Here is it is June of 2016 and after some recent successes in the publishing world (more on that in a minute), I thought I should break my nearly three (3) year hiatus, come out of my cave, and let anyone that actually comes across this little musing of mine that I am, in fact, alive and kicking.
With that out of the way, lets get into the alive thing. Here in Oklahoma, it’s looking more and more like our Legislature is NOT alive. After passing tax cuts for the rich and powerful in the state, our illustrious (infamous?) governor announced that the state will be nearly $1.5 billion in the red. I wrote that correctly. Billion with a B. As in Barrels, which most of us will be wearing once the poverty trickles down to everyone. Don’t forget Butthurt, for the pounding every resident of this supposedly great state will suffer because of the Bad governing our elected officials have wrought.
So who and what suffers from this Black hole in our Budget? Everyone and everything except the Legislature. That’s right, our elected officials made sure that they had enough money to operate smoothly while taking money from EVERYTHING ELSE. We already have Bridges collapsing or near collapsing (holes are constantly forming in several interstate bridges inside the Oklahoma City metro alone). Considering this morass Oklahoma finds itself, I question the sanity and status of Oklahomans as living persons. Another B word or two comes to mind, but lets keep this civil.
Continuing with the kicking, (and not the “in the pants” many in Oklahoma want to do to our Legislature and governor), the ground is kicking up its proverbial heels here, but things haven’t gotten above a 4.0 or so on the richter scale. If I’m wrong, I’m sure someone will tell me. Internet trolls so love to correct everyone even if they aren’t wrong or aren’t talking about the subject the trolls are passionate about. Anyway, we’re rolling with the kicks the ground give us and everyone hopes and prays that California gets the ‘Big One’ before we do. (It’s more than just me, right?). More kicking is coming with the drop in crude oil prices, which is looking like it’s kicking off a recession here (part of the source for that budget hole). With hundreds of millions of dollars getting sucked out of the local school systems (from Primary to Higher education), hundreds getting laid off in the energy and related industries, and hate-mongering legislation making Oklahoma look like another pariah state.
“Fucking wah,” you say?
“Stop complaining,” you whine?
Fine. We’ll move on to the successes in the publishing world I mentioned earlier. Around this time last year, I had a short story accepted for an anthology, which was then published in October of 2015 by WolfSinger Publications. The anthology, Under A Dark Sign, is available via Amazon as well as Barnes and Noble. If you’re going to be at Soonercon, I’ll be selling copies along with one of the two editors for that book as well as the other anthology I sold a short story to. The second anthology, Lightships and Sabers, is also available via Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Both anthologies are chock full of great stories by very talented authors. Check the links above and pick up either a print copy or an ebook version. You won’t be sorry. So now you can call me a published writer as well as whatever other adjectives you’ve been using. Hopefully I’ll see some of you at Soonercon, or another convention in the near future.
Peace!
A Minotaur's Musings 