tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44291923224159153132024-03-06T12:02:03.266-08:00Professional Freelance ContentMy words can connect you and your message to your ideal reader...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-91739421749404583942017-10-23T17:58:00.000-07:002017-10-23T17:58:18.864-07:00The Spy Genre: The Secret Struggle for the Magic It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By <a href="http://kck.st/2xJX0wr">Gamal Hennessy</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">According to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-Substance-Structure-Principles-Screenwriting/dp/0060391685/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355114766&sr=8-1&keywords=story+robert+mckee">Robert McKee’s excellent book on screenwriting</a>, you can’t write in a particular genre until you understand the conventions and elements that it demands. This is one of the reasons writers who strive to improve their craft benefit from reading the work of others in their genre.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In developing my <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1AphnOe">Crime and Passion Universe</a></i>, I also created my own understanding of the elements of the spy thriller genre. I’d like to share this concept here (along with pertinent examples where I can find them) in the hopes that it will help increase your appreciation of both the spy fiction specifically and the creation of genre fiction in general.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Elements of Spy Fiction</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Based on <a href="http://gamalhennessy.blogspot.com/2012/10/bloody-inspiration-21-films-that-have.html">my exposure to classic and modern spy fiction</a>, <b>there are three fundamental elements that can be described simply as the secret struggle for the magic it</b>. I’ll break down these concepts to make them more understandable:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The “Magic It”</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: There is a person, object, or piece of information that drives the story. Whatever this “it” happens to be, it is so important that people are willing to kill and risk their lives for it. For example, in <i>Skyfall</i> the “magic it” starts off as a list of undercover agents (information). In <i>Spy Game</i>, the “magic it” is the spy held in the Chinese prison that is scheduled to be executed (person). In <i>The Hunt for Red October</i>, the “magic it” is a rogue nuclear submarine (very large object).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Opposing Groups</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: There are at least two people, agencies, or countries struggling to acquire whatever the “magic it” happens to be. For example, in <i>Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy</i> the opposing groups are the British Secret Service and Moscow Center. In <i>La Femme Nikita</i> the opposing groups are Covert One and Red Cell, while <i>The Bourne Identity</i> pits rival factions within the CIA itself as the opposing groups.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Secret Struggle</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: For reasons that are inherently logical to the story, the opposing groups need to keep their conflict hidden from the outside world. This is what separates spy fiction from most mysteries, thrillers, and legal or police suspense novels. Both the protagonist and the antagonist work from the shadows, employing similar techniques of stealth and deception. In many spy classics, it is often difficult to tell who the “good” and “bad” guys are based purely on what they do. This gray area is one of the elements that make stories like <i>The Gentleman’s Game</i>, <i>Rain Fall</i> and <i>Ronin</i> so compelling. The definitions of right and wrong often boil down to malleable issues of money, ideology, coercion, and excitement.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Applying the Elements to My Own Work</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The premise of <i><a href="http://kck.st/2xJX0wr">Dark Honey</a></i> involves a young spy trying to find, fix, and finish a traitor to her mission of stopping sex slavery. </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The “Magic It” here is a person who happens to be her former mentor and lover (creating multiple sources of inherent conflict). There are two opposing groups; one group of spies trying to catch the target and another group of spies trying to protect him. Both groups need to use secrecy and deception in an international game of cat and mouse. <b>By creating <i><a href="http://kck.st/2xJX0wr">Dark Honey</a></i> to satisfy the elements of spy thrillers, I built a stronger narrative that can hopefully appeal to the people who devour this genre every year in books, TV shows, and movies</b>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So what are the elements of your favorite fictional genre? How do your favorite books capture or transcend the conventions of the genre and redefine them? Let me know what you think in the comments, and if my premise is interesting to you, <a href="http://kck.st/2xJX0wr">join my Kickstarter to get your copy of Dark Honey and all the other books in the world of Crime and Passion</a>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Have fun.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gamal</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-25124966032095356442017-06-17T01:26:00.000-07:002017-06-17T02:29:20.177-07:00 Gamal Hennessy's Portfolio<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg5hg1_eWZ8QNt6Gl9IsaXa05Jk276ACL-AN1M7RQsf4EtcgatzvchoyOg1wdRiSGa69eahksoDBvBW2zJuIRff4fbOoQZKCYJBALo2c_PiHvHQ0cIdO_ZtARbNhN5ZXfUmv3HvsVlxP0/s1600/New+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="538" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg5hg1_eWZ8QNt6Gl9IsaXa05Jk276ACL-AN1M7RQsf4EtcgatzvchoyOg1wdRiSGa69eahksoDBvBW2zJuIRff4fbOoQZKCYJBALo2c_PiHvHQ0cIdO_ZtARbNhN5ZXfUmv3HvsVlxP0/s200/New+Headshot.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Words have the power to connect people and I have spent years making those connections for my clients. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">It doesn’t matter if I’m writing a piece on the legal aspects of the entertainment industry or an international crime story. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">It could be a short as a tweet or as long as a novel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The results are are the same. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I always bring a professional and passionate perspective to my work. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-81a2f166-b559-1367-3d06-202ff3068d05"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline;">Please feel free to browse the links below to sample my work. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">If you want to put my words to work for you, please use the contact form on the right or send an email to </span><a href="mailto:gamalhennessy@gmail.com" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">gamalhennessy@gmail.com</a><a href="mailto:gamalhennessy@gmail.com" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Writing on Business</b></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1bIm35r">Profit and Loss Statements for Independent</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/1bIm35r">Publishers</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/13bVX7o">So How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book?</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2jk1OFp">Understanding the Difference between Gross Profits</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2jk1OFp">and Net Profits</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2nUZvKN">Is Diversity Killing Marvel Comics?</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2sJk7c5">Do We Have Too Much Comics Based Entertainment?</a></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Writing on Law</b></span></span></div>
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<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2rQv1dg"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How to Get Your Clients to Pay You</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2rBf8cW"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How to Hire a Lawyer</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2gVJ3qB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How to Reject a Bad Contract</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2jbAh79"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Image and Story: Understanding Copyrights and Trademarks</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2bSH8zs"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Negotiating Power in Creative Contracts</span></a></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Writing on Writing</b></span></span></div>
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<li><a href="http://bit.ly/1cgOBP5"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Analysis of Story Structure: The Chapter</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2sbsDiY"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Consequential Violence: The Impact of Combat in Fiction</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/2sDbf8g"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Creating a Story Using the Three Levels of Conflict</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/1eYmLfk"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Improving on Perfection: How to Edit Your Novel</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/1ipHfwL"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reading Lists for Writers</span></a></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gamal</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-71058379331540460542016-06-08T14:45:00.000-07:002016-06-08T14:46:08.058-07:00 The Best American Erotica 1993: A Book Review<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Gamal Hennessy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From my perspective, Susie Bright
is a luminary in the genre of erotic fiction. Not only has she written, edited,
and published several books on the subject over the years, her writing guide <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/881047.How_to_Write_a_Dirty_Story">How
to Write a Dirty Story</a> has been an inspiration for all six of the novels I’ve
written. I’ve wanted to read her first anthology <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1267810.The_Best_American_Erotica_1993">The
Best American Erotica 1993</a> </i>for years, so when it went on sale on Audible, I
downloaded it as soon as I could. Unfortunately,
my experience was less than ideal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The book does have positive
qualities. First, there is a wide array of authors who contributed short
stories to this collection and the range of erotic expression is very diverse.
LGBT, straight and BDSM flavors are all mixed and represented here. Characters
of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, nationalities and economic realities all
get time in the spotlight. And the range of sexual expression is also broad.
Some characters fully explored their passions, others lost their chance just
before they could attain satisfaction, and some struggled to repress or deny
the only thing they couldn’t stop thinking about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But all the stories shared similar
flaws. The stories had little or no turning points, no crisis choice that the
characters had to make to expose their true nature or alter their condition.
They were unchanged from the beginning of the story to the end, and the sexual
experiences they had (or didn’t have) did nothing to bring about change in
their lives. What they did was on full display. Why they did it or how it
defined them was always left out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It doesn’t have to be that way in
erotica or any other genre. We only have to look at the short stories in <i>Delta
of Venus, Night in a Moorish Harem </i>or <i>Erotic Interludes </i>to see that sexual
expression can be the catalyst for change in a character’s life. Of course, not
every sexual encounter alters our existence, but when every story in a
collection lacks that element, the whole book suffers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In terms of the overall
presentation of the audio book it’s also a mixed experience. The readers of
each piece were very good and their voices matched the nature of the narrator
well. However, most of the sex in this book skews towards the nonconsensual.
There is diversity here too, as the scenarios range from lack of consent to
rape and sustained torture. If you don’t enjoy those types of stories the book
might be hard to get through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Overall, I appreciated the
diversity of <i>Best American Erotica</i>, but the stories themselves didn’t satisfy.
The series continues for several more volumes, so perhaps the first one can be
seen as a viable proof of concept.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have fun. <br />
Gamal</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-67029585036431714232015-11-30T19:36:00.001-08:002015-11-30T19:50:38.240-08:00Creating Story by Using the Three Levels of Conflict<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoGDwbGTUiMFMGXVRLMHa7o-pb52Zg6zkpcdejfpphJ7BuaotiYJypvD9qyNQA354QFg4G5qlwOb_ifs9_EZtKSqL4L6aKUetue_x58fRGAxFhAbIEeq9dVzmxnNTEHaIwR_nRxvEaY5m/s1600/conflict.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoGDwbGTUiMFMGXVRLMHa7o-pb52Zg6zkpcdejfpphJ7BuaotiYJypvD9qyNQA354QFg4G5qlwOb_ifs9_EZtKSqL4L6aKUetue_x58fRGAxFhAbIEeq9dVzmxnNTEHaIwR_nRxvEaY5m/s320/conflict.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 13.85pt;">By <a href="http://amzn.to/RPRjkO" target="_blank">Gamal Hennessy</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">If I can write a book,
you can write a book. This article just offers a few tips to help you explore
your own creative gifts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When writing, I’ve
always found it helpful to understand the <b>vast
majority of all fictional plots boils down to a struggle to achieve a goal</b>.
A protagonist or hero has an object of desire that is material or situational. Maybe
they want to get a rare item or get into a relationship with a particular
person. To get what she wants, your heroine has to exert effort against
everything that stands between her and her goal. <b>The power and
intensity of her obstacles will define both your heroine and the strength of
your story</b>. But where do those obstacles come from and how can we build
them into the story in a way that tests the heroine in the most satisfying
manner for readers? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I’ve found one answer in
playing with the different levels of conflict.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Three Levels of Conflict</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br />
<b>A level of conflict is a source of antagonism that stands between your
protagonist and their goal. </b>Robert<b> </b>McKee's book <i><a href="http://amzn.to/XvZmN9" target="_blank">Story</a></i> defines three major levels of
conflict:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><u style="line-height: 13.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Internal</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 13.85pt;">:
where the thoughts, feelings or physical characteristics of a protagonist block
achievement of the goal</span></li>
<li><u style="line-height: 13.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Interpersonal</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 13.85pt;">:
where relationships with other people or groups block achievement</span></li>
<li><u style="line-height: 13.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Extra-personal</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 13.85pt;">:
where institutions, natural phenomenon and situations block achievement</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As an example, let's say you're writing a story about a Jewish boy living in
Jerusalem. He has just seen a beautiful Arab girl and in that moment realizes
he’s in love. What obstacles does Adam face in his quest for a relationship? As
a writer, you have several options:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><u style="line-height: 13.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Internal</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 13.85pt;">: His
shyness, lack of experience with women and unattractive features could get in
the way of his budding romance. </span></li>
<li><u style="line-height: 13.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Interpersonal</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 13.85pt;">:
The girl might resist his advances for her own reasons, or she might have a
boyfriend who wants to remove him from the picture. Also, his parents could try
to prevent him from getting involved with an Arab girl. The girl's brothers
might threaten him with violence. His own friends might reject him.</span></li>
<li><u style="line-height: 13.85pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Extra-personal</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 13.85pt;">:
The wider Arab Israeli conflict could also inhibit our hero. Hezbollah bombings
into the settlements could disrupt Adam's life or create a curfew situation. A
suicide bomb could destroy everything or even kill the girl. Protests, strikes
or other mass social events could tear their relationship apart before it even
gets started.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This is just a few
examples of what this boy might be up against. If he is able to win this girl's
love, the obstacles he'll have to overcome could make an amazing story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The type you choose
is often a function of genre. An action adventure might have heavy
interpersonal and extra personal conflict when the hero battles the arch
villain on the top of a mountain in a blinding snow storm, but very little
internal conflict. A cozy mystery might have strong internal focus as the
detective quietly strains her intellect to solve the crime. <b>Every style
of writing can tap into each type of conflict</b>, but some genres lend
themselves to specific conflict types.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Conflict as Spotlight</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The best way I've found
to develop conflict in my work is to focus on the aspects of my protagonist
that I want to reveal and then creating conflicts that explore those traits</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">. One of my main characters in my new novel <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1MJRNVC"><span style="color: blue;">Smoke and Shadow</span></a></i> is a man
named Harrison Trent. At the most basic level, Harrison’s conflict is internal.
He wants to forget the mistakes he’s made in his past and he is willing to
place himself in extreme danger because the immediacy of a life and death
struggle is the only way he can forget the things he’s done. To show his dedication
to this goal, I put several obstacles in his path every time he steps into the
readers mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The best stories have
the strongest conflicts. While it's not necessary to throw every obstacle at
every character in every story, a weak story is most often the result of weak
antagonists. Pit your heroine against the strongest combination of antagonism that
you can think of. Your characters will hate it, but your readers will thank you
for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Now go write something.
;-)<br />
Gamal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-73976706338332509362015-11-10T18:29:00.000-08:002015-11-10T18:29:09.809-08:00I Have Three Ways to Say "Thank You"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XamvM7oEvmEDkeglXulub1Mx3AjyssPpQ5H-vIK_98T7d4_hlepiErIlbuTVSnoew5yD17CK5NsxrfYEonVK0DGR-RtG3AsXZsKPCHBHaqRMm4UPJPjZfZGtb-NA-H1CkRLzCyTmT1-t/s1600/gamalhennessy_friendsandfamily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XamvM7oEvmEDkeglXulub1Mx3AjyssPpQ5H-vIK_98T7d4_hlepiErIlbuTVSnoew5yD17CK5NsxrfYEonVK0DGR-RtG3AsXZsKPCHBHaqRMm4UPJPjZfZGtb-NA-H1CkRLzCyTmT1-t/s320/gamalhennessy_friendsandfamily.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4793" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4793" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4795" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I appreciate you. </span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4790" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4792" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You <a data-cke-saved-href="http://bit.ly/14CQGsR" href="http://bit.ly/14CQGsR" id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4797" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(5, 17, 240, 0.2); color: #0511f0; text-decoration: none;">visit my website</a>, and you indulge my delusions of being a writer. Those things have more of an impact on me than you might realize. </span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4800" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4799" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a small way of saying thank you, <b>I’d like to offer you not one, not two, but three gifts to celebrate the release of my new novel, <em id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4898"><a data-cke-saved-href="http://amzn.to/1MJRNVC" href="http://amzn.to/1MJRNVC" id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4897" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(3, 63, 226); color: #033fe2; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Smoke and Shadow</a></em>.</b> </span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4803" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4802" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, you can get a copy of my new novella called Friends and Family just by contacting me. Friends and Family is a prelude to Smoke and Shadow. It follows a professional killer named Harrison Trent in his hunt for a slave trader in New York City.</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4806" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4805" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Second, I’d like to give you early access to <em><a data-cke-saved-href="http://amzn.to/1MJRNVC" href="http://amzn.to/1MJRNVC" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(5, 17, 240, 0.2); color: #0511f0; text-decoration: none;">Smoke and Shadow</a></em>. You can pre-order the book on Amazon before it goes on sale Tuesday, November 17th.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, you can get <em>Smoke and Shadow</em> at a special RSVP price. The normal price for the e-book is $3.99. You can get it for just $0.99. </span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4807" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4809" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you get a chance to read the prelude or the full novel, I hope you’ll enjoy them. I also hope you’ll take the time to write me a review no matter what you think of the book. Your opinion matters. If the attachments or the links don’t work, please let me know and I’ll take care of it.</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4814" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4813"><em id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4812"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And i<em id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4811">f you want to spend more time in the world of Crime and Passion, <a data-cke-saved-href="https://nightlifepublishing.squarespace.com/#/the-rsvp-list/" href="https://nightlifepublishing.squarespace.com/#/the-rsvp-list/" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(5, 17, 240, 0.2); color: #0511f0; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">sign up for the free RSVP Newsletter. </a></em></span></em></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4815" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Have fun.</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_8_1447129151459_4816" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #070303; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gamal</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-40859040028609700982015-10-27T20:28:00.003-07:002015-10-27T20:28:52.023-07:00A New Cover Reveal, a New Release Date and a New Promo Offer for My VIPs!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Please allow
me to share the cover of my upcoming book, <i>Smoke
and Shadow.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv01a2TDMo31-X00TkPxMxeOY5YGxZw8ScQXcMzCQU3fzWeNQx0SaFpRxbW1q1cX3iENpr_Yv5eUcpuDzI6FSUPcSx8SmAglsn24PmsCq1qRhrEFcwgaPCImef2W655IUJR6Q8p3ENsNFV/s1600/gamalhennessy_smokeandshadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv01a2TDMo31-X00TkPxMxeOY5YGxZw8ScQXcMzCQU3fzWeNQx0SaFpRxbW1q1cX3iENpr_Yv5eUcpuDzI6FSUPcSx8SmAglsn24PmsCq1qRhrEFcwgaPCImef2W655IUJR6Q8p3ENsNFV/s400/gamalhennessy_smokeandshadow.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Murder is
their business…</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
the dark world of espionage, Hamilton Chu and Harrison
Trent are secret warriors. Driven by loyalty, excitement, and money,
these modern mercenaries travel around the world to spy,
sabotage and kill.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But how much
of their humanity do they sacrifice with each turn of the knife or
pull of the trigger? How can they succeed in missions they can't solve with violence
alone?</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Smoke
and Shadow</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> is an anthology series set in my<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://bit.ly/1Kd032q" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc;">Crime and Passion Universe</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">. It is an international action thriller in a style similar
to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>La Femme Nikita, Taken and
the Bourne Identity</i>.</span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Smoke and Shadow will be available on
Amazon on Tuesday, November 17<sup>th</sup> 2015<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you’d like
an advance copy in exchange for an honest review, please <a href="http://bit.ly/1O6vrnC">click here for more details</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you’d like
to take advantage of my $0.99 discount sale for all my other Crime and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Passion books, </span><a href="http://amzn.to/1AphnOe" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">visit my Amazon page before November
1<sup>st</sup></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Have fun and
thanks for reading.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">G<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-41635395287103589452015-10-21T19:53:00.000-07:002015-10-21T19:53:37.334-07:00Consequential Violence: The Impact of Combat in Fiction<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The action and thriller genres rely
on certain established tropes. The hero needs someone or something to protect.
He (or in rare cases she) will define their individuality by being a lone wolf
with no affiliation or being a rebel in an existing power structure. When it
comes to physical prowess or combat skill, the hero will be placed in situations
where they can to injure, maim and kill to show how badass they are. This is
one of the pillars of action stories from <i>The
Odyssey</i> to <i>Spectre</i> and it can be
the best part of a story. But <b>combat,
fight scenes and violence lose their impact when they become inconsequential</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Defining
Consequence <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dictionary.com defines consequence as:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">The effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">An act or instance of following something as an effect, result, or
outcome.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">The conclusion reached by a line of reasoning; inference.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Importance or significance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Importance in rank or position; distinction:</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>In action and thriller fiction, violence often has no consequences for
the characters or the hero</b>. I’ve read a best-selling novel that started
with a six man shootout in New York’s Central Park during the day in the 21<sup>st</sup>
Century. The hero moved through the plot
without any acknowledgment of the effect that event would have. The cops never
arrived and never investigated the event, even though there is a police
precinct in Central Park and the surrounding area has a heavy police presence
because of all the high priced real estate around. No one had any video of the
incident, even though there are cameras in the Park and everyone has an iPhone.
The hero was shot during the incident, but suffered no physical, mental or
emotional impact from the incident. There was no mention of any news story
about a massive gun battle in the middle of the most famous park in New York
City. This lack of consequence gnawed at me until I was forced to put the book
down because I couldn’t suspend enough of my disbelief to keep reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exploring
Consequence <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In real life of course, violence
has consequences for everyone involved. Books like <a href="http://amzn.to/1Xl7Pgk">Violence: A Writer’s Guide</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/1hVgqX5">Real World Self Defense</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/1M9Vb1V">On Combat</a> and the <a href="http://amzn.to/1GUUQZp">Writing Violence</a> series discuss the consequences
of violence in depth, but in broad strokes physical combat can affect a
character’s <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Mental
facilities</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">: people often see and perceive the world in a different way
after a violent encounter. Depending on the situation, their view of the world,
other people and themselves can undergo profound change. This can happen
whether they win or lose.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Emotional
well-being</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">: We have learned a lot in recent years about the impact of post-traumatic
stress disorder on people who go through violent encounters. It doesn’t just
impact soldiers engaged in drawn out conflict. PTSD can hit anyone involved in
any number of encounters. It should also be noted that some people react in the
opposite way, developing emotional frameworks that seek out and enjoy violence.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Physical
health: </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">It might be</span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">obvious to
say violence often hurts and can sometimes kill, but when reading action novels
or watching action movies, this reality is often ignored. Characters can be shot,
stabbed, beaten and bruised in one scene and restored to full health in the
next. I know people who have suffered long term injuries in the relative safety
of practice. Why ignore all those realities in fiction?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Legal
Status:</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Most types of violence are officially illegal in most countries of
the world. People who engage in violent acts can easily face arrest,
prosecution and prison for something as simple as a street fight. The more over
the top and bloody the encounter, the more likely the police will be to get
involved, and the legalities of “self-defense” usually don’t protect people who
willingly participate in violence</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Social
Status:</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Different segments of society react to violence in different ways.
While a shoving match at a high society party might send someone into exile, a
friendly fistfight might not even be remembered the next day in another part of
the city or country. In either case, if the event is in public it probably won’t
go unnoticed or undocumented in the modern world. Just type in “street fight”
or “fist fight” in YouTube to see what I mean. In addition, the “winner” and ‘loser”
of the fight will have to deal with the repercussions of their actions in their
social circles, whether they are positive or negative.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Daily
lifestyle:</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Violence often creates more violence. The winner of a fight
today might find himself hunted by the loser, or his friends, or his company,
or his country depending on the importance of the loser. The winner of a fight
might find himself constantly looking over his shoulder for the revenge attack.
In the worst case scenario, he might not be able to ever go home again.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Financial
Status: </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Between doctor bills, legal bills, psychology bills and protecting against
future attacks, the cost of violence in dollars and cents can cause more long
term damage than the physical beating. People have been bankrupted by violent
encounters even if they won and even if they were exonerated in court.</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consequence in Story<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1jUJvTT">Barry
Eisler</a> is one of my favorite writers and his style inspires my own work
when it comes to depicting violence. The John Rain Series is full of violent
scenes, but consequence always plays an important role before and after the fight.
Mr. Eisler’s characters often spend most of the novel trying to anticipate,
eliminate or reduce the impact of impending violence, creating a tension few
other writers can create.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my next book, <i><a href="http://bit.ly/1LEKpuZ">Smoke and
Shadow</a></i>, I tell stories of two combat operators and their missions
against warlords, slave traders and insurgents<b>. In each novella, the characters take the time to plot, plan and
prepare for what might go wrong in their violent encounters</b>. I hope the
result creates a dynamic both interesting and realistic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Truth about Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not every story benefits from complex
portrayals of violence. Part of the fun of a James Bond or superhero film is
ignoring legal and emotional realities for a few hours. But some stories and
characters can be enhanced and improved if their violent actions had more
consequences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think? Let me know in
the comments. I look forward to hearing from you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<br />
Gamal</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-17362974406550820822015-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:002015-10-20T20:55:09.522-07:00Smoke and Shadow: Get It First. Get It Free<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3ZuHXb5-K3qAHi-jIwVjewLZbfyRkmOqc78y0m9AOUM7488WyzfKWhxjQ7x41InzL0Q0kn1UxTninDiPf7U7gXS_k5loyFJHSMvrZsWxx69o7nxBzbWDPQPl6woXWEeC-boO4RNG8Fr6/s1600/Promo+Image+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3ZuHXb5-K3qAHi-jIwVjewLZbfyRkmOqc78y0m9AOUM7488WyzfKWhxjQ7x41InzL0Q0kn1UxTninDiPf7U7gXS_k5loyFJHSMvrZsWxx69o7nxBzbWDPQPl6woXWEeC-boO4RNG8Fr6/s320/Promo+Image+1.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
members of my VIP mailing list and the community of book reviewers are an
important part of modern publishing. Getting noticed by passionate readers can
mean the difference between broad popularity and a lonely unnoticed release. I’m
planning to launch a new book right before the holidays, so I’d like to reach
out to thriller readers like you and offer and advanced copy of my book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s This Book About?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Smoke
and Shadow</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"> is an anthology series set in my<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://bit.ly/1Kd032q" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc;">Crime and
Passion Universe</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">. It is an international action thriller in a
style similar to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>La Femme Nikita, Taken and the Bourne Identity</i>. Here’s the description I plan to put on the back of
the book:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll never see them coming...<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the dark world of
espionage, Hamilton Chu and Harrison Trent are secret warriors.
Driven by loyalty, excitement, and money,
these modern mercenaries travel around the world to spy,
sabotage and kill. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But how much of their humanity do
they sacrifice with each turn of the knife or pull of the trigger?
How can they cope with missions they can't solve with violence
alone?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
this story sounds like something you might be interested in, then I’d like to
give you the e-book before anyone else gets it and without paying any money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Do I Want?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
would like to ask you a favor in exchange for the free book. Reviews drive
popularity and sales on Amazon, so the more reviews I can get, the more
financially successful the book can be. I hope if I give you Smoke and Shadow
free upfront, you’ll be nice enough to write me a review when you’re done. It
doesn’t have to be a five star review (although those are always nice), it just
needs to be what you think.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How Do I Get The Book?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want an advanced
review copy of Smoke and Shadow in exchange for an Amazon review, please send
an email to <a href="mailto:gamalhennessy@gmail.com">gamalhennessy@gmail.com</a>
before November 20, 2015 and I’ll add you to the list.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
i<em><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252); color: #070303;">f you want to spend more time in the world
of Crime and Passion, <a href="https://nightlifepublishing.squarespace.com/#/the-rsvp-list/" id="yui_3_17_2_3_1445357351216_6775" style="border-color: rgba(5, 17, 240, 0.2);" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0511f0; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">sign up for the
free RSVP Newsletter. </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks
in advance for taking the time to experience my work. I hope you enjoy the
story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have
fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gamal</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-60249706016491867272015-09-27T05:06:00.002-07:002015-09-27T05:17:49.431-07:00Please Allow Me to Re-introduce Myself<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By </span><a href="http://amzn.to/N9fvOV" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Gamal
Hennessy</span></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">At some point, I invited
you to go on a trip. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I promised to take you
away from your daily grind and guide you through a world of crime and passion.
I offered you a ticket to action, espionage and seduction. I wrote three novels
and half a dozen short stories of the best work I could create. You rewarded me
with your time and attention. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Then
life got in the way. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Personal,
professional and financial realities cut me off from my fictional journeys.
They also prevented me from staying in contact with you since late Spring. I
apologize for stopping the trip in such an abrupt fashion, but I’d like to make
it up to all of you in two ways.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> First,
I’m going to make <a href="http://amzn.to/P0zzC7"><span style="color: blue;">all the books in the Crime
and Passion series available on Amazon for $0.99 each</span></a> for the next thirty
days, </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">including my full
length novels:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://amzn.to/1bDcrdh" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Smooth Operator</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://amzn.to/1uWtjTH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">A Taste of Honey</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1AckPHX" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">A Touch of Honey</span></a></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If you haven’t had a chance to sample some of my
work yet, I hope you’ll take advantage of this 75% off sale to step into my
world.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Second,
I plan to have a series of bi-weekly posts leading up to the release of my next
novel in November about the role violence plays in being a writer. I hope these
essays lure you back into the world of crime and passion and all the other work
I plan to create. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I
know one less email doesn’t make much difference in your busy life, but I also
know everyone can use a break from real life once in a while. If you’re willing
to keep hearing from me, I’ll try to make the trip worthwhile.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> If
you’ve got any questions, comments or observations, please let me know. I enjoy
hearing from you.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Have
fun.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Gamal</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: right;">
<i>If you want to spend more time in the world of Crime and Passion, <a href="https://nightlifepublishing.squarespace.com/#/the-rsvp-list/"><span style="color: blue;">sign up for the free RSVP Newsletter</span>.</a></i></div>
</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-25933439890163590532015-05-26T20:54:00.000-07:002015-05-26T20:54:18.612-07:00Slave Ship: A Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUQsn8goNCFNmyv4TVt_TnGyP1-LRcbS4eecoVAIlmtns7vmOUnmMkR5nMmngc8sOoCUzIW_7F6pM6i4KBQ5kZKgMgVPzxiliMsgKtaMwSpRy3mupyCykLgKO582WVBnTI0HMA_1AsGda/s1600/Slave+ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUQsn8goNCFNmyv4TVt_TnGyP1-LRcbS4eecoVAIlmtns7vmOUnmMkR5nMmngc8sOoCUzIW_7F6pM6i4KBQ5kZKgMgVPzxiliMsgKtaMwSpRy3mupyCykLgKO582WVBnTI0HMA_1AsGda/s400/Slave+ship.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By <a href="http://amzn.to/RPRjkO">Gamal Hennessy</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m developing a science fiction novel about slavery called <i>Humanity’s Fall</i>. The basic concept is <i>Twelve Years a Slave </i>meets <i>Star Trek</i> and follows the ordeal of one woman ripped from her brownstone in Brooklyn and thrust into the belly of a ship to be sold on the other side of the galaxy. The research for this book includes several sources exploring the impact of the Middle Passage including well-known works like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Enhanced-Saga-American-Family-ebook/dp/B003YL4M8I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432698168&sr=1-1&keywords=Roots"><span style="color: blue;">Roots</span></a></i> and<span style="color: blue;"> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amistad-Rebellion-Atlantic-Odyssey-Slavery-ebook/dp/B007V65TYI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432698197&sr=1-1&keywords=amistad">Amistad</a></i> </span>to more general books like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/African-Slave-Trade-Basil-Davidson/dp/0316174386/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432698228&sr=1-1&keywords=the+african+slave+trade"><span style="color: blue;">The African Slave Trade</span></a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Still-Rise-Graphic-History-Americans/dp/1402762267/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432698254&sr=1-2&keywords=Still+I+Rise"><span style="color: blue;">Still I Rise</span></a></i>. But as I get ready to write the first draft of Humanity’s Fall, I think the book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Ship-Human-History-ebook/dp/B001JMFCS8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432698296&sr=1-1&keywords=slave+ship"><span style="color: blue;">Slave Ship: A Human History</span></a></i> by Marcus Rediker will have the most impact on my story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Slave Ship</i> looks at the mechanism of African slavery; the ships and men who captured, bought, confined, tortured, killed and sold millions of people over the course of three centuries</b>. It explores in depth the functioning of the ship, examining the vehicle of the Middle Passage from several viewpoints. The slave ship is seen as:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An investment for speculative European businessmen</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A debt prison for unwary sailors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A marketplace for Africans selling slaves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A prison for Africans captured</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cemetery for slaves and crew killed in the journey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A factory for the creation of slaves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A battleground for slave inter slave conflict and collective rebellion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An incubator for the concept of race</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A communal space for the creation of shared kinship</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A symbol of evil for abolitionists</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Rediker breaks down the Middle Passage in stages, showing how ships were commissioned and purchased, how captains and crews were formed, the process of buying people, attempting to simultaneously break their spirit but keep their bodies intact for sale, the successful and unsuccessful attempts to escape, overthrow or commit suicide and the complex social relationships spending months on the ship would create</b>. By drawing a historical and narrative thread from the people most distant from the process (who gained the most wealth) to the people most suffered the most intimate pain and lost the most, <b><i>Slave Ship</i> makes an argument for the ship itself to be one of the most influential and at the same time most ignored elements of social development in America</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read this book during the surge in media coverage over unarmed black men being killed in various parts of the country and the groundswell of racism playing out in various levels of society. In light of this reality and against the backdrop of building my own novel, <b>I began to see parallels between our own time and the collective experience of the slave ship</b>. It was easy to see the bankers and billionaires as the distant businessmen, too far removed from the process to have any interest in it beyond their profit. The police became the sailors and reluctant prison guards. The minority communities become the slaves and the incubator, factory, marketplace and communal space of the ship became the spaces we inhabit now, on and offline. The ship came to represent so much of the American experience, it became easy, perhaps clichéd, to imagine America as a slave ship we are all trapped on. <i>Slave Ship</i> will have a lasting impact on me, not just for the inspiration it provides for my work, but in the way I perceive the world I live in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gamal</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-27791337417140459842015-05-17T19:15:00.000-07:002015-05-17T19:15:23.574-07:00 Start Your Summer with Crime and Passion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tEcGNWGJ8FHOBJuNM91aYOEpwwUtptRw2feAkPUdrsJqgvzhPGsp5tStSVDVqvzqIkSrOrT2JN3nWSj3jXxglQr1HlGaoiV0yjo1aiwrwteS1z1A-oc3cEA4PtRD4jl4rc-GkwOag54n/s1600/Memorial+Day+2015+Sale+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tEcGNWGJ8FHOBJuNM91aYOEpwwUtptRw2feAkPUdrsJqgvzhPGsp5tStSVDVqvzqIkSrOrT2JN3nWSj3jXxglQr1HlGaoiV0yjo1aiwrwteS1z1A-oc3cEA4PtRD4jl4rc-GkwOag54n/s400/Memorial+Day+2015+Sale+Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by <a href="http://amzn.to/RPRjkO" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Gamal Hennessy</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m kicking off the Summer of 2015 with a special sale of the entire Crime and Passion catalog. <b>From Friday, May 22<sup>nd</sup> to Tuesday, May 26<sup>th</sup> all my full-length novels will be on sale in the Amazon Kindle store for just 99 cents.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Crime and Passion series is adult crime fiction for fans who want to explore the darker side of life. There are three novels in the series so far, but each can be read on its own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Gamal/Desktop/Nightlife%20Publishing/amzn.to/1bDcrdh"><span style="color: blue;">Smooth Operator</span></a> </span>is <i>Pulp Fiction</i> meets the <i>Usual Suspects</i> on the streets of New York after dark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Gamal/Desktop/Nightlife%20Publishing/amzn.to/1uWtjTH"><span style="color: blue;">A Taste of Honey</span></a> is <i>Basic Instinct </i>meets <i>Casino Royale </i>in the high society of Argentina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Gamal/Desktop/Nightlife%20Publishing/amzn.to/1AckPHX"><span style="color: blue;">A Touch of Honey</span></a> is <i>The Wire</i> with a sadistic love triangle playing out deep in New York nightlife. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All three novels have great reviews and normally cost $3.99 each. You’ll be able to celebrate Memorial Day and save 75% off the cover price.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy your summer and all the books. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<br />Gamal</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-81106538745823102332014-11-24T20:26:00.000-08:002014-11-25T06:05:36.645-08:00Misogyny, Racism and the Moscow Rules<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaOwZh3U_0g0czrkjF_TKVy3MQhq6n-4QjlFB12N1LwTAqRVb3dE349XSi79Ssk_ERVS41i3sApK4pUNrEGMh-zM8f-y_2VK2w2Y-tsJLY-jLg54W4Au92uwIF0jCr4uyXvXE8qS3F0JB/s1600/police-brutality-top-four-shocking-cases-640x312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaOwZh3U_0g0czrkjF_TKVy3MQhq6n-4QjlFB12N1LwTAqRVb3dE349XSi79Ssk_ERVS41i3sApK4pUNrEGMh-zM8f-y_2VK2w2Y-tsJLY-jLg54W4Au92uwIF0jCr4uyXvXE8qS3F0JB/s1600/police-brutality-top-four-shocking-cases-640x312.jpg" height="195" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gamal.hennessy"><span style="color: blue;">Gamal Hennessy</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“<i>If my
intent is to write something useful that people can understand
then it's better to write about the way things are instead of what we imagine
them to be. Many have imagined the world in ways which don't really exist
because how one lives is so far removed from how one ought to live
that the person who abandons what one does for what one ought to do,
learns frustration rather than clarity</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Niccolo Machiavelli: <i>The Prince</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the Cold War, Russia was the
most dangerous place to be an American spy. The men and women who survived this
dangerous and brutal environment followed a set of concepts called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_Rules"><span style="color: blue;">Moscow Rules</span></a>. These weren’t
official guidelines. For years they were never written down. The rules were simple,
easy to remember and essential if you didn’t want to end up dead in the street with
a bullet in your back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the 21<sup>st</sup> Century, <b>America has proven itself to be a dangerous
and brutal environment for women and minorities</b>. Look at the police brutality
caught on tape (See <a href="http://gamalhennessy.blogspot.com/2014/08/who-watches-watchers-thoughts-on.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Thoughts on Police Brutality</span></a>). Consider the institutionalized misogyny of the NFL (See My <a href="http://gamalhennessy.blogspot.com/2014/09/my-sixteen-game-ban-on-nfl.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Sixteen Game Ban on the NFL</span></a>), Uber and
the legal system when it comes to rape. Spend a moment thinking about all the
hate groups, militias and interpersonal conflict in the United States and you
might see parallels between Cold War Moscow and present day Ferguson (See <a href="http://gamalhennessy.blogspot.com/2014/08/writing-while-world-burns.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Writing While the World Burns</span></a>). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Perhaps it is time for us to adopt the Moscow Rules for our own use</b>.
Maybe evolution is based on survival and survival is based on adaptation to
circumstances. If you don’t know who to trust and you can’t rely on
institutions or violence to protect you, then maybe you need a different approach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since there is no official set of
Moscow Rules, I’m going to suggest my own. These are based on different
versions of the Cold War ideas. I’ve simply modified them for the world we live
in now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Assume nothing</i>. (Help may never come)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Pay attention</i>. (You can’t avoid what you don’t
know about)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>You are never completely alone</i>. (Threats can
come from anywhere)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Everyone is potentially under opposition
control</i>. (I’ll let you define “opposition” for yourself)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Go with the flow, blend in</i>. (If they don’t see
you, they probably won’t get you)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Always give yourself a way out</i> (of a
conversation, altercation or attack)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Vary your pattern</i>. (if they know where you
are, you’re an easier target)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>If it feels wrong, it is wrong</i>. (Don’t ignore
your instincts)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Maintain a natural pace</i>. (Too fast or too slow
draws too much attention)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Lull them into a sense of inactivity</i>. (If they
define you as a threat or an opportunity, they will attack)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Build in opportunity, but use it sparingly</i>. (Pick
your shots and your battles)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Don't harass the opposition</i>. (Attack from a
position of strength, not weakness)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>There is no limit to a human being's ability
to rationalize their actions</i>. (Being “right” won’t protect you)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Keep your options open</i>. (especially when it
comes to getting away)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Technology will always let you down</i>. (Rely on your
wits and your skills, not your stuff)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence.
Three times is an enemy action</i>. </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"> </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;">(Understand
the patterns of human behavior)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.25pt;"><i>Don't attract attention</i> (Even by being too
careful or prepared)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.25pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #252525; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not suggesting we need to be spies in our
own country or personal lives. I’m not saying this is the right way for people
to live. On a certain level, adopting these concepts as part of your daily
routine involves a change in perspective. You might begin to see yourself as
isolated and oppressed by your own society. Seeing life this way can create emotional
and mental damage over time. But <b>I’m not
writing this in response to the way life should be. I’m looking at the world
around me and writing about the way our society is now</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.25pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #252525; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.25pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #252525; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you feel the institutions and systems you
live in will protect you, then you have no need for the Moscow Rules. If you
are willing to risk a bit of alienation to avoid being shot dead in the street,
consider the Moscow Rules. They might help you adapt to the dangers and brutality
of your environment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.25pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #252525; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.25pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #252525; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you hope the institutions and systems you
live in will protect you, give you justice or make you whole again after you’ve
been violated, good luck. Just remember; hope is not a plan and the news is
full of people who didn’t have a plan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.25pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #252525; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.25pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #252525; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.25pt; margin-bottom: 1.2pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #252525; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">G</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-18347920157949850192014-11-10T20:40:00.000-08:002014-11-10T20:40:38.773-08:00An Exercise in Reader Hunting<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gamal.hennessy" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Gamal Hennessy</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point in my independent publishing career, I feel my
ability to write is stronger than my ability to market. While this combination
gives me the right skill set to be a starving artist, I’d like to find ways to
increase my ability to reach my target audience and not die of hunger. I’m
planning a major overhaul of my commercial strategy in January and increased
exposure is a fundamental part of the program. As part of my long term plan, <b>I just completed a small scale experiment to
increase my pool of potential readers</b>. I’d like to share it with you.
Please feel free to use it or ignore it at your leisure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Goal<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a school of thought in independent publishing (and
sales in general) that <b>people will buy
books from authors they already know and like</b> (See <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Publish-Repeat-No-Luck-Required-Self-Publishing-Success-ebook/dp/B00H26IFJS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1415679842&sr=1-1&keywords=write+publish+repeat"><span style="color: blue;">Write,
Publish, Repeat</span></a>). Not many people are familiar with my work right now, so <b>my goal was to increase my exposure for a
short period of time and get my writing into the hands of potential readers</b>.
Because this was a marketing exercise and not a sales exercise, I didn’t expect
to generate any revenue. At the same time, I didn’t want to spend a ton of
money either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Method<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hired a marketing group on Fiverr.com that specializes in
e-book marketing. They charged me $45 for what amounted to a mini blog tour. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took my last novel (</span><a href="http://amzn.to/1uWtjTH" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">A
Taste of Honey</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) and made it exclusive on Amazon’s KDP to set up a two day
free offer that would take place a couple days before Halloween.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I announced my free offer a week in advance on social media
along with a free piece of horror flash fiction to get people’s attention.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the day of my free promo, I sent an email blast out to my
mailing list of about 13,000 names.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Results<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The marketing company produced 5-7 announcements and reviews
for my book just before the free period. The announcements appeared on </span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://exm.nr/10wYZEp" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Examiner.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/1FSLL53" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top
Books Worth Reading</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and other blog sites.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A handful of verified purchasers picked up the book before
the free period and left reviews.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were more than 900 downloads of the book during the
two day period, with a huge push in the first 16 hours and then a steady
decline afterwards.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A Taste of Honey</i> broke into the top ten spy novels list on
Amazon during the first day of the free period.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sales for the most part remained flat outside of a predictable
dead cat bounce.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lesson<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If my goal was to make a lot of money in a short period of
time, then the experiment was a failure. I spent forty five dollars and didn’t
make anything back. <b>If my goal was to
connect with more potential readers, then things didn’t turn out too bad</b>. Nine
hundred potential readers is a decent bite at the apple. In my experience, nine
out of ten people who enjoy adult crime fiction liked my writing. Not everyone
who downloaded my free book will read it, but even if only ten of those nine
hundred people decide to read my book, maybe nine of them will like it too.
When my next nine novels come out over the next five years, each one of those
potential readers will be more prone to buy them because I’ll be an author they
already like. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some writers will mock me for losing 1,000 potential sales,
or continuing to use KDP long after Amazon scuttled the algorithms that used to
guarantee sales. Other writers might reject my use of a marketing company,
comment that the process perverts the purity of the blog tour concept or
otherwise smacks of dishonesty. Some people will be offended just for the sake
of being offended. My goal isn’t to change those opinions. Every writer is
entitled to their own perspective. My perspective is finding more people who
might enjoy my work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I plan to include this tactic in the overall
strategy for releasing my next novel. Have you done something similar? What
worked for you? What do you wish you could do over? Any comments are welcomed,
even if I don’t answer them all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<br />
Gamal</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-78912220991615872852014-11-04T21:05:00.000-08:002014-11-04T21:05:44.185-08:00The Luxury of Voting<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gamal.hennessy" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Gamal Hennessy</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I almost didn’t vote yesterday. I
didn’t want the hassle of the forty minute train ride. I didn’t know anything
about the candidates or the issues allegedly defining the election. I didn’t
think it would make a difference. But I got off my butt, went into the city and
voted anyway. The after affect wasn’t empowering or inspiring. I just had the
same feeling I get when I finish running an errand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why did I bother? There are
probably a lot of reasons. The fact that no one is going to lynch me or bomb the polling place has a lot to do with it. The persistent encouragement (or
shaming depending on how you look at it), of social media plays a role. Expressing
my disapproval of politicians who side with FOX News also helped me get to the polls.
But the biggest reason can be boiled down to the luxury of expression. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a writer, I have the luxury of
being able to express myself in words. When my friends perform at a show or
have an event, I enjoy the luxury of expressing my support by showing up to
cheer them on. When things I find online resonate with me, I have the luxury to
express my perspective by sharing them. <b>When
I vote, I take advantage of the luxury to express my preference for the
particular personality or perspective presented to me at the time</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a student of the realpolitik
school of political science, I do not see individual votes or even individual
elections as the ultimate measure of political success. <b>Politics isn’t about candidates or issues. Politics is about power</b>.
Power is measured by what you can and cannot do to affect change. The power to
change or not change the lives of individuals comes from actions not votes.
Whether you’re talking about ending slavery or LGBT rights or ending
Prohibition, the pattern is the same. The decisions and actions come first. When
the votes come later, it is an expression of acceptance for a <i>fait accompli</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is voting a decision or an action
on its own? Maybe, but if it is, it represents a minimal act of power. It will
not create change by itself. The party in power may or may not change, but the
sight of a police officer will continue to make me just as apprehensive as the
sight of a potential criminal. Temporary political shifts in Washington or
Albany will not change my struggle to manage my relationship with money, time
or the people who are important to me. <b>If
I’m going to change anything substantial in my life, it will be determined by what
I do during the 364 days when I’m not voting</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t vote to exercise power. I vote to
express my opinion. My opinion in this case is symbolic because it is limited
to a handful of pre-selected, carefully screened artificial personas. But most
luxuries are symbolic. The real power in my life comes from my choices and my
actions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe it’s the same for you too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gamal</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-91790419813416301712014-10-30T13:02:00.002-07:002014-10-30T13:02:39.971-07:00The Final Chapter of My Free Halloween Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EzzYtm0L94UVsU14bElj67XvlVi6EACTCqBKn5mq4WrW0MXn9XuAPZRN35qgF4s3DrQPu_Y6QOrHybAkFLAXiV4sgAkSbVQJ2vD2wujIka6MgzsTOQD1AMoFt-6Yj_s12JOCxbhBu0b-/s1600/Shadow+Dancer+Promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EzzYtm0L94UVsU14bElj67XvlVi6EACTCqBKn5mq4WrW0MXn9XuAPZRN35qgF4s3DrQPu_Y6QOrHybAkFLAXiV4sgAkSbVQJ2vD2wujIka6MgzsTOQD1AMoFt-6Yj_s12JOCxbhBu0b-/s1600/Shadow+Dancer+Promo.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the third and final installment of my free Halloween
flash fiction. I hope you enjoyed the ride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/10x8oMc"><span style="color: blue;">You can read Part 1 here</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1wDTs9X"><span style="color: blue;">Part 2 is here</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And remember, you can get my latest novel <a href="http://amzn.to/1uWtjTH"><span style="color: blue;">A Taste of Honey</span></a> for free next Monday and
Tuesday only (that’s November 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Halloween<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">G<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Shadow Dancer</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Part Three: Revelation<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I broke both his elbows before he took his first step.
He wanted to retreat, to understand what happened, but I moved faster than his
thoughts. I ducked down and punched him in the side of the knee with enough
force to guarantee he would never walk again. He dropped to his other knee. His
face tried to form a scream, but I moved faster than his voice. I stood over
him, straightened my fingers into a spear and plunged my hand into his gaping
mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That must have been so horrible for his friends to watch.
I’m sure they want to help, but how could their minds deal with what they saw?
How could their bodies approach something so bizarre? One boy started to cry.
The other peed on himself and screamed like a newborn child. But I didn’t blame
them. I had my arm buried elbow deep into the big man’s mouth. They were just
making the noise that he couldn’t make for himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I saw tragedy in my victim’s eyes. I witnessed his horror,
his pain and his sanity crumbling at my feet. I held my arm in place for a
moment, letting him flail around with his useless arms and scrape the ground
with his broken leg. The smell of his emptied bowels overpowered the whiskey
and smoke in the alley. My hand reached down so deep that I felt his heartbeat
pumping with suicidal speed near my fingertips. I wanted to feel it burst in my
hand. I wanted the ripe fruit of his life to drip through my fingers. But he
didn’t deserve that. He deserved to live with the madness that came with this
moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I snatched my arm out of his mouth with a sticky wet
slither. Then I turned my back on them
and walked away. Another scream echoed between the walls as the big man
crumbled onto the pavement of broken glass and used condoms. The muffled
dubstep might have drowned out their shrieking, but I’m not sure. I danced into
the shadows before anyone else showed up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I’m writing this to try and understand what I am and
what I’m doing here. I’m not worried about revealing whatever dark secret
defines me. I’m writing this journal by hand so no one will ever find it. If
someone does get it, they won’t ever read it and even if they do, no one will
ever believe it. This is my story. I’m writing it for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I might be dead. I might be alive, but whatever I am, at
least I’m not drowning in feces anymore and the only thing eating away at me
now are the questions of my existence and the secrets trapped inside me.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-38473714084699029652014-10-29T11:18:00.000-07:002014-10-29T11:19:56.276-07:00Free Halloween Fiction: The Shadow Dancer Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBE3Nq-rbU2hivBWuvIZ2nOKADqBRte1I7E3rgRqPp48r_4Kjb3RwmnpJyf6Id590cuxZE9wuUEvESS06MYbKaPwdJl8BVxhj_-k-_NUr-NKFEqSCU_-crKPhglUNIiGqEliBqycFqIzg-/s1600/Afraid+of+the+Dark+Image+Base.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBE3Nq-rbU2hivBWuvIZ2nOKADqBRte1I7E3rgRqPp48r_4Kjb3RwmnpJyf6Id590cuxZE9wuUEvESS06MYbKaPwdJl8BVxhj_-k-_NUr-NKFEqSCU_-crKPhglUNIiGqEliBqycFqIzg-/s1600/Afraid+of+the+Dark+Image+Base.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday I announced two free gifts I’m giving away for
Halloween. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, my novel <a href="http://amzn.to/1uWtjTH"><span style="color: blue;">A Taste of
Honey</span></a> will be available for FREE next Monday and Tuesday (November 3<sup>rd</sup>
and 4<sup>th</sup>) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also wrote a piece of flash
fiction horror just in time for Halloween. This is Part 2.<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://gamalhennessy.blogspot.com/2014/10/two-halloween-treats-just-for-you.html"><span style="color: blue;">If
you want to read Part 1, you can find it here</span></a></span>. The last part will go up tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Shadow Dancer</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Part 2: Confusion<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stumbled out of the shadows and into a dark grimy alley
littered with broken glass and used condoms. The sky was a dark shroud above
me, without a moon or stars to offer light. Muffled dubstep throbbed from the
other side of one wall and the smell of decadence that led me here clung to
everything in the narrow passage. I stood silent in the most beautiful place
I’d ever seen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three unfortunate boys found me standing there, paralyzed by
my new freedom. I’m sure they were in their late twenties, affluent, arrogant
and privileged. Their eyes glazed over with liquor and drugs. Their bodies
overflowed with lust and their faces revealed the frustration of a hundred
recent rejections. They circled me like hyena, unsure about which one of them
should make the first move. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt so sorry for them. I wanted to save them from me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I didn’t know the language of compassion on that first
night. My voice was still raw from the razors. I tried to say something to calm
them down as I held up my grubby hands to warn them, but all I could come up
with was, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“If you fucking touch me, I’m going to shove my hand right
down your god damn throat.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They laughed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Didn’t they see the clumps of vomit in my
hair? How could they not notice my half eaten stomach dangling down by my
knees? Did my shredded tongue cut my warning into sounds they couldn’t
understand? If those poor boys saw anything, they didn’t pay attention. Two of
them just watched as the big one called me a bitch and lunged at me with rape
on his mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt so sorry for him.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-120508610100982712014-10-28T11:01:00.001-07:002014-10-28T11:01:24.174-07:00Two Halloween Treats Just for You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ67ihxW-NTWJ1nmRguk3_tPV3I9j5LXUVBGV3Qnht0VvAM4nK7Kpw1HP1M03wuI9sOEtjAiWMgqZVrlgBaOLjpM4AfS8KUsj7xNPBSCAFhjgX3Clk4RQPpQgUHWuDb-dKEPt_EtkFPdd/s1600/drinking+razors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ67ihxW-NTWJ1nmRguk3_tPV3I9j5LXUVBGV3Qnht0VvAM4nK7Kpw1HP1M03wuI9sOEtjAiWMgqZVrlgBaOLjpM4AfS8KUsj7xNPBSCAFhjgX3Clk4RQPpQgUHWuDb-dKEPt_EtkFPdd/s1600/drinking+razors.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve decided to kick off the holiday season by giving you two
free gifts for Halloween. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, my novel <a href="http://amzn.to/1uWtjTH"><span style="color: blue;">A Taste of
Honey</span></a> will be available for FREE next Monday and Tuesday (November 3<sup>rd</sup>
and 4<sup>th</sup>) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also wrote a piece of flash
fiction horror just in time for Halloween. This is Part 1. The other two parts
will go up later this week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t say I never gave you
anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Shadow Dancer<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Part 1: Torment<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gamal.hennessy" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Gamal Hennessy</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I choked on a thousand razor blades as calloused and clawed
hands held me down on a bed of glass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I drowned in boiling stew made up of vomit and feces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I lay helpless on a bed of spikes, watching my organs ripped
out and devoured by insatiable cannibals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was raped from the inside out, violated by a fetus or a
virus so hurtful that his come spat molten lava through my body and out from my
eyes when he was done with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then my torment repeated from the beginning, with a
dozen hands holding me down and forcing razors into my mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Was I in Hell? How do I know? Organized religion uses the
ideas of eternal damnation to maintain power over their flocks. Hell represents
the punishment that awaits the sinner after death. But I didn’t die. I crossed
over into the shadows trying to save my husband. What sin did I commit? Is it a
sin to fight for love in the face of Darkness? And how could my lover open a passage
to eternal damnation in the first place? How could I escape something that’s
supposed to be forever? Based on what I’ve read since my Release, my suffering
sounds more similar to the traditional Chinese versions of Hell than the
Christian, but I’m not Chinese and my suffering wasn’t nearly as poetic as
their descriptions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How did I escape? I seized a fleeting moment of opportunity.
I think someone else paved the way and opened the door. Maybe a lot of some
ones tore down the walls that oppressed us. Who knows? I never saw anyone else
during my torment beyond my faceless cannibals. All I know is at some point my
reality tilted and I caught a whiff of cheap whiskey and stale cigarettes. My
cannibals abandoned me, so I slithered, crawled and ran towards the scent, not
knowing or caring where it led me.
Considering where I was, what could possibly have been worse?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-38687248250557534822014-09-11T06:58:00.000-07:002014-09-11T06:58:23.003-07:00How Can We Forget?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is difficult to forget a turning point in history. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Few
other events in recent memory have done more to expose our arrogance, our
ignorance, our greed, paranoia and basic disregard for human life. We hide
behind our insecurity to justify our self-righteous indignation, willful
blindness, double standards and docile conformity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are some things we can
never forget. There are other things we can never remember because we probably never
knew them in the first place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gamal</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-23062081762094949872014-09-03T11:25:00.001-07:002014-09-03T11:25:15.582-07:00My Sixteen Game Ban on the NFL<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Professional Football:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomorrow is the start of the season, but I’m giving you a
sixteen game ban from my life. You can probably guess why, but allow me to be
specific. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a more than casual fan of the Giants in particular and the league in general, I’ve ignored a lot of bad
behavior over the past few years including:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bounty scandal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The concussion
scandal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dog fighting scandal </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I even gave you a pass on the alleged
homicide scandal because of the way you reacted.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But <b>I can’t condone misogyny</b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You make a big show of holding your employees to a high
standard of behavior (See the <a href="http://www.spotrac.com/fines-tracker/nfl/"><span style="color: blue;">Sportstrac NFL 2014 Suspension
and Fine Tracker</span></a>). You claim to enforce harsh discipline whenever and
however you see fit. If a player takes marijuana or performance enhancing drugs,
you suspend them for four games. They lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. If
a player hits another player the wrong way on the field or makes an obscene
gesture, they are suspended for a game or fined or both.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what happens if a player hits his fiancé hard enough to
knock her unconscious, then drags her out of an elevator, tosses her on the
ground like a sack of dirty laundry and has a casual conversation with the
security guard who happens by? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He gets a two game suspension. (See <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nfl-domestic-violence-policy-suspensions/"><span style="color: blue;">The
NFL’s Uneven History of Punishing Domestic Violence</span></a>) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the messages I get from your decisions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s better to knock a woman out than smoke weed or cheat on
a test.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Punching your significant other is just as bad as two
obscene gestures during a game.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Domestic violence is not as bad as illegal contact during
the game.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The overall message boils down to <b>the safety and security of women is not important to the NFL.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know we don’t know what happened in the elevator. I know
you changed your policy in the wake of public backlash. I understand <b>my
decision to distance myself from you won’t make any difference to your business
or your product.</b> I’m sure you’ll make more money this year than you did last
year. You will continue to be the most addictive and popular sport in America.
But I need to get away from your message for a while. I want to give you an example of what a significant ban looks like. Maybe I’ll come back for
the playoffs. Or maybe your next misogynistic misstep will turn me away for
good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">G</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-88725951609531225632014-08-27T10:55:00.000-07:002014-08-27T10:55:21.924-07:00The Way of the Knife: A Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguZi8PV8EGtKIFR-ET7QgW9aEGkq5-CVEKEWcGwl4QxCUdoDbcwBZTHVGPGR_96nEtfcPZ-wB2aHohQ5lnRl_iqesraMCUNaywcs6pnRafhpZjN0e_exAJcA3XZ233ESSs-TL20Cfhdyg/s1600/knife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguZi8PV8EGtKIFR-ET7QgW9aEGkq5-CVEKEWcGwl4QxCUdoDbcwBZTHVGPGR_96nEtfcPZ-wB2aHohQ5lnRl_iqesraMCUNaywcs6pnRafhpZjN0e_exAJcA3XZ233ESSs-TL20Cfhdyg/s1600/knife.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gamal.hennessy" target="_blank">Gamal Hennessy</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9/11 had a ripple effect the world is still dealing with. Universal surveillance, endless cycles of war and the erosion of civil liberties are all by products of the attack on the World Trade Center. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Way-Knife-Mark-Mazetti-ebook/dp/B00AEDDSUC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409161654&sr=1-1&keywords=the+way+of+the+knife" target="_blank">The Way of the Knife</a> focuses on the way, waging war and declaring war have changed for America in the 21st Century. The book goes over familiar ground in great detail, but it is ultimately unsatisfying. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c9bf16f0-1894-38b8-5b0a-53898bbf4b4d" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>The central premise of the book revolves around the military developing increase spying capability while the intelligence community devoted more of it’s time to killing than spying. </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book explores the high level infighting between the Pentagon and Langley for control of the War on Terror. It’s a catalog of greed, bickering, turf battles, mismanagement and failed opportunities. Way of the Knife reveals many of the political and financial gains made by Washington elites in the name of national security.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hoped this book would focus more on the experience of spies and soldiers on the ground in places like Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. I had little interest in the back room deals made at the White House or the juvenile temper tantrums of our highest officials. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Way of the Knife is enlightening and educational, but it gives too much attention to men and women who deserve condemnation and not more fame for their manipulations</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-35094137286873387742014-08-21T09:47:00.000-07:002014-08-21T09:47:03.453-07:00Writing While the World Burns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvBaV27mQw91TXL_V66i8v_sRNCmYOFxOTsKijWTtby32C89aYihdj-G7iLlpMiZmq646E-ys-IZrOZE8U3LgVTyak5gFiKOeV2j_O11eShJ2-3pbT5y7umoIMLF987K74yDQh7wgERqd/s1600/earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvBaV27mQw91TXL_V66i8v_sRNCmYOFxOTsKijWTtby32C89aYihdj-G7iLlpMiZmq646E-ys-IZrOZE8U3LgVTyak5gFiKOeV2j_O11eShJ2-3pbT5y7umoIMLF987K74yDQh7wgERqd/s1600/earth.jpg" height="400" width="361" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Gamal Hennessy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Police strangle a man in broad daylight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Police gun down yet another unarmed man and I keep writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Protests turn into riots and police suppress the media, but
I keep writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gaza bombs Israel. Israel invades Gaza and I’m still
writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ebola spreads fear and death but that doesn’t stop me from
writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Russia invades Ukraine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iraq and Syria crumble into civil war. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fanatics behead journalists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Athletes beat women and send them to the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rape culture, racism and sexual repression remain fixtures
in our culture. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just keep writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is the point? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Books and ideas can change the world, but I’m not writing
some social manifesto. Very few people read what I write and even if they did,
it wouldn’t change the relationship between cops and the community, women and
men, or people and their own sexual expression. Writing, especially my writing,
doesn’t change the world, but it might offer a way to cope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writing is an opportunity for catharsis. When anger and rage
from police brutality, misogyny and other acts of human stupidity start to pile
up, a writer can channel all those negative emotions into their work instead of
holding it inside. A reader can feel the visceral impact without exposing
themselves to more danger. Perhaps hiding an emotional truth inside a fictional
lie is a good way to express the chaos of our lives. Maybe that’s why humans
need stories. Maybe that’s why I write. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t know the right answer and I don’t have solutions to
the problems we face. But I’m not trying to solve the world’s problems. I’m
just trying to write. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I keep writing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gamal</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-22452052797841522332014-08-17T20:17:00.000-07:002014-08-17T20:17:30.568-07:00The Touch of Honey Beta Reader Request<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm currently looking for beta readers for my third novel, <i>A
Touch of Honey</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're not familiar with the beta reading process, don't worry.
<b>Beta readers are like a focus group for
books</b>. They help the publisher predict audience reaction to a story by
getting feedback from a small segment of the market (See <a href="http://gamalhennessy.blogspot.com/2013/04/beta-testing-on-using-and-being-beta.html"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">On Using and Being a Beta
Reader</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A Touch of Honey </i>is a sequel to my
last novel, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taste-Honey-Contains-Prelude-Passion-ebook/dp/B00K7TWH28/ref=la_B008D2MPHI_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408331102&sr=1-1"><span style="color: blue;">A
Taste of Honey</span></a></i>. It continues the story of the spy Nikki Sirene as she
tries to survive in a world of crime and passion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoy adult crime thrillers, consider this premise:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
seduction, control is surrender and surrender is control…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Nikki Sirene</b> uses
her sexual charms to manipulate men and steal their secrets. She lives in
constant fear because the man who used to love her is now trying to kill her. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Desperate for protection, she agrees to a relationship of
mutual exploitation with a mysterious spy named Warren Baker. He agrees to
protect her from her enemies if she agrees to help take down a sex slave
operation in New York. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Entering into this world of depravity and pain pushes Nikki to
the edge of sanity. Can she escape with her freedom and her life, or will she
become just another human trafficking statistic?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're interested in being a beta reader for <i>A Taste of
Honey,</i> please send an e-mail to gamalhennessy@gmail.com and I'll put
you on the list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.<br />
G</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-53448297668725521002014-08-14T11:18:00.002-07:002014-08-14T11:18:21.876-07:00Being Wrong: A Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs2bSWLH3NY8EmlYS8foA-Ki5NpjeunB4MIz2a4aHx-adK5mlCOOP4zK4EkQPbkxbnaeCi-91wM_FoieYlCzli7ysj1kmd7COyJl-xmywUD_rTL44xrSHOPmEdEJtVK5lq5otbK2uvool/s1600/9780061176043_custom-b239e63b8b4ff1663439348fc14a8e1faa840b61-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs2bSWLH3NY8EmlYS8foA-Ki5NpjeunB4MIz2a4aHx-adK5mlCOOP4zK4EkQPbkxbnaeCi-91wM_FoieYlCzli7ysj1kmd7COyJl-xmywUD_rTL44xrSHOPmEdEJtVK5lq5otbK2uvool/s1600/9780061176043_custom-b239e63b8b4ff1663439348fc14a8e1faa840b61-s6-c30.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most people go through life thinking they are almost always right about pretty much everything virtually all the time. The reality is we are often wrong about things from the trivial to the universal. </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Being-Wrong-Adventures-Margin-Error/dp/0061176052/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408039685&sr=1-1&keywords=being+wrong+adventures+in+the+margin+of+error" style="line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being Wrong</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> explores why we are wrong so often and how it is helpful to us.</span></span></h2>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-961a05b4-d5b8-0986-3f59-ac25df8eae57" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Katheryn Shulz breaks down various sources of error, from sensory perception and cognitive interpretation to group prejudices and cultural biases. She also looks at the mental, psychological and social consequences of both being wrong and knowing you are wrong. She had so many categories of how we get things wrong as well as compound combinations of error, I began to wonder how we ever get anything right. I also marveled at humanity’s ability to remain in existence considering how massive some of our mistakes are.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the end, <i>Being Wrong</i> suggests error is a fundamental part of thinking. Developing the ability to use the brain also develops the ability to misuse it. Shulz took time to focus on the positive aspects of being wrong, including innovation, learning and adaptive behavior. She didn’t spend anytime discussing situations where subjective opinion is the basis of being “right” or when the “right answer” can’t be known or situations where people continued to maintain the “wrong” stance when it was in their best long term interests. Still, <i>Being Wrong</i> is an insightful look an ignored part of our mental processes. If you decide not to read it you will, once again, be wrong.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have fun.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gamal</span></span></h2>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-38726009048866129982014-08-12T16:20:00.001-07:002014-08-12T16:21:38.591-07:00Who Watches the Watchers (Thoughts on the American Police Brutality)<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The current strained relationship between police forces and some communities could be the result of military surplus weapons and training flowing from the War on Terror to local precincts (See </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfatxpQekZg" style="line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bill Maher: Police State</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It could be the result of the gradual expansion of police powers and a siege mentality in policing dating back to the American Revolution. (See </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Warrior-Cop-Militarization-Americas/dp/1610392116/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407883394&sr=1-1&keywords=rise+of+the+warrior+cop" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rise of the Warrior Cop</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps this occupying force mentality has always been present in our society and is only on the top of our minds now because the wider proliferation of personal video gives us weekly examples of minority and poor Americans being attacked and sometimes killed by police officers or even neighborhood watch members. (See </span><a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/12/nyc-official-wants-police-to-wear-cameras-after-chokehold-death/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NYC Official Wants Police to Wear Cameras After Chokehold Death</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s probably a combination of these factors and many others, but I think </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the most important thing to look at when thinking about or dealing with the police revolves around understanding their day to day motivation.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The articles I’ve seen about the killings in New York and Missouri frame the issue as racial, economic or social. (See </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/12/us/looting-and-unrest-follows-vigil-for-st-louis-teenager.html?_r=0" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FBI Steps In Amid Unrest After Police Kill Missouri Youth</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) I think all these things come into play, but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">why a person does what he does is based less on his socio-political position and more on his mental and emotional motivations</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I’ve never been in the police department, but I don’t think it takes twenty years on the force to understand the things he care about:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A police officer wants to protect*:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His life</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His partner’s life</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His family’s future </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His income</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His pension</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His career and/or promotion</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His reputation with other police </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His relationship to his superiors</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The relationship of his precinct to the others</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The relationship of his precinct to City Hall</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His relationship to the media and the court of public opinion</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please note: aiding the members of the community like you or me may or may not fit on this list</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. If it does, I doubt it will be higher than any of the things I’ve mentioned. I think this is accurate </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not because police are evil, but because police are human and every human in a society is motivated by self interest</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. If you or I decided to be a cop for whatever reason, this list would seem completely reasonable.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you add the constant threat of sudden violence that comes with being a police officer, and increased access to military weapons and training to the list of motivations above, you create a situation where any actual or perceived threat to an officer or his motivations could result in a lethal force altercation.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To reiterate, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t believe all cops are evil. I don’t believe all cops are good. I believe all cops are human and are driven by what they perceive to be their best interests in stressful situations</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Putting every police officer on camera for every civilian interaction can be effective because it impacts most of the officer’s motivations. But footage can be manipulated and evidence is not a guarantee of anyone being punished for a crime. Cameras treat the symptom, but they do not alter the underlying factors of behavior.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not, nor do I plan to be engaged in any violent or criminal activity. Having said that, I limit my interactions with police to the same level as the characters in my writing. I avoid them when possible and do my best to avoid or disengage from any situation where police might become involved. If that isn’t possible I try to remove myself from the situation as soon as possible without making things worse (See </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4nQ_mFJV4I" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 Rules for Dealing with Police</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Struggles between police and the people they protect is not a new phenomenon. In the first century AD, a Roman poet coined the phrase </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> or who watches the watchers? Through the magic of YouTube and Iphones we can all watch them, but until we can understand and change their motivations, is there anything we can do to stop them?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have fun.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gamal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Yes, I realize there are female police officers. Yes, I made a specific choice to single out men. I’m sure you can figure out why.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4429192322415915313.post-28672234569455373152014-08-12T14:26:00.002-07:002014-08-12T14:26:34.935-07:00A Brief Introduction to the Crime and Passion Blog<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You and I share something in common. Curiosity led you to this post. Curiosity inspires me to write. Most of my books focus on adult crime fiction and I plan to use this blog to explore the real world influences on my work. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to share ideas to increase your understanding and interest in the forces that shape modern conflict</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The conflict could be based on our internal struggles, our personal interactions or the challenges facing us as a group. All of them play a role in my creations.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-6b84cb2f-cc1c-e5d0-fd65-12f45b211ba8" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve renamed this blog, and my series of novels, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crime and Passion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> because those concepts describe the what and the why of my curiosity</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The characters in my stories are spies, assassins, prostitutes, slave traders, gun runners, thieves, mercenaries and others who make crime and violence their way of life. They are driven by greed, pride, lust, envy, hatred and other expressions of our darker nature. My hope is to create stories you can relate to, even if you see a side of yourself you might not like.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writing in this genre exposes me to a lot of fascinating real world stories. My research covers a wide net, including news stories, books and open source intelligence reports. I want to use this blog to share the information I find and hopefully have a dialogue on aspects of the real world that are far more fascinating than any fiction I create.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because I write about real world issues for adults, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this blog will explore some hot button issues concerning politics, sexuality, social issues and violence</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I will offer my perspective on news stories relevant to my writing. Those perspectives might not conform to popular opinion or to your experience. I welcome discussion and alternative views, but I try not to waste time with trolls. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope Crime and Passion satisfies your curiosity and stimulates your imagination.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gamal Hennessy</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02525554161335481694noreply@blogger.com0