These Great Affects A Book Review by Mike Limon

Andrew Toy has written a phenomenal love story in “These Great Affects,” from Endever Publishing. It is a story of a troubled fifteen -year- old  girl named Adelle Hitchins who is almost run over one day by a boy by the name of Trill Vikus.  Just as a romance starts to blossom, Trill breaks his neck in a freak accident and dies.  Trill returns to her as a ghost that only she can see and hear. This is a very interesting story and Toy has really captured the thoughts of a teenage girl in love as he wrote this heart warming story. I really enjoyed reading this book and following this story as it  was both unique and different. I would have never come up with this story idea, but I sure am grateful that Andrew Toy did! Very clever.  I look forward to reading more books by Andrew Toy. Get this book and add it to your collection. You won’t be disappointed. A great read!

A Long December A Book Review by Mike Limon

I fell in love with reading in the third grade. I found myself reading mostly short stories. As a teenager growing up in the 1960’s, I really enjoyed watching TV shows like The Twilight Zone, and The Outer Limits. I started reading plenty of horror short stories. Like many other fans of the genre, they fascinate me. I don’t remember how I found Richard Chizmar’s short stories a few years ago, but boy, I sure am glad that I did! I really enjoy reading his work. I recently read his book, ” A Long December.” This is one of the best short story books that I have read in a long time. Each story was different and I was fascinated reading this collection.  It is a collection of 35 of his short stories, and is incredible to read! The author takes you on a roller coaster ride with each story. They start out slow and gain momentum and then you need to hold on because you know something is coming, but you’re not exactly sure what’s going to happen! Many times I finished reading the story thinking to myself, “Wow! I didn’t see that coming!” Chizmar writes about everyday people like you and me but something horrific happens in their lives. In “The Box,” a mother discovers a horrifying  secret that one of her children has been hiding in a box in the teenager’s closet, but there’s another shocking discovery! In “Ditch Treasures,” workmen along the freeway in Maryland discover treasure everyday that people have discarded. One workmen makes what he thinks is an incredible find that will bring him fame and fortune, but as he takes a closer look at what he found, he is shocked and wishes he had never laid eyes on this terrible thing. I encourage you to check out this book. Each of these stories is unique in their own way, but as a reader you can sympathize with the characters and what is happening to them!  You will find yourself thinking about these stories long  after you put the book down.

A long list of famous people that died in 2016 and why it matters to so many of us. By Mike Limon

Last night, Wednesday, December 28, 2016,  news broke out on social media informing us  that Debbie Reynolds had passed away after being taken to Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. This shocked many of us because we were just getting over the news that her daughter, Carrie Fisher, had passed away the day before. These deaths hit us hard because they were so sudden and they came one after another.We barely had time to process the death of one celebrity when news of another one passing away had hit us. All over the world, people die everyday. You just don’t hear about it unless it’s somebody famous. But why does the news of somebody famous dying affect so many of us and how? My personal belief is that even though we may have never met these celebrities, they are a part of our lives. Whether they were singers, actors, athletes, astronauts, etc, they entertained us in one way or another. They made an impact on the world. We can all relate to the songs, movies, and characters that they played in movies, and when the celebrity passes away, we somehow feel that a part of our lives is somehow now missing. Could it be because we won’t see them on the screen or TV anymore? For many of us, we grew up watching and listening to these people, so in essence, a part of our childhood is now gone, and that’s why it affects us so deeply. Plus the fact that we admired so many of these people, and the talent that they had. I felt this way when my mother passed away, and then my mother-in-law passed away. Two important women in my life had gone.Though they weren’t famous, they mattered to one person; me. I knew that I wouldn’t be seeing or talking to them anymore.

But there is good news in all of these sudden deaths. We can still see the movies that these actors made. We can still hear the music that these musicians created. Yes, life will go on for the rest of us, and more famous people will pass away, but hopefully it won’t happen like it did in December of 2016. So sudden and so quickly. Rest in Peace to all of our celebrity friends who passed away, whether you knew them personally or not, they were people, and many of them great personalities. They will be missed, but their contributions in making this world a better place will continue for a very long time!

1. Robert Stigwood, 81
2. Pierre Boulez, 90
3. Kitty Kallen, 93
4. Angela “Big Ang” Raiola, 55
5. Pat Harrington Jr., 86
6. Angus Scrimm, 89
7. Keith Emerson, 71
8. Phife Dawg, 45
9. Mike Minor, 75
10. David Bowie, 69
11. Harper Lee, 89
12. Sir George Martin, 90
13. Vilmos Zsigmond, 85
14. David Huddleston, 85
15. Alan Rickman, 69
16. Kevin Meaney, 60
17. René Angélil, 73
18. Dan Haggerty, 74
19. Noreen Corcoran, 72
20. Monte Irvin, 96
21. Abe Vigoda, 94
22. Glenn Frey, 67
23. Paul Kantner,74
24. Maurice White, 74
25. Katie May, 34
26. Denise Matthews, known as Vanity, 57
27. Matt Roberts, 38
28. Cara McCollum, 24
29. Fred Hellerman, 89
30. George Kennedy, 91
31. Pat Conroy, 70
32. Joey Feek, 40
33. Garry Shandling, 66
34. Patty Duke, 69
35. Zaha Hadid, 65
36. James Noble, 94
37. Bob Elliott, 92
38. Merle Haggard, 79
39. Daisy Lewellyn, 36
40. Doris Roberts, 90
41. Chyna, real name Joan Marie Laurer, 46
42. Prince, 57
43. Billy Paul, 80
44. Pete Fountain, 86
45. Jon Polito, 65
46. Richard Libertini, 82
47. Madeleine Lebeau, 92
48. Guy Clark, 74
49. Morley Safer, 84
50. Nick Menza, 51
51. Gordie Howe, known as “Mr. Hockey,” 88
52. Muhammad Ali, 74
53. George Gaynes, 98
54. Christina Grimmie, 22
55. Lee Reherman, 49
56. Theresa Saldana, 61
57. Ann Morgan Guilbert, 87
58. Ron Lester, 45
59. Anton Yelchin, 27
60. Bernie Worrell, 72
61. Bill Cunningham, 87
62. Bill Nunn, 63
63. George Burton, 78
64. Stanley Dural Jr., known as Buckwheat Zydeco, 68
65. Curtis Hanson, 71
66. Ryan Jimmo, 34
67. Jim Harrison, 78
68. Larry Drake, 66
69. Frank Sinatra Jr., 72
70. Bud Spencer, 86
71. Buddy Ryan, 85
72. Juan Gabriel, 66
73. Attrell Cordes, 46
74. Pat Summitt, 64
75. Elie Wiesel, 87
76. Michael Cimino, 77
77. Michu Meszaros, 77
78. Michelle McNamara, 46
79. Noel Neill, 95
80. Garry Marshall, 81
81. Gloria DeHaven, 91
82. Jerry Doyle, 60
83. John Saunders, 61
84. Kenny Baker, 81
85. John McLaughlin, 89
86. Steven Hill, 94
87. Scotty Moore, 84
88. Gene Wilder, 83
89. Anna Dewdney, 50
90. Ken Howard, 71
91. Alexis Arquette, 47
92. Charmian Carr, 73
93. W.P. Kinsella, 81
94. Kimbo Slice, 42
95. Edward Albee, 88
96. The Lady Chablis, 59
97. Hugh O’Brian, 91
98. Jean Shepard, 82
99. Jose Fernandez, 24
100. Arnold Palmer, 87
101. Michael Massee, 64
102. Phil Chess, 95
103. Dylan Rieder, 28
104. Julie Gregg, 79
105. Leonard Cohen, 82
106. Robert Vaughn, 83
107. Leon Russell, 74
108. Gwen Ifill, 61
109. Ron Glass, 71
110. Florence Henderson, 82
111. Joseph Mascolo, 87
112. Fritz Weaver, 90
113. Tommy Ford, 52
114. Gloria Naylor, 66
115. Margaret Whitton, 67
116. Dr. George Nichopoulos, 88
117. Dave Mirra, 41
118. Van Williams, 82
119. William Schallert, 93
120. Andrew Sachs, 86
121. George Alaskey, 63
122. Alan Young, 96
123. Darwyn Cooke, 53
124. Will Smith, former New Orleans Saints’ player, 34
125. Billy Chapin, 72
126. Greg Lake, 69
127. Sharon Jones, 60
128. Alan Thicke, 69
129. Bernard Fox, 89
130. Craig Sager, 65
131. Ricky Harris, 54
132. Zsa Zsa Gabor, 99
133. Richard Adams, 96
134. George Michael, 53
135. Carrie Fisher, 60
136. Debbie Reynolds, 84

Other notable public figures who died in 2016 include:

1. Nancy Reagan, 94
2. Janet Reno, 78
3. Tom Hayden, 76
4. Youree Dell Harris, 53
5. Fidel Castro, 90
6. Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88
7. Rob Ford, 46
8. Uhmberto Eco, 84
9. John Glenn, 77
10. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 93
11. Antonin Scalia, 79
12. Edgar Mitchell, 85
13. Dale Bumpers, 90
14. Mike Oxley, 71
15. Mother Mary Angelica, 92

The Grief Frequency by Kealan Patrick Burke. A book review

The Grief Frequency by Kealan Patrick Burke is a short story where the main character Paul, finds out first hand the true meaning of grief under terrible circumstances. His wife is killed when he tries to drive home through a storm much to her objection. It’s bad enough that he is carrying this tremendous guilt, but he suffers from nightmares and haunting reminders from his father-in-law who pushes him over the edge in the tradition of The Twilight Zone. Soon Paul had trouble trying to figure out what is real, and what isn’t. Burke allows the reader to feel the grief that Paul is experiencing in his writing. No man should ever have to go though this terrifying experience. This page turner is a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  This is the 4th book that I have read by this author. If you like reading horror, and you are not familiar with his work, I highly recommend you add his name to your list. You won’t be disappointed!

Rest In Peace Ventura County Firefighter Ryan Osler

Ventura County Firefighter Ryan Osler, 38 of Moorpark, lost his life in a traffic accident while he was on his way to fight a fire near Lompoc, California early this morning, September 21, 2016. Ryan had been called to help with a fire in another county away from home.

Ryan was a passenger in a “water tanker” truck which was on its way to put out “hot spots” at the fire.  While I never got a chance to meet Ryan, I know many other of his fellow firefighter brothers at Ventura County Fire. One thing about firemen  they all have the same traits. Like all people, each one of them has different likes and dislikes and are different in that regard. However, each and every one of them also display similarities which are unique to firemen. They exhibit unique bravery in time of fear, an eagerness to get the job done, calmness during an emergency, and they know their jobs, and do them very well.

From fighting fires to answering calls for medical help, they all put on their uniform, report for duty, and never know what type of day  or evening they are going to have. They spend time together at the fire station with their “other family.” Their fellow firefighters. They will spend at least two days away from their own families, living at the fire station, sleeping, eating, working out, washing fire trucks, and mostly  responding to 911 calls for help.  They have no guarantee that they will be coming home to their loved ones. Not every call that comes in is the same. One reoccurring theme that is present with each and every firefighter I have ever met is this: They continually put their own lives at risk to help others.  During a fire, when your mind screams at you to run away from the fire, that’s when they go to work.  Why? Because that’s what they have been trained to do. To them, it is all about saving others. You mention the word hero to a firefighter and they blush. They will be the first to tell you that they are not heros, but rather, just somebody who likes helping people, and trying to save lives. To them, that matters more than being called a hero. Firefighters are a very close-knit type of family and it shows. Today, when Ryan lost his life, his fellow firefighters parked their firetrucks on freeway overpasses from Santa Barbara to Ventura, California. They all saluted Ryan as the hearse carrying his body quietly passed by underneath them on the freeway. They didn’t all have to know Ryan personally or even have worked with the man. All they know is that “one of their brothers” had lost his life, and would be coming home for the last time. No longer would he be required to respond to the fire alarm call for help. His job is now done. The last time I saw a tribute this touching was when the hearse carrying the body  of former President Ronald Reagan was on his way to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley to be honored and buried there. Once before,firefighters had lined up on those overpasses to pay respect for their fallen leader. Ryan Osler was a married father of two children. He was a son, father, brother and husband. Thank you Ryan for being a firemen. Thank you for your service. You could have chosen any other profession but like your father before you, you chose this one. You helped countless number of citizens. Now it’s your time to rest big guy. Rest in peace. Your brother firefighters have it from here. 

Gene Wilder R.I.P.

I was saddened today (8/29/2016) when I read about the death of Gene Wilder from Alzheimer’s disease. I really enjoyed watching his movies from Young Frankenstein to those in which he teamed up with Richard Pryor, like Silver Streak and Stir Crazy. Who can forget the every zany Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. I don’t remember seeing him in The Producers, but I do recall watching him in Blazing Saddles. I watched his last interview tonight that he did with Robert Osborne in 2013. In it, he gives us some insight into many of his films. You can see during this interview that he had some trouble remembering things as he was probably struggling with the early stages of his disease. I was very interested to find out that Richard Pryor was supposed to play the part that Cleavon Little did in Blazing Saddles, but when Richard called the studio one day and said he was in Cleveland, and could not remember how he got there, the studio decided to go with Cleavon. However, Mel Brooks did keep Pryor on as a writer.

Gene Wilder didn’t consider himself a funny man by his own acknowledgement, but to many of his fans, he was hilarious. I especially recall the bathroom scene in “Silver Streak,” where he and Pryor are running from the cops and the bad guys, and Pryor puts black shoe polish on Wilder’s face in an effort to pass him off as a black  man.  What makes the scene so funny is that no matter how hard Gene tries to act like a black man, he has no sense of timing when he listens to a radio and tries to dance. I laughed so hard at this scene that tears came to my eyes.

 

In Young Frankenstein, Wilder is the grandson of Dr. Frankenstein, and inherits his lab and eventually his grandfather’s monster, whom he brings back to life. The jokes throughout the movie with Marty Feldman playing his assistant with a hump, which seems to move back and forth doing the movie, are just hilarious.

When Gene Wilder wasn’t starring in a movie, he was writing scripts for them. Sadly, he quit acting several years ago because according to him, he kept getting scripts with foul language in them which turned him off. He couldn’t find a decent script worth doing. He spent his final years writing books. His family kept his Alzheimer’s disease a secret, and I don’t blame them. The man deserved his privacy.

Mel Brooks who worked with Gene on so many films paid tribute to his friend today saying that Gene was a truly great talent, and that he blessed many of Brooks films they did together with special magic. He also blessed Brooks with his friendship.

Thank you Gene Wilder for all the great movies, gags, and laughs. You will be missed!  For a man who didn’t consider himself very funny, we beg to differ with you. You were down right hilarious !

 

 

 

Tough as they Come By SSG. Travis Mills

Staff Sergeant Travis Mills tells the true story of what happened to him after he stepped on an IED during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan while serving in the U.S. Army. Prior to his accident, Sgt. Mills shares with the reader how terrible the daily conditions are for those stationed in another country. While I enjoyed reading this book and I appreciate his honesty, there were times when I felt that Sgt. Mills was giving the reader too much information. Case in point: while I realize that living conditions are very rough for the men and women serving over there, did I really need to know how long the men have to go without showering and what it feels like in detail for a  man?  Mills describes the sensation of going on patrol, with a lingering odor, while your sticky, unwashed, thighs, cling to your uniform.  To be fair, Mills does give a good description of his life before and after his accident. While on patrol with his men, he steps on an IED (improvised exploding device) placed by the Taliban, which damaged both of his arms and legs, leaving him a quadruplegic for life. The man is just twenty-five years old. Travis describes the difficulty in accepting this difficult news, and the transformation that his life took, before being able to come home to his young wife and children. Despite his very difficult hardships, the man never gave up. He even went as fas as stepping up his recovery schedule in therapy against his doctor’s orders. Mills succeeds and is now able to function without his limbs. He travels around as a motivational speaker for others who have gone through similar situations. He is able to help other soldiers who have lost limbs, and have to cope with this new way of life. Travis Mills is a hero without a doubt. I’ve read several books written by soldiers serving in Afghanistan, but never one as precise and detailed as this one. If you have ever wondered what a soldier goes through both mentally and physically on a daily basis while stationed in the middle east, and what they have to endure, this book answers your questions. This book is an excellent read, and once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It is that good! It is rare when I find a book so good that I look forward to reading it again just to see what I may have missed. I’m happy to report that Tough as they Come, is one of those books, and I can’t wait to read it a second time through!

Today, Travis Mills is  retired, and spends his time as a motivational speaker and an advocate for veterans and amputees. He is 1 of only 5 servicemen from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ever to survive his injuries as a quadruple amputee. He started the Travis Mills Foundation which benefits and helps wounded and injured veterans. For more information, please visit: http://www.travismills.org.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.