Saturday, October 06, 2012

Interview with Michael Newton

Western Fictioneers: Western Writer Michael Newton aka Lyle Brandt

The Anthony Awards

The Rap Sheet: Passing Out the Anthonys

Bigfoot Update

Sasquatch sighting by Nunavik berry pickers - CBC News: Women report seeing 10-foot-tall creature with long dark hair

Six Films That Turned Out Pretty Well Despite Being Taken from Their Directors

Six Films That Turned Out Pretty Well Despite Being Taken From Their Directors 

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

More evidence that Voyager has exited the solar system

More evidence that Voyager has exited the solar system

The 25 greatest movies of the 90s

The 25 greatest movies of the 90s

Paging Snake Plissken

Enter At Your Own Risk: Police Union Says ‘War-Like’ Detroit Is Unsafe For Visitors 

Song of the Day

Goldfinger - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad


Yes, Sean Connery Is Included

10 Most Inexplicably Tiny Outfits in Science Fiction History

U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

The ten most expensive burgers in the world 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

PaperBack

 

 Nick Quarry (Marvin H. Albert), The Girl with no Place to Hide, Gold Medal, 1959

O'Neil De Noux Interview

You can read it here:  SONS OF SPADE

Why Hold Your Pistol Sideways?

Marine marksman sheds light on how gunmen from the 'hood unwittingly use a well-known aiming technique 

The Secret of Humphrey Bogart's Distinctive Voice

The Secret of Humphrey Bogart's Distinctive Voice

The Silent Marx Brother

The Silent Marx Brother

Runaway Emu WBAGNFARB

Florida police launch hunt to find runaway emu Taco in search of love


Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Why Hogwarts Was All in Harry's Head: A Conspiracy Theory

Why Hogwarts Was All in Harry's Head: A Conspiracy Theory

Margaret Atwood's 10 Rules of Writing

Margaret Atwood's 10 Rules of Writing 

15 Mind-Blowing Old-Timey Photos You Won't Believe Are Real

15 Mind-Blowing Old-Timey Photos You Won't Believe Are Real 

Fighting Marines

1935 FIGHTING MARINES SERIAL TRAILER - YouTube:

Friday, October 05, 2012

Shamus Awards

The Rap Sheet: Now with Shamuses in Hand

And Keep off Her Grass!

Disabled Calif. grandmother takes on 13 intruders — defends pot farm with bear spray

Croc Update (Good News Edition)

Shock Till You Drop: The Chinese production, Million Dollar Crocodile, the story of a giant crocodile who devours a bag of cash, has secured North America distribution with Screen Media Films acquiring all domestic rights.

Free Today for Kindle

CRIME THRILLERS-A Box SetCRIME THRILLERS-A Box Set: Billie Sue Mosiman: Amazon.com: Books: This is an omnibus edition of two complete novels and a novelette consisting of 155,000 words. The books included are the Edgar-nominated novel, NIGHT CRUISING, KILLING CARLA, and the story, PRETTY KILLER BOY. 

 NIGHT CRUISING-She ran away from home and needed a ride from the truck stop, but the handsome man who offered it to her was one of the deadliest and most cunning serial killers since Ted Bundy. They were going to cruise the night. 

 KILLING CARLA-He came out of nowhere and murdered Sully's wife, Frannie. Due to police negligence, the case is thrown out of court, and the killer never prosecuted. Sully wants revenge. Yet it's Carla, Frannie's sister, who means to right the wrong and make sure this killer doesn't get away with it. Now Carla is in the killer's spotlight and he's watching her, he's studying her, he's thinking about KILLING CARLA... 

 PRETTY KILLER BOY-A handsome young man stole the heart of a girl during 1967 and offered to drive her to California to Haight-Ashbury to join the hippie movement. What she didn't know was he was as revengeful as he was good looking and as unrelenting as he was pretty.

Song of the Day

Beatles- I'm a Loser - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad


Or Maybe You Did

Bond at 50 | James Bond, Declassified: 50 Things You Didn’t Know About 007 

Bigfoot Air Freshener

Bigfoot Air FreshenerBigfoot Air Freshener: Smells way better than the actual bigfoot

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

PaperBack

 

Nick Quarry (Marvin H. Albert), The Hoods Come Calling, Gold Medal, 1958

Mama Mia!

Here I go again: Abba's Agnetha to record comeback album as she enters studio for first time since 1990s

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The '60s at 50: Friday, October 5, 1962: 'Dr. No'

The '60s at 50: Friday, October 5, 1962: 'Dr. No': The first movie featuring British secret agent James Bond premieres in London. Based on the 1958 book by Ian Fleming, "Dr. No" Sean Connery stars as 007, a role he would play six more times.

'Mona Lisa' Update

Hunting for the Bones of 'Mona Lisa'

10 of the Most Famous Photo Hoaxes Through History

10 of the Most Famous Photo Hoaxes Through History

I Miss the Old Days

The '60s at 50: Friday, October 5, 1962: 'Love Me Do'

13 Rock Stars Who Disappeared

13 Rock Stars Who Disappeared 

Uh-Oh or OK?

The Wizard of Oz 3D: Will it spoil a cinematic classic?  To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Warner Bros. announces a 3D re-release of the classic family film.

5 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets From Cheers

5 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets From Cheers 

AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales in September 2012

AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales in September 2012: Last month AbeBooks sold three historic bibles with a combined age of 1,296 years and a combined value of more than $66,000. The most expensive sale was a Latin bible from 1491 for $26,200. It’s a so-called ‘Poor Man’s bible’ printed by Johannes Froben in Basel. The nickname comes from its smaller size as bibles were printed in a large format with no expense sparred prior to Froben’s edition.

An 11 year-old boy has discovered one of the most exquisitely preserved wooly mammoths ever

An 11 year-old boy has discovered one of the most exquisitely preserved wooly mammoths ever

Forgotten Books: Isaac Asimov presents The Great SF Stories 25 (1963) -- Martin H. Greenberg and Isaac Asimov, Editors

Okay, to tell the truth, I'm not just recommending one book today.  I'm recommending 25 of them, the 25 in the DAW series under the general heading of Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories.  Marty Greenberg and Asimov worked on the series together, and in most of the volumes both provide introductions to the stories that are included.  Greenberg gives a brief overview of the main events of the year the stories were published.  Those are great, but it's the stories that count.  The first volume contains stories from 1939, and we move right along until the concluding volume that's pictured here.  I can't think of a better series of books for anybody who's interested in learning something about the history of SF and its best writers than this one.

In my dark moments I sometimes think that a lot of younger SF readers don't care much about the history of the field and that they don't want to read anything that wasn't published within the last five years.   In my even darker moments, I think it doesn't matter.  When I read the stories from any book in this series, I think what a great past SF has and what fine storytellers the field produced, and I'd like to require everybody to read every story in every volume.  Fat chance.  At any rate, I'm glad I have them all and can open one up and read a great story anytime I feel like it.  

Some of the books in the series can be found on the 'Net for very little (the higher-numbered volumes are usually a bit more).  Check 'em out.

Riders of the Desert

1932 RIDERS OF THE DESERT TRAILER BOB STEELE - YouTube:

Thursday, October 04, 2012

Best James Bond Opening Sequences

Best James Bond Opening Sequences

The Rap Sheet: Direct from Bouchercon 2012: The Macavity and Barry Award Winners

The Rap Sheet: Direct from Bouchercon 2012: The Macavity and Barry Award Winners

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Interest

Scoundrel (A Noah Milano Novelette)
Scoundrel (A Noah Milano Novelette): Jochem Vandersteen: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: A pregnant woman hires ex-mob fixer and security specialist Noah Milano to track down the man who got her pregnant. When it turns out this man is quite the scoundrel Noah gets involved with Russian gangsters and a murder case. 

 Praise by other authors: ''The writing is fresh and vivid and lively, paying homage to the past while standing squarely in the present." -James W. Hall, author of Silencer.

Feeling Safer Now?

PressTV: A former TSA worker has pleaded guilty to stealing over $500 in cash from a man who complained about the TSA’s invasive pat down procedure, with the TSA agent admitting the theft was a punishment for the man’s lack of obedience. 

Bullet for a Virgin! -- Peter Brandvold

Bullet For A Virgin! (The Adventures of the Rio Concho Kid)Spicy Western Stories hasn't been published in what? Sixty years? But if it were still being published, "Bullet for a Virgin" would fit right in. It features The Rio Concho Kid, who lives in Mexico because in the U. S. he's still being pursued by the army for killing the soldiers who killed his wife. He's fast with a gun, of course, and he's a sucker for defending a beautiful woman from a fate worse than death. Or from death. He's up against a wonderful villain, El Leproso, and the action never stops. Check it out.

Poe House Update

B&O Museum hired to put the Poe House back on track 

Hat tip to The Rap Sheet.

Song of the Day

Joey Powers - Midnight Mary - YouTube:

Interview with David Niall Wilson

David Niall Wilson & Crossroad Press

Today's Vintage Ad


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2013: Meet the nominees

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2013: Meet the nominees 

Dino Update

'Dracula' Dinosaur Had Bristles and Fangs

Ouch

ABC News: An Army veteran is seeking $10 million from the federal government, accusing a Veterans Administration nurse of repeatedly put ice packs on his penis after surgery, causing frostbite and gangrene and ultimately leading to the organ's partial amputation.

Top 10 Calorie Bombs Served In Restaurants

Top 10 Calorie Bombs Served In Restaurants

PaperBack

 

Nick Quarry (Marvin H. Albert), No Chance in Hell, Gold Medal, 1960

Famous Authors’ Funniest Responses to Their Books Being Banned

Famous Authors’ Funniest Responses to Their Books Being Banned

A Short Blog Post on One of My Favorite Topics

Top Suspense Group: A Publishing Revolution by Bill Crider

Yet Another List I'm Not On

Your Favorite Authors Are Frauds: 6 Famous Ghostwriters

The Best Designed Book Covers of 2011

The Best Designed Book Covers of 2011

13 U.K. Number One Hits That Never Made It To America

13 U.K. Number One Hits That Never Made It To America

10 Legendary Monsters of Europe

10 Legendary Monsters of Europe 

Archaeology Update

Tomb of Mayan queen found in Guatemala

They're Everywhere

L.I. family takes in wandering alligators 

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon

1942 SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE SECRET WEAPON TRAILER BASIL RATHBONE - YouTube:

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Mama Mia!

ABBA museum to open in Stockholm this spring

Edgar Allan Poe Update

Baltimore's Edgar Allan Poe House is nevermore 

The Steady Erosion of our Constitutional Rights Continues Apace

Alligator Pool Parties Shut Down By State Authorities 

First It Was the Hot Sauce Tantrum . . . .

Nebraska man accused of attacking wife with sandwich

Short, Sharp Interview: Dave Zeltserman

Short, Sharp Interview: Dave Zeltserman 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Domestic Fight Over Obama and Romney Leads to Man's Arrest

This Never Happens to Christian Bale

Man In Batman Costume Busted By Cops. Again: -A Michigan man who patrols the streets in a Batman costume is facing a felony charge after he allegedly interfered with a police investigation.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Man Arrested After Throwing Remote at Wife, Police Say 

Song of the Day

R. B. Greaves - "Take A Letter Maria" - YouTube:

Not Bouchercon Bound

This is the day Judy and I would have been flying to Cleveland for the Bouchercon.  Right about now we'd be at Houston's big airport, waiting to board our plane.  This year, however, we won't be going.  As the old saying goes, circumstances beyond our control have prevented us.  Not that the rest of you shouldn't have a wonderful time without us.  Don't forget to buy plenty of books in the Dealers Room and go to a lot of panels.  Hang out and talk. I'm planning to read all about it on various blogs and twitter streams so I can have a few vicarious thrills.  At my age, that's probably the best kind.

Today's Vintage Ad


Uh-Oh

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John reunite for holiday album 

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

The Story Of HPD Sergeant Stacey Soro, Nude Model

How To Help Tom Piccirilli

Tom Piccirilli's surgery is over, but it appears that he has a long, tough fight ahead.  He's not in good shape, folks.  If you'd like to help, here's a link that will point you to four different ways:  How To Help Tom Piccirilli (UPDATED) – Brian Keene

The Three Stooges' 15 Greatest Sports Moments

The Three Stooges' 15 Greatest Sports Moments

PaperBack

 

Nick Quarry (Marvin H. Albert), Some Die Hard, Gold Medal, 1961

How Ernest Hemingway Probably Got Free Beer For Life

How Ernest Hemingway Probably Got Free Beer For Life

Look Mom, I'm Holding an Alligator!

Look Mom, I'm Holding an Alligator! 

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Fox News: The State Fair of Texas and a crew from Frito-Lay on Monday set a new Guinness record by building the world’s biggest Frito pie.

Top 10 Pure Evil Characters

Top 10 Pure Evil Characters

15 actors who became surprisingly good directors

15 actors who became surprisingly good directors

7 Politicians Who Appeared on Game Shows

7 Politicians Who Appeared on Game Shows 

The Top 20 Female Badasses In Film/TV!!!

The Top 20 Female Badasses In Film/TV!!!

Dozen Beloved TV Characters Killed Off Too Soon

Dozen Beloved TV Characters Killed Off Too Soon 

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

Splash

Splash (1984) - Trailer - YouTube:

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Interest

Killer Reads features a couple of volumes of Dead Man novels.  Check 'em out.

As Who Isn't?

Chimp expert Jane Goodall says she is ‘fascinated’ by Bigfoot 


Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Really?

My Favorite Fangs: The Story of the Von Trapp Family Vampires: Alan Goldsher: 9780312640200: Amazon.com: Books

Free on Kindle for Three Days

How to Write a Dick: A Guide for Writing Fictional Sleuths from a Couple of Real-Life SleuthsHow to Write a Dick: A Guide for Writing Fictional Sleuths from a Couple of Real-Life Sleuths: Shaun Kaufman,Colleen Collins: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: The private eye genre has come a long way, baby, with new subgenres — from teenage PIs to vampire gumshoes to geriatric sleuths — attracting new readers every year. Unfortunately, most writers are not aware of the state-of-the-art developments that shape today’s professional private investigator, which sometimes leave writers floundering with impossible and antiquated devices, characters and methods in stories. Which is why we wrote How to Write a Dick: A Guide for Writing Fictional Sleuths from a Couple of Real-Life Sleuths, whose material we culled from our combined 14 years as private investigators, and also from our teaching online classes and conducting workshops at writers’ conferences about writing private investigators. How to Write a Dick isn’t about how to write a novel, but what you need to know to write an authentic, compelling 21st-century sleuth character or story.

R. B. Greaves, R. I. P.

R. B. Greaves - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Ronald Bertram Aloysius "R. B." Greaves III (born November 28, 1944, Georgetown, Guyana, died September 27, 2012) is a singer who had chart success in 1969 with the pop single "Take a Letter Maria". A #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, this single sold one million copies and earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Greaves also had a Top 40 pop hit a year later with "Always Something There to Remind Me". R.B. Greaves passed away in Los Angeles, California on September 27, 2012 at the age of 67.

Banned Books Week

Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Bukowski, Susan Sontag, Harper Lee, and Other Literary Greats on Censorship

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

. . . and Texas leads the way!

Kevin Meyer, Harris County Sheriff's Deputy, Arrested At His Own Wedding; Fellow Deputy Also Charged in SPJST Hall Fracas 

PaperBack

 

Nick Quarry (Marvin H. Albert), Some Die Hard, Gold Medal, 1961

Today's Vintage Ad


Fascinating Photographs of Famous Literary Characters in Real Life

Fascinating Photographs of Famous Literary Characters in Real Life

More Unnerving Celebrity Puppets From 1987!

More Unnerving Celebrity Puppets From 1987!

Seven Swordfighting Movies To See Before You Die

Seven Swordfighting Movies To See Before You Die

Link via Neatorama.

Happy Birthday to the Peanuts Gang

Peanuts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. The strip is the most popular and influential in the history of the comic strip, with 17,897 strips published in all,[1] making it "arguably the longest story ever told by one human being", according to Robert Thompson of Syracuse University. At its peak, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers, with a readership of 355 million in 75 countries, and was translated into 21 languages.

Readers of This Blog Will Not Be Surprised at the Gator's Presence

Though Jeff Meyerson might be surprised that it was in Brooklyn.

Two People Arrested on Possession of Weapons — And an Alligator 

10 Archetypes TV Needs to Get Over

10 Archetypes TV Needs to Get Over

10 Iconic Films That Used Talent Doubles

10 Iconic Films That Used Talent Doubles

The Persuasive Books of Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Published in 1811 by T. Egerton. First edition of the author’s first novel, in three volumes.AbeBooks: The Persuasive Books of Jane Austen: It can be safely said that Jane Austen is one of the best-loved English authors of all time. Born December 16, 1775, Austen made a mark on the literary world with her romantic fiction set among the landed gentry in England. Although she is one of the most popular and well known authors, there is little known about her private life.

Latest Getting Away With Murder Now On-line

GETTING WAY WITH MURDER #71 OCTOBER 2012

Overlooked Movies: Tarzan and the Lost City


Once again, and to the surprise of absolutely nobody, here's another movie that the critics and most audience members didn't like but that I liked quite a bit.  I've seen a lot of Tarzan movies in theaters, starting way back with the ones starring Johnny Weismuller.  Later on I saw some of the earlier Tarzans on TV (Herman Brix and Buster Crabbe).  Caspar Van Dien stacked up pretty well, I thought, but I'm in a minority on that.  Well, I agree about the English accent.  Probably wasn't a good idea for Van Dien to try it.

The "lost city" of the title is, of course, Opar.  Tarzan is in England about to marry Jane, when he has a vision that there's trouble back in Africa.  So off he goes to set things right.  Some bad guys are looking for the lost city, and if they find it, more people will come to Africa and mess thing up.  Not an unusual plot for a Tarzan movie.  Jane follows Tarzan back to Africa, which introduces another not unexpected complication.

The movie was filmed in Africa, which is a big improvement over some of the backlot Tarzan movies.  The scenery's great.  Van Dien (not counting the accent) is just fine, and so is Jane March as Jane.  The action's not bad, and while I was a bit bothered by the use of magic at the conclusion, I didn't let it keep me awake at night.  Check it out.

Tarzan And The Lost City

Tarzan And The Lost City(1998) - YouTube:

Monday, October 01, 2012

Happy Birthday to the Continental Op

"Your fat chief of police tried to assassinate me.... - The Barnes & Noble Review: "Peter Collinson" published "Arson Plus" in Black Mask magazine on this day in 1923, introducing a nameless hero called “the Continental Detective.” Soon the hero was “the Continental Op,” and soon Dashiell Hammett was signing his work with his real name.

More at the link.

Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

The Long Black TrainThe Long Black Train: Heath Lowrance: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: It's Hell on Wheels. A simpering madman, possessed by dark magic, transforms the night train into a rolling charnel house. And Hawthorne is about to come face-to-face with an evil beyond imagining.

Uh-Oh

‘Internet addiction’ to be classified as mental illness

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Interest

Writing Crime FictionWriting Crime Fiction: Naomi Hirahara,Max Allan Collins,Stephen Gallagher,Dave Zeltserman,Ed Gorman,Paul Levine,Lee Goldberg,Joel Goldman,Vicki Hendricks,Libby Hellman: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Are you a crime fiction writer? Are you a crime fiction reader? 


 If your answer to either question is yes, you've got to have Writing Crime Fiction, the latest book from the award winning authors of the Top Suspense Group!

Song of the Day

The Good the Bad and the Ugly Theme [1966] - YouTube:

Happy Birthday to the CD

The CD, At 30, Is Feeling Its Age: Today marks the 30th anniversary of a musical format many of us grew up with: the compact disc. It's been three decades since the first CD went on sale in Japan. The shiny discs came to dominate music industry sales, but their popularity has faded in the digital age they helped unleash. The CD is just the latest musical format to rise and fall in roughly the same 30-year cycle. 

There had been compact discs pressed before 1982. But the first CD to officially go on sale was Billy Joel's 52nd Street.

Today's Vintage Ad


The First James Bond on Screen

INNER TOOB: AS SEEN ON TV: JAMES BOND (THE FIRST)

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Pregnant woman allegedly threatened to "drive a knife'' through her boyfriend once she finished cooking sausages 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Neil Gaiman's 8 Rules of Writing

Neil Gaiman's 8 Rules of Writing 

PaperBack

 

Nick Quarry (Marvin H. Albert), Till It Hurts, Gold Medal, 1960

I Miss the Old Days

Beatlemania, c.1963

You Know I Want 'Em

 Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

Gator Update (Monster Edition)

Mail Online: The monster of Mississippi

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

10 of the Creepiest Ghosts in Literature

10 of the Creepiest Ghosts in Literature

4 Fictional Works People Insist Are Real

4 Fictional Works People Insist Are Real

18 Unnerving Celebrity Puppets From 1987

18 Unnerving Celebrity Puppets From 1987

Croc Update (Giant Ripping Edition)

Giant crocodiles ripped prey to death

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

Riders of Death Valley

1941 RIDERS OF DEATH VALLEY SERIAL TRAILER BUCK JONES - YouTube:

Sunday, September 30, 2012

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Fan bites Danny Bonaduce at Wash. state casino 

Tom Piccirilli - fundraiser | Indiegogo

As some of you have heard, Tom Piccirilli is about to undergo surgery for a brain tumor.  After the surgery will come chemo, radiation, and rehab.  This is a frightening thing, as I know all too well.  My wife, Judy, had a brain tumor removed 20 years ago.  Hers was benign, but the 12-hour surgery and the recovery were nevertheless an experience neither of us would care to repeat.  Tom Piccirilli's surgery is more serious, and his recovery will be more difficult.  He's a fine writer with a strong voice, as you know if you've read his books or his short stories.  I've mentioned some of them here on the blog.  If you'd like to help out with a contribution to his fundraiser, here's a link:  Tom Piccirilli - fundraiser | Indiegogo.  If you can't contribute but can help spread the word, I'm sure it would be appreciated.  If you can do both, that would be great. 

The Sun Worshippers -- A. S. Fleischman

A. S. Fleischman's The Sun Worshippers is half one a new double from Stark House.  The other half is Yellowleg, a western novel filmed as The Deadly Companions, but The Sun Worshippers has a more modern setting.  It didn't find a home during Fleischman's lifetime, but I found it to be interesting and entertaining reading.

Gamage is an ex-newspaper reporter who's come to a small southern California town named Thebes near the Salton Sea to write the official biography of Colonel Martinka, the town's wealthiest citizen, a man who made a fortune as a date farmer, but who now seems to be interested in getting rid of his crops and turning into a land developer. The people of the town aren't too thrilled with this idea, especially the publisher of the local newspaper.  

Gamage is just interested in the fee he's going to get for the biography, at least at first, but things don't turn out to be what they'd seemed.  Martinka's son, Frank, is married to Gamage's old flame, who's very interested in rekindling the romance.  Accounts of the past don't square up with each other.  Frank is intent on keeping Gamage from meeting his father and mother.  Martinka has secrets in his past that nobody's talking about.

Fleischman kept me guessing all the way through, and there are some surprises along the way.  This is good reading from a fine storyteller.

Today's Vintage Ad


James Dean's last autograph

James Dean's last autograph 

Banned Books Week

Timeline: 30 Years of Liberating Literature

California Leads the Way

The head coach of a California children's football team has been suspended amidst allegations he paid players to target and hurt opponents so badly they'd be unable to compete. 

PaperBack

 

Nick Quarry (Marvin H. Albert), Trail of a Tramp, Gold Medal, 1958

The Art of Typewriter Repair

The Art of Typewriter Repair (with video)

A Lifetime in the Minors

The Long Baseball Life Of "The Machete"

I Miss the Old Days

Big, Big Hair (Probably NSFW)

Win a DVD

Thrilling Days of Yesteryear is giving away Dark Night of the Scarecrow to one lucky winner.  Click the link to go to the blog and get instructions on how to enter the contest.

Free Today for Kindle

Robbers RoostRobbers Roost: James Reasoner: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Originally published as Powell's Army: #4 by Terence Duncan 

Three-fingered Jack and his gang of road agents had a craving for money and a place to spend it. After hijacking an rmy payroll wagon and killing the troopers riding guard, they hightailed it into Virginia City, where anything could be had for the asking by a hardcase with a fat poke. But hot on their trail was hard-hitting trio of undercover agents known as Powell's Army. They knew Montana lived by the law of the gun. And that meant bracing Jack's killer gang before the vigilantes did---to make sure they stretched hemp the legal way! 

Thundering out of the past. A trio of deadly enforcers ride the range to adventure with one military misfit. Three men and one red-headed woman unchained lightning in a savage, lawless land, the U.S. army's secret weapon, dispensing their own fiery brand of frontier justice throughout the American west, Violent, untamed, and unpredictable--nothing can stop them.

3 People Who Cheated Death Using Cartoon Physics

3 People Who Cheated Death Using Cartoon Physics

And You Wondered Why You Paid More for Gasoline the Next Week

The Daily Caller: Upon sobering up and presumably realizing what he had done, Perkins messaged his boss that he would not be able to make it to work due to an unwell relative.

The Black Shield of Falworth

Tony Curtis & Janet Leigh "The Black Shield of Falworth" 1954 theatrical trailer - YouTube: