Ha-Ba-Da-Bee Live Drawing – Today – 3pm!

I’ll be live creating an illustrated story entirely based upon the interactions I have with those of you that tune in.
No telling what will happen and what i might draw!

Here’s the Ha-Ba-Da-Bee Live Drawing I did Saturday in an hour with gray later added.

Next live broadcast: Tuesday at 3pm.
Come on by and let’s see what we come up with then!

A Colorado Christmas by William W. Johnstone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Certainly one the best books in the Johnstone Clan corral. I say in the top 20, but think after 100 plus of these I’m past that number. So, I’d push this into the top 10.

First is the plot: A handful of threads coming from many directions that coalesce in a satisfying story and ending. Most, especially recent Johnstone books contain a rather easy or lazy plot model. This one does not. This is one of the few most complicated Johnstone novels I’ve read.

What this entry has that is most often missing in a Johnstone novel is a firm setting of atmosphere. Rare one could read a Johnstone novel and feel chilly in warmth, but this ghost writer does it in excellent form.

The characters are typically very strong. The ghost writer does a really terrific job entering the various Johnstone characters from other novels.

There are some inconsistencies with the Johnstone character’s canon, could be better written and hardly on the level of the greatest classics. But it’s a great book.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 10 out of 10 points.



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The Christmas book of legends and stories by Elva Sophronia Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For those interested in creation myths or Christian history, this book is a wonderful collection of interpretations of the story of the birth of Jesus. The interpretations span the time before and after the birth and stories loosely associated. Many are poems, including, what we now think of as, lyrics to well-known Christmas songs.

The book is laid out in sections of significant instances involving the Biblical story of Christ. This sectioning is an excellent addition and very well thought out.

Some of the stories are excellent. Some are weak. All are a great study of view points to the Christmas story. Well worth time to read if you fall into the two categories I wrote of above.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 out of 10 points.



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Been a bit sick with a cough. My friend, Andrea Kuczynski recommended raw honey. So I gobbled all I had. Where to get more?

Another friend, Gar Thaddeus Gernstein told me it comes in little bears. So I went to get raw honey filled little bears.

That didn’t turn out well…

Spun into Mount Dora to drop off prints and attend a birthday party/music event. Thanks to Krista Joy, Peter Alden and Andrea Kuczynski for letting me trespass!

Andrea’s Caleb and I spoke a bunch about World War II history from Panzers to the Pacific theater to Maugham’s ‘Ashenden’.

Thus Caleb as intrepid WWII spy drawn during the conversation. Also a sketch of a winged raptor.

A Carol for a Corpse by Claudia Bishop

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In that I had just read one of another series with similar aims of mystery, it was easy for me to recognize this had much the other didn’t. There was a very well set setting, distinct characters and dialogue. Also, the mystery itself was far more interesting. There are some stereotyped characters and the plot is more than over used, but the sum is good. I have a real problem of how the murder took place. The effort to accomplish the task is very to nearly impossible considering the outcome. There is a lot of assumption readers know snow skiing. Having a background involving construction development, there is also a problem with how part of the plot is written involving taking over and redeveloping land.

But really the mystery is secondary to the over all story of two sisters running an inn. I liked that part best.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 6 out of ten stars.



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Here’s the finished illustration of my 2019 Swampy’s Florida Christmas print. Lots included in this one.
The location this year being the 1957 Milton Bakery in Milton, north of Pensacola.

I hope to be hitting the road starting Wednesday to get the prints out personally to certain locations in Florida. If you would like one, let me know and I’ll see if i can drop one off to you personally or something like it. Mailing individual prints got rough to do due to expense and the damage done these days by the postal service.

This will be available soon via Fine Art America. That way the print can be received in excellent shape.

This time including my storytelling caricature-type work!See attached for special pricing! ONLY good through 11:59 pm December 1st.Please don’t post requests here. See at bottom of offer how to send in requests.If you want an even better offer, visit me and ask at KittyCon Tampa Bay 2019 this weekend.

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A very tight novel that slices away to the core. Cracker jack writing and good plot. The characters are pretty stark, leaving the imagination to fill in a lot. Same true for the book itself. Even the settings, critical for parts of the book are pretty loose, but the writing

Two pages covers what could have been 100 pages. So much written in few words. Very impressive.

The tale unfolds with speed and with darkness. Written with skill hardly seen these days.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 8 out of 10 points.



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