The reviews for The Last Drive continue to be posted. I appreciate those who take the time to read and review my books. Since Amazon takes a dim view of posting reviews that appear on their platform, I’ll give you a brief idea of what is being said. So far, The Last Drive has a 4.6 rating. You can see all the reviews right HERE. I also want to point out that The last Drive Kindle edition will be 99¢ until March 1. It then returns to its regular price of $2.99.
Excerpts from a few of the reviews posted.
“To sum up, I found The Last Drive an engaging and satisfying read. The stakes of the plot are high, the action fast-paced, the historical research thorough, and the main characters well-developed and likable (with the exception of Lucifer, of course). In addition to the other surprises I’ve noted, the ending of The Last Drive also surprised me–in the best possible way. I highly recommend this surprising sequel to Eternal Road!”
“I thoroughly enjoyed this magnificently written book and recommend it without reservation to anyone who enjoys suspenseful historic adventure, with a spiritually paranormal twist.”
“There are some disturbing scenes to read as Lucifer shows his true colors. But in the end, good triumphs over evil. The book is a mix of history, suspense, and paranormal, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys those genres.”
“This highly emotional story is brilliantly written. Sending Sam and James to these disastrous occasions is a ploy by Lucifer to make them break God’s rules so Ryan will be forced to forfeit his soul.”
“An entertaining mix of history and the supernatural, The Last Drive offers a unique journey with four great characters as guides. The ending is wholly satisfying and left me with a wonderful warm feeling. If you’re ready for adventure, sit back and buckle in while James revs up the Olds. Next stop—history!”
“Luckily, there is not only some humor mixed in but hope and faith to counter the hopelessness of a situation. Even with the heaviness of some subjects covered, this story left me hopeful. “The Last Drive” was a wonderful blend of history and paranormal that I can easily recommend.”
“The history of each event is fairly brief but is well-researched and factually accurate and does not go into any of the gory detail or political and emotional complexities of the time or place. It is an intriguing idea to put four angels in the path of human-induced destruction and describe their reactions.”
“The story is episodic (in fact, it’d make a great serial novel), with Sam and James making stops throughout history in their search. Sometimes they travel on their own. Sometimes the devil tricks them and sends them places. I can tell Howell did his research. Places/events like the Western Front in WWI, the Titanic, a WWII concentration camp, the bottom of the English Channel, a Superbowl game… fantastic!”
“The Last Drive is ultimately a story about good and evil. Some scenes are disturbingly graphic. Other scenes might require readers to shelve their notion of angels and devils to entertain Howell’s depiction of either.”
“Howell is a master storyteller, and this is well worth your time to read.”
“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 your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. 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. Thank you for taking part.
This post was published on February 8th, 2016. Still hoping for spring, so here it goes again. Wishing you a Happy Presidents Day.
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I know most of the US and much of the northern hemisphere of the world is in winter conditions, and I would not think about going to the zoo this time of year. However, since I am deeply committed to providing only the highest quality of information *cough* designed to keep you out of trouble, this list is being proffered in preparation for an early spring. (Guaranteed). As a plus, the title has a little alliteration which is fun.
Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Zoo
10 At the zoo, do not tempt the Ostrich to eat the keys to your car. If you do, at best, it will ignore you for the kid’s ice cream cone. At worst, you will be following the Ostrich around the enclosure with a shovel and bag, hoping for efficient movement of the keys. (Lucky you when it comes to the separation process as well. Ew.)
9 At the zoo, do not make fun of the giant gorilla. If you do, at best, you might receive a warning from the park employee. At worst, you might be wearing some of his lunch. ( And you don’t want to know when he ate it.)
8 At the zoo, do not let your inner child join your kids on the carousel. If you do, at best, you might lose your footing as you get off. At worst, you will be too dizzy to stand and find yourself on the ground. ( Did that person just call you a drunk?)
7 At the zoo, do not think letting the goat eat your hair is cute. If you do, at best, you will learn goats pull grass and hair out by the roots. At worst, you will need to get to someone who can even out what has become a bald half of your head. (Those little ones move fast, don’t they?)
6 At the zoo, do not roar at the lion. If you do, at best, the lion will understand you are dope. At worst, the lion will feel the need to mark you as part of his territory. (A little breezy riding home on the roof of the car, isn’t it, Bunky.)
5 At the zoo, do not let your kids off leash and out of your sight. If you do, at best, they will only get lost and found quickly. At worst, you will be frantic and arrive at the monkey enclosure in time to see your kids trying to talk the head of the monkey clan out of his favorite banana. (That monkey looks like he may lose his temper any moment, doesn’t he?)
4 At the zoo, do not go to the bird show and yell when the hawk swoops low. If you do, at best, the bird will become frightened and give you a present before returning to its perch. At worst, the hawk will think you are prey and attempt to lift you by your head. (Those talons can hang on, can’t they?)
3 At the zoo, do not try to lure an animal to the edge of its enclosure with snack bar food. If you do, at best, you might get a cute picture of them eating out of your hand. At worst, you might be making a rushed trip to the ER when you realize that french fry was still attached to your finger. (That made a pretty funny photo, and a video would have gone viral.)
2 At the zoo, do not think the elephant can’t reach you with a water spray. If you do, at best, you have to run fast to avoid it. At worst, you will be drenched and will have to leave early. (What made you think the elephant wanted part of your burrito anyway?)
1 At the zoo, do not volunteer at any of the wild animal shows. If you do, at best, you could embarrass your family with your screams. At worst, that carrot you are holding in your mouth for the sea lion might just be one inch too low. ( Your nose will be better in a couple of weeks)
Today we will participate in a Chinese New Year celebration with dragons. The dragon show is being performed by the Texas Dragon/Lion Dance team. We are being catered by the sponsoring Asian restaurant Sakura of Lakeway. Our entertainment is Peter, Paul, and Mary.
Menu
Chirashi – Chef’s choice sashimi served on sushi rice. Served with miso soup.
Mango House Rolls – Spicy crab, mango, avocado, sweet miso, and tempura flakes.
Creamy Vegetarian – Vegetable broth, fried tofu, wood ear mushroom, bamboo shoot, bok choy, sweet corn, and spring mix.
Rice Bowl – Served with choice of soup: miso, egg drop soup, or hot and sour soup, steamed rice, stir-fried broccoli, snow pea, cabbage, and carrot over steamed rice, pan-fried egg, teriyaki sauce, scallions, and sesame.
Twice Cooked Fish – Sauteed lightly fried fish fillet, snow pea, asparagus, green and red bell pepper, onion, and special spicy sauce. Served with steamed rice.
Mongolian Beef – Served with steamed rice.
General Tso’s Tofu – Served with steamed rice.
Kung Pao Chicken – Served with steamed rice.
Sauteed Shrimp with Snow Peas – Served with steamed rice.
Pineapple Fried Rice – Shrimp, Thai curry, served in a fresh pineapple bowl. Come with egg, bean sprouts, snow peas, onions, teriyaki, and sesame.
So let’s get on the bus.
There’s the restaurant.
Looks like the team is getting ready.
A shot of the team shirt.
The dragons and the team getting a last-minute briefing.
Close-up of one of the dragons.
Here is the other.
The drum and gong.
Practice the moves.
The dragons come to life.
High kick.
Heading toward the crowd.
The drum, gong, and cymbal players are to the left and center.
A dragon led by the cymbal player.
The dragon heads for the restaurant to join the other.
Well, that was the show. Time to listen to the music and enjoy the food. I hope you have a great week.
Another Saturday and another opportunity to do precisely nothing all day. The coffee machine reached an agreement with me to produce two cups each morning with no hesitation. In return, I agree to ensure the water tank is filled and the beans are replaced. Oh yes, there is another fine point. The toaster needs to be moved closer to the machine and left overnight. Not wanting to know stuff that I would need to drink heavily to forget, there were no questions asked.
With my hands around a steaming cup and the laptop powered, the preparation for a relaxing stroll through the daily emails is all but assured. Before opening the first email, some idiot rings the front doorbell. In order to do so, they would have to move the sign that says “Please Do Not Ring the Doorbell “away from the button. Lucy and Twiggy hit the equivalent of high C in the barking world. Immediately grabbing my phone and bringing up the image on the Ring camera. The phone projects a huge sign being held by someone with hands that can only be described as cartoon character white gloves. Whoever is behind the hands is not visible. The sign is professionally lettered and says,
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “starts with pro.” Find a word that starts with “pro” and use it any way you like in your post. Enjoy!
If you want to enjoy, visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.
“I suffer from an array of medical conditions, one of them being postual orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS),” Graham told The Dodo. “Bailey alerts to my rising heart rate prior to a fainting episode. This allows me enough time to sit and get in a safe position in case I do lose consciousness. Bailey will do what is called deep pressure therapy to help lower my heart rate and encourage blood flow. This helps keep me awake. He is able to retrieve medications, water, my phone, blanket, snacks, really anything you ask him to get. He seems to just know.”
Bailey loves helping his mom and makes sure he’s right by her side whenever she needs him. When she needs help, he does everything he’s trained to do depending on the situation — and sometimes even things he isn’t trained to do.
Recently, Graham was doing the dishes when Bailey sensed that her heart rate was rising and she might be in danger of fainting. He quickly encouraged her to sit down and grabbed her phone from the counter in case she needed to call for help. He then returned to the counter to grab her medicine, but it was too far back, and he couldn’t reach it.
That’s when Bailey did something unexpected and truly amazing. He jumped up onto the counter.
“I was surprised when he jumped on the counter, but I know in my heart he will do anything to ensure I get what I need to be okay,” Graham said. “He is very determined and does not give up. Jumping on the counter is not allowed in my house to prevent counter-surfing puppies. What Bailey did was intelligent disobedience. This means that he knows he is not allowed to jump on the counter, but he knew he absolutely had to in order to keep me safe and healthy.”
Bailey isn’t supposed to jump on the counter, but in that moment, he knew his mom needed her medicine, and that was more important than anything else. He did what he had to do in order to reach it and quickly brought it to her. Then, he opened up the fridge and got her a bottle of water to take it with.
Graham has a camera set up to catch Bailey in action and posted the footage of this incredible moment on TikTok. Everyone who has seen in is truly it awe of Bailey and the immense love he has for his mom.
“People are amazed at how Bailey is able to sense an episode and his determination to help me feel better,” Graham said.
When his mom needs him, Bailey is there no matter what, and he’ll never stop doing what he needs to do to make sure his mom can live her best life.
“By posting my medical journey, others are saying they do not feel as alone,” Graham said. “Bailey is my rock. He is always there for me, and I can count on him during my lowest times.”
The good news here is Katie has this wonderful dog to help her. Today’s JohnKu talks about those who help. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
“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 your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. 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. Thank you for taking part.”
The inspiration for this list is my friend Tom. He sent me an e-mail with a list of ten things to do to be happy. Of course, my schtick is “things not to do,” so I turned it around a little. I hope you enjoy the list.
Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Want to Remain an Unhappy Grump
10 If you want to remain unhappy, do not take care of your health. If you don’t take care at best, you’ll have a lot to complain about. At worst, we will all be glad to be rid of you. (Not a nice thing to say at the memorial service, eh, Ralph?)
9 If you want to remain unhappy, do not engage in a hobby that you are passionate about. If you don’t engage, at best, you’ll have nothing to talk about with others. At worst, Tiny, the WWF champ, will engage you in his hobby. (Tiny loves to bounce grumpy people off hardwood floors, Ace. Is that him heading your way now?)
8 If you want to remain unhappy, do not connect with some good friends and laugh heartily. If you don’t connect, at best, the frown will become permanent. At worst, you’ll become that old guy that people call in for a welfare check. (Better put away that hash pipe Stewart. The police are checking on you again.)
7 If you want to remain unhappy, do not concern yourself with having enough income and bank balance to live comfortably. If you aren’t concerned, at best, you could collect aluminum cans. At worst, trying to make a living with that “Will Work for Food” scam is tough. (Is that snow falling, Skipper? It might be time to call it a day.)
6 If you want to remain unhappy, do not help disadvantaged people in any way you can. If you don’t help, at best, you’ll keep your Howard Hughes profile. At worse, you need not expect anyone to give you a hand when you need it. (Forget that lift to the gas station, which is only ten miles from here, Dork)
5 If you want to remain unhappy, do not travel to new places with friends and family. If you don’t travel, at best, you can keep looking at those travel magazines. At worst, you will believe your trip to the corner store is a major outing. (You want to try a different direction this time, Ferd?)
4 If you want to remain unhappy, do not listen to music you like. If you don’t listen, at best, you can hum that same tune off-key. At worst, you’ll fall for every conspiracy theory proffered on talk radio. (I see you have your new tin foil hat in place, Nerd.)
3 If you want to remain unhappy, do not take pleasure in seeing your children grow into fine individuals who do well for themselves. If you don’t take the pleasure, at best, you can cuddle that fur ball you call a cat. At worse, maybe you can apply to adopt a grandpa and take pleasure in someone else’s kids. (Of course, you have to be nice, Putz.)
2 If you want to remain unhappy, do not read a book that is of interest. If you don’t read, at best, those coloring books may help. At worse, you can stay glued to the TV and go from one mindless show to the next. (With any luck, most will be reruns. Excuse me, but does it feel like your brain is running out of your ears, Slug?)
1 If you want to remain unhappy, expect everyone to give you what you need, and do not accept what life throws at you. If you want this attitude, at best, you should not leave the house. At worst, every day will be a monumental hill of disappointment to climb. (You are the pessimist’s pessimist, Roy. I’m glad you don’t live next door to me.)
Another Saturday and another opportunity to do precisely nothing all day. The coffee machine reached an agreement with me to produce two cups each morning with no hesitation. In return, I agree to ensure the water tank is filled and the beans are replaced. Oh yes, there is another fine point. The toaster needs to be moved closer to the machine and left overnight. Not wanting to know stuff that I would need to drink heavily to forget, there were no questions asked.
