Forty Million Summers

The earth is dying. It’s almost as if the earth itself is determined to wipe out mankind. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters escalate. All seems lost.

But Jack Kenton and his fellow scientists have devised a way to save his family and almost a thousand of his neighbors to escape the carnage and survive.

They have invented a temporal displacement device that will envelope them is a ‘force field’ transporting them into the far future. How far, they do not know.

The community of would-be survivors gather their resources, enter the machine complex and the device is activated.

Meanwhile a young man who failed to make it the shielded community wakes up in a sunlit room and meets a stranger. How did he survive and who is the mysterious stranger/savior?

Are the two events related? What does the future hold? Are things as peaceful as they seem or is there a hidden danger?

What will the surviving humans do? Will they work together or will some rebel?

The author provides a new twist on the end of the world Apocalypse genre. He explores the physical, spiritual and digital/virtual reality worlds. Are the intertwined? What are their differences? Similarities?

How do the transported humans survive? What is the mysterious structure? What is the afterlife? Is it a reality and if so, who created it?

My brain definitely got twisted around by the story. The author has the ability to quickly draw you into the story in just a few pages and completely fleshes out his characters almost immediately.

These are just a few of the questions asked and answered in Forty Million Summers by author Robert Charles Wilson in his latest book published by Tachyon Publishing.

Romans 15:13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Disco Heist Laundry

Get ready to disco as you travel back in time to the 1980s and assemble a crew of criminals to pull off the heist of the century.

Avoid the cops, move about, heist, extort and cash out and launder your illegally obtained cash.

It’s flashy cloths, loads of jewelry, hip music, dance to dawn, show off your ride and get ready to party as you flash your cash and get down.

Each player is a Kingpin who controls a bunch of Goons in your Crew. The Goons each have certain skills, resources, limited movements and cruise around town looking for sure fire hits, cash and ways to laundry your cash. It ain’t’ the amount of the money you get during a heist, it’s what you can get away with it without being caught.

Pick your crew, use ‘em, lose some and keep on bringing in the cash.

You play a Goon on your turn, move around the city, pull off a heist, launder the cash and whoever launders the most money wins.

Disco Heist Laundry comes with 2 Boards, 20 Location Times, 80 Goon Meeples, 3 Cop Meeples, 3 Patrol Car Meeples, 2 SWAT Van Meeples, 1 Helicopter Meeples. 3 Vault Meeples, 8 Barricades, 8 Snitch Meeples, 24 Crew cards, 30 Kingpin Cards, 20 Heist, 11 reference Cards, 6 Kingpin Passports, 6 Kingpin Standees, 1 D20 Die, 50 Chip Tokens, 20 Stand Tokens, 30 Tool Tokens, 30 Intel Tokens, 3 Patrol Tokens, 60 Wooden Chips, 3 Wooden Patrols, 30 Wooden Tools and 20 Wooden Intel.

It’s big! It’s bright! It’s larceny with style and comes courtesy of Mike Gnade, Todd Walsh, Denis Medri and Rock Manor Games.

I’m not what you could consider a big game player. But what I am is someone with 25 plus years experience as a graphic designer and artist as a career and then 11 years of teaching both.

I know a well designed piece of work when I see it. Disco Heist Laundry is a well though-out game with killer graphics, excellent packaging, a clever design, easy-to-understand instructions, tokens that perfectly fit their purpose and excellent print quality.

It’s like a blast from the past with Disco fashion, flash and fancy cloths and cars.

Travel back in time when the girls were hot, the boys dazzled and the bad guys had style and the cash to flash as they outwitted, bribed, hustled, threatened and controlled the street.

Play is for 2 to 4 players, for 14 years old and older and all it takes is 90 minutes. So what are you waiting for? Get down, get lucky and don’t get caught!

Check out the video of the game and watch the action by clicking here.

Ephesians 4:29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Scotland: The Extraordinary Guide: An Insider Tour of Art, Food, and Culture

With a last name like McClain how could I not love the Scotland book from Rizzoli Universe?

Part of the Extraordinary Guides series, Scotland: The Extraordinary Guide: An Insider Tour of Art, Food, and Culture, written by Maud
Simon and published by Rizzoli/Universe, is absolutely jammed-packed with color photos of my beloved homeland.

McClain is the Americanized variation of the Scottish Highland surname McLean or MacLean originating from the Scottish Gaelic name Mac Gille Eathain, meaning to "son of the servant of Saint John".

My ancestral roots come from the Isle of Mull and the Inner Hebrides along the western coast of Scotland.

How is it possible to be homesick for somewhere I’ve never been before? Perhaps one day I'll visit Scotland. I understand there is a McClain castle, Could I have royal blood in my veins?

What a wonderful book. I absolutely love the paper-stock used in the book. It’s a mat finish with muted colors for the photos. It gives the book a very classic look-almost like an ancient tome.

The book examines each region of the country with helpful essentials details for each.

There are sections on traditional clothing, kilts and bagpipes, whiskey, weaving, cuisine, games, cities and hamlets, schools, farming and farm animals, city and country living and much more.

The book provides a close-up look at life in Scotland, its legends, heritage, territories, weather, sea life-it has everything any Scot or traveler could ever need to explore the coasts to the interior.

“Fàilte dhachaigh.” Welcome home.

Hebrews 10:25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Christmas Street

Growing up in a small town I loved when Christmas came around. Walking the snow-covered streets I would see houses decked out with lights, decorations and Nativity scenes.

In town shops would display their Christmas goodies in their windows and the streets were strung with lights and decorations.

Relive the magic with Rolife’s Book Nook & Wonderland Christmas Street complete with a shop window full of holiday goodies, a Christmas tree, a snowman, signs and other Christmas decor.

I love the lighting, the full-color Christmas scenes on each side of the small building, the curved shop window, ceiling garland, the presents and the various Christmas merchandise displayed and don’t forget Santa’s cap as part of the roof decoration.

Before you get started building your kit be sure you have everything you need: a good light source, tweezers, both a flat-head and a Phillips-head screwdriver (included), a pointed tool, liquid glue and a brush, a magnifying device and lots and lots of patience.

Eye-to-hand coordination is a must. Tweezers come in REAL handy as does a pointed tool.

Whenever I start a Rolife kit I always check the instructions thoroughly careful to familiarize myself with each step and I never take out more parts than I need for each step.

Take a moment to look over the contents of the box to make sure all the parts are there. Pay especially attention to the lighting set-up (batteries are not included).

The Christmas Street kit comes in a special Christmas box with a flip lid and tabs with specs and photos on all sides.

The kit is bet built by those 14 years and older, contains 289 pieces and takes about three to four hours to complete. Materials used are MDF board, paper and some plastic.

There are several part slats with numbered pieces coinciding with the numbers in with the 3D images in the Instructions. The kit also includes an Instructions manual, stickers, plastic clear windows, Icon Illustration and a Product Safety Instruction pamphlet. A special vacuum formed tray hold the electrical components and several decorations.

As always I began the construction of the kit with base parts and slowly and methodically proceed to construct furniture, packages, walls, decor and so forth. It took some fancy finger work on my part because I’m a real klutz and had to use tweezers and a strong light source along with a magnifying glass.

Still it helped my coordination, concentration, constructive skills and patience. It’s a pain getting old!

The kit was easy to assemble, I didn’t lose any pieces or break anything. That’s a win! It was fun, a little slow going and I still have some things to finish up.

Build the kit yourself or better yet make it a family project. after all isn’t Christmas the time to gather your family and friends together?

As a Book Nook it's the perfect size to put on your fireplace mantle, beside your Christmas tree or on your table as you enjoy your Christmas meal with family.

For photos of other Rolife kits click here. For photos and a video of the Christmas Street click here and for even more kits check out Robotime’s website by clicking here.

Ephesians 4:29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

 

 

Oathmark: Second Edition

The enemy approaches. You and your men sheathed in armor prepare yourselves to battle face-to-face with dwarves, the undead, goblins and even warlocks.

Swords, knives, bludgeons, arrows and other handheld weapon clang and crunch against flesh all while magic swirls about crating all sort so havoc.

Are you ready for a little man, monster and magic mayhem? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

If you love playing fantasy battles such as Magic and Dungeons & Dragons you’re sure to love Oathmark: Second Edition by Joseph A. McCoullough from Osprey Games. Everything you need comes in one book-sans dice and figures. Wage war, go on quests and face-off foes in bloody battles.

Battle realm to realm, add new territories, gather more troops and expand your force to squelch you adversaries.

The deluxe hard bound game book is filled with gorgeous paintings and color photographs of Oathmark miniatures along with charts, specs and spot illustrations.

After a short introduction as to what constitutes a war game the book goes into extensive detail about kingdoms, setting up a campaign, fighting battles, scenarios, attributes, spells, legendary heroes and magic items. 

Also included are a Kingdom, Army, Legendary Heroes and Quick Reference sheets.

The book has everything you need to pillage, plunder, ravage, rampage and have a bloody good time!

1 Chronicles 28:20And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Godzilla

What happens when the king of all monsters and the transformed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles butt head to shell with the fate of Japan weighing in the balance?

Shredder is back with his Foot Clan in a last gasp attempt of controlling a legion of giant Kaiju-including Godzilla.

It’s up to the Turtles to stop them and with the aid of a new mutagen that transforms them into classic Kaiju and along with several old friends they take on Shredder, the Foot Clan and the legion of monsters led by Godzilla.

It’s all-out giant action as the TMNT, Godzilla and Shredder vie for the survival of japan. It’s the TMNT like you’ve never seen them before in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Godzilla the new trade paperback from IDW Publishing in a brand new tale from writer Tim Seeley and and artist Fero Pe.

Check out the artist gallery of alternate covers.

Psalms 31:24Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Tune In For Action

It may seem hard to believe by today’s TV viewing audience but there was a time when TV consisted of three networks: ABC, CBS and NBC.

Having grown up in Michigan not far from Detroit There were the three major networks, one of the first PBS stations and TV station from Canada-a whooping five stations in total!

1950s TV was ripe with Detective, Western, Espionage and Medical series.

Most were produced and filmed at major movie studios like Warner Bros. and Paramount.

But, several were independently filmed by small studios and sold to networks as syndicated TV shows.

In author David C. Tucker’s new book from McFarland & Company Inc., Publishers: Tune In For Action, 34 of those shows are spotlighted in the book.

Each show is examined from cast to crew, premise, interviews, behind-the-scenes activities and more. Black and white archival photos are also included.

For an in-depth examination of long lost and mostly forgotten syndicated TV shows the book also offers sponsor information and new interviews with surviving actors and their relatives. Discover the early genesis of TV shows in this fascinating and comprehensive work.

Let me interject here for a moment. I really appreciate writers who do their homework. Digging up information about long-forgotten TV shows, conducting interviews, combing through archives, assembling old photos and collecting production information takes a lot of work.

I suggest that whenever you are reading a historical book of any type take a moment to realize how much work went into researching and compiling the information we tend to read cavalierly. Then ask yourself, “Would I be able to compile so much information and do the research?”

It will give you a whole new perspective and appreciation for the time and effort put into compiling all of it and publishing a book.

Jeremiah 29:11-14For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

The Cryptid Corps #1

He’s just an ordinary kid hanging out with his buddies at a campfire in their neighborhood.

The boy’s name is Pete and he’s known for having an overactive imagination.

Before joining his friends outside he sees a news flash about alien humanoid lizards attacking Las Vegas.

He tells his friends and they poo-poo his claims--until they see a bright light in the woods. Investigating it they discover an alien spaceship. Before they can leave they are met by a rather intimidating alien in armor.

Turns out the alien is friendly and part of an alien crew that have arrived to fight the humanoid lizards (Magmazards).

Meanwhile inside the alien spacecraft the leader of the group checks the status of one of her crew that has been possessed by Cold-a deadly alien entity.

Mothy, another member of the crew, is trying to discover the cure for his crew-mate using a captured alien device. What he discovers?.....

The Cryptid Corps #1 is quit unlike any other Antarctic Press comic book I can remember reading. It bridges the gap between horror and superheroes. I love the characters. It has elements of The Guardians Of The Galaxy and The Dark Justice League.

Microwave using aliens that play video games? Ya gotta love it!

In just a few pages writer Anthony Cleveland and artist Max Bertolini firmly establish all of the characters, the threat and tempo of the series.

It is a fun read and I can’t wait to see what happens next issue.

1 Corinthians 16:13Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Christmas In The Country

I come from a small town in Michigan, surrounded by country, forests, lakes and rivers.

My family has deep roots in Kentucky and Ohio mostly from the farmlands.

Family get togethers around the holidays-especially Christmas were special.

Much of the food served during holiday feasts had their origins from country kitchens.

My wife’s family is from the mountains of Tennessee. Country cooking is a way of life.

Gooseberry Patch/Globe Pequot Publishing Group, Inc. presents Christmas In The Country that contains family recipes, merry gifts from the kitchen and sweet holiday memorizes to celebrate the simple joys of the season.

Jammed-packed with recipes and full-color photos and holiday memories the the spiral bound, hardbound book is the perfect way to share family recipes.

It contains family recipes, merry gifts from the kitchen and sweet holiday memories to celebrate the simple joys of the seasons.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Gil Kane Rarities Vol. 1 Lost Marvels No. 4

I’ve read comic books almost my entire life-I’m 73 years old. I started reading comics when the Silver Age was in full swing. I started with DC Comics and moved onto Marvel Comics. I also read comics from other publishers but DC and Marvel were my mainstays.

I remember Gil Kane’s art on DC Comics' The Atom and Green Lantern. I liked his art but I never really got excited about it.

That is until he moved to Marvel Comics. It seemed like practically every Marvel Comic had a Gil Kane cover. 

The art was dynamic, in-your-face and packed with action. It didn’t matter what kind of comic it was: horror, adventure, superhero, etc.-it always packed a punch.

Gil was the main artist on a number of Marvel A-tier titles like Spider-Man. Gil also drew a number of B and C tier titles.

In Fantagraphics Books Lost Marvels (No. 4) series: Gil Kane Rarities Vol. 1, several stories in color of those titles are reprinted including Jungle Book, Gullivar, Kazar and several others.

All feature Gil’s dynamic styles and knack for making any title exciting.

Also included is a huge gallery of Gil’s cover art-all of it in color.

Art, accompanied by riveting text about Gil, his work and how practically on his own he defined the look and feel of Marvel Comics in the 1970s and early 1980s.

It’s an amazing piece of work all wrapped up in a hardbound book with color interior pages. It's fun to read with its informative text complemented by beautiful art.

1 Corinthians 16:13Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Final Copy

There are certain people who can rub you the wrong way. Jonathan Daly is (or was) one such person. Loaded, talented, charming, a hit with the ladies and with an ego as big as his bank account.

He has a temper, is arrogant and to put it mildly-a jerk. Is it any wonder there were so many suspects when he was murdered?

Bad enough he was bumped off but his spouse and widow is also threatened to share his fate.

She turns to the one person she believes can solve Jonathan’s murder and discover who is threatening her: David-her former flame who used to work for Jonathan’s Gotham Express.

David agrees and it may be the most unwise decision he has ever made in his entire life.

He must untangle a web of secrets while a hit-man is on the loose. Both he and Jonathan’s widow Ellen are prime suspects in the murder and the corruption, lies and subterfuge just keep piling up.

Author Robert Douglas Friedman turns in a masterful suspense novel that keeps you guessing up to the last few pages. It’s engaging, a real page-turner and has enough thrills, spills and chills to satisfy any Mystery/Crime/Suspense lover. Stark House Crime Fiction proudly presents Final Copy.

Ecclesiastes 12:7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The Hunger And The Dusk

For generations Humans and Orcs have been mortal enemies on a dying world.

When a new threat arrives the long held enemies reluctantly join forces to protect their respective societies.

WOW! What an epic! Trying to describe The Hunger And The Dusk in just a few paragraphs would be impossible and would not give justice to the work.

The Deluxe Edition hardbound book, written by G. Willow Wilson and published by IDW Publishing, with its stunning full-color cover illustration accented by gold gives you a glimpse of the amazing art inside by Chris Wildgoose and colorist Msassyk.

Tara an Orc and the Human Callum Battlechild, along with accompanying warriors must face off against the horrific Vangol, a strange albino race of giants whose sole purpose is to conquer.

Can humans and Orcs work together or will long held animosities shatter the alliance before it even begins?

Join the intrepid ragtag company as they gather support, encounter primal hatred on both sides and attempt to end the long held suspicions and animosity between the Humans and Orcs as they attempt to unit enemies to fight a common foe.

I am absolutely blown away by the art, the complex story-line and the skill it took to create new unique characters, a whole civilization and culture and the fantasy and sword and sorcery setting of The Hunger And The Dusk.

Concept and character drawings are also included, along with cover art of the 12 issue maxi-series compiled into the Deluxe Edition.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

A-Frame Cabin

In Michigan, where I come from, it is not uncommon to see small, A-frame cabins in the woods. The slanted roofs that extend to the ground keep the snow from accumulating and the fallen snow cradles the house creating insulation.

I’ve been in a few and they are always warm and cozy. Most have furniture that is rough cut and hand-crafted and have a small upper loft. I’ve seen several with swing-open windows.

Rolife has its own little dwelling with its A-Frame Cabin.

This kit is a little different than other Rolife kits. It takes a little more finesse. Since it is triangular in shape and tapers at the top I’ve discovered that using tweezers makes it much easier to place interior objects like cups, pillows, posters, wall decor, the white rug, a guitar and other upper room objects.

Check out the side windows and clever framing and the flip-open from the bottom full window on the top.

I absolutely love the shingled roof and two tall trees and the planter on the extended window lower frame.

There is so much stuff filling both the upper and lower floors. Take a look at the wooden table with four chairs, the wine bottles, a fireplace, an overhead bed and the railing runs halfway around the cabin that sits on a wooden slat base.

The door with a screen is cool as are the welcoming floor mat, a pile of fire wood, an outside stoupe with books, kettle and hanging banners. The lower floor also has a ceiling to floor awning open window.

See what I mean by being packed! Definitely tweezers territory. There’s so much in such a small space!

Let’s take a look at what the A-Frame Cabin kit comes in: a simple thick cardboard box with a flip-lid and tabs in partially covered by a sleeve with photos and specs. There are lighting specs (no batteries included). The kit is primarily made of plywood, paper and plastic (most of which is 3D printed).

Recommended for those 14 years old and older the kit takes approximately 3 to 4 hours to build and consists of 336 pieces. It’s taking me longer since my eyesight and dexterity aren’t what they used to be. Break out the tweezers, magnifying glass and strong light!

Included in the kit are several part bags, a good selection of plywood slats with punch-out parts (that are numbered to coincide with the Instructions). Inside the Instructions are 3D rendered full-color illustrations of the different construction stages. Be careful-remove and use only the parts you need for each stage. There are a lot of small parts that could easily be lost or misplaced.

Also inside are stickers, paper fold objects, an Icon Illustration guide, Product Safety Precautions and a lighting bag with a Phillips-head screwdriver and tweezers included.

Here is photo of the other tools I like to keep on hand. With my clumsy fingers liquid glue and a brush come in handy. Parts have small tabs and sometimes I break off a few. Oops!

I started off carefully looking over the Instructions and then made sure all the electrical and other parts and slats were there-they were.

This kit was a challenge for me because of the small parts. I’ve partially finished it and I’m in no hurry to complete it. It’s better to take my time and get it right. No sense getting myself frustrated.

The kit is meant to be fun and relaxing. It’s also great for eye-to-hand coordination, dexterity, critical thinking, organization and cooperation skills. Make it a family product. Kids love adults giving them attention and teaching them things.

If you’d like to see more Rolife kits click here. For photos and a video of the A-Frame Cabin click here. And take a look at all the other kits Robotime has by clicking here.

Jeremiah 29:11-14For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Rabbit Test And Other Stories

What do a time-traveling fisher-woman, a pair of witches, a floating library, humanity’s first extraterrestrial contact and other strange happenings have in common?

They are a part of a slightly off-kilter series of tales in Nebula Award Winning author Samantha Mills anthology series Rabbit Test And Other Tales from Tachyon Publications.

Samantha is considered one the hottest new talents in speculative fiction.

Her unique perspective of storytelling encompasses a wide spectrum of emotions, wide-sweeping sagas and small personal tales.

With hints of humor and bits of hope Samantha intertwines a range of emotions in her tales of tragedy, struggle, personal victory and unexpected and sometimes off-kilter conclusions.

Her work resembles a prism that allows light to filter in broken into different waves of emotional colors.

For a truly singular vision of life and living be sure to pick up a copy of Rabbit Test And Other Tales.

Psalms 34:4I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

The Twilight Zone

You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!

For six long and terrifying years from the late 1950s to the early 1960s TV’s The Twilight Zone both enthralled and terrified TV viewers.

I know, I was one of them even though I was only seven years old when the series began. It’s scared the dickens out of me and I loved it.

Five separate stories by five different artists and writers have successfully captured the essence of The Twilight Zone mystique.

Like the TV show the stories in IDW’s The Twilight Zone Stories From The Fifth Dimension trade paperback all successfully notch up the fear and creepiness factors both subtly and head-on.

Sit back, turn the lights off and get ready to experience five tales that will challenge your senses and submerge you into the deep and mysterious world of The Twilight Zone.

Discover what happens when one man’s obsession with immortality threatens mankind.

Join the crew of a exploratory spaceship as they discover a planet where dreams and experiences come true and reality is twisted and distorted.

When a would be conqueror encounters the forces of god he desires his power. What he discovers is 'refreshing' in a bizarre fashion.

What happens when a group of friends discover a very unusual pool of water? What they find once they jump in is a distorted mirror image of humanity.

What compelling and horrific secret does a meteor submerged in the ocean hide? Will music and sound determine the fate of mankind?

Are you ready to enter The Twilight Zone?

2 Timothy 1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.