tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77992688312016615612024-03-13T00:44:13.286-06:00A Publishing DiaryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-86844954175236405262024-02-19T14:13:00.003-07:002024-02-19T14:13:34.453-07:00A 4-star review for Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories<p>I received a 4-star review from my favorite review site: Pages and Paws. Shazam! Here's a link to the review: <a href="https://pagesandpaws.com/2024/01/05/mystery-collection-is-the-dogs-bow-wow/#more-18418" target="_blank">Just Click Here</a>.
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<h1 class="entry-title">Mystery Collection is the Dog’s Bow-Wow</h1>
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<a href="https://pagesandpaws.com/2024/01/05/mystery-collection-is-the-dogs-bow-wow/" rel="bookmark" title="7:00 am"><time class="entry-date" datetime="2024-01-05T07:00:38-08:00" pubdate="">January 5, 2024</time></a><span class="byline"> by <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="https://pagesandpaws.com/author/lowder6/" rel="author" title="View all posts by Eowyn">Eowyn</a></span></span> <span class="comments-link"><a href="https://pagesandpaws.com/2024/01/05/mystery-collection-is-the-dogs-bow-wow/#comments">4 Comments</a></span>
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<h2><a href="https://pagesandpaws.com/?attachment_id=18421" rel="attachment wp-att-18421"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-18421" data-attachment-id="18421" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="mystery of the fox down dog cover" data-large-file="https://kristinelowder.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/mystery-of-the-fox-down-dog-cover.jpg?w=625" data-medium-file="https://kristinelowder.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/mystery-of-the-fox-down-dog-cover.jpg?w=188" data-orig-file="https://kristinelowder.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/mystery-of-the-fox-down-dog-cover.jpg" data-orig-size="625,1000" data-permalink="https://pagesandpaws.com/2024/01/05/mystery-collection-is-the-dogs-bow-wow/mystery-of-the-fox-down-dog-cover/" height="300" src="https://kristinelowder.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/mystery-of-the-fox-down-dog-cover.jpg?w=188" width="188" /></a></h2>
<h2><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Fox-Down-Dog-Stories-ebook/dp/B0BKVCP213/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8">The Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories</a></h2>
<h3>By Doralynn Kennedy (2022)</h3>
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</h3>
<h3>Genre: Fiction/Supernatural Mystery, Cozy Mystery</h3>
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</h3>
<h3>Pages: 125 (Print)</h3>
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</h3>
<h3>Via: Author request</h3>
<p><em>Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</em></p>
<p><strong>Can two retired spooks</strong> figure out why a Ukrainian
professor died, how his dog learned to drive, and why Archie had a
homing device in his collar that may have had its origins in the jungles
of Vietnam? </p>
<p><strong>Hold on to your fur, friends</strong>. Cuz that’s only a few
questions swirling in this finely crafted collection of mystery-ish
stories. The collection runs the gamut of emotions and covers the
waterfront from creepy to cozy to the back woods to the dog house. </p>
<p><span id="more-18418"></span></p>
<p><strong>The longest – and in our opinion,</strong> the strongest – story in this collection is the first one, <em>The Mystery of the Fox Down Do</em>g. Cuz, hey <em>Dog</em>!
Hello!? ‘Sides. This story pulls you into the action like a dog after a
bone (Hi, Kimmi). In one wag of Archie’s tail you’re neck-deep into a
shadowy world of spies, sleuths, mystery, and “Boa Constrictor” nets.
It’s just a lot of fun.</p>
<p><strong>Arthur and Emily Gossington are two retired spooks.</strong>
They live a quiet, pedestrian life until they find a mysterious device
inside the collar of a stray German shepherd named Archie. Also:
Do archeology and AI tie-in? How? And what’s up with Mr. Fitzgerald
“Fitz” the pampered Persian cat? (<em>Nobody’s purr-fect. Sorry. Couldn’t resist</em>. – Kimber.) </p>
<h3><strong>Competition</strong></h3>
<p><strong>This story is smart.</strong> Sassy. Arthur and Emily put the
crank in “cranky” and the “mudge” in “curmudgeon.” So Her Momness has
some competition. And a coupla kindred spirits. Finally.</p>
<p><strong>The one thing</strong> we didn’t like about this story was
that you get to the end and it kind of goes “thud.” We didn’t get a
sense that anything was solved or any mystery unraveled. It just kinda
runs out of ink.</p>
<p><strong>Meanwhile,</strong> <em>The Adventures of Darrel and Lloyd</em>
is hilarious! Would-be bank robbers toting a skunk named Daisy into a
bank! We kept seeing “Larry, this is my brother Darrel, and this is my
other brother Darrel” from <em>Newhart.</em> The story’s a riot, whereas The <em>Death of Jaime VanCamp</em> is full-on creepazoid of the Edgar Allan Poe variety. The <em>Mysterious Mr. Majestic</em>
is something you probably don’t want to start during a power outtage.
There’s also illicit moonshiners and a Thing you don’t want to run into
on a dark and stormy night. Or in the daytime.</p>
<h3>Bravo!</h3>
<p><strong>One thing we really appreciated</strong> about this
collection is that it’s a professional-level publication. It’s been
proofread. And edited. It makes sense. Is structurally sound and briskly
paced. (You wouldn’t believe how much stuff we see that’s <em>None of the Above.</em> Kimber: <em>Gag me with catnip</em>!)</p>
<p><strong>Gotta admit</strong> that we missed the Gossingtons after the first two stories. Mr. and Mrs. Cranky put in an appearance in the second story, <em>The Brownstone Mystery</em>.
That story unfolds in an old brownstone apartment on the Upper West
Side. It revolves around disappearing Christmas presents. Are the
disappearances due to sticky-fingered neighbors? Secret passageways? A
former tenant? An escaped con on the lam or a runaway?</p>
<p><strong>The game’s afoot</strong> when the Gossingtons show up in the
next-door apartment. House-sitting for a friend. But Em and Art fly the
coop after that. Too bad. Would’ve liked to have seen more of them in
subsequent stories. Maybe a few cameos here and there. But let’s not get
picky here, okay? After all. Fitz has <em>that</em> market cornered. Sheesh.</p>
<h3>Overall</h3>
<p><strong>Overall,</strong> <em>The Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories</em>
is an enjoyable and engaging read. It’s also nice when one of us wants
to grab something quick to read start to finish without investing hours
in same. It’s chockful of colorful and richly textured characters that
practically stand up and walk.</p>
<h3>Full-Bodied</h3>
<p><strong>So if you’re looking for something fresh</strong>, nimble, and full-bodied like a fine wine, check out <em>The Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories.</em></p>
<p>While you’re doing that, I gotta find Mom. What? Hiding in the closet? Again? Sheesh.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-44788849078833761862024-01-24T11:16:00.002-07:002024-01-24T11:18:51.578-07:00Medical Transcription and Career Step<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXQ74seejjOIUb55SIogH1NDjv5NXrP4TaaWQJArVZjPF9PL3QSmMQw0-z5-AGZOTCj9UxKLRW5uaRgRabHZ-UwAO3W3YGft-xqCG60GX4Ip7ock0UXaUqSEz0zuj0vh7UqjTWiLq8LtIuFmUOMA2b_T-BrOrkcZXhOxslW9rTfIJEWIrGM6Gd1xsGMRt/s1920/online-course%20redo%20with%20text-g1e49cc651_1920.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1920" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXQ74seejjOIUb55SIogH1NDjv5NXrP4TaaWQJArVZjPF9PL3QSmMQw0-z5-AGZOTCj9UxKLRW5uaRgRabHZ-UwAO3W3YGft-xqCG60GX4Ip7ock0UXaUqSEz0zuj0vh7UqjTWiLq8LtIuFmUOMA2b_T-BrOrkcZXhOxslW9rTfIJEWIrGM6Gd1xsGMRt/s320/online-course%20redo%20with%20text-g1e49cc651_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I studied medical transcription through Career Step several years ago when it was a legitimate work-from-home opportunity. There were numerous companies that hired medical transcriptionists to work from home, and many of them hired the students from the school I studied at. Sadly, that occupation has changed considerably, and a lot of those jobs have now gone overseas or are done by artificial intelligence. The school has branched out considerably and now offers numerous courses. I love and recommend Career Step; however, I am no longer an affiliate there. The reason for that is that they change their affiliate provider fairly often, and it has become a problem for me. If you have come to this site from an article I wrote about medical transcription jobs, the school is Career Step. Their website is <a href="https://www.careerstep.com/" target="_blank">https://www.careerstep.com/</a>. I recommend the school because they have a wide variety of courses in the medical field, but I do not recommend medical transcription anymore. As I said, I am no longer an affiliate there. I will not receive a commission if you sign up for any of their courses. <p></p><p>Best wishes. I hope you find the right career for you. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-3669778134575905432023-02-09T10:17:00.009-07:002023-02-09T17:01:05.053-07:00NetGalley review for Death on Deck by Verity Bright<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmHpH52wPDDbfvRWGVW7scpc0ZzzIZrEK6PvTN4DR9ABeAzZAzB35i3aneb32uDYQZ6eFE5RFEj0_UHtQlu_UjWjZ_5bsQhecpZJwwmmqzNTeWuckjyARnbIEQRZEIAd3aiblHlvnXLmZsZHrgKWaatu3UyiHudLbQdIkEhSJRECxeX6XXbSxRxNfyA/s394/verity%20bright%20death%20on%20deck.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmHpH52wPDDbfvRWGVW7scpc0ZzzIZrEK6PvTN4DR9ABeAzZAzB35i3aneb32uDYQZ6eFE5RFEj0_UHtQlu_UjWjZ_5bsQhecpZJwwmmqzNTeWuckjyARnbIEQRZEIAd3aiblHlvnXLmZsZHrgKWaatu3UyiHudLbQdIkEhSJRECxeX6XXbSxRxNfyA/s320/verity%20bright%20death%20on%20deck.png" width="207" /></a></div>I just registered with NetGalley. I know I'm late to the game, but what a great site. There are so many wonderful books to choose from that it's a little overwhelming. I put in a request to read three books, but so far only one request has been approved: <i>Death on Deck (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Book 13).</i> This is an advanced reader copy, and the actual publication date is March 13, 2023. So keep an eye out for it when it is released. Of course, you can always start with book one in the series if you are not familiar with this. It is written by a husband and wife writing team who use the pseudonym, Verity Bright. I have never read any of their books, but this was a stand-alone title. Here is the review I left at NetGalley. <br /><p></p><p></p><p>Thank you "Verity Bright" for bringing me a much-needed escape from today's scary and heartbreaking headlines. And on this luxury cruise, with a fun and witty companion, it was an escape in style. So thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced reader copy. I'm new to this writer and series, but I've already searched out book one in this series, and I intend to read it when I finish the books on my current reading list.<br /><br />This was fun from the beginning, and it kept me very engaged until about halfway through. At that point, I wondered if I could finish. I am easily bored, and the elaborate descriptions of food and ship went a little "overboard" for me. After halfway, it just became a matter of wanting to know the ending even though my attention was drifting a little.<br /><br />There were some questions along the way. The biggest one was when Eleanor threw open a porthole window to gulp some salty sea air. I thought portholes didn't open on ships because of the danger of flooding. Can't have the ships sinking. That took me out of the story and sent me to Google. I'm still unclear as to whether portholes open or not. Some say yes. Some say no. I just don't think that anything that kicks the reader out of a story is a good thing. That scene wasn't really necessary anyway, and a temporary loss of a reader isn't good. It was a few hours before I resumed reading. (The question became more important later on.) <br /> <br />I also questioned how someone can "nod vociferously" or just bow from the shoulders.<br /><br />Even though it became cumbersome, there were some great descriptions of the Celestiana. I loved the gold room with its staircase and model of the solar system and the description of the passing Auriana as a "floating skyscraper." However, it seemed the food was described more often than the ship was. It got to be a little much. Some of it just seemed like filler to make the required word count. <br /><br />But I did enjoy the story, Eleanor's relationship with Clifford and her staff, and the very likable protagonist. The "Verity Bright" writing team have a great "voice," and I loved the banter between Eleanor and Clifford. I loved the banter. Period. I thought the dialogue was mostly great. I also liked the humor, and this is one of the lines that made me chuckle out loud: "I thought I was expected to languish about elegantly, exerting myself about as much as a dying duck."<br /><br />Thank you again for an enjoyable cozy. This was a very good mystery. I give it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-59954544461669527052022-11-15T04:00:00.002-07:002022-12-24T13:00:39.344-07:00Ebook - Mystery of the Fox Down Dog will be free Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and Day 2022<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmtYoYt8GN3hoLkDVe6cQI3AZgZC1Rr3kSJVBbRWi4Ekv51oSBMaI2DcrNAm2DzQMWm_AE9qpDsSp8mgNbfqgudb_tci_dfupRcdmiQLOYi89_pbosqjEwVVg-r-y6OB9TRIvYPb6t2FhpX-sgQFmH-vTwWReqkL_jGSSjZwNfujfIfOWXikmIevVgg/s1000/Book%20Club(2).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmtYoYt8GN3hoLkDVe6cQI3AZgZC1Rr3kSJVBbRWi4Ekv51oSBMaI2DcrNAm2DzQMWm_AE9qpDsSp8mgNbfqgudb_tci_dfupRcdmiQLOYi89_pbosqjEwVVg-r-y6OB9TRIvYPb6t2FhpX-sgQFmH-vTwWReqkL_jGSSjZwNfujfIfOWXikmIevVgg/w200-h320/Book%20Club(2).jpg" width="200" /></a>I am running a free promotion for my new novella, <i>Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories</i>. The digital version will be free on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022. The digital version will also be free on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 2022. I have included the link to the book in this post. It is also available in paperback, and hardcover, but I am not running a promotion for those formats. The link and a
five-star review are also in this post. Thanks! </p><p></p><p>Here's the link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKVCP213" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKVCP213</a></p><p>Here is my first review: <br /><br />5.0 out of 5 stars <br />Humor and horror in just the right mix<br /><br />Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 5, 2022<br /><br />"This
is a fun collection! Kennedy writes very well, blending mystery, quirky
humor, crime, and horror in a set of stories with an array of different
characters and settings. In the most chilling story (to me), which felt
rather Stephen King in mood, a ouija-board-like toy does exactly what
we all fear a ouija board might do; while on the other end of the
dark/light spectrum, the funniest story covers a few quick episodes in
the lives of Darrel and Lloyd, muddleheaded criminal disasters. But to
me the standout was the longest story, <i>Mystery of the Fox Down Dog</i>,
in which the role of small-town amateur sleuths is played by an elderly
married couple who happen to be retired CIA agents. Emily and Arthur
are a delight!" </p><p>See my previous post for a larger image of my cover. Thanks again! <br /></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-78928506196742439712022-11-10T13:05:00.002-07:002022-11-10T13:40:18.114-07:00New Fiction Novella<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmtYoYt8GN3hoLkDVe6cQI3AZgZC1Rr3kSJVBbRWi4Ekv51oSBMaI2DcrNAm2DzQMWm_AE9qpDsSp8mgNbfqgudb_tci_dfupRcdmiQLOYi89_pbosqjEwVVg-r-y6OB9TRIvYPb6t2FhpX-sgQFmH-vTwWReqkL_jGSSjZwNfujfIfOWXikmIevVgg/s1000/Book%20Club(2).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmtYoYt8GN3hoLkDVe6cQI3AZgZC1Rr3kSJVBbRWi4Ekv51oSBMaI2DcrNAm2DzQMWm_AE9qpDsSp8mgNbfqgudb_tci_dfupRcdmiQLOYi89_pbosqjEwVVg-r-y6OB9TRIvYPb6t2FhpX-sgQFmH-vTwWReqkL_jGSSjZwNfujfIfOWXikmIevVgg/w200-h320/Book%20Club(2).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I just released the hound. Well, not exactly. I just published a new novella, <i>Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories</i>. It is available in digital, paperback, and hardcover. The link, a five-star review, the cover, and an excerpt are below. If anyone stumbles upon this, I hope you enjoy! <p></p><p>Here's the link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKVCP213" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKVCP213</a></p><p>Here's my first review: (Actually, it's my only review.) <br /><br />5.0 out of 5 stars <br />Humor and horror in just the right mix<br /><br />Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 5, 2022<br /><br />"This is a fun collection! Kennedy writes very well, blending mystery, quirky humor, crime, and horror in a set of stories with an array of different characters and settings. In the most chilling story (to me), which felt rather Stephen King in mood, a ouija-board-like toy does exactly what we all fear a ouija board might do; while on the other end of the dark/light spectrum, the funniest story covers a few quick episodes in the lives of Darrel and Lloyd, muddleheaded criminal disasters. But to me the standout was the longest story, <i>Mystery of the Fox Down Dog</i>, in which the role of small-town amateur sleuths is played by an elderly married couple who happen to be retired CIA agents. Emily and Arthur are a delight!" </p><p>Here's a larger image of my cover: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvTy3ljfBZvpPXKwogsnILjc5ItiYal5Z21BT5N4xU2xY0yBJkjZ-4SX9Z1eJh2Wy1tS4NdQpwiLZ0E041IcC4IoOLMHYfP2DiqHGEx1w4ulOEpNtTl8gAKZv7G3haaEEE_1xKFZf-zAhqvsYnpf5rlVkt-F7lOfmzUDBykrPbb-fy-QkJsfMvhO-bA/s1000/Book%20Club(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvTy3ljfBZvpPXKwogsnILjc5ItiYal5Z21BT5N4xU2xY0yBJkjZ-4SX9Z1eJh2Wy1tS4NdQpwiLZ0E041IcC4IoOLMHYfP2DiqHGEx1w4ulOEpNtTl8gAKZv7G3haaEEE_1xKFZf-zAhqvsYnpf5rlVkt-F7lOfmzUDBykrPbb-fy-QkJsfMvhO-bA/w400-h640/Book%20Club(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Here's an excerpt from the fourth story in the novella. This short story is entitled, <i>Night on Big Foot Mountain</i>.<br /><br /> It was a frosty night. Slips of snow eased over the sloped roof and fell with soft, steady plops onto the ground below. Orly waited for some sign, not knowing what it would be, but certain he would recognize it when it came. It could be the hoot of an owl, a light in the woods, or a dark shape along the old farmer’s road. <br /><br /> It came as a soft whistle, forlorn and eerie, easily mimicking the winds that would blow down from the north and hiss through the narrow cracks around his windowsill. But there was no wind tonight. An old floorboard creaked outside his door. Orly held his breath, waiting for more sounds. There was another creak, then another. A door was eased back on rusty hinges, then silence. <br /><br /> He waited until he saw three dark shapes emerge from the shadows and disappear into Sump Woods. They were met by other dark shapes. Orly wrapped his wooly scarf around his head, slung his knapsack over his shoulder, then moved across his room as quietly as his bulk would permit. Orly was a big man, big enough to fight Jack Dempsey according to his papa; but, truth was, he’d rather cut off a finger than lift it against anyone. Quiet reflection was as important to him as the illicit moonshine still in the woods was to his papa and brothers. </p><p></p><p>You can read a much longer excerpt at Amazon with the "Look Inside" feature. The long excerpt at Amazon is from the title story, <i>Mystery of the Fox Down Dog</i>. Thanks!<br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-88679193337302141002020-10-07T13:23:00.003-06:002020-10-08T06:29:54.289-06:00A Five Star Review and a New Cover<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFXyvwt8lZYhiMfaBxClZjsA5T6R8J58wPU7JQ69WKFaUl_494iMbtEMQRzSeRk9I-WHoGJgT74P57vHT-KFsws9MTXlWfOPPz7z0ihMDy2rJQybZGdfPiOzPKnIwLHlot5hZ4GBuLdRa/s2048/Thirteen+Miracles+Book+Cover+3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFXyvwt8lZYhiMfaBxClZjsA5T6R8J58wPU7JQ69WKFaUl_494iMbtEMQRzSeRk9I-WHoGJgT74P57vHT-KFsws9MTXlWfOPPz7z0ihMDy2rJQybZGdfPiOzPKnIwLHlot5hZ4GBuLdRa/s320/Thirteen+Miracles+Book+Cover+3.jpg" /></a></div><p>Kristine, and Kimber the Magnificent, at Pages & Paws have reviewed <i>Thirteen Miracles</i> and have given it Five Stars! Here is the link to the full review: <a href="https://pagesandpaws.com/2020/10/07/thirteen-miracles-my-new-best-bud/" target="_blank">https://pagesandpaws.com/2020/10/07/thirteen-miracles-my-new-best-bud/</a><br /><br />They are my first readers and my first review. (Well, technically, my editor also read it, but she doesn't count. She was working and not what I would call "a reader".) <br /><br />I am on wings after this review. I didn't know what to expect because some of the reviews at Pages & Paws are a little on the scary side. (Actually, they're a lot on the scary side.) So, for my book to be labeled "a gem" and to get a five-star review from this formidable review site was more than I'd hoped for or expected! <br /><br />Please visit the blog and check out the review. Here's the link again: <br /><br /><a href="https://pagesandpaws.com/2020/10/07/thirteen-miracles-my-new-best-bud/" target="_blank">https://pagesandpaws.com/2020/10/07/thirteen-miracles-my-new-best-bud/</a> <br /><br />Here are some of my favorite bits: Bebo is now Kimber's new best bud. That made me cry all by itself. And Kristine said <i>Thirteen Miracles</i> is "a little <i>Narnia</i>, a little <i>This Present Darkness</i>, a little <i>The Shack</i>, and a bit <i>Hatchet</i> all rolled into one." She also said it "packs a wallop" and that, "There's so much joy and hope in the final pages" that she's thinking of "buying stock in Kleenex!" She called it a "beautifully written story that's warm, invigorating, and maybe even a little bit extraordinary." Called it "nimble, creative, and fresh," and said it was, "brimming with engaging, lively characters who learn and grow. Ditto credible dialogue and enough mystery and intrigue to keep you guessing until the last page." She also gave it a rare 5 stars!! Which, according to her rating system, means: "<u>Superb</u>. Our highest rating. <u>Better than bacon</u>! A remarkable achievement. Must have a transcendent theme. Rings heart bells. May qualify as life-changing. Would read over and over and over." </p><p>What writer wouldn't want to get such a review? <br /><br />It was one exhilarating review, and I am smiling from ear to ear as I read it -- in between sobs of joy! I'll always be grateful to Kimber the Magnificent and the equally Magnificent Kristine. <br /></p><p><b></b></p><p>Wow.<br /></p><p>And, on a much lesser note, I have a new cover. I had run some small test ads at BookBub, and my first cover did not do well. My second cover did even worse. This is actually the third cover, and it performed like a champ in a test ad at BookBub. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-5051997730103168702020-09-21T22:48:00.011-06:002020-10-20T20:25:48.562-06:00Thirteen Miracles Now Available<p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirqLkkr0JglrHGmj3dM4Rg9XhveZIdEbPUC-ZgX0fOqpN-nRQZWwvkeHgVtkZKmXcuh8Pj-Nb_gLj8tKr7Y3U7H7FqaS31qM7CEqBLuEkEe7WtMs-ef94qbODcSi81zvLfWeFP_J7S15P/s2048/Thirteen+Miracles+Digital+cover+revised+newest.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirqLkkr0JglrHGmj3dM4Rg9XhveZIdEbPUC-ZgX0fOqpN-nRQZWwvkeHgVtkZKmXcuh8Pj-Nb_gLj8tKr7Y3U7H7FqaS31qM7CEqBLuEkEe7WtMs-ef94qbODcSi81zvLfWeFP_J7S15P/s320/Thirteen+Miracles+Digital+cover+revised+newest.jpg" /></a></div><p><i>Thirteen Miracles</i> is now available at Amazon in both digital and print formats.
<br /><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JDTNSML" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JDTNSML</a><br /><br />It is also available at Barnes and Nobel in paperback and hard cover. </p><p><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thirteen-miracles-dl-kennedy/1137716871" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thirteen-miracles-dl-kennedy/1137716871</span></a></p><p></p>
<p>
Once again, here are the blurbs and an excerpt, as well as the trailer.
</p>
<p>
Short blurb: A woman's search for God ends in a miraculous rescue mission in
the marijuana fields of the Devil's Backbone.<br />
<br />
Here is the longer back-cover blurb:<br />
<br /> Legend says it was the landing spot for Lucifer when he was cast out of
heaven. That's not the only thing it's known for. It is also a land of
marijuana fields, opium poppies, kidnappings, and drug-related killings. It's
the last place you would expect to find God, but Abby Welles is looking for
Him there. Her search will lead her on a miraculous rescue mission inside
the heart of The Devil's Backbone.
But she is running out of time, and she may have already run out of luck.<br /></p>
<p>+++</p>
<p>
Here is an excerpt:<br />
<br />
</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>The black bird was back, or whatever it was, <br />and it was in Scarface’s
gunsight.</b>
</h2>
<p>
<br />
It was perched on a dead tree overhanging the
mountainside, watching the activity below. Something in the bird’s gaze and
mechanical head movements troubled her. Was it watching the activity or
controlling it? She silently ridiculed the thought. She was being paranoid.
This place did that to her.<br />
<br />
The rifle fired, and she jumped. An unexpected
explosion ripped through the early morning quiet.<br />
<br />
Scarface gave a sudden shriek of pain and fell to the
ground, clutching his face with blackened and bloodied hands. Unearthly sounds
accompanied his cries and repeated off the wall of rocks. Bebo joined in the
chorus, barking furiously, teeth barred. Abby wanted to silence him but knew
it was pointless. His barks were lost in the sea of strange sounds.<br />
<br />
She tugged on him, pulling him back. He had strayed
too close to the edge. Once he was on safer ground, she strained to see where
the other noises were coming from. Had the weapon backfired? Was shrapnel
pinging off rocks? Not that it would explain what she was hearing. These were
more like animal yips and howls, but not quite.<br />
<br />
Whatever was producing these noises wasn’t apparent
from her vantage point. Fear gripped her every muscle and nerve as the sounds
continued and grew more bizarre. Surely these weren’t the natural sounds of
nature. They didn’t even seem to originate from anything she could see—or ever
would see—in this world.
</p>
<p>+++<br /><br />Here is the trailer: </p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
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</div><p> <br /></p><p>Interview Questions: This interview is a combination of questions from the Smashwords Interview feature and a Q&A with my niece. <br /><br />Describe your desk<br /><br />I'll paraphrase Zola Levitt. For evidence of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, one need only look at my desk. Everything on it is moving from a state of order to disorder.<br /><br />When did you first start writing?<br /><br />In eighth grade. I had an amazing teacher, Mr. McIntyre. He gave us contracts at the start of the year. We decided what grade we wanted to earn. I wanted an "A", but that meant I had to write three short stories. He read those stories out loud to the class. Fortunately, he was an actor, and he did a really good job reading them. The class laughed like crazy and everyone enjoyed my stories. I've been writing ever since.<br /><br />What do you want readers to know about your Christian book, "Thirteen Miracles"?<br /><br />There are a lot of layers to "Thirteen Miracles" and a lot of archetypes. For example, I think of Abby's husband, Charles, as a "type" of Christ. He goes into Satan's territory hoping to save his wife. I also want readers to know in advance that this is mostly a story about a woman and a dog in a wilderness survival story. So there is not a lot of dialogue. I think that no matter how many people are with us in this life, we are ultimately alone with God in the wilderness. I want readers to feel they have been inside Abby's head, heart, and soul by the end of this story. But my goal is to tell a good story. I hope I've done that in "Thirteen Miracles."<br /><br />What is "Thirteen Miracles" about?<br /><br />It's about a woman's search for God. Abby has gone to Mexico to write a book about miracles and to meet a Christian mystic who has the gift of prophecy. After some family struggles, Abby is reeling. She has lost her faith and feels that she must connect with God again if she is ever going to recover from her depression. She feels that she must get away from the "screaming commitments" in her life in order to do that.<br /><br />On her journey, she is separated from her guide and must survive on her own with the help of an albino boxer named Bebo. As she attempts to find her way home, she discovers that two sixteen-year-old boys have been kidnapped by drug runners. She decides she must try to free them from their captors, and the book follows her journey inside The Devil's Backbone as she attempts to survive the wilderness and free the hostages, but she has some supernatural resistance to her goal as well as some natural ones.<br /><br />You have called this a supernatural adventure, is that the best description of your story?<br /><br />Yes. It is a Christian, supernatural adventure. I also think of "Thirteen Miracles" as a missionary story. As human beings, we have been separated from God and must find our way home. If we do, our goal is then to attempt to rescue others who are being held captive. But, it is an allegorical story in many different ways. It is the reader who will decipher the symbols and decide if they succeed or not. I don't want things to be taken too far, however. It is just a story, after all, with symbolic undertones. Above everything, I want the reader to experience a good story and be impacted by it.<br /><br />Will this appeal to non-Christians?<br /><br />Maybe. I'm not sure. I can't see this appealing to people who don't believe God exists. I think it would be offensive to them. In fact, I think there are many Christians who would be offended by "Thirteen Miracles" as well. Christians who don't believe in miracles will have a problem with this book. Christians who don't believe in an unseen, demonic world will have a problem with this book. I have a disclaimer at the end of the book. It states that my goal was not to teach doctrine or theology. It was to tell an entertaining story. I hope I succeeded, but that is up to the reader.<br /> <br /></p><p></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-36974074402867849682013-10-22T10:57:00.006-06:002023-03-27T10:45:43.075-06:00What words do you need to drop? <p>That. We need to drop that. Maybe not all of them, but a whole bunch of 'em can go. <br />
<br />
Up. Down. Bet those aren't words you think about much. She stood up. She sat down. Are 'up' and 'down' really necessary? Well, no. <br />
<br />
Well. Sometimes a sentence just doesn't look right, so I add well. I've noticed other writers do it, too, and usually it's not really necessary. <br />
<br />
Really. I probably could have dropped that from my last two examples. But I really, really, really like really. <br />
<br />
Starting a sentence with but, and, or 'or'. It just doesn't look right. But I do it all the time. And I notice other writers do too. <br />
<br />
Dialogue tags. I've worked with enough editors to know they don't like excessive dialogue tags. "But I love them!" she yelled excitedly. <br />
<br />
Words ending in 'ly'. These are frowned upon too, of course. Overuse of adjectives and adverbs clunk up a story.<br />
<br />
He blinked his eyes rapidly. Well, where to begin? Do guys blink? Do they blink rapidly? And what else would they blink besides their eyes? Maybe just 'he blinked.' My point is, we sometimes add body parts into a sentence that aren't necessary. We know he blinked his eyes, or we know he pointed with his finger. Of course, sometimes we might want to add which finger he pointed with. <br />
<br />
We can drop words that are redundant. Such as telling someone it was a free gift. A gift is free by definition. <br />
<br />
Clichés. Sometimes, all we can think of is a well-worn cliché, but our readers deserve more and our editors demand more. <br />
<br />
Sometimes. I've noticed I use sometimes a lot. Watch out for words that overpopulate your manuscript. (Like 'out'.) <br />
<br />
Do you have words you know you need to drop but they creep into your writing anyway? Writers who have been at it a long time know all these pitfalls. For someone who is new to writing, these are some of the things you need to consider. <br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-37077002895049323602013-07-09T08:49:00.012-06:002020-11-03T09:32:25.536-07:00What is an Acquisition Team?For someone who works on the inside of a large publishing house, the language of their world is as familiar to them as grass. To an outsider, the language of their world is about as clear as the mud under the grass.<br />
<br />
I asked a new question yesterday. What are acquisition editors and what are acquisition teams? Naturally, the acquisitions editor is part of the acquisition team, but other people are as well. And one leads to the other. Our manuscript is not going to make it to an acquisition team unless the acquisitions editor wants to acquire it first. <br />
<br />
The reason it's important to know which acquisitions is being referred to is because one is still slush-pile stage and the other is farther along in the process. At the latter stage, your manuscript is discussed between colleagues and in editorial meetings. There are formal and informal meetings going on. As the process moves along, more people are involved and more departments are brought in, such as marketing and sales teams. While I researched this yesterday, I was staggered by all that goes on inside that big publishing house. (I imagine the process is similar for small publishers.)<br />
<br />
There is a lot involved in getting a book out of the slush. Once an acquisitions editor decides (s)he likes a manuscript, it is passed to the next person. They read and decide if they like. If it succeeds at these early stages, proposals are drawn up and it becomes a subject of meetings. It's easy to see that every moment they spend with your manuscript costs them money. More people read it. In fact, it seems to be read by a lot of people--people who know books and know the hard, cold, dollar facts of publishing. It's the subject of meetings where pitches are made by complete strangers for your story. Their efforts for your book may succeed or fail. Even if they fail, what a thing to consider that they tried! They invested in you. <br />
<br />
If you want to know about what goes on inside a big publishing house
when they consider your story, then these are the articles. <br />
<br />
<u>Five Publishing Hurdles (And How to Clear Them)</u><br />
<a href="http://michaelhyatt.com/five-publishing-hurdles-and-how-to-clear-them.html">http://michaelhyatt.com/five-publishing-hurdles-and-how-to-clear-them.html</a> <br />
<br />
<u>The Acquisition Process</u><br />
<a href="http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/behind-the-scenes/the-acquisition-process/">http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/behind-the-scenes/the-acquisition-process/</a> <br />
<br />
<u>What's an acquisitions editor? How can I help this editor?</u><br />
<a href="http://www.right-writing.com/acquisitions.html">http://www.right-writing.com/acquisitions.html</a> <br />
<br />
<u>What leads the acquisition team to say no, even when the editor says yes?</u><br />
<a href="http://carinapress.com/blog/2011/10/what-leads-the-acquisition-team-to-say-no-even-when-the-editor-says-yes/">http://carinapress.com/blog/2011/10/what-leads-the-acquisition-team-to-say-no-even-when-the-editor-says-yes/</a><br />
<br />
<u>How to speak publisher - A is for Acquisitions</u><br />
<a href="http://www.stroppyauthor.com/2010/11/how-to-speak-publisher-is-for.html">http://www.stroppyauthor.com/2010/11/how-to-speak-publisher-is-for.html</a> <br />
<br />
Harlequin Shivers asked for a Revise and Resubmit for CLIFF HOUSE. The news is even better, though. I was asked if I wanted to work with an editor to take my writing to the next level. Absolutely, positively yes! (Update: I have decided not to move forward with this kind offer. I want to move away from secular fiction and focus on Christian fiction and non-fiction books in the future.) <br />
<br />
Here's another article. This one is about R&R. Very interesting.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://carinapress.com/blog/2011/01/what-does-it-mean-when-youre-asked-to-revise-and-resubmit/">http://carinapress.com/blog/2011/01/what-does-it-mean-when-youre-asked-to-revise-and-resubmit/</a> <br />
<br />
Have you ever wondered what an acquisitions editor is? Or an acquisition team?<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-37436272587260665562013-06-19T08:30:00.002-06:002020-11-02T20:04:24.488-07:00Sherlock Holmes Appreciation Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4x-Z-7TSLVAjAdlfZCY3Jaqtih_sTJ8s5qahWzaSD2B8ZWDDBfDaper07Q_02hBEbqfB8GNSdv6g5yZ9G9pq2ZyWzFldI3kAsEmrhYN9Dmim4xthwj2TLqkAiqPlc_3GKKnUsUDG2js6/s1600/holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4x-Z-7TSLVAjAdlfZCY3Jaqtih_sTJ8s5qahWzaSD2B8ZWDDBfDaper07Q_02hBEbqfB8GNSdv6g5yZ9G9pq2ZyWzFldI3kAsEmrhYN9Dmim4xthwj2TLqkAiqPlc_3GKKnUsUDG2js6/s1600/holmes.jpg" /></a></div>
A bit of Sherlock Holmes trivia for you today. <br />
<br />
It's well known that Holmes used cocaine, but did you know that at the time it wasn't considered dangerous and didn't have the stigma it has today? It was a recent discovery in Doyle's day and was thought to have medicinal purposes. So, maybe not as shocking to the people of his day as we might think. <br />
<br />
Holmes smoked shag tobacco, which isn't that unusual. Where he kept it is a little strange, though. He secured it in the toe of a Persian slipper on his fireplace mantel. What's up with that? That's where he should have kept his cocaine.<br />
<br />
Not all Holmes stories were narrated by Dr. John H. Watson; two were narrated by Holmes himself, two more were third person. Do you know the names of the stories Holmes narrated himself? <br />
<br />
The first Holmes story was published in 1887. Doyle went on to write four novels and 56 short stories that featured Holmes. These stories covered a period from 1880 to 1914 and are still read more than 100 years later. I wish us all the same success as writers.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-48236433188910049832012-02-11T09:14:00.020-07:002020-11-02T20:10:23.962-07:00Kim Jong Un dead from dying after assassin kill!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XucC7YH1k1ZKh2L1LMT6j2FvaJ3w4SyGnqZR60KZ5478LzM14-9TPJRyevK_ZoF_F_f4lBAfgvanzxxD-Y2Tc3jqD24ShxHuLggPkXiTtsIwesarwf974N4ImXetAHwTzuxYWqErIwIc/s1600/004.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XucC7YH1k1ZKh2L1LMT6j2FvaJ3w4SyGnqZR60KZ5478LzM14-9TPJRyevK_ZoF_F_f4lBAfgvanzxxD-Y2Tc3jqD24ShxHuLggPkXiTtsIwesarwf974N4ImXetAHwTzuxYWqErIwIc/s1600/004.bmp" /></a>Is Kim Jong Un really dead from dying??? (Or is that Un dead from dying?) I don't know, but if you want to read the funniest Google translation in the history of botched Google translations... plus the funniest article I've read in, well, hyeonjiryohaebukchanghwary<br />
eokbaljeonryeonhapgieopso -- as Google translate puts it, check out this classic Un article by William Schmalfeldt: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/319418">http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/319418</a> (Remember to come back if you have something to say to me.)<br />
<br />
(Don't you think this whole topic fits in well with my book's title?)<br />
<br />
Okay, back to the blogging ether for me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-79710906151531004832011-09-19T00:01:00.026-06:002021-03-20T16:01:20.042-06:00Worst Movies Ever Blogfest!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ayTnvVpj9t4" width="320" youtube-src-id="ayTnvVpj9t4"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
Here's my list for <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh's Worst-Movies-Ever Blogfest</a>. They are without a doubt the worst movies, as Alex would put it, I’ve "ever had the misfortune to watch. Films that truly oozed awfulness and featured plot holes so big I could drive a bus through them."<br />
<br />
These are not in any particular order, just listing them as I think of them. <br />
<br />
HOT FUZZ. It may boast about its trailer; unfortunately, the movie disgusts. The plot was truly terrible, and the movie was poorly acted and campy -- and not in a good way. Critic Dennis Schwartz said it best: "overlong, filled with too many unfunny geek gags and pointless. It soon becomes tiresome, with at least two too many climaxes, and starts looking exactly like the films it's parodying."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AHe7dvcZWkCQ1IV5LO7m4vkG-XX_QdYwrPJ3TNyx2ZzyH1VjcNv_xr7eov4ch_xu12ofClL0cTVOTrzxDDqmM1Ric3eqY1AeSOpqeOLESwrq5uHkj2EfwLaV39yekbwuH-tfB2RHB_S5/s1600/bfeimages.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AHe7dvcZWkCQ1IV5LO7m4vkG-XX_QdYwrPJ3TNyx2ZzyH1VjcNv_xr7eov4ch_xu12ofClL0cTVOTrzxDDqmM1Ric3eqY1AeSOpqeOLESwrq5uHkj2EfwLaV39yekbwuH-tfB2RHB_S5/s1600/bfeimages.jpeg" /></a>BATTLEFIELD EARTH: One more reason to avoid Scientology. Disgusting, jaw-droppingly bad, laughable makeup, and the worst costumes ever created. The only positive thing I can say about this movie is it has John Travolta -- and it made for some great jokes. Unfortunately, it was the worst movie Travolta ever made -- and considering some of his movies, that's saying quite a lot. <br />
<br />
THE ISLAND with Michael Caine. I never did figure out what this folly of a movie was about, but it had something to do with pirates. Unfortunately, none of them had the charm of Johnny Depp. I passed out from boredom and apparently drove home in my sleep. <br />
<br />
Kevin Costner made one of my favorite movies, DANCES WITH WOLVES, but he also made two of the worst movies in cinematic history: THE POSTMAN and WATERWORLD. WATERWORLD was the last movie shown at the last drive-in theater in my city. It was so bad I was almost glad they closed the drive-in. <br />
<br />
As a Christian, I waited two years for the release of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. I bought tickets the day they went on sale. I really wanted to love this movie. I knew it was going to be difficult to watch, but I still expected it to be uplifting. Instead, it was just depressing. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMB69bZ8Ep7vC8vebvVxWQLHpBpEgbc31yxC343s0ChgyKOeK09Y3JePI0GJUx88m2lNj-o6cS87R5s0V27NjHAsnkMRqmr3XflXU1ZKaBrDmjiH7DPfnv9CKt-zmj9D5y755MR7i5gSDi/s1600/9thgimages.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMB69bZ8Ep7vC8vebvVxWQLHpBpEgbc31yxC343s0ChgyKOeK09Y3JePI0GJUx88m2lNj-o6cS87R5s0V27NjHAsnkMRqmr3XflXU1ZKaBrDmjiH7DPfnv9CKt-zmj9D5y755MR7i5gSDi/s1600/9thgimages.jpeg" /></a>THE 9TH GATE and THE ASTRONAUT'S WIFE come next. I love Johnny Depp, but I felt like I'd been dipped in dirty water after watching THE 9TH GATE. THE ASTRONAUT'S WIFE just ticked me off and made me want to dip Johnny Depp in some dirty water. <br />
<br />
I hesitate to list THE NEIGHBORS with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. John Belushi lapsed back into drug abuse while making this movie and died four months later. I loved a lot of Belushi's work, and I wish this had been a classic, since it was his last movie. But it was terrible. In a way, I can understand why he relapsed while filming this. <br />
<br />
STRAIGHT TALK with Dolly Parton and James Woods is my final pick, though it really should be in first place. This may be one of the most poorly cast movies of all time. I don't know who did the casting, but I can't help but wonder if they ever worked again.<br />
<br />
So, out of curiosity, which of my picks do you most agree with? And which one do you most disagree with?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com71tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-42430238629127668272011-09-12T00:05:00.017-06:002020-11-02T20:15:50.806-07:00More News from Amazon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AsxpV_XERNo_YRStmK69S7j0XzVKFJIZ5u9jh85fTTf_BrRk5Nj8w_YM2fQfHKXnMDLh3UYzKOxp9LgpqMv7R3phlA0RVCbw9L03UopTdXyjNbe8T4Ge8b2RWSCYh-bdIfTTdckF0sQN/s1600/kindleimages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AsxpV_XERNo_YRStmK69S7j0XzVKFJIZ5u9jh85fTTf_BrRk5Nj8w_YM2fQfHKXnMDLh3UYzKOxp9LgpqMv7R3phlA0RVCbw9L03UopTdXyjNbe8T4Ge8b2RWSCYh-bdIfTTdckF0sQN/s200/kindleimages.jpg" width="176" /></a>Amazon is in talks with book publishers. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Amazon hopes to launch a virtual library service similar to Netflix for tablets and other digital books. The venture would allow customers to pay an annual fee to access library content. An Amazon spokesperson was not available for comment, but the Journal cited people familiar with the matter. </div><br />
According to the article, "It is unclear how much traction the talks have received", so time will tell if it actually happens. "Several unnamed publishing executives said they are not enthusiastic about the idea because it could lower the value of books and could strain their relationships with other retailers that sell their books."<br />
<br />
Personally, I doubt publishers are happy with anything Amazon is doing. But this is interesting news. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>In other news, some of us have already advanced to the second round of Rachael Harrie's current campaign challenge! Congrats on that! Now, in keeping with the opening challenge, I thought I'd mention a couple of short story contests. <br />
<br />
First, there is the 'Bartleby Snopes Third Annual Dialogue Only Contest' – Compose a short story entirely of dialogue; under 2000 words. As of 9/11 the grand prize is $540. But see the site for full details. Monetary awards plus publication. Entry fee: $10. But you'll need to hurry, the deadline is today! See: <a href="http://www.bartlebysnopes.com/contests.htm">www.bartlebysnopes.com/contests.htm</a><br />
<br />
Next there is the 'HOOT flash fiction, poetry, and memoir monthly contest' - fewer than 150 words. Award: 30% of the entry fees they receive. Entry fee: $2 for every two entries, unlimited entries. Deadline: The 20th of every month (next is September 20, 2011). Info: <a href="http://hootreview.com/">http://hootreview.com</a><br />
<br />
Also, a reminder that there are still some open contests at Writer's Digest, but they have yet to fix their ever-so frustrating website. If they can't keep their website from crashing, I see no reason to believe they can keep their business from crashing as well. With all the websites offering the same information as Writer's Digest, and all the other changes in the writing world, do you think Writer's Digest is in danger of becoming a relic too? And what do you think of Amazon's latest idea? Do you think this digital library will happen? I'm not a betting woman, but if I were, I'd bet on Amazon. Much as I love traditional publishing, it's rapidly becoming obsolete. Publishers might need to get over their aversion to doing business with Amazon. It may be their best chance of survival.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-68913085042343825532011-09-05T14:11:00.016-06:002018-05-08T15:21:44.608-06:00The Door Swung Open<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmYatkSRRfEKPTgAzRelzbP9vCk4XT4nY5EGi42NQpbzm_X4PyvVy-S44IJT4ZWhlZJNTomH37PkdF_5iSZiq_7ZX4m_hb4CHZZwCrZ8iVtgV_70GTqH3qsci8dkmD9ogANFIn924LK7p/s1600/campaigner.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmYatkSRRfEKPTgAzRelzbP9vCk4XT4nY5EGi42NQpbzm_X4PyvVy-S44IJT4ZWhlZJNTomH37PkdF_5iSZiq_7ZX4m_hb4CHZZwCrZ8iVtgV_70GTqH3qsci8dkmD9ogANFIn924LK7p/s200/campaigner.png" width="169" /></a></div>
The first challenge is underway in the Platform Building Campaign, and it's a doozy! I loved this particular challenge. It's to write a short story in 200 words. It needs to begin with 'The door swung open". There is the option of making it even more challenging by ending with "The door swung shut." Here's my entry. It's exactly 200 words (and that really was a challenge): <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The door swung open. He was barely visible through the smoke, but I recognized a Corelli when I saw one. Gino? Yeah. Gino. He was the worst. He was looking for someone. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I could guess who. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>My partner, John, was in the hospital, not expected to survive the round from Vince Corelli’s D’Eagle. Vince lay in the morgue, and I’d put him there. Now Gino wanted justice, but a cop bar was a stupid place to extract it. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>His gaze found me and he smiled; it wasn’t a ‘glad to see you’ sort of smile. He weaved around off-duty cops. They were too drunk to know a storm brewed. I pushed away from the bar. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I wasn’t that drunk. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>His hand came up and I stared down the barrel of a .45. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Damn. I was drunker than I thought. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I grasped the barrel, deflected it, and struck him over his jugular—not hard enough to kill, but it buckled his knees. The other officers swarmed. Gino was handcuffed before I picked up my barstool. I sat and Mickey brought another beer. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>“You okay, Maggie?” </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>“Yeah. Fine</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>.</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>”</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i> But John wasn't. Vince wasn't. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I turned and watched as the door swung shut</i></span>.<br />
<br />
Here's the link to the challenge: <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/2011/09/first-campaigner-challenge.html">http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/2011/09/first-campaigner-challenge.html</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-42210072576268674062011-09-01T20:40:00.018-06:002023-03-27T10:40:59.025-06:00Cat's Eyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_mUgAPNWjdSgHZfSzjRfe7EMaRmtN0NgXyM2S7vfvyCtE8gqSfCYyy1wST_u0y_lhc9JxFBvom9NYTcO1rOSahJqruusJkoZRtxd0cqpeSW-E8ieyi4zhl1jMJ6rAorK_aPNJ-41mgCS/s1600/cats+eyes+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_mUgAPNWjdSgHZfSzjRfe7EMaRmtN0NgXyM2S7vfvyCtE8gqSfCYyy1wST_u0y_lhc9JxFBvom9NYTcO1rOSahJqruusJkoZRtxd0cqpeSW-E8ieyi4zhl1jMJ6rAorK_aPNJ-41mgCS/s200/cats+eyes+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
I thought I'd drag out a post I did a while back when I was a guest at another blog. It has never been posted on my site before, but some of my original followers may recognize it from that guest appearance. I hope you enjoy the information.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<br />
<div>
You're running late, and in your panic you take the wrong exit
off the highway. Now you're lost. The road is narrow, and there are no
easy places to turn around. You're trapped on a strange road and going
the wrong direction -- traveling at night into unfamiliar territory. The
minutes are stacking up, and there is still no exit in sight. You
glance repeatedly at your wristwatch and fumble for your phone, but it's
not where you normally keep it. You check your pockets. It's not there
either! Now you're really frantic. Did you leave it on the kitchen
counter in your mad rush to be out the door? </div>
<br />
The
road narrows even more and drops abruptly. Now you're driving over
loose gravel, surrounded by abandoned cornfields, and storm clouds are
moving in. This is not someplace you want to break down, and it's
definitely not someplace you want to get stuck either. The first fat
splashes of rain hit your windshield and lightning streaks the sky. A
sudden thunderous crash nearly sends your head through the roof as you
jump, and the storm lets loose with a torrential downpour. You round a
sharp bend and two green eyes peer at you from the side of the road. You
brake abruptly, fearing the worst, but there is no cat in sight.<br />
<div>
<br />
There never was a cat. You just stumbled upon a pickup location.<br />
<br />
A
reflection of cat's eyes is commonplace at night. I'm sure your
headlights have illuminated them at some point in your life. Two glowing
eyes in the dark. But sometimes, they're not quite what they appear to
be. Cat's Eyes are a device used in spycraft. They make for a great
'pick up' or 'drop off' signal.<br />
<br />
Let's say an operative
wants to be picked up at an undisclosed location for security purposes,
but she is deep in the country, and there are no local pubs or
restaurants available. She has told her desk operator that she will be
somewhere between spot code orange 7 and blue 13, but that stretch of
road is long and lonely. This is where the Cat's Eyes come in. The
operator takes a simple sheet of plywood, paints it black, and uses
glass beads backed with silver foil for the Cat's Eyes. She plants it
next to the road, hides out of sight, and waits for her pickup. Her
pickup will know what those two glowing eyes mean, but anyone else will
merely pass them by without a second glance.<br />
<br />
Next time
you're traveling along a deserted highway at night, and you see two
glowing eyes on the side of the road, don't assume it's a cat.<br />
<br />
... especially if you see a shadowy figure waiting in the dark.<br />
<br />
And don't try to dig up that sheet of plywood. It's extremely dangerous.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://doralynn.net" mce_href="http://www.doralynn.net" target="_blank"></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-21515983605694305962011-08-27T08:09:00.005-06:002020-11-03T01:13:30.442-07:00Miss Marple's Lost Mystery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz8fU2pZNqVGgnB979dVH0OZA8a8QVd9DsE7OEoJ8fti11CuNnFQiO9UQ3Y3VMYM2fLAwoa1_RjhDaAMxrEsGN8fx15EX4RzaPJKtHTEcJ5meWuR-TCj5kXhVipcCmO24hISk9mOQpMpS/s1600/Miss_Marple%2527s_Final_Cases_First_Edition_Cover_1979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz8fU2pZNqVGgnB979dVH0OZA8a8QVd9DsE7OEoJ8fti11CuNnFQiO9UQ3Y3VMYM2fLAwoa1_RjhDaAMxrEsGN8fx15EX4RzaPJKtHTEcJ5meWuR-TCj5kXhVipcCmO24hISk9mOQpMpS/s1600/Miss_Marple%2527s_Final_Cases_First_Edition_Cover_1979.jpg" /></a></div>John Curran, longtime literary adviser to Agatha Christie's estate, has discovered a previously unseen story in Agatha Christie's notebooks. It is entitled "The Case of the Caretaker's Wife", and it has been published online. It seems that a version of this story appeared in the short story collection, "Miss Marple's Final Cases and Two Other Stories." The name of that story was simply "The Case of the Caretaker." But the plot of "The Case of the Caretaker's Wife" is also similar to the one in "Endless Night", a full length novel by Agatha Christie. The exciting thing for me is that this particular story has been lost for fifty years and is just now being seen for the first time. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2030590/Miss-Marples-mystery-Jealously-passion-murder--Lost-50-years-seen-time.html">Click here to read it at Daily Mail</a>. <br />
<br />
As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan, this is big news for me. I know some of my followers, Clarissa Draper in particular, are also fans of Christie. <br />
<br />
The story is flawed in some ways. The POV is not well controlled. It was fairly obvious where the story was going, yet, when it got there, it felt contrived and far fetched. It was easy for me to overlook these issues. After all, it's Agatha Christie. And this is obviously something she wrote and then put aside -- most likely weaving it into two other stories that were more fully worked out. I doubt she ever intended for anyone to read this. It's as much of an inside look into her writing process as it is anything else. But with that said, I thoroughly enjoyed this lost story from the Queen of Cozy -- despite its flaws. <br />
<br />
The story in the Daily Mail is extracted from John Curran's upcoming book: "Agatha Christie’s Murder In The Making" which will be published by HarperCollins on September 1, for £20. However, Amazon lists it as being available on November 22, 2011. It can be preordered. <br />
<br />
What author would you like to discover an unseen manuscript for? By the way, I had planned to post this on Monday, but I'm so excited about the Agatha Christie news that I couldn't wait. So, technically, this is Monday's post. Barring any emergencies, my next post will be Wednesday the 31st. Thanks. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And now for something completely different.</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyeomHsb-w0wEterRqxIk9z2c4uMPrCzoSDc5T1hcFV78rGT9lOwF46baFKexMWISZtG_7WRWtgcmCQU8Awsw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know it's scary but try to watch the whole thing.<br />
And is that Gene Hackman at the table? </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-82667179838863034812011-08-18T21:02:00.025-06:002023-05-16T02:26:47.017-06:00Jane Error<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqhVZabnwqJlTncI7BX2SJuL3LxvMymhJJ1XYqLZP_R4XcwfPLMrQcEzeuRY3bjSWTlTbmAkhyphenhyphenSUUqR0lCjHvvXbUIEg66BphqqFj6dVIGWEIDqmJGW9PHMLSCULADmLKtUWNKYdPKk0b/s1600/jane+eyre+book+cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqhVZabnwqJlTncI7BX2SJuL3LxvMymhJJ1XYqLZP_R4XcwfPLMrQcEzeuRY3bjSWTlTbmAkhyphenhyphenSUUqR0lCjHvvXbUIEg66BphqqFj6dVIGWEIDqmJGW9PHMLSCULADmLKtUWNKYdPKk0b/s1600/jane+eyre+book+cover.jpg" /></a>First, I'm a die hard <i>Jane Eyre</i> fan. I feel the same way about <i>Jane Eyre </i>that hordes of teenagers (and adults) feel about <i>Harry Potter</i>. I own five movie versions of <i>Jane Eyre</i>, and I watch all of them. Often. I read the book every few years and have since I was eleven. It's pretty safe to say this is my favorite fiction book of all time. In my first published novel, I made my hero an actor just so he could play Edward Rochester and I could throw in the library scene from <i>Jane Eyre</i> -- which is rarely done in movies (to my great disappointment). I have Aidan, in that first published book, drive a Veyron because it sounds like Varens -- the little girls name in <i>Jane Eyre</i>. So, basically, I'm a <i>Jane Eyre</i> groupie. If <i>Jane Eyre</i> were a rock group, I'd stalk them. They'd probably have a restraining order on me. (Just kidding, of course.) <br />
<br />
I first heard there was going to be another <i>Jane Eyre</i> movie about two years ago. The director was Cary Fukunaga. I didn't recognize the name. However, in retrospect, I should have interpreted the first three letters of his last name as a bad omen. Fuk. I've waited for this since I heard that first bit of movie news. It did not play locally, so I had to wait for the DVD. I pre-ordered it, and it arrived today. I was so excited, I immediately brought out the popcorn and Milk Duds (another bad omen), and slipped this baby into the player. I pulled up an overstuffed chair and sat in breathless anticipation. <br />
<br />
This retelling of <i>Jane Eyre</i> has dark, moody shots; beautiful cinematography; compelling, immensely-watchable actors, (Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre and Michael Fassbender as Edward Rochester) yet the word that comes to mind when I think of it is... stingy. If you've ever read a Reader's Digest condensed version of a classic, then you'll know what this was like. It's as if the director got to a scene, began it, then stopped in his haste to get to the next one. I envision an old sergeant of mine. <i>"Okay people. Okay. Hurry up. You don't need to eat that. We ain't got all day. You can taste it later. We've got places to go, things to do."</i><br />
<br />
The director repeatedly yanked me out of one scene and then dropped me into the next before finishing the previous one. Just. Splat. This went on from scene to scene. I felt utterly cheated. "Oh, Fuk, what are you doing?" I wanted to yell. (I think I actually did at one point, but I was in such shock, I'm not sure.) Fuk did this through almost the entire movie. Other scenes he just left out entirely. It was so chopped up, so lightning fast -- like a Ginsu Knife commercial -- that I wondered how these two fell in love. I've never wondered that about any previous version of <i>Jane Eyre</i> in my life! But this went so fast it left me wishing there were commercials -- so it would at least feel like the relationship was drawn out. <br />
<br />
The scene of their first meeting fell as flat as Rochester's horse. (Especially when compared to the Masterpiece version.) The only thing scorching in the burning bed scene were the sheets. (Especially compared to the versions from A&E and Masterpiece.) Bringing two people so close together it looks like they're going to kiss does not equal heat. There was just one evening party scene with Jane present, and like every other scene up to that point, if fell short. Mason arrived on the first night of the party for crying out loud! I didn't even see a library. There was no real sense of mystery about what was going on in the house. Grace Poole was a non-entity and didn't show up until after the 'wedding'. Rochester's purpose for bringing Blanche Ingram to Thornfield was never developed, nor was Blanche Ingram for that matter. <br />
<br />
The director finally started getting the movie together toward the end. The one scene that captured the essence of <i>Jane Eyre </i>was the scene between Jane and Rochester after the truth came out. I wish that, and the scenes that followed, could have redeemed this movie. Unfortunately, they just didn't quite pull it off. There was too much lacking in the first half of the movie. <br />
<br />How disappointing. I'm going to dust off my Masterpiece, BBC, and A&E copies -- maybe even that mess with William Hurt (which no longer seems like such a mess after watching this) just so I don't feel quite so cheated. I wanted to watch a new <i>Jane Eyre</i> and fall in love with it! This could have been so great. It had wonderful actors. Beautiful scenery. Brilliant camera work. Marvelous costumes. Atmospheric lighting. Intelligent dialog. But the direction and editing were so bad that my mouth has been hanging open for two hours, and I can't get it to shut. How can someone so utterly screw up a masterpiece? Oh, Fuk. <br />
<br />
I hope this will be like sushi, and I'll develop a taste for it after I've had it a few times.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-74015628963058916202011-08-17T04:26:00.028-06:002020-11-03T01:24:03.032-07:00The Writing on the Wall?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoh_ILrYdz22f5xXJrzlOcw-9hfn9Dh5xZUWBvw-5oIWnae_7PPuj8a2DaTq9NsmSs0iDIZgYcSegpcz6KLqLGVtq4zxg-RpPtGjPAQfibMggUQo-UzxG_XrqcpwUCBbtRWMptTZ7ajrT/s1600/writingonthewall.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoh_ILrYdz22f5xXJrzlOcw-9hfn9Dh5xZUWBvw-5oIWnae_7PPuj8a2DaTq9NsmSs0iDIZgYcSegpcz6KLqLGVtq4zxg-RpPtGjPAQfibMggUQo-UzxG_XrqcpwUCBbtRWMptTZ7ajrT/s200/writingonthewall.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>According to the New York Times, Amazon announced Tuesday that it has signed popular self-help author Timothy Ferriss. One more bit of news from Amazon to upset the publishing world. Amazon is rattling nerves in the offices of traditional publishers. Apparently, they are not convinced that Amazon's successes are going to help the rest of the industry as Amazon claims. According to the article in the Times, "Some independent bookstores have already said they do not intend to carry an(y) books from the retailer, not wanting to give a dollar to a company they feel is putting them out of business." I doubt Amazon is too worried about that threat. <br />
<br />
Are those bookstores crazy? They're setting themselves up for the same fate that Borders just met. Why would they want to deliberately cost themselves sales just when they need them most? I understand principles, but this is self defeating. I think their attitude just hurries the process along. Rather than fighting the future, as Borders did, and aiding in their own demise, they need to get ready for it. It's going to arrive whether they like it or not. If they aren't adapting, they're going to be as extinct as -- well -- Borders. They could learn a thing or two from Barnes and Noble. They get it. Or maybe independents need to envision a different kind of bookshop in the future, perhaps small store fronts where customers browse on computer screens, place their orders, and then have the choice of receiving certain print books in the mail or picking them up at the stores when they arrive. <br />
<br />
I think booksellers and traditional publishers might need to adapt to the POD (print on demand) or PTO (print to order) model. Its economic feasibility alone should drive that. Why continue to solely do business as usual when it is losing money and there is a better economic model? Some publishers, such as Harlequin, already get that -- as attested by Carina Press. More of them need to model Amazon if they want to survive. And maybe they could take a page or two out of Ellora's playbook as well. They don't need to change completely. Just adapt more than they currently appear to be. <br />
<br />
I don't like these trends, but that doesn't change them. I love print books and always want them to be available. I don't really like e-books or e-readers, but they're here, and they're not going away. Publishers and booksellers need to develop strategies to save print books while adapting to the changing industry. <br />
<br />
Do you think publishers and bookstores are going to adapt in time to save their industries? As a writer and a reader, I sure hope so. What models do you think they should adopt to survive? Do you worry all major bookstores will eventually close? Unknownnoreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-873259269388594682011-08-14T20:52:00.011-06:002023-03-27T10:59:32.355-06:00A sign of the economy or the digital age?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvrc1gRMjPbf01Npe8yQA6rTH-N65rH7KGkNXRy2hcTylUX7pmRF5iPh8PAEtypuSZeZxUkkPFzk_2WCCseFYWn9XdyLuk9CfNjZQbgRS1mHX63b4qmy0YLJSdjCRMMPGy4GqI_vmeBpJ/s1600/bordersbooks.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvrc1gRMjPbf01Npe8yQA6rTH-N65rH7KGkNXRy2hcTylUX7pmRF5iPh8PAEtypuSZeZxUkkPFzk_2WCCseFYWn9XdyLuk9CfNjZQbgRS1mHX63b4qmy0YLJSdjCRMMPGy4GqI_vmeBpJ/s200/bordersbooks.jpg" width="200" /></a><p>As most of you know, Borders Group filed for bankruptcy in February of this year in an attempt to reorganize its business. On July 18, Borders asked a bankruptcy judge for permission to sell off its remaining stores. Eight years ago, Borders was at its peak and operated 1,249 bookstores, under the Borders and Waldenbooks names, and employed 19,500 people. In July it was down to 399 stores and 10,700 employees. <br />
<br />
I just drove by my local Borders. Even though I didn't particularly like Borders, it was sad to see the <i>Going Out of Business</i> banner draped over its doors, especially when considering the employees who are losing their jobs. But with the rise of digital publishing, several missteps by Borders, and the growing popularity of e-readers and online buying, its understandable. I've seen several bookstores close in my city over the years, but this particular one seems a bad sign for books. As a writer and reader, that troubles me. I still prefer print books to electronic, but they may not always be available. <br />
<br />
How do you feel about this bankruptcy? Do you think it's the economy, the rise in electronic books, or a combination? And what about the trends in general? Are you excited by the growing popularity of e-books? And are you still excited by it if it means fewer and fewer print books in the future? </p><p><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zkPuEsklvHw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-22248826877638600312011-08-13T18:43:00.032-06:002020-11-03T01:30:15.292-07:00I Know I'm Going to Miss Her. A Tomato Ate My Sister!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoWiYkSFei4r16Hl_qU9YEpiNpaGf2Djxv8Ciykd6ZdwDgkQ1c7izo-4Yxy7Mqeg1CqXAS5fS8NdnIxZiFsMKm5FQ_sPsl1AWiIe4_Wf6ae0X7-MLUf0AgVe36az7qoMwV0m9EMe39PYL/s1600/Attack_of_the_Killer_Tomatoes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoWiYkSFei4r16Hl_qU9YEpiNpaGf2Djxv8Ciykd6ZdwDgkQ1c7izo-4Yxy7Mqeg1CqXAS5fS8NdnIxZiFsMKm5FQ_sPsl1AWiIe4_Wf6ae0X7-MLUf0AgVe36az7qoMwV0m9EMe39PYL/s320/Attack_of_the_Killer_Tomatoes.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><p><a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a> is running a "Worst Movies Ever" blogfest. When I think of a bad movie, "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" immediately leaps to mind. Although, it's SUPPOSED to be bad. And it succeeded!! In fact, it's so bad it's good -- good enough to become a campy cult classic. It was filmed in 1978, and is a spoof of the much beloved B movie genre. If you've never seen it, check it out. It may be the funniest spoof ever made. It was directed by John De Bello and starred David Miller. Surprisingly, this wasn't the end of Mr. Miller's acting career. He went on to have bit parts in seven more bad movies; although none of them made as big a splat as "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" did. <br />
<br />
The story is about a bunch of rotten tomatoes who have issues with being eaten. (Selfish louts). If you don't want to watch the movie, at least take a peek at the opening and listen to the theme song. It's unforgettable. Really. It's unforgettable. Even if you want to forget it you won't be able to. I mean, who can forget lyrics like, "I know I'm going to miss her. A tomato ate my sister"? <br />
<br />
Do you have any favorite 'bad' movies? How about favorite 'bad' theme songs? And can you think of any other movies that feature man-eating vegetables? (Oh, well, tomatoes are fruits, but you know what I mean). </p><p><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b3uIKzgcDxo" width="320" youtube-src-id="b3uIKzgcDxo"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJuJq9_POU1_K4W9AacHrCICuCPGreFRndfq4CofSfqQSS2_21owN28q6y3efB4wiD0zIxYoycZXaRa1rM_bh4p36GLgwgMie16CmZ6KIG9oGYfmDfDcMY-fUNd8kUggUQ2HUM20WtzXX/s1600/Arthur_Nicholson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJuJq9_POU1_K4W9AacHrCICuCPGreFRndfq4CofSfqQSS2_21owN28q6y3efB4wiD0zIxYoycZXaRa1rM_bh4p36GLgwgMie16CmZ6KIG9oGYfmDfDcMY-fUNd8kUggUQ2HUM20WtzXX/s1600/Arthur_Nicholson.jpg" /></a></div>
Molly Ringle and I recently discussed the ethics of autobiographies, and I thought I'd blog about that. I think as people we want to "be known." I'm not sure anyone really wants to go through life and not be known intimately by at least one person. Some of us might guard our privacy as fiercely as a Doberman guarding a junkyard, but there are still people we open the locked gates for. We want to let people in. We want to be known. Even if we don't ever offer a complete tour.<br />
<br />
There is a large market for biographies and autobiographies. Over the past year we've seen President George Bush's biography, and we've seen Snooki's. I don't think you can get any different as people or life stories. The only thing they had in common was a place on The New York Times Best Sellers list. <br />
<br />
One issue with writing a biography or an autobiography is that we always drag other people into the mess. And I say mess because life is messy. If we're completely honest, we're going to hurt people. That's where the ethics come in. I wrote bits and pieces of my biography, but I have since destroyed it. It was impossible to write it without hurting other people -- people I love. Being known is less important to me than protecting them.<br />
<br />
If you had publishers beating down your doors asking for your life story, would you give it to them? Would it be 100% honest, or would you withhold things that made you look bad or hurt others? <br />
<br />
With that said, I admit that I still want to be known. I shared a story with Molly from my past. It will never make it into an autobiography, but it is going to make it into this blog. Just because, as I said, I want to be known. At least to a degree. And life is short. <br />
<br />
A few months after I arrived in Europe, I was drawn into an incident that made international news. On March 23 of 1985, Major Arthur D. Nicholson became the last American casualty of the Cold War. He was shot by a Soviet soldier and was the only Military Liaison officer to die in the line of duty. This quickly escalated into an international incident, and Major Nicholson was promoted posthumously. The image at the top of this blog post is a photo of Major Nicholson's casket being placed on a U.S. aircraft at Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany. (A few years later, assassinated CIA Station Chief, William Buckley, who had been kidnapped by the Iranian backed Islamic Jihad, tortured and executed, came home through this same airport. He's known as the spy who never came out of the cold.) <br />
<br />
As a result of the incident with Major Nicholson, I was assigned to a patrol at the Soviet Military Liaison Mission (SMLM). We had two cars. One was a stationary car and the other was a chase car. Our stationary car remained at the mission on a more-or-less permanent stake out, monitoring and logging all of the activity taking place at the mission. The comings and goings at the mission, and any observed activity, was documented. That was the job of our stationary car.<br />
<br />
The chase car's job was to follow the Soviet officers whenever they left the mission and report on everything they did. It was pretty pointless really. They knew we followed them, and we were limited in what we could do. So whenever they didn't want us to follow, they would just "go beyond our boundaries" so to speak. The chase would break off at that point and we would return to SMLM. <br />
<br />
So, back to my earlier question. If you had publishing houses knocking down your door begging for your autobiography, would you give it to them? And how important is it for you to be known? Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-17986171688445325702011-08-03T09:59:00.010-06:002020-11-03T01:33:30.071-07:00Victoria Holt by Any Other Name<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9ec8c4GBiDae_Wftxp3D5wPHr91cXfMTnmIEjKwvxeOIPreZjv2qfZFc2ciokAhtkk4_c0bxeAfhJot8Z1CyzrBWOlulsx67EsAUc7HXh6XwpHEss6TO1oYLcom1krhlX3eTh-rgitxm/s1600/victoria+holt.bmp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9ec8c4GBiDae_Wftxp3D5wPHr91cXfMTnmIEjKwvxeOIPreZjv2qfZFc2ciokAhtkk4_c0bxeAfhJot8Z1CyzrBWOlulsx67EsAUc7HXh6XwpHEss6TO1oYLcom1krhlX3eTh-rgitxm/s200/victoria+holt.bmp" width="132" /></a>Victoria Holt, the pen name of Eleanor Hibbert, has been credited as the inventor (and Queen) of romantic suspense, but she wrote under at least eight other names as well -- and some sources say over fifteen. She dominated the historical romance genre as Philippa Carr. She wrote royal intrigue as Jean Plaidy. Hibbert was incredibly prolific; she wrote over 30 books under the pen name Victoria Holt alone and sold more than 100 million books during her lifetime. Most writers will never equal her success. <br />
<br />
I am most familiar with her work as Victoria Holt. Her books are considered to be somewhat mindless escapes, but that's nice once in a while. There is a certain sameness to her plots, yet they never fail to captivate me and keep me reading. Her heroines are often naive, intelligent young women left alone in the world and in desperate straits. Often, all they have are principles and good sense. The heroes are usually rich, powerful men who can have any woman they want, yet they want the sweet, innocent girl they can't have. Usually the thing that stands between them is class distinction.<br />
<br />
One thing I don't like about Victoria Holt books is that they often start in early childhood and linger there for the first one hundred pages. She also spent too little time with the great male characters she created. There are things she did as a writer that would never be allowed today. In <i>The Demon Lover</i>, (spoiler alert), the "hero" actually kidnaps the heroine, drugs her, rapes her repeatedly, sets her free, and then horror of all horrors -- she marries him at the end of the book!! Can you imagine a publisher touching that today? <br />
<br />
Have you ever read Victoria Holt? If so, what's your favorite book? If you're not a Victoria Holt fan, what is it you don't like about her books? And, if you've never read her, do you plan to?<br />
<br />
Here is a snippet from one of my favorite reviews of a Victoria Holt story. This one is for <i>The Legend of the Seventh Virgin</i> and it is posted at All Readers. I think you'll be able to spot the items I find amusing. Naturally, a woman would want to be the one woman that man can't live without -- the woman he'd give up all others for. <br />
<br />
<span class="subheading" style="font-size: large;">Main Male Character </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Profession/status: </b></span><span class="artbody">- Prince/Nobleman/King </span><span class="artbody">- wealthy </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Age/status: </b></span><span class="artbody">- 20's-30's </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Eccentric/mental: </b></span><span class="artbody">Yes </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Eccentric: </b></span><span class="artbody">- deluded </span><span class="artbody">- wild </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>How sexual is this person?</b></span> <span class="artbody">- over 1,000,000 served </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>How romantic is this person?</b></span> <span class="artbody">- as romantic as a root canal </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Sex makes him</b></span> <span class="artbody">- more demanding </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Sex has good effect on him</b></span> <span class="artbody">Yes </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Sex makes him</b></span> <span class="artbody">- confident </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Sex has bad effect on him </b></span><span class="artbody">Yes </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>How sensitive is this character?</b></span> <span class="artbody">- mean, arrogant </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Sense of humor</b></span> <span class="artbody">- Cynical sense of humor </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Intelligence</b></span> <span class="artbody">- Average intelligence </span><br />
<span class="artbody"><b>Physique</b></span> <span class="artbody">- average physique </span><br />
<br />
http://www.allreaders.com/topics/info_5027.aspUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-52892438200601121962011-07-29T09:34:00.008-06:002023-03-27T10:48:42.094-06:00The Writer and Their Informants<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryumh-jSoA0DkQN1HW-1_JsUrOIMp6CP_kgT5ea6altc1tZcxTGF0BjqmLcXKFnjba-eVcUzacagcX319YRL7gIdhlR6kcOs6pVxRhfDBvwcHZRMsPpoL56Eo2fEqz9w4z7dK6rmcuh8L/s1600/006.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryumh-jSoA0DkQN1HW-1_JsUrOIMp6CP_kgT5ea6altc1tZcxTGF0BjqmLcXKFnjba-eVcUzacagcX319YRL7gIdhlR6kcOs6pVxRhfDBvwcHZRMsPpoL56Eo2fEqz9w4z7dK6rmcuh8L/s1600/006.jpg" /></a><p>There is an old police saying: "Good informant, good case. Bad informant, bad case. No informant, no case." <br />
<br />
In a criminal investigation, the police need to be resourceful when gathering information. Often police are faced with the fact that they don't have much to go on. They have no eyewitnesses and they don't have much in the way of evidence. One of the things they do in a case like this is rely on informants. If you have ever seen Starsky and Hutch, you know those fictional officers often turned to their informant, Huggy Bear. He consistently gave them some crucial piece of information that helped them solve the case. That's TV, but the principle is true in the real world. Informants are critical in law enforcement, but they're actually more of a last resort than a first one. <br />
<br />
Now with the Internet, we see a new type of informant. And often, the person doing the 'informing' is the subject of the investigation. Many cases have been solved because the person who committed a crime actually posted a video of it on YouTube or bragged about it on his or her Facebook page. Virtual informants. This 'crowd sourcing' is being used more and more by police -- both state and federal -- and also by a wide variety of other agencies looking for information. You've used it yourself if you've ever 'googled' anyone on the Internet. <br />
<br />
Do you use informants in your stories? If you're writing a crime story or even a romance, you probably have some kind of informant. Who is yours? If you don't have an informant in your story, do you think your story would benefit from adding one?</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-11256191846444178242009-11-10T16:17:00.024-07:002022-06-28T10:37:50.101-06:00A Late Night Patrol. Writing Justice for the Dead - One Veteran's Story.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje2f8EEM0nBjfBk9aDUGaAT1DQgwwrtwduSCbX9h80Ly5Hnb-68nC-yk1qKnGt3NHlvpNdnsB80JSBqyVkKUo3EyvYXz5iate0jvXonFMYF5laPbp6_nAUEkasafnvjhJ39P78hb6yC5c/s1600/crossed+pistols+mp.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje2f8EEM0nBjfBk9aDUGaAT1DQgwwrtwduSCbX9h80Ly5Hnb-68nC-yk1qKnGt3NHlvpNdnsB80JSBqyVkKUo3EyvYXz5iate0jvXonFMYF5laPbp6_nAUEkasafnvjhJ39P78hb6yC5c/s200/crossed+pistols+mp.jpg" width="200" /></a><p><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Why
do we choose the subjects we do when we write? Some of us have
political, social, or religious agendas. Some of us just want to
educate, entertain, express ourselves, or cope. But I believe all
writers have a reason for writing what they do.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
When I first began putting stories on paper, I was a child, so I wrote
children's stories. My subjects have changed over the years. I tend to
write from experience, and my life usually shows up in my stories. I'm
not writing my life, but my life definitely affects everything I write.<br />
<br />
Over the last several years, I have written stories that primarily
center around justice, and I tie that to incidents that I experienced in
law enforcement. Justice is rarely served, and sometimes, the only way
to achieve it is to write it into a story. It is so often lacking in
real life. One of the times I encountered this was when I was
stationed in Frankfurt, Germany with the Army's 284th Military Police
Company.<br />
<br />
It was foggy that night, impossible to see beyond the beams of our
patrol car. I began the shift with a lie of omission -- and a new
partner in a bad mood. Confessing to being the source of Beheng's anger
wasn't an option at that moment, and I decided to save the necessary
moment of truth for later, preferably as much later as possible.<br />
<br />
The 284th was one of those assignments that everyone wanted, and we were
the lucky ones to get it. We handled military-related law enforcement
for Frankfurt and all of the surrounding cities. It was like being a
cop in New York City -- only we covered more territory. I listened
quietly as Beheng ranted about his pre-shift detail, which had been the
laundry room of our barracks.<br />
<br />
We all had pre-shift details. We worked twelve-hour shifts, but before
and after each shift, we had Army-related duties. Our twelve-hour shifts
usually worked out to be about eighteen. After that, we did our
personal chores: laundry, ironing, cleaning, and whatever else we needed
to do to get ready for our next shift. It left us with no time, and we
were usually functioning on two to three hours of sleep a night. There
were times when we worked up to three months without days off. We were
all on the verge of snapping. That night, Beheng had snapped.<br />
<br />
And it was my fault.<br />
<br />
He just didn't know it yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">
I had been running late and needed to get the trash out of my room. I
shared the room with Janelle Bebo. Janelle had just left, and I couldn't ask
her for help. So I took our trash and put it into the trash can in the
laundry room. I was too tired to think about the consequences for
whoever was responsible for the laundry room. I was just thinking about
getting the trash out of my room and still making it to guard mount on
time.<br />
<br />
As I settled into the patrol car with Beheng, he began his rant. Bebo
had left her trash in the laundry room. There had been a pizza box with
her name on it in the trash, and he was going to let her have it the
next time he saw her. Literally. He had saved the trash and was going to
bury her in it. Since I was her roommate, and as likely a suspect as Bebo, (more so since I was the one coming on shift), he was taking it out on me. I
debated telling him the truth right then, but I decided to
save the confession for later. After all, we were both armed, and I
didn't want to get shot.<br />
<br />
Like I said, Beheng had snapped.<br />
<br />
It wasn't a very busy midnight shift, so we met up with other MPs
throughout the course of the night. Each time we did, the 'trash'
subject was brought up by Beheng. He would rage on about what he was
going to do to Bebo next time he saw her, and I just stood by in guilty
silence, waiting for the best time to tell him. I decided that would be
at the end of the shift after we'd turned in our weapons to the arms'
room. I'm sure he suspected me, but I didn't think a confession while armed was a good idea. <br />
<br />
Since we weren't busy, we were able to do all of our security checks.
There had been several terrorist bombings on military bases in the area,
so we did frequent checks of those compounds to watch for suspicious
activity. We also patrolled civilian apartment complexes that housed
large numbers of military personnel. We were patrolling a German
apartment complex around two AM. Beheng was driving and cautiously
maneuvering the different streets in the complex while I watched our surroundings. My task was impossible. It was so foggy I couldn't even see the sidewalks or the grass, much less anything on them.<br />
<br />
After we finished, I called in our check, and Beheng pulled out of the complex back onto the street.<br />
<br />
I had no sooner called it in than dispatch called us back. A soldier,
who was walking his dog, had discovered a dead body lying in the grass
beside one of the buildings of the apartment complex. We had just driven
by it, but I hadn't even seen it because of the fog. We turned around,
drove a few hundred feet, and parked -- quickly finding the man, his
dog, and the deceased.<br />
<br />
At first, I thought I was looking at a dead child -- a boy of about
twelve. Here was someone's baby. I walked as close as I could without
disturbing anything and bent down, checking the child's neck for a
pulse. There was no pulse, and the skin was still warm and supple. The
death had recently occurred. The child's head was completely caved in on
the right side. It looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to it.
There was no blood on the scene, so it was obvious that the death had
occurred someplace else, and this was a secondary crime scene. The boy
had been laid flat, and his body was neatly arranged. His hands were in
his pockets. He wore clean white socks. The ground was soaked from
earlier rains, but those socks were pristine. They had not even touched a
floor -- much less the wet grass.<br />
<br />
I stood and moved back, hoping I hadn't contaminated the crime scene. We
secured the area and started talking to apartment residents. We soon
discovered that the 12-year-old boy was actually an adult woman. She was
so small and boyish looking that her appearance had been deceptive. We
also discovered that she was a German national, so we called in the
German police.<br />
<br />
While we waited for them, we spoke with her neighbors. She was a lesbian
and a prostitute. She worked in the red-light district in Frankfurt.
She and her girlfriend shared the apartment, and apparently they were
involved in a lovers' triangle. There had been a loud argument in the
apartment shortly before she was found murdered. We had a general idea
of what had happened, and when the polizei arrived, Beheng attempted to tell
them what he had discovered. They brushed all that off and said it was
obviously a suicide.<br />
<br />
The woman, according to them, had jumped.<br />
<br />
I'd been with the 284th for over a year, and I had worked with many
German police officers during that time. These were the first German
police officers who had not impressed me.<br />
<br />
The woman's body was removed without any investigation, and after it was all over, Beheng and I
were left with our mouths hanging open. We could barely believe what
had just taken place. Apparently, the murder of a lesbian prostitute was
not high on the priority list of these particular police officers.<br />
<br />
Beheng had forgotten about the trash.<br />
<br />
We were both devastated by what had just happened. The story soon spread
like the flu. Everyone on duty with the 284th that night was sickened
by the lack of justice for this murdered woman. Though Beheng and I had
primarily just been acquaintances when our shift began, we knew each other better now and had shared a traumatic experience. We ended up our shift completely somber but more comfortable with each other.<br />
<br />
After we returned to the police station, I told Beheng the truth about
the trash. He barely commented on it. A few minutes later, he asked if I
could do him a favor. Would I go out to the patrol car and get his
briefcase? He needed some paperwork in it. I went out, but when I came
back in, he told me he didn't have the right paperwork after all and
asked if I'd check my briefcase. Perhaps I had the right paperwork. At
this point, all of the MPs who had been on duty that night had returned,
and many of the MPs who were coming on duty were present.<br />
<br />
I went to my briefcase, opened it<br />
<br />
... and it was filled with trash.<br />
<br />
I almost fell down laughing. Dozens of people were there when I opened
that briefcase -- the MPs coming on duty, and the MPs going off, the
desk sergeants, and the patrol supervisors -- and every one of them was
laughing.<br />
<br />
And I think we really needed that laugh.<br />
<br />
I dreamed about her several times after that -- the woman discarded like
trash. In my dreams she always had my sister's face. It haunted
me for months. Very few people cared. Those who should have sought
justice, didn't. Killers walked free.<br />
<br />
My writing changed because of things I witnessed in the military.<br />
<br />
I always make sure justice is served in my stories.<br />
<br />
It's so often lacking in reality.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Doralynn Kennedy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The photo I use in this post was taken in Rome in early 1986, about one year after the event I relate in this post. I was working with PSD at the time this photo was taken. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Today is Veteran's Day, November 11, 2009. So thank you to all vets and all active duty military personnel and their families.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799268831201661561.post-52632437929786995042009-10-22T23:02:00.001-06:002023-03-27T10:43:50.767-06:00Spycraft and Strange Spy Gadgets, The Elderly Man Next Door<div>
The old man who lives next door keeps strange hours and does not welcome visitors. The neighbor's boy was allowed in one time, but only because it was storming outside and the child was locked out of his house. No one else was at home to help the boy that day. </div>
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But other than one small child, no one else has ever set foot inside the old man's home. </div>
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Rumors swirl around him like falling leaves in the autumn. One tale bearer claims the hermit is all alone in the world. His family was killed in some tragic accident. Other gossipers weave gruesome tales of a serial killer who escaped from prison or was never brought to justice in the first place. Wild tales are concocted at dinner parties and spread around the table like jams and jellies. </div>
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Just the month before, the elderly gentleman bought a poodle at the mall and brought it home with him. Now he spends more time outside, walking his dog into the woods that border one side of his property. </div>
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Shortly after the dog moved in, and the old man began taking frequent walks, a strange car began prowling the streets at night. </div>
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The boy who spent an afternoon at the old man's house watches from his third-floor bedroom with fascination. The car comes late at night, headlights off, and parks in the dark. A bulky shape emerges, enters the woods and disappears from sight. Eventually, the mysterious visitor reemerges -- carrying a small package -- settles back into his car and slowly drives away into the night. </div>
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The boy keeps his observations to himself. He likes the old man with the houseful of computers, TV screens, and radio equipment. And he can keep a secret. </div>
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You have probably guessed by now that the old man is a spy, and the boy has witnessed something he was never meant to see. </div>
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Around 1970, as the conflict in Vietnam escalated, United States military intelligence (and no, that is not an oxymoron) developed a homing device camouflaged as dog or monkey droppings. It was actually a homing device officially known as a T-1151 radio transmitter, and unofficially it was known as a Doo radio transmitter. </div>
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This inconspicuous little spy gadget could send or receive radio messages, usually by Morse code. It was positioned throughout the jungles of Vietnam, relentlessly transmitting a radio signal that led aircraft to enemy ground sites for strikes or reconnaissance missions. </div>
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Because the device looked like -- well -- poop, it was usually left undisturbed. Therefore it could be planted well in advance of any mission. </div>
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It is still in use today, as our elderly neighbor could verify. If he were talking. </div>
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Thanks!<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0