New Release — PEARL OF GREAT PRICE by John D. Nesbitt

Mr. Thorne, a mysterious traveler posing as a writer, arrives in a small Wyoming town—but why is he really there? When his colleague, Miss Greer, joins him, he discovers that the townsfolk can be downright unfriendly.

The two of them are after the worst kind of criminal—one who deals in artifacts of a grisly nature—and they intend to stop him, no matter what his position might be. Will their luck hold as they confront him—and discover what he keeps hidden in his basement?


EXCERPT

     “Are you going to put me in a story? I hope not.”
     Thorne waved his hand. “Not if you don’t want me to.”
     “I’ll tell you why,” said the proprietor. “I like customers, and company, of course, but I’m a bit shy all the same. I wouldn’t care to be in the public eye.”
     “I understand.”
     Roberts nodded. “You seem like a trustworthy chap, or I wouldn’t have told you as much as I have. I would be like one of these laconic natives.”
     “The kind that like to make fun of greenhorns?”
     “There are plenty of that type, of course.” Roberts flipped the pieces of pork and the slices of potato, sending up a sizzle. Turning to Thorne, he said, “I could show you something you won’t see much of out here, but you have to promise me you won’t put it in a story.”
     “You have my word.”
     “Follow me, then.”

Catalyst

The Catalyst

Writers are often asked why they write. The simple, short answer? We must. We’re compelled to. You write, or you don’t—simple as that.

The harder question is where do you get story ideas? How about a formula? External/internal catalyst = emotion = need to express = words on paper/screen. It takes few words to express that emotion. But wait! Nothing happens in a vacuum. How did we get there? What’s the lead up? When did it happen? What’s the aftermath? What is the who-what-when-where using all the tactile and olfactory senses without using purple prose call to action? Ah, the book.

Everyone is different. Ideas come from eclectic places and various ways, often from something you see in everyday life, or a book you’ve read. Or, music. Need to write a sad scene? Listen to Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. I think it’s been used as background music in about every war movie since. Think Platoon.

So, something speaks to you and gets your motor running. A catalyst. I have a favorite book that I wanted my children and grandchildren to read. More for the boys than the girls, but there is a strong female lead too.

“Here. Right here. This is the person I want you to be.” It’s about a fictional Sir Robert Fairfield who fought at the right hand of his king at the Battle of Agincourt. 
Kids and grandkids? Nah. Flipped it away. Doesn’t speak to them. 

What they don’t realize is the theme in WALK WITH PERIL by D.V.S Jackson is present in every book they’ve read. Go figure.

Many writers know what they want to do, plan out the complete novel or story in outline form and never vary from the script. I envy those folks. They churn out books by the dozens. That has never worked for me. I’m what is called in the writer world as a Pantster, or someone who writes by the seat of their pants. The few times I’ve tried to outline, the story went off the rails as the characters took over. Then my outline resembled someone trying to herd cats.

So, ideas? If you write, you must read. I read a lot of unknowns. Longer works by James Lee Burke and Craig Johnson have been great. Of course, everyone who writes westerns have read Louis L’Amour and Dusty Richards to name a few. There are too many to name and I’ve been reading a long, long… long time.

I keep a Word file full of quotes and sayings that mean something to me. These aren’t used verbatim unless I can credit the writer. I look at them for inspiration and it’s the idea behind the quote that drives my own take on things. A good quote will drive your imagination in a lot of different directions.

For example, I needed to write a companion piece to my near-future novel THE SHEPHERD. The protagonist and his lady in THE SHEPHERD were both highly skilled individuals so when the world went to pot they had a good chance of survival—and still almost didn’t make it.
CHRYSALIS is the flip-side of that coin. This story is about a computer nerd and his family—same scenario, same city—how did they survive? Well....

The attitude and driving force for CHRYSALIS was Johnny Cash’s rendition of Hurt. Give it a listen and try to get THAT out of your head the rest of the day. I should insert a smiley face here—kind of a sinister, grim looking smiley face. Maybe a clown. My kids argue for the rendition by Nine Inch Nails. I have my own opinion. Thank you very much.

Another example is my novella RESCUE TRAIL. There’s a situation where the marshal is trying to avoid trouble, trying to back away. His method was shades of James Lee Burke. Every story Mr. Burke writes is a lesson for any aspiring writer. If you read RESCUE TRAIL, see if you can find it.

I saw a book cover of a cowboy kneeling in front of a cross and HALLOWED GROUND came from that. Plus the question of how do you write about a serial killer before the term was coined?

Crazy as it seems, sometimes that’s all it takes.

You can keep your own list just for fun. Maybe you already do.

“War is only interesting to someone who’s never been.” Yup. Been there, done that, burned the tee shirt.

“You’re a sophistic pretzel.” Okay, I’m not sure I’ve ever figured that one out. Still trying.

“The road he was stepping on had an end of hazy uncertainty.” We’ve all been there.

Someone was kind enough to put a list of Shakespearean insults on Facebook. Oh, I loved that. I’d like to use at least one in every future writing.

—She stepped close as the cool night drew down and the wind whipped dust in the street. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the scent of rain… and her… shook him as his arms pulled her in. Moments before his life had been his own. He could risk it or throw it away. Now someone lay claim to it and made it precious. —That’s just me and it’s in a future story.

See? I’ve gone off the rails again.  

Have a blessed day in whatever gets your motor running.

Darrel Sparkman

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Route 66, Road of Destiny and Freedom by Jodi Lea Stewart

Route 66. The Mother Road. The Artery of the Nation.
America's Main Street.
The Dust Bowl Highway. The Road of Flight.

Route 66 is twenty-five hundred miles of pure Americana that meant the world to people living in the 1940s and 1950s. Though officially taken out of the U.S. Highway system in 1985, it continues to generate nostalgia and give birth to new generations of travelers who long for the old glory days of Route 66. 

Guides, maps, and suggestions on a Route 66 road trip abound on the Internet

Beginning in Chicago and ending in California, a Route 66 trek is dubbed the quintessential road trip even today. Motorcycle and auto clubs regularly schedule group road trips following the Mother Road and indulging “in relaxed walks through historic, western-style downtowns, getting lost between dusty antique items, sipping a root beer in an authentic soda fountain, and enjoying an open-air movie before spending the night in an authentic mom and pop motel of the 50s.”

How did one road mean so much to so many people in the years past and even today?

I believe the answer lies in the very DNA of our citizenry and represents the great spirit of the American people. 

In short, it signifies freedom both yesterday and today.

• Freedom to travel when and where one’s heart wanders.
• Freedom to believe in change and the hope of tomorrow.
• Freedom to see new places and people, and to enjoy them at leisure.
• Freedom to connect with others who love to travel or move or sightsee.

Route 66 is a symbol of mobility to this nation.

The automotive and transportation explosions are aptly represented by Route 66. Wars and ends of wars changed circumstances and opinions in this country, and they also affected how Americans looked at travel. It became more than getting from place to place, but also a way to change their lives. 

Looking for change? 

Take to the roads. Need a better tomorrow? Hop in the car and go find it. Looking for adventure? Look no further than the highway stretching in front of you. Route 66 offered something different to each and every voyager. 

Of course, John Steinbeck used this famous highway to symbolize the grit, desperation, and migration from the Dust Bowl regions, calling it a Highway of Flight.

It was truly that and more. Capitalism at its best was represented by the multitudes of businesses

springing up like weeds in a garden to service the droves of people traveling East to West and West to East. Motor courts, service stations, cafes, tourist camps, grocery stores all found a way to thrive along the busy road.

"In the 1950s, Route 66 was a genuine celebrity. Families could actually leave their homes in the East or Midwest and drive out to the Grand Canyon or the Painted Desert. The could go all the way to the Pacific on a highway that passed through towns where Abe Lincoln practiced law, Jesse James robbed banks, and Will Rogers learned how to twirl a rope. 

"They could cross Mark Twain’s great river into lands where outlaws hid in dark caves, and drive through picture-book countrysides where cowpokes still chased dogies into the sunset.” Michael Wallis, Route 66, The Mother Road

Route 66 is the representation of democracy alive and well on our highways, over our bridges, in our vehicles, and in our hearts.

May it survive and thrive!

Blackberry Road is available on Amazon. 

 Blackberry Road is Jodi's fourth novel.

What's next? A historical novel set in 1954 featuring an escape using the famous ROUTE 66. THE ACCIDENTAL ROAD debuts September 2019.

Jodi Lea Stewart was born in Texas to an "Okie" mom and a Texan dad. Her younger years were spent in Texas and Oklahoma; hence, she knows all about biscuits and gravy, blackberry picking, chiggers, and snipe hunting. At the age of eight, she moved to a large cattle ranch in the White Mountains of Arizona. Later, she left her studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson to move to San Francisco, where she learned about peace, love, and exactly what she DIDN'T want to do with her life. Since then, Jodi graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Business Management, raised three children, worked as an electro-mechanical drafter, penned humor columns for a college periodical, wrote regional Western articles, and served as managing editor of a Fortune 500 corporate newsletter. She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, her delightful 90+year-old mother, one crazy Standard poodle named Jazz, one rescue cat, and numerous gigantic, bossy houseplants.

New Release -- RESCUE TRAIL by Darrel Sparkman

Jake Rawlings was broken. One senseless killing and the loss of his wife left him without an anchor. Guilt and bitterness pushed him to turn in his badge. When he decides to follow the trail of a lone woman on the prairie, he’s led to a feisty widow and her daughter fighting for their lives. Saving them was easy. Can he save himself?

EXCERPT

     When the gambler’s hand touched the butt of his pistol, Jake tried to reason. “Slim. This is not a serious problem. If you need time to close your affairs here, we can do that.”

     “No need. There’s nothing left.”

     Jake watched the man as the odd statement put his nerves on edge. Nothing left? “This is not how you want to do this. Maybe I should walk outside and come in again when you’re in a better mood.”

     He watched the man grip his pistol and met his glassy-eyed stare. He’d seen that same look on men going to the gallows. “Don’t do this, Slim. There’s no need.”

     “I disagree.”