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Bookbinding
First, you need to know what Rhino is in Japanese. It’s Sai with the kanji being 犀. River in Japanese is kawa with the corresponding kanji being three vertical lines: 川. Together Sai and Kawa is pronounced Saigawa. The Saigawa is one of the two major rivers running through Kanazawa (the other being the Asanogawa which means Shallow River, and it is.)
That means the Saigawa can be translated as Rhino River. The Rhino River I made is an A6-size, 120-page, link stitch-bound blank notebook. In order to push my personal envelope in the bookbinding trade, I made a collage of people, drew a rhinoceros, and cut out photos of various other activities: books, museums, a cow, and a painting of a group of women harvesting what appears to be wheat.
Fiction
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Moving Pictures
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Episodes
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Bookbinding
I printed out, punched holes in, sewed, and bound another version of This Page! This time things fit together better but I discovered why on the first one the textblock and covers were of offending sizes. The template I used to make the backcloth covers was too small. I noticed it when the second version experienced the same problem as the first one.
The main question I have now is why was my A6-size template for book covers off by so much? Or, better, why did I use it twice (or more!) before finding out it was too small? Or, even better, did I make it wrong to begin with?
Fiction
I have worked a bit on two novels, Fear Itself and Dark Death. However, I depressed myself on the number of the as-of-yet incomplete and unfinished novels I have spinning in the air like so many plates on a talent show. Let me list the ones I can remember:
- Fear Itself - Book One of The Fear trilogy. Fear Zero, Book One, is available. Check below,
- Fear The Dead - Book Two of The Fear trilogy,
- Dark Death - Book One of the Vengeance trilogy,
- Botchan’s Bartender - Book One of the Japan Quintet (of which Books Two to Five are finished! Yeah!),
- Caraculiambro - a mystery/conspiracy stand-alone novel whose main character is a giant ala Andre the Giant but a private detective. The character’s name and some activities he’s involved in were snatched from Don Quixote. I like the characters and the plot. I really want to wish it someday. Again, maybe in this century, right? I have two books based somewhat, circling around, as it were, Don Quixote. This one and Giapan, Book Five of the Japan Quintet
Of course, I’ve been doing my best to avoid writing anything for NaNoWriMo. I haven’t even gone to its website to see what is going on. Lazy me, I suspect.
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Fear Zero
A 10-year-old Matt McKenzie is thrown in prison for murdering his mother. Can he survive sadistic guards, violent inmates, loneliness, and fear? When he’s 16, he could be released. How will the six years of fear, pain, and violence change him? Will he be able to find a job or a place to live? The odds are against him.
This is the prelude to The Fear Trilogy, a dystopian future war novel which follows McKenzie from war to peace and back to war through power-hungry politicians, conspiracies, and intrigue.
Available at 
iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble • Scribd
The Oregon Coast Murder Duet
Two murders in the same town. Separated by 20 years. How are the suspects, witnesses, and victims related?
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse
This first murder victim is a PhD student who had damaging information about a local business development. Did the developer have him killed? The developer’s teenage daughter was raped. 
Did the PhD student rape her? Was that why he was killed? A retired and emotionally damaged Boston detective is asked to dig into the crimes. And he comes up with surprising results.
Available at: iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble ª Scribd
The City of Cocks
The second murder victim was the son of a local businessman. With lots of friends in high places. They want the murder solved and quickly. Murders are bad for the tourist business and 
summer is approaching. A suspect is quickly arrested. He must rely on his wife, a drunken poet who sees ghosts, and a bookish lawyer to protect him.
Available at: iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble • Scribd
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
A New Video is up on my YouTube Channel!
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Bookbinding
A problem! I cased in an A-5 (pocketbook)-sized blank notebook with graph paper. And I cased it in very, very badly. Perhaps I was too much in a hurry? Perhaps I didn’t think things through? In any case, the book cover was too small. After, of course, I glued it to the backboards. I foolishly sliced it open in a vain attempt at making it larger. This failed to work.
I studied the book. I thought about the errors of my way. I did some research in the proper measurement for everything. I think…… I think I may have solved my problem. If – and this is a very big IF – I pay attention to what I’m doing.
Making the bookboard just the right width plus the gap between the spine and the covers seems to need my attention.
Fiction
Still writing; still not finishing; still see the light at the end of the novel. Fear Itself coming…This Century!
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Novels Available for Your Reading Pleasure Yeah!
Fear Zero
A 10-year-old Matt McKenzie is thrown in prison for murdering his mother. Can he survive sadistic guards, violent inmates, loneliness, and fear? When he’s 16, he could be released. How will the six years of fear, pain, and violence change him? Will he be able to find a job or a place to live? The odds are against him.
This is the prelude to The Fear Trilogy, a dystopian future war novel which follows McKenzie from war to peace and back to war through power-hungry politicians, conspiracies, and intrigue.
Available at iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble • Scribd
The Oregon Coast Murder Duet
The City of Cocks
Sol is wrongly arrested for murdering a teenager whose father works with important people in this small Oregon town. They all want someone – Anyone! – arrested and convicted of the murder. Sol must rely on his wife and a friend who is an alcoholic poet who sees and talks to ghosts. Not a strong defense team.
The City of Cocks is a sister-novel to Feeding Vicki’s Corpse.
Available at: iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble • Scribd
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse
McCorkle, a retired Boston police detective, is haunted by the death of someone he loved as he wanders around the US. In Oregon, he saves the lives of four teenagers. The chief of police asks him to help solve a cold murder case. In his investigations he discovers the murder is related to a rape. But the most powerful businessman in the town doesn’t want the murder solved or the rape exposed.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a sister-novel to The City of Cocks.
Available at: iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble ª Scribd
Tuesday Nov 05, 2019
Tuesday Nov 05, 2019
Bookbinding
I have ink! I have ink but little time and no - zero - appropriate paper for what I want to make. I want to make a 2020 Schedule (A5) and a graph paper notebook (A6). I will purchase the paper today and print them out. I will, at the minimum, sew the signatures. The notebook is called This Page. The entire title is This Page Intentionally Left Blank and, of course, that page is crowded with that sentence, indicating it is not Blank. But the other 100+ pages are blank graph paper
Speaking of Schedules, the schedules I make are personalized. They are mostly A5 in size, but if you send me 10 pictures of your choice, I will include them in the schedule. You can tell me which photos go on which month or you can let me decide.
You can also tell me if you want birthdays indicated on the schedule. Holidays are in red; birthdays are in blue. The Schedules include two yearly calendars (2020 and 2021), a monthly calendar for 2020 running from January to January 2021, and blank or lined pages for your valuable notes and doodles.
If you click over to 手作り本販売 at the top of the page, you can see the particulars.
Fiction
I continue to write on Fear Itself. I am trying to make it stronger, more powerful, and more exciting.
By stronger I mean even casual conversations are fraught with anger, suspense, or a menacing subtext. For example:
“Hi,” he said as he toyed with the trigger of his revolver. He moved to keep it out of her line of vision.
“You look tired.” She ran her hand over the drawer with the knives.
“A little bit,” he smiled. He stepped closer to her.
“Want a drink? Something to eat?” She pulled open the drawer as quietly as she could. “I could whip something up for you.”
By more powerful I mean strengthening the verbs and sentences. For example, instead of me writing: He had been sitting in the chair for an hour in the rain. I write: He squirmed in the chair. An hour ticked by. He wasn’t bothered by the time. But he wanted to kill the rain. I hope the second visual is more powerful.
And by more exciting I mean more exciting.
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Books Available for Your Reading Pleasure
Fear Zero
A 10-year-old Matt McKenzie is thrown in prison for murdering his mother. Can he survive sadistic guards, violent inmates, loneliness, and fear? When he’s 16, he could be released. How will the six years of fear, pain, and violence change him? Will he be able to find a job or a place to live? The odds are against him.
This is the prelude to The Fear Trilogy, a dystopian future war novel which follows McKenzie from war to peace and back to war through power-hungry politicians, conspiracies, and intrigue.
Available at iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble • Scribd
The City of Cocks
Sol is wrongly arrested for murdering a teenager whose father works with important people in this small Oregon town. They all want someone – Anyone! – arrested and convicted of the murder. Sol must rely on his wife and a friend who is an alcoholic poet who sees and talks to ghosts. Not a strong defense team.
The City of Cocks is a sister-novel to Feeding Vicki’s Corpse.
Available at: iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble • Scribd
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse
McCorkle, a retired Boston police detective, is haunted by the death of someone he loved as he wanders around the US. In Oregon, he saves the lives of four teenagers. The chief of police asks him to help solve a cold murder case. In his investigations he discovers the murder is related to a rape. But the most powerful businessman in the town doesn’t want the murder solved or the rape exposed.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a sister-novel to The City of Cocks.
Available at: iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble ª Scribd
Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
Bookbinding
This week has seen me do absolutely nothing in the bookbinding studio of life; life itself is interfering at the most inappropriate time. Such as when I want to make a book but haven’t the time. There are many books I want to make but need to put them off for a bit longer; perhaps winter will provide more time.
First up, if time permits, is This Page. This Page is a graphic paper, paperback-size (A6) notebook. I have it set out on my computer and await only ink, time, and paper. What more could I need?
Fiction
Fiction has seen me spread my time too thin, too; too many books to write, not enough time.
For example: I want to finish The Fear Trilogy. Book 0 is up and for sale on all the usual places except Amazon. Book 1 is almost finished. Book 2 is slated to be written during NaNoWriMo (November Novel Writing Month). Book 3 will be written shortly thereafter. One can hope.
Second, I have outlined my Revenge Trilogy and written chapters one and two of Book 1 titled Dark Death. Book 2 is Dark Vengeance and Book 3 is Dark Solace.
However, on InDesign on my computer, I have started two more books. Instant Rain and The Death Amulet from the Howling Dog. This means my fiction-writing time is really, really spread thin. I need to concentrate on one (Fear Itself, Book One of The Fear Trilogy) and let the others slide a bit. Will I? I wouldn’t take any bets on it.
Instant Rain deals with four friends whose employer is killed and they set out to find out who the culprit is. At the same time they are trying to get their band jobs. They are ‘adequate’ as musicians and ‘nearly competent’ as murder investigators.
The Death Amulet from the Howling Dog is a ghost or haunting story about a woman who fears for her life or her sanity.
Books Available for Your Reading Pleasure
Fear Zero
Can 10-year-old Matt McKenzie, thrown in prison for murdering his mother, survive sadistic guards, violent inmates, loneliness, and fear? When released at 16 without a Citizen’s Number, will he be able to find a job or a place to live? The odds are against him.
This is the prelude to The Fear Trilogy, a dystopian future war novel which follows McKenzie from war to peace and back to war through power-hungry politicians, conspiracies, and intrigue.
Available at iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble • Scribd
The City of Cocks
Sol is wrongly arrested for murdering a teenager whose father works with important people in this small Oregon town. They all want someone – Anyone! – arrested and convicted of the murder. Sol must rely on his wife and a friend who is an alcoholic poet who sees and talks to ghosts. Not a strong defense team.
The City of Cocks is a sister-novel to Feeding Vicki’s Corpse.
Available at: iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble • Scribd
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse
McCorkle, a retired Boston police detective, is haunted by the death of someone he loved as he wanders around the US. In Oregon, he saves the lives of four teenagers. The chief of police asks him to help solve a cold case. In his investigations he discovers the murder is related to a rape. But the most powerful businessman in the town doesn’t want the murder solved or the rape exposed.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a sister-novel to The City of Cocks.
Available at: iBooks • Kobo • Barnes & Noble ª Scribd
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
Bookbinding
I cased in one book and didn’t succeed in making another pop-up book. Oddly enough, I don’t have a photo of my failed pop-up book, but I might be able to describe it. It has sliding doors that open into a panorama of faces of people. I demolished and used paper from a previous pop-up and it was worn out, tired, incapable of helping me. It didn’t hold a fold well and it didn’t slide well. Perhaps I should use fresh card stock instead of older stock. I will try again! I suspect.
I cased in the text block for Fear Zero. I worked fast and rough and the book came out fast and rough. However, it was a good solid B-, if you were to grade me on it. Maybe a C+. It’s soft cover, paperback size, with the title on the cover. This last part is a bit of a challenge as I have to align things on the computer, print it out, and hope for the best. Actually, I make three or four test prints before printing it out on book cloth.
A YouTube video of Fear Zero is at
https://youtu.be/2_Jui_hUGTU
Fiction
The same as last week, I am working on Book One of The Fear Trilogy titled Fear Itself. I believe I have made it stronger; not longer and not more ‘literary’ but stronger. The three plot lines are clearer. The plot lines are 1. Who is the Spy? 2. Who ordered the killings? and 3. Will the protagonist (McKenzie) find his wounded buddy (Ferrell)?
I am also working on another trilogy tentatively called The Revenge Trilogy. I’m outlining it, doing some research, and plotting plots. The main plot is A woman (Monty) seeks revenge for the rape and murder of her wife (Julie). It takes Monty into the depths of society where murderers, rapists, and molesters abide.
Books Available for Your Reading Pleasure
Fear Zero
Can 10-year-old Matt McKenzie, thrown in prison for murdering his mother, survive sadistic guards, violent inmates, loneliness, and fear? When released at 16 without a Citizen’s Number, will he be able to find a job or a place to live? The odds are against him.
This is the prelude to The Fear Trilogy, a dystopian future war novel which follows McKenzie from war to peace and back to war through power-hungry politicians, conspiracies, and intrigue.
Available at
The City of Cocks
Sol is wrongly arrested for murdering a teenager whose father works with important people in this small Oregon town. They all want someone – Anyone! – arrested and convicted of the murder. Sol must rely on his wife and a friend who is an alcoholic poet who sees and talks to ghosts. Not a strong defense team.
The City of Cocks is a sister-novel to Feeding Vicki’s Corpse.
Available at:
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse
McCorkle, a retired Boston police detective, is haunted by the death of someone he loved as he wanders around the US. In Oregon, he saves the lives of four teenagers. The chief of police asks him to help solve a cold case. In his investigations he discovers the murder is related to a rape. But the most powerful businessman in the town doesn’t want the murder solved or the rape exposed.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a sister-novel to The City of Cocks.
Available at:
Tuesday Oct 15, 2019
Tuesday Oct 15, 2019
Bookbinding
First, I put together three pop-up books.
One is a simple yet elegant photo book. I found it most pleasing to both build and look at. I used pictures from a souvenir/coffee shop called HoHoHoZa which is on a lagoon of the sea of Japan. The book only has one kind of fold so it is simple, but I tried to do it well and almost succeeded. The base has a photo of a sign for the shop; the two pop-up bits have photos of the exterior and the view from across the lagoon. Perhaps a more complicated pop-up book will include the same photos plus a bit more trickery, such as in the second pop-up book I made.
The second pop-up had two different kinds of pull-tabs. One opened a whole new page. The other pulled the visible art in the opposite direction. The picture here is the bare bones; before art was added. The center piece, with the two supports? that is the new page opened by those supports, which actually move. It is flanked by two pull-tabs that display two more pictures. The next time I make this type of book, I will add the photos before constructing it; to avoid movable parts and to insure the photos phit. (phit?)
The third book 
is more of an un-folding book than a pop-up. It opens like a book but has four rooms wherein you can put photos, secrets, drawings, coins (if you so desire.) I did notice that when I make a pop-up book, my workbench becomes instantly messing; lots of cutting going on.
Second, I managed to case in my 290-page Don Quixote-inspired novel Giapan. This is a novel I have spent considerable amount of time setting up. I have large, red, drop caps at the beginning of each chapter and other typographical niceties such as fitting the text-wrap to the shape of the image rather than a square block.
As I was gluing the mull and spine piece, I noticed an error or two in the text. I also saw sentences I want to change, so I didn’t use expensive endpaper for the endpapers or expensive bookcloth for the cover. I experimented a bit, though, with the cover. I put an outlayed G (obviously for Giapan) and a outlayed strip down the side of the front cover. With nothing special on the back. I’ll use this edition to look for errors such as typos, sentences I’d like to rearrange, and for more blatant mistakes such as have four horses in one chapter but in the next continuous chapter having three.
What is Giapan about? (this veers dangerously close to the Fiction segment so if you’re not interested in Fiction, this is the end of the bookbinding bit.) A nun who is a friend of Saavedra (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of Don Quixote), is discriminated against by her mother superior because the nun is of Romani descent. She sets out to return to her Romany parents. Saavedra insists two guards who are supposed to guard Saavedra, who is a tax collector (as Cervantes really was), ride with her for protection. They take the nun to find a traveler who will help her. The traveler is an artist from Japan wandering Europe in search of art teachers and great art. He meets, for example, El Greco and Caravaggio.
The four set out on adventures that show up in Don Quixote while others are influenced by Don Quixote. Along the way they discuss gender, Christianity, Islam, love, and discrimination. Since we are so close to the fiction section, why don’t we just meander into that territory, shall we?
Fiction
I am continuing to write on Fear Itself, Book One of The Fear Trilogy. The major power struggle between a Senator and the President has begun while the war between the Conglomerate forces and the alien forces heats up. The Conglomerate forces are not always on the winning side. In fact, their capital is in ruins. McKenzie, a wounded war hero, is investigating a possible spy in the Senator’s office. The more he learns about politics, the less he understands the power struggle and the war itself.
Also, I am recording Fear Zero as well. As you heard from last week’s podcast. I am reading and finding things I would like to change, and carrying on reading it some more. Of the 17 chapters, I have read ten.
And now, a bit of a background about The Fear Trilogy. Aliens from the moons of Jupiter, Titan or Io, have landed on our Earth-like planet. The aliens, called Jeeters, (derogatory slang for Jupiterians) have four arms. This planet is run by the Conglomerate which dictates everything. The Conglomerate relegates the aliens to an inferior status as they can not help the Conglomerate make a profit. Eventually the Jeeters rebel and a war starts between them and Conglomerate forces. The Jeeters have a very long supply line: from Io to the Earth. But they are also difficult to kill, can shoot with four weapons at once, and are intelligent enough to succeed at inter-planetary travel.
Books Available for Your Reading Pleasure
Fear Zero
Matt McKenzie, 10, thrown in prison for murdering his mother, must battle with sadistic guards, violent inmates, loneliness, and fear.
This is the prelude to The Fear Trilogy, a dystopian future war novel which follows McKenzie from war to peace and back to war through power-hungry politicians, conspiracies, and intrigue.
Available at
The City of Cocks
Sol is wrongly arrested for murdering a teenager. The teenager’s father works with important people in this small Oregon town and they all want someone, Anyone!, arrested and convicted of the murder. Sol must rely on his wife and a friend who is an alcoholic poet who sees and talks to ghosts. Not a strong defense team.
The City of Cocks is a sister-novel to Feeding Vicki’s Corpse.
Available at:
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse
McCorkle, a retired Boston police detective, is haunted by the death of someone he loved as he wanders around the US. In Oregon, he saves the lives of four teenagers. The chief of police asks him to help solve a cold case. In his investigations he discovers the murder is related to a rape. But the most powerful businessman in the town doesn’t want the murder solved or the rape exposed.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a sister-novel to The City of Cocks.
Available at:
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Bookbinding
Not much to report on the bookbinding front today as I’ve been busy on Fiction Mountain. I have, however, torn apart one pop-up book, designed another one, and have pieces of a pop-up book scattered all over my worktable.
I added mull and the spine piece to both Giapan (yes, my Don Quixote inspired historical novel) and Fear Zero (book O of The Fear Trilogy.)
Fiction
In fiction, however, I have been abundantly busy. First, writing on Book One of The Fear Trilogy called Fear Itself. I’ve added numerous pages, tightened it up, made it faster, and more aggressive. I’m nearing the climactic finishing chapters. I want to finish it this month and write Book Two, Fear the Dead, during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).
In NaNoWriMo one must write a 50,000 word novel in one month (November). I have done this on a few occasions. My novels in the Calvado Pentalogy were either started or finished during this marathon of writing. I believe three of the five books in Calvado were finished during NaNoWriMo.
I have also started recording Fear Zero as an audio book. The first chapter can be heard on this episode of Tedorigawa Bookmakers. Recording and editing the audio file takes some time but as I record I find things I want to change. This is like a final Final edit.
Books Available for Your Reading Pleasure
Fear Zero
Matt McKenzie, 10, thrown in prison for murdering his mother, must battle with sadistic guards, violent inmates, loneliness, and fear.
This is the prelude to The Fear Trilogy, a dystopian future war novel which follows McKenzie from war to peace and back to war through power-hungry politicians, conspiracies, and intrigue.
The City of Cocks
Sol is wrongly arrested for murdering a teenager. The teenager’s father works with important people in this small Oregon town and they all want someone, Anyone!, arrested and convicted of the murder. Sol must rely on his wife and a friend who is an alcoholic poet who sees and talks to ghosts. Not a strong defense team.
The City of Cocks is a sister-novel to Feeding Vicki’s Corpse.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse
McCorkle, a retired Boston police detective, is haunted by the death of someone he loved as he wanders around the US. In Oregon, he saves the lives of four teenagers. The chief of police asks him to help solve a cold case. In his investigations he discovers the murder is related to a rape. But the most powerful businessman in the town doesn’t want the murder solved or the rape exposed.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a sister-novel to The City of Cocks.
Monday Sep 30, 2019
Monday Sep 30, 2019
Bookbinding
I have made a bunch of pop-up books and they have grabbed my imagination. I enjoy building things and obviously pop-up books is building a story. I have learned how to make pull-tabs, v-folds, and another fold that twists the picture. I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s fun. I have no pictures of the pop-up books I have made because once I make them, I tear them apart to re-make them or make them slightly differently. By the time I realize I should’ve taken a few shots, they’re gone.
However, pop-up books, while frustrating to construct, are a new passion that I hope I can continue making, continue improving, and have something to show you in the near future. They are not something you can think about and then produce, like writing. I have to have the paper, tape, and scissors in my hands and manipulating everything in order to make it. It’s fun.
Fiction
The Fear Trilogy
I have published Fear Zero on iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Scribd. It is BooK 0 of The Fear Trilogy. This trilogy takes place in a dystopian future war with conspiracies. Book One Fear Itself is in the writing stage. I am up to 30,000 words and I plan the book to be between 50,000 and 60,000 words so I am half-way there.
I am using, for the first time, a rough outline that includes which action I want in each chapter, plus how it leads to the next chapter. I usually write with just a general outline in my head. With an outline written down, I find it easier to write, quicker to write, and satisfying to strike a chapter off the list.
See a three-minute YouTube video of me sewing Fear Zero.
The Oregon Murder Mystery Series
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse and The City of Cocks (available on iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Scribd) are two related murder mysteries that take place in the same town with many of the same characters but spread about 20 years apart. Chronologically Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is before The City of Cocks. However, you may read them in either order. I wrote them in reverse chronological order so for me Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a prequel.
Matt McKenzie, 10, is thrown in prison for murdering his mother. He must contend with sadistic guards, violent inmates, loneliness, and fear.
This is the prelude to The Fear Trilogy, a dystopian future war novel which follows McKenzie from war to peace and back to war through power-hungry politicians, conspiracies, and intrigue.
Sol is wrongly arrested for murdering a teenager. The teenager’s father works with important people in this small Oregon town and they all want someone, Anyone!, arrested and convicted of the murder. Sol must rely on his wife and a friend who is an alcoholic poet who sees and talks to ghosts. Not a strong defense team.
The City of Cocks is a sister-novel to Feeding Vicki’s Corpse.
McCorkle, a retired Boston police detective, is haunted by the death of someone he loved as he wanders around the US. In Oregon, he saves the lives of four teenagers. The chief of police asks him to help solve a cold case. In his investigations he discovers the murder is related to a rape. But the most powerful businessman in the town doesn’t want the murder solved or the rape exposed.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a sister-novel to The City of Cocks.
Monday Sep 23, 2019
Monday Sep 23, 2019
Update: Feeding Vicki’s Corpse now available on Apple iBooks! (Sorry for the interruption)
I have dipped my creative toes into the world of pop-up books. These books, when done by really creative professional pop-up bookmakers like Colette Fu, Matthew Reinhold, Duncan Birmingham, and this site which has many, many more artists, are fascinating. When done by beginners like myself, well, not so much. But we all have to start somewhere and for me that is being confused. However, I did make one pop-up book. A small one with three tricks.
Trick one was the ‘normal’ one of a picture popping up. In this case it was the Japanese kanji for kanji (漢字), which, as you can see, is two kanji. Trick two was the Japanese kanji for heiwa (peace) which is 平和. Also two kanji. While the kanji for kanji popped up, the kanji for peace involves a pull-tab. The 平 (hei) portion of the kanji slides up to the 和 portion to make one word: Peace (Heiwa). The third trick used the kanji for laugh: 笑 or warai. It uses a pull-tab but the kanji moves up and down as if it were dancing. At least, that was my hope; so far everyone who has seen it dance has laughed so, Mission Accomplished! (?)
If you zip over to my Instagram page you can click on a short video of the parts moving. Please remember it is my very first pop-up book; be kind.
Fiction
Fear Zero has a video on YouTube video, so if you have about three minutes you can spare check out TDGB 024 Fear Zero. I have written about 5,000 more words on the first book of The Fear Trilogy: Fear Itself, bringing the total to 25,000. I have tightened it up as well. It is approximately 50% finished. After it is finished, I have two more Fear novels to write. Wish me luck.
The sequel or prequel to City of Cocks is available as well. Feeding Vicki’s Corpse is a murder mystery. A retired Boston police detective with a troubling past is asked to investigate a seemingly random murder. He soon discovers a rape and a conspiracy. As he deals with a ghost from his past and his own alcoholism, he unravels the conspiracy and links the murder with the rape.
Feeding Vicki’s Corpse has many of the same characters as City of Cocks. Feeding Vicki’s Corpse takes place when they are younger, but we can see how they will mature in the future.
On Sale Now
Tuesday Sep 17, 2019
Tuesday Sep 17, 2019
My project for this coming few weeks is learning how to make a pop-up book. To that end I scurried off to YouTube to check out two video series: Pop-up Channel with Duncan Birmingham and Matthew Reinhart . Birmingham has an extensive tutorial collection and Reinhart is one inventive pop-up artist (paper engineer). Between the two of them they taught me how to make two folds that I practiced often. More, I hope, to come.
Importantly, I finished Fear Zero (iBooks link), the prolog to The Fear Trilogy. It is an action-oriented prelude to a dystopian future on an unnamed planet that must deal with government corruption, aliens aiming to take jobs for ‘real’ people, and war. It is not only finished but Up For Sale at Apple iBooks, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble.
Besides as an e-book, Fear Zero will be available as a real book, too. I sewed it up (Soon, I hope, there will be a video on YouTube of the process). Contact me if you’d like a real version of Fear Zero. It is about 120 pages.
The main character – Matt McKenzie – is thrown in prison for murdering his mother. He is ten years old. He must survive sadistic guards, violent prisoners and loneliness. He meets and befriends, he thinks, two other inmates: Monster and Ferrell. Upon release from prison - it can only keep them until they are 16 years old – he must survive in the world, but because he is an ex-con, he cannot find a decent, ‘normal’ job or a place to live.
Secondly, I sewed up Giapan, my Don Quixote-inspired episodic novel of a nun, two guards, and a Japanese artist traveling across Spain in 1600. Again, hopefully, there will be a video up on YouTube of me sewing all 16 signatures of Giapan while doing my laundry.
This was finished the Same Day I discover that Salman Rushdie’s new novel is his Don Quixote-inspired, Quichotte. Either Great Minds and all that or coincidence. Fortunately, he has taken the meta-fiction aspect (the characters know they are being written about) while I have taken the action bits, more or less. In other words, my Giapan makes a great companion piece to Rushdie’s Quichotte! Great!
Available for Purchase
City of Cocks ~ a poetic murder
A murder mystery. An ordinary husband is arrested for the murder a teenage son of a local businessman. He soon discovers there are forces in the small town that want him convicted. Only his wife and a friend, a drunken poet who sees ghosts, can prove his innocence.
Fear Zero
A ten-year-old boy is thrown in prison for murdering his mother; a crime he insists he didn’t do. In prison he must survive sadistic guards, violent prisoners, and loneliness. He makes two friends in prison. One is violent and the other is severely withdrawn to the point he can only write what he wants to say.
The prolog to The Fear Trilogy (Coming Soon!)