How AFRAID are you?

I'm a pretty big guy. I consider myself in reasonable shape -- I run five days a week and occasionally bike or swim. And when I play golf, I carry my clubs and usually walk the course. Plus, I'm a second degree black belt in karate.

I don't go looking for fights or entanglements, preferring to walk away from a confrontation. But I don't take crap from anyone, either.

No, I don't scare easily.

Or at least I didn't. Until I read Jack Kilborn's latest novel, AFRAID.

The story starts with a black helicopter crash in the town of Safe Haven, Wisconsin. From there it takes the reader on a nail biting ride of thrills, grimaces, laughs, gasps, moans, and groans. It climaxes with multiple twists and a pair of unlikely heroes.

Truly a really good read.

My only "complaint" with the novel is that there are no chapter breaks. I plan my reading based on chapters (read a chapter at commercial, on the pooper, before going to bed, etc.), and not having them threw me off -- I didn't know when to quit! I read the entire book on a flight home from vacation. Almost five hours of straight reading. And I was too afraid to go to the bathroom....

But the book changed my life. It really did!

My wife and I live near a good sized regional airport and a locally major hospital. As such, we have lots of air traffic flying over our house. Being a pilot and flight instructor, I am thrilled each time a plane flies over, stopping whatever it is I'm doing to gawk at the plane and wonder how the pilot's ride flight is going. Small planes, large planes, Cessnas, Pipers -- it doesn't matter. I love them all.

But...... that isn't the case anymore with helicopters. Ever since reading AFRAID, I cringe each time a chopper flies over head. My pulse quickens, sweat beads on my forehead, and I search for a place to hide. I'm afraid that it might crash and unleash the horrors that a similar incident did on Safe Haven.

And if a helicopter flies over at night, that's even worse! The woosh-woosh of the blades causes me to dash under my bed, hiding in fright, palms sweaty as they clutch my loaded Glock.

Yes, Jack Kilborn's AFRAID has changed my life.

It may not have the same effect on you, but I'm sure you'll enjoy the read.

Dirty Martini - Another great one by JA Konrath

Last week, I finished reading "Dirty Martini" by J.A. Konrath. DM is the fourth book in Konrath's series about a female Chicago detective named Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels.

The plot hinges around Jack's hunt for the Chemist, a nut-job who is poisoning food at restaurants and grocery stores throughout the Chicago area. The action is quick, the humor is good, and the story is great.

I really liked it - a lot! Buy it and read it. You won't be dissappointed.

However......

I am currently writing my first novel about a retired detective residing on a remote Caribbean island. I've been working on this story for quite some time. Long before I ever read any of the Jack Daniels series of books and long before I ever knew of JA Knorath.

Yes, I have been working on this book for quite some time.

I need to proclaim at this pint in time that I used the term "Collateral Damage" long before I read it in Dirty Martini. I don't want anyone thinking that I get ALL of my ideas from Mr. Konrath.

And on my last trip to the Caribbean, I was stung by a bee. As I watched a welt form on my lower abdomen, I tried to remember the last time I had suffered a bee sting. At the time, I wasn't sure I had ever been stung before. That thought led me to wonder if I might be alergic to bee stings. But alas, apparently, I'm not.

I had been looking for some "ailment" to give the hero of my book, and I thought making my protagonist alergic to bee stings might add a little tension to his life, especially on an island that has bees. So, I began working this into my hero's life.

Guess what?

Without spoiling any of the story, let's just say that my jaw dropped when I read in Dirty Martini that Ms. Daniels just happens to be alergic to bee stings......

Dirty Martini really is a fun and enjoyable book. I'll soon be cracking open Fuzzy Navel, the next book in the series.

And I can't wait to see what other traits Jack Daniels has in common with my hero.

Welcome!

Greetings, and welcome to my Blogspot.

As you can see, this is my first entry. I'm not sure exactly how this is all going to work, but I figured I should get with the 21st century and have a blog. Hopefully, the world will become a richer, wiser place from my ramblings, but I won't be making any promises.

The main reason I decided to start a blog was to practice my writing skills. I am in the process of writing my first novel, and I need all the help, pracitce, and encouragement I can borrow, beg, or steal. All of my author "friends" have a blog, so I figured "when in Rome".....

My posts will probably be focused on my trials and tribulations while writing this novel. Hopefully, my experiences will help others traveling along the same road. Or maybe a reader with wisdom beyond mine cane chime in and get me back between the white lines.

Who knows? We'll just have to see how it works.

And hopefully, it all works out great.

Thanks for stopping by.