Hate Crime Legislation signed by President Obama

"We must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones but to break spirits. No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love." ~President Barack Obama

WASHINGTON -- Today at the White House, President Barack Obama signed the first major piece of federal gay rights legislation, a milestone that activists compared to the passage of 1960s civil-rights legislation empowering blacks. The new law adds acts of violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to the list of federal hate crimes.

The amendment was named partly for Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who died after a 1998 savage beating targeting him because he was gay, and whose parents were instrumental in leading the fight for such legislation, and also named for James Byrd Jr., a black Texas man dragged to his death in a racially motivated killing the same year.

Matthew Shepard's parents joined Obama for the bill signing, as did the family of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy who was deeply involved in pushing the legislation prior to his death in August.

Judy Shepard issued a statement saying that she and her husband, Dennis, "are incredibly grateful to Congress and the president for taking this step forward on behalf of hate crime victims and their families, especially given the continuing attacks on people simply for living their lives openly and honestly."

She also called on Americans to look beyond legislation and work in their own lives to advance acceptance of gays.

~Linda

Adam Lambert CD Cover, For Your Entertainment

Adam Lambert's Cd Cover, For Your Entertainment. Album can be pre-ordered at amazon.com
Release date: November 23rd.


What is there to say??

~Linda

Don Pendleton Tribute

Writer and friend, Jon Guenther posted on his blog a very nice tribute, Remembering Don Pendleton in memory of my late husband, author Don Pendleton. Don passed away 14 years ago on October 23, 1995 and I have to say it almost seems impossible that much time has gone by since he left this physical world. Although absent in the physical dimension, he is still very much here.

I had a telephone conversation with Jon today. Jon has written close to thirty books in the Harlequin Executioner program (Executioners, Super Bolans, Stony Man). He is one of many fans who was inspired by Don’s books at a fairly young age. And like a few others, that inspiration resulted in becoming writers themselves. I still enjoy getting the fan emails and hearing how the writings of Don Pendleton influenced lives in various ways.

There is something special about Don’s Mack Bolan character that he created and wrote about in his original series of 38 books. Don gave Bolan the essence of a true hero that has lived on through the “pen” of other writers for about 700 books. Forty years since the first Executioner, War Against the Mafia. Don was known as "the father of action/adventure."

This week I published The Cosmic Breath, Metaphysical Essays of Don Pendleton, Introduction by Linda Pendleton.

Although Don was a successful novelist for many years, he also wrote nonfiction, including metaphysical essays. He had a life-long interest in metaphysics and considered himself a metaphysical scholar. His nonfiction book, (in original E-book edition), A Search for Meaning from the Surface of a Small Planet, was winner of The Independent E-book Award 2002 for Metaphysics, and the Digital Literature Best of Non-fiction, 2002 Award.

The Cosmic Breath is available in tradepaper at Amazon and will be available for Kindle in a few days.

Thank you, Jon for remembering.

And if you missed my interview with Jon Guenther about his new book, Soul Runner, you can find it here.

~Linda

New CPR

This is an important video to watch. It seems they have now changed the procedure for heart attack resuscitation. The immediate response is no longer mouth to mouth but is rapid chest compressions. And of course, hopefully, the opportunity to call 911 prior to beginning CPR.

Isaac Asimov on Writing

Writing can have its frustrations, and often those frustrations do not come from so-called writer's block, but from the business end of trying to get published. So the quote here by author, Isaac Asimov is correct.


“You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist.” ~Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)


Asimov was a very prolific writer of science fiction, science, short stories, and essays. He wrote over 500 books in his long career and won numerous awards for his writings.

~Linda

Shattered Lens, Novel Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter One, Shattered Lens: Catherine Winter, Private Investigator

She hesitantly crossed the room, lowered herself onto the chair, and replied, "Lucy Albright, but I don't think I'm at the right place."

"Oh?"

Her cheeks colored. "I mean this is the place I wanted, but, you know, I mean you probably can't handle my case."

"I haven't seen many I've turned away from in thirty some years in the business," I replied.

"Uh...." She lowered her eyes to her lap and twisted the emerald ring on her right hand. Without returning her gaze to mine, she added, "That's what I mean."

"What is what you mean?" I inquired.

She looked up and color returned to her cheeks as she said, "Well, I thought my case needs someone a little, um, younger to handle it. You seem older. Well, I mean, you know."

Sure, I knew exactly what she meant. I had heard it often. Some people believe when you turn sixty you belong in a rocking chair on the porch of an old folks’ home, bored and dispassionately awaiting the arrival of your monthly retirement check. Let me tell you that you'll never find me doing that. When it is time for me to go out to pasture, it ain't gonna be that way.

Available at Amazon, Trade paper and for Kindle