Sorry I have been incognito from the Blog community, folks. I’ve been extra busy on the road and such, but here are five things on my mind to share with y’all!

One: Tomorrow I will be at Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore, MD this Saturday for their 2024 Books and Brews author signing event. Like beer? They got ya! My Union favorites are Steady Eddie IPA, Double Duckpin (Double IPA, so take ‘er easy), Black Wing Schwarzbier and Snow Pants oatmeal stout. Dig into their brewery-only small batch darks. They had a killer Imperial Stout in the past. Come see me and other Maryland-based authors like Jean Burgess, Millie Mack, Sharon J. Burton, Stephania Thompson, Mary K. Tilghman, Alan Porter, Cassandra Mayo, Charmyra Fleming, Mona Shroff and many others.

I’ll be there from 2:30 to 6:00 this Saturday, November 16th at Union Brewery, 1700 Union Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21211. 

Two: Last Saturday, I did my final Spartan event, and doing it in style at legendary Fenway Park, Boston. As a baseball fan, I simply had to. Worth the blood and 7.5 hour drive to make it happen. Spartan Stadion is brutal at times, but it takes you to places inside a ballpark, including the visitors’ locker room, dugout and the warning track in the outfield.

It was a frigging blast, even shanking five obstacles and taking the penalties, telling myself by race end I will never do another burpee in my life if I have any control over it, lol. I had a personal best run time, stuck the racer-hated spear throw and ran that ballpark with total glee. At the end, feeling relieved and somewhat melancholy I knew I am getting long in the tooth for some, not all of Spartan.

What I am grateful to Spartan for, as the elite extreme sports competition event it is would be the discipline it taught me. Dedication, focus, body strength, what to eat, what to cut out, having a set goal and state of mind. I performed to the best of my abilities, I kicked a lot of ass for my age while recognizing some of it is a young person’s game.

Thank you, Spartan. I always finished in the middle percentile of every event, save for DEKA. I walked away sore, busted up but damn proud every single time. It’s been a rush. AROO!!!

Three: What a year for horror movies! While away in Boston and Foxborough, Massachusetts, I took in the superb Smile 2 at Patriot Place, in many ways surpassing the original film. That ending in 2, holy crap, such brilliance! Other horror movies that wowed me this year at Oddity, Terrifier 3, In a Violent Nature, A Quiet Place: Day One, Apt 7A and Alien: Romulus, to reel off a few. Nothing floored me harder than Late Night With the Devil. Yeah, it was a 2023 release, but still, it got hyped this year and with good reason. Instant modern masterpiece! I was seriously in awe of the craftsmanship in the film as I grew up in the era of polyester, sideburns and post-mod day glo recreated to sheer authenticity in this gruesome movie. T.V. really did look like this film back in the day.

Four: As Behind the Shadows prepares to be released by year’s end, I’m gearing up for signings and my appearance as a panelist next week at Philcon. Look at what my incredible wife did for me to kick up my promotion game. Behind the Shadows is coming for you very soon from Raw Earth Ink!

Five: Tyson-Paul tonight. Is this a potential shit show or was it already, long before the controversial weigh-in slap? Reminds me old-time wrasslin’ pre-match hype. Outcome? Rocky Balboa 2006 redux, where a 58-year-old legend has enough in the tank to go the distance or will this be a bloodbath in which Jake Paul has now declared it to be “personal?” Order your pizzas two hours in advance tonight.

–Ray Van Horn, Jr.