Nick Davis's Blog, page 18

It Shouldn’t Happen To A Lyft Driver: Of Ratings And The Kenyan Octopus

[image error]Here is an interesting little fact that I discovered during my time as a Lyft Driver: 90% of single female passenger pick-ups, the female will sit in the front seat of the car next to me, while 95% of male passenger pickups the passenger will sit in the backseat. That being said, welcome of the next installment of is shouldn’t happen to a Lyft Driver, as I retell some of my more interesting adventures in ride-sharing – so join me after the jump and we will begin.

Of Ratings

Every Thursday Lyft Drivers get their rating summary email, I always viewed this email with mixed emotion, not because as a Lyft Driver you had to maintain a 4.7 rating or higher to not be suspended (yes, your rating is that important!), but because of some of the asinine negative feedback you would get.

By asinine, I mean comments like… Didn’t like the drivers music selection (obviously not a fan of 80’s rock), driver refused to let me smoke (want to smoke, walk), driver told terrible jokes (all the time… suck it up buttercup), driver’s car smells of wet dog (we are not allowed to refuse passengers with pets), car smelled of weed (last passenger was a pothead and I hate the smell as much as you), didn’t like the drivers shirt (obvious fashion critic) etc… etc..

I was amazed at what people would criticize the ride about, if I was a sensitive guy I would take it all personally.

A Retort Of Sorts

Do you remember what the old style taxi cabs used to look like? Like driving pools of puke, even now some mini-cabs look like trash heaps. You took a Lyft, because we are more responsive and 90% of the time faster, cheaper than a regular cab and 100% cleaner than most. In the end I have taken 667 successfully rides without incident, or breaking of traffic laws from point A to point B, while the PAX have ranged from sober, to drunk, to completely high.

All the time during this ride, we are trying to keep us both safe, keeping an eye on the other cars on the road, hoping you are not going to be sick in our car, hoping we don’t get carjacked, hoping you are not going to attack us and wondering if the GPS will drop us in the right location. The only thing we are not worrying about is if you like our music choice.

We Can Rate You Back

It is true, as Drivers we get to rate the PAX back with a score between 1 & 5. As a Lyft Driver I give you a score of five, because you didn’t try to kill me, of which my wife and myself are very, very grateful, you will only ever get a one because you did something really, really bad. Thankfully, I have given the one rating less than half-a-dozen times, but that is a story for another time.

The Kenyan Octopus

In my FAQ I said that during my time as a Lyft Driver I have been hit on, this wasn’t an idle boost, it actually is a thing that happens. Since I am English, I cannot help but think of the bad sex farce ‘Confession’ movies made in the late 70’s. So, let me tell you the story of the Kenyan Octopus and a journey down a very, very odd rabbit hole.

It all started around 2.30am on a Sunday Morning in March, I had pretty much finished doing my Lyft Driving for the night and had turned the Car nose back home. I had not turned off the App, and just as I was about to push the offline button, when I got a ride request. Fairly local to where I live, it was a bar, so I accepted figuring it would make for the last ride of the night.

I arrive at the bar, hit the arrive button and wait, and just before the clock runs down out comes this petite woman carrying two roses, who gets in the front seat of my car. Nothing unusual about that, a lot of single woman do this. I bring up the destination, confirm it, ask her to put her seat belt on and off we go. On the way I learn she is from Kenya and she gives me one of the two roses, a little unusual, but she is a little drunk, so I just say thank you and keep driving.

About a minute later, her hand touches my knee and she looks at me. At this point I don’t actually know what to do, so I laugh, make a bad joke and her hand is withdrawn. A minute later the hand reappears, this time I ask her to please keep her hands to herself as I am driving. This seemed to signal for a full on handsy assault, it was thankfully a five-minute ride to her apartment complex, of which it felt like it was fending off an octopus, and I pretty much ended the drive almost sitting outside the driver’s door to keep away from her.

Yep… It was very uncomfortable…

I get our Kenyan Octopus to her destination, tell her we are here and her hand goes on the inside of my thigh, and she asks if I would like to come in for coffee. I thank her nicely and say I am married, and I have another scheduled pick-up to make (I lied about the pick-up, but any excuse to get out of there), she gives me her phone number, insisting I put it in my phone, see’s me do it and then leaves. I watch her go into her apartment (to make sure she is safe), delete the phone number, give her a five-star rating (hey, she didn’t try to kill me), switch off the app and go home.

I get home give the rose to my wife and tell her the story of my encounter with the Kenyan Octopus

A week later I get my ratings review email, I notice one negative rating with comment, ‘Driver refused to come in for coffee.’

It really shouldn’t happen to a Lyft Driver…

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Drawing Outside Your Comfortzone: Turning Towards Digital Art

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The New Characters For The Teddy Bear Verse – Duo (coming digitally summer 2018)

Welcome to a new installment of ‘Drawing Outside Your Comfortzone’ over the last couple of years I have taken you all on a journey with me, as I attempt to evolve and improve my drawing style by tackling subjects, or ideas outside my normal comfortzone. The results have been mixed, but with each jump my skills have got a little sharper and I learned a new technique, or incorporated part of a drawing style. Well, in this installment I start the journey towards, putting away paper, pen and inktense pencils and look towards turning to Digital Art.

Digital Art Revolution Yo!

During all my time in conventions I have seen a growing trend, the traditional hand colored art being discarded by the fan, in favor for the bolder digital art colored pieces, while we can lambaste the throwing away of organic coloring, the trend is moving away from paper, to full digital art creation. Now I hear you say, you just noticed? No, I have not just noticed, I have been observing this trend for a couple of years, however, the tools to learn to draw digitally for layman (like me) are only just become affordable.

Now, before I go any further I have to say, I am a Graphic Designer and I make use electronic layout/image editing software everyday and have actually drawn several pieces in my youth using the old style trackball mouse. This process though has always been time-consuming, compared to what you can punch out with pen and paper.

Dipping The Toe

I have not gone full Digital yet, the end of the year I hope to be learning to draw and color on an iPad using Procreate. What, I am going to show here is where I am at right now, with the tools that are available to me. Which are pen, paper, a scanner and access to Photoshop (Adobe Creative Suite 6), it is somewhat cumbersome, but everyone has to start somewhere.

As you can see, the initial drawing is still created using pen and paper in the same style that I have been improving, ever since I picked up a pencil again in 2011, these were then inked.

The inked final is then scanned in at 300dpi to be colored using Photoshop, The digital coloring wasn’t anything special, I just picked color swatches off previous inktense penciled illustrations and then block colored using the paint brush and roller tool – a little like painting by numbers. Shading I introduced using global lighting and layer blending options. While I know I have a long way to go learning the subtles of digital coloring, I don’t feel Photoshop is the best software to learn it in, so expect to see more shade variation once I get Procreate cranking.

And there you have it, my first turn toward Digital Art creation (this century) and a new journey to under take. The plan (and don’t I always have a plan) is to be reasonably competent in digital creation to start drawing the Duo adventure comic book in summer 2018 – featuring our two new characters, a girl and her Teddy Bear.

Okay, this is me done for this installment, please leave you comments and thoughts below.

 

Order Book Two Of The Tether Saga: Except One – On Amazon And Kindle

[image error]The Tether Saga, follows the adventures of Sarah Taylor, who by accident has been gifted with a supernatural device that has pulled her into a twisted reality bubbling just under the surface of our own. Set on the streets of Baltimore, the Tether takes you on a helter-skelter roller-coaster ride into a twisted paranormal adventure that will have you watching the shadows…. And Except One, book two continues the journey as Sarah desperately searches for a way to separate herself from the Tether and have her life return to normal.

[image error]The Tether: Except One

By Nick Davis & Katrina Roets

A monster is on the rampage, a bond of trust is shattered and headless corpses turn up on the streets of Baltimore.

It has been two months since Sarah defeated the Dark, and she just wants everything to return to normal and enjoy her last year of High School. Normal though, is not the life of a Tether Keeper: even one as reluctant as Sarah.

Persuaded by CT to help in an investigation that shatters their friendship. Sarah once again finds herself alone and completely out of her depth. Lulled by the seemingly benign leadership of the Vigilie, she turns to the Custodiet for help.

Meanwhile, a creature of the night long thought extinct comes to Baltimore, and rumors of vampires fill the city with fear as the streets wash with blood.

Except One, the second book in the Tether Saga by Nick Davis and Katrina Roets continues the adventures of Sarah Taylor as she tries to survive a perilous dark supernatural world, that exists just in the shadows of our own.

Available on Amazon in print ($9.99) and on the Kindle ($3.99)

The Tether

Something evil is stalking the streets of Baltimore, our only hope is the new Keeper of the Tether – Sarah Taylor. The only problem, she doesn’t want it and her only guide to this new world she has stumbled into is CT, the Grandson of the original Keeper, who really wants the Tether back with his family and Sarah is quite happy to give it back – if the Tether actually lets her. Learn More About The Tether Here>>

About The Authors

Nick Davis is an Englishman currently living on the East Coast of the USA not too far removed from Charm City (aka Baltimore). He is a former White Dwarf feature writer, now freelance content writer and fully employed Web Designer. He is married to a very patient Irish American Lady, and has four children. When Nick is not working, running errands, playing with his kids, or burrowing through an ever-growing list of ongoing house ‘projects’, he can be found plodding away on a keyboard, exploring the worlds of his imagination that takes our reality and twists it around just a couple of degrees.

Katrina Roets has spent her entire life dreaming of writing something that people might read. When she wasn’t busy dreaming, she was spending her time raising two amazing boys as a single mom. Now that they’re nearly grown, this Michigan grown girl is reclaiming herself and finding her words again. You know, in between running them everywhere, helping them with homework, teaching them life skills, and all that good mom stuff

Available On Kindle PreOrder Book Two Of The Tether Saga: Except One

[image error]The Tether Saga, follows the adventures of Sarah Taylor, who by accident has been gifted with a supernatural device that has pulled her into a twisted reality bubbling just under the surface of our own. Set on the streets of Baltimore, the Tether takes you on a helter-skelter roller-coaster ride into a twisted paranormal adventure that will have you watching the shadows…. And Except One, book two continues the journey as Sarah desperately searches for a way to separate herself from the Tether and have her life return to normal.

[image error]The Tether: Except One

Available For PreOrder On The  Kindle – $3.99

By Nick Davis & Kristina Roets

A broken friendship, a rampaging monster, and headless corpses are turning up on the streets of Baltimore…

It has been two months since Sarah defeated the Dark and she wants everything to return to normal, and enjoy her last year of High School. Normal though, is not the life of a Tether Keeper: even one as reluctant as Sarah.

Persuaded by CT to assist in an investigation that splinters their bonds of trust and friendship. Sarah finds herself alone and out of her depth, as a creature of the night long thought extinct, comes to Baltimore and rumors of vampires fill the city with fear and the streets wash with blood.

Except One, the second book in the Tether Saga by Nick Davis and Katrina Roets continues the adventures of Sarah Taylor as she tries to survive a perilous dark supernatural world, that exists just in the shadows of our own.

The Tether

Something evil is stalking the streets of Baltimore, our only hope is the new Keeper of the Tether – Sarah Taylor. The only problem, she doesn’t want it and her only guide to this new world she has stumbled into is CT, the Grandson of the original Keeper, who really wants the Tether back with his family and Sarah is quite happy to give it back – if the Tether actually lets her. Learn More About The Tether Here>>

About The Authors

Nick Davis is an Englishman currently living on the East Coast of the USA not too far removed from Charm City (aka Baltimore). He is a former White Dwarf feature writer, now freelance content writer and fully employed Web Designer. He is married to a very patient Irish American Lady, and has four children. When Nick is not working, running errands, playing with his kids, or burrowing through an ever-growing list of ongoing house ‘projects’, he can be found plodding away on a keyboard, exploring the worlds of his imagination that takes our reality and twists it around just a couple of degrees.

Katrina Roets has spent her entire life dreaming of writing something that people might read. When she wasn’t busy dreaming, she was spending her time raising two amazing boys as a single mom. Now that they’re nearly grown, this Michigan grown girl is reclaiming herself and finding her words again. You know, in between running them everywhere, helping them with homework, teaching them life skills, and all that good mom stuff

What I Learned From Watching Magnum PI

[image error]Over the last three months, I have sat down and watched all 168 episodes of Magnum P.I, perhaps the most 80’s of TV shows and in my opinion the best buddy detective show ever made. But, what was the magic of this show? What made Magnum so popular and timeless? Let’s go for a ride my friends, and see what I have learned from watching Magnum P.I after the jump.

The Strength Of Magnum P.I

Magnum P.I used to be a Friday night mainstay in the UK, appearing on ITV on a Saturday night around 8pm. The show featured this really fun guy who walked around in a Hawaiian shirt, drove a Ferrari, lived in Paradise, and solved crime. That was my memory of this show from my long-lost youth.

So, what compelled me to sit down and watch 168 episodes, over a period of three months, of a show, that was made over thirty years ago? A little bit of nostalgia on my part, curiosity, and accidentally catching an episode on Starz Encore that had me remembering how much sheer fun this show was to watch. Sure, it was a Detective procedural, but it never took itself to seriously and Thomas Sullivan Magnum was the opposite of the super-cop/detective of that era. Most of the time he was portrayed as a mediocre detective whose real skill seems to be convincing his friends to solve his cases for him. Heck… Most of the time Thomas didn’t even get the girl, but he sure made losing the girl and having a mustache look cool.

He was very much like us (except he drove a cool car) and I think this is what made this show fun to watch.

A Buddy Show?

[image error]It is no secret that Magnum P.I was really an idealized version of Tom Selleck, he was the every man that we could identify with, and secretly wanted to be. The real secret behind the success of the show was his friendships with the three supporting actors. Without TC to fly him around the islands in his super-cool helicopter, or Rick to get his information, or even Higgins to disprove (and then support him), this show would have been very bland. At the core of Magnum P.I it was a buddy show.

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TC and Rick, were his friends and war buddies from the Vietnam war, their bonds of friendship forged during that conflict, and now, no matter what happened, they were always their for each other. It showed, that while they all carried memories from the war, they all dealt with them in their own way and got on with their lives. Magnum P.I became the first show to portray Vietnam Vets as everyday people, and not crazed loners.

The most enduring and evolved friendship on the show was that between Magnum and the Major Domo of Robin Nest – Jonathan Qualye Higgins. In the first season, it was a begrudged relationship, with Higgins barely tolerating Magnum. And our hero duping Higgins into borrowing a piece of Robin Masters equipment (usually a very expensive camera or electronic device), breaking it, and never returning it. Over the course of show we saw this relationship, turn from begrudged, to mutual respect, to a genuine friendship. I will say, it was the relationship between these two very different people really made the show. You tuned in to see how Magnum would get one over the stuffy Englishman, and how Higgins would ultimately catch Thomas out.

Magnum P.I was (and still is) one of the best buddy shows ever made.

Ch…Ch… Changes…

[image error]One of the things you notice when you binge watch a show, especially one with as many episodes as Magnum P.I is the changes in character and feel the show goes through. The basic core of Magnum was the buddy element and the Detective procedural that drove the narrative.

What you do notice is the show gets darker as it went on. At the very beginning Magnum rarely, if ever carried a gun, his theory being his line of work didn’t really call for it. And when he did have the need of a firearm, he couldn’t find it and then almost never used it, beyond compelling the villain to surrender.

[image error]As the show went on you could see the elements of other 80 crime shows start to seep in, we got musical montages more familiar with Miami Vice, more shootouts, and the villain of the week was resolved in a much darker vigilante style justice. Out of 168 episodes Magnum shot and killed at least two dozen people (one in chilling cold blood), with more than one incident leaving you thinking, how on earth wasn’t Thomas not in jail on Murder One?

This vigilante justice was a familiar theme of the 80’s and Magnum P.I just followed these themes, sometimes I felt a little too transparently, like they were trying to be the cool kid, but forgetting what made the show cool in the first place was it being its own thing… But you know, trends and TV producers and all.

Also over the course of the show, the tone got darker, more serious and the frivolous fun of the earlier seasons started to become serious character pieces, with Magnum’s character being more moodier, the adolescent man-child, started to become an adult with real responsibilities, that in the final episodes became a growing maturity that made sense for the character arc.

The show though was at its best when it leaned on the buddy relationships, and the more ludicrous parts of Magnum’s private investigation work, and having Higgins just generally thinking he was the only sane one in an insane world.

Jonathan Qualye Higgins III Was A Bad Ass

[image error]It has to be said at the very beginning of Magnum P.I Higgins was set up to be the shows straight man and foil to Magnum’s antics. As the show went on you see more of the character that John Hillerman expertly played come to the front. While Higgins genuinely thought he was the only sane one in an insane world, you learn, through narrative and actions that in reality he was really quite a bad ass in his prime.

Having survived, thrived in many conflicts across the globe Higgins was a character you could never discount. Indeed in later episodes, he shows his dedication to Magnum and his own bravery in situations you would not expect the character to step into, when you are first introduced to the character in the opening season.

Higgins was without any doubt the most well-rounded character in the series after Magnum, which leads me to the next part of my post.

Who Was Robin Masters?

[image error]Indeed… Who was the mysterious author, who made his fortune from trashy pot-boiler novels? Through the series we see glimpses from a distance of Robin Masters and hear his voice (played by Orson Wells). Magnum got the job as ‘security consultant’by doing the author a ‘great service’.

I will say this now, I believe Robin Masters was really Jonathan Qualye Higgins. Throughout the show you see Higgins lay claim to equipment Robins Master brought as his own, and in ‘Transitions’ he pretty much admits to writing the books, before confirming it in Resolutions Part Two. So, why the deceptions?

Pride and appearance. Higgins has position and standing in the Hawaiian community, not based on being a famous author, but just on this own abilities. Had he revealed to the general public who he was, the freedom he enjoyed would be gone. Plus it would never do for one in Higgins standing in society to be seen as a trash novelist.

So, Higgins hired a stand-in to be Robin Master and on occasion this deception would rebound on him, having to take orders from the person he employed to keep up the appearance of just being the long-suffering Major Domo of Robins Nest; while the actor playing Robin Masters got to jet-set around the world on Higgins dime.

Of course some say that Robin Masters was really Thomas Magnum, who was under a delusion that he was a private investigator, and really had multiple personalities and wrote the stories without any consciousness knowledge he was doing so, and that Higgins was part of his support network.

There is also the theory that Magnum’s grandfather was Robin Masters, having stories and adventures that seem to come straight out of a Robin Master’s novel.

I take the position that Higgins was Robin Masters.

Was It Self-Aware?

[image error]What marked Magnum P.I out from almost every other Detective Procedural of the time was it broke the fourth wall cosntantly. In the opening credits Thomas looks directly at the camera winks and drives off in the Ferrari, visually inviting you to come along on this weeks adventure with him. Also several times during the show Magnum would look directly at you the audience, in a sort of can you believe that just happened sort of way?

These small glimpses directly at the camera, made you feel you were a buddy along for the ride with Magnum. The noir elements, like Magnum’s narration of event also lent a friendlier atmosphere to the show. Here was the hero talking to us, like he was sitting next to us having a beer (long-necked Düsseldorf). No other show did this, until MacGiver, and because of this fourth wall element, that brought the audience into the show, both shows saw success from doing it. It was like Magnum was aware he was just playing a character.

[image error]Also this self-aware element made for some great episodes, one that sticks in my mind was The Legend Of The Lost Art. An episode that blatantly riffed off the Indiana Jones – Raiders Of The Last Ark movie of the time. Indeed, all the actors kept saying Lost Ark when referring the hidden treasure they were chasing, with Higgins exasperatingly correcting them all to say Lost Art. Also the episode was even more special because Tom Selleck was the original actor that Steven Spielberg wanted to play Indiana Jones, but Selleck couldn’t because of contractual obligations (which later turned out to not be an issue because of a writer’s strike freeing Selleck to play the role, but by that time Harrison Ford was cast). The Legend of The Lost Art was a joyful romp, with Selleck dressed as Dr Jones and undergoing the same trial and tribulations as the real Archaeologist adventurer in the movie.

This brings me to one of my other theories about the show, we watched the adventures with Magnum as if he was looking back at that part of his life, and narrating it to us. A theory that gets great credence in the final episode Resolutions Part Two in an after show scene, where he turns to the camera and switches it off with a final, ‘Goodnight.’

A Mixed Bag Of Theories

[image error]There are a lot of theories around Magnum P.I, from the who was Robin Masters, to was Magnum aware he was just a character on a TV show?

We have already discussed the Robin Masters theory, and we know from the self-aware, fourth wall breaking, elements, that Magnum was at least aware he was playing a character on TV, and in Legends Of The Lost Art we saw Higgins do the same thing – almost as if he caught the same notion from Thomas through their developed friendship.

I have another theory that we were watching Magnum’s past life with Thomas, that his time spent in ‘Paradise’ was really a period of limbo before transitioning to another life, that TC and Rick were his spirit guides, Higgins was the guardian angel assigned to look after him (hence the constant exasperation, but always supportive of Magnum’s decisions). Throughout the show, we saw Magnum have an advanced form of precognition that was almost supernatural, survive injuries that would have killed normal men and converse with ghosts (Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts), and on three occasions get transported through time in his dreams

All Good Things

[image error]Magnum P.I was a show of its time, that somehow managed that trick to be timeless, was it through good writing? Hardly, there was some really ropy episodes (Pilot, or the Murder She Wrote tie-in), the magic of this show were the characters, the friendships, movie level stunts (some of the helicopter stunts were epic), and the self-awareness that introduced such a light-tone coupled with the general every-man-ness of Thomas Sullivan Magnum.

Wrap that all up, dump it in Hawaii, add an excellent foil that Jonathan Quayle Higgins was, drive a cool car and have buddies that where willing to go on madcap adventures just because they were your friends, it felt attainable… Secretly we all wanted to be Magnum.

These were my thoughts about Magnum PI, I am not saying you should watch all 168 episodes of this joyful show, but it is nice to visit from time to time and have a beer with. Now… Where did I put my Hawaiian shirt?



It Shouldn’t Happen To A Lyft Driver – Some Questions Answered

[image error]Welcome back to another installment of ‘It Shouldn’t Happen To A Lyft Driver’, as I collect my notes together I have realized not all my interesting adventures Lyft Driving really make for long stories. So, in this installment I am going to answer the Top 10 most popular questions I got during my time driving.

Your Top 10 Questions Answered In No Particular Order

1. Q: Why are you driving a Lyft here if you don’t know the area?

A: This is a direct reference on a Lyft Drivers reliance on GPS navigation. First off as a Lyft Driver you have very little control over your destination and where you will end up after dropping off a Pax (passenger). Because of this there is a good chance we don’t know the area we are picking you up in that well. This was me for the first month of running Lyft I honestly didn’t know where I was going, or where half the destinations were, or some of the road patterns.

I may have lived in the Baltimore area for over sixteen years, and I do know most of the main ways in and out, some short cuts and side roads, but I don’t know every road, house, bar, club, or where Billy lives etc… The GPS is often our only way of finding where you are at and how to get you were you want to go, with over a thousand streets and many more houses I don’t know where you live… Sorry… I ain’t got the knowledge, I barely can remember my kids names, let alone your house!

2. Q: Your GPS is taking you the long way, are you doing this to charge me more?

A: My normal answer to this is, it is? And I am sorry, I am going the quickest route my GPS has mapped out for me. I will happily take any direction pointers you want to make.

I am genuinely trying to get you there the quickest way I know (remember chances are I don’t know the area). It isn’t a grand conspiracy to take your money, and I will happily take direction from you if you feel we are going the wrong way. However, I have found your directions are often the long way around, so thank you for the extra dollar

Drawing Outside Your Comfortzone: Thirty One Days Of Inktober

[image error]It happens once a year, artists gather on the interwebs and take part in a drawing event that runs for the entire month of October – this event is Inktober and 2017 marks my fourth year of taking part in this celebration of the basic form of ink art.

It Could Be You

In reality you don’t need to be a trained artist, all you need is the urge to draw, paper (or digital screen) and an ink pen (or stylus). It isn’t a competition, except against yourself, there isn’t any prize apart from the knowledge you completed the challenge and have 31 ink (or digital) art pieces at the end of the month. It really is a laid back event, that is more about getting you into the habit of drawing every night, than anything else. The most inclusive event as any you will find interwebs.

Here Are My Inkings

The last thirty-one days I have drawn the matching amount of inkings on Sketchcards, some feature Powerpuff/Teddy Bear Mashups, but the majority feature the original characters from the Teddy Bear Tales Teddy Verse. You can view my inktober gallery below.

As you can several of the inkings have been colored, keeping with the traditional of Inktober I used water blended inktense pencils.

It Is All About Getting Stronger

As I mentioned Inktober is a competition you really play against yourself, as you travel through the month your art gets tighter, and like working out your get stronger, more creative, bolder until you realize it you’ve flown past that thirty-one day mark with some unique art pieces under your belt… Onwards!

A Once Upon A Time Ghost Story With The NEW Wonder Tale – A Lost Letter

[image error]The Wonder Tales are once upon a time fantasy stories based off the folklore and legends of Eastern Europe and Japan. The latest Princess Archer Wonder Tale: A Lost Letter is a ghost story released just in time to entertain the family for Halloween. In this story the Princess Archer Gwendolyn must uncover a binding secret about a long lost love.

[image error]The Lost Letter

The adventures of the Princess Archer Gwendolyn and her companions Kurt the Wolf Boy, Will’O Wisp and Tobisum the Inch High Samurai as she searches for the door of Baba Yagas House and away home from the Land Of The Sun.

After the events of the Golden Comb and Tobisum’s betrayal – Gwendolyn and Kurt find themselves alone in the Land Of The Sun and are now desperately searching for the Golden Bee’s Of Tobisum’s old liege Lord Sanjo.

On the advice of the Panda Ninjas they have traveled south and come across a small village. In need of food Gwendolyn takes a risk to buy her supplies from the local storekeepers. None of them would serve her accept a strange old man who needs the her help in uncovering a secret. The Princess Archer agrees and the adventure leads to a tumble down haunted house and a surprise revelation.

The Lost Letter is a story of love, hope, and hidden secrets and is a ghostly once upon a time wonder tale for all the family, available only on the Kindle.

The Wonder Tales Returns

The Lost Letter is book nine in the Wonder Tale series, and The Lost Letter marks a return to the fantasy realm of the Ninth Kingdom. After the shocking events of the Golden Comb we left Gwendolyn and her companions in limbo in the Land Of The Sun, but now it is time for the adventure to continue. Regular readers will notice a tone difference in this new story as we move away from the narrative style of traditional fairy tales, and to a story that will uniquely be the Princess Archers in its telling. Learn more about The Wonder Tales Here

The Teddy Bear Unconditional Collection Is Released As A Kindle Ebook

[image error]Did you know I write stories about Teddy Bears? I think all the Teddy Bear themed illustrations and books might be a bit of a clue, right? But… Did you know the 120 page Teddy Bear Tales Unconditional Collection is now released as an eBook for the Kindle, and in print on Amazon?

[image error]What Is Unconditional?

The Unconditional collection started life as an illustrated story A Teddy Bear Tale: Unconditional that followed the adventure of an aged Teddy Bear named Tristan, who as on his final night of guarding his child before being packed away with the rest of the ‘childish’ things. It is of course this night the Boogeyman unleashes his legion of Monsters under the bed to kidnap the child, and our heroic Teddy Bear spends the night vanquishing the monsters and banishing the Boogeyman.

This story was written in a gleeful gibbly horror style that those that have read Ronald Dahl would understand and was illustrated by local Maryland Artist Dan Nokes. A joyful self-contained story about the unconditional love of a Teddy Bear for his child.

[image error]Wait… There Is More

Of course the story of Tristan the Teddy Bear did not stop in the first Teddy Bear Tale, a second book was written called faithful that followed our Teddy Bear’s adventures when he discovered the World Of Wonder, and went on to save the Toy Train from the Green Headed Monster. This lead into the first illustrated story/comic book/graphic novel named Tristan & The Cuddly Defenders – Friends that expanded Tristan’s adventures even further and set up the Out Of The Attic series.

Unconditional Is All About The Birth Of The Teddyverse

A Teddy Bear Tale: Unconditional Collection collects together the adventures of Tristan from his first two illustrated books and the Cuddly Defenders graphic novel into one mega 120 pages of all-ages Teddy Bear adventure, which is now available in print and Kindle eBook from on Amazon. Want to start reading Tristan’s adventures and witness the birth of the Teddyverse this is the book for you.

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We all remember that special stuffed animal we had as a child, the one that we couldn’t leave home without. Now you can pass those cherished memories onto your little ones with this wonderful tale of adventure and whimsy about a child’s teddy bear, Tristan, who defends his child while he sleeps from the monsters under the bed.

A Teddy Bear Tale is the story of Tristan the Teddy Bear and his last night of guarding his child from the Monsters under the Bed. On this final night the Monsters under the bed are unleashed by the wicked Boogeyman and Tristan must defend his child from the Kobolds, the Goblins, No Names and No Noses, the Slobbering Slobs, the Knockers, Blighters and Silly Buggers, Blue Skins with bald heads and a Dust Dragon with razor-sharp teeth. With his child’s innocence at stake Tristan must find a way to defeat them all and stop the Boogeyman from claiming his child.

The Unconditional Graphic Novel collects together A Teddy Bear Tale, Teddy Bear Tale II & Tristan & the Cuddly Defenders: Friends, written by Nick Davis and illustrated by Dan Nokes.

Amazon Print
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It Shouldn’t Happen To A Lyft Driver – The Flower Pot Man

[image error]Let’s continue down the rabbit hole that was my five months of being a Lyft Driver, though out my 667 rides I saw many things and experienced a lot of different types of passengers. One of the questions I get asked do you have any good drunk stories? And like any Ride-share or Taxi driver I do.

It Is An Expectation

When I drove for Lyft it was in the evening after a full day at work, I narrowed down my driving time to Thursday, Friday and Saturday prime time for bar-hoppers, and those folk looking to unwind. It was an expectation that I would pick up those who had a little more of the sauce or those on the way to getting drunk. Mostly I got those who were still sober enough to use that app and request a ride… Well, mostly…

As ever, names and destinations are changed to protect the innocent from merciless ribbing.

The Flower Pot Man

Now, up to the point I picked up the flower-pot man, who we shall called Dave from this point forward, I had experienced a few drunk riders all of them more concerned about holding in the sauce than really do anything other than sit quietly in the back.

Dave was a little different, and the reason he sticks in my mind is he was my first real dead drunk rider, how he managed to use the app I have no idea. I suspect the barkeeper did it just to get him out of the bar. I picked up Dave from a bar in Fells Point and it was a short ride into the Canton area. I will give Dave his due, he managed to stand and comprehend enough to do the Lyft security check and got into the back of my RAV, after the fifth time of swinging himself in.

With destination settled off we went, I got a couple of love your accent man, and I tried my normal small talk patter of how was your evening, did you have fun, great weather, etc… With no reply forthcoming I fell silent, which is perfectly normal, as some passengers just don’t talk. Then a minute later and less than two minutes into the ride I get an ear-splitting snort, which turned into the loudest snore I have ever heard in my life.

Dave continued to saw logs all the way to his destination, now up to this point I have had two riders who have fell asleep in the back of my car. Both times though they woke up just as I pulled up at their destination. Dave though was going to be a might more difficult than that.

I pull up, it was a nice brick row home, high steps to a small porch with a large flower-pot, about planter size, with sometime of shrubbery in it on one side of the door. Dave is gone, snoring blissfully away behind me, with a growing line of drool from his mouth to the backseat upholstery. I was about to face the unknown horror of the unconscious rider, do you touch? Do you roll them out the car? What do you really do in this situation?

I turn around in my seat, and in a loud clear voice, “Excuse me Sir, we are here.”

Nothing.

“Sir,” a little firmer this time, “We are at your house.”

Still nothing.

“Sir!” putting on my kids much feared Father is warning you voice, “Wake up, we are here.”

Slight murmur, something about five more minutes mom, leave me alone and an unintelligible girls name. At least at this point he was stirring.

“Sir!, time to wake up you are home!” Full on Father is about to ground you voice now engaged.

This does the trick and the Dave wakes up in that special drunk way, eyes  open like they are window blinds, that thousand yard disoriented stare and that start you always get, “Wha.. What… cool.’

“Sir, you are home, thank you for taking a Lyft with me.” I say giving it the full get out of my car now emphasis I could in my now terrible polite tone.

Dave fumbles for the door latch, manages to catch it and opens the door, while almost falling out in the same motion. Somehow he gathers his legs under him and in an astounding feat of coordination gets to the top of the stairs. Now Dave had left my car, I went about the business of finishing the ride and just before I pressed the confirm ride end button, I see him sway back and forth on his porch. I could clearly see him in his porch light trying to get his key into the lock. One attempt… Two attempts… Three attempts… Fourth, a hear a clunk and look up to see Dave fall headfirst into his door and slide down in what I have to say was on the best cartoon face-plant style slides ever.

Concerned Dave had hurt himself, I start to get out of my car, when he moves again rolling onto his side and hugs the flower-pot. At this point I judged he has done this many times before and the drunken molestation of this now poor piece of shrubbery wasn’t really my issue. I conclude my Lyft duty done and left Dave to the tender care of his long-suffering house plant. As far as I know they might still be there, man and reluctant plant.

Until next time, treat your driver right