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Come on and join author Melissa Bradley as she sets off on her latest adventure...

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If you are not 18, please exit stage left. While there is normally nothing naughty here, I do write and review erotica so there are links to spicy stuff and the occasional heated excerpt.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

F Is For...


First, a little announcement: I'm making a blog tour appearance at Tess MacKall's blog today to promote my newest work, Byzantine Provocateur. Pretty please stop by if you get a chance and support yours truly, a friendly, if slightly demented, neighborhood starving writer. Thanks, you rock!

And now on with the challenge...

F Is For My Father



Reading several posts during this challenge has made me venture down memory lane and I've done some thinking about my father. He is probably the single biggest influence in my life. I get my skewed sense of humor from him, my love of all things sci fi and he was the one person who told me all the time that girls can do whatever the hell they wanted.

He watched monster movies with me on Saturday afternoons, his favorites being the creature features. We used to have our own running commentary on Godzilla and his various monster opponents. We used to watch The Munsters (my other dark humor show), and he would let me stay up extra late on Fridays to watch Son of Svengoolie, another show like Elvira's that used to be broadcast on a tiny local station.

He had a passion for space and he read science fiction voraciously. He loved the stuff as a kid and grew up watching Flash Gordon and all those fantastic 50's sci fi movies. Star gazing became his escape when he was on board ship during his stint in the Navy and Vietnam. I learned all the planets and local galaxies from him as we watched the night sky every summer. He loved Star Trek and Stars Wars, the first and only trilogy, was his absolute favorite. He piled us in the car and we waited in line for hours to see the first film.

He loved action movies and westerns. Clint Eastwood was his favorite and he taught me to appreciate one ultimate badass film, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly at a young age. I think I was in 8th grade or a freshman in high school. When the first Die Hard film came out, my dad got hooked on Bruce Willis. He wore out his VHS tape. He also became an avowed Sam L. Jackson fan. He loved badasses and I found later he was quite the badass before my mom.

He also encouraged me to write. Sure, we had titanic fights about just how I was supposed to accomplish this as he believed I should write on the side and have a secure, steady day job. I remember having to tell him that I had changed majors from business to English. He spluttered like his favorite cartoon character, Yosemite Sam. Man, was that ever a fight because I started going off and when I am mad, look out. But, bless his heart after raging around, we settled into accord and he was very proud when I finally got my degree.

Sadly, my dad lost his long battle with Emphysema nine years ago and never got to see me get published, but I like to think he's sitting up there with his friend Hank and drinking a Pepsi to me. Yeah, Pepsi, my dad had no tolerance for alcohol whatsoever. :)

34 comments:

  1. What a lovely little tribute to your father. He sounded like a really nice guy. And so great that he supported your desire to switch majors, in the end! :o)

    Off now to check out your blog tour appearance!

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  2. Seems the post has been removed ... ???

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  3. the link for Tess' blog doesn't work, Melsy

    And it seems Daddy Bradley was a great man! And great men make great daughters ;)

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  4. Okay Link is fixed! Sorry Jessica and Dez, thank you for heading over there.

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  5. @Jessica, Thanks! I was happy Dad came around, course he'd blush at some of the stuff I'd published, but he would be proud.

    @Dez Aww...thank you for that. He would appreciate your words very much.

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  6. What a wonderful tribute to your dad. He sounds like a great man.

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  7. This is absolutely a wonderful post you wrote for your father, Mel. He really sounded like a wonderful man.
    Always remember he may be gone but he will always live on in your hearts, your thoughts and your memories.

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  8. ohman! your daddy sounds like he was an amazing gent! he bred love of lots of cool stuff in you, and what a tough cookie he was! r.i.p.

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  9. A great tribute to a great father!
    Your last line was so sweet and touching, it almost brought me to tears.

    "Sadly, my dad lost his long battle with Emphysema nine years ago and never got to see me get published, but I like to think he's sitting up there with his friend Hank and drinking a Pepsi to me."

    You're an amazing daughter, woman, friend, writer & blogger. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Period.

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  10. What a wonderful tribute to your Dad; I know he's smiling down on it. He sounds like a great father!

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  11. Great post. I kind of feel like drinking a Pepsi now.

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  12. Beautiful post. Your father seemed like a truly remarkable man, and quite frankly, a complete badass. Which is really the highest compliment anyone can get. Three pepsi cheers to the man!

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  13. Such a wonderful post and a beautiful tribute to your father!

    Well-done, Melissa!

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  14. Your father sounds awesome. Mine liked science fiction, but not as much as I did as a kid.

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  15. I get my love of sci fi from my dad, too.

    We had the same fight. lol business v. writing.

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  16. I'm sorry to hear about your dad but I'm sure he would love your tribute.

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  17. @Talli Thanks! He was a pretty cool guy and I miss him a lot.

    @Jaccstev Thank you so much. He really had huge love for movies and I think that's where I got mine.

    @aspiring x Victoria your words mean a lot and have made me smile brightly today.

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  18. @Nebular George, you're making me tear up. Thank you very, very much, my friend.

    @Giggles and Guns Mary, thank you so much. I appreciate the thought.

    @Rachel Thanks! Sometimes I do feel like Dad is smiling down.

    @M.J. Thank you so much. I'm glad you liked it.

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  19. Aw Melissa! That was a touching post. I'm sure his blessings and good wishes are always with you!

    Following you from A-Z challenge!

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  20. @Chris I had to have a Pepsi after I wrote this. Used my caffeine allotment for the day. :)

    @M Hufstader My dad would have thought very highly of you. He loved badass women. Sigourney Weaver in Aliens was one of his favorite characters of all time.

    @Matt Aww... thanks! Glad you enjoyed this as you partly inspired it with your post on Empire Strikes Back.

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  21. @Alex My father loved sci fi so much. He always had a book in hand.

    @M Pax How cool you got your love of the stars from your dad. There was a reason we clicked. :)

    @Clarissa Thank you very much. He would appreciate all the nice things everyone is saying here today.

    @Ju Dimello Hi! Thank you so much for your wonderful words. They made my day today.

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  22. What a great tribute! Lovely post! ice to meet you through the A-Z challenge!

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  23. A beautiful tribute to your father, Melissa.

    Ellie Garratt

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  24. @Bz Great to meet you as well! I'm so glad you liked this little tribute to my dad.

    @Ellie Thank you! Your words have made my day. :)

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  25. Your dad sounds like he was an amazing man. You are truly blessed to have known a dad like that :)

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  26. Lovely, touching tribute to your Dad. I too enjoy a good cold Pepsi :)
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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  27. Since he was so supportive, I'm sure he'd be proud of you.

    I got a lot of enjoyment out of watching The Munsters.

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  28. Fabulous tribute to your father. I think he's kindred in most ways to my Daddy...minus the Pepsi. :o)

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  29. @Lynda Thank you! I do feel blessed at having had him in my life for so long.

    @Jules Thank you so much. Pepsi is an awesome drink. My dad treated me to my very first one at little drive in in his hometown called The Toot and Tell 'em.

    @J.L. Welcome! Thank you for the wonderful sentiment. I just loved The Munsters and they're unique view of the world.

    @Seams Hi and welcome! Thank you. Sounds as though I would really like your dad.

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  30. I think that was one of the most wonderful posts i have read on blogspot since I have been blogging, really nce the things you say about your father, he sounds like a father anyone would be lucky to have. And thanks for sharing it with us.

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  31. @Demps My friend, you have no idea what it means to me to know you were so affected by my post. My dad was one of the most important people to me and I miss him a lot.

    @Julia Thank you so very much! I love that, stadium-rocked. :)

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