R.C. Murphy's Blog, page 5

Your Reasoning is Not Valid

Found a (horribly written) article where a journalist admitted he’s actually not as concerned about legalizing weed as he once was. When he finally got to the “Ooo, scary unknown long-term effects of Mary Jane” part, these two quotes were all he could find to really drive home the inherent dangers:

And drug policy experts say there’s a risk to pot even if it doesn’t have long-term or deadly health effects. “The main risk of cannabis is losing control of your cannabis intake,” Kleiman told m...

Well, Then . . . Do YOU Want to Raise My Kid?

This rant is inspired by an anonymous post on an Indie Author/Blogger Facebook page.

It’s the same ol’ song and dance. A group of women, in this instance authors like myself, called on the carpet for not being “helicopter parents” and *gasp* attending signing events or conventions–where they hope to make enough money to pay their electric/gas bill that particular month.

Guys, we’re trying to do what’s right by our children. Honestly. If that means missing a school event, so be it. Will we be...

Why I Sent Myself to the ER by Eating Peanut Butter

Healthcare systems are odd. Something I’ve learned rather late in life, unfortunately. See, I was one of those statistic numbers everyone loves to fling around–an Americanadult without health insurance. Was, being the operative word. Last year, theACA (Affordable Care Act) allowed me to visit a doctor for the first time since I was sixteen. Good. Great. I can finally get some of these health concerns taken care of. Namely, a cranky gallbladder.

What do you mean I’m not sick enough, doc?

Turns...

Oh, It’s *That* Day Again.

Father’s Day and I don’t get along for one obvious reason: My father died when I was in high school.

So of course, every force-fed story on social media talks about what to buy your father, what outdoor activities to take him to, why father’s don’t have to be the biological kind in order to love a kid, etc. Honestly, I usually put up a blinder to this flavor of media until a good three days after the holiday. It’s done me good so far.

Then I saw thisGQ article where Chris Pratt talks about wh...

Life vs Art

Warning up front, this may have a couple spoiler-ish tidbits from my second vampire novel,In Too Deep. It’s unavoidable. Why?

I may have accidentally predicted one of the biggest ecological crisis in my lifetime–the California drought.

It sounds nuts. I know. I’ve had my head in the sand for months, looking past the similarities. But the numbers I crunched while plotting ITD–there were ten pages of information gathered about agriculture in Fresno, CA–kept bouncing around my head. See, it’s on...

Hollywood, Just Stop it Already

In the course of an hour, I’ve seen news about two remakes that’ve set my teeth on edge. First Poltergeist, now She’s all That.

Why? Why is this necessary?Poltergeist was a pretty solid movie the first time around. I remember being terrified any time we moved into a new house—being a welfare family, it happened a lot—because I was afraid we’d end up in a place built on a graveyard. There’s no flashy effects like the remake has and what’s there is pretty damned effective. I’ll bet you a turke...

I Need a Second Brain

Things have been a tad . . . hectic in Murphlandia. If you haven’t followed my Twitter account, then you were unaware of my eight-day vacation. Yes, it is as exhausting as it sounds.

However, life waits for no man.

Yesterday was a holiday, so I did take a half day to recover from our travel day. Six hours on Amtrak soaking in the weird existing between Anaheim and our home town. It was informational. At one point, we watched a man in his mid-twenties do his best to polish off an entire case o...

Getting to Know: Jillian

Most readers already met Garik back when they readEnslaved, but this is the first time any of you will meet Jillian Griffin. She thinks of herself as a hotel owner with a past best left behind herway behind her. The incubi see her as something altogether different and wonderful. Let’s see what my associate, Quamaine, can dig up about Jillian before you guys meet her properly inInfliction.

Quamaine: What is your biggest fear?

Jillian: Spiders dressed like clowns. Okay, seriously? Losing the ho...

Author Wishlist

We all do it, even those of us far below the rank of “She Who Has Encourage Fan Art.” Except, I really want fan art for one character in particular.

You guys haven’t met her yet.

Which sucks for me because I don’t want to spoil her for you guys. Just believe me when I say, you’ll fall in love with her the second she steps on stage inInfliction.Well, after you stop saying, “Holy shit.” Because it’s a plot twistI didn’t even see coming. When this awesometastic character gently rapped on my brai...

Getting to Know: Garik

To get you guys excited forInfliction, I’m going to start dropping breadcrumbs as we get closer to the release date. Which I still don’t know for certain, but rest assured, it’s closer than any of us think. These guys are ready to come out and play. For a little refresher, I asked my cohort, Quamaine, to interview Garik. Let you guys get reacquainted with the Inbetween’s smoothest talker. Listening to this man talk makes me blush.

Quamaine: Nameasongthatdescribesyourlifethebest.

Garik: “This...