As the author of two mystery/suspense/thriller novels – the second just completed and shopped to publishers – I am reluctant to admit that I had never read a John Grisham novel until recently, when I finished The Chamber. Grisham is a master of suspense, intrigue and realism. Published in 1994, the book paints a searing […]
Their concern for our country, these opponents of gun control legislation, is awe-inspiring and commanding of respect. They are such ardent supporters of our Constitution that, in its defense, they can overcome any feelings of compassion for children (other than their own, of course) mowed down by demented people armed with military weapons. They are […]
David Baldacci As the author of two mystery/suspense novels (one awaiting responses from an assortment of publishers I’ve submitted to), I have been devoting increasing attention to the works of the big-name writers in that genre to plumb their modus operandi for what puts hordes of readers in their thrall. Two of the most successful […]
David Brownstein, M.D. For years, my favorite doctor has been a man who lives a long way from my Florida home, though he’s located not so far from my birthplace. He’s in West Bloomfield, Mich., outside Detroit, across the state from where I was born: Muskegon, on beautiful Lake Michigan. If I still lived there, […]
Remember the teeter-totter in the school playground? Do they still have those? I mean, it’s been at least 20 or 30 years since I left grade school. Okay, maybe a few more; I don’t count the years anymore, since I’m not good at advanced mathematics. As a kindergartner in Muskegon, Mich., and an elementary pupil […]
Yippee ki yay! Spring has sprung in West Palm Beach. Warm-blooded creatures such as your faithful scribe have been watching the AccuWeather reports daily to learn whether a jacket will be required the next day, or a comforter needed atop the bed sheets that night. Except for two days, April 13 and 14, when the […]
Sherman Adams. For those who know something about American political history, or are old enough to remember, that name is synonymous with scandal. As President Dwight Eisenhower’s chief of staff, Adams accepted a gift of a llama’s-wool coat from a textile manufacturer under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. Even though Eisenhower depended heavily on […]
Benny Goodman When I was a newspaper journalist, my editor once assigned me to do a feature story on some fitness fanatic who formed a business of training others to get the kind of buff body that he had. I was swamped with other duties, and had to put it aside; it wasn’t anything urgent. […]
I’ve never been a big fan of historical fiction, but this post-Civil War tale sounds like a worthy read. KITCHEN CANARY is the debut novel by Joanne C. Parsons, who retired from a career in elder care and set about realizing her longtime passion: writing fiction. Here’s the Amazon link to the book: https://tinyurl.com/yc4at5zl Relying on […]
The English language, in the United States at least, is in free fall. Everywhere – in newspapers, periodicals, online stock market analyses, health reports, television news, you name it – usage mistakes have polluted the language at a rapid rate over the past, say, decade. I simply don’t remember encountering these glaring errors in decades […]