VICKIE'S WORLD

MY NEW BOOK IS BACK FROM THE PRINTERS AND IS NOW AVAILABLE!  "COGS & STARDUST".  CHECK IT OUT IN VICKIE'S STORE.

For now, however, let me say that this is a chapbook filled with a wide variety of material and some awesome artwork from four different artists!

Here is a list of contents that fill this book's 149 pages:

"Sweet is Revenge": an excerpt from my novel "Vengeance Is Mine".  It's a monologue by the character of Lacroix.

"Before the Invasion":  An article about the historic contributions to the development of Rock 'n' Roll by England's first mega-rock start, Tommy Steel.  The article was first published in Blue Suede News Magazine in February of 2005.

"The Color of Time":  Poem.  First published in the online magazine "Horizons", and later brought to life by a dramatic reading that can be found on "Whispers in the Dark"; a CD of dramatic readings from DragonsLair Studios.

"Untitled" a very short, but effective 2-line poem.

"Possible Reasons Behind the School Shooting Epidemic of the Last Decade":  a speculative essay.

"Of Cabbages and Queens": a longer-than-short short story.  It is a typical fantasy story about sons of noblemen going to war with sorcerous queens and becoming heroes, but the twist is that the text of the story neatly uses 100 song titles by the legendary rock group, Queen.  This story was first published in Powerstar Magazine in 1997.

"Lost in the Daylight":  A poem written for an old musician friend about a rock star's isolation.

"Possible Explanation for the Nature and Purpose of Dreams":  A speculative, scientific essay that might add another choice to dream explanation.  No interpretation here.  Just a theory based on the properties of electricity and the known parameters of human physiology.

"Cranio Morto": an abstract poem.

"Star Struck": an intricate poem

"The Fire Is Dying": an essay on the loss of human spirit, first published in Collage Magazine in 1996.

"Theory on Gravity and Its Possible Effects on Dinosaurs and Avian Evolution": a speculative essay about how an increasing force of evolution over the course of the earth's history may have been responsible not only for the size dinosaurs managed to obtain, but why they may have developed feathers and wings.  Though never published, this essay did get a couple of nods in the scientific community.

"The Vision of Lydia Bates":  a short story about a phone psychic who has to deal with the fact that, one day, she did have a real psychic experience...one that could change the course of the future.

"Violence is Not the Answer...Wanna Bet?":  an essay about the good uses of violence, and how turning our backs on it can cause unbalance.  First published in Collage Magazine in 1996.

"House of Mirrors": a five-minute skit written and performed in 2005 at Roanoke's "No Shame Theater".  Also chosen for that season's "Best of No Shame" special event.

"The Fire Child":  A faerie-tale style story, first published in "New Dominions" in 1995.  A young girls longs to follow in the footsteps of a community's ancient heroine by allowing herself to be taken by the forces of nature.

"Ancient Mesopotamia's Contributions to Modern Judaism, Christianity and Islam - and the Possible Original Homeland of the Hebrew People": a speculative essay based on research, outlining the striking similarities between Mesopotamian Mythology and the oldest stories from the three largest modern religions.