...a heart shaped box...

OK, this was supposed to be done in November ~:^/ for a 2011 release, but the holidays were a bit brutal for me this year.  Did the right thing in many ways, so I gave myself a pass and didn't lapse back into a hot dog binge.  But here t'is in its expensive glory (sorry, I can't really control the pricing - but the ebook will post soon after).

I dedicate this particular title, as Valentines is around the corner, to those few men and women throughout time who loved purely and completely.  The characters in this anthology only wanted what was best for those they fell for and nothing more.  Why would you ask anything of the person you love?  In love's strictest sense, there should be nothing in return.

There was an idea planted in my heart as a young child - that of the 'champion'.  Much like chivalry in the age of the knighthood, the champion seeks only to dedicate themselves in constancy to a single woman.  It is unrequited and takes on a thousand pains, but, in the end, it affords the objet d'affection the honor of being loved for who they are, not what pacifies the ego.  It has to be the highest form of romantic love I can think of - the person who sacrifices themselves for their love, wanting nothing but for that person to truly be fulfilled.

HEART SHAPED BOX on LULU

[Interestingly, St. Valentine was a martyr that was possibly killed on February 14th (either a priest, bishop or African layperson).  It is unknown how he earned his martyr's iris, with a more than likely story that he refused to deny Christ (as many early Church martyrs were known for).  But attention came quickly for the deed and he was provided a feast day in the late 400s.  It evolved in the high court times of the Chaucer age as a call for those in love to openly show their affection.  Leave it to the greeting card companies to make it a mandate.]

...prohibition of quaestuary...

Five hundred seven years ago Antonio Ghislieri was born in Bosco, Italy - eventually putting the standard of non-profit for the Church.  Unrelatedly, I'm posting some video from Mission San Gabriel.

The next book should be up by tomorrow night, wherein I'll have the requisite links.

There are a few minor updates over the last two weeks including a pin series on Cafe Press with - "More Human Than Human" and "Enjoy Vellocet".  Yours is to guess their origin.  "29" is still available on DeviantART.

The second revision of "Powder Blue" is re-available on Nook again.  It's supposed to go live on Kindle as well - but not sure when.  It is supposedly available on the Apple ebook store, but I don't live in that world, so I'm not entirely sure.

Once "Heart Shaped Box" goes live, I'll update as well.  Cheers and thanks for coming back!

...she lobbed the blaster in her hand...

...one to the other.  It was simple muscle memory, but key for any one to understand the heft of a laser pistol in unfamiliar hands.  She stared off in the distance.  Eddie shifted his weight and stayed at the periphery of his clientele.  He didn't hold a weapon when his customers did - but he was ready for a string of sonic grenades in a heartbeat.  Eddie didn't at all admire the beauty of the customer, what with her hair up and off of her shoulders and temples - pulled tightly in a series of careful black piles.  He cared more to live the day.

She allowed the entire body of the blaster to spin her hands.  It spun evenly with no predilection to any one point.  Eddie did notice this and instantly knew she was used to firing one, in at least a few years.  The stranger was new to these parts for sure, (the outer territory was very much wild, but small enough to know most of the families, government men, criminals) but knew how to keep her head.

Eddie talked and his chin flapped, "That's a rare piece around here and why I brought it out.  It was obvious when I saw how you walked in that you wanted something...substantial."

She moved the blaster over to her other hand and allowed it to swing.  "Do you have anything close to this?"

"No, m'aam.  For a medium pistol like this one...well, it only sat around because of its impractical use.  Most folks around here need a projectile weapon like a rifle or shotgun.  For hunting and stead protection, right?  Pistols aren't more than a light thing - like you see in the case right under me."

"Is there a place I can fire it.  Obviously not in here.  If it shoots straight, you got yourself a deal."

"Yes'm.  Go ahead and take it right through there."  He pointed out a little room that led to a concrete bunker.  "Keep in mind I only have a three shot pack in there now.  That should suffice."

"So you say."  He bristled at the comment.

She went to the bunker and pulled off three shots - the smell of ozone and scoring filled the air as the lasers hit their paper targets.  During that short period of time he crossed his arms and put his left sweaty hand on his own hidden pistol.  He wasn't stupid.

"You got yourself a deal, fat man.  Ring me up for this, my tack and a few light packs."

"No problem on the weapon and the tack, but you're going to have to stow it away and come back for the packs.  I can't provide ammo to anyone unless they've stored it in their transport."  He nodded to an alarm to show he knew if a piece made it in or out.

"Fine.  As you say."  She paused and set the piece down on the counter.  "But your system sucks, I could've shot you a while ago."  She pulled back her coat to show an illegally manipulated blaster.  It was a custom piece and he, had he not started to profusely sweat at the situation would've asked a few questions on how it was made.  "But I'm not here for that."

"Ring me up and I'll take all of it right now, including the packs.  The second thing I need from you is to point me the rough direction of Cam Eyres."

"Cam Eyres?!"  He didn't take an eye off her hands as he scanned her credit chit.  "We don't even know if that asshole is still alive."

"He is."  She gathered her things and began to walk out the door.  "And...he soon won't be."

Continues in http://theedwardianjackal.blogspot.com/2016/01/original-free-gun-huntress-part-ii.html

...week one done...

Enjoying the sanguine bubblegum richness of Dia Frampton's The Broken Ones as I sift through the editing phase of the next anthology book.  I enjoy the 'cute hawtness but acts like she doesn't know singing about those who need help'.  We get it: although you are not one of the broken ones of which you sing.

Listed a magnet on the CafePress site here - enlisting the health benefits of Vellocet.

Wrote out another first draft chapter (three) to Miss Kitty.

Delays on the UStream site as the weekend was richly busy.  However, I see Sunday as the possible 'day'.  I'll list as soon as I can schedule it out.

...contempt of commonality...

When I dress down on the weekends you'll be hard pressed to distinguish me from someone that lives on the rails, or, most closely, a plumber's assistant.  I dress unabashedly low.  Most of the weekend days are spent cleaning or fixing the house; I'll not go in and out of even something half-way decent.  [The only exception is Mass; I'll attempt to look like someone other than street performer.]

Tonight, a group of posh kids, obviously lost, found themselves at my local Target.  The look the barely-20-year-old gave me was one of almost pity.  It wasn't so much contempt as it was that hovering air of 'I'm not like him'.  It was a queer look and he moved along after I caught it - he and his hipster friends leaving at the same time I did.

There's nothing wrong with the look, nor was I offended in the least.  I had a rough sweat-top and jeans that should've been put down many years ago (I guess I can equally unabashed say that I still fit the same clothes I did 15 years ago).  You add that rough hewn look with the air of uncaring abandon that I find myself growing into with the plebian contents of my cart - it offered itself wholly.

No worries - I was bemused at the two seconds of attention.  His date, a thin little Thai girl that was the artistic type, gave a few looks earlier in the store trip as well.  I say that non-egotistically, I know I'm cut from the same cloth.  It's not attraction in the least, it's artistic commonality.  She wore those popular black leggings, simple brown ankle-high boots, a knitted white sweater that fell off her shoulders.  Her hair was a dark black.  They looked like they all just smoked pot about an hour prior.

Either way, he walked four feet in front of her the entire time.  The subtle disdain was apparent; even wearing a white sweater jacket in January was a middle finger in my book.  It still does not surprise me how women are treated these days - they are glorious creatures, but modern man seemingly can do without them.

Came across, not in response to above, J.V. Cunningham's poem, "Coffee", and here an excerpt of it:

"I have so often fled
Wherever I could drink
Dark coffee and there read
More than a man would think"

I've avoided coffee for a few days, but I can't wait again to have a hot cup in the quiet of a small diner and think over things.

Updates abound, as I continue to work out the 2012 overlay for the entire site.  The working draft is in front of me and it feels good to get closer.

...new year...humble beginnings...

...with the new year, an overhaul of the primary website to a 'back to basics' look (make sure to refresh your browser for the main site and the store).  In honor of the new year, drew up some new artwork for the deviantART site with "Skull #29".  Another one will be posted by end of week, "Heart Shaped Box #9" and "Crying #11".


As I'm sure with you, the holidays have been a bear as for getting work completed.  I'm back in the swing again (barely, or, I'm completely figuring this out incorrectly).  Anthology #2 is in last draft and should be posted by next Sunday - although formatting is something that has to play out slowly.


Equipment has been purchased for my UStream account and I'll be playing with that as well next weekend with a test run.  Link to go up once I get all the technical aspects worked out with the streaming application.


Updates will happen with CafePress, the Photo Wall, and more...the other items above are priority.


Thanks so much for visiting -  please check out the mini-blocks and get updates on Facebook (friend me, I won't bite), Twitter, YouTube, etc.  If I don't get on the blog, these other instruments are being updated.