Reviewed by Steven Felicelli
According to Ron Rhody’s wife, he is not eligible for authoring a memoir. He hasn’t won an Oscar or an MVP or a Nobel prize. And yet Rhody has a story he wants, needs, to tell. His story. And so that’s how he will tell it to us: as one of Our Own Little Fictions.
Reminiscent of Sarah Polley’s documentary Stories We Tell, Rhody meanders through his memory and down the real roads he’s traveled all over the U.S., from his beloved Frankfort, Kentucky, to California and back (via Florida and Alabama) and then back out to California. Along this circuitous route through his youth, manhood, and ancestry, we encounter all sorts of colorful characters, historical events, family triumphs, and tragedies, which in large part amount to the man whose story we’re being told.
The place closest to Rhody’s heart is clearly Frankfort, Kentucky. It is there his father, a newspaperman, fought for civil rights and to put down roots for his forward-thinking family. Though a wanderlust would uproot the Rhodys and send them all over the U.S., Kentucky kept calling them back to the heart of the heart of their country. In Our Own Little Fictions, Frankfort is origin and refuge, and it serves as the Ithaca of the author’s Odyssey.These chronicles of Rhody contain all the joy and pain of an American life that spans the Cold War to the present.
We meet his parents, grandparents, wife and children, friends and mentors. From animated anecdotes of a hard-nosed football coach doling out life lessons to the memorial for a dear friend and author of “sixteen erudite books,” we witness a life pass in time-lapse frames of laconic, Hemingwayesque prose.
Hemingway and his suicide haunt the narrative beginning to end. On a road trip from California to Kentucky, Rhody and his son make a scheduled detour to Hemingway’s home in Idaho (where he’d put the shotgun in his mouth).
”It seemed wrong that Hemingway had killed himself. Nature should have gotten him. Or chance.”
Later in the narrative and earlier in time, news of Hemingway’s suicide reaches Rhody, and he reflects on the premature tragedy, as well as his own (missed?) calling. These two time periods intermingle, and Rhody leaves Idaho with “an answer to a question I hadn’t known I’d asked.” Authorship was an alternative path he’d bypassed only to embark upon late in life.
Later in the narrative and earlier in time, news of Hemingway’s suicide reaches Rhody, and he reflects on the premature tragedy, as well as his own (missed?) calling. These two time periods intermingle, and Rhody leaves Idaho with “an answer to a question I hadn’t known I’d asked.” Authorship was an alternative path he’d bypassed only to embark upon late in life.
Late in life, indeed. The long road approaches its end and the loss of loved ones is an inevitability. Each story has the same conclusion, alas, and many of the characters we encounter in this Appalachian saga pass on in heartrending deathbed scenes and austere funerals. The depiction of these tragedies is sentimental, even cliched, but anything less/more would not be true to life. It is the commonality of these cliches that arise in endless variations, like updates of Shakespeare.
No, Ron Rhody is no Prince Hamlet, nor was he meant to be, but his story of “becoming,” with its conduplicatio, terse punch-lines, and homespun wisdom, is one that will always be in need of telling and retelling.
The feature photo above from left, Ron Rhody’s sister, Ann, his mother and sister, Mary Lou.
Be aware of rip currents this Labor Day Weekend. If in doubt, ask a lifeguard.
By Ron Rhody
I’ve a new book coming. I’m uneasy with it. I’ve never before written anything this personal knowing it will be public.
But I wanted to get the slice of time this book is about, and the place at its center, and the people who figure in it, on the record in the way only a book can do.
Our Own Little Fictions So, I have done it. It’s an unconventional book. There is no obvious story line. There is one, but the reader will have to pay attention to uncover it. And the story jumps around in time — the way memories do. Again, the reader will have to pay attention. And the people who figure in it are presented mostly in cameo, but with enough portrayal to allow the reader to imagine them. And I’m asking the reader to pretend they are listening. Not reading. Listening.
Hopefully the writing will make that easy. This is asking a lot of the reader. But the book is novella size and won’t take a lot of time to get through. There is that. Watch for it.
Our Own Little Fictions Available November 1. List Price: $14.99 5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm) Black & White on White paper 86 pages Outer Banks Publishing Group ISBN-13: 978-1732045217 ISBN-10: 1732045216 BISAC: Biography & Autobiography / General
Read the stunning review by the San Francisco Book Review.
Ron Rhody is one of our bestselling authors having published 8 books in both non-fiction and fiction. Our Own Little Fictions is his fourth non-fiction book.
Visit his blog to learn more or read one of our posts below.
Koos Verkaik’s newest novel Heavenly Vision is about a book collector who finds a manuscript in a 1745 Atlas of the Cape of Good Horn that changes his life forever. Read the interview by Deborah Kalb on how Koos was inspired to write the murder mystery, Heavenly Vision.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for Heavenly Vision?
A: For most of my books all I need is one simple fact. One line, one thought, will do to get me start writing. Where Heavenly Vision is concerned, I was intrigued by the fact that you can buy yourself an old book at a flea market and find a priceless drawing or etching between the yellowed pages! That stimulates my fantasy and I get cracking right away – not knowing at all where and when it will end.
I always start to write the first two or three pages with a simple pen on sheets of paper. Only after I know it is all right, I start working on a computer.
Sitting down in silence and write the lines with a pen is something I will always enjoy.
Q: The book takes place in a variety of locations and times. Did you write the novel in the order in which it appears, or did you move chapters around as you wrote?
A: I wrote it in the order in which it appears! When I start writing, there is a complete chaos in my head, but the manuscript must be one hundred percent all right. I make notes on sheets of papers, on beermats, on three different laptops, sometimes on the back of my hand – but finally it all comes together in the manuscript.
After having typed “The End,” the chaos has disappeared. The work is done. Then I take a deep breath… and start working on the next project.
Q: Did you know how the book would end before you started writing it?
A: I never know how my books will end. I know there are authors who make a storyboard, who only start writing after they have figured it all out.
For me every new book is an adventure – for myself and for my readers. The story grows and to be honest; I do know where to go with my stories, it is all somewhere in my head and it has to come out. I never had writer’s block; I have written since I was 7 years old and as a boy I worked at night and saw the sun come up.
Q: How did you research the novel, and did you learn anything surprising?
A: Research is always important. And… the internet is there for the common facts, books are there for the real information. In my work room I am surrounded by a couple of thousand books; I absorb the facts and write fantasy.
Right now I am reading Sapiens and Homo Deus from Yuval Noah Harari. Such a great writer about the history and the future of mankind.
For Heavenly Vision I didn’t have to do much research. Most of the things I wrote about (such as the Dutch East India Company) were already known to me. I am a collector of nonfiction books about science, but also about alchemy, the supernatural, mysterious historical facts, etc. Life is full of odd surprises and I love to write about it.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I always write different books at the same time. There are two series of children’s books, Saladin the Wonder Horse and Alex and the Wolpertinger. Finished the last book of Saladin and work on book 14 of The Wolpertinger; intending to write over 30 different titles.
A new publishing company contracted me for all my novels: Righter’s Mill Press, Princeton. They also have a film company, Three Corners Entertainment. Signed contracts for all titles.
Right now I also started a new novel. And I never tell about a new story until it is finished… When I explain all about it, I feel less urge to complete it.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Yes. Heavenly Vision was published earlier by a Canadian company. Unfortunately the publisher passed away. We had become such good friends, She was such a great person.
Now Outer Banks Publishing Group has taken over; they will also publish my novel The Nibelung Gold soon and they already published the two series of children’s books I mentioned above.
I received wonderful reviews for the first edition of Heavenly Vision, which made me very proud (believe me, it is a great adventure and also a great honor to be published in Canada and the USA when you are a writer from faraway Holland).
About Koos Verkaik
Koos Verkaik, who lives outside of Rotterdam, Holland, is the author of more than 60 books from children’s series to mysteries to sci-fi. When his novels, All-Father and Wolf Tears were published, he earned the moniker as the Dutch Stephen King.
About the cover of Heavenly Vision
The cover was commissioned and created by Doriano Strologo, an illustrator in Numana, Italy, depicting the main character in the book, the mysterious Raso, the man who had the heavenly vision.
Nothing is what it seems, in this new, exciting Koos Verkaik novel – Heavenly Vision, undoubtedly one of his masterpieces!
A book collector of limited means comes across a 1745 Atlas of the Cape of Good Hope in a second-hand bookshop in Amsterdam. Once his historian friend examines the manuscript found inside, he becomes very excited and life for Jan Glas is never the same again.
“Allart Vroom climbed down from the ship, and we stood ready to catch him,” wrote Captain Adriaen Kalf. “His clothes, his flesh, his bones pulverized in our hands. He formed a small heap of powder at our feet. Please, believe me—it is not, like someone suggested, the contents of broken hourglasses.”
Glas, an Amsterdam publicist, later reads about a machine that could cause the end of the world! Of course, he wants to find the truth about the machine and the remarkable manuscript!
His curiosity takes him takes him to England and the USA. In Florida, a peculiar man crosses his path – Wesley Dunn, a Raso Preacher at the Center of the Heavenly Vision in Franks Knight, Florida.
This man says that the world will be destroyed by “The Machine of Colton”, which is also mentioned in the manuscript that Jan found in the atlas! Only a few people will survive – the true followers of the odd Mr. Wesley Dunn, and those who follow the Raso way of life!
Murder, mystery and intrigue will keep the reader guessing as to what is going on. Is the world coming to an end, and if so, who will survive?
To learn more about Heavenly Vision and Koos Verkaik read his latest interview with Deborah Kalb, Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb.
A cast of likable, unlikable and quirky characters, along with a very original and interesting story makes for a fantastic read. I liked the writing style, going back to the past and present, and the characters, all unique in their own way.
I recommend Heavenly Vision to those who like adventure , drama and excitement. I also recommend The Nibelung Gold also by Koos Verkaik.
By the end the author had impressed me so much that I was not sure whether to applaud the brilliance of the character in the story or the creator of that character that is the author. The twist or final pull was that good of a brilliance charm.
As usual Koos Verkaik brings a mélange of quirky characters to life. The good, the bad, but never the indifferent. He then weaves them into a mystical tale that moves between the present and the past of a strange machine that kills at will and a prophecy of doom. His unique writing style holds the reader’s interest from beginning to an end of the world scenario, as he builds the tension during a well plotted fantastical journey full of intrigue and mysteries.
This is another MUST for readers of strange and unique tales from the undisputed master with one of his whacky covers that I love…
If you like books that bounce back and forth between the past 1700s, and the present then this is the book for you. It makes it a little confusing, but if you are willing to hang in there it all becomes clear in the end. In the past we have an old manuscript, in the present we have a machine that is said to be able to end the world. What are the connections if any between these two? The author has taken these two events and woven them into a story that will have you reading cover to cover just to find that connections. Once again this author has created a book that grabs you and forces you to read to find the answer to all of those questions you had at the beginning. I applaud him for this ability.
Koos Verkaik was born in Holland, near Rotterdam. He worked as a copywriter for a short time. His first comics (three pages each week) were published in the magazine Sjors when he was only 16 years old. He wrote his first novel (sci-fi) in a weekend at the age of 18 and it was published immediately. During his long career as a novelist and author, he wrote hundreds of comic scripts and published over 60 books, both children’s books and urban fantasy novels. Koos writes (novels) every day and has translated books from English and German into Dutch.
Let your child travel on an adventurous journey this summer with Alex and Ludo the Wolpertinger on a enthralling trip to find The Monster Inn, a wondrous place where the most fascinating characters show up!
Koos Verkaik and Ludo the Wolpertinger
By Koos Verkaik
Wolpertingers… little monsters or friends?
Teasers or small helpful creatures?
Actually, everyone is a bit afraid of them.
Humans and giants run away the moment they spot a wolpertinger.
And yet, a boy made friends with a wolpertinger from the mysterious Downhills!
It was Alex, a boy from the Alps, who lived in the land of King Clover a long time ago.
Alex and Ludo the Wolpertinger go from one adventure to another!
Together they travel to the Downhills to help free a magician who is a prisoner of the giant Prince Ruff Rumble.
They meet many strange creatures like a river monster, fire-breathing dragons, lizards and giant mice on their trip to the Monster Inn. There they hope to find someone who can make gold to free the imprisoned magician, Halo from Prince Ruff Rumble’s dungeon.
List Price: $15.99
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
Black & White on White paper
268 pages
Outer Banks Publishing Group
ISBN-13: 978-0990679080
ISBN-10: 099067908X
BISAC: Fiction / Crime
Angel Gonzales is charged with heinous crimes that law enforcement, the media, and most folks in Richmond, Texas, and surrounding communities are certain he committed.
The crimes and trial dwarf anything that has happened in that part of the Lone Star state in anyone’s memory.
When, against all odds, the jury renders “not guilty” verdicts, shock escalates to anger.
In the minds of many, justice has failed, and a brutal criminal is being set free. For Angel and his court-appointed public defender, Marty Booker, being judged “not guilty” isn’t enough.
Together and with help from an unanticipated source, they attempt to prove Angel’s innocence.
In the process, they butt up against prejudice, deceit, and a sheriff and district attorney who put politics, ambition, expedience, and arrogance above responsibility to do their jobs.
It’s a story of horror, hatred, belief, and persistence – a story of a Mexican-American teenager who nearly loses his life on the way to becoming a man.
BASED ON TRUE EVENTS
SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE in 2019
Price: $14.99
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
Black & White on Cream paper
280 pages
ISBN 10 – 0982993137
ISBN 13 – 978-0-9829931-3-2
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Language: English
On the night of July 21, 1948, Robert Daniels and John West entered John and Nolena Niebel’s house with loaded guns. They forced the family including the Niebel’s 21-year-old daughter, Phyllis, into their car and drove them to a cornfield just off Fleming Falls Road in Mansfield. The two men instructed the Niebels to remove all of their clothing, and then Robert Daniels shot each of them in the head.
What followed was the worst two-week killing spree in the history of Ohio.
Top of the page photo courtesy of Rancho Murieta Community Website
Book signings are an effective marketing and communications tool, not only for established authors but most certainly for first-time novelists.
For me, a recent local launching/signing event for my first published novel, “Angel’s Truth,” proved to be a learning experience.
I learned that the audience is genuinely interested in what you have to say. And I was pleased by the number and quality of the questions.”Where did you come up with the plot? How did you choose the characters? How did you come up with their names? Is any of this based on fact? How do you go about organizing the narrative? Do you outline? Do you know the beginning, middle and end before you write? How do you go about getting published?”
That’s only a sampling of the questions I got, so be prepared.
The setting I used was a wine and cheese social, very informal, 4 to 5:30 p.m. It worked well. We had a framed table card of favorable Amazon reviews (“Here’s what readers are saying about “Angel’s Truth”) on each table and each person received a custom designed “Angel’s Truth” bookmark that quoted briefly from the book and gave information on where it could be bought. Good friends provided these and they were well received. Whether or not you bought the book, you got a bookmark as a gift and reminder.
I also told them the messages concerning discrimination, mindsets, injustices were ones I had long cared about. Also my belief that the truth often is not obvious — that it takes digging, commitment, persistence, plain old hard work to achieve it.
After being introduced, I spent a few minutes describing what motivated me to write the book. The motivations included my desire to try writing fiction after a long career that mandated all my writing be factual. I also told them the messages concerning discrimination, mindsets, injustices were ones I had long cared about. Also my belief that the truth often is not obvious — that it takes digging, commitment, persistence, plain old hard work to achieve it. And, while the plot is shaped around two vicious murders, I wanted to deliver a satisfying, surprise ending.
I read several passages from the book, starting with the first couple of pages. Because “Angel’s Truth” is a mystery, I selected other sections deeper into the book which pulled them into the plot. I didn’t tell too much, just enough to entice them to read the book and try to figure out who did what and where it was headed. That amount of time for reading passages seemed about right.
Then came the questions – the absolute best part of the afternoon. My advice: Don’t cut these off; make sure you allow enough time to answer any and all questions. And, if/when you know the questioner, personalize your response.
I closed with this final thought.
“Everybody has a story to tell. It may be biographical and of interest to future generations of your family. It may be a detailed narrative or a collection of anecdotes. Or, it may be fiction. Whatever the choice, I challenged them to commit their ideas to paper.”
That resonated because several folks thanked me afterwards for the prompting.
We ended with signing and selling the book. Logistically, I found it worked well to have someone serve as cashier. That allowed me time to personalize each signing.
And, as my mother would say, “Remember the basic of thanking everyone at the beginning and end.”
Bottom line, this initial event for this first-time writer of fiction, was a very satisfying and educational experience. I hope some of the above details will be helpful to you.
Learn more about Bob Irelan in his interview and why he believes truth is so important or follow him on Facebook.
Photo by Jon Irelan
The murder mystery starts when Angel Gonzales is charged with heinous crimes that law enforcement, the media, and most folks in Richmond, Texas, and surrounding communities are certain he committed.
Author Bob Irelan, photo by Jon Irelan
The crimes and trial dwarf anything that has happened in that part of the Lone Star state in anyone’s memory.
When, against all odds, the jury renders “not guilty” verdicts, shock escalates to anger.
In the minds of many, justice has failed, and a brutal criminal is being set free. For Angel and his court-appointed public defender, Marty Booker, being judged “not guilty” isn’t enough.
Together and with help from an unanticipated source, they attempt to prove Angel’s innocence.
In the process, they butt up against prejudice, deceit, and a sheriff and district attorney who put politics, ambition, expedience, and arrogance above responsibility to do their jobs.
It’s a story of horror, hatred, belief, and persistence – a story of a Mexican-American teenager who nearly loses his life on the way to becoming a man.
Outer Banks Publishing Group author Bob Irelan hopes his novel, Angel’s Truth will help people realize that justice is not always applied fairly, especially when it to comes to racial minorities
Angel’s Truth Amazon Reviews pdf
We are excited to publish Patricia Policastro’s first children’s book, Johnny’s Daddy had a Heart Attack, which illustrates how EMTs administer CPR and save people in critical health situations.
In this interview Ms. Policastro, a critical care RN, tells us how she hopes her book will help children understand and cope with an emergency in their family or anywhere.
And the best part is 10% of the profits from the book sales will go to the American Heart Association.
Why did you write the story?
I was inspired to write this story by a friend’s husband who had a heart attack when their son was a young age. He did not receive CPR, as he didn’t lose consciousness, but he had chest pain and suddenly did not feel well. He ended up at the hospital with stent placement. Just thinking about their situation inspired me to try to help children in some way. As a nurse, we are always teaching and what better than to teach about a life saving intervention.
Why would this story help children? What is the purpose of the story?
If a child witnesses a similar event, hopefully they will recall what they have learned from the story and have more of an understanding of what is happening during the event, rather than not knowing and feeling scared. The target audience is children ages 4 through 12. My hope and the purpose is to reduce their fear and anxiety during an emergency.
What does the story accomplish? What do you hope to accomplish?
I hope to start children learning about health and life-saving measures at an early age. This story will introduce children to an emergency which necessitates calling “911” and how CPR intervention and an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) helps the human body.
I hope to advocate for people with heart disease by teaching children more knowledge about it and possibly, in their future, when they are older, they might want to become CPR-certified and possibly save someone someday!
How did you research information for the story? Did you have experience in health care or working with children? Have you had to perform CPR?
I am a registered nurse who had experience working on a step down unit for open heart surgical patients, as well as experience working on a Medical-Surgical unit, a Telemetry unit, with some Critical Care experience. It is required to be BLS certified (Basic Life Support) which is inclusive of CPR training. Unfortunately, I have had to apply CPR to some of my patients, and it is a stressful and emotional situation.
The only experience I had working with children, quite frankly, was at a daycare center while I was attending nursing school, but not in a nursing capacity. However, I still felt I could relate to how they would feel and react during an emergency and wanted to try to help in some way.
How long did it take you to write the story?
I have been working on this project over several years, believe it or not. I would work on it, then put it aside, of course, because life gets in the way at times. One of the main barriers to finishing the book was finding an illustrator within my budget. Once I was referred to an illustrator, the completion of this story really began to come together.
Did anyone help you or advise you?
Yes, of course! I feel you should always seek advice or help when you need to. That is also part of being a nurse. I approached a former coworker who now owns his own company, where he trains for BLS certification. He willingly offered his employees’ time to help by modeling the CPR positions so I could photograph them, and I then sent the photos onto the illustrator. The illustrator, I feel, was creative in capturing the fine details of my scene descriptions. I also pursued an opinion from one of the interventional cardiologists I work with, who suggested that there were still some technical terms which needed to be simplified for better understanding. But much direction and advice I attribute to my publisher, Outer Banks Publishing Group. After recommending an illustrator, my publisher really gave me the incentive to continue with and complete my project.
Have you written any other stories?
This is my first story. I was inspired by a friend’s health situation. I remember I began to write the story line when I was on the beach during vacation. It actually didn’t take me long to write it, but every time I had reviewed it, I felt the need to edit it. This occurred many, many times. I didn’t realize how difficult it is to get it just right with words children would be able to comprehend and a story line they could understand. You sort of have to put yourself in their mindset.
Will you write another story for children?
Yes, I would like to. I actually have several other story lines in mind, similar to this one whereby teaching children about other health emergencies a family member could experience or other health conditions people might have, but I would first like to see how this story, Johnny’s Daddy Had a Heart Attack, is perceived and accepted.
___________________________________________
Johnny’s Daddy had a Heart Attack
By Patricia Policastro
List Price: $10.99
7″ x 10″ (17.78 x 25.4 cm)
Full Color Bleed on White paper
36 pages
Outer Banks Publishing Group
ISBN-13: 978-1732045200
ISBN-10: 1732045208
BISAC: Fiction / Family Life
If you vote for Trump and his MAGA GOP members you may indirectly start World War III.
If Trump and his MAGA GOP take control of our Congress, they will cut off support for Ukraine. They already cut support on the advice of Trump when the Congress was ready to approve the spending bill with support for Ukraine.
What will happen next?
said Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. “This is supposed to be the party of conservative principles, of tradition, of respect for customs and rules that make society governable.
“The idea that the law does not apply to Republicans is something that has now become part of the mainstream of the Republican party. We see it in terms of the approach to elections. We see it in terms of the treatment of immigrants. Some of the actions with regard to abortion may approach that level. The Republican party appears to consider the law and the constitution to be optional and to have lost legitimacy.”
From The Guardian
Republicans’ lawless leaders at odds with midterm law and order message | Republicans | The Guardian
If you vote Republican you are supporting:
– 19 GOP red states have pending laws suppressing voter’s ability to vote. Historically, dictators and Fascists have suppressed votes to stay in power.
– The GOP has come out in support of QAnon, The Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys
– You may lose a loved one, a relative or a friend in a train crash, a bridge collapse or a plane crash as Republicans strip funds from President Biden’s infrastructure bill.
– The Texas abortion ban if left to stand will be passed in several other GOP states. Idaho will pass an anti-abortion law based on the Texas law. 16 states have “trigger” abortion ban laws.
by the US Supreme Court.
https://cnn.it/3RaW1zm
https://nyti.ms/3IcANNo
With the recent Supreme Court banning EPA authority from polluters
https://bit.ly/3IfQ1Bf
on Gun Purchases – will never get passed.
Watch Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional plea to improve gun purchase background checks
https://cnn.it/3AnRweO
– will never go up leaving 18 states still paying $7.25 an hour.
– the last thing America needs are conservative leaders, especially some Republicans who want to keep America from progressing. The last thing America needs is backward-thinking leaders in the 21st Century.
– Republicans have turned to cheating to stay in power or to get back into power…and nothing is getting done by them for the American people.
The enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.
and everything America stands for: Truth, Justice and Liberty for all? Look what is happening in Ukraine.
*Of course, not all Republicans are like those described above. Here is a list of those who should stay in office.
House of Representatives – those who voted to impeach the former president
Senate – The Republicans who voted to convict the former president after impeachment:
YOUR VOTE COUNTS. It’s a lie to think otherwise.
Paid for by Jake Stone for American Democracy
VOTE like your freedom depended on it…because it does.
Books of the NY Times