Edward Lorn's Blog, page 89

Absolution

Seeking forgiveness is selfish. By asking for absolution, we take away the victim’s power. “I feel like you should let go of whatever I did so I can move on.” Yes, it is the human condition to err. We’re fallible creatures who learn through trial and error.  But, (like Sir Mix-A-Lot, I like big buts) forgiveness should be doled out by the victim only if they feel that the wrong has passed, and both parties can progress. The term “I’m sorry,” has lost all its meaning these days, as has “I love you.” We toss around these two sayings with little care for their true meaning. To truly be sorry for something we must feel some kind of empathy for the wronged. It should not be used as a way of covering one’s own ass. Same with “I love you.” Men, especially, use those three words as a tool: to get laid, to garner favor, to get a sandwich, the list goes on. And like most other words, over time, we lose sight of their origins. What are we left with? A mass of syllables arranged pleasantly as to procure contentment. Basically, you want to feel better, and that’s all absolution is. You fucked up. Deal with it. Forgive yourself and move on. You’ll hear people say, “All I wanted from them was an apology,” but that’s not really what they’re saying. The victim wants the abuser to feel bad about what they’ve done. Even if the abuser shows remorse, the act is still out there and cannot be reeled back in like a big mouth bass.

In terms of religious absolution, I’d like to give you a scenario. A person kills another human being. The murderer realizes that what they’ve done is wrong, and that they should be punished for it. Wonderful. Now, whilst incarcerated, a family member dies and the murderer is left an inheritance. Now they can buy all the commissary cookies and Cheetos the prison can supply. Their life has changed. They are now better off. Maybe they even donate some of their acquired snacks to their fellow prisoners in the hopes to buy favor. Does this mean they should be let out of prison? I mean, they feel bad about their crimes. They’re doing nice things for their community of prisoners. Should we give them a second chance? What do you think the victim’s family believes? Ah, now we get into the meat of the scenario. At the end of the day, it is up to the wronged to decide whether or not the murderer deserves absolution. But let’s change that inheritance. Let’s say, instead of coming into money, the murderer finds Jesus. The murderer knows he did wrong, and has been absolved by the Good Book. After all, Jesus dies for his sins, right? So, once again, absolution is out of the hands of the wronged and given to some deity the victim’s family might not even believe in. What if the wronged are Muslim… Buddhist… atheists? Having had Jesus forgive the murderer doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in the eyes of those who worship differently. All too many times we hear stories about how much better someone has become because they found Jesus, as if the Son of God were a twenty spot left unattended on a sidewalk. “Hey, look! It’s Jesus!” And that’s what it amounts to. Though that twenty dollar bill might be the tipping point in the finder’s life, whatever they did before stumbling across that twenty bucks hasn’t changed.

Many of you will disagree, but I stick by what I’ve said in this post. Seeking absolution is selfish, and should be seen that way. Maybe if we took more responsibility for our fuck ups this world would be a better place. But, no, we’re an entitled bunch of monkeys who only worry about our own bananas. I say this: It means more to be forgiven than it does to acquire forgiveness through seeking absolution. If nothing else, I want you to think about it. I was wrong once. It could happen again.

E.

Coming in April

I did not sign up for the A to Z Blogging Challenge, but I am participating all the same. Why didn’t I sign up? Because most of these posts will have naughty language, and from what I can tell, the challenge is family friendly. Starting tomorrow morning, I will begin a series of twenty-six blog posts. Nothing will be posted on Sundays, as per the rules of the challenge. Beginning May 2nd, I will be taking a much needed break from the internet. I honestly don’t know how long I will be gone. I do assure fans of CRUELTY that they will get their final episodes, but I may not be around to pimp them. If you want to be informed of their release, I suggest liking my author page on Amazon by clicking HERE. You will then be emailed every time something new of mine is published.

See you tomorrow.

New Blog Series Forthcoming!

I will be joining the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Well, not really. I mean, I didn’t sign up or anything. Simply stealing their idea. So, for the 26 days in April… What? There’s not 26 days in April? Well, shit, okay… I guess I’ll take Sundays off, then. Tom Cruise doesn’t like it when I work on His Holiest Day of Holy Self-Worship.

Basically, the schedule looks like this:

Care to join in on the fun? If you do, I’ll steal you your own nifty letter. Look at mine:

 

 

Nifty, huh? Just swell. Anyfudge, if you want to join in on the fun, leave a comment below, link me to your bloggity type thingamajig, and hope you have the time and energy to actually pull this shit off. It’ll be fun. Like the 30 Day Book Challenge! Remember that? Yeah, me neither. Been too long since we did something fun together. See you Tuesday, April 1st.

 

FREE FLASH FICTION DOWNLOAD!

Hello everybody, E. here. Click HERE or on the cover below to be whisked away to a Goodreads portal for a free PDF copy of “Just Short of Paradise”. If you’d prefer .mobi or epub versions please send requests to edwardlorn@gmail.com and I’ll shoot you the proper format. Thank you and enjoy.

 

 

CRUELTY: Episode Four Now Available!

Get the latest chapter of CRUELTY today!

CRUELTY is a serial novel in ten parts.

Episode Four.

Tom Morgan is out of surgery, but far from out of the woods.

With Kirk for bait, Twon and Ollie go fishing.

State Investigator Markum seeks clues concerning the murder of John Landover.

Merlo the Cowardly Dog and Sheriff Randy Miser meet for the first time in a desperate struggle to save each other’s lives.

Momma’s not happy.

http://www.amazon.com/Cruelty-Episode-Four-Edward-Lorn-ebook/dp/B00J81AVJC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395713865&sr=1-1&keywords=cruelty+episode+four

Now offering review copies of CRUELTY: Episode One to all those who’re interested. Comment below, message me on Booklikes, Goodreads, or email me at edwardlorn@gmail.com and I’ll shoot you a copy in mobi, epub, of PDF formats.

Thank you for all your past, present, and future support!

E.

Ruminating On: The Top Five Reasons I Buy a Book

#5. They smell sexy. Did you know that older books give off that slightly vanillin odor because of the type of chemicals used to treat the paper and not because of the type of wood? Neither did I until I Googled “why do old books smell”. Have you ever taken a deep whiff of a new book, though? Smells kinda like newspaper. Not an overly pleasant smell, but one that makes me randy nonetheless. Something about knowing I’m in store for an adventure through words makes me horny, baby. So, if you ever pass a fat man in a bookstore with his nose crammed in a book and an erection testing the strength of his zipper, say “What’s up!” It might be me.

#4. They feel nice. Whether it’s the flat matte of a worn paperback, or the greasy feel of a new hardcover’s dust jacket, I loves them all. They feel good in my hands, like a chubby woman. There’s something vaguely mental about this train of thought, but go on and take a ride with me. Growing up, I used to secret away my dad’s girlie mags. They all had glossy covers. The older I got, the more sophisticated my reading material became, and I went from staring at pictures to reading verbose fiction. Still, the feel of the covers remained the same: Slippery. To this day, I love the feel of a new hardcover. I’d rub it all over my body if I didn’t think I’d get it all oily and ruin it. Same with a worn out paperbacks. The spines all cracked and bumpy. I call ‘em stretch marks, and just like tiger stripes on women, they make me hot. And yes, I’m being completely honest. Stretch marks, to me, are sexy.

#3. They’s purdy. I don’t give an ugly book the time of day. I know that’s superficial of me, but I want to be honest here. And you know I’m right. Trash without usually (not always, but usually) means trash within. An ugly cover is indicative of an ugly story, or lack of care taken in creating said story. If the author/publisher didn’t worry themselves over what is essentially the advertisement for their product, then chances are the inside is as big of if not an even larger mess. This is something a great many independent authors fail to realize. Almost no one goes by that old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” You have to remember, people eat with their eyes first, and even if that pile of shit tastes like red velvet cupcakes and cherry Kool-Aid, it still looks like a mound of excrement. Trust me, I understand horrible books can have gorgeous covers, but at least they look pretty on my bookshelf after I’ve finished them. Yup, yup. If you wanna be with me, provide a sexy cover, please.

#2. The synopsis makes me feel like a kid again. When reading a description of a book, I want that giddy sense of expectation. I want a sense of urgency; as if I have to read it right this instant or the world will end. I need to feel the magic without spoiling it, though. A good synopsis tells me about the first 25% of a book only. If when I finish the synopsis I feel as if I’ve read the entire book, I’m probably not going to buy it. I mean, what’s the point? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate you saving me money, but I kinda wanted a longer experience. The best synopses ask questions. “In a world of three-breasted women, will the two-tongued man be king?” or “At the end of it all, will there be a new beginning? Should Game Over Man press continue?” You know, shit like that. Never, ever, evereverevereverever, tell me your vital plot points. Oh, and do your best not to lie to me. Don’t say stuff like “A gripping novel of edge-of-your-seat suspense with a cliffhanger ending on the slippery slope of Mount Clench-Yo-Teeth!” or “Bring plenty of Kleenex because we’re about to thug-punch your feels right in the care-sack.” Though those sentences might be true to some readers, there’s a possibility my handhold and care-sack might never be in danger. Not everyone responds to literature in the same way, and telling me how I should react is a guaranteed way to make me not react at all.

#1. My friends won’t shut the [expletive deleted] up about a book. I see it everywhere. All my buddies have read it. They hate it or they love it, but either way I have to read it for myself. I’ve slogged through so many horrible books because I had to form my own opinion: TWILIGHT, HARRY POTTER, ROSEMARY’S BABY, 50 SHADES OF GREY, STEELHEART… the list goes on. I don’t fault my friends for my lack of enjoyment, I’m saying that this is one of the reasons I buy books. Because, you know, that’s the whole theme of this blog post. (And do your fangirling/boying somewhere else. If you like any of those books/series I mentioned that’s fine. But I didn’t. So… there! *sticks tongue out, waggles it, tastes something funny on the air, rethinks decision, questions what he’s doing with his life, slinks away*) … Where was I? Oh yeah, popular books. Yes, this is probably the number one reason I buy a book: because everybody and their overly opinionated mommas have already read it or are going to read it in the near future. I’ve come across more good books than bad ones using this method, so I will continue to follow the recommendations of my compatriots. My comrades have only let me down a handful of times. Luckily, I’m only a completionist with authors whose work I enjoy, or have enjoyed once upon a time. Dean Koontz, I’m looking at you, ass panda.

#0. In summation, I buy books based on triggers and friend recs. Why do you buy certain books? Leave your own excuses in the comment section of this post, or create your own post and link me to it. Also, if you’re so inclined, what’s the most you’ve ever spent on a book and why? For me, it was a signed Cemetery Dance’s 25th Anniversary Edition of Stephen King’s IT. $125, because it’s one of my favorite books of all time, and the art work is freakin’ beau-oooooooo-tiful!

This was fun. Thanks for reading.

Love yo faces,

E.

CRUELTY: Episode Four is on its way to editing…

…and I’m drained, both mentally and physically. I’ve written and rewritten this episode alone three times. I’ve questioned myself more with this novella-length piece than any other of my previous works combined. Everything had to blend just right to set up Episode Five. I think I finally managed to get the balance I was looking for, but I won’t be sure until I hear back from beta readers and my editor. Oh, and, as promised, we’re on track for an April 1st release. One more episode until the mid-season finale.

E., signing off.

 

CRUELTY is a serial novel in ten parts.

Episode Four.

Tom Morgan is out of surgery, but far from out of the woods.

With Kirk for bait, Twon and Ollie go fishing.

State Investigator Markum seeks clues concerning the murder of John Landover.

Merlo the Cowardly Dog and Sheriff Randy Miser meet for the first time in a desperate struggle to save each other’s lives.

Momma’s not happy.

Ruminating On: Homosexuality in Creative Media

I know I’ve neglected this blog. My apologies. This platform has been many things, but the constant theme has been my honest view of the world. I decided a while ago that I would only post here if I had something important to say. That time has come.

Recently, a member of Booklikes who goes by the handle Amaranth commented, positively, on a relationship between two male characters that pops up in episode three of my ongoing serial, Cruelty. Amaranth went on to say that she wasn’t expecting the scene, but, being a fan of M/M fiction, she enjoyed it. That got me thinking. And what is Ruminating On if not my thought processes spilled out on the internet.

Here’s what I have to say on the matter:

To combat ignorance and stereotypes, creative media, such as film, literature, music and video games, must make homosexual relationships commonplace. The worst thing a creative person can do is treat homosexuality as taboo. By doing that, they are perpetuating the myth that a sexual preference for one’s same sex is something alien and strange, and risk ostracizing gay fans, or worse, cause them to feel alone and different, as if there’s something wrong with them. Creators of entertainment media should not only showcase and highlight these relationships, but sprinkle them in here and there, like they would “traditional” relationships that are based on mutual affection, as if there’s nothing wrong with two men loving one another or two women wanting to share vows, because there isn’t anything wrong with a person needing/wanting/loving another human being, no matter the gender.

LGBT characters should not be treated like carnival attractions. Same with members of the homosexual community in our everyday lives. Whatever hang ups you have with gay people is your problem, not theirs. Although, I would like you to try and imagine how odd your “normal” sexuality is to them. Think about what you would do if someone treated your child, gay or not, as different. Stop and ruminate on what you are doing, what kind of mindset you’re promoting with the entertainment you provide. We need more gay leads and supporting characters, yes we do, but, moreover, we need to make this something that doesn’t stand out. Because humans are creatures of habit that only pay attention to the out-of-place, the unexpected, while things they see day in and day out merge with their view of the world and become mundane. That’s right: The topic of homosexuality needs to be boring. As with race, these invisible lines need to disappear. We’re all screwed up and weird and broken in our own ways. We also all share the capability to love one another.

Less than a century ago, my marriage would have been illegal (I’m white, my wife’s black), and I’ll be damned if I won’t do everything in my power with the tools provided to me to promote equality in every possible way. Will you join me?

Take care of each other.

E.

DASTARDLY BASTARD Audio Book Raffle!

Red Adept Publishing is hosting a raffle for my sophomore effort, DASTARDLY BASTARD (Audible Edition). Click on the cover below to enter today!

The 2014 Big Al’s Books and Pals Readers’ Choice Awards!

Two of my books (one is a collective I did with a group of outstanding authors) have been nominated in the 2014 BigAl’s Books and Pals Readers’ Choice Awards! LIFE AFTER DANE is up for best Speculative Fiction, and SEASONS is up for best collection. If you’ve read either of them and think they’re worthy, please vote. Please do not vote just because you want to support me. I appreciate the thought, but I want these stories to speak for themselves. I was nominated last year for HOPE FOR THE WICKED and loss, so I won’t be destroyed if I do not win this year.

Aside from all that, you have a chance to win a gift card or lots of books. Click on the link above to vote now. Even if you don’t vote for anyone, use the options at the bottom of the raffle to help spread the word and be entered in the contest.