Heart Times with Eddie

I am not a huge fan of Grunge. Being from Southern California, it hit us late and I just didn't get it. After it was firmly seated in the annals of music I got into it, but if the truth be told still not a huge fan.

I live in Seattle now, the home of Grunge. I have played pool with Chris Cornell and Stone Gossard without really getting the significance of these two gentlemen.

There is one exception to this: Eddie Vedder. This man is a champion of the people. We aren't friends and I don't know him. I have met him in passing a handful of times, all during very significant times in my life, one more so than the others.

When I was a “youngun” I worked for the Ramones, they were fantastic and horrible times, but even more so horrible has been the passing of all but one of the original members. I attended Johnny Ramone's funeral in LA. It wasn't a shock and there was no love lost between Johnny and I. That however didn't make it any less sad. It was heartbreaking. I didn't cry, for some reason having so many of my previous bosses at the funeral made me uncomfortable, and so I held myself in check.

I returned home to Seattle a few days later, still feeling sad and tense. I work in a bookstore in Seattle and both Eddie and Stone often stopped by to shop. About two weeks after the funeral, Ed came in with his daughter. They were going to see the Curious George movie. I asked him how he was doing and, he shrugged looked at the floor and said “remembering the good times.” You see he and Johnny were very, very close. Then he looked up at me with those penetrating eyes and said, “You were there too, how are you doing?”

I did the exact same thing, looked at the floor and shrugged. “I can't cry,” I whispered. “I want to but I can't”

He hugged me hard and said, “Don't be so hard on yourself.” Then the tears came . . . finally I was able to release the sadness. I didn't sob, in fact the tears ran in silence, but they ran.

He smiled and said, “See you soon,” and he was gone off to see a movie with his child.

I have seen him maybe 3 times since that day in October of 2004. He is always kind.

I owe Eddie a lot for that day.

Vodka and Genetic Engineering

I am pleased to welcome K. M. Ruiz to the blog! She writes fantastic traditional style Sci Fi.. Please welcome her..


bio:
K.M. Ruiz lives in California with a cat or two for company and the occasional earthquake. She earned a B.A. in English (concentration in Creative Writing) and a minor in American Indian Studies from San Francisco State University. She likes her movies loud, her music louder, and when not writing, can be found traveling, looking for new ideas.

Tell us a little about yourself.
Random facts? I can do that! To start with, my taste in movies rivals that of teenage boys—the more explosions and gun fights, the better. I am definitely not a romcom girl. I have five bookcases in my apartment and own more books than anything else, including booze. I’m little, but I’m kind of loud, which either amuses or horrifies my friends, depending on the situation. I used to have 15 piercings on my head; now I only have 12. I had to give up the ones on my face when I changed jobs. I’m currently obsessed with Hawaii Five-0 and White Collar. I have inflicted this obsession on many people in my life and turned them into converts.

Why science fiction?

I grew up reading and watching sci-fi. As much as I love fantasy in all its forms, I love sci-fi a little more. There’s something about the possibilities in that genre that could impact real life which always made me sit back and think, that’s so awesome. Also, spaceships are just cool. I still want one.

How did the idea come about?

Through a mix of my love for comics along with my personal experience with incurable disease, the stigma that comes with it, and the science within the medical field. Kind of a depressing mix, I know.

MIND STORM and TERMINAL POINT deal with the fallout of war and societal segregation based along genetic lines. The overall story has gone through several phases over the years, from super comic book-y in earlier incarnations to the more gritty version that got published. I wanted my characters to have biologically believable powers that had limits. Being a psion in my stories means you’ve got a disease that kills you young if the environment doesn’t kill you first.

Every disease affecting humans today has side-effects and a good many diseases end up killing us. I didn’t want to give any of the characters an easy way out with their powers because not every disease gets cured. In my stories, when a psion uses their powers, it eats away at their own lifespan. I thought it was better if there were severe consequences when it came to using what the disease gave them and what everyone was willing to give up or not give up for their personal goals. Or maybe I’ve just got a cruel streak a mile long when it comes to my characters.

Are you a dog or a cat person?

Cat person. Definitely a cat person. I’ve got two: a neurotic calico who lords over the apartment named Firefly and a sweet, gentle, part Maine Coon named Bones who basically rolls over in abject submission whenever Firefly demands it. Bones is bigger than Firefly but she is definitely the one in charge.

Favorite drink?

Ooooh. Are we talking alcoholic or regular? Because if it’s regular, I subscribe to the religion of coffee on a daily basis. If it’s alcohol, I’m a whiskey and vodka girl, but not at the same time. Give me a nice Irish whiskey any day and I am golden.

If you could sit down with 5 people living or dead who would they be?

If they’re dead, would they come back as zombies? I think I’d have to go with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (because I’m in love with all things space and I’d really love to hear from them in person about their impression of landing on the Moon), Michael Whelan (because I love his art), my grandmother (because I never got the chance to really know her since she died when I was so young), and finally J. J. Abrams (because I would kill for a look at the next Star Trek movie script).

What's next for K.M.?

I’m working on a new novel that I don’t want to say too much about because I don’t want to jinx myself or anything. So, uh, I’ll just say I am continuing my daily writing habit while mainlining coffee to spare everyone else’s sanity.

Thanks so much for letting me stop by!

We are glad to have you!

you can follow K.M on twitter @K.M.Ruiz.

Jupe's Midnite Spook Show

Cemetery Cat Designs is proud to announce an new jewelry line based on Jenn Bennett's
Arcadia Bell series.. here's a little about what Jenn had to say about Jupe and Arcadia.


In Jenn Bennett's Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series, the narrator, Arcadia "Cady" Bell, is a mage who slings drinks at a tiki bar, where the Earthbound demon patrons look like humans with halos (and aren't necessarily the monsters). Cady partners with a demon named Lon, and forges a relationship with his young teenage son, Jupe—a chatty, high-spirited boy who bonds with Cady over classic horror movies like Frankenstein and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

“Do you like classic movies?” Jupe asked me.

“Sure.”

“Ya know which one I’m talking about? Bride of Franken-
stein? Elsa Lanchester had her hair kinda like that. She was
really the Monster’s bride—Frankenstein was the doctor. People
always screw that up.”

--Kindling the Moon

to find out more about Jupe Butler and Kindling the Moon visit...http://www.jennbennett.net