Hieronymus Hawkes's Blog, page 12
March 23, 2021
An Action-packed, genre-bending thriller
I sent Effacement out for reviews with the major review sites. Got the first two back yesterday. The Clarion Review is up now! They gave the book 4/5 Stars.
Effacement is an action-packed, genre-bending thriller that introduces a white-collar superhero whose braininess and ethical behavior save the day.
Some of the highlights:
In Hieronymus Hawkes’s intense, chilling psychological thriller Effacement, technology invades personal privacy in a twenty-four-seven connected world where Big Brother is watching.
[The MCs] contrasting viewpoints play against each other well, heightening the story’s sense of conflict and increasing its psychological tension. The focused narrative also makes use of crisp, to-the-point writing.
The narrative is clever at integrating real-world events, including the 2020 elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and racial strife, into its own origin story, using them as believable justifications for lifelogging and the eventual dystopian environment.
You can buy your own copy online pretty much everywhere now.
March 15, 2021
Stop what you are doing and go stream TED LASSO right now!
I just streamed the entire show on Apple TV. I had heard that it was good, but I assumed that with a sports theme it could only be so good.
Man was I wrong.
I fucking love this show so much!!!!
There are a few spoilers below, but honestly, even if I told you the entire storyline here, it would be worth watching anyway.
I thought I had this thing figured out early on. Yes, Ted is super likeable. I mean he is so affable and joyful and rarely lets anyone or anything get him down, but the show seemed obvious that it was a reimaging of Major League. However, they kept twisting the plot just enough to keep you off stride.
I love all the characters. Lasso is wise and cunning, but plays the simpleton. He has an answer to most problems and if he doesn’t he surrounds himself with people that he trusts to help him. He sees people. All of them. He makes friends easily because he actually cares about people. Coach Beard is like a mystic guru, who is humble and happy to play second fiddle and constantly surprises. The owner of the team, Rebecca, was maybe the most nuanced of all the characters, playing the villain, but she is layered and human. At first the girlfriend of the team star seemed like the classic bimbo type, but she is actually much deeper, kind and wiser than she first appears. The team captain is a grumpy older player with anger management issues, but he is also compelling because he cares about the game so much and doesn’t endure people being mistreated. Even the equipment manager plays a pivotal role.
I did see a lot of what was coming, but it didn’t matter. The journey was so amazing and full of feels. I laughed out loud and screamed with joy at more than one scene. I got weepy at others and for a “comedy” that is pretty amazing. It didn’t come off as smarmy or caricaturish at all, but played smartly by everyone. Just enough goofiness and playfulness to keep it light most of the time, but they cover some ground about relationships and leadership. Coach Brasso has a real knack for bring people together.
The only thing I really had trouble understanding was the relationship Lasso has with his wife. And it’s not him, it’s her. I don’t understand how she doesn’t love Ted. He is such a joy. His outlook on life is simply incredible. I would love to have a Ted Lasso in my circle of friends.
The show was a Golden Globes for best actor in a comedy and best supporting actor and people’s choice for best show and they are all well deserved. The writing is wonderful and refined, and spot on. Hardly a misstep. They should win every award there is. TED LASSO is the best show on any channel.
March 4, 2021
March 3, 2021
February 28, 2021
Homemade Rolls!
Made our own cinnamon rolls this morning and they were delicious! Well, my life accomplice did nearly everything. I had very little to do with it. I did help her eat them, though.
February 27, 2021
Sheet-Pan Pizza With Asparagus and Arugula
I get the New York Times Recipes every Friday and this one was in the list last Friday.
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh or thawed frozen pizza dough, atroom temperature
½ cup fresh ricotta (about 4 ounces)
5 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
½ bunch asparagus (about 1/2 pound), trimmedand cut into 5-inch pieces
1 or 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
4 thin slices pancetta (optional)
½ cup pitted and torn green olives,like Castelvetrano
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
1 cup loosely packed Italian parsley
1 cup loosely packed baby arugula
Here are some of the comments about this pizza:
Absolutely the best pizza I have ever baked. I love the no soggy crust. Will make this over and over. I made the recipe pretty much as written but I cut up the asparagus in smaller pieces, added raw broccoli florets, used Black Forest ham instead of pancetta because I didn’t have any and sprinkled some sliced almonds over the top before baking. To. Die. For.
This is a delicious and easy recipe!! With toppings I would never have thought of. I used a 9 inch cast iron pan which worked great. Added garlic to asparagus and jalapeño , subbed prosciutto for ham. A perfect Sunday TV dinner!
Super excited to try this. My girlfriend and I were thinking this would be delicious if we subbed Pepperoni for the Asparagus and Sausage for the Pancetta and skipped the Olives and Arugula altogether. Maybe add some more cheese.
Or maybe we could just go out in the front yard and get some fresh grass clippings. 
February 23, 2021
This was my view driving to work yesterday morning
A blanket of snow covered everything. Even the trees were coated in snow. And then the red sun came up over the horizon with a clear sky above. Wish I’d had my better camera with me. It was pretty amazing.
February 20, 2021
Been trying my hand with a French Press
Ever since I saw Chuck Wendig’s post on his blog about using a French Press to make coffee back in 2013 I’ve been interested in trying it. My life accomplice, that’s what we call each other now, as girlfriend or boyfriend just doesn’t do it, and life partner sounds so cliché, actually owns a French Press. She doesn’t even like coffee. Says it tastes like dirt. So anyway, we pulled it out and decided to figure out how to use it, as she doesn’t own any other type of coffee maker.
I actually like coffee. I didn’t start really drinking it until I was about 30. I’m 56 now, so I’ve had a few years to figure out what I like, and my tastes are fairly pedestrian I would say. I like a little French Vanilla in it with the cream, enough to take away any bitterness, and enough sweetener to make it taste like a candy bar.
My first efforts with the press were meh. It tasted too weak. I had googled how to do it for fuck’s sake. I added more coffee and I think I found the sweet spot for timing, but I was using normal coffee. Finely ground. It left a residue on the bottom that was really bitter. I toyed with the amount of cream and sugar, but I finally decided to get some proper coffee. I dove back into the interwebs and after using my finely honed GoogleFu, I found a list of the best coffees to use in a French Press. I will be trying out Koffee Kult on my next attempt. Fingers crossed.
I haven’t given up yet, but I’m not completely sold on the whole idea that this is really better way to prepare coffee. You actually need to spend a lot of money on specialty coffees and creams and sugars, because after all this is coffee snobbery at its best. LOL
I will report back with my results…at some point…don’t hold your breath, it will be a few days before I get over to her house to try it.
February 14, 2021
February 13, 2021
Effacement Goodreads Giveaway!
Sign up here to win one of ten signed copies of Effacement!
The signup opened yesterday and goes until March 12th. I hope you win!
