Greeting loyal airmen. Here we are the day after Thanksgiving, or as it is known throughout the retail establishment, Black Friday.  It is our hope that all you airmen had a great Thanksgiving yesterday, that you got to share it with friends and family as we did.  Our oldest daugher, Michelle, hosted Valerie, me and her mom.  She put on an amazing spread of such delicious food, I swear we all put on a few extra pounds for sure.  Ha.  Thanksgiving was really the culmination of a truly memorable week around here at Hangar 27.   After four years in devolpment, my graphic novel, DAUGHTER OF DRACULA was finally published by Ka-Blam and will soon be on sale at their store site, (www.indyplanet.com).  And here is the eye-poppoing cover by Mark Maddox that Rob Davis and I have been keeping secret lo these past few months.

And that is exactly how the book appears, without a single letter or logo to mar the beauty of that image.  Check out Rob holding an early copy of the book.

Earlier this week columnist Jen Contino at the Pulse did a really great interview with Rob and about Daughter of Dracula and my good friend Chuck Moore has posted his own new release page over at his Comic Related site.  So the buzz on the book is spreading throughout the comic community.  As soon as Indy Planet has it up for sale, I will be posting that link here on our Air Fare page.   Remeber, for only $13, you can buy an autographed copy directly from either Rob or myself.  Just drop me a letter if you'd like to do so.  Any if by any chance you are an independent publisher who would like to add DAUGHTER OF DRACULA to your company, again, drop me a line.  Rob and I would love to see this picked up through the traditional distribution channels.  This has been a labor of love for us both and we are really anxious for all of you to pick up and copy and read it.  You will not be disappointed.  On that you have my word.

Finally, last week the new Robert Zemeckis action adventure movie, BEOWULF, was released nationwide and Valerie and I caught the first afternoon matinee showing.  Luckly for us, our theater was also showing the 3D version and we opted to see that one.  Well, both of us were blown away by the amazing Computer Graphics in this movie.  That alone, plus a superb story retelling the classic hero myth, would have been enough for us to give it thumbs up.  But then you add the brilliant use of 3D and both of us were oohing and aaghing all through the film. It is hands down the most fun either of us has had at the movies all year.  Do NOT miss seeing BEOWULF on the big screen, and if you are fortunate enough to have a theater playing the 3D version, that's the one you pick.  Note, I made sure both us kept our 3D glasses and took them home for us.  Fingers crossed the studios will release a 3D DVD version.  Oh yeah.  This movie was very much like an early Christmas gift to all us action and adventure junkies.

And there you have it, airmen.  We are officially into the Christmas season.  Hope it is an exciting and fun time for all of you.  And please, do whatever and pick up a copy of DAUGHTER OF DRACULA.  Its a gothic romance that will blow you away.

Ron – Over & Out

Greetings loyal airmen.  I'm very excited about several new items this week so let's get right to them.  Ever since Hangar 27 opened for business several years ago, the one element that was missing was a forum.  Although many of you have written me personally or stopped by our table at conventions, I always wished we could have a permanent place to exchange dialogue about those things near and dear to my heart, and hopefully yours as well.

Just a little over two weeks ago a really terrific comics fan named Chuck Moore was introduced to me via another friend.  Chuch operates one of the most amazing sites devoted to comics books ever put up on the internet and its called just that; COMICS RELATED.  If it has anything to do with comics, be it the books themselves or TV and movies, you are going to find the latest on all hot topics at this truy comprehensive site.  I've added a link to Comics Related up on our Links page.  Check it out.  I guarantee you'll be glad you did and soon find yourself visiting it often.

So here's the thing.  Chuck went and offered to host Ron Fortier's Forums over at Comics Related!  And once he put them up, he quickly broke them down into a half dozen topics all of which cover my range of interests from my new pulp novels to my Pulp Fiction Reviews column and there's even a Baseball section where I, and many of you, can talk about the World Champion Red Sox and other teams of the MLB.  There's link directly to my forums right over this blog block.  Soooo..from now on, after stopping by here on your weekly visit, if you've anything to add, pro or con, please, drop by the forums and post a message.  I check them out several times a day and would love to get many of you loyal airmen on board.  This could be tons of fun for all of us.

Back on Nov. 12, 1991, Valerie and I were working the second shift at the local GE Plant.  On that particular evening we came home and were just going about our routine when the telephone rang.  It being close to midnight we were puzzled at who would be calling.  It turned out to be our son-in-law Chris telling us that he, and our daugther Michelle were at the hospital.  She had gone into labor with their first baby.  Valerie immediately grabbed her hang bag, gave me a kiss and ran out the door.   I made myself a cup of coffee and sat down to watch one of those late night talk shows.  Sometime shortly after midnight the phone rang a second time and I picked it up super fast.  It was Valerie with the awesome news, Michelle had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl and they had named her Kristi.   Thus was our very first grandchild born, the first of six thus far.  This past Monday night, Nov. 13,  that precious little miracle who transformed all our lives that eventful night turned Sweet Sixteen.

                     
She has grown into a beautiful young woman who lights up all our lives still.   Michelle invited us over to for ice cream and cake after dinner for a little informal birthday party.  We brought along Valerie's mother, Lorraine, who would turn 80 the very next day.  Also present were Kristi's friend Asher and her younger sister, Chelsea.  Chelsea turns 13 the start of next year.   At one point during evening when I was alone with Chris, I leaned over and asked softly, “You remember that night 16 years ago?”  He looked at me, nodded and then said almost sadly, “It's going by too fast.”  Amen to that.  Life sometimes just runs away with us.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTI and may you be blessed with many, many more.

Tuesday of this week I finished writing my fourth Captain Hazzard pulp novel, CAVEMEN OF NEW YORK.  It is my first solo novel in this series and was quite a challenge to write.  I'd given myself a target of 60,000 words, the average length of most pulp novels in the old magazines and came in a little over 61,000.  Not a bad finale.  Now comes the re-reading/writing and editing.  I hope to have it off to artist Rob Davis with a week.  He will then begin doing interior illustrations and designing the book.  Mark Maddox will be painting the cover.  One of the elements in the plot is a new vehicle Hazzard invents to help him and his team defeat their foes.  He calls it The Pygmy and Rob did up several sketches from my descriptions in the book for Mark to use a reference as it will mostly likely be featured on that cover.  Here's a sneek-peek for all of you.

                    
Hope this sparks your curiosity and wets your appetite for CAVEMEN OF NEW YORK.  With fingers crossed it will be available for sale sometime in Jan or Feb 08.

And that's it for another week, loyal airmen.  Thanks for stopping by.   A HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you and your loved ones.  Do take the time to enjoy your families and thank the Good Lord for all your many blessings.  And while you are at it, say a special prayers for all our brave men and women serving overseas in the Armed Forces.  God Bless and protect everyone of them.  See you back here next week.

Ron – Over & Out.

Greetings loyal airmen.  If any of you are wondering what I did for my birthday this past Monday, well I went to the hospital to have blood drawn.  This morning, Friday, I was back there for my annual cat-scan.  This is a routine I am put through so that my lung specialist can examine the two black spots, one on each lung, and determine if they have changed in size since my last scan.  We still don't know what they are, but as long as they remain static and aren't harmful, then they get to stay.  Otherwise…Ha.  Let's not go there.                        

   
My pal Rob lives out in Missouri and wrote earlier in the week to report that the foliage was just starting to change colors.  He then made a comment about imagining how beautiful Fall must be up here in New Hampshire.  And he was so very right.  But there's a hidden curse that comes with that beauty.  As you can see above, this photo of the Fortier homestead was taken a week ago when there were still quite a few leaves on the trees.  Even then that carpet on the ground was starting to rise.  Well now it is twice buried, with most of the leaves down and of course they all have to be picked up and carted elsewhere.  Its the sneaky part of the season the tourist department doesn't tell you about.  Ha.

                                   
Two weeks ago I did an on-line interview with Astonishing Adventures which should appear in their second issue due out some time in December. Somewhere in that list of questions I was asked if any of my children or grand children had picked up the comic-book bug from me.   I answered no honestly.  All five of our kids have their own creative outlets; one plays guitar in a band, another has a marvelous model train collections, etc.etc.  But none of them really ever got into comics.  So no sooner than you can say, Oops, son Scott sends along pictures of Taryn and Logan in their Halloween costumes.  And there's Taryn all decked out like the scarlet whizzer, The Flash!!  I loved it.  Now technically she is not into comics (yet) but apparently Scott and she both watched the WB animated series, Justice League Unlimited and Taryn simply fell in love with the Flash.  Isn't she just adorable in that costume?  Way to go, Tee.  Next time me and Val visit, I'm bringing along a half dozen Flash comics.  Time to educate this girl properly.

Finally an update on projects.  DAUGHTER OF DRACULA is still at the printers.  This waiting is driving me nuts.  Soon, now.  Please.  I'll be able to announce its release and where you can all get copies.  Meanwhile I've been hammering away at the new Captain Hazzard novel.  It will be # 4 and is called CAVEMEN OF NEW YORK and I hope to wrap it up next week.  Then with fingers crossed, we can get the book designed, art assembled and a cover done so that it will be out next Jan.  And of course if you haven't read the first three pulse pounding adventures of the Champion of Justice (see covers above) they are all still available from Wild Cat Books until the end of this year. Go to the Air Fare page.  Reviews have been stellar on all three and for that I thank all of you.

Okay, that's pretty much it for this week.  Thanks as always for stopping by,
Ron Over & Out

Greeting loyal airmen.  Well yesterday was 1 Nov., All Saints Day and as we go into the weekend, I'm looking at yet another birthday, Monday, 5th.  I'll be 61 and once again shaking my head wondering how the hell that happened?  Ha.  The truth people, when you have fun, do for others and simply love, it just whips right along.  Now an example of having all that fun could easily be demonstrated in last weekends events, both public and personal.

               
I spent all of last Sat. afternoon, 27 Oct., as a guest of Nellie Woe's Comic 'N Such located in nearby Dover, NH.  Owned and operated by the very gracious Jason Santo and his partner, Larry Clow.  It was a really fun day for me as I got to me lots of very cool people.  Jason, his wife and his staff were so kind to me and allowed me to bore them half to death with all my career stories.   If you are ever in the Dover area, please, they are located at the top of Central Avenue across the street from the Cafe Shop.  This is a truly great comic shop and I'm hoping they'll invite me back real soon.  Maybe when Daughter of Dracula debuts.

                         
On the following day, the Red Sox, for the second time in four years, won the World Series by sweeping the Colorado Rockies with a Game 4 nail biting victory of 4 to 3.  And the most valuable player award of that entire series went to veteran third basement, Mike Lowell.  Mike was an add-on two years ago in the contract deal that brought pitching ace, Josh Beckett to the Sox from the Marlins.  Not bad for someone the team HAD to take.  In short order, Lowell became one of the guiding leaders of the club, his steady, mature demeanor becoming a mentoring factor to lots of the new, younger players.  This year he drove in more RBIs then any other other Red Sox player and when the play-off season kicked off, so did his bat, hitting well into the 400 average range.  And he's a fan favorite.  Why shouldn't he be?  The guy delivers.  So now all of Red Sox Nation waits anxiously to see if the front office will make a serious effort to keep him in a Red Sox jersey. 

Recently the New York Yankees showed the world what kind of an organization they are by forcing out manager Joe Torre. The same manager to who took them to the play-offs in 14 consecutive seasons.  Oh yeah, that's a class act alright.  Give me a break.  If I were a Yankee ball-player today, I would not have a warm fuzzy feeling about my future.  Let's hope the Red Sox have real class, offer Mike Lowell what he's worth and keep the best third baseman in baseball playing in Fenway!!

All for another week, airmen.  Take care, Ron, Over and Out!

                          UPDATE 29 OCT 2007 – RED SOX WIN WORLD SERIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greeting loyal airman and welcome to another Airship 27 Log Entry for this, the final weekend of October.  Halloween is coming fast and I hope all you airmen have stocked up on candy and gotten your scariest outfits ready to go.  Having been born the week after this colorful holiday, I’ve always been a fall lover.  Watching the leaves change color in New Hampshire is a magnificent grace from God that never fails to amaze me.  That vibrant green leaves should suddenly morph into reds and golds and browns before they tumble to the ground has always seemed a beautiful comfort to me from the Almighty.  His way of telling us passing from one existence to another is not only natural, but beautiful.

A few weeks ago I was asked by the alumni director of my old high school, St. Thomas Aquinas, if I wouldn’t write a short article on my writing career and how much the school influenced me in that vocation.  I loved my four years at STA and the memories of those wonderful days have never left me.  For those of you counting, I graduated a member of the first ever graduating class of 1964.  What follows is the short essay I submitted.  It will appear in the Jan. 08 edition of STA’s REFLECTIONS.

                                                                                 ++++

 By the time I arrived at St. Thomas as part of the first class in the fall of 1960, I knew I wanted to write fantastic fiction.  I was an avid comic book reader and dreamed of one day being able to write them.  Enter Sister Raymunda, both my homeroom and Freshman English teacher.  She recognized that tiny spark of creativity and did everything she could to fan it into a flame. 

One night we had to write an essay on the subject of family life.  I did mine in the form of a short story.  Two days letter, to my utter amazement, Sister Raymunda stood in front of the class and spoke about the weariness teachers’ often endure having to read thousands of student papers during their careers.  Yet every now and then one would cross her desk and make everything worth while.  She then proceeded to read my story aloud, word for word.  It was the first time I realized that I could actually entertain people with my writing.  It was a moment I never forgot.

She would continue to mentor and guide me during the next three years.  Then came our senior year, 1964, and Sister Nora invited me to join the staff of our first ever school paper.  It would eventually be collected as our first yearbook.  I wrote several feature articles for that paper.  It was the first time I ever saw my by-line in print and Sister Nora became my very first editor.  There have been many others since, but none as important to me. 

My writing career now spans thirty five years with well over five hundred comic titles and a half dozen adventure novels published.  I’ve also done a little editing and had a three act play produced.   Today I continue to use my imagination in writing pulp and graphic novels.    My latest novel, WITCHFIRE, co-written with Ardath Mayhar, was recently released by Cornerstone Books.  In Jan. 08 they will release my fourth Captain Hazzard pulp adventure, CAVEMEN OF NEW YORK and a collection of horror tales featuring my newest character entitled, BROTHER BONES.

None of which would have been possible without Sisters Raymunda, Nora and all the other wonderful teachers of STA.   It seems wonderfully serendipitous to be writing for STA once again.  Thanks so much for the opportunity.   
                                                                                     ++++

                                             ME…….SKIPPER….&….CORA

Finally, I cannot end this entry without yelling HALLUJAH; the Red Sox have won their first two games of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies.   Game 3 is tomorrow night at Coors Field in Denver Colorado.  This will be Denver’s first ever World Series.  Good for them.  Let it be known, the Rockies are my granddaughter Cora’s team.  So still a diehard Sox fan, I am still applauding the Rockies and their championship season.   Regardless of the final outcome, both these teams are winners in my book.

Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN.   Ron – Over & Out.

Greeting loyal airmen.  I've a lot of different things to talk about and several of them have me really wound for sound.  First up, just in time for Halloween, I will be doing a book store signing in nearby Dover, NH on Sat. 27th Oct. to promote my new novel with Ardath Mayhar, WITCHFIRE.   The store host a very fun event called the Zombie Walk, wherein lots of locals show up dressed like ghouls, then together proceed to march up and down Central Avenue causing tons of commotion, all quite harmless and thoroughly in the spirit of the season. The people of Dover love it.  Anyway, I'll be getting to the shop, located at the top of the square, across the street from the Coffee Shop, around 3 PM, just when the Zombie Walk kicks.  Beside copies of WITCHFIRE, I'll have lots of my other pulp titles and a few comic books so I hope to can join me there.  Looks to be tons of fun.

UPDATE – Monday 22 Oct.  Final arrangements.  The signing will be at Nellie Woe's Comics 'N Such located at 493 Central Ave, Dover, NH.  Phone number 603-750-0056 and I will be there from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM and the Zombie Walk will kick off at 4 PM.  Hope to see lots of you there this coming Sat. afternoon.

And getting completely into the spirit of Halloween, there's a really terrific book I want to recommend to all of you.  It was given to me as a gift last year and I finally got around to reading it.  It's called THE APOCALYPSE PARABLE : A CONSPIRACY OF WEEDS and was written by Brian Kaufman.  My full review of this excellent book is avaible at my Pulp Fiction Reviews blog (link above).  Generally that's as far as I'll go promoting books, except, again, when I think the title is something truly unique and worthy of your attention.  This is such a title.  Copies can be obtained at Amazon.com.  Trust me, this is a rare find.

Valerie flies home this coming Tuesday night and my days as Bachelor Ron are finished once again. And I couldn't be happier.  As most of you know, she spends several weeks a year out in Colorado with our son, Alan, and his family.  Two days ago she was there to help our granddaughter Cora celebrate her 13th birthday.  They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and I've come to believe that due to these regular separations we go through.  Not that I'd ever recommend it as a way to rekindle one's lost romance, ha.  A little too severe for that. On the other hand, I love knowing she's out there with them and that makes me happy too.  And of course we have all those wonderful homecomings to look forward to.  Tuesday night can't get here soon enough.

And finally, I am going to bore you with reprinting a picture I posted here only two short weeks ago.  Why?  Well because it deserves to be reposted.  THE RED SOX ARE STILL ALIVE!!!!!

And its all because of this fire breather above!  JOSH BECKETT..BEST PITCHER IN BASEBALL!!!!  Last night, full of passion, talent and heart, this warrior went out in Jakes Field in Cleveland and shut down the Indians, who were dreaming of glory a little too soon.  Now the series comes back to Boston and Fenway Park for Game 6.  Can the Sox pull it off?  I don't know, but part of me is willing to accept they may not after watching Beckett's two incredible games here.  That was totally worth the price of admission.

UPDATE – Monday 22 Oct.  RED SOX WIN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNANT IN GAME  7 BEATING THE CLEVELAND INDIANS 11-2.   FIRST GAME OF WORLD SERIES WED NIGHT AT FENWAY PARK.  BRING ON THE COLORADO ROCKIES!!!!

There you have airmen, another Fall week.  Go out there and rake some leaves.  Ha.
Ron – Over & Out.

Greetings loyal airmen.  As most of you are well aware, for the past two and a half years I have been both writing and producing brand new pulp books for Wildcat Books.  Most of these are listed for sale on my Air Fare page, with current links that take you to Wildcat's Lulu store sites where you can buy the books directly.  You can also go to the bigger houses like Amazon and Barnes & Noble to purchase these volumes.  But only up until 1 Jan 2008.

A few weeks ago, I was informed by Wildcat Books owner, Ron Hanna, that he was going to be dropping all of these titles from his Lulu store catalog come the first of next year.  That means if you have ever entertained the idea of buying and of these books, BROTHER GRIM, THE HOUNDS OF HELL, and the three CAPTAIN HAZZARD adventures, then you'd best get the lead out.  Come 1 Jan 08 and they will be gone, both from Lulu and all those other outlets.  Once he deletes the files, they are no longer carried.

But not forever.  Nope.  Part of Hanna's action was to hand over to me all publishing rights to these books.  That being the case, my art director and partner, Rob Davis, are definately making plans to reprint these titles as soon as is humanly possible.  The thing is, we are not simply going to remove the WCB info and logo, slap on our own and re-post them.  We are looking at this as a perfect opportunity to go over each of these books and make some much needed corrections and alterations.  We'll be able to fix typos that got away from us, re-do old introductions and eliminate ads that are no longer valid.  Some titles will have major revisions done to them, while others will seem unchanged upon first inspection.  But there will be differences.  The biggest of all will be addition of our new company logo, Airship 27 Productions.

                              
This snazzy logo will be appear on all our covers.  The reprinted volumes will have the added words…NEW EDITION – RE-EDITED & UPDATED wrapped around the top part of the logo to signify the book is a reprint edition.  All new titles will simply have the logo as seen here.   So, come 1 Jan 08, all those WCB book listings on the Air Fare page will disappear.  Then, as Rob and I get the revisions done, they'll be coming back better than ever.

And speaking of these new operations, the true first new Airship 27 Prod. book is in fact WITCHFIRE, which was published by Cornerstone Books a week ago.  Publisher Michael Poll informs us that the book seems to have hit the ground running and is selling extremely well.  I'm guessing a big part of this quick success is the name of Ardath Mayhar, my co-author.  Ardath's been writing sci-fi and fantasy since the late 70s and has over 57 novels to her credit. She one of the most amazing writers ever to set pen to paper.  So please, the book is up at Amazon and you really should check it out.

Moving right along.  The Red Sox start their American League Pennant contest with Cleveland Indians this weekend with two games (Fri & Sat) at Fenway Park in Boston.   Now the Indians won their place in these play-offs by defeating the New York Yankess in 3 out of 4 games first round series.  If you were watching their last game in Cleveland, when all those crazy insects invaded the field during the last few innings, I'm sure you must have been as surprised as the rest of us.  Many of those players found themselves struggling to keep those annoying pests out of their eyes while still playing the game. No one had more difficulty than the Yankees new young pitching ace, Joba Chamberlain, who clearly was flummoxed completely by the hundreds of bugs swarming over him.

Well, recently it has come to light that a professional entomologist (people who study insects) and he was able, using a telephoto lens to capture a close-up shot of one of these bugs.

                  
                                             MYSTERY SOLVED…HAHAHAHA.

And with that note, I say, Go Red Sox!  Take care, amigos and have a great week.

Ron- Over and Out.

Greetings loyal airmen.  Glad to be back home, after a great trip to Colorado.  What a difference a week and a half make.  While Val and I were out there, we kept up with the end of the regular baseball season and watched the Red Sox claim the American League East Division title for the first time since 1995, beating out the Yankees, who in turn slid into the play-offs as the Wild Card entry.  It's been a crazy, wild year for baseball.  If you're a fan, you'll know what I'm talking about, as other teams to make the post-season include the long-suffering Chicago Cubs who haven't won a World Series in 99 years!  And while in Colorado, we got caught up in the Rockies amazing 13 inning winning of a play-off game against the San Diego Padres. And now the Rockies have taken their winning streak into the play-offs having beat the Phillies soundly in their two first outings.  One more and the Phillies are kaput.

Meanwhile the Red Sox took on the Los Angeles Angels the other night in Fenway and their ace, Josh Beckett, was overwhelming as he pitched 8 fantastic innings of shut-out baseball.  Final score 4 to 0, Red Sox all the way.  Beckett was on the only 20 game winner in all of the MBL this year and I'm sick to death of hearing other pitchers being discussed as Cy Young Winners.  THE ONLY 20 GAME WINNER PEOPLE!!!  Don't give me no BS about Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia, he only won 19.  Likewise Chien Ming Wang of the Yankees, 19.  Period.  Beckett is the clear cut best pitcher in baseball today.  If you don't believe that, keep watching. There are some mighty great games coming.  Bring em on!

Before leaving last week, I did a lot of drum beating for our lastest new book from Airship 27 Productions.  Well the book is now out and that happy, handsome fellow above is none other than Rob Davis, the artist and designer of this beautiful volume.  So come on folks, if you haven't orderd a copy yet, get the lead out.  This is one of the finest books Rob and I have done to date.  It is also our first project with Cornerstone Books, a terrific publisher that deserves your support.  Again, go to the Air Fare page and click on the link.

Okay, all for this week.  Halloween in just around the corner and I'll be doing a special book signing on 27th.  More on that as we get closer.  Thanks as always for stopping by and have a great Columbus Day weekend.
Ron – Over & out.

So here we go, the last addition to this long-long log entry. Ha.  First up, I am very happy to report that I've become a regular part of an exciting new on-line pulp mag.  ASTONISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE.  These guys guys know pulp and their magazine is very much worthy of your time and attention if you love slam bang, imaginative tales of purple prose.  When I saw that AAM was doing book reviews, I offered them my entries at Pulp Fiction Reviews and they were thrilled to have to them.  I've added a link to their site on the Link Page (its the Monkey in the fedora!) and urge you to go check them out.  They've got some exciting projects in the works.

Secondly, Michael Poll of Cornerstone Books has officially put WITCHFIRE up on his website and a sample chapter as well.  So if you're a wee bit curious and haven't ordered a copy yet, then go to our Airfare Page, click on to his link and read Chapter One for free.  Now how's that for savvy marketing?

There you have it, airmen.  Tomorrow we're off to Colorado.  Our Red Sox have made the play-offs, since I wrote parts 1 & 2 and are entering the last regular week of the season.   I should be home just in time to cheer them on as they finals crank up.  See you all back here Friday 5th Oct.  Until then, stay safe and happy.
Ron – Over & Out
                                                               (PART 2)

Greetings loyal airmen, and here it is Friday and Part 2 of this post.  Our ups and down with the DAUGHTER OF DRACULA files seem to have been resolved, fingers crossed.  There was some kind of glitch between Rob sending Ka-Blam the files and their being able to download them.  Last night Rob contacted Ka-Blam owner, Barry Gregory, and they worked out a process that solved our problem.  Hopefully by the time I get back from Colorado, the book will be getting printed. 

As for the above mentioned trip, Tues. 25 Sept, we are once again flying off to Ft.Collins, CO. to visit with our son, Alan, and his family.  I'll be coming home the following Tues, 2 Oct, with Val staying on for a longer stay.  Ergo there will be no Log Entry next week.  Which really works well, as it allows me to leave up this goregous cover to WITCHFIRE by Rob.   You've ordered your copy, right?  No?  Well, gee, what are you waiting for?  As I state below, it makes great reading for Halloween, but at the same time it is a romance too, so you ladies out there would enjoy it as well.  And just so you know, I've dreams of it one day being sold to Hallmark and being turned into a made-for-TV-movie.  But for that to happen, I need you loyal airmen to pick up a copy.  And as always, thanks so much, each and every one of you who have supported my efforts in the past.

Finally, before signing off today, I have add the following movie review.  Val and I went to see the hyperactive action flick SHOOT EM UP with Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti and Monica Belucci.  The movie is a rocket ship ride of non-stop, way-over-the-top action straight out of a Warner Bros. Road Runner cartoon.  Sure its bloody and violent, but again, cartoon violence that no sane person could ever take for reality.  So a big thumbs up to SHOOT EM UP.  It's just too much fun.  That's it for Part 2.  Come back in a few days to see Part three, which I hope to log in Monday night. 

Ron Over and Out.

                                                                 (PART 1)

As you would expect, loyal airmen, the simple plans of mice and men often go awry.  Don't know who said that, but it certainly sums up the past few days at the old Hanger 27.  Okay, per last Friday's Log Entry, Rob and I have put the comic graphic novel files up at Ka-Blam, the internet publishing site, but alas it looks like it is going to take longer to get up and loaded than we had anticipated.  So hang in there, DAUGHTER OF DRACULA is coming.  On the other hand I heard from Cornerstone Publisher Michael Poll telling me that our new novel, WITCHFIRE, written by yours truly and Ardath Mayhar, will be out by the 8th October.  This coming Friday, Michael is going to start taking orders at his Cornerstone Books site. All of which has prompted me to do something I've never done here before.

This is a terrific adventure about a young woman living in a modern metropolis who just happens to be a white witch.  Her name is Morgan Rein and she uses her arcane skills to help others.  What she doesn't know is that her long lost brother, an evil warlock who dissappeared years before, has returned and now wants to destroy her.   What ensues is a powerful battle between good and evil, with our heroine finding aid and support from a motorcycle riding physics professor named Dancer McCoy.  The cover and nine new interior illustrations are provided by the amazing Rob Davis. If you like fast paced action with colorful, human characters set against the backdrop of magic, please consider picking up a copy.  It is the perfect Halloween read.  And….

      I AM TAKING ADVANCED ORDERS FOR THIS BOOK NOW!!  The book will retail for $18.95 – that is the price you will find when it appears at the publisher's site on Friday.  I will eventually put a link up on our regular Air Fare page.  But for now, as a Halloween treat for all you loyal airmen, here's the offer.  If you order a book from me before Halloween, I will autograph it for you.

Anyone interested in buying a copy can send me a check (made out to Ron Fortier) for $20.  The extra buck will defray the cost of shipping.   Send your check to –
Ron Fortier
89 Buffumsville Rd.
Somersworth, NH 03878-3010

I also have a Pay-Pal account so you can pay me via that route.  My only request is should you pay for a book via Pay-Pay, please be sure to E-mail me with your mailing address so I'll know where to send the autographed copy.  Finally, on the 25th of Sept., Valerie and I are off to Colorado again to visit our son, Alan, and his family.  I will be gone a full week, so there will be no new Log Entry that week.  But I am hoping to add to this one later this week…ergo the Part 1 title.  Please, stop by Friday, there should be a Part 2 added.

As always, thanks so much for you support,
Ron – Over and Out

Good day, loyal airmen.  This week allow me to rant a bit about one of my favorite pet peeves, television commercials.  Don't me get me wrong, I watch as much TV as the next guy, although mostly the sci-fi and cartoon networks, and of course Red Sox baseball.  Still even with this limited exposure, I am swamped every evening with dozens of mindless, illogical, idiotic messages urging me to BUY! BUY! BUY!  Let's look at some of the worst offenders.

Many years ago, please don't ask me how they did it, but active consumers convinced the American public, and congress, that cigarettes were so bad for us, it was nothing short of criminal that we allowed the tobacoo companies to advertise them on the Boob Tube.  And lo and behold, one day the Marlboro man was gone and no one was lighting up a Lucky in front us anymore.  Obviously that's a good thing, right?  Maybe, but this is what I'd like to get resolved.  If smoking was so bad for the American public, why is it we still allow ads to sell alcohol?   Please, nobody can convince me that drinking beer every single day of your life is good for you.  I know people who do that and they are called alcoholics.  Some of them even drive cars after getting drunk and kill and maim hundreds of innocent lives. Yet I don't remember once, in our hallowed campaign to rub out cigarette advertising where one person related a story ala, “Yeah, Frank had smoked too much that night, almost a whole pack.  Then he got in his car and ran over a little old lady.”  Come on!  Give me a break!  And don't start yelling about the dangers of second hand smoke.  I'd much rather be in a room with three smokers than on the road with one drunk driver.

But hey, it's okay to sell booze on TV.  Never mind that most of the beer commercials are obviously aimed at the moronic males who would prefer to drink than do anything else in their lives.  I'm reminded of the idiot standing in front of his fridge waiting for the beer bottle to get cold, which is supposedly more important to him then his wife learning she is pregnant.  And we're suppose to think this is a “funny” commercial.  Personally I feel sorry for the new baby who is going to have this jerk for a father.   Ouch.

Okay, enough about the beer and alcohol crowd.  Let's see what else is being shoved down our throats daily.  I don't know about you, but when I was growing up I didn't have a clue what drugs were out there or what they could or could not do for me.  Thus, when I got sick, I did something very radical, I went to a licensed doctor and let him take care of me.  To include prescribe what meds I should be taking.  And you know what, it was a very good and sound system that worked extremely well.   The only problem with it today is that it doesn't afford the poor (chuckle) pharmaceutical companies to make their ludicrous profits, which they so avidly crave.   How do I know this, because I watch TV!   Yup, every single night I'm informed off all these maladies I might possibly be suffering from and the solution is this amazing new drug and that I should call my doctor immediately (..hey, who cares if it's Sunday night and the guy is at home relaxing?) and …ASK HIM ABOUT IT!!!

Not only are our airwaves being used for irresponsible marketing to garner the drug folks more cash in their coffers, but at the same time they are cleverly brainwashing an entire generation of hypochondriacs who are convinced they have every sickness ever recorded since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden.  Where will it stop?  I mean how many pills are we suppose to be taking?  Most doctors will tell you the fewer the better.  But what do doctors know?  I mean, if we have to ASK THEM! 

And let's not forget the real irony here in regards to crass commercialism.  Should you take drugs that have serious side affects that leave you paralyzed, don't worry, your spouse can hire any one of the bazillion personal injury lawyers on the Boob Tube and sue those awful drug people!   You just got to love free enterprise.  Personally, and sincerely, I think both alcohol and drug ads are immoral and should follow the way of the cigarette ads.  The one true victim in this media bliz is we, the consumer.  The people who make these commercials, for the drug and alcohol companies, think we're stupid.  Please, let's not prove them right.

                                        
Finally, Rob Davis and I are only days away from releasing our 108 pg erotic horror graphic novel, DAUGHTER OF DRACULA.  The wonderful illo above (by Rob) is the inside front cover of the book.  I am holding off showing the color cover until the book is actually available for sale.  I promise you, it will knock your socks off, it is so beautiful..and sexy.  Please, for the first time since I've started this weekly log, I am encouraging you to come by daily.  For as soon as the book is out, I am going to post that cover here…and I am NOT waiting until next Friday to do so.  It's that gorgeous.  So there you go.  Come back soon.

And as always, thanks for stopping by, it is always appreciated,
Ron – Over & Out.