The Blog

As soon as you make your foray into the world of publishing or any other media outlet, you soon realize that your name is your product identity. Outside those that know them, nobody thinks of Stephen King as just Steve, or mentions “Liz” when talking about the Queen of England. Unfortunately, my birth name James...

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There aren’t many series that I can read and reread without ever tiring of, but Piers Anthony’s Apprentice Adept series is one of them. Seven glorius books tell the story of Proton, a technologically advanced planet, and its twin Phaze, a world of traditional fantasy. Both Proton and Phaze occupy the same space, being separated...

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Only because I don't have anyone to Wii with. I just got my console online today. I thought that I'd have to buy some sort of USB WiFi thing until one of Andreas's coworkers clued us in. Now I'm online, but still a little clueless as to what to do when it comes to interacting...

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My mom's Siamese is so cute. There are three cats living there, all girls, and they each gathered in my room to play every night. I usually look forward to being completely free of responsibility on my trips, but I couldn't resist those big cat eyes. I'm weak!

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I’d heard a lot about Sanchez’s gay trilogy and was delighted to find the first volume, “Rainbow Boys,” while visiting my parents. Three must be Sanchez’s favorite number, because his novel focuses on three different high school students, each in a different stage of coming out. Nelson is your typical sarcastic queen, out and active...

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I have this pet peeve about the post Christmas season, where I hate seeing anything holiday related. It’s all binge and purge with me, and it turns my stomach to see old Christmas decorations in the middle of February. That having been said, I have my work cut out to get the Christmas entries off...

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Christmas in Germany takes place on the 24th, and things go down a bit different. Present opening doesn’t take place until night. In fact, the Christmas tree doesn’t go up until this day, and it’s set up in a room that the kids are forbidden to enter. The tree is decorated and the presents set...

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Christmas craziness in Germany is best accentuated by the countess Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas Markets) that spread like tribbles in December. These outdoor markets are usually formed by long rows of stalls that sell candy, German crafts, and most importantly, hot, cinnamon-spiked wine that transforms shopping in the cold into a pleasant experience. Our city of Esslingen...

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Animatronic figures have long since been a part of Christmas tradition. Usually there will be a cozy manger scene, where the animals might bob their heads or the like. There used to a be a Peter Pan display at the local mall when I was a kid. I always liked that one. You don’t see...

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Whenever I burn incense in the house, it makes Andreas think of Christmas, thanks to the smoking men that burst out of attic storage come December. Glorified incense burners, smoking men usually come in the form of wooden figurines, often with nods to various professions, or sometimes as animals. I have the dubious pleasure of...

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