SIX OF THE BEST… columns I wrote in 2016

Let me tell you about the columns I wrote in 2016. They were great columns. The columns had great topics, and they were really great. They’re going to do great things in the future.

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SIX OF THE WORST… questions I was left with after watching The OA

All things considered, Netflix’s The OA should’ve been right up my alley. But I was left with many, many questions.

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SIX OF THE BEST… sequels coming to theaters in 2017

Let’s talk sequels!

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The Clockwork Russian: Free for Five Days!

If you haven’t already read it, you can now get my book The Clockwork Russian ABSOLUTELY FREE (until December 27).

Now you have no excuse not to read it.

Get it from Amazon at this here URL.

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SIX OF THE BEST… questions to ask your nerdy friends after seeing Rogue One

As expected, I saw Rogue One on opening night — which is Friday, despite all the new metrics that only count Thursday opening box office receipts as a measure of success.

Anyway, after seeing it and digesting it, I decided that, while I certainly enjoyed the movie, I was able to find countless tropes in it. So I wrote a column about them.

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A Holiday Flash Story

I wrote an interstitial story in the Secret Santa universe and it was published in the Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine’s 2017 holiday episode, along with six other stories.

Hear it by clicking here.

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SIX OF THE BEST… reasons to show fewer movie commercials

You might have heard that a little movie called Rogue One is coming out on Friday. If you haven’t, you clearly haven’t been anywhere near the media for the past… oh… year or so. Pretty much since the Monday after The Force Awakens was released, I’m guessing.

Maybe we should slow down on the movie commercials just a tad, huh?

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SIX OF THE WORST… self-promotion fails

I suck at self-promotion.

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“Dreaming of Suzanne”

A vengeful ghost passes on the terror that was her life to the young couple renovating her home in “Dreaming of Suzanne”, now available in the December issue of Double Feature Magazine.

This is a horror story. People are not nice to each other. You have been warned. Read at your own risk.

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SIX OF THE BEST takes on Fantastic Beasts and Pokemon

This week’s Six of the Best column is spoileriffic, so if you haven’t seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, you shouldn’t read it. If you have, though… read on!

Last week, my daughter and I collaborated on a Six of the Best about Pokemon, which you may also enjoy.

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“Memories of My Father”

memoriesofmyfatherTwo decades ago, Amy’s father started losing his memory, and she vowed to do everything she could to help him. She grew up, became a scientist, and discovered the horrible secret that destroyed his mind. Now there’s only one thing she can do to save him: forget everything she knows.

Find out how it all ends — and how it all started — in Memories of My Father, available now on your Kindle, and it’s only 99 cents. Get it now, before you forget. http://ow.ly/jE7a306lJ6h

#iremembereverything

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SIX OF THE BEST… presidential election screwups

Regardless of what you think of the most recent US presidential election, you should be able to agree that there have been screwups in elections past. Here are six of the best of them.

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SIX OF THE BEST… things newer writers should avoid doing

This really should be a “worst”, not “best”, but I can only work with what I have. Anyway, don’t do this.

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Book Review: CRIMSON DEATH by Laurell K. Hamilton

Well, Laurell K. Hamilton has done it again. She’s written a pretty decent police procedural and then tacked on about 300 pages of relationship angst. Yes, that’s right, it’s time for me to review Crimson Death, the latest Anita Blake novel.

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SIX OF THE WORST… things about social media (for writers)

I hate marketing myself.

SIX OF THE WORST… things about social media (for writers)

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SIX OF THE BEST… Criminal Minds villains

After 12 years, there are bound to be some great villains on any TV show. But Criminal Minds makes a living off its villains. Here are six of the best of them.

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SIX OF THE BEST: second books and pro-wrestlers

I was on vacation last week, so I didn’t post this, but here are my two most-recent Six of the Best columns:

SIX OF THE BEST… second books in a series: books that don’t fall victim to the sophomore slump.

SIX OF THE BEST… pro wrestlers: because I used to watch wrestling a lot.

 

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SIX OF THE WORST… things about health insurance

Health insurance sucks.

Well, okay, insurance itself doesn’t, but the system certainly does.

Here’s me bitching about it.

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submission and publication update for September 2016

Blah.

PUBLISHED

Nothing

CONSIDERING

Abyss and Apex, AE, Angry Robot Books, Apex Magazine, Asimov’s, Automobilia, Binge Watching Cure, Bourbon Penn, Breakroom Stories, Chronos Chronicles, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, DarkFuse, ECM Network, Electric Literature, Pear Tree Press, Persistent Visions, Read Short Fiction, Straeon, Stoneslide Corrective

STUFF I WROTE

I probably wrote about 500 words in September — fiction, that is. I did crank out a bunch of columns, but I don’t think that counts. I also reviewed a couple of books.

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.” -Albert Camus

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SIX OF THE BEST… books I discovered by accident

I know I’ve mentioned in the past that I subscribe to an e-book library that often gets pretty big dumps of books for borrowing. It’s not quite like going to the bookstore — you can’t just walk through the aisles until you find something that looks good. It comes down to title, author, and a thumbnail of the cover. If I’m interested, I’ll click in and read the synopsis, and if it catches my interest, I’ll borrow it.

Sometimes I stumble upon crap. But other times there are hidden gems. Here are six of the best books I discovered by accident.

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