Cover of it was almost like a song

Cover of sunshine on my shoulders

Cover of the rose

artbyray.us

new address for my art page at facebook...
with the latest art news from the studio and the latest art pieces posted. like and follow me there...
https://www.facebook.com/artbyray/
http://artbyray.us

my Video Builder Agency

i have a video builder agency. lets call it a vba.
i make short digital videos with it and use them on youtube.
if you need a digital video ad [dva] for your business give me a holler.

now on canva

my new project is making logos on canva. logos are just one of the things you can make at canva and i hope to get lots more use out of it. check it out at the link below.
if you need a logo for your site or business maybe i can help. for a small donation of course.
https://www.canva.com/RayNichols

ray tv is now on facebook.

my youtube channel is now on a facebook page. this will hopefully get a few more views.
you can check it out on facebook and please like and share. also, i need more views and subscribers on yt.

fb https://www.facebook.com/RAY-TV-278459792882837
yt  https://www.youtube.com/user/raynichols66

raynichols.me

this site is now available at www.raynichols.me.
if you would like to help with the cost of the site, a donate button is on the side bar.
thank you for reading.

could all hel break lose in avengers 4?

could all hel break lose in avengers 4? #spoilers...

well at this point we know that hela is not only a superpowerful goddess but also the rightful heir to the throne of asgard. and one hell of a powerful warrior. the goddess of hel and executioner of odin was a powerful force in the conquest of the nine realms and basically odin's powerhouse back in the day.

of course i am talking about the mcu hela who took the throne after the death of odin. and one of the reasons that thanos did not come looking for the stones sooner. but once odin died, thanos saw the opportunity to go for it and he went.

now i am pretty sure that hela has finished her battle with surtur at this point as all she really had to do was take his crown off his big head, and she may have even started rebuilding asgard by now. but one place she ruled and no doubt, still does is hel.

as the goddess of death and ruler of hel, she pretty much has some amount of power over death itself. and who does thanos actually love? death.

in the comics, thanos and hel had a romance for some reason, but i dont see that happening in the mcu. if anything i suspect that thanos killing half of asgard, well more than half, will probably piss off their queen and just might send her on a quest to kill him.

or at the least, she might give loki his freedom for some reason or another and send him after thanos. or she might give him to thor to go after him as this dude is an enemy of asgard. and even though the refugees of asgard left the planet, she still basically considers herself its queen.

now while thanos definitely would have thought twice about coming to earth while it was under the protection of odin, he did not really see thor as a threat, but one of the main reasons he did not mess with odin was hela, his enforcer and executioner in the old days. so its highly likely that the master of war and death herself would be more than a match for thanos and his army.

so though the marvel crew may not have thought about hela joining the war against thanos, i dare say she would be one hell of a powerhouse for the avengers. alongside loki and thor, thanos just might have a problem on his hands.

i doubt that she will join the fight, but wouldnt it be a great battle. 

also, when you put three gods in a team against the titan and we know that captain marvel will be there and the hulk, and some cosmic beings that are more than likely not pleased with his genocide of their races, avengers 4 looks to be the biggest kick ass battle of all time.

time will tell how it all unfolds, but after the damage control from the snap is all over, i suspect that thanos is going to see very little peace on titan in the future.

well thats my thoughts for now on the upcoming finale to the thanos war.

will thanos survive the final battle? will anyone care if he doesnt? did loki go to hel? will thunderbolt ross realize that the earth without the avengers will cease to exist? will j jonah jameson write a wonderful eulogy for spiderman? could an army of dead vikings attack thanos' army? could groot grow from the stormbreaker and fight alongside rabbit? is tree groot's real name? isnt groot technically a plant anyway? did thanos kill half the bees?

probably not. but time will tell...

where to sell your books or start your business on the side

my personal book store is at gumroad... publish there and you get fifty percent of sales. they take half and you get the rest. and its easy to upload a pdf there and a cover....
dont have a product to launch there? i also have a wholesale store for books to resell called the reseller center. you can buy the plr rights with the product you want and start selling right away...
my thanks to you for reading...
also i love publishing at amazon. its the biggest company online and has the most potential sales...
if you are a writer looking to publish those sites are the way to go. no middle man to tell you no its not good enough or charge you an arm and a leg to get started. publishing at amazon and gumroad is free. and no fees are charged to authors.

amazon
gumroad
rayshire mall
ray mart mall and reseller center

this site does not collect info from its readers.

AS FAR AS I KNOW there are no third party cookies on this site. i have affiliate links but the companies they link to should be safe and you have to go to their site anyway to look so that is their responsibility.
 i do not collect info from anyone here or anywhere else on my site. all sales are off site on other sites. the only ads here are affiliate links like google ad sense. i also sell zazzle and amazon merc but on their platforms only. i provide some search engines but they link directly to the home sites.
companies that collect personal data are not welcome here. and that is all i have to say about that.
[insert gump memory here... ]
the best way to avoid cookies online is to not go online... also chromebooks are more reliable at avoiding spyware. i recommend chromebooks to all my friends.

RAYSHIRE MALL NOW OPEN

my affiliate site is open 24/7 and selling merc from amazon and zazzle and vida and more... more products added daily... and you can shop from home. on the couch. in your pajamas... check it out...
RAYSHIRE MALL

books available at amazon

hey guys, my ebooks are at amazon and you can read for free with a prime membership... or you could just buy it.
the fiction that was previously in my blogs is now in my books if you are looking for it...
as an amazon author, i not only get royalties from the sales but i also get royalties from prime readers too. the future of publishing is amazon.

books by ray at amazon...

• daydreamer by ray nichols 
• this is slim
• work is a four letter word
• three cross hill
• art by ray 
• advanced affirmations and attraction

Motel 666

10.31.10

I was traveling across country to do a job when my van, i noticed, was almost empty. I was on a back road and didnt know how far it would be to the next gas station so i stopped at the nearby station to fill er up.
The guy at the register gave me a dirty look when i went inside and nodded to him as a greeting. He was a large fellow in bib overalls with a wad of tobacco in his mouth. He had grey hair and a beard and his name tag read "JOSH". I grabbed some chips and gators for the trip and went to the front to pay.
As i was leaving i saw that the sun was about to rise and i was in need of a nap so i went to the motel nearby and got a room. As i walked to the room i heard the store clerk outside talking to his pals who had just pulled in.
Apparently he had taken a liking to my gold card but i had been driving all night so i had to take a nap before leaving. I locked up the van and went inside. Locked the door and turned up the air and hit the sack. In no time i was out for the day.
Later that evening i woke to find Josh and his friends and the motel manager in my room and going through my wallet. "hurry the hell up Bill. He's waking up." "i've got it. Ron shut 'im up," the motel manager said pulling out my gold card. Then one of the other guys walks up and hits me with a wrench.
This time i wake up wrapped in bloody plastic. Laying in the grass beside a lake. The wind blows and rattles the plastic and makes my splitting headache even worse. Josh's buddies are standing close by me and putting on plastic gloves.
"Damn Ron. You tore his head wide open."
"what was i post a do, Frank. Give him back his billfold." Ron walked over to me. "Damn. He's still kicking." Ron kneels beside me and puts the plastic over my face and pulls it tight. "Die boy. Just die." I felt the plastic over my face. He was pressing down hard.
Stupid man. You cant kill a dead man, I thought. I waved my arms in the air cause that is what they expected. I Grabbed Ron's arm and saw the other people he had killed. Saw him and Frank laughing at them as they struggled and begged for mercy. Men women and children. Murdered. Someone had to end this. Now. I reached his throat and pressed the pressure point. Until he passed out.
I lifted Ron up and off of me. Frank drew a gun so I let him empty it into Ron.
"Thanks. Oh dont worry, he had it coming." I take the gun from him and put another bullet in it. He tries to run but I am not through with him yet. I twist his arm around and pin him to the ground.
"I am going to ask you one time. Where is my wallet?" He was sniffling and tears were rolling down his cheeks.
"Josh," he said. And that was his last word. I vamped out and drained him dry. The blood restored my health and I had taken a hell of a beating. I needed it and they owed me.
With the vessel emptied i licked the wound to make it heal. All better. I stood up and thought for a moment.
"Frank shoots Ron then self." I put the gun in Frank's mouth. 2 down. 2 to go.
Josh was in the store looking at my card and smiling when i got there. Funny thing about vampyres- we cant be filmed unless we concentrate. Same with mirrors. we have to try to be seen. Otherwise, we are just a blur. A ghostly image in the film.
"You didnt use that yet did you?" I asked but I knew he wouldnt answer. He stared at me and his cigar fell on the counter.
"Arent you dead?" he asked.
"Well yes. But then I have been dead for decades." I took my card and put it in my pocket with my wallet. Then I picked up the lit cigar and took a drag from it.
"Not bad" I said. "Steal that too?"
He reaches for the alarm so I break his arm then as he is screaming I break the other one too just to be safe.
"This is for all the other people you killed Josh. Its judgement day and i am the reaper." I drain the creep dry and drop him on the floor.
Then i carry the empty vessel to the motel room and go to the office to fetch Bill.
"Boy did you guys pick the wrong guy to kill." I grab Bill by the arm. He struggles so I break his arm. Then I take his other arm and lead him to the room and drain him dry.
"Payback is a bitch." I tell him as his heart stops beating.
Time to leave. So I bring in the gas can from the van and paint them both with it. As i carry the empty can back to the van to leave I toss the lit cigar back to Josh. The light from the bonfire is nothing short of spectacular.
But the night is young and I have places to go. People to eat. So I start the van and drive into the dark night once more.

THE INVADERS

11.1.10

A lizard ran down the beam that was all that was left of a large section of the fence. The building was much like the fence, covered with slime and growth. The woods had almost claimed the house. The door was cracked; Lekers never knew how to use doors.

Inside, 4 Lekers had 2 Earthers captive.

"He hates Terrans anyway," the leader was saying. "If i give you to him; it'll be too bad for you."
"No please," the female begged. "Please don't!"
"I'm sorry, but if you don't talk, I simply can't help you," the Leker said.
"Drop dead," said the male. "Earth is going to slaughter you."
"Now such harsh language," the Leker said. The Leker motioned to one of his men. The soldier put a gun to the female's head. "And in front of a lady, too... Maybe you don't care about your mates like we had heard Terrans do."

"I'm ready to die for my country," she said proudly. "Don't tell them a thing, Don."
The Leker hit her with the gun."Shut up," he said.
The male jerked trying to free himself from his bonds.
"Kill her,"the Leker shouted!

A Leker aimed his ray gun at the female, then he fell on the floor dead, from a blaster burn. A blaster bolt struck the leader in the face next. A third blast hit the third alien, and the fourth was struck down next.

Don looked at the door. in it, with the sunlight shining thru from behind, stood a droid in battle armor.

"Thank God, you're here," the male said. His migraine was subsiding now. "Cut us loose; my arms aren't circulating anymore."
The Ranger stepped into the room; he walked over to the captives. He removed a survival knife from its holster on his side. He brought it to the man's chest, and he thrust it into Don's heart.The female screamed and struggled to get free. The ranger blasted her and took out his transmitter.

"Droid 3. Report 31. dead; 4 Lekers, 2 Terrans; continuing search," he said, and then he left the building.

Unwanted Embrace

Unwanted Embrace
11.2.10

I just stopped by for a drink
Like a dozen times before
I guess i was more thirsty than i thought
Once i got her on the floor
As i quenched my insatiable thirst
I came to realize
This girl that i was preying on
Was just about to die
As i came to my senses
I saw her in my arms
This vessel i called friend
A victim of my charms
And soon she would be gone
Because of my mistake
And the Prince would have my head
Did i deserve this fate?
I could not let her die
The regrets would never stop
And so i bit my lip
And let her taste a few drops
And soon she arose again
And walked the night with me
And tho we are no longer friends
She arose you see
And now she is Kindred
A creature of the night
Forever in the dark
And running from the light
We walk the world of darkness
The dark childe and i
Tho years come and go
The damned can never die

Billy Goat Gets Lost

11.2.10

Billy Goat was a playful fellow
He loved to play outside
One day when Nanny Goat looked away
Billy went to hide
He ran into the woods that day
And soon could not be found
He ran deep into the brush
As far as he could go,
Then he stopped to look back
When he couldnt run no mo--
He saw no one had followed him
And Billy Goat just smiled-
They'll never find me now he said
I lost em by a mile
Then Billy looked around and saw
Some tall grass growing near
So Billy started eating and
When he eats he has no peer
He ate and ate and ate some more
Until he got his fill
And then he fell fast asleep
From his enormous meal
He slept for, oh, an hour or two
Then woke up in the dark
And thats when Billy figured out
He was lost there in the park.
He called out to his Nanny Goat
And then to his friend Tom Cat
Then Billy realized that no one
Was there to lead him back
He tried to go back the way he came
But which way was that?
It was getting dark and cold
And Billy Goat was lost and fat
He searched the woods for trails
That might lead him safely home
But whatever way that Billy went
He still wound up alone
He sniffed the air for scents
That might show him the way
But never found a scent he knew
He'd not get home today
He heard coyotes howling
Somewhere down below
So he turned and ran the other way
As fast as he could go
Then he saw 2 bright and glowing lights
In the woods ahead
And he heard the farmer's voice and cried,
"Hooray, it's time for bed" the farmer took
Billy home to Nanny Goat that night
And Billy went straight to bed
He'd had an awful fright
The moral of this story is
Dont run too far away,
Cause coyotes hunt in packs my friend
Each and every day.

Lord of the Dark

Lord of the Dark
11.3.10

Night at last
The vicious sun has gone to sleep
The blue sky faded to black
The twinkling stars appear like angels watching the city
Feeding time again
I am the King of the Night
The Lord of the Dark
I rule the streets at night
Feeding on the evil
Here i am god
The people on the streets My cattle
They disappear
People scratch their heads but no one misses them much
My little meals on legs
Scum of the earth
The dealers and pimps
Thugs and thieves
No one will miss them
My cattle
Worthless wastes of space
Only good for one thing
Nourishment
Tonight i rule the streets
In the morning i will sleep
I am the night owl
God of the Dark
Master of the streets
Tonight i feed and tomorrow will be a brighter day
Thanks to me
The Lord of the Dark

The Lawman

The Lawman
11.3.10

He rode into town one hot summer day
Soaked with sweat from riding the range
His horse was white; a palomino
His gun was silver
His bullets gold
His hat ten gallons
His vest held a badge
"MARSHALL" it said
He lived on the edge
His draw was like lightning
His gun his best friend
When he found a villain
Its career would end
His name was Art Laws
He stood for the law
He protected the weak!
Did i mention his draw?
He came into town with a warrant in hand.
To arrest a villain who had killed 30 men
The man was a cad of this there's no doubt
He was really bad inside and out
Art tied up his horse by the sheriffs place
He entered the room to make a request
He asked where to look to find this bad man
The deputy shrugged and shook his hand
The marshall got a room at the nearby hotel
Then he went to the saloon to look for himself
He asked a few questions but got no replies
He noticed the fear in the bartender's eyes
He ordered a gin and he sat down to relax
The room slowly cleared except for 1 man in the back.
3 men entered and all wearing guns
The piano player then left on the run.
"Marshall," one called. "we've come for you.
If you want to take Billy you'll have to take us, too."
"Well if you insist," Art said with a smile.
By this time, he was facing them all.
One hit the floor. Art's gun smoked.
The other 2 drew, and both hit the floor.
Art turned about, his gun was still drawn.
There stood a man at the back of the saloon.
"Thanks," said the Marshall. The man sat back down.
"I hate unfair fights. not allowed in my town!"
The Deputy walked in "you got em i see!"
"Thanks to that citizen over there who helped me."
"Who?" asked the Deputy. "Theres no one back there."
Then Laws looked back and saw an empty chair.
The Deputy smiled,"Very funny.
Next thing you'll tell me the Sheriff was there.
Billy and his friends killed him right over there."
Marshall Laws left town the next day,
But he stopped to look back as he was moving away.
"Dont worry," said the Sheriff
Who was standing there.
"Long as im on the job, Their kind will be rare."

The Tiger

The Tiger
11.4.10

He sat and stared at the blank page before him. He was a pro who had never had a loss for words. and now..."If Andrews loses, the beast will just be hunted by another. If Saboo were to lose, I'd be out of a job..."

"Dr. Andrews had been waiting for this chance for years. At last, it had come. He was face to face with the biggest, meanest tiger in all of the jungle. The cat had crouched and was ready to pounce on him. He slowly cocked the gun and waited. His shot would have to be true. If he winged the beast, he would be its next victim."

He stopped."Maybe I should call it all off. Jerry did such a magnificent job with the drawings, but heck, people are tired of the tiger always winning. I've been doing the same old crap for years. Saboo always wins. It's not right."A long, mindless stare at the wall."Yes. thats what i'll do. i'll kill the tiger. The readers will devour it."He turns to the typewriter. Banging like a crazed madman. He hears a noise at the back door. He ignores it. He keeps typing. another noise louder. He keeps typing...

The next day, the inspectors stand over the body."No sign of forced entry. must be a suicide."

"Looks like he was attacked by a large animal to me."

"But the doors were all locked. and the house is empty.

"How could he have torn himself apart like that alone?"

The inspectors scratch their heads as fresh blood drips from the top of the desk.

ZAN, THE DRAGON SLAYER

ZAN, THE DRAGON SLAYER
11.5.10

The great Duke Zan Was in his land
With a sword in his hand
The sun did shine
A light so fine
It brightened the whole land
The prince of Zeth
Quite out of breath
Rushed into the room
Thru pants of strife
His very life
He feared He soon would lose
"O mighty Zan," he strained to say
"The king requests your sword today
A dragon roams my father's land
Who makes a mouse of every man
My father said at last night's feast
You were the one to destroy the beast."
"Say words no more," sir Zan thus cried.
"For my homeland I'd give my life."
Duke Zan was told by Zac, his page
Dracul, the dragon, was seen in Dage
The prior day where he retired
The king's best men when he breathed fire
So Zan and Zac tracked down Dracul
Zan rode a steed and Zac a mule
Zan donned his shield his sword held high
The beast he swore would surely die
His charger shied from the breath so hot
Zan kicked its rib.
It then did trot
A harder kick
The charger ran
Zan's sharpest lance firm in his hand
A gopher hole was in his path
The charger tripped
Zan threw the lance
Straight and true the lance did fly
As Dracul's fire shot thru the sky
And in his heart the lance does rest
Thru mighty scales that cover his chest
A single place had been open
As the monster breathed out and in
Duke Zan today wears a mask
To cover the scars of his greatest task
His face was burned as fire seaped thru
Holes in the visor he once could see thru
Now the prince is king as fate would give
And blind Duke Zan
Now forgotten does live
People ask, "Did dragons ever live?"
But noble Duke Zan
No answer does he give
A hero's life is a lonely one,
Especially when the work is done

Root for Jackson

ROOT FOR JACKSON
11.5.10

The gnarled roots were very unusual; Jackson had never seen anything like them. They were packed in a wooden box imprinted with foreign names. It was odd that they should be left in the alley.

Reaching down, Jackson touched one of them; he then picked it up. It was much heavier and softer than he expected. In fact, it felt a little like dead flesh. He smoothed its bumps and ridges with his thumb; then he put it back and felt vaguely uneasy. Its sweet odor was strange and unfamiliar to him. He wondered why the roots had been left in the deserted alley.

His mouth felt dry as he reached into the box again, and he picked up another one; it was smaller. It too was pulpy, and it had the same pungent smell. Using a handkerchief, he wrapped up the root, and he put it in his windbreaker. He glanced over his shoulder as he did this, because he suddenly had a strong, unmistakable feeling he was being watched.

When he got home, he put the root in his bedroom. He went into the living room; he wanted to grab a drink from the kitchen refrigerator. Suddenly, a blinding light shone through the window. A dark shape appeared in it, and Jackson felt as tho his head was held in a giant hand. The light died down, and the shape became visible.

It had the same unfamiliar odor coming from it, and its skin was the same as the roots'. It raised its odd arm and pointed its twig-like finger at Jackson. Jackson could not move. tho he could still use his senses. Five creatures, nearly the same size as the first, came from Jackson's bedroom.

"Daddy," said one, who moved beside the creature. The others followed it, and then the creature lowered his arm after listening to their senseless chatter.

"Thank you," said the father, "for taking care of my sons." He held up the box. "Our spaceship was stranded on your planet, and the children were ready to leave the larval stage and sprout from their egg when i left to find food. I left their mother in charge of them, but she was afraid of your enormous size, so she didnt attack you. I will take care to scold her for not telling you of our dilemma."

He then was engulfed, with his sons, into the light again, and they disappeared with it.

Jackson decided to tell no one of this, yet he did not feel it was over. He saw a seventh creature appear at the door, and he laughed when it asked to "phone home?"