Prayers for Osaka

Tags

6.1 magnitude, deadly quake, epicenter, Great East Japan Earthquake, Horror, Kansei, magnitude, March 11 2011 earthquake, nine-year-old girl, November 22 2016 earthquake, Osaka, Osaka earthquake, quake, The Big One, The Great Hanshin Earthquake, Tohoku, trepidation, warning sign

It’s been a while since I posted anything, but I felt compelled to do so today.

Osaka is my favorite big city in Japan.  I’ve been there many times over the years.  It was hit by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake this morning…lots of damage, injuries and three deaths so far.  The epicenter was on land, so the damage was severe.  The youngest victim was a nine-year-old girl who was crushed by a wall that fell while she was walking on a sidewalk on her way to school.  Horror beyond words.

People here are fearful that this quake was just a warning sign of what is yet to come. Their trepidation is based on the fact that a similar situation happened here, where I am, just a couple of days before the East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.  We got a big quake on Wednesday, and the ‘big one’ hit on the following Friday.  Many of you know the rest of that story.

We are hoping that the worst has already happened, and that Osaka will not experience an even deadlier quake in the wake of the one that happened today.

Despite the tragedy today, I can’t help but be thankful for the fact that we were spared here in Tohoku.  I live very far away from Osaka and we didn’t feel any effects of the quake at all.

For those of us who write and dare to delve into the realm of horror fiction, we should always remember that true horror is not fictional, it happens to many people around the world every day.

I ask your prayers for the victims of the Osaka quake today, for their families and for the people of Osaka and the Kansei area of Japan.

Thank you.

 

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Time for a Little Shameless Self-Promotion!

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Dare, e-book, Fear, Frighten, Ghost Story, Ghosts, Halloween, Horror, Read, Scary, Short stories, Spirit, The DiVacci Curse

Happy Halloween!  I hope that everyone is doing well.  Thanks for reading.

If you need a little help getting into the spirit of Halloween, may I suggest my ghost short story, “The DiVacci Curse.” As always, you can access the direct link to the book from the My Books page of this blog.  Read it with the lights out…if you dare!

Attention Amazon Kindle Readers!

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A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake-A Foreigner's Perspective, Amazon, Amazon Prime, e-book, Ghost Story, Horror, KDP Select, Kindle, Kindle Owners' Lending Library, Kindle Unlimited, Review, Short stories, The DiVacci Curse, The Great East Japan Earthquake

My nonfiction e-book and my fiction e-short story are now enrolled in KDP Select on Amazon.  This is good news for Amazon Prime, Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and Kindle Unlimited members.  Check em’ out!

For those who have already purchased and read my e-book and e-short story, thank you very much.  If you like what you read, then I encourage you to write a review and post it on Amazon.  I would be honored and grateful for your kindness and consideration.  If writing a review is not your thing, then please spread the word among your family and friends, co-workers, distant relatives, ex-spouses, etc.

As always, direct links to both books can be found on the “My Books” page of this blog. Thanks for reading.

Have a fun and safe summer!

Most humbly,

Brad

“You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover!”

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Amazon, Blood, e-book, Generic, Ghost Story, Gore, Graphic, Horror, Original Cover, Subtle, The DiVacci Curse, Updated Cover Design

 

That statement is so true.  Well, it’s taken a while (almost a year, actually) but I now have an original cover design for my ghost short story, “The DiVacci Curse.”

Only the cover has been changed.  The story and its contents remain the same.

When I first published the story last summer, I felt that it was more important to just get it published and out there, rather than delay publishing because of the cover page.  I opted to use one of Amazon’s predesigned cover pages that I liked, but was generic in nature.  I had no issues with the predesigned cover for a long time until I saw another book on Amazon (can’t remember if it was fiction or non-fiction) that used the same exact cover design…same font, colors, etc.  That’s when I realized that I needed to have an original cover design instead.

I now understand the importance of book covers.  Some readers do indeed “judge a book by its cover.”  Book covers can determine whether a reader investigates the e-book further or just clicks to another item or page, not even giving the book a second thought.

I prefer book covers that give the reader a general idea of the plot, rather than paint an overly vivid picture that is too demanding and busy for the eye. If too much is going on in the image, the message becomes confusing and complicated.  The author runs the risk of turning the reader off.  Sometimes “less is more” as previously mentioned in my post about “The Fog.”  This concept applies to book covers as well.

Happy Birthday, Antonio Bay! Part 2!

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100th Birthday, Adrienne Barbeau, Amazon, Antonio Bay, California, Hal Holbrook, Horror, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, John Carpenter, John Houseman, The Fog, Tom Atkins

Well, if you guessed “The Fog” as the answer to the quiz in my previous post, then you’re right.  Congrats to those who knew the answer.  You certainly know your horror films!

Oddly,  I’m not a big horror movie fan.  Even though I enjoy writing in the horror and mystery genres, when it comes to film my personal movie collection is heavy with science fiction, fantasy, adventure and comedy rather than horror.  But, The Fog is one of my all time favorite horror movies (the original 1980 film directed by John Carpenter). The plot is simple, yet effective and harkens back to a nostalgic time of storytelling when ghost stories didn’t have to be gory or excessively violent to be frightening.  Sure, there is some violence in the film, but it isn’t very bloody or overt like many of the horror films and TV shows of today.  Although, the film is loaded with lots of “shocks” and “stingers” that definitely get your attention.  They are the kind of scares that happen really quick, that make you scream or jump, and then make you laugh at yourself afterward.  I won’t go into detail about the story because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone reading this who has never seen the film before.  I will mention, though, that it inspires me and encourages me to write scary stories that emphasize the old cliché, “Less is more.”

The Fog is pretty tame by current standards.  After all, it’s almost forty years old!  If you prefer your horror served up with gratuitous amounts of blood, gore and sex, then The Fog may not be for you.  However, if you enjoy clever, old school, spooky, sit-around-the-campfire ghost stories, then you might find it entertaining.  It’s a fun film to watch while curled up on the sofa with your favorite snack.

There are also a couple of personal reasons why I like The Fog.  I was a radio DJ/announcer for a few years when I lived in Louisiana, and briefly when I later lived in Florida.  So, the “Stevie Wayne” connection is something I can relate to.  Stevie Wayne is basically the main character of the film.  She is portrayed by Adrienne Barbeau.  She’s a single mom raising her son in a sleepy, yet somewhat charming little seaside town (Antonio Bay, California). Stevie recently bought a radio station atop the town lighthouse that overlooks the Pacific.  A good portion of the film takes place in and around the lighthouse/radio station.  I can relate to the tasks and responsibilities that Stevie has to contend with like the ever watchful and unforgiving demands of the clock, and time, that dictate a DJ’s every move and word while “on the air.”

Happy Birthday, Antonio Bay!

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100th Birthday, Antonio Bay, California, Horror

Ahoy, Mateys!

I’m coming at you from the top of world.  It’s a very special day today in the realm of horror fiction films.  Do you know why?  Do you have any idea what the title of this post is referring to?

If you think you do, then I encourage you to post feedback here with your guess.  What do you think it means?  I’d like to hear from you.

Stay tuned…all will be revealed…soon!

Here I am, for better or for worse!

Tags

Amazon, Bradley Lobue, Horror, Kindle

Howdy, I’m Blog and this is my brad!  Oh, sorry.  I mean, I’m Brad and this is my blog.

Welcome to my first blog entry.  I established this blog to promote my writing and books.  There it is!  Subtle, huh?  Honestly, I’ve never been good at self-promotion.  I’ve always regarded humility as a noble virtue and a good quality to exercise on a regular basis.  Sadly, society has taught us that humility is not very affective when it comes to promoting oneself or one’s product.  So, I guess that this blog is a type of ‘shameless self-promotion’ as one of my co-workers said at a radio station where I used to work way back when.

I’m not much of a techie (I don’t even have a cell-phone…well not anymore at least!) and blogging is new to me.  I’m not into the latest technological fads, gadgets or gizmos, either.  However, I enjoy writing when I can, and I’d like to share my writing with you.

I have enjoyed creative writing ever since I wrote my first story titled “Revenge of the Killer Spaceship” in fourth grade.  I had an amazing teacher who created a project where everyone in class wrote their own story.  After each student wrote and illustrated their own story, the teacher had each story bound in a hard cover book.  It was the first book I ever published and it was an incredible experience!