Rico Lamoureux's Blog: Cafe Lamoureux, page 13

Day 36- Graphic Novella Trilogy

Welcome my wonderful readers!

Today's blog entry is going to be short, but with big news!

I'm busy putting together the finishing touches on a campaign I'm about to launch for a graphic novella trilogy I hope to release in time for Halloween 2014!

The first ebook will actually be slated to come out in August, with its sequel due in September, and the finale of the story released right in time for the Halloween month of October!

I'll keep you guys posted!

See you tomorrow:)

P.S. If you'd like to support this blog, please Become A Fan:) Thanks so much!

Day 35 - To Review Or Not to Review?

Welcome my wonderful readers!

Lately I've been having a debate with myself on whether or not I should write reviews on the books I read. As an author I don't really like the idea of criticizing other writers, but after contemplating it for awhile I've come to the conclusion that my priority is not other authors, but you, my wonderful readers! And since some of you might value my opinion on the books I read, I'll go ahead and start writing reviews. The writing won't be as elaborate as my fictional works(shameless plug-LOL! http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/CafeLam...) but rather brief and conversational like this blog.

So how you guys' Xmas shopping going? Any horror stories yet?Ha!Ha!

See you tomorrow:)

P.S. If you'd like to support this blog, please Become A Fan:) Thanks so much!

Day 34 - Isn't It Ironic?

Welcome my wonderful readers!

Some real-life stories are so ironic that they stay etched in your mind long after you first hear of them. Here's my top 3 for 2013...

1,) Mandela Premiere in London - While film-goers were watching the premiere of Long Walk To Freedom, the Nelson Mandela bio-pic, news hit the world that the beloved leader had passed. Can you imagine what the audience must have felt when the lights in the theater came back on and the filmmakers stood in front of the screen and made the announcement, (that they themselves only learned moments earlier) that the man whose moving story they had just watched had passed during the showing of his inspiring life's journey?

Undoubtedly a moment they will never forget!

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013...

2.) Two women die after being rescued - Two women who were hiking in a state park earlier this year were rescued by rangers after getting lost in the wilderness.

Found physically ok and returned to their mini van, the two made a wrong turn not that long after and drowned in a body of water!

http://nypost.com/2013/07/25/a-pregna...

3.) 'Ol man chokes on steak and dies hours before he was to have ménage à trois aka
"Super Bowl of Sex."

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainm...

Don't know about you, but Alanis Morissette is singing in my head...!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8...


See you tomorrow:)

*If you'd like to support this blog, please click Become A Fan on my profile page. Thanks so much!*

Day 33 - 3D

Welcome my wonderful readers!

Today I'm hanging out at the mall with Giacomo(https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...)
while my wife enjoys here first experience of watching a 3D movie. Shes's a huge TLOTR's/Hobbit fan, so Hobbit 2 is going to be unforgettable for her!

Due to the fact that I'm blind in my left eye(since the age of 16) I can't watch films in 3D, and even watching 2D in the theather is a thing of the past, since I'm near-legally blind in my one working eye. Last year when we went to go see the first Hobbit it was nothing but two and a half hours of blurred bright lights for me, so I learned my lesson and now only watch films on the small screen. But grateful nonetheless! The only movie I ever saw in 3D was Jaws 3, when I was a kid, so I can only imagine how much it has advanced over the past thirty years!

But yeah, I'm happy for my wife. To see her excitement, to know she's enjoying herself... is priceless:)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

See you tomorrow:)

*If you'd like to support this blog, please click Become A Fan on my profile page. Thanks so much*

Day 32 - Bookworm Depot

Welcome my wonderful readers!

Today's a light day:) Thought I'd show you where I go for many of my books. Actually, bookworms can't really pass any book store without taking a gander inside, but this is my usual place, since the prices are good.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

See you tomorrow:)

*If you'd like to support this blog, please Become A Fan:) Thanks so much!*

P.S. Oh, I put a bookmark up in my writing section. Have a look!

Day 31 - 12 Days/12 Years of Christmas

Welcome my wonderful readers!

I've been away from my home country of the U,S, and roughin' it in a Third World country for 12 Christmas seasons now. This story(along with the other chapters of my life) is told in my autobiography(https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...) to be released in February.

Since there's 12 days left until Christmas I thought I'd give my own spin on the 'ol 12 days with the top 12 inconveniences of living in this underdeveloped nation that I find myself in. Not to be a downer or anything, but as an FYI for those who have never expeirenced such hardships. Like an insightful book that can inform you about less than ideal places in the world. All while keeping you in the comforts of your own home.

So here we go. Drumroll...

1.) Disaster Prone - Every country is subject to Mother Nature's wrath, but some are better prepared than others. And many disasters are man-made due to hardheadedness.

This was the case in 2009 when we lost over 90% of everything we owned due to flooding. A powerful typhoon hit our area, and because the local authorities did not properly maintain a nearby lagoon, as well as residents being irresponsible with trash, our apartment was completely submerged under water! (Pics will be in the autobiography).

2.) Brown-outs - Again due to man-made idiocy, we sometimes have to deal with the highly-inconvenient situation of having no electricity. Doesn't matter what kind of weather is going on outside. They'll flip the switch with no notice, blaming it on financial problems. Apparently unable to figure out that there can be other, more wiser solutions in managing power supply.

3.) Pollution - I'm not sure if they have anti-pollution laws in these parts, but if they do it's obvious that they don't give a damn about enforcing them! What could be a beautiful mountainous city is suffocated by the willful ignorance of its community as they refuse to clean up their act.

If you take the primary mode of transportation, by the time you reach your destination your face will be covered in a coat of smog, while being able to taste its poisonous compounds as it fills your mouth and heads down into your lungs. Yay!

4,) Happy-go-lucky to an extreme - There's nothing wrong with someone choosing to live a happy-go-lucky lifestyle, unless it directly affects others!

Unreliability is a huge factor, which is why these parts remain under Third World status. If a country wants to be primitive, that's their right, but if they claim to want to be First World then they have to really be willing to do what it takes, including being responsible with their words, actions, etc.

5.) Generic meds - Some say countries like the U.S. are too reliant on medications, and they very-well might have a valid point, but when you find yourself in a part of the world where they don't use anesthetic for things like root canals, pill-poppin' Americans don't seem that crazy after all!

6.) to be stared at, to be treated differently, just because you're not a native. Where I'm from we call this discrimination!

7.) It's been over a year since I last had a glass of milk. Back when I was in the capital of this country, since this was the only location you could find U.S. milk. And given its high import price, I was only able to savor a half gallon.

American food in general is scarce here, so when I do happen to find items from back home I treasure them!

8.) Artificial Christmas - From the trees to the spirit, it's been so long since I last experienced a real Christmas!

9.) Amenities - Like to bake? Me too, but having an oven over here is a luxury! Like the convenience of going to your kitchen sink and simply turning the faucet on to have instant hot water? Here it's just a dream!

10.) Unlike most of the hardships on this list, weather is not a choice. The climate is so awful in the rest of the country that it's nearly impossible to concentrate on something like writing, which is why we have lived in this mountainous area for so many years.

11.) Customer Service - I happen to come from the land of customer service, so to live in a place where their version is not that much more than "sir" and "ma'am", it can be quite frustrating!

Try to special-order something, like milk, or anything else for that matter, and it's like you're asking for miracles to be performed!

12.) Lack of Diversity - I sure do miss going outside and seeing a rainbow of cultures and people.

And there you have it. I usually keep my discomforts to myself, but occasionally they'll slip, and sometimes when they do I'll get a reply from an ignoranus like, "Why don't you just go home then?" Yep, rather remain stubborn and defiant instead of changing for the better so as to really become a reliable First World society.

Oh what a sacrifice I've made to be with my wife! This is why those who support my literary works are my heroes, because eventually I'm going to earn enough to get us home!

See you tomorrow:)

P.S. If you'd like to support this blog, please Become A Fan:) Thanks so much!

Day 30 - 6 Degrees/50 Shades

Welcome my wonderful readers!

Day 30! Wow, our first month!

Today I wanted to give a little props to 50 Shades of Grey. I haven't read the trilogy, and I know there are an array of reviews out there, but I just wanted to tip my hat to E.L. for the story behind the story. How 50 Shades went from a simple ebook to a printed worldwide phenomenon! Whether you like the books or not, the success story definitely deserves our respect!

The funny thing is, when I started writing my novella, 6 Degrees of SeXparation, I had never heard of 50 Shades, so the numbered titles are quite the kawinkadink!

Since I haven't read the infamous series I can't really state an opinion about it, but as for 6 Degrees, the sensuality is there to serve story/character, and never there just for SeX of it.



See you tomorrow:)

P.S. If you'd like to support this blog, please Become A Fan:) Thanks so much!

Day 29 - CatDog

Welcome my wonderful readers!

For those of you who haven't met my mini pin Giacomo yet, I wanted to introduce you to him:)

He's five months old, and although he's named after the infamous lover Giacomo Casanova, I often call him CatDog because he's temperamental like a cat! Just my luck! As a kid and young adult I always had cats, and when I finally get a dog his loyalty only shows when he's either hungry or in the mood to take advantage of my leg by humping it! But by any rate, he's still a loved member of our little family:)

Have a look. Isn't he handsome...!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

See you tomorrow:)

P.S. If you'd like to support this blog, please Become A Fan:) Thanks so much!

Day 28 - Lost In Cyberspace

Welcome my wonderful readers!

Stargazing used to be a passion of mine back when I had 20/20 vision. Looking out at the vast universe where I'd oftentimes find inspiration to pick up a pen and start writing. But with the onset of my visual impairment those cosmic times were lost to the past. Like a vampire who can only watch sunsets on celluloid, I now can only take in the universe while sitting inches from a screen.

But I still have memories of countless diamonds in the nights sky, and nowadays that infinite image merges with how I imagine cyberspace to be. But instead of stars, the matter which clogs the fiber-optic lines are facebookers, gamers, spammers, bloggers, etc.

So how, with my little Cafe Lamoureux blog, am I suppose to shine amongst the limitless? Not to sound cliche, but the only hope I have is to just be myself.

See you tomorrow:)

P.S. If you'd like to support this blog, please Become A Fan:) Thanks so much!

Day 27 - Freedom

"Money won't make success. The freedom to make it will." Nelson Mandela

Welcome my wonderful readers!

This is an interesting quote from the late Nelson Mandela, and although I full-heartedly agree with it, it made me think of the TRUE freedom we have to make money, or the lack thereof.

We've all heard of how difficult it is to break into any industry that entertains. Hollywood, big publishing, A-list music. All tight-knit and great at keeping people out. I can understand needing a system to keep those with no specific talent out of a certain field, but there are two main problems of how this is done nowadays.

First problem is pretty obvious. For every one person with actual talent there are thousands who lack it, yet they are fighting side-by-side to get the attention of those who wield the power to change lives. Because of such, great talents are overlooked.

Secondly, many of these big-wigs don't actually have the talent to spot talent. You hear about it happening all the time in Hollywood. How such and such passed on what later became an Academy-Award winning film, etc.

So yeah, human freedom is above all the utmost of importance. But are we really equal in opportunity when it comes to having the freedom of how we choose to make a living? Based on the current system, I think not. After all, I was part of this rat race until recently, when I finally decided to self-publish.

There's one more thing I wanted to mention about Mandela. There's a great song that I always felt goes well with what he stood for. Here, have a listen...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZEuSD...

See you tomorrow:)