Blog Hop Post & Tags

I was tagged by friend and published writer/blogger AJ Scudiere as part of a blog hop to promote fellow writers. My instructions are to go to page 7 or 77 of my work in progress. Count down 7 lines and starting with line 7, share 7 lines. Then tag 7 writers. I don't know as many novel writers as she does, so I'm going to tag 6 friends who are all extremely creative story tellers in some way. Following the excerpt from my in-progress "The Four Horsemen," is a brief bit about each of those 6 people.

        Raspily he inhaled between lips inflamed and distended from days of triple-digit exposure. He had no provisions, not even a bone-dry canteen he might have half-submerged in a muddied puddle left by the monsoon which, only just, had both covered him with the ochre dust broomed forward of its thunderhead, and rinsed him clean of all but his sins. Even if the July Arizona sun had not evaporated the pitiful remains of the rain before the man could have even palmed a bit of water, his hands were so devoid themselves of moisture that the skin cracked and bled whenever flexed. Cracked until they bled. Then, drying, cracked and bled again.
   Cracked as the scorched earth that shimmered all around him.
   And bled as inevitably as his soul emptied.

Mark Morton, MFA, is the lead quitarist and songwriter of the music monster known as Lamb of God. The man smokes quitars! http://www.lamb-of-god.com/home. LOG had been nominated four times for a Grammy, including "Ghost Walking" for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance for 2013. Say no more!

AJ Scudiere, of course, tagged me. Check her out at http://www.ajscudiere.com/blog/tag/smart-chickens/.

Speaking of quitars, Grammy Nominee Luis E. Villegas is a genius Latin Jazz guitarist/songwriter and one of the nicest people I know. What I don't know, is of anyone else who comes close to doing what he does, with the possible exception of Ottmar Liebert. "Cafe Olé" is one of my favorite albums. Check him out at http://www.luisvillegas.com and https://www.facebook.com/LuisVMusic.

Tamara Shure Roth Stafford is a fellow novelist, one who has writing in her blood. She's an actor's writer, one with deep empathy for the characters she creates.

Screenwriter Doug Amaturo taught me how to write the modern action-thriller. No one has done more to help refine my voice in that genre than him.

Comedian, writer, actor Jeff Cesario has written for Dennis Miller Live and The Larry Sanders Show, and appeared on the first Bob Hope Young Comedians special alongside Jeff Dunham, Jeff Foxworthy, and Betty White. Check him out at http://www.jeffcesario.com/index.html.