Fun interview on Buddy Gott's Writing Show

Had a great time last night doing a live online interview with the very cool Buddy Gott. For those who missed the live version you can see the Youtube version here.

Dominicus trying to atone perhaps?

Sounds like a certain priest is doing his best to save his soul.

The Slow Boat is Free! Climb aboard.

For the next five days the kindle version of Slow Boat To Purgatory is free on Amazon. Climb aboard and enjoy the adventure! Slow Boat To Purgatory. Download it here.

16,000 Demons banished. Slacker.

Gaspar has him beat

The Borderline Sociopathic Blog For Boys: Ever Watch An Old James Bond Film?

The Borderline Sociopathic Blog For Boys: Ever Watch An Old James Bond Film?: There's always these evil overlord villains and their henchmen doing all these crazy stunts and holding everyone for ransom and whatn...

First cover concept for Shadow of The Son

Here's the first go at the book cover for Shadow of The Son, the third book in the Slow Boat Series. Comments, critiques and suggestions welcomed.

Book signing in Searsport Maine 5/24

Thank you to everyone who came out to the book signing yesterday. And thanks to Fran Riley for hosting. Sold some books, talked with great people, drank wine. It's all good.

Finding Vivian Maier...

"I had two prayers. He answered both. This is my second prayer."

May There Always Be Books

Welcome aboard The Slow Boat to Purgatory! I'll be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card so follow the blog by entering your e-mail, follow me on Facebook or on Twitter. Or do all three! Thanks and enjoy the ride! VJB

This hop is hosted by Literary Addicts and is from May 20 at 12:00am – May 31 @11:59pm EST. --

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Bourdain has my job...

Libya

Polar Spirits....

Gaspar could shed some light on this...

After seven hundred years of walking the earth Gaspar de Rouse could shed some light on this subject. Link to article here.

Readers of The Arimathean already know all this. :)

The Turin Shroud is not a medieval forgery, as has long been claimed, but could in fact date from the time of Christ's death, a new book claims. Many Catholics believe that the 14ft-long linen cloth was used to cover Christ's body when he was lifted down from the cross after being crucified By Nick Squires, Rome correspondent10:24AM GMT 28 Mar Experiments conducted by scientists at the University of Padua in northern Italy have dated the shroud to ancient times, a few centuries before and after the life of Christ. Many Catholics believe that the 14ft-long linen cloth, which bears the imprint of the face and body of a bearded man, was used to bury Christ's body when he was lifted down from the cross after being crucified 2,000 years ago. The analysis is published in a new book, "Il Mistero della Sindone" or The Mystery of the Shroud, by Giulio Fanti, a professor of mechanical and thermal measurement at Padua University, and Saverio Gaeta, a journalist. The tests will revive the debate about the true origins of one of Christianity's most prized but mysterious relics and are likely to be hotly contested by sceptics. Scientists, including Prof Fanti, used infra-red light and spectroscopy – the measurement of radiation intensity through wavelengths – to analyse fibres from the shroud, which is kept in a special climate-controlled case in Turin. The tests dated the age of the shroud to between 300 BC and 400AD. The experiments were carried out on fibres taken from the Shroud during a previous study, in 1988, when they were subjected to carbon-14 dating. Those tests, conducted by laboratories in Oxford, Zurich and Arizona, appeared to back up the theory that the shroud was a clever medieval fake, suggesting that it dated from 1260 to 1390. But those results were in turn disputed on the basis that they may have been skewed by contamination by fibres from cloth that was used to repair the relic when it was damaged by fire in the Middle Ages. The mystery of the shroud has baffled people for centuries and has spawned not only religious devotion but also books, documentaries and conspiracy theories. The linen cloth appears to show the imprint of a man with long hair and a beard whose body bears wounds consistent with having been crucified. Each year it lures hundreds of thousands of faithful to Turin Cathedral, where it is kept in a specially designed, climate-controlled case. Scientists have never been able to explain how the image of a man's body, complete with nail wounds to his wrists and feet, pinpricks from thorns around his forehead and a spear wound to his chest, could have formed on the cloth. The Vatican has never said whether it believes the shroud to be authentic or not, although Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said that the enigmatic image imprinted on the cloth "reminds us always" of Christ's suffering. His newly-elected successor, Pope Francis, will provide an introduction when images of the shroud appear on television on Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday, which commemorates the resurrection. The Pope has recorded a voice-over introduction for the broadcast on RAI, the state television channel. "It will be a message of intense spiritual scope, charged with positivity, which will help (people) never to lose hope," said Cesare Nosiglia, the Archbishop of Turin, who also has the title "pontifical custodian of the shroud". "The display of the shroud on a day as special as Holy Saturday means that it represents a very important testimony to the Passion and the resurrection of the Lord," he said. For the first time, an app has been created to enable people to explore the holy relic in detail on their smart phones and tablets. The app, sanctioned by the Catholic Church and called "Shroud 2.0", features high definition photographs of the cloth and enables users to see details that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. "For the first time in history the most detailed image of the shroud ever achieved becomes available to the whole world, thanks to a streaming system which allows a close-up view of the cloth. Each detail of the cloth can be magnified and visualised in a way which would otherwise not be possible," Haltadefinizione, the makers of the app, said.

Alex Donovan's weapons of choice.

Alex Donovan was given his grandfather's 1911 Colt .45 in Venice. He put it to good use. He was always a .9mm guy. Since those days in Venice he's changed his tune. In the upcoming third installment of the Slow Boat to Purgatory Series, Shadow of The Son, Alex debuts his new pistols. I can promise you they get plenty of use.

Event in Belfast Maine-March 16th

Delivering some copies of both books to Beyond the Sea in downtown Belfast for the event on March 16th. If anyone wants to pick up a copy there will be plenty in store. Or you can show up on the 16th, listen to me prattle on about something, I have no idea what at this point, and pick up a signed copy. PRESS RELEASE Literary Event: Intrigued by guardian angels, demons, soul-mates and more? Meet acclaimed local authors, Vernon (Jim) Baker, John Cobb, and Danielle Bannister Please join us at Beyond the Sea for an entertaining and interesting event with three local authors of excellent books highly acclaimed by readers; March 16th, Saturday, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. A brief presentation by each author will follow with a question and answer period, and book signings. Vernon (Jim) Baker: Slow Boat to Purgatory, and The Arimathean, and a preview on the next release. Jim is self published. John Cobb: Judith, and a teaser of his next book, expected this spring. John is published with Maine Authors Publishing, Rockland. Danielle Bannister: Pulled and her fresh release Pulled Back. Danielle is self published. FMI: Nanette, Beyond the Sea. 207-338-2100, Info@BeyondTheSeaMaine.com

The free book smackdown begins!

The smackdown of Paige W. Pendleton and her band of misfit urchins begins. She's been spamming the world in an attempt to sink the Slow Boat to Purgatory. I do not believe in cheap and tawdry parlor tricks. But of course that's all her characters have. Dismal baubles against my angels, demons, Gaspar de Rouse and company. At midnight tonight the e-book versions of both Slow Boat to Purgatory and Paige's The Keeper and Rune Stone go free on Amazon. For three days you can grab Slow Boat for free. For four days you can grab The keeper and The Rune Stone. Paige needs the extra day. Which ever book garners the most downloads wins. And the author of the victorious book must wear a pink shirt professing their love of the other's book. And they must parade around Hannaford grocery store in Belfast for thirty minutes. I will not wear pink! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Share with free e-book sites! I know no one here wants to see me in pink. Slow Boat To Purgatory The Keeper and the Rune Stone