Author: John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

A #bookreview of John W. Howell’s ETERNAL ROAD

March 25, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 34 Comments

If you know Staci Troilo you know what a good writer she is. She has written a review of Eternal Road – The last stop that made my day. If you don’t know Staci and her writing now is a good time to visit and find out more. Thank you, Staci.

Staci Troilo

Ciao, amici! I’m ashamed to admit how long this one took me to post. And wish it hadn’t. Because I enjoyed it so much once I finally had a chance to sit down with it and read it.

The following is my review of John Howell’s Eternal Road: The Final Stop.

My Review:

★★★★★

Talk About A Wild Ride

Author John W. Howell took the concepts of “the road to our eternal home” and “our final stop” quite seriously when he penned this afterlife journey novel. And it was an adventure quite unlike anything I’ve read in quite a long time—kind of Kerouac meets What Dreams May Come.

There’s love and hope in this novel, but there’s also danger and warning. The paranormal and metaphysical elements are necessary vehicles for the story, but the author doesn’t turn the tale into a religious one. It’s…

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Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy Visits the Dentist

March 25, 2021March 24, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 103 Comments

“Hey Lucy. Why are you on the couch?”

“I was at the dentist yesterday and am still recovering.”

“Well I better keep watch for you then. I think the UPS person is due.”

“Don’t worry Little One. I’m not in the mood to be barking him to St. Louis today. You’ll be on your own.”

“You rest easy. I’ll handle it.”

“Thanks. ZZZZZZZZZZZ.”

“My goodness. You are out aren’t you?”

“MMMMM fffffffttt.Snork.”

“Gosh. I am alone. This is a big responsibility.”

“ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzZZZZZZZ.”

“Lucy don’t leave me. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“Snaggle snork. Huh? For heaven’s sake I’m. just trying to get some rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Well okay then. Just seems so quiet with you down.”

“Give me a day and I’ll be right back.”

“Oh look. The UPS person. Too bad I don’t feel like barking him to St Louis.”

“Don’t give up, Little one. Do one for the Gipper.”

“Hey Lucy. What are you doing off the couch?”

“I got concerned that you were falling apart.”

“Well it is good to see you out and about.”

“I suppose I could rest up on the patio just as easily.”

“Yeah, and you can listen to me bark the FedEx person to Tulsa”

“Tulsa?”

“She’s already been to St Louis.”

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

March 24, 2021March 23, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 46 Comments

“We going to siege the day or not Little One?”
“What day is it?”
“Wednesday.”
“Carpe Friday.”

It is Wednesday Story Time again, and last week, we were with Larry and Andrew as they were trying to figure out how to get free from the restraints that the “so-called” agents put on them. Lucky for both, Agent Moore showed up and confirmed that the guys that took Pricilla were not agents he had called. It appears they work for Cortez. He freed Andrew and Larry, and Larry suggested they call Lieutenant Mayfield to give him a heads up and stop those guys from taking Lazar.

“Good idea Larry. Let me call him now.”

“Try his cell.”

“Good idea. Hold on, it’s ringing.”

“Well?”

“Just went to voice mail.”

“Of course, it did. Do we ever get a break? Call the main number.”

“It’s ringing. Yes hello. This is agent Mike Moore with the FBI. May I speak to lieutenant Mayfield? He did? How long ago? Can you reach him by radio? I called his cell, and he’s not picking up? How can that be? Is that standard protocol? Do you know where they are going? Crap. You need to issue a BOLO for the lieutenant, the ADA, Lazar Popović, and those two agents. Who’s order? Mine. Agent Moore of the FBI. Badge number 011556. Those agents are suspected of kidnapping ADA Thomas, Lieutenant Mayfield, and Lazar Popović. There is no telling what is going to happen to them. I don’t give a crap what authorization you think they had. That was a phony warrant. Unless you want to turn your incompetence into federal obstruction charges, you’ll issue the BOLO. Here’s my number 512-555-6621. Call me when the BOLO is issued. Moore out. Shit.”

“That didn’t seem to go well.”

“Those stupes at the highway patrol let the phony agents walk out of headquarters with not only Lazar but the lieutenant as well.”

“How could that happen?”

“They had some kind of warrant, and Agent Thomas directed them to cuff Lazar, and apparently, the lieutenant volunteered to be an escort as well.”

“Escort?”

“One of the desk guys expressed some concern about releasing a prisoner, and so the lieutenant stepped up and said he would accompany Lazar. Looks like the warrant authorized the movement of Lazar to a safer location.”

“I wonder if there was a specified destination?”

“The warrant just said ‘unspecified safe house.’”

“Yeah, that’s helpful. What do we do now?”

“Wait for the call on the BOLO and then pray someone spots them.”

“I wonder if they are all in the same vehicle.”

“I asked the desk guy if the lieutenant could be reached on the radio. He said the lieutenant didn’t take his car and that his radio is still at headquarters.”

“Is that when you asked about protocol?”

“Yeah, and the answer was that it was not. I wanted to say, ‘Then why the hell did you let them go?’ but I’m sure I would be wasting my breath. In the face of two agents, the ADA and the lieutenant, I’m sure the desk guy was overwhelmed.”

“I’m not too good with sitting on my hands. Is there anything we can do?”

“I think we should stay close in case someone needs to talk with us.”

“Like who?”

“ADA Thomas. Maybe she can call or something.”

“Like that is going to happen.”

“Hold on, let me get this. Agent Morre. Okay, thanks.”

“Who was that.”

“The desk guy. The BOLO is issued.”

Also, this is the last day Eternal Road – The final stop Ebook is on sale for 99¢ in the US. Here is the link.

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #304 by Keith Channing

March 23, 2021March 22, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 54 Comments

In Keith’s words.

“Using this photo as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The Photo.

“I think I see something.”

“Yeah, right. Might be a mirage.”

“I don’t think so.”

“How can you say you see something. We have been on this trail for days, and there is nothing but grass on either side of us.”

“I’m telling you the road takes a curve, and just beyond is an oasis.”

“You are now getting on my nerves. Not only do you think you see something, but you call it an oasis. You better snap out of it. You are delirious.”

“Look, I’m a whole hand taller than you, and when I say I see something, there is something.”

“Fine. I’ll let it go, but when we hit civilization, I’m going to take you to a doctor.”

“You are going to eat those words in a few minutes. Let’s hurry. We are almost to the curve.”

“Do you know how hard it is to run carrying a full load?”

“You may want to drop that when you see what is available.”

“Drop it? I’ve been hauling this thing ever since we started.”

“And I told you when you picked it up, you were a fool.”

“Hey, what is that?”

“I told you.”

“Are you kidding me? It is an oasis.”

“Ha. What did I say?”

“I’m dropping this leave now. That s a fully stocked trash bin. Do you know how much stuff there will be in there for us?”

“Told you, told you.”

“Okay, you were right. Looks it has a metal pole as if that will keep us ants out of it. My pincers are watering. Time for a feast. I’ll bet there is a leftover french fry in there.”

“I’m looking forward to the sugar packet. Always my favorite.”

“And the cola. Let’s stop talking and get up there.”

“After you, my doubting friend.”

***

Eternal Road – The final stop is on Sale at 99¢ Till Wednesday

March 22, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 46 Comments

In case you missed the announcement, Eternal Road – The final stop e-book is on sale on US Amazon through Wednesday, March 24 at midnight Eastern Time. Here is the link

Eternal Road – The final stop has 26 ratings for an average of 4.8.

This special is being featured on Ereader News Today. You can also go here to take a look at other books being featured.

The blurb.

James Wainwright picks up a hitchhiker and discovers two things 1. The woman he picks up is his childhood sweetheart, only Seventeen years older. 2. He is no longer of this world.

James began a road trip alone in his 1956 Oldsmobile. He stops for a hitchhiker to discover she is his childhood sweetheart, Sam, who disappeared seventeen years before. James learns from Sam falling asleep miles back caused him to perish in a one-car accident. He also comes to understand that Sam was taken and murdered all those years ago, and now she has come back to help him find his eternal home.

The pair visit several times and places and are witness to several historical events. The rules dictate that they do no harm to the time continuum. Trying to be careful, they inadvertently come to the attention of Lucifer, who would love to have their souls as his subjects. They also find a threat to human survival and desperately need to put in place the fix necessary to save mankind.

The question becomes, will James find his eternal home in grace or lose the battle with Satan for his immortal soul and the future of human life with it? If you like time-travel, adventure, mystery, justice, and the supernatural, this story is for you.

Top Ten Things Not to do if You are Going to Disneyland

March 22, 2021March 21, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 162 Comments

A lot of folks used to head to Disneyland or Disneyworld for spring break before the pandemic. I dug this post out of the March 23, 2015 archive. I thought it would be fun to revisit a historical spring break. By the way, I did find a reference to Brutus, the WWF champ, in a 2016 post. This may be the beginning of Tiny. More research is needed. I hope you enjoy this revisit.

Top Ten Things Not to do if You are Going to Disneyland

10 If you are going to Disneyland, do not tell the kids until you are there. If you do, at best, there will be no hiccups, and you will get there after what seems like an eternity. At worst, your fight has a detour to Fargo, North Dakota, because of the weather, and the snow will melt in ten days. (And the kids will ask every three minutes when you are leaving for Disneyland)

9 If you are going to Disneyland, do not try to navigate the park without a guide-book. If you do, at best, a three-day visit will seem like three years of waiting. At worst, you and all the other uninformed visitors will be arriving at the same rides at the same time only to all decide to go to a different ride at the same time and so on and so on till you realize you haven’t ridden one ride in eight hours.

8 If you are going to Disneyland, do not think the weather will be the same in the afternoon as it is in the morning. If you do, at best, there will be a little rain you didn’t expect. At worse, you may get caught in a monsoon-like downpour or the North Pole-like cold snap, which will also be the perfect growing conduit for the flu virus you picked up on the airplane.

7. If you are going to Disneyland, do not let your kids talk you into allowing a friend to come along. If you do at best, they will all get along and only cost an additional five hundred dollars. At worst, after the first day, the friend is no longer speaking to your kids and insists they want to go home and have informed their parents you are holding them against their will. (The state police and FBI are very understanding on these kinds of situations)

6 If you are going to Disneyland, do not think the breakfast with the characters will be anything but a trial. If you do, at best, you will be dismayed at the lack of non-screaming picture-taking opportunities. At worst, your child will be the one who is afraid of a giant Mickey Mouse and makes a scene that is so traumatic you hear people talking about the reaction for three days. (Luckily, your child looks completely different when not screaming bloody murder)

5 If you are going to Disneyland and plan to eat in the park, do not think the cost will be reasonable. If you do, at best, you will discover the three meals you are used to will need to be trimmed to one and a half. At worst, you will have dinner the first night you are there and then spend your time at the front gate with a cardboard sign that reads “will write for food.”

4 If you are going to Disneyland, do not try to make the actors break out of character. If you do, at best, you will simply be annoying for the kids. At worst, you may encounter a character like Jim Fink, king of the river, who will take great pleasure breaking out of character with a knuckles sandwich to your nose.

3 If you are going to Disneyland, do not try to join the main street parade just because it looks so all-American, and you had one too many pops at dinner. If you do, at best, you will be sleeping in the car tonight. At worst, the parade was a success, and unfortunately, it came to an abrupt end with fingerprinting and a drafty cell.

2 If you are going to Disneyland, you cannot think the rides are for adults only. If you do, at best, your children will think you don’t know how to share. At worst, you will need to have a time out while your spouse explains the purpose of going to Disneyland in the first place. (the session in full view of the park visitors)

1 If you are going to Disneyland, do not forget the idea is to have fun. If you do, at best your family will have less of a good time. At worst, you will find your family has made up a little game of hide and seek, and you are it. After you count to one hundred, they have all disappeared, and the next time you talk to them is at the hotel through a locked door.

Views of the Neighborhood – Search for Spring

March 21, 2021March 20, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 82 Comments

Before we get started I just want you to know Eternal Road – The final stop, US Kindle edition, will be on sale for 99¢ starting Today, March 21st at 3:00 AM Eastern time until Wednesday, March 24 at midnight. There are 26 lovely reviews for a 4.8 rating. If you have been waiting for the right price. This will be the time. Now to our regular programming.

***

Since yesterday was the first day of spring, it seems like a good idea to go out and see if we can find some signs. We will need to load up on food, drink, and entertainment to fully enjoy the trip.

It seems appropriate that we partake in brunch, given the nature of the trip and the fact that it is Sunday. Today we are being catered by Matties in Austin, Texas. Our brunch buffet consists of all you can eat.

Biscuits+Chorizo Cream Gravy ̊with scrambled eggs.
Milk Punch French Toast macerated strawberries, candied pecans, whipped cream, bourbon maple syrup.
Green Chile Pork Chilaquiles tomatillo sauce, chunky pico de gallo, eggs, cotija cheese, tortilla chips.
Breakfast Plate ̊ scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, or house-made wild boar sausage.
Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict ̊ buttermilk biscuits, hollandaise, green salad.
Basmati Rice Bowl (V) chickpeas, coconut curry, roasted vegetables, cilantro, tomato, green onions.
Grassfield Farms Beef Burger ̊ aged Tillamook cheddar, tomato-bacon jam, Duke’s mayo, house Frites.

Dessert is an assortment of fresh fruit. (Don’t ever say I don’t care about your health)

To drink we have a nice Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut 2012 champagne and Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. Our entertainment is Sarah McLachlan.

So let’s all get on the bus and go.

Our first stop is to view this Bradford pear. It is one of the first bloomers of spring.

A better photo of another Bradford pear

A sweet redbud is all alone.

Green leaves pop out in the foreground, and a light green tinge to the background’s live oak.

The deer love the spring green grass.

A murdered cape myrtle beginning to bud with new growth.

Young Bradford pears.

A close-up of the Bradford pear blossoms.

An older redbud bursting with color.

The last time we were looking for spring, The Producer took this photo of bluebonnets just beginning to grow. We had a hard freeze after this photo was taken.

Here are the same bluebonnets recorded by The Producer this week. As you can see, the freezing temperatures did not stop their beauty.

Well, that’s it for today. Other than the bluebonnets, there are few blooming flowers. Maybe later in the spring. Relax with brunch and listen to Sarah. I hope you have a great week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Starts with Cal”

March 20, 2021March 19, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 45 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again. I just got a delivery from FedEx and see the return address is Linda Hill. The box is light but filled with bubble wrap. I have to keep this from Twiggy since she loves to pop it.`So here is the message.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “starts with cal.” Use a word starting with the letters “cal” as your prompt word. Have fun!

If you would like to join in for fun, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 20, 2021

“It’s Saturday.”

“I know.”

“What’s the prompt?”

“It starts with Cal.”

“Who’s Cal?”

“No one. The prompt is ‘It Starts with Cal.”‘

“So, Cal starts the prompt.”

“I think I’m going to need a paper bag in a minute.”

“You hyperventilating?”

“No to cove the fact that I’m drinking bourbon straight out of the bottle.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Okay I’ll try one more time. Listen carefully.”

“I’m all ears.”

“And no brains.”

“Aw, come on. Say it one more time.”

“Okay. The prompt today is words that start with C-A-L.”

“Aw crap. Why didn’t you just say so. Words like California, Calistoga, calcium, calculation, calendar, calm, and your favorite callous?”

“Yeah now you have it. What do you mean my favorite.”

“You just strike me as a calous person.”

“I think it is more dealing with the calamity that is you makes me look that way.”

“I’ll buy that. I think it’s time for a barley and hops caloric hit.”

“You buying one who is called flush?”

“Just refer to me as on call. How about a calzone too?”

“I had my mouth set for calamari.”

“Oh, that stuff gives me a rash. I’ll need some calamine lotion after.”

“Never mine. We can stick with the calzome but I will need some calamata olives.”

“Nice try but Kalamata Olives starts with a ‘C'”

“Let’s quit and go get a drink.”

“That’s the caliber I’ve been looking for.”

“Stop it.”

“Fine. You’re driving.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

March 19, 2021March 19, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 72 Comments

“Lucy you are it. Come chase me.”
“Hold on, Little One. I think I hear the roar of a cheese package.”
“I don’t hear it.”
“Maybe I’m having auditory hallucinations. Okay, start running.”

Here we are on Friday again. I guess we all are glad the weekend is here. I have to join Twiggy in her celebrations since every day is pretty much like the other. (being retired and all.)

Not much excitement around here. I have noticed on the news there is a little more action on the bar scene due to the state authorizing bars to open. The city of Austin is continuing the mandatory mask regulations, which I think is good. Unfortunately, the State is not so inclined, and the State Attorney General has issued a cease and desist order. I think the mayor of Austin will ignore it, so there will be some laughable legal maneuvers ahead. The governor and mayor do not see eye to eye on many matters.

We will probably see a percentage increase in Covid cases like other states who have opened up. The fact that 9% of Texans are fully vaccinated compared to 12% of the US population does not add comfort to a potential increase in cases. The next three weeks will tell the tale.

One more thing. Eternal Road – The final stop US Kindle edition will be on sale starting Sunday, March 21st at 3:00 AM Eastern time until Wednesday, March 24 at midnight. There are 26 lovely reviews for a 4.8 rating. If you have been waiting for the right price. This will be the time.

Today’s JohnKu looks forward to spring. I hope you have a lovely weekend.

The snow disappears,

Nourishing the ground below . . .

To herald the blooms.