Buffalo Chips

Everything I Needed to Know I Learned About Writing I Learned from Spenser

2010-01-23T20:51:00.003-05:00

Everything I Need to Know About Writing I Learned From Spenser

(With apologies to Robert Fulghum)

I was saddened to hear of the passing recently of the Grand Master of American Detective Fiction, Robert B. Parker. Parker’s Spenser, and later Jesse Stone, were the inspiration for me to begin my own writing career. Going one step further, I realized that everything I have used in my own writing I learned from absorbing pages and pages of the adventures of Spenser, Hawk, Susan Silverman, and the other characters brought to life through the skill of Robert B. Parker. This is what I have learned:

1. Characters drive stories. The situations the characters find themselves in develop as a result of who your characters are. Develop and know your characters, put them into a situation, and the story develops from there.

2. Keep your main characters consistent. Spenser is always the tough guy with a flair for literature and gourmet cooking. His only true weakness is, will ever be, his devotion to Hawk and Susan. Nothing changes, regardless of the case, regardless of the villain. Nobody is tougher than Spenser.

3. Make the villain worthy of the hero. In Parker’s “Stone Cold”, Jesse Stone battles a pair of highly intelligent thrill killers who flaunt their superiority under a false claim of innocence. Only after they make their murders personal does their story start to unravel. Stone is as dogged and unrelenting as the serial killers are cold and unremorseful. A match made in mystery heaven.

4. Show, don’t tell. I know, almost all writers know this. Even my mentor, Suzanne James, encouraged me to use that as my mantra. Nothing will bore the readers faster than long winded meticulous descriptions of a scene. Parker used crisp dialogue and actions to show propel the stories forward, and there aren’t a whole lot of writers who have done it better.

5. Set the pace, and encourage the reader to turn every page. Something worth reading happens on every page, and changes in chapters bring changes in scenarios that bring additional momentum to the story.

6. Don’t forget the even the toughest of the tough guys have a sense of humor. The one-liners shared between Spenser, Hawk, Vinnie Morris, Lt. Quirk and the rest helped bring a sharp contrast to the dramatic tension of the story. They make the characters more real, more engaging, and served to define each personality.

7. I would also like to add, and I’ve recommended this a lot to anyone who has asked me about writing, read. Reading really good writing, regardless of which author you like, will help provide working examples of a style you can use and emulate in your own writing.

So my thanks to Spenser, Hawk, Susan Silverman, Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall, and rest in peace Mr. Parker. Thank you for setting the bar, for providing me with concrete examples of writing excellence, and a lot of literary enjoyment.

Welcome to Bawstin

2009-12-03T18:06:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Bawstin ( Boston)

For those of you who have never been to 'Bawstin', this is a good guideline. I hope you will consider coming to 'Beantown' in the near future. For those who call New England home, this is just plain great!

Information on Boston and the surrounding area:

1. There's no school on School Street, no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square, no water on Water Street.

2. Back Bay streets are in alphabetical 'oddah': Arlington, Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, etc. So are South Boston streets: A, B, C, D, etc.

3. If the streets are named after trees, (e.g. Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you're on Beacon Hill. If they're named after poets, you're in Wellesley.

4. Massachusetts Ave is Mass Ave; Commonwealth Ave is Comm Ave; South Boston is Southie. The South End is the South End. East Boston is Eastie. The North End is east of the former West End. The West End and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named Rappaport got rid of them one night. Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.

How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly:

**Say it wrong, be shunned**

1. Worcester: Wuhsta (or Wistah)

2. Gloucester: Glawsta

3. Leicester Lesta,

4. Woburn: Wooban,

5. Dedham : Dead-um,

6. Revere: Re-vee-ah,

7. Quincy: Quinzee,

8. Tewksbury: Tooks berry,

9. Leominster: Lemin-sta,

10. Peabody: Pee-ba-dee,

11. Waltham: Walth-ham,

12. Chatham: Chaddum.

Definitions:

1. Frappes have ice cream, milkshakes don't.

2. If it is fizzy and flavored, it's tonic. Soda is CLUB SODA. 'Pop' is Dad.

3. When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for Tonic WATER.

4. The smallest beer is a pint.

5. Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish. If you paid more

than $6/pound, you got scrod.

It's not a water fountain; it's a bubblah. It's not a trashcan; it's a barrel. It's not a spucky, a hero or grinder...it's a sub. It's not a shopping cart; it's a carriage. It's not a purse; it's a pocketbook. They're not franks; they're haht dahgs; Franks are money in Switzahland. Police don't drive patrol units or black and whites; they drive a 'crooza'. It's not a rubber band, it's an elastic. It's not a traffic circle; it's a rotary.

'Going to the islands' means Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket.

The Sox = The Red Sox. The C's = The Celtics. The B's = The Bruins. The Pats = The Patriots

Things not to do:

1. Don't pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd ... they'll tow it to Meffa ( Medford ) or Summerville (Somerville).

2. Don't sleep on the Common. (Boston Common)

3. Don't wear Orange on St. Patrick's Day.

Things you should know:

1. There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, two Hancock buildings

(one old, one new for each).

2. The colored lights on top the old Hancock tell the weather': 'Solid blue, clear view....' 'Flashing blue, clouds due....' 'Solid red, rain ahead.....' flashing red, snow instead....' - (except in summer; flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out).

3. Most people live here all their life and still don't know what the hell is going on with this one. Route 128 is also I-95 south. It's also I-93 north.

4. The underground train is not a subway. It's the 'T', and it doesn't run all night. (this ain't Noo Yawk).

5. Order the 'cold tea' in China Town after 2:00 am - you'll get a kettle full of beer.

6. `Bostonians think that it's their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic.

7. Bostonians think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R's - except in 'idear').

8. Bostonians think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.

9. Bostonians refer to six inches of snow as 'dusting.'

10. Bostonians...always 'bang a left' as soon as the light turns green, and oncoming traffic always expects it.

11. Bostonians...believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.

12. Bostonians...think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.

13. Bostonians...think Rhode Island accents are annoying.

Back to the Old Drawing Board

2009-08-18T16:17:00.001-04:00

It is with extremely mixed emotions that I have recently ended my association with Enspiren Press. I cannot say enough about the mentorship and freindship offered to me by the company, and specifically Ms. Suzanne James. She taught me more about the publishing business than I had ever known, and for that I am extremely grateful. A very sincere thank you, Suz, for all your help and support.However, strictly as a business decision, I have opted to pursue another publisher/agent in hopes of finding a home for my work while Enspiren handles much more improtant business matters. The search has already started, and I am open to suggestions/opportunities anyone would be willing to share. I will keep everyone informed as things develop.

Timing Is Everything

2009-08-01T12:24:00.001-04:00

As a writer, I steal time. In other words, when I’m working on a new article, or a new story or plotline, I use whatever resources I have available whenever I can. I also have family obligations and a day job that has nothing to do with the other side of my life as a crime fiction writer. The fun comes when these two lives pass a hair too close in unexpected situations.

For example, a friend of mine suggested an article on how to hide a dead body. Well, at lunch I was using the computer at work for a little research, when my boss came by and looked over my shoulder. The computer is out in the open, with no real privacy, so the user has to be aware that anyone can see what is on the screen. I had the Google search window open, and had just finished typing, “How to Hide a Dead Body.” He said nothing at first, just standing there reading over my shoulder as I reviewed the admittedly odd search results. After a few minutes, he spoke.

“Research?” he asked, knowing I write mysteries.

“Sort of.” I decided to have a little fun.

He looked puzzled. “Oh, anything you want to tell me about?”

“Well, my daughter Katie is growing up, and is starting to discover boys. I just want to be ready, ya know.”

His eyes went wide. I smiled at him. And didn’t see him for the rest of the day.

Excerpt - KEY LIME SQUEEZE

2009-07-19T21:54:00.002-04:00

From my upcoming new release Key Lime Squeeze:

Did you ever have the feeling that as soon as you agreed to do something, you’d regret it? This was definitely one of those times. I was in reasonable demand in the insurance industry, thanks in part to the work I did on the Dellaplante case a year ago. My buddy, Kevin Garner, an investigator with Kellerman Life Insurance, did a great job of talking me up to other insurance companies. Joe Banks is the best. He would tell them, works hard, won’t quit, yadda, yadda, yadda. The upside to this was that, for first time in recent memory, cash flow was headed in a positive direction, which was nice. It was a big switch from dodging bill collectors.

So, when Midland Merchants, a property casualty company, called Kevin for a recommendation to look into a case, he immediately thought of me. I was sitting in my office, windows open and an old school box fan spinning in a vain attempt to keep the occupants comfortable in the mid-summer heat. I could never keep it straight, whether to have outside air blowing in or inside air blowing out. I opted for the breeze. The air was still hot and humid, but at least it was moving.

“Joe, how would you like to make some easy money?” Kevin sounded cheerful. He had to be in an air-conditioned office, or his equally cooled BMW, because nobody I knew felt cheerful in this humidity. It was a typical steamy mid-summer day in late July, and I was seriously thinking about the first ice-cold beer out on the back deck after work. So the thought of an easy job that paid well had a certain appeal.

“Easy works for me,” I said into the phone, “especially in this heat.”

“What? You’re still working with that crappy old fan? With all the work I’ve been sending you, you think you’d invest in an air conditioner for that hole in the wall you call an office,” he said. “If you won’t do it for yourself, at least do it for that delicate flower, Samantha.”

Kevin had a case of the middle age hots for Sam Kelly, my assistant slash secretary slash friend. She ran my office the way my wife Paula ran the rest of my life. Both kept me more or less on the straight and narrow. Paula used love and encouragement, while Sam had smack and sarcasm. Both methods worked.

Sam sat at her desk, her auburn hair pulled in a high bun to keep it off her neck, a short cotton sundress and sandals. We met a short time after I arrived in Buffalo, and she became a part of the family. We looked out for each other, took care of each other, and teased the hell out of each other.

I covered the bottom half of the phone with my hand and called, “Sam! Kevin thinks you’re a vegetable.”

She sneered and blew a kiss with one finger. “I don’t think she approves of your opinion of her, Kev.”

“Asshole. I don’t know why I bother with you sometimes,” he shot back. “There’s guys like you all over western New York who would kill for the work I toss you, ya know!”

“I know, I know. I can be a real insensitive jerk. So tell me about the job.”

“Robert Boothby over at Midland Merchants called me looking for someone to check into a problem one of their companies is having with stock theft. I told him you were the guy.”

“Who’s Boothby? Have I ever heard of him?”

“Probably not. I know him from the business. He’s a V.P. over there, runs the high end property claims.”

“Don’t they have their own in-house people to do investigations?”

“He asked for you specifically. Apparently, someone’s been talking you up to the right people. You want the job or not?”

“Sure. Can you fill me in a little?”

“No, but I told Rob I would give you his number and you can call him and work out the details,” Kevin explained.

I took the number. “Thanks, Kevin. I’ll give him a call.”

As Boothby described it, the work was simple enough. Buffalo Wholesale Beverage Distribution, the largest liquor distributor in the Buffalo goodarea, had been reporting lost liquor case claims for the past six months. At first, they lost a few cases a week, but it escalated to the point of 50 to 100 cases a day. They need someone to work at Buffalo Wholesale, someone to pass as a warehouseman and learn why they were losing stock, and how to stop it. Once upon a time, during a period that I like to refer to as intense character development, I drove trucks for a company out of Brockton, Massachusetts. Boothby didn’t blink at my fee, so I agreed.

Three weeks and 20 pounds lighter, I still tossed cases of liquor in the warehouse with no more idea of who’s been taking them than I did before. Paula and Sam were privately pleased to see me “working” for a change, but to be honest, this is not my idea of fun. A cold beer, a hammock in the shade, a transistor radio with a baseball game, but definitely not this.

I reported to the warehouse on my usual shift, nine in the morning. I punched a paper time card into the manual time clock. I shook my head and sighed. A job is a job. Say what you will about this operation, you can’t say they wasted money on useless technology. The most modern equipment owned was a trio of electric cherry picker tow motors that lifted the operators high enough to get at some of the cases stacked towards the open ceiling. While the pickers limited the number of people forced to climb the three-story warehouse racks, they could hardly be confused for true modernization.

The only people who knew why I worked here, besides Boothby, were the owners, Tony and Paul Cantolino. The Cantolino family had owned the distributing company for years, passed down from father to sons, along with several questionable business ventures in the Buffalo area. The boys kept a tight rein on the bottom line of all their interests, and felt they had to go through the “proper” channels to tend to this problem. Meaning they were letting the law take care of it, instead of taking care of it internally. It kept their hands clean. So my job was simple: find out who was ripping them off, call in the authorities, and ride off into the sunset.

The good news was that Tony and Paul liked me. The bad news it was assumed by the other workers that I was given special favors by management. Special favors were considered good when dolled out by the union, but bad when given by management. Go figure.

I walked to the shipper’s desk and grabbed an order to fill and a hand truck. The job was simple. I took an order sheet, read the list of items by warehouse location, and headed for the first item to be picked. Luckily, it was a full case of Scotch whiskey. I picked it off the pallet of cases, hoisted it on my shoulder, and walked over to the shipping floor.

The floor was laid out in a grid, which turned the whole process into a game of industrial bingo with liquor cases. I liked orders of whole cases. They were easy. I was well into my twelfth order of whole cases; some were singles, and others were 15 to 20 cases of the same thing. The day warmed as it wore on. Sweat soaked my once clean t-shirt, and caked the dirt and dust. I finally hit a bottle order. That required individual bottles from cases and took longer, since I had to go to the ‘bottle room’.

I grabbed a cardboard box and zipped the top off with my cutter, building dividers with the cut off pieces. I held the order up for reference as I walked the long racks, checking the shelves for the right bottles. The racks ran three high and a good 50 yards long of open cases of everything Buffalo Wholesale kept in stock. Dusty and close back there, awash in halogen light, everybody hated the bottle orders. I was no exception. Luckily, my next orders were whole case orders, so things moved along pretty quickly for the first part of the day. I grabbed a sheet from the order pile, a two-wheeled dolly, and went out to the case racks.

It was grunt work of the first order, and the heat and humidity mixed with the dust and diesel fumes in a kind of lung crushing heaviness that left me sweaty from breathing. The big push came from liquor stores and bars stocking up for the holiday weekend. I was well into my orders, and had a six case load of cheap sangria wine on my dolly. I was really pushing hard, looking forward to the spot on the floor to dump my order.

Some joker threw a perfect strike with a piece of scrap wood right under the tire. I tripped forward. My momentum carried me past the dolly, and I managed to roll to the side as the glass inside the cardboard cases shattered, releasing its fruity alcoholic contents. I heard the laughing, but I wasn’t quick enough to find out who it was. I got up, checked for my own breakage, and went to get the trash can full of quick-dry to clean up the mess. The stink of cheap wine hung in my nose while I worked the broom, the puddle becoming a solid wet mass of grit. I shoveled it into the dump bin, and shoved the whole mess off to the side to be ready for the next victim.

I took a break at 11:30. The sweat and grime stuck to me as I downed a bottle of water. I was still aggravated at the idiot who tripped me up. All this character building was getting old fast. Break over, I pulled a bottle order for about two-dozen individual bottles for a bar on the Elmwood Strip. I grabbed an empty box, a bunch of scrap cardboard, and checked my razor knife as I proceeded along the bays of open cases. One of the other guys jerked his head to the side, motioning me to follow him around the back of the racks. I nodded back, very cloak and dagger, so I followed him. It was the closest thing I had to a lead since I started. Three guys stood back there, talking amid the din.

“Hey, yo, Andy!” Jake called.

I used my middle name for this job, and paused before I looked up. Jerry Fornes, Bill Francis, and Jake Crawford waved me over. They held the most seniority in the distribution center, and were next in line for driving jobs when they came open. I talked to Jake before, just guy stuff. He was friendly enough. He reminded me of my kid brother, strong and stocky, with a thick head of curly blond hair and a dirty blond shadow of a beard. He was quick with a hand if I needed it, and showed me the best ways to do the job. I liked him, and hoped he wasn’t involved in the scam.

Jerry and Bill, on the other hand, were harder to read. Jerry wore a permanent scowl and held his arms crossed and his legs apart. Bill kept his hands in his back pockets with a more vacant expression, almost as if he was constantly amazed that he was hanging out with Jerry. They were all business, all union, and always passed over for the better driving jobs. They would get out sometimes, taking loaded vans to the bars or liquor stores, but nothing that paid as well as the bigger loads. I made a note that where one was, the other was pretty close by. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

“Yeah, Jake, what’s up?” I asked nodding to Jerry and Bill. They nodded back in acknowledgement.

“Nice trip, Banks?” Fornes asked, jabbing Francis in the side.

“Very smooth,” Francis added, sniggering. “No hard feelings?”

“Naw,” I said with a smile. “But you know what they say about payback.”

“You guys know each other?” Jake asked.

“We’ve seen each other around,” Bill piped up. He stood shorter, maybe 5’7”, with a muscular build and tight, close cropped medium brown hair. He looked like the kind of guy that might have always wanted to be a cop, but wasn’t tall enough to make the cut. He stuck his hand out. I shook it firmly. He introduced himself, and then Jerry.

“Nice to meet you guys,” I said.

Jerry Fornes stood taller than me, wiry with skinny forearms entwined by tattoos. Some of them were the work of a pro, trying to cover up the characteristic blue ink work of a jailhouse amateur. Flecks of silver salted his black hair and goatee, and framed his acne scarred cheeks and forehead

“Jake says you’re okay,” Jerry said, his voice grating like sandpaper on asphalt.

“Opinions vary, but my mother loves me,” I shot back.

“He also said you were a smart ass,” Bill said.

“Jake talks a lot, don’t he,” I said, looking at Jake. He smiled and shrugged.

“Mostly to us, which is a good thing,” Jerry said, slapping Jake on the back. “He says you told him about doing time in Alden, something to do with assault and pissing in a cop car?”

“It was late, I had too much beer, and I needed to take a leak. Seemed like the thing to do.”

“In a cop car?” Bill asked.

“The window was open, it looked like a nice, clean place.”

“What about the assault?” Jerry chimed in.

“The cop was still in the car,” I responded.

That brought a round of head shaking, and I think the phrase crazy S.O.B. was whispered among the bunch of them.

“So what is this, meeting of the local MENSA chapter?” I asked.

“The what?” Jake asked. I was going to explain it, but decided it would take too long.

“We just wanted to see what kinda guy you are,” said Bill. “Jake says you seem pretty stand-up.”

I nodded. Who was I to argue?

“We have a little business on the side,” Jerry started. “We were thinking maybe we need to bring another guy into it, if you’re interested.”

“Wait a minute. This isn’t one of those Amway or Mary Kay kinda things, is it?” I asked sarcastically. “Because I had this neighbor, see, and he was always trying to get me into…”

“Be serious for a second, willya?” Jake pleaded.

“Alright, guys, what’s the deal?”

Bill and Jerry looked at each other, shrugged, and turned to me.

Bill spoke first. “You think you’re pretty funny, tough guy?” Apparently, he didn’t.

“Okay, so I have a good sense of humor screwed up with a bad sense of timing. Your point is what, ‘cause I have to get back to work,” I said.

“Trust me, guys,” Jake piped up. “He’s the best guy to bring in.” He shot me a dirty look, like I was blowing this big opportunity.

Jerry considered the last statement, and said, “We have a partnership here, a little side business like we said. We operate off the losses here at BWB, sorta like a salvage company.”

“Salvage company,” I repeated. Now we were getting somewhere.

“Yeah, like that,” said Bill, pleased to see I was catching on. “You know, with all the breakage that happens around here, it’s a shame to let the rest of the unbroken bottles in the case go in the dumpster. So we have a market for all the stuff that would just be tossed otherwise.”

“I’m surprised management here hadn’t thought of that,” I said, playing along.

“They ain’t too bright,” Jerry said, looking around. “So, you want in or what?”

“Yeah, sure. I mean, all we’re really doin’ is clean-up, right?”

“You know, I think he gets it,” Jerry exclaimed. He laughed and stuck out his hand to shake mine. “Maybe he is smarter than he looks.“ Jake slapped me on the back, letting me know that I was in with the gang.

Bill looked around, and then turned to me. “After the shift, we’ll be at the back of the warehouse, out by the old Parker trailer in the back. Know where I’m talkin’ about?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I told him, turning to go back to work. Finally, a break I could use. I stopped for a second to get a drink of lukewarm water from the fountain near the shipping floor doorway, wiping the excess off my chin.

“C’mon, you chimps, back to work!” the shipper called from the front of the pick line. “These friggin’ cases ain’t gonna move themselves.”

This was going to be a long night.

7 Tips For The Organized Writer

2009-07-05T22:09:00.001-04:00

Have you always wanted to write a book? Do you see the whole tale in your head but find yourself unable to get it out on to the page? Do you begin writing with enthusiasm only to burnout before you've begun? Here are a few ideas that may help you harness a bit of that enthusiasm, and focus your creativity.

1. Outline Your Ideas
Most people need to form their ideas in some kind of outline. An outline is the easiest and best way of organizing the brainstorm of ideas into something workable and understandable. An outline also provides the writer with a framework they can refer to as the story develops, helping them to stay “on track.” It doesn't have to include every detail of your novel, just the framework. And you can always add and modify as you go along.

2. Consider Point-of-View
For each scene, decide what point of view you are going to use. I write primarily in first person, but will write chapters in third person as I need to develop the action outside of the immediate view of the hero. One thing my editor would catch me doing was called “head jumping,” or changing POV in mid-chapter. Stick with a single POV for each individual scene/chapter, and your story will flow much better.

3. Dialogue
Read and re-read the conversations aloud. It is the best way to “hear” the characters, and makes the written word more real to you. Be cautious of accents, however. There are authors that can introduce accents into a story, but I’m not one of them. I have used a description of the accent, but have never tried to actually “write with an accent. It’s tough, I’m lazy, and I avoid it if possible. However, if one of your characters speaks a foreign language, be sure to get an accurate translation before using the language, and triple check the word spelling. I used Cuban Spanish in one of my novels, and had a Cuban friend check it, and correct it, for me.

4. Concept
Imagine you are writing the back cover blurb for your novel. You have 25-50 words to excite the reader enough to want to crack the binding. If you can do that, you have a strong story concept that will satisfy both you the writer and the readers as well. If you can’t, well, try going back to tip #1.

5. Building the Drama
A good story needs conflict. But every good story builds the drama gradually over the course of the book. You should try to let the drama flow as the conflict between the hero and the villain mounts towards the conclusion.

6. Show- Don't Tell
Re-action speaks louder than words. Use action instead of description to set the emotional tone of a scene, and try to avoid the “–ly’s” as much as possible. Too many adverbs spoil the narrative.

7. Obvious Mistakes
This is actually one of the most important. No matter how great your word processing program or how many times you proofread yourself, you can always overlook misspellings, grammatical errors and incorrect punctuation. You should have someone very qualified in English or a professional editor proofread your work. In his book, “On Writing”, Stephen King recommends putting the manuscript away for a time, then re-reading it with fresh eyes. Not a bad idea, really, and one I have used myself.

Good luck, and I hope to see YOUR name on the best seller list.

Ronald W. Adams: There are some things you just never outgrow : My View : The Buffalo News

2009-06-19T12:32:00.001-04:00

Ronald W. Adams: There are some things you just never outgrow : My View : The Buffalo News

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What Makes a Good Bad Guy?

2009-06-11T21:24:00.002-04:00

What Makes a Good Bad Guy?

Getting your readers to hate the bad guy is much easier than getting them to sympathize with them. True, you may want to give your villain some redeeming qualities, but if your character does something truly loathsome, your readers will never forget.

Some of the most memorable villains will often cause their victims to suffer in either their body or mind. Think about some of the most notorious bad guys, and you’ll see what I mean. Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest used degradation and humiliation to make her patients less than human. Jamie Gomb in Silence of the Lambs kidnapped and held his victims hostage before removing pieces of their skin. You get the picture. They were bullies and sadists, and they use their power to torment their victims.

On the other hand, murder is nowhere near as powerful a tool in defining the villain and making the readers hate him. Bullying can never be justified enough to make the sadistic character sympathetic, murder can often be explained away in a manner that the assassin can be a hero. A good rule of thumb is that murder and other violent crimes will only make a character villainous if the acts are performed for purely selfish reasons. Motives make the all the difference in determining the villain’s proper place on the moral spectrum. A con man can be a hero, as opposed to a cold blooded killer.

We are truly terrified by those who have an altered view of reality than we do. The villain who shows himself insane cannot be reasoned with, cannot be bargained with. While mental health experts may not like it, the criminal who is dangerously insane leaves the hero one alternative: to stop him. But remember one thing about your character, whether or not he is insane: Everybody is the hero of their own story. So even the villain believes there is something heroic in their actions from their point of view. I know. Crazy, right?

I would also recommend that your bad guy be a mirror for your hero. Think Holmes and Moriarty, Starling and Lecter, even Luke Skywalker and Dart Vader. Each villain reflects aspects of the good guy, defining both as they progress towards the final confrontation. The hero is defined as much by the evil of their foe as they are by their own nobility. A good bad guy enhances the hero’s story and gives us something cheer for.

I hope these ideas will help you as you begin your writing, and give you some guidance as to what makes a good bad guy.

Featuring Author Christine Duncan

2009-06-02T07:05:00.002-04:00

It is my pleasure to host Christine Duncan, creator of the Kay Berreano mystery series. She has some very interesting and unique insights to share regarding writing that works.

Christine Duncan is an Arvada Colorado mystery writer. She got her start in writing for the Christian market, writing for Sunday School magazines. Her credits include Accent Books and Regular Baptist Press.Her Colorado based, Kaye Berreano mystery series debuted in 2002 with the book, Safe Beginnings, which dealt with arson in a battered women's shelter. Safe House, the second book in the series is due out this spring.Although the Kaye Berreano mystery series is set in a battered women's shelter, Ms. Duncan's husband wants the world to know it's not because of anything he did!
Come visit Christine at Http://www.ChristineDuncan.com. Or at her blog http://www.globalwrite.wordpress.com/

Writing Works When Writers Do

Writers spend a great deal of time trying to figure out when or if our writing works. We agonize over word placement and sentence structure, go to critique groups and get feedback, we have editors look at it. Even when we blog, we tend to look for feedback in the way of comments and statistics. When you think about it, it is a really interesting reaction to something that is really a solitary occupation. How did the traditional idea of writing alone and in some garret somewhere ever get started when so many of us really want to see our audiences' reactions?
Feedback is, of course, a marvelous way to figure out if whatever you wrote gets the point across. I'm not talking about the kind of feedback you got from your mother on every project you undertook since well, birth: "That's wonderful, honey." But if two or more writers from your critique group tell you to lose the prologue, you should give serious consideration to losing the prologue. And there is no substitute for professional advice.
But I believe that most of us really know when something isn't working. I don't think it's really all that difficult to get that perspective. Mary Higgins Clark was quoted a long time back as saying that she knew when she had written something really scary because she became nervous alone in her writing space. Other authors have said things like if it made them cry, they figured it made the reader cry. I think it's probably true and I'll go one step farther. If something makes you pause when you read it over, even if only for a moment, you need to make some change there.
Reading your manuscript aloud is often repeated advice for writers. I know that can really help in dialogue. But it isn't exactly what I mean here. The test for what works for me is similar to the woodworker who puts a nylon stocking on his hand and runs it over the wood he's been sanding before he applies the finishing stain. You have to take time. Set the piece aside for a day (or whatever works for you.) then read it slowly. The jagged parts tend to stick out. You might not always know just why they stick out but underline them either with a marker if you are looking at a printed copy or with that little highlighter on the formatting toolbar in Word if you're on the computer. Then keep reading.
When you're done, go back and play with the sections you've marked. Take the time to rearrange the words or even the scene. Try to remember just exactly what you were trying to say when you wrote it and see if that is happening. Write it a few different ways if you want. Then put the manuscript away again. Don't expect to fix everything this time. Next time you read the manuscript, mark the spots that give you pause again. Keep doing it until you have fixed all the rough spots you can see. Then take the thing to critique or your editor. I'm betting it will work better.

Somethings You Never Outgrow

2009-05-26T22:40:00.001-04:00

It was a bad week. We all have them, kids and adults alike. Everything I touched broke, everything I tried to do became undone, and it seemed the harder I tried the further behind I wound up. Even the end of the workday brought no relief. The traffic was brutal, the never ending construction on Route 5 slowed everything to a crawl for no apparent reason, and to be honest, I was still stressed over my wife’s recent surgery for a spinal tumor. My parents had been helping out a lot with the house and taking care of Trish while I was working, so they were there at the house when I arrived.

Dinner was quiet, tense, and it was all because of the black cloud following me that day. It settled right in with me, bringing the misery and gloom of my bad day to those who had no idea it was coming. I grunted responses to mundane questions. I snapped at my kids, who after all were just being kids. I was such miserable company that if I didn’t have to be around me, I would have left the table. If they were honest with me, I think my whole family shared that particular sentiment. So it was with a gentle nudge my wife reminded me that my father had worked on and apparently fixed my chainsaw, and brought his as well. I had been meaning to do some clean up in the woods behind the house, cutting up some fallen tress from the winter’s storms. I couldn’t think of a better way to work out my hostility than to make short work of the fallen trees.

My father didn’t say anything, but the two of us rose from the table, me still in my work clothes, khakis and a polo shirt. My wife asked if I was going to change first. I shook my head, and went straight to the garage. We grabbed the saws and headed for the grove of downed trees in the back of our property, debris from the hard winter I had been meaning to get cleaned up. The saws roared to life, ripping through the wood with ease. In short, we made big logs small and downed trees into firewood for the backyard summer fire pit. Then, half covered in sweat and wood chips, and smelling of gas and oil fumes, we talked.

It seems there are some things you never outgrow. I don’t think I really needed to cut logs that night, but I needed my Dad. Throughout my adult life, my parents were never more than a phone call away. My wife and I moved from New York to Pennsylvania to Ohio, and always managed to keep in contact with my folks. But that night, at that time, I needed my Dad. He has a quiet strength, born of a confident been-there-done-that approach to almost everything. Maybe it comes from being the oldest boy in a large Irish Catholic family. Maybe it comes from his years in the Marine Corps. It could be from his years of hard work and sacrifice for his family, being the unsung hero to his four sons. Over the years, I have tried to learn from his example, and be the best example I can be for my own son and daughter. Time will tell, I suppose, but Katie tells me so far, so good.

Don't Just Sit There, Look It Up

2009-04-20T23:04:00.002-04:00

I was sitting there tonight with my son and daughter, when Katie asked me how to spell a word. She had written it on her homework page 3 different ways, and she said none of them looked right. So, being the brilliant homework technician I am, I told her to look it up. We did it together, and found the answer she needed.

When writing fiction, we are faced with two choices. We can make it up, or we can look it up. Unless you’re recreating the world of the Hobbits, let me recommend the latter.

Research gives your story, regardless of the genre, a feeling of reality that the readers will immediately recognize. When you’ve done your homework (research) correctly, your readers will sense the authenticity of your work. You should try not to think of it as labor intensive, back-breaking fact mining, but rather as the opportunity to learn more about the subject you’re writing about. This gives you the opportunity to educate as well as entertain, and if you are anything like me when you write, often times you get ideas for the story that you never imagined before.

So don’t be afraid of doing your homework. In this age of technology and instant access to information, if you need and answer, look it up!

In Praise of my Day Job

2009-04-10T07:22:00.002-04:00

Like many writers still trying to fight our way onto the best-seller list, I have a day job. As a matter of fact, I am happy to point that out any time anyone asks how my writing career is going. I am the Director of Rehabilitation Services for two nursing homes in downtown Buffalo, and truly love what I do. The following article from the New York Times came across my desk in February this year, and was written by Caitlin Kelly, the author of “Blown Away: American Women and Guns.” After a day filled with hearing how “mean and wicked” we “physical terrorists” are, this was wonderful to read.

“I first had physical therapy at 27, after I slipped on an icy Montreal sidewalk and tore the ligaments in my left ankle. I had it again at 42 and 43, after surgery on my right and left knees, and most recently I’ve had it on both shoulders.
My orthopedist likes to say surgery is half the battle. If so, it’s the easy half.
The slow and repetitive work of physical therapy often starts the next day, and for an injury like a tear in an anterior cruciate ligament, it can take up to six months. Before you’ve done it, it’s hard to imagine anything is going to take so long and hurt so much.
Part of the challenge is the nature of arthroscopic surgery, whose multiple incisions are often so tiny they barely leave a trace. I’ve had torn meniscus (cartilage) removed from both my knees, and I have to look really hard to find my scars. Removal of bone spurs from my shoulder through four incisions left my skin almost smooth. Surely this is a good thing.
But those minuscule entry points make it difficult to comprehend what has been done in there. After only 45 minutes under general anesthetic and with no huge incision or bloody wound, why am I in so much pain? And why do I have to keep doing these silly exercises?
Surgeons have little time, and sometimes less appetite, to discuss the minutiae of a procedure’s aftereffects. Often it’s the physical therapists who patiently explain what the physician did and why we now have to relinquish huge chunks of our time to rehabilitation.
Physical therapy, or P.T., demands the month-after-month tedium of spending hours in a room filled with strangers stretching colored rubber bands or spinning their arms in circles.
The rituals are oddly and intimately public. Patients of every age, race and income level share a large, sunny room. We do our leg-raises side by side on wide beds. We wait in line for the pulley, the elliptical and the arm bike. We learn a new language and its tools: the strap, the stick, shrugs and pinches.
Everyone ends up in P.T. — lithe teenage athletes, construction workers and police officers with job-related strains, C.E.O.’s with skiing injuries, older people with replaced knees and hips. I’ve commiserated there with an Episcopal minister, an Ivy League economics professor and a firefighter.
The rituals become routine, starting with a heating pad and nerve stimulation, ending with the soothing benediction of a black rubber ice pack. We learn to bend our lives around the inexorable, unfashionable truth — healing takes work and it takes time.
Camaraderie grows as patients compare notes on the frustration of needing help for tasks as simple as pulling up your trousers or opening a can of soup. Women commiserate with the new knowledge that a bra strap can pinch a healing shoulder like steel cable. Struggling to complete even the simplest of tasks in a room full of fellow adults is humbling. When I see someone’s jaw clench with effort, I remember that lifting a one-pound weight can be tough.
I never expected to forge a multiyear relationship with my physical therapists, but I have. I like Helen and Matt and Stephanie and Richard. Really. I just hope I never see them again.
I don’t envy them their job, stretching and shaking and manipulating our joints to loosen them and keep them flexible. It has left me gasping in pain, sometimes even tears. I can’t imagine having to intentionally inflict pain, but that, one quickly learns, is an inevitable part of healing.
It must be difficult for our physical therapists to cheer us on for what are, in other circumstances, a toddler’s proud achievements — when we have regained the ability to tie our shoelaces or walk steadily across a room or throw a ball.
There is an upside. Because we see them so frequently for months, we get to know our physical therapists, and they us, in ways we’ll never know our doctors. We learn where they live and go on vacation, who has a new puppy, whose husband changed careers.
It’s not an intimacy we would choose. But, shoved out of our private, busy lives, whether reluctantly or gratefully, we fall into their strong, skilled, waiting hands.”

From the bottom of my heart, Caitlin, thank you very much.

New Review for Key Lime Squeeze

2009-03-22T19:18:00.001-04:00

"Questions upon questions surface as Ron Adams' witty dialogue draws the reader in... yearning... for those questions to get answered. With action, excitement, and an incredibly likable character, P.I. Joe Banks, the reader can relate yet remain curious to Banks' undercover woes and his opposition to the Cantalino mob family. Adams has created a character worthy of more books and more thrills. Key Lime Squeeze is a rare treat."
- Reagan Rothe, author of blacke and Dreams and Baseball

Kind words indeed. Are you in on the squeeze?

Update

2009-03-14T09:02:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since last I was able to be on here, so I figured I’d spend a few moments letting my friends and readers know what I’ve been up to. In terms of my writing, I have continued with short stories, the latest being a piece of flash fiction entitled “For I Have Sinned.” You can find it, with my other short stories, at www.shadowsandnight.blogspot.com.

I have also agreed to take over the moderator post at the new Inspired Author website. I expect it will be up fairly soon, and I will be looking for contributors with short stories, book reviews, interesting opinions and points of view on writing, publishing, and the many genres of books. I’ll be posting more about that as the time gets close.

Key Lime Squeeze is being blocked and prepped for publication, some time this month is the best guess I can make. I am really looking forward to it. In anticipation, I have posted a copy of it at www.authonomy.com, where the reviews and impressions have been mostly positive. The most recent review is now available at www.talauthors.com.

Personally, I have accepted a new position as the Director of Rehabilitation at two downtown Buffalo nursing facilities. I start Monday, March 16, 2009. Angels and ministers of grace, defend us!

New Short Story - "Was She Worth It?"

2009-01-04T21:58:00.002-05:00

Please visit my Shadows and Night website to check out my latest short story, "Was She Worth It?" It is a cautionary tale of adultery, murder, and ... a Blackberry? Drop by for a visit and let me know what you think.

http://shadowsandnight.blogspot.com/2009/01/was-she-worth-it.html

A Christmas List - Sort of

2008-12-08T18:39:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine recently e-mailed me a series of Christmas-related poll questions. Just thought you’d like a glimpse inside my holiday thoughts. Who knows, you might even have your own set of answers…

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial - but the love is real

3. When do you put up the tree? As soon as I get a few hours to string together, the thing is HUGE

4. When do you take the tree down? after Jan 1

5. What do you do with your tree after you take it down? Back to the Basement with ye…

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hockey Skates

7. Hardest person to buy for? Me

8. Easiest person to buy for? The kids…they want everything

9. Do you have a nativity scene? of course, it’s Christmas

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, and yes we lick the envelopes

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Sweater - ugly, don’t ask from whom

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Tie between A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim as Scrooge, and A Charlie Brown Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Start shopping for…DANG!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Haven’t you?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? No favorites, I’m Omnivorous

16. Lights on the tree? Please refer to answer #9

17. Favorite Christmas song? there’s two that many people don’t know, both from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra - An Angel Came Down/An Angel Returns (two songs at the beginning and end of the CD), and Old City Bar…Not Traditional, but for a real Christamas story, nothing work better than these for me.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Biltzen…and the one with the red nose… what’s his name again…

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star, but we have done the angel as well

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Starting it in Freeking October!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Family theme

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? The next one…

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? For a child’s dream to come true

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Anyone with a heart

27. Who is least likely to respond to this? The one’s who really should have

Merry Christmas from My Family, and The Banks Family, to all of you!
Ron Adams

"I Love My Bad Guys"

2008-11-30T19:50:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the International Festival of Authors in Toronto this year, the short drive across the Peace Bridge into Canada being yet another perk of living in Western New York. While there, I attended a roundtable discussion of the psychology of the villain in contemporary fiction. The formal title of the roundtable was “Psycho-babble – Inside the Character’s Twisted Mind.” The panel included such heavyweights in crime and thriller fiction as John Connolly, Jeffery Deaver, Elena Forbes, and newcomer Ross Raisin. As a mystery writer myself, it was a thrill to sit and listen to these writers discuss their writing, their work schedules, their inspirations, and their unique insights into character development. And as they went on, I noticed a common theme to all of their writing, and it was said best by Deaver: “I love my bad guys.”
Here’s a sampling of the items touched on by the panel:
1. Create villains that are real to engage the reader. If the hero prevails against a cardboard bad guy, then it is the hero who is diminished. But think about what you do to the villain, and be careful not to make him more captivating than the hero.
2. It is also important that along with being bad, your villain must be human. You should have the reader asking why he does what he does. The bad guy may not always see himself as bad, or he may see what he does is good based on his sense of right or wrong.
3. Be a compulsive researcher as much as possible. Develop an interest in people beyond themselves, and even develop affection for them. That way you can find the humanity in your villain and all your characters.
4. Most people, villains and bad guys included, act out of selfishness and/or fear. For one example, they discussed the concept of Mad vs. Bad in relation to the villain. The villains that are interesting to these writers are the ones who lack a social or moral compass. In other words, they may be perfectly aware they are committing a crime, and are perfectly fine with it.
5. There is always a conflict between truth and credibility. Believe it or not, the authors found that there are so many real life crimes that are too incredible in their very nature to make effective stories. Despite being true, they would not make credible stories. The “ick” factor of many true stories is an incredibly fine line to walk for most writers. This discussion gave rise to one of the funniest exchanges of the afternoon. John Connelly was saying that he does not read as much true crime as he used to, due to the gratuitous use of shock and violence. He also criticized another crime fiction writer for doing just that, and drew fire himself for the critique. He asked the panel. “Do we have to be nice and not criticize each other?
Jeffery Deaver responded, “John, we all know 50 ways to kill people.”
I’ll be sharing more from this discussion, but I would appreciate any feed back readers or authors have to share with me as well.

New Review For KEY LIME SQUEEZE

2008-11-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

There are a few books that you begin to read and know you in for a treat! Key Lime Squeeze is one of those rare books. Be prepared to miss meals, appointments and phone calls as you join Joe Banks on his adventures.
From the first page, to the last line, this exhilarating novel takes its readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions, tears, laughter, intrigue and tension. Trying to out-guess the plot is a waste of time. Even the good guy/bad guy border is hard to define. Just when you feel you know the lay of the land, the horizon alters. It is a great ride! The thrill of reading a novel of this genre is always anticipated with great expectation. Key Lime Squeeze delivers the pleasure, the intensity of characters and situations we expect, while supplying twists and hiccups that no one sees coming.
Ron Adams proves himself a master in the field of taking the reader and propelling them into stark moments of crisis. His realism and love of location brings the reader into the story, transporting them into the world of Joe Banks. The relationships between the key players develop with clarity and unexpected humanity. Joe's feisty wife is one of my favorite characters. While Joe is portrayed as a caring, courageous father, he is also a diligent detective whose integrity lands him in trouble. Ron Adams' memorable characters, with their personality traits and foibles, remain alive and compelling beyond the last page. Ron writes with compassion, humor, intelligence and empathy. Combined with his realism he succeeds in creating believable (if unexpected) heroes and shady, unsettling villains.
Easily the best book I have read this year. Definitely going onto my shelf of favorites, Key Lime Squeeze is a fine example of its genre.

Reviewed by Lady Rosalie Skinner
Author of the speculative fiction series 'The Chronicles of Caleath'.
Exiled: Winter's Plight and Exiled: Summer's Peril available from Amazon.

The Three P's of Writing

2008-11-14T19:53:00.000-05:00

The Three P’s of Writing

I have had an occasion recently to witness the turmoil of some writers and publishers when things don’t go according to plan. It was a sad thing to watch, and I am grateful to have maintained good working relationships with all the parties involved. I offer, therefore, some assistance for the new, budding, aspiring, frustrated writer still working on getting their masterpiece into the hands of the readers. Please take it for what it is, and I hope these tips can be of some help. I call these the three P’s of writing.
1. PROFESSIONAL – First and foremost, writing and writing well is an art form, one which most of us have invested our hearts and souls in. But publishing is a business. It is a for profit enterprise where the writer must learn to become the best business person they can be, and be willing to approach it in a professional manner. Life is not fair, and the business world is not fair, either. Approach every interaction with your agent and editors in a straightforward, respectful, and professional manner, and most of the time it will be returned in kind. Not always, mind you, but you will be better served in that approach in the long run.
2. POSITIVE- Remain as positive as possible in all your dealings with your agent, editor and publisher. Adopt a can-do/will-do attitude towards all interactions. Be willing to listen to those that may have more expertise, and offer what expertise you can bring in a positive, constructive manner. A problem solver is easier to work with than a problem bringer.
3. PHILOSOPHICAL – A while back, a friend of mine got me and my wife involved in a network marketing business. Yeah, I know, but I did learn a valuable lesson. They have a philosophy of some-will-some-won’t-so-what in regards to their business. Not the worst approach to take to this business. When going through the process of promotion and building your writing career, listen to those you believe in and trust, listen to the experts, and remember some things will work, some things won’t. So what. Doing is better than not doing, trying is more productive than not trying.
And if I have to add a fourth, it would be PERSEVERANCE. Keep learning, keep growing, and keep believing in yourself and your goals. I can’t promise that any of these will get you on the best-seller list. But I do believe that a positive, professional writer with a philosophical approach, who perseveres in the face of adversity, will be one that agents, editors and publishers will want to work with.

Veteran's Day

2008-11-10T22:43:00.000-05:00

I work in a nursing home where, on a regular basis, I have the privelege of providing healthcare services to men and women who served in the armed forces, and some who have even lost a son or daughter in the protection of our rights and liberties. These people have sacrificed much more than many of us will ever know, and have lived their lives in quiet dignity. They seldom share the magnitude of their contribution, preferring instead to keep the stories of battles, and bars, of bullets and bombs and blood, and of their lasting friendships locked away. Once in a while, I am honored to listen to their tales.

I have listened to the stories of a Gold Star Mother, whose son died in Southeast Asia, as she showed me his posthumous medals. I listened to a paratrooper who jumped (his words, not mine) “at” Nomandy on D-day, and actually landed some miles inland. I met and spoke with a bombadier on a B-24 Bomber, and to a German soldier who was “drafted”, in time to see the bombing of Dresden from the ground. He spent several months in a POW camp prior to coming to the United States. Closer to home, I am priveleged to be the brother, son, and friend to several United States Marines, to whom I send out “Semper Fi”, and my gratitude.

In the United States we celebrate the achievements of these heroes on Veteran’s Day, November 11. I’ll be working, because that’s what I do. They’ll be quietly remembered, and honored by those that know, and those that love them. My hope and my prayer is, while so many of “The Greatest Generation” pass on everyday, we learn from them the quiet dignity and grace that comes from serving a cause greater than ourselves, and from being role models in deeds, not words.

God Bless you all, as you have blessed us.

Blog Talk Radio Interview

2008-11-05T19:25:00.002-05:00

Please join me tonight at BlogTalk Radio for an interview with Ms. Kim Smith, author of the Shannon Wallace mysteries. We'll be discussing my newest novel, Key Lime Squeeze, writing in general, mysteries in specific, and just chatting about whatever comes up. She as a wonderful and talented writer and an insightful host, so it should be an interesting half hour from 7:30pm CST/8:30 EST on http://www.blogtalk radio.com/ KimS.

"What's Wrong"

2008-11-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

“What’s wrong?”

I was having a bad day, stemming from a fairly stressful weekend. I was not my usual fun-loving self, and my co-workers noticed. One of them had the misfortune to ask me directly. In no particular order, here’s what’s wrong as I see it:

- The designated hitter rule in baseball.
- The wearing of spandex by anyone over the age of thirty, over the 200 pound mark, or by anyone other than the most elite of athletes. The rest of us don’t want to have to look.
- Mohawks. Do I have to elaborate?
- Political campaigns that last longer than one year. This one for the 2008 presidency has lasted over 21 months.
- While I’m at it, spending millions upon millions of dollars for a job that doesn’t even pay half a million and has mandatory retirement after eight years is wrong.
- This will be unpopular, but having a hockey team in any town that can’t produce ice outdoors is wrong.
- Paying more for gas than anyone else in the country is wrong. We’re at $2.99 a gallon at the time of this writing.
- Michael Jackson is wrong. On more levels than I can describe.
- Spending BILLIONS of dollars on a military solution to the issues in the Middle East is wrong. So is wasting the lives of thousands of US soldiers. If you have to, pick one fight, WIN IT, then move on.
- Robocalls to announce the virtues of the same candidate 8 times between the hours of 6 and 9 pm is wrong. And yes, that was the count tonight.
- Beer flavored with cherries, limes, lemons, oranges or other fruits.
- Coffee that takes longer to order than it does to drink.
- A library of the collected papers of George W. Bush.

So now it’s my turn. Let me ask you a question: What’s wrong?

Leave me a message, I’d love to hear your opinion.

"Another Brick in the Wall"

2008-09-24T12:09:00.004-04:00

This is the first time I have attempted to post one of my short stories at my blog site. Let me know what you think, and if the feedback is positive I'll do more of this in the future.

Sweat trickled down Charlie Murphy’s forehead as he dumped the dry mortar mix into the old steel mixing tub. Countless batches of mortar mix had been created in the ancient blue tank, scarred with dried mortar and dents, and this was just another dirty job. The dust clung to his face and arms as he reached for the hose hissing at his feet. He opened the sprayer to a light shower and added just enough to the mix. A leaned against the half built brick wall, and Charlie grabbed firmly in both hands and worked the water into the mix. He figured this would be the last batch he’d have to make for this job. He was almost done.

A single bare hundred watt bulb shone brightly in the corner of the basement. It was a little too bright, and if he wasn’t careful the light burned his eyes when he looked up toward his job. It cast long shadows into the corners, and past the wall he was building was as black as pitch. For a basement, the heat was almost stifling. He would be glad to get this done and get back upstairs to a cold beer and a shower. He took his trowel and loaded it up with mortar, spreading a thick coat on the top of the bricks on the last course. His hands were rough and calloused from carrying loads of the red bricks down there, pressing them into place and making sure to clean the excess mortar between them. He had a bucket of water to clean his hands when the cement would cake on them, but mostly he stuck to his task. There was still the rest of the house to finish.

Charlie bought this house just after the divorce. It was swift, sudden and devastating. He came home one night after pulling a double to find her in bed with another man. They didn’t even try to hide, and the man brazenly brushed his shoulder as he left. They fought, for a time, but there was no use in fighting. He couldn’t live at home, obviously. He was hardly there anymore anyway, what with his schedule at work and overtime. He had to get away, and was only at his old house long enough to allow him time to find this country house out in Freedom. The irony of the name struck him sometimes. But in the end that’s truly what he had. The old farmhouse needed some work, but Charlie could do most things himself. Nineteen acres of land surrounded the new home, giving him plenty privacy. Most of his neighbors had similar lands, so he had a fair distance between the nearest one. He had lived most of his life in the city, on what amounted to a postage stamp’s worth of land, so this was a very welcome change. The air was fresh and clean, and he could enjoy a little privacy. He wouldn’t have to listen to the sirens and the noise from the neighbors. It was a good place for a new start.

The basement was the first project he had to do before he could finish the upstairs. The old couple that had this farm house before him saw fit to put in a large root cellar, perfect for storing potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips, whatever. But Charlie had no desire for the dank earthy smell that permeated the basement, so the first thing he did was to finish building a cement block wall across the back and sides, effectively creating an alcove. He hated to lose the extra storage space he created by putting up this brick front, but it had to be done. He had the wall almost halfway built, when he realized he hadn’t eaten since last night. Good time to grab something, he figured, and ran his hands under the hose before ascending the stairs. Each step on the old wooden staircase shook and creaked. He would have to get to those soon.

The kitchen was bare save for a countertop with a boom-box radio and the old Kenmore refrigerator. There was a pump bottle of hand sanitizer by the sink, and he used it to clean his hands before making a sandwich. The clean smell of the sanitizer liquid was a welcome change from the air in the basement. He grabbed a piece of cold fried chicken from the night before out of the fridge, and a bottle of Coors Light beer to wash it down. Charlie flipped on the radio to the local rock station, where Eric Clapton wailed on the guitar. He pulled at the chicken, tearing a piece off before chewing it. He took a long swallow off his beer, and leaned wearily against the counter. He had been working non-stop all night, and now it was almost noon. While he was working along, he felt fine. Once he stopped, once he rested a moment, he could feel the weight of his effort pressing him down. He felt the exhaustion, but then the need to get back to work, to finish what he started took over.

At the top of the stairs he could hear a groan coming from the bottom. He stopped, waited to make sure of what he heard then flipped the light switch. The bottom of the staircase was illuminated in that stark white light he had been laboring in all night.

“Who’s there?” a voice called. It sounded like a man’s voice, but weak, smaller somehow.

Charlie proceeded down the stairs and back to the wall he was building. The voice called out again.

“Hello? Is anyone out there?”

“Hey, you’re awake,” Charlie called back.

“Charlie? Is that you?”

“Why is it you smart lawyers only ask questions you already know the answers to?” Charlie replied. He added a small amount of water to his mortar mix, and used the trowel to get the cement back the way he could work with it. Satisfied, he grabbed enough bricks for three more rows and brought them over to the wall and started the next course.

“Charlie!” the man screamed. “Let me outta here, for Chrissakes!”

“Larry,” Charlie responded, “I think I’ve had enough taking orders from you.”

“What the hell is going on?” Larry demanded.“Again, you know the answer to that one, too, Councilor.”

“So help me God, Charlie, I am going to…” Larry lunged forward and felt the cord around his neck tighten. He choked, and reached forward and found his arms similarly bound and connected to the concrete block wall behind him. He glared toward the opening in front of him, and found it narrowing. He couldn’t remember how he got here, just that he and Mary Lou were taking a drive in the country. They stopped for a few drinks, and that was all he could recall. That bastard must have drugged us. He was going to pay.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked his captor.
Charlie worked quietly, continuing to add row after row of brick. “Do you remember when you and Mary Lou got caught naked in our bed, Larry? Remember how you told me you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her?”

“Yeah. But c’mon, Charlie, your marriage was pretty much over before then. You know it. Mary Lou deserved better than an out of work construction worker and part-time handyman. I could give her things you couldn’t.”

Charlie kept working steadily, only three more rows to go. He left one brick out of the row he was working on, and built right over the top of the hole.

“So what, are you trying to scare me, Charlie? Are you so deluded to think the Mary Lou would ever want to come back to a loser like you? Well, I’m not scared, Charlie!”

“I wouldn’t try to scare you, Larry. I know you’re much too smart for that, you’d never fall for some scare tactic.“

“Goddamn right, pal! Now get me outta here!”

“Were you screwing Mary Lou before or after you were her attorney? Because, if it was after, let me tell you she wasn’t the only one you screwed.” Charlie kept working, mortar then brick. The opening was getting smaller.

“You know she was entitled to everything she got. You shoulda had a better lawyer.”

“I have one now.”

“That’s not funny, you smug sonovabitch!” Larry screamed. “You can’t do this to me!”

“You see, the thing is,” Charlie replied, “I am doing it to you. You and Mary Lou made it easy for me. I knew when you stopped in that bar outside of town. Were you two coming out here to gloat? Were you coming out to see how far I sank after you took everything from me? Oh I sank alright, right down to this basement. Do you like what I’ve done with the place?”

Charlie stepped away from the closing hole in the wall long enough to load his trowel. He brought a half a dozen brick back to the wall, and looked in at Larry. From his point of view, Larry could only see half of Charlie’s head through the opening.

“Geez, Larry. You don’t look to good. In fact, I’d say you look like somebody spiked your drink, stuffed you in the trunk of a car, and dragged your sorry ass down into a basement.”

“You’ve finally snapped! You’ve lost it! You can’t leave me here to die all alone!” Larry was panicking, realizing he was never again getting out of his newly constructed tomb.

“You know, Lar, that’s the first thing you and I agree on,” Charlie said, leaving one last brick out of the wall. He took a flashlight and shined it on the floor of the crypt. Illuminated was the body of his ex-wife, her lifeless form on the dirt floor just inches away from her lover.

“I built this with room for two. After all, I’m just granting you your wish. Now you can spend the rest of your life with her.”

“Charlie!” he cried in despair.
“Have a nice life, Larry. Enjoy your company.”

“NO!”

Charlie slid the last brick into place, muffling the cries of the doomed lawyer. The only sound he could hear was the radio upstairs, the haunting sounds of an old Pink Floyd song drifting down the stairs. He climbed the ancient stairs, and never heard the cracking of the step two- thirds of the way up.

He lost his footing and fell through the risers, twisting backwards as he fell to the floor. He landed on the side and back of his head, his neck making a sickening snap and crunch. He immediately loss all sensation and movement in his arms and legs. His head throbbed, and he tried to will himself to his feet. His body would not respond. Charlie tried to move his head to look around at where he was The only movement he had was his eyes, which could scan just the half of the basement he had been working on. He was within feet of the only other person who could help, and Charlie made sure he couldn’t. Laying in the dirt and dust, he felt his breath becoming more ragged. He couldn’t cry out. Nobody would hear him. All he could do is stare at the wall, and listen to the radio. He was getting short of breath, no longer able to draw air in deep. As he started to black out, Charlie heard pounding coming from the back corner of the basement, and the final refrain of the song from the radio upstairs.

“All in all you’re just another brick in the wall…”

Welcome to the world of Kim Smith

2008-09-08T22:22:00.001-04:00

Thanks, Ron, for letting me sort of hijack your blog for this post. I love readers and have a lot of fans and friends out there who follow me all around the net, reading all of the various things I post and it is always fun to have a new venue.

So what have I been up to?

Since last November, when my book Avenging Angel was accepted by Enspiren Press, I have tried hard not to let grass grow under my feet. If you are reading this and are my fan and faithful follower, let me tell you, I have worked hard to capture your interest in all things Kim Smith.

As of this writing I belong to more than twenty social networking sites, and regularly post at over five different blogs. I guess, if you haven’t heard or seen my name, you and I must really travel in opposite directions. That’s okay, though. I hope to cover some ground with this writing.

Avenging Angel is nearing its final stages, and I am happy to report it is slated to go out into the world this year. I am thrilled to be able to say that. I still do not have a definite release date, or a cover art to post, but we are getting vewwy vewwy close, as Elmer Fudd would say.

In my personal life, I have done a whole lot of resting, and renewing of the mind and body. I took a leisurely vacation of about ten days all told, and I must tell you, everyone should do that. I didn’t go anywhere special, didn’t spend a lot of money while I was off, and didn’t get much done (to speak of) in the housework department.

I did get a chance to visit with friends, try out a few restaurants, and get a little writing done. Mostly, I planned. It is very important in our lives as creative individuals to just sit down and contemplate the next step. I mean you won’t quit writing, so you should be planning on what you want to attempt next. I hope you will do as I have done, and plan the next level.

The Muse Online Writer’s Conference is looming on the horizon (October 13-19, 2008) and I am happy to announce I will be teaching a workshop entitled, WRITE THAT COZY! This should be awesome fun, and I am very excited about it. It is a weeklong endeavor and will prove to be great testing ground for an ongoing class I hope to teach about writing the cozy mystery. If you are one of my attendees, thank you for signing up, and I hope you are enjoying Cleo Coyle’s book, ON WHAT GROUNDS, which you should be reading for class.

I have also completed the second book in the Shannon Wallace mystery series, lovingly titled BURIED ANGEL and it is currently making the rounds on edits from my betas, so that is another thing you can look forward to. Confidentially, book three is underway so you can heave a huge sigh of contentment. Shannon and Dwayne stories will be around for a while, never fear. In fact, watch for new shorts to arrive at the end of the year at some of the short story markets for mystery!

Until we get the first one in your hot little hands though, I hope you will continue to follow the journey here at Ron's place, at my website, or over at Murder By 4 (The blog I group post with other mystery writers). Those are the best ways to keep up on all the happenings in the world of Kim. I thank you for being interested in my work, and my world, and look forward to all the fun stuff ahead with you!

Eleven Thing You Need to Know

2008-08-26T21:38:00.000-04:00

Bill Gates, of richest man in America and co-founder of Microsoft fame, gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world. This list came to me and I found myself in enough agreement with them to share them with you. In no particular order of importance, the eleven things you need to know but never learned in school are:

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Interview With Crystal Adkins

2008-08-24T19:56:00.003-04:00

Ronald Adams Interview

Author Pen Name: Ronald W. Adams

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

RA: Hey Crystal, and thanks for the opportunity to chat with you and your readers. I write primarily in the mystery and suspense genres, and have written two books in the Joe Banks PI series. Lake Effect was published in 2003, and Enspiren Press in 2008 will release my latest, Key Lime Squeeze.

RA: As to why I write mystery novels, it’s simple really. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were already written. Okay, seriously, I have to admit I have been a huge fan of the genre as long as I can remember. As a child reading the stories of Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to the Ellery Queen pulp mysteries, I was always ready to identify with the intrepid hero sacrificing all in search of the truth. Growing up, some of my favorite shows on TV included Spenser: For Hire, and The Rockford Files. Inspired by my great grandfather, one of the most voracious readers I have ever known, I began to read even more. To this day I am a fan of such diverse writers as Robert B. Parker, Janet Evanovich, John MacDonald, Kathy Reichs, Jimmy Buffett, (yes, that Jimmy Buffett), Stephen King, and Thomas Harris.

CA: I hope we can get a few new readers to come your way!! When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

RA: I think the first time I realized I wanted to be a writer was as a bored child in an oxygen tent with a pack of crayons. The nurses were not amused. As a child growing up around an extended family, I learned to appreciate the stories told by my great grandfather of “the old days” in Boston, of the family histories related by my parents and grandparents. The family genealogy was brought to life by my aunt, my Dad’s sister, who’s research earned her a DAR scholarship. And then there was the odd assortment of characters that always seemed to be around my parents home. Priests, cops, bar owners, bikers, Marines, cross country hitchhiking cousins, and even international animal rescue workers all provided their own unique stories, and a base for my developing imagination. From my great grandfather, I also developed a love of reading, which became a lifelong desire to become a writer. I took this varied background and wrote (bad) poetry for my college yearbook, and published articles based on my experiences in occupational health and rehabilitation. Based on a lifetime of colorful individuals and a love of the mystery and crime fiction genre, I published my first novel, Lake Effect, in 2003. Since that time I have worked on the sequel, Key Lime Squeeze, and have begun a third Joe Banks novel.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

RA: As I may have mentioned, I am a really big fan of Robert B. Parker, arguably the grandmaster of the mystery/suspense/PI genre. I am also inspired by some of my favorite musicians, including the story songs of Harry Chapin and Jimmy Buffett, and by the soaring music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I find inspiration in the stories and strength of my rehab patients, and in the wonder and playfulness of my children. I am also inspired by the love and support of my wife, Trish. Writing was something I have always wanted to do, and she has supported my dreams 100%. She is my best friend, my toughest critic, and such a calming and grounding influence on me.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

RA: Our schedule is a bit, well it’s a little generous to call it a schedule. My wife and I work split shifts, so either mom or dad is always around for the kids. So, I write when I can, sometimes at night when the kids are in bed, sometimes in the morning before they get up, sometimes in the middle of the day during my lunch hour. I have also been known on occasion to break out my laptop during my son’s karate class. If it’s a slow class, that is.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

RA: One word? I’m not sure it exists. Excitanxious would be close.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

RA: Spending time with my family is my favorite thing to do, no matter what we’re doing. Time is so short and so precious, and as they are growing up I’m discovering how truly important it is to be there for them. As far as fun stuff goes, I like to read, watch movies, have a passion for sports, love to cook, and try to keep in shape. I also really like Texas hold’em poker, but I’ve discovered, just like my golf game, I play better when there is no money on the line.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?RA: I have written two novels in the Joe Banks series, Lake Effect (PublishAmerica, 2003), and Key Lime Squeeze (Enspiren Press, 2008). Of the two, I would have to say Key Lime Squeeze is my favorite. It has a more complex plot, more interesting and fully developed characters. I have also had the opportunity to work with a fantastic editor, who encouraged me to explore options with the story line I hadn’t considered. I have been very fortunate to work with some fantastic people on this project, and I think it shows in the quality of the storyline. Lake Effect was my first, and as such I took the lesson I learned on that book and worked them into the second, and I hope to do the same thing for third story.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

RA: My lawyers tell me to say that all the characters are fictional, and any resemblance between the characters in the book and any actual person…well, you know. Getting that out of the way, I know every character in every part of every story I write. Some of them are amalgams of several people, all rolled together. Some are just much cooler versions of real people I’ve met. Which ones are which, that’s for the reader to decide.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

RA: There is tons of how-to advice out there for the mechanics, style and structure. Those things were written by people much smarter and better trained than I am. What I would recommend would be for anyone who wants to try writing, is to read as much as they can in the style or genre they wish to write. Get a feel for what works and what doesn’t how others say or do what you want to say. Like your mom used to say, “It’s not just what you say it’s how you say it.” I would also recommend you keep notepad, pencil, tape recorder, something to note your ideas as they come along. You never know when something you see or hear or read will spark you. My wife bought me a t-shirt that says very simply “Careful, or you might wind up in my novel.” Enough said. The last piece of advice I can give would be to realize that rejection, like failure, is nothing more or less than the chance to start over again better.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

RA: The contact points will be changing as I go along, just because I am trying to expand my presence. The can contact me the publishers website, www.enspirenpress.com, or through my web page at www.ronaldwadams.com.Lake Effect is currently available through www.amazon.com, as well as through Waldenbooks.com and booksamillion.com. you can also order it from your favorite local bookstore. Key Lime Squeeze will also be available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble on line, as well as other online book sellers. I would also recommend to the readers to check out their local booksellers, and if they don’t have it, ask. That’s what they’re there for.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

RA: Only to thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself to your readers. I had a lot of fun doing this interview, and I hope the readers take away something positive about my writing and me.

And the Winner Is....

2008-08-22T12:27:00.001-04:00

The KEY LIME SQUEEZE casting contest is officially over! The winning cast consists of:
MATT DAMON as Joe Banks
SANDRA BULLOCK as Paula Banks
EDWARD NORTON as Solomon
CHARLIZE THERON as Samantha Kelly
JASON STATHAM as Tony Cantolino
JOHN LITHGOW as Paul Cantolino
EVA LONGORIA as Angela Cantolino-Boothby
and
SAM NEILL as Robert Boothby
And the winning entry belongs to Anita Davidson. Thanks to all who entered. It was a lot of fun.

KEY LIME SQUEEZE Casting Contest!

2008-07-27T22:49:00.003-04:00

When I write a story, I like to cast the movie at the same time. I know, pretty arrogant to think that one of my books would be made into a movie. But putting a "face" in my imagination as I set up a scene helps me to better project that onto paper. And, from talking to some of my fellow writers, a lot of us fiction writers do the same thing.

So here's my challenge: Cast the movie version of my new novel, Key Lime Squeeze, scheduled to be released in September 2008. So what if it isn't officially on your bookshelf...no problem. There are reviews (on this very blog, as a matter of fact), there is the video trailer, available at youTube.com (search the book title). There is a general description of the story (at www.enspirenpress.com). And I'll tell you what. I'll even let you contact me directly to answer questions. The cast will be as follows:

Joe Banks - husband, father, neighbor next door and private investigator taking on the mob.

Paula Banks - Joe's wife and main source of support.

Sam(antha) Kelly - Joe's secretary/office manager/web tech/and all around help

Robert Boothby - insurance executive who rips off his Mob in-laws and runs down to Key West

Angela Cantolino-Boothby - Boothby's mafia princess wife

Solomon - Cantolino family enforcer paired with Banks to find Boothby

Paul Cantolino - the "Dapper Don" of the Cantolino family

Tony "The Bull" Cantolino - tough guy mobster with a bad temper, runs the warehouse operations of Buffalo Wholesale Beverage.

Submit your ideas as a response to this blog, and include your e-mail adress. The winner (or winners) will be notified by e-mail, and will recieve a fabulous Key Lime Squeeze T-shirt, available in any color, as long as it's white, and a variety of sizes, as long as it's a size Large! I can't wait to see how your imagination looks!

Thoughts on Politics

2008-07-24T07:32:00.003-04:00

Here we are in the middle of a presidential election, and I find myself ready to vote for none of the above. There are 100 U.S. Senators, 435 Congressmen and women, 9 members of the United States Supreme Court, and one president, all of whom have vowed to defend and uphold the constitution of the United States of America, all of whom make themselves exempt from the laws that they pass “for our welfare.”

We have become, not a nation of laws, but a nation of liars. And the 545 people in power in our nation’s capital are completely responsible for the overwhelming level of gross incompetence and corruption. It is amazing to me that both major parties are against high inflation and high taxes, and yet we have both. They are against the federal deficit and it continues to grow. They are against pork-barrel spending, as long as it doesn’t effect the spending that takes place in their districts. Which bring me to another question. When you and I are out of money, which happens with alarming frequency, are we allowed to spend more of the money we don’t have? Or better yet, the money that our children and grandchildren’s children don’t have? I didn’t think so.

The president proposes a federal budget. The House of Representatives approves it, and votes on appropriations. They write the tax code, they set fiscal policy, and pass bills with amendments that have nothing to do with the original purpose of the bill. Once we send a representative to Washington, we have to trust them to do the work of the people, and to represent our best interests. What they do accomplish, by and large, is overshadowed by petty bickering and self-serving politicking. In the creation of this nation, the founding fathers envisioned a democracy where citizens of good will would participate in the running of the country, and return to their private lives after serving the public on a temporary basis. NO WHERE did they expect that a politician would be an actual long term career.

If there is a budget deficit, it is because the politicians want it. If we have trillions in national debt, it is because they have allowed it. If we are taxed in order fund policies we don’t agree with, it’s because it is their say, not ours that matters most in Congress. But I don’t wish to complain. I want to offer the following solutions:

1. Each elected official should be limited to one six-year term in office. That’s it. No extensions and no exceptions. That way the first term won’t be spent trying to get to the second term. And there is no lack of fresh blood and talent waiting to participate in the process.
2. The salary paid to each congressman should be equal to the average salary paid to the average individual living in their district/state. And no more than a simple cost of living increase as mandated by Medicare.
3. No lifetime benefits and pensions to the outgoing legislators. They will be subject to the average retirement plan currently available in the private sector.
4. If a budget is submitted or passed that does not stay neutral or raise income, the responsible parties will make up the deficit with their own salaries. Let’s face it, if the average person bounces a check, they have to come up with the money, right?
5. As far as the process goes, there should be a line on the ballot for each elected official that reads “NONE OF THE ABOVE.” It would allow the electorate to voice their dissatisfaction with the candidate choices, and if that line wins, then there should be a way to put the election on hold pending the selection of other candidates to vote for.

Now these are just some ideas I would advance, but it clear to me that something needs to be done to keep this country from falling into a third class status. I would love to hear from others about their opinions, and maybe together, some fresh ideas can catch fire in what Obama and McCain seem to call a “season of change.”

Key Lime Squeeze Reviewed By Steven Clark Bradley

2008-07-14T20:33:00.001-04:00

Book Review:Key Lime Squeeze by Ron W. Adams
Author Ron Adams has taken readers into the world of the sleuth with his excellent and crafty new novel, Key Lime Squeeze. Ron is an artful painter with words as he takes the reader into a sinister world that is really not exactly a hard-boiled crime drama and not exactly a story of the mafia, but a fine and adroitly woven tale that is both familiar and unique. It is indeed a book that I found to be riveting and which kept me asking myself what I thought would happen next. Because the plot is so intriguing, of course, it wouldtake a very clever and skillful detective with the prowess of Joe Banks, sleuth extraordinaire. The Cantolino family needs to find their long lost brother in law, Robert Boothby who has flown the coup of the family business and left their sister and their shady fortune with a fair bit of their ill-gotten treasure, in his possession. Joe Banks is hired to find out where Robert has stashed the loot, but he learns a bit more than he bargained for and becomes incredibly and dangerously mixed up in the whole shady business of the Cantolino family. Key Lime Squeeze is not only full of suspense and intrigue, but it is a smart book and I found it easy to get into the mind of Joe Banks and to figure out his next moves, right along with him. I also found it interesting how I tried to second-guess him, but, alas, he always proved me wrong! The book moves fast, but is definitely well paced and keeps the reader’s interest primed and ready for every successive chapter. Ron Adams definitely knows how to weave a tale of suspense and mystery. I can see how Joe Banks will continue to thrill readers in any future installments, which I am sure and hopeful thatRon Adams will spin. Key Lime Squeeze is a really great read and it will make you want to read his other novel, Lake Effect, as well! Steven Clark Bradley
Author, Nimrod Rising

Six Mistakes Even Bestselling Authors Make

2008-07-13T19:43:00.000-04:00

Many of us belong to several book and discussion groups, and the benefit to that is that we get to hear from authors and experts in a wide variety of fields. This message came to me from David Montgomery, who writes about books for several major publications. According to the message he sat in on a talk given by bestselling thriller writer Joseph Finder the topic of which was "The Six Biggest Mistakes Even Bestselling Writers Make." It’s also worth noting that when I shared this with my editor and publisher, she not only appreciated the information, she told me ½ of these are the reasons 99% of the manuscripts she receives are rejected.

MISTAKE #1: The Passive Hero
Too many thrillers have heroes who don't act; they remain passive while events take place around them.
The hero must advance the plot; s/he must take action.
The hero can't simply investigate what's going on -- he must do something about it.

MISTAKE #2: The Long Setup
The story takes too long to get moving.
Authors shouldn't just dump story on the reader; they should reveal it through action.
Too many books start with a good opening, but then slow down to a crawl.
One way to avoid this is to start the story as late as possible. If necessary, you can then go back and fill in details later on.

MISTAKE #3: The Weak Second Act
Too many books bog down in the middle, degenerating into repetitive conflict and simply regurgitating the same plot points over and over. The characters aren't progressing and changing.
The conflict of a plot must progress and escalate; the plot points must change and vary throughout the narrative.
This escalation of conflict, as well as variance of conflict, will not only keep the reader's interest, but help to develop and reveal character as well.
The introduction of subplots will also help keep the second act moving.
Whenever things start to get dull, remember: REVERSE, REVEAL, SURPRISE.
Every scene must advance the plot.

MISTAKE #4: Predictability
Authors should never underestimate their readers, most of whom have read a lot of books and seen even more movies and TV shows.
Readers know the tropes and cliches of the genre. If the story is predictable, they'll see where it's going a long way off and get bored.
The key is to surprise them. Veer off from the expected course.
If the obvious development is to take the plot in a certain direction, consider taking it in a different direction instead.
One way to avoid this trap is not to over-outline. Be spontaneous in your writing. Allow the characters and the plot to surprise you.

MISTAKE #5: The Lousy Ending
Too many books send the reader off on a sour note by finishing with a lousy ending.
A great ending is second only to a great beginning in importance.
The ending should not consist of explaining everything that happened before or tying up all the loose ends.
You should explain as little as possible; let the reader figure out the smaller details on his/her own.
Great endings off have symmetry to the beginning.
Twists can be good, but they must be earned. They must be set up earlier in the book and prepared for.
When you finish the book, get out of there ASAP. Don't draw things out.

MISTAKE #6: Showing Off
Too many writers make the mistake of: "I've done the research; I'm going to cram it all in there."
You should tell the reader the minimum they need in order to understand the plot; just the tip of the iceberg.
Pare it down, leaving only the juiciest nuggets behind.
Too much info will only slow down the story.

BONUS MISTAKE #1: Overly Explicit Dialogue
People don't narrate a story when they speak; they don't dump details and information.
People speak elliptically. Watch out for expository dialogue.

BONUS MISTAKE #2: All Plot, No People
The story won't matter if we don't care about the characters.
On its own, the plot is abstract; it requires the characters to make it real and make it matter to the reader.
Also, the stakes of the plot must matter to the characters in order for us to care as readers.

BONUS MISTAKE #3: Action Is Boring
Unlike in film where action scenes can be exciting, in books they too often are boring.
What is interesting to the reader is how the characters react to the action and how they interact with each other.
There should also be variety in your scenes; don't follow an action scene with another action scene and another action scene. Vary the pace, vary the types of scenes, slow down and speed up in order to give the reader a break and keep them interested.

BONUS MISTAKE #4: Backstory Dump
Don't make the mistake of dumping the characters' backstory on the reader all at once. It will bring your plot to a halt and bore the reader.
Reveal the backstory slowly, in pieces, as necessary.
Drop references in here and there; include mentions in dialogue; intersperse little details throughout the plot.
There is always a trade-off of CHARACTER vs. PACE.
It's importance to find the balance of revealing enough about the characters in order to make them interesting and make the reader care about them, versus the need to keep the plot moving.

I hope this list will help all of us to become better writers, regardless of the genre. I would also recommend his blog site, crimefictionblog.com.

When Insults Had Class

2008-07-13T09:53:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, before the advent of the two word insult ending in 'you', There were those who's pride in language and articulation made the art of the insult worth the effort. To those who enjoy the classics, I submit the following:

He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire. -- Winston Churchill

I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.-- Clarence Darrow

He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.-- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.-- Groucho Marx

I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.-- Mark Twain

He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends. -- Oscar Wilde

I am enclosing 2 tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend...if you have one. -- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
Cannot possibly attend first night; will attend second, if there is one.-- Winston Churchill's response

I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here.-- Stephen Bishop

He is a self-made man and worships his creator. -- John Bright

I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial.-- Irvin S. Cobb

He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others. -- Samuel Johnson

He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.-- Paul Keating

He had delusions of adequacy.-- Walter Kerr

Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?-- Mark Twain

His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.-- Mae West

Winston, if you were my husband, I would poison your coffee!-- Lady Astor to Winston Churchill at a dinner party
Madam, if I were your husband, I would drink it!> > -- Winston Churchill, in response to Lady Astor

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.--Unknown, but still true.

God Bless the United States Marine Corps

2008-07-10T21:49:00.000-04:00

There are only two words that say it all.

SEMPER FIDELIS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zSmspeXC7Y&featute=related

How To Break The Rules

2008-07-09T22:39:00.000-04:00

As with everything in life, there are rules to writing a good mystery. They are very good guidelines, but, as they say some rules are made to be broken. Or to paraphrase the Dalai Lama, it is important to understand the rules in order to break them. So, according to people much brighter than I, these are the rules (and my suggestions for working around them):

1) The reader should have the same opportunity as the Hero to solve the crime.

2) No tricks can be played to mislead the reader unless it is also done to the Hero by the criminal. (Let’s face it, Gang, we all know some pretty tricky criminals, don’t we?)

3) The Hero should not have a love interest. (Here I disagree. I think the Hero/hero could be well served to have a love interest. It brings out another aspect of the character, how they deal with a lover while investigating the crime, and the conflicts that arise as a result of his/her involvement in the case. I immediately think of Spenser and Susan Silverman, Temperance Brennan and Andrew Ryan, and Stephanie Plum and…you get the idea.)

4) Neither the Hero nor one of the official investigators can turn out to be the criminal. (Again, I disagree. I think it can make for a really interesting twist to have one of the chief investigators working with the hero turn out to be hampering the case. It has to be handled carefully, but I believe it can be done.)

5) The villain must be found by logical deduction, not luck, accident, or un-motivated confessions. (Hard and fast commandment here.)

6) It must be a murder mystery. (The murder may not have to happen right away, but someone important has got to die.)

7) The solution must come by "naturalistic means.” (This means no divine intervention/inspiration.)

8) There can be only one Hero, not a team. (Where would Spenser be without Hawk? Nick Charles without Nora? Sherlock Holmes without Watson? Teams can work if handled properly, especially when each member has a unique POV.)

9) The villain has to be someone who plays a prominent part of the story. After all, he/she is at least as important as the Hero, right?

10) The culprit can't be a servant. (But then again, a disgruntled employee…)

11) There can only be one murderer. The villain could have a helper or "co-plotter," but only one is going to get the ax in the matter. (Consider this: the helper could wind up taking the ax for real murderer. Puts a slightly different twist on the story, and could set up a darker ending.)

12) No secret societies ("mafias, et al"). The murderer, too, needs a sporting chance to outwit the Hero. The villain may belong to a cult, a sect, or other shadowy type of group. But in the end, it is the individual, not the group, that is the real culprit.

13) The method of the murder must not be beyond plausibility. No super-natural means, nor the introduction of a fictional device or element. (Realism is the key here, but so is creativity within the framework of reality.)

15) The truth of the solution must be apparent. The reader should be able to pick the book upon completion and see that the answer was in fact staring at him all the time.

16) The culprit must be an amateur, not a professional criminal. (Just a minute. Why can’t the Hero be involved in brining down a hitman, for example, or even an organized crime boss? The Hero may have more freedom to maneuver than the regular police.)

17) The solution must never be an accident or suicide. That’s just lazy and it cheats the reader.

18) Motives for the crime must be personal, not political or professional. ( Why? I have read more than my share of stories about ideologues taking their views to the extreme. Why not have the Hero track down one of these deluded individuals before they can kill again?)

19) All of the following tricks and devices are verboten. They've been done to death or are otherwise unfair.
a) Comparing a cigarette butt with the suspect's cigarette.
b) Using a séance to frighten the culprit into revealing himself.
c) Using phony fingerprints.
d) Using a dummy figure to establish a false alibi.
e) Learning that the culprit was familiar because the dog didn't bark.
f) Having "the twin" do it.
g) Using knockout drops.
h) If the murder is in a locked room, it has to be done before the police have actually broken in.
i) Using a word-association test for guilt.
j) Having the solution in a coded message that takes the Hero until the end of book to figure out.

These are just my ideas on how to bend the accepted rules for mystery writing. Now, go ahead, have some fun, and commit your own crimes against society and literature. I’m no stool pigeon.

"Do I Have What It Takes?"

2008-07-09T22:33:00.000-04:00

"Do I have what it takes to become an author?" If someone were to ask me that question, I’d have to say I have no idea. The simple fact is every person has a story, but not every person knows how to tell it. In my humble opinion, it takes a special breed of person to become an “Author” with a big A. That would be the type of person who actually writes and finishes that novel, or book of poetry, or even that book of short stories, and see it all the way to publication. The following is a list of things I’ve noticed in conversations with other writers and authors: 1. They like to sit for hours in front of a computer screen (or with pen and paper), writing away. They see a blank screen or page as a new challenge, an open invitation to share thoughts and emotions otherwise held deep inside.2. They think about their book, even when they're not writing. I can only speak for myself, but I go over the plot or plots over and over while I cut my grass in the summer, or blow snow out of my driveway in the winter. I get some of my best ideas when I’m not writing, and find a way to put them down on paper when I am.3. They are motivated to finish their book. Again, for me, it is a huge sigh of relief when I finally get to write my favorite word at the bottom of the last page. “END.” 4. They are motivated to proofread, edit and revise their finished book until it is the best it can be. And remind yourself that “END” doesn’t always mean it’s finished. Don’t be afraid to let a fresh pair of eyes look at your work from time to time. They won’t kill you, they can’t eat you, so there’s really not much to fear, and you will learn something from the experience.5. They are motivated to publish their book. After all, it would be a shame to keep the next great American novel under wraps now, wouldn’t it? 6. Once they publish the first book, they are already working on the next one. Don't listen to those people who say it's a competitive market out there. Don't listen to those people who say they've written five books and haven't had one published yet. And don't listen to those people who send you back your manuscripts! Learn from them, to be sure but don’t let them steal your dream. Listen to that inner voice, the one that is whispering in the back of your mind. But wait until you get started. Once your book is written and published, that inner voice will be roaring! And the whole world will hear about it. For the novice writer who would like to start writing that first book, the best way to begin is to start writing. Stop the other activities, the television, the reading, the shopping, the chatting on the telephone, and find the time to devote at least one hour a day to writing. If that same hour were spent on writing, then there would be a product in your hands, something that will be shared, hopefully, one day with others. From experience, I can tell you there is no feeling quite like walking into a book store and seeing copies of YOUR book on the shelves, with YOUR name as the author. So, go ahead, shut the door to the rest of the world for and make yourself comfortable. Take that first step to becoming an author.

Thoughts on Writing

2008-07-09T22:31:00.000-04:00

A number of people have asked me recently how I write. They say things like, “You know, I have always wanted to write a book, but I don’t…” And here you can fill in the blanks. Have enough time, enough talent, know what to write about, know if I’m interesting enough, know if people would like my stories, know if they’d like me. So I thought I would write some of my thoughts about writing from an Everyman perspective.
These are just my ideas, not at all Gospel. I am a middle-aged guy with no degrees in literature, journalism, or creative writing. I am a husband and father first and foremost, who has a day job, and who writes detective stories at night. Nothing special going on here. But, if these ideas work for you, then by all means take what you can from them.

Read. Simple enough, right? But reading is where you learn what you like, and what you don’t like, in a story. It’s where you pick up on language, expand on ideas from other writers, and charge the batteries in your imagination. Read stories you enjoy. If you like mysteries, for example, read several authors to find a style and voice you can relate to. Historical romances your thing? There are some wonderful writers in that genre. The point is, if you want to write, you have to read. And now on to…
Pay Attention. Inspiration is a goofy thing. You never know when or from where it will come at you. I can also tell you, from my experience, it is usually subtle. One day a few years ago I was sitting in the parking lot of a car repair shop along the lake just south of Buffalo, NY, on a typically grey January day, waiting for my wife’s cousin to drop off her car and take her back to our house. As we drove home, Lake Erie was an expanse of grey snow and ice heaved at the shore line, stretching out until it was impossible to tell where the frozen lake ended and the cloudy sky began. I thought, this would be a lonely place to die. Eighteen months later my first novel, Lake Effect, was set against the very backdrop I described as my detective hero unravels the case of two children murdered on the icy shore. I can’t tell you the number of times I have come across little tidbits of life that find their way into my stories. Paying attention to the little things makes all the bigger things easier.
Stop, look, and listen. And smell and taste while you’re at it. Books are a wonderful way to convey your ideas, but if you want to add texture and substance, you have to use all your senses. It’s not enough to say you ate delicious Buffalo chicken wings, though to be honest that should be enough. From what I understand, there are a few people that have never eaten Buffalo wings before. For those people, you can tell them about the steam rising off the plate of red-sauced chicken parts, awash in a sea of hot sauce and butter, the creamy Bleu Cheese dressing a cooling accompaniment to the tangy, spicy wings. Are they fried crispy, or are they soggy and saucy? Are they mild enough to give to a four year old, or do they leave your lips stinging as they light your throat on fire? The more real you make it, the more into the story both you and your readers will be.
Embrace rejection like a 13 year old at a middle school dance. My wife and I have been married for 23 years, have two ten year old kids, and find we agree on the most important things. But she doesn’t care for the Joe Banks series I have written at all. Just isn’t her cup of tea, and you know what? We’re still married, we still love each other, and she still supports my writing. Make your story as good as you can make it, and learn as much as you can from people who tell you constructive ways to improve. Failure, and rejection, is nothing more than the opportunity to do it better the next time. I think that’s true no matter what.
Have a sense of humor about it all. A wise old man once told me if you can’t laugh at yourself, someone else will laugh at you. In my day job as a physical therapist in a nursing home, I had a resident walk with me as part of his exercise program. We chatted back and forth for several minutes, and finally Arthur turned to me and said, “You know, this is a nice place. I think it might make a nice nursing home.” He thought about it, then started laughing. It was a genuinely funny moment, and reminded me not to take myself, or what I perceive to be my problems, too seriously.

Then, when you’ve got all that sorted out, keep notes on what you see, do, smell, taste, feel and hear that you might be able to use in a story. Figure out how you feel about it, and how you would react to a situation as you get to know your characters. Then write it all down. All of it. Don’t worry, you can sort it all out later. That’s what the editing process is for.

An Introduction to the Author

2008-07-09T22:20:00.000-04:00

Recently an old classmate of mine from Randolph High School back in Massachusetts got in touch with me via e-mail. He caught me up on a few things in his life, and a few things about a mutual friend and classmate. With our 30-year high school reunion coming up in October, it got me to thinking about where my life has been. He mentioned in his e-mail that I should try to send a note home to let everyone know whether I would be attending, and to let them know what I’ve been up to. This is a summary of the past thirty years in more or less chronological order:

Since high school, I went to college in Buffalo, New York. I got drunk, met my future wife, got sober, and got my degree. I worked nights and weekends and summers in construction, warehousing, landscaping, garbage collection, babysitting, teaching guitar and even bouncing for a short time to pay for it all. I moved to New York, got my first job as a physical therapist, got married, moved to State College, Pennsylvania in a two compact cars and one small U-haul trailer. I worked as a rehab director for a rural hospital, took a job in Warren, Ohio to start a new clinic for a large private practice. We moved back to New York when mom-in-law became sick to help take care of her, and went to work for the same person I started with. We spent the next eleven years trying to start our family. Finally adopted two brilliant children from the city of Chita, Russia. We started a business, ran an outpatient rehab clinic for ten years, lost it to bad decisions and poor advice. Cost me more than I can describe, including a good friend. Found work as a salesman, an injury prevention consultant, a program developer and on site support specialist for an equipment manufacturer. I began writing my first novel, and published it 3 years later. Lost another job when the corporation I worked for pulled the plug on the program they hired me for. Another period of severe character building followed, including getting my limo license and driving for a friend’s company. Returned to work as a therapist, this time in geriatrics, and have been enjoying it more than ever. I am still writing, with a second novel coming out soon, and three more in the works. 23 years later, I am still married to the love of my life, and I’m head over heels about my son and daughter.

So, what have I learned in thirty years? I’ve learned to appreciate what I have by losing almost everything. I’ve learned that there is nothing so devastating that you can’t start over. I’ve learned that there is nothing more important than family. I’ve learned that love and luck are never to be underestimated or taken for granted. And I’ve learned to laugh, long and loud and hard, because life is far too important to be taken seriously.