Rival Gates's Blog, page 70

Snow and Zombies

Today is our first Snow Day of the year. The kids are off from school. The roads are nearly empty, and there are about 4 inches of snow on the ground. Compared to other parts of the country, we have had a very light winter here in Nebraska. It has been bitterly cold, make no mistake about that. But this is the first serious snow we have seen all year. Being from Michigan and having grown up in Canada I tend to laugh when the weather man starts to freak out before a single flake even forms. Businesses close “Due to the expected bad weather”. Really? Just the thought of snow sends people into a panic. I pictured two people fighting over the last gallon of milk at the grocery store last night. It makes me laugh. Don’t get me wrong. 4 inches of snow is no fun to drive around in but it isn’t like getting a foot of snow or sometimes two feet! That was insane. It was like the world was ending. I spoke with my father the other day and he said the Detroit area of Michigan had already received 50 inches of snow this winter. Before this storm we had received a total of 6 inches all year. I can’t imagine being in Detroit right now. They are bankrupt and cannot afford to send snow plows out. According to my brother who lives in the area, the accidents have been out of control. On a totally different viewpoint, have you ever seen “I am Legend” with Will Smith. If you haven’t, he is the lone survivor in New York City after a zombie apocalypse. He goes to great lengths to prevent the zombies from finding his home. I always wondered what he does in the winter. He drives and walks all over during the day. When the snow builds up, wouldn’t the zombies be able to follow his tracks back to his brownstone and pay him a visit? Also, the zombies were barely wearing any clothes. Wouldn’t they die from exposure in a city with no heat in the winter? Have you ever noticed in zombie movies that they never seem to dress warmly? I mean they are zombies but you have to stay warm if you’re going to search for brains to eat. Then again, maybe the half-dead nature of zombies makes them impervious to cold? It doesn’t make much sense to me but then again neither does the notion of a zombie apocalypse. Still, I think there is a better chance of that happening than having the roads plowed in Detroit. It’s too bad about that city. It was once a beautiful place. Oh well, I’ll stay nice and warm here in Nebraska with my four inches of snow. I noticed that I have a lot of readers in the Palo Alto region of California. Hi to you all. You probably are wondering about all this snow talk. Just be thankful it is not a problem where you are. Well, the kids have finally left their beds and want some attention so I will leave you for the day. I still wonder about those zombies, though.

Tax Time

Well, it’s that time of year again. Not Groundhog’s Day. Not President’s day. It is officially tax season. I like to get my taxes done early so I know where I stand. Many people like to do their own taxes, which I understand. Years ago I used to do my own as well. Now there are so many different deductions and so forth that I don’t trust myself to get it right on my own. I tried going to those little cubicles set up in major stores and having them do my taxes. It didn’t exactly comfort me that the person doing my taxes was only doing this for two months of the year. The rest of the time they were gym instructors or what have you. So I decided some time ago to go to an actual accountant. It doesn’t cost much different than the cubicle guys and I have someone who does tax work 12 months of the year doing my taxes. If nothing else it gives me piece of mind. Since I have been going to the same person for so long, he does my son’s return at the same time for free. I used to see nice returns. Then we started owing on our taxes out of the blue. That’s not fun. You go over every deduction but the government still wants more. What happened? My income hasn’t changed that much. A year ago we found out that my wife wasn’t having enough taken out of her checks. I am from the school of thought that says, “It’s better to overpay than to have to come up with a lump of cash to pay later.” My wife, on the other hand believes, “Why should I give the government an interest free loan for a year?” Both are compelling arguments when you think about them. Last year was a nightmare, however. As soon as I was done at the accountant’s I called my wife and told her to increase the amount taken out of her checks. She was not happy with me but did do it. Somehow, only the federal deductions were increased and this year we received a small refund from the Federal Government but owe slightly more than that to the state. Taxes are weird. It didn’t help that my one daughter turned 17 and we lost a credit for her. How is that fair? It’s not like she turned 17 and I kicked her out of the house. She is as much of an expense as ever. How come I magically lose a deduction for her? To all you parents who thought you beat the system by having a child born before the end of the year (e.g. December) and had an extra year of deductions, it’s not true. You just lose the deduction a year sooner to make up for it. Uncle Sam gets you one way or another. Overall I lucked out. It could have been a lot worse. Still my wife and I disagree over the time to pay our taxes. It’s a tough question. I just hate writing the government a check.

Author Interview

The good people at Nordie Writing About Books have been kind enough to interview me and post the results. You can follow it here at http://nordie.wordpress.com/2014/02/0... . I hope it sheds a little more light on me and my writing.

Laryngitis

As a writer I have come to appreciate many great things. I especially love being able to express myself through the written word. There is just so much you can convey to others when you sit down and think about what you want to write. Thankfully that is a gift I have not had to sacrifice (except during the occasional computer failure). During this week, however, I have had to go without the ability to speak because I came down with several things including laryngitis. Imagine going to the drive-through pharmacy and they can’t understand your name to get your prescription. I had to go get my twelve year old daughter and have her talk into the microphone just so I could get my medicine. We needed some things at the grocery store and I had to have her ask the clerk where to find something and then do all the talking at the checkout. It would have been easier if they had asked questions that could be answered with “Yes” or “No”. Instead, they asked things like, “Will this be paper or plastic?” I pointed at one but they didn’t get it. Fortunately my daughter knew the answer. Then they asked, “How did you want to pay for this?” I held up my check-card and the lady asked, “Credit or debit?” Oh man! I started making the swiping gesture. She just said, “Yes, I know you want to swipe it but how do you want it processed?” Next I made the words with my mouth but she still couldn’t understand me. Fortunately, my daughter stepped in. “He said he wants to use it as credit and have it put in paper bags. Also, we could use some help out to the car with our purchase.” What a godsend! I patted her on the head and then hugged her. She thought nothing of it and calmly led the clerk after the transaction to our car where she told me to get in and she would tell him where everything went. I could not have made it without her. My love is writing but I have sure missed talking this week. My wife finds it a refreshing silence from my incessant rambling. With my birthday last Tuesday, family called and could not understand me on the phone. I was shouting and they kept asking, “What?” It was like one of those commercials for the cellular carrier when they would ask, “Can you hear me now?” What is hardest of all this is that I need to rest my voice so my throat can heal. That is one tall order. Imagine communicating with others without speaking. I have a new found respect for deaf/mutes It’s as though I am speaking another language except I’m not speaking. This has gone on for nearly a week and I for one am more than ready to have it end.

Shout Out

I have had the privilege of having an interview/bio posted on author Tanya Watt’s blog http://authortanyawatt.wordpress.com/. She calls it a “Shout Out”. It was very kind of her to take this time to publicize “Quest for the Red Sapphire”. Take a look and see for yourself. Keep on reading everyone!

Angel's Book Release

I’d like to use this blog to give some props to my good friend Angel Dunworth. She is one of the most talented writers I know and she has just had her first book published. “Snapshots from Home, Stories from Dysfunctional High School” is an insightful look at the problems facing many of today’s adolescents. It is a collection of relatable stories and consequences. This is a noble effort on Dunworth’s part to shed light on topics parents have been dealing with for years but had little support for handling. She has numerous resources on her web site http://www.streetlighthalo.com/index.... to help embattled families cope with problems ranging from drugs to relationship issues. Their collection of stories is believable because they come from the heart. She points out that troubled teens are not bad kids. They just need a little help. Pressures today are different than they were even a few years ago. This book is an essential coping tool for families in need of help. Stop by and download a copy at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... for just $1.99. This book could change a life and maybe even save one.

It's My Birthday

Well, it’s one of those things in life that you see coming. You know it’s coming. You often wish it wasn’t coming. But in the end it is like most events in life. There really isn’t anything you can do to change it. Today is my birthday. I thought about this blog for a while. I could write the “Why I Hate Birthdays” blog or the “Why I Love Birthday’s Blog”. As usual, I fall somewhere in the middle. So this is the “Memories of My Birthdays” blog. So let’s get the negative part of it out of the way. I have been sick on over half of my birthdays, including this one. There have been snow storms on seven of them. The space shuttle Challenger blew up on one of them. That was a bummer. The only famous person to be born on my birthday is Alan Alda. As much as I liked M.A.S.H., my brother was born on the same day as Paul McCartney. I cry ‘foul!’ That’s really about it for the whining. As John Lennon said in a Christmas song, “…Another year over, and a new one just begun.” Now let’s look at the more pleasant things. I was born very late and in the middle of a cold snap in Port Huron, MI. My mother said, “I knew you would not come out until the temperature broke freezing and the first day it did, you were born.” Those of you who follow my writing know my mother was a key individual in my life. She always used this date to single me out and remind me I was special. She always woke me up by singing Happy Birthday. Even when I was in college or moved far away, I would get a call. Sometimes it was on the answering machine waiting when I arrived home. Once I was in Vancouver, BC working. I was staying in the bottom of this little bed-and-breakfast for a few months. She contacted the owner and had her get me a cake so I would have one on my birthday. I love fresh fruit and one of the things I always ask for is fresh fruit. Unless I move to Australia that’s going to be a tall order. But Mom took me grocery shopping every year and we would get a pineapple, oranges, grapes and a coconut. Dad would always make his world class lasagna. He always used real ricotta cheese and a splash of tabasco sauce (maybe that’s why my stomach would get so upset) to give it some kick. It took hours to prepare and he built it like he was doing surgery. My brothers and sister would blow up balloons and then we would rub them on our heads in order to build up a static charge and stick them to the walls. My sister is one of those people who would be the best at anything she tried. Every year she would make me a Devil’s Food cake with sour crème icing. They were masterpieces. I never truly thanked her for all the effort. In college my two roommates would play the Beatles song “Birthday’ and sing it to me. And now I take my whole family to Olive Garden and have Dairy Queen Cake for dessert. It doesn’t sound too bad, does it? I am blessed to have family that cares about me and they show it on this day. I guess birthdays aren’t all bad.

Summing Things Up

Volume 2 in the Sapphire Chronicles, “Sapphire Crucible” is edging slowly toward being ready. The editor has it but I need to write a prologue. That doesn’t sound so difficult when you consider how many words I have written on this project. It actually is a challenge for me. Summing things up in few words has never been my style. I much prefer to let my words flow and shake out every idea in my crazy mind. My favorite band is Genesis and I remember an interview years ago with their keyboard player, Tony Banks. He was asked why they had so many long songs rather than more radio-friendly short ones. He explained that writing a short song is much harder than writing a long one. That sounded ridiculous. Surely writing something short is easier than writing something long. He explained that writing a long song allows you to work your idea to completion. Writing a short song only allows you to touch on highlights of the idea and therefore leaves you feeling incomplete. Between the interviews I have been blessed with and the prologue for the next book, it has been hard to take a 490 page novel and sum it up in a few pages. I have been storyboarding the order and keep having to edit out parts to shorten its length. It’s a good thing I use this process or else I would end up writing the whole first book over again! It really is hard to write in fewer words…at least for me. I have talked to some writers who say the fewer words they have to write, the better. That simply amazes me. What kind of writer doesn’t like to write as much? I can understand wanting to finish a project for closure. The writing itself, however, is one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. Perhaps it is seen as more of a job by others. That would make sense. If you view something as work it automatically takes on a less appealing stature. My wife laughed when I told her about the prologue. She told me, “Writing things in few words really isn’t you.” She does know me best. Nevertheless, if Genesis can write radio hits, I can write an effective prologue. So those of you waiting for Book 2, be patient. It will be coming. If you haven’t read Book 1, give it a read. Think of it as a long prologue.

Another New Interview!

I have been honored to have another interview posted! This time the good folks at “A Drip of Truth and a Drop of Lies” took the time to interview me and post my answers. It is really exciting to be able to reach out to different groups simultaneously! Here is the link. Enjoy! http://dolewrites.wordpress.com/2014/...

New Interview!

I just had an awesome interview with “The Book Club”. Follow this link and press the picture of the book cover. I am very proud of this piece.
http://rubinaramesh.blogspot.com/2014...