Tri-Chip Cookies

As I continue along with my mission to lose weight, I realize how much delicious food I have learned to prepare over the years. It started at an early age, as I often found the need to cook what I wanted, because it was the only way to satisfy my greedy stomach and taste buds. One problem is, I'm pretty good at cooking, and I like to eat it.

While I must limit myself, there's no reason I should hoard my knowledge, so today I'd like to share with you a cookie recipe that I've used in recent years. This is a variation on several different recipes found in various books, so don't be surprised if it sounds familiar.

What y'all need:
2 sticks of soft butter (you can use margarine, but it sucks!)
1 cup of sugar
½ cup brown sugar (light or dark, whichever you prefer)
2 ½ cups flour (white is standard, but you can try whole wheat, it's good)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips

Cooks, start your stoves! Preheat oven to 400F (I personally use a wood cook stove, but I doubt many of you have that).

Sift your flour, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. If you don't have a sifter, get one. It really makes a difference with your baking. You'll be amazed at the little lumps and stuff that can form in any and all flour, and it helps to blend dry things when you strain them through the sifter together. Need an example? Check this out: Mrs. Anderson's 5-Cup Stainless-Steel Crank Flour Sifter.(It is similar to the one I use, but mine is a vintage Bromwell.)

Next, put your butter in a bowl with your white sugar and blend it together with a fork or Pastry Blender.Once all the white sugar has been mixed into the butter, add your brown sugar and do the same thing. Once that is done, add your eggs and vanilla until you have one big blob.

Now you're ready to combine the two mixes. Dump your butter/sugar mix into the flour and stir, stir, stir. Once it's all one big tan blob, throw in your chocolate chips. Mix them in, and that should be about it.  You should end up with one big slightly-sticky lump.

Using a fork or spoon, rip out little globs (about 1½-2 inches around) onto your baking sheets (use lightly greased or nonstick pans). You can fit about a dozen per sheet, and this recipe makes about 4 dozen, so you'll be reusing the pans if you don't have 4 of them (duh).

Stick your cookies in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly brown. If you burn them, don't say I didn't warn you, but also be careful not to pull them out too soon, or you'll get these moist, yucky things that taste half raw. (Cookie dough ice-cream is the dumbest invention ever, how can people eat that? Oh, wait, is the mic still on? Oh, crap!)

Well, there you have it: A delicious cookie recipe suitable for anyone who isn't on a special diet. Bake them for the kids, grandchildren, your shut-in neighbor down the street, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your mom & dad, or just for yourself (but be careful not to pig out, they're so good).

That's it for this edition of Comrade Cooking. Now go out and spread zee wealth!

Sexy Novelization (Minstrel Mondays)

I've always had a prudish streak in me. For whatever reason, I'm not one for a whole lot of hedonism in my life, and find sexuality to often be overdone in modern literature. Yeah, and I'm a Heinlein fan, too; figure that one out!

In a lot of cases, it's not so much the sex that bothers me, but the detached or meaningless manner in which it is applied. In a lot of books, romance seems to be shoved in there as a needless afterthought, and sometimes the relationships are forced. Characters are put into compromising positions because an author is feeling his oats, rather than out of a logical result of the plotline (you dirty writers know what I mean, both hands on the keyboard!).

Maybe I'm making sense to you, or maybe you're scratching your head and wondering what planet I've recently emigrated from. Okay, I admit, it's Alpha-Sigma 3 in the Plantagenet Belt—but don't tell Homeland Security!

Getting on with this week's Minstrel Monday piece, I threw this thing together ten years ago, after reading something that troubled my offbeat sensibilities. To be honest, I can't recall which book I was reading at the time, but the result was this interesting little poem.

The wheels of mental creation
churn throughout a life
filled with deep, dark images
of animalistic thought.
A craft unhindered by prudity,
novelists give in to unsavory desire
time and time again.


So many tales of high adventure,
deeper subtext, or complex characters,
all have felt the sting of
a writer's darker impulses.
The fantasies they can never
make come true
slip through the cracks
of the ball-point pen,
and seep onto page after page.


A good idea destroyed by desire,
but salvaged by the reader's own
sense of strange sensuality.
Carnal nights alone under wraps,
become the basis of a Hollywood hit;
a product of modern imagination
unhindered by moral insight.
Is it the writer's fault
we fall into chronicling
the darkest of nights?
For the writer only delivers
what the critics want.


Hyped into a romantic tryst,
characters who once were friends
are forced into each other's arms
against their personality profiles.
If they could speak,
they'd disown the hack
who makes them so promiscuous.
Yet, the writer remains confined
in his own prison of popularity.


Writing with morality;
what's the point?
Who would read a work of fiction
with sensibilities in mind,
when there's no one left
to offend?

A Horde of Hendersons

This week's "Family Sunday" will take a look at one of the larger branches of my father's side of the family; the Hendersons of Southern New Jersey. They were a family of farmers, most of whom were born, lived, and died in Cumberland County. There must be hundreds of living descendants, so I hope this information will be of interest to some of them.


The earliest of the Hendersons which I've been able to identify is Joseph Henderson, born circa 1770. His wife may have been Judith Cobb Clark, though I haven't seen conclusive evidence of this. Joseph and his wife had a son, John Bell Henderson (b. January 7, 1803 in Cumberland County, NJ), and John subsequently married Elma Sockwell on June 9, 1822.

John & Elma Henderson had 9 children (Generation 3):
Abram Clark (b. August 1822)
Henry Wharton (b. 1825)
Daniel Woodruff (my 4x great grandfather, b. January 21, 1827)
Joseph Woodruff (b. November 1830)
Martha E. (b. August 1836)
Lucy (b. 1838)
William A. (b. 1842)
Eunice Clark (b. September 23, 1842)
Harriett S. (b. 1845)

I am currently tracing the children of Daniel's siblings, and their offspring may be the subject of another column someday.

Daniel Woodruff Henderson married Caroline Royal Sheppard on September 29, 1849 in Deerfield, NJ, and they certainly did a lot of begetting. I have been able to identify 15 children, though family lore tells they had 20 who lived to adulthood. Either way, those numbers are nothing to laugh at, and it is an ongoing mission of mine to find and identify their many descendants.

The children of Daniel & Caroline Henderson (Generation 4):

Robert (b. March 2, 1851)
Rebecca (my 3x great grandmother, b. 1853)
Martha E. (b. 1855, /Died 1900)
Sarah M. (b. 1857)
John (b. April 15, 1858, /Died August 19, 1858)
Daniel W. Jr. (b. 1859)
Caroline (b. 1861)  -Updated-
Thomas (b. April 13, 1863 /Died June 14, 1896)
Phillip S. (b. 1865)
Edwin "Edward" (b. September 2, 1867)
Lewis J. (b. August 4, 1869)
Harvey Loper Fodell (b. January 14, 1871 /Died December 9, 1926)
William F. (b. May 10, 1873)
Howard C (b. February 7, 1875)
Sherrard "Sherod" (April 10, 1877 /Died August 17, 1955)

Now for their children (Generation 5):

Robert Henderson married Joanna Brooks (b. November 1854) in Bridgeton, NJ on October 25, 1874, and they had 4 daughters:
Hattie (b. 1875), married Harry Blizzard on July 1, 1893.
Elizabeth "Lizzie" (b. September 15, 1876) -UPDATED
Mary P. (b. June 1880)
Ella L. (b. June 1888)

On September 2, 1874, Rebecca Henderson married Charles W. Ballinger (b. August 1853). As far as I've been able to tell, they only had one daughter, Nellie (my 2x great grandmother, b. February 1876). I'll discuss more about Nellie & her line in a later column to appear on April 2.

Martha E. Henderson married Edmond D. Minch (b. 1851) on January 11, 1881. They had a daughter, Edith (b. September 16, 1886) and a son, Roland Leslie (b. March 18, 1891 /Died November 1975).

Sarah M. Henderson married James E. Thompson (b. 1854) on December 27, 1876. They had at least 3 children:
Carrie H. (b. January 9, 1878)
Edward (b. September 6, 1880)
A second daughter (b. September 16, 1888) whose name I haven't been able to find. She may have died young, as she doesn't appear on the 1900 census.

Daniel W. Henderson Jr. married Anna M. West (b. 1862) on December 15, 1883. They had two children; daughter Rena M. (b. December 27, 1884), and son Claud (b. March 24, 1889).

Thomas Henderson married Rebecca J. Ashley (b. March 25, 1866) on December 29, 1883. They had four children:
Unidentified daughter (b. April 25, 1885)
Wilbert M. (b. March 29, 1887)
Mary Dare (b. March 29, 1887)
Gladys S. (b. November 26, 1896)
It is sad that Thomas apparently did not live to see his last daughter's birth, and I believe Rebecca may have died shortly thereafter, as the children were split up and living with different family members by 1900.

Phillip S. Henderson married Emma M. Goutiere (b. June 1869), and they had three children:
Gwyneth (b. May 6, 1893),
Russell Stanger (b. September 14, 1896 /Died August 1967)
Kenneth Phillip (b. June 30, 1909 /Died September 10, 1943)

Edwin "Edward" Henderson married Emma (b. September 1880) sometime before 1900. I haven't discovered if they had any children, but they had none listed on the 1920 census.

Lewis J. Henderson married Abigail G. Sharp (b. June 1868), and they had 5 children:
Allen R. (b. May 27, 1893)
Alice Hazel (b. August 26, 1895)
Bessie (b. May 7, 1899)
Edith M. (b. 1904)
Lois E. (b. 1907).
Abigail died sometime before 1910, and Lewis married Elfrida Spence (b. 1868) sometime thereafter.

Harvey Loper Fodell Henderson married Esther Catherine Wilhelm (b. June 7, 1870 /Died February 10, 1921), and they had two children:
Howard Cortland (b. February 6, 1896 /Died August 15, 1959)
Caroline Beryl (b. February 21, 1897 /Died 1969)

William F. Henderson married Lillian W. Hickman (b. November 1879) on June 12, 1896, and they had six children:
Pearl S. (b. October 29, 1897)
Reba L. (b. 1902)
Anna May (b. 1903)
Edwin F. (b. March 30, 1906 /Died July 1979)
Emma S. (b. 1912)
Mildred B. (b. 1917).

Howard C. Henderson married Clara H. (b. 1878), and they had 3 children:
Johnathan M. (b. 1907)
Frances (b. 1911)
Ruth E. (b. 1915).

Sherrard "Sherod" Henderson married Myrtle Husted (b. September 1875) in 1903, and they had five children:
Seth D. (b.March 16, 1906 /Died August 15, 1983)
Anna M. (b. 1909)
Dorothy (b. 1910)
Rosa T. (b. 1914)
Harry L. (b. September 22, 1915 /Died May 1974).

My knowledge of Generation 6 is limited, but I'll share what I have been able to dig up. If you have any information to add to this, please be sure to let me know, as it would be nice to hear from some living cousins.

The only one of Robert's daughters that I've been able to trace further is Hattie Henderson, who married Harry Blizzard on July 1, 1893. Harry and Hattie Blizzard had four daughters:

Henrietta (b. October 1893 /Died 1967)
Irene (b. February 1898)
Mary C. (b. 1904)
Bertha (b. 1908).

Roland Leslie Minch married Jennie R (b. 1893), and they had at least one daughter, Margaret R. Minch (b. 1917).

Edward Thompson married Myrtle Bardman (b. 1880 in PA), and they had 2 sons:
Walter (b. 1907)
James (b. 1912).

Claud Henderson married Lily (b. 1889), and they had 2 sons:
Osea Merrice (b. 1907)
Claud M (b. 1918).

Wilbert M. Henderson married Elva Parkhill (b. 1887 /Died 1969). They moved to Punxsutawney PA, and they had son Wilbert Jr. (b. December 14, 1908 /Died October 1982) and daughter Yvonne Magdeline (b. 1911 /Died 1990).

Russell Stanger Henderson married Alice G. Rice (b. December 30, 1895 /Died January 2, 1988), and they had a daughter, Louise Henderson (b. February 15, 1930). Louise married Irvin Frank Foster (b. February 5, 1920 /Died February 6, 1995).

Howard Cortland Henderson married Cordelia Cressie Wilson (b. June 25 1897 /Died October 1969), and they had a daughter, Caroline Beryl (b. December 26, 1915 /Died November 20, 2005) who married Winfield Jess, Jr. (b. December 14, 1918 /Died February 20, 1982).

Seth D. Henderson married Laura Bradway (b. 1908), and they had at least 4 children.

Generation 7:

Henrietta Blizzard married Elwood Fisher Bailey, Sr. (b. October 14, 1887 /Died 1941), and they had two sons, one being Elwood Fisher Bailey, Jr.

Yvonne Magdeline Henderson married Darold Joseph Straitiff (b. June 11, 1916 /Died 1970) and they had a son, John King Straitiff (b. 1947).  John King married Linda Ann Porter (b. 1947) and they had at least one son.

There you have it, a veritable horde of Hendersons! It is amazing how expansive a family line can grow, and I'm pleased to research this part of my lineage that has branched out in so many directions. There's no telling what I'll eventually uncover.

3K

At long last, the end is in sight. I've almost finished writing the Fantasy Western that I've been constructing over the last few months. With 7 completed parts, and the last installment started, I hope to have this thing done by the end of next week. It's not a really long piece, but it sure did take time to write.

There were times I yearned for the old days, when 3,000 words on a novel was a slow day. That was the sort of progress I was making when I wrote The Guns of Mars, and I had a 10,000 word night when I was doing Prisoner of Time, though this latest work has seen days where 1,000 words was speedy.

Research has been one factor that has slowed me down, though divided attention has also played a key role. I've spent far too much time researching my genetic line, and I've also been writing other things (like this blog every day). If you add up all the words I've been cranking out with letters, blogs, and assorted stories, they would probably add up to about 3,000 words a day. The only thing is, they're not focused on a single work of fiction, and that is why progress has been stymied at times.

I'm still well ahead of schedule, though. The contract gives me until June to have the Fantasy Western submitted, and I shall most certainly have a finished draft submitted sometime in April. No worries there.

I expect my word count will dip a bit once I'm back to my "day job." There is only so much you can write when you're working for a living. Physical labor leaves less time for intellectual pursuits, and there are days when I'm just too tired to work a keyboard. Still, it beats starving. Let's hope I can stay strong.

Reader Opinions -anted

Your opinion is impotent impertinent important to me (yes, that's the one). So, why not take a moment to let your voice be heard with my first ever readership poll? This is a fun way that everyone who reads the blog can let me know what they like to read most.

What topics are you most interested in reading at Martin's blog? http://martiningham.blogspot.com
	Stuff about his writing/stories.
	Stuff that'll tee people off (politics/religion).
	I just come to read the geneaology crap.
	Shameless self-promotional topics.
	Reviews of other people's stuff.
	Human interest pieces (what Martin's really doing).
	Minstrel Mondays (I love the songs/poems!).
	Other.
View Results

I can't say if the results of this poll will seriously alter what I write or post, but it would be nice to hear what you like about my current posting habits. Give me your three cents worth today, and stay tuned!

Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Yes, it's that time of the year again, where half of the civilized world wears green and eats corned beef in honor of that legendary Saint of the Emerald Isle. I'm not ashamed to say I have more than a little bit of Irish heritage in my family. I have ancestors named MacCain, Gamble, Kennedy, Moore, Carney, Littlefield, and Nelson who all came from Ireland (just to name a few). I really should get meself a bowler hat and a shillelagh someday!

What would you say if I got all shameless with a promotional giveaway on this fine day?

In fine Hibernian fashion, I'd like to offer you a chance to acquire a free copy of my first published novel, "Virtual Wiles."  For a chance to win the book, all you have to do is be a public follower of this blog. However, before I give anything away, there need to be more of you. That's why I'm asking for your help.

Let other people know about this giveaway, and if the magic number of 25 is reached in time, you'll all benefit. Not only will everyone be able to share in my insightful daily posts, but 1 of you will taste "The Luck of the Irish," and get a free book which I paid good money for. How's that for a win/win? Spread the word, and get people on board.

If I have a total of 25 or more followers on March 31st 2011, I will put all of their names in a hat and one of them will win a free copy of this book. It's that simple.

I know, this promotion excludes all of you fine folks who don't have affiliated accounts to link up with the blogger system, but there will be other promotional freebies for you in the future. Hang in there (or get yourself a free Google account).

Come on, help a poor Irishman out! Okay, I'm actually an Irish-Anglo-Scotch-Germanic hybrid with a touch of French, Dutch, and Swiss for flavoring, but who's counting? Only me, I suppose. What? No, I havena gotten into the green beer! Oh, be off with ye, then!

Top Ten Hit Parade: Matthew Sweet

He's one of the music industry's little known artists who's done a bit of everything over the years, but never become a superstar.

I began listening to Matthew Sweet back in 1995, when "100% Fun" was BMG Music Club's featured selection of the month. I was rarely one to buy their quick pick (as my music tastes can be anything but mainstream), though something about this particular album called to me. They listed The Beatles as one of his musical influences, and I have always been a fan of the Fab Four, so that pushed me over the top in my choice, and I was willing to give him a chance. The rest, as they say, is history. I was hooked right after the first few tracks, and have been listening ever since. Over the years, he's remained one of my favorite musical artists, and he currently sits at #4 on my personal preference list.

Below is a list of my top ten favorite Matthew Sweet songs. The order may shift a little, depending on my mood, but these are a solid collection that I can listen to any day of the week.

10: Life Without You–A very sweet love song with a steady pop soundtrack. There's a "funny" story behind why my wife can't stand to listen to this song, and I might tell it someday. Regardless, it's a really nice little tune, though perhaps a bit sappy. It appears on "Altered Beast," an album named for the hit video game some of you might remember.

9: Missing Time–A song all about alien abduction (from the aptly named album "Blue Sky on Mars"). It's a slow and soft song which screams "1970s" to me for some reason. Listen and see what you think.

8: I Wanted To Tell You–From his breakthrough "Girlfriend"album, which brought him much of his current success. It's an off-beat love ballad of sorts.

7: Back Of My Mind–An excellent song from his most recent album, "Sunshine Lies." I'm still trying to figure out the lyrical nuances of this piece, but the music is excellent.

6: Over It–A short and sweet rock piece about disagreements, and getting over it!

5: Tomorrow–A song of optimism and coming to terms with reality. The musical score is upbeat and sweet, and I bet you've never heard an accordion sound so good! The perfect conclusion to "Living Things."

4: Future Shock–It's about a dysfunctional relationship on the rocks. The backbeat and the lead guitar speak to me more than anything else.

3: Walk Out–The music is haunting in this one, with the country-rock guitar musings and a Harpsichord backup. Try to find an insightful message in the lyrics.

2: Get Older–A song about being young and growing older, just like the title implies. A really nice harmony with this one. Both this and Walk Out come from "100% Fun."

1: Thunderstorm–A 9:36 rock symphony, which takes us through 4 distinct parts. This is simply the best song he's ever put together in my opinion. You can really hear the Beatles influence in places, which might be another reason it's my favorite. This accompanies Future Shock on "In Reverse."

These songs may not have been "hits," but they certainly are worthy of that title in my book. There's no accounting for taste, so I can't say if anyone else will agree with my favorable view of these tunes. It's just my three cents worth.

There you have it, my personal top ten Matthew Sweet songs. There are a lot more which I could mention, and I might at some point, but this is a nice sampling to start. Try them out, and see what happens. You never know.

*The links provided are listings for the mp3 downloads at Amazon.com, which are pretty cheap by themselves. I know there are different sites where you can download music for free, but I've never used them (I may be the last man online who hasn't pirated music; I'm such a boy scout). I'm sure these songs are available pretty much everywhere music is stolen, though I encourage you to acquire them through legitimate channels (Matthew Sweet has to eat!).

If This Is As Bad As It Gets...

The Guns of Mars received a mixed review this week from Antony Jones over at SFbook Reviews. While 3 out of 5 stars is not a horrible rating, it is the lowest I've received so far, and I sincerely thank Mr. Jones for his honesty.

The review illustrated the weaknesses of the book, and included pretty much everything different people have criticized in the past, and then some. One major criticism regards the premise of Virtual Reality, and Morgan's displacement in time because of it. This is something that arises from this book being a sequel to Prisoner of Time, which was itself the sequel to Virtual Wiles. If you haven't read either of these books (or know of their existence), I understand how jumping into Guns might disorient you.

Another point of contention regards the pacing. A few people have mentioned that it is "rushed" toward the end, though this is the first time I've heard it referred to as "disjointed." The pacing is something I really couldn't help. There are parts of the story which unfold at different rates, and are therefore told to reflect the situation. I suppose I could have padded the hell out of certain sections, but then it would have become sluggish. Any slow sections were likewise unavoidable, as we'd end up removing the intellectual elements from the narrative to speed them up.

The critique of the characters is something I haven't heard before, so I'm not sure if anyone else has found them to "lack the definition needed to turn them into real people." Perhaps this is another flaw of this being the 3rd volume in a series. Added characterization can be found in the first two books, which isn't to say I didn't spend significant time fleshing them out in The Guns of Mars.

It all comes down to individual taste, and you really can't please everyone on all fronts. It can actually be counter-productive to hear nothing but praise, so I really am satisfied with this review. It gives me a look at disparate points of view, and may help me in the creation of future works.

Now, get yourself a copy of The Guns of Mars and tell me what you really think!

False Promise (Minstrel Mondays)

When I was first considering a run for elected office, a lot of things were going through my head. Thoughts of the political system in general made me wonder if it would be a good idea. I asked myself, how could I win at a game where the rules are often skewed by disparate interests on all sides, where honor and integrity are commonly irrelevant? Well, I couldn't, obviously, as was proven by my failed run for the Maine legislature in 2008. It was probably for the best, as I have better things to do than become a politician.

While I was mulling it all over in 2007, I wrote this little poem, which expressed my feelings at the time. I hope you can find something of value in these words.

They don't want to hear the lies
the truth is what they seek,
until they hear a truth they dislike.
When reality is harsh,
and you can't have your candy store,
just run to a false prophet
spewing forth promises
for a million special interests in constant contradiction,
none of which bear fruit.


False promise,
the key to power and prestige.
you can't get it for real,
so you lie and steal it from the
unwitting populace of peons.


No choice is given
when all play by the
same crooked rules.
Break away, rewrite the
book on victory, and
tell it like it is.


That's what we all want,
the blunt observer, unwilling
to compromise or postulate platitudes
for people who want a handout or a kickback.


People seek leaders, but
it's not what they need.
A representative, not a ruler,
that is what one must be.
Throw away the domineering games,
and forget what you think you know.
The politics of politics is
a deadly road,
a source of endless fraud.


I'm no politician,
I guess that's why
they won't let me play.

George & The Pheasant

Week 2 of "Family Sundays" takes us to my father's side of the family, and a story about his grandfather, the venerable George Sylvester Counts.

In recent years, George S. Counts is a name that has largely been forgotten. The vast majority of people scratch their heads when you mention his name, having no knowledge of this man who wrote dozens of nonfiction works, and played a key role in training many of the "activist" teachers of the 1960's. In his time, he was very influential in various political and educational circles, though today he's become little more than a footnote in history.

George S. Counts
in "The Colorado Daily"
July 25, 1958

I believe this marginalization of George S. Counts is due to the fact that there is little spoken of his "human" side. All you ever read about him are articles concerning his professional work, which isn't something that interests most people. The person behind the professor has been hidden from view. I know some of this may have been his desire, as he preferred to be an agent of social progress, and sometimes his personality and personal behavior worked contrary to the future he sought to shape. Therefore, many of the more interesting parts of his life are currently untold.

As one of his few descendants, I think it's a shame we don't have detailed accounts of his early life, and no one ever did an "after hours" look at his later years. All I know comes from a handful of stories that I've heard from my father, his grandson. During his early years, my father spent a lot of time with "Grand-Pappy" Counts, learning bits of family lore and getting to know the man outside the classroom.

Over the coming months, I'll relate a few interesting tales about George S. Counts, but to start I'd like to tell a tale very few have ever heard.

One summer morning in 1951, my father accompanied George on a short drive to the local store, to buy the newspaper. On the way, they saw a ring-neck pheasant standing by the side of the road; not an uncommon thing to see in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, though what George decided to do about it isn't so ordinary. He decided he wanted to eat that bird, so the car took a quick detour. Swerving onto the shoulder, he whacked the bird with his front bumper, apparently killing it. After retrieving the bird and tossing it onto the back seat, George and my father continued to the gas station, where George got out to buy his paper.

As my father waited in the car for George to return, the pheasant came back to life. It had only been stunned by the impact, and was now screaming and flopping around inside the car. My father was only five years old at the time, but was understandably concerned. It wasn't exactly hunting season, and he didn't want his grand-pappy to get into trouble for attacking this bird. There was only one thing my father could do. He strangled the pheasant with his bare hands, completing the job George had sought to accomplish.

A few minutes later, George returned with his paper and drove home. My father never told him about the pheasant's untimely revival.

This story may seem a bit fantastic, but my father is not one to embellish or invent stuff, so I accept it as truth. If I asked him for greater details, he could probably tell me the make and model of the car George was driving, and even identify the route they took. His memory is fairly impressive, though often guarded. I'm not the sort to grill him about such things, and simply listen when he is of a mind to relate something of interest.

So, what does this story tell us about George S. Counts? I'll leave that for you to decide, though I will say that a little anecdote like this can give some interesting perspective on a man who is generally seen as a stuffy intellectual of a bygone era. Some people might think this sort of thing is best left forgotten, as it doesn't fit the popular image that has been created around George S. Counts, though I beg to differ. I personally feel events like these are the most important aspects of his life, or any person's life. They make him a real person, not just some notation in a text book, and that can be the difference between fame and the forgotten man.

If only more of these tidbits could be told, then perhaps he would be better remembered.

Blog Overkill

As I wrap up the 2nd week of daily blog posts, I am starting to wonder if there can be such a thing as too much of a good thing. Writing and posting to the blog daily is something that I decided to do, hoping that it would provide my fans with something of interest, though I'm wondering if the quantity of the posts are marginalizing one another.

It is true, not everyone can take the time to view the blog every day, and when they do stop by, they're more likely to read the first post or two, rather than go over the past week they've missed. Therefore, I'm wondering if it is counter-productive to have a daily schedule. I'm still committed to producing a new article each day, though I'd like to have some input from those of you reading this. Even if it's just a single sentence, let me know if you think this is a worthy venture.

I may start to take Saturdays off, though I haven't decided yet. It might be easier to take Wednesday or Thursday, especially during the busy summer months.

Let me know your thoughts, really.

In the Cold of the Night

The last few weeks have been pretty noisy in my neck of the woods. Some loggers have been cutting trees in the middle of the night, revving and roaring with the tree-cutting machinery (not chainsaws, those are just too old fashioned). While it's nice to hear that people are working, especially in these tough economic times, it gets to be a bit much when a team of guys shows up at 2AM to start cutting wood a quarter of a mile from your house.

Yes, all you city people are probably laughing right now. "Noise? You think you've got noise from a few logging trucks? Look out my window, man!" I can understand that some places never sleep, and the sounds of the city at night are equally, if not more, raucous than these loggers, but that's one reason I don't live in a city. I like my peace and quiet, and would rather not have heavy machinery being run at midnight.

There are no noise ordnances in Robbinston (to my knowledge), so people can do pretty much whatever they want. I'm sure if you started making too much of a racket, a State Trooper might show up, but not if you're doing something legitimate, like clear-cutting a wood lot. So, until these folks are done, I'll just have to listen to the engines all night.

Nighttime noise is not something you generally have in a rural Maine town, though I recall a neighbor who used to turn on his headlights and target practice at odd hours. Though, I don't mind the gunfire that much, for it is generally brief. You get two or three shots, and then silence, not constant "rummmmmm-rawww-clunk-rummmm-ratttle-rattle-rummmm!"

At 19 years old,
I was a wood-cuttin' man!

I am not some tree hugger who hates loggers. I've cut plenty of trees over the years, and appreciate the hard work that's involved with this necessary vocation. However, I simply can't stand these ridiculous hours! It'll be nice when these particular loggers are done with my neighbor's wood lot. Then I'll be able to get some sleep again.

The Guns of Mars: Part 2

I'm happy to see that The Guns of Mars received a couple of fresh 5-star reviews on Amazon.com last week (check it out here). I always appreciate when people take the time and effort to throw down a few words to express their views about my books, and I especially like it when they have something good to say about my writing. My sincerest thanks to everyone who has posted such reviews of my work over the years.

Now, getting into today's blog post, I'd like to introduce you to one of my future works. For some time now, I have had an idea for a direct sequel to The Guns of Mars, and at present I have a decent outline and the first few thousand words written. It's a book I'll get around to completing later this year (hopefully), after I have finished a few other projects that are more pressing.

With the working title of "Bloody Mars," this direct sequel takes us back to the Red Planet, only a couple of years after the events from Guns. We have several past favorites returning, including Melinda Faris, Colonel Seth Avery, and Administrator Budreau, as well as a host of new characters. We will see how the struggling breakaway colonies are doing on Mars, and follow some people on Earth with disparate views of the situation.

Like Guns, Bloody Mars will have political undertones. There are scenes planned which will follow outgoing President Steyn weighing his options concerning the rebel Martian colony, and we'll have some interesting conjecture from his successor, whose personal approach to the issue could spell doom for the colonists. Of course, there is also the European Consensorate, whose leaders will also be plotting revenge against the rebels, so there will be plenty of viewpoints to go around as the plotlines unfold.

Also, we will be learning much more about the alien complex that Morgan discovered. I know some of you have questions concerning that structure, and the experiences Morgan had there (particularly his interactions with Rheena Liszt). Rest assured, all of those questions will be answered! We'll learn the true origin of that structure, and it potential for the future. It'll serve a crucial role in the eventual climax of the story.

I call this a "direct" sequel, because I have already written an indirect sequel which follows Morgan Asher as he ventures back into a virtual fantasy simulation. That book, entitled Virtual Domination, has been completed for quite some time, and I'll be shopping it around to various publishers later this year. It's as much a sequel to "Prisoner of Time" as it is The Guns of Mars.

I'll keep you updated as things progress for this novel. Rest assured, the story of the Scientific States of Mars will continue. It's just a matter of time.