For decades the zany underground comedies of the Gay Girls Riding Club were all but lost to history. Formed in the late 1950s and lasting until the 1980s, the GGRC was a private social club of Hollywood homosexuals whose activities included horseback riding in Griffith Park and holding dinners, notorious Halloween costume parties, and drag […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2023/06/25/queens-of-the-screen-gay-girls-riding-club/
“Please write me a sonnet on the subject of the Forth Bridge.” This was apparently the first question that occurred to the English mathematician Alan Turing when, in a captivatingly strange 1950 paper entitled “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” he imagined conversing with an intelligent machine and founded the field of artificial intelligence. The Forth Bridge, […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2023/06/25/a-sort-of-buzzing-inside-my-head/
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.
On Thursday, my aunt/godmother was admitted to the hospital and two hours later, she was gone. She and I would chat on the phone for hours and every time I went to Jersey, I made it a point to visit her. We got along so well and her passing left an immense hole. I took Friday off, slept in and then took the grandkids to the zoo because you cannot be sad spending time with those smiling faces. Stay Caffeinated.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2023/06/sunday-post-581-the-circle-of-life.html
“Comprehensive Study of the Origin of Humankind” takes readers on a journey through Earth’s hidden history, unearthing and solving ancient mysteries, challenging traditional archaeology, and revealing our true origins. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book contains the most important research I have done as a scientist, as it contains the answers to all the riddles about the remote past that I have encountered since I was a child. Archaeologists have proposed that the Genesis account of the Flood was written thousands of years earlier in Mesopotamian texts. This fact prompted me to carry out an exhaustive analysis of the ancient texts since there are translations made by the most renowned experts in ancient languages. An in-depth analysis revealed that there is a lot of information about the tablets that has not been deciphered or understood in its proper perspective until now. The large amount of new information that I discovered worthy of being known by all encouraged me to write the book. This book reveals the answers to questions that other writers in this genre or academics have left unanswered. Since I had access to new information, I feel it is my responsibility to make it known.
What research did you undertake to complete this book?
I analyzed all the most relevant Mesopotamian texts that have been translated by the most renowned experts in ancient languages. Many of the texts are found in various versions sometimes by 5 different translators but I have examined each and every one of them thoroughly. This fact is very important because it helped me confirm its meaning. It should be noted that translators differ from each other in style but in the end the meaning is the same and in many cases it helped me to have a complete picture of each text. It was so much fun, exciting, and amazing every time I made a discovery or found out what it meant. Just like when you find the puzzle piece to complete it. Each discovery in the texts prompted me to search the annals of scientific and archaeological finds for an explanation of the event and also the possibility that it actually happened. The details that I sometimes found in the texts were remarkable and I marveled that the ancients had such knowledge that it can be considered advanced. Thanks to those details I was able to go directly to find the corresponding information within the conventional scientific literature. And I always found the archaeological and scientific evidence that allowed me to support the interpretation of the texts.
Initially I didn’t even know exactly what I was going to write about, I just knew that I had to write a book. The analysis of the texts forged in my mind a structure to follow that helped me find the order or chronology of how things happened. I then realized that I had the information necessary to determine the chronology, which was key to untangling the skein of information that was coming into my mind. Every text and every word in it communicated something to me, and sometimes in the immediate moment I didn’t know the meaning but the information was still being processed in my brain. And many times when I woke up in the morning it was like a gift when the meaning appeared so clear in my mind. Sometimes I woke up at dawn and had to start writing because of the large amount of information that appeared before me. I couldn’t wait for fear that I would forget it, which was not going to happen since I have a photographic memory. When doing the chronology I used to wake up and start writing numbers in a notebook with no apparent logic and at the end it all suddenly made sense. I found the mathematical formula to do the calculations. The whole process was beautiful, especially when my intuition was enhanced.
In your view, what is the most surprising revelation drawn from your extensive research for this book?
I think the whole book is a startling revelation. There are so many very relevant things that I discovered and it would be very useful for scientists to consider them as they cover all aspects of our existence. But the basis of my work is derived from ancient texts, it is that the information is there and unfortunately subject to a lack of recognition of its great importance. The ancients left them there for us, it was a matter of understanding their meaning. The understanding of the texts led me to determine the most precise chronology since I found the equivalence of Anno Mundi with the Gregorian calendar. This added to the interpretation of the texts led me to decode the whole story. Using the new chronology, I would go directly to the information pertaining to the specific eras and find all the scientific information to support all my proposals which shows how precise was the chronology. Among the literature I perused are some books by leading archaeologists from the 1800s – 1900s. In one of these books I found a cylinder seal where there is an illustration that reveals the possibility that humans were developed by genetic engineering. Every time I think about it I feel like, could it be my imagination or is it true that this cylinder seal exists?
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
I wrote this book with the purpose of empowering readers so that they have a more solid foundation of our ancestral past and this together with the great capacity that we all have to question things and not take anything for granted, to unite all as if we were one. It is that there is no reason to be disunited, our origin is the same, and there is much to do, we have to focus on priorities. We must embrace everything that unites us and, knowing the past, fight for a better future.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter
The book presents the detailed history in chronological order of everything that happened on Earth from the formation of the Solar System, the arrival of the Anunnaki to the time of Alexander the Great. It is a fact reported by archaeologists since 1900 that the Genesis account of the Flood was already described in Mesopotamian texts thousands of years earlier, which led me to evaluate the most relevant texts. Analysis of scholarly translations and ancient books revealed that many key details that are critical to understanding the story have thus far not been revealed as they actually happened. In addition, there are texts that contain metaphors whose message has not been properly determined. This investigation was a discovery process that revealed how the events happened. The research was supplemented by many sources, including the study of apocryphal books, reports from ancient historians, scientific research, and archaeological records. The extensive analysis and inquisitive reading of the contents in search of clues, provided the necessary knowledge to determine the most probable dates in which all the great events of human history occurred. In the end, the conclusion arises that the results and findings of this investigation deserve to be known due to the high probability that the events narrated in the ancient texts and most stories that we know like the Flood, Exodus and many others have actually occurred.
This research has provided the answer to all the hitherto unanswered riddles, including: Who were the Anunnaki and the Igigi (Watchers, Nephilim)? Why, when and how did H. sapiens originate and how did the other species arise and why did they become extinct? Why does modern H. sapiens have such a short lifespan? Who was Adam and why did his generation live not hundreds but thousands of years? What do the Mesopotamian texts reveal about the Hebrew patriarchs? What happened before and after the Great Flood and its aftermath? Who were Abraham and Chedorlaomer? Why did the event of Sodom and Gomorrah happen? When did the Exodus actually occur? When did the Anunnaki leave Earth? What is really the meaning of Daniel’s prophecy and the end of days in Revelation? When will Nibiru return? It is a revelation of who, how, when and why these events occurred in ancient times.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/06/25/ryanne-maxine-meyersohn-author-interview/
A story of kindness and heroism, Armitage and the Thunder Bean by Nan Morgan-Dew explores the life of a boy named Armitage, who is different from the others in his town. His mother, the queen, has created him simply to do tasks around their home and assist in her evil plans. Armitage deeply disagrees with his mother’s actions, and as she conjures up her latest evil plan, he finds that it’s up to him to be the hero and do what he can to save his town.
This book has a beautiful aesthetic to it, bringing a darker yet creative feel to a children’s story. The color palette of the illustrations is unique and brings the characters to life with browns, purples, and greys. The storyline is also engaging, as it’s a heroic tale with lessons of kindness and acceptance of those around you. It’s a fun read for children and something even adults may enjoy! The main character, Armitage, is a truly adorable hero who the audience finds themselves constantly rooting for. Watching his development throughout the books was nice, and he felt like a genuine and well-written character.
Armitage and the Thunder Bean is a must-have for children’s books. It’s unique and creative, a fun way to mix up bedtime stories as this isn’t your everyday story. The characters are unlikely anything I’ve seen, and the storyline is very engaging and exciting. This is by far my favorite children’s story I’ve read this month, and I highly recommend it to young readers.
Pages: 40 | ASIN: B0C4HSHNL3
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/06/25/armitage-and-the-thunder-bean/
Broken Hearts & Other Horrors is an anthology of horror stories focused on broken hearts and showing that sometimes a lost love is the least of your worries. What was the inspiration for this collection?
The inspiration came organically. Originally, there were only 10 stories but when my editor, Kayla Randolph, suggested the title Broken Hearts & Other Horrors I realized there was this connection of unrequited love running through the stories. Which inspired me to write “Past is Prologue” and “The Conversation” as bookends to the collection, creating a meta narrative throughline.
I read an article about how Victorian era novels and anthologies had illustrations and sometimes the author would have their illustrator sneak in details that were not in the text. This inspired me to start bringing back the illustrated book for grown-ups. I contacted Corey Galal and spoke to him about the project and what I wanted to do and he eagerly joined my production team! I’m looking forward to audience feedback to see if this works!
Are you a fan of the Gothic Fiction genre? What books do you think most influenced your work?
Yes. In terms of the influences on this collection, there are many: Shirley Jackson, Joyce Carol Oates, Frank R. Stockton, and Bram Stoker. Other inspirations come from random places. “Dokkaebi” is a retelling of a traditional Korean folk tales that I found in a collection when I was stationed in South Korea. Finally, the final story and narrative capstone “The Conversation” is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion”.
The artwork that is incorporated adds an extra layer to the horror and really brings the reader into the stories. What was the collaboration process like working with the illustrator Corey Galal?
I would highly recommend other indie or hybrid authors work with illustrators. Not only does it add a unique visual appeal, but it is just incredible seeing another artist bring your creation to life. There were a few stories that I had something specific in mind, but for the most part I was excited to see what parts of the stories he would pull from. I was never disappointed.
We’re continuing his illustrations in my next novel, A Mother’s Torment (release date: September 1, 2023), and I don’t think our fans are going to be disappointed.
Do you have more horror story collections planned? If so, when can your fans expect your next book?
I have two in mind, but they’re only in the conception phase. My ideas are either a collection of creative nonfiction stories that explore the history of UFOs in America or really digging into my influences in a collection I’d title Echoes.
But right now I’m finishing production on my first novel A Mother’s Torment and writing the first draft of Pea Ridge. I’m writing a novel based on a story in Broken Hearts & Other Horrors that became a 3-part story on the “Fear From The Heartland” creepypasta podcast.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/06/25/creating-a-meta-narrative/
Endgame follows an operative in charge of enforcing the laws who investigates the murder of three executives in the predominant religious organization. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Surprisingly, the murder of the three executives came late in the story’s development. The first thing I wrote was a final scene, which I swiftly deleted. At the time, I was only planning a short story, but over time the idea grew, so that by the time I returned to it a decade later, it had expanded into a novel. I wanted to explore a philosophical mystery – Descartes’ Evil Demon – so I thought a Blade Runner-esque future noir detective story would be the perfect vehicle. My next challenge was to work out how the whole thing started. I effectively ended up writing the story backwards!
With regards to the crime scene, I tried to imagine something that might appear in a James Ellroy novel, albeit one set in a cyberpunk future. I wanted some of his noir grittiness and to leave the reader feeling that this crime was a small part of something bigger – something that only Cynthia, with her philosophical mindset, could track down.
The result was a story that took inspiration from James Ellroy’s crime plots, Umberto Eco’s interpretation of signs and Philip K. Dick’s exploration of reality. Plus, I have to mention Alex Vrettos’s The Hereafter, which first inspired me to write about technological religion!
Cynthia is a strong woman who refuses to just accept the mass propaganda and seeks to find the truth. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Good question. It can be a challenge writing in the first-person, as you’re writing in a voice that it isn’t your own – and Cynthia Hemlock is most certainly not me! I wanted her to have a definite voice – one that would be both memorable and engaging. I didn’t want her to be exactly “nice,” but I didn’t want her to be “nasty” either. What I wanted was for her to have a strong sense of justice – justice she was quite prepared to dispense her own way.
As she’s a tough person living in a tough world, there was a danger of going too far in that direction, so I thought it necessary to give her a playful side. This would help lighten the darker moments and make her fun to read. Most of all, I wanted the reader to feel that when she speaks to them, they are the only people she can really trust.
If there is one ideal key to her, it is that she is prepared to challenge her own assumptions. All good stories are about human growth and development, and Endgame is the story of how Cynthia responds to the momentous events around her, questioning herself and what she is doing. I think it’s because she is prepared to question everything – even when it is painful to do so – that she makes the important discoveries, both in her investigation and as a person.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The most important theme is Descartes’ Evil Demon thought experiment – the question of how we can know anything about the world around us. Descartes famously asked how he could be certain of anything he knew – the sky, the earth, his own body, the entire physical world – as everything he considered real could be the result of a supremely cunning demon deceiving him. Phrased in the language of the 17th century, it sounds a little archaic. Phrased in the language of early 21st technology, it becomes much more immediate.
This was the purpose of Faithcorp’s religitech. If its Divinator can produce experiences that are completely convincing, how can its users tell whether they are genuine or not? Indeed, if those experiences were sufficiently convincing, then users might come to regard them as real and the physical world as illusory – which raises the obvious question: how could they tell what was real and what was illusory? Maybe their experiences were glimpses of a reality beyond the physical world. Maybe the Divinator was not a physical device but a portal through to this metaphysical reality. Maybe the illusory physical world was approaching the End Times….
Will this novel be the start of a series or are you working on a different story?
When I started, it was only meant to be a short story, then it grew into a novella, then a novel. I suppose a series would be the next logical progression!
Author Links: Website | Amazon | GoodReads
Unfortunately, as the Apocalypse approaches, Cynthia finds there is more at stake than money, and it’s no longer clear who her friends are – or what she is investigating. Is Faithcorp’s new religitech the work of the Devil or are its opponents spiritual Luddites hell-bent on destroying the world? And what has happened to its founder, the enigmatic Julia Greengage?
With the End Times approaching, Cynthia discovers she is not the only one facing their own personal Armageddon.
Author Steve Shahbazian talks to Licensed Operative Cynthia Hemlock
Good morning, Miss Hemlock.
Well, hellooooooo there Mr Steve and all of you in the 21st century.
I understand you’re a Licensed Operative. What does that entail?
Us Licensed Operatives maintain law and order—or whatever passes for it. We’re contract killers. We work for the state and get paid to shoot the bad guys. Typical day, we get our case from our Case Office, then we’re out whacking punks while punks try to whack us.
Sounds pretty dicey. Could you tell us a bit about your latest adventure?
Huh, you make it all sound so—what is it you guys call it?—“posh.” I was investigating these three execs who’d gotten themselves whacked, only the Case Office didn’t want me looking that way. They threw me some small-fry case to keep me quiet, but I knew something big was up, so it kind of became a private investigation, if you know what I mean.
What do you mean?
I mean, Mr Steve, that these three execs had “Trads” written all over their corpses.
Trads? Could you elaborate?
Sure. The Trads are the combined forces of the world’s traditional religions. I heard that, way back in your day, these guys used to fight each other. Not today. No sir. Today, they’re united and want to destroy the only power that counts for anything.
Which is?
Hah! You haven’t heard of Faithcorp? It’s a megacorporation, produces the “godbox,” a device that simulates religious experiences—experiences so convincing that folk become addicted and lose all grasp of reality.
A kind of Virtual Reality?
Who knows? Some say there ain’t nothing virtual about it—seems as real as the world around you. More real—you can’t tell what’s real and what’s illusory. It gets so bad you don’t know your face from your feet.
And how does this “godbox” work?
Hey! I ain’t no technician! And don’t get me started on those two Faithcorp “Managers” who were supposed to explain it to me!
If you didn’t know how it works, how did you tell apart reality from illusion?
Hah! You think I’m gonna tell you that and ruin it for your readers? Man, you’re worse than the penpushers at City Hall! All I’m gonna say is that smarts ain’t enough. Whether it’s a suspect or a stiff, you gotta look beyond the thing itself. You gotta understand the philosophy behind it. Most L.O.’s don’t got it.
You, on the other hand, do. What’s the most hair-raising moment in your life?
“Hair-raising?” You make me laugh! Definitely, the moment I got caught up in a Trad procession when it turned into a mob. Man, I didn’t think I was gonna make it out alive. Even today, that one makes my flesh creep.
One last question, L.O. Hemlock: what’s with this “Miss Lucilla Cabbagebottom” business?”
Well now, sweetie, I guess you’re gonna have to read the book….
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/06/25/some-of-his-noir-grittiness/
The Dog Stays weaves diverse narratives of love, loss, and self-discovery, expertly painting the human condition amid the pandemic, and offering readers an engaging literary journey through an eclectic range of characters. What inspired you to write and publish this book?
I was a Registered Nurse in Critical Care Unit. (now retired) and never had time to write fictional stories. But I always had an interest. And once I started to write and submit my short stories to flash fiction sites, the positive feedback, and the sheer enjoyment motivated me to continue. And eventually, I chose some of my favorites for the book.
The stories in ‘The Dog Stays’ offer a balance of dialogue, vivid descriptions, and introspection. How do you maintain this balance when writing short stories?
I want to engage the reader on an emotional level and keep them interested, so I try to incorporate description, dialogue and introspection into my short stories. Sometimes this is a difficult task and the balance between the three elements shifts. For instance, if I have only one character, I necessarily won’t include dialogue but may use introspection. This will encourage the reader to draw their own conclusions about the characters. Although my ultimate goal is to create a story that captures the reader’s imagination and makes them hunger for more.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this collection?
LOVE: I had witnessed humanity at its most vulnerable in my workplace and in everyday life.
Love was such a powerful emotion and universally relatable, I wanted it to appear in some of my stories.
“A Blue Baby Hat.” James displayed his love, vulnerability and devotion as he waited by his wife’s bedside.
“Frailty of Life.” The Love of a daughter for a mother who had dementia.
HOPE: Barbara sat by her husband’s bedside in “Please Stay.” She hoped and prayed that she would hear his voice, one final time.
LONELINESS: “George.” George waited by the door in the nursing home for his family. And he hoped they would visit that day.
But loneliness was also present in some of my stories after a family member lost a loved one to death or dementia.
BELONGING: “Rudolph.” The reindeer felt a need to be one of the ‘gang.’
POVERTY: “The Shelter.” The sad and lonely life of a homeless gentleman who had become invisible.
FORGIVENESS: “Flame.” The dragon (flame) and film director (Cedric) who eventually learned to work together.
HUMOR: A few of my stories made me laugh. And if I could make my readers laugh, giggle and thoroughly enjoy themselves then that was a good thing.
SUFFERING: Some of my characters were subjected to grief and suffering through loss. I felt it needed to be addressed in my stories.
In summary, I tried to apply one major and a few minor themes to my stories. But it all depended on their length.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am contemplating a second anthology of stories. Perhaps longer in length. I may even attempt a children’s story. I think my dragon “Flame” would make a wonderful subject. But I have yet to make a decision.
When is it available? If my creative juices continue to flow, it should be soon.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
Your phone rings just as you toss them on the kitchen table.When you answer, an automated messaging system causes your heart to rapidly beat in your chest. Your hands shake.Flustered, the phone slips from your grasp.
This collection of very short stories will delight readers interested in any genre.
Some may make you sad. Some may make you smile and laugh. Blush? Perhaps. But they promise to entertain. So please sit down, get comfortable and enjoy!
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/06/25/makes-them-hunger-for-more/
Announcing the Best Books of 2023 so far, as chosen by Amazon Editors
Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html%3Ftheme=light?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light
Our yearbook for the Best Books of the Year So Far
Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html%3Ftheme=light?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light