KIRI'S QUEST: THE EASTER EGGS

Hello Everybody!

Afraid I haven't accomplished much writing over this past week with the Thanksgiving holiday and personal matters to deal with. Hopefully next week will be better.

But when it was first released, I did promise everyone a run down of the Easter Eggs (those little tidbits authors hide to enrich their stories) within KIRI'S QUEST, so without further adieu...

Cover by Larry Nadolsky

Besides the jokes and other bits of nonsense within the tale of a Companion Dragon on an adventure to retrieve a magical item that was stolen from its rightful owner...

IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE...

MR. ROANOKE was a play on Ricardo Montalban's classic character from another island.

Among the ship references at the dock were THE LOVE BOAT (cruise ship guaranteeing love) and the S.S. Minnow from GILLIGAN'S ISLAND (the reference to three hour tours)

While I could not have Barnabas Collins appear in an all ages adventure, I did make a DARK SHADOWS reference in Castle Umbra’s appearance.

The Ghost Guard Warning Theme and Bruce the (Lone) Shark were nods to JAWS.

“This island proudly guarded by the Amalgamated Association of Monsters, Local 678.”

Was a play on a classic Three Stooges routine.

The two monsters on beach patrol were inspired by MONSTERS, INC. and TICKLE ME ELMO, along with RALPH E. WOLF and SAM SHEEPDOG from classic Chuck Jones’ LOONY TUNES shorts, while the SWORDFISH password was my homage to THE MARX BROTHERS’ AT THE CIRCUS.

In the jungle, the group was a conglomeration of musical acts from the 1960's while The Tally Man and the Tarantula were Easter Eggs from DAY-O by Harry Belafonte.

The Tired Lion Trying To Sleep and WIMOWEH are both nods to THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT by The Tokens.

And although most people think I can't carry a tune in a forklift, I not only know all the words to this classic song, but I can sing ALL the vocal parts too! SOLO! 😀

SHELDON’S GREAT GRANDMOTHER was a Kaiju reference to another classic monster, as also portrayed on Larry Nadolsky's cover.

The lion's lost “Movie studio mascot job” was at MGM, naturally.😉

Between Grewsum and Wiggamore, "The Illustrious Potentate" and "Nobel Lumpkin" were nods to THE SHRINERS’ CONVENTION by Ray Stevens.

For those unaware, a MIDDEN is a MEDIEVAL DUMP.

Grewsum calling the stolen magical item “My precious," was him aping Gollum in THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Just goes to show you how full of himself the man is.

I homaged that classic writer Snoopy quoting "IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT."

And Kiri's comment about “I did not have fun storming the castle," was a play on a classic line from that great novel/movie THE PRINCESS BRIDE.

Of course, these are far from the only jokes and other word play within the adventure that awaits you on every page.

COMPANION DRAGONS TALES VOLUME SIX: KIRI’S QUEST is available in print and e-book formats at Amazon.com.

Also available to Kindle Unlimited members for free.

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 20, 2021

 Okay. Have another double header PROGRESS REPORT for you this week,

so let's get right to it!

WRITING WISE...

Went back and seriously revised Chapter 28 of my SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL, more than doubling the word count in the process!

Chapter 29 is in progress and Chapter 30 is planned.

Counting the Prologue and as yet unwritten Epilogue, how many chapters there will actually be remains to be seen, but I am approaching 53,000 words out of a 60,000 minimum requirement to be considered a novel.

SOLITIAIRE is pending at one publisher and I've gotten a request from another publisher to submit material for consideration!

Am I lucky to be "working" in a profession I love or what?😎

MEDICALLY...

Everything about the same health/heart wise at the moment.

Only around my armpits and slightly below them hurts chest wise post operation now. But while the pain is manageable, it is there and not fun!

The vertigo/dizziness/whatever it actually is issue seems to be confined to just either trying to lay down or getting up again at the moment. Once I'm either fully flat on my back to sleep or sitting/standing and up and about for the day, I'm fine. Otherwise...

Still wish my appointment with the Ear Specialist was sooner than December 21 so I can find out what's going on and get the issue(s) addressed/taken care of, but one step at a time.

In any event, that's how things are for me right now.

Hope you're doing good.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!😷

For those celebrating: HAPPY THANKSGIVING THIS THURSDAY!

I know I've got a lot to be thankful for.

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

21 November, 2021

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 13, 2021

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF LIFE'S UPS AND DOWNS.

YES!

This IS an official PROGRESS REPORT because I did manage to get some actual writing done this past week!😀

I worked on what will eventually be the next chapter of my SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL.

Counting the Prologue as 0, Chapter 28 got started (but remains unfinished as I post this) and I'm already well over 50,000+ words into the overall manuscript.

Unfortunately the work is slow for obvious reasons, hence not going back to tackle the more difficult SHERLOCK HOLMES SHORT STORY yet, but the fact that I got any writing done this past week at all is cause to celebrate because the medical news at best is mixed. 😕

Medically, everything is fine heart💓 wise.

However, and you knew there was one coming 😉, the earliest I could get an appointment to see an Ear Specialist to figure out what is going on in regards to my balance/vertigo/dizziness or whatever the actual problem is was DECEMBER 21!

That means that I am still not officially cleared to drive or do anything other than stay home and continue on the road to recovery the best I can.

At the moment it still only bothers me whenever I go to lay down or try to get up again, and thankfully some instances are less noticeable than others, if they pester me at all.

Yet the fact that I'm still having this issue to begin with is cause for concern.

The very first time (October 25) it was like trying to walk across the deck of a ship during a bad storm at sea.

Since then, instances are more like I'm trying to go in one direction while the rest of the world wants to head the opposite way.

I had one brief and totally unexpected episode November 3, but it passed after sitting down for a few minutes.

Every occurrence since then (so far) has just been of the getting in and out of bed variety.

Yet no matter when and of what variety, I have never been nauseous, experienced room spinning, no headache(s), no double or blurry vision, and I haven't fallen and/or lost consciousness either.

Guess I will just have to keep taking this one day at a time until I either get better or get answers.

With that in mind, take care.

STAY SAFE!😷

And I'll see you around the Internet, because I still have to write Autumn "the Puppy's" Memorial for The Free Choice E-zine.

Lee Houston, Junior

14 November, 2021

UPDATE TIME AGAIN

Hello Everybody.

Can't really call this a PROGRESS REPORT because other than blogging, I haven't really gotten back into the swing of writing again yet.

Not that I haven't wanted to. It's been on my mind a lot lately.

When I do, it will probably be easier to pick up where I left off on the SCIENCE FICTION PROJECT than attempting to resume the SHERLOCK HOLMES mystery I started before heart surgery for the time being because the Victorian Era Consulting Detective requires a lot of forethought and concentration and, for whatever reason(s), the latter I've had in short supply lately.

I know part of my problem(s) at the moment is that I just don't feel like my old self pre-second heart surgery.

I go to bed early enough and fall asleep rather quickly.

The first time.

But then Nature calls sometime during the night and when I try to get back to bed after answering that page...

A whole lot of people are telling me I shouldn't try to push myself too much.

I thought they just meant physically.

After all, other than pushing the keyboard buttons in the right sequences to record what you're thinking, how physical is writing anyway? 😕

Went for my follow up visit with the heart surgeon this past week.

Other than telling me not to eat any foods high in Vitamin K because that is basically an anti Warfarin/Coumadin chemical, I probably won't be seeing him again.

But Vitamin K turns out to be in a WHOLE LOT of stuff! Some I don't like to begin with. Other things I can easily give up, and some that I will have to start exercising more moderation on.

Speaking of which, barring anything unforeseen, I will probably be starting heart rehab sometime after Thanksgiving.

I still have my first follow up appointment with my Cardiologist this week and my (for now) weekly blood test to see where my Warfarin level is because that has yet to be completely achieved and maintained.

Once maintenance has been established, the blood tests can go monthly.

But the heart is a long term issue.

Writing is another matter.

Hopefully I will get "back in the saddle" soon.

Until then...

Lee Houston, Junior

7 November, 2021