4-14-13 - Whom do you trust?

News:

        Beta readers have the next twenty-one chapters of my serial, The Presidents Club. Once they're done and I've made the corrections and edits, my publisher, Venture Galleries, will increase the frequency to three chapters a week. 

        The goal is to have The Presidents Club out in trade paperback and e-book in time for back-to-school.  Teachers need something to read while the students are playing Fruit Ninja.

The Set Up:

        This week's snippet is from Chapter Twenty-one, which goes live Sunday, the 14th. In this scene, the regulars at the Louisville Tavern have been engaged in a lively discussion concerning the meaning of trust and what it means to them. 

        We join the scene just as Reverend Thomas Pritchett is concluding...

The Eight Sentences:

"Until then, we just enjoy being together and take care of each other till the time comes that we have to depend on that belief -- that trust.”

No one spoke for a moment so the pastor made it easy for them by asking, “Who thinks they can beat me in a game of checkers?”

Dr. Risk was ready, “I’ll take you on! Hit me with your best shot, Preacher!”

“Watch out, Doc,” advised York, “he’s liable to baptize you.”

The pastor turned to the smart mouth and said, “But I wouldn’t hold him under half as long as I would you.”

York muttered, “And all this time I thought I could trust you.” The two men exchanged smiles as Tommy Pritchett ambled over to the table where the checker board was set up.

Image credit: old-photos.blogspot.com

Want more?

        Each week, as many as five or six dozen writers contribute a sample of their work for your reading pleasure.

        Find all their snippets and join us, if you like, at the home  page of Weekend Writing Warriors.

        Visit our FB group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnippetSunday/

St. Patrick's Day at the Louisville Tavern

The Set Up

Meanwhile, back at the Louisville Tavern, one of the members of The Presidents Club, Woodrow Risk, is sharing a newspaper clipping with the group. We join the scene near it's conclusion...

The Snippet

Reverend Pritchett now offered up a summary of the situation, “So what we have here is a sign. Maybe not from God, but a sign to which we should give some credence. If this document survived the rigors of a tumultuous journey from someone’s front lawn, into their bathroom, then to the recycle bin, and almost into a bird cage, to now be spread out before us here, on the bar in the Louisville Tavern, it must warrant our serious attention and consideration.”

York chided the minister, “Are you trying to channel William Faulkner or Billy Graham?”

Louie, who had been serving a recent arrival at the far end of the bar rejoined the conversation and said, “I heard you mention Creedence. Are you talking about ‘Fortunate Son’?”

Gold said, “Abe’s friend must have been a fortunate son. It sounds like he must be rich. He sponsored that PBS show I saw and now he’s got his own ‘initiative’ and something called a ‘Government Literacy Project.’”

Fishinghawk had to join the discourse, “Well, I’m in favor of more literacy in government. Woody, did you read this thing before it got the bird shit on it?”

What next?

Interested? Sample the work of over four dozen other writers by visiting the home web site for Weekend Writing Warriors.

The following video is, of course, relevant to this post as well as my previous article on helicopters. Enjoy!

Weekend Writing Warriors - March 3, 2013

News

        The Presidents Club will be presented twice a week starting this week. Wednesday, March 6 is the big day (Chapter Ten). From now on, readers will get one chapter on Sunday and an additional one on Wednesdays.  My weekly blog article on the same site will move to Fridays. Happy reading!

The Set Up

        The old men in the Louisville Tavern had sent their youngest member out into the dark to investigate the explosion that had left the bar in darkness. As we join the scene, Franklin York has just returned to the bar.

The Eight Sentences

            

York was rattled.

He had difficulty finding a bar stool.

The flashlight in his hands betrayed his claim, “I’m alright.” 

The beam was a desperate searchlight seeking a target in vain.

The men in the bar were rattled by York’s behavior.

They were all anxious to hear what York had to report about the explosion but didn’t press him.

The silence was unbearable and seconds seemed like hours.

York spoke to Louie in the dark, “Gimme a shot of Jack Daniels -- and another beer.”

And now...

        For samples of over five dozen other great writers, visit the web page for Weekend Writing Warriors.

Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013

News

     The Presidents Club continues with a snippet from Chapter Four today. It, and the three previous chapters, can be accessed HERE. 

The Set Up

     In this scene from Chapter Four, we get to know a couple of the members of the club a bit better by brazen bar room banter. (I love alliteration!)

The Six Sentences

In the background, the clatter of ivory dominoes rattling around on the table announced the beginning of another hand. 

No one kept score, at least not on paper.
Louie made eye contact with Abe and asked, “Usual?”
“Yeah, Louie, draft Miller Lite,” Abe was consistent.
Gold poked fun and asked, “Abe, why don’t you ever drink a Colt .45?”
“Ron, the last time I had any of that shit was when I drank some with a pork chop at your bar mitzvah,” and the two men with common African heritage shared a laugh.

     ======================

What now?

     The official Six Sentence Sunday site has been closed. We have heard discussion of a continuation and will alert readers if it happens and of course, if we participate.

     Meanwhile, please accept this invitation to join us for a new chapter of The Presidents Club every Sunday HERE.

     All chapters will be archived and of course, reading is FREE!

Jan. 20 - Six Sentence Sunday

The Set Up

      This week's snippet once again comes from my second novel, The Presidents Club. Regular readers will remember that this book is being presented in serial form, one chapter each week. 
       Chapter Three debuts on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2012, HERE. 
       Today, we join a conversation between billionaire investor, Julian Thibaut and his personal security chief, Gerald Pointe. They're discussing an assassination attempt on Thibaut that occurred last year in my first book, The Tourist Killer.
       These six sentences come from Chapter Three as did my weekly contribution back on December 9, 2012. 

The Six Sentences

“A smaller man would have been on the ground after that shot. What is the knock down power of one of those rounds?” asked Thibaut.

Gerald Pointe answered, “Not sure what hit him, the thing mushroomed and disintegrated in Hixon’s Kevlar vest. Not much forensic evidence to work from. But you’re right. A man my size would have hit the ground leaving you open for a second shot.”

More...

Thanks for stopping by. We appreciate your comments. For samples of the writings of over one hundred great authors, click HERE to visit the home page of Six Sentence Sunday.

Six Sentence Sunday - Jan 13, 2013

News

     This week we offer six more from my second novel, The Presidents Club, which began as a weekly serial  HERE.  Pleased to report we had over a thousand hits and widespread action in the social media.  Chapter Two goes live today.  After reading today's SSS, please accept our invitation to read all of the second chapter and see how this snippet fits.

The Set Up

     John Hixon, the former FBI agent we first met in The Tourist Killer, visits one of his local hangouts, Mr. Jimmy's Quick Stop convenience store.  

The Six Sentences

     

Mr. Jimmy nodded his approval, then asked, “You goin’ back to Georgia soon?”

“Why?”

“Retired big shot with the State Department got murdered down in Marietta. Right after he walked outta yo frien’s bar.”

“I don’t know anybody like that,” Hixon shrugged and walked out to his truck. He gave the Marietta incident no further thought.

More...

     We hope you enjoyed this week's snippet. To sample the writing of over 100 other great authors, just click HERE.  

How "The Presidents Club" happened

 

     My first novel, The Tourist Killer, was nearing completion.  

     The characters had taken me to places not imagined in the beginning. 

     As the story lines for several of the characters were beginning to converge, one of them, Julian Thibaut, decided to visit a quiet little bar for a drink and some thought.  

     He met a man who knew of a great place that would fill the bill. 

     His new friend had on a name tag, but it wasn't his. The tag read, "Ted."

     The wearer explained, "I borrowed this from another guy I work with. I forgot mine today. My name's Abe, another President."  

     When he said that, a light bulb went off for me.  

     When the two men arrived at the Louisville Tavern, they met a group of retirees that all had first names in common with previous U.S. Presidents.  In addition to the aforementioned Abraham/Abe, the other members of The Presidents Club: George, Thomas, Woodrow, Franklin, Ulysses, and Ronald. The group included a teacher, general surgeon, minister, retail manager, chiropractor, college professor, and a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, all retired.

     The Presidents Club debuted on Sunday, January 6, 2012 as a free weekly serial on the web site of my publisher, Venture Galleries. We were stunned to have received over one thousand readers for the first chapter. 

     Please accept this invitation to join us on Sunday, January 13, for Chapter Two. Venture Galleries will archive every chapter, so if you miss one, it will be easy to catch up. Eventually, The Presidents Club will be available as both an e-book and a trade paperback.

Here's the pitch:  A group of retirees and the ex-FBI agent hired to protect them face danger as they investigate a murder and uncover the source of ultimate government power.


Genre: a thinking readers’ thriller -- enough action to keep the pages turning and enough information to get to know the characters not only by the information given about them, but how and with whom they interact.

Dec. 30 Six Sentence Sunday

The Setup

     All of my remaining snippets for SSS will be from my second novel, The Presidents Club, which premieres as a weekly serial on Sunday, January 6, 2013 on my publishers web site. Since we won't have SSS soon, you can get an entire chapter, each week, -- FREE. Eventually, the entire book will be available in both e-book and trade paperback. 

     Today, one of the group of old men who hang out together in a bar, whose first names are those of former U.S. Presidents, is speaking. Dr. George Risk has just received an update on the condition of another patron of the Louisville Tavern...

The Six Sentences

“There’s more to it men. I just heard from a doctor friend of mine. Franklin got attacked at the bus stop the other night after leaving here. Died a few hours later in the emergency room at Kene—.”

An explosion in the street ended the conversation.

All was dark inside the Louisville Tavern.

Image credit: Seth Gaines

Lagniappe

"Lagniappe" is one of my favorite words. It's a Cajun term for "something else for free that you didn't expect." We hope you enjoyed our cliffhanger above and will visit the home site of Six Sentence Sunday to sample the work of other great writers HERE.

Six Sentence Sunday - Dec. 16

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Next Sunday, Dec. 23, just before Christmas, we will introduce the cover for The Presidents Club.  It was designed by Jeff Bennington and features one of the main characters, John Hixon along with...well, wait on the surprise.  Right here. Next Sunday. 

Now on to SSS...

The Setup

      Many of the conversations, plans, and character development occur in the Louisville Tavern. For the book, I've chosen to locate this "old man's bar" in Marietta, GA.  This venue is modeled after a real bar back in Louisiana.  Watch for a blog about it soon.  This scene sets the tone for much of the action to follow and of course, happens early in the book. 

Image credit:  Donna B. Cooper

The Six Sentences

Louie the bartender had a sawed off shotgun under the bar. His finger was on the trigger as he spoke to the man seated near the door. "We've heard enough of your foul mouth and we're sick of your dirty jokes. It's time for you to pay and go."

The patron with the ugly laugh stood and looked around the bar for a victim. Then, his eyes shot daggers at Louie, he threw a ten-dollar bill on the bar, and said, "Don't go home alone."

Comments appreciated!  Now to sample work from over a hundred other great writers, just click HERE.  And don't forget to return next Sunday to see the cover of The Presidents Club.

December 9 - Six Sentence Sunday

The Setup

Another scene from The Presidents Club, a spin off work-in-progress from my first novel, The Tourist Killer.  

Enigmatic billionaire, Jay Thibaut [tee'-boe] is chatting with his long time secretary and personal assistant. The subject: her years long unrequited crush.

The Six Sentences

Thibaut stood six feet tall and his 185 pounds were distributed in proportion to DaVinci’s Vitruvian man. The architecture of his face personified character with its defined cheek bones and firm jaw. His eyebrows were darker than his medium brown hair. They framed his hazel eyes, that often twinkled with mischief, and almost met over the smooth lines of a nose never altered by his participation in sports.

He had a protective shield of dignity and reserve that discouraged personal questions. 

Thibaut looked right into Miss Woods’ sparkling dark brown eyes and said, “2012 is a leap year -- don’t miss your chance.”

There's more!

Hope you enjoyed those and will leave a comment. To sample the work of over 100 other great writers, just click HERE.

Nov. 25 Six Sentence Sunday

The Setup:

     This week's snippet comes from a WIP, my second novel, The Presidents Club.

Carl Chaisson is the bartender of the Louisville Tavern. This scene occurs several years before he begins work at the tavern. We join him as an incident unfolds that leads to the end of his pre-bartender career.  

     After an emotional outburst witnessed by several co-workers and customers, Carl's boss, Henry, has just asked Carl if he would like to take a break.

The Six Sentences:

Carl turned his head towards Henry with a slow deliberate pace. It seemed like minutes went by before their gazes met. Carl's eyebrows were low over his eyes, his top lip was tight and the bottom one trembled. The corners of his mouth were turned down and his cheeks as red as a branding iron. Carl’s palms were sweaty and his hands were shaking. 

He took a deep breath and spoke as slow as possible, 

in as soft a voice as he could muster, he said, 

“Yes, thank you.”

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