Category: Just For Fun


March 25: Ring Destruction Day

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March 25, 2014
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Kind of like remembering a messy divorce, only with more epic battles.

That’s right, Tolkien fans! It’s the anniversary of the day when, mumbleteen thousand years ago, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum entered Mount Doom to pitch the One Ring into the fire below.

“Wait,” some of you are asking, “Why did Tolkien use modern dates in a fantasy world like Middle-earth? I mean, I get that it’s supposed to be our super-duper epic forgotten past, but really.”

Yeah, I get that. But you also have to remember that Tolkien was three things, in this order: a proud Catholic, an expert philologist, and a fascinated medievalist. What does all that have to do with March 25th? I’m glad you asked!

Continue reading →

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So Ninjas DO Show Up on TV!

Filed under: Just For Fun, Personal, Reviews — 1 Comment
February 5, 2014

In a rare public appearance, I appeared for a TV interview this last Monday.

And I managed not to break the camera!

And I managed to not break the camera!

Having attended a press screening of The LEGO Movie on Saturday, I and fellow brick enthusiast Bret Harris were invited on Let’s Talk Live for a quick appearance to give our impressions of the film as well as show off the sort of thing you can do with Lego bricks.

As you can see in the interview, I went in expecting to be underwhelmed and wound up impressed. (That’s right, I expected a movie based on one of my hobbies to suck.) It deserves its own review, but I figured I should at least put up the interview so you can see what your friendly neighborhood novel ninja looks like and sounds like.

Yeah, I’m sorry, I should be kinder to my fans rather than subject them to me in living color. But hey . . . Lego!

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What I’ve Been Doing Lately

Filed under: Just For Fun, Personal — 1 Comment
January 20, 2014

So I’ve had another period where I haven’t been posting anything, and I haven’t even been updating on the Facebook page (which you should totally like). Well, this is a major part of what’s been occupying my attention:

Hang on, I got some dust in my eye or something . . .

Hang on, I got some dust in my eye or something . . .

Now, just to be clear, that is not me in that photo. I’m the one taking it. And the radiant beauty in white is my dear friend, mutually-adopted sister, and future co-author Elizabeth Amy Hausladen.

Er, wait. Elizabeth Amy Hajek. Yeah. Got to remember that. Fortunately, she likes hearing people repeat themselves on this subject.  Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas

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December 25, 2013

That’s all.

I have reviews and advice to write for you all, and I’m continuing to respond to email from the audience. For now, though, it’s Christmas. No matter what it means to you, it means something. Merry Christmas!

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Superheroes Redesigned

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December 3, 2013

I’m not a DC Comics fan. I like Batman, but usually the rest of the universe seems . . . stilted. Yes, I enjoyed many of the animated series while I was growing up (and even more after I decided being grown-up is a bit overrated), but I just can’t get into the mythology and worldbuilding. Too many fictionalized yet supposedly “realistic” locations, too much space between “gritty” and “heroic,” too much “hey, that sounds good, let’s go with that — who’s going to think about it too deeply?” Continue reading →

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War of the Worlds

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October 30, 2013

Now, live on your radio, we bring you the latest from the alien invasion. But first, these messages.

It’s been a really busy month for me. I’ve got posts I want to write, but between work and my new physical therapy program (which is doing wonders for my mobility), I’ve fallen behind on nearly everything. I’ll hopefully be caught up next week and start doing more blogging.

However, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the 75th anniversary of the original War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1938. It’s not only a wonderful production (seriously, listen to it if you have the chance; I have it on old-fashioned cassettes, so I should get a digital version myself sometime soon), but it’s even more notable for the panic it caused. Continue reading →

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Literary Character Quiz

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September 23, 2013

Just for fun, I thought I’d post ABE Books’ Literary Character Quiz. Who did you get? I got Sherlock Holmes. I am not unhappy with this result.

I can actually see this as pretty helpful when building your own characters. Put them in the quiz and find out who is most like them in literature., and then tweak your characters accordingly. Feel like your character is too much like that more famous one? You can fix that. Want to increase the resemblance? You can do that too.

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Happy Hobbit Day!

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September 22, 2013

It’s September 22nd, Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday. This is officially Hobbit Day for fans.

It’s also my niece’s birthday. Happy birthday, Emily!

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It’s Frightful Friday Again!

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September 13, 2013

I just thought I’d share an amusing story for today: airplane passengers take Flight 666 to HEL on Friday the 13th.

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Ninja School

Filed under: Editing, Just For Fun, Plugs and Promotions — Leave a comment
August 29, 2013

Well, sort of.

I just got word from my apprentice, Rebecca, that the administrivia has been settled. I’m officially teaching an extracurricular writing workshop this fall at my alma mater, Christendom College. It’ll be on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30. Continue reading →

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