Category Archives: Events

How I’ve Made Ends Meet While Unemployed the Last 6 Months

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While I have applied to 93 jobs and made 150 direct contacts, all of that work doesn’t pay the bills. If you want a longer explanation, join my Patreon, where I talk about creativity, social media, and the things Jenya (my wife) makes.

I am nearing the end of my financial resources. These are the things that have kept me afloat for this long:

  • Patreon – Thank you.
  • Asgard Alaska – If you haven’t visited the website and read about Vikings, I highly recommend doing so. Creativity wise, knowing more about Vikings will give you more experience to draw from. (I’m the writer Ivar.)
  • Bearly Entertaining and StudyFocusBeach – We’re still working on getting this to a profitable place, but if you need some royalty-free background music for your store or you just want some unobtrusive music for events, StudyFocusBeach is the place to start (Like, Comment and Subscribe; it will really help me out). Bearly Entertaining also has a podcast of gentle, fun stories. I’m working on the SEO portion of their website and YouTube channel as well as general web consulting.
  • Kimber’s Safe Haven – My sister’s dog passed away about the same time that someone abandoned 11 cats on her property. Some of them were pregnant, so she’s ended with over 30 cats. To honor Kimber, she decided to pursue opening a pet rescue. Apparently, there is no rescue in Dallas, Oregon. I’ve been working on the gofundme campaign and trying to help with the website, which isn’t ready, yet. There’s also a Facebook page and a YouTube channel, but the YouTube channel isn’t getting much use at the moment.
  • InboxDollars – It’s a pittance for the amount of time I spend on there, but this month I got $100 and that came in handy! I have written about InboxDollars before.
  • Unemployment – Covers the rent and utilities and that’s about it. Still grateful it’s available.

Job Hunting: The First 5 Months

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June 17, 2025 – I was informed of my layoff on Jan. 16, 2025. Since then, I have navigated the waters of unemployment benefits and job hunting. In Oregon, you are required to meet with an “employment specialist” from WorkSource, a nationwide company that helps people find jobs. I went in after uploading my writing resume. When I got there and talked with the employment specialist, he asked some questions, said my resume looked good, and mentioned I could take classes on how to write a resume or do an interview.

AI and Job Hunting

One thing the employment specialist mentioned was that every time I applied for a job, I needed to change my resume to match the keywords in the job announcement. Companies are using “AI” to weed out resumes that don’t meet the job’s specifications. However, if the programmer put in “must have event planning” and my resume states that I have organized and executed a donation benefit gala for the American Red Cross of Alaska, AI won’t read that as “event planning.” It will just kick my resume out of the queue never to be seen by a real person who could make the connection to “event planning.” Resumes were supposed to be mass produced. Now, they need to be tailored to the machine.

Companies Banking Candidates

The other thing that the employment specialist mentioned was that companies will post jobs that aren’t available in an effort to build a pool of possible candidates if the person currently in the position decides to leave or gets fired. So, some of the jobs listed on job boards may not be real or available, even if the company is having people apply for the position as if it were.

Stats and the Job Search

I got on Indeed and started looking and applying for jobs that would allow me to use my writing and/or banking skills. As of yesterday, five months after I was informed of my layoff, I have applied for 56 jobs on Indeed and have made a total of 101 contacts. I have had two phone interviews, one essay question request, a couple of multiple-choice tests (that shouldn’t take longer than an hour) and one in-person interview.

A head hunter contacted me from LinkedIn. She was in charge of a job search for a company that had the same position open for a long time. She wanted to see what they were willing to give up in order to get a candidate into the position. She thought I had the skills to get the job. I looked at the application and was missing the requisite manufacturing skills; I’ve never worked in a factory. I could supervise people and have experience with OSHA regulations and hazardous chemicals. It took four emails and an application to find out I wasn’t the person the company was willing to compromise for.

Additionally, I was contacted twice by scammers. They were going to pay me $45 an hour for editing. That would be amazing, but other red flags popped up. I wrote about it here and about the second contact here.

Last night, I got an email that said I would not be considered for the Bank Teller position at a local credit union. That should’ve been a slam dunk. I have a year of experience as a teller and five months as an instructor in the banking industry.

Goodwill Job Connections

I went to Goodwill Job Connections because it’s a couple of blocks from my home. At our second meeting, she looked at my resume and said it looked good, I should just remove the dates, so it’s more difficult to guess how old I am. She was surprised that I’d be willing to take an entry level position. She was also surprised that I had applied to about 50 jobs when I had talked to her. I’m supposed to go back if I want to practice my interview skills… when I get an interview scheduled.

No End in Sight

And that’s where I am with trying to find a job. I have two remote, contract jobs (Asgard Alaska and Bearly Entertaining), unemployment benefits, and help from my sister to make ends meet. We also have our Patreon supporters, book income from Amazon, Jenya’s creative arts on Etsy, and InboxDollars. If you know anyone who needs a blog written, send them my flyer. Thanks.

Scam Job on Indeed Comes Back

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When I published the scam about the proofreading job, I thought that would be the end of it. I had blocked all communications I had received. I was wrong. The scam job on Indeed came back again.

Kristen sent the text message, just like she sent the last one. This time, however, she told me to contact Robert Eldred at Omegahm. I decided that I would look up the information for fun. The first Robert Eldred I found was a CFP, but the name appears to be fairly common. This time the email was missing an “s” omagehms is a legitimate website.

In the end, I texted back telling them to stop scamming people. I’m sure that text won’t change anything. Now, I have to remember how to block a number on my phone again.

This illustrates why scammers win. There’s a good chance that these text messages are automated. They send them out to hundreds of thousands of people. They only need a couple of people to fall for the scam and they can make thousands of dollars. They can steal money and identities, and the identities are probably worth more.

I am fortunate; I worked in educating people how to avoid scams. I didn’t fall for the first one, and I didn’t fall for the second one. That’s the problem, though. Scams aren’t about people for scammers. They are about numbers. At some point, I fully expect I will fall for a scam despite my suspicious nature and relative expertise.

Scammers know how to emotionally manipulate people. Once they have you running scared, your logic will turn off, and you’ll be ripe for the pickings. You will feel bad afterwards. You shouldn’t. They found the right buttons to push on a day when you weren’t at your best. It happens. It sucks. But IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.

If you see a scam, even if you fall for it, you need to shout it out from your social media platform. Help others avoid the scam. Make the scammers come up with something new. None of us can be the Beekeeper (affiliate link), but we can all do our best to smoke these reprehensible scum out and cut off their revenue. The scam job at Indeed will come back. Stay vigilant.

Salem Craft and Vendor Show Goers and You!

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Short Version:

  • One month free at the $1 level at our Patreon.
  • Use this link.

Longer Version:

As part of our visit to the Salem Craft and Vendor Show on March, 29, 2025, I thought I would invite everyone who saw us at the show, who was not a member of our Patreon, a chance to see what we offer. Then I asked why should I limit it to just people at the show. So, if you wanted to see what happens with our Patreon every month but you just haven’t had the courage or spare dollar to join, use this link to get one month free at the $1 level.

What Do You Get?

It’s a dollar, so we’re not giving you the world. However, the $1 level allows you to access all of our posts and almost all of our past freebies. I say “almost” because I’m not sure if it is actually “all.” Generally, I think if you’re willing to support us monetarily, you should get access to everything, but there may have been a time when I thought something was more important for those who subscribe for more. You’ll see the posts for Advent Calendars and Penguin Christmas Train.

Every month I try to write a post about what happened the last month. However, for the next three months, I have creativity posts written, including The Eureka Moment, the Myth of the Muse, and Where Do Ideas Come From? More may follow as I have time.

Every Patreon member at the dollar level or higher gets their name in my latest book if they are a member when that book is uploaded to Amazon.

What Do You Have to Lose?

Nothing as far as I can tell. You help us move forward creatively. You get access to exclusive content, like the Advance Reader Copy of my next book. And if you don’t like what you see on our Patreon, it didn’t cost you anything. We hope you’ll stick around. But in order to stick around, you have to take that first step and join our Patreon. Thank you.

Fine Print: Limited to the first 300 people who sign up. Current Penguinators are ineligible for this promotion; however, we would love for you to comment on why you support us at Patreon. Without you, we couldn’t do half of what we do.

FanX 2024 Thursday Panels Schedule Revised

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FanX 2024 Thursday panels have undergone some changes from the first look that I did. So a quick look at the new schedule, as of 9/12/2024, is in order with a reminder that convention schedules are subject to change.

Anthony Daniels is still on the schedule for 6pm, and he’s a must-see. However, he’s not the only heavy hitter panel on Thursday. FanX has scheduled a Lord of the Rings celebrity panel for 2pm. Fortunately, these two panels are far enough apart in time that I think we can make them both. Before two, we can grab some food and take our time exploring the vendor hall and some of the rooms that have displays not requiring a specifically timed visit.

Matthew Lillard is at 3pm, which is also a change that means we might be able to see him. The Ghostbuster celebrity panel is at 4pm. After that, we’ll have some time to get something to eat while we wait for Anthony Daniels. At 7pm, Brandon Sanderson will be presenting. So all told, our schedule will look something like this for Thursday:

  • 2pm – Lord of the Rings celebrity panel
  • 3pm – Matthew Lillard
  • 4pm – Ghostbusters celebrity panel
  • 6pm – Anthony Daniels
  • 7pm – Brandon Sanderson

As always, one of the best ways for me to enjoy a convention is choose one thing I want to do every day, but just one. Then, as long as I accomplish that one thing, the rest of the day is icing on the cake. It’s not always possible to accomplish the one thing though because conventions can change their schedules, so having a back-up plan is a good idea as well.

What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to at FanX 2024 on Thursday? Let me know in the comments.

Thursday’s FanX 2024 Plan of Activities 1st Look

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As with every comic convention, scheduled panels can be rescheduled and moved in an instant. This happens for several reasons, most of which have to do with a celebrity’s livelihood. If you get a gig, you gotta go do it. As long as fans remember this when planning their comic con visit, they will be able to embrace the change. FanX 2024 will be no different. Somethings may get changed, and we’ll just have to make sure we are prepared to enjoy other aspects of the convention when that happens. That disclaimer out of the way, here’s where I think I will be going with the schedule as it stands on Sept. 7, 2024.

The Pirate Rules for FanX

The first and only rule I follow, which is more of a guideline really, is: Choose one thing every day that I would like to accomplish. When I go with someone else, we make it two things. As long as these two things get accomplished, everything else is gravy. If they don’t get accomplished because something changed, that’s okay, too. We won’t be disappointed because we are ready to face that contingency.

The FanX Multiverse

It looks like FanX 2024 features two timelines: one starts on the hour, and one starts on the half hour. That means you’ll need to be aware of those panels that start in the middle of other great choices. It also may mean waiting longer for a particular panel if you happened to have gone to a panel on the alternate timeline. (Use this time to visit the Vendor floor and seek out some local artists and creators. Support them in their endeavors and you’ll have more than just a treasure to take home for yourself.)

Thursday’s FanX 2024 Schedule

Thursday’s must-see panel is Anthony Daniels, the man who brought C-3PO to life. I’ve met Tony Dyson, who built R2-D2, at a comic on in Malta. I met Peter Mayhew, aka Chewbacca, at one of the earlier FanXes. I’ve seen Carrie Fisher on stage, so Anthony Daniels just seems to fit with what I’ve done so far. His panel is scheduled for 6pm, which means we have most of the day to do whatever else we happen to fall into.

Kicking Off FanX2024

Thursday’s FanX 2024 panels kick off with a tribute to Jack Kirby at 12:30. CelloCat is playing at 1:30pm. It’s between two and three that we have our first conflict. Sam Jones and Will Conrad of Flash Gordon fame will take the stage at 2pm. Paul Williams, who I know from the Muppet Movie and Smokey and the Bandit, as well as some of his amazing songs, and Randy Quaid, from a bunch of movies including Independence Day and the Christmas Vacations, have their respective panels at 2:30pm. For me, it’s Paul Williams. His work with the Muppets is enough for me to want to see him, but his musical contributions put him over the top. You can’t go wrong with any of the three; it’s just a question of who do you feel most connected to.

However, Williams’ panel will bleed into the 3pm hour, which means missing out on Matthew Lillard, aka live-action Shaggy among other characters. Lillard is likely comedy gold. Other panels happening at this time are “Low Observable Technology” about a real-world cloaking device and “Imagine If? Remaking Disney’s Lands.” I’ll have to think about this more, but right now, Paul Williams is still the front runner.

Thursday Afternoon

At 3:30pm, the decision is between Star Wars Villains and a Voice Actor panel, which is sure to be great. However, 4pm has panels dedicated to Little House on the Prairie, a show that still carries relevant themes, and Napoleon Dynamite. Garret Hedlund from Tron: Legacy will also be doing his own panel, but the big draw will likely be the She-Hulk panel with Jameela Jamil and Patty Gugenheim. At 4:30pm, Daniel Logan will be holding court in his own panel, and there is the intriguing “No harm ever came from reading a book” Mummy celebration of 25 years.

Thursday Evening

At 5pm, Analyzing the opening music of Anime seems like the best panel for the hour, but it does compete with the High School the Musical panel of celebrities. Jennifer Blanc will be presenting at 5:30pm. However, since these both lead up to Anthony Daniels, it is questionable as to whether I would risk missing the Star Wars star. The HstM group is in the same room as Daniels, so I may see them by default. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen the movies, so I know the people in the panel. It would be a joy to see them.) At 7pm, Brandon Sanderson holds court in the same room, so I may just camp out there for the three panels.

Putting It Together

Coming up with a rough schedule of panels to see would look something like this:

  • Jack Kirby at 12:30
  • Cello Cat at 1:30 with a stop for food at some point
  • Paul Willliams at 2:30
  • 4pm is a toss-up with each panel having its own draw. This might be another good time to pony up for something to eat. Sometimes, you have to go by feel. I’m leaning towards Little House or Hedlund.
  • 5pm again is a toss-up, but since my main goal for Thursday is to see Anthony Daniels, I will likely opt for High School the Musical or food.
  • 6pm Anthony Daniels
  • 7pm Brandon Sanderson or going back to the hotel to post about Thursday’s activities and rest for the next day.

FanX 2024 will be a lot of fun, but it’s important to remember that it is supposed to be fun. As a reporter, I had an entirely different view of the convention because it was my job to cover as many panels as I could. Now, however, I can take it easier, relax a little bit and find those panels that will teach me something or that I will get great joy from. I also have to remember to eat and hydrate. Last, but not least, there is always something great to be found in the vendors areas – like Tank Tolman – I’ll need to make time for that during the convention as well.

What will you being doing at Thursday’s FanX 2024? I’ve prioritized panels, but there are other things to do as well. Leave your preferred schedule, FanX pirate rules, and other tips in the comments.

The next post will look at Friday when my panel “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” takes place. I’ll be discussing creativity tips using the Haunted Mansion’s history and structure as a guide. Get your book before FanX on Amazon or contact me at shadexaminer@gmail.com, so I can reserve you one of my copies.

Why the Trucking Industry Would Lose in a Boycott Against New York City

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Truckers boycotting New York City doesn’t target the judicial system in New York, and it doesn’t directly affect the politicians. Instead, the boycott targets New Yorkers. New Yorkers are the quintessential “F—k around and find out” people. You want to bring that type of energy to the table against New Yorkers? Fuhgeddaboutit. In their response to every threat, New Yorkers have shown themselves to be some of the toughest SOBs in the world. More importantly, September 11 showed how New Yorkers come together in the face of tragedy and hard times. They don’t have to fight to win; they can love in solidarity. In fact, that may be the city’s and its citizen’s greatest strength.

Supply Lines and COVID

During the COVID-19 lock-downs and their after effects, Americans learned more about supply lines than they ever wanted to know. While some businesses have already forgotten those lessons by returning to Just-in-Time inventory management, you can be sure New York has not. The lessons that the city and state learned during the pandemic will be put to use if a trucker boycott were to disrupt the supply chain. New York already has some powerful tools in its arsenal to combat a lack of distributive power.

The National Guard

One solution the governor may decide to use is the National Guard. The military organization can be called out in times of emergencies, and it has a lot of people who can drive large vehicles. The Guard can be sent to where the loads are left, pick them up, and bring them into the city. If the stores getting the shipments pay the same amount to the National Guard that they would pay to the ordinary delivery company, it may not even cost the state of New York much to put this plan into action.

Port of New York and New Jersey

New York, in partnership with New Jersey, has the largest port for importing oil and the third largest port for importing containers. In this case, boats could bring the needed supplies into the port. Even if there are no big rigs available to pick up those containers, New York has possible solutions. The port is already connected to a railway system. Load those trains up, boys.

If times got desperate, they could employ drivers in box trucks or even go with an UberEats-style delivery and pick up. It wouldn’t be efficient, but it would open jobs to more people. You don’t need a CDL to drive a box truck. Again, businesses receiving the deliveries could pay the drivers of the vehicles rather than their regular shipping companies.

Long Term Effects

Necessity is the mother of invention. If the boycott were to drag on, New Yorkers would innovate new ways and reinvent old ways of getting goods to where they need to be. This is the city that built the tallest building in the world at a time when it was dangerous to do so. New Yorkers know how to get creative. Railways may become more prevalent. Drones might become more proficient. Robots and artificial intelligence will be advanced into doing the heavy lifting and delivery. No one can predict the actual way New Yorkers will fill in the gaps. However, once New York lights the way, other states will follow. Whatever they do will get passed on to other areas where there is no trucking boycott. The demand for trucking services will decline, possibly on a worldwide scale.

Boycotting Vs. Striking

The average salary for driving a semi is about $120,000 a year. When a trucker, or a group of truckers boycott some place, they don’t get paid that money. A boycott is not a strike. The Teamsters may support a strike, but unions, typically labelled socialist, don’t generally support boycotts. Truckers would lose their income, which they likely can’t afford to do.

More importantly, trucking companies will simply adjust their schedules. Businesses do not want to lose the revenue that New York City generates for them. If a driver doesn’t want to go to the Big Apple, the trucking company could simply find another driver, one who doesn’t support the Big Orange, and send that trucker and the shipment. It a simple capitalist transaction.

Moreover, a trucking company could threaten workplace sanctions against truckers refusing to deliver loads. This could include fewer runs, resulting in less pay. If one trucking company boycotts New York, another will step in to take its place and the profits from those deliveries. Businesses are geared to short-term profits, and they don’t want to lose any revenue, especially not for political purposes.

A Successful Boycott

In order for the boycott to be successful, truckers would have to take a page from the French. They would need to drive their rigs to the outskirts of New York City and park them on the roads, besieging the city like an ancient army taking on a castle. They would need to cut off the ports and remove the river from the equation. They would then need to find a way to control the skies. Prices would skyrocket, and the people would rise up and demand Trump be allowed to work in the city and not be fined.

Unfortunately, as many protestors on the left find out, blocking a road for any reason is against the law and can result in police action that includes impounding of vehicles, getting hit with batons and/or pepper sprayed, possible use of fire engine water cannons, and being put in jail for an unspecified amount of time.

Other Unintended Consequences

Even if the boycott is likely to be unsuccessful, for numerous reasons mentioned above and also including an actually lack of commitment to the cause, taking big rigs off the road for any length of time would be a win for the environment. It would be an even bigger win if it results in a better way to deliver goods.

Which Is Better Disneyland or Walt Disney World? Panel at FanX

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I was asked to participate on a second panel while at FanX in Salt Lake City: Which is better Disneyland or Walt Disney World? Scheduled for Thursday at 5pm, this panel will feature five panelists: Josh Twelves, Tracy Mangum, Jake Dietz, and Amanda Provost.

Disneyland

My experience with Disneyland is as a vacationer. I’ve been to the Happiest Place on Earth more than 50 times, and as those who have read My Life in the Projects, Disneyland was a safe place that we went to every year as a family to have some happiness. I am the author of Disneyland Is Creativity.

Disneyland is the only park that Walt walked in. It is home to innovations, without which Walt Disney World couldn’t exist. Disneyland is the OG park.

Walt Disney World

I worked in the resorts at Walt Disney World while a participant of the College Program. (Going to Salt Lake Community College gave me the opportunity to be a part of Walt Disney World.) As a member of the custodial team for Saratoga Springs, I was able to take advantage of everything the four parks and backstage have to offer. It was spectacular.

Which Is Better?

The answer to the question will depend a lot on the comparison. Are we comparing the two resorts: Disneyland and Disney California Adventure against The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot? Or will we stick to Disneyland versus the Magic Kingdom? There are questions of budget, time, and attractions. Will we come up with the definitive answer? Do we have to choose?

I will also be giving the Disneyland Is Creativity Panel scheduled for Friday at 3pm. As with all comic conventions, panels and participants are subject to change. Download the FanX 2023 app and mark these panels as favorites, so you don’t miss them.

If you would like me to bring you a copy of Disneyland Is Creativity or it’s sequel The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity, please contact me. Otherwise, I will have a very limited number on hand.

FanX 2023 in Salt Lake City and ‘Disneyland Is Creativity’

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It’s official! We are less than a month away from FanX 2023 in Salt Lake City, and I have a panel, “Disneyland Is Creativity.” Based on my book, this panel will provide ways to improve your creativity by using examples and metaphors from Disneyland’s structure and history. This panel is a must for fans of the park and for those who are interested in learning principles of creativity to improve their lives and the lives of others. The time and place of the panel will be released with the FanX app. Download the app, bookmark our panel, and join us for a walk down memory lane.

Get ‘Disneyland Is Creativity’

You can get a copy of “Disneyland Is Creativity” and its sequel “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” from Amazon. You can also order them directly from me and pick them up at my panel. We will bring a very limited supply of books to be available at Darren Lamb’s table in Artist Alley. (Darren is known as the Worst Buddhist; his table will have cool, geek-inspired Buddhas and stickers as well as books he’s written.) I’ll be happy to sign your books when I see you at FanX in Salt Lake City.

FanX 2023 in Salt Lake City

FanX 2023 is Salt Lake City’s premier comic convention. It will be held September 21 to 23, 2023. Tickets often sell out. Get yours ahead of time.

As always, events and panels are subject to change. Be sure to confirm the panels and activities you’re excited for, ahead of time.

Oregon Author Signing Books at Lincoln City Archery: Press Release

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For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Shad Engkilterra

                                503-409-8037

                                Shadexaminer@gmail.com

Lincoln City Archery Press Release

Lincoln City, OR (Nov. 12, 2021) – Lincoln City Archery will host Oregon Author T.M. Brenner on Saturday Nov. 20 from 11am to 1pm and Sunday Nov. 21 from noon to 2pm. Brenner will be meeting with fans and signing copies of his books, including “Luminaries,” the Clandestined trilogy and the Sky Child trilogy.

Lincoln City Archery and Brenner are celebrating the release of his latest book, “The Pan-Galactic Misadventures of Dick Blowhard.” Released on Oct 2, 2021, Dick Blowhard is a genre-mashing tale of bar fighting with unicorns, galaxy traveling with space battles, and cursed toys that come to life. The comedy, sci-fi, fantasy adventure features adult comedy, so reader beware. Those who enjoy “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” will love Brenner’s new offering.

“When Brenner came to shoot with us and told me he was an indie author living in the Portland area, I knew we needed to feature him for a weekend book signing,” said Lincoln City Archery Owner Shad Engkilterra. “Indie authors produce some of the most original work out there, and Brenner is a prime example of that.”

Lincoln City Archery features a selection of independent author books at its indoor archery range and retail store at the Lincoln City Outlets. These are books that are generally not found in larger book retailing establishments.

“With so many people screaming for originality in TV and movies, it’s important to support those that are creating those new stories,” said Engkilterra. “It’s hard for those voices not connected with already successful IP or a media conglomerate to find the space to make some noise.”

Brenner is a graduate of Portland State University with a degree in Computer Science. He has written eight books. Brenner can be reached through his online presence:

Email: tmbrennerbooks@gmail.com
Website: http://www.tmbrenner.com
Facebook: Author T. M. Brenner
Twitter: @TimothyMBrenner

For those unable to make it to the book signing, T.M. Brenner’s books are available at Amazon (affiliate link).