Just In Case You Missed Them The First Time Around...

…there was a whole bunch of really nice reviews written about my work this past week.  First up, All Pulp staffer Brent Lambert provided a thoughtful analysis of “Dillon and The Legend of The Golden Bell”.  Then Don Gates was good enough to write a review of “Four Bullets For Dillon” for that book’s Amazon.com page.  Finally, internet marketing supergenius Mat Nastos shares his thoughts on “Four Bullets For Dillon”  Enjoy!

#2 In The "So Where Do Get Your Ideas From," Dept.

Even though I don't listen to music while I write first drafts, music is a huge influence on me.  I should be paying John Williams and Ennio Morricone royalties for how much I play their soundtracks when I write my second and third drafts.  And there's a song by Anita Baker that I consider to be the theme song to "Dillon And The Voice of Odin" simply because it seemed that every time I sat down to write that blasted book, the damn song was playing on the radio.   And this guy Bruno Mars should go on my payroll for his "The Lazy Song" because the more I listened to it, the more I thought of what would Dillon do on a day where he didn't feel like doing anything?

Out of all of this came the idea for "Dillon and The Lazy Day" where I could show where Dillon has his main residence in the Pennsylvania town of Grand.  In that town Dillon lives in a renovated piano factory.  And if you want to know where I got the idea for that...watch...

So now we go onto the song that inspired "Dillon and The Lazy Day" which I have 8000 words of notes for already.  The first video is the one by Bruno Mars:

While the second one, featuring Leonard Nimoy is my favorite and probably will be more closer in tone to what I have in mind for my story:

But the main thing is this; you'll get to see what Dillon does when he decides to take a day off and I guarantee this: whatever you think it'll be, it won't.  Thank you for your time.

All Pulp: Behind The Veil-An Analysis of Dillon From A Black Perspective

All Pulp Staffer Brent Lambert has been good enough to write up an analysis of DILLON AND THE LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN BELL from the modern black perspective.  Don't believe me?  Go read it for yourself!

From The "So Where Do You Get Your Ideas" Dept.

So Patricia and I are driving down Eastern Parkway on our way to a sale.  I have no idea what was on sale or why we absolutely had to have this particular item.    Most of my married life seems to be going to sales for some reason.  I dunno.  Patricia’s justification for buying anything is four simple words; “But it’s on sale.”  I’ve learned to just smile sweetly and go along for the ride.

On this particular day we’re listening to WINS 1010 the premier all-news radio station here in New York and a story comes on the radio that strikes me as utterly bizarre:  A New York judge ruled on a lawsuit brought against Al-Qaeda by insurance companies for damages to property and businesses in the 9/11 attacks.  Al-Qaeda never responded to the lawsuit (big surprise) and was ruled to be in default.  So this judge rules that A-Qaeda owes $9.3 billion.  You can’t make this stuff up.  If you don’t believe me, check it out.

I honestly don’t know whether to be outraged by what I perceive to be a colossal waste of time and taxpayer money or laugh myself into a hernia.  I say to Patricia; “Don’t they have to be served with a subpoena or something?  How do you serve papers on a terrorist organization?  And how do you collect the money?  These are guys who get up in the morning, punch a clock then go on out to kill people and blow up shit.  Does this judge really believe they give a cuss about paying damages?  And who do you get to serve the papers anyway?”

Patricia continues to turn the pages of her newspaper while replying quietly; “That sounds like it would make a good Dillon story, don’t you think?”

Once I finished the ranting and raving, I realized that she might have something there.  I already have a terrorist organization named Crimson Fist that has been mentioned in “Dillon and The Legend of The Golden Bell” where an incident is mentioned where Dillon prevented them from detonating a nuclear bomb in New York.  And in “Dillon and The Judas Chalice” he deactivates an EMP bomb they’ve set to detonate in Denbrook.   So I’ve got my terrorist organization.  And this story needs some lawyers and I’ve been looking for the opportunity to introduce Dillon’s lawyers; Dolly and David Zimmerman and their partner, the five-foot tall, Angela Davis afro-wearing Henry ‘Fuzzy’ Fraley.

So far I’ve got about 7000 words of notes for the story.  I have no idea yet as to how I’m going to do the big band dance sequence or the parkour chase sequence in prose but what’s life without challenges, right?  I’ll let you know when I come up with a title.

Casting Call #9: Chew Mi

Chew Mi is the deadly right-hand of mad scientist Dr. Numby.  She oversees the security of his castle fortress with a cadre of professional soldiers and cyborgs at her beck and call.  She also loves to dress up in garish military uniforms, prompting Dillon to remark that she look like a "G.I. Joe" character.  Who do I see as Chew Mi?

I've liked  Maggie Q ever since I saw her in "Live Free or Die Hard" and she impressed me so much that I think she should have been the main bad guy in that movie.


However, my good friend Perry Constantine says that he always visualizes Ziyi Zhang when he reads DILLON AND THE VOICE OF ODIN and I can see why:

Casting Call #8: Alistair Frayne

Alistair Frayne is a mercenary hired by Lady Thelma Sharpe to track down Dillon and recover the black opal ring that everybody and their mother is hunting for in DILLON AND THE VOICE OF ODIN.  Frayne is refined, cultured and ruthless in his job.  And here's who I think would do a good job playing this character:

Why Jude Law?  Because he's just as good playing a bad guy as he is at playing a good guy.  He just doesn't get enough of chance to do so.