StanleyWheeler

First this: The best baseball movie ever made is--and there can be no argument about this as the film is very nearly a religious experience; the angels don't quite sing but they do play instruments (and I'm not talking about the Willie Nelson number that seemed particularly appropriate)-- The Rookie , staring Dennis Quaid. Every man should watch it at least every five years as a reminder to chase those dreams. Of course, women might enjoy it too. Quaid is perfect in the role of Jim Morris. A reader this week said about reading Power to Hurt , "I finally understand those one things, but I don't know what they are." -- High praise indeed. She was referring to the gryphons. Apparently she had confounded the gryphons and their riders, not realizing that they were two separate species. Speaking of Power to Hurt (which I know I do often, perhaps too often) my author copies arrove arrived this week. They are, of course, beautiful. The fire-orange color reminded me...

                                     An Interview with David J. West                                      AKA James Alderdice Author of:                                                       The Brutal Saga                                                 The Dark Trails Saga                                                 In My Time of Dying                         ...

A gentleman this week did me a favor. Actually, I don't mean that he's only a gentleman this week; he's probably always a gentleman. It was this week that he did me the favor. I encountered him upon another site which I frequent and suggested that he read my slightly silly noir detective novel, Smoke . I made the ebook available for free on special for two days so he could get his copy. The gentleman purchased the paperback instead; he sent me some thoughts and noted a number of minor typographical errors that could use correction. (It seems that I left out several question marks and a couple words--I will correct those errors and republish both the ebook and the paperback before the end of the month). I wasn't able to rescind the special free book deal. I did no advertising of the sale and gave away over 500 books in that 2 day period. That's a new record for me. Now if only those good people who were interested enough to get the book for free will read it and ...

I saw a boy today. I saw a boy eating bread. Today I saw a boy eating bread like I've never before seen anyone eat bread. He ascended to an entirely separate plane of existence as he consumed the bread with a passionate fervor usually reserved for far more complex fare. It was an intimate moment between lovers. The eight-year-old boy began by opening the transparent zip-lock bag, placing his nose inside the bag and inhaling deeply, savoring the smell captured within the sleeve of plastic. The promise of flour-fueled ecstasy flooded his mind. He removed one of the two white slices and held it to his nose, again inhaling the fragrance of baked nirvana. Taking the slice in both hands, he tore three-fourths of the crust away and shoved it into his mouth. While he chewed that tasty crust, he tore the final remnant of the light brown cover from the bread segment and sent it to join its kin amid the marching grind of his dental mill. Before the last of the crust had been swallowe...

Some days the writing flows smoothly like yarn passing through deft knitting needles; other days the experience is more akin to stapling down strips of cloth; and at other times it's like throwing globs of cooked spaghetti noodles at a sheet of paper stapled to a cat chasing a ball of rolling yarn. Each of those days are worthwhile, but some are more productive than others. As you can see from this link here , my newest book is live at the big river site. And the first book in the series is FREE. Here's the link to the FREE BOOK.  -- for only 4 more days. Here's the link to the SUPER LOW-PRICED SEQUEL  -- only $0.99. I really like this book. I enjoyed writing the sequel even more than writing the first book in the series. The final five chapters are worth the rest of the book (which is pretty exciting anyway). I would rather read this book than use baby chicks in place golf balls on the driving range. If that's not compassion for animals and a fine show of hu...