Introducing…Marco Dark!

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My first novel and latest release is now available!

A wealthy French madame, a misguided manga artist, a greedy financier, a malicious computer hacker and a homicidal sociopath.  What do they all have in common?  They all have contracts on their heads.  The one hired to fulfill those contracts is Marco Dark.  He’s cultured, sophisticated and intelligent, and the most lethal hit man on the planet.  He’s also a 200-year-old vampire!  Journey with Marco as he traverses the globe plying his deadly trade…and pray that you’re not on his list!

“To Sleep in the Ground” has taken twenty years to complete since its original conception.  I encourage you to check it out.  You can access a sample of the book via the link at the end of this post.

If you read Marco’s story and find it entertaining (or not) then I request that you write a review.  Let’s be honest, reviews and word of mouth sell books and reviews are a great way for readers to express themselves, too.  I’d also like to hear your comments and opinions about “To Sleep in the Ground” on this blog.

The 8th Anniversary of the East Japan Earthquake

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A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake-A Foreigner's Perspective, Climate Change, climatologists, e-book, e-book price reduction, earthquake, Eastern Tohoku, environment, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Global Warming, humanity, Japan, March 11 2011 earthquake, meltdown, meteorologists, Mother Nature, nuclear crisis, nuclear meltdown, Progress, radiation, reconstruction, recycle, The 8th Anniversary of the East Japan Earthquake, The Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, writing

I deliberately avoid posting about politics on social media.  I’m not qualified to talk about climate change or global warming, or what impact humanity has upon the environment. I’ll leave that to the climatologists, meteorologists and scientists of the world. The city where I live in Japan has a good recycling program and I do my part. In this post, I’m not going to share my personal views on the topic of whether or not climate change is real. My opinions would be inappropriate and irrelevant.

What I do know, based on personal experience, is that on March 11, 2011, Mother Nature had her say, and had a lot to say, when she unleashed her fury upon the Eastern Tohoku region of Japan. I witnessed the fourth largest earthquake in recorded human history. I live thirty-six miles west of the site of one of the world’s largest nuclear meltdowns. I lived it. I was terrified by it. I am still haunted by it. I will probably never be free from the memory of it in some capacity.

The Earth doesn’t care how we feel about climate change. It does what it wants to do, when it wants to do it, and it doesn’t give a damn what we mere humans think of it. It makes the rules and we have to suffer the consequences; good or bad, instigated by us or not. We are at its mercy. It’s the price we pay to live on this wondrous ball of life rotating on its axis in space.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the events of March 11, 2011, and its impact on the environment and the people of southern Tohoku, from someone who was there, then I respectfully encourage you to read my book. It’s available through Amazon in most countries where Amazon operates. I recently decreased the price of the book rather significantly, but Amazon retains the right to fluctuate the pricing when necessary. Thank you for understanding. You can access the book directly through the link provided on the “My Books” page of this blog.  My humble thanks to all who have already purchased and read the book. Your kindness and consideration is truly appreciated and will not be forgotten.

Year-End Update

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Amazon, authors, book, Buddhist, Christian, Happy New Year, Holidays, Japan, Merry Christmas, Progress, Publishing, Shinto, Short stories, writing

Well, it’s been a whirlwind end to the year here in Japan.

I haven’t been able to pay as much attention to finishing my novel as I had hoped, but I manage to chip away at it here and there when breaks in daily life and work allow.  Alas, my self-imposed year-end deadline for publication will not be met.  On the bright side, my school will be closed for the New Year’s holiday, so hopefully I’ll have a few days, at least, to fuss over the book.

I’m happy to announce that I have reduced the price of both my non-fiction e-book, and my fiction e-short story on Amazon.  Amazon still reserves the right to fluctuate the pricing, give or take, however.  You can access direct links for both books from this blog.

New Year’s is a big deal here in Japan.  Many businesses will be closed for several days on average, starting on or around New Year’s Eve.

My school is open today, Christmas day, because Christmas day is a regular business day here in Japan.  Less than 1% of the population of Japan is Christian.  Most are Shinto and Buddhist, so the Japanese celebrate Christmas differently than the west.  It’s strictly a secular celebration here with no religious meaning.

Please have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Best wishes for a safe, happy, healthy and peaceful 2019.

Brad

March 11, 2011 (Reblogged from my Facebook page).

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Here in Japan we remember all those who lost their lives in the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami seven years ago today.

I ask your prayers for all of the victims and their families and friends who remain and mourn their loss. Some people lost their entire families on that day.

I was thankfully spared the horrors of the tsunami that day because I live farther inland in Fukushima prefecture. But, I remember the earthquake well (too well) and the subsequent radiation crisis at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant which I live roughly 36 miles from.

Thankfully, radiation levels have dropped dramatically in the past seven years, but the threat of long-term radiation exposure continues to haunt me and plague my psyche.

I wrote a book about my personal experiences during the earthquake and nuclear crisis. It’s available in e-book form on Amazon in the U.S., Japan and Europe, etc.  You can access the link from the “My Books” section of this blog or search for it on Amazon in your country.

Koriyama (where I live) and Fukushima prefecture in general are recovering, slowly but surely. However, a lot of work still needs to be done. The courage and dignity of the Tohoku people is incredible to behold. We are all in this together and have been walking hand in hand on the path to recovery.

Please keep the people of Northeastern Japan in your thoughts and prayers today…and always.

How To Download the Updated Version of My Kindle Book on Amazon if Previously Purchased

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A Day of Horror, Amazon, Bradley Lobue, e-book, Fukushima, Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan, Kindle, Update Available

As mentioned in my last post, Amazon has recently informed me that they have made the updated version (3rd Edition) of “A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake – A Foreigner’s Perspective” free to those readers who purchased previous editions of the book in the past before the current updated version became available.  I strongly encourage readers who have purchased any prior editions of my book in the past to download the new version as I think that it is a major improvement in readability and overall quality.  Some content has been omitted from the new edition, but some content has been added as well.  The 3rd edition also includes an update about the current situation in Fukushima prefecture as of last summer (2016).

If you purchased any previous editions of the book from Amazon and are interested in reading the latest edition, then I have explained how you can access the new content below.  *A note, the instructions below are for readers who purchased the book from Amazon.com (U.S.A.).  The updated download may not be available in all countries where Amazon operates.  I’m sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.  Thank you for understanding.

Step 1.  After you sign into your Amazon account, find “Manage Your Content and Devices” on your account page as shown in the example below.

Step 2.  Click on “Manage Your Content and Devices.”  You will see your content listed on the page.  Type in “A Day of Horror” in the Search bar as shown below.  The book title will appear and next to it you will see the “Update Available” button as shown below.  Click on it and follow the instructions to download the latest edition.

I would like to thank everyone who has purchased “A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake – A Foreigner’s Perspective.”  I also appreciate those of you who are following or have “liked” this blog.  Your kind support and interest is very much appreciated!

Until my next post, have a good one!

 

 

 

Updates Are Here!

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3rd Edition, 6th anniversary, Amazon, Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan, March 11 2011 earthquake

As promised, “A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake – A Foreigner’s Perspective” has been revised and updated and is now available from Amazon.  Thank you for your patience.  As mentioned in my previous post, I was very green when I first wrote and published it. It was my fledgling self-publishing venture.  I feel that this new edition is a long overdue improvement in the overall readability and user-friendliness of the book.  The book has also been updated with recent facts and figures on the status of the crisis.

The book is a detailed account of my experiences with the earthquake and the nuclear crisis.  It gives information about the event from my perspective, an American living in Japan. It also gives a little insight into Japanese life and culture. If you’re curious about that fateful day in the history of Japan (and the events that followed in its wake) or if you wonder what it’s like to live here, then I encourage you to check it out.  A link to the new edition of the book is located on the “My Books” page of this blog.

To those who have already purchased and read my book, thank you. Amazon recently informed me that previous purchasers of the book will be able to access the latest edition via the “Manage Your Content and Devices” page in their Amazon accounts.

Updates Coming Soon!

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e-book, Japan, March 11 2011 earthquake, revised and updated

I recently discovered that there are some major format flaws and issues that are negatively affecting the readability and user-friendliness of my first e-book effort, “A Day of Horror:  The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake.”  For those who have purchased my book over the past five years since its first publication, I emphatically apologize.  As mentioned before, I’m not a techie.  Besides, it was my first self-publishing experience and I was very green.

It’s been a challenge keeping up with the upgrades and trends in the self-publishing business and without the help and support of a major publishing powerhouse behind one, it can be a daunting task to keep an e-book current, especially when one considers the complications involved with improvements in self-publishing software and the various requirements of different e-book readers and devices.

I’m currently in the process of reformatting (in a major way) my March 11th book. Once that update is complete and the new version is available, then I’ll be sure to post the announcement here.

As always, thank you for your patience and understanding.

 

Fiction or Fact: Which is More Horrifying?

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Amazon, Bradley Lobue, Fukushima, Japan, Kindle, March 11 2011 earthquake, November 22 2016 earthquake, Tohoku

Being new to the whole “Blog Thing,” I was wondering where the inspiration for my next, and second, blog entry was going to come from.  Well, I got that inspiration this morning as I was woken up at 6 A.M. by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake; the largest of its kind since the “Big One” on March 11, 2011.  My area was still receiving frequent aftershocks until six hours after the initial quake.  The aftershocks have died down and are less frequent now, thankfully.

The quake triggered a small, and fortunately benign, tsunami that didn’t do any major damage aside from raising the inland river levels a tad and likewise raising a few eyebrows.  We were lucky this time.  However, today’s quake definitely raised my blood pressure and got my heart pumping.  Flashbacks to 2011 infected my thoughts, especially as the images on TV today showed a small wave moving through rivers and streams in the region.  I live many miles inland in the interior of the Tohoku region of Japan.  Major tsunamis, like the March 11, 2011 wave that devastated the northern coast of Japan, are not a big concern for me where I live.  If a tsunami were to ever reach my area, then it would probably be as a result of the Apocalypse, and that’s not a joke.