The Epic Skeptic

I went to Ireland in 2012, right around mid-September. I used YMT tours, which are low cost while still giving all the backstory, history, and personal touch to the countryside, cities and moors.  I loved my tour director. For the only time I’ve experienced, our driver was also the director, so while navigating tiny, twisting Irish countryside roads in a gigantic bus, this guy was regaling us…

Hey World! I’ve been lax at keeping up with this blog, mostly because I’ve been going through some depression/anxiety, new meds, new house, new guy, flux, flux, flux. You know how Buddhists say “Life is suffering?” To translate it correctly, it’s reallymore like, “Life is Flux,” and flux in inherently uncomfortable. Change is hard, but change can be for the better.

I always scold myself for not…

New Novel finished, Other news

Hi world! I finished my newest book, editing and all, and now I’m shopping it around to agents. I’d like to get this book out to a wider audience than the last, so I’ll take my time finding the best venue to do that. I’m very excited to be getting some feedback and interest — I can’t wait to share this story and its characters with you all! In other news, I am a semi-finalist in the Spring 2017…

Don’t Give a Fuck February

Well, hey World! Long time, no speak! I’d like to shed light on a personal holiday of mine called Don’t Give a Fuck February (or Fuck Off February, depending on how combative you are). It isn’t a well-holiday, not so much anyone outside of my circle of friends, but it’s an important one. Did you know Black folk are fucking tired? That every single day of slogging through the world feels like a…

Also, re-brand of The Epic Skeptic. All travels and experiences! I want to go places, see for myself, and help where I can. That was always the basis for the idea of the Epic Skeptic. Always learning, always exploring, doing what I can. I want to be informed and be kind. That is my resolution. To hold tight to the Epic Skeptic ideals. You watch me go. And hold me accountable.

So, now comes my least favorite part: digging out. But with the sun overhead, I might even enjoy it a little bit. I’ll pace myself. Digging my car out will be the first task.

After that, I’ll dig out the driveway, and after some warm tea and a sit down, get out and clear the walkway up to the house and the rest of the drive.

Trying not to think of all of it at once, as it’s pretty overwhelming. Looks to be over two feet of snow out there, and the longer the sun’s out, the slushier and wetter it gets, and therefore heavier and harder to move. There are times when living alone has its downsides.

But upside: Mentally, still good! Made it through! The snow made some awesome icicles and snow patterns, the sun’s out, no one’s hurt (as far as I know), and the cleanup’s about to go down.

  Hope Snowmageddon treated everyone else okay; from me, it’s an over-and-out.

Here’s some pics from about 5 PM, Saturday. You can see, if you look closely, the righteous icicle action on the neighboring home, my car beneath that hump of snow, and the clearly southerly proclivity of the storm, tugging snow to the left on the green banister of my porch:

Mental state: Mellow. Did laundry, did some cleaning, feeling pretty good.

Cheers to this storm coming to close tonight, though. I’ll be sleeping on the couch like I did last night, watching the snow blow by the street lamps and create drifts over the ornamental grass. If I can drift off, that is. I feel a little like a kid, too excited to sleep on Christmas night. I think it’s that weird snow-day mentality. So exciting. Only less exciting because you have to dig yourownself out instead of your folks getting out there with their shovels. Drag.

Mental state: Tired and bored. Didn’t sleep much last night, but spent a lot of time looking out the windows at the snow pouring down.

These pics are from when I woke up around 8 AM:

So good point: I’m still alive!

Not so good: I think I’m gonna be stuck here a while.

Snowmageddon 2016 — David Snowie

It’s been a long time since I posted to this blog, but Snowmageddon 2016 is as good a reason as any to get back to the keyboard (if only for the reason that I’m snowed the hell in). I’ll post pics from the porch of my adorable cottage house, and let you know of my mental well-being. Should be said, I super hate sitting still. And being snowed in is a nightmare. Mental state: Currently not so bad.…

National Museum of African Art

On Sunday I decided to swing by the National Museum of African Art in DC. My memories of this place was of it being a tiny little hole-in-the-wall compared to the larger art museums surrounding it (like the Freer/Sackler art galleries and the Hirshorn, both of which I stopped by on Sunday as well). Now, I’d say it definitely isn’t inferior in size, so much as attendance. Despite the museum being…

Hey friends! My brand new suspense book Desert Nights is here! It’s got sex, drugs, punk rock and psychos. I literally don’t know what else you’d want in a book.

You can get the book in paperback from at the Createspace store, or on the big online retailer websites, and in all sortsa e-versions on Smashwords. Please pick it up, and if you like it, tell a friend!

More information on my website www…

Review of Desert Nights

Hey friends! Long time, no post. Sorry, I’ve been pretty busy, writing mostly.

Fun fact: Kirkus Indie just wrote a good review of my upcoming novel Desert Nights! I’m super stoked! The book’s full of punk rock bands, debauchery, substance abuse and murder. Should be right up everyone’s alley!

You can read the review of Desert Nights here:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/courtney-stackh…