Category: Uncategorized

Rogue One: A Star Wars Review

Spoiler Alerts Ahead:  So I finally got to see Rogue One today with my son… What did I think…? OH MY GOD IT WAS SO AWESOME!!! JYN’S MOTHER GETS KILLED AND JYN HIDES IN A HOLE UNTIL FORREST WHITAKER FINDS HER. THEN SHE’S IN PRISON, BUT GETS BROKEN OUT BY THE REBELLION. THEN THEY GO ON THIS HUNT WHICH THEY DON’T GET THE PROOF … Read More Rogue One: A Star Wars Review

Historical Accuracy in Writing

Hi Jim, I was wondering how important you feel it is to portray history accurately, even in a fantasy universe? Thanks, Mike Hi Mike, It really depends on how close to reality your story is. If you’re doing a sort-of ‘what if’ story, you can pretty much do whatever you want… to a point. I’d say no matter what the case, you really do … Read More Historical Accuracy in Writing

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Reproduction Collectibles – A True Collector’s Bane!

Okay… I’ve wanted to say something about this for YEARS! Anyone who knows me well, knows that I collect various antiques and collectibles… They include the following: Original Comic Art Comic Books Star Wars Figures and Sets Military Antiques 1st Edition Books and/or Rare Antiquity books Antique Firearms Historical Documents… and the list goes on… My issue? PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING I LISTED HAS FAKES … Read More Reproduction Collectibles – A True Collector’s Bane!

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History is More than Facts.

Originally posted on Miller's Tales:
One of the most frustrating aspects of reading or watching a bad period piece is the inability of the writer/director/whomever to remove the modern cultural assumptions from the work. Now, no one can ever completely achieve this, but so many are positively injecting modern morals and prejudices where they don’t belong. It’s distracting and grating. Old movies, commercials,…

New Musical Inspiration From an ‘Old Friend.’

A lot of writers have a playlist of music to help them write and I am no exception. The tempo and mood of the music help them describe and convey emotion as we write what we hear. The lyrics guide us on the direction of the plot, the chorus gives us strength to continue, and the changeup inspires the story climax! With this in … Read More New Musical Inspiration From an ‘Old Friend.’

The Reality of Child Sex Trafficking Rings…

… I don’t want to post this. I REALLY don’t want to post this. As all of you know, a lot of my writing advice and posts lately have been about the realities and forms of evil. Well if you remember yesterday, I posted about just how rare true evil actually was, and how sometimes even the most evil people believe that what they’re … Read More The Reality of Child Sex Trafficking Rings…

Does a Bad Guy Have To Be Evil?

I’ve heard this one before and the best answer I can give is… no. The bad guy or villain in a story does not necessarily have to be evil at all. When Chancellor Palpatine said that goodness is a point of view in Revenge of the Sith, despite how self-serving his remark was, he was actually right on many different levels. There are actual … Read More Does a Bad Guy Have To Be Evil?

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New Book Announcement!!

Hi All, So I know its been some time since my last update and/or check-in. I wanted to announce that a new book is on its way. That’s right, book 2 of The Vengeance Doctrine is currently being written. Obviously this far out, I’m not going to give any time frame (only 50 pages in!!!), but I can give you the current working title: … Read More New Book Announcement!!

Why ‘Let it Go’ would have been a better villain song…

  I can hear the groans from here. Yes you all knew that I was going to be talking about this shit-storm of a movie in more detail at some point and in all honest, I’ve done my best to avoid it. However, given that it.s a take on one of the all-time great fantasy stories, it’s produced by… pretty much the main company … Read More Why ‘Let it Go’ would have been a better villain song…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

To all my N. American readers!!! To the rest of my readers, I wish you peace, love, and understanding… as well as hopefully a good fantasy novel! Now if you’ll excuse me, Black Friday sales start at midnight. Time to suit up for battle! Oh yeah, I’m ready! Watch yourselves, soccer moms! Readers, Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? … Read More HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

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Chappaquiddick (2017) – Projection

I try to steer clear of movie reviews, especially projections… but as this one comes out of my home state… and given the subject matter, I feel the need to get a few things off my chest about this movie… Per Masslive: “Based on a script by Andrew Loga, the film recounts the 1969 car accident, where U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy drove off … Read More Chappaquiddick (2017) – Projection

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Christian Writing, Non-Christian Readers

Hi Jim, I’ve been looking at some of your writing and a lot of it appears to surround Christian/Catholic dogma and beliefs. As a non-christian (Muslim) I was wondering how, as a writer, you appeal to non-Christian readers, or are you writing for that specific demographic? If someone who doesn’t believe the same thing that you do picks up one of your books, how … Read More Christian Writing, Non-Christian Readers