Friday is the day of the week that brings us all together in the worship of time off. This weekend is Super Bowl weekend and a time to gather and cheer for someone else’s team. This year the Pittsburgh Steelers (My team) lost the championship to the New England Patriots and Tom (squeeze that ball) Brady. So naturally, I am a one day fan of the Atlanta Falcons who won the right to meet the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
My wife and I love the commercials so even though our team is not playing we will be watching. We have been invited to a party and will also look at the game in between mouthfuls of forbidden foods. Oh, let me correct that statement. I will be eating mouthfuls of forbidden foods. (until caught that is to say) All in all, it should be a good time, and we are looking forward to the event. The idea of rooting for a team to lose (As I am with backing the Atlanta Falcons against the New England Patriots) is the subject of today’s John Ku. Hope you like it and have a terrific weekend.
I am one of the original writers to sign up for the mystery, Thriller Week event scheduled for February 12th through February 22nd.
This event brings together mystery and thriller writers for a week of showcasing:
BOOKS
AUDIOBOOKS
CONTESTS
REVIEWS
COVER REVEALS
TRAILERS
PROMOTIONAL SPECIALS
MARKETING
BRANDING
NAME RECOGNITION
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
GUEST BLOG POSTS
LIVE FACEBOOK AUTHOR HOSTING EVENTS
VIDEO DISCUSSIONS AND TRAINING
PUBLISHING MENTORING
PRIZES
AWARDS
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
I will be hosting a live Facebook event on February 16th at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. I will be discussing character participation in story development. (I will remind you again)
My purpose with this post is to introduce to what we hope to be an annual event. Here is the link to the About page. Go check it out and look at the other tabs as well.
It is Wednesday Story Day time again, and last week we witnessed a confrontation between Seth and Alice which made it clear that these two had some major history. We left them without knowing why Seth said, “You were right,” to Alice. Well, we can always hope that was a hint for a cringe moment later. Let’s get back to the widow’s house in this lovely town of Antion, Illinois. Notice the town has a name, and I want to thank Dan Antion for allowing me to borrow his surname for the story. (You can almost see his editor’s eye roll can’t you?)
“Hey, Alice. I thought you had left.”
“Hi, Lucas. I had an errand to run is all.”
“You led me to believe you were changing your mind about coming to my place.”
“Well, I did change my mind about that earlier. With a little encouragement, I could be persuaded to change my mind again.”
“I am real confused. One minute yes, one minute no. What can I do to convince you?”
“How about saying something nice.”
“Like how beautiful you look today.”
“Nice start.”
“You look beautiful today.”
“You said that Lucas. Try something else.”
“Come over here and sit next to me on the swing.”
“Okay. What do you have in mind?”
“Nothing but I can say I like the way the sun hits your hair. Makes it glow.”
“ How sweet you are. I really believe you mean that.”
“Can I hold your hand?”
“I’m not sure I want the neighborhood seeing us mooning on the front porch swing.”
“Yeah, I see that. I’ll just say I like the way your dress lays when you cross your legs.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your legs are something I would like to see. I have a hint by how the fabric clings but would like to touch them in the flesh.”
“That was almost poetic. I am starting to like the way you talk.”
“I also like your arms. They have a healthy and trim look, and I could imagine being held close by them. Your hands—”
“Let’s go to your place, Lucas. Now.”
“HereYou know I love prompts and will let Keith Channing tell you in his words about this one. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; and either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithkreates@channing.fr before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here – pingbacks don’t often work.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries, with links to your own blog or web site, next Monday.”
The inspiration for this list is my three days a week eight-mile ride on the single speed beach cruiser bike which is pictured above. I get some crazy thoughts while moving along and I thought I would share them with you. For those of you who have seen my bike before will recognize the fact that this is a newer version. It is all aluminum, so maybe it won’t rust and collapse under me like the last model. Hope you enjoy the list.
10 On a bike, do not think you are riding a motorcycle. If you do, at best the hand wave you make to the Hells Angles will be ignored. At worst, the leader of the pack, Tiny (WWF champion) will use you as an example of what happens when you mock the Hells Angles. (Don’t worry he will untie you and let you go at the next town or fifty miles whichever comes first, Ferd.)
9 On a bike, do not think you can take phone calls. If you do, at best the other end will hear two out of ten words. At worst, you might be distracted enough to miss your turn and end up with a thirty-mile ride. (You have always warned people about that turn, and now you are the poster child, huh Bunky?)
8 On a bike, do not think riding on a busy highway is the way to go. If you do, at best you’ll get used to the horn honks. At worst, that eighteen wheeler blast of air will knock some sense into you as you go airborne. (You were sure people couldn’t fly, weren’t you Tex?)
7 On a bike, do not insist on exercising your rights to the right of way. If you do, at best all others will concede. At worst, you’ll confront a passive aggressive psychopath who has just been told they need to be more assertive.( That crumpled aluminum mass can be sold for scrap, Buster. Just pick it up and walk the ten miles to the recycle center.)
6 On a bike, do not neglect proper clothing. If you do, at best the stares by those you pass can be ignored. At worst, the citation for indecent exposure will be seen as a mark down from public lewdness.( All because of that speedo, huh Ace?)
5 On a bike, do not forget that wet roads are slippery. If you do, at best a couple of slides will be a reminder. At worst, that long hill ending at dead man’s curve seems to be a challenge right now in that you are going twenty miles an hour straight down. (Brakes are a liability in this situation aren’t they Buford?)
4 On a bike, do not forget insects will hit you at the speed you are going. If you do, at best a couple of moth hits is all you will experience. At worst, you’ll have the pleasure of being dismounted by the largest June bug on the planet. (This is not a joust, and there is no princess kiss at the end either, Duke.)
3 On a bike, do not watch the scenery more than the road. If you do, at best you’ll get a warning to return to your lane. At worst, that lovely cottage and flower garden holding your attention is at the corner of the road and a drainage ditch. (mud and water are easy to get off you, What about the bike, Mike?)
2 On a bike, do not think more about your plot line and less about the double line. If you do, at best you will get home safely. At worst, your story line development will be interrupted by a quick ride to the ER. (Now with your leg in the air you have plenty of time to do the story line huh, Ernest?)
1 On a bike, do not think you can do tricks like you’ve seen on the trick bike championships. If you do, at best you’ll remember that all those champions are under twenty years old and stop yourself. At worst, you’ll get half way through a triple spin and realize that your arthritis is no longer your major bone problem. (Enjoy everyone visiting you in the hospital and asking, “What were you thinking John?”)
Today we are visiting an absorbing place. I have mentioned the Farley Boat Works in a couple of posts and have featured the Farley Boat planters sponsored by the garden club. Today though we are going to the mother ship. The actual Farley Boat Works and Museum.
Farley Boats set the standard along the Gulf Coast for fishing and sport from 1915 to the mid-1970s. Three generations of the Farley family designed and built the Farley Boat in the back of their home in Port Aransas, Texas.
Here is a shot of works taken in the sixties.
No Farley Boats were made from the late seventies until The Port Aransas Preservation, and Historical Association (PAPHA) opened the restored Farley Boat Works building to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Boat building lessons for the general public commenced the same day.
Here is how the building looks today
The Boat Works Manager Frank Coletta supervises the activities which include, boat building lessons, restoration,, and fundraising. Behind Frank is a partial view of the workspace.
Above where Frank is standing is a sign that captures the essence of the boat works.
The next photo shows a bench with every kind of clamp needed to hold pieces of wood together.
The next shot is a skiff under construction
I mentioned earlier that Frank supervises fundraising for the boat works. A man project is the construction of a handmade kayak which is sold at auction. The last one sold for thousands. Here is the next one being made.
One project of the boat works is the design, fabrication, and launch of the first Texas Schooner in over one hundred years. The sign below welcomes donations for spars and sails on the finished craft.
Here is the schooner being built under a tent outdoors. You can see the rudder laying on its side on the concrete blocks
There are other exhibits on the grounds. Here are two. This room gives you a history of the works and contains an example of an outboard motor powered boat.
This room has a more classic Farley Boat.
There is plenty more to see including a collection of old outboard motors and other artifacts. If you are in Port Aransas a visit to the Farley Boat Works is a must. The museum and boat works is located at 716 W. Avenue C, Port Aransas, TX 78373
It is Stream of consciousness Saturday time. This weeks prompt is “Wood/Would. Linda Hill says we can use them any way we want. We can use one or both. (Ah freedom.) If you would like to engage in this foolishness art go to Linda’s site and read all about it. Here is the link.
It is hard to believe another Friday has arrived. I hope your week was as quick. I’m currently working on formatting My GRL for the March launch. It is amazing to me that no matter how many times I’ve worked formatting books, I still have to consult my Handy Andy format guide. You would think I would have this stuff in the brain, but no. I excuse myself in that there is so much to do to prepare a Create Space and Kindle version. I am doing the Table of Contents for Kindle right now and don’t trust Microsoft Word’s so-called automatic built-in version. So what I have to do is bookmark and then link the table. It takes a while but is solid as a rock.
If you have no idea what I was rambling about above count yourself lucky. Today’s JohnKu talks about memory. I hope you have a great weekend.
I want to welcome a friend of mine, John Fioravanti. John and I met at Rave Reviews Book Club and realized we share a number of interests. Also, we are both over 65, so there is that as well. John is a very talented author and has been quite busy since retiring from his teaching responsibilities. John lives in Waterloo, Ontario and has graciously consented to a visit here with me today.
Hi John and welcome. Help yourself to the coffee.
Thank you very much, John. I’m honoured to visit here at “Fiction Favorites”. Mmmm, great coffee!
Thank you. I got the recipe from a friend of mine. Well now if you are comfy why don’t we get to the questions.
Tell us a little about yourself, John. I know you spent your working life as a history teacher but after that what made you decide to become a writer?
One of my passions in the classroom was to teach writing skills–within the context of my history lessons. I knew then I had a gift to write well, but I never thought of writing outside educational skills manuals until the end of my teaching career.
What a career it has been so far. You have four of your own books published, one anthology and in at least three genres. Tell my readers a little about your writing discipline. How are you able to stay with your writing regimen?
My writing discipline could be much more disciplined! However, almost everything I write is on a keyboard – I use pen and paper for rough notes. When I sit with pen in hand, I find it difficult to write anything of value. When I’m behind the keyboard, the magic begins to happen, and ideas flow from my head to my fingers. I can’t explain it, but that’s my reality.
Interesting. I feel the same way at the keyboard. Okay, so you have done some memoirs, Sci-fi fiction, and a collection of reflections. Let me ask what genre or book was the most fun for you to write?
Writing fiction is the most enjoyable writing that I do. I don’t write classic science fiction, but rather, I write about human drama in a science fiction universe. I thoroughly enjoy exploring life on planet Genesis, seven centuries into the future. I never thought I could write fiction, nor did I have a burning desire to do so. Kenneth Tam, my former student, and prolific novelist challenged me to write within the sci-fi universe that he created for his Equations novels. Fiction is delightfully creative and a great escape for the writer.
You mention the planet Genesis. Let’s turn a minute to the Genesis Saga. First, tell us a little about the inspiration for this series.
As I mentioned earlier, the inspiration for the Genesis Saga was Kenneth Tam’s eight-book Equations series. There is a forty-year gap in the middle of the series – a period of peace between two intergalactic wars. I complained to him that I wanted to know what happened during that peacetime. He challenged me to write those stories. So, my Genesis Saga tells what happened to the people of Genesis between Kenneth’s Book 4 and Book 5.
Now, give us a brief overview of the Saga. What is the story about?
Click Cover for Amazon
Click Cover for Amazon
The people of Genesis are the descendants of the humans who escaped a killer self-aware virus in the late 21 st Century. The UN sent 1 million survivors out into space in a great colonizer ship to find planet Genesis and begin human civilisation anew, after a 95-year journey, the ship arrives at Genesis, and the grandchildren of the original survivors began to settle their new world. The Genesis Saga picks up the story 600 years after that arrival point when their civilisation is teetering on the edge of self-destruction.
Sounds very exciting. I know you have been posting a prequel to the Genesis Saga in a serial format on your blog. Tell us about the story you are telling.
Kenneth Tam created this universe, but he begins his novels just five years before the Genesis Saga. Therefore, the stories about the first 600 years of human history on Genesis have not been written. I asked Kenneth for permission to create that early history, and he encouraged me to continue. The short posts in the “Genesis Chronicles” on the Fiora Books website are experimental forays into this period. After writing 23 of these posts, I am very excited about that time in Genesis history
That sounds great, John. Do you anticipate publishing a book about the prequel to the Genesis Saga?
A month ago I asked Kenneth Tam for permission to create a new series of novels I’ve been writing. He thinks it is a promising idea and encouraged me to think about writing both series at the same time. I think I will go ahead with the project.
How about the Saga itself? Can we expect another book?
I have started the third book in The Genesis Saga, and the original plan was for an 8-book series. I want to finish telling the story of the developments on Genesis to the end of that 40-year peacetime.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on the general outline for Book 3 as mentioned earlier, and I want to begin planning the new series – which I haven’t named yet. As well I write two blog posts per week.
You are very busy. What is the most challenging thing about writing for you and why?
One of the demons I’ve always struggled with is that of self-doubt. I find that it causes me to hesitate and it forms a roadblock that I have to overcome to get to the serious job of writing. Once I start, the magic begins to happen. I call it ‘magic’ because I don’t know where this ability to create fiction emanates.
Self-doubt tends to haunt us all. What can we expect from you in the years to come?
Lots of new books, I hope! I want to finish the Genesis Saga and its sister series. As well, I plan to write more inspirational non-fiction. I enjoy writing reflections based on quotes that I find because that exercise helps me to clarify, for myself, many aspects of what it takes to live my life well.
How about the personal John? (After all, this is the title of the post) What do you like to do in your spare time and do you have a family?
Anne and I married when we were just 22 years of age – and she still puts up with me! We have three children and three grandchildren. Fortunately, we all live in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. In our spare time, Anne and I love to attend live theatre performances. In each of the last five years, we spent a week in the winter on Caribbean cruises.
‘Thank you so much, John we are all going to look forward to your work. Thank you for visiting my blog. Here have an American IPA I know it’s not as good as your Molson Ale but it must do for now.
It is Wednesday Story Day again. Last week we witnessed Lucas dodge a bullet so to speak. Alice apparently had a change of heart in thinking she would go to Lucas’ house for a “drink of water.” We don’t know why she changed her mind and maybe by Lucas calling Seth and “old coot,” there was some realization by Alice that she was making a fool out of herself. Meanwhile, we have not heard anything from Mrs. Murphy, the widow. So let’s get back to this little place and see what’s up.
“Hold up Seth. I need to talk to you.”
“What? Sure, little lady. It seems you followed me into the store so what’s on your mind.”
“Not here, Seth. I need to talk to you outside. There are enough ears leaning our way, and I don’t want my conversation repeated all over town.”
“All right then.You lead the way.”
“This will do Seth. We are far enough away from those wags.”
“You look upset darlin’.”
“Don’t darlin’ me you old horse. You know very well I’m upset, and you probably have a good idea why.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Wipe that stupid grin off your face. I’m going to say this one time and one time only. Don’t you ever threaten me again? I didn’t appreciate that little statutory rape comment at the widow’s house. Also, I will think you to keep that bulbs nose out of my business. Who I sleep with is no concern of yours. I have enough on you and that dirty little posse of yours to make you like a living hell, and you know it.”
“Now now Alice. Don’t get all bunched up, I was just having a little fun. I can see it worked.”
“Your idea of fun is to intimidate people you big bully. I want you to know you don’t frighten me one little bit. You know I’m serious, so you can stop trying to make light of what you tried to do.”
Okay. I apologize. I just wanted to save you from making a fool of yourself that’s all.”
“And just how would sleeping with that boy be foolish, Seth? Hell after giving you the best parts of me I could walk down the street start naked and still not be as big a fool as I was back then.”
“Aw Alice. You don’t mean that.”
“The hell I don’t. Now let’s just cut this short. You leave me alone, or you will be very sorry. You got that?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I got that. It’s a shame, though.’
“What’s a shame?”
“You havin’ all this hatred towards me. I always loved you.”
“Do you punch everyone you love, Seth?”
“Okay, let’s not go there. I got help for that and besides that wasn’t really me.”
“No the real you makes a threat to arrest me for statuary rape.”
“You were right.”
“Oh Yeah. How was I right.”
“We should stop talking. Goodbye Alice.”
The inspiration for this list is my three days a week eight-mile ride on the single speed beach cruiser bike which is pictured above. I get some crazy thoughts while moving along and I thought I would share them with you. For those of you who have seen my bike before will recognize the fact that this is a newer version. It is all aluminum, so maybe it won’t rust and collapse under me like the last model. Hope you enjoy the list.
