Jim MacLachlan
I grew up on the family farm with horses, sheep, cattle, fowl, dogs, cats, & a lot of other critters in north central Maryland. While the farm paid for itself, the family remodeling business was the steady income. I worked at that for about 15 years until an injury forced me to change my computer hobby into my career. It was tough at the time, but a great career move from an economic standpoint.
Now I'm the entire IT department for a small manufacturing company in Louisville, KY. My wife of 35+ years & I have a small hobby farm with horses, goats, dogs, & a cat. Taking care of the farm, woodworking, & various fiber arts take up my free time.
Building A Shop: Preparing a Practical Workspace
by Jim MacLachlan
Preparing a practical workspace requires a lot of planning; the need to balance what is needed against budgetary, space, & other constraints. I finally had the opportunity to build a shop from scratch & I'll describe the process; what worked, what didn't, & some things to watch out for. Maybe you won't make the same mistakes I did & you'll find some ideas to incorporate into your own.
Handyman Tools: A Primer For Remodeling & Woodwork
by Jim MacLachlan
From simple screwdrivers to fancy compound sliding miter saws with laser sights, there are a bewildering number of tools available. Which ones do you need? What are the differences between well-known brands other than their bright colors & price? I'll teach you how to evaluate hand, powered hand, & stationary tools needed for basic home repairs & woodworking.
Horses and Farms For Fiction Writers
by Jim MacLachlan
What is it like to own and ride a horse or live on a farm? How far can a horse be ridden in a day or a week? How do you pluck a chicken? Is milking a cow any different from milking a goat? Why are some fences made out of boards while others use rails or wire? These are all complicated subjects. Getting the details right can add depth and realism to a story.
Inkle Loom Design & Construction
by Jim MacLachlan
(5.00 from 1 review)
This is for anyone who wants to buy, design, &/or build an Inkle loom. They're great projects for woodworkers since they’re fairly simple & make great, unique gifts. I'll explain the basics, design considerations, & include plans/drawings for nine looms, from lap to floor size, along with ideas for others & possible modifications.
Oven Rack Tool
by Jim MacLachlan
The oven tool is used for pushing & pulling the racks in a hot oven, a useful gift for the cook in the family & a simple project that teaches a lot of basic skills. An excellent project for student groups since only a drill, 1/2" drill bit, coping saw, & some sandpaper are needed once scrap wood of proper size is obtained. None of the measurements are critical, either.
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The Second Coming
on March 19, 2010
I've read a fair amount of fantasy, adventure & horror over the years - enough that I don't often find something really new that I like. I did this time - it was both unique & thrilling.
An excellent dark fantasy or horror fantasy that sets the background in a post apocalyptic world based on our current one & the Christian myth, adds in some others, & stirs the mix into an intriguing mystery-adventure. It is not for the faint-hearted. All of the characters are flawed, most badly enough that they're not all that likable, but the reasons for this are revealed - slowly. Against my will, in many cases, I was drawn into sympathetic agreement with their plight & their actions. Revelations were logical, redemption plausible & plights were chilling. The action was well described & the scenery was awesome. Wow! What a trip!
Usually, if I don't like or can't identify with one of the main characters, I put a book down. I couldn't this time. The writing was too good & the plot too intriguing.
I was very surprised that a self-published novel (it is, isn't it?) read as if it were professionally edited. One of my biggest turn-offs is poor punctuation, logic flaws, rambling text & 'favorite lines'. (Pieces of text that don't quite fit, but are kept by the writer because they like them.) All of these are typical of self-published novels. I didn't find any here. The writing was tight - sometimes requiring close reading or I would miss an important point - Perfect! That's the way it should be, but often isn't, even in commercial publications.
As I write this, the book is available only in electronic format for a couple of bucks on Amazon (or write the author). I hope to see it in paper format, someday because it is complex enough that I wanted to flip back & forth a few times to double check names, which I find hard to do in electronic format. If it does come out in paper, I will buy it & likely re-read it when the sequel is released & I read that (hurry up & write, David!). Definitely a keeper & a book I'd like to add to my collection.
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The Boy In The Box
on April 24, 2013
The story was excellent, full of twists & turns in a great noir style. The hero is more of an 'everyman'. He's not brilliant nor do we get to see how tough he is in a fight, but he's honest & dogged. There were some excellent characters, although not all were fleshed out quite enough. That made some a bit more intriguing, but left me hanging on others. Hmmm... that pretty much sums up the novel. It's well on its way to being a 5 star book, but it wasn't quite consistent enough.
It didn't start out well. The first chapter was one of the weakest, but I kept reading & I'm glad I did. The story got stronger all the way and the end - well, I'm not sure if that's good or not, but I'm still thinking about it. Any book of this sort that leaves me pondering has a lot going for it.
Editors are expensive, but necessary. There were quite a few words that even a decent ARC reader would have picked up - 'to' instead of 'too' & such. The whole story felt as if it could have used a bit of evening out. Still, I enjoyed it & this is an author to watch. He has an excellent imagination.