Raymond Gaynor's Blog, page 23
December 11, 2021
IT USTA BE…#3
COMFORTING to know that people looked after you, having your best interests rather than theirs at heart. Usta, and, still is true but rarely on occasion rather than something you could count on. “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Human interactions especially where money are concerned, these days seem to more reflect the “Pirates of the Caribbean” than Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz:” “Take everything; give nothing back,” “I’m dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly, it’s the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they’re going to do something incredibly stupid,” and finally “The [Pirate’s] Code is more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual rules.”
Okay, so human interactions involving money have changed. Progressed. Evolved? No, I don’t think so. Devolved might be a better choice, and having devolved to “me first; you, well, later…maybe,” I think it’s time to restate things business-wise as likely either “crowd sales” or “personal service,” the former reflecting contemporary business, the latter the “New World [Business] Order” imposed by COVID, nationalism and “me first, and, if necessary, only.”
So what is “personal service?” Think no crowds, lots of choices and thereby high quality, delivery to the person” and all that with a smile, a thank you, and replacement or refund if not satisfied. Not just the rhetoric or propaganda, but the real thing. Many know me as Raymond Gaynor, author of the Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859, but I’m also Daniel S. Janik, lead actor in the movie “Static” (K. Simmons Productions 2021) — https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie — and author of UNLOCK THE GENIUS WITHIN: Neurobiological Trauma, Teaching, and Transformative Learning (Rowman & Littlefield Education 2005) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1578862914. And all deal with exactly this shift in contemporary attitude in one way or another, and the desperate need to progress, yea, evolve to “personal service.”
Video Book Preview of THE EDGE OF MADNESS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
Okay, so human interactions involving money have changed. Progressed. Evolved? No, I don’t think so. Devolved might be a better choice, and having devolved to “me first; you, well, later…maybe,” I think it’s time to restate things business-wise as likely either “crowd sales” or “personal service,” the former reflecting contemporary business, the latter the “New World [Business] Order” imposed by COVID, nationalism and “me first, and, if necessary, only.”
So what is “personal service?” Think no crowds, lots of choices and thereby high quality, delivery to the person” and all that with a smile, a thank you, and replacement or refund if not satisfied. Not just the rhetoric or propaganda, but the real thing. Many know me as Raymond Gaynor, author of the Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859, but I’m also Daniel S. Janik, lead actor in the movie “Static” (K. Simmons Productions 2021) — https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie — and author of UNLOCK THE GENIUS WITHIN: Neurobiological Trauma, Teaching, and Transformative Learning (Rowman & Littlefield Education 2005) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1578862914. And all deal with exactly this shift in contemporary attitude in one way or another, and the desperate need to progress, yea, evolve to “personal service.”
Video Book Preview of THE EDGE OF MADNESS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
December 10, 2021
IT USTA BE…#2
FUN dancing on a crowded dance floor. In fact, being a dancer at heart, as well as an actor and author, partner dancing was something for which I lived. A lifelong devotion, every-other-day exercise in the studio, interspersed with weekly social dancing and the total release of rarer performances or competitions. Yep, usta is the right word, indeed.
For the past two years, there has been no social, performance or competitive dance without the risk of death by COVID. “Real” partner dancing, at least the way I dance, is athletic, and that elevates the pastime to that of a sport, where sweating and panting, air transmission is not only possible, but if COVID’s present, likely, the only things between pleasure and death being immunization (how good it this given COVID-omicron?) and a mask (which is better at protecting others from me than me from them). What’s sustained me during the New Plague has been our studio. Being the only two on the floor during our time, wearing masks because of the proximity of the studio to a muscle builder gym, I feel relatively free to drop my reservations and dance. But only relatively so. I miss the other dancers and the crowds of viewers.
I tried ZOOM-style performances and competitions, but the technology, while there, isn’t yet fully developed, making them more of a technology experiment than a dance. As COVID continues, it will eventually harold a revolution in “distance” dance, where dancers will dance in their studios, and viewers will be treated to a holographically reconstructed dance floor with the various couples appearing as if they are there, dancing with and against each other. I’ve no doubt of this. Check out my latest book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — where I describe a similar future for education.
The bottomline, to me, is that there needs to be an entire rethink of society in which the emphasis shifts from “crowd sales” to “individual services” like my holographic dance event. This is a challenge worthy of ailing business, Silicon Valley and movie industries. And, as people begin to leave this planet, it will prove exponentially more important to experience social gatherings with individual distancing, without the need for mass immunization, masks or social distancing. Intrigued? Think for a moment about “going out” to your favorite restaurant, where, eating preprepared gourmet food at home, you are surrounded by sights and sounds corresponding to the food cultures in virtual reality. For example, eating Egyptian cuisine in a virtual reality restaurant at the foot of the pyramids, looking forward to a somatic evening under the desert stars, all from the safety of your home. It’s not so hard to imagine, is it?
Video Book Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor is an Amazon genre bestseller available in printer, digital and audiobook formats, purchased by K. Simmons Production for manga, animation and cinematic treatment.
For the past two years, there has been no social, performance or competitive dance without the risk of death by COVID. “Real” partner dancing, at least the way I dance, is athletic, and that elevates the pastime to that of a sport, where sweating and panting, air transmission is not only possible, but if COVID’s present, likely, the only things between pleasure and death being immunization (how good it this given COVID-omicron?) and a mask (which is better at protecting others from me than me from them). What’s sustained me during the New Plague has been our studio. Being the only two on the floor during our time, wearing masks because of the proximity of the studio to a muscle builder gym, I feel relatively free to drop my reservations and dance. But only relatively so. I miss the other dancers and the crowds of viewers.
I tried ZOOM-style performances and competitions, but the technology, while there, isn’t yet fully developed, making them more of a technology experiment than a dance. As COVID continues, it will eventually harold a revolution in “distance” dance, where dancers will dance in their studios, and viewers will be treated to a holographically reconstructed dance floor with the various couples appearing as if they are there, dancing with and against each other. I’ve no doubt of this. Check out my latest book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — where I describe a similar future for education.
The bottomline, to me, is that there needs to be an entire rethink of society in which the emphasis shifts from “crowd sales” to “individual services” like my holographic dance event. This is a challenge worthy of ailing business, Silicon Valley and movie industries. And, as people begin to leave this planet, it will prove exponentially more important to experience social gatherings with individual distancing, without the need for mass immunization, masks or social distancing. Intrigued? Think for a moment about “going out” to your favorite restaurant, where, eating preprepared gourmet food at home, you are surrounded by sights and sounds corresponding to the food cultures in virtual reality. For example, eating Egyptian cuisine in a virtual reality restaurant at the foot of the pyramids, looking forward to a somatic evening under the desert stars, all from the safety of your home. It’s not so hard to imagine, is it?
Video Book Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor is an Amazon genre bestseller available in printer, digital and audiobook formats, purchased by K. Simmons Production for manga, animation and cinematic treatment.
December 9, 2021
IT USTA BE…#1
FUN going GROCERY SHOPPING! I used to look forward to a quick in and quick out after work with several bags of fresh, tasty groceries for $25 a bag. Yep. Usta.
Went shopping at 6:45 AM this morning to avoid the crowd and maintain social distancing while wearing my obligatory mask. Tried to walk the isles for exercise (grocery walking) but had to do all the shopping in 15 minutes or less, only to wait in long lines for the only one or two cashiers up and awake at this time of the day. They call it COVID Senior hours. I think of it more like it urban guerrilla warfare.
Had to sort through piles soggy-feeling veggies and spotted fruit, all from outside USA without any indication of what was used when growing them, including pesticides or GMO. Guess you only have to indicate such for USA grown items, but where were all of the USA veggies and fruit? Beats me. Maybe being sold outside USA? Rushed to the Japanese section where the few veggies and fruits still looked and smelled luscious, selected a big, Japanese-grown Korean pear for $8.50, only to learn at checkout it was that per pound, making it my first $18.00 pear ever. It was good. REALLY good. But $18.00?
I’m not a meat eater, but my partner is, so we next visited the meat section. The meat offerings were either substandard grinds or cuts at standard prices (Where did all the good cuts go? With the good veggie and fruit?), the only really choice cuts being Japanese Wagu beef at $120 per pound. Eh? Noticed some frozen uncooked baby back ribs, the unfrozen marinated and cooked kind that used to go for maybe $12.00 a pound, on sale for $26.00 a pound-rack. Forget about the gold standard for currency. It’s now a whole new meat standard.
After checking out with two bags of groceries for a mere $80.00 per 3/4 bag, I was given the opportunity of tipping the cashier at 10%, 25% or 50% as if the grocery store were a haute couture restaurant and the cashier the waiter offering the house wine to complement the bags of groceries. Well, not entirely surprising as the “new” grocery experience is supposed to emphasize individual service over quality, the latter simply no longer available on standard shelves. And, yes, I forgot to call the grocery store maitre d’ (formerly the buyer) aside, placing a discrete stack of bill in his hand and asking to see what’s “in reserve.” Go figure. Okay, maybe this last paragraph is a bit of a stretch (or a peek into the future), but, as an author, isn’t that what you read my books for? Author Raymond Gaynor (aka Actor Daniel S. Janik) signing off for today, leaving everyone to wonder what the heck I’ll be posting on tomorrow (“It Usta be…#2).
The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
Quantum Death
Went shopping at 6:45 AM this morning to avoid the crowd and maintain social distancing while wearing my obligatory mask. Tried to walk the isles for exercise (grocery walking) but had to do all the shopping in 15 minutes or less, only to wait in long lines for the only one or two cashiers up and awake at this time of the day. They call it COVID Senior hours. I think of it more like it urban guerrilla warfare.
Had to sort through piles soggy-feeling veggies and spotted fruit, all from outside USA without any indication of what was used when growing them, including pesticides or GMO. Guess you only have to indicate such for USA grown items, but where were all of the USA veggies and fruit? Beats me. Maybe being sold outside USA? Rushed to the Japanese section where the few veggies and fruits still looked and smelled luscious, selected a big, Japanese-grown Korean pear for $8.50, only to learn at checkout it was that per pound, making it my first $18.00 pear ever. It was good. REALLY good. But $18.00?
I’m not a meat eater, but my partner is, so we next visited the meat section. The meat offerings were either substandard grinds or cuts at standard prices (Where did all the good cuts go? With the good veggie and fruit?), the only really choice cuts being Japanese Wagu beef at $120 per pound. Eh? Noticed some frozen uncooked baby back ribs, the unfrozen marinated and cooked kind that used to go for maybe $12.00 a pound, on sale for $26.00 a pound-rack. Forget about the gold standard for currency. It’s now a whole new meat standard.
After checking out with two bags of groceries for a mere $80.00 per 3/4 bag, I was given the opportunity of tipping the cashier at 10%, 25% or 50% as if the grocery store were a haute couture restaurant and the cashier the waiter offering the house wine to complement the bags of groceries. Well, not entirely surprising as the “new” grocery experience is supposed to emphasize individual service over quality, the latter simply no longer available on standard shelves. And, yes, I forgot to call the grocery store maitre d’ (formerly the buyer) aside, placing a discrete stack of bill in his hand and asking to see what’s “in reserve.” Go figure. Okay, maybe this last paragraph is a bit of a stretch (or a peek into the future), but, as an author, isn’t that what you read my books for? Author Raymond Gaynor (aka Actor Daniel S. Janik) signing off for today, leaving everyone to wonder what the heck I’ll be posting on tomorrow (“It Usta be…#2).
The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
Quantum Death
December 4, 2021
SO WORLD WAR TWO WASN’T ENOUGH?
THE world having survive two global wars between fascist dictatorships and democracies appears to not have been enough for the losers, rising again from the ashes, this time China, North Korea, Russia, Iran and allies are ready and willing to bet the lives of their people on another attempt at conquering the world. Sigh. Isn’t there enough misery in the world without another war? Or is this simply an ill-fated effect of overpopulation, fueled by individual fear, greed and hatred?
I posted yesterday about a number of post-WWII social “experiments” that sought to understand the inhumanity of WWII, but I have to wonder…why can’t we as humans simply stop impulsive aggression and begin learning to cooperate. Switch from the thirst for information as a source of wealth and power, to a deeply felt need for knowledge and wisdom as a pathway to individual empathy, appreciation and self-enlightenment? What’s so hard about the latter that, being quite able to do it, we simply don’t, instead safely sitting back and watching ensuing conflagrations on television. At least for the moment. Watching and participating on the ground are separated by a very fine line, given the former psychologically “prepares” the viewer by teaching that, in the end, violence and violation are the only solution.
These are issues that need attention, and I’ve tried to address in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor and in the prequel TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2004) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese. Don’t buy another holiday gadget, send a copy of either or both of the above to someone you care about. It’s a holiday gift that will be appreciated, and, by necessity, continue to give throughout the year. Happy Holidays!
The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
The Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS is available in printed, digital and audiobook formats, and has been purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
I posted yesterday about a number of post-WWII social “experiments” that sought to understand the inhumanity of WWII, but I have to wonder…why can’t we as humans simply stop impulsive aggression and begin learning to cooperate. Switch from the thirst for information as a source of wealth and power, to a deeply felt need for knowledge and wisdom as a pathway to individual empathy, appreciation and self-enlightenment? What’s so hard about the latter that, being quite able to do it, we simply don’t, instead safely sitting back and watching ensuing conflagrations on television. At least for the moment. Watching and participating on the ground are separated by a very fine line, given the former psychologically “prepares” the viewer by teaching that, in the end, violence and violation are the only solution.
These are issues that need attention, and I’ve tried to address in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor and in the prequel TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2004) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese. Don’t buy another holiday gadget, send a copy of either or both of the above to someone you care about. It’s a holiday gift that will be appreciated, and, by necessity, continue to give throughout the year. Happy Holidays!
The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
The Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS is available in printed, digital and audiobook formats, and has been purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
December 3, 2021
WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS…
IF there’s one thing that’s totally unscientific, it’s human behavior. Especially “leadership” behavior. I’ve seen and experienced it first hand “on the set” (see https://www.netflix.com/title/80990849 and you’ll wonder how ANY movie of value could have been made) and watched in awe and horror during the thirteen days of the Cuban Missile Crisis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yfIo...). So, what’s new with President Putin and the manufactured Ukraine Crises. Nothing. Exceptional power seems to bring out the worst in human behavior second only to exceptional money, both illusions created by humans and used to manipulate humans. I think of it as political “trafficking.”
Am I scared? Again, human behavior is distinctly unscientific, meaning not consistently repeatable even under the similar conditions, so, yes. And I’m surprised at how callous “leadership” behavior can become when concentrated in the hands of a few. I shouldn’t be. There’s the famous post WWII psychological experiments, Zimbardo’s “Stanford Prison Experiment,” Millgram’s Experiment on Obedience to Authority, the BBC’s Prison Study, Abu Ghraib (more than a study) and Jones’ “Third Wave Experiment,” and in my opinion, they all point to one common conclusion that may be scientific (i.e. repeatable): Creating a difference in power ultimately results in aberrant human behavior; the greater the perceived difference, the more potentially aberrant the behavior of the perceived powerful and powerless. The problem, of course, is in the expression of that behavior and it’s results on the people involved as well as those observing, which seem individually unpredictable. This seems to me to be true whether it’s a prison, traditional classroom, rape, vying political parties or a dictatorial government.
What to do about this? Read THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, study Bonobo behavior and believe in the power of individual empathy, curiosity, knowledge and wisdom. That’s my take. And regard authoritarian leadership and its implications with utmost care. As for the Ukraine Crises, go figure. I can’t, and given the vagarity of human existence, I don’t particularly want to.
The Edge of Madness
The Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS, is available in printed, digital and audiobook formats, and has been purchased for manga, animation and/or cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
Am I scared? Again, human behavior is distinctly unscientific, meaning not consistently repeatable even under the similar conditions, so, yes. And I’m surprised at how callous “leadership” behavior can become when concentrated in the hands of a few. I shouldn’t be. There’s the famous post WWII psychological experiments, Zimbardo’s “Stanford Prison Experiment,” Millgram’s Experiment on Obedience to Authority, the BBC’s Prison Study, Abu Ghraib (more than a study) and Jones’ “Third Wave Experiment,” and in my opinion, they all point to one common conclusion that may be scientific (i.e. repeatable): Creating a difference in power ultimately results in aberrant human behavior; the greater the perceived difference, the more potentially aberrant the behavior of the perceived powerful and powerless. The problem, of course, is in the expression of that behavior and it’s results on the people involved as well as those observing, which seem individually unpredictable. This seems to me to be true whether it’s a prison, traditional classroom, rape, vying political parties or a dictatorial government.
What to do about this? Read THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, study Bonobo behavior and believe in the power of individual empathy, curiosity, knowledge and wisdom. That’s my take. And regard authoritarian leadership and its implications with utmost care. As for the Ukraine Crises, go figure. I can’t, and given the vagarity of human existence, I don’t particularly want to.
The Edge of Madness
The Amazon genre bestseller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS, is available in printed, digital and audiobook formats, and has been purchased for manga, animation and/or cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
December 2, 2021
IMMORTALITY, AT LAST!
CALL me old fashioned, but as an author and actor, it’s when the printed book and DVD come out that I “feel” immortal. And yesterday, the “Static (2021)” movie DVD and the Static Sound Track CD were finally released (https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie). For an actor, it’s like an author when the printed book is finally released. And, yes, there’s a sense of immortality that comes with it.
Several have asked what I’m doing right now, which is to appear as an interviewee in “The William Maltese Collection,” my part having been filmed and completed last week. The “star” of the film, the renown author William Maltese, is scheduled to be before the camera later next week, which should make it a wrap, unless reshoots prove necessary. It’s a great honor to introduce an author and friend like William Maltese in his own bio-documentary, touching heavily on his role in bringing LGBTQ erotica into print, and championing both the expanding sexuality, erotica and romance as well as awareness of the LGBTQ+ influences on today’s culture. Like it or not, William is a pioneering author and humanist, well deserving of a bio-documentary. I’m excitedly looking forward to seeing it in its final edited form.
As far as authoring, I’m still working slowly through “Prophecy,” the sequel to THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — which I hope will find it’s way under many holiday trees and in myriads of “hung on the mantle” socks this season. It’s been almost a year since it released, so I’m planning on re-reading it during the holiday season. Not all actors or authors like to see or read their products, but I do. I act and write in what I believe, and, as such, find re-viewing and re-reading a good “test” of the work’s endurance if I look forward to them and enjoy them even more in the re-visit.
Several have asked what I’m doing right now, which is to appear as an interviewee in “The William Maltese Collection,” my part having been filmed and completed last week. The “star” of the film, the renown author William Maltese, is scheduled to be before the camera later next week, which should make it a wrap, unless reshoots prove necessary. It’s a great honor to introduce an author and friend like William Maltese in his own bio-documentary, touching heavily on his role in bringing LGBTQ erotica into print, and championing both the expanding sexuality, erotica and romance as well as awareness of the LGBTQ+ influences on today’s culture. Like it or not, William is a pioneering author and humanist, well deserving of a bio-documentary. I’m excitedly looking forward to seeing it in its final edited form.
As far as authoring, I’m still working slowly through “Prophecy,” the sequel to THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — which I hope will find it’s way under many holiday trees and in myriads of “hung on the mantle” socks this season. It’s been almost a year since it released, so I’m planning on re-reading it during the holiday season. Not all actors or authors like to see or read their products, but I do. I act and write in what I believe, and, as such, find re-viewing and re-reading a good “test” of the work’s endurance if I look forward to them and enjoy them even more in the re-visit.
November 29, 2021
ZOOMING FORWARD
YESTERDAY, I mentioned my second acting gig, appearing via Zoom interview in the upcoming K. Simmons Productions’ “The William Maltese Collection,” bio-documentary about prolific LGBTQ+ erotica author and decade-long friend, William Maltese. It was a familiar encounter, having Executive Produced the two-telly-award winning documentary, “Clean Water, Common Ground (1999).” I think I can say that “The William Maltese Collection” will be a stellar work about a stellar author around a stellar subject and genre. The film, scripted by Matt Brown; directed and filmed by Dallen Taylor of Dallen Taylor Productions; editing and special effects by Robert MacLean of Zombie Frog Productions; produced by Kenny Simmons; executive produced by Lisa and Kenny Simmons as well as myself and my author/dance partner, Setsuko Tsuchiya, is well into production with a currently anticipated release the end of 2021/early 2022. Starring William Maltese, with appearances by Consulting Psychiatrist Rajendra “Raj” Persaud, Republisher and Writer Maitland McDonagh, Sex and Relationships Writer Griffin McWynne, Sex Therapist Roger Libby, William’s Original Editor Lisa Kuppler, and myself as introducer.
Want help honor a pioneer in “straight” as well as LGBTQ erotica? Make a tax deductible donation in any amount in honor of William, or dedicate your contribution to another contributor to this unique topic/genre at https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection. Won’t you join with me in making this important work?
Zoom Interview Photo at https://i.postimg.cc/wjwzKkhz/Screen-...
Want help honor a pioneer in “straight” as well as LGBTQ erotica? Make a tax deductible donation in any amount in honor of William, or dedicate your contribution to another contributor to this unique topic/genre at https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection. Won’t you join with me in making this important work?
Zoom Interview Photo at https://i.postimg.cc/wjwzKkhz/Screen-...
November 28, 2021
TOTALLY NON-PLUSSED
TODAY was another extraordinary filming day which actually began the day before when Director/Cinematographer Dallen Taylor of Dallen Taylor Productions — http://dallentaylor.com — called and asked to film my part in the K. Simmons/Zombie Frog Production of “The William Maltese Collection” — https://kspllc.media/maltese-collection. This particular part is one which I’ve been looking forward to from the project’s go-get, the incomparable William Maltese being an esteemed literary colleague, co-author with me of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2006) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556 — and most important, a personal friend for over a decade.
It proved a pleasant “Zoom” experience, the Director and Cinematographer being in Seattle, Washington, and my being in Honolulu, Hawaii at the time; thank the God(dess) and COVID for the unique way some parts of movies are shot these days, in particular this bio-documentary of a pioneering author of SLGBTQ+ erotica, the “S” standing for “straight,” as he is the author of numerous Harlequin Romances as well as one of my personal favorite books, ARDENNIAN BOY by Maltese and Gunn — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I1KSJ0 — the story of Arthur Rimbaud, an untamed savage from the French provinces, randy and ready to try any and everything, convinced that a life of unbridled excess is the true pathway to great poetry. In the end his self-fulfilling prophecy establishes himself as one of history’s greatest poets and one of the fathers of the French “symbolist” movement – but not before he nurtures Paul Verlaine from a passable poet into a similarly great one. But I digress.
“The William Maltese Collection” is meant to be a tribute to an author who has published over 250 books worldwide and directly contributed to the development of multiple contemporary genre’s include the erotica and LGBTQ literature, movements and ultimately culture. An avid world traveler and explorer as well as author of numerous gourmet cookbooks, I think it’s time to stop commiserating on the divisiveness in today’s world, and spend some time honoring those like William Maltese who’ve played a pivotal role in formulating our contemporary points-of-view.
It proved a pleasant “Zoom” experience, the Director and Cinematographer being in Seattle, Washington, and my being in Honolulu, Hawaii at the time; thank the God(dess) and COVID for the unique way some parts of movies are shot these days, in particular this bio-documentary of a pioneering author of SLGBTQ+ erotica, the “S” standing for “straight,” as he is the author of numerous Harlequin Romances as well as one of my personal favorite books, ARDENNIAN BOY by Maltese and Gunn — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I1KSJ0 — the story of Arthur Rimbaud, an untamed savage from the French provinces, randy and ready to try any and everything, convinced that a life of unbridled excess is the true pathway to great poetry. In the end his self-fulfilling prophecy establishes himself as one of history’s greatest poets and one of the fathers of the French “symbolist” movement – but not before he nurtures Paul Verlaine from a passable poet into a similarly great one. But I digress.
“The William Maltese Collection” is meant to be a tribute to an author who has published over 250 books worldwide and directly contributed to the development of multiple contemporary genre’s include the erotica and LGBTQ literature, movements and ultimately culture. An avid world traveler and explorer as well as author of numerous gourmet cookbooks, I think it’s time to stop commiserating on the divisiveness in today’s world, and spend some time honoring those like William Maltese who’ve played a pivotal role in formulating our contemporary points-of-view.
November 22, 2021
WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING????
YEAH, well, I wasn't thinking THIS world at all when I wrote TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) with William Maltese, or QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) with A. G. Hayes, and certainly not when I wrote the Amazon genre bestseller THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020). Hey, that’s me. I’m author Raymond Gaynor aka author and actor Daniel S. Janik. And I wasn’t apparently thinking at all when I posted the "Raymond Gaynor THE EDGE OF MADNESS Book Giveaway Contest" with a first edition, author-signed copy of the book to the first, eleventh, twenty-first, thirty-first, forty-first, fifty-first and so forth person who sends an email (one per email address) to me at gaynor.raymond2@gmail.com with the subject line “I want a copy of THE EDGE OF MADNESS.” CAVEATS: You must have a USA ship-to address, which I’ll ask for only if you win a Grand Prize. And here's how out of it all I actually am: I’ve extended the closing date to 30 November 2021 San Fran time. This giveaway is ENTIRELY FREE — I pay handling and shipping within the USA.
Ah, but non-Grand Prize Winners don’t despair: Everyone who enters will receive a special 30% off Suggested Retail Price Discount Coupon Code good at your nearest online Savant Bookstore: Savant Bookstore Atlantic (https://www.savantbookstoreatlantic.com), Savant Bookstore Midwest (https://www.savantbookstoremidwest.com), Savant Bookstore Pacific (https://www.savantbookstorepacific.com) and Savant Bookstore Honolulu (https://www.savantbookstorehonolulu.com). And, again, handling and shipping are free within the USA. And I’m not talking turkey here.
Can’t wait? Use “ONLINE” discount coupon code for an immediate 10% off any Savant/Aignos printed book, CD, DVD or other indicated merchandise from any four Savant Bookstores (see above; use only one coupon code, please). And, yes, you must have a USA ship-to address for free handling and shipping.
The Edge of Madness
Ah, but non-Grand Prize Winners don’t despair: Everyone who enters will receive a special 30% off Suggested Retail Price Discount Coupon Code good at your nearest online Savant Bookstore: Savant Bookstore Atlantic (https://www.savantbookstoreatlantic.com), Savant Bookstore Midwest (https://www.savantbookstoremidwest.com), Savant Bookstore Pacific (https://www.savantbookstorepacific.com) and Savant Bookstore Honolulu (https://www.savantbookstorehonolulu.com). And, again, handling and shipping are free within the USA. And I’m not talking turkey here.
Can’t wait? Use “ONLINE” discount coupon code for an immediate 10% off any Savant/Aignos printed book, CD, DVD or other indicated merchandise from any four Savant Bookstores (see above; use only one coupon code, please). And, yes, you must have a USA ship-to address for free handling and shipping.
The Edge of Madness
November 21, 2021
DEFUSED or CONFUSED?
IT can’t be only me. I mean, how is it that “everything’s returning to normal,” when countries are still closing, citizens are protesting (more vociferously that ever) and half of people still social distance and wear masks (despite the “other half”) due supposedly to COVID? Being a pragmatic scientist type, I rather think everything’s NOT returning to the “old” normal, or, if this is normal than the life I lived pre-COVID must be a fiction. I’m not complaining; just tired of being given constantly spun, half-information, arguably “for my own good.” Nope, I much prefer the truth, plain and simple, even when the situation is neither plan nor simple. Call me not just a pragmatic scientist type, but human as well.
My own opinion is that we’re in the middle of a huge transition from a global world and economy to a dis-integrated, national and in many cases state or even local world and economy. And I think that’s what is goading people. The compromise is a change in how everything is done, from “crowd sales” to “individual personal services.” Think movie theater to home streaming. In-person warehouse buying to online-individual-purchasing-with-home-delivery. It’s a massive change, and people, in general, and businesses in particular, don’t adjust easily to change.
In the ribald TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556 — and sequel, Amazon genre bestseller THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — the world of today melts down and returns, completely different, on the edge of madness. Sound familiar? Then wait for the third book, “Prophecy,” which I’m half-way through writing. And while you’re waiting grab a copy of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0996325530 — the fifth in the riveting Koski and Falk Series by multi-award-winning author A. G. Hayes with Raymond Gaynor.
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
Quantum Death
The Edge of Madness
THE EDGE OF MADNESS and QUANTUM DEATH have been purchased by K. Simmons Production for manga, animation and cinematic treatment.
My own opinion is that we’re in the middle of a huge transition from a global world and economy to a dis-integrated, national and in many cases state or even local world and economy. And I think that’s what is goading people. The compromise is a change in how everything is done, from “crowd sales” to “individual personal services.” Think movie theater to home streaming. In-person warehouse buying to online-individual-purchasing-with-home-delivery. It’s a massive change, and people, in general, and businesses in particular, don’t adjust easily to change.
In the ribald TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556 — and sequel, Amazon genre bestseller THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — the world of today melts down and returns, completely different, on the edge of madness. Sound familiar? Then wait for the third book, “Prophecy,” which I’m half-way through writing. And while you’re waiting grab a copy of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0996325530 — the fifth in the riveting Koski and Falk Series by multi-award-winning author A. G. Hayes with Raymond Gaynor.
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
Quantum Death
The Edge of Madness
THE EDGE OF MADNESS and QUANTUM DEATH have been purchased by K. Simmons Production for manga, animation and cinematic treatment.
