H.G. Gravy's Blog, page 3

The Whole World is Him

Her gentle footsteps on the stairs sent Harlan into a panic. He yanked his chains knowing it was inconsequential. He can’t remember how long he’d been her prisoner or how many times he’d pleaded for mercy.

She called his name in a singsong voice announcing her presence. She held a plyer in her hand, and Harlan knew what was coming next…

___

Harlan’s mind teetered at the edge of insanity and despair. Shrouded in darkness, pitch blackness was his world. Isolation, his only friend. His confineme...

The Road Less Traveled

With twenty-two dollars and the change in my cup holder, I decided to leave it all behind. I didn’t overthink it. Just got into my car and let the road take me wherever it led.

Well, that isn’t entirely true. Without realizing it, I’d traveled west following the sunset until the sun disappeared over the horizon.

I traveled in silence letting the hum of the engine lull me into a trance-like state where I was merely running on autopilot and allowing my thoughts to consume me.

When I came out of...

Gift of the Dragon

“The King has ordered your execution for the theft of his cattle,” the Knight announced pointing his sword at the Dragon. The rest of the party followed, readying their weapons, and muttering magical incantations.

The Dragon growled at the intruders in his lair.

“Is that so?” it asked showing row upon row of razor-sharp teeth. It snorted fire from its nostrils, clearing its nasal passage of fiery buildup. The group cowered behind a wall of ice conjured by their Wizard.

“Prepare to die, foul b...

Book Review for George R.R. Martin’s, Nightflyers.

In the distant future, a scientist obsessed with the Volcryn, an ancient and mysterious alien race, charters the Nightflyer to embark on a scientific expedition among the stars. Royd Eris, the Nightflyers mysterious and reclusive captain, spies on his passengers at all times and only communicates with them via hologram. The passengers on the Nightflyer are a budget team of specialists in their fields of study including enhanced human beings, technology experts, and telepaths.

While the journe...

Book Review for Joe Abercrombie’s, The Blade Itself, the First Book of the First Law Trilogy

After getting hooked on Joe Abercrombie’s Shattered Seas trilogy, I figured it was time to go into the rest of his bibliography and start at the debut novel, The Blade Itself, the first book of the First Law trilogy.

Abercrombie’s primary strength is his ability to create unique and exciting characters and build worlds which feel lived in and with rich histories. The comparison to George R.R. Martin’s characters and style is well-deserved as both authors tend to take the fantasy genre in a di...

Let The Guilt Go

If you’ve read the previous two postings, The Four Horsemen of the Mental Health Apocalypse and Darkly Dwelling Gravy, you’ve gotten the gist of it. Shit hasn’t been good. A combination of depression, anxiety, and unemployment prevented me from enjoying life. As a result, even with all the time in the world on my hands, I couldn’t focus on writing. As someone who didn’t believe in writer’s block previously, I can admit now there may be merit to it. While having an abundance of ideas, I still...

Darkly Dwelling Gravy

As stated at great length in my previous post, life hasn’t been so good for the past six months. Though things are turning around for the better now, there are still the lingering effects. Anxiety still creeps in on a daily basis and strangely enough at moments where I should be at ease.

For example, today I started a new job. While I had manageable “first day of a new job” jitters, it wasn’t until I got home from work and sat on the couch that I began to feel on edge. There was nervousness i...

The Four Horsemen of the Mental Health Apocalypse

In January, I was blindsided by the loss of the job I’d held since July 2011. One moment, I had a guaranteed paycheck, job security (haha, the joke was on me!), and the knowledge I could provide for my family. The next moment, my heart was racing in my chest like I’d run a marathon. I couldn’t catch my breath. Thick tears filled my vision. The future was no longer clear. Life had gone off the rails, and I was merely a passenger on this ride.

There were no more paychecks beyond the one coming...

Book Review for Kristin Wong’s, Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford

Kristin Wong takes the complication out of personal finance and breaks it down into understandable and easily digestible bits. “Get Money” is aimed at a younger audience, most likely between the ages of 18 to 30 years old, but if you aren’t familiar with personal finance concepts, it is a great starting point for anyone wishing to educate themselves.

With money management is often being a struggle, Wong takes topics such as saving for retirement, paying off debts, and budgeting and breaks the...

Toxic Entertainment and Creators

As I write this little bit of fluff, I’m listening to The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack and trying my hardest not to sing along with those catchy tunes. And as soon as I hit the period at the end of the sentence, I started singing. Failure! Can’t win ’em all.

When I tell people Rocky Horror is one of my all-time favorite movies, I tend to get funny looks. Maybe it’s because I’m otherwise not a fan of musicals. Perhaps it’s because the film itself is a cult classic and its plot is a bit...