Thursday – A Little Personal – My Second Post Oct. 2012

August 6, 2015August 4, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 19 Comments

Linda Hill nominated me for the First Post honor. The idea is to go back to your first post and then publish it again.

The rules are:
Copy-paste, link, pingback, etc. your first post.

Identify the post: introduction, story, poem.

Explain why it was your first post.

Nominate five other bloggers.

Since I have been honored before I decided I would publish my second post which was a brief discussion of the author William F. Buckley. I decided to re-post this under my personal banner this time because the post was a little embarrassing. This was my second post since I was doing a series on authors and William F. Buckley was one of my favorites.

Before I get to the post here are my mentions.

GREAT ESPIONAGE STORIES FROM AN UNUSUAL SOURCE

October 29, 2012 · by John W. Howell · in Favorite Fiction · 2 Comments ·Edit

1/21/1988 President Reagan meeting with William F Buckley in oval office (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

William F. Buckley known more for his conservative view of politics, his acerbic wit, and his own television show was also very talented in crafting entertaining and well thought out espionage novels. He established the hero Blackford Oakes, a Yale-trained CIA agent, who started as a newbie on the East West bloc and rose to a senior field operative. Buckley, who was described by the New York Times as the Waugh of suspense fiction, taught me in his many novels that there is no need to be confined to single dimensional thoughts or career. His lesson to me in short – when you aspire to do more you will. Buckley wrote his stories in the 80s but they are still worth a read today. His titles include Saving the Queen; Stained Glass; Marco Polo, If You Can; Who’s on First; The Story of Henri Tod and See You Later Alligator.

Wednesday Story Day – AKA Hump Day

August 5, 2015August 3, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 33 Comments

Wednesday story time again. Last week we left Robert and Charlotte after Robert discovered the person he was talking to was not Bob’s mother but Charlotte. I know all this seems a bit confusing but I think Charlotte can straighten it out for us. Let’s go to her and continue where we left off. You’ll recall Robert was so confused that he used Charlotte’s favorite expression, “Oh my gosh.”

“Don’t be too confused Robert it is quite simple really.”

“Maybe simple for you but I’m totally in the dark as to what is going on.”

“Robert you are an alter ego of Bobs.”

“What does that mean?”

“Bob made you up to cope with the life he could not control.”

“How could that be? I’m right here. I’m not made up.”

“Trust me for a minute. Bob used you to fight his battles and wanted you to hurt his mother. The problem you have right now is Bob didn’t give you any information about he was believing I was his mother when in fact I’m not.”

“You say this is simple. I still don’t understand.”

“Okay let me try another path. If you were sent to pick up a package at the store and no one told you what the package looked like you would grab any old thing.”

“Okay, I’m beginning to understand. Bob has in his head you as his mother.”

“Right.”

“Why did he do that?”

“Because he is a little ill and has delusions.”

“Damn. I could have hurt you.”

“That is true, but it didn’t happen.”

“Charlotte?”

“Yes, Robert.”

“It’s Bob. I told Robert to take five.”

“How are you, Bob?”

“Real sorry right now.”

“Why?”

“I thought I had Robert all squared away to get rid of you and he failed.”

“Bob?”

“You know I’m Charlotte right?”

“Yes, Charlotte I know who you are. You’re my mother.”

“Oh, my gosh.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Photo Prompt

August 4, 2015August 3, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 36 Comments

Keith Channing is a talented writer who has a regular feature named Kreative Kue and he has published his 36^th. I find these prompts to be uniquely challenging and decided to join in this week. The idea is to take a picture Keith has published and write anything you want about it. I decided to write a flash fiction story about the photo. I hope you like it and if you want to check out Keith’s site go here http://channing.info/wp/2015/08/03/kreative-kue-36/

“Hello, Sergio. Yeah, we are almost to the border. No, it’s just the three of us. Me, Jorge and my sister. I know we should get off the phone. Will you have the truck on the other side right? Good, see you then. Goodbye.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“It’s our pickup man. He will meet us when we get across the river.”

“Do you trust him?”

“Well, let me put it this way. I have only paid him half, and he needs the money. Marie, not so fast.”

“I am anxious to get to the other side. I can’t wait to start our new life.”

“Jorge what are you doing?”

“Picking an orange. What’s the big deal?”

“We are not supposed to make any kind of trail. Don’t pick more.”

“Sure. Who died and made you boss?”

“I’ve planned this crossing for over a year. I don’t need any screw ups. Do not drop those orange peels either.”

“Oh yeah? What should I do with ’em then?”

“I could tell you, but I’m a gentleman.”

“HALT USTEDES TRES NO SE MUEVEN.”

“Oh my God it’s the border patrol.”

“What did they say?”

“HALT YOU THREE DON’T MOVE. I think they mean it.”

“Ponte de rodillas rápida.”

“Hey, no pushing. What are they saying?”

“Get down on your knees quick. I would do what they say.”

“How in the hell did they know we were here? I’ll bet it’s that phone call of yours.”

“Sorry Jorge they are saying orange. You picked the only alarm orange in the country.

“Does this mean we will not get to cross into Mexico?”

“That’s what it looks like Marie.”

Top Ten Things Not to do on a Sunday

August 3, 2015August 3, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 43 Comments

The inspiration for this list came from spending over 3800 Sundays so far and not making the best decisions always on how to spend the day. Now that this is Monday maybe there is enough time to plan for next week. Hope you enjoy it.

Top Ten Things Not to do on a Sunday

10 On a Sunday, do not clean out the garage. If you do, at best you will only rearrange the junk since trash day is at the end of the week. At worst, you will find several long-lost repair projects that you totally forgot to finish.(Hiding them again may not be practicable)

9 On a Sunday, do not use a leaf blower. If you do, at best your neighbors will call upon the Almighty to forgive you. At worst, the person next door who you thought was a minister turns out to be a coven leader and has drawn a funny symbol on your front lawn. (You begin to notice the hair on the back of your hands getting thicker)

8 On a Sunday, do not pack up the family for a drive in the country. If you do, at best you will be carting several sullen children with you. At worst, you will be sitting in traffic for hours. (And you have yet to enter the freeway.)

7 On a Sunday, do not go to the grocery store. If you do, at best you’ll be wondering why all these people can’t shop during the week while you are working. At worst, you will make a comment to someone named Brutus who just happens to be unemployed and who decides you need a lesson in manners.(You notice his fist is the size of your head just as the lights go out.)

6 On a Sunday, do not think you can go to the park for a picnic at the last-minute. If you do, at best you will enjoy your lunch in the car. At worst, you will try to sneak a spot next to the Smith Family Reunion sign only to discover the Smiths have their own Hell’s Angles chapter. (And your Ralph Lauren cap is now part of a keep away game.)

5 On a Sunday, do not think you can check out with a six-pack of beer before the lawful time. If you do, at best you will win a bunch of friends as the line comes to a halt waiting for the manager to void the sale. At worst, the loudspeaker announcement of “Alcohol violation on register seven,” will have the entire store in stitches knowing by looking at you that you aren’t trying to pass a fake ID. (But are just plain dumb)

4 On a Sunday, do not go any distance without checking to see if your destination is open. If you do, at best you will have given the family a ride in the country. At worst, you will have a full mutiny on your hands that will take some ice cream volleys to quell. (Not to mention the loss of leadership respect.)

3 On a Sunday do attempt to take a nap before you check with everyone to see if they need anything. If you do, at best everyone will need something. At worst they will need something, and you are the only person who knows the location of the something. ( The request will come in one at a time.)

2 On a Sunday, do not invite the whole family to your house for pot luck dinner. If you do, at best a few will pass and there will be enough to go around. At worst, all will attend, and most will have forgotten to bring anything other than an enormous appetite. (Not to mention a 102-degree temperature and runny noses.)

1 On a Sunday, do not try an experimental recipe that you found in the Sunday supplement. If you do, at best you will be substituting some ingredients that you did not have on hand to mixed results. At worst, the mixed results were manifest in several of your household members rushing quickly from the table. (With the sound of large quantities of running water covering a number of noises)

Sunday – Fifty-Two Views of the Gulf

August 2, 2015August 1, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

Here is this week’s photo. You can see the Gulf is very calm. There are hardly any waves. We have had a couple of days with winds below 5 MPH and coupled with the full moon the wave action is almost non-existent. The purple morning glories are pretty much spent but you can see some little splotches of yellow to the right. A few visitors to the beach and there are some tire tracks of one of our neighbors who is setting up by the water.

Last week’s photo

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Ready”

August 1, 2015July 31, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 27 Comments

Stream of Consciousness Saturday time. This week’s prompt is “Ready.” We minions are allowed to use it any way we want. Humm, I can think of a few ways. If you would like to join the madness fun, please go to Linda Hill’s blog and read up on what is needed. http://lindaghill.com/2015/07/31/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-115/

“So are you ready?”

“Ready for what?”

“Ready to go.”

“Ready to go where?”

“Ready to go home.”

“Am I ready to go home?”

“I think that is the question. Yes, are you ready to go home?”

“No. I’m not ready.”

“Why aren’t you ready?”

“I’m not drunk enough.”

“Oh, I think you are.”

“Are what?”

“Drunk enough.”

“I think I’ve drunk enough but am not drunk enough. Does that make sense?”

“I guess in a weird way it makes sense. So you ready?”

“Sure let me get my shoes.”

“While you’re at it I would get your pants as well.”

“Might come in handy.”

“Yup.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

July 31, 2015July 27, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 25 Comments

Looks like we made it to Friday. I think we should take a moment and give ourselves a pat on the back. Ready, set pat, pat, pat. There how good does that feel? We should remember that we still have an eight hour or so day away from the magic of Friday night (weekend eve).

This week has been a long one. I was busy all weekend with a conference and it just seems like work after a while. (Duh. You are a writer attending a writer’s conference). It seems nice to have a weekend home and I’m looking forward to it. This week’s JohnKu reflects on home. I hope you like it.

Great to get away,

To meet erudite authors. . .

Home is comforting.

Thursday – A Little Personal

July 30, 2015July 27, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 29 Comments

I just returned from an excellent writer’s conference and have the need to change/set some short-term goals if I am to accomplish what I envisioned as a successful conclusion when I started this writer’s journey.

To begin the process, I think a restatement of my original goal (mission statement) is in order. Here it is: To Write What People Want to Read.

I know my mission statement doesn’t sound all that profound but has been my guiding principle since I began writing in 2012. You will notice it has nothing to do with money, fame, glory, or Amazon rankings. The idea of writing for readers answers the question of why my so-called platform here on WordPress is more about entertainment than selling books. Yes there is a click-through on the sidebar and yes I have put an arrow (see below) on the blog now and then pointing to all the hard sell on the sidebar but for the most part subjects covered here are to be read. I keep the word counts manageable in recognition of the time it takes to visit some blogs. In short I don’t do a superb job conforming to the basic rules of attracting a mass following. I do know those who do follow do not need to waste their time on overly long posts.

Where am I going with all of this?

1. I need to rewrite the opening to the sequel to My GRL. I have never been entirely happy with it and a group of very bright folks gave me some clues on how to make it better.

2. I need to hold on any more work on editing book three of the My GRL trilogy until the sequel to book one is published.

3. I need to finish the edits and rework for what I am calling a stand alone (my fourth book) and begin the query process. The current name is Circumstances of Childhood.

4. I have asked for and received from my publisher a waiver on the first right of refusal for books two and three of the trilogy. I have made the decision to self-publish these.

5. I will continue to write material I hope people want to read and will do those things necessary to try to reach readers with the message that my stuff is good to read.

So there you have it. A clear path and the basic plan for the next twelve months. I think the conference was worth it.

Wednesday Story Day – AKA Hump Day.

July 29, 2015July 23, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

Librarian signing her memoirs with stamp.

Wednesday story day again and last week we were treated to a situation where Bob’s mother managed to confuse Robert. He is an alternate personality created by Bob. Robert’s sole function is to protect Bob from the psychological ravages inflicted by his mother. Robert seemed a little confused about his identity and called out to Bob for help. Let’s join the two.

“Bob’s not going to come to your aid.”

“Why not?”

“Because he is afraid of me. That’s why.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“Then why call for Bob?”

“I just need some questions answered that’s all.”

“Like what questions?”

“You raised a doubt in my mind about the future.”

“The future? Your future you mean?”

“Yes, I guess so.”

“Maybe I can help.”

“I don’t trust you. Bob has told me so many things you have done to him that I hate you.”

“Do you think Bob told you the truth?”

“Of course. Why would he lie? After all, I was there for some of it.”

“You were there?”

“Yes, Bob and I used to trade places when he was feeling especially vulnerable. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I need to get on with protecting Bob and the best way is to shut you up for good.”

“You need to shut up Bob’s mother.”

“Yes, that’s right. Bob’s mother.”

“Take a close look Robert.”

“Oh my god. You’re Charlotte.”

“That’s right. You still think I need shutting up?”

“B─but I don’t understand.”

“It will take some time Robert. Do you have the time?”

“Oh, my gosh.”

#RRBC Spotlight Author Blog Tour with Sara F. Hathaway

July 28, 2015July 25, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 42 Comments

I am very pleased to welcome Sara F. Hathaway Rave Reviews Book Club Spotlight Author for this week. You can visit her schedule here.

Day After Disaster: A Letter Home

To whomever finds this letter,

I sit here writing you now, hoping that this letter will be useless. Hopefully I have found my family still alive in this wreck of a world I must now navigate with only my horsey companions, Artaz and Kit. They were gifts given to me by angels. Good people who still exist and cling to a reality we all inhabited just months ago.

When the Great Quake hit I was at work. Just another day and another dollar. Nothing unusual to heading down into an old bunker that existed beneath the restaurant I worked at. Its constant cool temperature made it a perfect place to store the wine that the restaurant boasted from the local wineries. It was my blessing and my curse. The Great Quake trapped me there under the sludge of Sacramento that I could have never imagined existed on top of me. But, that was what the quake created, chaos.

It took me time and desperation but I escaped on a raft that I constructed from leftover materials in the shelter. The outside world I found was shocking. The water that destroyed the city in an instant burned my skin with its chemical makeup. I devised a suit to protect me and tried to paddle home. The horrors that awaited me in the sludge still haunt my dreams. Faces of the bloated dead staring back at me with their cold eyes. Their flesh peeling back from the bone, rotted away by the toxins.

My belief that my best friend (my husband), and my precious son are still out there waiting for me to come home drove me to continue on. Then the unimaginable happened. The water, heated by an unknown source, started to melt my makeshift raft. I was so close. I lost all reason and jumped, thinking I could swim the rest of the way with the protection from my suit. I was wrong.

I woke up to the presence of the most wonderful couple and an unimaginable pain. The people that found me reminded me of my grandparents, God rest their souls. They nursed me and fed me. They cared for me for no reason but to do the right thing. Hard to imagine such selflessness would even exist in this world. When the burns had turned to scabs, I had to leave. I know my family is out there but I don’t know how long they will wait for me. It’s been months now since I left. The Fourth of July has come and gone.

As I sit here, feeling the warm breath of the horses on my face, I have to wonder if I will ever make it. It seems that many people inhabiting this new reality have lost their minds and all sense of hope. They have turned from civilized people to hungry, desperate murderers. But, I have strength and I will do whatever it takes to get home. If you find this letter and you ever encounter Vince and Dexter Moore, please tell them that I tried. I gave it everything I had to make it home and I hope I did.

Sincerely,

Erika Moore

Sara F. Hathaway is the author of the book, Day After Disaster. Sara grew up in the country where she developed a profound interest in the natural world around her. After graduating from The California State University of Sacramento with a Bachelor’s degree in business management, she returned to her passion for a rural existence. She has extensively researched and practiced survival techniques and utilized forgotten life-sustaining methods of the generations past. She currently lives with her husband and two sons in California where she is at work on the sequel to her first novel and helping other authors skyrocket their careers to the next level. For more information and a free copy of “The Go-Bag Essentials” featuring everything you need to have to leave your home in a disaster visit: www.authorsarafhathaway.com

Book Description:

Day After Disaster is an apocalyptic, adventure novel, featuring a dynamic young woman, mother and wife, Erika, who is thrust into a world turned upside down by a series of natural disasters. Finding herself alone in a city mutilated by this disastrous situation, she must save herself. Once free of the city confines, she desperately tries to navigate through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to get back home to her family. Not knowing if they are alive or dead she must call on all of her survival instincts to plot a course through this broken environment.

Book Links:

http://www.authorsarafhathaway.com/#!saras-survival-stuff/c1mzf

http://www.amazon.com/Day-After-Disaster-Changing-Earth/dp/1631221345

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/day-after-disaster-sara-f-hathaway/1119581911?ean=9781631221347

Follow Sara online!!

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarahathaway19

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Website: http://www.authorsarafhathaway.com/

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