I was notified this week my 5900 word short story “Prairie Dogs’ Helmets” received final acceptance from “Bewildering Stories”. It is on their publication schedule.
Tag: Book Review
When Washington Burned: An Illustrated History of the War of 1812
One of the least known wars in United States or for that matter British history is the War of 1812.
The War of 1812 was a rather disorderly event. At times it had several minor campaigns going on at the same time. They weren’t coordinated, were hundreds of miles apart and had little or nothing to do with the other campaigns.
The author has produced an understandable account out of this disjointed war. His narrative is well organized. The structure used has each chapter covering a distinct area. They are restricted to a geographic area. The genius of this approach is let you keep needed focus without covering everything happening on all fronts at the same time. The coverage of the Naval engagements is excellent. They receive their separate chapters.
The illustrations are first-rate. The majority of the images are present-day. He makes skillful use of maps to show the more intricate campaigns. This is an excellent single volume history of the War of 1812. It explains what happened. It explains why it happened. The coverage is balanced with US and British material. The book would be an great addition for community libraries, school libraries and is a must for the personal library of military historians. It would also make a nice “coffee table book”.
Arnold Blumberg and Casemate Publishing have provide a well needed, quality book on the War of 1812.
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Review: Acres of Diamonds
“Acres of Diamonds” by Russell Conwell is an all time inspirational classic. It is choke-full of wisdom for those who aspire to make more of their lives.
Conwell’s book (originally a lecture) includes several principles for living.
- He admonishes all to become more aware and sensitive of the opportunities that may be closer to you than you think.
- He points outs one should be careful about giving children a very large inheritance lest they fail to learn to work for their wealth.
- He includes the spiritual with a strong reminder to not separate your religion from your business.
- He hammers home the principle of know what people need, then invest yourself in meeting what is needed.
- He concludes by pointing out knowing what people need will give you more knowledge of obtaining a fortune than any amount of capital can give you.
The book is simple. It is full common sense.
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Review: A Requiem for Love
“A Requiem for Love” by Calvin Miller is a dramatic work in the tradition of Milton’s Paradise Lost and J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” Trilogy.
With A Requiem for Love, the first book in the “Symphony Trilogy”, Calvin Miller displays the strength of his voice and the clarity of his vision. It is a story of fallen love, of impossible dreams and ancient longings, of frustrated ambition and a love so strong that it endures forever. The first volume of his Symphony trilogy retells the Genesis story.
Miller has a poetic pen. It is on display as he plays off the images of light and darkness. It evokes a poignant picture of the love of power and the power of love.
The original drawings and distinctive page styling make the book a work of art from cover to cover. This is Miller at his best. I read the book originally when it was first released in 1989. Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler.
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The True Story of Catch – 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller’s 340th Bomb Group in World War II
Did Joseph Heller commit a disservice to the members of the 340th Bomb Group when he wrote Catch-22? Did author Patricia Chapman Meder write an apologetic defending the real four officers some feel Joesph Heller blindsided when he made them into Catch-22’s four heavy hitters?
“The True Story of Catch – 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller’s 340th Bomb Group in World War II” is a combination of both plus I feel some admiration for Joseph Heller making those men infamous.
There is a reason the original Catch-22 is found in the fiction not nonfiction section of bookstores. Joseph Heller didn’t write a memoir of his service during World War II. He wrote a satirical and somewhat historical novel.
Patricia Chapman Meder uses rare and unpublished photos to bring our actual heroes to life through use of first person narrative.
There is a third part in her book that is actually the book’s heart. She takes twelve men of the 340th and relates twelve true tales.
Fans of Catch-22 will enjoy the book. It makes good use of diaries, logs, and photos to bring the people to life. For those unfamiliar with Catch-22 the book will make you curious enough to pickup Heller’s book.
“The True Story of Catch – 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller’s 340th Bomb Group in World War II” would make a nice companion volume or commentary for the serious student of the original work. It would make a nice inclusion in university or community libraries as a resource for Joseph Heller’s book.
I recommend “The True Story of Catch – 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller’s 340th Bomb Group in World War II” by Patricia Chapman Meder. The publisher is Casemate Publishing.
Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler.
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Why I Write
Today is Thursday March 21, 2013.
In 1946, George Orwell (his real name was Eric Arthur Blair) wrote an essay titled “Why I Write”. It detailed his personal journey to becoming a writer. Orwell lists “four great motives for writing” which he feels exist in every writer. He explains that all are present, but in different proportions, and also that these proportions vary from time to time. They are as follows:
1. Sheer egoism – Orwell argues that many people write simply to feel clever, to “be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on grown-ups in childhood, etc.” He says that this is a great motive, although most of humanity is not “acutely selfish”, and that this motive exists mainly in younger writers. He also says that it exists more in serious writers than journalists, though serious writers are “less interested in money”.
2. Aesthetic enthusiasm – Orwell explains that present in writing is the desire to make one’s writing look and sound good, having “pleasure in the impact of one sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good story.” He says that this motive is “very feeble in a lot of writers” but still present in all works of writing.
3. Historical impulse – He sums this up by simply stating this motive is the “desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity.”
4. Political purpose – Orwell writes, “No book is genuinely free from political bias”, and further explains that this motive is used very commonly in all forms of writing in the broadest sense, citing a “desire to push the world in a certain direction” in every person. He concludes by saying that “the opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude.”
After reading the essay, I came up with my list. They are as follows:
1. Ego/Hubris – I love to see my name listed as the author. I enjoy when my name appears on the cover of a magazine and in the table of comments of a magazine. I wish to see my name on the spine of a traditionally published book.
2. Educating People – I have loved when I have published a magazine article then get a telephone call, letter, or email asking for more information on the subject. Sometimes because of my writing, I have received job offers and speaking engagements. I enjoy informing people about historical events, writer’s lives, and the backgrounds of people and events.
3. Desire to influence others and be held in esteem by others – Maybe this goes with number one – Hubris. I recall the pride my oldest son had when he went to college and found several of my traditionally published magazine articles while doing research. He said it was somewhat cool to quote his father’s published work in a research paper. He said some of what I wrote for journals would be in the library forever.
4. Sharing my faith – I remember reading the late musician and former Beatles guitarist George Harrison’s memoir, “I, Me, Mine”. In the book, he says he purposefully wrote songs to share his beliefs and faith in Hare Krishna. I do the same to share my faith and belief in Jesus Christ. I try to do it in the normal flow of life as opposed to clobbering someone with the Bible.
If you write, why do you write?
Encourage your friends, keep reading and write.
Jimmie A. Kepler
Photo credits: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. English: George Orwell in Hampstead On the corner of Pond Street and South End Road, opposite the Royal Free Hospital. The bookshop has long gone. Date: 11 May 2007. Source: From geograph.org.uk
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Learning the Business of Writing
Today is Tuesday March 19, 2013.
Today I was sitting back and reflecting on the writer’s life. It got me to thinking. How did I get that first sale? That first book review?
The first sale involved learning the system. I attended a Smokey Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference. I was a wanna be writer. I learned basics of magazine article writing. Maybe the most important happening at the conference was meeting editors and publishers. I talked to several publishers who expressed interest in working with new writers.
All the editors required that I write on speculation. That means I write on the subject they assign, but they have no obligation to buy my work. It allows them to see if I can follow their rules, meet their deadlines, write sale-able copy, etc. It lets them see how thick-skinned you are and if you take things personal.
I had a kind editor who loved taking a few rookie writers under his wing each year and mentoring them. He called offering me an article on speculation. I had to rewrite six times before he bought the first article. My payment was 2 1/2 cents per word, that is a check for $12.50, three copies of the magazine – one for me, one for my parents, and one for my wife’s parents – plus my name was on the by-line.
The article appeared in a little magazine called “Sunday School Leadership” published by Lifeway Christian Resources. Its circulation in the early 1980s was over 250,000 paid subscribers. It’s audience was my church members, seminary classmates, and members of the 40,000 plus Southern Baptist Churches in the USA as well as most directors of Christian education of all denominations.
I wrote an article or two for this editor every year for the next 15 or 16 years. It took me over decade before I got a cover article. Once I did get a cover article I got one every year until he retired. The first article is very basic. It’s title was: “Who Does What“. I wrote the article in the Emory University Library in Atlanta, Georgia. I lived close to the campus. It was a favorite place for me to hang out and study. The article is available by clicking on the link with the article title.
In 1986 I asked about reviewing books. At the time I would put a book review about once a month in my church’s newsletter. My editor was on the mailing list and said I wrote good reviews. He recommended me to a colleague. The thought of having someone give me a book for free to read was exciting to me. I was buying and reading about 100 books a year so free books were a good thing. The review for the first book is available by clicking on the link with the article title: “Book Review“.
I wrote this article while sitting in my church bus. I had taken the senior adults from my church to an event in the Smokey Mountains. We had the afternoon free and had gone to the Vanderbilt Estate in Asheville, NC.
One lady refused to tour the house. She was protesting paying homage to the rich and decadent lifestyle I think. Even though the tour was prepaid, she refused to go on it. It was fall and cool in the mountains. I would not let her stay on the bus by herself. So, I sat out there all afternoon and wrote. I can write anywhere I think. The dear lady is still living and around 90 years old and still as stubborn. The picture is of the Vanderbilt Estate.
What is my point? My point is if you love to read and write you can probably leverage it into a paying gig. You’ll never get rich. I learned at the DFWCon (the Dallas Fort Worth Writer’s Conference) last spring that less than one percent of all writers are able to support themselves writing full-time. So don’t quit your day job. If love writing why not go for it? Just write!
Encourage your friends, keep reading and write.
Jimmie A. Kepler
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Albedo One and Albedo 2.0
Albedo One & Albedo 2.0 – Submission Guidelines for Authors
We are always looking for thoughtful, well written fiction. Our definition of what constitutes science fiction, horror and fantasy is extremely broad and we love to see material which pushes at the boundaries or crosses between genres.
All authors receive a complimentary print and pdf copy of the issue their story appears in. Our payment is 6 euro per 1000 words (i.e. 0.6 cents per word), up to 8000 words. We hope to improve our rates gradually in the future, and purchasing the magazine is the way to help us achieve that!
Our preferred length is between 2,500 and 8,000 words. We have published stories above that limit, but only because we thought that they were of exceptional quality. Please also note that we cannot (regretfully) pay for additional words beyond 8000.
Our response time is variable – but we aim to respond between two to four months after submission date.
We do not accept simultaneous or multiple submissions, nor do we accept previously published stories, the exception being stories that have been published previously in languages other than English (i.e. you may submit stories that have not yet been published in English, but the stories must be translated to English for submission).
We do not count stories that have been posted online in fiction workshops for critique and improvement as having been previously published (i.e. these may also be submitted, but must be removed from the workshop if accepted for publication).
All stories submitted will be considered for publication in either Albedo One magazine, OR in the online Albedo 2.0 Fiction Showcase series, which aims to publish and showcase online the very best fiction that the Albedo One team can lay their hands on.
For postal submissions: All stories should be typewritten, on A4 paper or US equivalent, double line or 1.5 line spaced, using one side of the paper and leaving at least 1″ margins all round. Electronic version should be available on request.
We do NOT return manuscripts, so disposable manuscripts ONLY please!
Our postal submissions address:
Albedo One
2 Post Road
Lusk
Co. Dublin
Ireland
All submissions must be accompanied by an e-mail address, our preferred method of response, or a SAE with Irish stamps. NO English stamps, NO American stamps please – the Irish Post Office does NOT accept these. International Reply Coupons (IRCs) are unfortunately also not accepted by the Irish Post Office.
For email submissions: Mail your e-mail submission to: bobn@yellowbrickroad.ie.
Email submissions may be pasted into the body of your email, or may be submitted as an attachment in .rtf format (no .docx please).
Please enter subject line as follows: Fiction Submission: Name of Story
We strongly suggest that potential contributors be familiar with the style and content of Albedo One before submitting, and we advise ordering a copy or minimally reading a low-cost pdf copy before submitting stories.
Story rights: Upon acceptance of a story for publication in Albedo One magazine or the Albedo 2.0 Fiction Showcase, we claim First World English Rights for Online and Print mediums. This lets us be the ones to publish your story first, worldwide in the English language, either in the pages of Albedo One, or online on the Albedo 2.0 Fiction Showcase. As soon as we have published your story, be it in Albedo One magazine or Albedo 2.0, rights revert to the authors. Albedo One NEVER claims any permanent rights to your work.
You might also wish to consider entering our respected horror, fantasy and science fiction writing competition, the International Aeon Award Short Fiction Contest, with a grand prize of €1000 euro (yes, that’s right, €1000!) and publication in Albedo One.
We are also looking for interviews with high profile authors, media personalities and for book reviews.
Albedo One – Guidelines to Artists
Please submit a sample of your work. We currently require cover artwork only. Artwork may be commissioned on the basis of your initial sample submission. We pay €20 for artwork, on publication.
Our address:
Albedo One
2 Post Road
Lusk
Co. Dublin
Ireland
Aeon Press – Guidelines for Authors
AEON PRESS IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO SUBMISSIONS.
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Valor in Vietnam 1963 – 1977: Chronicles of Honor, Courage and Sacrifice
I enjoyed reading “Valor in Vietnam 1963 – 1977: Chronicles of Honor, Courage and Sacrifice” by Allen B. Clark. I can easily recommend the book. In the vast literature on Vietnam that is too often memoirs full of hubris or tomes that bore you with action killing details, Mr. Clarke has given us a wonderful, fresh look at one of the most seminal events in the life of those who experienced the 1960s and 1970s. You experience the Vietnam War from the personal point of view of some of the men and women who were there. You get both a unique boots on the ground and narrative perspective.
I need to give a spoiler warning. I was left wondering if the actions Colonel Clyde R. Russell was the catalyst that started the war. It was interesting to see his son in high school in Saigon in 1964. Later, we learn of his son, Lieutenant Chris Russell – the reluctant warrior as the author called him. We see how his dad got his college student deferment pulled where he had to go in the Army. We see when he is in Vietnam he returns to the halls he walked as a ten grader. The building is now used for a very different purpose.
The book is full of wonderful, well told stories that sequentially take us through the war. The stories of men and women of various branches of service and ranks, both officer and enlisted gives a you were there feel.
I especially enjoyed the combat leadership lessons that were shared as we made our way through the years of the war. I would hope that such venues as the Infantry School, Command and General Staff College, and War College would include this insightful work in their required or recommended reading. I pray these are lessons that will not have to be learned over and over, but can be taught through case studies from this book.
While every chapter was well written and action packed, a couple of chapters especially touched me. They were the chapters on The Real Horrors of War covering Captain Wendy Weller’s tour as a nurse in 1969-1970 and the chapter titled Ranger’s Ranger covering the 1965 – 1970 tours of duty of Staff Sergeant Patrick Tadina. I was amazed at how low the casualty rate was for the units/missions he led and how long he was in Vietnam.
The book’s title caught my attention when it had the date range going to 1977 instead of stopping in 1973 or 1975. Spoiler alert – the last chapter covers 1975 to 1977 and a couple who were left behind when the last Americans fled. It is intriguing.
Congratulations to author Allen B. Clark and Casemate Publishing. You have published a special book.
“Valor in Vietnam 1963 – 1977: Chronicles of Honor, Courage and Sacrifice” by Allen B. Clark. The publisher is Casemate Publishing.
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The True Story of Catch – 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller’s 340th Bomb Group in World War II
Did Joseph Heller commit a disservice to the members of the 340th Bomb Group when he wrote Catch-22? Did author Patricia Chapman Meder write an apologetic defending the real four officers some feel Joesph Heller blindsided when he made them into Catch-22’s four heavy hitters?“The True Story of Catch – 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller’s 340th Bomb Group in World War II” is a combination of both plus I feel some admiration for Joseph Heller making those men infamous.
There is a reason the original Catch-22 is found in the fiction not nonfiction section of bookstores. Joseph Heller didn’t write a memoir of his service during World War II. He wrote a satirical and somewhat historical novel.
Patricia Chapman Meder uses rare and unpublished photos to bring our actual heroes to life through use of first person narrative.
There is a third part in her book that is actually the book’s heart. She takes twelve men of the 340th and relates twelve true tales.
Fans of Catch-22 will enjoy the book. It makes good use of diaries, logs, and photos to bring the people to life. For those unfamiliar with Catch-22 the book will make you curious enough to pickup Heller’s book.
“The True Story of Catch – 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller’s 340th Bomb Group in World War II” would make a nice companion volume or commentary for the serious student of the original work. It would make a nice inclusion in university or community libraries as a resource for Joseph Heller’s book.
I recommend “The True Story of Catch – 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller’s 340th Bomb Group in World War II” by Patricia Chapman Meder. The publisher is Casemate Publishing. Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler.
