You don't like the first book? It and God Emperor were my favorites, even though both are hard to understand at times. I always wondered how similar Frank Herbert's end to the series would have been had he lived long enough. His son's finale was based on notes from his father. I didn't care for it.

I finally started writing new material again: the interrogation of Father Copolla, accused by the gravedigger of being the dark figure/Antichrist. I also resumed reading Dune. I'd forgotten that Paul and his mother were both Atreides *and* Harkonnens. I remember Paul's line from the David Lynch film: We will kill until no Harkonnen breathes Arakeen air.

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Ray, check out an organization called Charity Care. It may be available in your state to help with hospital costs. Also, talk to the social worker at your hospital as to what your options are.

Dirk

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Sorry about your book, Bill. It makes me wonder how many books are pirated in general, especially of self-published ones where the author has little or no recourse due to the cost of lawsuits.

I definitely prefer their experiences to be similar if possible. I'll try playing with the wording of both healings to see if I can do more to reconcile the two.

Bit of a plot hole in three of my scenes that I'd like to address, although I'm not sure how. Scene 1.1 (the healing of Alessandro's epilepsy) has Alessandro clearly know what happened during the seizure, although epileptics normally don't remember anything. In scene 1.3 he discusses it with Connor at breakfast as having felt the Holy Spirit bathe him in healing energy. Scene 2.1 has Connor kiss Cardinal Nnamani's ring on the cardinal's paralyzed arm, which leads to tingling in the fingers by the end of the scene and a full recovery within a day.

Question is, how come Alessandro felt himself being healed even while unconscious, while Nnamani felt no such rush through his body? The best answer I can come up with is that Connor was pouring healing energy directly into Alessandro's brain (he was holding Alessandro's head at the time), whereas he only held the cardinal's arm and kissed his ring. Seems like an asspull, though, since the entire right side of the cardinal's body is healed within 24 hours, which in theory ought to include his brain. Another possible answer is that the cardinal didn't feel it right away because his right side is paralyzed, including damage to the relevant part of his brain. Both options seem lame.

Or, I can just say screw it and ignore the problem. No reviewers have brought it up, although that could be because they're reading my scenes weeks apart and it doesn't stand out.

Thoughts?
Dirk

vern wrote:

someone could ask a printer

I asked my Epson but it just looked at me as if I was stupid.

That brings my previous novel to mind, John, because it was crap. I only admit this to see how long we can keep a thread about white space going.

It was a tongue-in-cheek post, dagny, although I am fascinated by how much activity those two little space characters have generated in this thread. Please, all, do continue. This is a welcome break from Netflix's V Wars, my dwindling investments and toilet paper supply, and round-the-clock coronavirus news.

A giant new hole in the northern ozone. A killer pandemic. And now this.

The age of Homo Sapiens is coming to an end.

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njc wrote:

https://mobile.twitter.com/martingeorge … 6119816192

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This was really good. A couple of them actually sounded like they belong on Broadway.

Got it: red-winged blackbirds. Not very big, but the bright red markings are reminiscent of fresh blood. Plus, they'll seem like a harmless curiosity at first.

Nuts. Ravens feature prominently in Omen 2. They act on behalf of teenaged Damien's subconscious to kill three of his potential enemies. Given the other similarities between my story and the Omen, I'll probably avoid ravens. Crows, perhaps?

Yeah, they're big in Norse mythology. They also act as psychopomps between the real and spirit worlds. They're considered bad luck in some cultures. I wouldn't want to piss one off.

Lynn suggested having ravens appear in my chapter where Campagna first meets Connor (at the soccer game). I like that so much I'm going to use that everywhere that the two inspectors go in pursuit of the Antichrist. There'll always be a raven somewhere in the scene, culminating in a mass assault by a flock of them. Ravens don't actually flock, which will add to the mystery. I just need to re-watch the Omen to avoid duplicating what they did.

Almost had a heart attack after rechecking my research about Satan fathering the Antichrist. Folks on my Catholic forum say angels and demons can't reproduce. Fortunately, I eventually (re)stumbled on Genesis 6:1-4. It clearly distinguishes sons of God from men. The former are generally understood to be angels according to the NABRE, the most commonly used Catholic Bible in the US. Also, Wikipedia has an article about sex with demons, although it's not as clear as the Bible verses.

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Better yet, I recommend Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightly (no zombies). Currently on Netflix. A stellar cast and soundtrack. Much better than the book, and the only virus is a common cold.

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I now know two people in the US who have it, and it's broken out in my mother's care home, even though the total confirmed cases in Canada is just 7300. Alberta Health Services has yet to mandate masks for people working in care homes. Morons.

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Boo! Prime won't let me rent/view it from Canada. They just lost $4 in sales.

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I need to look for the Andromeda Strain online. I remember I really liked it, although I no longer remember the plot.

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If the current situation doesn't have you worried enough, check out Contagion as well. It's uncanny how much the movie mirrors the current pandemic, except with a much higher mortality rate (25%). The film has a great cast and is available on multiple streaming platforms, including Netflix. I originally thought they shouldn't have run the film, but the beach goers in Florida need to see it.

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Amateurs. I'm always in the doldrums. Add four tax returns (mine and family) and I'll be out of commission for a month.

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Glad you're on the mend, Ray.

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Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a Convoy!
CW McCall

I decided to stick with the Baldacchino collapsing for now. It's really just four bronze pillars and a top. Connor tells Father Romano that it was an attempt on Connor's life. Connor reports an evil presence at the site of the collapse, which his godfather (a police inspector) thinks is the Antichrist. However, I can't leave any proof of the AC's involvement so that the Pope's Council only has Connor's word on the matter. Romano suggests that Connor may be the forerunner to Christ's second coming, like John the Baptist was in the first century. There's a well-documented private revelation about an 'Angelic Pope', who comes before the End Times. One member of the council (a bit of a heretic) even suggests Connor may actually be Christ, and may simply not know it yet. All that gets hashed out in Connor's next chapter.