The Affair of the Wooden Boy, Boss's “Coercion," and Reindeer Love

I’m reading Mel Odom’s The Affair of the Wooden Boy. The plot is best described from Mr. Odom’s own website:

Dead things are drawn to James Stark, Lord Gallatin. His beautiful wife Mina knows this is true. But that doesn't stop him from pursuing supernatural evil throughout their city, and Mina will never leave her husband's side.

The night that a small wooden boy came knocking at their door and told them his body had been stolen, James Stark immediately took up the investigation. His quest takes him to the brink of death, and Mina is only one step behind.

I’m three chapters in and thoroughly enjoying the read. Mr. Odom has also been nice enough to comment on ROUND ONE and BTAP here.

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Chris Rhatigan has some kind words to say about Mark Boss’s “Coercion” that BTAP published earlier in the year. If you missed it, after reading Mr. Rhatigan’s kudos, I’m betting you will want to check it out.

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In totally unrelated news: Deer Steals Man's Wife is the funniest and most disturbing video of the week.

Missed Links, Perhaps

My Charmer and I had a top 4th weekend and I'm glad she dragged me away from editing the beast to check out a local parade, fireworks, etc. But everytime I snapped back to cyber world it seemed like another happening in the making. So, in case you missed some of these, here's a rundown: Alec Cizak started ALL DUE RESPECT where he debuted his latest story "Methamphetamine and a Shotgun." Guidelines are on the page if you wish to contribute the next story... James Reasoner announced on Rough Edges that he is the vice president of the newly formed Western Fictioneers. He linked to WF President Frank Roderus's announcement... Sandra Seamans broke the news, last week, that Thuglit had posted the following message: "Thuglit is no longer accepting submissions - Thanks." I wrote to Big Daddy Thug himself and he informed me that more details will be forthcoming... Perfect Crime Books is releasing THE SHAMUS WINNERS featuring America's Best Private Eye Stories... Bill Crider has done an entertaining 7 Questions where I've linked to The Fabulous G-Strings... Sarah Weinman has a column in the LA Times called Dark Passages: Writers lost and found... Stephen King: The 'Craft' Of Writing Horror Stories at NPR... Lee Goldberg is directing a film based on his short story "Remaindered" which originally appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine... Bish's Beat always on the case revealed the HARD CASE CRIME NEWSLETTER! (I will have to get that Brett Halliday novel.)... Finally, Happy 100th birthday to actress Gloria Stuart. Her credits begin in the early 1930s with films like THE INVISIBLE MAN and stretch all the way to the TITANIC blockbuster. That's impressive.

Ah, some last fireworks are just now flickering in the distance. Little d and I will raise a last toast of the evening to the Republic and wish you all the best. Then it's off to bed. Afterall, we're old and tomorrow's Monday.

Things that would go out of business if they relied on me

Here are some products, activities and markets everyone else seems to be enjoying that would go in the red if they depended on my support (in no particular order):

Jellybeans
Reality TV shows
Shopping malls
Major league sports
Cirque du Soleil
Soap operas
Gyms
Crossword puzzles
The entire seafood industry
Twitter
Ski slopes
Buffet restaurants

Is there anything on your list?

The Benefit of Hotel Living

Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used.
--William Shakespeare

My complimentary bottle was a Plantaze Vranac pro corde 2007.

My Maine Muse

Maine is a helluva muse for writers. At least for me and a few others.* This week alone I was able to make great strides on many fronts. I focused on our print anthology and read the last minute stories that are being included. I caught up on all my backlogged correspondence and tackled my TBR pile: the new Highsmith bio, The Time Traveler's Wife and Time Travelers Never Die (yeah, I gotta thing for century-hopping), The End Of It All, Texas Trackdown, A Fistful of Legends and The Guilt Edge to name a few. Plus, took in a Jazz show at a local club with the Charmer and fretted over a Cash Laramie short that I’m considering sending EQMM's way.

Now, I suppose I could have done it anywhere, but how can you beat this scenic shot?



Or this one.



There's a state slogan that goes, "Maine - The Way Life Should Be." To that I say, "Amen."

*Including writer, Chris Holm, who delves into the state's extraordinary hold in an upcoming 7 Questions.

Phone Booth

This post is for Clark more than anybody else. I had stopped at a convenience store in Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania last week and snapped this pic. Seriously, how often do you see a phone booth these days?

I was about to post this, decided to check Google, and spotted someone else thinking pretty much the same.

3/10 When One Thing Leads To Another: Patti left a comment that made me curious about the Fort Indiantown Gap, so I did another search finding this buried nugget:

An infamous 19th-century murder in Fort Indiantown Gap resulted in a trial of six defendants who all had blue eyes. They became known as the Blue Eyed Six, given the moniker by a newspaper reporter who was attending the trial. Their murder trial, held in the county courthouse in Lebanon, received worldwide publicity and inspired Arthur Conan Doyle while he was writing "The Red-Headed League".

Oliver Typewriter

Little d knows my fondness for old typewriters and she picked up a gem from a co-worker. I'm now the proud owner of an army green, heavy-duty Oliver typewriter that sports showy batwings. I had never heard of this particular brand and naturally I did a quick search on Wikipedia:

The Oliver Typewriter Company was an American typewriter manufacturer headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The Oliver Typewriter was the first effective "visible print" typewriter, meaning text was visible to the typist as it was entered. Oliver typewriters were marketed heavily for home use, utilizing local distributors and sales on credit. Oliver produced more than one million machines between 1895 and 1928 and licensed its designs to several international firms.

Oliver typewriter demonstration.

Henry Berry Lowrie

I was at sea for nearly a month last November…on a ship…rocking…constantly. “Rocking” doesn’t really describe it well enough, so feel free to use (courtesy of thesaurus.com) teetering, wobbling, reeling, staggering, shaking, swaying, wavering, lurching, or weaving. Point being it sucked because it made reading and working on my great American novel damn near impossible. Which meant there was plenty of time for storytelling while enjoying a cigar and a drink. One of my colleagues happens to be of Native American descent (our third man disputed this to me later, claiming, “Hairiest Indian I’ve ever seen.” I may have doubted it myself—not for the same reason as the very un-pc comment—but I was in Lumberton, North Carolina a few years ago where I became acquainted with the Lumbee tribe). But I digress. This colleague had good tales to share. Sitting in a circle in a tiny cabin, heads low, turning shades of blue and green, we listened to stories you can't find in books. "All I tell you is oral tradition," he said taking a swig of his drink, adding, "Let the ghosts dance." I took a puff on my cheap Black and Mild cigar sat back and smiled within: this person is a character. He repeatedly used the term “American Indian” which I asked him about, "Hell, you're a native American Dave." He continued on, speaking of ceremonial customs, peace pipes, visions, etc., with spirited delivery and passion for his heritage but whenever he mentioned the name Henry Berry Lowrie, his voice rose up even more. And so did my curiosity. Being unfamiliar with the legend of Lowrie, I listened closely jotting down notes here and there.

When we finally returned to land and once again had access to the Internet (the seagulls have a nice bandwidth free zone out there), I typed in Lowrie and jumped back. The guy on the boat has a strong resemblance to the 19th century outlaw. And the tales? It's unfair, I know, to build up all this stuff I’ve heard and yet not deliver the stories, but many of the yarns spun that seasick evening are available online. Plus, I'm not sure what will become of my hand-scratched notes. Perhaps my fictional Cash Laramie will meet up with the Lumbee legend. Until then here's the Wikipedia article with said photo. And for those of you who like old newspaper articles, here's the October 7, 1871 NY Times with quite a fascinating look at his gang and their "misdeeds."

Additional links:

Legends of North Carolina

The Museum of the Native American Resource Center

Henry Berry Lowrie - Lumbee Regional Development Association, Inc

Robert Urich

It seems when I was a kid there wasn’t a time that Robert Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) wasn’t on television. I grew up on S.W.A.T and Vega$ and because I am a fan of the Robert B. Parker novels, Spenser: For Hire was my favorite. A later gem was the western The Lazarus Man and it’s a shame that series didn’t continue. Interesting premise with his character being buried alive and what role he played in the Lincoln assassination. Of course, his role as Jake Spoon in Lonesome Dove was a highlight of a colorful career. And sadly Mr. Urich died far to young but we can celebrate that he was born on this date in 1946.

Time To Make The Donuts

A quarter of a century later, I now know why my hard-working father laughed the loudest when this commercial first aired.

Not Such A Mystery

Maybe it’s because I spend a fair amount of time around construction sites that articles like this jump out at me. Quite often, discoveries of ancient structures bring about the question, how did they do it? Which is usually met with the reply, it’s unbelievable or even impossible. According to the excavation director of the wall in Israel, "To build straight walls up 8 meters ... I don't know how to do it today without mechanical equipment … I don't think that any engineer today without electrical power [could] do it."

Which brings me to the mystery of Stonehenge. Every few years a documentary will spring up claiming it couldn’t have been done by humans with their limited technology. Aliens must have helped. Well, this guy demonstrates how it was probably constructed (hat tip to Francis Callahan for the link). End of mystery, right? I doubt it. The question will likely come up time and time again because it seems each generation has to learn it for themselves.

Now, here’s a mystery that really fascinates me, the 2,000 year old battery. Have its origins ever been figured out? And please tell me we didn't destroy it in the last couple wars.

The Man Who Collected Rocks

Rocks.

No, stones, he called them.

Semantics, I thought.

"Stones just sounds better," he said.

As I’ve traveled, I’ve collected artwork here and there. On my latest adventure, I’ve taken up a new collecting hobby. Rocks. Or, should I say stones as my colleague does? At first, I made fun of him for his collecting preference, one that never once crossed my noggin. But sure enough, ten minutes later, my boot kicked a rock, then I slide it sideways, turning it with my foot, and the strange formation and designs caught my eye.

Since then, it’s become an addictive hobby. Perfect circles tattoo some of them, red map-like veins interweave deep down in others. An assortment of rich greens, whites, and blacks make for a colorful collection. Maybe it seems simple or a cheap thing to collect, but heck, people collect shot glasses, hats, magnets and other little trinkets of a touristy nature when they travel. Why not an actual piece of the country? Here are a few of the rocks I’ve accumulated to take back--though this picture doesn't do them justice, I still have to wash and polish them.

So, while collecting rocks was never something I thought I'd be doing, I’m glad my partner introduced me to it. Anybody else have any interesting or strange collections in their possession?

I've Been Everywhere

I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

Johnny is still the man. Whenever I’m traveling for work, I think of his music and back to my youth. I remember spending Thursday evenings with my dad listening to the Man in Black, playing checkers and eating an entire jar of hot peppers while waiting for mom to come back from a church function. Geez, twenty-five years just flashed by. Sorry, not much of a point here, just the ramblings of a man far from home yet again.

Still Moseying Around

I've gotten emails from some folks asking why my blog comments are turned off, so I thought I should mention again that I'm traveling for work and will be for the rest of the year. Internet access is sporadic at the moment and beginning next week I doubt I'll have access at all.

But fear not BTAP readers, I have an amazing support system with Elaine and dMix and the Weekly Punches will continue to roll out with some incredible surprises in store (hint: two of the biggest pulp writers on the planet and a writer who is sizzling with her latest novel deliver knockout blows).

Also, we've received some terrific submissions for the BEAT to a PULP print anthology planned for late 2010. I still need pirates! C'mon, who hasn't watched the swashbuckling films of Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster and Johnny Depp and then wanted to tell a seafaring adventure of their very own. Aye, mate? Please keep in mind, it may take several months before you receive an acceptance notice due to the high volume of submissions and sorting process.

Links On The Run

The day job has infringed on my time to enjoy a good book, and with other things like writing and BTAP taking up more of my evenings, I am often turning to the net to find some welcome and pithy diversions. Here are some that I found this week.

Patti Abbott is on a roll. Over at The Back Alley, she delivers once again with "Raising the Dead." Also in the issue is a fascinating look at Frank Norris and his classic noir, McTeague.

Charles Gramlich has posted A Time to Hang Up Your Guns: Part 1. I was totally immersed. A very thought-provoking piece, eloquently written.

In the news: An author's guide to the Google Books flap is helpful. Where do you stand on it? Germany seems to have an opinion. One of my favorite books, Deep Water, is going to the silver screen. I hope they don’t screw it up.

Via Laurie Powers today, I found this fun site, Pulp of the Day.

Oh, and some BEAT to a PULP promotion... Please return in two days when Hilary Davidson delivers one helluva punch.

Poe Action Figure

I saw this Poe doll in a store in Bar Harbor, Maine. I went home and between the thumping under the floorboards and the damn bird pecking at my chamber door, I knew what I had to do. So, this thirty-nine year old kid went back the other day and bought my first action figure since I don't know when.

For Barbara

Barbara Martin occasionally posts a Bench of the Week at her blog, and, doing a little sleuthing, I found the idea originated with Norway's Fjell, Hordaland. I promised her a few weeks ago that I'd post a bench pic and here it is. This was taken at Wadsworth Cove in picturesque Castine, Maine, sunset on July 4th. The inscription reads:

In Loving Memory of
Ginny Kneisel
Beloved sister, aunt and friend
"Thank you for the music"

Deringer

My friend Jay is a police officer in our nation's capital and was recently assigned to watch over the Deringer that killed President Lincoln. I can only imagine how it feels to hold a piece of such a small size but of an immense weight.

Digging around the web, I found an interesting article on whether this weapon had been stolen from the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site and replaced with a reproduction... FBI Case File, The Booth Deringer—Genuine Artifact or Replica?. (The bullet that altered history is displayed separately at the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.)

Henry Deringer bio.

A Good Con

From The Last Match by David Dodge:

I am in prison, sentenced for bankruptcy, and I wish to know if you are willing to help me save the sum of $285,000 U.S. Cy, which I have in bank bills hidden in a secret compartment of a trunk that is now deposited in a customhouse in the United States.

As soon as I send you some undeniable evidence, it will be necessary for you to come here and pay the small expenses incurred in connection with my legal process so the embargo on my suitcases will be lifted.

Curly, the protagonist of Match, comments on this scam:

Too obviously a con? It’s been worked successfully for over a century, and it will go on working successfully as long as there people around who are venal, greedy and dumb.

So I’m checking BEAT to a PULP’s submissions, deciding if I should or shouldn’t accept a horror story from S. King, when I read this in my junk mail:

Abidjan Cote D'Ivoire.

My Dear,
I am Miss Cellina --, from Ivory Coast, I need your honest assistance to transfer Usd$9Million Dollars from here. Please reply with your direct phone number if interested. I await your quick reply and i will give you the full details.

That gave me a chuckle. Curly and P.T. Barnum was right--a sucker is born every minute if this con or a variation is obviously still working.

The Costs of the Transporter

My charmer and I are currently apart due to work and we recently had a conversation about how easy (albeit not happy) we have it compared to, say, John and Abigail Adams. When John A. was the ambassador to France, he was away from home for several years at a time. They relied on letters to communicate and quite often the messages didn’t make it through. Hell, the trip on the high seas was risky enough. Our conversation fast-forwarded to the 23rd century and we pondered how nice it would be to beam-in for supper nightly. But how long would it be before we complained about how miserable it is to see each other for only a couple of hours? Then a more interesting question popped up. How much would it cost to take a transporter? Would it be a flat-rate deal to anywhere in the world or would a domestic transport be less expensive than going to another country (can you just imagine the customs nightmare with people beaming in every few seconds... I'd hate to get caught mid-stream if there was a back-up)? In any event, you can bet your cuddly Tribble that it’s not going to be free.