7 Song Named "Hello" That Aren't Adelle or Lionel Richie

If you're really sick of hearing "Hello" by Adele and then having it followed up with the inevitable Lionel Richie follow up, then this is the blog post for you! Here's 7 songs you can listen to called "Hello," that aren't by either of them!

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Indie Memphis 2015

This year, I was fortunate enough to take part in the Indie Memphis Film Festival. Not only did I have a short featured in the festival, my band also played before one of the films! 

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The Flag

So, my original post was longwinded and softly worded. Since that one wasn't clear, I'll break it down.

The Confederate Flag represents a failed state based on the violent oppression of a group of people. They were tortured, slaughtered, and enslaved.

It became popular during the Civil Rights movement to fly the flag in the face of African Americans to remind them that they were inferior and threaten their lives.

It has no place in a government supported by our tax dollars. There is nothing stopping you from displaying or wearing the Southern Cross, but you would be an asshole to do it.

The flag is part of our heritage. It is an embarrassing, horrible, violent heritage that belongs in a museum to prevent future generations from enslaving others.
 

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The Wal-Mart Effect

This article was originally written in 2009 for my personal blog. Since then, many of my predictions have come true. Blockbuster and other specialty retailers have shuttered. Wal-Mart's hold on the economy is not as strong as it was back then, but it is still a juggernaut. Luckily, people are beginning to see the company's detrimental effect on the economy are fighting against it. 

We all hate Wal-Mart. 

We hate the over crowded stores, the under manned registers, the clutter, the dirt, and the freaks that are regularly on display. We hate the loud, annoying children running around, and the shopping carts whose wheels barely turn. Then why do we all shop there? The answer is obvious: IT'S SO CHEAP!

Wal-mart fills a couple of spaces in our daily lives. Number one: it's cheap. Most of us don't have that much money and we have to make it go a long way. Secondly, it's convenient. Most of us are also very busy. We work, we have families, we have a lot of shit to do. We don't have time to run all over town to 10 different stores to get what we need. We want to go to one place and walk out with everything we need. And what's wrong with any of that?

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Rattlin' The Hocks

Last September, I was walking through some exhibits at the local fair with my girlfriend when my phone rang. Reception was kind of weird in there, and I lost the call before I could answer. A few minutes later, I checked my voicemail. Chad from Piano Man Pictures called to see if I was available to do sound on a shoot the next day. I had been doing a ton of shoots for the past several months, and I was kind of hoping for a break. Plus, the next day was a holiday, and I just wanted the day off. Eventually, I decided to help out, and I am extremely happy that I did.


The Grahams Website

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Sunday Author Interview: Lela Buis

Please introduce yourself. How long have you been publishing?

Hi, Richard. I'm Lela E. Buis and I published my first story in the science fiction genre in 1991. I've always been mainly a short story writer, though I'm now looking at doing some longer works and getting into the novel market. The end result of being a short story writer, though, is that I have a stock of old short stories, both published and not. Nobody much wants reprints, so in order to get these working for me, I looked at releasing some collections. 

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My Date With John Waters

As most of you probably know, I am both a filmmaker and a film fan. My tastes range from the classics to cheap exploitation. While my favorite director of all time is David Lynch, I am not sure that I would ever want to meet him. He seems to have his own M.O.: modus operandi. I don't know that we would be able to have an conversation in the same realm of existence.

One director that I have always wanted to meet is John Waters. I admit that I found him through his later work first. Some friends introduced me to the movie Pecker, which I found to be charming and quirky. It made me laugh, but I didn't think that much more about it.

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Sunday Author Interview: Robert Michael

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Robert Michael, and I am terrible at about me’s.

How long have you been publishing?

I’m fresh to the field, having published my first novel in December of 2014





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Sunday Author Interview: Tom Mykytiuk

Please introduce yourself.

I am a recently retired Army officer who has always enjoyed writing fiction. I spent 25 years in the Infantry, and now I have more time to devote to the craft. I used to write short stories, but eventually took on a full length novel.

How long have you been publishing?

Since September 2014. The Beaten Zone was my first book.


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Sunday Author Interview: Angel M.B. Chadwick

Please introduce yourself.

Hi, my name is Angel M.B. Chadwick

 How long have you been publishing?

Since I could write, when I was thirteen, 24 years.

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Movie Poop Shoot!

As most of you know, I am a filmmaker and film fan. My tastes range from the obscure horror film to the occasional blockbuster. To be honest, I'm not very likely to be found in a theater watching the latest big budget spectacle. Marvel may get me in there every once in a while, but most other studios just don't put out product that interests me very often.

With that in mind, I'm taking a look at some of the latest trailers for upcoming films. I have to say that I'm not very excited by what's being offered.

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Sunday Author Interview: Todd Misura

How long have you been publishing?

 I’ve been published since the beginning of the year with Rejected For Content, a horror anthology that covers stories that were or would have been rejected for content. I submitted Drift, a story about a serial killer who comes home to a monster worse than him. 

Tell us about your latest book. 

My latest book is Divergence Erotica from a different angle, and it comes as an alternative to most of the short collections on the market because of the themes and ideas expressed within. It’s a strange mix of BDSM, strange tales that happen to have sexual content, and some short erotic pieces that are there to stimulate readers.

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Sunday Author Interview: Chris Galford

Please introduce yourself:

Hello everyone. My name is Chris Galford and I’m a bit of a bibliophile. In essence, I surround myself with stories and never look back. I also may in fact be that kid from the playground who got just a wee bit too creative with his imagination. Dragons forever.

I am the author of The Haunted Shadows series, a trilogy of fantasy books which includes The Hollow March and At Faith’s End, and will soon be wrapping up with As Feathers Fall (to be published March 20, 2015). My work has also been featured in Mystic Signals Magazine, the Frogpond Journal, and soon, in A Bleak New World—an anthology published by Raven International Publishing—to name a few.

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Sunday Author Interview: Patty Apostolides

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Patty Apostolides, and I’ve written three sweet romance novels, a novella, poetry book, and children’s book. I was born in Greece, and have lived in America most of my life. In my first career, I was a biologist and conducted cancer research. In my second career, I was a stay-at-home mother and homeschooled my son. I'm in my third career now, and have become an author. I might become a teacher in my fourth career, after I get my MFA degree. We shall see!



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Meet Shelby Staxx

Who's the badass actress-turned-crime fighter trying to clean up the streets of a corrupt city? Staxx! I'm just talking about Shelby.

For those of you who are not familiar with her, Shelby Staxx is a recurring character from a series of shorts by Azbest Films. Played by the talented Charisse Norment, she was created by writer/director Sam Bahre.

The character is also important to me, because it marked the first time I really worked with Azbest on a production. I had shot a couple of small things with them (like the book trailer to The Check Out) but had not made a film (short or otherwise) in quite some time. This film marked the beginning of a fruitful period for all of us.

But, before we get into the story of Shelby Staxx, take a look at the original short.

Warning: Very NSFW


  Shelby Staxx from Azbest Films on Vimeo.

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Sunday Author Interview: Maranda Russell

Please introduce yourself.

I am an award-winning author and artist who also happens to have Asperger's Syndrome (a kind of high-functioning autism). I live in Dayton, Ohio and am married with no children, although we do have six cats that are like children to us (Jack, Einstein, Spyder, Mao, Icky and Rosie). 

How long have you been publishing?

My first book was published in 2011 (a children's picture book entitled "Ode to Icky"), but even prior to that I was getting stories, poems, articles and essays published in various publications. 

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Bond is Back!

As you may or may not know, I am a huge fan of the James Bond series. I love all the incarnations of the character on screen (though some more than others), and have also read most of the books. (I like to save them like treats!) Though things have been really stressful for me lately, I did find a lot of joy in the release of the new teaser trailer for Spectre. I love what Daniel Craig and Same Mendes are doing with the franchise. I can't wait to see how they bring back the ultimate Bond villian: Blofeld.

In honor of this release, here is a post that was originally written for my movie blog during the release of Skyfall. Here are the top and bottom 5 Bond films, in my opinion.

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The X-Files Returns!

The X-Files (1993-2002)

I was (and still am) a huge fan of the X-Files. It was recently announced that the show will return for a limited run; hopefully resulting in a satisfying ending that eluded the last film. In honor of the show's return, here is an article I wrote for my defunct movie review blog. Enjoy! 


The television landscape of the early 90's was completely different than it is today. For one, cable was the land of reruns and B-movies. HBO and Showtime weren't producing their own material yet; so the networks were king. By networks, I mean NBC, CBS, and ABC. Back then, FOX was a newcomer, struggling to make a name for itself.

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Fear and Trembling

I'd like to start off by saying that I had a great time at Midsouth Con 33 this past weekend. I was on some fun panels and met a lot of other authors. It was a much needed respite from something that's been shaking me up.

About a month ago, I found out that my dog, Ayden, has a tumor growing just behind his lung. I took him to an oncologist, though we were unable to determine if it is lung cancer or lymphoma. In either case, there was not much that they could do. He is around 13-14 years old. He has spent almost that entire time at my side. The diagnosis was, frankly, shocking in the worst way.

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Sunday Author Interview: Hollywood Hellmouth

This weekend, I was at Mid South Con 33, as was author Armand Rosamilia. In celebration, this Sunday's interview features Armand, as well as Jay Wilburn, Jack Wallen, and Brent Abell. They have a new book entitled Hollywood Hellmouth. Let's find out more about them, and their work!

Is writing your full-time career?

Jay Wilburn: Yes, I left teaching and have been writing full-time for a couple years.

Jack Wallen: Yes it is. I wake up every day, do NOT get out of my pajamas, and lay fingers to keys for the majority of the day.

Armand Rosamilia: Yes. I’ve been writing full-time for over four years now and loving every minute of it. Living the dream as the young kids say. I know somebody says it.

Brent Abell: It is a dream for it to be a full time career and I hope over the next few years, I can reach that point. I might have to flip burgers in a fast-food joint to pay the bills between royalty checks though. Choices...

Buy This Book On Amazon. 

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Sunday Author Interview: Lenita Sheridan Graves

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Lenita Sheridan Graves. I write under the pen name Lenita Sheridan. My website is http://www.lenitasheridan.com.

How long have you been publishing?

I've been publishing since May of 2013.

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Sunday Author Interview: R.F.G. Cameron

Each Sunday, I would like to bring you an interview with another author. It gives fresh perspective, and allows me to connect with others in the business. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading these, as well.

Here is our first interview:

Please introduce yourself.

A: Hello, I'm R.F.G. Cameron. I tend to use my initials as most people mangle my name, and it's also easier than a generic "Hey You".


How long have you been publishing?

A: I released my first two novels in June, 2013, so not quite two years.

Buy This Author's Work On Amazon. 

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Mid South Con 33

RICHARD A LESTER APPEARS MARCH 20-21 2015

Richard A Lester will be a panelist at this year's MidSouth Con. He will be talking about Timid Monster's Afterlight short, teaching children how to write a super hero story, and giving advice on how to make a fan film. He will also be selling/signing copies of The Check Out.

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Join My Mailing List!

I have started an email list so that it is easier to keep up on specials, new releases, and appearances. If you would like to join, just fill out the form here.

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Latest Happenings

These past few months have been fairly busy ones for me. I am in the process of finishing post production of a short film that I directed in December. It's called "Stacked Deck," and is a noir inspired thriller. I am tweaking audio on it at the moment, and then we will do a couple of picture adjustments. I hope to begin submitting it to festivals later this year.

I have also started working on my next novel. It has been two years since The Check Out, but I haven't been sitting idly by. This is a different type of book, so I've been collecting ideas and outlining them in this time period. I'm very excited by this new project, but I am not far enough along in the process to really discuss it. I'll keep you all posted as I get further along.

I will be appearing at Midsouth Con again this year. I will be doing a couple of panels about film work, as well as teaching children how to write a story about super heroes! I will also be selling/signing copies of The Check Out and showing a "sizzle reel" of film projects that I have been working on with Azbest Films and Piano Man Productions. I hope to see some of you there!

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Television, Internet, and Video Association Award 2014

The Check Out has won an award!

The Television, Internet, and Video Association has awarded Steve Ember the 2014 Best Narration, Male  award for The Check Out!

You can watch the video of the presentation here: (Skip to 1:34:17)



TIVA Peer Awards 2014 from TIVA-DC on Vimeo.

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