Thursday, March 31, 2016

Just another Thursday post…


I peeked through old files in an attempt to find something to blog about today.  Something to fill the promise I made to myself to post at least once a week.  My peeking was futile.  Instead of dusty old words from my past, here are some of my dusty old thoughts from the present.

 

I can’t get excited about something if it involves being around groups of people, but pizza helps.

 

I can’t wait to start reading Theodore Dreiser’s “Trilogy of Desire”.

 

I haven’t tweeted since Monday, but I have been online.

 

I wasn’t online Wednesday, which is often my offline day.

 

Social Media can sometimes feel like the loneliest place in the universe.

 

They say write what you know, so I write about emotionally damaged people.

 

I downloaded the e-books of Dark Excursions onto my Kindle App over the free weekend, because even I wouldn’t pay for my words.

 

Silence is a nice way of having nothing nice to say.

 

I’m often faced with silence.

 

I lost my “the world is wonderful and everything is peachy-keen terrific” mask, if I ever even owned such an annoying and unrealistic thing.

 

I need more caffeine today, or a nap.

 

Freak Out,

JLH

 

P.S.  Here is a post from a Tuesday past…

Friday, March 25, 2016

Plugged hard and put away thankful...

I want to express my sincerest gratitude to my online friends who assisted me in plugging the e-book series of DARK EXCURSIONS over the weekend of March 19th & 20th.  The 19th was the third anniversary of the e-publication of the first set, and you helped me celebrate by sharing my posts & tweets!
 
I would also like to thank the new readers who took advantage of the free weekend and downloaded some or all of DARK EXCURSIONS. You helped me achieve my goal by Saturday afternoon, but that only encouraged me to keep plugging away!  I hope you are entertained by my twisted, bent e-book series, and please feel free to leave a review at your Amazon site!

Thank you, once again, to one and all.  You made my online time over that weekend worthwhile, and I really can't thank you enough!

Happy Reading!

Freak Out, 
JLH

P.S.  Here is a potentially embarrassing thank you video I shot a while ago...

Friday, March 18, 2016

DARK EXCURSIONS (the e-book series)



To read, please click on your Amazon link... 

Click FIRST to read a sample chapter



US    UK    CA    AU   

FR    DE     ES    IT    NL

JP    BR     IN    MX







Click SECOND to read a sample chapter



US    UK    CA    AU

FR    DE    ES    IT    NL

JP    BR    IN    MX







Click THIRD to read a sample chapter



US    UK    CA    AU

FR    DE    ES    IT    NL

JP    BR    IN    MX







Click FOURTH to read some excerpts



US    UK    CA    AU

FR    DE    ES    IT    NL

JP    BR    IN    MX







Happy Reading!

Freak Out,

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Only Happy When It's 1995

It was the night before the frozen TV dinner incident and John found himself alone at a Super 8 Motel on the outskirts of Lincoln, Nebraska. Having just purchased an overpriced bottle of green apple scented shampoo, he settled in for the night.

John had finished reading Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot just before sundown and he wasn't ready to visit that chilling, heart-stopping village again so soon, especially after dark.  Flipping through the cable TV channels, he wasn't finding any program to hold his interest.  Then a random question, born out of a want for entertainment, popped into his mind.

What is on MTV nowadays? John thought, and immediately switched to that channel.  He hadn't watched MTV for several years, not since Just Say Julie stopped airing, and he wasn't an avid radio listener, so he wasn't completely sure what to expect, musically speaking.  Relaxing in bed, he mentally prepared to be annoyed and/or disappointed.

This was a time when MTV actually played long stretches of music videos.  A time before so-called "reality television" had fully grasped the public consciousness and strangled the entertaining life out of many cable channels.  John leaned back and watched and listened to music that he didn't hate, but didn't love either.  That is until a certain song visually and audibly focused his attention. 
 
To John, this video, with its lurid colors and freaky-costumed children, was bizarre and interesting.  His initial opinion of Only Happy When It Rains was that it seemed to be mocking whiny, oh-my-life-is-miserable songs by embracing and rejoicing in the misery.  Even the band's name, Garbage, seemed to him to be a winking smirk at other bands and the music industry in general.

The video ended and John quickly scribbled the pertinent information down on a motel notepad.  After another half-hour or so, he decided that was enough MTV for the night.  Alone, with joyful misery pouring down on his mind, he was soon ready for bed.

As soon as possible the following morning, John found himself at a Blockbuster Music on 48th & O.  The clerk had never heard of Garbage and seemed skeptical of John's music knowledge, but checked to see what was available.  Tragically, there was no full album listed, but there was a CD single available, which surprised the clerk and pleased John.



On another day at a Target in Kearney, Nebraska, John would find a copy of their self-titled debut album, sealing his fate as a fan of Garbage.  Until then, he left Blockbuster Music in Lincoln, Nebraska, Only Happy When It Rains clutched in his excited hands, and made his way to his next destination.  There, waiting just for him, was the frozen TV dinner incident...but that is another tale for another day.

Freak Out, 
JLH

P.S.  I've never blogged much about music before, but I guess the following song/poem-thing comes close...
Compounded Cargo (minimalistic alternative/sci-fi techno)

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Slowly but surely (and don’t call me Shirley*)


I am writing…something. 

Don’t ask me what because I won’t tell you.  Over the years I have learned that if I talk too much about a project in progress, I will lose interest and that project will end up on the back burner of my mindscape.

When whatever it is that I am writing is finished…if it is ever finished…I’m sure I’ll talk endlessly about it on this blog.  Probably to the point that readers will want to scream in pure agony and shove extremely sharp utensils** in their eyes. 

If my writing and incessant talking about my writing cause such emotional extremes, then I have accomplished something to be proud of…in a way.

Until next time…

Freak Out,
JLH

P.S. *I prefer Shirl.

        ** Keep your extremely sharp utensils handy and watch a GIF I created for Darkening Sturgeons by clicking...REPETITIVE