All Rhys Ford’s eBooks are on sale for $2.22! Only at Dreamspinner Press

On 28 Aug 2227 Aug 22 By Rhys FordIn Bloggy Stuff

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Of Characters and Things: Miki St. John… also, open to Q&A!

On 27 Aug 22 By Rhys FordIn Rhys Ford14 Comments

Of Characters and Things: Miki St. John

Miki St. John actually came into existence on the front stoop of an imaginary Victorian house in San Francisco. I had a love interest in mind for him, a maybe-detective or maybe-professor named Quinn Morgan and Miki had suffered a great tragedy with the loss of his bandmates. He also had an alley cat.

If you’ve read the books, the only thing that stayed the same was his name and the bandmates and well, the ending of Sinners’ Gin put that all to a lie.

So… Miki.

Miki is built off of a lot of my life experiences as well as my stint as a counselor for a juvie hall / halfway house for teens. I’m not going to say the world is a shitty place because honestly, it isn’t. There are people out there who love their kids and try to do their best by them. And there also is a large percentage of people who view their children as disposable meat, something to be used both sexually and sadistically in order to satisfy some craven itch they have. Their own kids. Other peoples’ kids. It doesn’t matter to those people. But they are there.

I didn’t want to focus on … the horrors of being caught in that nightmare but rather someone who survived it but was broken around the edges. Because no matter how much therapy one gets, they’re never going to achieve that baseline solid foundation someone gets when raised by someone who loves them.

Trust me on that.

Once that slab of faith is broken, it’s constantly in a state of crumble and there’s a lot of internal energy spent on trying to keep everything from falling apart.

Enter Miki St. John, abandoned in a city park then torn from the future he’d worked hard to achieve following the deaths of three young men he called brothers. His family. His foundation.

Of course losing Damien really dominated his loss. He’d found an anchor and a purpose but now, there was nothing there. Just pain and words and music he couldn’t stop from pouring out of him. There was no escaping who he’d become, who he’d grown into but there was no joy in it. Not wallowing per se but more of… it hurt to take his next breath and Miki seriously contemplated if that next breath was really worth it.

That’s where I started. A fractured, too-pretty young man who’d spent nearly all of his childhood as a victim of a horrific situation and then worked thru the struggles of becoming a damned good musician only for that to be lost. But he needed an anchor, not a person because that’s what the book would be about and he would have to go thru the trusting stages again but certainly an anchor that was as independent as he was.

Enter Dude.

The dog that Miki does NOT own. He just moved in and lives there now. Dude eventually became a friend but for Miki, the dog simply decided to be there. And in true Miki fashion, he accepted that and well, figured he might as well make sure the intruder got fed… and then possibly bathed once in a while. But it did take time for him to accept Dude as being a part of his life and a friend because… Mike has learned that once you love something, it will be taken from you and destroyed in front of your eyes. His heart couldn’t take much more of that. So Dude was an… eventual companion.

Dude felt otherwise. He spotted this broken human and said, Welp, that’s why I exist. And eventually slept next to Miki in bed, followed him on his rambles and more importantly, figured out the large, muscular Irish man who seemed to like playing with REALLY LARGE sticks, could fit into the emptiness Miki carried around with him.

But who is Miki as a person?

His behavior is shaped by circumstance and the gritty environment he was raised in but beneath the rough and snarling badger lies someone a bit different. Miki’s curious. About everything. In a lot of ways, he’s wary to show interest in something because that usually led to it being weaponized and used against him but now out in the world and essentially being free to do as he pleases, he can sink himself into his thirst for knowledge.

And music. Because honestly, Miki is pretty much drenched in a love for music. It takes him places. And he can take others with him by creating his own. Music is like an endless set of wings he can craft out of emotion and desire, allowing him to soar and weave through his emotions. The ultimate freedom no one can actually touch or steal from him.

He’s very protective of his inner self. To the point of being abrasive if someone gets too close. And of course Kane fully intended to get close. Miki fascinated him. A bit of a street rat with a heartbreakingly gorgeous face and sharp teeth / words skilled at keeping people at bay.

And there’s nothing Kane Morgan loves more than a challenge. He’s kind of like Brigid that way. He pursued Miki’s secretive tenderness. Opened Miki up to trusting him and then stroked at the raw, bleeding edges of Miki’s soul until Miki relaxed against him and learned it was okay too be held. That it was okay to be loved.

Especially since Kane proved he wasn’t going to go anywhere. Abandoning Miki never crossed Kane’s mind. Miki was a piece of his own soul, a tether to a glorious love he knew lurked beneath Miki’s diamond hard surface because once Miki loved someone, he loved fully.

And Kane wanted that love. Wanted to give back that love.

He also really loves the tender, gentle Miki he can unwrap out of the hard, foul-mouthed rock star the world saw.

Now without going too deeply into Miki’s soul, I wanted to create a very what you see is what you get kind of character. Yes, he has hidden depths but everything that he is or how he thinks actually is right on the surface. Miki’s a very much… Got a problem so finding the easiest, on-hand solution. Hungry? Uncooked ramen noodles chased with a can of root beer solves that problem so he can go back to gaming or writing music. He loves food. Loves eating different things but he’s not overly bothered to make sure he gets a meat and two veg on a plate.

Food focus is actually something imperative to Miki’s development because he was always food insecure. Meals were spotty while he was growing up and really the band couldn’t afford more than what was pretty much a college kid’s diet. He hoards things like ramen and other pantry items because it gives him security.

Just like buying a HUGE bag of dog food for Dude means he can provide for his furry best friend. Miki doesn’t trust that he has money and he acts accordingly. He’s not a big spender and will make do with what he’s got.

Then of course, he’s got a lot now… including, Kane, Damien, and of course, Dude….

And I’m going to actually do something different for this Of Characters and Things….

If you have a question about Miki, please leave it in the comments and I will try to answer them. It’s hard to write kind of blindly about Sinjun because well, it’s like describing a piece of your brain. But if there’s something specific you were wondering about, drop it in the comments so I can take a stab at it.

Food. And How To Make Some.

On 25 Aug 22 By Rhys FordIn Food2 Comments

I shared this PDF I cobbled together with my Facebook group but I couldn’t remember if I shared it here. If not, well then… here’s a PDF of some of the local-style stuff that comes out of my kitchen.

Or will come again out of my kitchen once they’re done chopping me into different pieces. Man, I miss cooking.

Rhys Ford Recipes

And yes, the Fried Rice recipe is in there.

Today’s Borking Report

On 22 Aug 22 By Rhys FordIn Borking Day

Today’s Borking Report…..

Borking has been irregular, mostly due to me going under knives and gas as well as just plain fuckery but today, the Potato was raring to go.

He got up, a bit grumpy but let’s face it, it’s early in the morning for him and he’s old. Got dressed and was waiting for his Auntie Paige to arrive.

And he was so willing to go this morning…. and he did.

We did talk about him being allowed to roll around in the grass so I gave permission to Paige to let him do that a little bit. Just in case his allergies kick back in but… he came back, happy and satisfied with his patrol.

So a very Happy Sweet Potato.

From his Auntie Paige:
Gus felt accomplished after he borked at a jogger on the other side of the street. They ran past so they must have been scared, right? 🙂

Best, Paige

sad sighs…

On 17 Aug 22 By Rhys FordIn Rhys Ford8 Comments

No procedure done. Dr couldn’t see it because the issue was to far in. They’ll have to do something else. Kind of sore and probably be that way for a bit from the investigation but no repair. To say I am disappointed is… well.. an underwhelming statement.

Today’s Borking Report!

On 10 Aug 22 By Rhys FordIn Borking Day1 Comment

Today’s Borking Report!

It’s been hotter than hell here… and very sticky with humidity. Because of the heat and the old man’s general disposition, he hasn’t been going out but today, The Potato ventured out into the wilderness with his Auntie Paige.

Since it’s still muggy and gross… and I was ordering Starbucks delivery… I asked Paige if she wanted something and our order arrived just before she took the Potato out for his jog so she had a lovely Venti Matcha Latte to come back to after dragging the Borker around.

We were LINGERING too long with a bit of chat when we were told it was time for his BORK so off Paige went with the Commander of the Neighbourhood. Gus Gus has tremendous opinions as well as a skin infection he’s getting over but while the infection is diminishing, his opinions seem to get stronger. Woe to those who do not heed his warnings.

Mostly he just likes telling people off.

From his Auntie Paige:
This photo was taken at the stop sign where Gus likes to stand and announce himself to the hooligans of the neighborhood. 🙂 I was able to stop him from running and rolling in the grass. Hopefully that helps the sweet potato feel better!

Best,
Paige

Char Siu and a bit of Rambling…

On 08 Aug 22 By Rhys FordIn Food

I’ve got one week or so left before my hopefully last surgery. Seriously, I just wanna get back to sitting in traffic, paying too much for gas, and complaining about people in the Starbucks drive thru. Hopefully that will happen soon. I’m also sick of this whole thing dominating my life so I’ve spent the last few days working on projects and well, God, does my brain hurt.

So let’s talk about char siu. Possibly one of my favourite dishes in the world, especially when made into manapua / char siu bao. There’s just something about the sweet savoury pork and the yeasty steamed bread that hits the spot. Or even just a good glaze heavy char siu on rice. It’s fairly easy to make but oh, everyone has their own version. I highly recommend following Made WIth Lau. I do not follow the leave it out for 8 hours method but I do recommend letting it sit in the fridge then let it get to room temp before cooking. Also, sugar syrup for the last baste and if you are looking for red fermented bean curd, it CAN be purchased at many Asian online markets and even Amazon.

So… Back from the Hospital. Again.

On 03 Aug 22 By Rhys FordIn Rhys Ford7 Comments

Long story short… I got sepsis and it hit hard last Thursday. Kinda sketchy for the first couple of days because well, it was like being run over by a train… very sharp pain, like being sliced by a ringing cymbal and deep chills. High temp and general fuckery. But strong antibiotics helped calm it down and I was released on Sunday.

I still feel like I’ve been run over by a train. Go figure.

You all are probably as sick of hearing about medical stuff as I am experiencing it so let’s talk about other things.

I do feel like my brain is slowly cracking loose of the shell formed aroouond it. Yeah, it’s been a hard haul these past few years but the grey matter has shown signs of arousal… excitement even about writing. or rather at least constructing scenarios which is always good.

On the reading front, I’m going through the JJ Graves series which are a nice light cozy set about a small town coroner and her sheriff husband. Good constructed plots. Nice twists. There’s a bit of a twee thing going on with a faux-sentient laptop but I’m hoping that dies down soon. It’s kinda icky. It’s bordering on being a Cousin Oliver so I’m just sort of skimming at those bits but the rest of it is damned solid for a brain delve.

Finished TA Moore’s Dirty Job (Book 2 of the Dirty Deeds series) I really love that the MCs are not good guys. I do. Link to it here. Honestly, go check out the series. Such tight writing.

The Potato went to the vet on the same day I was entrenched in the ER. He has a fungal AND a bacteria skin infection so he has all the drugs as well as eye stuff because on top of everything else, his tear ducts don’t work.

Been playing Pokemon. Trust me. When you’re stuck in a hospital room, you either Pokemon or Read and Pokemon was easier because I hurt too damned much to keep anything I read. I’m getting kind of bored with the selection of pokemon popping up in the game. Needs a bit more excitement. Okay, for me it’s like stamp collecting.

That’s been pretty much my week. My arms are mottled with bruises from IVs and attempts to IV and also blood draws…and attempts to draw blood. Better than it was the last time but still, I come home looking like some kid got at me with a purple marker. Do not eat the food at the hospital. That’s all I’m gonna say.