Robert Ford,author of The World of Hek Guest Post

Wish to Hek Reviews: Universal Studios, Orlando

     I’m releasing my inner geek here. I know I normally write a review about books in this blog but I wanted to change it up somewhat.  If you want a cool, different from the norm book, read the oldie but goodie, My Bondage and My Freedom: The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass.  It is devastating to read how a slave was treated back in the early history of the U.S.  As a teacher I like to keep up with some history so I just finished Mr. Douglass’s book and am now reading the more kid-friendly Percy Jackson, Part 5.  But I’m not here to talk about books today; I’m here to talk about a little vacation.  I’m here to review Universal Studios, Orlando.

     My family and I visited the famous theme park during Father’s Day weekend and had a great time at the park and the Portofino Hotel adjacent to it.  By staying at the hotel you get the free boat ride to the park and express passes to jump the lines to all the rides (insert evil laugh here).

     Before I go on I want to suggest that you do not get their meal plan which is about $20 for adults and $10 for the kiddos.  The price sounds good but limits you to just three fast food joints at Universal and three at Islands of Adventure and costs another $8 for a refillable cup that is only free refills at those same fast food joints.  Just eat where you want, when you want; don’t spend those Benjamins too early.  The Universal City Walk has great food alternatives like Moe’s SW Grill, BK, Starbucks, Bubba Gump Shrimp, and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, and many more.

     We enjoyed the rides such as The Men in Black where you get to fire your weapons at all the aliens and the Simpsons motion-coaster ride that is being torn apart by Simpson characters as you get thrown around in Springfield.  Spider-Man, Shrek, and the Nick-toons rides are also fun for adults and kids alike.  But the best, or at least most interesting tidbits we witnessed there?  Read on.

     The superheroes at the maybe-soon-defunct, (since Mickey Mouse owns them, its gotta happen), Marvel section have been needing costume makeover since about 1992 have finally got it.  No longer is Cyclops running around in his funny yellow underwear nor is Storm trotting around in that hideous, um, black thing she called an outfit.  These two characters, along with Rogue, Wolverine, and Captain America have got brand new outfits that include trench coats for Cyclops and Rogue, a newer slimmed down yellow suit for Wolvie and a fake black leather ensemble for Storm.  The Captain is wearing his new outfit from the comic books pages that look like blue armor.  Really cool.  Spider-Man and Dr. Doom were also parading around.

     Popeye and Bluto’s ride (really? You ask) was also a wildly amusing addition to our hot, hot day.  It began simple and fun enough as we climbed into that circular raft and put our belongings into the secure plastic cover in the middle of our craft.  When we got out to the water, however, we proceeded to get wet. And I don’t mean wet like a light sprinkle or even running twenty feet to your car in a downpour.  I mean wet from head down to totally drenched socks!!  I do not remember ever getting so soaked on any ride, ever!  I’m not discouraging you from this ride.  Just know that the chances for needing to change your clothes afterward are pretty high.

   The final breath-taking experience there was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  The coolest thing for me was just walking around and taking in all the scenery.  The snowy village, the candy shop, and the wand shop with a salesman like you’ve never seen before were all spectacular.  I also have got to recommend that you try the butter beer, a delicious, cool treat for a warm day. The most amazing site there was Hogwart’s School, the most spectacular castle I have ever seen up close.  It is tall, dark, and extremely foreboding.  I want one!  After traveling around the castle you get to view the classrooms, Dumbledore’s office, talking paintings, and a 3-D image of Harry, Hermoine, and Ron warning you of the dangers that lay ahead.  Then you get to ride the ride!  You will get twisted and thrown around during a game of Quidditch, chased by a the dementors, swarmed by giant spiders, and attacked by an enormous, fire-breathing dragon.  Hold on to your butts for this one. 

     The castle and ride reminded how I would love to have a World of Hek amusement park one day, when Hek has become one of the most popular villains around.  It’ll happen.  What kind of ride would you expect from a wish made to Hek?  “I wish to Hek for the most amazing, scariest, fastest ride ever!”  What kind of ride would this be?  Would barf bags and diapers be passed out to its victims before they get strapped in?  I know it’s a dream, a wish, but that’s what I do best.

     If you’re looking for a great vacation spot, visit Universal this summer and if you’re looking for an excellent read, there’s always Frederick Douglass, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, or some Marvel Comics.  Of course, there’s also The World of Hek series. 

Robert Ford knows a lot about wishes as he is the author of the wishes with an evil twist series, The World of Hek. TWOH, Book One: Forever, The World of Hek, Book Two: Savior, Fall of Grace (The World of Hek) and Christlike are available wherever fine books are sold and available for your Kindle or Nook at a new, lower price.  Coming soon: The World of Hek: Love Stories and The Curse of the Translucent Monster.

Visit and “like” The World of Hek at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-World-of-Hek/94527383395?ref=ts

New Life For Immortality

Spiffy title hunh? Came to me in Church this morning, totally Divine intervention, besides I know by now most don’t think I am smart enough to come up with it on my own, hahaha. What is crawling around in my head on this subject?  Pretty simple stuff really. Werner Lind, author of a few vampire stories, has dropped an e-version of his full length novel ,“Lifeblood”.   My point is that this title is starting to finally move after laying fallow for so many years as just a print book. The e-book is being recognized for what it is, a very well written novel, not just another vampire story. Werner was way ahead of the curve creating this story before vampires were big again.

Trestle Press was more than happy to be involved, having me re-do the cover, and getting this out in e-book form as soon as possible. Now people can not only enjoy this novel at a reduced price of $2.99, but they can read it in the way, shape and form they chose. Werner Lind is now going to release a back list of amazing stories he has been holding onto and the ones that gets to win here are us the readers. He dropped “The List” a little while ago and that is enjoying some success here and abroad. I myself am fortunate enough to be working with Werner on a project in The Author’s Lab/Collaboration that does involve his special brand of vampire.

Now Werner and his vampires are immortal, his e-book will be available forever. The only problem I see for any of Werner’s vampires is I may have some fun and kill some of them in the stories we are going to create. I don’t want to get ahead of myself and give too much away, but let’s just say you wouldn’t have to wait too long for that news; I am going to drop that bomb in a different post tomorrow. For now, I suggest that if you are looking for a good novel to read, even one that involves a vampire and you don’t care for them, this is the novel for you. Werner’s writing is that strong, that good, his immortal vampires that much fun. Grab something that lasts forever, a great read.           

Sam Lang Says Hello!

This is the start?

In that case, I should thank Trestle Press for publishing Reprisal and thanks to the G-Man for putting me on his blog.

I don’t like to talk about myself, but I will tell you about Reprisal.

Making Plans, Making Memories is the first installment in the story of a dying town haunted by a Shadow. It is the introduction of our main character, Eddie, and his long-time friend Police Chief Canton. They are preparing a questionable plan to have a bus of sadistic murderers drive through their small town on what should be a routine prison transfer. Unfortunately, both the town and the nearby prison have long been home to a mysterious Shadow. I won’t give away what’s to come in future installments, but suffice to say, things do not go as planned.

Reprisal came from a dream I had. I won’t say whether I was the hero or one of the convicts in said dream. As soon as it hit the page, the town became real. I know there are plenty of stories of a younger Eddie. However, Reprisal itself grew into a trilogy that spans two hundred years of town lore. In that time, there is much to learn about the Shadow and many twisted deeds to go unpunished.

As the first story develops over several installments, I hope you feel like you’ve been put on a rack. To expand the metaphor, in the beginning you might think it is simply a place to lay down. Take a nap. But you know something is not right. After the first two installments, the cuffs go on and things start to get uncomfortable. By the time you make it to the final installment, the pressure is on and torture is in full effect.

I look forward to hearing you scream.....

Why Are Women Mean To Each Other Big Daddy Abel

Why are women mean to each other?

 Fresh off of playing another series of live shows in several different

states, I tend to contemplate things. How to make shows better, look for

new songs, etc. Sometimes I revisit the actions of people I observed in

my travels. Currently I am wondering: Why are women mean to each other? I

don't mean that ALL women are mean to each other, but quite a few are. I

see it a lot. Mainly I see it at night while I am on stage in bars/clubs

or on a break, but I have seen it in stores, walking through the mall, on

TV, or in movies as well. (Yes, I realize TV and movies are scripted that

way, but the idea comes from SOMEwhere.) So, why? Being a man it made me

curious enough to actually Google the question .(Oh no! I Googled! Now

the government knows what I'm up to!) and a poll popped up as a result.

Here it is:  "Why are women mean to each other?" 1. Because of low self

esteem and feeling threatened?  2. Because they like to outshine the

others. 3. Because they are shy and wounded 4. Because they just don't

give a f*ck   I am not sure what the answer is, if there even IS one. The

thing I DO know is that I have SEEN women be mean to each other. There is

a photo from 1957 and it seems to sum up what happens when one women

thinks another woman is "more attractive". Take a look for yourself:

http://cosmetic-makeovers.com/2007/11/07/breast-envy-or-contempt  It's

Sophia Loren looking with... contempt? disdain perhaps?... at Jayne

Mansfield's....ya know.   You tell me what's on Sophia's mind.  I found

an article about the topic too. "Are girls each others’ worst enemies? Is

the "mean girls" phenomenon a media smokescreen?" by Melissa Beattie-Moss

(Full article: http://www.rps.psu.edu/bullies/girls.html ) She

interviewed Marnina Gonick PhD. and Carol Gilligan, who wrote a book in

1982, "In Another Voice", about girls being misunderstood and oppressed

by society in America. (I sadly think that might be true world wide.)

Gilligan's book changed things for girls and they eventually were doing

better than boys in many school subjects. Basically Gilligan feared a

backlash against girls and Gonick cited reasons that "girls being mean"

was just a media smokescreen and that men should be the focus of mean

behavior towards women.

 I can't personally say that either woman is cut and dry right or wrong.

Too many variables all over the place really. But look at the photo

above. Do you think Sophia wanted to throw a sweater on Jane? Or just

"rip her **** off"? Is something like that women competing for the

attention of men? The limelight? Gonick thought it a "media smokescreen"

so I looked further. Ever read one of these books?: "White Oleander" by

Janet Fitch, "The Group" by Mary McCarthy, "Best friends" by Martha

Moody, "The Robber Bride" and/or "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood? Or have

you seen either of these movies: "All About Eve" or "Dogville"? These are

some of the titles most often tagged as "women being mean to each other".

Books and movies are still considered "media", right? (TMZ didn't

COMPLETELY take over yet, did it?) And how about that Margaret Atwood?

She has a few of those "women being mean to each other" titles if you

look. (Think there may be a therapy bill there somewhere that could rival

the income of some small nations?) ;-)

 When I Googled I also found the blog of a woman who works as an RN. She

Asked, "Are we more mean to each other?" She then stated that she worked

with a lot of women and, to her, "it seems as if we can't just leave each

other alone and do our damn jobs and there are those who look to make

other co-workers miserable. They usually won't let up until the victim

quits, is fired, or breaks down emotionally." She also stated that "the

men, nurses, security guards, etc. generally never bother with this

crap". She continued by quoting a post by Helen Kay who works at a

literary agency: "We don't see the male literary fiction writers

demonizing their lad lit cohorts with shrill condemnations, much less

books titled, This is not one of Dan Brown's books."

 I still wondered why, and in search of answers, I returned to the source

of ultimate modern "wisdom", Google. I found this question: "Why are

girls mean to each other?" A lady named Iris answered: "I really wish I

knew the answer as to why girls can be so difficult to one another. It

really shows their own insecurity about the many changes going on in

their own lives if they cannot be good to others. No one feels very

confident enough about themselves during their teen years and some

people think that making others feel bad is a way to make themselves

feel better. Of course, this never works. Fortunately, most girls do

learn how important friendship is and adult women are usually very good

to each other. You will have that good experience as you become an

adult."

 I gave Yahoo a shot: "Why are women so mean to each other?"  Answer:

"That's a good question. Women are very competitive creatures. If a woman

is insecure and perceives another woman to have an advantage over her -

whether it be looks, intelligence, personality, likeableness, education -

she may feel threatened by that if she is insecure within herself."

Another answer was "She will try to find some way to undermine her or

knock her down a peg or two, in order to buoy her own self-esteem. Hence

the meanness factor."

 Maybe men let some stuff go because the stakes are potentially more

physical? Women and men are biologically different obviously. Men go to

war over things. They get physical and duel to the death. Women seem to

basically just try to turn their peer networks against each other? Being

outcast from the group appears to be the worst female-style punishment.

Instead the females band together to ostracize the women they feel

threatened by, instead of physically going to war. I have no answer to

WHY. Maybe I am wrong about all of this and am basing this question on

the incidents I have seen? Maybe you know someone like this? I would

really like to know, because it baffles me to no end. I now return you to

your life already in progress and I hope you have a fantastic day!