Welcome to Gwen Plano and Her Latest Book, The Culmination, a new beginning.

December 11, 2020December 7, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 45 Comments

Thank you, John, for inviting me to your blog to help launch The Culmination, a new beginning. The book is now public on Amazon, and I’m super excited. To celebrate, the Kindle edition is on sale at 99¢ through December.

So, what’s the book about? The Culmination can best be described as a military thriller. It tackles difficult topics such as denuclearization, the power struggles over oil in the Middle East, as well as the ever-present danger of war. Readers will find themselves sitting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walking in the historic Red Square, and laughing with children in an orphanage in Turkey. They will glimpse the horror of war and watch the give and take of a negotiated peace. Readers will also meet the two heads of state who fall in love and subsequently commit themselves to creating a world in which all are family.

I never expected to write this book, but in some ways, I had no choice. The characters crowded into my office and insisted that I listen to them. In a very real way, they wrote the book. I simply tapped the keys and learned of the urgent need to become family.

BLURB:

The Culmination, a new beginning is the third book in The Contract thriller series. After an assassination attempt on an Air Force base in northern California, tensions mount. Heads of state meet to craft a denuclearization agreement. The meetings between these nuclear powers take a murderous turn. A nefarious conspiracy re-emerges and leads the characters into the heart of the Middle East, where they encounter the unexpected and find a reason for hope.

EXCERPT:

The leaders from the nine countries with nuclear arsenals gather in Santa Fe, New Mexico to check on the U.S.’s disarmament progress. This is the team’s first visit to any of the sites. Vice President Margaret Adler from the United States proudly leads the team to the nuclear weapons complex.

While storm-clouds gather, the leaders from the nuclear nations board an armored military transport and travel to the visitation site, the Kirtland Air Force Base Nuclear Weapons Complex in Albuquerque. An Air Force engineer greets them and explains how the investigation will proceed. He describes the disarmament process and points out the care that is taken for storing the disarmed warheads. Vice President Margaret Adler stands to his side and listens intently as he discloses the intricate steps required. The engineer then leads the team to a viewing room, where members can look out upon the collection of deactivated warheads.

After the technical questions get answered, the team returns to the hotel. They proceed to the conference room to discuss their experience and plan for the next steps. If they’d expected a leisurely working-lunch, events soon disabuse them of that notion. As the attendees take their seats, a scuffle breaks out among the Chinese delegation. A member of their team points a semi-automatic weapon at his President and yells, “Zhang subverts Mao’s principles and lives by his own!” Then he shouts something in Chinese and opens fire.

The Chinese President falls to the ground. Screams erupt and chairs topple as people scramble out of the way of the assassin. Several rush to the door in a panic. Chaos ensues.

Stunned, Margaret stands and stares, mouth agape, and heart thumping. The shooter points the weapon directly at the Vice President. “This charade will end today.”

Margaret keeps her eyes on the assailant and edges away from the group. Those still seated take cover beneath the table, and those standing take a few steps back. TV crews capture everything. Though nauseous from fear, Margaret confronts the man in quiet tones, “Sir, this is not the way to handle a disagreement. Innocent people surround you. Move to the open area, as I have done.”

Russia’s President Smirnov hurries forward and steps in front of Margaret. Meanwhile, soldiers work their way through the crowd and hold their assault weapons drawn on their target. Smirnov tries to talk the militant shooter into laying down his gun, but he will have nothing to do with the President’s directive. Instead, he aims and fires upon him. Immediately, a barrage of automatic shots discharges and kills the assailant.

Margaret can’t help but scream. She covers her mouth with her hand and blinks in shock. Time seems to stand still, and then the roar of pandemonium and fear hits her. At last, she finds that she can move and reaches to help Smirnov.

His son Ivan rushes to his side. Hit in the chest, Smirnov bleeds profusely. He coughs blood and struggles to breathe. He tries to speak, but words fail to emerge. Ivan cradles his father’s head. “I love you.”

With tears pouring down her face, Margaret holds Smirnov’s hand. An Air Force medical team dashes into the room and to the downed President’s side. Smirnov’s eyes are barely open, but he looks at Ivan and then Margaret and sputters one audible word—family. His eyes close. The Russian President takes his final breath.

Overcome by sorrow, Margaret chokes back her tears. As though in a dream, she stands. Smirnov’s blood covers her hands and suit. She summons strength and raises her voice, “We have just beheld the courage of a true leader. He has made the ultimate sacrifice.”

CONTACT INFO:

Blog: https://www.gwenplano.com/blog-reflections

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GMPlano

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmplano

Amazon Author’s page: https://amzn.to/3eAU2Bt

BOOK LINKS:

Letting Go into Perfect Love – https://amzn.to/3bToO7t

The Contract between heaven and earth – https://amzn.to/2U2Lgmv

The Choice: the unexpected heroes – https://amzn.to/3lcz8eA

The Culmination, a new beginning – https://amzn.to/3eEWkj9

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Lucy Undecided

December 10, 2020December 9, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 87 Comments

“It’s a beautiful day, Little One. Patio time or chase the ball time?”

“Boy. Both good choices.”

“Where d’you go?”

“I can hardly hear you. I’m checking out the ball field.”

“If it were my choice I’d do patio, Lucy.”

“But it is so nice. The temperature is perfect for ball chasing.”

“You know we can even chase the ball in the rain, Lucy.”

“You make a good point. Maybe we should take advantage of the sunshine.”

“Lots of shadows on the patio, now.”

“Looks like maybe we could do ball for a while until the sun clears the trees.”

“Or we could find some sun in the bed over here.”

“Aw, come on, Twiggy. Those stones are like needles.”

“Yeah, I forgot you heavy dogs can’t just walk on anything.”

“Heavy dog? Okay, I’m going to go chase the ball.”

“Wait a minute. You can walk on these smooth stones.”

“I might crush them being so heavy and all.”

“Have fun chasing the ball. I’m going to lay out in the sun.”

“Good for you. I’m going to jog a little. Maybe get some of that fat to go away.”

Twiggy and Lucy

“Man some people are really sensitive. Looks like Lucy has a few body image issues.”

“I can hear you, Little one.”

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

December 9, 2020December 8, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 51 Comments

“I heard it too, Little one.”
“Think it’s Friday?”
“Pesky squirrel more likely.”

It is Wednesday Story Time again, and last week, we took a little breather. Pricilla and Jerry Stennis, Lazar’s lawyer, had a little conversation, which resulted in Stennis wanting to stay with Lazar until Carolyn’s status is known. After their discussion, Pricilla left to talk to her FBI counterpart. I see she is coming back, so we better get there and find out what that conversation was all about.

“Mr. Dunfee, could I see you outside for a moment?”

“Uh, sure, Ms. Thomas.”

“Follow me.”

“Can Andrew come too?”

“Yes, I see no reason why not.”

“Ms. Thomas?”

“Yes, Mr. Stennis.”

“Does this concern my client?”

“No, sir, it does not.”

“Thank you.”

“Excuse us for a minute.”

“Hold on, Ms. Thomas, while I get the door.”

“Gallant, Mr. Dunfee.”

“I just want to make sure it is closed.”

“Is it closed.”

“Yes, it is.”

“I said this does not concern Lazar bu it does.”

“What is it, Ms. Thomas.”

“We just got another hit on Andre Terrian, and it is not good.”

“What do you mean.”

“It looks like he was a person of interest in Corsica as the supposed leader of a kidnap for ransom scheme.”

“Corsica? That is pretty random.”

“They only used the location as a base.”

“How did they get sideways with the locals?”

“They actually had the locals in their pocket. They were never charged and left the island.”

“This does not sound good for Carolyn.”

“Yeah, no kidding. I think Lazar made a big mistake hiring him to watch Carolyn. It looks like a couple of the kidnap victims were roughed up pretty bad.”

“How so?”

“Andre was pretty forceful in his demands and sent some pretty vicious videos of the victims getting punched around if there was any delay in payment.”

“None killed or missing?”

“No. it Looks like his MO is to scare the crap out of the parents. None of the victims were seriously hurt just looked that way on the video.”

“Well, that’s one thing.”

“Let’s hope the guys in France get to Carolyn before Andre can get away. If he does, we can almost count on some kind of ransom situation.”

“How did you get all this information on Andre anyway.”

“He had an accomplice who got caught in another situation and started to talk.”

“But no one got to Andre.”

“Nope, he disappeared. Which he is good at doing.”

“When will the train reach France.”

“I’m guessing in the next ten minutes.”

“Someone going to let us know what happens.”

“Yeah, we have agreed to a text which is much faster.”

“Good idea.”

“I’m worried, though.”

“Not a good thing to hear.”

“Not a good thing to say”

“

Tuesday – A Little Personal – Kreative Kue # 292 by Keith Channing

December 8, 2020December 7, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 64 Comments

In Keith’s words.

“Using this photo (below)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.

Kreative Kue

“You want to tell me what happened?”

“You would never believe it.”

“Oh, come on.”

“No, you would immediately think it was my fault.”

“Well, that’s not a nice thing to say.”

“But you always take the other side.”

“Only when I think you’re wrong.”

“Which is most of the time.”

“Okay. I promise I’ll hear you out and keep my opinions to myself.”

“Well, if you promise.”

“I do.”

“There I was. Standing on the corner minding my own business.”

“Your stories all start out the same.”

“You asked. Should I continue?”

“Sorry. Go ahead.”

“As I said, I was minding my business when this big bus turned the corner.”

“You didn’t chase the bus, did you?”

“You going to wait or not?”

“Sorry again. Please proceed.”

“On the bus was this picture of a beautiful dog. It was running its heart out.”

“Okay. That would be a Greyhound bus.”

“The dog looked at me, and in an instant, I knew what I had to do.”

“The dog looked at you?”

“I took off and kept stride for stride. I kept asking the dog if it needed help.”

“No response.”

“How did you know?”

“Lucky guess.”

“We came to a corner, and the bus stopped.”

“When are we going to get to the paw?”

“The doors opened, so I started to get on.”

“Someone kicked your paw?”

“No, the doors slammed shut on it. Seems they didn’t want a dog on there even though they had one captive on the side.”

“Doesn’t seem like that would do too much damage.”

“Then the bus started moving with my paw in the door. That’s when I knew I had to yank it free.”

“Which caused the hurt.”

“No. The rear tire hitting it caused the hurt.”

“I see.”

“That’s it? Just I see. No critical comments.”

“I think anything I say would just add insult to injury.”

“So you think it is my fault that I got injured trying to help a poor dog in distress?”

“No. That’s not what I think.”

“What then?”

“That you’re an idiot.”

“You were going to keep your opinion to yourself.”

“I lied.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Completion of the Washington Monument in 1884

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 50 Comments

This week marks the 136th anniversary of the completion of the Washington Monument.

Lt Col. Casey places the aluminum apex on the Washington monument.

The Washington Monument was started on July 4th, 1832, and because of money shortfalls and the Civil War wasn’t completed until December 6th, 1884. So it isn’t any wonder that we should go and see the last piece of the construction put in place. We need to take our list of the Top Ten Things Not to Do to not cause any kind of time continuum interruption. Grab the list and jump in the Oldsmobile, and we’ll be off.

James’s Oldsmobile from Eternal Road – The final stop

TopTen Things Not to Do at the Completion of the Washington Monument in 1884

10 If you go, do not offer to place the eight-inch aluminum point on the top. (If you do, at best, you’ll be laughed at. To St Louis. At worse, you will ask Lt. Col. Casey of the Army Corps of Engineers. (It was Lt. Col. Casey who supervised the construction of the final piece of the monument, Morrison. He is the one to place the point. If looks could kill.)

9 If you go, Do not get in Tiny the WWF champ’s way as he lowers the capstone in place. If you do, at best, someone will pull you out of the way. At worst, Tiny will lower it in place anyway. (You see, Morse the capstone weighs 3,300 pounds. I think Tiny wouldn’t mind seeing what a flat you would look like sailing off the monument.)

8 If you go, do not torture other visitors with the question, Do you know why the monument is 555 feet high? If you do, at best, you will be ignored. At worst, you’ll ask someone who knows but is chilled to the bone in the cold air. (That person will tell you that the height was determined by setting it at ten times the base’s width. That person is now asking for your gloves, Morvan. I think they have earned them._

7 If you go, do not ask if you can take the elevator to the top. If you do, at best, those you ask will think you are drunk. At worst, they’ll think you are having an episode of some kind. (The elevator was not complete until 1888, Moshe. Even the iron stairs were not done until 1886, so these folks are wondering. Oh, look. They have guys in white jackets and are pointing your way.)

6 If you go, do not take a bet on how many marble and granite stones were used in the construction. If you do, at best, you’ll bet a penny. At worst, you’ll put your Maryland horse farm up as collateral. (Even though you thought you knew history, Mosi. Your guess was wrong. It took 36,000 blocks of granite and marble to build the monument. Those big guys look like they want the deed to your virtual horse farm, which, of course, you don’t have. Maybe it’s time to jump back into the Oldsmobile.)

5 If you go, do not ask to see the cornerstone. If you do, at best, you’ll get some surprised looks. At worst, you’ll be handed a shovel. (The cornerstone was buried 21 feet below the surface in 1848, Muni. I think these guys are beginning to believe you are some kind of anarchist. I would be careful if I were you. Those tar and feather parties are not much fun.)

4 If you go, do not give an opinion that the laying of the cornerstone in 1848 was a solitary affair. If you do, at best, whoever hears this chatter will not have attended. At worst, you say so in front of someone who was there. (The cornerstone was laid with upwards of 20,000 people in attendance, including President James K. Polk, Mrs. James Madison, Mrs. Alexander Hamilton, George Washington Parke Custis, and future presidents Buchanan, Lincoln, and Johnson, Murchadh. This person is laughing at you now.)

3 If you go, do not point out the apparent ring of different colored stones at the 126th foot level. If you do, at best, you’ll get a “so what.” At worst, you say something overheard by Lt. Col. Casey. (The different color stones resulted from the quarry near Baltimore not being available after the construction was begun again. Different stones were used, and the color was slightly off. The Lt. Col. is so pleased to have you point this out, Mychajlo. I see him with a box of dueling pistols. Could it be he wants satisfaction?)

2 If you go, do not argue with those who say the completed monument is the tallest building in the world. If you do, at best, people will walk away. At worst, you might get into fisticuffs with one. ( You see, Myrick, once the monument was complete, it became the tallest building in the world. It was second only to the Cologne Cathedral. It kept this status until the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889. Looks like that guy is putting on some gloves. Hope you know how to box.)

1 If you go, do not question the value of the aluminum apex. If you do, at best, those who hear you will think you are crazy. At worst, Lt. Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey will hear you. ( The aluminum apex was thought to be as valuable as silver. It was cast in Philadelphia and thought to be the largest piece of aluminum in the world. After casting and before installation, it was put on display at Tiffany’s in New York. Looks like the Col wants a word with you, Matthew.)

***

Today is the 79th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and time to remember all who lost their lives on that Sunday morning.

Views of the Neighborhood – Car Show and Holiday Bazaar

December 6, 2020December 5, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 89 Comments

I indicated that The Producer and I would be donning our hazmat suits to attend the Views outing this week. There were several requests for a photo of that occurrence. The most sincere came from Luanne Castle, the talented poet. So here it is, and thanks to Luanne. There were also request’s for next week’s Ninja get-ups. I’ll handle those next week.

Our bus is ready. The food is packed. We will unload at the church where the bazaar is being held. Today we are serving Standing rib roast au jus, twice baked potatoes, haricot verts almondine, stuffed squab breast, dessert, hot brownie, and vanilla bean ice cream. As usual, there are top-shelf liquors, Silver Oak Cabernet, and Groth Chardonnay. Our entertainment today is Joe Diffie with a holiday song.

Of course, I couldn’t post all the photos, but hopefully, this will give you an idea of the event.

Views of the Neighborhood

First up is a work in progress. This is a 1952 Ford Ranch Wagon.

A Jeep CJ with a custom paint job.

A 1954 Rolls Royce

The 1930s Modal A ford pick up truck

1959 MGA roadster

A 1957 Thunderbird. Growing up in Detroit, I saw many of these

A 1954 Chevy Bel-Aire coupe

A 1930s Ford Model, A Sedan.

A 1966 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. It has been modified.

A 1931 Ford model A Three Windo Coupe

The bazaar was inside (yeek). Here is a shot of some of the booths.

Santa was on a break.

I love the sign at this booth.

Here is an overall shot to give you an idea of how the bazaar looked.

Well, that’s it for this week. Please stay and have some more to eat and during. Joe will take us out of here with Rudolf the Red-Necked Reindeer.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “List”

December 5, 2020December 4, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

Today is Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Linda hill used the e-mail system to transmit our prompt today. Here it is, “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “list.” Make or talk about a list. Enjoy!”

If you would like to join in, visit Linda’s blog and see how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2020/12/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-5-2020/

“Well, it’s Saturday, so you must be working on your prompt.”

“Yes, I’m making a list now.”

“List? You are supposed to be working the prompt.”

“list is the prompt/.”

“Ugh, I should have known. What list are you working on?”

“Naughty and nice.”

“You being Santa this year.”

“No, but I got to thinking of some of the people in this world.”

“So now you are judging whether they are naughty or nice?”

“Judging is a harsh term.”

“So give me an example?”

“Judge Judy.”

“Huh. Pretty obscure, I’d say. Naughty or nice?”

“Both.”

“Aw, come on. This is a waste of time.”

“Go ahead, name someone.”

“Okay Me.”

“Low blow.”

“Why?”

“This is not an interdiction session.”

“That bad?”

“Well?”

“What do you mean well?”

“You have a tendency to be naughty.”

“Define naughty.”

“Always teasing me about my prompts.”

“Oh, please. You are wide-open for that. No one takes these prompts as seriously as you. In fact, I would say have the time you are not living up to the terms of the prompt.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Supposed to be a stream of consciousness, not a well-thought-out plan. So what else?”

“Okay. What else? Erm. You spend too much time at the pub.”

“Only because you are my friend.”

“What does that mean?”

“You don’t drink a lot, but you are a carrier.”

“How about now?”

“I could use a gallon.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“That would serve as a stimulus.”

“Speaking of that, I have McConnell, Pelosi, and Schumer on the naughty list.”

“Sounds right.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

December 4, 2020December 3, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

“Whatyadoing, Lucy?”
“I’m Taking a sunbath.”
“You sure no one can see you?”
“So what if they can.”
“You’re not dressed.”
“Neither are you.”
“Boy now that you mention it.”

Yes, it is Friday. Pretty soon, the cares of the week will be history as we take a breath over the weekend.

A few activities are going on in the neighborhood that I will be covering for the month’s balance on Views of the Neighborhood. For those who follow that feature, we usually have food, drinks, and music to go along with the tour. I have the bus all decorated for the holidays so it should be pretty festive.

This week we will be visiting a local Holiday Fair sponsored by Emmaus Church. I’m looking forward to seeing people and taking some shots of the gift possibilities. I will be in my Hazmat suit with the self-contained environment.

Next week Lakeway has set up a light scavenger hunt. There are twelve locations, so the Producer and I will be in our nighttime ninja gear capturing that scene.

The following week is the Sunday before Christmas, so I will be doing the Trail of Lights. The producer and I will again don the nighttime stealth equipment.

Since Christmas eve falls on a Thursday, I have asked Twiggy and Lucy to stand down while I finish some neighborhood decorations.

Now the schedule is set, so at least I can relax and enjoy the festive spirit. Today’s JohnKu talks about the spirit of the holidays. I hope you all have a great weekend.

They come every year,

The holidays don’t sneak up . . .

So embrace the spirit.🎄

Thursday – Little Personal – Holiday Help with Twiggy and Lucy

December 3, 2020December 2, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 89 Comments

“Twiggy. Can you hear me?”

“Yes. What’s going on in there.”

“The tree is going up. You won’t want to miss that.”

Lucy and Twiggy

“So what’s in the boxes?”

“”Don’t you remember from last year. Ornaments.”

“And what’s that pile over there.”

“I don’t think you are supposed to touch those.”

“Yeah, well, Dad and Mom aren’t here, so I’m going to investigate.”

“I would keep my wet nose out of there if I were you.”

“These don’t smell like anything good. You may be right.”

“Yes. Better leave them alone.”

“Look, those boxes are open.”

“Please protect us all, Baby Jesus.”

Twiggy and Lucy

“Look, Lucy. You can dig on this top and not make a mark.”

“Ah yes, the spirit of the holiday.”

“Well, Lucy. I think we are finished here.”

“Yes, in rode the six hundred to save the day.”

“The tree looks good. How about a closeup?”

Twiggy and Lucy

“Anything for you, Little One. Happy Holidays from Our House to Yours.

Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day

December 2, 2020December 1, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

“We need to get moving.”
“Why?”
“To get ready for Friday.”
“I’ll set the alarm.”

It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week, we were given new worries about Andre Terrian’s behavior towards Carolyn. The question is, will he sell out to Cortez or protect Carolyn? We still have no information about the kid in the back seat. We will have to wait until the car reaches France to find out what is going on with him. The blue Mercedes with Carolyn, Andre, and the mysterious kid in the back has entered the train loading platform at Folkestone England. I think we should get back to the trooper headquarters. I see Lazar’s lawyer, Robert Stennis, has asked to talk to Pricilla.

“You wanted to talk to me, Mr. Stennis.”

“Yes. I’m wondering how long my client is going to be here?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I have other business that needs attention, but I don’t want to leave him in a vulnerable condition.”

“So tell him not to say anything, and you can be on your way.”

“There is this little matter about holding someone without charges.”

“If it bothers you, I can get a formal indictment.”

“Would be much cleaner.”

“Then Lazar here would be eligible for bail.”

“Yes, I believe that would be true.”

“You know if he walks out of here, he is a dead man.”

“Thanks for reminding me.”