanity. It's potentially the first book in a series called The Eastham Chronicles that take place in the fictional (and bizarre) town of Eastham, NJ.

Speaking of movies, if you're into dark fantasy, horror, or very imagistic movies, check out the Pang Brothers Re-Cycle. A great movie with deep meaning. It's much more than just a standard horror flick.

In other writing news, my gig as president of the Garden State Horror Writers is over and done and now I can join the ranks of the civilians once again. I don't mean the non-writing folk that writers call civilians, I'm mean the non-GSHW board folk.

I heard about another writers group, the Liberty States Writers Group, that meets in Edison and I'm thinking to check them out. They seem to be mostly romance (that's how their website looks to me) but they say they're a multi-genre writing organization (sound familiar?). So what the heck, right?

I'm once again looking forward to the Seton Hill Writers' Retreat coming in June. I had a great time last year and I can't wait to go again. Necon's on my radar, but at $400 a person, paid upfront in full, I'm trying to wangle that kind of cash out of my monthly income and this year it's not as easy as it's been. Of course I'm a little more financially conscious now, so it may just be that we couldn't have done it in previous years and I just didn't care.

On the adoption front, we're with Holt International, a new agency, after Seedlings had to close due to the Hague Conference's financial requirements. We've been on this path for over three years (just with seedlings) and longer for the entire adoption process that began with a failed domestic adoption back in 2004. Fingers crossed that China will speed up their processing dossiers and we'll be on our way.

Sales for Institutional Memory are...unknown. As much as I'd love to tell you it's going great, I really have no idea.

That's about it. I should be writing, so I'll say good night and talk to y'all soon.


Peace,
Gary . . .

P.S.: Not entirely edited for missing words.

Date:	2009-01-04 21:23
Subject:	Letting Go
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative
Music:	iTunes Party Shuffle

Here's a question to ponder: What can you let go of that you've been dragging around for years that will make 2009 an awesome year?

Regrets? Toxic relationships? Past failures? Grudges? Broken heart? Negative attitudes?

The hardest thing for me to let go of is my Ego's demand for perfection. Being human is not good enough. If I'm not perfect, then I've failed. It's my Ego driven ideal that keeps me insane.

This isn't just about being perfect in little things. This seeps insidiously into my creative life. If I can't write the perfect story, then why bother? No need to comment on that question; it's rhetorical. I know the answer. Perfection isn't realistic nor is it spiritual. It comes from a belief system created years back and perpetuated through the years until it's what I believe as "truth" when I know it's not.

But letting go of perfection? That is real hard. Who wants to look foolish? Better to be perfect in a small life than foolish in a wide life. But that leads to narrow living, squeezing all the adventure and discovery out of life in lieu of being perfect. See how that works? If you truly Live life then inevitably, you're going to make mistakes. If you push the envelope of your own existence by learning new things, by doing new things, by (gasp!) risking, then you're bound to misstep, bound to make a wrong turn, bound to be...what's the word...oh yes...Human. Wouldn't that be terrible.

So back to the question: What can you let go of that will make you happier, more joyous, more spiritual, more positive. What will make 2009 an awesome year?

Wayne Dyer said, "With God, all things are possible." That doesn't leave much not working out.

Happy new year, everyone.


Peace,
Gary . . .

Date:	2008-11-26 20:48
Subject:	Happy Thanksgiving!
Security:	Public
Mood:	tired
Music:	iTunes 2007 Anthology

Hi all,

Remember me? it's been a while and all that.

I want to wish everyone a happy and joyous Thanksgiving. Don't forget to take time for gratitude and remember what you're thankful for. Sure we can easily remember all the crap and all the bad things that happen to us, but there are good things as well. Whether it's a smile from a stranger, an unexpected phone call with good news, or just a sunny day, we need to be grateful for these things and hold on to them so that when darker days happen, we can know that there will be good vibes at any moment.


Peace,
Gary . . .