She ran calling ‘Wildfire’…

––Michael Murphy, 1975 radio hit

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Hi, I’m Christopher Ryan, a hybrid author with forty years of experience in journalism, education, sketch comedy, indie film, unions, community service, parenting, public speaking, acting, podcasting, but most often writing fiction, poetry, and pop culture essays. Now I’m working to discover what more I can achieve and share with the world, and whether an older author can find a place in the storytelling business. Together, let’s see if I can get there.

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NEWSish Stuff

While I won’t be reading, I will be here:

Hoboken Public Library – Writing Horror: Bringing Scares to Life and What Draws Us to the Genre. August 1 from 1-3 pm

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There was big fun at the Chills and Thrills Book Fair in Middletown, NY last Sunday

The sales were brisk, the people were cool, and it was good to see so many fellow authors.

Here’s a visual recap:

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Tell The Damn Story’s 423 Mixes up them genres and shows you how the stew gets made!

Alex Simmons and I are at it again, discussing genres and mixing genres and having fun while we do it. Come check it out, get yer learn on, and have a few laughs.

Here’s the link:

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On Writing: Having fun promoting my current project, Soul Scream Antholozine issue 8: Madness Takes Its Toll

These days, authors know, especially indie authors, that we have to get the word out about what we’re doing early and often. For me, that means figuring out wars to amuse potential readers without resorting to AI. With Glorious’ help, I’ve come up with a few short videos to help me do that.

Here’s another one:

And building a social media presence requires deciding how you want to be seen

Another thing authors need to do these days is establish a social media presence. Some do it getting political (I’ve been guilty in the past), or sharing their hobbies and passions (check out Rebecca Cuthbert and Damon Manx for masterclasses on how to do that). This week I started experimenting with my own version of this requirement. I want my posts to be positive and fun, so I came up with videos that will always start with, “You know what’s great?”

Here’s an example:

Do what works for you, and do it as often as you are comfortable with. To do otherwise is madness.

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The Soul Scream Antholozine Cover Redesign Project continues

Through the blessed artistic talents of Christie Aldridge, every cover of each issue of our celebration of gateway, genre blending horror continues to get a beautiful, unified look that makes this title more dynamic, quietly bows to the classic look of the classic Weird Tales, and unifies all we’ve attempted with SSA.

Here’s a look at the latest redesigns:

I am thrilled. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

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Time for a pic of a handsome fella

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POP CULTURE FUEL

BOOKS

I’m actually reading as many as eight books simultaneously right now, which even I think is a little nuts. The good news is I’ve finished at least one….

Clear, concise, factual, well researched and vetted, even putting their findings before the president himself (see the final chapter), Haberman and Swan offer a clear-eyed view of what is really going on at the White House, and why. Should be required reading (or listening to the audiobook as I did) for all Americans.

Most Highly Recommended.

Glorious brought this home for me to read from her library job because she is that GLORIOUS! A quick read, offering Miller’s fascinating “rules” and guidance on how to tell the kind of stories he has shared with the world.

Highly recommended.

A Father’s Day gift arrives and is thoroughly amazing. Barry Windsor Smith’s art evolves from page to page, leaping forward in visionary excellence often suddenly, always to great excitement of fans like me. A beautifully made first part of a trilogy celebrating BWS’s work at Marvel.

Recommended, especially for Barry Windsor Smith fans.

MUSIC

The Stones’ new album arrived this week and proved to be a delightful surprise song after song after song. Sometimes it sounds reminiscent of Exile on Main Street, at other times it brings to mind Some Girls, Tattoo You, and, of course, Hackney Diamonds. More importantly, the entire album sounds like the Stones are having fun, and making fairly strong current events commentary, no F***s given.

And that is very good news for rock fans anywhere.

Highly Recommended.

TV

Brothers and sisters, I’m mostly reading, editing, and reading more. Any time in front of the screen has been spent watching the World Cup (a bit), the Indiana Fever.

Yeah, the Fever.

Blame the Knicks for whetting my appetite for basketball again after a ridiculously long time.

I’ve become fascinated with the evolution of this team that is more than Caitlin Clarke, as much as she reminds me of my all-time favorite NBA player, Pistol Pete Maravich. It is addicting to watch Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Monique Billings, Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hull, Clarke, Raven Johnson, Makala Timpson, Tyasha Harris, and the rest play tighter, with more efficiency, consistency, and teamwork game after game. I don’t know where they will end up, but I am going to keep watching.

Recommended.

Movies

Glorious and I watched 1951’s The Day the Earth Stood Still, which still stands up as an intriguing film of the era. Big fun. We love watching old movies in the summer and this is a classic.

Recommended.

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The only club was called Conspiracy

They didn’t like me very much

What they wanted was tyranny

And all that crazy, crazy fucked-up stuff

– “Rough and Twisted” The Rolling Stones, from Foreign Tongues

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Awright, thanks for stopping by. Talk atcha next week.