Thursday, December 24, 2009
Poor Christmas
Ah-h-h... well, this is going to be a poor Christmas for me and my family. I'm having money trouble, but in this economy, who isn't? A good thing is that my kids are all grown up now so a lot of the pressure I used to feel to buy them stuff for the holidays is minimized. This year everyone gets a card, a hug, kind words, and a warm, home-cooked meal. This all sounds so good, it's almost hard to believe that in the old days I'd go nuts with all the shopping, card mailing, decorating and stuff... not having any money can be kinda liberating - ya know? I still harbor pangs of guilt at not being to at least buy them something, but I assuage that guilt with the knowledge that it honestly can't be helped, and that it's not their or my birthday anyway. Putting the Christ back in Christmas should be the priority, and it's a shame that it took this long to better see that. It's Jesus' birthday afterall, and it's He who should be getting all the gifts... gifts of praise, love, faith, peace, harmony... and charity. Once again, please don't forget those less fortunate than you. Merry CHRISTmas and God bless.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Have a happy...
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. May all of your hopes and dreams come true, may all of yours needs be fulfilled. Please don't forget those less fortunate and remember them in your prayers... and please... write!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The Holidays
As we move into the holidays, I can't help but think of those who are worse off than I am... people that have lost their jobs, their homes... Americans that are going to bed hungry... I almost lost my own job about a year ago and it was scary. Financially, I'm still struggling to get back on my feet. How do those that have lost their income make it? I can only pray for them.. and for me. Still, I'm writing and reading, and hoping that maybe something that I write will make some money.
Happy Holidays everybody, and God bless.
Happy Holidays everybody, and God bless.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Interview with Ella of EDC Creation's Black Pearls Magazine
Intimate Conversation with Arnold Wolf
Arnold Wolf was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York (East New York/Brownsville to be exact) about half-a-century ago, but now makes his home in Queens, New York where he has lived with his family for about 14 years now. He is employed as a manager with the MTA in New York City. As well as writing, Mr. Wolf is an artist and photographer. As a writer he’s sold articles to Railway Age magazine, Homeland Defense Journal, and Reptile & Amphibian magazine; scripts to Archie and Personality Comics; and short stories to Neo-Opsis magazine, Lost Souls e-zine, and various Sci-Fi and/or horror newsletters and fanzines. Arnold Wolf considers as his major influences the people and places he's seen and interacted with in New York City over the years. As far as the writers that he feels that have influenced him the most, they are - in no particular order - Ernest Hemmingway, Robert E. Howard, Lawrence Sanders, Harry Turtledove, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King.
Ella: Where are you from? How did you start your writing journey? I'm from Brooklyn, NY. I've always enjoyed reading and writing, my first published work being when I won a writing contest in D.C. Comics.
Ella: Arnold, introduce us to your book Chickenhawk. Tell us the Intimate Details.My novel is Chickenhawk; Genre-Crime Fiction; ISBN# 1-4241-7491-0. Synopsis: Eddie Ramos is a cop. He and his partner, Tommy Cucitti, are detectives in the elite squad known as Manhattan North Homicide. Eddie’s an old-fashioned kind of cop; heck, Eddie’s an old cop period. He’s a proud man; proud of being a cop, of having been a cop for a long time, and he’s proud that his marriage has survived the rigors of the job. All of these things, the things he’s proud of and considers important however are put to the test when young men and boys start winding up dead all over his town, young men and boys that share a common source of livelihood…they’re all prostitutes.
Eddie Ramos doesn’t like cell phones or computers; he trusts paperwork, procedure, and his instincts. He’s been married to his childhood sweetheart for 30 years, he’s a family man, a church-going Catholic, and he still carries the same 5-shot revolver they gave him when he graduated from the academy. Tommy Cucitti is younger, brasher, more of a hothead and usually in trouble. He knows computers and always carries his cell phone. He’s single and lives with his street-wise Armenian girlfriend; Daphne. Tommy and Eddie are two different kinds of men that are the same kind of cop; dedicated, hardworking and resourceful. They’re after a serial killer that manages to stay below their radar while the body count keeps climbing in a city that’s turning into a powder keg.
Theodore “Paki” Pakidorapopulos is a successful and well-known writer and columnist for a popular and respected New York City magazine. He has an impressive house in the trendy section of Eastern Long Island , a beautiful wife, two adorable children, and the respect and admiration of his family, friends, and fans. He also has a secret. He has sex with boys and young men.
Paki is one of hundreds, if not thousands, of seemingly happy and satisfied married men that nevertheless troll the streets of New York City searching for young men and boys to satisfy their sexual needs before going home to their unsuspecting wives. Paki, like the majority of these men, does not consider himself a homosexual and in fact he is well known for his conservative views and has regularly ridiculed gay causes in his column. He is of course discreet since this particular night-time activity may not sit well with his tony neighbors or the other members of the country club.
Paki’s discreet and genteel life are threatened however when he becomes ill. He’s never felt so bad in his life and he suspects that he knows what it is. He fears that he has contracted the AIDS virus from one or more of the young men that he’s paid for sex. Paki never thought that he’d get sick. Now everything he’s worked for, everything he’s built will come crashing down around him in a wave of humiliation, mistrust, and accusation. Paki is incensed and he vows that if he is cursed to die so ignoble a death, then he will take those responsible for making him sick to the grave with him. Paki’s vow becomes a plan, the plan then becomes action, and people start to die.
Ella: Who are your two main characters and what do you like most about them? My main characters are Eddie Ramos and Tommy Cucitti... they're cops. I like the way they react to and with each other throughout the book.
Ella: What makes your book stand out and would entice a reader pick it up?My novel is very realistic. In fact a former producer from Forensic Files lauded my novel's realism in an email to me.
Ella: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?I want them first and foremost to be entertained.
Ella: What is the most surprising thing you have learned in creating books?I learned how hard it is for a writer of color to get an agent interested in their work.
Ella: What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer? Finishing my novel; Chickenhawk.
Ella: What advice would you give a new writer?Write, just write, no matter what.
Ella: Would you change anything about your journey?Yes. I'd write more and more often.
Ella: Name 3 things that it takes to make a successful author, in your opinion?Lots of reading, writing, persistence and talent.
Ella: What can we expect from you in the future?More crime novels of course, but I'm also working on a fantasy novel, a couple of non-fiction books about terrorism, and some short stories in a variety of genres.
My website addresses:www.authorsden.com/arnoldwolf www.myspace.com/arnoldwolf
www.blackauthors.ning.com/arnoldwolf
www.facebook.com/arnoldwolf
www.goodreads.com/arnoldwolf
This is my book trailer on YouTube
Checkout my reading list on Goodreads - where you can see what your friends are reading.
Arnold Wolf was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York (East New York/Brownsville to be exact) about half-a-century ago, but now makes his home in Queens, New York where he has lived with his family for about 14 years now. He is employed as a manager with the MTA in New York City. As well as writing, Mr. Wolf is an artist and photographer. As a writer he’s sold articles to Railway Age magazine, Homeland Defense Journal, and Reptile & Amphibian magazine; scripts to Archie and Personality Comics; and short stories to Neo-Opsis magazine, Lost Souls e-zine, and various Sci-Fi and/or horror newsletters and fanzines. Arnold Wolf considers as his major influences the people and places he's seen and interacted with in New York City over the years. As far as the writers that he feels that have influenced him the most, they are - in no particular order - Ernest Hemmingway, Robert E. Howard, Lawrence Sanders, Harry Turtledove, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King.
Ella: Where are you from? How did you start your writing journey? I'm from Brooklyn, NY. I've always enjoyed reading and writing, my first published work being when I won a writing contest in D.C. Comics.
Ella: Arnold, introduce us to your book Chickenhawk. Tell us the Intimate Details.My novel is Chickenhawk; Genre-Crime Fiction; ISBN# 1-4241-7491-0. Synopsis: Eddie Ramos is a cop. He and his partner, Tommy Cucitti, are detectives in the elite squad known as Manhattan North Homicide. Eddie’s an old-fashioned kind of cop; heck, Eddie’s an old cop period. He’s a proud man; proud of being a cop, of having been a cop for a long time, and he’s proud that his marriage has survived the rigors of the job. All of these things, the things he’s proud of and considers important however are put to the test when young men and boys start winding up dead all over his town, young men and boys that share a common source of livelihood…they’re all prostitutes.
Eddie Ramos doesn’t like cell phones or computers; he trusts paperwork, procedure, and his instincts. He’s been married to his childhood sweetheart for 30 years, he’s a family man, a church-going Catholic, and he still carries the same 5-shot revolver they gave him when he graduated from the academy. Tommy Cucitti is younger, brasher, more of a hothead and usually in trouble. He knows computers and always carries his cell phone. He’s single and lives with his street-wise Armenian girlfriend; Daphne. Tommy and Eddie are two different kinds of men that are the same kind of cop; dedicated, hardworking and resourceful. They’re after a serial killer that manages to stay below their radar while the body count keeps climbing in a city that’s turning into a powder keg.
Theodore “Paki” Pakidorapopulos is a successful and well-known writer and columnist for a popular and respected New York City magazine. He has an impressive house in the trendy section of Eastern Long Island , a beautiful wife, two adorable children, and the respect and admiration of his family, friends, and fans. He also has a secret. He has sex with boys and young men.
Paki is one of hundreds, if not thousands, of seemingly happy and satisfied married men that nevertheless troll the streets of New York City searching for young men and boys to satisfy their sexual needs before going home to their unsuspecting wives. Paki, like the majority of these men, does not consider himself a homosexual and in fact he is well known for his conservative views and has regularly ridiculed gay causes in his column. He is of course discreet since this particular night-time activity may not sit well with his tony neighbors or the other members of the country club.
Paki’s discreet and genteel life are threatened however when he becomes ill. He’s never felt so bad in his life and he suspects that he knows what it is. He fears that he has contracted the AIDS virus from one or more of the young men that he’s paid for sex. Paki never thought that he’d get sick. Now everything he’s worked for, everything he’s built will come crashing down around him in a wave of humiliation, mistrust, and accusation. Paki is incensed and he vows that if he is cursed to die so ignoble a death, then he will take those responsible for making him sick to the grave with him. Paki’s vow becomes a plan, the plan then becomes action, and people start to die.
Ella: Who are your two main characters and what do you like most about them? My main characters are Eddie Ramos and Tommy Cucitti... they're cops. I like the way they react to and with each other throughout the book.
Ella: What makes your book stand out and would entice a reader pick it up?My novel is very realistic. In fact a former producer from Forensic Files lauded my novel's realism in an email to me.
Ella: Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?I want them first and foremost to be entertained.
Ella: What is the most surprising thing you have learned in creating books?I learned how hard it is for a writer of color to get an agent interested in their work.
Ella: What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer? Finishing my novel; Chickenhawk.
Ella: What advice would you give a new writer?Write, just write, no matter what.
Ella: Would you change anything about your journey?Yes. I'd write more and more often.
Ella: Name 3 things that it takes to make a successful author, in your opinion?Lots of reading, writing, persistence and talent.
Ella: What can we expect from you in the future?More crime novels of course, but I'm also working on a fantasy novel, a couple of non-fiction books about terrorism, and some short stories in a variety of genres.
My website addresses:www.authorsden.com/arnoldwolf www.myspace.com/arnoldwolf
www.blackauthors.ning.com/arnoldwolf
www.facebook.com/arnoldwolf
www.goodreads.com/arnoldwolf
This is my book trailer on YouTube
Checkout my reading list on Goodreads - where you can see what your friends are reading.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Vacation
Ah-h-h-h, I'll be going on vacation soon and I can't wait! The whole family is going on what may be our last vacation as a family unit. We're going to Puerto Rico! Man, I can't wait for the sun, surf, smells and food. It'll be great for us and the kids to be together and just relax, explore, and just have some fun for a change. I won't be taking any of my writing, but I'll have a small pad to jot ideas on just in case, and a camera of course. The last time I was in Puerto Rico I went alone and camped out in the rainforest. It was a weird and wonderful experience, and I was lucky because they don't let people do that anymore. But the camping thing, wow, it was just so cool! I hope to take the family to the rainforest, as well as to a couple of other places that are mostly tourist attractions... but then, we're going to be tourists so it should alright. Am I rambling? I feel like I'm rambling. Oh well, maybe I'm already in vacation mode. I will, of course, let you know how it all turns out...
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Where's the money man? Where's the money?
You know, times are tough right now and it seems that everyone and every company is counting their pennies... me included. Well, add all that to the fact that I'm going on vacation in a couple of weeks and so I've been kinda extra careful with my funds lately. Imagine my surprise (I've been getting surprised a lot lately haven't I?) when I went to pay my mortgage and found that more than half of the money was missing from my account! I thought maybe the bank made a mistake and so I went to confront them and instead found out that someone has been siphoning money from my acount for at least a couple of months! Who? Who? How? Uh-oh, I guess I wasn't as careful as I thought and someone took advantage...
The bank is now performing an investigation. We'll see what happens...
The bank is now performing an investigation. We'll see what happens...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The budget, the budget, the budget...
I had to report to work early today... seems I had two meetings to go to. The first one wasn't so bad, My immediate boss told me to write up evaluations on the level one supervisors here and hand them in to him. That task took about 30 minutes... no biggie.
The next meeting was a bit of a surprise; a shock really. I met with the director of my department along with two members of Human Resources... egads!!! Well, I was informed that due to the recession, there was no longer enough money in the budget to pay me! I felt like the floor was puled from under me! All I could think of was my wife, my kids, my mortgage, my bills... in just seconds my thoughts were spinning around in a miasma of fear and worry... then the two HR people, apparently seeing my thoughts play out on my face, assured me that I was not being laid off. They told me that there wasn't enough money in the budget of my present department to pay me! Sheesh, I'd nearly had a coronary. They told me that they'd look for another, larger department with enough of a budget to take me in. They said I wouldn't lose any pay and may even wind up in a place where I'd be earning more, maybe even my old department (which I loved!). They also said that if I found a position in the Job Postings that I felt I qualified for, to let them know via email and they'd put a good word in for me! Man, what a revelation... in the space of just a few minutes I went from jobless to maybe even getiing a better job! Wow.
The next meeting was a bit of a surprise; a shock really. I met with the director of my department along with two members of Human Resources... egads!!! Well, I was informed that due to the recession, there was no longer enough money in the budget to pay me! I felt like the floor was puled from under me! All I could think of was my wife, my kids, my mortgage, my bills... in just seconds my thoughts were spinning around in a miasma of fear and worry... then the two HR people, apparently seeing my thoughts play out on my face, assured me that I was not being laid off. They told me that there wasn't enough money in the budget of my present department to pay me! Sheesh, I'd nearly had a coronary. They told me that they'd look for another, larger department with enough of a budget to take me in. They said I wouldn't lose any pay and may even wind up in a place where I'd be earning more, maybe even my old department (which I loved!). They also said that if I found a position in the Job Postings that I felt I qualified for, to let them know via email and they'd put a good word in for me! Man, what a revelation... in the space of just a few minutes I went from jobless to maybe even getiing a better job! Wow.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Six Weeks of Meditation
On January 13, 2009 I was suspended from my job without pay "Pending Dismissal." I wound up being suspended for six weeks, at the end of which I wound up being quite broke, angry, upset, and introspective.
My first day back on the job was March 3, 2009. I knew I shouldn't be but I found myself being very upset with my bosses and my workplace in general. It took me several days after going back to work to remember that I should be grateful to have a job, especially in light of today's economic downturn. Still, I find myself repeating my new mantra, "I love my job, I need my job," over and over again.
Why was I suspended?
That's a conversation for another day...
My first day back on the job was March 3, 2009. I knew I shouldn't be but I found myself being very upset with my bosses and my workplace in general. It took me several days after going back to work to remember that I should be grateful to have a job, especially in light of today's economic downturn. Still, I find myself repeating my new mantra, "I love my job, I need my job," over and over again.
Why was I suspended?
That's a conversation for another day...
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