Cody Polston 
Although most people associated Valverde with the battlefield of the same name, it was also a town that once existed fifteen miles south of San Antonio, New Mexico. What makes it so interesting is that there is so little written about it. The spot where the town is located was once a crossing point on … Read moreThe Ghost Town of Valverde
As the story arc between Tesla and Erebus changes in book 2, so does its tattooed appearance. Can’t wait for you to read about the changes and why they are happening.
I enjoy Chile and beer, and I have had very good Chile beers so I thought that I would give this one a try. Here is how I rate it. B – Boldness: Clean grains, light malt sweetness, with a hint of Anaheim Chile pepper that give a very lite heat at the end. After … Read moreGreen Chile Lager, Tommyknocker Brewery
Another spoiler from Book 2. As the plot moves along, I have added some cool details to the Airship Divinity. It is actually a flying aircraft carrier and the concealed deck is actually a flight deck. The Ministry thought that this unknown part of the airship was a weapons system of some sort and it … Read moreThe Firebat Fighter (Designs and Concepts)
Since book two has several scenes with this airship, I had to sketch it out to keep track of where everything is. I needed to be consistent and having a drawing also helps as a reference. So here are the basic designs that I have.
A very common pose for novel covers and game cover art is to feature the main character posing with a firearm, often a pistol. A pistol is usually used to convey that the character is armed and dangerous and has intent to shoot. In promotional art it is used to make the work look more … Read moreFirearm poses and ideas (Tesla St. Vrain)
Although this paper applies to religious experiences, it can also be applied in a context to paranormal experiences. There is some very interesting stuff in here. The following is from the Abstract of the paper. We develop a new model of how human agency-detection capacities and other socio-cognitive biases are involved in forming religious beliefs. … Read moreSeeking the supernatural: the Interactive Religious Experience Model
Another setting is “Western” steampunk, which overlaps with both the Weird West and Science fiction Western subgenres. One of the earliest steampunk books set in America was The Steam Man of the Prairies by Edward S. Ellis. Recent examples include the TV show and the movie adaption Wild Wild West, the Italian comics about Magico Vento. I couldn’t resist taking Tesla to the Wild West o … Read moreThe Old West in Steampunk
Today’s art piece is my rendition of La Sayona, a rather ominous figure that resembles La Llorona but she goes after unfaithful men instead of children. La Sayona is a legend from Venezuela, represented by the vengeful spirit of a woman that shows up only to men that have love affairs out of their marriages. … Read moreLa Sayona
A rather sociable ghost has also been reported throughout various locations in the La Placita Restaurant. Many believe that it is Ambrosia’s daughter Victoriana. Victoriana was born in 1849 and died the 6th of October 1867 at the tender age of 18. She was married to Jose Ynez Perea and it is speculated that she … Read moreThe mystery of Victoriana Armijo
The Bird Cage Theatre opened on December 26, 1881. It was owned by Lottie and William “Billy” Hutchinson. Hutchison, a variety performer, originally intended to present respectable family shows like he’d seen in San Francisco that were thronged by large crowds. After the Theatre opened, they hosted a Ladies Night for the respectable women of … Read moreBirdcage Theater (Historic photographs)
The original painting of Fatima who was an Oriental Belly Dancer, she played the Bird Cage in 1881. According to the theater, this was a gift from her to the Bird Cage to hang in the bar. It has hung in this spot since 1882. However archival photographs show that the painting has been in at … Read moreMyths of the Birdcage Theater
Some new art and a teaser of book 2. Tesla had just left the airship Divinity when the siren sounded out. The alarm was an ear-splitting wail that rose to a peak and then ebbed before rising again, undulating like a wave. The akh navigator had given her consent to assist the team with the … Read moreKeep the sun at your back
A brief video tour of the Inn at Castlerock in Bisbee, AZ. along with some of the ghost stories told about this historic place. The building, set up to be a Bed and Breakfast, is located in a prime position on Tombstone Canyon, making it a short walk to the heart of historic Old Bisbee. Guests … Read moreThe Inn at Castlerock, Bisbee AZ
These are a few videos that I shot to promote my book Haunted Tombstone that I never used. So, I pasted them together to make this short video.
I am starting to experiment with ideas for various book covers for book 2 of the Aetherstorm Chronicles. I really like how the details of the town came out in this one. While this piece is not the “one”, it fired my imagination a little.
The first printed account of the La Placita Restaurant being haunted was recorded in the Albuquerque Tribune on May 27th, 1977. It was written by Howard Bryan for his column “Off the beaten path”. Today the location claims to have three ghosts, but in this original version there is only one. There is some misinformation … Read moreThe first reported ghost story at La Placita in Old Town, Albuquerque
Another from the Hoppy Sampler 12 pack. From their website: Atomic Torpedo is our East Coast–West Coast hop collision, unleashing the joint power of two styles: juicy East Coast IPAs and dank West Coast IPAs. Fused in this Double IPA, their hop favors span lush fruit, sticky pine, and floral tones. It’s our classic IPA … Read moreATOMIC TORPEDO, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
More art this week as boredom and writer’s block stopped everything else. So, I thought I would work on some unfinished art of Frankenstein’s monster. The monster is Victor Frankenstein’s creation, assembled from old body parts and strange chemicals, animated by a mysterious spark. He enters life eight feet tall and enormously strong but with … Read moreFrankenstein’s Monster in the Old West
I’m still in the process of writing book two but I have found that stepping back and doing some art sometimes helps. So there is a bit of a spoiler here as I’m obviously taking Tesla to the Old West. In this image she is wearing her MPD uniform but I have given her a … Read moreConcept art for Book 2 of the Aetherstorm Chronicles
The first time I heard of Lola Montez was from a song by the Danish rock band Volbeat. The song was released as the third single from the band’s fifth studio album Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies. The song is about the famous dancer and Countess of Landsfeld, Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, with the lyrics referencing … Read moreLola Montez, The Spider Woman
Several years ago I wrote a book called Wicked Albuquerque that covers the controversial past of the Duke City. In today’s blog, I am sharing some of the research that I did on the red light district in Old Town. Back in the roaring 80s, it was wilder than Tombstone or Dodge City. Click on … Read moreThe Red Light District in Old Town Albuquerque in the 1880s