tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65044876046855548982024-03-12T16:40:46.444-07:00WRITING FOR DEATHGreg Randall's ongoing blog as he builds his next Sharon O'Mara book in the For Death Chronicles SeriesGregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.comBlogger279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-58748106858319018462023-10-24T11:59:00.000-07:002023-10-24T11:59:12.619-07:00SO MUCH GOING ON, SO LITTLE TIME<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>So much going on, so little time.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quick personal note: a few days after the Bouchercon Conference, I got COVID-19 (rumor has it I was not alone). It has taken me over a month to get back to what might be called normal. This is the third time I've had the bastard; this time, brain fog (yes, it exists), extreme tiredness, and persistent dry cough that still lingers six weeks in. Get your shots. I had mine, and I hate to think what it would have been without them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, back to our station, there is no grass under these boots—two new books out this fall. On October 3, 2023, we (Wolfpack Publishing and I) released <b><i>Blood in the Yellowstone</i></b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhujWxZUqQDnrvSpsSYhHHflaT8_QYg9Wy0EjCS_qmxIIzk75Zg1SFOycU9y18Kjt3fuk2uEOqEPc4dCd6XnWu-2BH1JoQhD1jXsON52tbNETfh6E4dRkTisiqqjVGX3Mf9UY8wShut-eW9mBY3wYmoXldOG7aivUUaD9rml74RBv6ViZIo3w9-mfcZliE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1860" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhujWxZUqQDnrvSpsSYhHHflaT8_QYg9Wy0EjCS_qmxIIzk75Zg1SFOycU9y18Kjt3fuk2uEOqEPc4dCd6XnWu-2BH1JoQhD1jXsON52tbNETfh6E4dRkTisiqqjVGX3Mf9UY8wShut-eW9mBY3wYmoXldOG7aivUUaD9rml74RBv6ViZIo3w9-mfcZliE=w400-h206" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the third Deputy Sheriff Jordan Tynes Modern Western. Jordan is becoming one of my favorite characters (and I have so many to choose from), and as of three weeks after release, I'm thrilled with the reviews and five-star ratings. And sales have been good, not great, but good. Here are a couple of published reviews:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here is just one:</span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RWNBS99D3RMYU/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0CHKKPBNC"><b><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt; text-decoration: none;">5.0 out of 5 stars </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">JORDAN TYNES IS A GREAT CHARACTER AND RANDALL DOES A TERRIFIC JOB PRESENTING HER SKILLS<br /></span></i></b></a></p><p><i><span style="color: #565959; font-size: 10.5pt;">Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2023</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">I've reviewed Mr. Randall's previous Jordan Tynes novel. I expressed my enjoyment with the whole range of his writings: from Sharon O'Mara's time in the Iraq War enhancing her skills as an investigator; to Tony Alfano and his work as a Chicago Cop in the 1940s; The Cherry Pickers and his non-fiction historical analysis, The Original GI Town.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>Blood in the Yellowstone</b> finds my new hero, Park County Acting Sheriff Jordan Tynes, trying to unravel the sudden murders of 4 men. The story becomes twisted in the upcoming election for Ms. Tynes' full-time role of Sheriff as Livingston Police Chief Wes Banning enters the race for Jordan's job.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">The twists and turns require Jordan to stay focused on her job.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></i><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">It's a terrific story, and the scenic details are worth the read alone.</span></i></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And another:</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt 22.5pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R302EIRH9H8D11/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0CHKKPBNC"><b><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt; text-decoration: none;">5.0 out of 5 stars </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">Keeps your interest and guessing what's next</span></i></b></a><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt 22.5pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #565959; font-size: 10.5pt;">Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2023</span></i><i><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt 22.5pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt;">I enjoyed reading this book and found it hard to put down. There was a lot in the different plots to keep your interest high. There were some twists in the story that kept me guessing and my interest high. I would recommend this book to all.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, those are fans. Their comments make me want to start another – but I already have another waiting for you. On December 5, 2023, I’m releasing my first cozy genre mystery novel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Meet <b><i>The Marigold Gang</i></b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhssMPtyXpyIeDVXuAf4wnyWiFim3GfGK9n6f-AQtFPGj9Uxh-evYBlffWfPAueO5xa9w25R-9UTsLjsAmzAxB9rlXGkTRuZMKlfKC-Opx2OMwCWjryxAItmCXV0LuUrb85uI_Z_I5DdYl47i88PzLrASAdX1fzmwKN19U8JUIHSKw_OZX95ehQSlsitOM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2412" data-original-width="1592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhssMPtyXpyIeDVXuAf4wnyWiFim3GfGK9n6f-AQtFPGj9Uxh-evYBlffWfPAueO5xa9w25R-9UTsLjsAmzAxB9rlXGkTRuZMKlfKC-Opx2OMwCWjryxAItmCXV0LuUrb85uI_Z_I5DdYl47i88PzLrASAdX1fzmwKN19U8JUIHSKw_OZX95ehQSlsitOM=w263-h400" width="263" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Blurb:</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">You’ve seen them, you may even know them, those fellows sitting together in the back of the diner early Wednesday mornings. They have known each other for years and have been friends for over half a century. They call themselves the Marigold Gang.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><i> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">They grew up on Marigold Court in the 1950s and have stayed true friends. They took the moniker The Marigold Gang because it sounded tough for a bunch of twelve-year-olds. They have been by each other's side through high school, college, marriages, families, grandchildren, and now, death.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><i> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">After the tragic passing of one of their own, Allen Fisher, they are asked to clear out his house. Bravely, the Gang faces clearing a hoarder’s house filled with the debris of Allen’s complicated life. What they find, suitcases of money and rich quantities of treasure, baffles them. And in the basement, it is even worse.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><i> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;"><i>To discover what happened, the Gang volunteers to investigate. Our intrepid detectives are shocked to learn they have signed on to solve a handful of sixty-year-old murders. And in the process, put their own lives in jeopardy. And who are those bodies in the freezers?</i></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i>The Marigold Gang</i></b> is my first 'cozy' mystery, which is defined by the general types of characters and location.</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt 27pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #202124;">Cozy mysteries, also referred to as "cozies," are a subgenre of crime fiction in which<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><i><span style="color: #040c28;">sex and violence occur off stage, the detective(s) is/are an amateur sleuth(s), and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community</span></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #202124;">.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can check off all of those – I even took out the big swear words. There is NO sex in this story; the violence occurred sixty years earlier, and no place is more intimate than a suburban village on the south side of Chicago.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In fact, this novel is a standalone (right now). However, it is the third in a series of books focusing on stories around Chicago and the Midwest. And, if I include my non-fiction work, GI Town, and the Tony Alfano detective stories, I seem to have written at least ten novels that take place in and around Lake Michigan and the adjacent states. I did grow up there, so maybe my roots are deep and robust.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Please check these two stories out – and if you haven't started the Jordan Tynes mysteries, now would be a good time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>UPDATE</b> on Alex Polonia:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0sAkyckezcYi0v0yqdqGRrfNI9jBnF00fnN-owZ6g5sLU0rfnHiwAS9hqBHTiPEK_X5cFmmkgrW_tTrpBAb_Y5nBsVG3G3C2vhI0TJwMe8JIM3-A_7NBU2mzdJJYWIST3cLEq68DqF9r-8frPRIYP_MklIbKcSBPTtjddI4rSawoLrZlqDCOvUr31e7U" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2402" data-original-width="4725" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0sAkyckezcYi0v0yqdqGRrfNI9jBnF00fnN-owZ6g5sLU0rfnHiwAS9hqBHTiPEK_X5cFmmkgrW_tTrpBAb_Y5nBsVG3G3C2vhI0TJwMe8JIM3-A_7NBU2mzdJJYWIST3cLEq68DqF9r-8frPRIYP_MklIbKcSBPTtjddI4rSawoLrZlqDCOvUr31e7U=w400-h204" width="400" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The New Alex Polonia Thriller Covers</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2017, I was thrilled to be with the powerhouse publisher, Thomas & Mercer, an imprint of Amazon. We brought out two new thrillers, <b><i>Venice Black</i></b> and <b><i>Saigon Red</i></b>. Both feature Alex Polonia, Cleveland cop and now international security agent with Teton Security & Defense. It was a good run while it lasted, and then the publisher moved on to other bright and shiny things. I brought out <b><i>St. Petersburg White</i></b> in 2020 under my imprint, Windsor Hill Publishing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I didn’t want these first two stories to languish. So, I asked for the rights back, was given a yes, and rebranded and redesigned the covers, and here they are. I am currently working on the fourth in the series and expect it out next summer – it is tentatively called <b><i>London White</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I will try to keep this newsletter up to date.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeLZrwoWSyu2tCaqWkOLi5hy5NcT5_4qJ0uluyy2LTvnBLqKtk0DZ_zl2W9crzEpSrohxmKwIc5YYYlGhQjXQQwmspISFs4OMQdCy6D52uI08quc0AGZ_bov4QG-OG958hFOwfF4lDehiTD-pGgURGl64R_u6Nxq_UwVH1zpH_dPbT73q83abiKvRweI4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeLZrwoWSyu2tCaqWkOLi5hy5NcT5_4qJ0uluyy2LTvnBLqKtk0DZ_zl2W9crzEpSrohxmKwIc5YYYlGhQjXQQwmspISFs4OMQdCy6D52uI08quc0AGZ_bov4QG-OG958hFOwfF4lDehiTD-pGgURGl64R_u6Nxq_UwVH1zpH_dPbT73q83abiKvRweI4" width="160" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A sad note here. Several years back, I made the acquaintance of Les Edgerton, a well-known writer from Indiana. We had a shared love of the San Francisco Giants and writing. His voice was strong and direct and spoke of the common man, their troubles, and the simple fact that life is a bitch. Les passed away in late August from complications of COVID. He will be missed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">More later . . . .</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-42062176276796572692023-02-21T10:04:00.003-08:002023-02-21T10:14:04.838-08:00No Apology Needed - The Next Year<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Detective-Tony-Alfano-Gregory-Randall-ebook/dp/B0BJ9DZ65B/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3PS0KWV1W5CK7&keywords=tony+alfano&qid=1667331706&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjc3IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=tony+alfano%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-5" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2650" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD09UjtIxTIVoffwfapXp2IDQE2zi1M4vdtyXteESqHYvUEimS6u10Ig24u2ULGr2b-tyeuJpXHhSYlEYBCksbasrOS2-1fbOuSMNGYrM6-RZlud8CJyd8WfejTqZs0BMya-wjTtO7EJm8ZMZAog0qOFd4AESSJx5dbK4p4b5Azdh03eu4NavnmxS0/w138-h228/Detective%20Tony%20Alfano-%20The%20Complete%20Series%20NEW%20FLAT.jpg" width="138" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5Y6TLQQ/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_i=&pd_rd_i=B0B5Y6TLQQp13NParams&s=digital-text&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7dOtcyCNaX30IdEsruEx1hmbTj_JEAlXZS_TPqMA3mpE7aqVBlf5YZrbLPk9IJx2W_KXMargprD_Lyzc_cDVDO0BA1VI7huedOedWVw6NyNL-D-bvcULxCGDbh_uMeNQdW8LnoIfMxcrkLVMRdaq4J5LcLkpJKxJUM4gSr0HiIG8j8rgAZg-NBvj/w144-h231/The%20Chronicles%20of%20Sharon%20O'Mara-%20The%20Complete%20Series%20FLAT.jpg" width="144" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B843X1WM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10SPZSAUKFEXD&keywords=Gregory+C+Randall+max+adler+duology&qid=1659195066&sprefix=gregory+c+randall+max+adler+duology%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkpBHD_I0p2BFPdSD6SfQkgzTukfIKzIMe7g78wf0LLEzHM-SwiD-Kwwz8MDgHCw1FXgdfwFYrjvsCrE6uNu-omxBwTpJJITQu_r4oKEIZUX7oizS3JqXWe1nfaXzakUdEW7ewIIr2nHtEbK40SXXwgwlWbSdhXeQLot9dGitzXKJrwap07HozZ70/w141-h226/Max%20Alder%20The%20Complete%20Duology%20FLAT.jpg" width="141" /></a></div></div><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">February 21, 2023</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;">First, I apologize to those who follow and often visit my blog. It has been a year since my last post. There is no excuse not to find the time to write a paragraph or two, considering that I wrote almost half a million words during the past year. Shame on me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;">Second (see above and below), I was also too busy. Lame excuse #2.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;">And the last year has been something; read on:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->I joined<a href="https://wolfpackpublishing.com" target="_blank"> Wolfpack Publishing</a> and Mike Bray a year ago. Four publishing imprints comprise Wolfpack Publishing: Wolfpack Publishing, Rough Edges Press, Wise Wolf Books, and CKN Christian Publishing. Three of these imprints have released or republished my books.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Last fall, Wolfpack published the first two Deputy Sheriff Jordan Tynes mysteries, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Yellow-Dog-Thriller-Westerns-ebook/dp/B0BKTYMDKM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32K96DGQVGPT1&keywords=one+yellow+dog&qid=1667801548&s=books&sprefix=one+yellow+dog%2Cstripbooks%2C142&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><i>One Yellow Dog</i> </a>and <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BNQY7D2Z?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_1&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">The Killings in Paradise Valley</a></i>. (This spring, we will publish <i>Blood in the Yellowstone</i>).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Rough Edges Press published <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/White-Rabbit-Gregory-C-Randall-ebook/dp/B0B1VTRXHM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Gregory+C+Randall+White+Rabbit&qid=1655141848&sr=8-1" target="_blank">White Rabbit</a></i> last summer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Rough Edges also republished <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5Y6TLQQ/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_i=&pd_rd_i=B0B5Y6TLQQp13NParams&s=digital-text&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw" target="_blank">The Chronicles of Sharon O’Mara</a></i> (my second favorite redhead), the Max Adler WWII duology, and the five-book series of 1933 Chicago Detective Tony Alfano. These are all eBooks series – multiple books for the price of one.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->I was also delighted when they rereleased <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5M5P3PP?tag=w0a653-20&geniuslink=true" target="_blank">The Cherry Pickers</a></i> under their young adult imprint, Wise Wolf Books.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;">Hard to believe I published four new books last year, and this does not include the series compilations. When I joined Wolfpack, they promised a lot, and we have all been down that road. In their case, they delivered.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;">Hard to tell what the coming year will bring. As mentioned, a new Jordan Tynes modern Montana western, a new Max Adler WWII (under the new CIA) post-war mystery and thriller, possibly a new SF story, and maybe get back to Sharon O'Mara and Tony Alfano. Too many options, and then there is the siren call of new books and adventures. Never a dull moment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;">Do me and my characters a big favor and download or order one (or all of my stories). I genuinely believe you will love them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px;">All the best, more later.<o:p></o:p></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-33102507805279712052022-04-27T12:26:00.001-07:002022-04-27T12:26:36.645-07:00I AM THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://wolfpackpublishing.com" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg194e6nlKdfmHKEilf2uiFCTAYgHs-rq7mJUleWsjCVO7GHv-fgHzlJRr9AHcwEDkQXm39pbkXxh0TsLnlZB8G9Wp0VBMZUvGbWGAi3oSjYBXmOqMGmAMG251jAMofQ1HiAr8KjyVrSjm76uKzPXf7EdqWGUJ5_nxBzcxdWvy4Jd4XJ9kr59ZUIGd0/s320/THREE%20LOGOS%204-25-22%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I’ve been pounding the old keyboard telling stories now for more than twenty years. In fact, my first book, a non-fiction work titled<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>America’s Original GI Town, Park Forest, Illinois</i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, was published in 2000 (and I just got a residual check for $26 bucks this spring – it’s still alive!), with Johns Hopkins University Press. Since then, I’ve written and published over 22 novels in just about every category and genre. I’ve been privileged to be under contract with Thomas & Mercer for two books and self-published or indie-published (your choice) twenty others. I’m calling this my apprenticeship. You learn a lot writing more than two million words, like what to leave in, what to take out; whatever passive voice is/was (still confused); that, like an atom, you can split an infinitive, and to be careful with those things that dangle. I also learned the importance of editors, all sorts, from story to line to proof. There is/are editors for everything. So, when a good friend suggested that I follow up with a new publisher who might be interested in a new series I was writing (a modern western), I jumped at the chance.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;">Drum roll here . . . .<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;">I am thrilled and proud to announce that I have just signed on with <b>Wolfpack Publishing</b>. I want to thank Mike Bray, Jake Bray, and James Reasoner, for this opportunity to work with them and their team on both re-releasing my old catalog of fourteen novels as well as offering new titles to my readers. For me it’s a three for one deal. My young adult novel, <b><i>The Cherry Pickers</i></b>, will be re-released through their young adult focus, Wise Wolf Books, thirteen other mysteries and thrillers will be by Rough Edges Press, and my new series of modern westerns through Wolfpack Publishing. I am looking forward to a long and mutually prosperous partnership.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;">It is so easy to become discouraged in this business and art of writing, the hardest part is pounding out the words, the second and closest to the hardest is marketing. You are required to sit and work, there’s no other alternative – and there is no one to make you do it. Discipline, patience, clarity, imagination, vision, and creativity become skills that are honed and then polished. If writing excites you, then you are half the way there. If you are in it for the money, it is a steep climb. There’s a lot of nicked knuckles and skinned knees it the process. And don’t get me started with marketing – six years of blog posts are there for you to read through. A good friend and now (after many fits and starts for him), an incredibly successful author, told me once, “It’s also a lot of luck, plain luck.” Right place at the right time, and maybe Wolfpack Publishing is that moment for me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;">I will let you know about release dates, covers, schedules, even promotions as they come along. This is all new to me, so we will make this journey together.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;">All the best . . . . . until next time.<o:p></o:p></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-72433344777835674122021-11-15T11:25:00.005-08:002021-11-15T15:56:03.254-08:00SEVEN HOURS TO BARSTOW AND THE MERGER OF IDEAS<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Hours-Barstow-Slipstream-Adventure-ebook/dp/B09J8WX8PP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=seven+hours+to+barstow&qid=1634310876&s=books&sr=1-1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1340" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbl3E8ukvic/YZKvyAVbSmI/AAAAAAAAC2U/8dF605ofRWwq-c8QL1z23SmMGQ-RJDrOgCLcBGAsYHQ/w261-h400/10%253D4%253D21%2BSEVEN%2BHOURS%2BTO%2BBARSTOW%2BCOVER%2B.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">CLICK THE IMAGE FOR AMAZON</span></div><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">Experiment gone bad, that’s all I can say. As you can read below, back in August, I was high on the use of Amazon’s newest trick, VELLA. A new source for serialized electronic books in a half dozen genres. Everything I have read (and on YouTube) about the experiences of the users was negative. No marketing support, hard to use, hard to find your own serial, etc.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, I bailed. On November 16, 2021, I published <b><i>Seven Hours to Barstow</i></b> in its entirety. It’s a short novelette as I call it, just about 15,000 words (most full novels range between 60,000 to 140,000 words—and longer). And it will always be $0.99, or sometimes free when I want to juice up the ‘sales’ numbers. And besides I love the cover I designed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s an irreverent road trip down the back side of the Sierra Mountains. Enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To quote the first paragraph:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Don’t do this if you’re sober, or straight, or even got your head on right. No one should do this—ever. You must be certifiably stoned, plastered, over-religious, missing a body part, even a Democrat. This is what it takes: peyote, a lid of LSD, a handful of Cubans, a bottle of mescal, the Bible, and one of those anti-COVID masks. You need seventy-five horses between your legs, steel and chrome up the ass, big tires, a bag of Snickers, and Johnny Cash bleeding his fucking heart out and crying about June over the speakers. That’s all it takes, that and a plan; oh, and a Teflon jock strap printed with the fucking Milky Way hand-stitched with gold thread.</i></span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Go here and download. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Hours-Barstow-Slipstream-Adventure-ebook/dp/B09J8WX8PP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=seven+hours+to+barstow&qid=1634310876&s=books&sr=1-1" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Hours-Barstow-Slipstream-Adventure-ebook/dp/B09J8WX8PP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=seven+hours+to+barstow&qid=1634310876&s=books&sr=1-1</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Publishing:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The publishing game is getting crazier. There’s more consolidation in the future (big fish eating other big fish). A year ago, Penguin Random House (already a collection of imprints) announced plans to buy/merge Simon and Schuster (another collection). Here it is one year later and it’s, as far as I can tell, not been consummated. The Gov’ment is stepping in, a little concerned about the free market and monopolies – which I find to be quaint and self-serving. Hillary Clinton’s thriller (with Louise Penny) is at Simon & Schuster. Barack Obama’s first volume, <i>A Promised Land, </i>is a Penguin Random House, Michelle Obama’s<i> Becoming,</i> Crown (owned by Penguin Random House). Kamela Harris is also with Penguin books. To balance, Dick Cheney is with Threshold (Simon & Schuster), and the apolitical John Grisham is with Knopf (Penguin Random House). To balance this out even more, James Patterson (and President Clinton - new mystery series) is with Little, Brown and Company (part of the Hachette Book Group), and Nora Roberts is probably keeping Macmillan Publishing alive. No sour grapes here, but more of a concern over the concentration of thoughts an ideologies in the hands of a few on the streets of New York. Also note that Simon & Schuster is owned by ViacomCBS (talk about eyeball coverage).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are dozens if not hundreds of smaller publishing houses, groups, and companies. Some were established to support a particular writer, then grew. Others came into being because a person loved the idea of a genre such as sci-fi, westerns, or romance. But it still is a business, you must sell books (paper, ebook, audios) to survive, and it is getting tougher. I know this well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This publishing merger (and others) all about control, control of the market, control of the message (thoughts), and control of the politics. Books are the preeminent force of change, education, and enlightenment. In reality, who cares about a chip company merger, a tool and die conglomerate, two automobile companies forming an alliance. But two companies under the control of a particular political persuasion, now that is a different type of monopoly. After the invention of the Guttenberg press, the powers that be (state and church), feared what would happen when knowledge was easily acquired by the people through cheap books and pamphlets. Would Martin Luther (for better or worse) have had such a profound impact if the printing press had not been invented only forty years before his birth? He used it deliberately and sharply, to both government and church dismay.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mein Kampf, written by he who will not be named, is a preeminent example of how words can change a nation – and how a publishing house was acquired and used to disseminate that ideology.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am very concerned about concentrations of power (or aquisitions) for whatever reasons or rationalizations. Free and open competition is the backbone of capitalism, whether in goods, services, or words. It is imperative that more than a glossy review be taken of this merger. I could care less about pricing (the merger will help keep pricing fair – phooey), this is about control of ideas, the words that make those ideas real, and the minds that are manipulated by those words.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">More later . . . . . .</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-67341544494984650712021-08-06T11:26:00.011-07:002021-08-06T11:40:55.611-07:007 Hours to Barstow - Kindle Vella<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09BX66X7Q" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1503" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WeuudUCRVkU/YQ16urj1AkI/AAAAAAAAC1k/dzmI6rJg-mU1MqMaPkHCQ-YTFBIoj2FEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/8-3-21%2BImage%2B2%2B%2B7%2BHours%2Bto%2BBarstow%2B%2Bcopy.jpg" width="319" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09BX66X7Q" target="_blank"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>7 Hours to Barstow - then Turn Left</b></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Alert, Alert, Alert</b> . . . I am trying something new – and maybe you should too. Amazon Kindle has this new serial format that allows us writers to serialize our books (not old ones, mind you). From just a few episodes to an unlimited number – all your decision. It’s called Kindle Vella. I’ve just published the first five episodes of my first serial titled <i><b>7 HOURS TO BARSTOW – THEN TURN LEFT.</b></i> New genre, <b>Slipstream</b> and new character, the Gray Rider. Ten episodes are available, the first three are free, more to be added. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09BX66X7Q" target="_blank">Check it out here.</a></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Years ago there was the opportunity to use Amazon Kindle as a way of serializing our stories, even novels. Hugh Howey used this as a stepping stone to his success, <i>Wool</i>, and so did Andy Weir and his amazing novel <i>The Martian</i>. Both started by publishing one chapter (episode) at a time. Eventually they became the novels we enjoy. But they started in the old fashioned Dickens-Victorian way (England) on weekly episodes in the newspapers or magazines.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I don't know whether Amazon will pull this off, there's some concern (on my part) about the issue of buying Tokens (credits) to be used to acquire new episodes (complicated) and the split for the author. Time will tell and they will adjust as needed. However, I believe that this will provide opportunities for writer to strut their stuff, try new genres, styles, even go over the edge (as does <i>7 Hours to Barstow - Then Turn Left</i>).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here's a peak at the scope of VELLA:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GR2L4AHPMQ44HNQ7" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="311" height="162" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xG4IiX_oEO0/YQ17uOL_AiI/AAAAAAAAC1s/yqXKqCg6hfU7y4YtKo-4xUdr3j9vrwzAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Unknown.png" width="311" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="336" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VjBoQrFgOms" width="405" youtube-src-id="VjBoQrFgOms"></iframe></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><br /><i><br /></i></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>7 Hours to Barstow</i></b> comes from an idea my trainer and I cooked up. He was taking a motorcycle ride down the backside of the Sierra Mountains on Highway 395 last summer and we starting wondering what he'd run into along the way: ghosts, sheep, hitchhikers, etc. I started a run of text that I liked and it became what you will find.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There's an obscure genre out there called <u>slipstream</u> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slipstream_genre" target="_blank">(WIKI HERE)</a>. My fascination with this style came from a book an old friend (who sadly has passed) gave me. It is Robert F. Jones' <b style="font-style: italic;">Blood Sport, A Journey Up the Hassayampa. </b>It is without a doubt one of the weirdest novels I've ever read and totally embodies the goal of slipstream as "</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">nonrealistic fiction with a postmodern sensibility</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sport-Journey-Up-Hassayampa/dp/B00F3FO9BI/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=robert+f.+jones+bloodsport&qid=1628272995&s=books&sr=1-1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-COdrfU5ymQM/YQ16F6HPdLI/AAAAAAAAC1c/DCZ6xfkeWqsQ_In4WihOkonHmtgVSY9SgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/91NRO1I0H2L._AC_UY436_QL65_.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sport-Journey-Up-Hassayampa/dp/B00F3FO9BI/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=robert+f.+jones+bloodsport&qid=1628272995&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><i>7 Hours</i></b> is sort of an homage to Jones and his story. What I'm hoping to do is keep adding episodes (10 posted or soon will be), that continue the travels of my man, the Gray Rider, as he cruises the back roads of America. Let me know what you think.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">More Later . . . .</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-62374620732460120162021-05-13T16:06:00.001-07:002021-05-13T16:06:28.666-07:00BREAKING NEWS: RANDALL TO PUBLISH TWO WWII THRILLERS IN OCTOBER<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b> >>>>>BREAKING NEWS<<<<<</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>On October 5, 2021, I'll be publishing two new novels.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Two on the same day!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093J43VMH?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="2048" height="367" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0pGRwsdeKw/YJ2uhSaCakI/AAAAAAAACzI/4rLwHQOFE8gtH3HybNX3Cnt7NI40OLH9ACLcBGAsYHQ/w484-h367/Max%2BAdler%2BBoth%2BBooks%2B4-24-21%2BFront%2BCover.jpg" width="484" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093J43VMH?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">click to pre-order: This Face of Evil</a></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now a word from our sponsor:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We survived – or at least that’s what it looks like. We’ve been through a lot this past year, for the first time in maybe forever, we have all been in the battle together. And we won! Yeah, for us. Three huzzahs. Our thoughts go to those families that lost someone, and to those that will never know what their future could have been. Sometimes humans need to be reminded how delicate and fragile life really is. Hug your family, have lunch with friends, dream of that vacation . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, get back to work, we have a much to repair.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lots of great things have happened this year to me and here at Windsor Hill Publishing—and others are promised.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i>Chicago Boogie Woogie</i></b> was published in February. For those that know Detective Tony Alfano, his latest case takes him from Chicago to Hollywood to chase down a killer. Yes Hollywood, film fantasyland for the incredible 1930s. The reviews are great. Get it here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two books are being studied by my wonderful agent, Kimberley Cameron. Both with new and modern characters, as well as exotic settings. You will not be disappointed. More as they develop.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>This October it’s twins.</b> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What can I say . . . What better way to celebrate a new character (actually two!) than to release two books on the same day – October 5, 2021. Introducing OSS Captain <b>Max Adler</b> and MI6 agent <b>Sophie Norcross</b>. I’ve worked on these two novels for the last five years (more like forever). Both are chockablock full of action, adventure, politics, Nazis, Rome, Paris, Cairo, London, Chicago – what a ride. These novels have been promised for the last two years – and finally they are here. Pre-order at Amazon, send me a message if you want a reviewable copy, go to my website for more information (www.gregorycrandall.info). They will make great Christmas presents.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093J43VMH?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;" target="_blank">click to pre-order: This Face of Evil</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And a reminder that all the other characters in the Gregory C. Randall universe are waiting for you. There are the seven Sharon O’Mara action-adventure thrillers, the three Alex Polonia international thrillers, and the aforementioned Detective Tony Alfano stories that take you back to 1933.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Have a great and safe summer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Look for me on Facebook (become my friend), send me an email at <a href="mailto:rpd@lmi.net" style="color: #954f72;">rpd@lmi.net</a>, or just pick up one of my novels and get lost in the worlds that I have created.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stay Tuned:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Greg</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-86903613231216846632021-01-21T12:32:00.002-08:002021-01-21T15:26:31.478-08:00Boogie Woogie Coming 2-16-21<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> COMING FEBRUARY 16, 2021</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">CHICAGO BOOGIE WOOGIE</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I'm thrilled to offer you and my readers the latest Detective Tony Alfano mystery. It's 1933 Chicago, the Century of Progress World's Fair is now in its fourth month, and a starlet is found murdered on the top floor of the Palmer House hotel. Tony is sent to investigate and discovers she's with a Hollywood promotion tour for their latest gangland movie. At the request of the producer, Chicago Mayor Ed Kelly, sends him to Hollywood to be their technical advisor. And the first thing Alfano finds is another body.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">In Los Angeles, California, Tony discovers that fantasy can become reality.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="434" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YsU_0ycCF0k" width="568" youtube-src-id="YsU_0ycCF0k"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PCCLLQM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=chicago+boogie+woogie+randall&qid=1606785105&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Pre-order before 2-16-21 or order now here!</a></b></span></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-62563645792143374602020-12-30T09:52:00.000-08:002020-12-30T09:52:09.482-08:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bpO3ATwL0dc/X-y5iwflQII/AAAAAAAACxE/YJ4nTGjkwKAij_2vwoWKLbQ5AM67I8fSgCLcBGAsYHQ/images.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="273" height="216" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bpO3ATwL0dc/X-y5iwflQII/AAAAAAAACxE/YJ4nTGjkwKAij_2vwoWKLbQ5AM67I8fSgCLcBGAsYHQ/images.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Wishing you and yours the happiest of New Years. We've gotten this far, so don't give up, get your shot (when you can), spend time with friends, and most of all take care of yourself. There are great things ahead.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PCCLLQM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=chicago+boogie+woogie+randall&qid=1606785105&sr=8-1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GdcNu5eQI1c/X-y7zLivVKI/AAAAAAAACxQ/kkRbbp5jznESEzeTD3mWsNneD__x7T-5gCLcBGAsYHQ/w240-h320/Chicago%2BBoogie%2BWoogie%2B-%2B3d%2BCover%2Band%2BBook.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PCCLLQM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=chicago+boogie+woogie+randall&qid=1606785105&sr=8-1" target="_blank">PRE-ORDER HERE OR CLICK THE BOOK</a></b></p><p>I will be releasing my latest Detective Tony Alfano thriller on February 16, 2021. This will be an ebook for now, with the paperback available sometime in March (I hope). for those that don't know Tony, here is a snippet from he novel:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #073763; font-family: trebuchet;">Detective Anthony Alfano tugged at the hem of his crisply pressed dark grey suit jacket, snugged up his red silk tie, and adjusted the Colt in his shoulder holster. He was tall, snappishly thin. The pinstripes in his suit added the illusion of an inch or two to his height. His face was narrow, with a hard, long jaw, thin mouth, and a fashionably crisp William Powell mustache. The mustache enhanced a sharp, slightly hooked nose (with a perceptible kink on its ridge due to being broken a few times) that anchored his face like a spike driven between his dark grey eyes. Hidden under his grey fedora was a thick head of black hair that was evolving to grey at the temples. If grey were a meal, Tony Alfano was a serious grey serving. After setting the brim of his hat, he lit a cigarette, and strolled north up the west side of State Street. This night the sidewalks were full; the weather, for a Friday night in mid-September, was warm and dry.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am looking forward to an exciting year - bother personally and professionally. We will get out of the house (once vaccinated) and get back to seeing the world, if there is anything left of it. I fear that it will be a long time before some parts are open again. Professionally, I am looking to publish at least three books this year, possibly four. Great stories are underway that will take you all the corners of the world. To name just a few: Carmel, Cairo, Rome, Montana, Los Angeles, the moon and Mars, London, Chicago, and even Cleveland.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stay tuned, the road will be bumpy. . . . .</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-15548639763670415562020-11-30T17:14:00.000-08:002020-11-30T17:14:01.251-08:00Thank You and A Cover Reveal<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b> UPDATE</b></span></p><p>I want to thank all of you who downloaded a free copy of one or all of the Sharon O'Mara adventure thrillers. She is the reason I got into this writing gig, and she it still my second favorite gal. I hope that you are enjoying them.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>I gave away 10,052 copies - that's right over 10,000 free books.</b></p><p>I'm thrilled and I hope you are one of those that took the time to download the ebook from Amazon. Again thank you very much.</p><p>I am also pleased to announce the cover for the next Detective Tony Alfano thriller (see below with the first three covers in the series).</p><p>Tony is becoming one of my favorites. It's 1933 - so no TV, no cell phones, limited radio, and certainly no police radio. Chicago is in the middle of the Century of Progress World's Fair - and 200,000 people visit the city on any weekend. It has become a city full of tourists, gangs, gambling, and other forms of corruption. Just the background for an honest Italian cop on an Irish police force.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PCCLLQM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=chicago+boogie+woogie+randall&qid=1606785105&sr=8-1" target="_blank">PRE-ORDER NOW AT AMAZON</a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bWIJLBYtQCk/X8WXxI8un4I/AAAAAAAACwc/89e_S1fwrnoW2x9yHN2aXKfstBRcAg_KgCLcBGAsYHQ/12-1-20%2BBOOGIE%2BWOOGIE%2BCOVER%2BREVEAL%2BFB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1192" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bWIJLBYtQCk/X8WXxI8un4I/AAAAAAAACwc/89e_S1fwrnoW2x9yHN2aXKfstBRcAg_KgCLcBGAsYHQ/w233-h400/12-1-20%2BBOOGIE%2BWOOGIE%2BCOVER%2BREVEAL%2BFB.jpg" width="233" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /><br /></b></span><p></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-53006399311272524302020-11-18T09:03:00.007-08:002020-11-18T09:05:40.926-08:00SHARON IS FREE - FREE - FREE<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b> HAPPY HOLIDAYS</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In celebration of the holidays and as way of thanking you readers for your support, from Sunday November 21 to Wednesday November 25 -<b> ALL </b>the Sharon O'Mara books are free on Amazon.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Land-Swap-For-Death-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004D4Y62W/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51tGqHY97YL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v3%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-44_OU01_AC_UL160_SR105%2C160_&refRID=0BJM8KGWCSSK8C38JDQ5">CLICK HERE</a></b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Land-Swap-For-Death-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004D4Y62W/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51tGqHY97YL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v3%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-44_OU01_AC_UL160_SR105%2C160_&refRID=0BJM8KGWCSSK8C38JDQ5" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1967" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PN8kgd98eEw/X7VRNShY3nI/AAAAAAAACwM/7uPq-zhMwrEkiKlXHNT_m2UhwFeKlDS7QCLcBGAsYHQ/w308-h320/O%2527Mara%2BBooks%2B9-17-18.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Five Days Only</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">These six books tell the stories of Sharon O'Mara and her three close friends, Kevin Bryan and Gina Cavelli as they face adventures, romances, and international intrigues and serious bad girls.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sharon is an retired Army MP, who after a couple of rough starts in the real world of the San Francisco Bay Area, found that she had a the ability to help people solve complicated problems. Her business card reads <b>FACILITATOR</b>, but she more than that, she is a friend and problem solver.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Her military experience provided the hard tools she needs in her chosen trade, she favors the Beretta 92, but is also comfortable with her brains and her fists.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She's taken on domestic terrorists, Iranian killers, a Cuban kidnapper and slaver, Chinese cartels, evil New York developers, and even a WWII SS Nazi in Argentina.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She has her demons, but with her friends the world is a lot better.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Download them all, enjoy them in order or mix it up. And don't forget my other series as well:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Chicago Detective Tony Alfano - fighting crime and politics in 1933 Chicago (and soon Hollywood)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Alex Polonia - fighting international crime in Venice, Saigon, and St. Petersburg</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And look for my other stand alones as well.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(All the books have been certified Covid19 free as well.)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">ENJOY</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="caret-color: rgb(43, 0, 254); color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Land-Swap-For-Death-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004D4Y62W/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51tGqHY97YL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v3%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-44_OU01_AC_UL160_SR105%2C160_&refRID=0BJM8KGWCSSK8C38JDQ5" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">CLICK HERE</span></a></b></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-85800841220594339362020-09-15T11:14:00.004-07:002020-09-15T11:16:01.914-07:00Kirkus Review is Posted 9-15-20<p style="text-align: center;">In today's issue of <i><b>Kirkus Reviews</b></i>, their bi-monthly magazine, I'm thrilled that they have selected <b><i>St. Petersburg White </i></b>for a review. This is a great honor since they select only about 10% of their monthly reviews for posting in the magazine. This is the third in the Alex Polonia series, the first two, <b><i>Venice Black</i></b> and <b><i>Saigon Red</i></b> were published by Thomas & Mercer. <b><i>St. Petersburg White</i></b> is published by our own publishing company, Windsor Hill Publishing.</p><p style="text-align: center;">It's a great read - enjoy!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/St-Petersburg-White-Polonia-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0861XLLJ1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZY40VYIQ6NEA&dchild=1&keywords=st.+petersburg+white&qid=1591214436&s=digital-text&sprefix=St.+Petersburg%2Cdigital-text%2C410&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Order Here!</a></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AAY3KnJWOho/X2EDp-ZN4NI/AAAAAAAACvM/lNAqyiJIwv07m2R7gP7aD7Z3fRmBczpJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/Kirkus%2BReview%2Band%2Btext%2B9-15-20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AAY3KnJWOho/X2EDp-ZN4NI/AAAAAAAACvM/lNAqyiJIwv07m2R7gP7aD7Z3fRmBczpJgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/Kirkus%2BReview%2Band%2Btext%2B9-15-20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-33216404235056584362020-08-07T13:05:00.001-07:002020-08-07T13:05:58.133-07:00ST. PETERSBURG WHITE IS PUBLISHED 8-11-20<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><b> ST. PETERSBURG WHITE IS PUBLISHED</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"This intricately plotted game of international cat-and-mouse will please thriller fans who like their page-turning intrigue spiced with dry humor." -- BookLife Review/Publishers Weekly<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0861XLLJ1?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dH39fF_VW0Y/Xy2yAzmV3xI/AAAAAAAACu0/Ltg21CQdwiQ68DvGNLWAjtYNJXGESbcagCLcBGAsYHQ/w288-h384/St.%2BPetersburg%2BWhite%2B-%2B3d%2BCover%2Band%2BBook.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>We are published on August 11, 2020 on Amazon, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0861XLLJ1?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">click the links</a> and be one of the first to read the latest thrilling adventure of Alex Polonia. I'm thrilled with the reviews of my fellow writers and those of Publishers Weekly and </p><p>"It's a whacking great tale of mesmerizing characters careening through exotic places you seldom get to read about. ST. PETERSBURG WHITE is one terrific thriller." -- <b>Jake Needham, author of the Mean Streets Crime Novels</b></p><p>"St. Petersburg White is an absolute non-stop thrill ride in the world of cyber-terrorism. Highly recommended." -- <b>James L'Etoile, author of At What Cost and Bury The Past</b></p><p>"What and who caused the disruption of part of the American electrical grid? Was it sabotage or a fluke? As Alex Polonia tries to find out, she dodges relentless pursuers throughout St. Petersburg and nearby Baltic countries--all while Randall's readers enthusiastically turn the pages of this exciting novel." -- <b>Gary M. Lepper, author of A Deadly Game and the other David Kenmuir "Deadly" adventures </b></p><p>"Randall continues surprising and pleasing his readers with this third international thrill ride in the eastern Baltic Sea. Randall’s genius is suspense and intrigue on every page. I continue to be a big fan." <b>Robert Dugoni #1 International Best-Selling Author The Tracy Crosswhite Series and The Last Agent</b></p>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-40813526517639473252020-07-14T16:48:00.003-07:002020-07-14T16:48:47.739-07:00SECTOR 73 IS FREE<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sector 73 is Free this Week from </b></span></div>
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In the 25<sup>th</sup>century, when humans have colonized the moon and Mars and established outposts in the asteroid belt, a particular breed of men and women have evolved the industrial art of asteroid harvesting. Dragging chunks of primordial rock and ice to smelters circling Earth and Mars, they have become the principal source of raw materials for all these new world’s metals, fuels, water and breathable air.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One dragger, Buster Strabo, the captain of the Gypsy King, has for more than twenty years towed these elemental rocks sunward to the colonies. On this last drag, he discovers a rock that is more than he expected; in fact, more than the whole of humanity bargained for. Can this one asteroid answer humankind’s greatest questions: Are we alone in this universe and is there something else out there?<o:p></o:p></div>
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What is in Sector 73 that will forever change civilization’s and religion’s beliefs? </div>
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What elemental spark will drive the world to demand: Who are we and where did we come from?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Buster Strabo – is the Captain’s name. He’s been dragging rocks from the belt sunward to the colonies and earth for more than twenty years. Twenty years that would make any young man old. Dragging rocks through the vacuum of space will do that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Buster Strabo – is the captain of the asteroid tow truck, the Gypsy King. The fusion powered spaceship is a one hundred and fifty-year-old accumulation of steel, aluminum, and diamond glass. Strabo’s the fifth or sixth captain, but who’s counting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Buster Strabo – is owner of the cantankerous noid Hank; however, can you truly own a robot? Can anyone own anything so powerful and intelligent?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Buster Strabo – was there on the rescue ship twenty years earlier when they saved Tassos Orion, the then captain of the Gypsy King. The man who was charged with the loss of his entire crew—some say he murdered them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Buster Strabo – older brother to Sister Anne, a nun of the Revealment order and very close to the Pope. And soon to be the director of the new colony on Mars.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Buster Strabo – a non-believing agnostic, who unwillingly becomes an integral part of the greatest event that humans have ever seen; some call it a miracle.<o:p></o:p></div>
Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-74193156356083255502020-06-29T11:42:00.002-07:002020-06-29T11:42:42.843-07:00St. Petersburg White News<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>REPORT FROM HOUSE ARREST:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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It has been a bizarre and strange last four months. My wife and I started this adventure the afternoon of March 11 in San Diego, with a conversation with Jim L’Etoile and Bruce Coffin at Left Coast Crime. A lot of questions were bantered about, us being thriller writers and all, you can guess the drift. The result was that my wife and I packed up our bags, repacked the car, and bolted for home in Northern California the next morning. Since then we have, like the rest of us, been in lock-down. It was a shame that LLC was closed the next day, so many had put serious time, sweat, and effort into making this an outstanding conference. I’m sure some hearts were broken; I wish them well. Maybe the conference will return to San Diego sooner than later. As they say in the good book, “Next year in Albuquerque.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0861XLLJ1?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gyXZqaUlnmM/Xvo09rQ9T1I/AAAAAAAACuI/teNz5h8JcjspHksRGDVKBiKEa4kdgo-mQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/St.%2BPetersburg%2BWhite%2B-%2B3d%2BCover%2Band%2BBook.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></div>
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You can read the past posts below, nonetheless, I have been busy. I’m hoping to publish four books this year. <b><i>Sector 73</i></b>was published on June 9, and the next Alex Polonia, <b>St. Petersburg White</b>, is due out at Amazon on August 11. <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0861XLLJ1?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">Pre-order it now</a></b>, and I will be forever indebted to you. Even buy you a drink when I see you next year (assuming we can leave home).<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the third in the Alex Polonia international thriller series. <b><i>Venice Black </i></b>and <b><i>Saigon White </i></b>were the first two; Thomas & Mercer published them. It was a good run. They are extremely professional and there to help. Unfortunately, I didn’t fulfill their numbers and expectations. There was a time when 22,000 unit sales were bestseller levels, today in the ebook trade, it is hardly a bump. So, <b><i>St. Petersburg White </i></b>is being published by Windsor Hill Publishing, our own publishing company. It’s was nice to use their algorithms to market and sell the books, but it is also very nice to have complete control. <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0861XLLJ1?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">Pre-order it now</a>!</b>– before they run out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>BIG NEWS:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I’ve completely rebuilt my webpage from the ground up. New look, new style, new mailing list. Take a look here:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.gregorycrandall.info/">www.gregorycrandall.info</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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And please post your email and sign up for my newsletter, there will be some free stuff when I get the rest of my marketing act together, and alerts about coming events.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I like the new look, let me know what you think in the comment box on the contact page.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now back to the videos on how to be a best-selling author.<o:p></o:p></div>
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More Later . . . . . .<o:p></o:p></div>
Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-61367978205976130552020-06-03T13:27:00.001-07:002020-06-03T13:27:44.909-07:00MY FIRST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL - JUNE 9<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been a fan of science fiction for most of my life, I still have many of my paperbacks from college. They run from Asimov to Zelazny, space opera to fantasy. So, after twelve novels that are thrillers and young adult stories, what the hell. And it was a challenge by my agent, a dare if you will, that got me started. Thank you Kimberley Cameron.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Sector 73</span></i></b> is available after June 9, 2020 at Amazon. (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sector-73-Gypsy-sci-fi-Adventures-ebook/dp/B086XLHB6J/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=sector+73&qid=1591211675&s=digital-text&sr=1-1" target="_blank">click Here to order</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is a classic space opera. It has a cranky robot, a heroic captain, a nun from the Sisters of the Revealment, a prophet, and things that go blink in the night. It takes place four hundred years in the future when mankind has colonized Mars and uses the asteroid belt as their source of raw materials. But mankind hasn't changed, the world at that time is the result of new world wars, unfathomable destruction, and interplanetary politics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope that this will be the start of a series that focuses on the asteroid dragger, <i>The Gypsy King,</i> a two hundred year old space tow truck. Its adventures, its crews, and the people that make up the world as I see it in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoy!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Science fiction, as we've seen during the last seventy years has in many cases gone from fiction to reality. So who knows if there will be a Captain Buster Strabo in our future.</span><br />
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And for a little taste of the story, here's the Book Trailer:</div>
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</span>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-62489954360935343262020-05-11T07:50:00.000-07:002020-05-11T07:50:36.038-07:00Four Books This YearThis year I will publish four books. A brilliant Sci-Fi thriller, <b><i>Sector 73</i></b>, the next (and third) Alex Polonia thriller, <b><i>St. Petersburg White</i></b>, and will introduce two books staring new characters Jake Adler and Fiona Norcross. The last two are WWII OSS thrillers and adventures.<br />
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All these are exciting and for me challenging. Each comes from an entirely different world, and each was an adventure writing.<br />
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I'll post the URLs for the sites on Amazon Books where you can pre-order below. Still a lot of work left to do on the Jake Adler series, but they will be available in December.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO TO THE PRE-ORDER SITE.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sector-73-Gypsy-sci-fi-Adventures-ebook/dp/B086XLHB6J/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=SECTOR+73&qid=1589208452&s=digital-text&sr=1-1" target="_blank">SECTOR 73</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/St-Petersburg-White-Polonia-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0861XLLJ1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ST.+PETERSBURG+WHITE&qid=1589208496&s=digital-text&sr=1-1" target="_blank">ST. PETERSBURG WHITE</a></span></b></div>
Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-77564189054431906012020-04-10T14:43:00.001-07:002020-04-10T14:43:19.774-07:00Finally Did It! SCI-FI RULES<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cover Reveal and Pre-Order</b></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21;">On June 9, 2020 I’ll be releasing SECTOR 73 as an ebook. Within a month, a paperback will also be available – all through Amazon books. This is my first foray into Science Fiction, a genre that I’ve read and admired since I was eight years old when my mother gave me the Tom Swift books (they came with a cool carboard bookcase). Once a month, for maybe a couple of years, I got one more book – that I devoured. Later I moved on to Asimov, Heinlein, Pou</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; display: inline;">rnelle, Niven, and so many others. There’s a quiet nuance about space operas, the genre that SECTOR 73 falls into. It was a hoot to write – kind of liberating. And I like what John Scalzi is doing these days. Anyway, it is available for pre-order, and as noted above, on June 9. And don't forget that ST. PETERSBURG WHITE, pub-date August 11, is available for pre-order too.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">SECTOR 73</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the 25<sup>th</sup> century, when humans have colonized the moon and Mars and established outposts in the asteroid belt, a particular breed of men and women have evolved the industrial art of asteroid harvesting. Dragging chunks of primordial rock and ice to smelters circling Earth and Mars, they have become the principal source of raw materials for all these new world’s metals, fuels, water and breathable air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One dragger, Buster Strabo, the captain of the Gypsy King, has for more than twenty years towed these elemental rocks sunward to the colonies. On this last drag, he discovers a rock that is more than he expected; in fact, more than the whole of humanity bargained for. Can this one asteroid answer humankind’s greatest questions: Are we alone in this universe and is there something else out there?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What is in Sector 73 that will forever change civilization’s and religion’s beliefs? What elemental spark will drive the world to demand: Who are we and where did we come from?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Who is Buster Strabo?</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Buster Strabo – is the Captain’s name. He’s been dragging rocks from the belt sunward to the colonies and earth for more than twenty years. Twenty years that would make any young man old. Dragging rocks through the vacuum of space will do that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Buster Strabo – is the captain of the asteroid tow truck, the Gypsy King. The fusion powered spaceship is a one hundred and fifty-year-old accumulation of steel, aluminum, and diamond glass. Strabo’s the fifth or sixth captain, but who’s counting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Buster Strabo – is owner of the cantankerous noid Hank; however, can you truly own a robot? Can anyone own anything so powerful and intelligent? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Buster Strabo – was there on the rescue ship twenty years earlier when they saved Tassos Orion, the then captain of the Gypsy King. The man who was charged with the loss of his entire crew—some say he murdered them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Buster Strabo – older brother to Sister Anne, a nun of the Revealment order and very close to the Pope. And soon to be the director of the new colony on Mars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Buster Strabo – a non-believing agnostic, who unwillingly becomes an integral part of the greatest event that humans have ever seen; some call it a miracle.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-5546779434791695272020-03-25T10:01:00.001-07:002020-03-25T10:01:19.897-07:00ALL MY BOOKS NOW $0.99 AT AMAZON<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">ALL BOOKS ARE NOW $0.99 ON AMAZON</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">JUST CLICK THE COVERS</span></b></div>
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We are are all in this together, and while it's difficult for any of us to help out in all the ways we want, to give some solace, comfort, an atto-boy, or an elbow bump, there is something I can do for you.<br />
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All my books that I publish are now $0.99, and I'll keep them at this price for the duration - whenever that may be.<br />
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Just click on the covers left and right and you will go to the book's Amazon page. The Kindle price is $0.99. Sorry I can't change the paper price, it's a little more complicated. But since most of my readers enjoy the Kindle format, I'm here for you.<br />
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You will find great characters, like Sharon O'Mara, Kevin Bryan, Gina Cavelli, Tony Alfano, Sergeant McDunnah, and Howie Smith.<br />
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I've tried to create worlds around my characters where you can escape to a different time, and for a few hours, enjoy the company of these great people.<br />
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HAVE FUN - AND ENJOY</div>
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<br />Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-51434954807043530552020-03-15T10:13:00.004-07:002020-03-23T09:04:23.381-07:00ST. PETERSBURG WHITE - 8-11-20<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>PRE-ORDER NOW:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/St-Petersburg-White-Polonia-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0861XLLJ1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=st.+petersburg+white+randall&qid=1584978488&sr=8-1&swrs=B72BA8C73A6378ED6A179059E1D2EDE6" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1050" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R2hRQKl7tdc/Xm5gbzzzN-I/AAAAAAAACsM/H5YyYjXeIh0PsM3BEbdt7vhulAhNNk1jACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2-24-20%2BSt.%2BPetersburg%2BWhite%2BCover%2B5x8.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/St-Petersburg-White-Polonia-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0861XLLJ1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=st.+petersburg+white+randall&qid=1584978488&sr=8-1&swrs=B72BA8C73A6378ED6A179059E1D2EDE6" target="_blank">PRE-ORDER NOW -- "CLICK HERE"</a></b></div>
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I've been thrilled to have Thomas & Mercer (an Amazon Publishing imprint), publish my past two books, <b><i>VENICE BLACK</i></b> and <b><i>SAIGON RED</i></b>. The stories follow the thrilling adventures of Alexandra Polonia (Alex to her friends), across the globe. He was a detective on the Cleveland police force until the crimes of her ex-husband forced her off the police force. Faced with a bleak future, she takes a job as security specialist for the international security firm, Teton Security and Defense.<br />
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At TSD she applies the skills she learned in Cleveland and finds herself criss-crossing the globe serving as a both a babysitter for a family in Saigon, and a special operations agent tracking down a terrorist bent on stealing high-tech secrets.<br />
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I wish I could personally thank all the thousands of readers who bought the books.<br />
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I am pleased to announce that the third book in the series will be published on August 11, 2020. <b><i>ST. PETERSBURG WHITE</i></b> takes Alex from her headquarters in Dallas, Texas to Helsinki, Finland. There she will secretly enter St. Petersburg, Russia and retrieve a man who admits he was responsible for setting a fire that led to the deaths of hundreds in a town in Iowa. In today's interconnected world, someone ten thousand miles away can click a keyboard and mouse to set in motion a cascading series of events that will kill thousands. Alex's job is to find and retrieve this man before he can kill millions.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>ST. PETERSBURG WHITE</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>AVAILABLE AUGUST 11, 2020</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/St-Petersburg-White-Polonia-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0861XLLJ1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=st.+petersburg+white+randall&qid=1584978488&sr=8-1&swrs=B72BA8C73A6378ED6A179059E1D2EDE6" target="_blank">PRE-ORDER NOW</a></b></span></div>
Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-87294905674611791202020-01-10T22:45:00.001-08:002020-01-10T22:45:07.046-08:00THE CHERRY PICKERSOver the last few months I've spent a lot of time pulling together an updated version of the award winning book <b>The Cherry Pickers</b>. This story, which takes place in 1956 in the cherry growing region of Michigan near Traverse City, is both the story of teenager who is suddenly faced with a summer of difficult life lessons, family challenges, and the realization that people are not always what you think they are.<br />
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Howie Smith, our protagonist, lives in Chicago but spends his summers on his grandparents cherry farm. It is the farm his father grew up on. Howie and his younger brother Bill, take advantage of the farm, the woods "down below," and Lake Michigan. The reader is transported back to time of innocence, love, hate, illness, a gay uncle, and a family living on the edge.<br />
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The 1950s were a time of the Cold War, nuclear safety lessons, migrant workers, and bigotry. Just ten years from the end of World War II, the family must still live through the losses that war brought to the Smith family.<br />
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This is their story and it is your story; it is a visit to an America now lost, and it is a story of love and changes -- and love comes in many forms. Walk the streets of the village of Elk River, swim in the crystal clear lake water, feel the sand in your toes and the summer heat on your back. Think of your first cigarette and maybe your first love. It is all here.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cherry-Pickers-Gregory-C-Randall-ebook/dp/B073C9DJY9/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1502637101&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cherry+pickers" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1055" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7qBT4vTW-GA/Xhlso5iuhcI/AAAAAAAACrs/EKXAcolpR-8hRTUlMRr1rFqgRpQjpR_OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/6-3-19%2BThe%2BCherry%2BPickers%2BCover.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">A Review:</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">I haven’t read such an enjoyable book in a long time. I can’t even recall the last time or what that book even was (maybe as far back as the first Harry Potter releases …)!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">With the first paragraph, I was transported to the main character’s perspective. This is a coming-of-age story like no other. In a world where the popular stories are of other genres or sub genres such as dystopian tales, horror/vampire/faux erotica, vapid love stories, and gory mysteries, I sat enthralled to the very end.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">As I watched the countdown decrease, I began to not want to finish the book so quickly. There’s always a let-down when one finishes a really good book, and I dreaded it.</span></span><br />
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Available as an ebook and paperback through Amazon. Just click on the book cover or the one to the right and it will take you to the site.<br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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<br />Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-52090082092348949162019-12-02T13:55:00.001-08:002019-12-02T13:55:08.242-08:00MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS</span></span></div>
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I hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas, a warm holiday season, and a Happy New Year.</div>
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It has been an exciting year. I published three books during the first half and have written two drafts of new novels and I am well into the final draft of the third book in the Alex Polonia series. We are hoping to release this new thriller next year. It's tentatively titled St. Petersburg White.</div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">FREE - - - FREE - - - FREE - - - FREE</span></div>
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In celebration of the season and as a gift to you, I am offering you four ebooks of my thrillers and mysteries during December for free.</div>
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All will be listed on the <b><a href="https://www.freebooksy.com/" target="_blank">FREEBOOKSY</a></b> website on the specific days listed below, however, you can go directly to the book's Amazon website on the days that straddle the free day and get the book for free.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toulouse-For-Death-Sharon-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B006GHVE3S" target="_blank">Toulouse For Death</a> - December 6 (The free period runs from 12/ to 12/9)</b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Fix-Alfano-Thriller-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B07L8MT7PM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544971583&sr=1-1&keywords=chicago+fix&fbclid=IwAR1O2lU-IPlj6_K-vo7IWGqagIrjbyR56t4GAW7T4xMo9e_ldUuEEa5sN2U" target="_blank">Chicago Fix</a> - December 14 (The free period runs from 12/13 to 12/17)</b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RST5P9Y" target="_blank">Limerick For Death</a> - December 20 (The free period runs from 12/19 to 12/23)</b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Swing-Tony-Alfano-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00VB2LUFK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428265737&sr=1-1&keywords=Chicago+Swing" target="_blank">Chicago Swing</a> - December 17 (The free period runs from 12/26 to 12/30)</b></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Happy Holidays</span></div>
Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-29243633156068176792019-09-17T07:48:00.000-07:002019-09-17T07:48:20.413-07:00FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE<div style="text-align: center;">
Friday September 20 through Sunday September 22, Chicago Swing will be available through Amazon for the phenomenal price of FREE. Chicago Swing is the first book in the ongoing series that takes you back to Chicago 1933. Detective Tony Alfano gets the tough cases, the political cases, the ones the Mayor wants solved - now. One of the few Italians in and Irish police force, Tony pushes through, tough, handsome, a ladies man, and above all honest - he's the one cop that sees through all the BS.<br />
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And Chicago Jazz and Chicago Fix are also available for $0.99 each - such a deal.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_636935358"></span>Get Chicago Swing here.<span id="goog_636935359"></span></a></span></div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z83EbLGfo60/XYDxSB4V11I/AAAAAAAACq8/_10KtKgtMG8XYYMH-xvGV7t4Jw7dtCxWACK4BGAYYCw/s320/New%2BChicago%2BSwing%2BEbook%2BCover.jpg" width="210" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Swing-Tony-Alfano-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00VB2LUFK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428265737&sr=1-1&keywords=Chicago+Swing" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Swing-Tony-Alfano-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00VB2LUFK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428265737&sr=1-1&keywords=Chicago+Swing</a></div>
Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-10158356800210526852019-07-12T07:55:00.005-07:002019-07-12T07:55:56.169-07:00FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today through Monday, July 15, <b><span style="color: red;">LIMERICK FOR DEATH</span></b> is free to download to your Kindle. I do this only once for each of my new releases. Just click on the image of Sharon and she will take you there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If there is one gal you want on your side it's Sharon O'Mara.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RST5P9Y" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KbjU8BRrW5s/XSieopneiHI/AAAAAAAACqQ/ZVv0Bt4yl5oyK4n2dapCgNphZtXXPJsMQCLcBGAs/s320/red%2Bgirl%2Bwith%2Ba%2Bgun.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Enjoy!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RST5P9Y</span></div>
Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-53991926288916836522019-06-25T09:04:00.003-07:002019-06-25T09:04:53.487-07:00A Limerick for You, To Be Delivered July 2, 2019<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Limerick For Death is Live!</span></b></div>
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It is finally here, the day when all good things come to those who wait. Yes, my dear readers, <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Limerick For Death</span></i></b> is available. Sure you can pre-order until July 1 (I'd do it if I were you), and it will be waiting in your device early July 2, or you can order the paperback and it might even arrive the same day (or maybe the next) - either way, you are in for a treat.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2WQ4I4BfX-Y/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2WQ4I4BfX-Y?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Sharon and her international posse - you've met them before: Kevin Bryan the once detective and now security specialist; Gina Cavellli, owner of the best bar in the East Bay, Geno's; Evelyn Luca, owner of the international fashion brand, STIA, and Jean Francois Verey and Claudette Leclair - travel to Ireland to celebrate Sharon's fortieth birthday (so traumatic) and the inheritance of Kevin, a seventeenth century baronial estate (and a tax debt of millions). What could go wrong?<br />
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There's a smuggler's cave, a nasty New York developer, a spiked hair redhead solicitor from Dublin, the rich green hills of Ireland, and of course, Spanish gold. You will love it.<br />
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This is the sixth book in the series. Sharon, an ex-Army police officer, put her time in Iraq and now has her own facilitator business. She is hired to do the things you can't. Nothing illegal but her skills have led to the recovery of a star Cuban baseball player's family from the evil clutches of a rogue Cuban army officer. She's helped return art stolen by the Nazis to the rightful owners in present day Los Angeles, and discovered who killed the great sailboat racer, Katherine Verey (they were very very bad people).<br />
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It is a joy to write these stories, they become a personal vacation from my the other thrillers and adventure stories. I hope you take a few minutes and add them to your summer reading. They are worth the small price for all the enjoyment.<br />
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All the best . . . . .<br />
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<br />Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6504487604685554898.post-45887869308842031962019-06-10T14:43:00.001-07:002019-06-10T14:54:51.373-07:00TEN YEARS AT THE SNAP OF TWO FINGERS<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I posted this on Facebook last week. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>It's hard to believe that since 2009 I've published (in one form or another) 12 novels, developed more than a dozen recurring characters, and wandered through the 1930s, the 1950s, and present day. </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>My characters have taken on the bad guys in Asia, Europe, America, and a during a long hot summer in 1956 Michigan. I've even won a couple of awards and a few nicely framed honors. </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Currently, in my queue, are three World War II thrillers (with new characters), and a hopeful third book in the Alex Polonia series. Most are self published (and thank you Thomas & Mercer), and right now almost all are priced at $0.99. </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Unlike a lot of authors, I'm not in this for the money (however, a few bucks would be nice), the acclaim (don't do award competitions - a waste of time and money), don't do book signings (the ROI sucks), and I almost give away my work. </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I love to tell stories, maybe squeeze out a tear or two, and maybe even a snicker. Take some time, read my stories, and maybe leave me a note, whether you enjoyed them or not. I will keep them coming.</i></span></span></span><br />
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</span><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And all that is true.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;">Writers writer, even Neil </span></span><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Gaiman says that it's the number one reason to write. (I like Neil's work, but sometimes even he states the obvious). What drives someone to spend months and even years writing a novel? It's a reclusive and uninclusive occupation, for little or no money (for most writers), causes issues within the family, and yet when done properly leads to immortality--think Shakespeare, Dickens, Bradbury, Hemingway, Dr. Seuss, S. King and even </span><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Gaiman. Maybe that's the reason, to have your words live on beyond you. You can't take anything when you go, but you can leave a lot for people to argue about. "That damn Voltaire. If he were here right now, I'd give him a piece of my mind."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);">One word placed after the previous one, so on and so on, until you run out of words, or story, or paper. Beginning, middle, and end - it's that simple.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Someone asked me the usual question, "How long does it take you to write a book?" We writers patiently try to give cute, pithy answers, "As long as it takes." "Till I'm done." I like to say that it is a question of experience. My first book took almost twenty years to publish (not write - I still don't think that book is completely done), the last one took three months, one in the middle took six weeks. So who the hell knows. The one point I'd emphasize is that if you don't put your butt in the <span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);">chair, it will never be written, even if you had all of eternity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's a lot of hype out today about books and authors, battles rage within the writing community over diversity, propriety, cultural appropriation, sexism, racism, in fact over most any ism out there. Books are still banned by both the right and the left ends of our culture. No one wants their beliefs challenged. I received a review (it's still on my Amazon review list - look it up) over my young adult novel, <i><b>The Cherry Pickers</b></i>, that said they liked the story until it challenged their religious beliefs and their neat world view of homosexuality. From that point on, they gave the novel thumbs down. I wonder if they ever finished it? And to be honest, I loved the review. If I can write in a way that achieves my goal of telling a great story and making you uncomfortable in your shell, even for a little while, I've succeeded.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The human species is a source of boundless opportunities and grist for my writer's mill. Keep it up out there, can't wait to see what tidbits you leave for us tomorrow.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All the best . . . . </span><br />
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<span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33);"><br /></span></span>Gregory C. Randallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07198371577534024411noreply@blogger.com0