​I have trouble sleeping. Sometimes, a lot of trouble sleeping. This was not always the case, I used sleep really well, but for the last several years, this has not been the case. These days, I need a distraction to get to sleep. Some form of entertainment to focus on instead of all the other things my brain wants me to think about. This distraction can come in the form of back to back episodes of a show (Bob's Burgers, Community, MST3K, and so on.) BBC radio shows, they have years and years of radio shows (dramas, comedies, sports) to listen to. Finally there's YouTube. Lots and lots of stuff there depending on the mood.

CAVEAT - I don't do audiobooks unless they are familiar to me. For the same reason I don't put on a new movie. It's too interesting and I stay awake to find out what happens next. So only old movies or old books.

I wanted to highlight a few channels on YouTube that exist to help people get to sleep. In the order of discovery.

SLEEP WITH ME. Scooter has a gravely, lilting voice and he rambles. For the most part, it's organized rambling but he does wander off topic and go on tangents often. There are several series. Some are made up story worlds of his own creation that are very inventive and fun and others are talking about old shows, I listen to the Star Trek and Doctor Who recaps. He seems like a super nice guy, give him a try.

GET SLEEPY. These are very detailed intricate stories that Thomas and his cast read for you. They have done many classics like Jane Austen and Aurthur Conan Doyle. I get focused on all the lush details of wherever we're going and then I'm out. get sleepy has three or four different voices but Thomas is my favorite.

THE SLEEPY SCIENTIST. This one can be dangerous because I do love to learn about new things and he has many subjects I'm interested in but so far it has worked. When I wake up I just restart it from the middle in hopes that I can pick up where I fell asleep. Eventually I know how the weather works. 

SLEEPY HISTORIAN. Same danger as the previous one but with a different focus (obviously.) These ones are a little shorter than some of the others on this list but still worth a listen as long as it puts you to sleep.

I believe most if not all of these can be found on Spotify or something similar, I use YT almost exclusively. 

Add to these, I've been taking some magnesium and reading an hour before bed. Combined, these things seem to help - most nights. Hope one or more of these can help you. Thank you for stopping by. 

Here are my thoughts on the latest iteration of Jurassic Park.

1) The product placement is too prominent. Not Transformers prominent but still eye sore level of obvious. Did I want to buy a Ford Explorer after seeing PJ in 1993? Yes. Absolutely, but after the initial shot of the logo on the back I never thought about the car again. 

2) Too many people. The movie follows two separate groups of people and none of them are interesting. Weekly Planet (link below) made a good point. In the first movie all the people were interesting and having important discussions. In Matteo Lane's podcast (link below) his co-host Nick also points out that the characters in the new movie talk about their pasts but we the audience have no connection to so I can't empathize with anything. And the family we're following, nothing likable about any of them.

3) Weird use of the song "Stand By Me" Trevor. I do not know how that added anything to the scene.

4) How did Dr. Bridgeton keep his glasses the whole time? Not possible. Missed opportunity if you ask me, could have gotten some tension out of him not being able to see things clearly.

5) This franchise is suffering from Star Wars Syndrome. Every installment has to regurgitate the iconic moments from the first movie. Be in awe of these majestic creatures, DNA abomination, and heart stopping cat and mouse hiding from a monster behind a thing being the most popular motifs. Maybe they think they're paying homage or doing a call back but really it's just lazy. Give the audience something they haven't seen before. Please. 

6) Boring. All the talking about situations we have no connection with is a big part of that. There is a lot of talking but nothing is being said. Plus I think after six other movies we, like the NPCs in this movie, are used to dinosaurs now and are pretty much over them.  

Conclusion: Despite what I've said, it's not a bad movie. It's just not a good movie. It's better than the last one (Dominion.) Jurassic Park is still the best one in the series. A sequel was never needed. All the rest of the iterations are a waste of studio money and our time. Trying to capture the magic of Steven Spielberg's original is simply not possible.

Here are some other opinions. I agree with most of the statements in these takes and the two podcasts are great fun.

• USA Today article - I'm done with dinosaur movies.
• Weekly Planet podcast review
• I Never Liked You podcast review - I laughed out loud several times

​As you may have heard, NaNoWriMo is ending its run. The organization has decided to shut down, but they plan to keep the websites up for as long as possible. This will allow users to download their information and connect with fellow writers. There are several sources detailing the reasons behind this decision, but I wanted to share my personal reflections on the impact NaNoWriMo has had on my writing journey.

Over the years, I've actively participated in NaNoWriMo, attending in-person Write-Ins and wrap parties. These experiences have always been incredibly positive, providing a wonderful environment to connect with other writers. I even had the pleasure of meeting Chris Baty at a Write-In at Borderland Books.

Both NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo served as significant motivators for me. I often used these months to make substantial progress on novels, even if I didn't always reach the 50,000-word goal. On a couple of occasions, I embarked on writing entirely new material without a plan, and I was thrilled by the results. Although I may not pursue those stories further, reaching the 50,000-word mark, usually just hours before the deadline, was an exhilarating experience.

After winning three times, I shifted my approach. While writing 50,000 words in thirty days felt like a significant achievement, the pressure of maintaining the daily word count became overwhelming. I needed writing to remain enjoyable, and the strict word counts were diminishing that joy. In recent years, I've used NaNoWriMo as an opportunity to reset my writing habit and connect with other writers at the local Write-Ins. Even when my goal was just to write a few hundred words a day, or even a single sentence, I found the experience much more fulfilling. Resetting my daily writing habit, alongside thousands of other writers, provided a sense of community and motivation.

I believe the spirit of NaNoWriMo will endure. Writers gotta write. There are numerous writing groups available, many of which can be found on Reddit. I've found that regularly meeting with other writers helps me maintain a consistent writing habit. Whether you're looking for a month-long challenge or an ongoing group, there are plenty of people out there who will join you.

The spirit of NaNoWriMo will live on, I have no doubts about that.

Out of curiosity, I fed the first couple of paragraphs on my next book into Google's AI. Specifically using their "polish" feature. To no one's surprise the results were mixed, though not entirely without merit. Take a look and see what you think.

All me, no machine:
Eric was no hero, but when a blood curdling scream pierced the afternoon calm from a nearby yard, he ran toward it. 

"Hello!" He jogged between the dilapidated houses, scanning for the source of the scream. This neighborhood had seen better days. Even the grass in every chain linked yard looked bedraggled. He stopped to listen. There was an unnatural quiet. The silence after a loud noise still vibrating the air molecules. All the usual white noise of transport pods humming by, ebikes swishing along the sidewalks, or... that was it. No dogs were barking. 

There was one house in the area with a really mean dog. After his first encounter with Cujo (Eric's secret name for the monster), he avoided that street. It meant adding a few minutes to his route every single day of his life, but Cujo had a reputation that was no fiction. That was five years ago. He was in middle school now, should get over it. But he was so used to his usual routes, why change now. 

As he prowled down sideyards he could make out the sound of someone crying. He came around the corner to a smear of blood and fur. He stopped and looked around, hands twitching. To calm the tingling on the back of his neck, he dug into his pocket for his electric lighter. He flicked it on and cupped his hand over the tiny arc of electricity. There was no doubt in his mind that smear was once Cujo.

"Hello?" He said again, the arc of electricity now flickering between his thumb and forefinger.  The crying stopped and there was the scuffling of feet, followed by a crashing sound and a startled yelp. What had started as a spark burned across his palm as he built up the charge. 

As he neared the corner, he jumped, hoping to surprise whoever had blended the neighborhood terror. "Gotcha!" He declared triumphantly. 

Huddled between a storage shed and the side of the house was a girl. Sheets of old solar panels toppled on the ground separating him from her. Eyes wide, her face red and streaked with tears, shaking.

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to." She dropped to the ground and started sobbing into her hands.

The electricity in Eric's palm disappeared into a burst of heat. Her brown hair spilled over shoulders and curtained around her face. She was crying so hard Eric thought she might pass out. He thought of what remained of the dog and tried to tie it to this person before him. 

"You did that?" He pointed behind him. Impressive. 

She started to hyperventilate. That had to be, yes.

Eric stepped over the panels and crouched in front of her.  "Hey, hey, it's okay." His instinct was to hug her but he had zero idea who this was. Would touching her turn him into a smear on the pavement too? "You did me a favor."

Finally she looked up, her breathing came in short stutters. "Really?"

"For sure. I hated that dog. Everyone did."

Eye blue eyes, searched his face. Probably trying to decide if she could trust him. Which she could, of course, but she didn't know that yet. He gave her, his most winning smile. "He was chasing me and--" New tears spilled down her face. "I didn't..."

"You defended yourself. That's all." If this girl had a mean bone in her body, he would be shocked. 

She blinked as she absorbed this new way of assessing the situation. The girl wiped her face. 

​"Are you just passing through the neighborhood?" He stood and held his hand out to her.

She accepted and he pulled her up. "We just moved here. Last week."

"Oh cool. I'm Eric." He held out his head. When he thought about the dog, he almost pulled his hand back but fought the urge.

"I'm Brooke." She shook his hand, everything about her started to loosen. 


With Google’s polish feature:
Eric might not have been a hero, but when a bloodcurdling scream shattered the afternoon quiet from a nearby yard, his instincts kicked in, and he ran towards the sound.

"Hello!" He jogged between the run-down houses, scanning for the source of the scream. The neighborhood had clearly seen better days, with even the grass in the yards looking tired and neglected. He paused, listening intently. An unnatural quiet had fallen, the kind of silence that buzzes in the air after a loud noise. The usual hum of transport pods and the whir of e-bikes were absent. Then he realized: even the dogs weren't barking.

There was one house in particular known for its mean dog, "Cujo," as Eric secretly called him. After a frightening first encounter years ago, Eric had always gone out of his way to avoid that street, adding minutes to his daily routine. Now in middle school, he wondered if he should get over his fear, but old habits die hard.
​
As he cautiously made his way through the side yards, he heard someone crying. Rounding a corner, he saw a smear of blood and fur. He stopped, his hands twitching nervously. To calm the unease creeping up his neck, he pulled out his electric lighter, flicking it on and cupping his hand over the tiny arc of electricity. He knew, without a doubt, that the smear was what remained of Cujo.

"Hello?" he called out again, the arc of electricity flickering between his thumb and forefinger. The crying stopped, replaced by the scuffling of feet, a crash, and a startled yelp. The charge in his palm intensified, burning as he focused.

As he neared the corner, he jumped out, hoping to surprise whoever had taken down the neighborhood terror. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed.

Huddled between a storage shed and the side of the house was a girl, separated from him by toppled sheets of old solar panels. Her eyes were wide, her face red and tear-streaked, and she was shaking.
"It was an accident. I didn't mean to," she sobbed, dropping to the ground.

The electricity in Eric's palm dissipated in a burst of heat. Her brown hair fell over her shoulders, curtaining her face. She was crying so hard he thought she might pass out. He glanced at the remains of the dog and struggled to reconcile the image with the girl in front of him.

"You did that?" he asked, pointing behind him, impressed.

She started to hyperventilate, confirming his suspicion.

Eric stepped over the panels and crouched in front of her. "Hey, hey, it's okay." His first instinct was to hug her, but he hesitated, unsure of who she was. "You did me a favor."

Finally, she looked up, her breathing short and uneven. "Really?"

"For sure. I hated that dog. Everyone did."

Her blue eyes searched his face, probably trying to gauge his sincerity. He gave her his most reassuring smile. "He was chasing me, and—" New tears welled up. "I didn't..."

"You defended yourself. That's all." He couldn't imagine this girl having a mean bone in her body.
​
She blinked, considering this new perspective, and wiped her face.

"Are you just passing through the neighborhood?" He stood and offered her a hand.

She accepted, and he helped her up. "We just moved here. Last week."

"Oh, cool. I'm Eric." He extended his hand. He hesitated, thinking of the dog, but fought the urge to pull back.

"I'm Brooke." She shook his hand, and he could see her starting to relax.​

I'm so excited to announce that I finally have an audiobook option for you. Many people have asked. Until now producing an audiobook was beyond my bank account. So what has changed?

A.I.

It's a little bit painful to say that. If I had unlimited funds, I much rather pay the three to five thousand dollars needed to hire a voice actor and get professional recording and editing to produce a high quality product but I can't do that. Not at the moment anyway.

Amazon is testing a sophisticated AI program to read books on their platform. I got to choose the voice I wanted from a list of seven. I listen to the Whispersync on my Kindle all the time and this is nothing like that. The flow is normal. The tones for all the voices were surprisingly natural. I'm sure there are still things to be worked out, hence the Beta mode, but it's a start.

Is it ideal? No. I figured this will give me the opportunity to see how much interest there is in an audio version of my novels. For now, you can get Fallout and Trespassing on audio. If there's interest, I will do Linchpin and Iteration too. I would love to hear about your experience for anyone who gives these a try.

Happy listening!