R.P. Lauer's Blog

Blog: Mr. Monk Gets a Movie

Mr. Monk Gets a Movie posted by RPLauer on December 17, 2023:





Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie is not only a mouth full of a title, but it is also the latest adventure for former Detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shaloub). In this made-for-TV-esk film by Peacock, Monk is pulled out of retirement due to the sudden death of his quasi step-daughter's fiance. Officially the death is ruled an accident, but Molly (Caitlin McGee), who is the long lost daughter of Trudy Monk (Melora Hardin) - Adrian's late wife - firmly believes it was murder. The band (so to speak) is (mostly) brought back together for what is being advertised as one last case.



It's been 14 years since the show that created these characters went off the air, so how does this new entry hold up? Well… It's… Fine.



Before I go any further, I feel it necessary to make it clear that I was (and still am) a massive fan of the show. And by massive fan, I can honestly say that Monk is one of my all time favorites. I cannot explain exactly what it is about Monk that makes it so special to me. All I can say is that I just love it with all of my heart; it's the TV equivalent of comfort food. I'm also somewhat cynical when it comes to all the lazy reboots and retreads coming out of Hollywood.



However, when I first heard that a Monk movie was being made, as cynical as I am about these types of things, I was actually somewhat excited, somewhat hopeful, while also being equally skeptical. My biggest fear would be that they would destroy the perfect ending that the show gave us all those years ago; an ending that I must confess is one of my favorite TV show endings, ranking up there with the likes of MASH and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. An ending that is unquestionably perfect.



Not only that, but the show itself had consistently clever writing. How they handled the various cases was always a treat to experience. Sometimes you knew exactly who the culprit was from the opening scene, and finding out HOW was the whole point. Other times the killer is the secret. But no matter what approach the writers took, more often than not, some big surprise was in store for the viewer.



Sufficiently to say, this movie had a high bar to clear from my perspective. Unfortunately, the best I can say is that they provided the bare minimum of what they needed to accomplish, in that it was a nice reunion with old friends and did not completely destroy the legacy of the show (and its ending). But was it engaging, thought provoking, meaningful, and/or fun? Not really.



The best I can say is that it WAS nice to see the characters that we got again; not all who should have returned did so. Tony Shaloub especially did a magnificent job slipping right back into character. Returning, we see: Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard), Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), and Dr. Neven Bell (Hector Elizondo), as well as appearances by Melora Hardin playing the late Trudy Monk.



As nice as it was to see these characters again, there are quite a few I wish had also returned, including Sharona and her son Benjy, Natalie's daughter Julie, and especially Harold Krenshaw. There was also room for other unexpected characters to make an appearance, but going into too much detail there could be a bit too far into spoiler territory; and honestly, I think there was a seriously missed opportunity in that regard.



Then again, the open door that could have led to that opportunity probably should have remained shut in the first place, so maybe that's a moot point to begin with?



Speaking of spoiler territory, I am going to go into a bit of that here, and I honestly think it's necessary; some side plots are potentially jarring, and out of tonal character for this franchise. But out of respect I will go ahead and wrap them in spoiler tags; I just seriously and strongly suggest you take the plunge. Worry not, however, I will not discuss the actual 'case' of the story (it's so weak I don't know that I care to discuss it anyway).



Throughout the movie there is an ongoing side plot where Adrian is preparing himself for taking his own life, only to be mostly stopped by a hallucination of Trudy. I honestly don't know what to say about this, other than it was (as I said) jarring and completely out of place for Monk. Also, the title of the movie states that this is his last case, which is a blatant lie; even if the implication was meant to be that the studio will not make another show/movie in the Monk franchise, you and I both know that that will only hold true until Peacock needs a new product and they decide to once again bring the character back for another go.



I know that it probably sounds like I hated this movie; I didn't. I didn't HATE it. I just didn't exactly enjoy it. If this was just another episode of the show, it would be - without a doubt - the weakest episode, and by a large margin.



Do I recommend it? Well, that depends. If you were a fan of the show, you probably should give it a try; you may like it more than I did. Just temper your expectations. If you weren't a fan of the show, this won't change your mind one ounce, so don't watch it. If you've never seen the show, for the love of all that is Holy, do not start here. Go watch the show instead!

Blog: Goodbye Evvy: Dealing With Greif

Goodbye Evvy: Dealing With Greif posted by RPLauer on August 23, 2022:





I'm going to warn you in advance, dear reader; you probably don't want to read this. This is a painful writing about the loss of a loved one. If you decide to stop here and now, I will truly understand, and it will probably be for the better. I'm not writing this for you, after all; I'm writing this for me. Not that I expect it to do any good.



With that said:



It's been about a month and a half since I had to say goodbye to our family dog, our forever puppy, Evvy. And I am still feeling it very deeply. It haunts me, and I still see it and feel it every second of every day. I've been falling further and further down, and I honestly don't even know how to recover at this point.



Right here, I feel I should point out that I am a very empathetic person; too empathetic in fact. I feel too deeply. I can't even read articles about strangers that suffer without crying myself; that is just who I am. Many people over the years have tried to make me feel bad about this, and maybe I am just a freak. I don't see these levels of empathy from others, so yeah, I am a freak. But I cannot change that about myself; god how I wish I could. This level of empathy has been of great cost to me throughout my life, I have gone to great lengths to suppress this empathy in fact, and this situation is just yet another example of how detrimentally it affects me.



Anyway, moving on.



This situation with our puppy had been building for about two years, with the last year or so representing a rapid deterioration of our once happy, healthy, and buoyant puppy. She really was a special dog. Everyone who met her can attest to that.



About a year and a half ago, I posted about her 'episodes', which lasted until her final days. But as bad as those were, and they did get worse in my opinion, it's almost nothing compared to the overall deterioration she suffered.



In her final year of life, she began losing hearing, her sense of smell, and I believe even her eyesight. She was exhibiting signs of dementia, constantly walking in circles, or getting lost on the way outside or back inside, as well as just aimlessly wandering around the house. She was in pain, as she did not like being touched on most parts of her body, making it almost impossible to pet her. She couldn't jump up onto the couch or bed, and often had trouble getting up the stairs of our home. In some cases she'd have to be picked up and carried, which caused her to snap at whoever was attempting to help; something she never did before. For most of her life, she was the most gentle creature in the world.



She had a growth on her eye as well, some weird thing that looked like a glob of goo or something. Whatever it was, there was little that could be done; any treatment would have required her to be put under, and because of her age, there was too large of a chance that she wouldn't be able to wake up. And this would repeat with the situation that ultimately led us to deciding to put her to sleep.



One day, my ex wife had me make an appointment for Evvy, as it appeared she had an abscess tooth, something she's had before many times throughout her life. However, it turned out to be much, much worse. We never found out exactly what it was, but the vet quickly found out that she had a growth, a tumor in her mouth. And it was large. Very large.



As in the case of that growth on her eye, we were left with very little options. Any diagnosis or treatment would have involved anesthesia, which is something that at her age (16) would have meant a strong possibility that she would not wake up. We were basically given four options:



Option 1, attempt to find out what was wrong and fix it. This would involve blood tests, x-rays, and a biopsy. A biopsy would require the anesthesia.



Option 2, just treat. Put her under (anesthesia) and just operate not knowing exactly what it was.



Both of these options came with the overwhelming risk that should she be put under, she would never wake up due to her age. There was also a very real possibility that this tumor would turn out to be cancerous, and it was entirely possible that we could have found out that the cancer had spread.



Option 3 would be to just monitor and see how it progressed.



Option 4 was euthanasia.



Options 1 and 2 were out of the question. The chances at her age of her not surviving just seemed cruel to risk it with what she'd be put through. We were not ready for option 4. So we went with simply monitoring. What else could we do?



It didn't take long, maybe a week or two, before this tumor became so large that it could no longer be concealed in her mouth. Basically, it was now clearly visible whether her mouth was open or closed. She even had trouble eating because of it. And it wasn't just growing outward, it was growing inward as well. Eventually, it was going to grow so far inward that it would cause unknown damage. So it really was just a matter of time.



Then came the final day.



Before I get into this, I want to give a brief insight into life at my house. Ever since the separation, my ex kept Evvy in her room at night. She had a dog bed for Evvy at the foot of her bed, since the poor thing couldn't get up onto the bed. My ex tends to go to bed early, so around 8 PM I would give Evvy her bedtime snack, take her outside, and then one way or another, get her to my ex's room.



In the mornings, typically early, my ex would get up and come downstairs, bringing Evvy with her. We had another dog bed downstairs, and that's where Evvy would spend probably 75% of her day. When I would get up, I'd go downstairs, get my coffee, and often let Evvy out. Around 8 AM, whomever got to it first would give Evvy her breakfast.



5 PM would be Evvy's dinner.



Rinse and repeat.



I also want to point out that all of her meals were laced with medications, primarily pain killers and cough suppressants, all aimed at keeping her comfortable. These worked to varying degrees, and in fact, sometimes, that happy puppy would shine through; she would bounce and hop, get excited for dinner, and even allow anyone around her to pet her. These were very welcomed moments where she was who she had always been before. It gave hope; maybe just false hope.



So on her last night, Evvy had trouble getting up the stairs. She tried twice, and both times tumbled down. The second time was especially bad as she fell at least halfway down. I was trying my best to catch her, to steady her, but that only caused her to snap at me viciously. I ultimately had to bare it and pick her up and carry her, which caused even more snapping. The next morning, my ex knocked on my door in a panic.



She informed me that the tumor opened up and bled; Evvy was bleeding heavily. It wasn't so much that there was imminent danger of her bleeding out, but it was enough that it could not be ignored. It was enough that we knew we had to make a decision, and at that point, there really seemed to be only one decision to make. Her tumor was actively bleeding, and even though it slowed down a little, it never stopped. Any option to fix would lead us right back to the initial problem; anesthesia and the risks that runs for a dog of 16.



As heartbreaking as it was, and still is to this day, we knew we had to let her go. We had to end her pain; her suffering.



We quickly made an appointment and gathered those who wanted - or simply needed - to be there.



The honest truth was that I never really wanted a pet. I love animals, but the pain of losing them has always been too much for me. And I have never experienced this before; having to make that decision, having to choose to put them to sleep. Any previous pet I had as a child or young adult died without warning. Hit by a car, old age, or run away, gone so long you just know they are probably no longer living.



When I was 18 or 19, my childhood cat died while my parents were out of town. I came home to find him in the driveway with no real indications of exactly what happened. He was old, so I always just assumed it was age related. I thought that that was one of the worst things to experience, coming home to find a loved one dead in the driveway. I was wrong.



The vet tried to be comforting. He had been very supportive overall, from the moment Evvy's health started to decline in so many ways. And with this tumor, he said that there was no wrong choice; that whatever we decided would be something he would support. But in that moment, in that room, there are no words that can actually comfort a grieving family. I'll spare the details, but watching my sweet puppy take her last breaths is something that I still cannot get out of my head. I see it almost every single time I close my eyes.



And now I am plagued with guilt. Guilt for making the decision to end her life; maybe I should have tried more to keep her with us? Guilt for not making the decision sooner; her health and well-being had been deteriorating for over a year, possibly two, so why did we take so long? Why did we prolong her suffering?



I also keep wishing that I had chosen not to be there in the room, which also makes me feel guilty. After all, I was there for her in the first place. I wanted her to be as at peace as possible. And what could make my sweet puppy feel more at peace than being surrounded by people who loved her, who she loved deeply, all there for her. And from her perspective, she simply got sleepy and dozed off, surrounded by such love (I constantly tell myself this, as if to make it better. To convince myself of what she must have understood as if it could make things better; it doesn't). We all did this for her. How dare I even think about not being there?



The first few weeks without Evvy were excruciatingly tough, especially that day; obviously. She took her last breath early afternoon. I was broken, of course. I didn't care; I went out and got some whiskey. My day was done. But that didn't stop instinct from kicking in at 5 PM. I literally had to remind myself that there was no need to prepare her meal.



At 8 PM, it was the same basic thing.



The next morning I got up like normal. I am not a morning person, so I function mostly on routine. I get up, go straight downstairs and to the coffee. Except for this morning, as I hit the bottom of the steps and turned towards the kitchen, my heart sank as I noticed the empty dog bed and it hit me. She was gone.



And even after that, when my daily reminder went off to take my pills at 8 AM, a reminder that had served a dual use for years, I STILL had a moment where I almost went to get her meal ready.



For weeks these kinds of moments continued. Not too long after, my ex put the cat's food dish down next to the water bowl. We've always kept the cat food dishes up somewhere Evvy cannot reach, and right next to the water bowl is where Evvy used to be fed. I actually opened my mouth to say, 'What are you doing? The dog'll eat that!' when it hit me again.



After a few days, my ex came to me crying, asking me to do something with the dog beds. I grabbed her bed from my ex's room, then the one from downstairs, and several blankets that had become hers. I put them through the washer and dryer, then just boxed them up and set them in the garage.



A good two or three weeks later, my ex and I were going to watch something downstairs, a YouTube video if I remember correctly. She was cold and grabbed a blanket and immediately began crying; it smelled like Evvy. I grabbed it, and I could smell it too.



Like I said, I never wanted a pet, and this is exactly why. But Evvy came to us in a very unique and special way.



It was 2007. Our youngest child had just been born, maybe two months prior. A coworker of my wife-at-the-time was going through a divorce, and long story short, they had to get rid of their one year old Jack Russel Terrier. They came to us because they didn't know anyone else that had the resources to care for a dog. The coworker was going to be living in an apartment that didn't allow pets. Their next option was going to be their last; the pound.



With a newborn in the house, we were of course very hesitant. We didn't want an animal that could potentially harm our baby; but we also hated the idea of an animal going to the pound (if Lady and the Tramp has taught me anything). We had the coworker bring this puppy over just to see how she would handle being around a newborn.



When they arrived, this springy, bouncy, energetic ball of pup came hopping in, barking and racing all around. She went from person to person, sniffing and licking and pawing at every new person. Then she saw the baby, sprawled out on the floor. We all held our breath, waiting on edge, ready to jump in and intervene.



But this ball of energy calmed right down, crouched on the floor, and sort of presented herself to the baby. She put her paw out or something, very gently. Then the baby grabbed hold of the puppy's ear and tugged; hard enough that it at least looked painful.



Everyone gasped, literally.



Evvy, however, just took it. She didn't react.



We of course jumped in, got the baby's hand free and picked him up. Then Evvy just went back to hopping and springing all around. It was official; we were hers. And the real test; she would be great around our newborn - something that was proven again and again over the course of 15 years.



The coworker had given us a laser pointer. Evvy, like a cat, loved to chase around the little red dot. I would navigate it along the floor, then up a wall; Evvy could get at least 4 feet off the ground, running up the length of a wall or door. Outside she'd chase the red dot, or any ball, and she'd equally soar at least 4 feet off the ground, back-flipping all the while.



She was so sweet too. She'd jump up on the couch with you and lay her head in your lap, or put her back against your legs. She'd also too often just crawl onto your lap; she seriously believed that she was a lap-dog even though she was just too big for that realistically.



This really was Evvy for at least the first 13 years that we had her. I remember someone once telling us that with Jack Russel Terriers, they are basically puppies their whole lives; they just go and go until one day they stop. This was true for Evvy, at least up until the last year, maybe two.



I know that everyone always says that the joy an animal brings you for 90% of their time is worth the 10% of grief and sorrow you feel at their loss. That sounds great on paper, and I'm trying so hard to believe it, to experience it. But all I can feel right now is loss and sorrow. Pain. Regret. I miss her so much I cannot begin to articulate it; no, this writing here hasn't even scratched the surface. I'm broken right now. And have been since we lost her; no, longer. Like I said earlier, she had been deteriorating for at least a year, maybe two.



For months - and I mean months - I'd come home and everything about her was so different that it pained me. I absolutely hated seeing what she was going through, what she was becoming. Too many times to count, she'd be asleep, but I'd have to watch her for signs of breath, or shake her to make sure she was still alive. And every single time she had one of her 'episodes' my very soul shattered.



I want to focus on the good times; I want to remember the joy. But right now, at the very least, I can't. Right now I am broken. If you never knew her, I wish you did. Goddamn she was so special.



Rest in peace my sweet, forever puppy; Evvy.

Blog: The Scars of Gaia - Now Free Digitally

The Scars of Gaia - Now Free Digitally posted by RPLauer on July 26, 2022:





I've come to the decision to delist the digital version of my novel, The Scars of Gaia, from Amazon. This is something I've been considering, well, from the start, really. I never actually wanted to publish the story as a book in the first place; my goal was always just to post it somewhere for free, like wattpad or some similar site. I was talked into the idea of publishing, and eventually, I was too far into the process to back out - once you spend several thousand dollars on something, it's hard to just walk away.



In my personal opinion, Amazon is not a great place for authors anyway. Yes, it has a large reach, but they also know that they dominate the digital publishing space, and treat their authors as any force with power does. They utilize bad tactics (in my opinion) to get authors to commit to exclusivity, they delete reviews at random (reviews being the lifeblood of any book), they allow customers to return digital copies (something at face value is beyond stupid), leaving authors to take the loss of the return, and they don't allow authors to set their book's price as free (permanently).



They also lock WAY too many options behind their exclusivity requirement known as Kindle Select, like running set, period specific sales; you cannot put an ebook on sale there, you can only permanently change the price, then come back later to again permanently change the price back.



Finally, the fact is that my book has not sold a single copy all year, across all formats. With all of this, it just seems stupid for me to leave everything as is. Therefore, as of this writing, the digital version has been unpublished from Amazon, and set to free on all other platforms. I use two aggregators, Smashwords and Draft 2 Digital (which I guess are now the same?), so for some of the storefronts, the price change may take some time. Barnes & Noble also seems to need time to update. I have also re-uploaded the entire eBook here on my site in epub, mobi, pdf, and azw3 formats.



I'm also going to be looking into posting the novel to sites like wattpad, and any other that may be out there of a similar nature. All I ever wanted was for the story to be read, and this will hopefully be one way to ensure that potential, without giving Amazon more power by delisting it literally everywhere else just to obtain a spot in the problematic service known as Kindle Unlimited - yes, I really do hate that 'service' with all my being. And if you maybe wonder why I hate it, think about it this way: could you imagine if Netflix or Spotify demanded exclusivity in order to have something included? No, of course not! If they want exclusivity, they pay for it up front! And Amazon knows this as they have their own versions of these exact things in Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music!



Anyway, you can disagree with my decision or my reasoning if you wish. This is simply how I feel. Thank you for reading, and to all who supported my efforts in the past. You really do mean the world to me!



P.S. I'm probably not going to post various updates on this matter. If I add the novel to any websites, I'll add a link to the book page, in either the 'Digital' section or 'Other Links' section:







Also keep in mind that if you are looking to download the novel from one of the storefronts (like Barnes and Noble for example), make sure to check that the price is free, aka $0.00. Some already have been updated (like Google Books), but others have not.



Finally, if you are planning to download the novel from my own website here, and aren't quite sure how to get these files onto your Kindle device, please check out my blog, What To Do With MOBI Files. That post goes into full detail on how to get mobi and pdf files onto your kindle.



P.P.S. I would have loved to have had my novel included in KU, I really would have. I just don't think it's right to require exclusivity in order to do so, and I personally feel that every author that does gives Amazon more and more power, and inches them closer to true total domination of the marketplace. And once that happens, we will all be screwed, because Amazon is NOT some altruistic company. Ok, sorry for the mini rant there.

Blog: Thoughts on Stranger Things Season Four

Thoughts on Stranger Things Season Four posted by RPLauer on July 10, 2022:





Please Note: The following post was written before the passing of my family dog. This has been a very traumatic experience for myself, as well as my entire family. I had originally intended to do some massive cleanup here, but now I just cannot bring myself to care enough. I had thought about leaving this for a while and seeing if time could help heal some of my pain, and therefore bring more clarity. But in all honestly, I just want this done and out of the way.



So please keep that in mind while reading. Thank you. With that said:



Recently I posted about my thoughts on the fate of a certain character. Now I figured I may as well give my thoughts on the entirety of Stranger Things Season Four. As I said in that previous post, the internet really is ablaze with a variety of reactions on almost all aspects of this season, its events, and its characters. I don't know how much I'll tackle specifically, simply because so much of it has already been said by so many others, and I don't want to disgustingly regurgitate all of it.



But hopefully, I can have my own take on at least some of the aspects that are lighting up conversations all around? Please keep in mind that I'm not going to go too in-depth here, at least in some details. I'm not going to describe things as if speaking to someone who's never seen this show, or this season. If you are reading this, and have not seen season four, or Stranger Things itself, then what are you doing reading this? Go watch it right now!!



Warning: SPOILERS BELOW.



Overall I really enjoyed this season. The story itself is interesting and compelling on many levels. However, I will say that in my personal opinion, the entirety of the season feels a little over-bloated; I truly believe that some massive editing and tightening could have done wonders. There are many places where scenes and moments just drag on, either for dramatic purposes or just for over-clarification. Sometimes it can work, but many times it seemed without true purpose.



For example, near the end of the very first episode, the shots cut back and forth to and from a D&D game, as well as a sports-ball game. I understand the idea of trying to draw up some tension, but the way it plays out really does feel like needless padding as neither of these moments felt worthy of the build-up. I'm not saying to rush through either of these scenes, it just didn't need to be dragged out quite so long. It's just a roll of the dice and a game-winning shot, the outcome of neither being any surprise, nor legitimately adding anything to the plot as a whole.



Had that been the only moment that went on a little too long, I would not say anything. But this type of situation carries throughout the entire season. And since the runtime of the episodes have been pushed to near movie-length features, anything that could have shaved off a moment or two would have been appreciated.



A few storylines also felt a little over-blown. Hopper and Eleven both have important events to get through, but in both Russia and the underground missile silo, time kept dragging while waiting for them to reach their goals. It feels like a lot of story beats are repeated in one way or another, and in the case of Eleven, dragging out the mystery seems to take too much priority (in my opinion).



This season also really LOVED flashbacks. Like, seriously loved flashbacks. Some were necessary, others were not. And in some cases, the flashbacks from this very season felt like the writers thought very little of their audiences' intelligence. As in the scene where Max is reading the personal files for the other victims; the very second the camera showed the words 'nosebleed' and 'headache', I knew exactly what was going on. But instead of letting the audience get there on their own, they had to show flashbacks of Max having nosebleeds and taking painkillers. Then to add insult to injury (so to speak), she flat out explains that she's been having headaches and nosebleeds, rendering the flashbacks unnecessary no matter how you look at it.



These could all be seen as nitpicks, and perhaps they are. It's just that in my opinion, this entire season could have been so much more enjoyable if the overall experience had been tighter. As it is, I'd say that this is my second favorite season of the series so far, and the only thing that kept it from taking that top spot was its pacing and (what I felt as) padding.



I also feel like some characters didn't have all that much purpose overall. Jonathan, Will, and Mike, for example, really don't have much to do. Yes, they have a few important moments, but these really are just 'moments' out of a massive amount of storytelling. With so many mouths to feed, it's probably inevitable that some will go hungry; it's just a shame in my opinion.



At this point, one might be wondering what I actually DID like about it. Well, buckle up!



Eddie. Just, Eddie. Oh my God, what can I say about this dude? At first, he comes across as a typical over-blown annoying stereotype, and I was immediately thinking: “Please let him die now so that I don't have to sit through this crap for too long!”



But he is quickly shown in a lighter note when he first meets up with Chrissy, and his fear, agony, and confusion at the climax of their second outing show that there is way more to this character than what was first offered. And the rest of his time on screen was just magnificent!



Now, I have seen WAY too much chatter around his demise, and how 'dirty' he was done. While I will say with no doubt that his death was devastating, and his loss will certainly be felt, it was extremely obvious. His arch was very well telegraphed early on, so the fact that he did die came as no surprise; to me at least. And let's face it, what good for the character would have come had he survived? The entire town, including the police force, firmly believed him to be a killer. Had he returned from the upside-down, his future would have been either a lifetime in prison, or at the very least, a lifetime as an outcast in every way, shape, and form following his acquittal due to lack of evidence.



And at least he got a better arch than characters such as Benny, Barb, Bob, Alexei, and Chrissy. If you really want to talk about a character being done dirty, how about the sweet and kind cheerleader who gave us the first on-screen taste of Vecna's wrath? That really was one hell of a horror that first time.



That leads me to another bit of greatness; Vecna aka Henry aka One (or should I simply say 001?). Now, the friendly orderly did seem a bit obvious to me as being the mythical '001', but his ultimate reveal as Vecna and how he became such? Pure gold! Granted, he (Vecna specifically) did come across a little TOO Freddie Kruegerish, which is of course the point in a series that maybe goes too far at times in blurring that line between homage and flat-out plagiarism. And it is maybe a little too on the nose having the OG Krueger as his father/surviving victim. But, I'll go ahead and give it a pass. (That was a joke, son.)



I cannot speak about Vecna without going into the true villain of the season; Jason (and his gang). Words cannot express how much I hated that jackass! I've seen some random people trying to defend him, saying that his actions were justified because he truly believed that Eddie killed his girlfriend. To that, I say, No. Just no. Ignorance and stupidity are NOT justifications for murder, and from the very beginning, that was his goal; to murder Eddie. And he (as well as his gang) was clearly willing, especially towards the end, to maim and murder anyone that got in his way.



His buddy, a high school senior jock, tackled and threatened to break the arms of an eighth-grade girl for crying out loud!



His sole mission was for vengeance, but he did not care if he got the right person, which automatically invalidates his quest from the beginning. When he started, NO ONE said that Eddie actually did it. He was being sought for questioning, but there are a million reasons to want to question someone in any investigation. And let's be real, he jumped to conclusions based solely on a preexisting prejudice and hatred of Eddie. If you truly want justice, or even straight-up vengeance, you should ALSO want to make sure that you are going to seek the correct person. Otherwise, you are just another psychopath.



So, just [expletive] him, and his gang.



One thing I'd like to address, though I will do my best to tread lightly, is Will. I see a lot of irritation in various members of the fanbase that his sexuality isn't being clearly addressed. I do not know if I am the right person to speak on this; I am not from the community that I believe may want this addressed the most, so my opinion on the matter probably isn't that important.



What I will say, however, is that from my perspective, it does feel like they are trying to address it as best that they can, while also remaining somewhat realistic. Again, as I am not a member of that community, I cannot say what is or isn't true or valid. But from what I have seen others go through, the act of 'coming out' - in whatever form that may be - can be excruciatingly difficult. With the pain, anxiety, and fear, the decision to 'come out' is not something that anyone can (at least typically) take lightly. Even today.



I personally think that the bigger problem with Will is that he's not really a character in the first place; he's a prop. He was the focal point of the first season, but he was literally just a prop, a goal if you will. And the way I see it, they never really got out of that mindset with his character.



Anyway, back to topic. In a story set in a rural 80's 'hick' town, I just can't imagine too many people being comfortable taking that step overall. So I honestly don't know. On one hand, I feel that they are handling it decently enough. On

another, maybe it could have been handled better?



On a similar note, however, I do want to say that I really like the way Robin's storyline has been handled in regard to her sexuality. And mostly in one very specific way. She came out to Steve, but possibly only because they had both been drugged. And even though Steve has had plenty of reasons to relay that information to someone else - from Dustin constantly telling him to 'get with her', to trying to assure Nancy that there is nothing between them (though I have to admit I do not care for this love triangle going on) - he has kept her confidence. It's a small detail, but I really like that aspect.



There is something else I'd like to mention; this isn't really a gripe exactly, and it's certainly not praise. It's more along the lines of, huh? It's said at some point that prior to season four, Vecna couldn't open gates himself. I forget the exact wording, but it's something along the lines of how he learned of this ability through watching Eleven, and how for previous seasons he basically waited for someone else to open one up in order to stage any kind of attack (through his minions, aka the mind flayer and the demogorgon). And it's only now, in season four, that he's figured out how to do so through psychic connection formed during his kills (or something along those lines).



The problem with this is that various gates were clearly opening and closing throughout season one. I cannot believe that the demogorgon came through the gate in Hawkins Lab, escaped the lab, captured Will, and then brought him back to the lab and through the gate. I also doubt Eleven had anything to do with whatever gate that was used in that event. We also have Barb and Nancy who go through gates at various times, and it is also implied that others who are not named disappeared in a similar fashion.



So, either I'm confused about how these gates work, or maybe the writers are? Maybe it can be explained away in season five, or just chalked up to a slight discrepancy.



I think that the last thing I'd like to say, in the most generic way possible (simply because to go into detail will bring this to absurd levels of length), I love the characters and the way that they interact with one another. That is actually the entire show's greatest strength in my opinion. There is so much that is amazing about these characters that that alone has - and will - always bring me back to this show and its world. They don't always get it right, but overall, there is something that is just so damned special about these characters, and the actors portraying them do a brilliant job bringing it all to life. Season four carries that on in wonderful ways!



This post is already pushing the limits of a tolerable length, so I'm just going to end here. I never intended to go into extreme depth, at least not in a single post. I just wanted to jot down a few things for no other reason than because I wanted to. I will probably do one more post devoted to Stranger Things, though that one will just be a breakdown of superficial thoughts and opinions on the previous three seasons, as well as ranking them (as I said already, this is my second favorite season). And at that point, I promise you, I'll be done - at least until the fifth and final season comes out!



I hope that you enjoyed these ramblings, and if you disagree, even if in large ways, I hope that you can express them kindly. Please try and remember that we all have different opinions, backgrounds, and experiences, and I know that I myself am never very good at expressing mine.



Thank you for taking the time to read this mess.

Blog: Stranger Things Season 4 - One Specific Fate

Stranger Things Season 4 - One Specific Fate posted by RPLauer on July 3, 2022:





The conclusion to season four of Stranger Things has dropped, and from my viewpoint, it's certainly been watched with massive excitement all over the US, if not the world. The internet is ablaze with reactions, and just for the hell of it, I'd like to add mine to the table. Specifically, I'd like to give my thoughts to a certain character's fate.



It should go without saying, but just to make it absolutely certain, MASSIVE SPOILERS are to follow. So DO NOT READ if you have yet to watch the final two episodes and plan to. I guess you can keep reading if you haven't watched and don't intend to do so, but if that is the case, I can only ask: Why are you even reading this in the first place?



So, spoilers ahead.



Got it?



Are you sure?



Ok then. You have been properly warned.



I don't know the best way to approach this, therefore, I'm just going to be blunt; Max is dead. Or, at the very least, her mind is. Her essence is - her 'soul' if you will. In the final episode, the events play out as follows:



Max levitates up into the air in the real world, while Vecna/Henry/One is doing whatever the hell it is he actually does inside her mind. Her limbs snap, and her eyes begin to bleed. And just as the finishing 'blows' are to be delivered, Eleven fights back inside of Max's mind, Vecna loses his control, and Max's body - in the real world - falls to the ground.



A gut-wrenchingly devastated Lucas holds her, and she dies in his arms.



More events follow, and I will get to them shortly, but at this point, Max dies. El does eventually revive her (her body), but for the moment, at least, it's too late; the damage is done.



Before I get to the events that took place between Max's death and resurrection, I want to point out a conversation in the previous episode. In episode eight, "Papa", Dr. Brenner says:



"When 'One' kills, he doesn't simply kill; he consumes. He takes everything from his victims, everything they are and everything they ever will be. Their memories, their abilities."



How he knows this, I do not know. But I highly doubt that it would be included if it were not true (though I guess worse retcons and explanations have been given before in fiction). For now, I can only go by what is actually presented.



With this knowledge in mind, once Max 'dies' in Lucas' arms, the clock chimes four, signaling that he has completed his task; taking four victims. The ground breaks open, and the worlds collide. Vecna has accomplished his goal. And if it is true that he 'consumes' his victims - which Max certainly is his victim as he was able to accomplish his task - then he has consumed everything that she is, and everything that she will be.



El may have revived her body, but Max's mind is gone.



To add to this conclusion, El is later shown trying to psychically connect to her catatonic friend, just to find no one there - 'there' meaning that void El goes to when taking these psychic trips. This tells me that there is no 'soul' (for lack of a better word) left inside Max.



Now, can this all be changed? Of course. Writers can write pretty much anything they want. Maybe once Vecna is killed for good, all of the 'souls' that he has consumed will be released, with Max's able to find its way back to her still living, breathing body. But this specific solution would absolutely mean that should she ultimately survive, her return will not come until the very end.



Also, I feel obligated to point out another depressing possibility; even if (I mean, when) Vecna is killed, there will be no souls left to release as they have already been consumed. You don't get the cake back just because you kill the one who ate it. (I know, I know, poor analogy.)



Finally, one other potential resolution could come in the form of an incomplete 'ritual' (for lack of a better word). Normally, the final blow comes in the form of the victims eyeballs popping (or something like that). Maybe, just maybe, the fact that Max's eyeballs never popped means that he was not able to 'consume' her essence, even though he still gets credit for her kill. Do our eyeballs possess our spirit, our soul, our very being? That's a very strange thought, though I guess it's appropriate given the name of the show.



What do you think? Do you agree with this? Am I off my rocker? Am I thinking too hard about what is ultimately an insignificant piece of fiction? Honestly, I just wanted to write about this because I really liked Max ever since her first appearance in the show; she was a great character and it's sad to think that she may be gone, left to wither away as a mindless chunk of flesh (too dark?).



Anyway, I do have thoughts on the season as a whole: characters, plotlines, enjoyment, etc. However, I wanted to specifically talk about this aspect, as I haven't really seen too many others even mention the possibilities of Max's fate; most seem to just see her as being 'alive'. Maybe in time I'll do another post going over anything else that feels worthy of mention.



Thank you for reading this slop of ramblings.

Blog: What To Do With MOBI Files

What To Do With MOBI Files posted by RPLauer on September 3, 2021:





Recently I ran a Twitter poll, asking those who use Kindle if they know what to do with a MOBI file. MOBI files are what Kindle uses, or at least one of the formats, which allows you to change font sizes and other fun stuff. Instead of a static page like PDF, MOBI is flexible.



The results of the poll showed that most people do know what to do with these files, should they find one out on the internet (like here on my site, where the first half of my novel, The Scars of Gaia, can be downloaded). However, there was a decent enough group who did not. So, I'd just like to take a moment and let you know how you can take advantage of these files and use them with your account.



Amazon will assign a unique email address to each of your Kindle devices, with the exception of a PC; the program on a PC has an import feature so that you can import any compatible files directly. But for all other devices, you can email compatible files to the unique address that Amazon assigns.



Where do you get this email address? Well, that is what I hope to help you with.



So first and foremost, on a web browser, go to amazon.com and login to your account. At the top of the page, it should say something like “Hello, [NAME]” and then “Account & Lists” right under that. Hover your mouse there and choose “Content & Devices”.







From there, find the links near (but not at) the top. It will say, “Manage your content and devices” and one of the links says “Devices”. Click that.







On this page there are one or two sections of interest, depending on what you have. If you have an Amazon device like a Kindle Fire, there will be a section for those devices specifically. If you use Kindle apps on another brand of tablet or phone, you will see “Kindle on x devices”.



If it's an Amazon device, you click on that section and a box will display with your devices.







If you use apps, click on that section and it will load a page with all devices that currently have the Kindle App registered.







Alternatively, you can load up your Kindle App on your device of choice, and click the “MORE” option.







Click on “SETTINGS” which will show you your “Send to Kindle Email Address” section (for me it was the 5th section.







So now that you have the email address for your device of choice, simply compose a new message from your email client (Gmail, Yahoo, etc) and attach the file, then send the email. Within minutes, so long as the file is correct, the file will show up on that device! You can send PDFs, MOBIs, and Word docs (DOC, DOCX). ePubs are a no go, and I am not sure about other file types.



A PDF will be a static file, but Word docs and MOBI files will act just like any other book you purchase on Kindle, more or less.



I hope this helps, and if you want a quick way to try this out, you can download the MOBI files for the first half of The Scars of Gaia and the two short stories, Stories From Gaia!



Thank you, and I hope you will forgive my shameless plug!

Blog: R.P. Lauer Reviews: Layers: A Collection of Short Stories by Zuzanne Belec

R.P. Lauer Reviews: Layers: A Collection of Short Stories by Zuzanne Belec posted by RPLauer on August 28, 2021:





The following is primarily a backup of the review I left on Goodreads and Amazon for the book, Layers: A Collection of Short Stories by Zuzanne Belec.



Google Search



Blurb from the author:



Eight short stories on the power of the human spirit.



Layers is a debut collection of imaginative short stories celebrating life and the human spirit despite the ever-present spectre of melancholy in our lives today. With their distinctive blend of wit and humour, they light up any underlying darkness.



From the Americas to India, from Africa to Europe, and through a range of genres, voices and styles, layers are unraveled, revealing the textures and contrasts of old and new in the environments and cultures of today's fast-paced world.



With vivid descriptions, we are drawn into enchanting worlds with characters that leap off the page, leaving the reader lingering long after the pages have been read.



'Layers: A Collection of Short Stories' is just that; a collection of short stories, by Zuzanne Belec. There's not a lot I can say about this, other than the fact that it was a delightful read! These are all stories that have some sort of twist or 'got ya' moment at the end, where most of the fun is not knowing what is going on, or where the story is heading, and then trying to guess with each new detail. Even a brief plot blurb would potentially ruin the journey in my opinion.



There is one in particular that I do wish had been more than just a short story. It involves a death investigation (no, that does not reveal anything), and the investigative tool itself presented an extremely interesting idea. I'd absolutely love to see this method explored more in its own full-lengthed story.



Just as in shows like The Twilight Zone, the majority of these stories do end in a bit of tragedy, though one specifically was maybe a little too heartbreaking for my soul. But, I won't hold that against the author; some realities of life are too powerful (even if in a sad way) to be ignored in fiction.



Overall, if you are a fan of these types of tales - again, smaller stories that end in twist or shock - then I highly recommend picking this up! I look forward to seeing Belec does in the future, should she write full-lengthed novels.



Please check out Zuzanne Belec on her Website, Amazon Page, Goodreads or Twitter

Blog: R.P. Lauer Reviews: Conspiracy of Cats by B.C. Harris

R.P. Lauer Reviews: Conspiracy of Cats by B.C. Harris posted by RPLauer on August 26, 2021:





The following is primarily a backup of the review I left on Amazon for the book, Conspiracy of Cats by B.C. Harris.



Google Search



Blurb from the author:



An apprehensive Jos Ferguson travels from Edinburgh to northern Tanzania to visit the house her Uncle Peter built before he died. But Peter isn't as dead as he should be... he was murdered, and he wants his niece to help him exact revenge upon his killer. With a little Maasai magic and a conspiracy of cats, Jos sets out to do exactly that.



A beautiful house. A horrible death. A brilliant revenge.



Who knew death could be so lively?



I was fortunate enough to get an Advanced Review Copy for the debut novel by author B.C. Harris. Conspiracy of Cats is a paranormal mystery, and to be honest, the less I say about the story/plot, the better for you; some rides are just better, without question, when going in as unspoiled as possible. And unfortunately, this somewhat ties my hands as there is plenty to talk about, but most would reveal details that should be experienced for yourself.



So let me see if I can break this all down in a way that does not spoil anything.



There is a great cast of characters, all of which get their back stories and personalities fleshed out, and it's really easy to root for them (the ones you should root for of course lol). Roughly the first third of the novel goes back and forth through time, covering a variety of events, either by taking you there directly, or experiencing the moment in a dream or flashback.



This can be very tricky to pull off well, and many attempts fail, but Harris does a wonderful job here! These transitions were smooth, and I always knew exactly where I was and how I got there. Never did I feel lost or confused, outside of the expected trickle of information that is doled out purposely in a specific path to get you from point A to B to C in order to provide an entertaining ride.



There is plenty of tragedy in the backstories, but one in particular was heartbreaking. The main character, Jos, lost her parents in an exceptionally awful way.



Details are rich in their presentation, to the point where I could thoroughly visualize locations and environments. Harris describes parts of Africa, for example, in such a way that make me really want to experience it for myself, were it not for the incredible heat that will ensure I can probably never actually make that trip; I cannot handle the heat.



The story itself explores aspects of the paranormal, from ghosts to magic, and there is a mystery to uncover, but I'd rather not give anything away. Through plot points, characters, descriptions, and events, I laughed, I cried, I held my breath, I cheered, and I spat venom (hopefully you will too when that part comes).



One fascinating aspect to connecting with other authors through their work on a global scale is the regional differences to language. There were a few times I was forced to web search words or phrases that lack the needed meaning in my own region. Jos' tragic backstory, for example: if you are in the USA, and the word 'skip' simply means either a hop or passing over something, you may want to search out 'define skip great britain' ahead of time. Or, spoiler warning, it's basically a dumpster.



That section made so much more sense once I knew that.



Overall, this was a truly fantastic read, and I am beyond grateful to have experienced this story! B.C. Harris provides a solid debut, and I cannot wait to see what comes next for this author!



Please check out BC Harris on her Amazon Page, Publisher's Site, or Twitter

Blog: The Sequel that is No More

The Sequel that is No More posted by RPLauer on August 20, 2021:





Please do not read this if you have not read The Scars of Gaia. This will spoil that novel and is not important in any way, shape, or form to anyone who has not already read that novel.



Also, please note that this post WILL contain foul language. Proceed with caution.











Due to recent events - the complete destruction of my marriage - I feel like my writing journey will end up as collateral damage. She was a major motivation for my writing in the first place. Not only that, but she absolutely inspired me throughout writing The Scars of Gaia.



For example, I never wanted there to be any romance in the novel; at all. Period. But while writing, I kept feeling the pull towards a love story between James and Claire. I fought it for as long as I could until I couldn't fight any longer.



My love for my wife was the source of that pull. The relationship between James and Claire was a representation of how I saw my wife and myself. She was my Claire. And now, that is gone.



I won't say for sure that my writing journey is completely over. But because of the above, I can absolutely say that the planned sequel to The Scars of Gaia is most definitely canceled. I know exactly what will happen if I even try: Claire will leave James, James will die in the most horrible of ways, and Claire won't give a fuck.



No one who enjoyed The Scars of Gaia will want to read that shit. But I guarantee that that is what I'll write. I won't be able to help it.



So yeah, the sequel is no more. It's too bad because I did have a pretty solid first chapter for it that I wrote last November, and I was SO close to finishing the outline. But, it is what it is.



On that note, there is no reason now to not release this. Therefore, here is the Prologue and First Chapter (FIRST DRAFT) to the canned sequel:











The Resentment of Gaia



Prologue



Nar sat at his desk, staring from one monitor to another; a smile brightened his soft, but frail and aging face. He had spent all morning reviewing footage, which highlighted the progress his reformed Gaia had made over several of their years.



As he reflected on the struggles and triumphs, lost in the ocean of pride and happiness he freely sailed, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. As he turned to face a monitor that was currently tuned to one of his other colonies, he saw something that should not be; static, and nothing more, greeted him from Terra Pius.











Chapter 1

The Favor



James stabbed the soil, rigorously separating root from dirt over and over again; the monotony only offset slightly by his friend's constant moaning.



"This… Is… So… BORING!" Nate punctuated each word with his own violent thrust of his forked tool into the soil.



"Yes, I know," James said in an exhausted tone. "Weeding isn't glamorous, but at least it doesn't try and break you like the military did."



"I strongly disagree there, James. I feel pretty damned broken."



James roared with laughter while Nate scowled, "I'm so glad I can amuse you."



"Don't worry, you'll feel better when Parthenia returns; you always do."



Nate rolled his eyes and the two of them returned their focus to the soil; James smiling while Nate continued huffing with every jab. They worked for a few hours, passing the time by discussing future plans, and any thought on how to make their jobs easier, no matter how ridiculous the idea may be. Then, a few hours until Full Light, a voice began to call out.



"Dad! D-a-a-a-d!"



James looked up from his chore and scanned the fields for the source of his daughter's voice; trotting through the rows, Elpis was approaching fast, her arms outstretched. James quickly stood up, then headed in her direction. As soon as she was close enough, he bent down ready to receive her.



"Dad!" she shouted as she lept into her father's arms. "Mom's coming, she's going to tell you that Alexandra wants you."



He hugged her tight while looking towards the house; sure enough, Claire was midway across the fields heading for them. While holding on tightly to his daughter, he started in her direction to meet her halfway.



As soon as they could, James and Claire kissed deeply, Elpis sighing hard.



"So what's up? Elpie says that Alexandra wants to see me?"



"Dad!"



"Us, actually. I don't know why, she just said that there's a situation." James's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Claire continued. "Your mom's fine; that was the first thing I asked. Otherwise, I don't know; she said she didn't want to go into detail over the radio. But she wants us there as soon as we can make time."



"What about me?" Nate had apparently followed James, probably looking for any excuse he could to ignore the weeding.



"She said that you could come along, but you're not needed if you have other things to do."



Nate looked at James with longing in his eyes, to which James said, "Fine, but you know we'll still have to do it eventually anyway."



"Yeah, but at least then you'll get to enjoy it with me."



"Are you busy with anything?" James asked Claire.



"No, none of my projects need attending at this point."



"Ok then, let's go wash up and head out."



***



Three adults and one child stood at the side of a paved road near some rails, just outside of their farm; their home. The adults waited patiently while the child ran around, swinging a wooden sword and fighting imaginary enemies to the left, to the right, and in between the legs of the others.



"Elpie, keep your elbows bent when you're defending," Claire said with a smile, imitating a defensive stance.



"Mom! Stop… Calling… Me… That!" With every word, Elpis smacked her mom's legs and knees with her sword in a playful, but irritated manner.



"Look, all I'm saying is, if you're not happy, you can do something else," James said. "There's nothing beyond your grasp; whatever you want to do, Alexandra will make it happen."



"I know," Nate started, "but just like you, I don't want special treatment. If I can't get assigned somewhere without her assistance, I'd rather not do it. Besides, I'm not going to leave you to do all the dirty work yourself."



"Don't worry about me; I can hire someone if I need help. In the meantime, I don't want to be responsible for your boredom." James winked and smiled.



"Ok, look; don't take my moaning too seriously. I have a feeling I'll be bored no matter what I do in this new world. Don't get me wrong, I don't miss the old ways; but you have to admit that there's not a lot of variety anymore."



"I guess that's the biggest difference between us then. I enjoy the routine, and no longer needing to do whatever it takes to survive."



"I get what you're saying, and I'd like to agree. I certainly wouldn't want to go back to the more brutal side of that life. But there was a certain amount of excitement mixed in, and adventure. When compared to that, farming is just… well… dull."



"If you're really that bored, Nate," Claire cut in, excitement dripping in her voice, "you could always assist me! I'd kill to have some help!"



"But mom, I help you, don't I?" Elpis asked, yanking on Claire's pant leg.



"Of course you do sweetie, and I couldn't get a thing done without you! But more help is always better, isn't it?"



Elpis nodded and Claire turned back to Nate. "I could teach you all about botany, and genetics! That would be so much fun! What do you say?"



Nate let out a deep and hearty belly laugh and said, "That sounds like lethal levels of boredom!"



James joined in the laughter, while Claire frowned.



With a chuckle in his voice, James said, "Don't take it personally, Claire. Nate doesn't want to stay in a room and study; he wants to be out, swinging a sword or something.



"Get ready, the tram's arriving."



"Elpis, come take mamma's hand."



The four of them stood side by side while the transport slowed to a halt in front of them. As soon as it had come to a full stop, the doors swung inward and the group stepped inside, Claire taking the rear. As soon as she was all the way inside, and the doors had re-closed, she put her hand to a panel and said, "Capital, please."



The moment everyone sat down, the tram eased forward slightly, then shot off down the tracks. The adults talked quietly between themselves, wondering what this 'situation' could be that required James and Claire, while the child turned around in her seat and pressed her nose against the window, taking in the sights.



In rapid succession, the surroundings cycled through a variety of settings. Rural fields. Sporadic residential developments. Tightly packed suburban housing. Everything passed by quickly, and Elpis did everything possible to soak it all in. No matter how often she took this trip, every time was her first.



In no time, the tram was entering the urban area of the outer capital. Finally, it slowed down and stopped, just outside of the road that led to the main capital building. The group rose from their seats and exited the vehicle.



Together they made their way down some steps and onto the road, passing shops, stands and restaurants that filled the busy city. Sounds of life filled the air, from laughter to chatter to bird singing in the trees. Onward they moved, past the busy shopping district to the beautiful park filled with benches, tables, trees, towering statues and the occasional hitching rail.



At last they reached their destination. They went up a long flight of steps and onto a giant ring of pavement that surrounded the circular capital building and into the main entrance. Upon entering, and after seeing who they were, the receptionist waved them in. Through the main hallway and to the end, James knocked on the door to Alexandra's office.



"Come in," she called.



James opened the door, held it while everyone went in, then followed behind. Inside, Alexandra was sitting at her desk, her striking emerald green eyes piercing with a gentle warmth. Just to her right sat Debbie; she had a worried look on her face. However, the look faded quickly as Elpis cried out "Grandma!" and ran to her, jumping into her lap.



"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Alexandra began. "I called you here because God has informed me of a situation and is asking for our help. You, James," she said as she nodded to him, "and Claire," again with a nod, "were my first thought."



She rose from her seat - Debbie following suit - and said, "I believe that Nar himself should fill you in on the details, so shall we?"



Alexandra then led the way out of her office, through hallways and down to God's chamber. As soon as they entered, Debbie went to a console near the back and began pressing some buttons while the rest of them moved to the center of the room and settled themselves before a large monitor.



"This shouldn't take long," Alexandra said. "I told him that you were coming and to stand by."



As Debbie prodded at the console, the monitor came to life, and the 'stand by' footage began to play. As they waited, live feed from all over Gaia filled the screen. She prodded some more, and another monitor behind her came to life as well. Framed in the center of this screen, Parthenia stared at the group, her emerald green eyes and her soft face smiled brightly.



"Once I heard that Nate would be joining us," Alexandra started, "I decided it would be prudent to include Parthenia in this, so I contacted her right away."



"Yes, and I thank you so much for including me! Nate is a wonderful man, but sometimes he misses the details." Parthenia smiled even brighter, and even though he had just been somewhat insulted, Nate couldn't help but smile back at his wife.



"How are things going with your parents, and Mathias?" Nate asked.



"Oh, very well, thank you! I would have been home sooner, but my parents are still showing Mark everything that they have been doing in the Divine. But I will not be here much longer."



Debbie looked to the monitor and said, "Give my grandson a big hug for me, ok? And try and stop by on your way home; I would love to see him myself!" Then she addressed Alexandra. "I believe that you can take it from here. I'm going to take my granddaughter for a little walk outside."



"Awe, but Grandma! I wanna talk to God!"



"I know baby, but this is going to be a conversation for the adults. You know what that means, don't you?" she said with a wink.



"Oooooh, you mean it's going to be boring?"



"Exactly, my dear!" Debbie gave a large smile, then held her hand out, which Elpis took gladly. She nodded to Claire, and then moved to James, caressing his cheek; the worried look returned for just a moment. But then she looked back to Elpis, smiled, and took her away and out of sight.



Finally, there was a flicker, and the live feed was replaced by the smiling, wrinkled face of Nar.



"My children! Thank you so much for coming! I am truly grateful for you taking time out of your day to listen to this old man's troubles." The smile faded and a more somber look took over. "Let me get right to why I summoned you before me.



"I have lost all communication with one of my worlds, Terra Pius, and all of my monitoring systems are down. They were the second world I created, not long after I lost Alexandra - during the great war. My audio and video feeds are picking up nothing but static, the bio detectors show no signs of life - of any kind - and even my environmental controls register nothing.



"I am afraid that something terrible may have happened, though I cannot even be sure of that…" He trailed off as he spoke the last words.



"What do you mean by that?" Claire asked.



Nar paused for several moments, struggling to maintain composure. Eventually he spoke. "I am afraid that I have been most neglectful in my duties, with the responsibility that I possess. You see, as soon as I noticed the problem, I went back through my archives to see exactly when contact was severed. It would seem that contact was cut about a year ago - from their perspective.



"Where your world runs twenty times faster than mine, theirs runs even faster; fifty times faster to be precise. Which means it took me over a week - my time - to even notice. This would be bad enough, but unfortunately, the truth is even worse."



He took a deep breath before continuing. "Once I found the exact spot where the feed was lost, I went back to the moment just before, hoping I would see something that would make sense of what had happened. But there wasn't anything out of place. So I went back further, and further, and further.



"At first I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. But then I started looking even harder and noticed just how ordinary all of the footage seemed; there was something synthetic about what I was seeing."



Nate and Claire just stood with confused looks, but James said what they must have been thinking. "I'm afraid I'm not following what you're saying, Nar. What do you mean by synthetic? Was it fake footage or something?"



Nar seemed to ponder this for a moment before nodding. "In a sense, yes. I won't go into full details here, I'm sure that would not be very interesting. But I wrote a computer program that would take in all of the archived footage, and analyze it frame by frame. It took time, but what it found was, well, disturbing.



"It would appear that over the last hundred or more years - again, their time - only thirty unique days existed within the footage. These twenty eight hour periods were spliced together, over and over, in a randomized order. I believe that someone, perhaps the citizens of Terra Pius themselves, have sought to deceive me. And I didn't even notice."



"What exactly do you want from us?" James asked.



"Well, my children, I would like for a few - maybe just two - of you to go to this world and see for yourselves what has happened. I cannot go into any of your worlds myself, as I am much too large. My equipment is my only window into what is going on, to at least some extent. But as that has failed me, I am now at a loss; I have no other options.



"Now, I want it to be clear that this is just a request; a favor. And one that you should feel completely free to reject; as I have no idea what may have happened, this journey could be dangerous." He paused for a moment before continuing. "But if anyone were to accept this request, I would be most appreciative."



Claire, James and Nate all looked to each other with hesitation, but did not speak. Finally Claire spoke up. "If we were to decide to go, how exactly would we get there?"



"Well, my child, I am afraid that there is only one way. I have struggled for years to develop a teleportation device, something that could instantly take someone from one location to another; but alas I have failed, again and again.



"Therefore, the only way you would be able to get there would be to travel down what you call the 'Path To God' - which will take you to the center of all my worlds, inside of my laboratory. From there you will travel through their 'Path To God'.



"And as this environment is only suitable for Mediators to endure, any Gaians must wear the protective suits that were used for repairing the breaches between our worlds."



The three of them continued looking to one another, worry etched in their faces. Noticing their concern, Nar did his best to reassure them. "As I said before, you must decide for yourselves whether or not you wish to accept this request. You can use whatever criteria you wish to make your decision, and if any chose to accept, they may formulate their plan as they see fit.



"Though I would seriously ask you to limit your party as much as you can. I already dislike the idea of anyone putting themselves in potential danger, so I feel it prudent to keep that risk as low as possible.



"Now, I have some modifications in mind for your protective suits. Some for your benefit, some for my own. But I will provide the schematics needed, and I can assure you that you have all of the necessary resources to make the adjustments. In fact, I am sending the files to your console now."

Alexandra walked over to the work station that Debbie previously vacated, and began readying the system to receive the transfer.



"One of the modifications is for a camera that will be able to stream a live feed to my work station; this way I can see for myself what is going on in Terra Pius. Another is a bit more complicated, but in short, it will create a sort of temporal bubble around the wearer. This will make sure that while they are in this new environment, they will continue to age according to Gaia's perception of time."



Alexandra looked to the monitor and said, "I have received the files, and I am sending them to our engineering team now; they should be able to give an estimate to how long these modifications will take shortly."



Nar smiled and said, "If anyone decides to accept this request, it will be imperative that they wear a suit with at least the temporal modifications at all times. Otherwise, they could experience adverse effects in this new world.



"Although I should also warn you that the suit itself will come with its own side effects. Because it will be slowing down your bodily functions, you will feel tired and mentally drained. But you are all resilient, and I have no doubt that you will be able to adjust in time.



"Do any of you have any questions about the situation, or my request?"



Everyone in the room looked to each other, giving various forms of a shrug. Alexandra then said, "I believe that we have all of the information we need at the moment. If any new queries present themselves, I shall send a message to you at once."



"Thank you, my children." Nar gave a meek smile, and then the monitor turned to black.



***



Everyone was back in Alexandra's office discussing the situation. Debbie had given Elpis some art supplies and set her to work in a corner of the room, and Parthenia was still observing through another monitor.



"I just don't understand why it has to be them," Debbie pleaded with Alexandra. "Haven't they done enough already? Hasn't my family been through enough?" Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes as she spoke.



"Yes, of course they have, and obviously I know what your family has already endured. You know that I admire them greatly. And it is exactly because of that admiration that I feel that they are the best suited for this task." Alexandra took Debbie's hand and stroked it gently. "I do not want to see anything bad happen to them, but I do not believe that there is anyone better for this; I have faith that they are the most likely to succeed."



Debbie looked to James and said, "I don't suppose I even need to ask, you being you and all. You're going to do it, aren't you?"



James focused on his mother's eyes and said, "To be honest, I'm not quite sure. I mean, I'd like to help Nar out, but something about this feels wrong. It seems like once again, we are being asked to clean up his mess. I hate to sound ungrateful, no matter his faults we do owe him our very existence. And with the world we have created in the last few years, it is impossible not to cherish this gift. But how much longer must we work to undo his mistakes?" He looked to his wife and added, "What do you think?"



Claire considered this for a moment, and then said, "What if they need help? What if something went horribly wrong over there, like what we all lived through, or even worse? If people are suffering, and we have a chance to do something about it, shouldn't we take that chance?"



James looked over to the corner where his daughter sat, fully engrossed in drawing. Then he looked into Claire's eyes and that was all he needed to decide. "You're right. Of course you're right. At the very least, we need to see exactly what's going on over there."



Debbie began to sob softly. James got up, walked over to her and put his arms around her, embracing her with all his might. "Don't worry Mom. I've withstood a lot in this life. I won't topple that easily."



Nate then blurted out, "Besides, he'll have me to help protect him!"



Then through the monitor, Parthenia yelled out, "Oh no he will not! Do not even dare think about leaving Mark and me!" She paused a moment, then added, "Please do not take offense James, Claire. It is not that I would not want to see you two protected, obviously I would. I simply… well… am being selfish, apparently."



"If that's being selfish," Debbie said, looking to Parthenia, "you can add me to that list. I agree with you! It's bad enough risking James and Claire," she then looked to Nate, "but don't you leave me too!"



"Wait a minute," Nate shouted, "I'm not talking about recklessly risking my life, or anything like that! I'm talking about keeping our friends and family safe! Isn't that more important than what might happen?"



"Of course it is important," Parthenia said, "but I cannot stand the thought of losing you! If you go, then I go! If you are going to keep James and Claire safe, then I am going to go and keep you safe!"



"No," James said, firmly. "No one else will be going; at least not right away. Claire and I will go, just the two of us. Nar himself said that we should keep our 'party' as low as possible, and I agree. Until we have some idea of what exactly is going on over there, we shouldn't risk more than we have to."



Nate opened his mouth to speak, but James cut him off. "No. This is not a debate; this is how it must be." He then looked to Alexandra and said, "You'll back me on this." This was not a question; this was a statement.



The room fell silent and all focus was on Alexandra. She stared into James' eyes for several moments. Finally she said, "Yes. As we do not know what is going on, we must take every precaution we can. Return to your home, I will call the council together and hold a meeting; this must be thoroughly discussed before proceeding, but any first contact will be made by just James and Claire.



"For now, be safe, and I will keep you informed of any new developments." Then she turned to Debbie and said, "I truly am sorry, Debbie. But this is what is right."



"I know," Debbie responded. "I know. I wish I could point out a better team, someone to go instead. But I know just as well as you do that there is no one better." She looked at her son and smiled - a sad but proud smile.



As James, Claire, Nate and Elpis moved towards the door, James paused. To Alexandra, he said, "Have your people look into that camera that Nar wanted installed. I want the feed streamed here as well as to him. And make sure that we can communicate with each other while we travel. There must be a way to make it work."



"I will let them know, but there may be no way to do that without God seeing this change in design."



"I don't plan to keep it from him. In fact, I will make sure he understands that this is my requirement for following along."



Alexandra nodded, and the group left the room.

Blog: R.P. Lauer Reviews: Neglected Merge by Eve Koguce

R.P. Lauer Reviews: Neglected Merge by Eve Koguce posted by RPLauer on June 14, 2021:





The following is primarily a backup of the review I left on Goodreads for the book, Neglected Merge by Eve Koguce.



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Blurb from the author:



“Neglected Merge” is an inspirational thought-provoking futuristic fantasy romance novel. The story of fated lovers developed against a backdrop of a new post-apocalyptic world painted in bright tones. A fortuitous meeting of Tauria, an independent woman living in one utopian-style world, and Doron from high society of the other world, is destined to be the new beginning for both worlds.



Tauria, aged 32, lives in the society that seems to believe that happiness is a universal concept. People, who had survived the near apocalyptic experience, have built a whole new world full of pleasure and easiness. It is designed to make everyone feel happy every minute of their lives. Work brings satisfaction, hobbies are encouraged, relationships are supposed to bring out only positive emotions. Does it matter that things that don't fit into the general happy pattern get discarded and disappear? Things like friendship and commitment. Things like true love. It is supposed to be enough with lightness and never-ending joy.



But there are two worlds now. They are forced to exist side by side. Can they find a way to live together?



The Chinese proverb says: “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” What will the people of two worlds, so utterly different and at the same time so similar, choose?



Neglected Merge by author Eve Koguce, is a self proclaimed 'Fantasy Utopian Romance' (it says so in the full title). I have to admit that as far as I know, I have never read a true 'romance' novel. Sure, I've read novels with romance plotlines somewhere in the background, but nothing I've ever read (again, as far as I know) could be classified as a 'romance novel'. Therefore, I am potentially out of my element.



However, I found this to be a wonderful story that had way more going for it than a love story, or a story of love. Maybe I just don't understand what a romance novel really is, but I had expected that the romance plotline would be not just the main focus, but close to the only real focus. But in Neglected Merge, while the romance does drive the plot forward, there is way more going on than that.



I don't like going too far into story details when I review. The way I see it, if something is mentioned in the blurb, then there is no reason for me to talk about it. If it's not in the blurb, then the author may not have wanted that revealed outside of actually experiencing the story first hand and would therefore fall into spoiler territory in my opinion. So let me see if I can walk this minefield.



The story takes place on Earth in the distant future, a few hundred years after an event that caused chaos and brought two worlds together; so to speak. Society rebuilt itself, as societies do, and in this case created a 'perfect' world (sarcasm implied there). Two people, who should never share sight of one another, meet and are instantly intrigued by one another.



That's about all I feel comfortable mentioning, so in and of itself, that does sound like the description of a romance focused story. However, it's in finding out more about these two people, their lives, and where they come from that makes this a fascinating read. As the world's history unfolds, and the specifics of the present are explored, there is something truly special that is brought to light.



One thing I will give massive praise to is how the romance of it goes forward. In a lot of fiction that I have consumed, be it book, movie, TV show, or video game, romances are often weight down by characters making bad decisions. Far too often I find myself yelling into a void, "Who in their right mind would ever say/do that???" And in this story, there is none of that. Any problem thrown at the pair, any words they speak, and any decision made all come from a place of logic, reason, or simple human nature. It makes sense the way things progress.



Eve Koguce does not waste time with tropes or manufactured drama that serve only to extend the eventual 'coupling' that comes only at the very end. Any time spent apart for these characters just makes sense. And it's a good thing she doesn't waste time on those types of cliches, in my opinion, because everything else that is happening throughout is so vastly engrossing that it would have been a true loss to have missed out on it all.



I absolutely loved this book, and its characters, and I cannot wait for a sequel that is sure to come (it does feel like a sequel is required, which is all I will say). This is not an action packed story filled with fights and high speed chases, but it is a deep dive into characters and worlds, along a fully satisfying adventure!



I personally would classify this as a Science Fantasy, but maybe that is just because I really want that to be an official genre. But I guess 'A Fantasy Utopian Romance' does work too.



Please check out Eve Koguce on her Amazon Page, Goodreads, or Twitter