Monday, September 26, 2016

A darkness is coming...


A darkness is coming. A monstrous, fearsome evil that instills terror with its mere presence. A being of pure malevolence. One who is both powerful and patient. He has hidden in the shadows for centuries; preparing, planning for his eventual unveiling upon the world. He was content to stay hidden a short while longer, until his plans were undeniable and fool proof.

But recently an unforeseen threat to his machinations has arisen. A threat that will destroy his long standing, long created plans for world conquest.

Now this evil, this monstrous, vile and corrupt schemer must first dispose of that threat to his preparations before he can move forward. He must discredit and destroy them in every way.

Hyperforce must die.

Join Captain Power, Solaron, Dragonfly, Silver Shadow, Creature and Stryker as they battle to survive within the pages of ‘Hyperforce II-Of Madmen and Megalomaniacs’ available at http://tinyurl.com/hyperforce2

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Good weekend

As Sunday night rolls to a close I'm reflecting on a very good weekend, specifically Saturday night. Oh, Friday wasn't bad either, but nothing important, beyond the weather being decent. But Saturday night I went out with some friends and had a great time seeing a band at a beach venue then, travelling  to another bar west and north of the beach bar and watching a Van Halen (Diamond Dave era) cover band rock the house. I had a good time. I haven't been going out that much this summer, so last night felt good on a lot of levels. I was hanging out with some cool friends and really had a blast. Then after I headed home I stopped at my brother's house, who was having a little impromptu get together at his house (He lives around the corner from me.) I stayed there about 15 minutes and then headed home. All in all, it was probably the most fun I've had all summer.
Today was a hot and muggy day here on Long Island. Yet another in a broken string of them. I can't say I'm saddened to see this summer end, but I know I'm NOT looking forward to winter rearing its ugly head once again. Hey, what am I going to do? Another two weeks and I'll be putting up Halloween decorations, if you can imagine that. Ugghh. Time waits for no man. It just steps on your spine and grinds you into the ground.





As always all of my own books are available at http://RLAngeloJr.com or http://tinyurl.com/ralphsamazon2





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Thursday, September 15, 2016

New (old) book added to my list of books.

I realized last night that this book which I have a flash fiction story in was not added to my list of books, so I had amazon add it. It's one very short story, but there's a bunch of otehr stories in there that are fun too. Check 'em out, for .99 cents you can't go wrong.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

My review of Chuck Dixon's 'Bad Times 5-Sons of Heaven'

https://smile.amazon.com/review/R1OTCTHSJ0Z5T4/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01EP4HWAM&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text









As always all of my own books are available at http://RLAngeloJr.com or http://tinyurl.com/ralphsamazon2


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Saturday, September 10, 2016

An excellent NEW review of my new novel Hyperforce II-Of madmen and Megalomaniacs

 
As always all of my own books are available at http://RLAngeloJr.com or http://tinyurl.com/ralphsamazon2





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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Ralphs Rants interviews Author Jaime Ramos!


Ralph’s Rants interviews Author Jaime Ramos


Hello Jaime, how are you?
 I’m doing pretty damn good sir, thank you.


Great to hear!  Jaime, tell us about your novel ‘Singularity.’  What’s it about?
Singularity: Rise of the Posthumans is an anthology revolving around the theory of the technological singularity changing our world as we know it.  It’s set in the city of New Southamption in the future.  Steam powers the city and a tyrant is running things.  Each story introduces a hero that is rising up and rebelling against this tyrant.


What was your inspiration for writing Singularity?
I’ve always wanted to do a super-hero anthology.  I also read extensively concerning the theory of the tech singularity.  People told me that a super-hero anthology would never find writers and would never find a publisher.  I proved those people wrong on both counts. I have top-notch writers and a great publisher in Pro Se Productions.  I get tired of people telling me that I can’t do something and that things aren’t going to work.  I ignore that nonsense.


How much of you is in Singularity? Are any of the characters based on you in any way shape or form? Or are they all?
Great question.  My signature character Dr. Bravo are loosely based on two of my favorite people. Brad and Kari Burmaster.  I never base characters on myself normally.  However, the need to rebel against tyranny is an ongoing theme that I believe in.  Look at the garbage that our government is peddling and you will agree with me.


What setting is Singularity in, meaning is it current time? Or set in some decade in the past?
These stories are set in 2075.



Is there a sequel planned?
I’m working on the sequel as we speak.  This volume is really going to blow your socks off!   I am negotiating with some big names. Now I have to deliver the goods.



What authors/artists inspire you in your writing?
I find inspiration in Shakespeare, Trevanian, Musashi, Frank Miller, Robert Shea, Roger Zelazny, The two Lees: Bruce and Stan.  The one and only David Michelinie. I’m a fan of Hemmingway.  As far as artists are concerned, I mostly like comic book artists.  Todd McFarlane, Greg Capullo, Gene Day, Michael Golden, James O’Barr, Mark Silvestri, Rob Liefeld, and a dude you’ve probably never heard of named Raz Tsolman.


How many characters are in Singularity? Is there one main character or several?
There are seven main characters.


To you, what make Singularity special? What made you want to tell this story?
Each writer interpreted my vision of a shared universe slightly different.  These differences were really interesting and I think gives the readers different visions of one whole concept.  Conceptually this has drawn a bit of ire from some reviewers, and I see their points, but I didn’t want to choke the life out of my writers.  Each story has heart and there’s a rebellion brewing in that book.


Finally, what’s next for Jaime E. Ramos?
Singularity 2 is being worked on as we speak.  I am finishing up a story called Golgotha: The City of Skulls.  I am also working on a solo novel titled Cash Rawlins and the Infernal Eye.  I have an idea for another pulp character called the Fighting American Seahawk, but no publisher yet.  I want to do a graphic novel for my character Der Geiger, the Violinist.  I have a lot of options, on the back burner I want to do a fantasy novel.


Jaime it’s been great talking to you, feel free to leave links for your web page or links to where Singularity can be purchased or for whatever you’d like for our readers to get to know you better.
Singularity can be purchased on Amazon and Kindle.  I have had the great support of friends and family alike, and I really want to say thanks!


Thanks for joining us today, Jaime. Best of luck in all your projects, we’ll see you soon!


As always all of my own books are available at http://RLAngeloJr.com or http://tinyurl.com/ralphsamazon2


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Monday, September 5, 2016

Happy Labor Day! 2016!

Labor Day weekend is drawing to  a close as I write this. Another summer is in the books and another fall and winter looms before us all. Soon the shorts will be put away, the air conditioners will come out of the windows and the BBQ's and patio chairs will be put back in sheds all across America. Before we know it the Halloween decorations will be coming out and not long after that we'll all be talking turkey and then awaiting Santa's arrival on Jesus's birthday. Winters chill will have set in by that time and after New years day we'll all be longing for the days of spring and summer once again.

But in the meantime, enjoy the next month and more before it starts to get cold. We've had a hot, muggy summer here in the northeast. I'm not lamenting its passing at all. Even now its 76 degrees here at 11:45 at night and humid. My A/C is still blowing as we speak.

So what do I have planned for the next few months? Well, I'm just starting the promotion for Hyperforce II, and after that I intend to get the ball rolling on the fourth Cagliostro Chronicles book. I also intend to write some short stories for different anthologies. Stuff I can finish in a week. I have a new character brewing in my mind right now. Sort of a modern day adventurer. He'll be making his debut somewhere. Also I intend to read a lot and play a lot more guitar. Those are my plans as of now.

So what are you plans for the next few months? Feel free to share them right here in the comments section. Take care and have a great night  and once again, Happy Labor Day!


As always all of my own books are available at http://RLAngeloJr.com or http://tinyurl.com/ralphsamazon2





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Sunday, September 4, 2016

A little taste of 'Hyperforce II-Of Madmen and Megalomaniacs.'

A little preview of 'Hyperforce 2'  

Chapter 1
Like rats into a trap

“Cap, watch your five o’clock.”
“I’m on it, Sol. Thanks.”
Captain Power soared through the sky above upstate New York. Missiles went off and rocked the air all around him with chaotic, deafening explosions. Beside him, but slightly behind flew the yellow and black clad ‘Stryker.’ The Two heroes were cutting a swath through a seemingly never ending barrage of missiles fired at them from the ground far below.
“Hey mate, this ain’t exactly fun, is it?” Stryker’s accented voice rang through Cap’s earbud communicator, in the same way Solaron’s had a moment earlier.
Cap grimaced and then replied, “No ‘mate,’ it’s not. This is no game, either. Someone has targeted us and has been attacking us for weeks; now Sol has pinpointed the source of those attacks to here. It’s about time we returned the favor and said hello to our mysterious enemy, whoever he is.”
Captain Power was a big man. He stood six feet eight inches tall and had long brown hair that reached to between his shoulder blades, and almost to the middle of his back. He was also very powerfully built. Clad in his white and blue costume with a lightning bolt emblazoned on its front and the twin bolts on his blue cape, he was an impressive figure rocketing through the sky. In fact, to say it would be an understatement.
Stryker was no less impressive in his own way. His costume consisted of a black and yellow leather bodysuit with a form fitting mask that only allowed his mouth and nose to show. Yellow lenses covered his eyes and a blonde Van Dyke covered his chin. He was every bit the rogue he appeared to be.
“Where are you, Sol?” Cap asked.
“We’re coming in fast on your six right now, Captain. Clear the air for us you two, The ‘Star Rapier’ is bringing in the rest of the team,” Solaron replied.
“Consider it cleared, Mate,” Stryker said.
The big Australian cut away from Cap, arcing to his right, to blast several approaching missiles with his explosive energy rays.
Cap watched him an instant, and then rocketed away toward another pack of oncoming missiles.
Captain Power unleashed his own energy blasts; force beams that resembled the energy he blasted out of his legs to fly with. Each powerful blast obliterated the missiles immediately. The downside was that on the ground it sounded like a war was going on somewhere high above in the sky over the Catskill Mountains.
That couldn’t be any closer to the truth.
“Cap!” Solaron’s voice interrupted, “Heads up, you’ve got one heading directly for you on your eight o’clock.”
Captain Power spun just in time to see the missile bearing down on him; instinctively he drew his massive fist back and with a snarl drove it forward with earth shattering force into the missiles nose.
The sky lit up all around the powerhouse, obscuring him from view. Stryker immediately rushed through the air to his teammate’s side, “Cap! Where are ya, ya bloo’ey nit? C’mon, you can’t be dead. No way a stinkin’ missile would ever take a pain in the arse like you out.”
Stryker raced about the sky where Cap had last been seen, but the heavy smoke from the explosion obscured his vision.
“Bloo’ey hell! Where is he?”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Find out what happened within the pages of 'Hyperforce II-Of Madmen and Megalomaniacs' available on Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/hyperforce2



As always all of my own books are available at http://RLAngeloJr.com or http://tinyurl.com/ralphsamazon2





Subscribe to my blog! Click on the link at the top of the right hand column to get my daily rants delivered to your inbox.




Friday, September 2, 2016

The Blair Witch, What???

I recently found out that there's another 'Blair Witch' movie coming out very soon. This surprised me quite a bit. The original Blair Witch, called 'The Blair Witch Project' was a 'found footage' film, possibly the first of its kind, and if it wasn't it inspired a generation of filmmakers to follow suit (See 'Cloverfield' or the 'Paranormal Activity' series to name two of the most popular). I actually did  a quick google search and found 28 recent found footage horror movies. So its become a 'thing.' I'm not sure if The Blair Witch started it all, but it definitely contributed to it mightily.

What I remember about 'The Blair Witch Project' was how stark and outright terrifying it was. The two subsequent sequels were just filmed as movies and did NOT have that feel like the original did. They were run of the mill horror flicks. Not bad in my opinion, but not memorable either.

The original was very different. I remember thinking how outright stupid a few of the protagonists seemed in the film for some of the actions they took, but that was it's only flaw to me. This was a scary flick that stayed with me. There were certain very well written elements in this movie that made it memorable to me. One (and probably the most frightening to me at the time) was the moment early in the film where the protagonists were reading about this supposed witch who would make her victims stand in the corner of her basement facing the wall while she tortured and murdered others. The last scene in  the movie involved the female of the group who finds her way into the abandoned houses basement for shelter and she finds her friend in there facing the wall. Then, as she's shouting for him, she gets hit over the head,  her camera drops and the screen goes dark after a few seconds of silence. 

Well done, scary stuff.

Let's hope the new installment can live up to that. Here's the trailer for the new film:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0MayhTqL1Q&feature=youtu.be 


Also, my new novel 'Hyperforce II-Of madmen and Megalomaniacs' is now available at http://RLAngeloJr.com