Keith B. Darrell's Blog, page 15

Trump and the Bloody Stump

I have never cared for television personality Kathy Griffin. I find her crass, crude, and not particularly funny for a so-called comedienne. However, at a time when she is the recipient of opprobrium from both the political right and the left, including the media and the current president of the United States, I find it necessary to do what no one else has the intestinal fortitude to do and defend her constitutionally-protected right of free speech and call out the hypocrites who are shameles...

All the Time in the World

Mackenzie Mortimer just wants to go home. An accident had flung him into the far future where he had an incredible adventure in The Tomorrow Paradox yet now he longed to return to present-day Serenity Valley, USA. But something had gone wrong. He looked around. This wasn't Serenity Valley, or even America. Mackenzie found himself in occupied Belgium in-between the Nazi invaders and the Belgian Resistance. Lost in a dangerous world where life is cheap and death lurks around every corner, the 2...

Trumped: The Return of Democracy

I’m happy I lived long enough to see this day. I wasn’t sure I would. I knew it would come, eventually. I’ve always had faith in America and its institutions, even if I’ve lost faith in some of its populace. Our long national nightmare is not quite over but the rest of the American people have begun to awaken. Beginning with President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey eight days ago and the appointment of former FBI head Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russiag...

The final novel in The Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer&n...

The final novel in The Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer Young Adult SF trilogy has just been published! Click here to learn all about the series, and for links to order the books in multiple formats (paperback, Kindle, EPUB, Nook, iTunes, and more!)

Available in paperback, Kindle, and EPUB! Order the whole trilogy now:

The 25th Hour  (Book 1)

The Tomorrow Paradox  (Book 2)

All the Time in the World (Book 3): order from:
Amazon KindleBarnes & Noble NookiTunes

The Plastic Girl in the Wheelchair

In 1997, Mattel wanted to make its line of Barbie dolls more inclusive and relevant to modern girls so it added “Share-a-Smile Becky” as one of Barbie’s new friends. Becky and her shiny pink wheelchair were a smash success. Mattel sold 6,000 Becky dolls in the first two weeks and won praise from disability advocates. But then art imitated life.
It’s not as if Mattel hasn’t had its share of Barbie flops and fiascoes. When Mattel released "Totally Tattoo Barbie," who came with temporary tattoos,...

Action-Packed Adventure!

I’ve authored many books and short stories and I’m often asked which is my favorite. I usually answer whatever I’m working on at the moment, because that’s where my enthusiasm will be. But there’s one book that may well be my best; I believe it’s certainly the most important I’ve written. If you have a moment, I’d like to tell you about it.
The book is part of a three-book series I crafted for teenagers and young adults. I wanted to re-create the adventure series of my youth but tailored to th...

Leopards Roaming the Halls of Congress

I don’t care if you have no interest in politics. I don’t care if you’re a Republican or Democrat. Regardless, you’re a human being, and human beings get sick, and at some time in your life you will require expensive medical treatment and/or surgery and hospitalization. That’s a fact. It’s not an “alternative fact”, it’s not political propaganda, it’s common sense.

Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill that will dramatically increase the number of people without health insurance. L...

Black Bags

There was a knock on my door this afternoon. I peered out the second-story window and saw a strange man with a clipboard. He had parked an unmarked white van in my parking space: no logo or name on the van, just a nondescript off-white van. I came downstairs. The man had returned to his van but instead of pulling out of our complex he merely pulled into the guest space opposite my front door. He opened one of the two rear doors of the van and removed a small tool satchel. I thought how conven...

Celebrate National Short Story Month!

Did you know that May is National Short Story Month? Amber Book Company plans to celebrate by releasing a new volume of my short stories entitled  Shards: The Omnibus Edition . Many of you know me from my social commentary posts appearing on my blog, while others are familiar with my young adult science fiction series  The Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer . Still others think of me as a novelist or epic storyteller, pointing to my four-book fantasy series Halos & Horns and...

Time's Up! The Adventure Starts Today!

The final part of The Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer Young Adult SF trilogy will be published April 29!

Available in paperback, Kindle, and EPUB! Order the whole trilogy now:

The 25th Hour  (Book 1)

The Tomorrow Paradox  (Book 2)

All the Time in the World (Book 3): pre-order from:
Amazon KindleBarnes & Noble NookiTunes