Matt Cowper's Blog, page 2
December 10, 2017
Let’s Talk About Lee Child
I recently read my first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor, which (unbeknownst to me until I got to the end) is also the first one in the series. I gave it three stars, and that’s a “will not read more by this author” three stars, not a “may try this author again if I detect improvement” three stars. Other folks with similar opinions of Lee Child may rate him lower, but I only give books one or two stars if they’re unreadable and/or totally ignore the conventions of the genre they’re supposed...
November 28, 2017
“Sunshine Superman”: Embrace the Sky
No, this isn’t a discussion about the rare comic book character. This is about the 2014 documentary on the life (and death) of the free-falling free spirit Carl Boenish.
[image error]Not this one.Boenish’s passion was jumping from tall objects. A plane, a cliff, an antenna, a building – as long as it was tall, he’d pack his parachute, hike to the top, and leap from it. Eventually his passion led him and his inner circle to found the now well-known idea of BASE jumping, an acronym that stands for building...
November 25, 2017
Netflix’s “Mindhunter”: The Abyss Gazes Back
Netflix’s Mindhunter is one of those rare series that kept me interested, if not exactly hooked, until the final episode. I have an ambivalent relationship with Netflix or TV series – watching the same characters do pretty much the same thing for episode after episode bores me. I don’t think I’ve ever been afflicted with a binge-watching compulsion, unlike most of civilized society.
What Mindhunter isn’t is just as interesting as what it is. What it’s not is action-packed. Even though this is...
November 9, 2017
I Have a Bus! #skoolie
This summer, I started a massive project: converting a school bus into a livable space, or skoolie in DIY parlance. When completed, the bus will be my full-time abode. It’ll have an electrical system powered by solar panels, a toilet, a bed, a desk, the whole nine yards. I’ll be able to set up wherever I desire: a deep-woods dispersed camping site, the driveway or yard of friends and family, a campground with shore power, or simply a free public parking space that allows overnight parking.
[image error]Th...September 13, 2017
On Trump, and the Current Political Climate
It’s time to add my voice to the never-ending media firestorm encircling our Commander in Chief. The man’s so controversial, I should’ve talked about him before, but I must’ve gotten sidetracked by the horrors of the Bowling Green Massacre.
[image error]#NeverRememberSo what do I think of him?
In short, I think he’s a doofus.
The long version: There’s never been a more ineffective president. His ineptitude staggers. He doesn’t know how to do anything. It’s baffling to watch him in action – or inaction, I...
August 8, 2017
Mega Sale! Get my Novels for Free!
I’m having my first ever FREE promotion August 8th (today) to August 12th. Both of my novels are available for the attractive price of $0.00.
Get Double Lives for an injection of fast-paced superhero wildness. Get The Clerk for an introspective take on modern life.
It takes an infinitesimal amount of energy to go over to Amazon and load these onto your Kindle – so go do it, folks! Every download creates an image of a rainbow and a cute puppy in this author’s mind.
June 30, 2017
Snacking is Bad
Snacking is bad. Don’t do it.
You already eat enough processed junk during normal meals. Tasteless microwave dinners, slimy lunch meat that’s been slapped together in a filthy factory, bread injected with so many preservatives that mold is scared to come within ten meters of it.
All that stuff you toss down your gullet is bad enough — don’t make it worse by grabbing a “light snack” between meals. Ha! Light snack? An oxymoron if there ever was one.
Don’t succumb to the temptation of those choc...
June 21, 2017
The Genesis of “Double Lives”
I’ve always wanted to produce a comic book, but several hurdles have prevented that from happening:
1.) I’m not employed by a comic company, and it’s extremely unlikely I will ever be so employed.
2.) I can’t draw, ink, letter, or color, which means I’d have to hire folks to do that, or convince them to work collaboratively. I don’t have enough money to pay those wages, and I couldn’t convince a starving man to eat a porterhouse steak.
3.) How do you even write a comic book script?
Luckily, b...
June 8, 2017
Author Interview: Alex Avrio
Today’s guest on the metaphorical interview couch is author Alex Avrio, who’s written several fantasy/adventure novels along with a number of short stories. You can read my review of The Alchemist’s Box, the first novel in the “Merchant Blades” series, here. Book Two, Lose a Princess, Lose Your Head, is available on Amazon, and Book Three is in the works.
Here’s how our Q&A went down….
Q: What are you up to these days?
A: I’m on the final push to complete the final chapters of The Hidden Drag...
June 3, 2017
New Release! Scorching Hot!
My first novel, The Clerk, was a tremendous learning experience – but, I also did things my way. I wrote the novel I wanted to write, and didn’t worry too much about “the rules”
A lot of the reviewers for The Clerk mention it’s a “small” novel. Not a lot happens in it. As one reviewer put it: “Once again, I reiterate this is the life and times of a middle-aged man working in a grocery store. If you are (SPOILERS AHEAD...
