Justin Pyfrom's Blog, page 27

How Far I’ll Go

So, quick fact! Did you know that, when planning to teach in another country, your name on EVERYTHING they ask you to provide has to identical to your federal documentation? Sounds simple, right? Well…tell that to a man with two middle names and only one of them has been used all of his life. Haha!

Yep! I had to start my visa process all over because my employer saw my federal name (Justin Eugene Malik Pyfrom) and noticed that my name on my other documentation was only using one of my middle names (Eugene). Personal choice, really. When I was younger, I was told to pick one because of the fact that I didn’t have enough room for both. So, I just stuck with Eugene. Fine with the federal government when applying for a job in the state, not so much when you’re working aboard. Took an entire month to correct everything and extra cash out of my pocket.

When I told my brother all of this, he asked me if all of this was worth it. I just gave him a look. Strike that, I gave him “the look”. That look that says “that wasn’t a smart question because you already know the answer.”

In the meantime, the only thing that’s left for me to do for my work visa is to do my physical. Going to do that in the second half of this month since I also have to stock up on pants and sneakers. Asia doesn’t really have a Big & Tall so I need to buy them by the bulk. I think 10-12 pairs of pants and four sneakers will suffice. I mean…I can’t take winter clothes with me until I get there so I’m working with my grandmother to send me some winter clothes when the time comes.

I even made a list of the countries in planning on visiting between contracts. Some by myself, some with friends. Either way, I’m so pumped for this new chapter in my life. New adventures to be had and new challenges to overcome. Even new friends to be had. It’s exhilarating!! I encourage you all to do the same.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2019.

I’m So Excited For Pride!!

Happy Pride, everybody!!! It’s the one month we can look at the world and say see me, love me and accept me. I mean…I do it every day but not everybody is able to so it’s something we shouldn’t take for granted. So, let me be the first to tell you that if your city is having a Pride Parade and you’re either a member or ally of the LGBT community then BY GOD…GO TO IT!!! I will be there with my some of best Judies and I’m going to have a blast. However, there are some things I need to do before that happens.

For instance, I need to finish my collaborative project with Dante Drackis (you can read about it, here) and I’m so excited about that. I also need to get more of the 46 stories outlined before I start writing it. It might be done writing during my stay in China. I also have to make sure that the Pose viewing party for Toasted Walnut, the gay bar I work for. Now THAT’S going to be really fun!!!

Also, if you want to see the full itinerary for Pride, check out these links:

NYC/World Pride 2019: https://2019-worldpride-stonewall50.nycpride.org/

Philly Parade 2019: http://www.phillygaypride.org/events/philly-pride-parade-and-festival/schedule-of-events/

Hope you all have fun!!!

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2019.

New Book Is Coming For You All

So, recently, I have been working the splendid Dante Drackis in a literature project for the last two months. We’re also done and we’re hoping to get it released before the end of the summer. And, this time around, I actually have no equivocation about talking about what the book is about:

“I recently took a moment out of Dante Drackis’s busy schedule for an in-depth sitdown and conversation about his life before and during his path into the porn industry. What ensued is something that can only witness through reading the dialogue between two men of equal aura of passion. Learn more about Dante Drackis’s past, present, and future through our three-part conversation.”

Oh! And, be sure to read Dante’s other book. It’s a real delight…well…one of them is. The other is a bit naughty so it can still be a delight if it fits your fancy:

Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1798577208

Book 2: shorturl.at/clOP3

Book 3: shorturl.at/brHL8

Book 4: shorturl.at/ciyCW

Also, please Dante’s Twitter, Instagram, and OnlyFans page because he is an interesting bloke.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2019.

 

This Is Going To Be So Much Fun!!!

Philly Pride is coming and I can’t wait to finally be a part of it. See, in the past, I got to be apart of Columbus Pride and San Francisco but never my hometown Pride Parade. So, this is going to be my first Philly Pride and I’m SOOOO excited. No, I’m not going to wear any jockstraps or anything because that’s for home use. But there’s another reason why I’m excited…I mean really really excited!!!

For Pride, I get to run my first event for Toasted Walnut, the bar I do security for. My boss is pumped with the idea of having a viewing party of a particular show from one of my favorite showrunners. Of course, I have to be there for the event since I am, technically, running it. Yep! I am really pumped and can’t wait to see it come into success.

But, happiness and glee comes after annoyance and sneer. I had to witness my best mate being harassed by his straight colleagues because of his…well…sexuality. It’s really sad to hear that he couldn’t do much without drawing too much attention to himself. Apparently, we still have people who use our psychopathic President as a shield to project their unwavering hatred. Lucky for them, he’s not the hateful type and us talking about the ordeal was all that he needed. He couldn’t hold a grudge if his life depended on it. Me, on the other hand, I have a different outlook on the hateful members of the hetero community…a very very different outlook.

See, while I was on the bus, I took a look at a scene done by “Mama Pope” from Shonda Rhime’s Scandal. Well…it was more of a monologue regarding the struggles of a black woman. So, I took that same monologue and reworked it for a gay man. I wrote it out and gave it to him with the joke of telling it to his colleague. Actually, I probably shouldn’t have made that joke because he might do that. I mean…you tell me…would you say something like this to those miserable lots:

“Damn shame, I tell you…being a gay man. ‘Forgive them’ they say, ‘Learn from them, act like them, think like that. Well, damn, I gotta do all that? Ha! Who’s out here working for me, carrying my burden, building me up when I get down? Nobody.

Gay men out here trying to save everybody and what do we get? Beat down and cast aside by men with big egos and little peckers. Ain’t that a bitch, huh? But we still try. Try to help all y’all. Been when we get nothing. Is that boldness or stupidity.

Haha! You got me, honey. I mean me sitting here is pretty stupid when I could be helping but you don’t want my help. You want to do it all by yourself, Mr. Big Strong Straight Man. God forbid you let a fairy like me help you out. Now, you don’t want that. Don’t let me put you on my back when you fall. Wipe the crust out of your eyes. Put a pep back in your step. Because, when you do, you resent us for making you better, smarter, stronger. Then, discard us so you take credit for all the hard work you force us to do.

And, yet, we still try. That’s why I’m here. Trying and saving and trying to save, like weeks, here I am. Boldness or stupidity? Honey, you tell me.”

Sexy, right. I do love villians who knows how to make a point, don’t you?

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2019.

The Winds of Time Are Blowing

Sorry for the month of no blog posting. I’ve been so busy with various writing projects that I wanted to tackle and complete before I start my teaching job in China. Yes, that’s right, I’m going to be a TEFL teacher for the Chinese school system. It’s exciting and, honestly, I’m nervous as all holy hell. But because of that brilliant news, I had to do A LOT of planning and securing which meant that I didn’t have a lot of time to sit in front of my computer.

First things first, that passport process was a bitch and a half. It usually takes around 4-6 weeks, sometimes sooner because my grandma lives near one. But I decided to grab it during the height of the government shutdown and spring breakers SO my passport took a hell of a lot longer. Two months. Two bloody months!!! Haha! So, everything got pushed back for the work visa process. “Don’t be surprise if we have to push your departure date a month,” said my recruiter/future boss. But that wasn’t the only thing on my mind.

I got to make sure that the members of my Audible team project are prime and ready to go once the 46 short stories are complete so I have to write down a complete handbook/outline on how everything is going to be run. We are all excited but, me personally, I’m nervous about the whole thing because…well…it’s my stories and I want it to be liked. I mean…I know that it’s completely subjective to the audience but still…

Later on, in the month of April, I got to meet up with my little brother who wanted to make sure that we have a small gathering before leaving the country. He wanted to go with me but, alas, talked himself out of it after being reminded of my darling niece. It wasn’t easy. It’s never going easy being apart from my family as I’ve always been really attached to my baby bro (he hates being called that!!).

See, while growing up together, both of us has had people – both in and out of the family – trying to divide us and turn against one other. And it almost worked for a spell. But, after a while, it finally clicked for us that we are really the only two people who got each other’s back. After, we made sure that no one comes between us. I mean…we also made a vow to never share a flat together but something entirely different. We lived together for almost a decade and a half…we’re over that. Haha!

However, I did tell my bro that we can travel together between teaching contracts so we’re making a list of countries to see travel. My only rule is that it has to be LGBTQ+ friendly and we use Airbnb. Don’t want to run into the country’s militia who wants to do me harm because of something I can’t control. Plus, you want to talk about a protective brother, call me a “fag” around my brother and watch how fast he’ll kick some arse. He hates that word more than me. Also, I called dibs on Brazil, London, and Sweden. However, we will be making a full list before I leave for China.

Well…I think that’s everything for now. I’ve just been working on my work visa for the last month I’m a little burnt out. So! I’m going to play some games on my Nintendo Switch and wait to watch the latest episode of Game of Thrones.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2019.

A Gay Twist On A Classic

The Picture of Dorian Gray: A Gay Novel by Mark A. Roeder

I have seen various adaptations of Oscar Wilde’s classic The Picture of Dorian Gray and have yet to read the original piece. Ironic really, skipping over the original to read the LGBT adaptation. But, nevertheless, I found it to be a great read. Moreover, I like how Mark A. Roeder keep to the original while adding a sexy LGBT twist to it.

Like the original, the story follows the theme of hedonism, aestheticism, and duplicity as the main character, Dorian, live a life of well…every indulgence that life has to offer. Harmless on the surface but terrible in execution as Dorian’s true nature and character begin to surface. And, like clockwork, the people around him began to cripple through mindless and selfish actions. Actually, selfish isn’t the right word. Try sociopathic and dangerous.

Following the same storyline as the original with a more modern update, Dorian managed to destroy so many lives through various means without any equivocation. Even worse, each action had a ripple effect that ended up hurting more people and, of course, darkening the main character’s soul and painting. It’s because of that Dorian had to get a very personal intervention which ended up giving him, and those around of him, a happy ending. Actually, this is the only thing that was different from the original as Dorian killed himself in that version.

It was quite the redemption for a deplorable protagonist. Dorian was a man of little morals and, for all intents and purposes, an inflated ego. He really thought he was untouchable until he realizes that his soul wasn’t as untouchable as he originally thought. “It’s your soul that needs a surgery,” like Beyonce’s song, Pretty Hurts, would put it. I still didn’t like the character but I think that was the whole point of it all.

Yep yep, I’m going to give this book a nice B.

Sometimes Research Takes Down Interesting Avenue

Celtic Mythology by Philip Freeman

(Disclaimer: this will be a short review!)

As I stressed in a previous post, research is very important in writing stories, especially in video games. Furthermore, I was instructed to read Celtic mythology after expressing my desire to add a personal touch to it. Why Celtic? Well, most of my friends have Irish ancestry in them and I have some British ancestry. And it’s a good thing I did, too, because it was a wonderful read.

[image error]At first, I thought I was going to have an encyclopedia of things Celtic mythology. Instead, I got a more intimate telling of stories about the famed fictitious characters. Cuchulain and his rise & fall to heroism was my favorite one and Final Fantasy XII did a piss poor job of presenting him. I mean, seriously, does this look like a handsome hero: [image error]

My other favorite one was the Salmon of Knowledge and its link to Finn MacCool. This tale shows the might, love, devotion, and vindictiveness of a hero. Oh! And when I say vindictive, I mean letting your brother die just because he feels for his wife. Petty but common in today’s standard.

This mythology is going to get a B+ from me.

Ooooh, Criminal Minds Can Learn A Thing Or Two

Killer by Nature by Jan Smith

In Shonda Rhimes’s Masterclass, she eloquently pointed out that one of the many great things about being a writer is that it’s the only job that no one has to hire you for. I love that because I noticed with Audible is that, quite literally, if done to a certain standard, anybody can create wonderful piece for the world to see – or hear – without much outside help. What also interesting to notice about my choice realm of art is the variety. Take Killer by Nature, for example. Up until this point, I never thought I would be able to listen to a “season” in an audiobook format.

Well that’s not entirely true, since I originally wanted to make my LGBT crime series into weekly installment. But I got nervous about (1) I didn’t think anybody would interested in that format and (2) I didn’t know where to begin with it. But after listening to this Audible Original, I was thinking in a completely different rhythm.

Killer by Nature is a psychological thriller that followed Dr. Diane Buckley, a freelance forensic psychologist, and her associates are called in to examine a body found in a children’s playground. It’s business as usual until the MO matches the ones of her jailed clients, “The Playground Killer”. Doesn’t make sense, right? Especially since, they’ve already arrested the bloke, Alfred Dinklage, for the murders. And the plot thickens as the psychopath’s manipulation began to take a toll on all parties involved leading to some devastating consequences.

The twist and turns was amazing and the payout in the end left me in breathtaking awe. I’m not kidding; I was on the bus gasping and dropping my jaw with everybody watching and laughing at me. But I didn’t care because it was just that good. Also, the side story revolving around the daughter of the main character was a great way to relax the pace which I could appreciate.

This series better get a “Season 2” because it was amazing. Everybody’s personality and motivation was flushed out and properly woven into this story. Even better, I have to give a standing ovation to Robert James-Collier for his portrayal of Alfred Dinklage. He made it very clear his character should not be trusted but, while manipulating the cast into agreeing with him, he was doing the same thing to the listeners. You even felt pity for him here and there. I mean, I wouldn’t call him a sympathetic villain by any means but…

Anyway, this original is getting an A+ from me as I want to see another installment.

 

 

A Musically Daring Leap of Faith

Folsom Untold: The Strange True Story of Johnny Cash’s Greatest Album

(Disclaimer: this will be a short review!)

Full disclosure, I know nothing about Johnny Cash. Never listened to any of his songs. Never seen his shows. Hell, I didn’t even know what he looked like up until now. I have a wiki search while listening to this Audible Original because I feel totally out of the loop. But I found that to be a good thing after it was all said and done.

See, this Audible Original dove into the history revolving around the most avant-garde album of the 1950s: Folsom Prison Blue. It went very far back exploring Johnny’s reasoning and inspiration for the album as well as the hoops and hurdles he had to go through in order to make his dream a reality. First-hand interviews and accounts are recovered for this special title.

So, I got to learn the step-by-step process of how Johnny Cash completed his greatest goal. But it didn’t stop there. Now, I get see listen to what happened after the album was released including how Johnny Cash’s career was affected – both highs and lows. Yeah, it got really crazy, really fast, in all kinds of ways.

This original is going to get an A for me.

A Fantastic Series Worthy of The Silver Screen

Crown & Key series by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

Have you ever come across a book series that clearly can be adapted to the silver screen? Of course, you have and so have I. Now, have you ever come across a book series that leaves you wondering “why hasn’t it been, yet”? I’m sure you have and, now, so have I. I mean, it may consist of three books but there’s so much potential. The series is called Crown & Key and my goodness it’s marvelous.

[image error]The Crown & Key series follows the adventures of Simon, a scribe mage with a unique skill of magic, Kate, an alchemist/swordsman, and Malcolm, a Scottish werewolf hunter. Yes, they don’t get off on the right foot especially with a loner Scotsman. I found Simon to be an instantly likable character for the readers because of the combination of his wit and charm. Plus, his honor and code of ethics and moral is what makes the people around him relatable to both the readers and characters. I mean it worked pretty quickly on Kate and Malcolm eventually warmed up to the bloke.

They all met on their first adventure (The Shadow Revolution) as they all had to deal with the rise of a crazy werewolf. Well…a crazy werewolf, Gertrude, who wanted to gather all [image error]the lycanthropes together for – lack of a better word – a new world order. Add in a mad doctor who has a fondness of unethical experiments on young women and you can see where things can go awry.  What I immediately took notice to is that these pair of authors are not afraid to make their heroes suffer loss and pain. It even carried on to the second installment (The Undying Legion).

This is actually my favorite one because it showed a softer side of Malcolm, the more stoic of the trio, as he continued to do his work. Too bad for him…where he went and talked to make him the first adversary of a necromancer that became more than a match for the trio. So much so, Simon had to generate an explosion that resulted in losing all of his magic. Worst yet, it took another dark form of magic (blood magic) to relink him in the final installment (The[image error] Conquering Dark). All of this took place while earth elemental, Gaios tried to bring London to the ground.

I would definitely love to see someone turn this into a TV series. I mean each book will be a season with another season focusing on Simon’s polarizing mentor, Nick, and his complicated backstory. I would imagine that a skilled-enough screenwriter (definitely not me) could create a villain that can link Nick, his past and, maybe, Simon’s father to Simon and his crew. Hell, if I was given the opportunity, I would help any and everybody who wants to tackle this project. I think Netflix will pounce of this in a heartbeat.

This series gets an A+ and, again, needs a silver screen adaption.