A Little Personal – My Friend Charlie

December 15, 2016December 15, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 53 Comments

Five years ago today I lost a dear friend. His name is Charles L. Gruner but I always called him Charlie.

Charlie and I met in 1982 when I made a move from the East coast to the Midwest. The company I worked for was headquartered there and I was given an opportunity which I couldn’t refuse.

I really can’t remember how I met Charlie and his wonderful wife. I think it might have been a gathering at a neighbor’s house. Charlie lived a couple of blocks over and so it must have been at one of the neighbors. All I know is we hit it off immediately. He is one of those guys who you immediately like. He had a laugh that could be heard across the room. So, if you didn’t know Charlie you knew of Charlie.

Our relationship became closer as we both went through periods of challenge. I finally moved away from the area to pursue a new position on the West Coast. We stayed in touch and then I got some heartbreaking news in 2006. Charlie had Cancer. Well, he beat it that time, and we went on as if nothing was wrong. Although we talked on the phone, I didn’t see Charlie again until 2011 when I traveled back to the midwest. It was if we had never been apart. We caught up and the time flew. Before the time together was over, Charlie told me he was going to write a book. He wanted to impart some of the knowledge he had acquired in his business life. Charlie was very successful CEO, and such a book would be a treasure.

One dismal day in December his wife called and told me Charlie was not going to live. I was struck dumb. Twenty-nine years of our friendship was over way too fast. I was able to talk to him one last time and told him how much I loved him.

Charlie did write his book and became published after he was gone. As I indicated in my review, it is a great tool to be kept hidden. If discovered, the secret of the reader’s success will be uncovered.

I still miss Charlie and carry some fond memories.

We used to bark like dogs when I drove by his house
Charlie would blame the holiday for his overeating
He got a pilot’s license and then thought flying too tame
He formed his own racing team and drove his race cars
He loved his wife and his family more than anything
He believed it a mark of distinction to be fired from a company
He was always willing to help others
He always supported whatever I did even if I made mistakes

Charles L. Gruner

Charlie’s book is titled Turning Losers into Winners and can be found on Lulu

Wednesday Story Day – AKA Hump Day

December 14, 2016December 12, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

Hump day

It is Wednesday Story day again and last week we left Lucas having an interesting discussion with Alice Weston one of the members of the Property Owners Association. I don’t know about you but I got some distinctive cougar vibes from Alice. Well, Lucas promised to get the form back to Place which he did that afternoon. I think we can join Lucas at the Widow Murphy’s house where he has started to paint.
“Hey there, boy.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I talked to Alice Weston a few minutes ago and she and the property owner board members are meeting this morning.”
“Thank you, sir. She told me that yesterday.”
“Well if she told you that why are you painting. I don’t think this project has been approved.”
“Well sir, Mrs. Weston told me she didn’t think it would be a problem.’
“I know son, but we have rules. You can’t start on the house until the approval is official. Where is Mrs. Murphy?”
“Oh, she went to the store a few minutes ago.”
“Funny there is only one main street in this neighborhood and I didn’t pass her.”
“Well, maybe it was longer. I may have lost track of time.”
“You’re not a drinker are you son?”
“No, sir. When I’m busy I just lose track.”
“Yeah, I’m the same way. My name’s Gibson and I’m the sheriff here.”
“Oh, Mr. Gibson. So nice to meet you.”
“I also live down the street so I keep an eye on the rules. You understand?”
“I sure do sir. I certainly don’t want to break any.”
“Well then, I would get off that ladder and wait for your approval. When’s Mrs. Murphy getting back?”
“I couldn’t say, sir. It’s not my nature to pry. I didn’t ask and she didn’t tell me.”
“Okay, son. Tell her I was by and would like to talk to her. Nothing urgent. It’ about the police fundraiser’s all.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll give her the message.”
“No more painting until Mrs. Weston comes by with the approval.”
“Yes, sir.”

The Story Behind Naked Alliances with Guest Author S. K. Nicholls

December 13, 2016December 12, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

I am very pleased to welcome an old friend to Fiction Favorites. She has a new detective novel and I invited her to come and tell you about it. So Susan Nicholls the post is yours.

Thanks, John.

The people at the Parliament House, a gay resort complex in Orlando, Florida, highly influenced the writing in Naked Alliances. The complex has seven bars with different themes, a full service restaurant, hotel suites, a pool, and the Footlight Theater. My husband and I attend the comedy shows and performances at the theater. My characters, both the private investigator and his sidekick, an exotic dancer, were developed based on personalities we had met at the complex. The community service by the Parliament House after the Pulse Shooting was highly commendable.

I had been writing deep, philosophical, dark novels with bittersweet endings and was falling into a funk. My husband, who reads two or three crime novels weekly, and had turned me onto some amusing Florida regional crime fiction authors, challenged me to write something lighter. Naked Alliances is a crime thriller with a humorous edge that falls on the spectrum somewhere between the work of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard. If you enjoy Tim Dorsey, Tim Baker, and Randy Wayne White, and other Regional FL authors, you may enjoy this book. If you like mysteries/thrillers and/or P.I. stories, you may enjoy Naked Alliances

My family owns and operates one of the oldest and largest nudist resorts in the country, Cypress Cove, so it was a given that a fictional nudist resort would need to be worked into the settings of the Naked Eye Series, a collection of private investigator stories. No chance of having someone carry a concealed weapon there! Having lived at the resort for six years, I developed a deep understanding of the lifestyle choice and how it is extremely different from the sex industry, yet harbors clandestine elements of intrigue and fascination.

Social issues are at the forefront of all of my writing. A former sexual assault nurse examiner (S.A.N.E.), I have a special interest in the subject matter of sex-trafficking, and have seen, up close and personal, the horrendous nature of the crime and its effects on the lives of the victims and their families.

Sex-trafficking is a heinous crime that occurs in all areas of the world, but frequently gets swept under the rug. There is somewhat of a misconception that it does not occur in our own communities, rural and urban, but it is a serious problem. I wanted to bring this crime to light in my story and interviewed many victims to obtain a realistic view of the nature of the crime. Yet, it was my desire to soften the harshness of the reality with a humorous approach.

The cold case in this dual plot thriller, actually came about as curiosity on how evidence collected at the scene of a crime can, after many years, point in an entirely different direction from that previously expected. A medical examiner in my area, Dr. Jan Garavaglia (Dr. G.) and forensics specialists I have come to know through social media, contributed to the resolution of the case.

My husband, Greg, a rocket scientist/mechanical engineer, has been super supportive throughout the process of writing Naked Alliances, as have many blogger and author friends, and my community at large.

Naked Alliances

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A riveting romp through Central Florida, Naked Alliances air-drops you into the seedier side of Orlando that the amusement park industry tries to keep under wraps.

When a young immigrant woman and an exotic dancer are fleeing men with guns and have no place to hide, Richard Noggin, P.I., can’t turn his back on them, even if helping them makes him a target.

Richard plans to impress an aspiring politician by taking on a big white-collar case with the potential of getting him off the streets and into air-conditioned offices. Instead, he’s handed a cold case and quickly finds himself sucked into a shadowy world of sex, secrets and…murder.

Marked for a bullet and stretched thin by his investigations, he reluctantly teams up with the unlikely, brassy custodian of the young woman on the run. With bodies piling up, they go undercover in a nudist resort, determined to catch the killer and bring down the mastermind of the Alliance before someone else dies.

From the dark corners of Orlando’s Little Saigon, to the sunny exposure of Leisure Lagoon, the Naked Eye juggles to keep his balls in the air.

SK Nicholls Susan Nicholls

S.K. Nicholls Author/The Naked Eye Series & Publisher/Brave Blue Heron Books

S.K. Nicholls’ family owns and operates one of the oldest and largest nudist resorts in the nation located in Central Florida, Cypress Cove. Her experience gives her a deep understanding of the lifestyle choice and how it is extremely different from the sex industry, yet harbors clandestine elements of intrigue and fascination. Social issues are at the forefront of her writing. A former sexual assault nurse examiner, she has a special interest in the subject matter of sex-trafficking. A native of Georgia, she lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband, Greg. When she’s not writing, she can be found tracking down Snorlaxes, wandering city parks with the homeless, or sipping margaritas on the bow of a boat. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Florida Writer’s Association and Writers of Central Florida…or Thereabouts.

Links:

WordPress Blog

Website

email: sknicholls(at)sknicholls.com

Facebook Author Page

Twitter Handle: @sknicholls1

Amazon Purchase Page

Tuesday Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #104 by Keith Channing

December 13, 2016December 12, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 41 Comments

Here is what is going on in Keith’s own words. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; and either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithkreates@channing.fr 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 – but pingbacks don’t often work.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries, with links to your own blog or web site, next Monday.”

The Photo

Kreative Kue #104

“Hello, Triple-A? Yes, I have a problem. I’m broken down in front of Nehru park for children. I think I need a tow truck.”

“My car? No, it’s not a car. It’s a Vespa. A Vespa. V-E-S-P-A.”

“Sure like a motor scooter. Anyway, I can’t get it to start.”

“What do you mean how do I know it won’t start?. It won’t start.”

“Process? I put the key in the slot that is for the key. I turn the key. I touch the starter button and nothing happens.”

“I don’t know any other process. I need you to come and take it to a repair place.”

“How heavy is it? Now how would I know how heavy?”

“Pick it up? If I could pick it up, I could carry it to a repair place myself.”

“I’m not rude. I think you are silly.”

“Yes, Let me talk to a supervisor.”

“Hello, I need a tow to a repair place.”

“No, it’s not a car.”

“V-E-S-P-A.”

“That is what the other person asked. I don’t know how heavy. Please don’t ask me to pick it up.”

“I think you are rude. I hope I will be getting a survey because you folks are really going to get—”

“Hello. Hello?”

Top Ten Things Not to Do at Holiday Parties

December 12, 2016December 11, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

Holiday party

The inspiration for this list has been an adult life-long fascination with human interactions. There is no time like the holidays to go out and get an actual feeling of how people interrelate. I may have published some of these points under a different context, but it still bears repeating some of the advice again. I cannot swear I haven’t done any of these but don’t think so. Also a message to the Yale School of Psychology. This is all in fun and should not be used as part of the curriculum dealing with Holiday stress. With that disclaimer here we go.

10 At a holiday party, do not assume because the drinks are free you can have all you want. If you do, at best you will find the next morning that the drinks were not free after all. At worst, you might wake up in the guest room bathtub and have no idea how you got there. (Your host was very pleased when you locked the door to the only bathroom in the house. Too bad the pounding on the door didn’t give you a hint, Bunky.)

9 At a holiday party, do not think an informal atmosphere will lend itself to getting closer to your boss. If you do, At best, you will only say one stupid thing. At worst, you wake up at 3:00 am realizing you told your boss exactly what you thought of the latest project. (Now you also remember the hurt look on the boss’ face since it was a pet project. Maybe you can say you had a brain aneurysm huh Ferd?)

8 At a holiday party, do not double dip from the crab spread. If you do, at best no one will notice, and you’ll be safe. At worst, unfortunately, you chose the moment when the boss was doing a video panorama and are now a piece of history. (The playback at the office caused a noticeable groan from your co-workers and several grabbed their zinc inhaler. Why you had to sneeze right after the double dip is anybody’s guess.)

7 At a holiday party, do not think of arriving without a host gift. If you do, at best you might be able to sneak in unnoticed. At worst, the host had requested in the invitation to bring an unwrapped toy for a needy child. (That will teach you to ignore letters. You never sent an RSVP either did you, Buster?)

6 At a holiday party, do not think everyone wants to sing carols. If you do, at best you may be doing a solo. At worst, you will be so annoying that the host will ask his cousin Tiny with WWF champ to see you to the door. (Tiny’s method of seeing people to the door is very similar to his winning body slam in the ring. Don’t worry nothing’s broken. It’s all fake remember?)

5 At a holiday party, do not try to get away with bringing a cheap bottle of wine as a gift. If you do, at best no one will see you set it down.At worst, your host will thank you and suggest that you open it immediately to share with the guests. (Two-buck Chuck is so well-known Oscar that your face is now the color of the wine.)

4 At a holiday party, do not attempt to have controversial discussions with each conversation. If you do, at best you’ll end up talking to the dog. At worst, you’ll spark a debate that will ultimately engulf the entire room and eventually lead to the arrival of a SWAT team. (Well you did learn that politics is a hot subject didn’t you, Bucky?)

3 At a holiday party, do not think you have to entertain everyone with your jokes. If you do, at best you’ll find out quickly you are no Henny Youngman. At worst, most in attendance will enquire of the host about that strange person who is not funny. (The beautiful thing is your boss’ boss took down your name which should lead to some good stuff. Maybe at the next company huh, Milton?)

2 At a holiday party, do not suggest that everyone go out into the snow to see how beautiful the lights look. If you do, at best no one will follow you. At worst, your host will open the front door and promptly slam and lock it after you are gone. (It seemed like a good idea at the time didn’t it, Roscoe?. Now you need to call and get your shoes back.)

1 At a holiday party, do not ignore someone who asks for your keys. If you do, at best you will be breaking the law. At worst, you could be responsible for hurting yourself and more importantly an innocent victim. (Obviously, we all should remember not to drink and drive this holiday season.)

Views of the Neighborhood

December 11, 2016December 10, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 46 Comments

Yesterday the town held its annual Golf Cart Holiday parade to benefit the Port Aransas EMS Toy Roundup. I tried to get to the front of the line to snap photos as the parade wound its way through town. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get there so had to be satisfied with taking some shots of some of the entries after the finish. The idea for the parade is to dress up your golf cart (yes there is judging) and join in the fun. An unwrapped toy is the entry fee.

These carts do not look like your typical golf course variety. The suspension is built up and tires supersized so that maneuvering in the sand is not a problem.

Here are some of the entries.

The first is a riff on a boat

Golf cart parade

This one looks like it was painted for the holiday

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This one came with an elf

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Tons of presents ( and back side of the elf)

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Looks like this one hit a doll. You can see it on the windshield. (another Elf and Santa helper)

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Here is a cart that has all-weather side curtains. Must be from Minnesota.

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Here is a cute riff on Hula skirt. Cute little reindeer too!

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Now this Land Rover was a nice addition. Came all the way from Australia (kidding)

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The sign reads “Random Acts of Friends” which pretty well sums up the spirit of Port Aransas

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Now that is a strange golf cart. Yes, the police took part as well as the firefighters.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Bear/Bare

December 10, 2016December 9, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 44 Comments

SOCS

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again. This week’s prompt is “bear/bare. Linda Hill says we can use them any way we want. One or both. Wow, the possibilities are endless. Oh yes. In case you want to join this happy crew here is the link to Linda’s blog. Go and read for yourself how easy it is to join in and begin to lose your mind like the rest of us.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 10/16

“So which is it?”

“How do I know? Do I look like a constitutional scholar?”

“Now that you mention it. No.”

“Thanks. How do you get me into these goofy things anyway?”

“Hey, I’m just asking the questions. You’re the one wanting to answer them.”

“I suppose you have a point. What was the question again?”

“The constitution gives the population the right to do things with their arms. I’m wondering what people are allowed to do?”

“Oh, now I get it. You’ve wandered near that Hill person and she has given you some words. So what are the words?”

“You don’t have to be so cold. That’s not why I was asking.’

“What are the words.’

“Bear/Bare.”

“Like bunny/bunny?”

“No one is B-E-A-R and the other is B-A-R-E.”

“Okay, I get it. You want to make something up about the constitution. The right to bear arms.”

“Well, sorta. I also wanted to be humorous.”

“You humorous. That’s a laugh.”

“See it’s working.”

“Okay, what kind of humorous?”

“I wanted to say something about if people don’t want to wear long sleeve shirts they don’t have to according to the constitution.”

“The right to bare arms. Right?”

“Yeah, Right. How about it. Funny?”

“No. I think funnier would be a question around growing hair on our arms.”

“I don’t get it.”

“No surprise there. Here let me point it out. The right to B-E-A-R arms. Gggggrrrrrrowwwelllll.”

“Not funny.”

“No not funny like your face, but funny.”

Legends of Windemere: The Spirit Well is Now Available #NewBook

December 9, 2016December 9, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 12 Comments

Return to Windemere in THE SPIRIT WELL!

Born from the light and darkness, Dariana can no longer avoid her fate.

The final corrupted temple stands between the champions and Baron Kernaghan having their great battle. Only one problem: the Compass Key refuses to work with Dariana, who long ago wiped all memories of the Spirit Well from her mind. Now, they are forced to follow a trail of clues that Dariana’s former self left behind centuries ago. It is a path that will lead the champions into a part of their friend’s past that could tear them all apart.

Will the bonds of friendship be stronger than the call of blood?

Grab it on Amazon!

Add it to your Goodreads ‘To Read’ List!

Excerpt: I’m Sorry . . . Again

“I’m sorry, but I told you that my powers make the Compass Key argumentative when it comes to the Spirit Well,” Dariana sheepishly explains while rubbing her clear ring. She smiles when Fizzle lands on her head, the drite’s cool tail running down her spine. “This is very scary for me. None of the champions have made it to this temple, much less the final battle with my father. It’s hard to take in after this destiny being my entire life for so long. I used to always dream of how I would handle my temple, but things are different now that it’s no longer a distant dream. What if I make a mistake and get someone killed?”

“We trust you, my friend, and know that you will not fail,” Timoran whispers as he slides the Compass Key across the table. He is confused when the relic sparks at her touch and gets pushed back into his hand. “That is fairly disheartening. If you cannot use the Compass Key then there is no way to find this Spirit Well. Perhaps it does not like your physical touch and will respond to your telepathy. I wonder why the gods would create this obstacle.”

“It’s possible that we did this,” Delvin suggests while using one of his enchanted rings to create a delicious cup of coffee. He gestures for the barbarian to throw the relic over to him, but the red-haired barbarian refuses. “You’re right, Timoran. Probably not a good idea to toss something like that around. Anyway, we had the Compass Key warded against agents of the Baron. They aren’t able to see it, which means they can’t find or use it. The decision made sense at the time, but things are different now. Maybe our spell has a small effect on Dariana. Not saying you’re working with the Baron, but there could be enough of an aural touch to cause this problem. Do you think we should cancel the spells, Nyx?”

The channeler heats up a cup of tea, which she sips at while considering the possibility of her magic being the issue. “They should stay because I don’t think they’re the problem. Dariana said this has happened before, which means the gods made a mistake. Sorry for how that came out. Gabriel, who better not get angry at this conversation, created the Compass Key first and then turned Dariana into a champion. He couldn’t fix the problem thanks to the Law of Influence, so it’s remained all this time. Though he had to have created something to help us move on.”

“Maybe we have to find Isaiah and he’ll lead the way,” Sari says from the couch. Flipping to her feet, she joins her friends and immediately takes a strawberry off Luke’s plate. “He hasn’t been much help since the first temple, so one has to wonder what his purpose is. I doubt we need his protection any more, which means he has to have another role to play. What do you think, Dari?”

The telepath rubs her temples while scanning the city for a sign of the fireskin, part of her praying he is not nearby. Dariana finds evidence that Isaiah has been spying on them until recently, but the caster is long gone. She considers tracking the faint trail and goes as far as the outer wall, which is where the psychic tracks make an odd leap into the sky. The strain of following Isaiah any further makes Dariana pull back and return to find that everyone is staring at her again. Realizing that she can no longer delay the inevitable, she gets out of her chair and kneels to her friends. Fizzle is still clinging to her head, which makes the apologetic bow both amusing and awkward.

“I know I say this a lot, but I really am sorry, my friends,” Dariana states while keeping her forehead pressed to the stone floor. She looks up at the sound of rustling feet and is surprised to see that everyone is approaching her. “Long ago, I managed to avoid being put back to sleep long enough to track down the Spirit Well. My curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to know where my path would meet its end. I was still forced to wipe my memory of the location, but I do know that I left a map behind. There are a few clues that I buried in my subconscious where even I could not dislodge them after erasing the original discovery. More may come to me as we get closer, but all I know now is that we should go to Rodillen. I was hoping the Compass Key would work and we could avoid this extra journey.”

“Like our luck would be that good,” Nyx mutters while she helps Dariana stand.

Need to catch Legends of Windemere from the beginning? Then click on the covers below!

You can start for FREE . . .

Or grab the $4.99 ‘3 in 1’ bundles!

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen 3D Conversion by Bestt_graphics — Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
3D Conversion by Bestt_graphics

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Also Available in Single eBooks:

Interested in a new adventure? Then grab your Kindle & dive back into the world of Windemere! Don’t forget an apple for Fizzle.

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

Friday JohnKU – AKA – TGIF

December 9, 2016December 8, 2016 ~ John W. Howell ~ 64 Comments

Christmas Tree

Photo of our Christmas tree this year

Looks like we are going to make the week. I have spent some time doing my Holiday shopping via the keyboard. I don’t know why I have resisted this method of shopping. It is so easy to search and click. Also, many of the retailers are offering free shipping. For an old island dweller, whose closest gift store is a forty mile round trip this is a real boon to spending. Oh yeah, the downside of convenience is the escalation of the outlay. I guess I will worry about that in January. I also have a granddaughter in Germany this year and sending a gift is not very practical. A nice Amazon gift card delivered into her e-mail box solves the time and distance problem. Ahhhh modern technology. Today’s JohnKu celebrates the good side.

A keyboard is all,

That’s needed to shop the world. . .

Of course, money too.

His revenge sale