Phil Giunta's Blog, page 54

Short Story Award Finalist!

I received an email yesterday morning from the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable informing me that my paranormal short story, “So Hungry . . .,” is a finalist for the 2017 Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award.

Final judging will be by NYT Bestseller Carrie Vaughn. Winners be will announced by July 1.

Even if my story doesn’t place in one of the three top slots, I’m honored that it made the final round!

Click here for more information about the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable.

 

Work First, then Fish…

In a previous blog post, I mentioned that I’d spent the last week of April sequestered at a resort in the Poconos area of PA for a training class in Cisco Switching and Routing (for computer networks) after which I passed both required exams to earn my CCNA certification. The certificate finally arrived in my email late last week…

To reward myself, I decided it was high time for a day on the water with the rod and reel today. Since I have to spend my afternoon migrating software from one server to another, I only had a few hours to spare at nearby Beltzville Lake in Lehighton, PA. After losing a few smaller pickerel and bass early in the day, my last few casts were incredibly productive as evidenced by the selfies below. All told, it was a perfect—and much-needed—day out.

Now back to work.

Book Review: The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

In an effort to win the heart of a fickle young lady, intrepid newspaper reporter Edward Malone volunteers as a member of an expedition to South America to seek proof or otherwise debunk the wild claims of arrogant and intractable paleontologist Professor George Edward Challenger.

Upon returning from South America many years prior, Challenger claimed to have discovered prehistoric life still thriving atop a plateau deep in the jungles of Brazil. Unfortunately, his camera was damaged during a boating accident, leaving him with scant and inconclusive photographic evidence and only the sketchbook of one Maple White, a poet and artist who died of severe injuries shortly after escaping this supposed land of dinosaurs.

During a contentious interview, Challenger permits Malone to peruse the sketchbook, wherein White had drawn numerous mundane flora and fauna—until the final image of an impossibly large reptilian creature. Malone, however, remains unconvinced.

Despite his unadulterated aversion toward the press, Challenger sees some potential in Malone and invites him to a meeting of the Zoological Society where Professor Challenger, living up to his name, disrupts the guest lecturer when mention is made of the extinction of the dinosaur before the dawning of man.

Challenger’s claims of eyewitness accounts of pterodactyls in Brazil draws ridicule from both the audience and his peers, including one botanist and zoologist Professor Summerlee.  By the end of the raucous evening, a new team of explorers agrees to travel to Brazil and put the matter to rest. In addition to Malone and Summerlee, famed adventurer and big game hunter Sir John Roxton offers his considerable skills.

Shortly thereafter, the trio embark for South America and are surprised by the appearance of Professor Challenger himself once they reach Brazil. Challenger naturally assumes the role of team leader and guide as the adventurers, along with a number of local hired hands, begin their voyage along the Amazon into the realm of the unknown—where they encounter far more than any of them ever imagined possible.

The story is told from the POV of the reporter, Edward Malone, as he journals the team’s adventures through this unfathomable—and unmistakably treacherous—domain.  It had been at least 30 years since I’d last read The Lost World, yet so many elements remained with me since then, such as the cantankerous and haughty Professor Challenger, the fearsome ape men, the pterodactyl pit, and a few other vivid details. After reading it again this past week, I found myself just as enthralled as I was the first time. This should come as no surprise since much of Doyle’s work, most notably Sherlock Holmes, has soundly withstood the test of time.

 

 

Book Review: Sherlock Holmes-Murder at Sorrow’s Crown by Steven Savile and Bob Greenberger

In London during the summer of 1881, and still early in their now legendary partnership, Doctor Watson schedules a number of appointments for bored, brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes, who has been unable as of late to find a case worthy of his considerable talents. After the string of potential clients are turned away one by one, an unscheduled caller arrives—bringing with her an intriguing case, naturally.

Hermione Frances Sara Wynter, an elderly widow, has been unable to obtain a satisfactory answer from the Admiralty as to the whereabouts of her son, Lieutenant Norbert Wynter. Norbert was due home one month previous aboard the HMS Dido after fighting in the war against the Boers in South Africa.

However, all of Mrs. Wynter’s initial inquiries to the Admiralty went unanswered until finally, they revealed that Norbert had been classified as missing in action and a deserter. His mother, of course, refused to believe such an outlandish accusation.

Holmes accepts the case and, together with Watson, sets forth to interrogate, beleaguer, and otherwise annoy the Admiralty into providing information on Lieutenant Wynter. Soon, it becomes clear that something is amiss, especially since Wynter was listed as missing in action in February, yet continued to receive a paycheck until July.

When Holmes and Watson are attacked on the street by men sent by someone at the Admiralty, the detective is certain that a government cover-up is at play and, as Holmes is often quoted as saying, “The game is afoot!”

An investigation into the missing officer leads Holmes and Watson to a web of conspiracy that involves the death of former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, the now defunct East India Company, and much more.

Savile and Greenberger deftly capture the characters and relationship of Holmes and Watson in a plot that was well-conceived and unfurled at a perfect pace. I was pleased to see the inclusion of Holmes’s “street Arabs,” aka The Baker Street Irregulars, as well as Scotland Yard Inspector Gregson over the more famous Lestrade, the latter making only a cameo appearance.  I have absolutely nothing against Lestrade, of course, but I appreciate the nod being given to the more minor recurring Gregson.

Book Signing at the Beach!

Taking a few hours out of my summer vacation to sign books at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, DE on July 13 from 11AM to 1PM.

The titles I’ll have on hand include:

 

 

Browseabout Books is located just a block and a half up from the boardwalk at 133 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

My Annual Writing Prompt at Story-A-Day!

Each May for the past three years, I’ve been invited by the wonderful and indefatigable Julie Duffy at Story-A-Day.org to contribute a writing prompt to her website.

Here is my latest one for 2017, adapted from a real-life situation. If you decide to roll with it, have a blast!

Be sure to watch Julie’s video on the page for encouragement and instructions on where to post your story and comments.

Prepare Yourselves to be Heroically Inspired!

Congrats to fellow wordslinger Michael Critzer on the May 15 release of his new book Heroic Inspirations from Hero House Publishing.

The source material for the book comes from the many classes Michael teaches on superheroes as mythology. Heroic Inspirations will be available in all the usual places and directly from Hero House Publishing.

As a bonus, Michael has collected some of the handouts from one of his courses into a short e-book entitled Heroic Archetypes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He plans to give copies of these away to anyone who reviews Heroic Inspirations on Amazon.

Check Michael’s website for details over the next few days and prepare to be inspired…heroically, of course!

 

 

 

Local Author Fest – Lower Macungie, PA

Excited to report that I will be joining several members of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group to celebrate Local Authors Day at the Lower Macungie Library on Saturday, May 20 from 10AM to 3PM! Specifically, I will be moderating the 11AM discussion panel on the writing life.

Book Review: Still Me by Christopher Reeve

On May 27, 1995, actor Christopher Reeve was competing in an equestrian competition in Culpepper, Virginia when he was thrown from his horse, causing a C2 spinal cord injury that left him a quadriplegic for nine years until his death in 2004.

The heartbreaking irony is not merely that an actor best known to the general public as Superman was left permanently disabled. The worst part was that Reeve did not even want to be at this particular competition in Culpeper that weekend. He had originally planned to compete in Vermont.

Such begins the memoir of a man I’ve looked up as a hero since the age of seven when I first saw Superman: The Movie. Reeve opens his life story at a point where he had been certain his life would end, delving into excruciating detail about the damage inflicted on his body and mind as a result of the accident. At one point, after receiving the initial news of his condition, he urged his wife, Dana, to let him go. She replied that she would do so only if that was what he truly wanted, but reminded him that, “You’re still you and I’m still me.” According to Reeve, that was all he needed to hear to bolster his will to live.

However, a true of man of steel cannot be kept down and despite the odds against him, despite the many post-accident setbacks, despite the personnel and equipment necessary to keep him alive and as healthy as possible,  Reeve persevered. He went on to make several public speeches advocating an increase in funding for the NIH and the National Endowment for the Arts. He also directed the critically acclaimed and award-winning 1997 film, In the Gloaming, starring Glenn Close, David Strathairn, Bridget Fonda, Robert Sean Leonard, and Whoopi Goldberg.

Interspersed with tales of his treatment and battles with insurance companies, Reeve takes us on a tour of his broken family life as a child, through his college years at Cornell, and his acceptance into Juilliard—under the iron scowl of John Houseman—and his burgeoning friendship with Robin Williams.

He shares his love of sailing, flying, and equestrian sports and his general zest for life, but above all else, his love for his family shines through as he remembers the birth of his three children and the first time he met his future wife, Dana Morosini. Dana was a member of the Cabaret Corps of singers at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts while Reeve was appearing in a play called The Rover by Aphra Behn. He practically fell in love with her at first sight.

Although he was ranked as an “A” list film actor for many years, Reeve’s stage career was far more impressive, having worked on and off Broadway with such names as Katherine Hepburn (A Matter of Gravity), Jeff Daniels (Fifth of July) and many others. His stage credits include Death Takes a Holiday, Richard III, Summer and Smoke, Love Letters, and dozens more. During his time at Juilliard, he worked in the Acting Company with Kevin Kline, David Ogden Stiers, Patti LuPone, and others.

Then came Superman as well as Somewhere in Time, Deathtrap, The Aviator, The Bostonians, Remains of the Day and other films of which Reeve speaks highly. On the other hand, he blames such flops as Street Smart, Superman III and IV, and Switching Channels for knocking him out of Hollywood’s “A” list.  In fact, his comment on Superman IV was simply, “The less said about Superman IV, the better.” Although he takes partial blame for its failure.

All told, Still Me is a journey through the extreme highs and plummeting lows of a life that was fully lived by a man who many consider a hero to this day. I count myself among them.

History Has Indeed Repeated Itself

After a nine-year gap, I am once again a CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate).

I renewed my long-expired certification this afternoon to conclude a four-day, instructor-led “boot camp” course at the Poconos facility of Training Camp. Unfortunately, other than a brief walk after arrival on Sunday, I was able to spare no time during the week to enjoy the peaceful surroundings at the Fairview Resort in Bushkill, PA.

However, I was pleased that my accommodations this time were a vast improvement over the outdated and shabby villa from nine years ago. This time, I was given the “A” level–the upper floors–of the building versus the downstairs “B” level.

My fellow students and I spent about 10 hours in the classroom each day followed by five to six hours of studying in the evenings. This, of course, meant no dinner, no working out, no writing, no editing, and little sleep. I knew all of this going in, of course. It was a repeat of the same course at the same facility nine years ago.

On Thursday afternoon, I was amazed to learn that I scored the highest among the class on the first exam. Passing score was 832 out of 1000. Mine was 941. On the second exam, passing score was 811 out of 1000. I finished with a 918. I’m not sure how I ranked among my classmates after the second exam since most of them departed shortly after they finished.

As a respite from the stress and intensity of the course, I read one chapter per night of actor Christopher Reeve’s autobiography, Still Me. Those who know me are well aware of my admiration for Mr. Reeve as someone I’ve looked up to as a hero since 1978 when I first saw him as Superman. I’m thoroughly enjoying his memoir, which provides excruciating details about the accident that left him paralyzed in 1995, interspersed with tales of his early acting career. A full review of the book is forthcoming here on the blog.

I’m finally home again and in desperate need of a long nap. I intend to reward myself by getting some fishing in later this weekend and then next week, it’s back to work, to writing, and to editing submissions to the next Middle of Eternity anthology.