James McGowan Reader Group- Tea Quest ’21

“You know, Paul.  I don’t know a man, woman, or child alive… who doesn’t enjoy… a lovely beverage.”  These are the words David Letterman would occasionally say to Paul Shaffer toward the end of his Late Night run, which would then be followed by the beverage drinking piano jingle as Dave drank water, coffee, and/or booze from a mug.

Lovely beverages do indeed make the day better, especially warm ones.  I do enjoy cocoa, apple cider, or coffee from time to time, but the one I drink on a daily basis each morning is black tea.  It’s got a little caffeine, but is more mellow than coffee, which will make me feel too wired if I partake in it too often.  I’ve tried the green and white teas, and they’re not my bag.  Earl and Lady Grey are the one’s I usually enjoy on weekdays.

However, there is another.  One that creeps up to the level of a coffee kick, but maintaining the smooth feel of a tea.  It’s one that I discovered on a tea of the month club that my wife set up for me several years ago.  Roasted Mate (pronounced mah-tay), a caffeine-infused drink from South America.  I loved a blend called My Morning Mate that tasted absolutely fantastic, a bit coffee, a bit cocoa.  Then the fiends stopped making it.

I found others that were quite good, like South of the Border black tea with chocolate and chili pepper.  It’s not too spicy, but there’s some zing for sure.  But I was always pining for that lost flavor.

And I have at last found a suitable replacement from Fusion Teas called Good Morning Yerba Mate.  Oh, my.  I had it the other morning, and the feeling and taste of it was pure liquid love.  Just like the lost flavor of old.  The taste sensation has returned.  In a way, I’m glad I was bereft for a few years.  I found new flavors I enjoyed.  And I’ll cherish my reunited flavor all the more now.

The lesson here is to take pleasure in the little things, like a lovely beverage.  And be more diligent with your Google searches.
Recommendation Corner
Dug Days on Disney+

This is not the first Pixar recommendation I’ve given, nor will it be the last.  The series of ten minute shorts focuses on Carl and Dug the dog from Up.  They have moved into a new house where Carl reestablishes his peaceful environment following his balloon-based adventures from the feature film.  Dug, of course, sows chaos by being a lovable id.  Plus, he actually has a squirrel frenemy to chase or get bonked by tossed nuts.  “Squirrel!” I think has become a universal shorthand for distraction by something interesting.  The show is really sweet and might be the last work of Ed Asner before his passing.  Give it a watch.

Out of Body by Peter Milligan and Inaki Miranda

This comic book from Aftershock focuses on a psychologist who gets attacked and left in a coma.  A psychic freelancer encounters him on the astral plane as another group of psychics try to harvest his soul for their own dark appetites.  The psychologist can’t remember how or why he ended up in the coma, and as he and the psychic delve into the surrounding events of the other people in his life, they learn that his relationships were less ideal than he supposed.  It’s a cool concept mixing fantasy with a thriller.
Check Out the Players of the Game Series on Kindle and Paperback
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- Dungeon Crawlin’

Greetings!

It will likely be no surprise that role playing games both of the video game variety and pen-and-paper variety are big influences on my writing style.  In high school and college, I primarily played Dungeons and Dragons as a player character and I ran a couple campaigns of a lesser known RPG from Palladium Books called Rifts, which was more prolific in the 90’s.  As I devoted more time to writing, something had to give, and regrettably pen-and-paper RPGs needed to be set aside.

Video games RPGs have ebbed and flowed for me over this time, depending on my mood and time constraints with writing time and other activities.  The Super NES version of Ogre Battle, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Final Fantasy Tactics, Dragon Age: Origins, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic are classics in my all-time top ten.  I have two more recent faves that I’ll discuss more in recommendation corner below.

If you have any current or classic pen-and-paper or video game RPGs that trip your wire, I’d love to hear what they are.
Recommendation Corner
Darkest Dungeon

This RPG leans heavily into the Lovecraftian grim-dark setting.  The game has an initial disclaimer indicating that playing it is about making the best of a bad situation.  You play an inheritor of a haunted estate that is overrun with bandits, mutated horrors, and demonic fiends.  The characters you recruit must not only contend with difficult combat as they trudge through dungeons shown from a side-scrolling perspective, but they also must face disease and insanity.  The stylized artwork reminds me of Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame, and the music is dark, moody, and superb.  The ancestor who bequeathed the estate narrates the battles and the down time in the base at the nearby town.  It’s difficult, but so very fun.  Give it a try if such types of things are up your alley.

Path of Exile

This game is for fans of Diablo and Gauntlet.  It’s presented from an overhead isometric perspective.  You start of as one of various character classes who are all banished to an island by a corrupt regime.  You slowly pull yourself together and go on quests to make things better and save the world from a multitude of demons and dark gods.  It is more action oriented and the skills and powers encourage experimentation.  It’s free-to-play, but not the pay-to-win variety.  The game makes its money through skin customization, but you can choose to use the intentionally boring looking equipment appearances.  It’s very bloody and incredibly violent.  And it is more fun played with a party than alone.  To channel Jim Carrey: I like it a lot.
New End Banner
This new end banner is just plain awesome. The characters from left to right are: Xax, Avril Enzali, Ed Burnhelt, Ashe Stelfire, Tamona of Mune, Harry Mang (in different armor), and Candice Quentra. All of them will appear in their own spotlights as time goes on.
Check Out the Players of the Game Series on Kindle and Paperback
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- Telling the Good Stories

Hi there.

So much of our lives involves stories.  Not just the fictional ones we consume in various media, but the non-fictional ones that we’ve each lived.  The ones that we recount when we gather with friends and family at happy occasions, and also sad ones.

I recently attended the funeral of my grandfather.  While he had been in decline over the last few years, he passed away somewhat  quickly and it was thankfully non-Covid related.  One thing that really heartened me was all the stories that recounted his wry and stoic personality.  A quintessential cowboy who lived 93 years, who could recite poetry he learned in school, and still had a hankerin’ to ride a horse, though he wisely stopped a few years back.  He also had a sweet tooth for off-brand lemon Oreo’s, which grand kids and great grand kids also greatly enjoyed.

He’ll certainly be missed.  And I’m glad the good stories of his life will be told for years to come.  Next time,you wander down memory lane with those you care about, take a moment to appreciate everyone who’s telling the tales and listening to them.  They won’t be there forever.
Recommendation Corner
The Suicide Squad (2021 Movie)

I’m part of the problem with this movie’s box office under performance.  I watched it on HBO Max without guilt, and I loved it.  This movie lived up to it’s name much better than the 2016 version.  It involves a large team of conscripted villains who must carry out a mission in a fictional Latin American country in exchange for reduced sentences, or get their heads exploded.  Despite the ridiculous characters, you actually come to care for them.  King Shark is sure to be many people’s favorite with his line: “Num num?”  My favorite was Polka Dot Man and his mom.  Hilarious and awesome.  Check it out.

Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tcalkovsky

This book has a cool twist on the typical fantasy race fare.  They are all human with insect “kinden” sub groups.  Flies are short and can conjure wings, Beetles are stocky and persistant, Wasps are flying, stinging @ssholes just like their insect counterparts, and so on.  The story revolves around an over-the-hill Beetle spymaster/professor who  must recruit some of his brightest students for a secret mission against the encroaching Wasp empire.  It also has an interesting debuff for a lot of the characters where some cannot figure out how to use any form of technology, while others cannot acknowledge magic even when its effects are used in plain view.  There are many more books in this series, so I’ll likely be recommending other parts of the series in future installments.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- Food Faves

Hey hey!

I have been enjoying a bit more fun in the sun with friends and family.  I’ve also been returning to get some take out from some favorite restaurants.  The Central Great Plains and Colorado have a regional outfit called Old Chicago.  They make deep dish pizzas that are fantastic.  The Thai Chicken pizza is my favorite.  It has sweet Thai sauce instead of pizza sauce, so it’s more specialty than traditional, but oh my do I love it.  So good.

Backyard barbecues have also been something I’ve sorely missed this past year.  My wife and I hung out with some friends recently on their patio where they made us some A+ burgers and Polish sausages.  I announced that I would eat the h*** out that grilled foodage.  And eat the h*** out of it I most certainly did.

I’m also marinating some steaks with a mixture of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and brown sugar.  I’ll be searing them and then using the trusty sous vide.  It shall be epic.

These are all summer treats for me.  I usually skew more on the herbivore end of my omnivore diet.  I enjoy making black bean rice bowls and a soup concoction that I call chili veggie soupy.

Do you have any fave foods that you recommend either from restaurants or that you make?
Recommendation Corner
Reckless by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

I’m a a big fan of this creative team’s crime comics.  This hardcover trade focuses on a man named Ethan Reckless in the early 1980’s.  He’s sort of a low-grade, sloppy, one-man A-Team.  He was once an FBI undercover agent that infiltrated a violent anti-war group in the late years of the Vietnam War.  It ended badly, leaving him with a scar.  He now makes ends meet by working out of a closed movie theater and hiring himself out to people who need help with a non-advertised 800 number.  People who are often shady with conflicting agendas.  Things start going sideways when a woman from his undercover past reaches out to him.  Great dialogue, gritty art, and realistic violence.  Check it out.

The Trouble With Peace by Joe Abercrombie

The First Law series is always fun for a grim-dark fantasy world.  It’s a mix of steampunk colliding with a more savage land of Norse vikings.  The wry humor in the narrative and dialogue is my favorite part.  The POV characters all think they’re in the right, but almost always do the wrong thing that achieves the exact opposite result of their intentions.  This is most true for Leo, a heroic idiot who is easy to manipulate, especially by the ambitious Savine.  The foppish Prince Orso emerges as the most likable character as civil war creeps closer and closer.  Steven Pacey does a great job with the audio book reading with many distinct voices.  Give it a read or listen.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- The New Players Are Here

Howdy.

The New Players is now available on Amazon in print and Kindle Unlimited.  Give it a look.

It’s a big expansion in the Player of the Game saga with characters like Ed Burnhelt who face off against Corsis and the Game.  The New Players will interact with Ashe and Avril in the upcoming books.

I’m excited to share it with you!
Grab the New Players on Amazon
Recommendation Corner
Invincible

I binged through the cartoon on Amazon Prime, then I binged through the comic series on Comixology.  Both had Robert Kirkman’s involvement.  He created the Walking Dead comic and show.  At a very high level, the blurb for the series is what if a Superboy-type character had to take over for a Superman-type character.  Both versions are very graphic, showing the gory consequences of what a super-powered fights would do to bodies and infrastructure.  The ensemble cast is great.  The character of Amber in particular is vastly better in the show with far more depth than her comic counterpart.  I’ll be interested to see where they take that character in future seasons.  Walton Goggins as Cecil is also a standout performance.  Watch the show first, then read the first 12 trades of the comic for free on Comixology Unlimited.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

I loved the Martian and liked Artemis.  This novel surpasses both of them.  The story centers on an amnesiac astronaut named Grace who has figure out why a single celled organism is feeding on the sun and how to stop it.  He’s both an anti Walter White from Breaking Bad and an anti Mark Watney from the Martian.  If you’re able, grab the audiobook version.  Ray Porter gives an excellent performance and a particular character definitely benefits from the audio aspect.  Very good stuff.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- Shaking the Magic 8 Ball

Howdy!

Things might be looking up.  Or maybe we’re actually upside down and we’re looking down.  I have no idea.

Will things get to a point where we can… gasp… safely visit friends in family in small to medium groups?  Will the quaran-times endure?  Let’s find out with the magic 8 ball.

Me: “Magic 8 ball, when shall the plague at last break?”

(Shaking motion)

Magic 8 ball: “Outlook hazy.  Ask again later.”

Me: “Some help you are…”

In all seriousness, find fun and happiness where you can.  Sooner or later, this season shall end.
Recommendation Corner
How To by Randall Munroe

XKCD is one of my favorite web comics.  Munroe’s prior book, What If, asked absurd questions such as what would happen if the oceans of Earth were transferred to Mars.  This book takes the opposite track by asking sensible questions and providing absurd answers.  One of my favorites is how to throw things.  It eventually devolves into an exercise where quarterbacks are throwing blenders, and singers throwing microwave ovens.  Silly stuff that’s absolutely worth a read.

Powers: The Best Ever by Brian Bendis and Michael Oeming

This graphic novel is most likely the conclusion of the Powers saga.  I’ve been a fan of this comic book since the late 90’s.  It’s a street level homicide detective story that takes place in an exceptionally violent and unsafe world of superheroes.  One of the detectives, Christian Walker, used to have powers that granted him flight and strength.  But those are gone now, and he is aging.  An old enemy with an old grudge doesn’t care.  He will make Walker pay. It’s a great send off for the characters of the series.  Really well done.  Check it out.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- The New Players are Coming.

Hey there!

Things just might be turning a few corners.  The weather’s getting warmer.  I got my second jab.  And I got a new book coming out next month.

It’s called “The New Players”.  They live in a brighter world. But their future is dark.
 
Here’s a preview of its cover with Ed Burnhelt and his ally Tamona facing off against the cyborg goddess, Hekati.  It’s part of the promo below and you can also purchase it on Amazon in June.
Recommendation Corner
The Unmade Podcast

I got into this podcast a few months ago and it is fantastic.  Brady Haran, an educational Youtuber, and Tim Hein, his old buddy from grade school, each talk about ideas for new podcasts.  But that’s just the frame work.  It’s mostly about two old friends joking around with made up sports, spoons of the week, and a glorious number of renditions of the Sofa Shop jingle.  Their jolly banter is very much something the world needs right now.  Give it a listen.

Later by Stephen King

Say what you will, but King is a first-rate storyteller.  The story involves a boy who can see dead people.  King steers into the skid by getting the Sixth Sense comparison out of the way early.  Jamie is a great character, and his interactions with both living and dead characters are believable and gripping, especially with a particular mad bomber.  The audio book narrator, Seth Numrich, gives a great performance as well, both nuanced and punchy.  Check it out.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- LitCon Weekend

Howdy, all. LitCon is this weekend.  If you’re interested in taking a look at the works of other indie authors, feel free to take a look at their site and the Youtube channel.  I’ll also be participating in a panel or two. Also, check out the books on the LitCon 2021 Giveaway.  Cool stories await!
LitCon.org LitCon on Youtube LitCon Book Giveaway
Players of the Game Artist Spotlight
I work with a few artists for cover and website content with my Players of the Game series.  Mikhail Palamarchuk is especially good, and I’ve featured a few of his finished works in the past.

I’ll provide him a description of a character along with images that match the vibe of what I’m wanting.

Here’s a great example with Violet.  She’s a Skin Bot, an android-type character who appears in the upcoming New Players novel.  First, I get a rough sketch:
Then I give Mikhail feedback, and he provides me iterations based on my notes to arrive at the finished version.

I have him give me a variety of styles, either a higher-detail airbrush style, or a lower-detail comic book style. 

The finished version of Violet is the latter. Mikhail’s stuff is just plain rad.  That’s right.  Rad.
You can view more of his even better stuff including several of my Players of the Game characters on his ArtStation page.
Mikhail Palamarchuk’s ArtStation Page
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- Looking Down the Road

Howdy, all.

Much of my neck of the woods got the deep freeze treatment for the past few weeks.  If you were affected by the polar vortex in the US, I hope things have gotten better for you as time has gone on.  Things seem to be getting better as somewhat warmer temperatures creep back in.

As spring peeks around the corner, I have a positive outlook for the future right now.  After months of being cooped up indoors with the cold, and many months more of doing the social distance thing, I am hopeful that things might get back to some form of normalcy toward late summer and fall.  More vaccines appear to be ramping up in the US, which is a welcome development.

I will be attending another virtual round of LitCon in early March (5th through 7th).  Check out their site.  It’s free to attend.  I have a virtual booth in the fantasy section.  In April, I’ll be attending the Nebraska Writers Guild virtual conference as well. 

On top of that, I’ll be releasing The New Players in March or April.  It will focus on new characters who must contend with Corsis and his ally, Hekati the Unmaker.
Players of the Game Character Spotlight: Hekati
Hekati has many guises.  The cyborg goddess is but one.  She cultivates flowers that twist bodies and minds to her will.

She is featured prominently on the upcoming New Players cover.  More on that next month, or you can get an advanced peak of it on my LitCon virtual booth with the link above.
Recommendation Corner
Onward

This Pixar movie came out last March just as the pandemic was really hitting the US.  It’s a shame that it didn’t get more recognition.  My wife and I recently watched it on Disney+.  It takes place in a world populated by mythological people like elves, satyrs, and centaurs where magic was shunted aside by technology because tech is easier.  The plot focuses on two elf brothers voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt who go on a quest involving their deceased father.  If you want to see a buddy/brother movie with Spider-Man and Starlord (or at least their voices), check it out.

Autonomous by Amalee Newitz

This novel takes place a few hundred years from now where nations appear to have reorganized in alignment with giant pharma companies.  Human life has been extended, but inequality still reigns with designer medicines largely unavailable to the larger populace.  One main character, a female rogue scientist named Jack, tries to help the downtrodden with free medicine that she pirates from pharma companies.  She finances it with her side business of selling recreational drugs, but that goes wrong when people start working themselves to death as a result of a side effect of a drug she pirated.  Eliasz, a stoic government agent, hunts for her while having an increasingly confused working relationship with his robot partner, Paladin.  It’s a believable future that could totally come to pass.  Good stuff.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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James McGowan Reader Group- The New Music Binge-o-rama

Happy New Year, everyone.

Winter is here.  Lots of snow.  Lots of fear and anger.  Show someone that you care about them however you can. Perform a little act to kindness. If Gandalf says it keeps the darkness at bay, then I think it’s worth a try.

I’ve been trying out other new inputs as well.  I go through phases where I listen to music while I’m writing.  Other times I need it quiet.  Right now is definitely a music kinda mood for me. 

The big trends for me right now are epic sounding instrumental stuff like the Mad Max Fury Road soundtrack, Archangel by Two Steps from Hell, the Darkest Dungeon soundtrack, and many others.  I will also admit that I’m fond of some non-screamy metal these days.  I’ve been digging some classic Iron Maiden and another band I’ll specifically call out in recommendation corner below.

If you have any epic instrumental music that you like and want to recommend, feel free to let me know.
New Players of the Game Release
The Brigands: The Favor is now available on Kindle for just 99 cents.  The novella focuses on ViRauni.   You can’t go home again, especially when it’s infested by a brain-hacked horde. Get it now.
Recommendation Corner
Theater of Dimensions by Xandria

I’ll preface this with the admission that metal is not for everyone.  This German group transcends the genre in my reckoning.  The leader singer channels powerful operatic melodies akin to Tarja, with a lot of cool riffs and drums from the rest of the band.  Wikipedia says that the band is inactive after the lead singer left the group.  If the band is done, then they left on literal and figurative a high note.

Thin Air by Richard K Morgan

I do enjoy dystopian cyber punk when it’s done right.  This novel definitely falls in that category.  Hakan Veil is an enhanced human enforcer called an Over Rider who is stuck in the urban sprawl of the Mars colony.  He gets drafted by a local cop to babysit a colonial auditor, and conflicting agendas from multiple sources quickly raise the stakes.  Colin Mace reads the audio book version with world-weary grit.  Very compelling stuff.
That’s all for this time.

Stay smart.  Stay safe.

Jim

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