One week remains until I publish Chaser: The Adventures of Chad Remington. The cover’s in place (you’ll recall it’s the one with smoking hot female villian, Islene O’Brien, dominating it — thanks, Sue Dent, glad you like it). Between writing bouts on this current Mack Bolan book, I’ve been working out the last of the editorial changes to the book. I think you’ll be pleased with the end results. In anticipation of this event, I have posted the first chapter in Adobe PDF on my Web site. Click here to get the excerpt! If you don’t have the Adobe Reader, it is a free download at http://get.adobe.com/reader.
My web site re-factoring is completed (thanks again, Sue, glad you like it — Sue seems to be my biggest fan, which is okay because I think she’s super cool, too). I have to apologize to those who might have attempted to access the site to get the Soul Runner reading guide or excerpts for your book group. I did not account for this when I pulled the site or I would have immediately made them available. Of course, nobody contacted me to ask about them so perhaps nobody missed them after all.
Due to other demands on my time, I’ve had to push back the release of Finding Faithe by a couple of weeks. Nothing drastic but it was a necessity. However, the delay will not prevent the premier signing for the book, which will actually take place at the Chama Book Fair 2010 in Chama, New Mexico. Please check the events page of my web site for details. The featured guest will be the inimitable David Morrell, creator of Rambo and a best-selling author many times over. In addition to being a close acquaintaince of mine and a just plain great guy, David is one of my all-time favorite writers, a supreme talent in the field and one you should read if you have not.
Finally, I am making the official announcement many have been waiting for. I first made this announcement on the radio interview done with me in late January at Kingdom Airwaves. The question many have posed: “Will there be a sequel to Soul Runner: A Novel of High Adventure?” Yes. I have decided to write a sequel. I don’t yet know exactly when I’ll release the book other than some time in early 2011. The title will be Soul Runner: Ancient of Days.
If you asked many Americans, I think they’d wave their hands at you and say, “Naawww, we’re just going through a phase. The government’s not going to take over! Don’t be silly!” Really? Being silly, am I? Stop and ask yourself about all of the things we’ve recently seen the government getting involved in.
- Auto manufacturing
- Banking
- Healthcare
- Agriculture
- State judicial systems
If you listen to what some label the conspiracy nuts like Glenn Beck or Judge Andrew P. Napolitano or Doctors Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen, it’s not so difficult to swallow. Let’s look at the history of the world where dictatorships have arisen. It always began with some sort of economic downshift that resulted directly from political mismanagement of resources. Upon the outcry of the people, government steps in to “make it all better.” First they take over the banks and then they get to regulating business and de-regulating the regulators. They also involve themselves in the affairs of governed territories (like free states or colonies) and they forbid the possession of arms. Then they take a census and threaten legal action if its citizens don’t participate. Finally, a charismatic leader takes a prominent office and woos the crowds with golden-tongued speeches of change and reform. This leader talks about how they’re going to fix everything: the welfare system; the economy; healthcare; private industry. Before the citizens know it, the government has their hands in everything. Whether they “meant” to do it or not doesn’t matter; it just happens. And then when it starts to fall apart, that same government concocts some story about how there are a rebellious minority trying to create unrest and how we must stand together to put down that rebellion. Soon brother turns against brother, son against father, mother against her children.
None of that is sounding familiar? I have always thought of myself as a staunch Republican but I recently took a survey based on the Nolan Chart. What I discovered was that I was a strong Libertarian with beliefs very nearly bordering on an anarchist view. This took me by surprise, to say the least. But how could I be an anarchist? I believe in my country and my flag; I’m a patriot and veteran, a lover of the Constitution of the United States and my fellow Americans. I revere all of those who have fought and bled and died to keep the country free. I would never think of citing an insurrection against my own people or government. But then when I thought about it some more it really started to make sense. The fact is that America is coming dangerously close to becoming a nation of socialists run by leaders with very Marxist theories at the root of their methodologies, and those individuals ARE the enemies of liberty and the law of this land!
Now I don’t know about anyone else, but that’s not the country I was born in and not the one I learned about in history class. What right does the United States government have to interfere with the financial industry or tell states how to interpret their own laws? And where do they get off telling me I have to register my guns or maintain a federal identification card if I want to fly within the borders of my own country? Really? What’s next? Check points at state borders? Am I going to be crossing over from New Mexico into Colorado one day and have some young, Army private say: “Papers, please.”
What about the amendments of the Constitution governing the restriction of free movement and freedom of speech? Surely the government isn’t violating those. Huh… try again! The White House actually released a statement in October 2009 citing Fox News Broadcasting as being more of a tabloid and non-journalistic, and encouraged other news affiliates to essentially blacklist Fox as a legitimate news agency. Why? Most believe it’s because of their critical views toward President Obama’s administration. Wait a minute? Does it not violate the very law of the land for the federal government to impose any such restrictions on the rights of free press? In fact, is this not an outright demonstration of exactly what I’m talking about? And what about the fact that the President of the United States and Speaker of the House have both, on more than one occasion, publicly encouraged members of Congress to vote for issues central to the passage of healthcare legislation in spite of the fact their constituents have expressly told them not to. That’s outright subversion of the democratic process in this country and, if I remember correctly, could be constituted as high treason against America. Why haven’t these people been placed under arrest?
America, we have to take a stand and we have to do it with our votes becauase that’s the only real power we have left. Don’t let America fall to the same fate as countries like under the leadership of Hitler and Stalin.
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Posted by
Jon Guenther |
Categories:
Life in America |
I received an email on the evening of Friday, Feb. 26, to advise that the final 1000 entrants for each novel category (General and Young Adult) had been chosen. Soul Runner: A Novel of High Adventure did not make the cut. This really came as very little surprise to me considering the direction of “commercial fiction” today. I also can’t really claim to be disappointed. It only reaffirms my belief that having the ability to maintain control over my own literary works is more important to me than some big publishing contract, because I have to wonder in addition to selling the rights to a publisher to my book what else I’m selling. In other words, what other freedoms am I giving away to have complete control over my own creations?
On another front, I’m close to completing the edits on Chaser, and I believe the book will make it’s March 5 deadline. I’ve had some delays given being ill over this past weekend (nothing serious, just a tenacious case of sinusitis I think), and trying to get a contract piece finished on a new Mack Bolan book. Work is also proceeding on my Web site, although not quite a speedily as I’d hoped. Again, only so many hours in a day, and most of those are filled.
There are the updates I have at this time. On my next entry, I will be talking about a new book I just completed titled Shalom On the Range by author and editor Michael S. Katz.
I had originally bought this book for my Mrs. but decided to read it, as well, since the plot sounded intriguing. I wasn’t disappointed.
In a manner eerily reminiscent of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but laced with a style that need make no apologies for its freshness, Sue Dent takes us on a grand tale of Richard the vampire and Ceese the werewolf. Richard and Ceese’s lives are inextricably woven together and this pair, who under other circumstances would be bitter enemies, will have to unite on an adventure that blends a unique Gothic setting with the tough, American streets of New York City.
This type of fiction is typically the last thing one would find on my bookshelf–particularly when I could not see how any author could blend Christian principles with this genre–but I made an exception in Sue Dent’s case. Glad I did.
I look forward to reading the sequel, Forever Richard. This book demonstrates a wonderful debut from a new pro.
It’s one of my favorite opening lines: “I smelled trouble all over this kid the instant she stepped into my office.” With that, best-selling writer and consummate storyteller Don Pendleton introduces us to the world of Joe Copp. A licensed PI and former police officer, Copp came into existence in 1987 on the heels of Don’s Ashton Ford series. A first-edition, Donald I. Fine hardcover sits prominently on my bookshelf—a gift from my dear friend, Linda Pendleton.
The Joe Copp books don’t comprise your average, run-o’-the-mill mystery series. The books involve a character that reminds me of John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee, and are told in the style of Donald E. Westlake’s (a.k.a. Richard Stark) Parker. But then those two merge into the Pendleton style that makes them unique. Next to Mack Bolan, Copp is my favorite Pendleton character and he’s now available on Kindle. And seeing as how I just bought my wife a Kindle for Christmas of last year (and she promised to share), you can guess what I’ll be doing.
For these releases, Linda has gone to the extra work of having brand new covers created by the talented Judy Bullard of Jaebee Creations (the one for Copp on Ice is my favorite). If you’ve never read Don Pendleton’s Joe Copp series, get a copy now from Kindle. You can also purchase a paperback version from iUniverse. I recommend starting with Copp For Hire if you’ve not read the series, but any of the books can stand up on their own.
