Tag Archives: Phil Taylor

THIS IS NOT A DRILL! The Last Locked Door is here!

Posted on April 27, 2019 | 3 comments

The long awaited sequel to Time To Lie is now available for both Kindle and in paperback thanks to the wonderful folks (aka Jim Bernheimer) at Amber Cove Publishing.

Excerpts from pre-release reader reviews:

Wonderful Sequel by Phil Taylor! This was such a great read! I literally could not put this book down. It was funny, creative, dramatic and sarcastic all rolled into one. The author really knows how to connect the characters with the reader. I cared about each and everyone of them right from the start. So many pop-cultural references — from my college days to the present — that made this book even more enjoyable! ~ Lisa T

Another Great Book by Phil Taylor: I always enjoy reading Phil’s books and this one is no exception. He has a unique writing style that makes it very easy and enjoyable to read… Read Time to Lie first but then go back and read his others books too! ~K. Steward

This is the sequel to Time To Lie, and if you haven’t read that, why not? Want to get in at the start of a great series? You can get Time To Lie Kindle edition for FREE from today until April 30th! It’s a time traveling suspense mystery and you can ride shotgun with Landon in this thriller as he unravels the puzzle just in time!

Don’t fear though, there’s enough laughs to keep you entertained and enough heart to keep you rooting for Landon and his friends. Want a fun weekend read? These books are the perfect length for that!

Sincerely, if you do take the time to read my books, I am grateful. I know that as a reader many of you take your time and book choices seriously, so I understand the ultimate compliment you give me when you choose to read one of my books. Here’s the direct links to Amazon:

The Last Locked Door: Kindle edition

The Last Locked Door: Paperback

If you would like to read and review my book on your blog, just say so in the comments and I will get you a free Kindle copy! Also, the best thing you can do to help your favorite author, me or someone else, is to write a short review on Amazon after finishing the book. Have a great weekend and happy reading! ~Phil

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Top Ten Reasons I Should Be People’s Sexiest Man Alive

Posted on November 14, 2017 | 21 comments

Tomorrow People Magazine will name their Sexiest Man Alive for 2017. I have high hopes, but as usual I assume that People Magazine will pander to the lowest common denominator and choose some allegedly good looking, hunky but mindless actor or musician. Here are my ten reason’s why they should choose me:

10. Because Google Says So: Go to Google Images and Google  “Phil Sexiest Man Alive”. That picture above comes up first. If Google thinks it’s true, it must be.

9. Because I Have A Blog: I have a blog and I published a book. We’re not even sure if most of these pretty boys they choose can read much less write.

8. You Stare At My Picture More Than Theirs: Let’s face it, you’ve been to my blog several times a week over the past year, meaning that you’ve probably seen my little profile pic countless times. Over the past year you’ve looked at my picture far more than whoever People will choose, ergo, I am sexier.

7. I’m all natural: Unlike many previous Sexiest Man Alive winners, I’m all natural. No steroids, hair implants or hair dye. I’m 100% all-American male.

6. I’m Employed: Have you ever noticed that they always choose actors? That’s a fly by night bunch if I ever saw one. Flitting from one job to the next. I’m employed full-time every day and I have health insurance. That’s the American dream right?

5. I’m a Normal Guy: Aren’t we all tired of magazines pushing these unrealistic expectations of what is sexy on us? It’s always rail thin models with implants and “hunky” guys who have no real jobs so they work out all day with a personal trainer. How about if People chose a “real” man for Sexiest Man Alive? A normal guy who is sexy because he’s smart, funny, works hard, and provides for his family? Isn’t that what most women really want at the end of the day instead of an unattainable player?

4. I’m Smart: Now I know nobody is going to mistake me for Leonardo DaVinci, but I’m pretty sure I could crush Leonardo DiCaprio at Jeopardy! Most people think intelligence is sexy. Marilyn Monroe once said that the sexiest man alive was Albert Einstein. I’m not going to give you a lecture on physics, but I can hold up my end of a conversation.  I’m willing to pit myself against any show biz pretty boy in a Jeopardy! challenge. C’mon People magazine! Set it up! Let’s make this years Sexiest Man Alive earn it by being sexy inside and out. How about me, Bill Gates, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson vs. Channing Tatum, Bradley Cooper & Ryan Reynolds in a game of Trivial Pursuit? That would be riveting television!

3. I Would Look Great On Money: Why not? Why does money have to feature old,  dead Presidents? Most of them are pretty ugly any way. I propose that each Sexiest Man Alive gets to spend the following year as the face on the American one dollar bill.

2. Gray Hair is Distinguished: All you ladies always say that gray hair makes a man look “handsome” or “distinguished.” Over the past year my hair has been getting gray A.F. as the kids say. If chicks dig a guy with a little salt and pepper action going on, then I’m your man.

1. I’m Already Sexiest Blogger Alive: I was once named Sexiest Blogger Alive  so doesn’t it make sense that I should take the next step and ascend to the real throne? Go ahead, click that link. I dare you.

There you have it, my annual argument why I should be named Sexiest Man Alive. If I don’t win it this year, as a consolation there is one other thing I’d like to win: The AllAuthor.com Cover of The Month Contest. Please click THIS LINK and vote for my book cover. Thank you and have a great Tuesday! ~Phil

 

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Posted in Humor, pop culture, Top Ten, Top Ten Tuesday

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Another Great Review for Time To Lie!

Posted on November 8, 2017 | 4 comments

This is a review on Goodreads.com from a complete stranger who listened to the audiobook that somehow he got for free from a website that I’ve never heard of.

I am so glad I got the chance to listen to this one. A cheeky mix of a coming of age story for a young man, a guide to time travel and college parties. A very cool listen. If you are like me and loved Karate Kid then this story will make you laugh and definitely keep your attention for a few hours. The characters are very likable and you learn to like them more and more as the story goes on. There are so many pop culture and science fiction references/ shout outs sprinkled throughout this book that it gives it a kind of authenticity. With all the different timelines intermingled it lends a sort of confusion that is not confusing at all but gives this time travel tale a little something different. The main character’s sarcasm is so cheeky and fun that you cannot help but laugh at him, in a geeky way. If you are anything like me then you will love listening to the main character geek out in the college dorms and navigate his way through his freshman year. The narrator does a phenomenal job with this entire story, but especially the sarcasm. Each character has their own unique sound it gives them personality. There were scenes that you could really hear the urgency and tension in the narrator’s voice. What a great listen and I cannot wait for this series to be continued. I was provided a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a honest review via Audiobook Boom. This is no way affected my opinion of this work.

There you have it. That’s a pretty great summary and endorsement. On Goodreads my book now has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.0. If you want a fun read, give it a try (here on Amazon)  and if you really want to make my day today, go vote for my books cover in the AllAuthor.com book cover contest. I’m currently in 13th place and desperately need votes. You can vote without logging in or giving your e-mail! Have a great afternoon! ~Phil

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Posted in author, Uncategorized

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Wordless Wednesday! Sunset on The Gulf and a Thanks To You

Posted on November 8, 2017 | 8 comments

This is where I was for four days last week and I came home to cold and light snow.

Also, thanks to everyone’s generosity in voting for my book cover in the AllAuthor.com book cover contest, I have moved on to the second round of voting! Yes, it’s not done yet, and I’m in 13th place, about 200 votes behind the leader. If you have a moment, would you mind clicking this link and voting for my cover? Thanks so much. Have a great Wednesday! ~Phil

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Posted in author, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

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An April Fool’s Memory

Posted on April 1, 2016 | 14 comments

cropped-stalkers-banner.jpg

No, I’m not going to tell some outlandish story and end with April Fools! I’m am often a joker throughout the year. I know, shocker right? My April Fools joke is that I don’t pull any pranks on the day when all the amateurs are out trying to be funny.

The reason I posted that picture of the Stalkers cover above is that April Fool’s Day always reminds me of it because in March 2006 on my blog in the two weeks leading up to April Fool’s Day I wrote a series of posts as if I was responding to an online stalker. My readers were all up in arms and urging me to call the police and not to respond to the stalker. On April 1st I revealed that it had all been a prank and that only one reader had seen through my ruse.

Why the book? In 2013 the publishers of Stalkers asked for submissions of short stories involving stalkers. I used my blog stalker series as the basis for a story, but I wrote it in social media format. The entire story is told through blog posts, readers comments, Twitter messages, and e-mails. My story was accepted along with 16 others, and I was thrilled that it was positioned as the final story of the collection. It is seriously a great collection of suspenseful stories and I’m humbled to have been chosen to be included with so many great writers.

Stalkers is available on Amazon as an e-book for $3.99 or $18.99 for the enormous paperback. You already know me, but who knows, maybe you’ll find your next favorite author from one of the other stories. (P.S.: I don’t get a cent from the book sales. It all goes to the publishers) Have a great Friday! ~Phil

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White Picket Prisons: A New Review!

Posted on April 10, 2015 | 7 comments

bookcover-200

Woo Hoo! A good review for my first novel just appeared on Readers Favorite, a completely legit, impartial website that I didn’t pay. Here it is:

Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers’ Favorite

White Picket Prisons by Phil Taylor is located in the suspense book category, but it is so much more. Cooper, Dave, Chuck, and Cliff have been best friends since childhood when they had dubbed themselves The Golden Boys. They are now adults and have remained close friends through marriages, careers, life, and deaths. As the story begins, they have gathered for the funeral of Dave’s dad. We are quickly drawn into their reunion which consists of all the things they did as kids, picking on one another, taking the neighborhood walk and hanging out. The good time they are having quickly takes a turn for the worst and suddenly they find themselves in danger. The plot takes several twists and turns and we and the Golden Boys are unsure who and why the bad guys are suddenly after them. Is it something from their childhood, did one of them do something awful, are all four marked for death, we wonder, and until the very end there is no sure answer. Each of them reveals surprising new facts about themselves as they work together to survive and find the answers they so desperately seek.

White Picket Prisons is a book about lasting friendship that spans many years. It is a book filled with suspense and excitement, strong characters and an engaging plot. Phil Taylor has given us 173 pages that will keep you glued from start to finish. This may be Phil Taylor’s first work but I truly hope it isn’t his last. White Picket Prisons is a winner for everyone. Don’t pass up reading this book.

It is available in both e-book and paperback from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It is also available in the iTunes bookstore. Have a great Friday! ~Phil

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Who Are The Golden Boys? You May Never Really Know

Posted on August 2, 2014 | 10 comments

Golden Golf

Who are The Golden Boys? Are they men? Are they myth? Are they Minotaur? They’re two of those three, but I’m not saying which.

Have you ever wondered if authors base their characters on people they know? I don’t know if all of them do it, but I did. White Picket Prisons and The Sneaker Tree may be suspenseful, humorous, murder mysteries, but the real stories are about the close knit group of friends who refer to themselves as The Golden Boys. The picture above is of me, on the right, with two of the Golden Boys. I will not identify them by name to protect the innocent. I have known these two guys my entire life, literally since we were in diapers. The Golden Boys and I grew up on the same street in four consecutive houses.  We all live in different cities now, but we still try to get together once a year. Today is that day.

There is one more Golden Boy, not pictured, with whom we have little contact. He is still in our hearts and if he were ever to make it back to our hometown we would welcome him with open arms. If or when you read either of my novels, know this: the murder mystery parts may be fiction but the characters are real people, just like the friends you grew up with. If, as in the Mitch Albom book The Five People You Meet in Heaven, you do meet people from your past in the afterlife, I hope that my five are the three other Golden Boys and the two people who leave the most comments on The Phil Factor.

Flame

My friends and I have a million stories, some that may appear here in the coming weeks and others that may never again be told. Some involve matching shirts, public nudity, wedding crashing, and/or fake musical abilities and the pretense that we may have been a one hit wonder band from the late 80’s. If you want to read some of our stories, I’ll tell you that many of them are in my books, but I won’t tell you which are fact and which are fiction. If you follow me on Instagram at ThePhilFactor you may see some pictures from the next 24 hours. I hope you have a great weekend and more importantly I hope you have life-long friends as great as The Golden Boys.

As always, if you enjoy #ThePhilFactor feel free to share by the Facebook, Twitter or re-blog buttons below. Have a great weekend.  ~Phil

 

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Posted in books, Humor, Relationships

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Throwback Thursdays! Who is the Next Host of Jeopardy Alex?

Posted on May 8, 2014 | 6 comments

This was originally posted on March 21, 2013 when no one was reading me.

trebek

Don’t know what I was thinkin’ of
I guess I just wasn’t too bright
Well, I sure hope I do better
Next weekend on The Price Is Right, -ight, -ight
I lost on Jeopardy, baby (oooh)  ~ Weird Al Yankovic

The answer is Phil Taylor for $500. After all these years my dream job is finally available! Rumor is that if Alex Trebek lives long enough to complete the 2014-2015 season he will finally retire. From blogger to Jeopardy host! My ascension to the throne is near. Admit it; if you’re being perfectly honest with yourself, once Alex shaved off his porn moustache he completely lost his game show host mojo. That is not a mistake I will make. I am in fact working on a handlebar moustache as we speak.

What is jumping to conclusions Alex? Not so fast my little pretty.  I’m not going to be happy just hosting Jeopardy! I’m going to revamp and revitalize that tired old game show to return it to its rightful place as an American institution as respected as the Presidency itself. How am I going to do that you ask? Please state your answer in the form of a question. What is, introducing new categories Alex? For a while Jeopardy was fun, but eventually the common man (me) got tired of Alex and all the smug little contestants and their snooty little answers to Potent Potables and Potpourri.

Categories I would introduce would include Beer Pong Rules, Lindsay Lohan arrests, and Crazy Celebrity Quotes. Oddly,  the correct answer to every question in all three categories is “Who is Alec Baldwin?”. The Visual Daily Double will be Name that Roadkill. Which brings me to the next change I would make to the show.

Enough with the “I’m sorry; the answer must be in the form of a question.” If it’s in the form of a question, it’s not an answer, it’s a question! That idea had to be some weird Canadian voodoo Alex brought across the border from our neighbors to the North. On Phil Taylor’s Jeopardy! if you get an answer right I don’t care how you say it, as long as you don’t say it in Canadian. I can’t believe Alex Trebek didn’t get punched in the face more often over this rule.

On Phil Taylor’s Jeopardy! there will also be no more High School Week or College Week either. All of us grown adults who have navigated the universe successfully enough to get where we are do not need any snot nosed little punks acting all superior because they know a word that rhymes with orange.

Right now the talk is that Matt Lauer has the inside track on the job. Puh-leeze! His popularity is receding faster than his hairline. If you’d like to support my bid for Jeopardy! host, after Alex retires or is the victim of an unfortunate accident, you can follow me on Facebook or try my humorous murder mystery novel, White Picket Prisons, available for just $2.99 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.  I also want to say a quick welcome to all those who came to The Phil Factor from Candy’s Raves after reading my guest post this week.

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Posted in Current Events, Humor, Throwback Thursdays, Uncategorized

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Something Free for My Blogging Friends

Posted on March 16, 2014 | 12 comments

You know how you write your blog because you like to be read? I’m the same way. We value our thoughts and believe that some of our thoughts have value to others, whether it’s educational, thought provoking, or merely entertainment. Some of you may have noticed but never clicked on those book covers there on the right. I wrote those and I’m pretty proud of them.

Stephen King was once a school teacher sending stories to magazines. E.L. James of Fifty Shades of Grey fame originally self-published Fifty Shades as an e-book. Hugh Howey, whom I interviewed here back in July was unknown just a couple years ago until his independently published stories caught fire by internet word of mouth. I’m not saying I’m as great as those three are, what I am saying is maybe my books have merit, but it’s hard to know unless people read them. There was a time in every authors life that they didn’t have an agent and a publisher. This is mine.

WPP

I’m an “indie” author. If I chose to I could pursue some small publishing house that would take me on and I’d have the validation of having a publisher’s name inside the front cover. I’d have validation, but I’d also have someone telling me what my cover would look like. I’d have an editor telling me to develop a character more or to add another secondary story line to the plot. I’d have someone telling me how much to charge my readers for my books. Raise your hand, how many of you have ever bought a book because of the name of the publisher? I didn’t think so.

Ok, so here’s the FREE part. If you’re a fellow blogger I’ll give you a FREE Kindle, Nook, or Ipad copy of my book White Picket Prisons in exchange for an honest review posted on your blog. The story is a humorous murder mystery about a close knit group of friends. Click on the link if you want to read the full synopsis. It’s a relatively short, weekend beach read type of book. If you’re interested, in the comments leave your e-mail that is connected to Kindle, Nook or iPad account and which e-reader you have. Or if you want a little more privacy about your e-mail you can e-mail me directly at authorphiltaylor@gmail.com

Feel free to share or re-blog if you like. In fact please re-blog. I want you to make me give away so many that I’ll regret this. I’ll give away as many copies as are asked for. Have a great Sunday. ~Phil

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Fun with Search Terms!

Posted on March 15, 2014 | 9 comments

This is my quarterly Edward Snowden-like reminder that whenever you put a search term into Google, someone somewhere may be reading it.  Here are some of the most unique search terms that have brought people to The Phil Factor, with what I hope is humorous commentary.

1. Original drummer Motorhead:

philthyfinal

My secret is finally out and I’m so relieved. Yes, I was the drummer for a British heavy metal band in the 1980’s

2. Horniestintheland.com: When I do my ‘Fun with Search Terms’ post every 90 days or so this phrase always comes up at least once. I suppose Horniest in the Land is some sort of title. I wasn’t aware I entered that contest, but OK, I’ll take any recognition I can get. I’m sure it’s a website, but I’m not going there. Check for me and report back in the comments here.

3. Sad emo sith in the floor: That’s right, The Phil Factor is where all the depressed Star Wars fans go. I really hate when I leave my emo sith all over the floor. I’m constantly tripping on them. They’re worse than stepping on Legos. Pro tip for parents of small children: Don’t buy them Legos. Or emo sith.

4. to much bees massacred that man ehead only see that in canada the bees stay on head of the man only: Well obviously. Why wouldn’t this lead people to my blog?

5. Should I be scared of invisible germs? Yes. Yes you should. I sneezed on my computer while typing this blog and now you’re catching my cold.

6. where can i find the forms one needs to fill for the upcoming audition in tpf: (TPF = The Phil Factor) The forms to audition for The Phil Factor can be found on my “About Me” page, although based on your lack of capitalization when typing your search term I don’t have a good feeling about your chances.

7. the angry beavers smoking weed: I hope the weed smoking helps those beavers relax a little. Then again, if smoking pot gives you the munchies, who wants hungry beavers around?

beaver

8. Are Phil Taylor’s children disabled? Their only disability is having me as a father.

9.  Kanye West loser jerk: I’m thrilled that my blog is the answer to this question.

10. Happy hump day sexy guy pics: Hell yeah! Did you see the picture on the top left of this page of me leaning on the car? And I’m not sexy just on hump day either.

As always, feel free to share #ThePhilFactor by Facebook, Twitter, re-blogging, or any other social media means. Have a great weekend! ~Phil

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