Joy will Burn out the Pain - Joseph Campbell

Striving for Excellence - Harriet Braiker

Strive for Perfection - Frederick Royce

What People Say You Cannot - Walter Bagehut

Start by Doing the Necessary - St. Francis of Assisi

The Happy Valkyrie Book

This is another Book review for a book that was being considered for publication. I didn’t care much for it, but I tried to be nice about that.
Some Time in 2014

Valkyrie Book

Okay, I’ve read up to chapter three (page 45) of (Valkyrie Book) and I can honestly say this book is well out of the range of things I should be reviewing. So I’m not going to give it a star rating and you should take into account that this isn’t the kind of book I’d read.

That said, the world is clear and accessible. I get what’s going on. The grammar puts me off some. There are a good deal of sentences starting with ‘but’ or ending with ‘it’, and after having it grilled into me not to do such things it bothers me. Still, this is a stylistic choice on the part of the author, and she can do what she wants.

In the space of the first three chapters everything comes very easy for the main character, and I think that’s how these stories tend to go. I’m reminded of the documentary “The Secret” when reading this storyline.

If I were to make any suggestions I would say to give the audience a reason to care about the main character. I mean, she isn’t in peril, her father wants her back but isn’t that intent on getting her, she’s living with some fellow who appears to be nice enough.

I could also go into a few logistical things like ‘how did she walk around with a sword with no one noticing,’ ‘why not just bump off a drug dealer for money,’ and ‘why didn’t she take a bag when she left home,’? but again I’m not sure any of that would be important.

All in all, you want to read a story about a girl having a good time this is for you. If that isn’t your bag then this isn’t for you.

The Greatest Good - Benjamin Disraeli

Traffic from Both Sides - Margaret Thatcher

The Girl with a Future - Evan Esar

If You Want to be Heard - Terri Levine

Rich but Lacking

This was a book review I wrote that was taken down because the book was removed from the website. I think the author get a bit ticked that I didn’t like his book and returned the favor by writing me a bad review. Give that the website in question used review to decide if a book should be published or not I guess I was keeping him from a paycheck. Alternately, if I was giving him good advice he should have thanked me and better attended his story. Was I to hard on him?

Some Time in 2014

‘The Thrumble’ by (Author)

I’ve read the prologue and first two chapters of this novel and feel it’s time for a kneejerk review. I reserve the right to review this book again once I have read the whole thing, but I believe this review will be helpful.

There is a deep richness to this text of Thrumble and a clear high level of thought. Unfortunately, what is missing is the polished execution of this splendid idea.

I read another review comparing this to the Diskworld series which is one of the largest and most popular in modern times. Well, Diskworld started with a description of the world or at least the great turtle it spins on and the four elephants that serve as bearings on her back. The Trumble starts with an examination of ruins that we are given no indication of being even near Thrumble. Further on that, what is the Thrumble? By the end of chapter two we get that it’s a living building of some kind and that two entities of great magic maintain this building. What is so living about brick and plaster I couldn’t tell you. I’m sure that if I read the whole thing I would understand what the Thrumble is but unless this is a big reveal later in the text then I would have to say there would be more explanation and description early on.

Another place I need more information is who and what are the Rangers? They look to be something like this world’s Jedi in form and function. In Star Wars we knew as much as Luke did about the Jedi, but the main character is almost a full Ranger and we know almost nothing about the order.

As the reader I feel like there is a lot for me to get in my head and very little time spend on each of these things to get it there as the story moves on. I feel the characters, objects, and motives involved in this story need to be fleshed out before its publication.

Never Seek the Wind - Polish Proverb

Time - Frank Frye

Glimpse of Eternity - Helen Hayes

Problems are Opportunities - Henry J. Kaiser

Reach for the Moon - Marvin the Martian

Out of Steam

11th October 2013

Dear Cassi,

The only way to describe my feelings at the moment is ‘out of steam’. I came home after work and drew another image for a letter but could find in me no further inspiration of energy to work so I lay down in bed accompanied by the two black and white cats Hyde and Sneak. This kicked off my normal dance of sleep and waking that has continued until now at nine at night.

I feel nagging weight in my shoulders dragging me down like anchors, and still I rumble off to work again sifting through the litter of unfinished projects and half formed ideas. Work is slow as the first wonderful chill enters the autumn air.

To be honest I’m frustrated and angry with my life falling back into the rut I suffered in college. I feel like I’ve progressed as a person and that I have become both a stronger and more prolific artist. My latest trick is to draw images and add the lettering in digitally by saving it as a PDF file and then opening the file in Photoshop.

This offers up cleaner text than Photoshop or the printer can furnish in fonts that I proffer. The process can be lengthy and I still haven’t worked out all the kinks, but now I can draw at work with only blank paper. To be honest this is almost nothing of a boon, as I put drawing away at work whenever there is something to do and that happens more and more.

The goal of a professional security officer is to stay sharp during shift and drawing keeps my mind going, but I have always wanted to switch to math. Sounds like a funny thing to do, but you notice everything else in the room when you’re working math equations.



Do what works, little sister,





Richard Leland Neal

Honest of Children - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Relationships like Sand - Kaleel Jamison

Counsel of Fears - Andrew Jackson