Lower Kindle Price, Don Pendleton's Joe Copp Thrillers

I have been working on the print format for six Joe Copp Private Eye novels by Don Pendleton. I had recently put them up at Kindle but in doing new covers and new trade paper I have to go through them again for the proper format for print. So it takes time.

I have lowered the price on the Kindle editions of the Joe Copp Thrillers. They are now going for $6.99 each. So if you want a good hard-boiled detective read, those just might be the books for you.

I'm so pleased with the Kindle sales of my books that I may just have to splurge before long for my own Kindle. I've heard from two frineds that they just love their Kindle.

The Joe Copp Mystery Series was Don Pendleton's first hardcover books, after many books published in paperback. The Copp books were published by the late Donald I. Fine, a longtime N.Y. editor and publisher. They were soon after realeased in paperback. I put them back in print through the Authors Guild Back in Print program about ten years ago. And now in the coming weeks they will again be released in print with new covers...the same covers my web desinger, Judy Bullard and I designed for Kindle editions.

If you need any Kindle, POD, ebook covers, check Judy's work out. She does excellent covers. She recently designed several for author Mark Terry.

Here are a few reviews of Don Pendleton's Joe Copp Private Eye Series:

“This Joe Copp adventure reads like an express train. A throwback to the vintage Spillane era, Pendleton knows how to keep us turning the pages.” ~Publishers Weekly

“Pendleton has a great new character in Copp. His style is fresh, the pace is brisk, and there are enough twists to please any mystery fan.” ~St. Petersburg Times

“Pendleton, author of the long-running paperback Executioner series, shows in his first hardcover that hardboiled writing can be insightful as well as action-packed.” ~Library Journal

“A fast-moving, even blurring, story of murder behind the floodlights.” ~Book World

"Pendleton mines another bestselling vein with the cases of ex-cop/private eye Joe Copp, the toughest operator this side of Mike Hammer."
~ALA Booklist

Read more about Don Pendleton's Joe Copp Kindle books Here

~Linda

Don Pendleton's Last Novel, Roulette

I see Amazon has dropped the price of my Kindle edition of our crime novel, Roulette by Don and Linda Pendleton. This turned out to be Don Pendleton's last novel. Also our first fiction collaboration. It's also available in paper at amazon and other online bookstores.

Review of Roulette: “Great story. I could hardly put it down. So real, so credible, a delightful page turner.” ~Ken M., California



Roulette by Don and Linda Pendleton

Husband and wife police detectives, both married more to the badge than each other, have inevitable conflict within their marriage and their careers are put to the test when a psychopathic killer invades their community.

In the early morning hour of a spring day, Helen Carter, twenty four-year-old housewife and mother of two small children, is awakened by a ski-masked intruder at her bedside. Paralyzed by fear, she works desperately to steel herself against the inevitable rape and harrowing attack that is already in progress. Helen Carter is to become only the first victim of the Sunrise Rapist. She is a very lucky young woman. Following the brutal attack of the second victim of the Sunrise Rapist, the perpetrator is immediately tagged the Sunrise Killer, and the quiet and peaceful community of San Remo, California, becomes a hotbed of fear and outrage.

The San Remo Police Department, already caught up in a difficult political climate, now has its hands full with a killer in their midst. Detective Rebecca Storm, the only woman in the detective bureau, and the sole member of the Sex Crimes Unit, finds that the Sunrise Killer will not only challenge her career, her marriage, but her very life.

Her husband, and fellow officer, veteran Detective Sergeant Peter Storm, already caught up in the infighting of the police department and city management, is drawn deeper into his career battles and challenges as the Sunrise Killer makes his appearance in San Remo.

What is ahead for the San Remo Police Department, and especially for two of its detectives, is many sleepless nights as the Sunrise Killer increases his maniacal assault on the innocent women and children of San Remo. But the killer’s reach goes far beyond his actual victims and their families. The lives of those dedicated to preserving peace within the city and pursuing the serial killer are challenged to the limits, both in their personal lives and in their professional careers.

The story is fast-moving, often riveting, often disturbing, as the cops are repeatedly challenged by a psychotic serial killer who has them all in his grip.

Copyright © 2010 by Linda Pendleton.

Publishing Industry Magazine

I have subscribed to the publishing industry magazine Publishers Weekly since 1985, and my husband had subscribed for several years prior to that.

But this year I do not plan to renew my subscription because it is expensive and the magazine has been cut down to 52 pages, and not worth the price in my mind. I’m going to miss it as I have read it over those twenty five years with the exception of two or three months. The print subscription is $250 bucks, well actually 51 issues for $249.99. Even the online subscription is close to $200 bucks. I can get 48 weekly issues of TV Guide for $20 and receive an additional 8 copies...yes 56 issues all for $20. Big, big difference.

I’m disappointed with Publishers Weekly magazine. In January 2009, Editor in Chief, Sara Nelson was laid off and four other staffers lost their positions as Reed Business Information restructured. Reed owns Variety and I understand there were heavy layoffs there, also. I don’t currently subscribe to Variety so not sure what impact that has had on the movie industry magazine.

Prior to 2005, the former Editor in Chief of PW had been there twelve years. I’ve not liked the changes to format that have gone on, and I do not like the lack of content in the current magazines. Even the advertising from publishers has been different. Maybe because the whole industry is in a “downturn” and not spending a lot on advertising, I would guess.

Hmm, could be even more reason for writers to self publish? Amazon’s Create Space and Kindle sounds more inviting every day to authors. Especially with all the cutbacks at publishers and then apparently agents not wanting to take on much, possibly assuming books are hard to sell right now.

I did notice that nonfiction sales (which are usually very good) came down a bit and fiction went up in 2009. Nielsen BookScan gave figures for sales in 2009 and adult nonfiction was down minus –6.4 %, and adult fiction was up 0.5 %. Both juvenile nonfiction and fiction were down a little, at -0.2 % and -0.6%. Consumers also went for trade paperbacks over hardcovers, a little more than 2 to 1. Hardly a surprise with hardcover prices as high as they are.

But it shouldn’t be much of a surprise in today’s world that fiction sales are up. People want an escape and good fiction will do just that. We can escape into the world of fictional characters and "ride along" with them as the story unfolds, and be entertained, freeing us of stress, and worry. Sounds good, doesn't it?

~Linda

Creating Fictional Characters

“The writer is always working from his own individual world view, whatever the subject, so an honest writer cannot conceal himself in the work no matter how hard he may try to do so.” ~Don Pendleton (1927–1995)

A friend asked me the other day if my new fictional character, Private Investigator, Catherine Winter, from my book, Shattered Lens, was modeled after anyone I know. My answer was, “Not really.”

Catherine Winter is a strong woman, dedicated to her work, trusting of her intuition, and has seen it all...horrific murders, corruption, the corporate evils, the drugs, illicit sex, and downfalls of well-known celebrities and politicians.

She’s in her early sixties, a Southern California Private Investigator who has been in the business for many years, working alongside her husband in their PI Agency. After he passed away seven years ago, she kept the business going and feels she couldn’t give up her investigative work and cannot even conceive of doing anything else.

She has said, “As long as arthritis doesn’t lock up my joints or cataracts don’t keep my eyes from hitting the bulls-eye with a .357 slug then my shingle will stay on my door—C. Winter, Private Investigator.”

She also said this: “In this business you try your best to harden yourself to looking death straight in the eye but every time you are forced to face it you realize how damn vulnerable each of us are.”

I like the fictional characters I put in my novels...even the bad guys I create. I am now writing a second Catherine Winter novel, and I never know what characters will pop in and want a role in the story.

My friend is the second person who has asked me recently about the characters in my books. The other friend asked if he was in my book, Shattered Lens. I laughed and told him he was not. He wondered if I put people I knew in my stories. Again I said, “Not really.”

But the real answer is the character or characters I create within my own mind and who find their way onto the pages of my books, may be nothing more than a spark of creation from my own view of life, or from pieces of others who may have come in and out of my life, whether it be in a passing glance, a momentary speck of passion, an irritation, a voice, a song, a smile, a frown, or even a word.

I also asked my male friend what he would like to be in my book--what kind of character? I failed to tell him I could envision him as a romantic lead, a hero, or a knight in shining armor astride a white stallion, galloping off into the sunset with the woman he has rescued.

But if he actually ends up in any of my books, he won’t recognize himself, that is, unless he notices the male character with a small dimple when he smiles, or a guy with a bit of a tease in his voice, or the tall, good looking man who wins the heart of the little kid, or the heart of a mistreated puppy.

But heck, if I gave him a bigger role than that it will ruin the mystery of it all. Won’t it?

~Linda

John Grisham Short Stories and Interview

John Grisham talks about his latest book, Ford County, his first collection of short stories. The seven stories are set in small fictional Mississippi towns. In the interviews he talks of the flaws and injustices that still remain in our justice system and are influenced by issues such as economics. He takes about wring novels vs short story writing. I found the interview very interesting.

Interview Part Two

Interview Part Three

Interview Part Four

~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

Shattered Lens, Catherine Winter, Private Eye novel at Amazon

I'm pleased to announce my latest novel is now available.



SHATTERED LENS

“Hollywood is glitter and gutter. Some make it to the top and stay there, basking in the splendor of it, while others hit bottom and are engulfed by the ugliness of it.” ~Catherine Winter, Private Investigator

The stalking of two young professional print models leads private investigator Catherine Winter into the dark and dirty shadows of Hollywood's entertainment elite. Portraits of these people become distorted and out of focus as murder, pornography, illicit drugs, and blackmail, color the view while Catherine searches for truth and justice.

Catherine, now widowed and in her early sixties, insists, “As long as arthritis doesn’t lock up my joints or cataracts don’t keep my eyes from hitting the bulls-eye with a .357 slug then my shingle will stay on my door—C. Winter, Private Investigator.”

In her long career Catherine has seen it all and does not flinch when up against the criminal world. She is determined, open minded, and relies on her intuition in investigative work.


“Linda Pendleton’s first private-eye novel is a brilliant debut.”
~Richard S. Prather, Author of the Shell Scott Mystery Series



Linda Pendleton writes fiction and nonfiction. She coauthored the crime novel Roulette with her late husband, Don Pendleton, and her suspense novel, The Dawning is about a mysterious government agency, UFOs, and the paranormal.


Now available at amazon.com in trade paper and Kindle Reader.





Linda

Interview with Jon Guenther, Author of Soul Runner: A Novel of High Adventure

OUR INTERVIEW

Linda: Jon, you’ve had a productive writing career in what seems like a relatively short time. I will always remember the fan letter you sent to my husband, Don Pendleton, which included a sample of your writing. It caught both Don’s attention and mine. He said as he finished reading your sample, “This guy’s good.”

That was in 1995 and I don’t believe any of us knew at that time you’d become one of The Executioner: Mack Bolan writers for Harlequin’s Gold Eagle program, but of course, that was one of your goals. Since that time you have written more than thirty novels, starting with your own Chaser and Chaser’s Return, both published as audio books, a number of Executioners, Mack Bolan, and Stony Man novels and now your publication of your new book, Soul Runner: A Novel of High Adventure.When did you become interested in writing? Did you write as a kid? I don’t mean for school but for yourself? Do you recall the first story you ever wrote? If so do you want to share what it was about?

Jon: I became consciously aware of those interests probably when I was around twelve years old. I remember taking a typing class in sixth grade (which would have been around 1980), and just that act alone made me realize that with this “highly advanced machine” I could produce my own stories—and quicker than by mere handwritten means. I suppose, however, I was a born writer; that I had a God-given talent and desire to do it. I was also a voracious reader, whether comic books or novels (I loved the Narnia Chronicles). I think the spark of creativity grew out of my love for Star Wars and Star Trek, and fantasy novels. By that age, I had also started to read The Destroyer series by Warren Murphy and Dick Sapir. The Executioner series followed shortly thereafter (or at least the Gold Eagle books, which had just started coming out around that same time).

Linda: Who or what has influenced your writing and in what way?

Jon: Oh my! Many things influence or have influenced my writing. Again, reading was a definite motivator from my earliest recollections. But more than that I can say with earnest my parents lovingly fostered my desire to write instead of trying to suppress it. In later years, you and Don certainly encouraged me to be persistent in the work, to train and hone my skills by writing. Over the years there are other authors to whom I wrote fan letters, and who responded to me like Ed McBain, David Morrell, Steve Mertz and Mike Newton.


Linda: How much of your background as a soldier, firefighter, and paramedic, along with your interests in martial arts, history, music, and technology play into your writings?

Jon: All of those interests have played into my writing, certainly; whether subconsciously or consciously, they are part of what ties my creative right-brain with my logical left-brain. Those experiences and interests are inescapable parts woven into the seams of what Don called the “inner dramatic laboratory” in The Metaphysics of the Novel. My experiences as a firefighter/paramedic gave me an inside look into the human situation, not only the victories but the most abject miseries. Many of my characters are veterans or soldiers, or have some military background, which is only natural in the kinds of stories I love to tell. I don’t generally talk about my military service. I’m proud of it, but I choose not to go into any great detail about it. Music and technology play less into my work, although you never know. I might surprise you some time.

Linda: Who have been your favorite writers over the years? What books do you believe have influenced your writing? What books have most influenced your life and/or your world view?

Jon: My favorite writers are almost too numerous to list because I love to read! Top five picks would be Don Pendleton, Alistair MacLean, David Morrell, Jon Cleary and Ernest Hemingway. The Executioner/Mack Bolan books have most definitely influenced my writing, along with other action-adventure series in that similar vein. The books of my favorite authors have, naturally, helped influence how I write (i.e., how to plot, pace, establish setting, evoke conflict, write dialog, and so forth). The Bible has absolutely guided me through much of my life—or the later years when I moved past my rebellious phases—along with many of our greatest adventure classics like Kidnapped, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Prisoner of Zenda. The list goes on.

Linda: As most writers, I have read a number of books on creative writing and techniques of novel writing. What books on writing have you found to be of value, and why?

Jon: Three books immediately come to mind: The Metaphysics of the Novel (which I’ve read about a half-dozen times), On Writing by Stephen King, and The Art of Fiction by John Gardner. I also made good use of many of the Writers’ Digest fiction series books in my early days, as a writer. They are great starting references to learn the “rules” of writing, which is why I found them of good use. But I firmly believe (and I think most veteran writers will agree) that eventually I began to surpass them as I gained experience, and realized I had begun to form my own opinions and values as a writer. In part, this is one reason I’ve never attempted to write just “another writing book.” There are already plenty of great resources in the marketplace, and I feel writers—to become skilled writers—must eventually come into their own style and voice. Now I do most of my learning by reading the work of others and building on my own, internal toolkit.

Linda: Did you ever take creative writing classes or belong to a writers critique group?

Jon: I never took any hard-core creative writing classes beyond those required in my general education (high school and college). Most of my writing there, too, was purely academic or non-creative. I’ve never gone for critique groups as a matter of preference. I believe they’re invaluable for some writers, but I consider writing an entirely personal and individual affair. It requires a certain amount of labor and intellect that can only be found within me. That’s something I can’t move past and I’m relatively superstitious about some facets (like I generally won’t talk about or even let someone read an unfinished work outside of a select few individuals in whom I place an inordinate amount of trust to give me the real deal).

Linda: Tell us about your latest book, Soul Runner, and what inspired you to write it.

Jon: Soul Runner is the story of Dr. Abram Aronsfeld, an anthropologist and history professor who is recruited by a secret organization called ARK to rescue persecuted Christians from countries all over the world. The book is predominantly set in 1988 Romania—less than two years prior to the collapse of the Communist dictatorship under Nicolae Ceauseşcu—and Bram is assigned to steal a Christian gypsy woman by the name of Ileana Tarus out of the country. Unfortunately, things quickly turn perilous once he’s in Romania. The story is told in Bram’s voice, and pre-readers told me it moves at a frenetic pace. It was upon reading a pamphlet in 2006 from an organization called The Voice of the Martyrs out of Bartlesville, Oklahoma that I first learned of the magnitude of Christian persecution in the world today, and that inspired me to run with it. The novel contains an afterword where I go into a bit more detail on the inspiration, and soon I’ll be providing an eBook on my site called The Writing of Soul Runner that will expand considerably on the whole history of this book (which I felt would be of interest to some readers).

Linda: Will Soul Runner be a series of novels?

Jon: Ah, the old series question. I suppose the best way to answer it is that it definitely could be. The topic of Christian persecution is a giant one, so I have a global playing field in which to set additional books. The concept here is that ARK has many Soul Runners (Bram isn’t the only one); you could liken them to sort of “secret agents” in God’s service. When the original publisher offered a contract on the book (they backed out in December 2008 under relatively obscure reasons), the acquisitions editor certainly expressed an interest in what he termed a “loose” series—about which I can clarify my meaning, if requested. I think for now, however, I would not write more books unless fans clamored for them. Novels are a lot of work and I have other stories I’d like to tell.

Linda: What is your usual writing routine, Jon?

Jon: I had a much different routine during the short period I wrote full time (how I do miss that time). Since I’ve held down a “day job” most of my writing career, however, the typical routine is hectic, at times. I’m almost always under contract with a book in The Executioner or Stony Man series, so often that gets the priority over other projects due to deadlines. I usually write every evening, beginning around 9:00 p.m., and go a couple of hours. I start by reading what I’ve written the previous evening, and then write anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 words. I do a bit more on Saturday afternoons. Since I attend church services on Saturday night, I take Sundays off to spend time with family, do little projects around the house or just relax with a good book. When the work is finished, I set it aside for a month or so (if time permits), and then sit down and read it straight through. By this time, Marilyn (my wife) has also copy-edited the work. I then make any additional edits to hers and then off it goes to the editor. I take a couple of vacations a year, during which time I stay away from the keyboard so I can rejuvenate and give family my full attention.

Linda: I often ask writers how they receive their inspiration. Many writers feel the inspiration comes from beyond them at times as they are working with their characters. Do you experience that in your writing? Do you visualize your scenes? Do you “walk” in your character’s shoes? And one more question along that line… do you outline prior to writing a story?

Jon: My main source of inspiration is God. I also take a lot from my observations about the world around me, and the behaviors and intents (both public and “secret”) of the people that inhabit it. In other words, I glimpse what “could” be from what I perceive “is”. And the one person I can never fool is me, so I have to write with some level of honesty if I want to remain credible. You see, I believe fiction should do three things: inspire, inform and entertain. I take that approach with each new project I tackle, forming and tooling and shaping my story into something that’s passionate and dramatic. I’m always trying to elicit a set of non-prescribed responses from my readers; to leave them the freedom to decide what they will think and feel about what I’ve written. Hopefully, my readers will take something away from it. That’s all I can ask for. And whenever someone tells me they enjoyed one of my books, or that they learned something or were inspired in some way, it’s music to my ears!

As to the visualization of scenes or internalization of my characters, I don’t really story tell in that fashion. I more see the words, almost as if I were reading the book for the first time, and that’s usually when the process is the most fun for me because I surprise myself. I believe this is why I don’t outline. That just feels too much like writing the book before I write the book. I’ve read many authors who say they outline, and in almost every circumstance those authors have said they do it to keep them on track or so they know what they’re supposed to work on that day. I already know every time I sit down at the keyboard I’m there to write. I don’t need an outline to tell me that.

On that note, I’d like to make a point here. I once read a book where a very well-known writer said that most of what writers say about their own work is nonsense (albeit, he used a more colorful metaphor). I’m not sure I agree with that. There’s a mantra I’ve carried with me most of my writing career, posited by the great adventure novelist, Alistair MacLean. He said: “I am not a novelist, I’m a storyteller. There is no art in what I do, no mystique.” MacLean had a very clear picture of his role as a writer (interestingly, it’s been said he actually hated the process of writing and the draft he turned into his editors was the first and only). His vision is very similar to my own, in that respect—although I never turn in a first draft.

Linda: Jon, you’ve written a lot of The Executioner, Mack Bolan books and I know you have tried to keep true to Don Pendleton’s vision of his Mack Bolan character. From your point of view as a writer of those books, what is it that has kept Mack Bolan alive all these forty years? In your own novels is there anything you strive to put into your stories to keep them alive, to keep the words jumping off the page and inspiring a reader to want more?...Even in a subtle way.

Jon: I often ask myself that same question about Mack Bolan; even after twenty-something books, I’m still not sure I have the answer (although Don certainly handed off the wisdom baton in our correspondence). I’m persuaded the secret of Bolan’s longevity is the mythical qualities of the character. Bolan is a consummate warrior; a soldier of unswerving duty; a moral agent; a dispatcher of justice and protector of the innocent. How can you not love the guy?! For me personally, Bolan is real—or at least what he stands for. It’s been that way ever since I started reading the books nearly thirty years ago. He emulates many of the qualities that decent, honest people everywhere can admire, and in that context he is every bit accessible as a fictional character. We can identify with him. We can believe in him because he’s doing what most of wish we could do: he fights the injustices in the world and he wins! It’s a classic formula, sure: good triumphs over evil. But it works because of the Bolan character, not in spite of him.

I certainly try to build some of these qualities into my own heroes and heroines, but I also strive to make sure I don’t “mimic” Don’s style. That’s the thing about Don, and one of the reasons he’s my all-time favorite writer. He was an original, the real deal, and he created a hero of the same mold. Pretty tough to compete with that, and I wouldn’t deign to try. But I learned a lot of lessons from reading Don’s works, and I do try to emulate him on different levels by just being true to myself and my own style. Sometimes I get lucky, sometimes I don’t. But then that’s part of the fun of being a writer. The journey of self-discovery is a priceless return on the investment.

Linda: Of the elements that go into a novel such as characterizations, dialogue, action scenes, plotting, sex scenes, and setting, among other things, which do you find easiest for you personally in your art of writing? In other words, what do you consider your strength to be?

Jon: I’ve never thought about it, really, but I suppose if I had to pick my greatest strength it would be pacing (or I suppose some might call that plot). I try to remember at all times that my chief duty as a storyteller is to entertain. It has to be my paramount consideration because of the natural convergence of all the elements that go into fiction (many of which you listed above). That’s a juggling act and I feel it’s important to season my work with equal measures of putting ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Anything less is tantamount to literary suicide for a writer, and nothing bugs me more than when a writer has the temerity to withhold entertaining me for their own, selfish purposes. Yeah, I said “withhold”, because I believe this is a purposeful act. It usually happens because they want to hide behind the words, fearful of venturing their own thoughts for the sake of being politically correct or stylish. Utter bunk and I have no use for that kind of writing (and you’ll notice I’m not shy about saying it).

Linda: Would you like to share what your current or next project is?

Jon: I’m currently working on a new, original action series about an “everyman” helping out the little guy in America. I think it’s time we got some new heroes we can admire in today’s world.

Linda: What is your favorite quote?

Jon: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
—Jesus Christ, John 3:16 (KJV)

Linda: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Jon: There is no secret formula I can give you; no magical talisman; no profound wisdom. All of those you must find within. Simply read, believe in yourself, and write… write… write!

And one other thing I suppose bears an honorable mention. Never measure success by whether you’re published; measure it by the joys of self-discovery along the way.

Linda: That’s true, Jon. That is what writing is all about: self-discovery. Thank you so much, Jon for giving us this insight into your writing. I wish you the best with Soul Runner. It is a fascinating adventure story and I know readers will enjoy it tremendously.

Visit Jon Guenther’s website to learn more about Soul Runner and Jon’s other books. Soul Runner is available at Amazon.com in trade paper and for the Kindle Reader, and autographed copies available at his website. Follow Jon's Blog.

© Copyright 2009 by Linda Pendleton and Jon Guenther.

Jon Guenther's Review of Don Pendleton's Metaphysics of the Novel
My blogs about the 40th Anniversary of Don Pendleton's Executioner Series
~Linda

Barry Eisler, Author of Thriller Novels

Barry Eisler, Author

Photo from his website

I’m intrigued by this Northern California best selling and award winning author, Barry Eisler. He writes fiction, thrillers, based around his imagination and research, and possibly influenced by his career choices: his time in a covert position with the CIA’s Directorate of Operations; graduate of Cornell Law School; technology attorney in an international law firm; counsel in Japan at Matusushita Electric; and a Silicon Valley technology start-up executive. He has a black belt in Judo.

He’s written a series of six books featuring his character, Japanese American assassin John Rain. His latest book, Fault Line features new characters: brothers Ben and Alex Treven, estranged and embittered by a family tragedy, find themselves forced to rely on each other, and their very different talents, to escape a deadly conspiracy.

Barry has written an interesting article, Dead Trees is a Dead Model, about his views on ebooks and the effects on the publishing industry now and in the future as a guest blogger on MJ Roses’ Buzz, Balls & Hype.

I read his blog also. It is not about writing (you can find that at this website) but is about his insightful look at politics and news items.

This interview of Barry Eisler is informative and inspirational for any writer or aspiring writer, or just a fan of his books and/or the art of writing.












~Linda

40th Anniversary of Don Pendleton's The Executioner: Mack Bolan Series, Part One

The Birth of Don Pendleton’s The Executioner: Mack Bolan Series of Novels 40 Years Ago,

Part One

In March of 1969, the first paperback novel of Don Pendleton’s The Executioner Series was published. Soon after, the second book, and those to follow, became a publishing phenomenon with the success of the continuing fast-hitting adventures of Mack Bolan’s fight to destroy the Mafia. The books were published worldwide in many languages. Don Pendleton is acknowledged as the "father of the modern Action/Adventure novel." His Mack Bolan, The Executioner, theme is "Live Large" and recently the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume II (H-O) gives derivation credit for "live large" to Don Pendleton and his Executioner Series.

At the height of the Executioner success many publishers and writers attempted to ride on the coattails of Don's success. Some succeeded. Others did not. In many of those books, what appeared to be missing were the elements that Don had so skillfully crafted with his presentation of his fictional hero.

Don wrote the first novel in the series, War Against the Mafia out of his desire to express his discomfort with the reaction of many Americans to our soldiers who were dying for our country in the jungles of Vietnam and those coming home to outrageous verbal and physical abuse. So Mack Bolan became Don's symbolic statement. He also became every soldier's voice. Don created a heroic character in Bolan, a true hero who was dedicated to justice. The enemy that Bolan had to fight was no longer on the battlefields of Vietnam but right here on American soil, and that enemy was the Mafia.

Within his Bolan stories are strong values with an underlying theme of a higher morality that Bolan follows. More than once Don said about the Executioner novels, "My biggest job throughout writing the series was to keep faith with Bolan–that what he is doing is right. I wanted an enemy beyond redemption–an enemy that all civilized procedures had failed to put down. The Mafia was ready-made. They embodied all the evils of mankind."

In 1980, Don franchised his Executioner characters to Harlequin's Gold Eagle Imprint after writing Executioner thirty-eight, Satan's Sabbath. Gold Eagle's program has resulted in close to 600 Executioner Mack Bolan books published since with several spin-off series: Able Team, Phoenix Force, Stony Man, and Super Bolan. Don was Consulting Editor with the Harlequin program until his death but did not write any of the Harlequin books, which have all been written by a team of writers. Mack Bolan’s fight then became terrorists.
In an effort to explain his Mack Bolan Executioner character and his own style of writing “heroic” fiction, Don Pendleton had this to say:

In the first Executioner novel, War Against the Mafia, the hero, Mack Bolan is quickly established as a superb combat soldier dedicated to a lonely “one man war” against the Mafia. This is a war of attrition...” the same as in ‘Nam.” Bolan uses a variety of heavy military weaponry in a relentless assault against “this new enemy” wherever he may discover their presence. Characterization of the character is to present this very violent figure as a highly motivated, heroic, and sympathetic man.

The books are narrated as the closest thing to docudrama, with an authoritative third-person objective viewpoint occasionally shifting into stream of consciousness via Bolan and other characters. The emphasis is to explain the action as an approving, historical account in a stirring presentation, and to dimension as much as possible the violent activities of the hero.

Styling of the Mack Bolan stories requires a structure for carrying fast-paced hard-hitting action sequences. The writing is punchy, declarative, stirringly graphic. The reach is toward the reader’s belly, designed to evoke visceral response and rousing empathy. This is “heroic” fiction.

Premising the Bolan stories are the ideas that a good offense is the best defense, and that human violence can have positive social values–that, indeed, the goals of mankind can sometimes best be dignified through violent confrontation. The first novel, War Against the Mafia, employed a quote from Nietzsche on the theme page: “You say that a good cause will even sanctify war! I tell you, it is the good war that sanctifies every cause!” These are frankly and consciously violent books because they intend to illustrate the violent themes of mankind.

The Mack Bolan books are prototypical Action/Adventure. A good “action-adventure” book is forever in a hurry, breathless, bursting with movement and activity. I try to keep my hero clean. I try to give him all the higher human attributes. I try to depict his war as a crusade–a very highly motivated crusade, with high ideals, very strong human overtones. I show this man in almost continuous conflict with himself. I show that his course through life is no bed of roses. I’m not exhorting anyone to emulate this man by his example. Certainly there is nothing in the Mack Bolan adventures which exhort anyone, young, old, male or female, to follow in his footsteps. This guy lives a pretty grim life. He’s no James Bond, with all the gourmet foods and the luxury living. He does have an occasional fling at romance but he doesn’t even have the time to appreciate that. The guy has a pretty rough life.

Of course, the character of Mack Bolan is built around this idea–that this is a man who has submerged his own life into his mission. He has sacrificed everything that he holds dear, all his own ambitions. After all he is a man with dreams, and all these things he’s forgone in order to fling himself into this holy war.

I believe, in the deeper theme values, my Executioner books reflect my values–and that something very, very important is taking place here on this obscure little planet. I do feel that life has tremendous meaning. I feel most sincerely that the good life is the challenged life and not the easy one. I think that in their deeper theme values my Executioner books reflect this philosophy. The books are not sheer blood and guts. Sure, there is plenty of that in there, deliberately so.

I do believe that I have managed to utilize highly, highly dramatic situations, perhaps bordering on the melodramatic to bring out the deeper values that are inherent in all human life. I’m very strongly aware that many young and impressionable readers read my books and I feel a sense of responsibility there. I work very hard to see that my hero is a truly three dimensional person with very high purpose. I try to present the things he does in the context of tremendous meaning.

I will never apologize to anyone for my Executioner books. I feel they are a testament to the human spirit of mankind and I find it personally gratifying that the books have evoked such a wide response in the American reader. And it has been a wide response, not just in the numbers of books sold but in the cross section of American society who happen to be reading the books. The readers are professional people, white collar workers, blue collar people, military people, men, women, children from age twelve to age ninety four. The books are more than simple escape literature. The books do actually involve the reader in a rather high cause–the perpetration of human excellence, high human values, and besides that, they are just entertaining, that’s all.

Beyond that, I don’t know how to evaluate the books. I doubt very much that any writer can really give a purely objective evaluation of his work. The only sort of gauge I have is in the way I feel when I write those final words, The End. If I have a good feeling when I put those words down, then I feel I have accomplished my objective. I’ve said what I’ve started out to say and told the story I started out to tell, and if I finish the book feeling good then I have to assume that the reader will finish the book feeling the same way–and that’s really my primary goal.

I want to entertain and along with the entertainment, I do want to include something that does dignify the work a bit. That doesn’t mean that the time spent reading the book is lost time-completely frittered away–but that along with the entertainment there has been a few moments of perhaps introspection on the part of the reader, perhaps a little bit of understanding of the world about him.

I don’t suppose the books will ever go down in the big registry of great literary masterpieces, as certainly, they’re not that. I could only hope that Mack Bolan will take his place along with such American fictional heroes as Mike Hammer, Travis McGee, Perry Mason, Matt Helm, and of course James Bond, who is not an American hero but an Englishman, but nevertheless, in the same genre. And I hope it can be said that Mack Bolan is his own man–his own type–and he does stand apart from the other heroes, perhaps no better than they are but unique in his own right, and aside from the hope that the books will have continuing acceptance, that they will continue to sell, this is about the most I could ask for.

Don Pendleton, left, with Artist Gil Cohen. Gil did Executioner covers for a number of years.

Photo Copyright 1985 by Linda Pendleton.

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

© Copyright Don Pendleton, Linda Pendleton.
All Rights Reserved. 

What is a Hero Today?

My friend and fellow-writer, Jon Guenther posted a Blog today about “A Resurgence of American Heroes” and within his comments he quoted and linked to an article, “Joseph Campbell's Definition of Heroes: Does Traditional Hero Still Exist?.” I found myself disagreeing with the author of that article on Joseph Campbell, as Jon did. I love Joseph Campbell but I almost felt as if the author missed the point of Campbell’s intense study of mythology and the impact of inspirational myth on cultures down through the ages.

I no longer have Campbell’s classic book, Hero with a Thousand Faces, first published 1949, in my library, but I do have Power of Myth, from the Bill Moyers ' PBS interviews with Campbell. Campbell said, “Even in popular novels, the main character is a hero or heroine who has found or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”

When my late husband, Don Pendleton conceived his fictional character, Mack Bolan, forty years ago, he not only put Bolan into a situation of “giving” his life to something LARGER than himself but also to a courageous battle for justice for others. But the writing of the Executioner: Mack Bolan Series went even beyond that with a spiritual, metaphysical element.

Campbell had this to say about the two types of deeds of a hero. “One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous act in battle or saves a life. The other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero learns to experience the supernormal range of human spiritual life and then comes back with a message.” This can be something as simple as taking a journey inward, inside ourselves, emotionally and spiritually, and discovering a strong connection to the Divine, which may result in a new understanding of life, a new purpose, a passion, such as to serve all of humanity in some way, large or small, or to bring positive change.

Most of us grew up with Superman, a fantasy hero, but I believe what has happened in recent years is a “false hero worship.” And that is as a result of the media and the impact celebrity now has on society. Now, youth too often look up to sports figures, singers, and other popular figures who really lack any qualities that should qualify them for heroes.

So where have all the heroes gone?

The heroes of today are people like many during 9-11 or Katrina, who set their own lives aside to save others—or the guy down the street who pulls someone from a burning car or home—or someone who gives a kidney to save a stranger—or anyone we know who may do some courageous act at a time when needed. Heroes are ordinary people, probably flawed and not perfect in all their personality traits, but people who are able to go beyond to do something that makes a difference in the world.

Even those who inspire with words:

“We should always be at war with injustice. Always.” ~Maya Angelou
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.” ~Mark Twain
“We can’t all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.” ~Will Rogers.

I do agree with Jon that with the several years of corruption, war, and now the failing economy, we do have a need to look up to someone with heroic qualities, and even a fictional hero that will entertain us and take us to an imaginary place and restore our hope. But hey, I am optimistic that better times are ahead.

Joseph Campbell also said we need to get in touch with our “real self.” He stated, “The world is full of people who have stopped listening to themselves or have listened only to their neighbors to learn what they ought to do, how they ought to behave, and what the values are that they should be living for.” And his famous words, “Follow your bliss.”

I’m sure Jon Guenther will come up with a great idea for a new series of books, and with a believable hero. I intended to comment directly on his Blog but I wrote too much for that, so here it is.

Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)

~Linda

For One More Day, Mitch Albom

Last night I read Mitch Albom’s latest book, "For One More Day." Actually, I read the book in two sittings. I began reading Tuesday night after American Idol, and last night picked it up when I realized I had an hour to spare before American Idol came on. I reluctantly set the book aside to watch Idol and then finished reading it after the show.

I very much enjoyed the story. It is a small book of 197 pages, and is a fast read. Mitch Albom’s writing is an easy style and reminds me somewhat of the easy style of my favorite author, Nicholas Sparks. Albom writes a fascinating and unique tale of a broken, middle-aged man, Charley Benetto who is deeply troubled by regrets, self-doubt, alcoholism, broken family relationships, and on the verge of ending his own life. It is a story about childhood, hopes and dreams, self-doubt, family secrets, forgiveness, and the power of love. It enhances the idea that love lives on after death. At the moment of Charley’s greatest despair, he returns to his childhood home and encounters his mother who has been dead for eight years. It is heartwarming, inspirational, and in the exploration of family relationships and a mother’s love, readers are left with much to ponder about the meaning of family and love in the own lives.

I’ve not read Albom’s previous two books, although I did see the movie, "Tuesday’s With Morrie." His second book, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," has been sitting in my "TO READ" stack, along with Nicholas Sparks’ "Dear John," Dan Brown’s "Angels and Demons," Nora Ephron’s "I Feel Bad About My Neck," Anderson Cooper’s "Dispatches From the Edge," Suze Orman’s "Women and Money," and several others. I may now be motivated to put Albom’s book at the top of my stack!

~ Linda

Linda's Saturday Night Musings

I am excited to have a joint blog with my sister, Nancy. After getting the blog up and going today, my last couple of hours have been spent wondering what to write for my first entry.

I am an author. When asked what I write, my response most often is, "Fiction and nonfiction. My writing goes from flying angels to flying bullets!" I may also then add, "Of course, not usually in the same book."

My writings cover a variety of genres: inspirational/new age nonfiction, mystery/suspense, Comic books, poetry, angel cards, ecourses, and screenplays. A lifelong interest in the fields of metaphysics and the paranormal has influenced my writing and research.

In 1990, the nonfiction book, "To Dance With Angels," coauthored with my husband, renowned author Don Pendleton, was published by Kensington Books, and is now in its fourth edition. The book is a definitive study of life and death and spirit communication and was my first book of several nonfiction books in the area of metaphysics, spirit communication, the paranormal, and self-help.

My fiction includes mystery, suspense, historical novels; Comic adaptation and scripting of two of my late husband’s action/adventure series novels, "The Executioner: War Against the Mafia" and "Death Squad"; screenplay adaptations of several of our novels; and an original screenplay. I recently completed a private eye novel (doing the hard work now of finding a publisher) and am currently at work on two novels. You can read more about my books at my website: http://www.lindapendleton.com

Actually I have three websites, listed below under Favorite Links. My excellent web designer, Judy will probably be thrilled to see I now have a blog so I won’t be bugging her all the time to add to my websites. LOL

I was pleased to learn today that Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was recently inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, 2007. It is too bad she was not given that honor before her passing in August of 2004. She was an incredible woman, and I was lucky enough to have known her personally. Her last book, "On Grief and Grieving," written with David Kessler, completed shortly before her death, is excellent for anyone who has lost a loved one. Her work on death and dying has impacted millions of people and will continue to do so for many years to come.

I was saddened earlier this week to learn of author Sydney Sheldon’s death. I very much enjoyed his novels. His characterization of female protagonists was so good that you’d forget a man had written the book. I heard him speak at the Santa Barbara California Writers Conference in 1983 or 1984. A very interesting man.

Until next time, Linda