BLOOD HERETICS: A new twist on Vampires...

Vampires have always been hunters. Until now.

In BLOOD HERETICS, a former priest and a detective seeking revenge join a secret government-funded team hunting vampires.

But when an ancient vampire returns, the hunters may discover they're the prey.

If you enjoy dark supernatural thrillers, action, and vampires who are genuinely terrifying, give Blood Heretics a look.

Already read it? An honest Amazon review would mean a great deal to this independent author.

Scifi Friday: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

 

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) — Free on YouTube!

Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind remains one of the greatest science fiction films ever made.

Released in 1977, it captures the mystery and wonder of humanity’s first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. Richard Dreyfuss delivers a memorable performance, John Williams provides the unforgettable five-note theme, and the spectacular finale at Devils Tower still holds up nearly 50 years later.

Currently available to watch free on YouTube.

We are not alone.

Too Old to Write? Nonsense.

I published my first novel when I was 55 years old.

I'm 66 now, and I'm about to publish my 14th book.

If I'd listened to the little voice telling me I was too old to start a writing career, those fourteen books wouldn't exist. All those characters, adventures, strange worlds, and terrible things I've done to imaginary people would still be rattling around inside my head.

Here's something I've learned: Age isn't a disadvantage for a writer. It's ammunition.

By the time you've accumulated a few decades, you've experienced love, loss, triumph, failure, heartbreak, and enough human stupidity to fill an entire library. You've met heroes, villains, fools, and people who somehow manage to be all three before breakfast.

That's a lifetime of material.

Sure, I wish I'd started publishing earlier. I could have written more books by now. But I also know that the writer I was at 25 wouldn't have had nearly as much to say as the writer I became at 55.

And at 66? I'm still learning, still improving, and still coming up with more stories than I have time to write.

The wonderful thing about writing is that there's no mandatory retirement age. Nobody comes along and takes away your keyboard because you've qualified for Social Security.

So, if you're 50, 60, 70, or 80 and you've always wanted to write a book, write the damn book.

Don't worry about whether you're too old to become a successful author. Don't worry about how many years you have left to write.

Worry about getting that first sentence onto the page.

I started at 55. Eleven years later, I'm about to publish book number 14. I have 3 more in first draft!

And I'm nowhere near finished.

Way More Drama!

 

Saturday Morning Coffee and Cartoons: Space Angel (1962)

 

Space Angel (1962): When Saturday Mornings Went to Space

Long before Star Trek, there was Space Angel, a wonderfully imaginative animated science fiction series that debuted in 1962.

The show followed Scott McCloud, aka Space Angel, and his crew aboard the spaceship Starduster, battling aliens, space pirates, and other interplanetary threats.

Featuring artwork by legendary artist Alex Toth, the series used the bizarre Syncro-Vox animation technique, superimposing real human mouths onto cartoon faces. The results were sometimes unintentionally hilarious but unforgettable.

The animation was primitive, the stories occasionally ridiculous, and the science questionable. But in 1962, with the Space Race heating up, none of that mattered.

We were going to space, and Space Angel was taking us along for the ride!

Do you remember watching Space Angel?

Scifi Friday: The Time Machine (1960)

 

My next novel will be about Time Travel. So I have been watching a lot of movies about Time.

 

Some science fiction movies age badly. Others become timeless classics. The Time Machine (1960) is firmly in the second category.

Directed by George Pal and based on H. G. Wells's 1895 novel, the film stars Rod Taylor as a Victorian inventor who builds a magnificent machine capable of traveling through time. What begins as a scientific adventure becomes a haunting journey into humanity's distant future.

The film's unforgettable time machine, with its spinning disc and ornate Victorian design, remains one of science fiction's most iconic creations. And who could forget the beautiful but helpless Eloi and the terrifying underground Morlocks?

Long before CGI, George Pal used ingenious practical effects, miniature sets, and stop-motion photography to create a believable journey through centuries and millennia. The results earned the film an Academy Award for Best Special Effects.

But what makes The Time Machine special isn't just the technology or the monsters. It's the underlying question Wells posed: Is humanity actually progressing, or are we simply getting better at destroying ourselves?

More than sixty years later, the film remains a wonderful combination of adventure, romance, imagination, and thoughtful science fiction.

And I still want that time machine parked in my garage.

Preferably with the original upholstery. 

Why Every Author Needs a Professional Photo

You spent months, maybe years, writing your book. You hired an editor, agonized over the cover, and polished every word. So why is your author photo a blurry snapshot from a barbecue in 2014?

Your author photo is part of your brand. It appears on your website, book covers, social media, and promotional materials. A professional photograph tells readers you're serious about your work, even if you write your novels in pajamas while arguing with your cat.

A good photographer knows how to make you look approachable, confident, and interesting. Most importantly, you'll still look like yourself, just with better lighting.

Invest in a professional author photo. Your books deserve it.

And so do your readers. They should recognize you at a book signing without needing dental records.