Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 79

6 June 2020 - RON THOMAS - GUEST AUTHOR

RON THOMAS - GUEST AUTHOR -
G'day folks,
Today, I interview an enthusiastic author from Australia.
Welcome, Ron ...

1.   TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.
I’m a lunatic who was prepared to give up a perfectly good job as Managing Director of a successful computer/graphic arts company that I’d held for 2 decades because of an insistent itch to write.
2.   WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?
When I began to write my first book, I was gainfully employed and travelling a lot. My book was about an Australian scientist who had been involved with Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars Project. The nasty Russians spirited him away to the USSR in a nuclear submarine. I found working and writing didn’t coexist too well. The project died when the Berlin Wall came down. I learned that good writing needs unwavering commitment. Maybe I’ll get the urge to finish it someday.
3.    WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP?
Interaction with other writers suggests I have a weird way of writing. Simple logic would indicate the best place to begin is Chapter 1 page 1, but I don’t necessarily start there. Instead, I start with whatever’s clear in my mind while my subconscious roams around my story and brings other bits into focus. When I begin to run dry on whatever fragment I’m writing I choose the next bit on the same basis. Then I glue it all together with words. Works for me and I almost never find myself with writer’s block. I love it when my subconscious unblocks a blockage with little apparent input from me!
4.   WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
I love words. Big words, little words, all sorts, cleverly used. I love it when a member of my audience feels the same way about my words as I do.



5.   WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
I’ve experienced a variety of publishing scenarios and not all of them are great fun. Publishers are the reason writers need to network.
6.   WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?
I studied electrical engineering, but took stock in my mid-twenties and decided I wasn’t cut out the be an engineer. Fortunately, I fell into a job I loved and stayed with for the rest of my working life because it was exciting. For many years a good part of my job was to initiate and foster new relationships with business partners across the world. In those days of snail mail, words-written words were very important and that’s where I learned my craft. The many places I visited triggered a love of history that continues and reflects in my writing. It’s why I concentrate on historic real-world settings for my stories.
7.   WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
It hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps it’s my next book!
8.   WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
The story I’m writing at the moment is a real writer’s adventure. It’s called ‘Somewhere South of Capricorn’. It’s based on a real man’s story of survival, as related to me by his 80-year-old daughter. He arrived, broke in Sydney the day the New York Stock Exchange collapsed. The surprise is that the entire book except for the final chapter is in the form of a deathbed confession. It’s tale of tenacity, flexibility, hope and love. Challenging, but I’m loving it.
9.   WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
People. People who overcome. People with a positive attitude, who refuse to accept setbacks. People who get back up when they get smacked down.
10.              WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
All my book have a heavy historic content. The great stories of history each spawn thousands or even millions of little stories of those impacted. I like to dig out these interesting tales and build stories around them that are true to their times.
11.              DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?
Write for yourself, be true to yourselfIgnore the riders in the standsPersevereTap into the power of your subconscious by trying Ron’s weird writing method
12.              DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
Of course. But this is how I handle it. I’m an absolute believer in the power of the subconscious, so I go and write a different chapter for a while and when I come back, the block’s disintegrated.



13.              DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?
Any time the urge comes on me. Even after midnight.
14.              DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?
Anywhere quiet.
15.              WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?
My new book Souvenirs, which has been a joy to write was catastrophically delayed when my previous publisher passed away suddenly at 50 years of age, just before it was to go to print. Fats forward to today, and the proof copy was despatched from my new publisher in Queensland a week ago and it hasn’t arrived. I’m waiting. When I finally see it, that moment will be hard to beat!
16.              WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?
My favourite author, and one who inspires all my writing is Neville Shute. Of all the authors I’ve read, he’s inspired my scribblings most. Neville Shute’s characters come complete with all sorts of human failings. They have depth, make mistakes, laugh, cry and their feelings become the reader’s feelings. My aim is to create characters in the Shute mould. One of my writing rules is NO SUPERHEROES.
17.              WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?
Every writer would like a larger audience and I’m no exception. I’m lucky to have a highly engaged group of readers, so I get some nice compliments but perhaps the unanticipated comment the recording engineer, Simon O’Connor made when we finished 23 hours of recording my audiobook of Souvenirs. ‘Souvenirs is more than a book,’ he said. ‘I had tears in my eyes more than once. It’s a work of art!’
18.              WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?
I’ve had the odd uncomplimentary remark. I only remember them for five minutes. That’s how long it takes to decide whether there’s an element of truth in the comment- anything to take on board. I’m therefore unable to answer the question!
19.              WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?Oh yes! My fascination with stories began at the knees of masters. My grandfather, Jack Westheider was a racing pigeon fancier. Every Saturday in the racing season, a bunch of ‘Jackie’s’ old mates would gather in his backyard, by his cabbage patch to await the arrival of his pigeons from exotically named places like Bundaberg and Gympie. With time on their hands, the yarns would start flowing, often with an impressionable young boy sitting cross-legged among the cabbages sucking in every word. Those old blokes knew how to tell a story all right! Their tall tales and true were undoubtedly the beginning of a lifelong love for stories well told and ultimately of my career as a scribbler. It’s no surprise that the leading character in my first book, Solly’s Way, was a story-telling swagman.
OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
I cook for my family and assorted friends of family members every Thursday. It’s the most important part of my week. I try never to cook the same thing twice. Sometimes my cooking works out better than others, but they are served with lacings of love and those times around the family table are simply the best!



20.              DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?
Yes indeed. I learned early in the game that you can’t have too much editing and the author is the worst editor. All my books are edited first by me, then by family, then friends. After that they are ready for professional editing. Time consuming and expensive but a writer’s peace of mind’s important: that makes it worth the money!
21.              DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
When I’m not writing, I’m playing golf, tennis or riding my bike. I love cycling hard and won 5 medals, 4 of them gold at the Master’s Games. But the perfect day? A nice warm day and a swim at Narrawallee Inlet on the beautiful south coast of NSW where we have the family holiday home would do me. See the pic on onthomasauthor.com and you’ll see why.
22.              IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
You’re asking a man who’s been married 63 years. If my Margaret was with me, I wouldn’t need anyone else.
23.              WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?
I’d say ‘listen to the quiet folks. Listen to the people who aren’t pushing extreme views down your throat or pushing their own barrow.
24.              WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I haven’t finished writing yet. I’ll keep at it.
25.               WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON BOOK TRAILERS? DO THEY SELL BOOKS?
I’m about to find out. I don’t have a view at the moment.
26.              DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?
I’ve been accused of basing Solly, the swagman in the Solly Trilogy on myself. He tells tales too. I suppose I’ve put a bit of myself in there.
27.              DOES THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU?
Yes. I suspect publishing in the traditional manner is slowly strangling itself. The process of submitting a manuscript and getting covered in cobwebs while you wait for someone who has too many manuscripts to choose from and too little time to choose will lose out to the new disruptors. That’s why I’ve chosen Assisted Independent Publishing and I ain’t sorry.
28.              DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?
Not so far.
29.              WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY?
My current manuscript is my favourite. But my current manuscript is ALWAYS my favourite. You have to love your current manuscript!



30.               HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER?
This is a great question! Before I left my real job, I understood the likelihood that I could make more money doing what I was already doing. I began writing because I wanted to share the stuff that was in my head. Success is having an engaged audience and the more the merrier!
31.              WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
Being based on history, and often on particular little-known events, I hope readers will learn something about some obscure happenings. I’ve begun blogging some of these snippets on my website. I only write books with the aim of leaving my readers uplifted. If they don’t feel good as they close that last page, I’ve failed. That doesn’t mean they end is as the reader anticipated!
32.              WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE YOUR BOOKS MADE INTO MOVIES? EVER WRITTEN A SCREENPLAY?
I’ve had some interest in turning the Solly Trilogy into a movie and a TV series. I’m glad I’m not hanging by my thumbs while I wait, though. If it happens, it happens.
33.              HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER?
Lots. Fortunately, my daughter is a talented, highly professional graphic artist, so with her help, I’ve been able to have a considerable influence on my covers.
34.              WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?
I’m living it!
35.               WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS?
For the first time, I now have 5 books being published in the one year, so branding comes to front of mind. I’ve chosen a little, coloured tower at the base of each spine, common to all books, to give a similar look and feel. I’m learning as I go!
36.               ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?

The first iteration of Solly’s Way was co-published. That means the author shares the cost but not the say. It was then republished traditionally, followed by Solly’s Legacy and Dark Angels. Souvenirs was in production when the publisher passed away suddenly at the age of 50. Now, all ten of my books are queued for publication on an assisted independent publishing basis. It’s quite a ride! Writers who might consider this course are free to contact me. I’m emailing friends about every step of my assisted publishing journey, If you check in on ronthomasauthor.com, you can see how it all works out. . I haven’t self-published to date, so I can’t help with that.
37.              DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS.
An ordinary bloke who tries.
38.              WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST?
I like to think I’m hard to piss off, but here goes. It’s the critics in the stand, who find fault in everyone else while achieving little themselves.
39.              WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?
I just finished Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada. Four stars. Lots of good stories are sited in Berlin!



40.               WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE YOU’D WRITE?
‘Good lord!’ he said with a broadening smile. ‘I can see the pearly gates!’ then he lay back and closed his eyes, but the smile remained.
41.               WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE TO SHARE?
Not a lot. A sub-par round of golf would. A growing readership tends to do it every time.
42.               ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
Just this. Take a look at www.ronthomasauthor.com and make me happy!


WEBSITE
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Clancy's comment:  Well done, Ron. Hope your gamble to write pays off. Hang in there.
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5 June 2020 - A COLLECTION OF ABANDONED CHURCHES IN ITALY

A COLLECTION OF ABANDONED CHURCHES IN ITALY 
G'day folks,
Churches play a central role in many cultures. They are meeting places to find joy, peace or comfort together. They also belong to the townscape like hardly any other building and it is, therefore, no wonder that they are often considered landmarks. 
Many of them are several centuries old and we preserve them as best we can. But still, like everything human-made, they also have an expiration date. The reasons why churches, mosques, and co. decayed are different.
The deeply religious country Italy, in particular, has a high density of old abandoned churches, which is not least due to the fact that the country was repeatedly hit by natural disasters. It is really sad to see because the value of the buildings goes beyond religion. Some of them are real masterpieces of interior design and handicrafts.
Now, let’s check out some of these amazing constructions …
























Clancy's comment: Wow! Extraordinary buildings going to waste. I guess you noticed the lack of graffiti!I'm ...  

4 June 2020 - Artist Uses 200k Recycled Bottle Caps To Create A Mural

Artist Uses 200k Recycled Bottle Caps To Create A Mural
G'day folks,
I'm always looking for bright, young artists to share their work. Here is an inventive young man from Venezuela.
Many artists around the globe have begun shifting towards art that draws everyone’s attention to the ever-rising issue of climate change. Among these examples, we have yet another artist, 23-year-old Oscar Olivares from Venezuela, who has been making headlines recently with his gigantic mural made from bottle caps.



“Besides the techniques, I have always used my art to be happy and to express what I feel and think,” explained the inspiration behind his art. “I am deeply happy when I am drawing or painting and I want the people that look at my work to feel the same happiness that I feel during the creative process. To be honest, at the end, I didn’t make the decision to become a visual artist—it is just what I am and if I wouldn’t have become an artist, I would have been a totally different person.”




Oscar Olivares, in collaboration with the local environmental organization OkoSpiri and Movimiento en la Arquitectura para el Futuro (eng. Movement in Architecture for the Future), has created a gigantic mural using recycled plastic bottle caps and container lids.




It took 2.5 months to plaster over 200,000 various plastic caps on a wall of a small square, Plaza Escalona in El Hatillo Municipality, Caracas. The mural extends a total of 45 meters in length, measuring 3.5 meters at its shortest point and 7.25 meters at its highest point.




“The initiative came from ONG OkoSpiri—they invited me to participate as the artist of the project of creating the first eco-mural of Venezuela using just bottle cap,” elaborated the young artist. “At first, it sounds impossible, but I did some research and dove deep into pointillism and color. It helped me understand that it was not only possible to make a good mural using caps, but also something hard yet impressive and thus worth it.”



Clancy's comment: Go, Oscar.   Love ya work!
I'm ...







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3 June 2020 - Guy Earns The Trust Of A Black And Orange Fox

Guy Earns The Trust Of A Black And Orange Fox
G'day folks,
Officially, Sam Gaby is an economist and policy advisor but he’s been a photographer way longer. Sam has been holding a camera since he was 10 years old and even though he considers himself a hobbyist, he has captured some very fascinating shots. Like these.



The photoshoots began when Sam met the foxes in a very small town in Newfoundland, Canada, called Twillingate. “The encounter was surreal,” he said. “I spent almost 8 weeks with these foxes, photographing them almost every day. As you can see, the foxes look very relaxed, with no sign of stress on their faces.”



Indeed. Gaby managed to completely earn the foxes’ trust. Not only did they allow him to take their photos, it’s as if they were glad Sam was spending time with them.



One cross fox really stands out in the pictures. The partially melanistic color of its fur looks simply magical. A long dark stripe running down its back intersects another stripe to form a cross over its shoulders, and it’s impossible to take your eyes off of it.



At first, the cross fox was considered to be a separate species from the red fox, and was given the binomial name Canis Decassatus (the fox genus Vulpes was then commonly included in the dog genus Canis). And even after scientists concluded that they were variations of the same one, fur farmers and trappers continued to treat each red fox color form as a distinct species for quite some time.





Cross foxes are relatively common in the northern parts of North America, and comprise up to 30% of Canada’s red fox population. They were also once abundant in Idaho and Utah before being largely killed off. Some cross foxes are occasionally reported in Scandinavia but they’re very rare there. A study based on nearly 3,000 skins of the red fox in Finland found that 99% were of the reddish form, with cross foxes making up for only 0.3% of the remaining 1%.
Coming back to Gaby, he believes that his job as a photographer is to document the environment and the behavior of the creatures living in it without disturbing them. “I reach a point where I go to that same spot and I call the foxes and they come out of the bush. It took time to build that trust,” he said. “I have never touched any of them, although I wanted to so bad.”
“The foxes were very curious. Extremely intelligent. I watched them digging food out of holes in the ground and also hiding food in the ground. I was told by locals that a long time ago, there was a fur farm in that area but when fur prices went down, the farm closed down and the owner released the foxes into the wild. I was also told by locals that both foxes are siblings.”



In the summer, Sam used Nikon D5, D750 and D610 to capture the foxes. In winter, he used Sony a7 III. “I do my best to visit this little town twice a year. I save up some money and I go spend my money there. I’d rather benefit a small community where jobs and other resources are scarce. These types of communities need our money to survive.”

Clancy's comment: Thank you, Sam. Love ya work!
I'm ...




   




 

2 June 2020 - Russian Couple Places Tiny Fantasy-Inspired Worlds Into Their Jewelry

Russian Couple Places Tiny  Fantasy-Inspired Worlds Into Their Jewelry G'day folks,I'm always seeking creative people to share with you, and I've found a couple who make extraordinary items.  Maxim and Diana run their own little workshop "Maple Fox," where they create amazing jewelry. They put different magical worlds inside their works. For example, they have pendants, rings, figurines, and night lights with the heroes and locations from Warhammer, Dota 2, and The Witcher 3. Along with this, they indicate that most often, people commission jewelry with ships and lighthouses.
In their artwork couple uses wood, horns, mother of pearl, and, of course, epoxy resin.
Diana is an artist and painter, so her main activity in the workshop is precisely artistic. She generates and draws sketches for future artwork, participates in the creation of complex compositions. Maxim is engaged in miniatures, as well as in resin casting, shaping future products, grinding, polishing, and the manufacture of all wooden parts and decorations. 
Now, let's have a good look at their work...




















Clancy's comment: Stunning work, eh?
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1 June 2020 - Woodworker Uses His Background In Shipbuilding To Create Stunning Wooden Bathtubs

Woodworker Uses His Background In Shipbuilding To Create Stunning Wooden Bathtubs
G'day folks,

The NK Woodworking & Design studio, created by craftsperson Nathie Katzoff, is known for its intricate and award-winning staircases—however, other items it creates are gaining popularity among home design enthusiasts. 



The studio is making headlines with its one-of-a-kind bathtubs. The most unique thing about them is the medium they are made from. Apparently, Katzoff has perfected a technique that allows him to make stunning bathtubs out of wood. The methods developed by the studio allow these bathtubs to keep water warmer for much longer than regular porcelain or metal tubs.




 The tubs are made out of sustainable domestic and exotic hardwood and built in Seattle, Washington. “My favorite to use, visually, as a composition, is walnut and a mahogany called sapele,” Katzoff  said, and the process of making them is quite lengthy.
“With every bath being different, it varies on complexity. However, it often takes us three or four months to make a bath. The most extreme custom bath (no public photos available) we made took almost a year to create,” the creator said. The tubs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with some of them looking like giant bowls and others resembling little vessels.





If you’re interested in having one of these in your home, be prepared for a hefty price tag. While the studio didn’t reveal the exact price range, it is known that the price starts at $30,000. As Katzoff described it: “These are art-level pieces priced similarly to nice cars and handmade high-end art furniture.” 


Clancy's comment: Simply stunning, but expensive.
I'm ...






 

31 May 2020 - BLAINE WRIGHT - GUEST AUTHOR

BLAINE WRIGHT - GUEST AUTHOR -
G'day folks,
Today, I interview an interesting author from Texas.
Welcome, Blaine ....


1.           TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY. 
I was born in southern Idaho in the late fifties. Our small town of around four thousand soon became too small for five rowdy kids from a broken home. My mother took my two older brothers and me on a trip up into the wilderness mountain region of west central Idaho in search of a new place to call home. I was not quite ten years of age. For various reasons, I fell in love with this wilderness and chose to call this my home. It was not to be. I was the only member of my family who chose this place; it being too remote for my siblings. I never forgot this place and spent much of my life trying to return. As an adult I camped along the many area rivers, travelled the mountain roads, climbed the wilderness trails and climbed the desolate mountain peaks. I eventually realized that a story needed to be told that was embedded in my psyche about this area and I could be the only one to tell it. Book One of the White Bird series “Among the Nez Perce” is the beginning of my journey home. 
2.           WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?
I began research on this first novel in 2007, taking a trip to the area and staying at the White Bird Summit lodge to begin my novel. It didn’t take hold for another 10 plus years, though I researched the area and the history of the native people while trying to get the confidence that I could actually be a novelist. To help my confidence, I penned off a quick short tale of my young adulthood and my canine companion of the time period. I did not edit it and used an old photo of my pal Rusty for the cover. I self published “Rusty’s Tail”(this very amateur short story) using Amazon’s Createspace format. It is very amateur as far as writing goes but it did help me gain the confidence to begin my journey as a true novelist. I finished Rusty’s Tail in April of 2018 and by the New Year had completed my first draft manuscript of White Bird. 
3.           WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP? 
I am very much a shoot from the hip writer. I cannot seem to stick to any schedules and have never done a story outline. 
4.           WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
I like living in my own imagination and expressing who I am through the fictitious characters I create. 



5.           WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER? Believing in what I do and trying to market my product. There is a very large amount of competition in this profession and, even though I believe my writing is among the very best; it is unbelievably difficult to get the attention of the reading public. 6.           WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER? Soldier, truck driver, drifter 
7.           WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT? White Bird 
8.           WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? 
I am working on four different novels and shorts in the White Bird series. Book Two takes place primarily in Vietnam when Daniel Knight (White Bird) comes of an age to enlist. There are two different distinct Vietnams in my mind. 1965 and the early stages of our involvement and 1968 post Tet Offensive. In order to make a contrast I am writing a different character beginning late 1965 (Daniel is too young at this point). I am also doing a short story of Daniel in Idaho during this same period. My fourth novel in progress takes place in our near future and is very much about the series and White Bird. It is my first attempt at my favorite genre (Science fiction). 
9.           WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
 Daniel Knight. He is my invention and is now and will always be the hero 
that never fails me. 10.WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
 Because my tale is perforce in a particular place and time at this early stage, it is historical fiction. I did not choose this genre; the genre chose me. Eventually the series will become briefly contemporary fiction (possibly a mystery novel featuring Daniel), then becoming science fiction as the series passes into the future. 


11.DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?
 Don’t worry about what others tell you. Just write it down. Be prepared for a marketing nightmare if you want to get noticed by the reading public. 12.DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK? 
Yes I do, a lot; and for various reasons. My confidence is very much on a roller coaster ride. I am of a very advanced age to begin this project. I finished book one and am very confident that it is a great example of literary fiction. Now I get worried that I can never live up to the standard I have set for myself. I constantly need to remind myself that it is okay if the first draft sucks. I can fix all that in edit. I am not nearly as organized as I need to be. All these things create writer’s block and I face them daily. 13.DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE? No. Not yet. That will come with getting better organized. 14.DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE? On my laptop. In my recliner. 15.WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING? Escaping into the world of my own imagination. 16.WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY? Nelson DeMille is my inspiration. His content and genre are where I need to be and his style is very empathetic. He is not afraid to expose his inner demons in his writings. 17.WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER? I have been told by a few that I moved them in a very spiritual way. That makes it all worthwhile. 


18.WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER? Nothing- real bad so far. A very close family relation expressed my tendency to ramble when I get too engaged. A particular slice of my novel is called “Spirit Walk” and I wrote it knowing that for some it would be too lengthy. I may have to do this two-week journey into the wilderness in a different way if I do a second edition. 19.WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU? Yes. Very much so. I had to write about a time and place that firmly embedded itself into the psyche of a very small boy. It stuck with me and haunted me until I just had to become an author in order to tell the story. 20.OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE? Family, friends and pets. I have seven indoor cats to keep me company. To get away, I always have my Harley! 21.DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION? Sort of. Not knowing better I used a hybrid publishing partner. I would not recommend this route to anybody now but it did get a real decent product to market. They gave me the formatting and guidelines to do an intense four-month edit process that got 99% plus of the grammatical type errors fixed. It was a self-edit in the end. I regret not having a style editor to guide my progress as I learned my own personal brand of writing. 22.DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY. Writing 3 to 4 thousand words on one of my novels. Having several cats on my lap during different parts of the day. A couple of hours spent on social media marketing. Maybe a bike ride in there somewhere. 23.IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY? That is difficult because I love so many people but truly believe that I would get on their nerves eventually. I am a reclusive type and would actually prefer my best pal Ocho. He is my seventh and youngest feline companion. 24.WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS? Help us bring back the truest meaning of honour, courage, fealty and loyalty to love. 25.WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? More tales in the White Bird series. I hope to travel a lot and visit my wilderness country of Idaho while doing many book tours. 26. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON BOOK TRAILERS? DO THEY SELL BOOKS? Never done one. I am open to it. 


27.DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS? A part of myself is in most of my characters. Much of who I wished to be is in Daniel Knight. He is the hero I always wanted to be. 28.DOES THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU? Yes. Very much so! 29.DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING? No. I lived a long and colourful life with no real passion. This is my calling and my very first true one. 30.WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY? I only have two so far. My favourite is, of course “White Bird”. I can re-read parts of either one and find myself with a face full of tears. The good kind! 31. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER? Getting it out to any reader who gains a bit of joy or comfort from the reading. 32.WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL? Any reader of my works will know much of my personal heart and soul. I gained much spirituality in the writing of White Bird and I hope to spread a bit of that magic into the world. 33.WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE YOUR BOOKS MADE INTO MOVIES? EVER WRITTEN A SCREENPLAY? I would love to do a television series on the tale of White Bird. Never have though and I doubt that I will ever have the funds myself for such a venture. I would need to be a very lucky man indeed to accomplish such a thing. 34.HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER? It took several drafts to get it right and even though my cover is from my own mind I do not believe it is professional enough. I will do better next time. 35.WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM? To be remembered as a man with a large heart! Maybe a summer home very near the mountain wilderness known as the Seven Devils of Idaho. 36. WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS? Marketing is a monumental endeavor and is necessary. I hate it. 


37. ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED? Yes 38.DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS. I lived and loved fully 39.WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST? Self-denial. It is way too common. 40.WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE? I re-read Upcountry for maybe the tenth time. It is my encouragement. Nelson DeMille wrote it about a veteran army investigator who must travel back to Vietnam to investigate a cold-case murder. It is his personal journey back, as well as that of his character’s. DeMille is a decorated officer of the Vietnam War and dared to share much that haunted him within to tell this story. It is truly inspirational. 41.        WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE YOU’D WRITE? And so I finally complete my long journey home! 
42.        WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE TO SHARE? I hope for enough success as a novelist to keep myself in groceries and allow me to keep writing full time until the end of my days. 
43.        ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? Follow me. Here is my email. Send me yours. I have a newsletter, blog, facebook page, linked in author page, website and so much more.


AMAZON
Clancy's comment: Thank you, Blaine. Keep plugging away like the rest of us.
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30 May 2020 - TOP SAMPLES OF AUSTRALIAN GRAFFITI

TOP SAMPLES OF AUSTRALIAN GRAFFITI
G'day folks,
Welcome to some more examples of our graffiti. Some of it is brilliant. Love the final two.

































Clancy's comment: I left the best two until last! That, my friends is our revered prime minister and, like much graffiti around the world, both images depict a political message. 
Oh, those images were floating on Facebook for weeks, but Facebook wrote to me and asked me to remove them because 'they did not meet community standards.' Well, here they are on my blog, but I have different community standards. It's called freedom of speech. Enjoy them. Both are brilliant works of art.

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29 May 2020 - World's Longest Wood Carving!

World's Longest Wood Carving!G'day folks,It took Chinese artist Zheng Chunhui 4 years to enter the Guinness Book of Records for the world's longest wooden carving. Chunhui is a famous wood carver, and his creation, his magnum opus, is over 40 feet (12 meters) long and made from one single tree trunk.  
 This amazingly intricate work features three dimensional boats, buildings bridges and 550 individually carved human figures, who are carrying cargo, shopping in markets, talking to each other and going about their daily business.  
 The scene depicted is actually a copy of a very famous Chinese painting 'Along the River During the Quinming Festival', which was painted over 1,000 years ago during the Song Dynasty by artist Zhang Zeduan. Many consider it the 'Chinese Mona Lisa'. This painting is one of the best indications of what ancient Chinese culture was life.    


In addition to being so long, it also stands at 3 meters tall (10 feet) and is 2.4 meters (8 feet) wide.  


Clancy's comment: The talent of some people leaves me totally gob smacked. What an extraordinary piece of work.I'm ...

28 May 2020 - Beautiful Artworks We Probably Walk Past Every Day

Beautiful Artworks We Probably Walk Past Every DayG'day folks,Most of us are familiar with the big names, like Da Vinci, Picasso, and Van Gogh, many of whom gained fame only after their deaths. But some incredible artists spend their entire lives and passing completely unrecognized. And chances are, you've walked past their works of art at some point, without even realizing. These beautiful paintings are proof that the world is a canvas and inspiration can be found anywhere. And the best part about it is that it's all open to interpretation. What truly makes it art is the feeling it can awaken inside of you if you just take a minute to stop and look. 




 




 




Clancy's comment: Gob smacking talent!
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