Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Interview with Law Reigns




Tell us a little about yourself, where you are from, do you feel where you live influences how or what you write? 

I am from Florida. Having lived here for 12 years, it was where I attended college. The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, FL.  A small college town, it is the kind of city that shuts down on a football day, where you are safe to hop in cars with strangers, and if someone is having a house party, well guess what! You’re most likely invited. There are pizza palaces where renovated Volkswagen buses serve as restaurant booths. The local theatre is always putting on experimental pieces for affordable prices. If you go with friends, you will all most likely leave with your very own interpretation and a new outlook on life.

There are so many different types of people there. Me being a food hound, I made friends with as many different types of people as I could. I do want to testify, my friendships were not solely based on food. One thing I have learned is International men can cook. Thank goodness there is more than one race and culture out there. To think of the party my taste buds would have missed.

I loved Gainesville, FL. Seeing it’s southern charm made different and modern with all the people constantly moving in and out of the city, I had to use it for the setting of my new adult fantasy romance, Superheroes Wear Faded Denim. 

All my main characters are university students trying to save the world while caught up in the frenzy of college lifestyle. While writing I tried to incorporate as much of the culture of Gainesville as I could, but there was just so much beauty and not enough pages.

What sort of expectations did you have when being published was on the horizon?

I expected it to be competitive and not at all for the weak of heart.  Having studied the industry since a little girl, I knew if I was going to produce a story, it had to be different, but follow a trend. Most importantly, it had to be GOOD!

That said, one thing I did not expect is the amount of young people capitalizing on the opportunity the internet has provided. I speak as if age isn’t just a number, but I have to wonder. As I connect with people over the internet, I find a majority of those I have encountered to be in their teens, twenties, and thirties.

This is exciting, meaning the next generation of writers will be that much more knowledgeable about the craft and the skills it takes to promote their product. Because of this, innovative tools will rise. More opportunity will be provided for people like you and me.

What is your biggest pet peeve ?

Not a big fan of erotica, I hate, hate, hate pointless sex scenes.

Would you please explain to my readers exactly what narcolepsy is, and how it affects the average sufferer.

Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness. Many people know of the disorder through the media characterizing all narcoleptics as people who will suddenly fall asleep in the midst of activity. While the disorder may function like this for some, for others, they may only experience gaps in thinking, strong drowsiness, sleep paralysis, and dream-like hallucinations.

Sometimes I average sixteen or more hours of sleep a day. While on the negative side, this means I have a very messed up sleep cycle, on the positive side, I rarely ever become stressed.

How much do you feel your narcolepsy influenced you in your decision to become a writer? Has it influenced how you write? Not just in influencing your story itself, but  how does it affect the way you write? Are there any specific changes you must make based on your condition?


Did you know Harriet Tubman was a narcoleptic? After learning this, I immediately felt my disorder was just one of the many obstacles in life I would have to overcome to be successful.  Because her story inspired me, I instantly wanted to write a story to inspire others.

To accommodate my disorder, I have to outline. Sometimes my thoughts will become fuzzy and disjointed. If I do not take the time to sit down and organize my thoughts, I will hit an immediate writer’s block.

Luckily, because I sleep and dream so much, often times I play out whole scenes of my novel in my head. This leads me to coming up with story idea after story idea.

I had to learn to use the strengths of my disorder to create a job for myself, so it would not end up being my biggest flaw. One example, I got a job in the logistics industry. I knew this would be a bad career choice for me, but I wanted to be like everyone else. My mind does not function like everyone else. Once I understood that, I was able to channel my energy into more positive activities.

The main character in my urban fantasy romance overcomes the same problem.

Blissany Cherry struggles with sleep throughout the novel Faded Denim. Unbeknownst to her, her sleeping habits are a tool to save mankind. She must learn to accept her flaws and turn them into strengths if she is to stay alive.

I believe this is something we all must do in life. Not everyone may have a sleeping disorder, but we all possess something that makes us feel totally and utterly inferior. I wanted to write a story for those people with flaws. Show them their flaws can indeed be their best attribute.


You've said that you've been inspired by Harriet Tubman.  Would you ever consider writing a novel about her set in the past?

Probably not unless I was to write something like Harriet Tubman, vampire hunter the sequel.        

Is there a genre you prefer to write? What about to read?

A very conflicted person when it comes to writing, I desire to write chic-lit, but the easiest stories for me to write are fantasy.

Stories I prefer to read are literary, the kinds of books you always find on the discount rack by authors no one has ever heard of.  But because my goal is to be a successful genre-fiction writer, I try to spend time reading the trends.

E.L. James might be a trashy novel with bad writing, but it is selling. No one can argue that. I do not think it is just the sex. There is a lot of erotica out there no one is talking about. What makes E.L. James’ book so different?

Care to give us a peek at your latest writing project? 

Here is an excerpt from chapter one. Approached by a wraith in the mall, Blissany is forced to make a decision between the life she is destined to live and the one she desires.

Blissany’s heart skipped a beat. He was referring to her dreams. Am I in another? She could very well be.
It wasn’t like her dreams gave her any warning. Coming sporadically, they were plane rides into other realms. Sometimes they caused her to sleep for a couple hours, sometimes several days. There a Roman boy with verdant eyes and curly hair black as fresh paint lived. Named Gabriel, he told her she was created to fight a grandiose war between good and evil. She ignored her dreams even though they caused her to oversleep for classes. What a mistake that had been. As soon as she awoke from this nightmare, she was seeking a neurologist. Such an endeavor took a lot of money and time. As a college senior, those were two things she didn’t have. Yet she was going to find it. She could not continue living with this mental disease.

“You don’t want to do this,” Wanikiya said. “If you did you wouldn’t have waited till the curse ate your heart.”

“I’ve contemplated my choices. I know what I’m to do.” Temeluchus asked Blissany the question again.

“Will you fight or not?”

“I don’t believe—”

“Wait until you have all the information, Fairest. You have two choices. If you say yes, even though you’ve shown selflessness, you have waged war. War means a fight to the death, and I will slay you right here. If you say no, I will slay this clerk behind the jewelry counter. So the question really becomes lucid. Who do you want to live more, yourself or others?”

“This demeans you,” Wanikiya said.

“Answer the question, Fair Cherry,” Temeluchus said, ignoring Wanikiya.

Blissany’s lips trembled. She looked at Kristie frozen in time. Out of all the dreams I could have. Kristie’s mouth was slightly agape. Her eyes still wide with excitement. They matched the emerald towel she held in her hands. She was so young she only had a few smile wrinkles around the corners of her mouth. Blissany wanted Kristie to live just as much as she wanted to live, but she knew this was all a dream. For it to end, she would have to give an answer.


Just because I can, what will you be doing on  July 4th?

Fourth of July is all about spending time with family. I’m going to be grilling hot dogs and bar-b-cuing some chicken.

Thank you everyone who stayed with me through the interview. Please check out my novel and connect with me online.


Want to find out more about Law? Find here here:




***Want a chance to win an e-copy of Superheroes Wear Faded Denim?  Be sure to check back here tomorrow August 1st!(open INT)***

Monday, July 30, 2012

Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel Challenge 2012 - July Round Up




This challenge is being hosted by Mother/Gamer/Writer.
 For more details on the challenge such as levels, guidelines, PRIZES!!!, just click here.




This post is to  link to all reviews of the books I've read for this challenge this month. To check out  books for this month read by other readers that are taking part in this challenge click here! 



Decided to do another graphic novel this month.  This time I also decided to use NetGalley for the first time. (Thanks Diayll!)  I've never been sure about NetGalley or how it worked but thanks to her I kinda forced myself to figure it out.  I was also worried that I would HAVE to review every book I got from them.  Sometimes I actually like to read for fun, ya know? Anyway finding out this wasn't the case, and getting access to a much larger library was really cool. One of the first books I got approved to read/borrow was 
Once Upon A Time Machine.  So I decided to use that one to fill my quota for this month. 


Once Upon A Time Machine
By: Lee Nordling, Jason Rodriguez, Tara Alexander, Khoi Pham, Charles Fetherolf, Nelson Evergreen, Chris Stevens, Andrew Carl, Various authors.

Fairy tales have fueled our dreams and fired our imaginations for centuries. Step inside a time machine built by a collection of today's finest storytellers, and enter a range of futures where familiar tales are reimagined in an astonishing variety of styles. Editors Andrew Carl and Chris Stevens bring you the next wave of leading writers and illustrators work alongside superstar creators like Farel Dalrymple (Pop Gun War), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Khoi Pham (Daredevil), and Brandon Graham (King City) to deliver a reading experience that will delight generations young and old.




My Review:

I really enjoyed reading this one.  I wasn't sure at first.  Sometimes I have issues with remakes of classics.  But overall I think the authors and artists did a great job.
Some of the ones I really loved....Goldilocks and the Three Bears...The Tortoise and The Hare...Momotaro...The Five Chinese Brothers (even though it was sad!) , Vasilissa the Beautiful...
Well in thinking about it I pretty much enjoyed all of the stories.
I really liked that each story had different art styles.  It made every story feel different. Plus if I wasn't crazy about how one story was drawn, I wasn't stuck with it for the whole book.
I also liked how they futurized each story. I'm not saying modernized because they didn't just bring them into the present day, but went into the future with all the stories. Some seemed really close to the originals and some just the bare bones of the original tales are left...but still...wow. Humpty Dumpty for example...just wow.  (don't want to ruin it for you)
And the portraits between the stories...LOVED them!  The Three Little Pigs-ninja style and Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid, just to name a few all of them awesome though!
Click here to read the rest of my review!

Spotlight on Law Reigns

And now turning the spotlight onto...:
(drum roll please)





She is the author of:





As a sneak peek to the upcoming interview here's a little bit about the author from her May 2012 press release!

Novelist and UF graduate, Law Reigns, overcomes narcolepsy to publish Superheroes Wear Faded Denim, a  fantasy romance with young adult, crossover appeal.
Sharing a kinship with Harriet Tubman few others can claim, Reigns was inspired by Tubman’s defeat of narcolepsy.
While Tubman developed the neurological disorder when her slave master hit her over the head with a 2-pound weight, Reigns was born with the disorder.
The disorder causes excessive daytime sleepiness, gaps in thinking, and sudden sleep paralysis.
Because Tubman inspired Reigns, she used her own life experience to complete a story about a UF college student whose sleeping habits wreak havoc on her life.
When Blissany has a sleep attack in the mall, she dreams of a wraith forcing her to make a life altering decision. 
Trapped between her own destiny and desires, she must find the strength within to overcome.
As readers are immersed in the protagonist’s story, they watch her undergo a certain transformation.
It is one of the things Reigns was adamant about when she was plotting.
“Life will always ask more of us, sometimes more than we even think we can give,” Reigns said. “That is why I set out to write a novel about a damsel in distress who is forced to become a Jeanne d’Arc.”
Even though Reigns loves a good romance novel, this fantasy book, aimed at readers ages 14 – 30, is not for sappy romance readers.
Even so, they are invited to dance with other adventure druggies and romance fanatics by connecting with Law Reigns at www.lawreigns.com and  purchasing a copy of Superheroes Wear Faded Denim on Amazon, and Barnes and Noble today. 





Sunday, July 29, 2012

Pins and Magic ~ Random Magic Live Pinning Event!




So I was invited to  participate in this AWESOME live pinning event for Random Magic by Sasha Soren!  It's a live pinning event where instead of verbally reviewing the book we do it with awesome pics!






Attack of the Ducks!

So have you ever had those times when a number or item or color or whatever just seems to be popping up 

EVERYWHERE????

Yea. In the case of numbers I've heard you're supposed to go out and buy a lottery ticket.  But what about in the case of Ducks??? Yes you read that right, ducks! And not real live ducks...but little rubber duckies!  They are popping up everywhere!  



First we are selling little rubber ducks at the stand for the Band/Color Guard Booster's Club.    They are oh so cute! and while they aren't in anyway related to the school they do sell really well. Especially with little kids.  


Then I signed on to do a Pinterest review of Random Magic by Sasha Soren.  The author sent me a book with a BUNCH of swag bits related to the book and what do you know there was a rubber ducky in there! (more on the Random Magic Pinterest review in the next post, promise!)


Then I was reading Demonocity by Royce Buckingham.  (Great series by the way!)  And what do you know....more duckies!!!! (although these duckies seem to have an evil bent....which has made me eye the duckies at my stand a bit suspiciously!)








Then I'm walking through K-Mart minding my own business when what do you think they have right out in front!?!  





MORE DUCKIES!!!


Soooo what should I do???  As far as I know there's no new slot machines featuring duckies at the local casino...and there are no duckie scratchers...

Is it a sign then? or am I being stalked by duckies??????

If a bunch of posts start appearing with nonsensical quacking and squeaking you'll at least know what happened....


Thursday, July 26, 2012

Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway Hop!  It will run from July 27th - August 1st.  Let me say thank-you to Colorimetry and I am a Reader, Not a Writer for hosting this hop!

Now on with the prize(s)!




There will be two winners.  One for US/Can and the other for International followers.
One lucky winner in the US/Can will receive  a print copy of The Company Store by Don Romonov! 
One International winner will receive an e-copy of The Company Store.

Entry is easy all you need  to do is enter on the Rafflecopter below.  Just leave you email and where you are located and hit enter!


Want to find out more about The Company Store?  Check out it's excerpt.  Want to get to know Don Romonov better? Check out his interview!  






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Then it's on to the next blog in the hop!:


Interview with Don Romonov




Tell us a little about yourself, where you are from, do you feel where you live influences how or what you write? 

 I'm rather a hermit, I don't try to advertise who I am.  I'd rather be the unknown, anonymous everyman.  I'm originally from Texas, and where I live occasionally influences what I write.  How I write I believe is best influenced by my offset point of view thanks to Autistic Spectrum Disorders.  You see, I don't view the world the same way you do.  I don't access information the same way you do.  Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, I'm unique whether I want to accept it or not.  I pick up everything I see, everything I pass, everything I witness and add it to my thought process.  A lot of it is just 'white noise', the rest, possible useful data.  Shifting through said Data is an unending process, juggled with everything else I'm thinking at the moment.



What sort of expectations did you have when being published was on the horizon?


I had not anticipated being published at all, I thought I would be another angry blogger full of promise and lacking any true ambition. My expectations were simple: Modest Acclaim, reasonable reviews, and many, many questions regarding what the hell was I thinking. That's what I feared most, I believe, people asking over and over again whether or not I was really insane or what my major malfunction was.  I really didn't exactly know what I would say to my readers, if any, or my detractors, if many. I just somewhat sat back and looked at the full, intimidating book and wondered what the hell I was thinking when I decided to take a chance and write the thing. 


What is your biggest pet peeve ?

There is not sufficient time left in the universe to express the full details of my pet peeves. It comes with being  incredibly socially awkward. I'm sorry to say that there are many many intricate, small, detailed things that set me off like no tomorrow. I don't like it when people talk on cell phones or even possess them, I don't like lack of eye contact during conversation, I don't like crowds, public, outside, barking dogs, or ignorant people. I get overwhelmed in public, crowded places. I don't understand modern music, or 'pop' as I believe they call it. I prefer quiet, gentle people these days. Loudness, noise, it's not appreciated in the slightest. 

How would you define Asperger's Syndrome from your point of view?

In a word, difficult. The depression of not being understood by anyone. The extreme social anxiety overwhelming all interaction. I'm peculiar, rude, a bit of an oaf, opinionated, and poorly equipped for social interaction.There is extreme frustration in not being understood, of being talked over, of being ridiculed because you see things differently. There is also a tremendous amount of anxiety in being fully immersed in unpredictable outside world, where things tend to happen with varying degrees of horrifying spontaneous fashion.

What hints,tips, recommendations would you give to young people suffering from Aspergers who might want to break into the writing field? 

Don't ever attempt normal. Be you. Celebrate you. Link up with other Aspergers folks, form a social club, and enjoy actual intelligent company for once. 2 of my friends are very Autistic-Spectrum, and we get along famously. Sure, they're weird as all get-out but fantastic company and conversation. Intelligence is a highly valued commodity, you just have to find out where.
 


Is there a genre you prefer to write? What about to read?


To write? I'm only competent as a sarcastic, jaded, observer of the human condition. To read though, incredibly varied. Herbert to Heinlein, Asimov to Arthur C Clarke, Dumas, Goethe, philosophy, poetry. It's ever-variable as I tend to read obsessively. Right now I'm reading a translation of the Tigerfebel (Tiger Tank Manual), working my way through a biography of Tesla, and trying my hardest to chew through a science fiction pulp novel that is bogging down page by page. That one may have to be skipped. I love everything written, so long as it is written well. Currently on a Sci-fi Kick though.
 
Care to give us a peek at what your latest writing project is? 

I wouldn't be able to commit because I'm framing a story out and trying to decide whether or not the project is feasible. What stories are left to explore in my very strange life? I'm trying my hardest to compile a short-story collection set during a particular period of my life when things were, well, very strange. To tell you how strange: The job kept me up at night for three years, and strange enough I enjoyed it. Night Owl for life





Want to find out more about Don?  You can find him here:


Email: donromonov@gmail.com



****Want to win a copy of The Company Store??? Check back here between July 27th and August 1st for a chance to win a copy of your own!!****


.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Win a $100 or $25 Gift Card to Amazon at the BookPushalooza!!!


Welcome to the FIRST EVER BookPushalooza!

July 26th ONLY

9 Books, only .99.

With each purchase you get the chance to WIN while Helping Authors reach new heights in Amazon’s ranks.

It’s so easy a CAVEMAN could do it!

Follow the Instructions on the Rafflecopter Widget and for each book you purchase (or Borrow through Amazon Prime for Free) you get an entry in to WIN ---

(1) Grand Prize- $100 Amazon Gift Card

(2) Runners up of $25 Amazon Gift Cards

That’s not all! Purchase all NINE (9) books and get an additional 5 entries!

Don’t delay, this offer is good for JULY 26th ONLY!



Overview of Dark Isle

When evil begets evil, a choice is forced on Quinn, the one person who can see the danger. Does she save the ones she loves, or does she save the world from Chaos?

As the realms of Fae and human collide, Quinn's future has never looked so grim, or so damn impossible.

Genre- Urban Fantasy
Overview of Enemy in Blue

 The streets aren't safe when your enemy wears a blue uniform and a gold badge.
What if the good guys weren't good?
What if a cop went rogue and killed an innocent man?
What if it was all caught on video and the cop would do anything to cover it up?
Chase this lawless cop through the streets and to a scintillating series of showdowns with Cruz Marquez, a young attorney trying to nail down his enemy in blue.
Will justice be served?
Genre- Thriller



Overview of Land of the Noonday Sun

When two strangers have nothing left but their dreams, they must forge a relationship in Nantahala, North Carolina, a small town known as Land of the Noonday Sun.

A man with a traumatic past is able to turn his life around and is happy with his chosen career as a whitewater guide. Everything changes though when fate hurls a woman into his path. His carefree life is in turmoil, and his former weaknesses threaten to overtake him. Will he be strong enough when tragedy strikes and is once again in danger of losing everything he loves?
Genre- Contemporary Romance


Overview of This Time Forever

Delaney Brannigan and Blake Morrisson met at the Cedar Cove annual costume dance, known only to each other as the leopard and the cowboy--but, as Delaney soon discovers, the cowboy she'd thought had ridden off into the sunset never to tempt her again, is none other than the man she came from New York to find and discredit. Against her will, Delaney is drawn deeper and deeper into an overwhelming attraction to Blake--an attraction she can't give in to if she wants to keep the one thing she values more than anything else.
Genre- Contemporary Romance


Overview of Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula

Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Jones wakes up the morning after a minor accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist to discover that her body has undergone some bizarre physical changes. Her senses, strength, and speed have been radically enhanced.

Lives are put at risk when they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous, action-packed adventure. Soon they are forced to confront a maniacal villain willing to do anything - including murder - to reach his own ambitious goals.

Genre- YA/MG Superhero

Overview of Gray Justice

Gray Justice is the fast-paced debut thriller from Alan McDermott. When a killer walks free from court, the victim's father sees just two options: accept the judge's decision; or take on the entire British justice system. Tom Gray chooses the latter and his crusade attracts instant worldwide media coverage. It was just what Tom was hoping for, but it brought him a lot more than he bargained for.

Gray Justice is much more than a simple tale of revenge: it's a rollercoaster ride with an ending you'll never forget!
Genre- Thriller

Overview of Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00

"Their lives are in the hands of two 18-year-olds..."
A Prominent P.I. is gunned down - killed by a sniper - and it’s broadcasted on live TV.
Now, her daughter, along with her childhood pal, are thrust into a complex and riveting thriller forced to take on a secret club whose members call themselves The Privileged Ones.
Murder. Teen abductions and illegal underground parties.
They’re chased by men in ski-masks, nearly gunned down by members of a cartel, and the only way to bring down this criminal enterprise; is to crash a Mardi Gras bash and stop their private cruise ship from sailing off into the sunset.

 

Overview of Allegiance

Who do YOU pledge allegiance to?

After exposing one of the most notorious rings of police corruption in history, lawyer Cruz Marquez planned on starting a new life south of the border. That plan unraveled when an extremist group of Minutemen captured and tortured him and his wife.


Will Cruz pledge allegiance to do right, or will he do anything to serve up revenge?

Genre- Thriller


Overview of Curbchek Reload

Curbchek-Reload is a dark account of the streets as they were worked by Zach Fortier, a dangerously deranged cop. Welcome back to the inner city and the twisted mentality of Zach Fortier. Patrolling the streets, broken and mentally damaged from years of urban violence, Zach fights a losing battle to maintain a hold on reality. Join him in the passenger seat of a police cruiser for more of the darker and meaner side of life: The inner city. In Curbchek-Reload you get a front row seat to an attempted murder of a cop, suicide attempts, rapes, and DARK cop humor. Curbchek-Reload - Fasten your bullet proof vest and buckle your seatbelt, it is gonna be a wild ride!

Genre- Police Procedural 


http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/49be101/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

All winners will be notified via email July 28th 2012. For a list of winners contact onedaybookpush@yahoo.ca

Excerpt from The Company Store


The Death of Customer Service ~ Part II


 This was night shift.  This is where the crazy people went because they had nowhere else to go.  I was then introduced to "Lil Bit", a short, Hispanic woman with a ferocious drive.  She was in charge in that way that is common within the Company Store.  You aren't paid any more, but you have far more responsibility, and in time you could maybe, possibly make it to be a manager.  Nobody ever really made it to manager as far as I can remember.  Let me explain how night stocking works.  First, you find your product in the back room; it generally arrives by truck in the afternoon and taken off the truck by a gang of insane people known as “Unloaders”.  Unloaders are driven to such a great speed in their work that they often overlook things such as personal safety or possible damage to what they are moving.  On walking in to work on the night shift, you can often see the Unloaders throwing boxes at each other from across the warehouse.  Sometimes these boxes strike a forehead, an eye, or a knee.  Sometimes they take a moment to hold their eye and stumble around in blind pain but this is rare.  They aren't allowed to stop so they just keep working.  Management tries their best not to get involved in the affairs of the Unloaders because they might accidentally be struck blind by a tossed box.  Or they might fall behind, which was unforgiveable and punished by summary termination.  The Unloaders were instructed to take the boxes from the trucks and build them into pallets of cargo that were safe, well organized, and promoted the integrity of the cargo itself.  Here is where you see the problem anyone encounters when they are instructed to work fast and work well.  Sometimes you must really make a choice of either/or.  We generally got pallets that were haphazardly stacked with crushed items quite common.  The pallets were moved to the floor by the crew, regardless of their weight, they were moved.  Ten to fifteen hundred pounds of cargo were pulled by hand, and as a result sore backs were quite common.  Then came the breaking down of pallets onto the floor for placement into the shelves.  In a smart world, this would be accomplished by forming a chain, handing items down the chain directly in front of where they were needed if they were needed.  This is not a smart world.  I was thrown a heavy box of canned coffee and before I could do anything with it, then came another box.  It hit me in the knee and I doubled over, because this box was heavy as well.  I was not asked if I was all right, instead Lil Bit cursed me out for being slow.  I said my knee hurt.  She told me to “step it up and stop complaining”.  I endeavored to do so.  A short time later I was hit in the face with a box, and was momentarily dazed.  My glasses were bent.  Once again I was yelled at, because it was my fault for not moving fast enough.  My glasses were not replaced or repaired at any expense.  It was deemed “my fault” for being hit by a thrown object.

Lil bit then had me learn how to stock the aisle with coffee on it.  I remember opening boxes and boxes of coffee, enjoying the smell, and generally losing myself in the job.  The smell of fresh coffee of course did not make up for the fact I really hated this job.  I cannot see why this was a reasonable career choice for anyone.  I was confused, I was afraid for my future, and my knee hurt.  My glasses were bent.  It was at this time I would meet Felix and the other people in charge of this insane operation.

Felix was in charge of Cola, and various Cola Products.  Felix was a short, stocky man with a nasty limp that constantly boasted on how many pallets of cargo he could throw in a single night.  I managed to move eight pallets of grocery cargo on my first night, so I asked him how many he could throw.  He responded as only a short man can when he feels threatened, he jerks a thumb to his chest and says “Fourteen, sixteen, tonight was slow, too many new people”.  I found out later he had moved four, but confronting him on this was not something I wanted to do.  Felix had three hobbies; one was sleeping his way around the store with various low level managers.  The second was bragging to everyone about it, and the third was telling stories about how easily he could beat up X or Y, or how he had in the past.  Felix could barely walk straight and he was threatening as a plate of scrambled eggs.  I let him enjoy his self-delusions as I met my other co-workers.

There was a former Canadian firefighter, so he informed me.  He kept pointing out that he was a firefighter in Canada, and also, that in Canada he was a firefighter.  Everything was about this subject.  Drop a quarter on the floor?  He would tell me how a Canadian firefighter would react to that.  Have a problem at home?  He would tell me how a Canadian firefighter would solve it.  When health matters came up, serious or not, he would tell us how his Canadian firefighter training would prevent further injury, and how we could cure ourselves by simply listening to him.  He was very slow; he was pretty mean, and all of his teeth were the color of carbon scoring on a truck's exhaust tips.  There were others too, there was Steve.  Steve was cool as hell.  Steve and I went through training together, where he introduced himself as the “Whitest Black Man in the world”.  I did not know what that meant at the time, and I still do not know what that means now.  What I did know is that he was a good coworker, and a funny guy.  He had two jobs to pay his rent, he did his best to keep the spirits up, and eventually he left to go onto bigger and better things.  It was something I should have done myself, but somehow I became stuck in this world of overnight mayhem.

One day I spoke to D-man, he asked how things were going and I admitted I was less than pleased concerning my employment.  He told me to take a walk with him and he pointed out how everyone else was just as miserable as I was, and that the only thing he could really do was try to find somewhere I would fit in where I could be moderately happier, and also make his management equally pleased in my placement.  He said he would “work on it”, and he was honest enough to tell me that I shouldn't hold my breath.  He did put forth the effort though; there was a man in Electronics that was very depressed with the work there.  He wasn't a man who considered himself technologically knowledgeable and he felt he would be happier with more “simple labor” as he put it.  I liked electronics plenty, I liked working around electronics, and I was a hard-core gamer.  This would work out best for both of us to switch places, as D-man thought.  And so, with little fanfare my life was changed.

The day was very ordinary for someone starting out, there was a new routine that had to be learned and D-man helped my transition easily.  I had to account for my freight, line-by-line, item-by-item.  I had to move my freight off the pallets and onto the floor by a certain time.  I had to then make sure my section was zoned off, and by zoned off I mean that it would have to look perfect, all boxes facing forward with no gaps.  I understood these requirements and made movements to accomplish them all the while keeping my eyes open for thieves.  It was during this first full day in the new department that I would meet Andy.  Andy is of moderate height, stocky, with a permanent goatee, and ever-present black hat.  I think that Andy has had that same black baseball cap for his entire life, as it never ages or changes.  It is always there.  Andy is shy at first with people, as much I am.  I recall shaking his hand and asking him if he was a gamer.  He mentioned KOTOR.  We have been friends ever since.  Elsewhere in the department was Janet, and as we had two Janets in the department this Janet was labeled “English Janet”.  English Janet had a wicked sense of humor and not much patience for stupidity.  She and I got along for as little as we worked together.  At this time I also met my new direct Boss, Janet-Janet.  Janet Prime was a middle aged woman with coke bottle glasses, a tremendously, ridiculously long ponytail.  Janet and I never did get along, as at first meeting she sized me up and rolled her eyes, snapping her gum while walking around, showing me trouble areas.  If ever you've had someone try to blame you for being you, this was she and this was that moment.  I stood there and let her tear into me, despite the fact she didn't have anything to criticize me about yet.  She would find something soon enough.  I told her that I was looking forward to working with her.  She said, “Yeah, I bet you do, we'll see”.  Interesting times were soon to follow.  




****Want to win a copy of The Company Store??? Check back here between July 27th and August 1st for a chance to win a copy of your own!!****

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Company Store By: Don Romonov

The Company Store

By: Don Romonov


The company store is a humorous and witty account of a young man entering the work force in Modern day America. Born with Aspergers syndrome, a mild form of Autism, Don Romonov writes his observations as he strikes out to forge his own version of the American dream. He enters the workforce at "The Company Store" one of the many chain stores that dot the North American horizon. Immediately he realizes something is not right with "these people". The Company Store goes behind the scenes of the cashiers and stockers and bag boys and shows you the really humorous things that go on and make The Company Store and American Icon.










****Want to win a copy of The Company Store??? Check back here between July 27th and                     August 1st for a chance to win a copy of your own!!****

Monday, July 23, 2012

Spotlight on Don Romonov

So now let's turn the spotlight on:
(drum roll please...)





His current work:

The Company Store
Amazon



****Want to win a copy of The Company Store??? Check back here between July 27th and August 1st for a chance to win a copy of your own!!****

Friday, July 20, 2012

Where I've Been ~#4~


So this was soooo meant to go up way earlier than this....Sorry.  Things just got crazy, crazy around here.  First my air cooler broke, than my freezer and my car then my car broke AGAIN!! Then my dad ended up in the hospital. And this was all on top of the normal craziness that I wade through every day!
Well enough about my non-internet issues...Let me show you what I've found around town these past few...

First some awesome giveaways!



Joseph Robert Lewis is having this HUGE giveaway to celebrate the birth of his daughter.  Tons of books and e-books are being given away  AND entering is SUPER easy!  So click on over quick for a chance to win tons of prizes!



 Also another HUGE giveaway going on this month is Mother/Gamer/Writer celebrating her blog's one year anniversary!  She has 5 different prize packs up for grabs so be sure to get there before the month is out!










Free Hot Samples



I also found an awesome giveaway linky list!  Be sure to check this one out over at Free Hot Samples!











Where I've got reviews posting this week!:






AND






And this??? This is just plain awesome!



http://www.youtube.com/user/cutepolish?feature=watch



I'm sooooo doing this to my nails!!!








I also got some pretty cool things in the mail.  However the post office definitely failed on the first package!  Yes it has a rubberband holding it shut AND it had been folded over even more to fit in my mailbox! 





Fortunately the book and swag inside seemed to have made it through in one piece!









I also got my e-copy of The Matchmaker's Mark by Regan Black and the signed tote bag that I won with it from  Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop Post







So where have you been?? Leave your links in the comments, I love checking out new places!