As most of you know I’m a member of Rave Reviews Book Club and today a number of the members are posting a get acquainted message on their blog. In support of the club, I’d like to invite you to visit the ALL-NEWRAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB at the new location RaveReviewsBookClub.wordpress.com.
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“Now what are you looking for, Twiggy?” “Friday. It’s gotta be here somewhere.” “It’s Wednesday Little One. Have patience.”
It is Wednesday Storytime again, and last week we were in Jerry’s apartment, where we learned that Wentworth did not place a call to Jerry. On top of that, Jerry has a smartphone, so Wentworth’s claim that he removed the battery was false. Andrew said he smelled a trap just as the elevator stopped outside Jerry’s apartment. “Get down everyone,” was the last thing we heard Larry yell. We better get back there to see what kind of mayhem is in store. Although you can’t be hurt by flying fictional bullets, I would still be cautious.
“Hey, Jerry.”
“Yes, Larry.”
“Does your door lock when you close it?”
“Yes, sir. I always throw the deadbolt as well.”
“Did you do that after letting us inside?”
“It seems I would have, but I can’t remember.”
“What position is the deadbolt when thrown?”
“Parallel to the floor.”
“Okay, I can see that’s the position of the bolt. At least whoever is getting off that elevator won’t just walk in here. Okay, everyone quiet, I hear something in the hall.”
“They are ringing my bell.”
“Go ahead and ask what they want.”
“What do you want?”
“I have a special delivery for a Mr. Jerry Foster.”
“Leave it on the doormat.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but you have to sign for it.”
“What do I do, Larry?”
“Stay on the floor. I’m going to have a peek through your peephole in the door.”
“What do you see, Larry?”
“Nothing Andrew. I think there is black tape on it. Let’s all move to the back bedroom. Stay on the floor. Hands and knees, folks.”
“Holy shit.”
“You said a mouthful, Andrew. Those guys are shooting through the door, and I was just there.”
“What can we do?”
“Stay low. I’m going to pick them off one by one when they enter. I have a clean shot at the door. Hold on, they stopped firing. I’ll bet they’ll try to come in now.”
“What do they want?”
“I would say they want to kill us all, Jerry.”
“Why?”
“Andrew and I were hoping you could tell us that. That’s why we are here.”
“It’s very quiet, Larry.”
“To quote an old war movie, Andrew, ‘Almost too quiet.’”
“I’ll bet next you’re going to say. ‘Nice serving with you Andrew.”’
“Shut up, Andrew. I think they are trying to open the door.”
“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.”
“I’m telling you, Pradeep. I’m sitting on a bench listening to the whole thing.”
“Can you talk?”
“They are right behind me. Maybe I should take you off speaker.”
“Good idea.”
“Okay, you are off. Like I said, you won’t believe it.”
“So you are at the Taj. Tell me again what the two said.”
“The guy came up to the meadow stairs with this girl. They were holding hands. He said to her, ‘Are you ready for your surprise.”‘
“Yeah, then what?”
“Here’s the funny part. He told her that he had bought the taj as a surprise.”
“Oh, Man. Who would believe that?”
“Not you and I, but she is still jumping up and down with delight.”
“How dumb can some of these people be. How old is she?”
“I’d say over twenty-one.”
“So, she should know better.”
“I think she looks like she went to university.”
“All the more reason. I hope the guy is happy with one not too bright.”
“Hold on, Pradeep. The couple is coming over here.”
“Excuse us, sir. I see you have a phone.”
“Yes, yes, I do.”
“Would you mind taking our photo and then sending it to my fiancee’s e-mail?”
“I would be happy to do that. Pradeep hold on a little more. This is getting better and better. Alright, you two. I have the Taj behind you, and you look delighted. There. Now, where should I send it?”
“Send it to hrh.palace.saudiaarabia.gov.sa.”
“Okay, miss it is sent.”
“Thank you so much. We won’t forget this. Goodbye.”
“Pradeep? Pradeep, you still there?”
“You would fall into a dung heap and come out smelling like saffron, you know that?”
On January 8th, 1815 A rag-tag army under Andrew Jackson defeats the British on the fields of Chalmette in the Battle of New Orleans. Since this piece of history is fascinating you may want to go and observe. If you do, take this list with you and maybe you can avoid and trouble time travel-wise.
10 If you go, do not ask anyone if they have heard the song, Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton. If you do, at best no one can understand you. At worst, someone will ask you to sing it. (When you get to the part about using a gator as a cannon, Jackie you might want to explain you were just kidding.)
9 If you go, do not ignore a command from Tiny the WWF champ to help build an earthen barrier that will be used to protect the Americans from the British. If you do, at best Tiny will become preoccupied with something shiny. At worst, since Tiny has missed his last four anger management sessions he forgot about snapping the band around his wrist. ( He is now snapping your bones, Jacobe. Don’t worry usually two snaps of the band calms him down. You might want to yell, “wrist band.” If couldn’t hurt.)
8 If you go, do not wear your favorite red sweater. If you do, at best all the sharpshooters know a sweater when they see one. At worst, your sweater will be mistaken for a British uniform. (The outcome of this is not good, Jacobus. There are no less than 2500 angry shooters from Kentucky anxious for practice. I think I would take it off. DUH.)
7 If you go, do not turn your nose up at spicy cajun food. If you do, at best you can find something else to eat. At worst, you will be left on your own for food. (There is no organic store here, Jacorey. Just suck it up and eat the beans and rice. Besides, the spice will keep down dysentery.)
6 If you go, do not expect a Kentucky militiaman to loan you a rifle. If you do, at best you might be able to borrow a knife. At worst, since many of the militiamen did not bring there own weapons, there is a short supply. (You just might have to fill a gator’s mouth with cannonballs and powder his behind, Jacque. In fact, Andrew Jackson said, “I don’t understand these guys not bringing their guns. I have never seen a Kentuckian without a gun, a pack of cards, and a bottle of whiskey in my life.”)
5 If you go, do not try to convince everyone that the Treaty of Ghent, which was signed by the British and Americans on December 24, 1814, made the battle unnecessary. If you do, at best you’ll be ignored. At worst, General Jackson will order you to go tell the British to stop advancing on New Orleans. (You are in a fine kettle of fish, Jacques. Unknown to you the British forces have orders to attack in spite of the treaty being signed. So how’s it feel to be in the middle. Yes, those are bullets from both sides.)
4 If you go, do not ask Jean Laffite how his British friends are doing. If you do, at best, Jean will think you are joking. At worst, since he is double-crossing the British, he may take offense. (Jean agreed to help the British and is now helping the Americans, Jacy. So he is not very happy with you for pointing out his relationship with the British. When Jean says to walk the plank, he is not talking about the deck of the ship. Good luck, treading water.)
3 If you go, do not tell the British where their misplaced ladders are located. If you do, at best, it won’t help them. At worst, they will be able to scale the rampart Jackson built to keep the British out of New Orleans. (Old hickory is sure mad at you, Jadon. He had the 1500 yard rampart built to repel the British who lost the ladders needed to do it. I would tell the British you were kidding and don’t know where the ladders are being kept before you alter the outcome of the battle or Jackson has you shot.).
2 If you go, do not question the decision to put New Orleans under martial law. If you do, at best, Jackson won’t hear about it. At worst, General Jackson will personally let you know to mind your own business. (Andrew Jackson felt strongly that without martial law, the city could not be controlled. Yes, your writ of Habeas Corpus has been suspended, Jae. Good luck in solitary on bread and water.)
1 If you go, do not ask for a glass of bourbon on bourbon street. If you do, at best you’ll get some funny looks. At worst, those you ask will know you are not from around here. (French engineer Adrien de Pauger laid out the streets of New Orleans in 1721 and chose one to carry the name of the French royal family ruling at the time, Rue Bourbon, Jafar. It is not named for the drink which wasn’t called Bourbon until the 1850s.)
Yes, it is another walk on one of the trails here in Lakeway. The map gives you an idea of extensive the trails are. We are only going to take one today.
Notice the distinct desert feel to the geography. There are a couple of Peacock orchid plants and a few grasses in this bed.
There’s a signpost up ahead. Friends of the park have several projects around Lakeway.
Here is one view of the trail, which is not very colorful. The cedars are the predominant vegetation with limestone as the base component of the soil.
Another view showing some prickly pear cactus on the right.
Big power lines that run next to the trail.
The everpresent rescue marker so one knows where they are and can tell emergency responders their location.
More cactus. About the only thing green other than the cedars.
Rocky and steep trail.
Rocky and very steep trail.
The MUD water retention pond. (Municipal Utility District)
I just had to take a shot of a water tower that looms over the trail. All in all, the path was not like others. There is little variety, and it is very rustic and more desert-like. Maybe the next time we will go to an area that has a pond which was a little too far for a trip today. Besides, the cedar pollen is at an all-time high, and as an asthma sufferer, I need to get out of here stat.
It is Stream of Consciousness time again and this week’s prompt is “ow.” Lrt’s let Linda explain. “Your prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “ow.” Find a word that contains “ow” or use it as a word in your post. Have fun!”
There’s that “have fun” thing again. If you would like to have fun visit Linda’s blog and read how. Here is the link.
“What on Earth are you looking for Twiggy?” “Friday. “Friday is already here. Today is Friday.” “You’re kidding. I thought it was Monday.”
It is Friday again on the calendar, and yet I am so confused as to what day it is really. Yesterday felt like a Sunday because of the mid-week holiday. I had what would typically be a Sunday meal yesterday, so my body still thinks today is Monday. Yes, today feels like Monday but then if it were, tomorrow would be Tuesday and four days before the weekend, and that feels all wrong. So let’s just go with the calendar. TGIF.
My WIP tentatively titled Eternal Road – The Final Stop is now ready for a beta read. This is a different story than the one I usually tell. Here is the blurb.
James and Sam are on a quest to find James an eternal home. You see, James just died today in a car wreck. Sam was taken fourteen years ago in an abduction and not seen since. Now Sam has come to lead James to his eternal home. Yeah, you guessed it. Sam was taken and murdered.
Why is she back? She has been in training all this time for the sole purpose of leading James through the process of selecting his eternal place. The point is, Sam, and James were close in grade school and so Sam was selected to help James cross over to his new life.
It is not easy to determine where to spend eternity. The pair visit a number of times and places and are witness to a number of historical events. The rules dictate that they do no harm to the time continuum while they search. Trying to be careful, they inadvertently come to the attention of Lucifer who would love to turn their souls into his subjects. They also find a core threat to human survival and desperately want to put in place the fix necessary to save mankind. Of course, Lucifer wants nothing of the kind.
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 a touch of paranormal, this story is for you.
If you would like to beta read Eternal Road – The Final Stop be advised that it will be available in three formats, ePub, MOBI, and PDF. I will be emailing it to you and would like your comments returned by February 21st. My questions are easy.
Did you enjoy the story?
Was the ending satisfactory?
Were there missing or confusing parts?
Did the story flow at a comfortable pace for you?
Were the characters believable?
What if anything would you want to be included in the story?
If you would like to beta read, Please send me an email johnhowell(dot)wave(at)gmail.com. Let me know your format preference. I will be sending the file out when I get your response.
Twiggy and Lucy were faced with a decision. Do we continue our routine in spite of the fact that it is cold and overcast? There is one photo that sums up the path chosen. Oh yes, those are my feet.
“Think it’s Friday yet, Lucy?” “It is New Year’s Day and Wednesday.” “OMG what a night.”
It is Wednesday Story Day again and a brand-new year. Larry, Andrew, Gloria, Micky Lee, The Producer, and I wish you all the best for 2020.
The last time we were together, Larry and Andrew went to the server Jerry Foster’s apartment to question him about the story he told regarding Mrs. Rafferty being with Charles Jenkins his co-worker. If you recall, Charles denied he was with Mrs. Rafferty and then wanted to have his lawyer present.
Well, long story short we all thought poor Jerry would be laying in a pool of blood and were quite surprised when he answered the door. He didn’t seem surprised to see our two at the door and asked if they brought coffee. Let’s get back to Jerry’s place and maybe, (just maybe) we’ll find out what’s going on.
“No, we don’t have coffee. We need to talk to you again.”
“Sure man. Come on in. Take a seat anywhere.”
“Thank you, Jerry.”
“What’s this about?”
“To put it as delicately as possible. Charles says you are full of shit about that story that he spent time with Mrs. Rafferty.”
“I thought he would say that.”
“You are not surprised?”
“Would you be? The guy is with the wife of a guy who is killed. What would you say to the cops? Huh.”
“So, you still maintain he was with her.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Okay, Jerry. It’s time to come clean.”
“What do you mean.?”
“Charles says he was sick that night. He left the party early and has witnesses.”
“Yeah so?”
“Who took Mrs. Rafferty home?”
“Why ask me?”
“If Charles didn’t someone must-have.”
“I think this conversation is over.”
“Why would you even try to finger Charles?”
“Okay, it wasn’t him. I fingered him because I was told to keep my mouth shut.”
“Who told you that?”
“Wentworth.”
“Wentworth? Why would he tell you to keep your mouth shut and maybe, more importantly, why didn’t you?”
“Look. I just work here. I can’t hope to know what goes on.”
“Why did you disable your phone?”
“Huh? I didn’t. It’s right here.”
“Wentworth told us your phone had the battery taken out.”
“Look here. How in the hell could I take a battery out of a smartphone? You guys have been given bad information.”
“Why didn’t you answer Wentworth’s call?”
“Look at my recent calls. There have been none since yesterday.”
“Hey, Larry.”
“What Andrew.”
“I smell a trap.”
“Looks like Wentworth wanted us to come here for sure.”
“I think we ought to either leave quickly or get down on the floor.”
“I hear the elevator. I think the floor option is best. Get down, everyone.”
If you would like to beta read, Please send me an email johnhowell(dot)wave(at)gmail.com. Let me know your format preference. I will be sending the file out when I get your response.
