LIVING GREEN: WHO ARE THE CLIMATE DENIERS? - BY BLAZE MCROB

 

In addition to my articles about pollution, I’ll be adding many Climate Change facts to my Living Green series. Everything is interconnected. One affects the other. I’ll be showing that as I move along.

Approximately 97% of scientific consensus on climate change agrees that humans are responsible for the global warming going on today. Who are the other 3%?

It is possible for some who believe in human-made global warming to fail to come to terms with it. Many use their denial for their own purposes or for those they work for. Yes, I’m talking about those with industrial, ideological, or political interests. Supposedly scientific studies arrive on the scene showing that people have been duped by the majority of scientists in the field. These propaganda machines are meant to sow confusion within the populace. After all, who wants to believe that if we don’t do what we can to stop global warming that we’ll have to learn the lost art of treading water forever and a day? That sounds alarming to most folks. However, it’s time to wake up and smell the roses, and stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

Conservative economic policies and industrial interests opposed to the regulation of CO2 emissions, such as the Koch brothers, fossil fuel companies and their lobbies, and right-wing think tanks produce most of the anti-climate change propaganda fed to the American public. A lot of people swallow it up.

I cannot stress enough the fact that politicians are muddying their hands in this. The big-oil lobbies fill their pockets with untold millions of dollars to do their bidding. This is true for both parties, although conservatives certainly are at the head of the receiving line. My suggestion? Make the lobbies illegal. Any lobby, in my mind, does nothing but bribe our elected officials.

Big coal is starting to crumble, but they’re not going out without a fight. They should be held accountable, as well.

In 2016, every Republican presidential candidate denied climate change. That’s only ten years ago, folks. What’s changed since then? Nothing much as far as the Republicans are concerned. Would you accept them at their word, or would you accept the word of scientists instead? The answer’s an easy one for me. Science, it is.

For thirty years, the fossil fuel industry, political lobbyists, and media hotshots have been telling lies about climate change that cause doubt in the minds of many people. $200 million dollars a year is spent on such lobbying to stop needed climate policy changes.

Deniers suggest that climate change is just part of a natural cycle. Others insist that CO2 is too small a part of the atmosphere to cause enough of a heating effect.

How about the theory among deniers that climate scientists are fixing their data to show the climate is changing? Why would they do this? Certainly, a so-called scientist working for the big oil industry would be more likely to do this. That’s what they’re paid to do.

Some former skeptics agree with climate scientists but are concerned about the costs and other implications of many of the policies currently being advocated. In other words, climate change is now about the cost, not the science.

There are climate change deniers arguing that climate change is good for us. They say longer, warmer summers in the temperate zone will make farming more productive. These gains, however, are often offset by the drier summers and increased frequency of heatwaves in those same areas.

Deniers say that plants need atmospheric carbon dioxide to grow so having more of it acts as a fertilizer. This is true, but losing massive areas of natural vegetation through deforestation and changes in land use nullifies this, and, of course, the increased temperatures ravage the soil, lowering the moisture level in it, and make it non-productive. 

Don’t listen to these people. Get the facts for yourself. Read articles, journals, books. Whatever it takes. Remember, though, that many news and political sources are trash. Be your own researcher. Don’t throw you, your children, and grandchildren under the bus. Care about your family. Care about yourself.

Blaze McRob

RFK JR AND AUTISM

RFK Jr. is up to some tricky horseshit. Once again, he wants to drag his belief into the limelight that vaccines cause autism. This theory has been debunked on a number of occasions. His methods to accomplish this would combine federal health data, medical records, insurance claims, and more. Gathering tons of info would make it easier to provide the phony evidence that this charlatan is after. Let's face facts: RFK Jr. is not hardly qualified to be in the job he's in.

Medication records from pharmacy chains, claims from private insurers, and lab tests from Veterans Affairs will also be accessed. Supposedly, according to all the involved health agencies, all of the expected security and patient privacy standards will be secured. There is no way I believe that. 

Besides everything else, this hints at the possibility of developing an autism national disease registry. This is a no-brainer: it shouldn't be done. For one thing, the way the whole thing looks to me is that RFK Jr. and others are belittling people on the autism spectrum. They're saying what they believe to be true: that people on the spectrum are incapable of existing on their own. Many adults lumped into this category are far more intelligent than the idiots coming after them. Yes, there are certainly some people who could use some assistance, but there are many others who do rather well in the real world.

I hate labels. I know many people, children and adults, who are stigmatized by incorrect characterizations. Not all people see and handle situations in the same manner. As individuals, it's our right to be different, as long as no harm is perpetuated against others. No one person or group should have the power to dictate what social norms are to be accepted.  

This is one battle that I'll be keeping a close eye on. Things are changing almost daily on this. I don't want to get left behind.

Thank you for reading.

Blaze McRob

SHONK - BY TERRI DELCAMPO

 

https://www.amazon.com/Blazing-Owl-Short-Horror-Shonk-ebook/dp/B08NT9S84K/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=terri+delcampo&qid=1606000362&s=books&sr=1-

SHONK, by Terri DelCampo, is one of those stories that has you guessing right up until the end. Just when I thought I knew where the tale was taking me, I discovered I was wrong. But that's the way I like a good horror story. If everything is easily determined ahead of time, the excitement is lacking. Being pulled into a story is the way to go. Read this story, and you'll see what I mean.

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BLAZING OWL SHORT HORROR BY TERRI DELCAMPO offers up quick ooky fixes that you can squeeze into your day – or night – whenever you have a few minutes to read. Terri's goal is to see how many times she can send a chill up your spine in twenty minutes. Muahaha!

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Happy reading!

Blaze McRob

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Terri DelCampo is the founding editor and writer of Owl's Eye View Magazine, founding partner/writer/editor at Blazing Owl Press, author of 35+ novels, short story collections, children's collections, poetry collections, and multiple individual short stories available right here on Amazon. She pens Broken Old Broad Blogs, is a contributing writer for multiple horror anthologies, freelances poetry as well as non-fiction articles and essays. Terri is an ongoing competitor and winner of NaNoWriMo and Critters/Preditors & Editors Awards.

Terri is married to horror writer Blaze McRob and in 2015 they founded Blazing Owl Press where she is a very hands-on partner. Her duties at BOP include editing, producing book covers, and of course writing.

If you look up write-a-holic in the dictionary, Terri's picture is there.

GREEN GEEZERS

 

https://greengeezers.blogspot.com/

From Terri DelCampo

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Hi friends,

So you found Green Geezers. Welcome!

"Be the change you want to see in the world" is a profound maxim that I took to heart for two reasons: 1) Talk is cheap and 2) because sometimes I'm looking for a way to help despite my physical disabilities and limited finances. Since that particular obstacle course hasn't been widely addressed by existing organizations or programs, I thought it was time to get creative.

I'm a physically disabled writer living well below the poverty line.  Attending demonstrations? Not happening. Publicizing the work of organizations, foundations, and individual environmentalists? Hell yes! I'm all in.

Hence the Green Geezers blog. 

Who we are:

I am a horror writer, as is my husband, Blaze McRob. We post daily links and sample chapters of our books on social media. And extend that publicity to other writer friends of ours. While we donate to certain charities and causes as much as possible, we wanted to do more, but in our own way.   We have discussions and exchange ideas all the time about ways to conserve, recycle, and make a difference. We have mixed reactions about the threat of extinction of humankind: the earth would heal and replenish itself if we (humans) bit the dust, but it's tragic how many species we would be taking (and have already taken) with us.

The problem as I see it:  

It occurs to me that many problems are simply unknown, people are uneducated or follow misleading headlines, or people feel problems are insurmountable and that any contribution they make would be inconsequential. 

What I hope to do:

I'm hoping to bring to light information about the problems, who's out there trying to fix them, how they can be helped/reached/donated to, and who you might contact to pitch in. Also, I want to publish some tips on how you can make painless little changes right in your own household to make a difference. One of those tips is to share all the positive, useful information you can.

I figure if the hate and violence mongers can spread their filth all over the internet, then those of us who want a healed earth for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren can counter the negativity with positive messages and information. If we each spend some time every day getting our message out there, hopefully we will drown out the ignorant, or better yet inform them; educate them and hopefully welcome them to stand with us.

We all need to unite and fix these problems, not just for our own legacies, but for the survival of our generations to come. 

Green Geezers will help you be mindful in your daily activities, and hopefully show you how to make a difference. You can, you know, and in old-school ways as well as new.   

Again, welcome to the Green Geezers blog. Now that we're acquainted, it's time to get down to business. There's so much more to come!

Thanks for reading and caring!

Ter

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Come join us at GREEN GEEZERS. Learn some ways to help Mother Earth.

Thank you.

Blaze McRob

I'LL BE GONE IN THE DARK - BY MICHELLE MCNAMARA

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Be-Gone-Dark-Obsessive/dp/0062871307/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1524784677&sr=1-2

I'll Be Gone In The Dark, by Michelle McNamara, is one fantastic non-fiction book that will grip you tightly. It is the result of painstaking work and research by the author. This is real-world horror that displays the worst that humankind is capable of. Notice the review by Stephen King.

This great book took the world by storm after the capture of the purported demon responsible for so many murders and rapes. 

Blaze McRob

Introduction by Gillian Flynn

Afterword by Patton Oswalt

“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark will undoubtedly be stocked in the True Crime section, which is fine, but in so many ways it’s a brilliant genre-buster. It’s propulsive, can’t-stop-now reading, which makes it all too easy to ignore the clean and focused writing.

What readers need to know—what makes this book so special—is that it deals with two obsessions, one light and one dark. The Golden State Killer is the dark half; Michelle McNamara’s is the light half. It’s a journey into two minds, one sick and disordered, the other intelligent and determined. I loved this book.”   —Stephen King

A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.

"You’ll be silent forever, and I’ll be gone in the dark."

For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area.

Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called "the Golden State Killer." Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.

At the time of the crimes, the Golden State Killer was between the ages of eighteen and thirty, Caucasian, and athletic—capable of vaulting tall fences. He always wore a mask. After choosing a victim—he favored suburban couples—he often entered their home when no one was there, studying family pictures, mastering the layout. He attacked while they slept, using a flashlight to awaken and blind them. Though they could not recognize him, his victims recalled his voice: a guttural whisper through clenched teeth, abrupt and threatening.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark—the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death—offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a woman’s obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth. Framed by an introduction by Gillian Flynn and an afterword by her husband, Patton Oswalt, the book was completed by Michelle’s lead researcher and a close colleague. Utterly original and compelling, it is destined to become a true crime classic—and may at last unmask the Golden State Killer.

JUST WRITE

I posted this on my website a while back. It's still good advice I believe. In this post, I added what Terri DelCampo has to say about the subject. I hope you pick up a few pointers.                                                

Do you want to be an author? Just write. Easy peasy. You don't have the time? Horseshit. We all have time. I worked at many jobs at the same time, not having a day off for nine years. I still wrote. I wanted to, so I did it. In twenty-something years, I wrote and had some seventy-five ghostwritten novels published.

There are many moments you can use as writing time. Get up early and write. Do you work at a desk job? Write at lunch while you're eating. Carry a little notebook or tape recorder and take notes. Put the notes together and you'll have a story. Write at the end of the day when the kids are asleep. I think you can see a pattern here.

Why am I writing this now? Simple. Some folks have been bombarding me about how they want to be a writer but can't find the time. Writing takes no time. If you want to get published and sell some books, that's a different matter. This quickie post is not about that. More to come about that later, as with other articles I have written about it in the past.

Prioritize. If you don't want to be a writer, then don't write. If you do: write.

If you're still reading my discourse, and you want to be a writer, you're in luck. I'm finished. Time for you to write. I want to see your books bandied about so I can tell the world about them.

Happy writing.

Blaze McRob

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I love this scene from Finding Forrester. Excellent movie for aspiring writers, or even writers who need a motivation nudge.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLBEFvMkQCo  

This scene epitomizes how I feel about writing. If you're a writer, you write. Simple as that. I never go anywhere without paper and pen. Period. Don't even need a computer or typewriter. Pen and paper. Simple. In the house, in the car, on the beach, anywhere. From the time I was eleven. No matter what was going on in my life, I wrote. Because I am and always have been a writer.

Reasons that people give you for not writing are bullshit. I got up at 4:30 in the morning when my kids were very little and wrote 6 screenplays that way. Later when I worked for my husband's plumbing business and still had kids to raise, I stayed up until midnight and one in the morning. Wrote my first two novels that way. Then I worked full-time after my separation and divorce and wrote my third novel by not flopping on the sofa and watching TV when I got home from work.

After my car accident and being rendered disabled, I began self-publishing my magazine Owl's Eye View online, and last year I self-published my seven novels, three novellas, multiple short story collections, and Best Of collections from the magazine columns on Kindle (some 30 books). There's time. Carpe Diem, people. Or Carpe Noctem. Just don't carpe bullshit excuses. Just write!

Terri DelCampo

EMBRACE THE SUCK

I was reading the latest copy of UltraRunning magazine and came across an article which stated that to make yourself stronger you must embrace the suck, meaning that a runner should accept the pain and push through it. In one form or another this saying has been around for a long time. I figured that this applies to writing horror as well.

I got caught up too much in the election for president last year. There's not much that I, one person, can do about it. Or is there? I can still write my tales of horror and attack the inherent evil in power and politics. This goes for both sides of the fence. Sad but true: the system is flawed. It sucks at pretty much every level. Deep pockets, hands out, and stupidity abound everywhere.

How about big business? They really are the power behind everything. Writers can attack them too. Remember George Orwell? He certainly made some statements about the status quo and what can take place. Turns out he was pretty accurate. Things are moving along that way more every day.

Okay. You have physical pain and other limitations and find it hard to fight back when things roll in on you and attack every inch of your body and wrestle with your mind. What now? Is it time to roll up in a little ball and give up? No. This is the time to fight the hardest. You're an author, damn it! The pain and agony of tough decisions surround you now. That hammer is smashing at your skull, telling you that there is no way for you to go on. Knock the hammer away! Your mind is strong enough to weather the storm. Embrace the suck! Put it to work for you. While others can't handle the stress, the apprehension, and all the other things making life tougher for you, you can do it. Mind over matter. Pen in hand. Fingers on the keyboard. That's all it takes. Use the negativity to channel a path of strength from your brain to your finished works.

Focus on what's important. Getting your hands on the latest techno gadget means crap. Pen and paper still work. You're upset because great reviews aren't flying around and landing on your books while some authors and publishers cheat and scam the system? Don't worry about it. They'll be found out. In the meantime, you will have played it by the rules. Your pride is still intact. People will discover you. It's merely a matter of working harder to get your name out there.

Take all your real and perceived pain and write that book. This is your Holy Grail. Come back with the cup. Terri DelCampo, my wife, was almost killed in an automobile accident a number of years ago. She fought back against the pain and hardships. She not only used the rehab time to get her body back to functioning again, but she started writing with a fervor she never had before. She was not going to allow herself to sink into the depths of despair. No pity me for her. While she still has many physical limitations, she has no mental ones. She achieves because she wants to.

There are a number of people I know who feel we're headed for nuclear war. They worry to the point of obsessing about it constantly. Shit! Back in the fifties, the United States was building bomb shelters right and left. We barely escaped atomic war when the Cuban crisis hit its zenith. Yet, we're still here. Does that mean it won't happen now? Of course not. Nothing is out of the question, but don't waste your time fretting when you could park your ass in a chair and get a story out about it. I'm a pessimist and think humans will botch up everything, but I don't say, "Boo, hoo, woe is me." If it happens, it happens. Prepare yourself as best you can and hope for the best.

Don't listen to people who say that things are worse now than they've ever been for humankind. That's horse shit! The great flood was pretty extreme. WWII, WWI, Genghis Khan, Hitler, our Civil War, and much more were far worse. Let's face it: over the years, there have been many evil people on the planet. We're still here. Some of us don't deserve to be here, but we are.

So, take the bad and use it. Write about it. Purge your mind and soul of it. Tell people about it. Warn them. Be a prophet for good.

You can do it. You merely have to embrace the suck!

Blaze McRob

MORBID METAMORPHOSIS - FROM LYCAN VALLEY PRESS

 

https://www.amazon.com/Morbid-Metamorphosis-Terrifying-Tales-Transformation-ebook/dp/B071FDMD6V/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496332441&sr=8-1&keywords=morbid+metamorphosis

The second edition of Morbid Metamorphosis is up for your reading pleasure! Greg Chapman has come up with a brand-new cover that pretty much gives you some visual insight into what the anthology is about. I edited the anthology and can vouch that all these stories are great! Don't miss out.

Another shameful plug is that Terri DelCampo, my lovely wife, has a story in this anthology: 

The Skelly Effect. This story has gotten some great reviews, and I'm very proud of Terri.   

Happy reading!

Blaze McRob

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Book description:

Metamorphosis occurs every day as caterpillars become sweet fluttering butterflies, tadpoles become gorgeous frog princes and chameleons become one with the beauty of nature – but you won’t find any of that here.

The transformations you’re about to witness are unnatural, sometimes gruesome and deeply psychological. They will make you question reality and take your mind places it was never meant to go.

Terrifying Tales of Transformation from Greg Chapman * Roy C. Booth & R. Thomas Riley * Terri DelCampo * Dave Gammon * Nancy Kilpatrick * Rod Marsden * Jo-Anne Russell * M.J. Preston * Stacey Turner * Tina Piney * Suzanne Robb * Franklin E. Wales * Donna Marie West * Suzie Lockhart * Cameron Trost * Daniel I. Russell * Simon Dewar * Amanda J. Spedding * Ken MacGregor * Erin Shaw * Gregory L. Norris * Nickolas Furr.

GENA MANTZ - WOMAN IN HORROR

Gena Mantz is my Woman In Horror today! Gena and I did a Q&A interview a while back that you'll find quite refreshing. Here we go, me lads and lassies.  Gena Mantz. Front and center.

Go to the post below and read all about this fascinating woman.

https://blazingowlpress.blogspot.com/2021/02/gena-mantz-woman-in-horror.html

Blaze McRob

BOOK TRAILER FOR MISTS OF PAPOOSE POND

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9iRGo8SU2w

Beverly Cialone did a great book trailer for MISTS OF PAPOOSE POND, written by Blaze McRob a number of years ago. Go to the above link to view and listen to the enchanting music that accompanies it. I hope you enjoy it. 

Thank you.

Blaze McRob

This book can be read on Amazon. Amazon.com: Mists of Papoose Pond eBook : McRob, Blaze: Books. It's also available on my Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/posts/total-chapter-of-62407761. 

WINNIE JEAN HOWARD - WOMAN IN HORROR

 

blazingowlpress.blogspot.com/2021/02/winnie-jean-howard-woman-in-horror.

Winnie Jean Howard is my Woman In Horror today. Go to the above link and read a most interesting post about this talented Horror author that I wrote a few years ago. You'll be glad you did.

Blaze McRob

CEMETERY SOUP - BY CINDY HERNANDEZ

 

Hit this link https://www.snarkyghost.com/post/cemetery-soup?fbclid=IwY2xjawI-5VZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfXuOQHK21nOSShOoEmdpYvYQ06-noJiumbymX4DgbW-H98vKw0z-xHtvQ_aem_WuuCtT1ozrY2zqhPWffUsw to read Cemetery Soup, by Cindy Hernandez on Snarky Ghost. It's a most delightful read!

Blaze McRob

 

JD PHILLIPS - WOMAN IN HORROR

 https://www.amazon.com/JD-Phillips/e/B00Y35COIE?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1580605670&sr=1-1

blazingowlpress.blogspot.com/2021/02/jd-phillips-woman-in-horror.html

JD Phillips is my Woman In Horror today! JD is a fascinating lady and has much to say. I asked her some questions in an interview we did a while back that I really wanted to get the answers to. All authors can certainly learn from each other, and some of the ideas in my mind happen to be in hers as well. It's really nice to know that you're not the only one on this spinning rock that wonders about such things. Read the interview at blazingowlpress.blogspot.com/2021/02/jd-phillips-woman-in-horror.html and see if you feel the same way. It's an eye opener for sure. 

Blaze

HAPPY BLOODY WHATEVER - BY TERRI DELCAMPO AND BLAZE MCROB

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR1NLFZ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1483237436&sr=1-1&keywords=happy+bloody+whatever

If you're looking for a big collection of holiday horror tales that covers the entire year and every holiday, give Happy Bloody Whatever a look. Terri DelCampo and I have 46 stories for your ghoulish pleasure. Yes, I realize that not every collection of short stories is this meaty. This tome is filled with the ooky and spooky you're accustomed to getting from Terri and me. You can read it once, and then go back again and again for your favorite holidays. Twelve months equals a lot of holidays. A lot of horror. You can read our free sample at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR1NLFZ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1483237436&sr=1-1&keywords=happy+bloody+whatever and see if this tome suits your desire to engage in dark reading with the lights down low. That's the best way, I believe.

Enjoy every holiday, the Happy Bloody Whatever way!

Blaze McRob

HO-PO: BY TERRI DELCAMPO

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y7WT6HS/ref=sr_1_1? dchild=1&keywords=terri+delcampo&qid=1615176443&s=books&sr=1-1

Terri DelCampo has compiled quite a collection of horror poetry to sate your poetic horror appetites. Broken Old Broad Busts A Beat: HO - PO (Horror Poems), produces in spades. Even the cover art tells a story. I like to think of it as a reflective skeleton. Is that possible? Why not? Terri's poems sure make one think. Rather than go on and on about each and every poem and steal from the ambiance that Terri has created, I will merely state that my favorite poem in this collection is Songs From The Hanging Tree. Read it and you'll see why.

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Book description:

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A handful of cobwebby rhymes and verse

Your yearning for ookiness these will nurse.

Not to be read by light of day

But in a dark nook, tucked away

Read each one and when you're through

Terri has novels and stories for you.

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Terri DelCampo is the founding editor and writer of Owl's Eye View Magazine, founding partner/writer/editor at Blazing Owl Press, author of 35+ novels, short story collections, children's collections, poetry collections, and multiple individual short stories available right here on Amazon. She pens Broken Old Broad Blogs, is a contributing writer for multiple horror anthologies, freelances poetry as well as non-fiction articles and essays. Terri is an ongoing competitor and winner of NaNoWriMo and Critters/Preditors & Editors Awards.

Terri is married to horror writer Blaze McRob and in 2015 they founded Blazing Owl Press where she is a very hands-on partner. Her duties at BOP include editing, producing book covers, and of course writing.

If you look up write-a-holic in the dictionary, Terri's picture is there.

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HO - PO. Buy. Read. Enjoy. It's that simple.

Blaze McRob