Jack Flacco

Autumn in Niagara

Posted on October 25, 2013May 8, 2017 by Jack Flacco

As you may know, my book released this week and things have been rather surreal around Casa Flacco. My sleep cycle has left me and I’ve been functioning on pure adrenalin. It’s a good thing. At least, I think it is. Yes, it is a good thing.

Last weekend, three days before release, on impulse my wife and I packed, loaded the kids in the car, and scooted to Niagara Falls for a weekend away from it all. I’ve described in a previous post for Freedom Friday how Niagara Falls is one of those enchanting places on earth where my wife and I relax, let time stand still, and come back with new and exciting decisions about our life together. Last weekend was no different.

We’d left late Friday afternoon, arrived at the hotel just before sunset, quickly unpacked, and headed straight for a restaurant. The big thing here in Canada is Boston Pizza. And Niagara Falls has one we enjoy going to whenever we visit.

You know, sitting there in the lounge area as dusk settled, I thought of how wonderful a family I have that we’re able to enjoy each other’s company without worrying about tomorrow, of what is and what will be. The notion came and went, as if a fleeting thought that passes through the mind and makes a quick exit through the door.

Soon after devouring the chicken wrap, washing it down with a soda and lime twist, we took a walk on Clifton Hill. If you’ve never been to the Niagara Falls’ Clifton Hill strip, I highly recommend it. It’s one thing to see the area during the day, but the night is something to behold. I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but the whole area lights up like fireworks on Canada Day—Fourth of July to my American friends.

The evening was ideal. Not too hot, not too cold. Perfect fall weather. During the whole time, I thought, oh, how our family’s changed. I have grown children ready to take on the world. How fast did it happen? What happened to those days when I’d purchased our first DVD player so we could watch Titanic in pristine digital? Oh my, how has time flown so fast?

The next day, Saturday morning, we headed to the continental breakfast table downstairs in the dining area. From there, we landed at the IMAX theater enjoying a tale about Niagara Falls’ myths and legends. I’d seen the movie before but had forgotten Rocky composer Bill Conti had written the score. Boy, talk about a step back in time. The music moved me to remember my youth and how I’d wanted to take on the world. Goodness, how things have changed.

We ate Mexican for lunch, then spent some time in our hotel room reading. The kids had brought a load of books to consume, and my wife and I had our tablets to keep us entertained. Here is where I have to tip my hat to the folks working in the tech department of our hotel who gave us access to the internet via free wi-fi. While some establishments implement pay-per-use, our hotel was kind enough to offer the service without spending a dime in fees.

When evening approached, our goal for the night consisted of having fun at the Guinness World Records Museum. Somehow, lists of who made more money posthumously, and of which spider had the longest leg span made us curious. I know the kids got a kick out of the freakish exhibits.

From there we enjoyed the nightlife, taking in some ice cream and walking in the rain. Trust me when I say, eating ice cream in the rain is something to experience first hand.

We didn’t leave Niagara until late Sunday afternoon, once we’d completed our tour of The Falls. In your lifetime, if you ever want to experience anything wondrous and exciting, Niagara Falls is the place to go. The sheer volume and magnitude of this watery beast is enough to send shivers throughout the body.

On our way back home, all I could hear are the rushing waves, the thundering crashes, and the surging currents of Niagara. The Falls certainly leave an impression.

Oh, which reminds me—our life decision this year has to do with helping our kids as much as we can. So, if you don’t see me around as much, I’m probably either helping my kids with their homework or spending some time with them in an effort to build a lasting relationship. Corny, yeah, I know. But it’s true.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, now on sale.

Do you take any time away from it all? Any “unplanned” vacation heading your way?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Carrie

Posted on October 23, 2013October 27, 2013 by Jack Flacco

You only can push someone so far before they fight back. Carrie kept taking it and taking it until one night all bets were off—she retaliated. As part of Horror month, Women Who Wow Wednesday salutes Carrie White, Stephen King’s bullied hero.

I’ve spoken before about what goes on in the schoolyards in North America with my post Bully. It’s not fun. Kids picking on kids. Teens beating other teens. These bullies grow up to become superficial abusers of the system unaware the system will eventually catch up with them someday.

* spoilers ahead *

Carrie is an ordinary 17-year-old growing up discovering she no longer is a little girl anymore. She learns from the popular kids in class that her period is a natural phase in her development to womanhood. Although, they don’t really make her feel all that special given they throw sanitary napkins at her telling her to “plug it up” in the girl’s shower. When she returns home, her mother having received a call from school, she runs upstairs. But her mother has other ideas. A radical Christian, she punishes Carrie for reaching that stage in her life in order to remove any impurities introduced by the flow.

If you’re thinking her mother’s an oddball, you must have seen this 1976 feature.

What I find interesting about this movie is some of the actors playing the leads go on to become big stars after this film. John Travolta’s star shined bright in Saturday Night Fever, becoming an overnight sensation dancing disco. Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Coal Miner’s Daughter. Virtual unknown, Amy Irving, starred in a bevy of small roles, then married Steven Spielberg only for the marriage to last a short time.

Carrie’s bullying started at home with her mother. A restrictive woman, her mother always dictated what Carrie could and couldn’t do. That is, until one night Carrie reveals a secret to her mother. Thing is, she’s never really told anyone about her secret, which leads her mother to fear her daughter’s doing the devil’s work.

Throughout the story, Carrie blossoms from a fragile teen with very little self-confidence to a beautiful young woman dating one of the hottest guys in school. To watch this wondrous transformation from ugly duckling to beautiful swan makes the story all the more enchanting to enjoy. Of course, when she’s crowned queen of the prom, things don’t go quite as expected.

And this is where I have to stop since I don’t want to give away the whole story.

Carrie White proves bullying doesn’t work. She also rises from her insecure stoop to dominate those who’d teased her over the course of the school year. Yes, her determination for retribution flies in the face of conventional justice. But who’s to say it doesn’t?

How does that saying go? Oh, yes, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, now on sale.

Have you seen the 1976 version of Carrie? What did you think of it?

Monday Mayhem

My Book Release

Posted on October 21, 2013November 8, 2013 by Jack Flacco

It’s not every day I can say tomorrow I have a book releasing. It’s not as if I write a book every day. That’d make me one fast writer, for sure. It would also make me an incredible genius. Believe me, as much as I’d like to punch myself in the arm, no way would I consider myself an incredible genius. Not by a long shot.

Jack Flacco takes you to the edge of horror

For instance, I mess up directions whenever I go anywhere with my GPS. Somehow, the voice-assist stating, “800 meters, turn right” sets off a chain reaction in my brain that propels me to want to take the next right turn instead. Even if there’s 400 meters remaining for the turn. Also, I sometimes put on two different socks. But maybe you can forgive me in that respect since I do wake up at 5:00 A.M., and different shades of blue all look the same at that hour. And when I cut the lawn, I sometimes miss spots. I’ll notice it two days later when I’m having breakfast in our garden-view kitchen, and a strip of lawn waves at me, teasing me by saying, “You missed.”

Genius? Hardly.

I’m not very good with marketing either. The best I can do is slap on a few words to a picture about my book, and post it on my Facebook page and Twitter account hoping you might like it without my being too intrusive. Believe me, I dread these days I have to talk about my book. It’s something that does not come naturally and takes me forever to come up with words that wouldn’t make me sound like I’m bragging. Because that’s what I don’t want to do—sound like I’m bragging.

For this reason, I’m dedicating this Monday Mayhem post to my Review Team. These folks volunteered their time and energy to read Ranger Martin and The Zombie Apocalypse in order to not only provide me feedback, but to also give potential readers an honest opinion. It’s best hearing what they have to say than for me to open my mouth so you can watch my brains fall out.

Meet the Review Team

Jerry B.’s Trip Through The Mind—“Ranger Martin and the Zombie Apocalypse is the type of story that draws you in and keeps you engrossed page after page.”

Bradley L. Bodeker’s The Insanity of a Mad B@stard—“Ranger Martin and the Zombie Apocalypse is not your typical genre rehash of things you’ve seen, heard, read before. From the first time I popped open the book, I was glued to the pages.”

ButterflyMumma—“Jack has a filmmaker’s sense of pacing and action. The book opens with a bang—Ranger is facing off against the oncoming horde on page 1… Stay-tuned for the film. This book was meant for the screen.”

Sonya Solomonovich’s Swashbuckler’s Tales—“Jack Flacco excels at bringing the zombie-fighting action to life with his own brand of dynamic comic-book flavored violence.”

Heather-Joan’s Serenity’s Musings—“I am not a fan of the reading sci-fi or zombies genre, but as far as Ranger Martin and the Zombie Apocalypse is concerned, I was hooked on page three and I couldn’t put it down after that.”

Patrick Todoroff’s Hot Space Station Justice—“The genuinely refreshing thing is while RM is fraught with tension and action, (and zombies) it keeps from decomposing into ponderous, grim darkness with a salting of black humor and a light tone.”

Kim’s Tranquil Dreams—“The book has quite a bit of intense action especially in the last few chapters. However, aside from it being very much action, in a way that you feel like you are reading a movie, Jack writes in a way where I had an easy time picturing and seeing in my mind what was really going down. It’s a pretty fun experience for the most part and especially in most situations, we always have Ranger Martin bringing in some witty smartass comment to loosen up the intensity sometimes.”

Katie Sullivan’s The D/A Dialogues—“A tightly-knit story, woven together with humor, pathos and just-around-the-corner danger, Ranger Martin, was everything I wanted out of a thriller. It starts out with a bang, and doesn’t let up until the final page.”

Jess’ Waiting on a Word—“As I read I lost myself in the story, swiping the pages over my iPhone any time I could spare a minute, and then about halfway through the action—BAM! Jack hit me with something I never expected. Wait? WHAT JUST HAPPENED? I thought, as I flipped back and re-read.”

Gina G.’s GG’s World—“It is a well paced story and then picks up speed to the point where you can’t put it down and will read until your tablet/kindle/ipad’s battery dies. I lost a few hours of sleep this week reading it because I couldn’t put it down.”

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale tomorrow.

Freedom Friday

Daydreaming

Posted on October 18, 2013October 17, 2013 by Jack Flacco

When I was in grade school, I came home one day with a report card that made my bottom red. Oh, I’m sure whatever I brought home would have met with satisfaction in another home, but in my family, bad grades meant not getting my head in the game. Much of what I’d gone through growing up I’d have to blame it on one thing—daydreaming. And for this edition of Freedom Friday, I’ll tell you why.

Throughout my childhood, my brain would not shut down. While other kids studied their ABC’s in class, my mind drifted, wondering what it’d be like being a superhero. In my mind’s eye either I was swooping down to rescue a kid being bullied in the schoolyard or rescuing the world from the evil Dr. Durge. You see, Dr. Durge was my archnemesis growing up. He was a perfect amalgam of DC Comics’ Lex Luthor and Marvel’s Dr. Doom. In my world, Dr. Durge’s villainy had no end. And no sooner had I put him away for good in a New York state federal penitentiary, he’d escape for his next crime spree on humanity.

Of course, I had to pay a price for immersing my imagination too much into a world of my own device. My report cards would reflect my inattentive behavior. And my bottom would reflect my being unable to sit for a week. Naturally, by the end of the school year I’d have learned a valuable lesson and moved on.

Or did I?

I’m happy to report I never stopped daydreaming. In so doing, I imagined my life years later as to how I’d like to see myself. Again, I’m happy to say my life turned out exactly how I had seen it being. Would it have happened had I not pictured it in my mind? I don’t think so. Having the thought and the forbearance to continue on the imaginary road I’d set for myself made my life the way it is now. That imaginary road becoming more real as the goal materialized with every step I took toward it.

A long time ago, I learned a quote I can’t forget from now until the end of my days. It comes from the movie Flashdance, if you can believe it. The quote goes something like this:

“When you give up your dream, you die.”

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or what you have done, if you pictured your life as a doctor, a businessperson, a sailor or even a ballerina for that matter, and it doesn’t happen, that nagging feeling won’t go away. In some cases, the slow death is irreversible.

At the same time, I’m here to say it’s never too late to get it all back.

A 65-year-old woman I know had always wanted to learn to play the piano. She had that nagging feeling all her life, daydreaming how she’d perform for others and how happy she’d make others feel with her music. When she was fifty-five, she began to learn piano. Her dream to perform for others drifted closer as she got better and better.

She now plays piano for her church in songs of worship.

Field of Dreams (Photo credit: Chicago Tribune)

It’s never too late to fulfill your dreams. What’s that quote from Field of Dreams? Oh, yes: “If you build it, he will come.” Don’t allow a slow death to take hold so as your dreams disappear before your eyes. It’s never too late.

Build it. Live it.

As for Dr. Durge? He’s still around. Every once in a while he’ll appear only to meet once again with my superhero alter ego in a battle of good vs. evil. But he doesn’t have a chance. He always ends up in prison until the day he unleashes another wave of destruction on humanity.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

Do you daydream? If so, what do you dream about?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Marion Crane

Posted on October 16, 2013October 13, 2013 by Jack Flacco

Alfred Hitchcock’s cinematic masterpiece Psycho features a rich score written by veteran composer Bernard Herrmann. Just as identifiable as John Williams’ music from Jaws, the piercing violins replicating knife slashes has become a staple trademark in horror movies utilizing the theme’s signature in multiple variations. But the subject of the film’s music is the woman in the shower scene, and the stabbing that goes on as the music repeatedly plays that recognizable theme.

Women Who Wow Wednesday presents Marion Crane, the woman in the Psycho movie who meets with a premature death, shocking audiences in 1960 into an unknown they’ve never had the opportunity to explore.

Played by Janet Leigh, mother to scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis star of the Halloween franchise, the part entailed Leigh to work a full three weeks on set, seven days of which she partook in the infamous shower scene.

The making of the film is a story in itself. Hitchcock declined his usual $250,000 directorial fee for a 60% cut of the box office. He made $15 Million, which adjusted for inflation translates to $150 Million in 2006 dollars. Additionally, to thwart MPAA censors, he had added obvious red herrings to the film in order to confound them into removing the red herrings all the while keeping the objectionable scenes intact.

As for filming of the shower scene, Hitchcock used Bosco chocolate syrup to emulate the blood, since it appears better contrasted in black and white. Some audience members, however, believed they saw red when blood washed down the drain. Of course, this is a physical impossibility for the obvious reason the movie is not in color.

Further adding to the list of interesting tidbits, ophthalmologists approached Hitchcock soon after the opening to emphasize a truly dead corpse, as seen in Psycho, should not have contracted pupils but dilated instead. They suggested Hitchcock use belladonna drops to achieve the dead-eye affect in subsequent films, which he did.

Trivia’s all very well and fine, but what does that have to do with Marion Crane? The story goes something like this: Marion steals $40,000 from her employer and goes on the lamb. She changes cars in an effort to thwart discovery by the police and checks into a motel by the side of the highway—the Bates Motel. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.

Owned by Norman Bates and his sick mother, the Bates Motel poses as the scene for the eventual turning point in Marion’s life. Thinking she’d gotten away with robbery, she didn’t think she might have walked into a far worse situation. As the cliché goes, out of the frying pan into the fire. As the movie’s title suggests, someone has to be the psychopath. It’s not Marion.

And this is what makes Marion Crane unique in Horror. Hitchcock purposely gave her top billing, even though she dies halfway through the film. Marion’s death in the shower is the most recognizable scene in movie history. When people talk about Psycho, in the same breath they’re talking about the shower scene. In so doing, culture made Marion Crane a poster child for how a good Horror flick should go.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

Have you seen Psycho? If so, what did you think of it?

Monday Mayhem

The Walking Dead: Zombie Names

Posted on October 14, 2013May 19, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Doesn’t it feel good to know there’s a comfortable place to relax when all hell breaks loose? Now that The Walking Dead is back on the air serving pleasant meals of Horror with a side dish of dark humor, wouldn’t it be nice to know what those names for those zombies actually mean?

Monday Mayhem is my series where I delve into all things zombie in order to gain a better understanding of the undead’s wicked ways. If this is your first time here, enjoy my back catalogue of zombie posts tailored specifically for the genre. If you want to see something in the future, drop me a line. I do take requests.

Okay, let’s have some fun!

One of the coolest aspects of AMC’s The Walking Dead is the show’s ability to entertain their audience with trivial things. In this case, names the writers choose to describe zombies. They could have gone and called them zombies, but you’ll never hear that. In fact, here’s a challenge: Find an instance in the show where any of the survivors refer to a zombie as a zombie. You won’t find it. What you will find, though, is a list of euphemisms to describe a zombie’s principal attribute.

What are they? I thought you’d never ask.

Walkers—These are the garden-variety zombies most often seen in the show. The virus transformed them from productive humans to deceased corpses with no other intent other than eat other humans. In a zombie horde, walkers make up the bulk of the frenzied mass.

Lurkers—A common name for zombies that have sustained a massive injury that prevents them from walking. These are the most dangerous because upon approach they seem dead yet can pounce at any time. They tend to grab hold of the victim and munch on a limb thereby spreading the virus, making the victim one of them.

Meat Puppets—The name given to zombies whose intelligence is so low that survivors consider them nothing more than mindless puppets of meat.

Floaters—Of all the zombies, these are the ones most pollutant to the environment. We can find them in the water either stuck somewhere or floating. Should survivors attempt to steer these beasts away, a mighty explosion may occur that’d dismember the floater and spill its entrails. Not fun when survivors need to travel the waterway corridor to get to the other side.

Roamers—They do nothing other than hunt for humans to devour. Much of the roamers’ days transpire with nothing more than lurching back and forth between feeding grounds. They’re main attribute is an insatiable appetite.

The list goes on: Biters, creepers, dead ones, empties, deadies, geeks, monsters, ghouls, goons, lame-brains, psychos, swimmers, and wanderers. I’m sure you can find more.

Nevertheless, what I’ve described are the dominant ones in the show. If you do know of any more, don’t hesitate to comment. I’m sure the folks looking for a thorough compendium to the show’s creativity would appreciate it.

Do you enjoy watching The Walking Dead? What is your favorite part of the show? Did you know about all the names the survivors have for the zombies?

Food Favorites, Freedom Friday

Curry Chicken

Posted on October 11, 2013May 8, 2017 by Jack Flacco

Having watched the Food Network for a full year made me appreciate the culinary delights of cooking with a few simple ingredients. No, this is not a zombie post. Nor is it a piece dedicated to strong chicks that kick butt. But this Freedom Friday entry is about a quick and easy recipe you can try at home with minimal to no chef experience. Yeah, that describes me, all right.

Real Jamaican curry chicken is hard to make. I know because some of my best friends are Jamaican and theirs is beyond description. Does the term “mouthwatering, savory dish” mean anything to you? It will be once you taste the real thing. Mine is a cheap imitation knock-off. But, as my kids have indicated several times, “Is this ever good.” It’s an ever-good, cheap imitation knock-off.

Okay, enough with the chitchat, let’s get to my recipe, as I know you’re dying to get started on it!

You will need chicken. I always get my chicken from Costco since they package their meats in affordable units. For instance, in my neighborhood, 24 skinless chicken thighs is about $24. I’m paying a buck a thigh. I think that’s a good deal. If you don’t have a Costco, you can try the regular supermarket, although I’m sure you’ll pay much more for the same package.

Once I get my chicken, I tend to soak 12 pieces in brine overnight. Not to make it complicated or anything, my brine is salt water. You can use a pot, which works well. Load the pot with the chicken thighs, add water, and add lots of salt. I can’t say how much salt. I go with what I’m used to—about ten dashes. How’s that for a scientific measuring system? Make sure the fridge is cold enough so as the chicken doesn’t spoil. I can’t stress enough how important it is to ensure food meets health and safety specifications.

Before going on, the reason for soaking the chicken in brine is to plump up the pieces. Ever wonder how restaurants get their chicken to look so huge? They soak them in brine to get the meat to swell at massive proportions. Nice trick, eh?

Next, set the chicken in a skillet/baking pan—your choice. We use a glass skillet in our house and it works fine for our family. If you have something else, that’s fine too. It’s nothing to get hung up about.

Add your ingredients:

Cayenne

Curry powder

Garlic powder

Ginger powder

Onion powder

Pepper

Salt

And when I mean add your ingredients, I mean sprinkle to taste. You may only want to give a couple of dashes of cayenne, but pour on the curry. After all, it is curry chicken. Have a gander at the photo to get an idea of what it looks like before baking.

What you’ll want to do is set your oven to 375°F and cover the dish with aluminum foil. This will trap all the flavors inside the skillet to make the meat nice and tender when serving. Leave it in there for an hour and prepare the side dishes. I typically make peas or have some fries on the side. On this particular Saturday, my wife jumped in with some corn on the cob. It was goo-ood!

Once done, take the chicken from oven, let stand for about five minutes in order to allow it to absorb the juices from the skillet, then serve with side dishes.

In the photo at the beginning of the post you see the curry chicken served with corn on the cob, marinated egg plant, and green beans. What a wonderful, delectable dish!

Enjoy!

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

Have you ever cooked Jamaican-style curry chicken? If so, how do you do it? Do you have any chicken recipes that have become a staple with your family?

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