Phil Sanderson's Blog, page 3

Honor: Earned or Granted?

I wrote my action thrilling novel, 2018: An Uncivil War, to all military, law enforcement, and firefighters who have selflessly put their lives on the line or at least were willing to do so.  I also added, in my dedication:  This book is for you!  Your bravery and honor always precedes you no matter where you go.

But what about all the servicemen who signed up to get college benefits but claimed “conscientious objector” status to avoid going into harm’s way; all the firefighters who popped positive on drug tests; and all the policemen who blatantly abused their authority by coercing others unlawfully, accepting bribes, and other sorts of unacceptable forms of misconduct?  Do you believe that I include them in my dedication?

I may not have spelled it out, but I most certainly do NOT include them.  Most writers, myself included, more than likely want to keep their dedications positive.  Spelling out such disclaimers can really ruin the purpose of a moving dedication.  Thus, suffice it to say that most, if not all, dedications come with hidden understandings and unmentioned disclaimers.

Just recently, I experienced two examples of lack of honor by uniform wearing civil servants.  The first one could probably be explained away, but the second one — in my humble opinion — was clearly unforgivable.

While working my full-time retail job, I passed a couple or few soldiers.  Two of them were in uniform, the other who had a military haircut was not wearing a uniform.  I did as I always do.  I approached them and expressed my gratitude for their service to our country.  They all just totally blew me off and didn’t even look my way.

Perhaps they didn’t hear me.  But, a former Marine myself, I always speak with a solid, resonant voice.  Then there lies the possibility that maybe they were hard of hearing.  After all, there are several soldiers who work around deafening artillery.  But these guys looked rather young to be such candidates.  I hope I am wrong about these guys.  But they gave me the “I’m a famous rock-star” vibe, now leave me the hell alone.

The second incident was much worse.  It involved my elderly, disabled mother.  Last week, we had some storms in the city where she lives — about 70 miles away.  We tried calling her to see if she was okay, but she never answered.  So we contacted the local police and asked them to make a welfare check at her location.  They did so and my mother immediately called and talked to my wife while I was asleep.

Apparently, the policeman who knocked on my mother’s door had been very rude.  She explained that she had been having trouble hearing the phone ring.  I know, this is a simple thing to fix for those of us web-crawlers out there!  But my mother is one of those technologically-challenged old-timers.  This officer rudely told her, “I don’t know anything about cell phones.”  And he walked away.

How about at least making an effort to look at her phone.  Even asking his partner for some help would have been very respectable.

My wife contacted the mayor and complained on the worthless officer.

In summary, I’d like to say to anyone who wears a uniform:  Honor is earned, not given or bestowed.  If you want to be a total dick, asshole, or bitch, please humbly accept the fact that you are not worthy to wear the uniform and relinquish it.  By not doing so, you simply disgrace said uniform that you insist upon undeservedly wearing, making it harder for those who wear it well to continue doing so.

 

Raw, Raving Movie Review — The VVitch (No Spoilers Revealed)

My wife and I just went to see the movie The VVitch.  She hated the movie, and I liked it; nothing at all new in our relationship and movie-going experience.

She absolutely hated the ending. But it seemed to me the rest of the movie had her eyes glued to the screen.  I believe that if my wife had as much historical knowledge and appreciation as I possess, she would’ve loved the movie as much as I did. She is an educated woman, though not expressly in American history.  Thus, if the movie had been a gunfight, she went in with unloaded pistols.  If the movie would’ve been about lawyers or nurses, she would’ve been Annie Oakley and kicked a lot of ass!

Only now am I just becoming familiar with many of the superstitions believed by my Puritan ancestors; many of which were conveyed in The VVitch.

Here is a list of Puritanical attitudes, beliefs, and superstitions of which you should be aware while watching this film in order to possess a full appreciation of everything you will see within it:

 Sunday Birth:   To be born on Sunday was a sign of great sin and ill omen.   It implied that the child was conceived on Sunday.
 Touched by a Witch:  if you were touched by a witch, you would die.
 Horses Used Against Witches:  Anything related to a horse could be used against witches, since they supposedly rode on broomsticks and feared horses.
 A Bird in the House:  If a bird flew into the home of a Puritan, someone who lived there would die.
 Aggressive Women:  Aggressive, assertive women were likely witches.
 The Forest:  The forest often possessed a sense of mystery and was therefore presumed to be the place where witches lived.
 Chess and the Fairy Queen:  Women were not allowed to play chess nor read the Fairy Queen.
 The Role of Women in Puritan Society: Women were to be submissive and obedient at all times to their husbands.   They were the gentler and weaker sex, and often thought at times to be inherently evil.
 The Bible in Puritan Society:  The Bible was supposed to be the only influence in Puritan life.  All Puritans were supposed to possess an uncompromising attitude toward divine scripture and knowledge.
 Symbolization of the Rabbit:  The rabbit was often seen as the “fear caller”.  It was also said that the rabbit represented fertility and new life.
 Goat Folklore in Puritanical Society:  Billy goats were associated with the Devil, lust, and debauchery.  Many Puritans treated them with a sense of suspicion.  In England and Scotland, it was believed that goats could not be seen for a consecutive 24 hours, due to the fact they had to visit Satan once a day to have their beards combed. There exists a biblical reference about separating the goats from the sheep, symbolizing religiously the separation of the bad from the good.  This should also explain some of this suspicion Puritans held toward goats.

This is just a mere sampling of some of the attitudes, beliefs, and superstitions held by this devout group of English settlers; many of these are clearly illustrated in The VVitch.  Knowing about all this should clearly help you appreciate this masterfully produced horror film all the more.

The visuals in this film are astounding!  The New England countryside, as depicted by Canadian forest, help to create a brooding feeling of uneasiness that is present throughout the film. Even in the trailers of the film, it is readily clear that the costume designers went above and beyond their call of duty to provide accurate representations of Puritanical fashion.

All adult and child actors and actresses in this production impressively performed their roles.  Ralph Ineson superbly conveyed the depiction of a father in fear of losing control of his family to the dark forces surrounding him amid the lack of protection from the Divine God they all professed to devoutly follow.  Anya Taylor – Joy did a flawless job of portraying a rebellious daughter who found herself confused by many of the tragic events that will befall her and her family.

Overall, I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.

Author Q & A

As a self-published author, I am asked a lot of questions by people who are curious in one way or another.  Sometimes, they ask questions due to a desire to become published writers themselves.  But here are a lot of questions that I am asked:

What exactly is my writing background?

I am a former Marine Corps photojournalist who also wrote for the Goldsboro Times newspaper for a short time.  I published my first action thriller novel, 2018: An Uncivil War, in 2013, as well as my comedic short story, The Saint Who Stole Christmas.

What inspired me and inspires me to write and continue writing?

As a teenager, Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels convinced me that writing would be in my ultimate future, though I knew not when and how.  In later life, the works of Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn reignited that passion, pushing me toward my goal of finally becoming a published novelist.

Who are my strongest writing influences?

I’ve already mentioned Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy, and Vince Flynn…these guys were my strongest influences on my action thriller passion.  As for my love of horror, Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King caught my attention and studious eye.

What are my goals as a writer?

To ultimately live my dream.  Previously, it was to leave a lasting, immortal footprint in the world of literature.  Now that I have accomplished this, my next goal is to become a local celebrity in the state of Alabama, similar in manner of Kathryn Tucker Windham; though my work is more raw than hers was ever meant to be.  My final goal will be to sell enough books that I can live without ever having to work for anyone else ever again.  If I become as successful as Tom Clancy and Stephen King, that is perfectly okay too!

How often do I read, and what do I usually read?

I read frequently, often garnering knowledge and wisdom from writers who have achieved the success that I hope to someday achieve.  Right now, I am reading Stephen King’s collection of short stories, Night Shift.  I’ve also been reading the stories of H.P. Lovecraft of whom’s work I have discovered a new fascination.

How long did it take me to write my first novel, and what all was involved?

For 2018: An Uncivil War, I conducted research into the history of the American Revolution and the American Civil War.  I also poured over numerous gun rights / gun control statistics.  Various interviews had been scheduled and were conducted…all of this in an effort to make my work as realistic and authoritative as possible.  I spent approximately 9 months in the actual writing, but probably more than a year combined with all of the activities mentioned above.

What is the plot synopsis of this novel?

The start of the 2nd American Civil War dawns after the American federal government repeals the Second Amendment (right to bear arms).

How did it sell, and how do I feel about this level of success?

Initially, I had hoped that the strong feelings on the subject of gun rights and gun control would have boosted this novel into best seller status.  But I instead sold between 100 and 150 copies in print and digital formats.  It may not have been a New York Times bestseller, by any means.  But I am surprised to have sold more than just 50 copies!  I am quite pleased with the limited success in which I was blessed.

How much money do I make from my books?

The money I make from my books is certainly nothing to brag over.  Having come from virtual obscurity into the world of book publishing, one cannot expect to make very much money.  With the cost I paid to AuthorHouse to have my book released in print, I operated at a major financial loss.  The biggest gain I have received is from my loyal following of readers.  2018 is blessed with a four-star rating on Amazon and five stars on Barnes and Noble.  So I don’t need money to give me a feeling of accomplishment, though it certainly would never hurt.

What did it take to get 2018 into print?  How do I feel about the publisher?

I had to research a publisher and ended up choosing AuthorHouse.  I had to send them my cover image and book files, and they did all the rest.  The hardest part was the investment to get my work published.  That set me back between $3- and $4-thousand.

I regret the decision to publish with them, though they did an excellent job of book presentation.  I later found out that CreateSpace, through Amazon, offers just as good a product for much less money.

I heard, after the fact, that AuthorHouse exploits new writers; and now I truly believe it.

What other books written by me are available for purchase?

After publishing 2018, I wrote a short story and published it in two different editions (Children’s and Off-Color).  And I’ve been working on my second novel, a horror story called An Interstate Ghost Story: The Girl on the Highway.  Finally, I most recently released a table-top role-playing game called The Sea Dogs where you can create pirate characters and run them through adventurous sea tales.  All of this is available on Amazon.  However, 2018 is available on Barnes & Noble and the AuthorHouse website as well.

What works can readers expect from me in the near future?

I hope to release An Interstate Ghost Story within the next year or so.  However, I am taking my time with this one; attempting to make sure there is no doubt whatsoever that I will have released the best possible product of literature.  And I am also in consideration of releasing a non-fiction book.  But this I must keep under tight wraps for now.

More specifically, what can I divulge about my next work, the horror story?

When more than 30 people die in a massive, horrible accident near Montgomery, Alabama on Interstate 65, the state troopers contact a disgraced celebrity paranormal investigator named Cliff Rodger to investigate this and numerous other previous accidents.  Rumors abound that a ghost known as the Girl on the Highway may be causing most of the accidents between Montgomery and Greenville in the state of Alabama.

Am I planning to write a sequel to my first novel?

My wife is thoroughly pissed off about this, but I refuse to release a sequel until the first novel becomes successful enough to warrant it.  It isn’t because I’m being a spoiled brat throwing a childish tantrum; it’s because I will need to take a trip overseas in order to obtain the realism that I demand in my novels.

Is it true that I am having some physical problems that affect my ability to write?

I have degenerative disc disease in my cervical spine which includes spurring.  These spurs pinch and threaten to sever nerves which allow me strength and coordination in my left hand and arm.  So I now type clumsily with my left hand.  I have recently had an MRI and suspect that it is time for another spine fusion (I’ve already had one titanium plate surgically fused into my neck).

What is my biggest dream as a writer?

My biggest dream as a writer is to be able to successfully sustain the comfort, wellness, and happiness of me and my family, while writing books that the reading public will love, cherish, and remember forever.

What advice can I give to people who wish to become writers?

Don’t!  It is a very tough job filled with tons of competition, some friendly, others not so.  But for those who simply love it like I do, please feel free to contact me at phil.sanderson.writer@gmail.com for some quick free advice.

 

 

 

 

Perfect Gift for Table-Top RPG and Pirate Lovers!

Great news for all my friends, fans, and followers!  The Sea Dogs is published, and I’m hard back at work on The Girl on the Highway!  The Sea Dogs is the perfect gift for anyone into pirate lore and / or table top role-playing games.

I designed my RPG in a way that the rules are as simple as possible, to allow players to focus on the tale and the telling of it by the Sea Master.  The players only have to decide how they will survive the day at sea and at port in a setting I made as true as possible, matching the Caribbean and most of the piratical activities occurring there during the Golden Age of Piracy.

Those wishing to purchase The Sea Dogs, may do so on Amazon by following this link:  http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Dogs-Golden...

Speaking of gifts, I have a small gift for all of you that I will be posting on Christmas Eve here on this blog.  So please mark your calendars to check back.  ;)

I wish all of you the finest and most memorable holiday this year and a super fabulous Christmas!  May you all stay safe, joyful, and warm.

Note to An Asshole

To the asshole who pulled in behind me in my lane, shining your brights, as I was driving home from working all night long:

I hope you enjoyed it when I slowed down to more than 10-miles-per-hour under the posted speed limit.�� I also hope you appreciate how I sped up when cars were coming in the opposite lane, dampening any of your hopes of an opportunity to pass me.�� Alas, I hope you enjoyed how I came to that last intersection where we parted ways, slowing down just to barely more than a crawl, ensuring that you would be SURE to catch that red light, my final parting gift to you!

Over all, I��hope you enjoyed the scenic drive in rural Alabama as much as I did.�� Sure!�� It would have been a lot more enjoyable for both of us had your headlights not been blaring in my side and rear-view mirrors, reminding me during this whole fiasco that they were a lot brighter than the driver who had��been utilizing them.�� But we all tend to make the best of the fucked up situations that life sometimes throws at us.

So until we meet again, feel free to continue to be a proctologist’s favorite dream.

Invitation to All Gamers!

I have just started another blog which expresses my personal interest in video games and table-top RPGs. ��If you are an avid gamer in either of those areas, I really think you will enjoy this new blog site. ��I humbly and warmly invite you to enjoy this new site of mine: ��Swashbuckler Gaming!

“An Interstate Ghost Story” to Play Second Fiddle

As a very ambitious human being, I have had many different dreams. ��All of you who know me pretty well already realize that one of those dreams was to become a successful novelist. ��So far, about two years into the pursuit of this dream, it remains unrealized. ��However, I am truly thankful for all who took the time to invest in my first novel — 2018: An Uncivil War — and especially those who helped to spread the news of it and recommending it to any and all the people they knew on their social media and elsewhere.

However, another ambitious dream that I had was designing my very own tabletop role-playing game. ��As a kid, I had played numerous such RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, James Bond: The Roleplaying Game, Chill, Vampire: The Masquerade, Cyberpunk, and many, many others. ��I also founded three��different gaming clubs in North Carolina.

And another crazy dream I had was to live the life of a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy! ��Yes, I know this sounds absolutely crazy! ��But as a Marine on ship while in the Southern Pacific, part of me wondered what it must have been like to be on a galleon back in those very adventurous days…what it was like to overtake other ships and bring them completely under your control with the ultimate decision to either sink her or claim her as your personal prize to add to your fleet…and finally, what it was like to battle with swords and cutlasses in the style and grandeur of Errol Flynn and Tyrone Powers.

And there are many, many others…to be a rock star or movie star, to be rich beyond my means and never have to worry about bill collectors hounding me and humping my legs like the rabid, starving dogs they are.

But I have decided to pursue a project that will help me to pursue those first two dreams I just mentioned, the pirate and the role-playing game design. ��That’s right, folks! ��I have decided to design a role-playing game based on the Golden Age of Piracy! ��It will be authentic and will be based on actual facts on the history of these adventurous men and women whose names threatened the waterways used by many, many ocean going vessels.

Some of you may be wondering: ��How will this affect the release of my��upcoming horror novel, An Interstate Ghost Story: The Girl on the Highway? ��I will move the tentative date back one more year and will still continue to work on it whenever I get a chance. ��But my new project, tentatively named Skull and Crossbones, will take the helm of my current writing endeavors.

Being a fiction novelist just hasn’t delivered the warm and fuzzy feeling that I was hoping for. ��So I’ve decided to try something different for a change. ��For me to get back into the mood to pursue my writing full pitch, one of two things will have to happen. ��Either the sales of 2018: An Uncivil War will have to seriously take off; or a reputable agent will have to pick me up and be willing to bank on me and my profitability.

Who knows? ��Maybe all the research I do for this RPG will be useful in a novel that takes place on��the high seas during this Golden Age of Plunder and Booty.

I’m also considering the��temporary closing of this blog, though I will leave it up for web surfers to enjoy from time to time. �� ��So there is quite a bit up in the air at this time. ��Please stay tuned here, and I will keep all of you posted as time goes on. ��And thank each of you for your continued and undying interest of me and my work.

Price on 2018 to Increase Next Month

Starting the beginning of next month, e-book copies of Phil Sanderson’s Amazon Bestseller 2018: An Uncivil War��(as published by the author himself) will see a price increase. ��They��will rise from the��current price — 99 cents — to $3.99, the same price as is listed for the title as published on e-book by AuthorHouse publishing, the publisher who also published printed copies of his book.

All book readers and lovers of action thrillers are highly encouraged to get their copies now before this price increase takes place. ��The story paints a landscape of the United States of America while embroiled in its Second Civil War after the federal government repeals the Second Amendment. ��As government officials attempt to acquire firearms from reluctant citizens, war erupts all over the nation. ��In the midst of all of this turmoil, the friendship of two of the main characters is strained to its breaking point as both men feel very differently about gun rights and gun control.

E-Book copies are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. ��The book is also available from AuthorHouse Publishing in print for those who enjoy more traditional reading.

Raw, Raving Review: 50 Shades of Grey

I read 50 Shades of Grey several months ago. ��And I did not read it, because I’m a pervert (though I do not disclaim being a pervert — LOL!). ��I actually read it, because everywhere I looked and listened, I could not seem to get away from that very intrusive title…that title that seemed to somehow find its way into conversations and discussions.

The story was a huge hit, and no one could dispute that. ��The author��of this mega literary hit, E.L. James, no doubt, knocked the ball out of the park! ��She achieved the very same literary success that I am currently trying to achieve. ��So I wanted to know how she did it.

First, I researched the title. ��I found out, strangely enough, that the original story was written as fan fiction for the movie Twilight. ��And if you watch the movie and / or read the book, you can clearly see some interesting parallels between certain��characters in both stories. ��Okay, so the writer created an X-rated version of Twilight, and the snowball rolled downhill from there, getting bigger and bigger, until it hit the reading public, leaving all of us��feeling all but cold, wet, and shivering…probably more like hot, wet, and sticky!

Next came the hard part, reading the novel without getting a boner or two. ��Geez! ��This was the first full-length erotic writing I ever brought myself to finish. ��Sure, there was enough filth in that novel to possibly make even Paris Hilton blush. ��And God forbid the person who suggested the book to anyone in their Sunday school class (if lightning didn’t come down and strike the person then and there, turning them into Sunday lunch!).

But the story, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, is very��alluring. ��A huge reason for this is because of James’s ability to craft such wonderful characters, whether from her own imagination or just mimicking certain characters from the Twilight story. ��We have Anastasia Steele, a love-starved virgin; who meets a mega billionaire, Christian Grey, who is normally very stand-offish to most individuals he meets. ��But somehow, he finds himself drawn to her and pursues her relentlessly. ��He draws her into an extremely lustful existence, but she finds herself wanting more and more from him. ��He seems to hint that he can give her more, so long as she is willing to give in to his wild and extreme lifestyle of kinkiness so bizarre that he has her sign a non-disclosure agreement to not reveal anything about it.

Yes, 50 Shades is a love story that has no love shared between the characters, at least not mutually anyway.

I’ve probably already revealed too much about the story already for those who have not yet read the book and may or may not have been planning to do so. ��So I will go ahead and conclude this review.

My wife and I just recently went to see the movie for our 14th Anniversary. ��I have to say that the movie was laughable when compared to the book. ��Not because of any particular actor or director’s ability to perform their craft with the utmost precision (Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson did an amazing job of acting out the characters of Anastasia and Christian respectively!); but mainly because of the fact that there were��so many deeds and misdeeds left out of the movie that had blatantly stood up between��the pages of the book like an Irish hard-on in the middle of an English church sermon! ��It is clear that the makers of this film wanted to maintain an R-rating. ��In order to make this film exactly as it was in the book would create another type of movie altogether…a porno film!

I personally liked the film better than the book due to my Christian sensibilities (though I’m sure some of you are questioning that sensibility being that I read the book in the first place, knowing that it was extremely erotic!). ��If I felt as though I needed a bath after watching the film, then I certainly would have needed to be carbonized like Han Solo after reading the book! ��I strictly read the book as homework to see how the writer had managed to become so successful with it. ��I learned she did it through witty characterization and through lavish use of sexual content. ��After all, sex sells in today’s entertainment industry, be it movies or reading!

I’ve even decided to seriously consider using erotic scenes in An Interstate Ghost Story: The Girl on the Highway, the novel I am currently writing. ��But it was written in honor of the American state trooper. ��So I will only do so if it can be done��in a manner that does not cheapen the honor offered them by this novel’s writing and publication. ��If I DO decide to do so, it will only be in a couple or a few scenes.

But — back to finishing my review! ��I give the novel 3.5 out of 5 stars, and the film 4. ��Fifty��Shades of Grey is more or less the love story that never was. ��I’ve heard that the next two novels have possibly different outcomes. ��But these are not my types of books to read as I prefer action and horror over romance and eroticism.

Raw Raving Review: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag

I haven’t yet finished this video game, but Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag is an amazing adventure for geeks like me who appreciate it when video game developers do their homework on historical data.

Personally, I have always been intrigued and fascinated enough by pirate lore to read up anything I can as the opportunities arise. And most of what I’ve seen in this game’s mechanics seem very accurate to most of what I’ve read.

Perhaps the only thing that I have seen in this game that seems different about Blackbeard is that he actually put beads of gunpowder in his beard just before a battle.�� He would then ignite them causing a bunch of sparks that would not only distract his opponents but would ultimately terrify them, possibly giving us a very early example of psychological warfare. In the game, the sparks were attached to some kind of harness he wore under his hat. But all this is forgivable being that it still indicates his ability to put fear into his enemies.

I think that the game does a good job of its portrayal of the legendary pirate.�� I thoroughly enjoyed fighting alongside him during boarding actions at sea.

As is the case with most of the Assassin’s

Creed games, this game is rich on story and additional historical details. It is also very loyal to the legend of what it really must have been like to be a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy.

I give this game 4.5 out of 5 stars.