Stream of Consciousness Saturday

August 30, 2014August 29, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 31 Comments

This post is in response to the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt “age.” You will find it here as well as others rendition of their interpretation of the prompt

http://lindaghill.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-3014/

I never thought I would ever be considered old. I continued to work in business until I was seventy-one. It wasn’t a matter of loving what I was doing it was a matter of saving retirement money from being spent at one of Texas’ finest private schools for the youngest daughter. She graduated and it then became time to retire.

I did retire and began writing and so far have finished two books. One has been published and the other is with the publisher now. The third is at 36,000 words and should be finished by November first.

I still don’t consider myself old and am very fortunate to be able to function each day. I did get a small wake up call when I was crossing the beach one day while a bunch of college kids were attempting to drink Miller Lite brewery dry. I had to wait while a pickup truck filled with laughing and obviously toasted young girls passed by. One of the girls leaned out of the truck and gave me a greeting. Was the greeting “hi handsome, “or “hi good-looking?” No, it was “hi old man.”

So at least she wanted to say “hi,” and no I did not say “hi young, good looking, drunk and stupid girl,” back. Should have.

Friday TGIF and JohnKu Day

August 29, 2014August 22, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 14 Comments

Such a good feeling when you have put your best effort into something. It is really rewarding when the result of the effort is something you are proud to call your own.

One great thing about being a writer is there are times when no matter how grim things may seem, there is a breakthrough which makes you want to dance around the room. Of course, no one else could possibly appreciate your moment of absolute joy. (unless they have similar moments)

When I worked in organized commerce, I never had as many of the breakthrough feelings as I have as a writer. I have to admit, I never had as many moments of self-doubt then either. I think a writer’s life is a matter of trying to savor the high moments knowing the low ones will be there as well. In organized commerce, I don’t believe I ever knew when to savor what. Just when you thought it was time to savor, there was some boss asking questions about your happiness. Today’s John Ku (a term coined by Words4jp) is titled High and Low. Hope you like it.

Rising to the top,

Savoring the latest joy . . .

Until the plummet.

A little More Information Not About My Book- My GRL

August 28, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

This post was supposed to launch early this morning. Well something went wrong so here it is in the afternoon. Will totally miss the UK, but better late than never.

The picture is of Frank our cat. He is still waiting for me to begin writing. He is like the world’s worst nudge. I can’t walk by the desk without a gentle meow reminding me it is writing time. Just so we are all clear, Frank only wants to drink my water and walk on the keyboard. He has no interest in writing.

I have changed the header to reflect a change in weather for us Southerners. You can see the storm moving off the Gulf. The person walking in the picture is my dear wife. She is not supposed to be in the picture (and doesn’t like to be in my pictures) but in all candor, it is the best one and I’m going to run it anyway.

Finally, the sequel to My GRL which is tentatively titled His Revenge is now at the publisher. I have no idea when it will be launched, but want to let you know you can get on my e-mailing list by going over to the right and signing up. I promise there will only be one launch e-mail.

Wednesday Story Day – Hump Day

August 27, 2014August 22, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 26 Comments

Hard to believe Wednesday is here already, but I’ll take it. Only a few more until the weekend which I’ll definitely take. Before I get into the story I need to do a little explanation of the role of my recurring character Frank. Frank is a metaphor or if your prefer an icon for all that is evil in the human condition. Frank represents a number of really bad people who I have had the displeasure of knowing. Frank is the kind of guy who would ask to borrow your car and then get involved in a hit and run accident. He would not tell you anything about it and you would be the first to know the circumstances while being questioned by the police. I don’t cut Frank any slack since he is also as symbol for all those nasty folks who do dirty deeds and get away with them. You know the type, the guy who waters his lawn on a non-watering day. He is also the guy who brags about the clerk who mistook his weeks story is titled Now What and I hope you like it.

Now What by John W. Howell ©2104

“So wha’ chew in for?”

“Armed robbery.”

“Whoa. Tha’s heavy sheet.”

“You’d better believe it’s heavy.”

“How’d chew ge’ caught?”

“Hada gun that didn’t work.”

“Naw sheet. Tha’ sucks.”

“Bet your ass that sucks.”

“Wha bout m’ ass?”

“I said not having a gun that works sucks and I would bet your ass on it.”

“Y’ain’t in no position ta bet m’ass.”

“It’s an expression.”

“A wha?”

“Expression. You know a saying.”

Y’name’s Frank right?”

“Yes that’s correct.”

“I’m a sayin Ay don think y’unnerstan what happens when y’take somthin thet don belon’ to Ya.”

“What did I take?”

“Y’bet my ass tha’s wot. Now me an th’ boys’ goin to take yers in return.”

A Little More About My Book – My GRL

August 26, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 28 Comments

I have received a number of complements on the dedication of My GRL. This dedication was actually written in my head seventeen years ago before I wrote one word of the novel that was to become My GRL. I was fooling around thinking I would like to write a book and began what was to become about 100,000 words of a hodgepodge of disconnected elements of a story.

My father in law, Bill McCormick was an avid reader of fiction. He was also a master of crossword puzzles and in his working life excelled as a General Manager in advertising for the Pittsburgh Press. Bill surrounded himself with words and the love of them his entire life.

One day Bill asked if he could read any of my writing. To this point no living soul had seen anything contained in my Word file. I was feeling a little timid about my relative skill at laying out a cogent story. I did trust that Bill would certainly let me down easy if my stuff sucked as much as I thought it did.

I gave him about two-hundred pages to read. As you can imagine, I was on pins and needles waiting for a reaction. The reaction finally came. Bill had no quarrel with the story and said he liked the way in which the story was written. I was totally blown away. From this encouragement, I tried unsuccessfully to move the story to a point where it could be a satisfying read. I never published this tome, but Bill’s evaluation carried me to the point where I forced myself to continue to write and learn. So, although Bill had no idea his effect on my writing future, his kind words were the ones sustaining me when I felt like throwing in the towel. I promised myself that I would dedicate my first published novel to him and so here is the dedication:

Dedication

My GRL is dedicated to William McCormick (1925 – 2007) who was not only a loving father, grandfather, and husband, but also a voracious reader of books. Bill taught me the love of the written word through a very practical lifelong dedication to continued improvement of the mind. He spent his working life as a marketing person for the Pittsburgh Press surrounded by meaningful words, finishing his career as Vice President. He and his wife Mary Kay were inseparable in life and are now together. They raised the beautiful woman who steadfastly remains my spouse. Bill was the first person to actually say he liked my writing.

Top Ten Things Not to do Visiting a Doctor

August 25, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 19 Comments

Here is the 60th installment of Ten Top Lists of What Not to Do. The inspiration for this came from sitting in several doctor’s offices this week.

Top Ten Things Not to do While Visiting a Doctor

10. If you are visiting a doctor, do not listen to your tunes with earphones while in the waiting room. If you do, at best you will miss your name and have a few more hours wait. At worst, you will start humming one of your favorites and will be asked to wait in the hallway until your name is called.

9. If you are visiting a doctor, do not smile at the old lady sitting across from you even thought she is smiling at you. If you do, at best she will think you nuts since her smile will turn out to be gas. At worst, she will think you are from another planet and give you a nice whack with her cane.

8. If you are visiting a doctor, remember to turn off your cellphone. If you don’t, at best you will get some annoying notifications. At worst, you will get a call from another doctor’s office wanting to discuss the results of your last test.

7. If you are visiting a doctor, do not touch anything in the office waiting room. If you do, at best you will only catch a cold. At worst, you will be in line for the next case of Ebola since the first case finished with the magazine you are reading now.

6. If you are visiting a doctor, do not attempt any doctor humor. If you do, at best you will bomb like Henny Youngman at an NRA convention. At worst, you will keep wondering about not being able to feel your leg after the shot from the humorless one in charge.

5. If you are visiting a doctor, do not try to get in without paying your co-payment amount. If you do, at best you will called back to the front to the amusement of all the patients. At worst, you will meet the biggest medical technician who will hold you upside down until you pay up.

4. If you are visiting a doctor do not go through any of the cabinets in the examination room. If you do, at best you will see some unusual instruments that will make you want to leave immediately. At worst, the doctor will walk in just as you come across the samples of products designed to prevent sexually transmitted disease

3. If you are visiting a doctor do not ask questions about the degrees posted on the walls. If you do, at best you will find they don’t belong to your doctor. At worst, you will find out your doctor went to a rival school to yours and one known for its status as a party university.

2. If you are visiting a doctor do not ask for samples of drugs. If you do, at best you will be given a lecture about the evils of addiction. At worst, you will be escorted to the interrogation room of the local DEA office where there will be difficult questions about what you know and when you knew it.

1. If you are visiting a doctor, do not forget to bring your medication list. If you forget, at best your doctor will prescribe something similar to what you already take. At worst, your doctor will prescribe drugs that have contraindications to what you take and you will be found tomorrow wandering naked in the middle of the street babbling something about the giant pink elephant.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday

August 23, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 19 Comments

This post is in support of the Linda Hill Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS. http://lindaghill.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-2314/ My story is titled With You. I hope you like it.

“With me, there is no doubt of where I stand.”

“From you, it sounds like you have a great deal of conviction on this.”

“Above me, I maintain control of myself no matter.”

“Except, you sometimes go off the deep end.”

“Before, I am the pinnacle of cool.”

“Under you, serving is a pleasure most of the time.”

“Beside me, is a very safe place.”

“Until you have too many.”

“Beneath me is the place to be then.”

“Near you is the place not to be then.”

“Since you know me so well, how would you describe me?”

“In you is a real human being.”

“From your heart you say this?”

“Between my ears I say this.”

“Among my friends I count you as dear.”

“Against you are many enemies.”

“Into my world this must be tolerated.”

“For you are most forgiving.”

“Since we agree, would you join me for a beer?”

“Against my religion. Sorry.”

Friday JohnKu – TGIF

August 22, 2014August 15, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 28 Comments

Friday is here and with it the joy of the impending weekend. Thank goodness it’s Friday. Woo Woo. This has been a long hard week. My fingers are almost blistered from sitting her pounding this keyboard for a week. I need to unwind and give them a soak. I think I’ll wrap them around a nice cold margarita and see if the swelling goes down. I’ll tell Ya. Some workers think they have it tough, out in the sun digging ditches. Ha. Try pounding out a few thousand words sometimes. It would make those shovelfuls of dirt look like child’s play in comparison. Try thumbing through a thesaurus to find a word just as good as the word you just used only different. Ha. Makes the sun feel like a long-lost friend. Try writing a sentence without the word “that’ in it. Ha. Makes physical work look like rest time. Okay you can see I’m getting carried away. I’m just glad it’s Friday. Today’s JohnKu (as coined by Words4jp) is titled My work. Hope you like it and have a great weekend.

My Work by John W. Howell

My job looks easy,

Sitting at a desk all day. . .

No off switch at night.

Some More Insights Into My Book – My GRL

August 21, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 13 Comments

Before I get into the discussion, I need to explain the picture. This is Frankie Blue Eyes, our cat. He loves to be with me while I write. He is waiting for me to sit down at the laptop so he can: 1. Drink my water. 2. Walk on the keyboard. Frank demonstrates with a cat, an author is never alone.

The story of My GRL includes interaction with some terrorists who are seeking revenge for displacement out of their home country Palestine. It would seem natural to have these characters speak with some sort of accent so that the reader would be continually reminded of their origin. I guess this would be natural for a so-called normal story involving Middle Eastern characters. I decided when I was writing the first draft to eliminate any accent due to the fact that the accents did not suit the characters. Let me explain.

The characters are extremely sophisticated and have spent time and money to become “Americanized” to the point where they would be the last subjects to come under suspicion while going about the nasty business of destroying symbols of America. In fact, one of the chief points the antagonist wants to revenge is the humiliation he experienced in court when the facts concerning his background came to light. These facts were brought to light by protagonist John J. Cannon the lawyer for the opposite side in a bitter litigation over patent rights. Matt Jacobs the antagonist never forgave John the embarrassment and wants him dead. Also, I was asked why Matt had a name which was not fitting with his background. Again, his objective of subversion required a name which would not raise suspicion. His real name was expunged from all birth records

So if the reader wants to imagine an accent or a Middle East name there is nothing standing in the way.

I hope you enjoyed this. If yes why not leave a comment?

Legends of Windemere – The Compass Key by Charles Yallowitz – New Release

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 9 Comments

Available on Amazon for $2.99!
Listed on Goodreads!
Dive back into a world of fantasy adventure with Legends of Windemere: The Compass Key!

Book Blurb:

Swords will clash and spells will fly in the newest adventure of young warrior Luke Callindor, Nyx the magic-flinging caster, and their friends.

With Sari captured by their enemies, the champions of Windemere are determined to get her back and destroy the Lich’s castle. Little do they realize, their battles in the Caster Swamp are only the beginning of this adventure. Trinity and her Chaos Elves have invaded the city of Gaia in search of a relic called the Compass Key. Rumored to be the key to rescuing Sari from a magical island, our heroes are in a race to find the mysterious artifact.

Which side will claim the Compass Key? And, what will our heroes do when they’re faced with an enemy whose evil power overshadows anything they have ever faced?

New to Windemere? Then check it Volumes 1-4 of this exciting series by CLICKING ON THEIR COVERS!

“I greatly enjoyed the vivid characters, the gripping plot, and the refreshingly unique writing style (present tense).” –kdillmanjones

“This the start of a great series and i cant wait to read to read more.”– F. Guy

“FANTASTIC, RIVETING READING. Great characters, fantasy, magic, mystery and adventure all in one series.” – S/F Old Reader 1962

“There is plenty of drama and action; everyone has a battle or crisis at some point in the story. The adventure, betrayal, loss, and grief throughout this installment makes it a must read for any upper MG or YA.” – Lilysback

“The series kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for more.” – C. Dewey

“This book is a wonderful mix of magic, mystery and adventure. With well-developed characters. I look forward to the next installment.” – Amazon Customer

“The action is very well written and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Also the story is engaging and it flows very well and it keeps your attention right up until the very last page.” –zombie phreak

“This book is alive with great action new characters and unexpected twists.” -Eugene Chambliss

“One of the things I love most about this series are all the characters! They are developed so well that I feel like I know them personally. Even the newly introduced characters fit in immediately.” -BarbBookWorm

“This book follows a linear path from the last book in the series, and this series has everything; intrigue, battles, romance(but not too mushy), plot intelligence, and great storytelling. Really looking forward to the next book!” -lala

“This book would easily compare to Brooks, and sets a good pace. Looks forward to next chapters.” -Mark Potterf Sr

“I really enjoy the battle scenes and the inventiveness and creativity of the author. There is also further character development as we get to know them just a little bit more. The fights are fast paced and held my interest.” -Pamela Beckford