Saturday, December 31, 2016

Maybe 2017 Will Be Better?

Have a fun and safe New Year's Eve. 
  • Don't drink and drive. 
  • Don't drink and have sex with strangers. 
  • Don't drink and set yourself on fire. 
  • Don't drink and get into political arguments with others who have also been drinking. Matter of fact, don't do this sober either.
  • Don't drink and challenge your buddies to target practice with your new semi-auto in the backyard. 
Other than that, have a great time! 

I hope 2017 is going to be YOUR biggest, best year ever. It sure as hell couldn't be any worse than 2016.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

You Can Still Get the Paperback for Christmas

Are you a last minute shopper? Enjoy the pressure? What are you waiting for? Your time has just about run  out. You can STILL get a copy of Tales of a Texas Boy by Christmas. Here. I'll make it easy for you with the click the button below or here's the URL to order your copy now. Don't believe the "usually ships in five days" deal. They have some copies on hand in the warehouses.



How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Happy ALL HOLIDAYS! December 21 to January 1

Tis the season, as they say. Say what? Yeah, I made up that combo-holiday greeting. Covers just about everything celebratory throughout the winter doldrums. So, no matter what persuasion you follow, there's got to be something to brighten the soggy/cold season.

Milad-un-Nabi: December 13th was Muhammad's Birthday celebration. A bit too early for this post, but it's also a December holiday and needs mention along with all the others. The holiday is celebrated by exchanging gifts and giving to the poor.

YuleA Norse mid-winter celebration of the turning of the days from shorter to longer. Yay, we made it halfway through winter! Woot! Of course, the word gave us the tradition of the Yule log, a big chunk of wood burned in the fireplace and something large and meaty being roasted over said fire. It originated from the mid-winter celebrations (see Saturnalia) and applied to the Wild Hunt and Odin. We can blame King Haakon I for deliberately co-opting a perfectly good pagan celebration and dedicating it to the fictitious birth of Christ. That was a big miss regarding seasons since everybody knows shepherds watch their flocks at night only in the Spring and Summer, certainly not in the dead of winter. Skoal to Odin or Jölföðr. See how this alternative name for the Norse god being applied to the celebration?

Saturnalia: The Romans liked mid-winter to celebrate something, so Saturn got the festival. This one was usurped for the Christmas myth. Don't get all twisted. Christmas is not a celebration for Jesus. It's a way to get the Pagans to sign up.

Besides Saturn, other pagan dieties are celebrated for much the same reason. Mithra, Horus, Zeus, even Hercules. Christians didn't steal the celebration until 400 AD. Historical accounts have Christ born in the spring, but that would have interfered with the theft of Oestra, the spring festival of fertility.


Pancha Ganapati: The Hindu solstice celebration lasts five days (the Hindus really know how to party). The celebration is in honor of the elephant god Ganesha, who is the patron of arts and guardian of culture. Each day is celebrated by a different color which have special meanings for Ganesha. Golden Yellow creates a vibration of love and harmony within the family, Royal Blue for love and harmony between neighbors and friends, Ruby Red for harmony with business associates, Emerald Green celebrates art and culture, and the last day (which happens to be December 25th) is Brilliant Orange for love and harmony for all. The holiday is celebrated with lights and tinsel, but with a nice picture of Lord Ganesh rather than a tree.

Hanakkuh: This year, the beginning of Hanakkuh fell on December 24th. What a perfect time for the Festival of Lights for those of the Judaic persuasion. Since the Jewish calendar is based on different dates than the western one, liberal Jews can have their Hanakkuh, and still celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa with their friends. Anyone want a convertible hanakkuh bush? Everybody can party like it's 5775.



Kwanzaa: Created in 1966, Kwanzaa was made up by a California
guy to highlight African-american culture. Cool thought, but I'd just as soon we'd say: "What? Obama is black? Wow, I didn't know that." Keeping separate ensures separateness. Hey! Doesn't that look like a Menorah?

More recently, Kwanzaa is celebrated in conjunction with Christmas since many African-Americans are Christian. I suppose those of the Muslim faith can also celebrate Kwanzaa since the major winter holy day for Muslims was way back in November.


Christmas: A usurpation of the mid-winter Saturnalia Festival and Jule. St. Patrick was big on keeping the frolicking holidays, but bending them to his own purpose. Historical records seem to place the actual birth of Jesus in March or April. Facts don't get in the way of the commercial spending binge. All hail the Almighty (dollar/euro/pound/yen).

The big bruhaha every year in the US was all the stores who decided that Thanksgiving was a great day for their employees to not be with their family in a celebration of thanksgiving. So, they opened their doors and let the crowds rush in. Christians don't have to worry about atheists having some pretend war on Christmas. Christians are their own worst enemies. Ask the Pope.

Atheist/Agnostic/Pastafarian: The godless like holidays as much as the next person. They just don't have an official date for the FSM's birth celebration. FSM, you ask? Flying Spaghetti Monster has become the avatar for folks that think the FSM is just as realistic as any other god.


So, whatever you celebrate around this time of year, enjoy, be happy, and don't drink too much then drive around endangering others. Stay home and get smashed.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

UK Countdown Deal Continues

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN PRICE SPECIAL

The last Countdown Deal I can run EVER is for The Witches of Galdorheim Box Set. Note the discounts are available on both US and UK Amazon sites. Don't want to leave my British friends out of the deal. This book is free in the KU and KOLL programs until January 22nd.

All three books in the series in a single volume. It's a short countdown, but maximum savings each day.

UK SCHEDULE
December 18th - 8AM GMT - £0.99
December 19th - 3AM GMT - £1.99
December 19th - 10PM GMT - £2.99
December 20th - 5PM GMT -  £3.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL £4.54 price
Note: The beginning and ending times in the UK aren't precisely 24 hours for each day because the countdown increments have to be £1.00 each change. Yeah, it's weird. Just notice the price changes twice on the 19th and late afternoon on the 20th. Each increment is 19 hours long. Bright side: VAT is included in the price.

STILL RUNNING IN THE US
US SCHEDULE
December 16th - $0.99
December 17th - $1.99
December 18th - $2.99
December 19th - $3.99
December 20th - $4.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL $5.99 price - Still a bargain for three books in one.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Countdown Deal Continues

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN PRICE SPECIAL

The last Countdown Deal I can run EVER is for The Witches of Galdorheim Box Set. Note the discounts are available on both US and UK Amazon sites. Don't want to leave my British friends out of the deal. This book is free in the KU and KOLL programs until January 22nd.

All three books in the series in a single volume. It's a short countdown, but maximum savings each day.

US SCHEDULE - Starts 8AM PST each day.
December 16th - $0.99
December 17th - $1.99
December 18th - $2.99
December 19th - $3.99
December 20th - $4.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL $5.99 price - Still a bargain for three books in one.

UK SCHEDULE
December 18th - 8AM GMT - £0.99
December 19th - 3AM GMT - £1.99
December 19th - 10PM GMT - £2.99
December 20th - 5PM GMT -  £3.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL £4.54 price
Note: The beginning and ending times in the UK aren't precisely 24 hours for each day because the countdown increments have to be £1.00 each change. Yeah, it's weird. Just notice the price changes twice on the 19th and late afternoon on the 20th. Each increment is 19 hours long. Bright side: VAT is included in the price.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Box Set Countdown in the UK

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN PRICE SPECIAL

The last Countdown Deal I can run EVER is for The Witches of Galdorheim Box Set. Note the discounts are available on both US and UK Amazon sites. Don't want to leave my British friends out of the deal. This book is free in the KU and KOLL programs until January 22nd.

All three books in the series in a single volume. It's a short countdown, but maximum savings each day.

UK SCHEDULE
December 18th - 8AM GMT - £0.99
December 19th - 3AM GMT - £1.99
December 19th - 10PM GMT - £2.99
December 20th - 5PM GMT -  £3.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL £4.54 price
Note: The beginning and ending times in the UK aren't precisely 24 hours for each day because the countdown increments have to be £1.00 each change. Yeah, it's weird. Just notice the price changes twice on the 19th and late afternoon on the 20th. Each increment is 19 hours long. Bright side: VAT is included in the price.

STILL RUNNING IN THE US
US SCHEDULE
December 16th - $0.99
December 17th - $1.99
December 18th - $2.99
December 19th - $3.99
December 20th - $4.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL $5.99 price - Still a bargain for three books in one.

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Box Set Countdown

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN PRICE SPECIAL

The last Countdown Deal I can run EVER is for The Witches of Galdorheim Box Set. Note the discounts are available on both US and UK Amazon sites. Don't want to leave my British friends out of the deal. This book is free in the KU and KOLL programs until January 22nd.

All three books in the series in a single volume. It's a short countdown, but maximum savings each day.

US SCHEDULE - Starts 8AM PST each day.
December 16th - $0.99
December 17th - $1.99
December 18th - $2.99
December 19th - $3.99
December 20th - $4.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL $5.99 price - Still a bargain for three books in one.

UK SCHEDULE
December 18th - 8AM GMT - £0.99
December 19th - 3AM GMT - £1.99
December 19th - 10PM GMT - £2.99
December 20th - 5PM GMT -  £3.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL £4.54 price
Note: The beginning and ending times in the UK aren't precisely 24 hours for each day because the countdown increments have to be £1.00 each change. Yeah, it's weird. Just notice the price changes twice on the 19th and late afternoon on the 20th. Each increment is 19 hours long. Bright side: VAT is included in the price.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Box Set Holiday Countdown

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN PRICE SPECIAL

The last Countdown Deal I can run EVER is for The Witches of Galdorheim Box Set. Note the discounts are available on both US and UK Amazon sites. Don't want to leave my British friends out of the deal. This book is free in the KU and KOLL programs until January 22nd.

All three books in the series in a single volume. It's a short countdown, but maximum savings each day.

US SCHEDULE - Starts 8AM PST each day.
December 16th - $0.99
December 17th - $1.99
December 18th - $2.99
December 19th - $3.99
December 20th - $4.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL $5.99 price - Still a bargain for three books in one.

UK SCHEDULE
December 18th - 8AM GMT - £0.99
December 19th - 3AM GMT - £1.99
December 19th - 10PM GMT - £2.99
December 20th - 5PM GMT -  £3.99
December 21st - RETURNS TO FULL £4.54 price
Note: The beginning and ending times in the UK aren't precisely 24 hours for each day because the countdown increments have to be £1.00 each change. Yeah, it's weird. Just notice the price changes twice on the 19th and late afternoon on the 20th. Each increment is 19 hours long. Bright side: VAT is included in the price.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Free Ebook for Kids 12th-16th

Here's a free week of the children's book, "Lemons and Other Kid Tales." There are three animal-based stories suitable for kids. Photos illustrate the stories, but this isn't a picture book. It's for a kid who can read about 3rd grade level, but younger kids would probably enjoy having the book read to them.

The stories are:
Lemons - Karen is horse crazy and works hard for Mr. Fredrichs to earn a ride on his draft horses. She wishes more than anything to have a horse of her own.

One Fine DogDogs weren’t just pets, but working members of the family. Sometimes, they could do amazing things and perform feats that were almost like magic.

A Practical Cat - Boots is nothing if not a pampered and lazy house cat, but he gets it in his head he'd like to explore the world outside the house. 

Free December 12th through 16th.




Friday, December 09, 2016

The Truth About Santa Claus

Yes, I can use a movie still without
copyright notice. This is from "Bad Santa."
I know, I know. Yule (you'll--get it?) have dozens of posts related to the inception of Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, Pere Noel, Joulupukki (yes it is, look it up), Ded Moroz, Sinterklaas, Julenissen, and even Odin, etc. Many cite Saint Nicholas, the Greek Bishop who supposedly gave gifts to the poor. All this is set around the time of the winter solstice (also called Christmas, Solstice, Midwinter, Saturnalia, Letha, etc.).

It really doesn't make any difference since, of course, Santa is a delightful fiction for children to believe until their six or seven (some are duped for longer periods, some less).

When writing my Witches of Galdorheim series, I envisioned Santa as "that fat elf at the North Pole." the witches' complaint being that the dive bombing sleigh left reindeer manure all over their houses on the arctic island the witches made home. The result was a war between the witches and the Fat Elf until a truce was asserted.

Other than the mention of the fat elf, none of this side story made it into the series. Since I believe deeply (as much so as I believe in fairies), I wanted to resurrect this missing piece of the manuscript. It's too late to include in "Bad Spelling," since it's been published umpteen times. Still, I like it and I want to share it with you as a Holiday Gift. My writing unsullied by an editor's hands.

From the original (almost lost) text of "Bad Spelling"

The fat elf living at the North Pole flew his reindeer-driven sleigh over the island once too many times. Aunt Thordis had enough of reindeer manure sprinkling the rooftops.  The fertilizer mixed with the grain the reindeer ate sprouted a fine crop of grass on their traditional thatched roofs.  It was almost impossible to clean off.  Magic could clean up after real reindeer, but the enchanted ones left droppings that the villagers had to remove by hand.

The supposedly jolly elf just sneered at Aunt Thordis when she asked, ever so politely, if he’d take a different route. She returned to Galdorheim swearing revenge.  She got it on the next December’s flyover.  Blasting the sleigh, the elf, all nine reindeer, and a huge bag of gifts out of the sky gave the witch tremendous satisfaction.  She chased the red-suited little twerp all the way back to the North Pole and the coven got a good supply of reindeer meat.

The fat elf retaliated, of course.  He’d fly his reindeer sleigh over on the off season and encouraged them to let loose right over the village. The war escalated for several months.  Finally, each side sent emissaries to settle for peace.  Fatso (who went by a variety of aliases), promised to take a different route and not fly over the island.  Aunt Thordis promised she wouldn’t kick his fat butt to the South Pole: an equitable agreement in Thordis’s eyes.

* * *

You can get your very own copy of "Bad Spelling" for only $2.99 on Amazon or free at Smashwords. The rest of the books in the series are also on sale. You can find them by clicking on the Series link on the Bad Spelling product page.

BAD SPELLING - Book 1 of The Witches of Galdorheim Series
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

Smashwords Freebie

In Paperback

Audiobook



Monday, December 05, 2016

Amazon Markdown

Huh? Amazon dropped the price on the paperback edition of "Midnight Oil." They could have mentioned it to me, but whatever. Take advantage of the deal while it lasts.



Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can't even phone home?
Kat is a nervous wreck waiting for her boyfriend's first visit to her Arctic island home. He doesn't show up, so she's sure he's given her the brushoff. When she learns he's disappeared, she sets out on a mission to find him. Things go wrong from the start. Kat is thrown overboard during a violent storm, while her brother and his girlfriend are captured by a mutant island tribe. The mutants hold the girlfriend hostage, demanding the teens recover the only thing that can make the mutants human again-the magical Midnight Oil.

Mustering every bit of her Wiccan magic, Kat rises to the challenge. She invokes her magical skills, learns to fly an ultralight, meets a legendary sea serpent, rescues her boyfriend, and helps a friendly air spirit win the battle against her spiteful sibling. On top of it all, she's able to recover the Midnight Oil and help the hapless mutants in the nick of time.

Friday, December 02, 2016

Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners Lending Library

Free with Kindle Unlimited subscription. Free to borrow in Kindle Owners Lending Library. Prices reflect the current retail price to buy the book.




Wednesday, November 30, 2016

A Little Porch Swing Blues

The ebook is on sale for 99 cents to the end of this month (that's today, so get your butt over to Amazon). The Large Print paperback is a Christmas favorite as a gift to seniors who grew up on a farm or ranch. Gentle tales for gentle souls.


Ebook: 99 cents through November 30th ($2.99 after the sale)
Photo Illustrated Ebook: Also 99 cents through November 30th ($2.99 after the sale)

Audiobook Addon: $1.99 always when you buy the ebook at any price.

Large Print (very popular with seniors) Paperback: $8.99
* I'm also a vendor (Texas Boy Publications) selling this book for $4.99 + $3.99 S/H and you get a signed copy)
Regular Size Print trade paperback: $6.99 

Saturday, November 26, 2016

A Decent Christmas Present

I'm still selling "Tales of a Texas Boy" in Kindle ebook format for 99 cents until the end of this month. That's a decent Christmas present because the giftee can look up the book and by Christmas time, it will be priced at $2.99. See, you appear to be more generous than you actually are.

You can get even BIGGER Kristmas Karma by also getting your giftee the accompanying audio book. If you buy the ebook, the audio book is only $1.99. It says $6.95 on Audible, so you're still viewed as a generous soul.

Now, if you really want to wow your giftee, buy either the Large Print paperback or the trade-size paperback. If you get those, you can actually wrap it up in pretty paper and add a stick-on bow.

So, what does all this set you back? Depends on your choices. Here they are for your later than Black Friday perusal. Hey, how about Cyber Monday?

Ebook: 99 cents through November 30th ($2.99 after the sale)

Photo Illustrated Ebook: Also 99 cents through November 30th ($2.99 after the sale)

Audiobook Addon: $1.99 always when you buy the ebook at any price.

Large Print (very popular with seniors) Paperback: $8.99
* I'm also a vendor (Texas Boy Publications) selling this book for $4.99 + $3.99 S/H and you get a signed copy)

Regular Size Print trade paperback: $6.99 (might take a day or two for this discounted price to appear)




Thursday, November 24, 2016

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Audio Books $1.99 If You Own the Ebook

If you ever downloaded a free copy or even paid for the ebook of any of the books listed below, you can go back into Amazon and get the audio version for only $1.99. The prices you see here are the retail prices set by Amazon if you don't own the ebook. Of course, the books are also available at Audible.com if you are an Audible member.





Friday, November 18, 2016

Cheap Way to Give a Gift to Crazy Aunt Mabel

Black Friday comes a week early on my blog. AND my offer is #FREE! Take that you merciless retail stores! Ha!

I have gifted my books all over creation and further. Some people just didn't pick up their gifted book. I guess they didn't know they could just take the credit and buy something else. Since those credits are now in my account (that'll teach the ingrates!), I can only give them away in the form of a gift audio book.

They'll just sit there all shivering and lonely like puppies chained up in the snow UNLESS you want me to use one to buy you a special book. That's where Aunt Mabel comes in. She always knits you a scarf or hotpad, but you really have no idea what to give her for the Holiday Gifting Season. An audio book of "Tales of a Texas Boy" or "Missing, Assumed Dead" might tickle her fancy.

Pick an audio book you'd like to try out from the pix below. You can also click the link to go to audible.com to read the description of each book.








Let me know which one you'd like and give me your email address so I can send it to you. This offer ends when I run out of credits at audible.com. Leave a comment expressing your interest (on blogger, G+ or Facebook) in a free audio book. Tell me some way to contact you (PM or an email address). I'm sure I have enough credits to accommodate everybody.


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Still a Bargain at 99¢

The golden days of free ebook copies of TALES OF A TEXAS BOY are no longer with us. You can, however, still get a copy from Amazon for 99¢ through November 30th. On December 1st, I'm resetting the price to the usual $2.99.

Remember, if you buy the ebook at Amazon, you can get the audiobook for only $1.99 more. Still less than the usual $2.99. Consider that to be my 2¢ worth.

Here is some info to remind you of what Texas Boy is all about.


How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

Monday, November 14, 2016

FINAL #FREE DAY!

FINAL FREE DAY!
NOVEMBER 14th

This ebook is #FREE on Amazon. Also #FREE, the same text but with the old-time photos used in the print version. I got a few of them from the family albums, but I selected others from the archives of Texas University to illustrate the story themes. The Large Print paperback, very popular for those with aging eyes, is only $8.99.

Tales of a Texas Boy is a series of related short stories loosely based on my father's stories about his boyhood in West Texas during the Depression.

It all started with a cattle drive. Yeah, right, pop. Nobody had cattle drives in the 1930's. Well, yeah, they did. My father, Eddie in the stories, got to ride herd when he was only eleven years old. That was sure the highlight of that year.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

#FREE ONLY 2 MORE DAYS

FINAL TWO DAYS!
FREE NOVEMBER 13th-14th

This ebook is #FREE on Amazon. Also #FREE, the same text but with the old-time photos used in the print version. I got a few of them from the family albums, but I selected others from the archives of Texas University to illustrate the story themes. The Large Print paperback, very popular for those with aging eyes, is only $8.99.

Tales of a Texas Boy is a series of related short stories loosely based on my father's stories about his boyhood in West Texas during the Depression.

It all started with a cattle drive. Yeah, right, pop. Nobody had cattle drives in the 1930's. Well, yeah, they did. My father, Eddie in the stories, got to ride herd when he was only eleven years old. That was sure the highlight of that year.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

WOW - ANOTHER DAY #FREE

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!
FREE NOVEMBER 12th-14th

This ebook is #FREE on Amazon. Also #FREE, the same text but with the old-time photos used in the print version. I got a few of them from the family albums, but I selected others from the archives of Texas University to illustrate the story themes. The Large Print paperback, very popular for those with aging eyes, is only $8.99.

Tales of a Texas Boy is a series of related short stories loosely based on my father's stories about his boyhood in West Texas during the Depression.

It all started with a cattle drive. Yeah, right, pop. Nobody had cattle drives in the 1930's. Well, yeah, they did. My father, Eddie in the stories, got to ride herd when he was only eleven years old. That was sure the highlight of that year.

Friday, November 11, 2016

#FREE CONTINUES

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!
FREE NOVEMBER 11th-14th

This ebook is #FREE on Amazon. Also #FREE, the same text but with the old-time photos used in the print version. I got a few of them from the family albums, but I selected others from the archives of Texas University to illustrate the story themes. The Large Print paperback, very popular for those with aging eyes, is only $8.99.

Tales of a Texas Boy is a series of related short stories loosely based on my father's stories about his boyhood in West Texas during the Depression.

It all started with a cattle drive. Yeah, right, pop. Nobody had cattle drives in the 1930's. Well, yeah, they did. My father, Eddie in the stories, got to ride herd when he was only eleven years old. That was sure the highlight of that year.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Vet in the Family? Here's a Nice Gift for Him or Her

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!
FREE NOVEMBER 10th-14th

This ebook is #FREE on Amazon. Also #FREE, the same text but with the old-time photos used in the print version. I got a few of them from the family albums, but I selected others from the archives of Texas University to illustrate the story themes. The Large Print paperback, very popular for those with aging eyes, is only $8.99.

Tales of a Texas Boy is a series of related short stories loosely based on my father's stories about his boyhood in West Texas during the Depression.

It all started with a cattle drive. Yeah, right, pop. Nobody had cattle drives in the 1930's. Well, yeah, they did. My father, Eddie in the stories, got to ride herd when he was only eleven years old. That was sure the highlight of that year.

His father, Louis (my grandfather), had been a veterinarian with Blackjack Pershing's American Expeditionary Forces. That's what they called the army during WWI. In the service, he became friends with an interesting old guy who happened to have a bear. When Dad Boles brought Sophie to the annual fair, Eddie loved to sit by the campfire listening to some dandy whoppers.

Eddie had a pretty busy life for a boy who lived miles away from the nearest neighbors. He managed to find plenty of trouble to get into, but had a big heart to soften his bad boy image. No matter that he loved to aggravate his sister, he took care of her when she and her pony were almost swept away by a flood.

The boy cared about the rattlesnakes, the jackrabbits, the jack asses, even old Cage McNatt's prize sow. He went fishing with a special borrowed float, then proceeded to lose it, find it, then give it away.

These are simple tales without any big events, unless you consider the despair of the Great Depression hanging over everybody's lives.

This is really my Dad.
Yes, I made up some aspects of the stories, and I even made up a few completely, but most of the book is as true as a Texas Tall Tale can be.

If these kind of stories appeal to your father, your mother, uncle, aunt, or even yourself, I think you'll be glad to read my father's stories. Since he died last August, I'm proud and relieved to have gotten around to writing the stories, having several published separately, then putting all of them together in one book. I decided to feature Large Print since my father's eyesight was failing.

Excerpt - Pa's Story

World War I took many young men away from their homes and sent them off to foreign shores. Eddie's Pa was one of those young men. He has his own tale to tell.

In 1916, I was still a young buck and not yet married, so I signed up with Black Jack Pershing to go after Pancho Villa. Ol' Pancho and his banditos came into US territory and killed a bunch of folks in Columbus, New Mexico.

I was real good with horses, so soon I was the veterinarian. This was just as well, as I didn't take well to using a gun. I'd never studied vetting in school, but I'd grown up on a farm in Nebraska and knew just about all there was to know about horses and mules. We chased Pancho and his gang just about all over Mexico, but never did catch up with him. A couple years later, I was still in the service, so I ended up goin' to France with Black Jack when he got to be a General. I could have decided not to go as I'd done my time, but I knew Black Jack could put me to good use.

We were on the troop ship for weeks. Everybody was seasick for the first few days. The horses seemed to fare fine in that regard, but I was worried we couldn't exercise them enough. We brought them up from the hold, a few at a time, and let them stretch their legs. We'd lead them in a quick walk around the deck. With the metal decks, we didn't want them to move very fast for fear they'd slip and fall.

I'd hate to have to put down a horse with a broken leg, so we took it real easy. As a result, the horses were not in good fightin' shape by the time we landed in France.

It took some time, but me and Joe, who got assigned to be my assistant, got them in shape again. Mostly the horses were used to pack gear, but a few officers still rode them. Black Jack Pershing liked to ride on occasion, as did Captain Patton. I thought we should only have mules, since they make better pack animals than horses, but there were never enough mules to go around.

We weren't in too many battles directly as we were the supply line for the army, but in 1918 it turned pretty bad when we went into the Argonne Forest. They called this an 'offensive.' I can see why as it offended me a lot. The fighting went on for nearly two months and only ended in November when the big guys signed the Treaty at Versailles.

In that short two months, it was hell on earth. Thousands of men died. One whole division, the 77th, was cut off for near a week and held out surrounded by the German forces. It was some battle, I can tell you. Almost all day long, I could hear the shells bursting and the sharp reports of rifle fire. And I heard the screams of dying men and horses.

The worst part for me was the horses being swept up in the middle of the battle. It broke my heart to go out on the fields after the fighting passed by and after the dead and wounded men were collected. Sometimes the ground was so soaked with blood that my boots were covered before I got back. A horse with an artery torn open bleeds gallons of blood; men only a few pints. It angered me when I thought how much the horses gave. They didn't even have a say in goin' to war. Men, at least, had a choice.

I carried a sidearm and had to shoot more horses than I can count. Those we could save, we'd bring back to the line and see if we could treat their wounds. It was a second heartbreak when they wouldn't heal proper and we'd take them out behind the tents to put them down. We dug a deep trench to bury them for health reasons and we kept digging every day to hold them all.

While we treated the horses, close by we could see the wounded men being brought back from the battlefield. Legs and arms were already gone or had to be cut off by the doctors right there in the field. From the history I'd read about the Civil War, this was just about as bad. If the choice was amputate or die, then they had to do what was necessary. We dug another trench to hold the arms and legs the doctors cut off; the dead soldiers we wrapped in oilcloth to be sent back behind the lines, where we hoped to send their bodies back home to their families.

All told I spent twenty months in France. It was the worst part of my life and I hoped and prayed we'd never see another war like this again.

* * *

Pa's story made me sad in a way, though I was proud of him for what he did in the war. It seemed to me people should learn to get along. I never was sure why Pa had to go to France. Later in my own life, I'd learn what it was to go to war. I was lucky to not go overseas, but somethin' in me wished I had.



Monday, November 07, 2016

Happy Trails for Vets Day

Great Book for Dad or Grandpa - Surprise them with a Veterans' Day Gift of Old-Time Humor

Amazon Kindle Ebook - $0.99
Photo Illustrated Ebook - $0.99
Large Print Paperback $8.99 at Amazon and other distributors
Audio Book only $6.95

Little Eddie tells some almost true Tall Tales set in West Texas of the 1930s. Guess what's true and what Eddie fudged on. Was it about the bear? Cage McNatt's prize sow? The skunk in the cornpatch? Guaranteed for a chuckle and maybe a tear here and there.


Book Trailer #1 = Tales of a Texas Boy

Friday, November 04, 2016

Gift for WW I and II Veterans

Tales of a Texas Boy are stories my father told me about his life in West Texas as a child. When WWII started, my father signed up, of course. His father (my grandpa) served in the military as a veternarian. This is his story.

Excerpt - Pa's Story

World War I took many young men away from their homes and sent them off to foreign shores. Eddie's Pa was one of those young men. He has his own tale to tell.

In 1916, I was still a young buck and not yet married, so I signed up with Black Jack Pershing to go after Pancho Villa. Ol' Pancho and his banditos came into US territory and killed a bunch of folks in Columbus, New Mexico.

I was real good with horses, so soon I was the veterinarian. This was just as well, as I didn't take well to using a gun. I'd never studied vetting in school, but I'd grown up on a farm in Nebraska and knew just about all there was to know about horses and mules. We chased Pancho and his gang just about all over Mexico, but never did catch up with him. A couple years later, I was still in the service, so I ended up goin' to France with Black Jack when he got to be a General. I could have decided not to go as I'd done my time, but I knew Black Jack could put me to good use.

We were on the troop ship for weeks. Everybody was seasick for the first few days. The horses seemed to fare fine in that regard, but I was worried we couldn't exercise them enough. We brought them up from the hold, a few at a time, and let them stretch their legs. We'd lead them in a quick walk around the deck. With the metal decks, we didn't want them to move very fast for fear they'd slip and fall.

I'd hate to have to put down a horse with a broken leg, so we took it real easy. As a result, the horses were not in good fightin' shape by the time we landed in France.

It took some time, but me and Joe, who got assigned to be my assistant, got them in shape again. Mostly the horses were used to pack gear, but a few officers still rode them. Black Jack Pershing liked to ride on occasion, as did Captain Patton. I thought we should only have mules, since they make better pack animals than horses, but there were never enough mules to go around.

We weren't in too many battles directly as we were the supply line for the army, but in 1918 it turned pretty bad when we went into the Argonne Forest. They called this an 'offensive.' I can see why as it offended me a lot. The fighting went on for nearly two months and only ended in November when the big guys signed the Treaty at Versailles.

In that short two months, it was hell on earth. Thousands of men died. One whole division, the 77th, was cut off for near a week and held out surrounded by the German forces. It was some battle, I can tell you. Almost all day long, I could hear the shells bursting and the sharp reports of rifle fire. And I heard the screams of dying men and horses.

The worst part for me was the horses being swept up in the middle of the battle. It broke my heart to go out on the fields after the fighting passed by and after the dead and wounded men were collected. Sometimes the ground was so soaked with blood that my boots were covered before I got back. A horse with an artery torn open bleeds gallons of blood; men only a few pints. It angered me when I thought how much the horses gave. They didn't even have a say in goin' to war. Men, at least, had a choice.

I carried a sidearm and had to shoot more horses than I can count. Those we could save, we'd bring back to the line and see if we could treat their wounds. It was a second heartbreak when they wouldn't heal proper and we'd take them out behind the tents to put them down. We dug a deep trench to bury them for health reasons and we kept digging every day to hold them all.

While we treated the horses, close by we could see the wounded men being brought back from the battlefield. Legs and arms were already gone or had to be cut off by the doctors right there in the field. From the history I'd read about the Civil War, this was just about as bad. If the choice was amputate or die, then they had to do what was necessary. We dug another trench to hold the arms and legs the doctors cut off; the dead soldiers we wrapped in oilcloth to be sent back behind the lines, where we hoped to send their bodies back home to their families.

All told I spent twenty months in France. It was the worst part of my life and I hoped and prayed we'd never see another war like this again.

* * *

Pa's story made me sad in a way, though I was proud of him for what he did in the war. It seemed to me people should learn to get along. I never was sure why Pa had to go to France. Later in my own life, I'd learn what it was to go to war. I was lucky to not go overseas, but somethin' in me wished I had.
* * *


Amazon Kindle Ebook - Reduced to $0.99
Photo-Illustrated Ebook - Reduced to $0.99
Large Print Paperback $8.99 at Amazon (Buy this book and get the ebook free)
Audio Book only $6.95 (only $1.99 if you buy the ebook at Amazon)

Little Eddie tells some almost true Tall Tales set in West Texas of the 1930s. Guess what's true and what Eddie fudged on. Was it about the bear? Cage McNatt's prize sow? The skunk in the cornpatch? Guaranteed for a chuckle and maybe a tear here and there.



Tuesday, November 01, 2016

November is for Veterans

Vets' Day Special (all of November)

*Purchase the ebook or print book from Amazon, send proof of purchase to mgdasef@gmail.com, Or, you can PM at Facebook or G+. I will send a gift of the book through audible.com.

IF YOU'RE A VET OR KNOW ONE YOU WANT TO GIFT WITH AN EBOOK, CONTACT ME AT MY EMAIL ADDRESS (mgdasef@gmail.com) TO GET A FREE AUDIO BOOK VIA AUDIBLE.COM

TALES OF A TEXAS BOY
How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. Twenty-one nostalgic stories based on the real life Eddie's adventures growing up in West Texas during the Great Depression. But the stories are not depressing at all! If you like animals and stories of farm and ranch life, this is a perfect book for you.

Watch the Book Trailer on YouTube.

Listen to the excerpt at SoundCloud.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Happy Halloween!


WRITE A COMMENT - WIN A FREE AUDIO BOOK OR EBOOK OF YOUR CHOICE OF MY BOOKS
Tales of a Texas Boy
Missing, Assumed Dead
Bad Spelling
Midnight Oil
Scotch Broom



Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Halloween is for Trolls

HALLOWEEN IS FOR TROLLS

The entire Witches of Galdorheim series has a few characters featured in all the books. I thought introducing the stars of the series a good setup for the Witch Extravaganza month of October. Oh, yeah, it's going to be BIG! All four books in the series are free on Smashwords when you name your own price (you could leave me a tip if you like).

Trolls in the Witches of Galdorheim

Trolls. What do you imagine? Maybe something like the big ugly pictured here. In my Witches of Galdorheim series, I wanted a cave-dwelling bunch of uglies, but dwarves didn’t seem right for my book. Then I started hearing music inside my head. You know how that goes, right? It builds and builds until it has you screaming in frustration, willing to even listen to some other music to at least swamp the tormenting sound.

But before I could find a MP3 file of "Henry the VIIIth" by Herman’s Hermits, I stopped and listened. My muse was whacking me in the head via earworm. The music was Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King from the Peer Gynt Suite. Duh. Trolls.

Despite the canards on trolls from the likes of Artemis Fowl or Pratchett’s Discworld, I thought they could be heroic if given sufficient ale.

From the Free Dictionary/Encyclopedia:

A troll is a fearsome member of a mythical race from Norse mythology. Originally more or less the Nordic equivalents of giants, although often smaller in size, the different depictions have come to range from the fiendish giants – similar to the ogres of England – to a devious, more human-like folk of the wilderness, living underground in hills, caves or mounds.

Hey! They’re not all flesh-eating giants who turn to stone in the sunlight. Some are devious little guys who live in wilderness areas (no doubt protecting endangered magical species).

In Bad Spelling, Kat and her smart-aleck half-brother, Rune, (also happens to be a vampire, but has absolutely no resemblance to the Twilight guy except they’re both cute as hell) are directed by Kat’s flash-frozen dad (Rune calls him a popsicle) to visit the Troll King. At the Hall, she requests assistance from King Ole, the Norwegian Troll King. He arranges for her and Rune to ride the Trollercoaster, which starts in Norway and ends up in the Ural Mountains. From there Kat, Rune, and a changeling troll named Andy travel to Siberia to find Kat's family.

Clearly, trolls are good. They are nice, helpful, cheerful, and sing fairly well too. Yet aspersions continue to be cast upon these misunderstood creatures. Shame on all of you for making them the bad guys all these years!

Excerpt from Bad Spelling

Chapter Fifteen - Three Trolls on a Bridge

Kat ran to where her brother and the three trolls faced each other. The trolls stood shoulder to shoulder, their big, splayed feet firmly planted in front of the footbridge. They bared their chunky yellow teeth and growled at Rune. Although hardly reaching Rune’s shoulder, they each outweighed him. Clearly, the trolls did not intend to let him cross. Looking up and down the streamlet, Kat wondered at their careful guarding of the bridge. Kind of silly, she thought, since anyone could easily step across the rivulet without even getting wet feet. She wondered if these were children, given their short stature. However, their long knives looked very grown up.

Enunciating each word, Rune held his hands out to show they were empty. Kat had no idea what her brother was saying, since Rune was speaking Old Runish. Except for a few spell words, Kat didn’t understand the ancient tongue.

Evidently, neither did the trolls. Rune spoke again, louder this time, and took one slow step forward. At this move, the troll on the left lunged at them, jabbing at Rune with his knife. Rune sidestepped the rush, and the troll, taken off balance, stumbled and fell flat on his face. Kat stepped over the troll and grasped his arm but only caught hold of his sleeve. He screamed and pushed her away. The other two trolls ran at her with their knives raised, yelling as they advanced.

Rune stuck out his foot and tripped the middle troll. The last troll standing went after Rune. The young warlock threw up his hands, arms crossed to fend off the attack. A bright red light arced from his hands to hit the charging troll in the face. The troll dropped his knife and fell to the ground, screaming and rolling around with his hands pressed over his eyes. Rune snatched up the knife and held it to the middle troll’s neck. Kat sat on the one she grabbed, pulling the knife from his flailing hand. The recipient of Rune’s flash attack kept his hands over his eyes.

Rune spoke again in Old Runish, shouting to make himself heard. It didn’t do any good; the trolls all continued screaming and squealing at the top of their lungs.

Kat jumped up from the troll’s back and grabbed Rune’s hand, pulling the knife away from the troll’s neck. “Rune,” she yelled, “tell them we won’t hurt them!”

The thrashing troll froze then turned his cumbersome head toward her.

“You can speak our language!” He slapped the troll nearest to him, who abruptly stopped screaming. The one whose neck Rune held the knife to spread his fingers to peek at Rune and Kat.

Rune released the troll and stood up, looking a little sheepish. “I just assumed—” He stopped then shook his head.

Kat crouched on her knees next to one of the trolls lying on the ground and patted him on the shoulder. “We mean you no harm. We’re Wiccans from Galdorheim. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

Slowly, the trolls climbed to their feet, looked at Kat, then at each other. The three trolls huddled, conferring together. Kat heard a murmur but couldn’t make out what they said.

Kat continued, searching for something to say. “My Aunt Thordis…” Three pairs of troll eyes turned to her and opened wide. They stared at Kat. The middle troll elbowed the one on his left, who giggled. The troll on the right gave a great whoop of laughter then slapped the middle troll on the back. All three trolls broke into huge guffaws and ended up leaning on each other, wiping tears from their eyes. Rune and Kat stared open-mouthed.
* * *

BAD SPELLING - Book 1 of The Witches of Galdorheim Series (FREE ON SMASHWORDS)
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

MIDNIGHT OIL - Book 2 of the Witches of Galdorheim Series
Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?


SCOTCH BROOM - Book 3 of the Witches of Galdorheim Series
A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.


SPELLSLINGER - A Witches of Galdorheim Short Story

What does a teenage half-warlock, half-vampire do to have fun? Why build an old west town on a glacier in the Arctic. There he can play at being the good guy sheriff up against mean old Black Bart.

That things will go horribly wrong is a given. But how does Rune get into and out of the predicament?

This prequel story to the Witches of Galdorheim series gives the reader a chance to get to know the smart-aleck kid, Rune, before he got his magic down pat.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Halloween is for COUNTDOWN

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRICE SPECIAL

The last Countdown Deal I can run until November is for The Witches of Galdorheim Box Set. Note the discounts are available on both US and UK Amazon sites. Don't want to leave my British friends out of the deal. This book is always available free in the KU and KOLL programs.


All three books in the series in a single volume. It's a short countdown, but maximum savings each day:

US SCHEDULE
October 22 - 6AM PST - $0.99 24 hours Discount 84%
October 23 - 6AM PST - $1.99 20 hours Discount 67%
October 24 - 6AM PST - $2.99 22 hours Discount 51%

UK SCHEDULE
October 22 - 8AM GMT - £0.99 24 hours Discount 79%
October 23 - 8AM GMT - £1.99 24 hours Discount 57%
October 24 - 8AM GMT - £2.99 24 hours Discount 35%

On October 25th, the book returns to its original list price of $5.99US or £4.54UK


Thursday, October 20, 2016

Halloween is for Warlocks

HALLOWEEN IS FOR WITCHES WARLOCKS

The Witches of Galdorheim series is all about witches...and warlocks. While some people insist warlocks are always evil, and think that's as nonsensical as saying all witches are evil. Or all people. Or all puppies.

One warlock in the series plays a major role in all three novels and has his very own prequel story about his own experience growing up on an island full of witches and magic. You don't just perform magic without a little practice, or things might get very out of control.

Rune: Kat's younger brother is the offspring of a witch and a vampire. Don't give me any grief about vampire's not being able to breed yada yada. This is my fantasy book, and I'll write it any way I want to.

Anyway, Rune has a double-dose of magical ability since he has inherited his witch mother's spellcasting talent, but also can call on his vampire side for some benefits. His biggest problem is keeping his vampire side in check. The slightest hint of blood sets him off. He struggles with his blood craving and hopes to overcome it someday. In the meantime, everybody makes sure Rune doesn't see so much as a pricked thumb.

Kat asks Rune for some packaged spells to help her in her scheme to run away from home. Always loving an adventure, Rune decides he has to come along with his sister. Not only does he love her, but he also finds her clumsy spelling a source of infinite amusement.

Excerpt from Spellslinger

Rune stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets and stomped down the street, his shoulders hunched. A clump of dandelions hugging the white picket fence leapt out at him, their squeaky little growls and slashing petals pulled a grin from the eleven-year-old warlock for a moment until he remembered he was in a bad mood.

He punted the attacking flowers with a transforming spell turning them into a tumbleweed rolling along the street. Rune sprinted after and gave  it a kick with a Beckham bend. The shrub careened out of control over a picket fence and into a yard. Lilac, a witch who lived in the cottage, stepped out on her porch. “Rune, get that thing out of my garden!”

“Yes’m.” Rune felt his cheeks redden. He pulled out his wand and flicked it toward the offending bush. The shrub shook, then hopped in the air. When it landed, it sunk its brand-new roots into the ground on the edge of Lilac’s koi pond. The rose buds adorning the stems burst into full bloom and a few petals dropped and floated on the water.

Lilac smiled. “Congratulations, Rune. You charmed your way out of a telling-off.” The witch walked back into her home.

Rune continued on his way, his shoulders settling, a frown tugging the corners of his mouth back down. His friend, Dalton, had joined the Wolf Pack and seemed to forget that Rune was his best bud. The Wolf Pack wasn’t exactly condoned in the witch community, but as long as the transformed boys didn’t actually eat anybody, the warlocks turned a blind eye. Rune had promised his mother and aunt that he’d not get involved in the group. As a half vampire, the only vampire, he already had plenty to worry about without also taking on a wolf form. The boys’ play sometimes drew blood. No way could Rune keep from going mega-vampire at the sight of blood.

It sucked. Since he wouldn’t join the pack, they all stopped letting him hang out with them. Now he was stuck in the 'so not cool' group to which his older half sister already belonged. She couldn’t cast a spell that didn’t blow up in her face, and since Rune couldn’t join the other boys in the Pack, he felt like an outcast. His mind pinged, and the word “outlaw” blazed in his head. Yeah, that’s what he’d do, spell up a place of his very own. To heck with Dalton and those other boys turning themselves into werewolves. He’d become an outlaw, a real gunslinger. Or how about a spellslinger? That had a nice ring to it.

That’s it. He’d go old west, old U.S. west. He’d watched about a zillion westerns, so he figured he could conjure a proper old west town and he’d be...what? The leader of a bandit gang? The Sheriff of a little town taking on the bad guys? Yeah, he’d be the hero.


* * *
Spellslinger, Rune's own story is free on Smashwords using the Name Your Own Price (also free at Smashwords, first book in the series, Bad Spelling) and you can listen to the Spellslinger audio book free on SoundCloud.