StanleyWheeler

Bonus Post - Cover Reveal " A drifting Civil War veteran tackles the task of figuring out who's been spiking the apple cider at a Kansas dance hall owned by a family with twelve daughters." Obviously not the cover of one of my books, but the cover of a friendly writer's book. Rachel K. (who is currently reading my book Smoke ) writes western novellas based on fairy tales. Her site is here.  Check it out. Not long ago, I reviewed her previous book, Cloaked . This book is the second entry in her Once Upon a Time western anthology series. Notice the texture on the clothing, the detail on the shoes, and the lines in the hardwood floor on that cover. Dancing and Doughnuts is set for release in August 2018 (she must write like a woman possessed to get another book out that soon--apparently her habit of mixing espresso and speed really helps--of course, I jest; she's probably just extremely diligent), and is a retelling of "Twelve Dancing Princesses."...

I spent part of last week at a professional training conference. It was good stuff. I met some people from around the state, and passed on a few of my self-promotional cards. A couple folks seemed genuinely interested in my books. I'm pleased with the recent sales of Smoke , but the sales are not nearly what they should be (if I judge based upon how fun it was to write the book). I did find time alone in my hotel room after the daily sessions to re-engage in writing Justice Resurgent , the sequel to my first novel Justice in Season . I also did some more research on a particular stagecoach robbery that will figure prominently (a fictionalized version of the event) in the story. This week, I've enjoyed writing that part of the story. The focus has temporarily shifted away from the men and women striving for law and order to highlight the activities of the villains. The book is just over half-way complete. I expect a lot of action in the remaining chapters. *** Mowing the...

Cool story. I walked into the used book store today  a few days ago. Usually, I'm met by the owner sitting behind the counter; he's often reading a book or gabbing with another customer. Today that day: nothing. Then I heard music of type that I'm unaccustomed to hearing in that establishment. It was like finding Canadian bacon and pineapple inside your taco shell. The sound came for the area of the store where the paperback sci-fi and westerns (among others) are shelved. Since those were the genres in which I was going to look, I lurched toward the music as if entranced--or at least with a modicum of curiosity--which is my favorite dosage, and the most I can get without a prescription.  I found that the sci-fi books had been rearranged; that was a good thing. I also caught a lady in the very act of rearranging (I was going to say, " in flagrante delicto ," but didn't want to risk the phrase being incorrectly taken in the sense of the second meaning ). Nat...

Philip Marlowe: Private Eye "Blackmailers Don't Shoot" I had never even heard of this series that debuted on HBO in 1983. Of course, I was out of the country at that time, and wouldn't have had cable anyway. So it's not like I would've been able to see it. I thought this was the first episode. I see now that it was actually the first episode of the second season. I'll have to go back to see the first season. Nope. Just checked. The first season isn't on Prime. I think Powers Booth does a fair job in the role of Marlowe. In this episode, he is hired by a mobster to protect his movie star girlfriend from blackmailers. The dame gets kidnapped; Marlowe mounts a four-corpse-count rescue, and demonstrates the superiority of hot lead over cold rolled steel. That's it for the show--average stuff. I liked the old cars. I do wonder if it would be better in black and white. The story below has little to do with the actual episode, other than the pict...

Regarding Infinity War : I have discovered that the location of the final infinity stone, as well as the manner for obtaining the gem which will create incredible (perhaps infinite) power, is a matter of extreme importance to many. Nevertheless, it holds no interest for me. I've outgrown super hero movies; I don't intend to see this one. I did recently get to see a movie that I enjoyed again: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep . I have to admit that remembering this movie while I was writing Smoke helped me to establish some of the texture for the novel, including the jabs about the main character's height. The other movies and books that were helpful included The Maltese Falcon , This Gun for Hire with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, The Big Heat with Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame, and My Favorite Brunette with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. This scene from The Big Sleep  of Marlowe and Vivian's first meeting differs significantly from the first me...