Decay: . . . Humanity and Beyond!

Hey everyone!

I just want to thank all of the readers out there, you guys are awesome. To those of you on Goodreads, I do see your reviews and I love them. Thank you all so much. As you all probably are aware, Decay: Humanity is available now at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you haven't already picked that up, please do. This is the sequel to Decay: Civilization, and it picks up just a few short weeks after the first book ended. I really hope everyone enjoys it as much as they did the first novel.



I am doing a little research now, and when I'm finished with that I will be starting on the third (and planned to be the final) book in the Decay: Series. Currently, the plans for the third book are incredibly exciting. I have recently completed the first and second drafts of a manuscript for a new novel that is not zombie related. I want to focus on traditional horror, and I feel this next novel will be a great transition for us all.  I have no idea when I will be releasing that novel, but I hope it's soon.

Thank you all again. Not just for reading my work, but for reading in general. You are all amazing!

- Linus Locke

The Goosebumps Effect

I recently picked up some Goosebumps books for my kids to read. I haven't really thought about the series in quite some time (even with a movie on the way), so seeing them at the store brought back so many amazing memories.

Most authors like to credit Chaucer, Austen, Faulkner, or Dickens (among so many other literary masters) for sparking their interest in writing. And they certainly deserve the praise, as I too enjoy their work.

But when I saw these Goosebumps books on the store shelf, it all came rushing at me like a freight train. R.L Stine was a huge inspiration for me, and maybe one of the most important! I consumed Goosebumps books like a hungry animal. I remember starting the series over while waiting for the next one to come out. Some were scary, others were thrilling and adventurous. There was so much excitement and terror and wonder all at once. It was such an amazing feeling when my dad would take me to the bookstore to pick up another one, or when I would wait for my book order from school to come in so I could dig into the next book at recess.

It wasn't long after, I was still in elementary school, that, although I loved the Goosebumps books, I needed to go bigger and scarier. My Aunt was a big reader with stacks of Stephen King novels. While waiting for the next Goosebumps book to hit the store shelves I was right there in Derry, Maine or in the mountains for a quiet vacation at the Overlook.

All-in-all R.L Stine and his Goosebumps series poured gasoline on the fire that was my desire to write, taking it from a smoldering ember to a raging inferno. Thank you R.L Stine. You're truly inspirational.

Thank you all for reading!

Linus

Decay: Sequel Status

It has been far too long since my last blog post. Things have been really hectic the past few months. I've recently changed the cover for Decay: Civilization, as you can see from the image, and you can buy the book with the new cover now. Just stop by your favorite distributor and pick it up, or check out my website, www.linuslocke.com to find out more.

I've completed the first draft of the Decay: Sequel. I set it aside for about a week, and now I'm working back through it to make changes and do a first round of editing. I do have a title for it, but I wont be releasing the name until I've picked a cover. I have a few different covers in mind, so I hope to have that figured out here in the next week or so. I still don't have a release date for the book, but I'll certainly be posting it when I know for sure.

I've also posted my short story, Rot: Island on my website for all to enjoy. You can read it absolutely free without a download, so please stop by and check it out: www.linuslocke.com/rot-island.html

I'll try to make time for more updates in the future. For now, thank you for reading, and have a great week!

Linus

A Linus Locke Opinion Blocke - Ninja Turtles (2014)

Hello everyone,

Linus here with a quick opinion of the new Ninja Turtles movie (2014). I know, it has been out for a while now, you've read your favorite critic's reviews and seen it yourself, but I feel like I need to take the time to voice my own thoughts. I am a huge fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I have been my entire life. I have tons of old action figures that I saved as a child. Plus, I have this really awesome wall clock that I've had as long as I can remember, literally, but none of my family can seem to remember getting for me.

With that being said, I held out for awhile when the new Ninja Turtles movie came out. I didn't see it right away because I felt it was going to suck and ruin my childhood. Some of my other friends hated it, and it received tons of mixed reviews. I sat down last night (on Christmas) and watched the movie with my kids. I really wanted to hate it, as I assumed it was going to be terrible.

In reality, I liked it. It wasn't as great as it could have been, but I don't see why I should hate it. It had the Ninja Turtles and some kick ass fights. The action held my interest, and Will Arnett's Vernon was a fun character, and I really didn't expect that. After all of the death threats I'm sure Michael Bay and the writing team received, they did a fine enough job with the back story, and even set up some interesting possibilities for the future.

The only real issues I had were with character design. I think the turtles were far too muscular, especially Raphael.  He is a freaking beast! They didn't need to be that muscular at all. Martial Arts isn't about size, and I think the turtles could have been smaller in that respect. However, I can see Raph being much larger than his brothers, as this Raph strikes me as the kind of guy who feels he needs to be muscular - if that makes sense. I guess what I'm trying to say is he feels that muscle equals power... maybe.

The shredder was kind of lame, too. I really don't like his suit, and it is sad when the original movies that came out in the early 90's, lacking the technology we have today, can make him look more menacing than he looks now. I do understand the creative decision to use CGI, as much as I don't really care for it. I feel that was the best way to pull off the fight scenes without live actors being restricted by heavy costumes and makeup. But on the other hand, I'm sure there are other ways around that. I also think that the movie did a good job nailing down the personalities of the turtles, and I like Donatello's glasses. I don't know why, but I think that was a fun touch.

Overall, the movie isn't bad, and it is worth watching. If you want the best possible Ninja Turtle experience, however, I would recommend just watching the TMNT movies from the 90's - minus TMNT 3...

And don't think that if you hate it it will ruin your childhood. The great memories of our childhoods will always be there, and the movies, shows, toys, and comics from our childhoods will always be the same. If you hate this movie, just put it behind you and remember what you loved when you first saw the turtles as a kid. After all, they are a group of ass kicking giant turtles. Don't take it too seriously and enjoy the experience.

Thanks for reading
Linus

Changes to linuslocke.com

I have recently changed a few things on my website. I came to the conclusion that the reviews I did of IT and Leprechaun Origins weren't really true reviews. I want to share my opinions more than review. So my Reviews page is now my Opinions page.

This will be a place where I can submit my opinions on the books, movies, music, games, and tech I enjoy. My opinions will, of course, house reviews, but I want to focus more on how these products make me feel.

Thanks for listening
Linus

Shop Small.... And don't forget the independent creators.

There is quite of bit going around right now of a campaign called Shop Small. I think this is an amazing thing. Supporting the local economy should be a priority for everyone. For anyone not familiar with Shop Small, it is a campaign that encourages shoppers to shop at the local stores instead of the big box stores just for one day. Shop Small Saturday. I know it is now Cyber Monday, but shoppers can continue to shop small throughout the year.

I would also like to add that you can shop small by supporting indie authors, film makers, musicians and artists. By supporting musicians such as Dallas Hendrix, and authors such as myself, shoppers are helping the small, independent content creators that are producing great work for the world to enjoy.

Thanks for listening
Linus

God and Facebook

It's nothing new... The pics that make their rounds on Facebook that say, "Share this and God will do you a favor!" Really? Fucking really? All we need to do is tell those starving kids in other countries to check their damn Facebook pages once in a while so they can get in on that! Really?

Do people really think that God is so concerned with their Facebook pages that he is going to do them a favor if they share an image some stupid asshole made to get more likes? Why do people do that shit? I hope people don't truly believe that. I really hope people aren't that stupid. If someone makes a pic of something you agree with than share the hell out of it, but don't share something just because you think God will hook you up with free shit.

And I hate when assholes add, "99% of people are too scared to repost this." What the shit? I agreed with the image's message, I would repost it, but now that your stupid ass added that last line I'm not sharing it because I don't want to look like a stupid asshole.

Thanks for listening to another pointless rant
- Linus

P.S
Like my Facebook page and God will probably or probably not continue to do whatever he was going to do today regardless of whether or not you liked my Facebook page. 99% of you are too scared anyway.
Linus Locke on Facebook