Bright Shadows 2: A Hinterlands Anthology

Mission Statement: And now a weird from our sponsor!

Important: Herein this book I will state some of my opinions, beliefs, and conclusions. I will also confess to being an aardvark. Now, would you, being (hopefully) of sound mind...?

••• Who but a total garbanzo bean would — automatically — believe anything that an aardvark says?! I mean, have you EVER met a talking aardvark before?? I think not!!

Seriously, though: I could be wrong. And opinions greatly resemble armpits — usually on swelting, summer days! EW!!!

Thou hast been forewarned. Snicker, snicker.

~•~

So... Take anything that I state herein & hereafter into careful consideration. Mull it over. Check it out, if you so choose. Then draw your own conclusions. You have free will, and I aspire to respect your sovereignty. Ok?

~•~

Sincerely, me! 🙂 Macbeth Raymondovich, aardvark at large

[NOTE: As purely an amateur creator, I was satisfied with my illustrations: creatively, legally, etc. However, I want to be more professional in my presentation even if I remain an amateur. Additionally, I've noticed that what I'm seeing in my head isn't matching what I've seen during my research.

[Although I've logged hundreds of hours and have looked at tens of thousands of pictures, I may have made a few mistakes that I want to rectify. While some text was designed to make sense only when paired with certain illustrations, I trust that my readers have enough imagination to discombobulate themselves!]

(Hi there!! Feel your IQ dropping a few thousand points yet?? Patience. Stick with me, and you'll be a mushroom soon enough.)

[Oh. I haven't given up on illustrating this anthology, or at least some future version of it. I'm simply altering both my protocols and my paradigms.]

Hence, I intend to insert little place keepers to mark where I'd like to reinsert illustrations.

~•~

To misquote Snark Anthony:

"Nome wasn't built in a day."

Definition: Hinterlands

Remote areas that ain't near no major waterways no how.

(Yes! A triple negative! Even Snark Anthony would be proud!)

...now if only i could figure out how to dangle a participle...

A prescript:

Being a writer of fiction is equal parts an obsession, a calling, and an awesome responsibility. I find that it's good for a man to occasionally take "a fearless, moral, inventory" — a concept not original to 12-step groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. (This is not an endorsement, but a reference.)

You'll find that I have a playful, even mischievous, sense of humor. You'll also find that I can be deep, and even edgy. I'm profoundly imperfect, and quite human.

• I'm also a complete and utter aardvark.

As for my sense of ethics, it's an evolving work in progress. Hence, I habitually put my foot in my mouth. Sorry about that.

Here then is my Achilles' heel:

• If you want to hurt my feelings, then call me a good man. If you want to insult me, then call me righteous. I am, at times, at best a monk ... who is also a monkey's uncle. In short, I am myself.