Another ‘Jake Spade’ snippet…

   Thought I’d drop a little something about the progress of the thriller piece, ‘The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade, Case #1 – Forgiven.’ 

   Well, here it is.

   It seems, from this specific point in the story, (maybe 75% through), Jake and Darby (his modern-day Dr. Watson character [like Lucy Liu in Elementary]), are on a stakeout using these ‘reach out and touch me’ earphones [parabolic hearing amplifiers shown above], listening to the perps conversation going on inside a house some distance away. It’s after midnight and as you know, ‘nothing good happens after midnight,’ sooooo, as the story continues…Darby is upset when Epic 8 [one of Jake’s irregular team members] shows up at the stakeout – Darby knowing full well 8’s history and predisposition of torturing people to make them talk – whispers in Jakes ear…

“What the hell is he doing here? Who invited him? What are you gonna do Jake?”

“Calm yourself counselor! [Darby was an attorney in a previous career] You know how readily 8 gets to the point…time requires his services.”

If my pen and morbid imagination have anything to say about the outcome of this scene [and they most assuredly do], it doesn’t look good for the perps. hehe.

Anyway, this case is reaching it’s finale, the important last 5000 words. That’s not to say the first 5000 words are crap, they’re not. And, the 20,000 words in between really set the stage, so it’s all good. Jake has a lot of clues to tie together, lot’s of plot twists to unfurl and maybe even some, okay one, big surprise revelation. Huh! Yes, I said BIG!

So, stay tuned. Or, tune in. You should enjoy this little read [novella length, between 20-25K words and it’s price, $.99], the first in a series. I know I have had a wonderful time [that’s a lie], writing it.

All for now, your writer pal, HHHH.

Education Alternatives - A New Era

  It’s been five minutes ago, I swear, when I’m listening to a talk radio show (Mitch Albom), a native Detroiter of some celebrity, relating a story about his trip to St. Louis University.

  Albom, if you’re unfamiliar, began as (and still is) a sports writer for the Detroit News/Free Press newspapers, whose has also written the novels; Tuesday’s With Morrie, The Five People You Meet In Heaven and Have A Little Faith, many of which have been made into movies.

Anyway, he goes on to tell the story about his speaking engagement at the university, beginning with the arrival at the hotel near the campus. It seems his hotel check-in was accompanied by a swarm of 12 to 15 year olds of a similar motley appearance – not one seemed out of place with a tidy, well-kept, or physically attractive appearance. Scruffy hair, old scraggly t-shirts, dirty jeans was the motif…ALL seemed to subscribe to the same fashion construct.

Albom inquired about the group and was informed it was a convention, gathering, assembly or supreme powwow, of the persuasion greatly influenced by robotic image caricatures.

Yes, they were game coders.

A elevator trip to the twelfth floor with a dozen or so in tow, Albom distinctly identified an pungency unlike he had ever experienced. He said, ‘It couldn’t have been adult body order as they were too young. I finally realized it had to be some mystic brain omission.’ The group had, not only a look and a distinct behavior but also a characteristic odor about them. Albom later admitted to embellishing his encounter.

The point Albom was making; was that here was a group of very young people who were brainiacs, who wrote computer code and who came together to fraternize with similar ‘transformer’ coders, not unlike any other meeting of professional types and kinds. He found that interesting.

Okay, I’m getting to the point, just wait a minute.

The point is: there is no way you can capture the attention of individuals like this in a typical college setting. It’s not them. They’re the unique (however you define unique), population of young students who must have a different path toward education. They are the square peg not fitting the round hole. Typical doesn’t define them. And, that’s a good thing.

Knowledge, understanding, education doesn’t always have to be acquired inside the ivory towers. Self study, apprentice studies, independent research, et. al., will produce the same result. Perhaps more.

Winter 2012, look for my book: ‘College ? How You Can Make More Money And Lead A More Rewarding Life Without A College Degree In the 21st Century.’

‘Character Happens!’ – Amazon’s #1 FREE Golf Book

Wow! One day in Amazon’s free category and my personal development book, ‘Character Happens!’ shoots to number ONE.

If you haven’t got your copy yet, you have until midnight Sunday, 3/18/12, to capture this book, FREE.

The book has a golf storyline…but it’s about character. And virtue.

Sooooo, jump on it, now. Maybe you know someone who loves golf, or someone who needs to rediscover those important core values.

Anyway, THANKS for your support of ‘Character Happens!’

Here’s a link for those who’ve yet to acquire this book.

Many Regards, Garry M Graves

‘Character Happens!’ FREE this Friday, Saturday & Sunday

This coming Friday, Saturday & Sunday (3/16-18/12), you can download the complete eBook, ‘Character Happens! How Golf Teaches You (and your children) About—Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion, Humility,’ free from Amazon.

After the 3-day FREE OFFER, the book will revert to its normal price of $2.99.

The book is about character, perhaps more specifically the fleeting nature of character, as I see it. Some individuals believe that in previous or older times a decent character was more prevalent, more recognizable. They say today’s environment, with the hustle-bustle, dog-eat-dog economy, the majority of people are two wrapped up in their own lives to display (or care about), decent character. Don’t believe it!

From a decent amount of research on the subject I’ve found little difference between present day and the older times (like the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s), relative to an individual’s virtuous make up, no matter how hard I tried to make the distinction. Character Happens! focuses on 5 character traits or virtues: Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion and Humility. My research resulted in the selection of these virtues specifically from among the hundred or so other virtues commonly known, as they are widely accepted as chief traits of individuals, publicly recognized, as decent people.

HOWEVER…and that’s a big however...being recognized as a virtuous person doesn’t mean that their entire lives are influenced in such a way as to be ‘character-driven’ (with deeds and actions), all the time (24/7). Nature (living life), has a way of influencing decision-making, in ways which we are not always aware. Now that’s not a bad thing necessarily, but we surely need to be aware of this ‘fleeting’ influence (paradigm, cognition, preponderance), contained in all of us.

The book doesn’t prescribe any magic formula or process relative to character development. It only asks you to make your decisions carefully, with consideration of others. Not just your own self-interest. The book is written around a golf storyline, making it more digestible in my mind. So…if you think you’d like a book like this, now’s your chance to get it FREE!

Here’s a link to make it easier to get. Remember, you can read eBooks on your PC, your phone, tablet or ereader. Amazon has all the ‘free’ software to make it happen. 

Thanks for listening, Garry M Graves, Author

‘New’ Character Happens! “FREE” Saturday 1/4/12

  The ‘New’ Revised Edition of the Character Happens! book will be free this Saturday.

  This one-day-only-sale means you can go to Amazon and download the ebook to your ereader or  PC. Here are a couple links to speed things up.

  Amazon link:

  http://www.amazon.com/Character-About-Honesty-Integrity-Compassion-ebook/dp/B0072WEKG4/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328040095&sr=1-3

  Whether you like golf or not, you might find this ‘character’ book a fun read.

  Here’s a link to secure software from Amazon if you want to read ebooks on your PC. It’s called ‘Kindle for PC’ (you should download this software first prior to downloading the book)

  Amazon’s software, Kindle for PC

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311&tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=7442400567&ref=pd_sl_6g97entshf_b

Thanks for your support. Please pass this info along to your family and friends, whom you think may like the book.

A 'Revised' Character Happens!

  Yes, I've reconstructed the Character Happens! book. Many changes have caused this book to be introduced under new: book cover, subtitle, revised storyline, professional editing and overall appearance and readability. It was a gigantic undertaking. And, hopefully, the new product will appeal to a larger, more demographically focused audience.
  As soon as the 'new' book is uploaded to the many eBook distributors (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, Kobo, Smashwords), the old 'Character Happens!' will come down.
  The new book will be immediately distinguishable by the cover. The new cover will be yellow in color. The old book has a red cover.

  Many THANKS go out to my revision helpers; Linda Graves, Bill Parolin, Keith Moore, and JoAnn Moore. Their contributions cannot be measured.
  Please look to your favorite eBook supplier for this upcoming new book.

Many Thanks, Garry M. Graves, Author

Introducing something 'NEW'

These old pictures illustrating the Sherlock Holmes character, I'll admit, spellbind me. Naturally, my favorite actor to have played the SH character is Jeremy Brett, (A) considered to be the definitive Holmes and not Basil Rathbone (B) IMHO. Netflix provides me with continual streaming of each story/case episode created starring Brett as Holmes and Edward Hardwicke (C) as Dr. Watson. Candidly, these two actors are appropriately envisioned when reading each adventure from my Kindle. They are superb representatives of the written character. If you ever get a chance to see one of these Sherlock Holmes cases, you'll love it.  

(A)

'The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade,' will be the first in a series of investigative thrillers under the pen-name of Henry H.H. Hittlebloome (HHHH). This will be my first venture into the fiction genre, mystery/thriller. HHHH will write in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, noted writer/creator of the famous Sherlock Holmes stories. Jake Spade (who will portray a modern day Sherlock Holmes), will partner with female Clarice Darby, an attorney, not a medical doctor, like Dr. Watson. Even though Spade, characterized as the great-great-great grandson of Sherlock Holmes; a 28 year old bald male in 2011, sometimes channels his ggg-grandfather Holmes with similar language, speech and voice inflections. Now that should be fun to write and read. 

(B)

(C)

Darby, like Conan's Dr. Watson, will be the storyteller or narrator. She has extraordinary command of the language and captures Spade's mixture of Victorian-era uttering's one moment and modern day 2011 dialect the next. It makes for a noticeable contrast besides being somewhat humorous. Oh, I forgot, Spade is a little neurotic, not psychotic mind you... even though his behavior and antics, sometimes, might be considered borderline. He just pushes the envelope when people upset him...or things don't go his way. Picture a prim-n-proper, nineteenth century, English gentleman infused with present day mores. Scary huh? It'll be fun writing, I think, and fun reading I hope.


Presently, 'The Mystery Maxims of Jake Spade - Case #1 FORGIVEN,' is 25% done. It's progressing nicely. Comments from the beta readers are encouraging with many suggestions on it's readability and structure. Thanks to all of them (they know who they are).