Each year I get emails from people asking where they can
find my short story, Merry Christmas Santa. Many of them say they want to read
it again, and others tell me that they want to read it out loud to their
grandchildren. Whatever the reason I am pleased, so here it is again. Click the link, then read,
enjoy, and hold those you love close. After all, it is the Christmas Season.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Nora Roberts Chesapeake Bay Saga
My first encounter with Nora Roberts’ novels was when I
bought a bag of paperback books at a library book sale. The name of the book
was Sacred Sins, and I mentioned it in a critical way on a writer’s forum. My
remarks aroused the wrath of some writers who view her as a goddess in the
Romance genre. I still hadn’t learned my lesson, so I threw in a few additional
remarks about romance novels, and the ones who write them. Several of them
replied with the kind of remarks I hadn’t heard since grammar school. They
double-dog dared me to read some of Roberts other novels. I couldn’t turn down
such a challenge, so I read the suggested books and went back to apologize.
Some of them have not forgiven my unkind words, and occasionally make
suggestions concerning what I should read next. As I read a few others, I came
to realize that Nora Roberts knows her audience in an uncanny way, and this accounts
for much of her success.
As every writer knows, or should know, writing consists of
stringing words together into coherent sentences. It also involves giving your
readers the kind of book they have grown to love. Some readers evidently have the
barely suppressed urge to do what a woman did in Stephen King’s novel,
Misery. In case you aren’t familiar with the book, the plot involves a
psychotic woman who held a famous writer captive and forced him to change the
plot of his novel to meet her expectations. Nora Robert’s will never be
subjected to that kind of fate because she learned early in her career to give
the fans what they want.
Roberts is also aware that there are other fans that are not
interested in ordinary Romance novels. All of her books wisely involve love,
and The Chesapeake Bay Saga is no exception. The four novels in this series
trace the lives and loves of four men who were adopted by a college professor
and his wife. Each of them is tormented by the traumatic events that hold them
captive to their past. In all fairness, I must say that these books contain
more graphic sex than I like in a book, but that is my opinion. These four
novels are the kind of stories you will never forget. Sea Swept is the first
book in the series. Once you read it, there is no turning back. You might as
well order all four of them while you have the page in front of you. There is a
link to the first book in the series below. Thanks for visiting and happy
reading.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Lincoln by Gore Vidal
If you are a fan of novels about American History, I hope
you have already discovered Gore Vidal’s American Chronicle Series, which
covers the history of the nation from the American Revolution to the post WWII
era. It is almost impossible for me to pick a favorite among these books, even
after reading each of them more than once over the years. When I read Lincoln
for the first time, I was immediately captivated, not just from Vidal’s superb
manner of telling the story, but by the historical accuracy. Vidal spent years
going through every available manuscript in the national archives that
pertained to the story he was telling. He once mentioned that the story of
Lincoln was more history than fiction because every statement attributed to Lincoln
was gleaned from documents that told of actual events and his reaction to these
occurrences.
Many of us remember history as that dull subject in high
school we suffered through while fighting those urges to nap. Vidal found a way
to grab the reader’s attention from the first paragraph and keep them turning
pages to the very end. Government and military figures are presented with vivid
reality, warts and all, with each event having the ring of reality. If you are
a history buff, Lincoln is a book you don’t want to miss. It is historical
fiction at its very best. You can find the book on Amazon at the link below.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Important Things I Learned While Watching Horror Movies
(1) The bad guys (Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruegar, Damien,
etc.) wear high-topped black shoes.
Friday, November 9, 2012
British Singer Danica Hunter
I have always loved music, especially the kind that is
wonderfully different, and stirs something deep inside of me. In a recent
interview on a writer’s website, one of the questions was, ‘what kind of music
do you like?’ I quickly ran through the list of music that lives inside my
head, but could not come up with an answer that made sense, even to me. I love
classical, rock, new wave, country, but especially music from the Middle East
with its driving beats and unfamiliar instrument that soar and wail, as if they
are somehow attuned to those things inside of us that cannot be expressed in
words. Something that is new on the American music scene is a type of dance
music that had its origin in South London. It is called Dubstep. It is a genre
of dance music, heavy on acoustical effects, and a rhythm that can get you out
of your chair and on to the dance floor.
When I am on Twitter, or any other social media, I always
take a look at the websites in the member’s bio. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised.
When I visited the site of a young British singer named Danica Hunter I was
immediately captivated. While Danica is only 18-years-old, she has performed
with such notable performers as Sting, and I predict that she has a great
future ahead of her. But don’t take my word for it. Here is a link that will
carry you to the BBC site where you can hear her newest hit called Heartbeat. I think it is wonderful. I
will be waiting for more from this performer and I don’t think I will be
disappointed.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
The Joe Pickett series by C. J. Box
It is always good to find a
great writer, and especially when the author has created an interesting series.
C. J. Box is one of those writers. Not only has he done an excellent job of
creating believable stories, he has created a central character that seems as
real as the people you encounter in everyday life.
I love police procedural
novels, as well as the ones that have private detectives as the main character.
It is a double bonus when an author comes up with a new type of hero. In Box’s
Joe Pickett series, the main character is a game warden in Wyoming. In COLD WIND he is faced with
the problem of keeping his wife’s mother from being convicted of murder. The
book has the outdoor magic of a traditional Western novel, but in a modern day
setting. There is no doubt that Box researched this book carefully. It is a
robust story containing all of the elements we expect in a suspense novel. At
last count, there were eleven novels in the Joe Pickett series. You are going
to love them all. You can find all of his books on his Amazon page at this
link:
http://www.amazon.com/C.-J.-Box/e/B001IGSO0I/refFive Star Books
Five Star Books -- What is it all about?
I seldom watch television
and spend my free time reading. Over the years, I have traveled along the roads
and byways of thousands of wonderful books. When I started receiving emails
from readers asking me about the novels I enjoyed the most, I decided it would
be a good idea to blog about them, rather than writing articles about random
things as I have done in the past. It also saves me some time in having to
respond to individual emails.
My articles will not be book
reviews in the traditional sense. Instead, I will tell you about the books I
liked best, and the reasons I enjoyed them. There are many great books, and
just as many talented writers that are unfamiliar to us. Most of the books I
will suggest to you will be from bestseller lists. Some of them will be hot off
the press and others published years ago. I hope you will enjoy reading some of
them as we travel this road together. I hope to recommend a new book to you each week. Thank you and happy reading.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
New Suspense Novel - Gone in a Minute
I read and write a wide variety of fiction, although it is
difficult not to include some elements of suspense in everything I write. I
have just finished ‘Gone in a Minute,’ a suspense novel, and the second book in
the Sheriff Daniel Barrett series. In case you haven’t read the first novel, ‘Innocent,’
Barrett is an ex-special forces soldier who has returned to his hometown after
he leaves the military. Barrett is a happily married man who believes in a
strict enforcement of the law, but who knows that the law must sometimes be
bent in order to achieve the kind of justice we can all live with. Barrett is
one of the good guys, the kind of person you would like for a neighbor, and the
kind of man you would definitely go to if you were in trouble. If you like suspenseful
action, you are going to love this series, and you are going to want to see
more of Daniel Barrett. I hope you enjoy reading these books. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009YIZVL2Thursday, October 18, 2012
Suspense novel Antaeus Factor now free on Kindle!
I write the kind of books I like to read, and The Antaeus
Factor is no exception. When I started to research this book, I was aware of
the danger our country faces from those who are determined to do damage. Some
of this danger comes from hostile regimes around the world, but there is a
surprising amount of it that comes from the lone predator with real or imagined
grievances against those who have a different religion or ideology. The really
surprising discovery was the shocking amount of ill will from people who direct
their hate toward some victim for no perceptible reason. They are all around us
in society, from the teen who feels rage because he was turned down for a date
and strikes back on a social network, to the neighbor who is determined to get
even with someone who has slighted or scorned him or her in some manner. There
is road rage, bullying on a school campus, to unbelievable acts of outrage.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Focusing on the Reader
I don’t know who said it
first, but some wise person once said: “Give them what they want and they will
come.” In recent months, I have encountered a number of discussions on writer’s
forums where some of the authors want to divide up the playground into ‘artist’
and ‘hacks.’
“I want to write quality fiction, rather than just trying to write something that will sell,” some of them have said. This is a noble sentiment, but what is the point of producing a manuscript that will molder in your desk drawer for all time, when you can aim your creative abilities toward a specific audience and sell a respectable number of books. Or more important is this: if you are a real writer, you can strive to do both.
Kindle has changed the craft of writing dramatically. Some critics of ebooks say that the success of this market is because the people who purchase ebooks are programmed to accept less than they will tolerate in a print book. I won’t argue that theory with those who are convinced that it is true, but I feel that the answer lies in another direction. On Amazon Kindle, you can monitor your sales hourly if you are the nail biting type of writer, and see what promotion program is actually working for you, as well as seeing how well your books are received by the average reader. If you work at your craft, you can have a short turnaround time with ebooks, rather than waiting, perhaps for years, to see if you have hit the mark with your writing. I doubt that ebooks are the correct medium for all writers. Print books are not going to die out as some have predicted, for most of us like the feel of a ‘real’ book in our hands. I believe, however, that every writer should try an ebook or two as a way of honing their craft. If you don’t need the extra money, as some have insisted, then send it to me. I have a Paypal account and will put it to good use.
“I want to write quality fiction, rather than just trying to write something that will sell,” some of them have said. This is a noble sentiment, but what is the point of producing a manuscript that will molder in your desk drawer for all time, when you can aim your creative abilities toward a specific audience and sell a respectable number of books. Or more important is this: if you are a real writer, you can strive to do both.
Kindle has changed the craft of writing dramatically. Some critics of ebooks say that the success of this market is because the people who purchase ebooks are programmed to accept less than they will tolerate in a print book. I won’t argue that theory with those who are convinced that it is true, but I feel that the answer lies in another direction. On Amazon Kindle, you can monitor your sales hourly if you are the nail biting type of writer, and see what promotion program is actually working for you, as well as seeing how well your books are received by the average reader. If you work at your craft, you can have a short turnaround time with ebooks, rather than waiting, perhaps for years, to see if you have hit the mark with your writing. I doubt that ebooks are the correct medium for all writers. Print books are not going to die out as some have predicted, for most of us like the feel of a ‘real’ book in our hands. I believe, however, that every writer should try an ebook or two as a way of honing their craft. If you don’t need the extra money, as some have insisted, then send it to me. I have a Paypal account and will put it to good use.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
SOUTHERN WRITERS
Stories by Southern writers have always been popular among fiction fans, and I think a lot of the appeal is in the realistic settings that always seem to be present in this type of book. High school and college literature classes would not be complete without a review of William Faulkner, Margaret Mitchell, and Eudora Welty, for each of them brings something to the table that would not be complete without them. While these writers are important, a new generation is continuing to introduce readers to the uniqueness and mystery of the Southern experience. Fannie Flagg, John Grisham, and Willie Morris are among the best Southern writers of our era. Each of them presents a different view of Southern life, exploring the temperament and the feel of the times. If you are already familiar with these writers, let me add another name to your list. In the crime novel, The Quick and the Dead, Milton T. Burton has captured the essence of the Southern criminal. You can feel the tension from the first page to the last, and the sweat and fear of the characters becomes frighteningly real as the tension mounts.
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD
MANFRED EUGENE ‘HOG’ WEBERN a retired Dallas County deputy sheriff, is talked into going undercover in Biloxi, Mississippi, in a multistate effort to nail a group of traveling Southern criminals who have been tagged by the press with the lurid name “Dixie Mafia”. After making contact with the gang’s nominal leader, the notorious Jasper Sparks, Webern begins to worm his way into the group’s confidence. He also meets and becomes involved with an old friend of Sparks, the mysterious Neil Bigelow, a former assistant federal prosecutor whose daddy ‘owns half of the Delta.’
Having gained the gang’s trust, Webern soon learns that the score being planned is the massive robbery of a wintering carnival of an entire year’s receipts. Joining in planning the job, he meets such well-known hijackers as Slops Moline, a Charleston, South Carolina, killer and armed robber; Lardass Collins, the country’s premier car thief; Tom-Tom Reed, one of the world’s most skilled safecrackers; and the infamous Raymond “Hardhead” Weiler, and Alabama-born moonshiner who has pulled off more than two dozen high-profile contract killings in his seventy years.
As the story develops, Webern is drawn into a maelstrom of robbery, mayhem, and senseless violence that threatens to engulf his very being. And before the final curtain falls on The Sweet and the Dead, we learn that in the murky world of Southern professional crime, nothing is ever quite what it seems to be.
Stories by Southern writers have always been popular among fiction fans, and I think a lot of the appeal is in the realistic settings that always seem to be present in this type of book. High school and college literature classes would not be complete without a review of William Faulkner, Margaret Mitchell, and Eudora Welty, for each of them brings something to the table that would not be complete without them. While these writers are important, a new generation is continuing to introduce readers to the uniqueness and mystery of the Southern experience. Fannie Flagg, John Grisham, and Willie Morris are among the best Southern writers of our era. Each of them presents a different view of Southern life, exploring the temperament and the feel of the times. If you are already familiar with these writers, let me add another name to your list. In the crime novel, The Quick and the Dead, Milton T. Burton has captured the essence of the Southern criminal. You can feel the tension from the first page to the last, and the sweat and fear of the characters becomes frighteningly real as the tension mounts.
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD
MANFRED EUGENE ‘HOG’ WEBERN a retired Dallas County deputy sheriff, is talked into going undercover in Biloxi, Mississippi, in a multistate effort to nail a group of traveling Southern criminals who have been tagged by the press with the lurid name “Dixie Mafia”. After making contact with the gang’s nominal leader, the notorious Jasper Sparks, Webern begins to worm his way into the group’s confidence. He also meets and becomes involved with an old friend of Sparks, the mysterious Neil Bigelow, a former assistant federal prosecutor whose daddy ‘owns half of the Delta.’
Having gained the gang’s trust, Webern soon learns that the score being planned is the massive robbery of a wintering carnival of an entire year’s receipts. Joining in planning the job, he meets such well-known hijackers as Slops Moline, a Charleston, South Carolina, killer and armed robber; Lardass Collins, the country’s premier car thief; Tom-Tom Reed, one of the world’s most skilled safecrackers; and the infamous Raymond “Hardhead” Weiler, and Alabama-born moonshiner who has pulled off more than two dozen high-profile contract killings in his seventy years.
As the story develops, Webern is drawn into a maelstrom of robbery, mayhem, and senseless violence that threatens to engulf his very being. And before the final curtain falls on The Sweet and the Dead, we learn that in the murky world of Southern professional crime, nothing is ever quite what it seems to be.
As technology continues to advance, most Americans are becoming increasingly concerned over their privacy. Banks and financial institutions send out notices concerning the amount of information they are sharing with other organizations. The wording on these notices attempts to soothe us into accepting their claim that they would do nothing to invade our privacy, when in fact they are releasing information that is anything but innocuous.
Few people are aware of how many ways companies and private individuals can invade their privacy. If you have been on the Internet for a long period of time, various sources will have accumulated a vast amount of information about you, and it doesn’t take a hacker to gain possession of this information. None of us intend to lay bare every tiny detail of our existence, but we do, a crumb at a time in emails to our friends or things we post on forums. None of it ever goes away and will be there for employers searching you out after you put in your résumé.
Sitting in a doctor’s waiting room for my first visit, I noticed the young woman at the reception desk was spending a long time at her computer. Thirty minutes later when I talked to the doctor’s nurse, she asked me some questions that she could only have known from an Internet search. Nothing alarming, but enough to make me aware of the ease in which people can find that elusive piece of information they are seeking.
Government law enforcement agencies can locate you anywhere if you are carrying a cellular phone by pinging your phone and triangulating the response through three different towers. Congress is demanding answers concerning a piece of software installed on iPad. It is alleged to contain an application that will track and record your every movement. It will only be a matter of days until hackers will be able to access this from their phone and track where you have been at any moment of the day or night. To me that is a little scary. The stalkers are, no doubt, waiting in line for access to this new application. Click on the title to this article and it will carry you to an article on the investigation by certain congressional members.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110421/tc_afp/usbritainitprivacytelecomcongressinternetapple
Few people are aware of how many ways companies and private individuals can invade their privacy. If you have been on the Internet for a long period of time, various sources will have accumulated a vast amount of information about you, and it doesn’t take a hacker to gain possession of this information. None of us intend to lay bare every tiny detail of our existence, but we do, a crumb at a time in emails to our friends or things we post on forums. None of it ever goes away and will be there for employers searching you out after you put in your résumé.
Sitting in a doctor’s waiting room for my first visit, I noticed the young woman at the reception desk was spending a long time at her computer. Thirty minutes later when I talked to the doctor’s nurse, she asked me some questions that she could only have known from an Internet search. Nothing alarming, but enough to make me aware of the ease in which people can find that elusive piece of information they are seeking.
Government law enforcement agencies can locate you anywhere if you are carrying a cellular phone by pinging your phone and triangulating the response through three different towers. Congress is demanding answers concerning a piece of software installed on iPad. It is alleged to contain an application that will track and record your every movement. It will only be a matter of days until hackers will be able to access this from their phone and track where you have been at any moment of the day or night. To me that is a little scary. The stalkers are, no doubt, waiting in line for access to this new application. Click on the title to this article and it will carry you to an article on the investigation by certain congressional members.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110421/tc_afp/usbritainitprivacytelecomcongressinternetapple
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