Castle: A Ten-Year Appreciation

This show had me at the trailer.

Love at First Sight

Somehow, it's been ten years since the TV show "Castle" first debuted. It was 9 March 2009, a Monday. It was in the 9pm slot, opposite ratings juggernaut and personal favorite show "CSI: Miami." But on that night, there was never a doubt at to which show we'd watch live and which show we'd tape. Sorry, David Caruso, you got bumped.

And every subsequent Monday night.

You see, "Castle" was right up my alley. The show starred Nathan Fillion, the guy from the cancelled show "Firefly." The wife liked Firefly and it was an easy sell to get her to watch Castle live, at least the first night. That was the nibble. The story and the characters of that debut episode, "Flowers for Your Grave," set the hook.

Every Monday night for eight seasons, I was glued to the TV. If the phone rang anytime during the 9pm hour on Monday, it wasn't answered. I was too focused on the show. Each week, I was entertained, charmed, and, truth be told, educated in how to write this kind of twisty mystery story.

A Writer's Education

I would love to be able to say that I watched Castle then became a famous novelist myself. Nope. But I learned the vibe of the show, the play-off of each character against the rest of the ensemble, and how story is structured. I know I absorbed that information because I can recognize it in my own writing.

I have watched various episodes over and over, breaking down the beats and outlining the story, just to understand how a story is constructed. The writing was always strong on this show, but a script is only words on paper. You need strong actors to bring these characters to life, and "Castle" struck a mother lode of talent.

A Gem of a Cast

Sure, Nathan Fillion is a famous actor, but he always comes across as that good friend who has connections that'll get you backstage at a Comic Con so you can meet the latest Hollywood actor. Truth be told, I think Fillion brought a lot of himself to the role of Castle, and he took the fictional character to another level. I don't think even creator Andrew W. Marlowe knew how well Fillion would fill out the role. It's safe to say that if any other actor was cast in this role, the character of Richard Castle would have been something else entirely. With Firefly, we pretty much knew what were going to get with Fillion as Castle, and he knocked it out of the park every single week.

But with a TV mystery show that centers itself on a romance, Fillion would only be as good as the actress cast opposite him. And in Stana Katic, the creators found perfection.

For longtime fans of the show, I think a lot of us contend the show could have easily been titled "Beckett." Katic plays Detective Kate Beckett, hard-nosed NYPD homicide cop who is as by-the-book as you could get. From episode one, Castle correctly guesses what drives her: the death of a family member. In this case, it was Beckett's mother who was killed, and that was the turning point in the young lady's life. She became a cop, and sought out justice on behalf of those who could not.

Katic didn't merely play Beckett as a no-nonsense cop. She brought real depth to the role. She fleshed out the character way beyond what was originally intended. In a show with Fillion's name more or less at the top of the marquee, it was Katic's Beckett who turned out to be the true star of the show. That's not taking anything away from Fillion or any of the other cast members. It's just that Stana Katic was that good.

Characters as a Family

In nearly every TV show, the core cast become a sort of surrogate family. And if Beckett was the mom and Castle the goofy dad, then Detectives Javier Esposito (Jon Huertas) and Seamus Dever's Detective Kevin Ryan were the kids. The two mismatched detectives--Esposito, the tough former soldier, and Ryan, the smallish but dogged former narcotics cop--were a fun B story each week. In the eight seasons, the two actors were able to bring a lot of chemistry to these two characters, so much so that I would have watched a spin-off series with just them.

Speaking of family, the divorced Richard Castle lives in a nice New York apartment with his teen-aged daughter, Alexis (Molly Quinn), and his mother, Martha Rodgers (Susan Sullivan). As goofy as Castle could be with Alexis--playing laser tag indoors, cosplaying as some space cowboy with a brown coat--he dearly loved his daughter and mother, and they him. These three actors forged a bond so good you'd be surprised they weren't actually a family. And as time went on, as Castle's relationship with Beckett blossomed, the two stalwart ladies in Castle's orbit welcomed her with love and open arms.

Will They or Won't They

Speaking of the relationship central to the series, the creators did an excellent job of maintaining the romantic tension for four years. Look, from the outset, we knew Castle and Beckett were going to end up together. We watched to see how. And to avoid the pitfalls of previous shows.

Two favorite shows that pre-dated Castle were "Moonlighting" and "The X-Files." In both shows, but especially Moonlighting, when the two leads ended up romantically together, the show fell apart. I'm confident Marlowe, Rob Bowman, and the other showrunners were dead-set on crafting a show that kept the sexual tension high, but not prolonged past its inevitable prime. When the pair finally had that steamy, passionate kiss in the finale of Season 4, it was well and truly earned. I'm a romantic at heart and now, remembering that scene and writing about it, makes me fell all warm and toasty inside.

Going into Season 5, everyone wondered how the united Castle and Beckett (AKA "Caskett) would work. Would the show be another Moonlighting casualty? Fans needn't have worried. A template for how the pair could co-exist was already out there in plain sight.

The Meta Nature of Castle

In the series premiere, novelist Castle is suffering from writer's block. He has killed off his main character, Derek Storm, but doesn't know what to write next. The events of that episode--someone is killing people and staging the corpses the same way Castle did in his books--leads Beckett to Castle for some insight. She's a fan and has read all her books, something he clues in on quickly. In the process of helping Beckett solve her case, Castle is inspired to write a new series about a no-nonsense lady detective by the name of Nikki Heat, based on Beckett. Castle uses his connections with the mayor's office to get himself assigned to the precinct so he can observe and gather details for his new book series.

By the fall of 2009 when the second season starts, the TV show "Castle" has the character Castle promoting his new book, HEAT WAVE. In an utterly brilliant bit of cross-promotion, you could go to your nearest bookstore and actually purchase the novel itself. On the back was a photo of Nathan Fillion as Castle. For all intents and purposes, this was a book by Richard Castle about the character Nikki Heat as inspired by Kate Beckett.

The Nikki Heat books are the mirror image of the TV show "Castle." Beckett is Heat, the character of Castle is Jameson Rook, journalist, while Esposito and Ryan become Detectives Ochoa and Raley, cutely nicknamed "Roach." But, more importantly, in the first book, Heat and Rook get together.

For a time, each new fall season of the TV show would bring a new novel in the real-world bookshelves. In the relationship of Heat and Rook, readers could see how how Castle and Beckett could still have tension between them and still be in love. I have read all of these books via their audiobook versions, and both narrators--Johnny Heller and Robert Petkoff--really nail the sardonic Fillion-like vibe.

These books became an integral part of enjoying this show for me, so much so, that when the show was cancelled, I knew the Castle books would end, too.*

That Final Season

Let's get one thing straight: I loved every episode of Castle, but there were some that didn't always reach the lofty levels of the best episodes. I think we can all agree on that, right?

As the seventh season neared its conclusion, the ABC network hadn't decided to renew the series or not. Wanting to please the fans, the writers ended the seventh season incredibly well. If that season finale turned out to be the series finale, it would be perfection.

But we got an eighth season. And of the episodes that didn't reach said lofty level, some were in this season. My wife, an avid watcher with me, peeled away from the series early on in the eighth season. I think it was mainly a reaction to the way Castle and Beckett were forced apart. Gone was the witty banter and fun of the show revolving around two character who had come to love and trust one another. In its place was a seemingly out-of-the-blue story arc that took Beckett away and left Castle with Esposito and Ryan. They have good chemistry, too, but the center wasn't as solid as before.

By the time the eighth season came into the spring of 2016, rumors were rampant as to a ninth season. Judging from the quality of the eighth, even I, a die-hard fan, started questioning whether or not the show should continue. When the news broke that the contracts for Stana Katic and co-star Tamala Jones would not be renewed for a potential ninth season, fans reacted with passion. How in the world could you have Castle without Beckett? You could, but it wouldn't be the same show.

In a wild reverse of how Star Trek fans lobbied for that show's renewal, Castle fans lobbied for ABC to cancel the show rather than have a Beckett-less Castle. Who can say if they truly played a role, but Castle was cancelled, ending up at eight seasons.

Still a Wonderful Show

I've met a few folks in the years since Castle ended who never watched the show and ask me about it. When I start in on my enthusiastic response and praise of the show, they probably wished they wouldn't have asked. I wax eloquent about this show, the characters, the stories, the books. It all comes spilling out. And, to be 100% frank, I often tell them to stop at season 7. That ending was perfection to a show I have loved since Day One.

It is a show that is among my favorites of all time. It holds a special place for me, and I will love it.

How long, you ask?

Always.


*Tomorrow, a brand-new book, CRASHING HEAT, comes out!

Movie Review: Captain Marvel

If it was opening day for a super-hero movie, then you know I was there.

I saw Marvel's new film, "Captain Marvel" on Friday night. Oddly, the theater with the RPX screening--i.e., bigger screen, bigger chairs, bigger sound, and bigger price--was not full. Not by a long shot.

But the people who were there were die-hard fans. How did I know? When the "Marvel Studios" logo was run and instead of showing all the heroes in all the movies...they showed all the Stan Lee cameos with a simple "Thank you Stan" right after it. I'll admit, I got emotional. But the fans in the theater clapped and cheered. I did, too.

I know next to nothing about any of the various Captain Marvel characters. The only thing I know for sure is the original (?) one, the one named Mar-Vel, died in 1981 or so...and has stayed dead. I always admired that about Marvel Comics.

So, going into this movie, I was a super-hero fan but I was going to be shown something new. And I loved it. The movie starts in space, on a planet called Hala. Brie Larsen is a character named Vers (pronounced Veers). She's part of StarForce, and her mission is to extract one of their own from the vile, green-skinned, shape-shifting Skrulls.

Naturally, things go awry.

She's captured by the lead Skrull, Talos (played wonderfully by Ben Mendelsohn) and her memories are tapped. She escapes and lands in Los Angeles 1995. Now we get a fun fish-out-of-water story with Vers being all earnest in her mission, never telling a lie, teamed up with Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury early in his career.

And the results are pretty darn hilarious.

The odd pairing makes for a standard buddy movie where each character has to learn about the other. We get some backstory on Vers--real name Carol Danvers--meet some people in her past, and have lots and lots of things that'll make those of us who lived through the 1990s smile and point and laugh.

As I mentioned, Mendelsohn is under make-up for most of the film, but his acting chops really shine through. There are more than a few moments when you really see his talent no matter the prosthetic. Larsen is an actress I cannot say I've seen in anything else. But she is charming in her own way. She knows what she's doing is right and she's set on completing the mission. When she faces things that counteract what she knows, she has to confront them.

And, most importantly, she's having a blast being a super-hero. So refreshing.

Jackson plays Jackson so you know what you're going to get. Nothing wrong with that.

Stan Lee's cameo is so, so wonderful because, for the first time, he's actually playing himself. That he's reading the script for Kevin Smith's "Mallrats" movie now makes the professional fan/podcaster/writer/director part of the Marvel cinematic universe. I suspect he's beyond thrilled.

Captain Marvel is a fun movie with way more humor than I expected, lots of great super-hero/space battles. It seems the movies of Summer 2019 now start in March.

Year of an Indie Writer: Week 10

Blogging can be very tempting.

Two Blogs?

I have two blogs: my original one via blogspot and my author one. My initial thought back in 2015 when I started the author blog was to ditch the blogspot and focus only on the author one. Later, I realized there were some benefits to having two blogs so I converted the blogspot one to be strictly for my western pen name. Now, I've come around to maintaining both blogs with more or less identical content.

Overkill? Most likely, but I prefer to reach as many folks as possible. Plus, the blogspot site has all my blogs since 2008, and that's worth something. Another factor is that the blogspot one might come across less like an author site than the actual author one. In fact, I'm thinking about rebranding the blogspot site with something more personal. That way, I'll be able to just write about stuff that the Author Self might not. Not sure. Still pondering.

Oh, and commenting on blogspot is much easier.

So, for the time being, they're still going to be identical. You can read my posts however you want.

Blog Writing 

Let's face it: we writers enjoy not only the act of writing and creating but also the joy of interaction. With fiction writing, there is always the inevitable lag. We sit in front of our computer's and write the story. No matter how much excitement this part of the process generates, it often dissipates waiting for the story to reach readers.

Not so with blog writing. With our various blogging platforms and the social media to spread the the link around, we can get eyes on our posts within minutes of putting in that final period. Throw in comments and we can have all but immediate feedback.

It's intoxicating. But also detrimental. The time spent crafting a blog post is time not spent writing. And if you are in a boat similar to mine--day job with not quite two hours available per day for fiction writing--writing time is very precious. Once gone, it never comes back.

Which is why I instituted a new personal policy when it comes to writing a blog post: a 15-minute segment is all I'll devote to a blog post at any one time. Often, if I have some thoughts on a subject, I know I can concisely get my thoughts on pixel in that time. It'll probably come in around 500 words. Long enough for a blog post.

In this manner, I'll maintain not only constant blog posts--for all those algorithms--but also keep more time ready for actual fiction writing.

These weekly Indie Author posts are longer than normal...but I also work on them throughout the week and not in one giant session.

Writing Anywhere at Anytime

Can you? Can you write anywhere at anytime?

Thankfully, I always have been able to do this. Good thing, too.

On Monday, I took my boy to Main Event so he could have some team-building time with his co-workers. We left at 7:15 pm and stayed until 9:40 or so. I brought my Chromebook, my Kindle, and a steno pad. I intended to work. With bowling, pools, an arcade, and a booming soundtrack right above my head...well, it wasn't exactly quiet.

Nothing at all like my 4:30 am writing time in my house when I'm truly the only one awake.

What did I do? Finished reading FARADAY: THE IRON HORSE by James Reasoner. Finished writing the book review I posted this past Wednesday. Finished the then latest chapter on the new Ben Wade, PI, short story/novella. All with all of that distraction.

When we left, my boy asked if I was able to get work done. When I listed my accomplishments, even he seemed impressed.

Being able to write anywhere at anytime is a good tool to have in one's toolbox.

What I'm Reading/Finished

Speaking of THE IRON HORSE, have you read my review of this fantastic book by the prolific storyteller James Reasoner? I really enjoyed the tale.

My book club met this past Tuesday. We discussed Jeff VanderMeer's BORNE. While the book was clearly competently written, it was not for me.

For some reason, I've had a hankering to read some classic franchise novels. Forty years ago next month, Brian Daley's HAN SOLO AT STARS' END was published. It's the book I selected for the book club. In addition to that, I'm reading an old Star Trek novel by Barbara Hambly, ISHMAEL.

My current audiobook is APOLLO 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger. As we gear up to the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 this July, I looked up Apollo 9 and 10. We are currently in the 50-year-old window of Apollo 9 (3-13 March 1969). Apollo 10 starts in May.


Oh, and I likely watched--and loved--"Captain Marvel" last night...but here, in real time, I haven't seen it yet. :-)

Forgotten Books: Mascarada Pass by William Colt MacDonald (2019)

(2019 update. On a lark, I scoured this blog to see the book I reviewed first for Patti Abbott's Friday's Forgotten Books way back in 2008. How ironic, then, did I rediscover it was a mystery set in the old west by a railroad detective.

In my introduction to EMPTY COFFINS, the first Calvin Carter: Railroad Detective book, I openly acknowledge the role Gregory Quist played in forming my own character. Back in 2008 when this review was written, I began looking for old Quist novels in used bookstores. I found a few to add to the collection I inherited from my grandfather, but I only read two of them. Now, in 2019, as I've written six Carter novels, I may have to read another Quist novel and see how Carter and Quist compare. From what I can remember about Quist, he was a true cowboy whereas Carter is a refined actor. To be honest, Quist and Carter's partner, Thomas Jackson, would probably get along just fine.

Anyway, I thought I would republish my very first Forgotten Book today.)

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After Patti Abbott graciously invited me to submit a book for her Friday Forgotten Books collection, I was excited and worried. You see, I’m putting myself through a sort of self-education in crime fiction, learning its history, and determining where my own fiction fits in. Thus, books that are forgotten by many readers are brand-new to me. You can peruse my reviews of other crime fiction here on my blog and get my take on what I've read so far. But today I begin with a western--a western mystery, that is--by an author I never heard of until I opened a box of books my grandfather owned.

When one thinks of westerns, three names immediately come to mind: Louis L’amour, Max Brand, and Zane Gray. At least that’s how I see it as a lifelong SF geek looking through the barbed wire fence at the pasture that is the western genre. My dad got the box of L’amour books. I got the box of everything else. And, amid all the Luke Shorts and Giles Lutz books--and a few Perry Masons, Cool and Lams, Ellery Queens, and Mary Rogers Rinehearts--I found about ten novels by William Colt MacDonald. Cool western writer name, to be sure. Among the MacDonald books were six books about Gregory Quist, a railroad detective for the Texas Northern and Arizona Southern Railroad Company. Shoot, I thought, how unique is that. If I’m going to read a western, might as well be one with a mystery involved.

Mascarada Pass (1954) is the earliest of the novels I have so I started with it. One of the words MacDonald uses to describe Quist’s features is his ‘aquiline nose.’ Any reader of Sherlock Holmes will know that the English detective has the same adjective used on him as the railroad detective. With a deft use of one word, MacDonald let us in on Quist’s secret weapon: his mind. But this is a western and you know Quist is handy with a six-shooter. And he has ample circumstances to demonstrate his prowess.

Quist is dispatched to the town of Masquerade City once the railroad company determines that the recent freight train derailment was “man-impelled.” He arrives only to discover that one of the more respected men in town, Reed Haldane, took his own life the very night of train crash. Quist’s reputation precedes him and two of Haldane’s hands--Ramon and Chris who constantly feud with each other for Quist’s attention--enlist the detective’s help in discovering the culprit who killed Haldane. They don’t think Haldane took his own life. They believe it was murder.

Like a good pulp story, the two seemingly unrelated story lines are connected but Quist has no evidence. And it is through the method Quist gathers his evidence that the true charm of the book shines. Unlike Sherlock Holmes who rarely doubts his own abilities, Quist constantly questions himself at places throughout the book, even going so far as to question his own assumptions. Quist sends Chris and Ramon on various errands, gathers their results and the evidence they’ve seen, and pieces it all together. He deals with the rival family Haldane crossed twenty years before. And, as in all good pulp stories whether western, crime, or SF, he has to deal with the alluring daughter of the recently deceased.

My research into William Colt MacDonald revealed that he only wrote westerns but Mascarada Pass would fit nicely into anyone’s mystery collection. He plants the clues for Quist to find and for the reader to digest. And, in good Nero Wolfe or Nick Charles fashion, Quist keeps the results to himself and gathers all concerned for the big reveal. I won’t spoil the ending here but, suffice it to say, I saw part of the ending coming. I guess that makes me as smart as Gregory Quist. But not nearly as fast with a gun as he is.

In my review of Allan Guthrie’s Kiss Her Good-bye, I make mention of casual violence. That is, violence that seems to erupt out of nowhere and is gone almost as fast. That is the kind of violence in Mascarada Pass. It’s swift and brutal, but not gory. Death happens in a matter of fact way. It’s a part of life in the old west.

MacDonald’s writing style is somewhat dated. The story is all third-person with only the first two chapters not featuring Quist. Once he steps on stage, MacDonald never leaves Quist’s POV. As was customary back in the 50s, MacDonald uses adverbs profusely (heh) whereas we modern writers strive for a near adverb-less style. Like a good Elmore Leonard character, Quist’s personality emerges through his dialogue, at times laconic and hard-edged. MacDonald also uses dialogue as shorthand for personality. Ramon Serrano, one of Quist’s helpers, is a Mexican-born character and his dialogue is written as if it were from a 1940s western movie, dialect intact. For example: “Eet was my idea--” Serrano cut in indignantly.” The same technique was applied to the town drunk: “What in. . hic! . . you care . . where I buy’em?” It was annoying at first but I got used to it. Different time, different style.

The one charming aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the chapter titles. Remember those old Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books with those fun chapter titles? Remember how, as you started a new chapter, you wondered what the cryptic chapter title really meant? That’s how it was with Mascarada Pass. I haven’t read a book like that in a long time.

Mascarada Pass was a fun book, especially as a first western for me. It checked off all the major things a western needs--gun fights, ambushes, dusty towns--and filled in the cracks with a solid mystery. Gregory Quist is a good character, complete with good brains, a little self-doubt, but fortitude enough to get the job done. It goes without saying that I’ll be reading the other Quist books in my collection. I recommend Gregory Quist as a character that needs to be remembered again. Go ahead and start with Mascarada Pass.

Magnum PI (2018)

As a fan of the TV show CASTLE, I loved that the pilot episode of MAGNUM PI (2018) started with the characters reading the exploits of themselves in a book. It explained how it was we first saw Thomas Magnum in space, skydiving into North Korea.

And served as a teaser for what was a perfectly fine hour of television, especially on a Monday night.

Now, I’m of an age where I remember the original with Tom Selleck. However, I was not an avid watcher of the program. I knew the basics: Magnum was a veteran who lived in Hawaii, had a job as a private investigator, and lived in the home of Robin Masters, a mysterious figure we never saw and the only connection was Higgins, the caretaker of the estate. In the original version, Higgins was played by Texan John Hillerman, doing a great British accent. With Magnum were two pals from his time in Vietnam and they shared in Magnum’s adventures.

Magnum PI 2018 is pretty much the same thing except we get a real British person playing Higgins, Perdita Weeks (sister of Honeysuckle Weeks of Foyle’s War). The gender swap will likely lead to some romantic tension between the two characters. Yes, that will change the dynamic, but that isn’t a bad thing. While I pretty much envision Magnum and Higgins to pair up after a while, they could always go the route of TV’s ELEMENTARY, where Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson respected each other but never hooked up. It can happen.

The pilot episode showed what was updated and what wasn’t. The coolest thing that was kept was the theme song and the typical 80s-era credits sequence. I dug it. Now, Magnum and his three friends are veterans of Afghanistan. It was when one of their number is kidnapped and killed that Magnum–played by Jay Hernandez–Rick (Zachary Knighton) and TC (Stephen Hill) join forces and bring the bad guys to justice. In addition to the gender swap, Higgins is also former MI-6 (disavowed), so she called in favors to help locate a missing truck, and she kicked some bad guy butt along the way. Natch. The action was fun and over-the-top, but what were you expecting?

I expected a fun, light romp to replace the Monday night vacancy voided by ELEMENTARY. Magnum PI might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as someone who doesn’t remember much of the material from the original, I’m good with the show.

Faraday: The Iron Horse by James Reasoner

The ways to start a western are numerous, but is there any better way than an all-out chase on horse?
Carl Duncan is in trouble. He is driving his horse as hard as possible over the flat plains in Kansas. Behind him are a band of Indians, themselves on horseback.

And they’re gaining.

Knowing he can not make it to the railhead of the Kansas Pacific, the new line being constructed across Indian territory, Duncan goes to plan B: he climbs a telegraph pole and taps into the line. If only he can send a message, he can tell of what he knows. There’s a white man behind the recent Indian attacks against the railhead. And Duncan knows who it is. Alas for him, arrows puncture his leg and he’s captured before he can reveal the name. A pity for him, but not for us readers. Because we don’t know what Duncan saw, we are treated to a delightful tale of the old west.

First in a Series

Thirty years ago, James Reasoner wrote FARADAY: THE IRON HORSE. It is the first of a new series featuring a detective agency based in Kansas, headed by Matthew Faraday. Conceived by author Paul Block, who was an editor at Book Creations, Inc., the Faraday series was intended to be standalone tales with bossman Faraday as the through line. Each entry would focus on a different detective in the agency. It is a great concept and one that enabled multiple writers to put their stamp on this short-lived collection of books.

Matthew Faraday is an older man, but with the fire of justice still burning brightly through him. He takes a meeting with an old friend, Amos Rowland, owner of the Kansas Pacific railroad. The baron suspects the troubles out near the railhead are part of a larger means of sabotaging his line. He wants Faraday’s agency to investigate.

Faraday has just the man. Daniel Britten, aged around twenty-five, is not what you’d think of as a typical western hero. He’s shorter than most, and much more educated. Those qualities, and his upstanding honor, is what carries this tale forward. After meeting with Faraday and Rowland--and Rowland’s beautiful daughter, Deborah--Britten is dispatched out to the railhead to conduct his investigation under the ruse of him being a draftsman.

Once at the railhead, Britten starts looking around, asking questions, and a slew of interesting characters emerge. Deborah is there, having gone out on the same train as Britten. Her fiance, Terrence Jennings, is the construction boss, a man as big as the west with the fists and brawn to back it up. Sam Callighan is an old buffalo man, a surveyor, and one who has had good relations with the Indians. Mordecai Vint is an old geezer, a trader, and one who has been around the area often. His granddaughter, Laura, is his only friend. Throw in a few cowboys and other assorted people, and you’ve got the old west version of a whodunit.

And that’s what makes this book so much fun to read. Through Britten’s investigative process, he discovers clues, sifts the evidence, and formulates theories. Things happen and he is left constantly guessing. As are the readers.

A Gifted Storyteller

Reasoner weaves all of these people in and out of the main narrative with an ease that can only come from years behind a keyboard. His deft characterizations make all these people walk off the page, full-blooded and alive. The dexterity by which he shows you only what you need to see will keep you guessing the identity of the true villain until the last bit of the book. At least he did for me.
I’ve made no secret that I admire Reasoner’s manner of writing. It was his Longarm books that paved the way for my own Calvin Carter: Railroad Detective series. But as I was sucked into this story, two things happened. One, time slipped by imperceptibly. I woke on Sunday thinking I’d read a chapter or two before church. Over two hours later, I had to reluctantly put the Kindle down and hurriedly get ready.

The second is the sheer storytelling prowess. It feels effortless. Now, as a writer myself, I know it takes work, and lots of it, to get a story ready for the public. And with more than 365 books under his belt, Reasoner is a modern pulp master. I constantly highlighted passages, making notes not only about the story, but also about turns of phrase, ways the author highlighted this or that thing.
It is so rewarding to become engrossed in a James Reasoner novel. That THE IRON HORSE is so darn entertaining on the action, western, and mystery fronts is, well, par for the course with a Reasoner book.

We’ve come to expect nothing less.

Of the fiction I've read to date in 2019, this is my favorite. How much did I enjoy this story? I already ordered THE COLORADO SPECIAL as written by Bill Crider.

Background

I was curious about the process Reasoner went through to revise this story from the original 1988 published book, and he graciously answered some of my questions, including the genesis of the entire series.

"Paul Block, who was an editor at Book Creations Inc. as well as writing books for them from time to time, came up with the concept and Matthew Faraday's name, but as I recall, there wasn't really a series bible, just discussions on the phone about what the series would be like. It was set up so that each book would be a stand-alone with different agents working for Faraday and his agency. I remember Paul sent me a list of possible heroes, just their names and maybe a one-line description, and Daniel Britten was one of them. The plot of THE IRON HORSE was mine, though, and I assume the other authors came up with the plots for their books. I know Bill [Crider] did because he and I were always in pretty close contact and knew what the other one was writing."

"In order to produce the new edition of THE IRON HORSE, Livia scanned and OCRed a copy of the original paperback, went through the file to clean up the OCR errors, then turned it over to me. I went through the file adding, deleting, and rewriting to bring it more in line with the way I write now. It's not like there are huge differences in the two versions, but there are lots and lots of small changes that I think make the writing flow better and give more depth to the characters."

Chicago XIV: Reconsidered and Remixed

Chicago XIV is widely considered the nadir of the band’s fifty-one-year career. It was the album where Chicago hit a commercial rock bottom, but with a little tweaking, Chicago XIV could have been something else entirely.

After the death of founding member, guitarist Terry Kath, in early 1978, Donnie Dacus joined the band as lead guitarist and vocalist on their twelfth album (Hot Streets) and Chicago 13. Poor sales and changing music trends prompted the band to part ways with Dacus, hire Chris Pinnick on guitar, and record their next album. It tanked on the charts, yielding a couple of singles few people heard, acted as a harbinger of much of the band’s output in the 1980s, and was one of the main reasons Columbia Records severed their relationship with the band.

In the last year, however, I’ve been listening to the record again. Specifically, I’m listening to the 2003 remastered version from Rhino Records where three new songs recorded during the original sessions were added as bonus cuts. “Doin’ Business” was already available as the extra song on the Group Portrait box set (raise your hand if you bought an entire box set for one song) but “Soldier of Fortune” and “Live it Up” gave listeners a new peek into the studio circa 1980. Of all the remastered CDs back in 2003, XIV was arguably the best since you actually got new never-before-heard songs, including one (Live It Up) sung by Peter Cetera. It was definitely a thrill.

Comedian Jimmy Pardo (Never Not Funny) on Craig Smith’s SamePageCast 18 (Chicago for Beginners) examining the Columbia years of Chicago’s catalog basically called XIV a Peter Cetera solo album. He’s not entirely incorrect. On closer listen, however, and with a different track order, XIV could have been an underappreciated gem of an album. Would it have been a hit? Probably not. The songs are the same. The musical trends in 1980 were the same, but I’m considering this an interesting thought experiment by a long-time fan.

The Original Album's Tracklist

Side One
1. Manipulation
2. Upon Arrival
3. Song for You
4. Where Did the Lovin’ Go
5. Birthday Boy

Side Two
6. Hold On
7. Overnight Cafe
8. Thunder and Lightning
9. I’d Rather Be Rich
10. The American Dream

The White Board

The original album contained ten songs. The remastered version has thirteen. I decided to maintain the 10-song run time, five songs per side. I listened to all thirteen songs the other day and wrote the songs down on a white board. I color-coded the titles with red as an up-tempo song and green as a ballad. I added a “(B)” to note if the Chicago brass were prominent and a “(G)” for Pinnick’s guitar work. Chicago XIV is a Peter Cetera-centered album so I marked Robert Lamm’s songs with an “RL”. Lastly, I created two columns, a “Keep” and a “Discard.” The blue numbers are how I’d restructure the album. Here’s the screenshot.




My biggest problem with the original order is much the same issue I have with Chicago 30 (yeah, I’m using the number because I don’t want to have three Xs on my post): too many ballads next to each other. Chicago albums are best when there is a mix of tempos and styles. So even if you kept the original ten songs, they still should have been re-ordered.

So, without further ado, here’s my version of Chicago XIV.

New Side 1

Manipulation – This Lamm-sung tune is likely the closest Chicago would ever get to punk. It’s a strong opener and also serves as an excellent introduction (see what I did there?) to the prowess of Pinnick on guitar. This is a song you play for anyone who still thinks Chicago is only a ballad band. I contend that Pinnick’s solo is arguably the greatest non-Kath solo on any Chicago studio album.

Overnight Café – This mid-tempo cut, sung by Cetera, starts out rather minimally, but soon cuts into some more guitar fretwork by Pinnick. It would have served as a nice introduction of Cetera as the new main force in the band that could still rock (rather than original track 2, the ballad “Upon Arrival”). The opening and closing would have served as a bridge between Manipulation and the first true ballad on the record, Song for You.

Song for You – “If You Leave Me Now” may have been the harbinger of things to come in the 1980s, but Song for You was the prototype for all the Cetera-sung tunes of the decade. It’s a simple song, showcasing both Cetera’s lower and higher range. It’s clearly in the mold of “Colour My World” complete with the acoustic guitar playing a short solo. It’s a pleasant song and I’ve always enjoyed it, but not anywhere as good as what was to come on Chicago 16 and 17.

Thunder and Lightning – The single from XIV is sung by both Cetera and Lamm. It’s likely the most famous tune on the album. It’s a spare song, complete with a great guitar groove, slick horn arrangement, and both singers featured. Plus it’s got a trombone solo by James Pankow to close out the tune. The original side 1 had only one Lamm-only song.

Hold On – Cetera closes out side one with another rocker. It’s got some similar DNA to Chicago VIII’s “Hideaway,” buttressed with yet more horns and another fiery guitar solo by Pinnick. It’s still got a lot of Cetera singing all the parts (rather than having Lamm sing backup), but in a rougher song, it’s a bit more palatable.

New Side 2

Doin’ Business – Side 2 opens with a song that is the sister song to Manipulation. It is an up-tempo Lamm-sung tune talking about all the bad stuff about the music business. The similarities between the two songs might’ve been the reason Doin’ Business was left off the record, but there is lots to love. Lamm is on his game with a powerful vocal. The horns are in your face. Pinnick cuts loose yet again with a great solo, but it’s Cetera’s bass playing that really is the surprise. Well, not for long-time fans who knew what he did on the early albums. By the late 70s, Cetera had gradually softened his bass playing. Not here.

Where Did the Lovin’ Go? – Another Cetera ballad, but only the second one on the album and first of the new side 2. The trend of very soft openings that lead into louder sections continues here, but the brass help this song from being just a copycat of Song for You.

I’d Rather Be Rich – Lamm comes back with a tongue-in-cheek song with a riff and tempo reminiscent of Chicago 13’s “Reruns.” Pinnick’s guitar work, unadorned with distortion, fits right into that 1979-1980 guitar sound. Even the brass get an extended break.

Birthday Boy – This is a song that barely made my version of the album. But if we’re being truthful to the time period, Cetera was ascendant while Lamm and Pankow were not as prominent as they had been. But hey: I kicked off Upon Arrival. The lyrics are not great, the keyboard sound is a carbon copy from Where Did The Lovin’ Go, but the brass and Pinnick’s guitar keep this from being a mailed-in song.

The American Dream – Same closer as the original, this Pankow-written, Cetera-sung tune could be brought out on tour in 2018 and most of the lyrics would still apply. More brass goodness, and saxophonist Walt Parazaider gets to bring out his bari sax which is always a good thing.

B-Side

Soldier of Fortune – Of the two never-before-heard bonus songs, this is the better one. You get Lamm singing over his electric piano, tasteful brass hits, and a particularly fun acoustic guitar solo from Pinnick. In truth, Lamm could have remastered this song for his 2003 solo album Subtlety and Passion and it would have easily fit on that album’s groove. With a 10-song limit, Soldier of Fortune shows up as a b-side of the first single, Thunder and Lightning.

Left Off

Live It Up – As great as it was to hear a ‘brand new’ Cetera/Chicago song in 2003 and despite some smooth brass, it’s more of a fun curiosity than anything else. I could cheat and put it as the B-side of the second single, Song for You, but I’m still gonna leave it off. Again, Cetera’s bass playing is really well done. Why didn’t he do more of this?

Upon Arrival – The original second track, it is about as far away from Manipulation as you can get. Cetera is in full-ballad mode here. That’s not the problem. The lyrics are not great. It’s like Cetera was trying to do a slice-of-life song a la “Saturday in the Park” and it doesn’t work. Again, Lamm comes in for some passages, so it’s good for a two-voice song, but ultimately I would leave it off the album. It came down to this or Birthday Boy getting the boot, and Upon Arrival lost.

So, there’s my remixed version of Chicago XIV. Again, I don’t think this would have changed the trajectory of the band, but perhaps this new arrangement creates a more balanced album.
I’d love to hear y’all’s thoughts or even give your own version of XIV. And if you haven’t heard it in awhile, go take a listen. The songs might surprise you.

Just Listening to Music

I did something on Saturday I haven’t done in a long time.

Early in the day, my son and I went record and CD shopping at a couple of places in Houston. First stop was Cactus Music. With the advent of downloadable music at the same time as a vinyl resurgence, this might be the best music store in Houston now. Rows and rows of CDs in the main room and even more albums in the next rooms. Books, posters, box sets, paraphernalia, Cactus has it all. Plus live music.

It also has a section devoted exclusively to CD versions of old FM radio broadcasts. Remember when that was thing? For those too young to recall, certain concerts would be broadcast on the radio. It was how I first heard David Bowie live in 1984. There were literally about ten concerts I wanted to buy. I ended up purchasing David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails in October 1995. This was the tour I missed…and now I have it.

But that wasn’t the neat thing.

Later, we drove on up to Vinyl Edge in the Heights. The name of the store tells you all you need to know. It’s a record store, old, new, vintage. They’ve got a lot. Including crates and crates of unpriced, uncategorized records. All you have to do is flip through them. I ended up with Billy Joel’s 52nd Street and a wild card, off-the-cuff selection of Paul Williams’ Here Comes Inspiration. Why? Have no clue. Might be part of the upcoming 40th anniversary of The Muppet Movie and the Williams-penned classic “The Rainbow Connection.”

The other record I bought was Chicago 13. By my estimation, this is the fourth time I’ve bought this record, but the first on vinyl. This record is also forty years old this August. There are some good cuts on this record and I’ll write more about it in August.

I found myself alone at the house. The boy was at work and the wife was with her sister. All the dishes were washed and the lawn and leaves were taken care of. So I put the record on the turntable and sat and listened to the record. I did nothing else other than sit, listen, and read the lyrics and liner notes.

And it was refreshing.

With our iPhones and iPods—heck, ever since the Walkman—we have been able to hear music while doing something else. I have been doing it since I got my first Walkman over thirty years ago. But before that, you were chained to a turntable in your room. And you absorbed the music and words together.

I really enjoyed the experience of just listening, and I plan on doing it more.

Year of an Indie Writer: Week 9

by
Scott D. Parker

Sometimes, the little things are the most difficult.

Evolution of a Book Description

 

Writing a book description is difficult. I can write a 50,000-word novel with little effort yet to come up with a 300-word description *that doesn't tell the whole story*, well, that's an art. For better or worse, here are the three drafts (that made it onto the computer. There were more on paper.)

Draft 1

Outlaw Angus Morton and his gang have made a crucial mistake: they upped their antics from robbing stagecoaches out west near El Paso, Texas, to murdering a railroad agent and burning down a way station. Detectives Calvin Carter and Thomas Jackson are tasked with bringing justice to Morton, one way or another. 

Along the way, Carter meets beautiful Laurel Peel. She’s running from an arranged marriage, but when she’s kidnapped from a train right under Carter’s nose, he discovers the secret documents she hoped would earn her freedom. The papers reveal a machine that beggars belief: a machine armed not only with a Gatling gun but a means to shoot fire. 

But Carter must push aside his curiosity about the enigmatic Peel and locate Morton. The people of El Paso fear Morton and when he might strike next. Rumors float about a fire-breathing dragon capable of utter destruction.  

As a former actor, Carter knows a tall-tale when he hears one. He also understands the reality of death. Every person who witnessed the most recent attack is dead, except for the fetching reporter Aurora Ashe. 

------
Not bad, I thought to myself. One you're supposed to do with trailers is whet the reader's appetite and not give too much away. I included a few key phrases that would have drawn me in as a reader--"secret documents"; "kidnapped from a train"; "Gatling gun".

I changed a few words to tighten things up.

Or so I thought.
_____

Draft 2

Outlaw Angus Morton and his gang have made a crucial mistake: they upped their infractions from robbing stagecoaches near El Paso, Texas, to murdering a railroad agent and burning down a way station. Detectives Calvin Carter and Thomas Jackson are tasked with bringing justice to Morton...one way or another. 

En route Morton's last known location, Carter meets beautiful Laurel Peel. She’s running from an arranged marriage, but when she’s kidnapped from a train right under Carter’s nose, he discovers the secret documents she hoped would earn her freedom. The papers reveal a machine that beggars belief: a machine armed not only with a Gatling gun but a means to shoot fire. 

Pushing aside his curiosity about the enigmatic Peel and the strange contraption, Carter focuses on finding Morton. The outlaw has the citizens of El Paso terrified, wondering where next he'll strike. Rumors abound a fire-breathing dragon capable of utter destruction, a monster which could lay waste to the city. 

As a former actor, Carter knows a tall-tale when he hears one. But when witnesses to the most recent attack turn up murdered, Carter must confront his doubts. Maybe there is something to those rumors. A local newspaper reporter thinks so, and she's out to prove it. But when Aurora Ashe puts her life on the line, Carter comes to her rescue. But who will rescue him when he comes face to face with...the Hell Dragon.

------
A little better. Maybe a little tighter.

Then I got some outside feedback. My wife has the unique way of cutting through all the stuff and getting to the core of a problem. She quickly said there were too many names and too much story. Okay, I said, maybe I can just remove all names except Morton and Carter. And tell less story.

A co-worker of mine at the day job read Draft 2. She took home a printed version and returned with the sheet full of notes. And questions. Valued questions for which I mostly had answers. But the mere fact she posed so many questions also meant the description was not doing its job.

The sole job of a book description is to hook the reader and compel them to buy the book. Or in the case of ebooks, at least download the sample and read it. Clearly, this description was flawed.

Back to the drawing board.
--------

Draft 3

Outlaw Angus Morton and his gang have made a crucial mistake: they upped their crimes from robbing stagecoaches near El Paso to murdering a railroad agent and burning down a way station. Detective Calvin Carter and his partner are tasked with bringing Morton to justice. 

One way or another. 

When Carter arrives at Morton's last known location, he finds the town on edge. The bandit has the citizens terrified, wondering where next he'll strike. Even stranger are the rumors of a fire-breathing creature capable of utter destruction, a monster which could lay waste to the city. 

As a former actor, Carter knows a tall-tale when he hears one. But he also knows a few things are not make believe:  

Witnesses to the most recent attack turning up murdered.  

Carter himself attacked. 

And the deep, metallic churning sound of an infernal machine approaching...

-----
That's what I went with. It has way less story. Actually, it only has the part of the plot that gets Carter and his partner going and out to El Paso to investigate. All the other stuff is still in the book, but now, folks will be able to see how they all fit together while reading the novel.

Is it the best description? Probably not. But then again, the great part about being an indie writer is being able to adjust on the fly. If HELL DRAGON doesn't sell well, then perhaps there's a problem with the description.

Or the cover. But as soon as I found that upper image, I knew it was going on the cover.

Speaking of cover, here it is.

Lesson Learned

 

Speaking of doing things on the fly, I had forgotten how soon before 1 Jan 2019 I delivered the files for EMPTY COFFINS to Amazon. It was probably around 27 Dec. Here's the weird thing: December has 31 days in it. Not sure you knew that. Came as a shock to me, too. So when I uploaded the Amazon file of HELL DRAGON on 27 February, I was informed the book would go live not on 1 March but 3 March.

So, Amazon folks, you'll have to wait until Monday, 3 March, to snag your copy of HELL DRAGON. It's available for pre-order, so you'll have to make your Monday marvelous with the new book.

And, looking to the future, I've just learned April has only 30 days, so I'll be sure to have the file of AZTEC SWORD up and ready well before 1 May.

[shakes head]

Star Wars Trailer by Topher Grace

I have been a Star Wars fan since 1977. I've loved, to a greater or lesser degree, every live action movie since. Star Wars has been an integral part of my life. I'm a founding member of the Star Wars Generation.

Topher Grace--yes, that Topher Grace--has drawn content from all 10 live actions movies to present an overarching trailer of all of Star Wars to date. Have a look.

Not only does this trailer to justice to the greater story, it is incredibly emotional. Goosebumps rippled over my arms and neck when I hear Yoda's "There is another" comment and it's the fantastic scene from The Force Awakens when Luke's lightsaber vaults into Rey's hands.

So very, very good. A perfect way to ready ourselves for this year's Episode IX

Rogue One

 

Speaking of Star Wars, I had a hankering to watch Rogue One again. I went to Netflix, but the movie was gone. Enter Half Price Books. Armed with a new blu-ray DVD, I watched this show again, the first time since it's debut in 2016.

Boy does it hold up well. It's a true war film in the Star Wars universe. Like all real-life heroes who know the thing for which they fight is larger than themselves, the actions of Jyn Erso and company are commendable.

The movie even made me tear up over a robot.

And that Darth Vader scene? The one thing I really hoped for going into the movie back in 2016 was to have Vader be bad again. Really bad. And dang, if he didn't deliver.

If you haven't watched it in a while--or ever--treat yourself.

What I'm Reading

 

I’m a member of the Men’s Adventure Paperbacks of the 70s and 80s. So is James Reasoner. He posted on this group the cover of the new book he’s publishing: Faraday: The Iron Horse. Well, the cover alone grabbed me. The concept solidified it. And the reading, so far, is exactly what I’ve come to expect from James.

Here’s the link to his blog where he gives some background. I’ll have my review up next week (most likely).