Is This The End of Everything?

December 21, 2012. The Apocalypse?

Image by susivinh (Susana Fernandez) on Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0

Nearly thirteen years ago, hubby (then fiancé) and I toasted the new year with a few good friends. Y2K was everywhere. Some folks devoutly believed the end was upon us. Some folks thought it was a lot of bunk. Most of us probably considered the whole business unlikely…but entertained the wee littlest of doubts. Until the clock hit midnight and kept right on ticking, none of us would know for sure.

I’m not ashamed to say that I might have held my breath for a moment as we counted down to the New Year. Likewise I paid more attention to the world around me in the coming days. But the world went on as usual.

Somewhere, some folks were probably pissed the apocalypse was cancelled. Again.

Image by Elido Turco – Gigi (Elido Turco) on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

We can laugh at those folks, telling anyone who will listen that we know better. Truth is, none of us know for sure, ahead of time, which day is our last. That fact alone, regardless of doomsday predictions, should make us love one another a little more.

Is December 21 the first day of the end of the world (never mind it’s already 12/21 in some parts of the world)? Maybe Probably not. But it could be, so don’t get cocky.

Plan for the future. Be ready for the end. Live in the now.

Check out NASA’s neener-neener-neener-we-told-you-so video, dated 12/22 but released ten days early. Won’t they be embarrassed if they’re wrong.

What do you think? Why do we get so excited over apocalyptic predictions? How sure are you the world won’t end tomorrow?  Anyone else planning a disaster flick marathon…you know, just for fun?

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What’s Missing from the For Dummies Collection?

You’ve almost certainly seen these books in the bookstore (yes, the mythic bookstore does still exist…but it’s sort of like tracking down Bigfoot), library or on your friend’s bookshelf. More than likely, you own or have read at least one.

I’m talking, of course, about the For Dummies series.

My personal collection includes Writing Fiction for Dummies (by Randy Ingermanson, the Snowflake guy), Piano for Dummies (because I will learn to play the piano, darnit) and Web Marketing for Dummies (which I’m pretty sure isn’t even mine because I don’t remember buying it and I’ve never opened it).

Even though that whole “For Dummies” bit never fails to make me snicker and some of the titles give me pause:

• Being a Great Dad For Dummies
• Flirting For Dummies
• Confidence for Dummies
• Building Your Own Home For Dummies

Not that any of these wouldn’t be great books. I’m sure they’re super helpful…it’s just the the idea of any of those titles.

Know what I mean?

Perusing the ginormous catalog of For Dummies titles, you might think they have a For Dummies for everything. However, I discovered they are shockingly remiss in some areas.

Mittens takes his first steps towards world domination, thanks to World Domination For Dummies.

Did you know they don’t have a World Domination For Dummies? Taking over the world is a challenging endeavor. If you want to be the next king/queen of the world, you’re gonna need all the help you can get.

Also, there’s no Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse For Dummies. Oh sure, Max Brooks has The Zombie Survival Guide and you can probably pick up quite a few good tips from a Romero flick or any of Jonathan Maberry‘s books. But wouldn’t it useful to have a survival guide with For Dummies’s trademark tips, warnings and exercises?

Neither is there a Having a Complete Meltdown For Dummies. I don’t know about you but I’ve been on the verge of more than one of these. A few tips and tricks would have helped a lot.

I am NOT sleeping. I’m just closing my eyes so I can meditate on what you said.

And what about Embarrassing Your Children For Dummies? Pretending to Not Be Asleep While Falling Asleep in Class/Church/the Big Meeting For Dummies? Getting Fit Without Having to Exercise or Stop Snarfing Contraband Twinkies Little Debbie Cakes For Dummies?

Surely there are markets for any of these and more. All we need are the books.

What about you? What title do you think really, really needs to be on the For Dummies list?

Image Attribution (In Order of Appearance):
Image via For Dummies series (fair use)

Bengal tiger out for a hunt. by Someguy of the Outerworld and Afar, on Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

eyes closed. by Corinna A. Carlson, on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0*

What if You Were Taken?

Into the Dark by Stacy Green

What if you had a secret admirer? What if your secret admirer was romantic, thoughtful and refined, sending you elegant flowers and remembering your favorite poetry? What if your secret admirer was brilliant and patient, planning just the right moment to bring you together?

What if your secret admirer built a getaway for just the two of you, deep in the dark maze of tunnels beneath Las Vegas.

For always?

What if your secret admired would do anything, go through anyone, to get to you?

What if there was nothing you could do to stop it?

This is the nightmare scenario of author Stacy Green’s début novel, Into the Dark.

Meet the stalker known only as the Taker. He will stop at nothing to reach the woman he desires. He will do anything for her. He cannot be reasoned with and he cannot be stopped.

Meet Emilie Davis, branch manager of Las Vegas bank. She is both fragile and strong, refusing to play helpless damsel in distress. Of course, her courage may just get her killed.

Meet Nathan Madigan, hostage negotiator. He is driven to protect Emilie, even if it costs him everything.

Together they form a dark triangle, bound together in violence and headed for destruction.

Into the Dark is thrilling and passionate. Stacy weaves together art, poetry, Louisiana history and the dark underworld of the Las Vegas tunnels.

Stacy’s characters are richly drawn and believable. Each one wrestles with monsters from the past, monsters which made destroy them now if they cannot be conquered.

Go ahead. Step into the dark.

***

A very kind thank you to Stacy Green for giving me the chance to read her novel pre-release.

You can find Into the Dark at Muse it Up Publishing and on Amazon.

And be sure to visit Stacy at her blog, Turning the Page.

What would you do to protect yourself or somebody you cared about from a stalker?

Image Attribution (In Order of Appearance):
Casablanca Lily by SidPix, on Flickr CC BY 2.0

Pattenburg (Musconetcong) Tunnel – Info by Owl’s Flight Photography, on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Image via Stacy Green (fair use)

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What Are You Thankful For?

Oh yeah? Happy Thanksgiving to you too, buddy.

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays around the Medeiros house. There’s my father-in-law’s secret ingredient turkey, so tender, juicy and delicious (pssst, the secret ingredient is not an ingredient but the cooking method, roasting in a brown paper bag…don’t tell anybody). There’s the pumpkin pie, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, rolls, kimchi, sweet potato casserole, cranberry green beans…

Nnnnzzzzzz….

Whoa. Sorry. Food coma. And that’s just from writing about it.

But the best part of Thanksgiving isn’t the food, it’s the folks. All of those wacky, weird, loving, brilliant people we call family (blood related or not). And I am so thankful for them (you know, like 99.9999999% of the time).

And while we may not need a holiday to remind us to count our blessings, it is Thanksgiving and so ’tis the season to give thanks.

Whether it’s big or little (and I’m a big believer in being thankful for the little things), silly or profound, a joy or a blessing -in-disguise, just remembering to be thankful can turn our world around.

And, when we remember to share what we have with those around us in need, we gain more to be thankful for. Because blessings multiply when they’re divided.

What are you thankful for this year? 

Image Attribution (In Order of Appearance):
turkey by peetje2, on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Thanksgiving at the Trolls by floodllama, on Flickr CC BY 2.0

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***

Announcements

My family and I are going internet-free November 25 – December 3. While this might be traumatic for some of us, it’ll be good for all of us. Or else.

My wonderful mom has graciously agreed to approve comments for me, so nobody has to hang out in comment limbo until I log back in (except for spammers, of course ). This will be my last post until we return.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. May you be blessed with ever more to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tiny Terrors

How can something so small be so horrifying?

Okay, maaaaaaybe more cute than horrifying.

Enjoy these super scary little monsters.

*

 

Now this one doesn’t have anything to do with babies but it’s a real scream. You’ll see what I mean…

 

Has the Robot Uprising Already Begun?

While we’re all getting ready for the zombie apocalypse, the robots could be plotting to take over the world.

Has it already begun?

The hilarious folks at Cracked say yes…

You’ve been warned.

What do you think? Will computers ever gain sentience? And, if they do, will it be like Terminator or will we all coexist peacefully?

How Sympathetic Can a Zombie Be?

Zombies Were People Too

The 3rd Rot & Ruin Book

I recently read Jonathan Maberry‘s Rot and Ruin series, the story of four friends who’ve grown up in a zombie devastated world. As they try to find their place in this world, they have to choose between safety, an illusion crafted from stagnation and denial for many of the survivors, and freedom in a land where everything wants to kill them.

While the novels deliver all the shambling, flesh-hungry zombie terror you’d expect, it also packs a huge emotional punch. Good horror makes you care about the characters but Jonathan Maberry makes you care about the monster too.

Yes, we are talking about zombies here. And, yes, they’re still dangerous (getting more dangerous all the time too) but you can’t escape the fact that each one of those zombies had a life, a family. No matter who they were in life, they were somebody’s child, sibling, parent or love. They were people too.

Of course, those people are now zombies who will eat you alive and turn you into to one of them.

So, there’s that.

Actually, maybe it’s that we can see ourselves in the zombies that really makes zombies scary. They are us and show us what we could be.

What do you think? Can zombies really be sympathetic? Do those sympathetic elements make the zombie scarier or less scary?

Image Attribution (In Order of Appearance):
Image via jonathanmaberry.com (fair use)
Zombie by e_monk, on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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Are You Ready for Fall Chills?

Fall is officially here. If the continued hot weather has you confused, just check out the sudden blossoming of Halloween decorations and candy displays in all the stores. Actually, the Halloween stuff’s probably been up since August. I’m expecting Thanksgiving stuff to start popping up by next week.

Anyway, it’s Fall and you know what that means…the return of some of our favorite tv shows. Dexter is already set up for a fascinating season and, in just about two weeks, American Horror Story and The Walking Dead are creeping back to tv screens everywhere.

Are you ready?

*note: the following contains mild spoilers for last season of The Walking Dead.*

The Walking Dead, Season 3
Premieres October 14

Last season, our ever dwindling group of survivors were forced out of the safety of Hershel’s farm by a herd of walkers. On the run and running out of fight, we caught a glimpse of their salvation…the prison.

What do you think?

What’s in store for Andrea, travelling with Michonne? Is Woodbury safe haven or worse than the outside?

At the prison, how far will Rick be willing to go to keep his group safe?

How closely will the show parallel the comic series this season?

American Horror Story: Asylum
Premieres October 17

Last season, we met the Harmons, a family coming undone even before they fell prey to the Murder House. While the spooks and haunts may have left us sleepless many nights, the unfolding of each family’s tragedy and how they intertwined with the Harmons’ was the true horror.

This season, it’s a new location and new story. Some of our favorite actors from last season will be returning in different roles. Rumor has it that last season’s enemies may be this seasons allies.

Given all the creepy promos, what do you think’s in store for our asylum staff and guests?

What Will Dexter Do to Keep His Secret?

*For those that aren’t caught up with Dexter, there are some mild spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned.*

Season 7 of Showtime’s Dexter premieres in just three days, on September 30!

Last season, Dexter ended with a monster cliff hanger. Deb had just realized something earth shattering about her relationship with foster-brother Dexter and was about to confess when she walked in on Dex at the worst possible moment…

Quite a few ticking time bombs were set in Season 6. There’s Debra’s newly recognized romantic love for Dexter (Game of Thrones, anyone?) and her discovery of Dexter in flagrante delicto. How will she keep both secrets to herself? And then there’s spurned intern with morbid curiosity more than a casual interest in Dexter. If Season 7 pays off on all the story promises of Season 6, it could be the best season yet (especially for those that may have wandered away from the show).

What do you think? Are you looking forward to Season 7? What do you think about Deb finding out she’s in love with Dexter? What about her catching Dexter dispatching Travis Marshall? And what do you think the creepy intern has planned? Any predictions for this season?

Do Horror Writers Give Themselves Nightmares?

horror: hor-ror (noun)

1.  An intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.
2. A thing causing such a feeling.

Do you ever have nightmares after watching a horror flick or reading a horror novel? Maybe just a case of the heebie-jeebies? Do you find yourself making double sure all the doors are locked when you’re home alone at night? Do you check the closets and under the bed? For a split second before you turn on the light in a dark room, do you hesitate, afraid to reveal the monster that might be lurking?

Oh sure, some of you are saying “Suck it up, you big baby. Horror never gives me nightmares.”

To you I say, “You haven’t been working out your imagination enough.”

Okay, okay. So not all horror gives me the willies. Most of the time, I brush it off. Good horror, the kind that does scare the tacos out of us, is hard to come by.

Vast quantities of blood and screaming do not a scary movie make. Nor do creative deaths.

Not by themselves anyway.

When a story is good, it gets me. Often, I’m taken by surprise. I’m prepared to brush off yet another bit of horror fiction but it’s planted its seeds in my mind and my fertile imagination will give it room to grow…and grow…and grow.

That’s when I send up a big cheer.

And sleep with all the lights on.

I have to wonder, if a good horror story works on the reader, does it work on the writer? After all, we readers just visit the world. The writer lives there for as long as it takes to create the finished product. They have to live with the monsters in their head and imagine all the dark scenarios that will wind up in that finished product and many more that do not.

Does it get to them?

Working on my current novel-in-progress, I’m finding myself dreaming about zombies I’m trying to bring to life (*snort*) on the page as well as the less undead monsters. Some nights, I’m slipping into my characters skin (there’s a mental image for you) and running for my life. In short, I am starting to give myself the creeps (I can only hope it translates to my finished product) even though my horror is more dystopian dark fantasy than straight up horror.

What do you think? Do writers like Stephen King, Clive Barker and the American Horror Story scribes give themselves nightmares?

***

If you do find yourself plagued with nightmares after imbibing some horror fiction, this WikiHow can give you some tips on how to sleep soundly.

Image Attribution (In Order of Appearance):
Scream by anguila40, on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Scary Skull with No Eyes by Craig Walkowicz, on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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