Tyler Colins's Blog, page 9

Anticipation & Accomplishment

Over the years, I’ve provided advice—tips—re editing/proofreading. I’ve pushed my Triple Threat Investigation mystery books. Shared feelings, anxieties, and concerns re mom-care. Provided a few reviews.

Things change. People change. I’ve changed. For the better? I certainly hope so. I’m looking to move onward and forward. I know where I want to go, and what I want to accomplish.

Anticipation’s everything. So’s patience. But the [plodding] pace to [finally] realize something can prove excruciatingly vexing. That’s when I hit myself upside the head, not too hard coz I don’t need another headache, and determine to find something positive to keep me going.

A walk in the sun. Something fun. Good music—soothing jazz, “crunchy” rock. A British mystery. A glass of red wine. A jaunt through Amazon. A sweet treat … maybe two (okay, three).

Uplifting and/or thought-inspiring quotes work too. I found a few that are encouraging, which you’ve no doubt read/heard, but they never get old. And they do the trick.

“Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.” Roy T. Bennett

“Sometimes, when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place.” Unknown

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” Willie Nelson

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” Dolly Parton

“A dead end is just a good place to turn around.” Naomi Judd

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.” Nelson Mandela

“One day or day one. It’s your choice.” Unknown

If you’re going through a trying or inactive period, recognize it’s happening for a reason; while it’s rarely obvious at the time, it becomes apparent later. And realize that something amazing can [truly!] happen any second.

“Stay positive. Better days are on their way.” Unknown

Bet on it.

Eleven Cheers for ElevenLabs

Eleven for what it offers … nine for the actual “narration”.  

With all the hoopla revolving around AI and a gentle give-it-a-go nudge from a friend, I thought I’d check it out—it being a software company that “specializes in developing natural-sounding speech synthesis and test-to-speech software, using artificial intelligence”.

You can sign up for free. Who doesn’t like “free”? It allows you 10,000 characters per month, 29 languages to select from, 1000s of custom voices (you can create three), and a few other fun options.

There are more extensive packages. Starter or Creator would likely be something I’d opt for (both are very reasonably priced too). Then you’ve got Independent Publisher, Growing Business, and Enterprise. My interest’s certainly piqued.

Mathilda—my voice choice—sounds okay. She comes across as real but doesn’t deliver as “consistently smoothly” as I’d like; there are fleeting pauses that don’t sound quite natural (to my ears). But I’m sure if I spent some time with her—or one of the other voices—I might figure out how to perfect the delivery, as well as go beyond a simple “sound byte”.

As time allows, I’ll do some intensive investigating (also known as playing around). In the meanwhile, here’s the brief AI-generated narration for the [super condensed] prologue to Disco’s Dead and so is Mo-Mo.

Please have a listen (and feel free to let me know what you think) …

 

The Horror … The Horror

Of late, I’ve been saying that. An f’g lot (much like I say the f word … an f’g lot).

The temp outside’s -20. The horror, the horror.  “You have another test to do for that arm.” The horror, the horror. It’s Friday; time to get the weekly blog post done. Egads! The horror, the horrorrrrrrrrrrrr.

That got me to thinking, just who did say “the horror, the horror”? I know I’ve heard before, and not just once or thrice. Ah, let’s Google it—a search engine which has its merits most of the time, save for when you use its translator, which so f’g sucks. (Happy dysentery anyone? I kid you not … and that may just make for an interesting future post.)

So-o, tell us Tyler-san (I’m back studying Japanese), what’s the origin of “the horror, the horror”? It’s actually quite fascinating. Like, who knew?! わたし じゃない

The phrase first appeared in 1899 in Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, which revolves around a trying trading journey up Africa’s Congo River. It signifies the nastiness of imperialism (also known as empire-building and colonization) and what transpires when one’s part of it. As such, the story doesn’t just convey how said imperialism taints affected countries and the people, but how it impacts those who take advantage of it.

A quick summary of a “story within a story”: on a boat bobbing along the Thames, several people are told a tale by a fellow passenger, Charlie Marlow, about his experiences on the third largest river in the world.

Upon arrival in Africa, he views firsthand the destruction and violence that imperialism wreaks. He learns about a man named Kurtz, who’s exceptionally skilled at acquiring ivory in the country’s interior, and is reputed not only to be ill, but possibly unhinged.

Marlow gets a crew together with the intent of finding Kurtz. As he travels, he encounters difficulties and complications, thus making the physical—and mental—journey a “heart of darkness”. Marlow successfully tracks down Kurtz, who is indeed ill and rather mad. When Kurtz agrees to return with him, he tells Marlow of “the horror, the horror”, the human evil he’d witnessed.

Sound familiar? Apocalypse Now, a riveting film (not for the squeamish) with Vietnam as the setting, follows Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) on a dangerous and crazy [in more ways than one] journey upriver to locate and kill Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). “The horror, the horror” are Kurtz’s final words as Willard hacks him with a machete.

I’m fascinated with the original story, so I’ll pick up the novella when making my next Amazon purchase(s). And knowing the history (though I do recall the ending of the movie quite clearly now), I’ll keep the f word [I do enjoy punting that word about when I’m in a dither] and attempt to lose “the horror, the horror” from my phrasal vocab … unless legitimately warranted.

Phil & Willy

Groundhog, woodchuck: what’s in a name? Our stocky rodent friends—Punxsutawney Phil and Wiarton Willy—predicted an early spring.

That’s exciting [great] news for those of us living in chilly northern regions. And makes for an interesting [frivolous] post … because I can’t for the life of me recall the history of why we “celebrate” Groundhog’s Day. Other than it’s kinda fun and people do seem to get into it (just watch the vids of folks hanging around to see what their fave fuzzy critter is going to forecast courtesy of his shadow).

So, what is the history …? It stems from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition brought from German-speaking regions (where the badger was the forecasting creature). If a groundhog surfaces from its burrow on this particular day—conceivably because February 2nd is halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox—and sees its shadow, it’ll return to its snug little home. Winter will continue for another six weeks. If it doesn’t see its shadow, spring will arrive early.

So, if a groundhog is a woodchuck, and Mother Goose provided this little tongue-twister …

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck / If a woodchuck could chuck wood? / As much wood as a woodchuck could chuck / If a woodchuck could chuck wood.

 … then the groundhog equivalent would have to be …

How much ground could a groundhog hog / If a groundhog could hog ground? / As much ground as a groundhog could hog / If a groundhog could hog ground.

  A frivolous post indeed but perhaps a tad more fun than one about more [promo] merch or the merits of making a homemade salad as opposed to buying a premade one (yeah, those were tumbling about in the quasi-hibernating gray matter today).  

Have an amazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing week!

More Merch!

This week’s [quick] post is [yet again] about [new] merch available for a couple of the Triple Threat Investigation Agency mysteries. Given Next Chapter emails me about them, I feel compelled to share. 

There’s a throw blanket for Disco’s Dead and so is Mo-Mo. I could always use another throw to deal with those -25C days. And not bad at $28.

https://litmatter.com/products/discos-dead-and-so-is-mo-mo-velveteen-plush-blanket

I must confess that I never liked the cover to my first book The Connecticut Corpse Caper (thought it cheesy, but arguing doesn’t always work). But you know, I actually rather like the latte mug they’ve just announced. Now, would I pay $18 for a mug? Hell, no. But for those who aren’t as frugal as myself, and are looking for a latte mug, well, perhaps it’s worth adding to the kitchen cupboard collection? 

https://litmatter.com/products/the-connecticut-corpse-caper-latte-mug

And if you’re not familiar with the books, here’s a quick rundown:

Caper: JJ, Rey, and Linda are invited to partake in a get-your-inheritance-if-you-last-the-week extravaganza. They’re not in the reputedly haunted mansion half-a-day when the first body drops. One by one, more fall. The gals don sleuthing caps and endeavor to finger the murderer(s). This is the first in the series and “inspires” the trio to become professional private eyes.

Disco’s Dead: The body of Mo-Mo Martine, a dime-store mobster, is found decades later off the shores of Oahu. How’d he get there all the way from Canada? JJ, Rey, and Linda embark on their most puzzling and challenging case yet as they determine who’s responsible for killing people who’d once known Mo-Mo. Could it be? Death Angel, a killer-for-hire in the 70s, is back and plying his trade?

The gals and I would love it if you checked out our tales of mis-adventurous mysteries.

Catch ya next week!

Pick-a-Post

Attempting to pick [write] a post of interest isn’t unlike Whac-a-Mole. In the silly arcade game, you keep whacking at the blasted things, hoping you’ll actually hit one. Writing a post is much the same; you keep keying ideas/thoughts and hope one comes to fruition.

Yeah. Another post? How about another head scratch? Another “#@$!(%, what the #(@$!(* am I going to post about this *$#)%!@g week?” rant?

Maybe it’s not about whacking the mole insistently [incessantly], which could prove rather futile, not to mention hard on the arm. Maybe you just let the little buggers remain in their little holes. Give over.

So, if that’s not happening, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain. I’ll simply have to make a concession.

How about a buncha super short, random posts?

The 360° Whirlaround

My life is taking a 360° whirl-around. What once was, is now again. Not sure if that’s frightening or fabulous. Time will tell. Certainly fodder for a future post.

The What-a-Mess-this-Blog Is

For a good three-four years now, I’ve posted that I intend to update or do a new blog. That will happen this year, just not now. Once I figure out its direction/focus, you’ll be the first to know.

Finding Followers

That’s great, just not sure why they’re following. It’s not like I post darling daily pics of my cat and dog, my caloric lunch or dinner, or my semi-clad body (be grateful for that, folks). Truth is, I do next-to-nothing on FB, though Instagram is beginning to come along … sorta, kinda.

Losing Followers

Or e-friends. You think you’ve developed a decent e-relationship only to find—with the snap of the fingers—said e-friends have moved on. Oh well. Par for the course and the cycle of life … or social media, as the case may be.

Living with Frigidity

Not of the dispassion type, but the -25+ temps found in the wonderful land of ten-months-of-the-year cold. I hate it! [And the hell I’ll be doing it come 2025.]

That was rather fun actually, throwing thoughts out without too much, yep, thought.

Have an amazing week everyone!

Marvelous Mo-Mo Merch

Maybe not so marvelous for others, but certainly for Mo-Mo’s author, l’il ol’ me. So, please indulge another round/post re self-promo (must strike while the iron is hot).

Next Chapter’s been busy putting together merchandise for Disco’s Dead and so is Mo-Mo (Triple Threat Mysteries Book 6). Thank you, NC.

For those not familiar with the book …

Countless people hated Mo-Mo Martine. Anyone could have murdered the disco-loving mobster back in the late 70s.  Family members, friends, or foes might have done the dastardly deed. Or perhaps it was a professional hit—executed by someone like the notorious, never-miss Death Angel. If this is the case—and all things point his way—is it really possible that the faceless, nameless assassin-for-hire is still plying his trade after all this time?  Someone wants the past to remain in the past. As bodies drop, the pretty private eyes—JJ, Rey, and Linda—begin to believe answers won’t come from anyone they interview but will be found in mysterious photos dating back to the days of polyester, glitter, and swagger. The trio must merely decipher what the people and backdrops in those photos are conveying. A tricky task indeed. Will they figure it out before more murders occur . . . perhaps theirs?

If you enjoyed the book, maybe you’d like a memento? There are a few items to choose from.

A museum-grade poster is printed with “top-tier pigmented archival ink for a stunning end result” (I’m sold).

A classic T-shirt has tapped shoulders for good upper-body fit (no side seams, either) and a collar with ribbed knitting. Materials are sustainably sourced and economically friendly (gotta like that).

Anyone for a glossy-finished jigsaw puzzle? It’s printed and laminated on sturdy chipboard back.

Maybe a cotton tote bag? It’s durable and sustainable (kinda like me). 

Lastly, but certainly not least is a 118-page spiral notebook. Perfect for jotting lists and notes, poems, and manuscript scenes.

Should one (or all) have tickled your fancy, you can check them out via these links:

https://litmatter.com/products/discos-dead-and-so-is-mo-mo-matte-poster

https://litmatter.com/products/discos-dead-and-so-is-mo-mo-unisex-t-shirt

https://litmatter.com/products/discos-dead-and-so-is-mo-mo-1000-piece-jigsaw-puzzle

https://litmatter.com/products/discos-dead-and-so-is-mo-mo-natural-tote-bag

https://litmatter.com/products/discos-dead-and-so-is-mo-mo-spiral-notebook

Lookin’ for a New Groove

…while dancin’ to one, too. 

It’s a new year filled with hope that things will be [much] better. I’m thinking of things I can do, which isn’t quite the same as want to do. That would take oodles of money—haven’t won the lottery yet—and I’m not the pretty young thang I used to be [man, am I so not].

There’s a new book in the works and it’s not a Triple Threat Investigation Agency mystery. Those are done, I’m pretty sure, though I did promise to pen one more to tie those outstanding loose threads left at the conclusion of Disco’s Dead and so is Mo-Mo. We shall see. Given the vast legion of TTIA fans, I don’t think I need lose sleep over it.

So, yeah, I’m lookin’ for a new groove; I’ve been plodding in the shadows of too many others for too long. Here’s to dancin’ up a storm in 2024 … with fresh approaches to writing and life. And here’s to re-finding the faith that got lost along the way.

It’s time to embrace the Great Mystery of Life with open, eager arms … and maybe give it a nudge here and there.

Ta-Ta 2023

Final year-end posts tend to focus on the preceding twelve months, and the goals/resolutions that didn’t happen, and/or the ones to be realized in the New Year.

If we didn’t accomplish what we’d hoped and set out to do, we can endeavor to make them happen the subsequent year. We can only try … and should pat ourselves on the back for doing so.

No resolutions for yours truly, though there are a couple of things I want to do. And will. No ifs and/or buts. Something professional. Something personal.

The past has no place in my future, so I’m eager to move forward and embrace that which is still to unfold. That’s exciting, not knowing what’s around the corner, but believing it’ll be something good. Who doesn’t love a [pleasant] surprise?

Happy 2024 everyone. May it be your best year yet!

Holiday Hype, Also Known as a Self-Promo Push

Nothing wrong with ending the year pushing one’s product …

… so-o, here’s that final promotional-push post. 

Thanks to Next Chapter and Kobo, you can get the Triple Threat Mysteries—Books 1-3 for $0.99 from December 21st through January 2nd. A great stocking-stuffer price.

LINK TO BOOK PAGE IN STORE:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/triple-threat-mysteries-books-1-3

If you’d like to find out how JJ, Rey, and Linda became private investigators, the first book The Connecticut Corpse Caper will enlighten you. Something to do with figuring out who’s knocking off a sundry of inheritance recipients in a haunted mansion. Can You Hula Like Hilo Hattie and Coco’s Nuts have the trio, now the proud owners of the Triple Threat Investigation Agency in Hawaii, solving their first official paying cases. The former has them determining who killed the pretty trophy wife of an elderly millionaire while the latter has them attempting to prove their client is innocent of murder. All three provide a curious case of characters (also known as suspects) who truly give the gals a run for their money.

Perhaps you’d like to check us out? If you do, please let us know what you think. Truly, we’d love to hear from you.