THE STORY SO FAR: PART 35

“…WE NEED TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO THINK. ONCE YOU CAN THINK, YOU CAN, WITH THE RIGHT INSTRUCTION, LEARN TO WRITE A GOOD SENTENCE.”

“Once you can write a good sentence, then, and only then, do you have a shot at writing a great short story -- or code that can change the world and help maintain America's leadership position through the 21^st century.”

The above is from a truly marvelous article by Bernard Meisler, a senior software engineer and publisher of SensitiveSkin magazine. You will find the piece at www.theatlantic.com under the heading:

“The Real Reason Silicon Valley Coders Write Bad Software.”

Though clearly it depends on what you write, I hold to the view that a writer is required to be, in essence, a thinker, first; and should keep himself or herself generally well informed – both through direct observation, and through extensive reading. Other factors such as empathy and travel come into play too; but, for the moment, let me focus on reading, and current affairs at that.

Given the sheer volume of information out there, how to do the latter to best effect is a good question. All I can say is that once you have read The New York Times, a truly extraordinary newspaper, you could do a whole lot worse than follow up with The Atlantic. It is an impressively erudite and comprehensive publication of the same sort of standard as The Economist, but, in my opinion, somewhat better; and it covers an amazing variety of subject matter. If a subject has serious relevance to the human condition, the chances are that it will end up in The Atlantic sooner or later; and it is particularly good at covering economic matters and politics (both great interests of mine). Mind you, if sports are your passion, you would be wiser to look elsewhere; and it doesn’t feature naked women – or even naked men – that often.

I have known about The Atlantic for years, but didn’t start reading it regularly – which means daily (the online version is updated with great frequency) - until one of its most highly regarded journalists and bloggers, Jim Fallows, phoned me up to get some information about military matters. As an additional incentive, he offered to fly out to where I lived in Virginia at that time, and give me – and my children – a flight in his Cirrus aircraft. This was, without question, the most unusual offer I have ever had from the media. Normally, one merely trades favors or helps out of the goodness of one’s heart; and, as you will know, we authors are notorious for our innate goodness. 

I gave him the information he was after well before the actual flight, but eventually, true to his word, Jim came out and we ascended into the sky in his very cool flying machine. One of the many neat things about the Cirrus is that it has its very own parachute – a useful but unusual feature in a single-engine aircraft. Just to be clear, the parachute is attached to the aircraft not you, so if your engine cuts out, and no landing zone is available, you can float down in comfort. Without such a resource, panic is a viable option.

Jim had no reason to know this, but I love light aircraft flying nearly as much as I love helicopters, and did a great deal of bouncing around Ireland in such fixed-wing machines (categorized as ‘general aviation’) when I was in my early twenties. I say “bouncing” because we normally flew off grass fields, and landing seemed to consist of a series of juddering hops until we had to stop to avoid running into a cow, or a sheep, or a dry stone wall. These days, ostriches might be a problem as well; and as you will know, it is generally considered unwise to tangle with an ostrich. Yes, there really are ostriches in modern Ireland – and only some are human. Land of ‘Saints, Scholars, and Ostriches!’ Ireland is not what it used to be.

All of this – the Irish bit – came about because I was in love; but that is another story, both wonderful and tragic.

Let me conclude by saying that not only is Jim Fallows a truly remarkable journalist; but he is widely, and rightly, acknowledged as such. He is also a prince of a man; and a pretty good pilot. Every now and then, I am privileged to meet people of such caliber; and such encounters buoy my shaky faith in the human condition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 34

“ENGLAND AND AMERICA ARE TWO COUNTRIES DIVIDED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE”

George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw, as doubtless you know – even if you have forgotten – was an extremely witty playwright, humorist, public speaker, and socially concerned activist. He was also Irish (which, some would argue, just by itself, makes him a superior human being). He is probably best known today as the author of the play that led to the musical and movie, My Fair Lady. If you haven’t heard of that, I shall throw up my hands and shout, “Zut allors!” Or maybe worse.

Such distractions aside, I think GBS nailed it. It is also a one sided relationship. It is my experience that, generally speaking, the English can work out what an American means, both as a consequence of American movies and TV, and – more often than not – because of the context.

Somehow context doesn’t seem to work with Americans. I don’t fully understand the reasons for this, but I suspect that part of has to do with the U.S. being a very literal and direct culture.

Let me give a few examples of such verbal confusion:

#1 Some years ago one of my sons got into trouble and a parent’s group was formed to try and dig him out. Naturally, I attended the meetings, but after a few weeks was informed that people didn’t understand the way I wrote, or spoke (or seemed to think) so someone else would be needed to talk on my behalf. To demonstrate my literary opaqueness, one of the parents pointed out I had used the phrase: “In the main” as in: “In the main, my son doesn’t behave like a homicidal maniac (for example).” To me the context was clear even if you didn’t know the phrase, but to the other parents – all worthy souls – it was gibberish. I was, I confess, stunned.

#2 On another occasion, I tried to buy a flashlight, but asked for a ‘torch’ which is the word one would use in England. Despite explaining the purpose of this useful device, and much gesticulation, the shop assistant remained nonplussed.

#3 I like wandering around cities on foot and used to regard that civilized habit as “mooching.” In the U.S. I soon discovered I was in danger of being seriously understood. In the U.S. mooching implies begging.

#4 In Ireland we have a word for fun which is ‘craic.’ It tends to be used in sentences such as: “There was great craic in Finnegan’s pub last night. Given that the word is pronounced ‘crack’ the potential for confusion is considerable.

#5 Finally, there is the famous case of the British Gloucestershire Regiment – “The Glorious Glosters” - who were attacked by a vastly superior force of Chinese during the Korean War. When asked by an American superior how things were going, the British colonel replied that things were getting “a little sticky.” To an Englishman such a term would mean “extremely serious.” However, the American took it to mean the Glosters could hold.

Being an Anglo-Irish author writing for an American audience is trickier than it seems; but the craic is mighty!

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 33

THE KINDNESS OF FRIENDS; THE POVERTY, AND THE DIGNITY, OF STRANGERS

When I first visited the U.S., back in the early Seventies, my first port of call was New York. At the time I was a corporate employee, and doing well, so took the view that I should arrive there by helicopter. Frankly, it would have been faster to take a cab to the Waldorf Astoria, because technical difficulties held up my rotary flying machine, but eventually it appeared, and my first sight of New York from my helicopter was as dramatic as I had hoped.

Because of the delays, I was also the only passenger. It adds a certain frisson to arrive under such circumstances. One becomes temporarily delusional. Helicopters have that effect. For brief moments, I entertained the notion that this my helicopter; and it was a large helicopter at that. I think it held 24 passengers, or something of that ilk; and it was almost certainly a Sikorski. 

I had hoped we would land on the Pan Am building – a strange wish from someone who suffers severely from vertigo - but the landing site had been re-negotiated (I gather for safety reasons) so we landed down by the Battery instead. It was also more convenient to Wall Street.

When I returned to New York, in the early Nineties, it was under much humbler circumstances. I had made the deliberate decision to leave the corporate life, with all its attendant perks, to become a writer; so my income and expenses dropped like a stone.

This time around, I took a battered cab to Brooklyn to stay with friends. No more helicopter and Waldorf Astoria. I wasn’t broke, but cash was tight.

I had been living in a traditional Irish thatched cottage for years – as I battled with my first book, Games Of The Hangman, so such street skills as I had possessed had atrophied. In fact, the phrase ‘in a state of culture shock’ does not come close to describing my mental condition.

One of the first pieces of advice I received was: “Don’t give to panhandlers.” At the time I followed that advice – more or less.

Twenty years later, I have changed my mind completely. I just came to the view that so many friends had helped me over the years that it would be just plain wrong to spurn the requests of those in need. There and then, I determined I would never turn anyone down who asked – providing they looked in genuine need.

I receive more than a few requests for help because I walk everywhere these days, so am accessible. Beyond that, although I currently live in a comfortable gated enclave by Lake Washington, the immediate neighborhood is predominantly poor and African American. It also has the reputation of being crime-ridden – largely because of some fatal shootings that have taken place in the area.

I walk at least a mile there most evenings - often to the local Safeway – and can only say that my life has been much enriched by the numerous encounters I have had with those in need. I have also learned that the most important thing to recognize under such circumstances is the other person’s dignity, and freedom.

The other day a woman accosted me in Safeway and begged for a few dollars to round out the cost of a meal. She then added: “I’m not going to spend it on drink or anything.”

I smiled at her and said: “Not my business.” And I really don’t think it is.

I don’t wish to sound noble in describing such encounters because the truth is that I benefit from them enormously. It also occurs to me that American society would benefit vastly if we adopted a less judgmental approach to poverty – and, instead focused on just plain helping the less fortunate. Apart from anything else, I have no doubt at all that it would make economic sense. That said, there are many other better reasons for doing the right thing.

 

NEWSFLASH! NEW BOOKS ARE ON THEIR WAY AT LAST!

Just so you know, I am on a steady countdown to launch a range of new titles on Amazon, and other major sites, within weeks rather than months. I will provide specific dates when I have them.

I will be launching – over a period of several weeks – three new titles. Thereafter, additional new titles will be appearing at, very roughly, intervals of one every month or two for several months.

The initial titles will be:

• THE BLOOD OF GENERATIONS. This will be the fourth action-packed novel in the Fitzduane series. In it, a survivor of the notorious WW II massacre at Malmerie, France, tries to enlist Fitzduane’s help in tracking down one of the chief perpetrators. That perpetrator, aging but still lethal, now runs one of the largest corporations in the world and has planned revenge against the Allies. In the climax, Fitzduane finds himself fighting over the same blood-soaked ground in Nazi occupied France as his father and mother had experienced in WW II when both were agents who had been infiltrated behind enemy lines to prepare for the June 6 invasion in 1944. Their mission-impossible is to either delay or destroy the formidable and ruthless SS Thousand Year Panzer division. With an intersecting story set both today, and back in 1944, this is a Big Thriller on an epic scale inspired by actual events.
• SATAN’S SMILE. Harry Fremont is a battle-weary scientist turned FBI agent who, for years, has specialized in hunting serial killers. His father is Thurlow Fremont, one of the principal developers of the Hydrogen Bomb. Posted to Livermore, home of the nuclear Livermore National Laboratory, to investigate a series of vicious throat cutting murders, Harry soon discovers that there are other forces at work; and that ‘The Lab’ is the target. Meanwhile, Stonecutter, the master terrorist, is planning a vastly more lethal spectacular event than anyone could have imagined. Distracted by inter-agency politics, and confused by his love for a fellow FBI, agent and his attraction to nuclear scientist Tina Lazaroff, Harry battles against the clock to stop much of California being turned into a nuclear wasteland. In a sentence: Serial killing meets nuclear terrorism.
• HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE BEGINNING. The Council of The Place For Reasonably Good People (where you go after you die if you have been reasonably good) are concerned that the U.S. is in rapid decline so appoint their watcher, Cuckoo, to find a solution. Cuckoo finds that so many Americans have been corrupted by dollar worship and Fast Food, that the only living creature up to the task is Eagle, head of all the eagles – and the very personification of character and integrity. However, Eagle is an eagle so has to know a lot more before he will be up to the task. Accordingly, Cuckoo proceeds to teach him. Meanwhile, the forces of darkness headed by one of Satan’s main agents, determine to destroy Eagle. A hilarious satire combined with an action packed thriller, Eagle & Cuckoo (E&C) may well be one of the funniest, most exciting, books you are ever likely the read; and offers a fascinating perspective on the reality of modern America.

E&C will be a trilogy, albeit each book will be a self-contained story. A self-contained story, from this author’s perspective, has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End; and is satisfying in itself.

• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE BEGINNING, we get to know the characters, see Eagle as he evolves from simple aviator to combat leader, and experience the most hilarious courtroom scene yet written – featuring the Supreme Court and a re-incarnated Clarence Darrow.
• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE CONTEST we follow Eagle as he morphs into human form, develops his political platform, and runs for the presidency.
• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE LEADER we follow Eagle as he is sworn into office and leads the re-building of America with extraordinary success.

Will there be other E&C books? I truly hope so. I have a lot of ideas on that front. But, as always, it all depends upon the market reaction.

Watch this space for the latest details. We, who appear to be doing nothing, are actually surprisingly busy (but are slower at getting out titles than I would like).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 32

DO REAL READERS READ E-BOOKS… AND WILL PHYSICAL BOOKS VANISH?

Given that my whole objective is to learn how to blog briefly, you would have to wonder how I come up with these headings! It would take a book to answer these questions properly. Let me point an accusing finger at my subconscious. The damn thing seems to be addicted to long copy. I shall pound it into submission.

The evidence is that real readers really do read e-books because they love the low prices, the immediacy, and the convenience. Nonetheless, they may well buy physical copies of books they particularly like as well.

I don’t believe, for a second, that physical books will vanish. However, I do think that e-books will eat heavily into the traditional paperback market (paperbacks being seen as inherently disposable) and will have a substantial, but not fatal, impact on hardbacks.

I live in hopes that e-books will shake up traditional publishing – currently dominated by six vast corporate entities – to its roots. I don’t think the corporatization of publishing has done either the writing or reading communities any favors. 

Let me close with a couple of quotes from an interesting newsletter emanating from www.ebook-editor.com This particular blog was written by guest blogger, Elyse Douglas.

“Fewer people are reading more, but in more formats than ever before, according to the results of a series of telephone surveys carried out by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.”

“There are three things to keep in mind with regard to publishing an eBook, however. First, garbage in, garbage out—even if it that garbage has a beautifully designed garbage bag. If one is a lover of the craft of writing, one should insure that the book is carefully written, edited and proofed. Secondly, a professionally designed book cover is essential. It separates the amateurs from the pros. Third, the big one. Publicity. If you do not promote your work, it will lie off in the high weeds somewhere and never be seen, even if it’s the most dazzling flower in the field.”

As John Grisham recently said on CNN: “The emergence of eBooks is phenomenal. A year ago, my last book, “The Confession” was published. It was the first time we released the digital version of the book the same day as the hardback. After one year, my total sales are 40% digital and 60% hardback and the numbers have gone up. That’s obviously good news for me because more people are reading the books.”

The signs are encouraging, but the outcome is far from assured. I would like to see a dynamic marketplace where the sheer merit of the authors’ work would shine. The corporate handful who currently control publishing would prefer their sheer weight of promotional money to continue to dominate. Why not indeed? The weight of money of a privileged elite currently controls our lives from conception to death, and its physical consequences. That is not freedom.

 

NEWSFLASH! NEW BOOKS ARE ON THEIR WAY AT LAST!

Just so you know, I am on a steady countdown to launch a range of new titles on Amazon, and other major sites, within weeks rather than months. I will provide specific dates when I have them.

I will be launching – over a period of several weeks – three new titles. Thereafter, additional new titles will be appearing at, very roughly, intervals of one every month or two for several months.

The initial titles will be:

• THE BLOOD OF GENERATIONS. This will be the fourth action-packed novel in the Fitzduane series. In it, a survivor of the notorious WW II massacre at Malmerie, France, tries to enlist Fitzduane’s help in tracking down one of the chief perpetrators. That perpetrator, aging but still lethal, now runs one of the largest corporations in the world and has planned revenge against the Allies. In the climax, Fitzduane finds himself fighting over the same blood-soaked ground in Nazi occupied France as his father and mother had experienced in WW II when both were agents who had been infiltrated behind enemy lines to prepare for the June 6 invasion in 1944. Their mission-impossible is to either delay or destroy the formidable and ruthless SS Thousand Year Panzer division. With an intersecting story set both today, and back in 1944, this is a Big Thriller on an epic scale inspired by actual events.
• SATAN’S SMILE. Harry Fremont is a battle-weary scientist turned FBI agent who, for years, has specialized in hunting serial killers. His father is Thurlow Fremont, one of the principal developers of the Hydrogen Bomb. Posted to Livermore, home of the nuclear Livermore National Laboratory, to investigate a series of vicious throat cutting murders, Harry soon discovers that there are other forces at work; and that ‘The Lab’ is the target. Meanwhile, Stonecutter, the master terrorist, is planning a vastly more lethal spectacular event than anyone could have imagined. Distracted by inter-agency politics, and confused by his love for a fellow FBI, agent and his attraction to nuclear scientist Tina Lazaroff, Harry battles against the clock to stop much of California being turned into a nuclear wasteland. In a sentence: Serial killing meets nuclear terrorism.
• HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE BEGINNING. The Council of The Place For Reasonably Good People (where you go after you die if you have been reasonably good) are concerned that the U.S. is in rapid decline so appoint their watcher, Cuckoo, to find a solution. Cuckoo finds that so many Americans have been corrupted by dollar worship and Fast Food, that the only living creature up to the task is Eagle, head of all the eagles – and the very personification of character and integrity. However, Eagle is an eagle so has to know a lot more before he will be up to the task. Accordingly, Cuckoo proceeds to teach him. Meanwhile, the forces of darkness headed by one of Satan’s main agents, determine to destroy Eagle. A hilarious satire combined with an action packed thriller, Eagle & Cuckoo (E&C) may well be one of the funniest, most exciting, books you are ever likely the read; and offers a fascinating perspective on the reality of modern America.

E&C will be a trilogy, albeit each book will be a self-contained story. A self-contained story, from this author’s perspective, has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End; and is satisfying in itself.

• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE BEGINNING, we get to know the characters, see Eagle as he evolves from simple aviator to combat leader, and experience the most hilarious courtroom scene yet written – featuring the Supreme Court and a re-incarnated Clarence Darrow.
• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE CONTEST we follow Eagle as he morphs into human form, develops his political platform, and runs for the presidency.
• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE LEADER we follow Eagle as he is sworn into office and leads the re-building of America with extraordinary success.

Will there be other E&C books? I truly hope so. I have a lot of ideas on that front. But, as always, it all depends upon the market reaction.

Watch this space for the latest details. We, who appear to be doing nothing, are actually surprisingly busy (but are slower at getting out titles than I would like).

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 31

THIS BUSINESS OF REMEMBERING… I FORGET WHAT TO DO… I THINK

When I started reading newspapers and magazines seriously – some time in my early teens, or maybe a little earlier - I used to wonder how reporters remembered things (and important things at that). I imagined excellent shorthand, a vast filing system; and rigorous fact-checking.

What can I say! I was young, innocent and idealistic; and recorders were far from common in those days. Since my school was in Yorkshire, England, the first newspaper I read regularly was the Yorkshire Post. I well remember being glued to it during the Suez crisis in 1956. I hungered for information, and back in those days we were not allowed either TV or radio at school. We were at boarding school to work, and play rugby and cricket. We were being educated to become leaders of men; and help run the British Empire. A noble fate, one might say, but the empire was shrinking fast. Besides, I was Irish, and all in favor of countries which wanted independence.

In my late teens, while I was at university in Dublin, I had notions of becoming a journalist so made several friends who worked for Ireland’s leading serious newspaper, The Irish Times. While hanging around there, I looked in vain for reporter’s notebooks filled with meticulous shorthand. Instead, I would see journalists grabbing copy paper, jotting down a few notes during a lengthy meeting, and then crafting a story based upon a general sense of what they had heard. Some care was given to names and similar specific data, but, broadly speaking, there was a huge reliance on short-term memory; and very little on coping meticulously through the files. The news, they all realized was perishable; readers were not too fussy about absolute accuracy; most articles were relatively short (though not by today’s standards); and careful analysis was someone else’s problem. Apart from all that, the Pearl Bar awaited. They were a hard-drinking crew in those days, and probably still are. Such foibles apart, the Irish Times was – and remains – an excellent newspaper (though not without its faults).

I tried to learn shorthand during my first year at university, but was the only male in the class (which was off campus and off my curriculum), and eventually fled through sheer embarrassment. I used to find notes from various women left in my coat, and was too young and inexperienced to know how to handle such attention. Trust me, I learned, but a little too late to avail of such opportunities.

In 1981, when I went to Switzerland to research the fictional background of my hanged victim, I decided the time had come to take this research thing seriously, and invested in two Olympus microcassette recorders and a plug-in loudspeaker. At the time I thought I was being extravagant, but it turned out to be one of the best investments I have ever made. Since then, I have tried other recorders, but have always reverted to Olympus equipment, though now I have switched to digital gear. Highly recommended. And no, I have neither connections nor tie-ins with the company at all. I just have the confidence, gained over decades, that Olympus will deliver terrific sound, and will work. 

What I will say is that I find that a recording helps my recall enormously. It also scares Army generals. I was told that when spending time with the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) and found it to be mostly true. Generals live in fear that some indiscreet comment will cost them their command, or their next star. Don’t laugh. Recall what happened to Patton, and, more recently, to General Stanley McChrystal.

Why two machines, you may ask? Well, even the best equipment can break down, and, if it does, it will normally be at the most inconvenient time and place. I would add that really small equipment, apart from being innately vulnerable, tends to get lost with alarming frequency. Pick robust equipment you can see and find. Life in the field is, as they say, different; and I guess you can add brutal.

The illustrated machine is an Olympus LS –100. It may well be more than you need, but good gear is normally worth the price.

One final thing: Practice with your equipment until you can operate it blindfolded and your muscle memory takes over. If you are going to the right places, it will almost certainly have to.

 

NEWSFLASH! NEW BOOKS ARE ON THEIR WAY AT LAST!

Just so you know, I am on a steady countdown to launch a range of new titles on Amazon, and other major sites, within weeks rather than months. I will provide specific dates when I have them.

I will be launching – over a period of several weeks – three new titles. Thereafter, additional new titles will be appearing at, very roughly, intervals of one every month or two for several months.

The initial titles will be:

• THE BLOOD OF GENERATIONS. This will be the fourth action-packed novel in the Fitzduane series. In it, a survivor of the notorious WW II massacre at Malmerie, France, tries to enlist Fitzduane’s help in tracking down one of the chief perpetrators. That perpetrator, aging but still lethal, now runs one of the largest corporations in the world and has planned revenge against the Allies. In the climax, Fitzduane finds himself fighting over the same blood-soaked ground in Nazi occupied France as his father and mother had experienced in WW II when both were agents who had been infiltrated behind enemy lines to prepare for the June 6 invasion in 1944. Their mission-impossible is to either delay or destroy the formidable and ruthless SS Thousand Year Panzer division. With an intersecting story set both today, and back in 1944, this is a Big Thriller on an epic scale inspired by actual events.
• SATAN’S SMILE. Harry Fremont is a battle-weary scientist turned FBI agent who, for years, has specialized in hunting serial killers. His father is Thurlow Fremont, one of the principal developers of the Hydrogen Bomb. Posted to Livermore, home of the nuclear Livermore National Laboratory, to investigate a series of vicious throat cutting murders, Harry soon discovers that there are other forces at work; and that ‘The Lab’ is the target. Meanwhile, Stonecutter, the master terrorist, is planning a vastly more lethal spectacular event than anyone could have imagined. Distracted by inter-agency politics, and confused by his love for a fellow FBI, agent and his attraction to nuclear scientist Tina Lazaroff, Harry battles against the clock to stop much of California being turned into a nuclear wasteland. In a sentence: Serial killing meets nuclear terrorism.
• HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE BEGINNING. The Council of The Place For Reasonably Good People (where you go after you die if you have been reasonably good) are concerned that the U.S. is in rapid decline so appoint their watcher, Cuckoo, to find a solution. Cuckoo finds that so many Americans have been corrupted by dollar worship and Fast Food, that the only living creature up to the task is Eagle, head of all the eagles – and the very personification of character and integrity. However, Eagle is an eagle so has to know a lot more before he will be up to the task. Accordingly, Cuckoo proceeds to teach him. Meanwhile, the forces of darkness headed by one of Satan’s main agents, determine to destroy Eagle. A hilarious satire combined with an action packed thriller, Eagle & Cuckoo (E&C) may well be one of the funniest, most exciting, books you are ever likely the read; and offers a fascinating perspective on the reality of modern America.

E&C will be a trilogy, albeit each book will be a self-contained story. A self-contained story, from this author’s perspective, has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End; and is satisfying in itself.

• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE BEGINNING, we get to know the characters, see Eagle as he evolves from simple aviator to combat leader, and experience the most hilarious courtroom scene yet written – featuring the Supreme Court and a re-incarnated Clarence Darrow.
• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE CONTEST we follow Eagle as he morphs into human form, develops his political platform, and runs for the presidency.
• In the HOW EAGLE & CUCKOO SAVE AMERICA: THE LEADER we follow Eagle as he is sworn into office and leads the re-building of America with extraordinary success.

Will there be other E&C books? I truly hope so. I have a lot of ideas on that front. But, as always, it all depends upon the market reaction.

Watch this space for the latest details. We, who appear to be doing nothing, are actually surprisingly busy (but are slower at getting out titles than I would like).

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 30

WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU HAVE EVER FOUND?

When re-starting this blog, I decided that it would be more stream-of-consciousness than planned. I did not want to spend too much time on it, and I lived in hope that my subconscious would keep me adequately fed with ideas. Frankly, I was doubtful about the latter, but I thought it was worth a try.

To my pleasant surprise, my subconscious – so far - has not let me down. I sit, and touch the keys;, and the rest seems to flow. The writing still takes work (writing always takes work even when you think it doesn’t) but the effort is satisfying rather than onerous.

The above heading, for a change, did not come from my subconscious. I was having a late breakfast, after working for a couple of hours beforehand, and I heard Steve Scher (see photo), who broadcasts a truly excellent talk show on NPR KUOW in Seattle, discuss the question with a musician guest while in the middle of a pledge drive. As best I could gather, the musician uses found items as inspiration for his songs. I don’t know any more because I was anxious to get back to work, so did not listen to the full interview. Still the question intrigued me. What was the most interesting thing I had found?

The first item that came to mind was a largish weather balloon that I found when walking across Dartmoor many years ago. Dartmoor is where the Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes story, The Hound of The Baskervilles is set so perhaps hiking across it alone was not the greatest idea. However, I was far more concerned with being sucked down into a bog than being eaten by a hound, so I regarded the rather large balloon and attachments with relief. They appeared to be on solid ground. An attached notice offered an excessively modest reward if returned from whence it came; but the thought of carrying it for twelve miles or so did not appeal.

I walked on, eyes peeled for the bright green, apparently solid surface which would, in reality, be a boggy area that would suck me down to my doom. Eventually, I found such an area, and felt I had to test it; but only sunk to my knees. Though I am sure the suspicion never crossed your mind, sometimes, we writers exaggerate a little about the dangers our characters face. On the other hand, in the interests of the integrity of our research, sometimes we get killed. That’s a damn nuisance from a writing point of view. Hard to finish a book under such circumstances.

In my case, I returned to the rather cozy little town of Chagford, in the county of Devon, England feeling much invigorated after walking twenty plus miles; and looking forward to grilled trout, a bottle of wine, a good read, and an early night. Why early? Well, this was a walking holiday, and I was upping my game each day. 

I then wracked my brain to come up with something exceptional that I had found. I could recall small pieces of change, a rusty cavalry saber, and various dead animals, but nothing particularly dramatic came to mind.

Then it came to me that the most interesting thing I had ever found was the freshly hanged body of a young man in a small wood near the village of Llantwit-Major in South Wales. The above are the cliffs I used to walk along every day (a rather strange activity given that I hate heights). A little further on, there was a dark and dripping wood; and therein, hanging from tree, was the body.

Why didn’t that memory occur to me immediately? It had, after all, been a life-changing experience, and had led me to write Games Of The Hangman. I have no idea. Perhaps I have never thought of that tragic hanged figure of being a ‘thing,’ though a corpse is just that. I caught him when he was cut down, and he was still warm. Dead or not, he remains a person to me. In the book, he is Swiss. In real life, he was Dutch and his first name was Wim. I know no more.

 

NEWSFLASH! NEW BOOKS ARE ON THEIR WAY AT LAST!

Just so you know, I am on a steady countdown to launch a range of new titles on Amazon, and other major sites, within weeks rather than months. I will provide specific dates when I have them.

I will be launching – over a period of several weeks – three new titles. Thereafter, additional new titles will be appearing at, very roughly, intervals of one every month or two for several months.

The initial titles will be:

• The Blood Of Generations. This will be the fourth action-packed novel in the Fitzduane series. In it, a survivor of the notorious WW II massacre at Malmerie, France, tries to enlist Fitzduane’s help in tracking down one of the chief perpetrators. That perpetrator, aging but still lethal, now runs one of the largest corporations in the world and has planned revenge against the Allies. In the climax, Fitzduane finds himself fighting over the same blood-soaked ground in Nazi occupied France as his father and mother had experienced in WW II when both were agents who had been infiltrated behind enemy lines to prepare for the June 6 invasion in 1944. Their mission-impossible is to either delay or destroy the formidable and ruthless SS Thousand Year Panzer division. With an intersecting story set both today, and back in 1944, this is a Big Thriller on an epic scale inspired by actual events.
• Satan’s Smile. Harry Fremont is a battle-weary scientist turned FBI agent who, for years, has specialized in hunting serial killers. His father is Thurlow Fremont, one of the principal developers of the Hydrogen Bomb. Posted to Livermore, home of the nuclear Livermore National Laboratory, to investigate a series of vicious throat cutting murders, Harry soon discovers that there are other forces at work; and that ‘The Lab’ is the target. Meanwhile, Stonecutter, the master terrorist, is planning a vastly more lethal spectacular event than anyone could have imagined. Distracted by inter-agency politics, and confused by his love for a fellow FBI, agent and his attraction to nuclear scientist Tina Lazaroff, Harry battles against the clock to stop much of California being turned into a nuclear wasteland. In a sentence: Serial killing meets nuclear terrorism.
• How Eagle & Cuckoo Save America: The Beginning. The Council of The Place For Reasonably Good People (where you go after you die if you have been reasonably good) are concerned that the U.S. is in rapid decline so appoint their watcher, Cuckoo, to find a solution. Cuckoo finds that so many Americans have been corrupted by dollar worship and Fast Food, that the only living creature up to the task is Eagle, head of all the eagles – and the very personification of character and integrity. However, Eagle is an eagle so has to know a lot more before he will be up to the task. Accordingly, Cuckoo proceeds to teach him. Meanwhile, the forces of darkness headed by one of Satan’s main agents, determine to destroy Eagle. A hilarious satire combined with an action packed thriller, Eagle & Cuckoo (E&C) may well be one of the funniest, most exciting, books you are ever likely the read; and offers a fascinating perspective on the reality of modern America.

E&C will be a trilogy, albeit each book will be a self-contained story. A self-contained story, from this author’s perspective, has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End; and is satisfying in itself.

• In the How Eagle & Cuckoo Save America: The Beginning, we get to know the characters, see Eagle as he evolves from simple aviator to combat leader, and experience the most hilarious courtroom scene yet written – featuring the Supreme Court and a re-incarnated Clarence Darrow.
• In the How Eagle & Cuckoo Save America: The Contest we follow Eagle as he morphs into human form, develops his political platform, and runs for the presidency.
• In the How Eagle & Cuckoo Save America: The Leader we follow Eagle as he is sworn into office and leads the re-building of America with extraordinary success.

Will there be other E&C books? I truly hope so. I have a lot of ideas on that front. But, as always, it all depends upon the market reaction.

Watch this space for the latest details. We, who appear to be doing nothing, are actually surprisingly busy (but are slower at getting out titles than I would like).

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 29

 THE BLOG ITSELF

Do we (the people) read blog archives? I am sure we do, on occasions; but I suspect that normally we do not. In fact, that has long struck me as one of the weaknesses of electronic blogging as opposed to a physical journal. Books tend to be linear; and to be either read, or dipped into, in such a fashion. In contrast, a blog tends to emphasize immediacy; and, by its nature, to focus almost exclusively on the latest entry.

Is that a good thing?

I’m far from sure. Context is missing. Let me remedy that omission in relation to this blog – not that I want to stop you wandering through the archives. But, in essence, context frequently – though not always – provides some rationality to actions, which seen in isolation, would appear to make no sense at all.

For example: I am writing this blog because I want to communicate to my potential readers; and I am launching several new titles shortly.

In truth, this blog is something more than that. It is also an attempt to reach out at a very human level for no commercial reason at all. Why so? Because communication – when it works in the face of all the normal obstacles and prejudices – is a great and wonderful thing.

My god, that sounds so sentimental. On the other hand, it reflect a personal – and hard-won - belief.

 

THE CONTEXT OF THIS BLOG

The context in this case is quite straightforward. I am on a steady countdown to launch a range of new titles on Amazon, and other major sites, within weeks rather than months. I will provide specific dates when I have them.

I will be launching – over a period of several weeks – three new titles. Thereafter, additional new titles will be appearing at, very roughly, intervals of one every month or two for several months.

The initial titles will be:

• The Blood Of Generations. This will be the fourth action-packed novel in the Fitzduane series. In it, a survivor of the notorious WW II massacre at Malmerie, France, tries to enlist Fitzduane’s help in tracking down one of the chief perpetrators. That perpetrator, aging but still lethal, now runs one of the largest corporations in the world and has planned revenge against the Allies. In the climax, Fitzduane finds himself fighting over the same blood-soaked ground in Nazi occupied France as his father and mother had experienced in WW II when both were agents who had been infiltrated behind enemy lines to prepare for the June 6 invasion in 1944. Their mission-impossible is to either delay or destroy the formidable and ruthless SS Thousand Year Panzer division. With an intersecting story set both today, and back in 1944, this is a Big Thriller on an epic scale inspired by actual events.
• Satan’s Smile. Harry Fremont is a battle-weary scientist turned FBI agent who, for years, has specialized in hunting serial killers. His father is Thurlow Fremont, one of the principal developers of the Hydrogen Bomb. Posted to Livermore, home of the nuclear Livermore National Laboratory, to investigate a series of vicious throat cutting murders, Harry soon discovers that there are other forces at work; and that ‘The Lab’ is the target. Meanwhile, Stonecutter, the master terrorist, is planning a vastly more lethal spectacular event than anyone could have imagined. Distracted by inter-agency politics, and confused by his love for a fellow FBI, agent and his attraction to nuclear scientist Tina Lazaroff, Harry battles against the clock to stop much of California being turned into a nuclear wasteland. In a sentence: Serial killing meets nuclear terrorism.
• How Eagle & Cuckoo Save America: The Beginning. The Council of The Place For Reasonably Good People (where you go after you die if you have been reasonably good) are concerned that the U.S. is in rapid decline so appoint their watcher, Cuckoo, to find a solution. Cuckoo finds that so many Americans have been corrupted by dollar worship and Fast Food, that the only living creature up to the task is Eagle, head of all the eagles – and the very personification of character and integrity. However, Eagle is an eagle so has to know a lot more before he will be up to the task. Accordingly, Cuckoo proceeds to teach him. Meanwhile, the forces of darkness headed by one of Satan’s main agents, determine to destroy Eagle. A hilarious satire combined with an action packed thriller, Eagle & Cuckoo (E&C) may well be one of the funniest, most exciting, books you are ever likely the read; and offers a fascinating perspective on the reality of modern America.

E&C will be a trilogy, albeit each book will be a self-contained story. A self-contained story, from this author’s perspective, has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End; and is satisfying in itself.

• In the How Eagle & Cuckoo Save America: The Beginning, we get to know the characters, see Eagle as he evolves from simple aviator to combat leader, and experience the most hilarious courtroom scene yet written – featuring the Supreme Court and a re-incarnated Clarence Darrow.
• In the How Eagle & Cuckoo Save America: The Contest we follow Eagle as he morphs into human form, develops his political platform, and runs for the presidency.
• In the How Eagle & Cuckoo Save America: The Leader we follow Eagle as he is sworn into office and leads the re-building of America with extraordinary success.

Will there be other E&C books? I truly hope so. I have a lot of ideas on that front. But, as always, it all depends upon the market reaction.

Watch this space for the latest details. We, who appear to be doing nothing, are actually surprisingly busy (but are slower at getting out titles than I would like).