Mornin' Barbados Welcomes Thriller Author, Russell Brooks.

Don't teach me about structural racism or else I'll file a racial discrimination complaint against you.

Professor Shannon Gibney

Minneapolis Community and Technical College will certainly be losing applicants from the African-American community in the upcoming school semesters, after Black professor, Shannon Gibney, was reprimanded by the school's vice president of academic affairs after three Caucasian male students filed a complaint against her. What was Gibney's offence? Teaching structural racism in her Introduction to Mass Communication class. According to Gibney, the three students interrupted her while she spoke—often becoming hostile, and saying comments such as: "Why do we have to talk about this? It's like people are trying to say that white men are always the villains, the bad guys." In order to take control of the situation, Gibney suggested to those students that if they didn't appreciate the subject matter being taught, that they should file a complaint with the school's legal affairs department. They did, and Gibney was formally reprimanded on the grounds that she created a hostile learning environment for trying to educate her students about the existence and operations of structural racism.

Fortunately, Gibney and six other professors are filing a class-action lawsuit against MCTC on the grounds that it is a discriminatory workplace. The fact that these students were so uncomfortable with the topic proves that they're the ones who needed to be taught about it the most. As for the vice president of academic affairs who didn't find fault with the students for filing such a ridiculous complaint, he's better off being in the classroom as he's clearly unqualified to do his jobs.

Source: Raw Story

Knockout Game Turns Deadly as Grandma Shoots Teens. She then celebrates by Twerking over her victims.

Many of you by now would've heard about a trending game called Knockout, where the goal is to sneak up on an unsuspecting pedestrian and knock them unconscious with a single punch. In many cases, the bonus would be to steal the victim's valuables. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm sickened at seeing youths behave in such a callous manner for the sake of amusement. Many stories, no doubt, have arisen. Unfortunately, some of them are fake.

One such fake story is of a 60-year old woman, named Beulah Montgomery. The story claims that after being punched, she grabbed her gun and shot two of the victims as they attempted to flee. This story has gone viral, setting off emotions of thousands of gullible readers. I saw the post on a buddy's Facebook page, and when I read it and then the comments below, I couldn't help but laugh. I left a comment on his page, listing the reasons as to why this story is an obvious fake.

The first clue was that neither the actual date nor the time of the so-called incident was mentioned. The location, such as the street intersection, nor the city, and the state were left out. As for the so-called Neighborhood Watch program this woman allegedly belong to, that was also missing. It was mentioned that two teens out of the seven were killed. But how old were they? And what were their names?

The most obvious hint that this story is fake is that it wasn't even covered by the mainstream media.

Real news stories always answer the who, what, where, when, why, and the how. This article didn't answer three of them. My advice to you, as I gave to my Facebook buddy, is that when you see a trendy story, don't let your emotions take over and buy into it without reading it objectively.

KNOCKOUT: A sick game.

Seeing youths behave this stupidly really irks me. I certainly hope that the aggressors in these attacks—including the peers who stood by and cheered them on—face justice and that examples are made of them. There isn't any excuse for this behavior. When youths show this level of apathy towards strangers, I fear how they'll turn out as adults.

However, there's something else that bothers me. The news team that covered this story only showed African-American youths attacking their victims. Are we to believe that African-American teenagers are the only ones participating in such an abonable and sick game? That's how it's presented by this news crew. A coincidence? I doubt. Poor editing and news gathering? Most definitely. One would've expected a seemingly professional CBS news team to have known better.

Pandora's Succession $1.99 today and tomorrow (Reg. $3.99)

My debut spy thriller, Pandora's Succession, is on sale for $1.99 (Reg. $3.99) until Saturday November 23, 2013.

Sequel news: Currently going through the second edit. Expect THE DEMETER CODE to be available in the early part of 2014.

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Barbados Trip 2013, Wedding Recital.

Hello, Everyone,

My recent trip to Barbados wasn't all about writing my current novel, meeting fans, and making new ones. My cousin also got married to her boyfriend of 15 years. And as a gift, I played my violin for them during the ceremony. It was so hot that the fans in the church were blowing at full blast. And although it was cool inside the church, the noise from the fans made it difficult for me to hear myself, let alone the organist who accompanied me, but I still got through.

Animekon 2013, Barbados.

Hello, everyone,

I've been very busy these past few months, multitasking between writing and editing. But I was invited to play my violin at my cousin's wedding in Barbados on August 31. Of course I couldn't refuse. But before flying there, my buddy and NYT Bestselling Author, Eric Jerome Dickey, introduced me to his friend, Erica Hinkson of Book Source. Ms Hinkson was kind enough to invite me to participate in an annual pop culture event called Animekon, which is similar to Comic-Con. Book Source not only sponsored Animekon, but also had their own lounge where local and international authors could showcase their books. I thought that I'd share some of these pictures with you. I had taken several other pictures, especially with those who purchased copies of Pandora's Succession and of Chill Run. Unfortunately my Android Smartphone went haywire and several pictures were deleted. But I managed to save most of them. I'll follow up with other news about my stay in Barbados next week.

IndieGoGo Crowdfunding Campaign for THE DEMETER CODE.

As part of my effort to publish my next novel, THE DEMETER CODE, I'm trying out crowdfunding. As a gift to all who contribute, I'll be giving out eBooks and autographed softcover books of PANDORA'S SUCCESSION and CHILL RUN. You'll even get a copy of THE DEMETER CODE when it's released. As a bonus, you can even have the chance to make a cameo appearance in an upcoming thriller.

Check out: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-demeter-code-a-thriller/x/2582459

The campaign begins today and runs until May 3, 2013. Contributions can be as low as $5 (every bit helps). So if you know of anyone who enjoys thrillers, please share my IndieGoGo page with them.

Thanks,

Russell.

The Demeter Code

Hello, Friends,

For the past few months I've been hard at work researching subject matter for my next thriller. I spent a lot of time reading novels from Stieg Larsson to Eric Jerome Dickey, as well as many other magazine articles. I've also consulted with a genetics/biochemistry professor in England, and an agricultural specialist in Idaho, who've been very helpful in making me understand the scientific subject matter that I'm researching. Unfortunately I cannot divulge what it is because it would reveal a major spoiler.

But there's something that you can all do to help. I'm looking to raise funds to help me with the production of my upcoming thriller, The Demeter Code,  the sequel to Pandora's Succession. I opened an account with RocketHub.com, which is similar to Kickstarter with the difference of it allowing Canadians to participate. I'm offering gifts in exchange for donations. You can check out my page at:

http://www.rockethub.com/projects/16925-the-demeter-code

I'd appreciate you helping me spread the word.

Best,
Russell

I May Fight Like An Amateur, But I'll Kick Your Ass Like A Pro.

When I wrote Pandora's Succession and Unsavory Delicacies, it involved a lot of research. Being limited in my knowledge of martial arts, it was important to consult with the experts who'd help me get CIA operative, Ridley Fox, out of many tight situations. Whether it was taking on former KGB operatives, the occasional Russian Mafia thug, or even a woman he once stood up on a date, the fight scenes had to be realistic. Tackling these two projects involved knowing that my audience will not only be the average thriller fan, but also readers who have a background in self-defense who'd .

Wim Demeere is one of two experts I consulted with who was generous enough to take some time from his busy schedule to help me. Check him out.

And for those who were wondering, Ridley Fox will be back this year.

"Like" Wim Demeere's Facebook Page
Wim's Blog