The Sundance Revenge Setting: The Festival
The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah provides the setting for The Sundance Revenge. The fest began in 1978 as the U.S. Film Festival in Salt Lake to offer an opportunity for American, especially Utah related, independent film to be recognized. Famous actor Robert Redford, became the festival’s inaugural chair giving the event instant…
Read MoreBelle Bannon Series: Historical Vignettes: #metoo Movement
Real history plays a key parts in the Belle Bannon mystery-thriller series, and from time to time the blog will offer a vignette of one such character who will either directly or sometimes posthumously provide key clues to Belle as she attempts to solve a mystery and save the day. The Metoo# Movement…
Read MoreBELLE BANNON SERIES: Historical Vignettes
Real history figures play key parts in the Belle Bannon mystery-thriller series. Occasionally, I’ll offer a vignette of some of the most interesting such characters. Each character will provide key clues to Belle as she attempts to solve a mystery and save the day. James E. Amos Belle Bannon book #2 (Still searching for…
Read MoreBelle Bannon Series: Historical Vignette-Maria Halpin
Real history figures play key parts in the Belle Bannon mystery-thriller series, and from time to time the blog will offer a vignette of one such character who will either directly or sometimes posthumously provide key clues to Belle as she attempts to solve a mystery and save the day. Maria Hovenden Halpin…
Read MoreFrom Belle Bannon No. 2: Doll Island
An exciting scene near the end of the second book in the Belle Bannon series (title yet to be determined) takes place on Doll island. While the book locates Doll Island in the Texas Everglades, the real Doll Island can be found outside Mexico City. Here’s the story: Julian Santana Barrera was a hermit…
Read MoreTime-Travel
I’m ashamed to admit that I hadn’t read Mark Twain since high school. Then on a whim I picked up A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and realized what I’d missed. This dude was funny! (And by the way, he used the term “dude” way back in 1889.) In the book a Connecticut…
Read More“ROCKY” Sex Life
A crude, but nevertheless common expletive hurled at the object of one’s anger suggests that the affronter go [have sex with] himself. Fortunately (or, depending on one’s point of view, unfortunately,) having sex with one’s self is anatomically challenging—unless you’re a rock. Pyura chilensis, otherwise known as the Blood Rock, lives in the waters…
Read MoreIs This Creepy House of Mannequins an Art Project?
It’s called the John Lawson House, located near the New Hamburg train station in New York, and it’s impressive for a few reasons. First, it’s a really old house, built in 1845. Second – and here’s the “Man Bites Dog” angle – several life-sized female mannequins can be found on the front porch, in…
Read MoreSo You Think You Like Pizza
Pizza has recently edged out chocolate as America’s favorite food. No real surprise given pizza’s place in the fabric of our culture. Comedy Central’s John Stewart continually battled with Chicago over whether New York’s pizza is best. And New York mayor Bill DiBlasio has received more criticism for eating pizza with a fork than for…
Read MoreThe Starling Murmations
Most amazing natural phenomena like Niagara Falls, the aurora borealis or a beautiful sunset are awe-inspiring, but explainable. The truly stunning phenomena can’t fully be explained. Take the common Starling. The Starling is small—sized somewhere between a sparrow and a Robin. They weigh less than 3 ounces, have an eight inch wingspan, and…
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