Wanted to stop by and give an update. Vampires versus The Third Reich thread is leading the pack on the all day event. Very exciting. We've had over 195 views and 39 comments. I think the next closest is almost breaking 100. Out of 80 threads, that's pretty impressive even to me. If you haven't stopped by yet, don't worry, looks like I'll be here most of the night. So, once you've finished the lawn work, shoveled the snow, enjoyed a good dinner or breakfast, stop b and join in.. Having a blast! http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/showthread.php?t=28755

It’s vampire week. I’m a little late in getting this up since it begins tomorrow, but that’s okay. We’ll start with a little promo. For you folks in Europe and Russia the event starts at 2:30:00am CST US, there is going to be an entire day set aside for Vampire Lovers. Here is the link:Latte Lounge

I'll be on the thread: Vampires versus the Third Reich. 

 It doesn’t matter what part of the genre you enjoy, I guarantee you will find something of immense interest. From the pure blood suckers of Bram Stoker to stories rivaling “Twilight,” series and everything in between. The event is being hosted by Coffee Time Romance. Guys, don’t let that bother you. The Vampire Realm found a site willing to host this event for free. Very nice. I’m going to be in the discussion groups from 2:00pm to 8:00 pm US Central Standard Time and again from 9:00pm till 11:00pm or maybe longer.

The first two are the book cover/posters

These are the t-shirts

 Now why would you want to check in? Because, there are going to be some great give-aways, from many of the authors, including myself. We’re talking e-books, signed copies, posters, shirts and just all types of swag. I will be offering  two posters, two shirts, three e-books, and one signed copy. On top of that, one lucky reader will receive a complete package: poster, shirt and signed copy. For the US residents, I won’t be charging postage, for overseas winners, I'll ask to split the postage costs. Shirts and books are running $6.00 each and the posters are $10.00. This will be handled through either paypal or Western Union. 

So, if you are really into vampires and I do mean really into them, you won't want to miss this all day event!

While I formulate and prepare for the upcoming vampire feast, I felt it appropriate to throw out a little humor for a week that has endured such tragic events: Boston and West,TX. It swells my heart with pride to see AMERICANS coming together in times of crisis. Despite our political, religious, or sexual preferences, AMERICANS are true force when faced with adversity. Now, how to we keep the momentum and put our differences aside? That is the question.

Okay, now for the humor. For those who know me, my failed abilities with modern technology have been well documented through the years. I never had a problem with a computer until I hit the "ON" button. Well, I've crossed that bridge with mild success. So, I decided to purchase a smart phone a few month back. Why? Because I like the square and voice recognition apps. I thought they'd be very helpful with sales and make it easier to communicate with people. Well, the first one is working out nicely. The second one? You be the judge.

It's official! I've entered the 21st century and modern technology. I learned how to use the voice message device. The salesman said it would take awhile before it would recognize my voice. It's working. I said, "Call Michelle Pfieffer." The phone started laughing. Thinking I misspoke, I tried again. "Call Britanny Spears." More laughter. Hmm. I turned it off thinking their might be a glitch in the system. You know how they tell us to reboot and that will fix the problem, right? Okay, one more time. "Call Rachel Welch." My request was met with silence. Let's try this one more time. "Call Rachel...." The phone turned off and rebooted on its own. I blankly stared at the screen as it completed the cycle. "Has Rod Serling made an unscheduled visit?" As I tried to complete my date night calls, the phone started laughing again and responded with laughter, "Mr. Dawson, we can only connect calls with a valid request. Oh, we're not sure what you're smoking in Dallas, but we suggest a new supplier." This was followed by two minutes of multiple laughing. I guess it has recognized my voice. Now, how do I get my money back? I hate modern technology.

Back to work. 

Good morning, mid-afternoon, evening and a special hello to the night owls who seem to be a forgotten bunch, but not here.

This week’s post is a taking a different turn. We all know women are true masters when it comes to writing love stories and personal memoirs, but what of men? Yes, men. I’ve had the immense pleasure of meeting three of these oddities in the world of literature: Harry Leslie Smith, Shawn Inmon, Rodney Walther and yours truly: Jeff Dawson. Let’s jump right in, shall we.

Mr. Smith has written one of the most profound stories circling around WWII. We all know of the glory and the unity that welded the free world together in order to defeat, Nazi Germany, Fascist’s Italy and Imperial Japan, but what about behind the scenes for the common man? How did the war affect him and his family? Mr. Smith pulls no punches. He grows up in the Northern part of Great Britain, working in the dreary, dangerous coal mines of Barley Hole. Despite the entire country uniting and producing the weapons of war to fight the German onslaught, wages (unlike the US) were still barely sufficient for the common man to eek out a living and support his family. Realizing the injustice and bleak opportunities, Smith joins the RAF in hopes of escaping from the poverty surrounding the mines. He serves the Empire admirably and then winds up in war torn Germany fraternizing with the common people, who were only trying to survive the “hell” Hitler led the country through. If I keep typing, I’ll give away too much of the story. How does love fit in here? He’s going to meet his bride to be.

This is a masterful work all sociologists should consider in their curriculums.

Review:http://www.amazon.com/review/RIB0OW8K5O3LK/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B006382B3C&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text

How many thought all the posts were going to be about men loving women and vice-a-versa. No one thought about a father’s love for a son did they? Come on be honest. I think I saw one hand partially raised. Well, the next author Rodney Walther has written such a book. Granted, this one is fiction, but for those of us who played baseball, coached baseball or remember playing catch with Dad will appreciate this work. Being a single dad I could relate with this story on many levels.

Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/RHOQ93NN29IWJ/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004DNWIEG&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

Have you ever read a story that found you double-taking with each page? Up until now, I didn’t think it was possible (unless of course the book was pirated) until now. I received an email a few weeks back. The author requested I read his book and supply an honest review. I informed it, it would be at least a month as there were others in line. But something caught my eye. Something very innocuous. Shawn drove a Vega back in the late 70’s. I know, that doesn’t sound like a real hook, but in my case, it triggered an old memory. So, just out of curiosity, I decided to read a chapter. Five hours later, I was finished. Why? The story he tells and the one I published two years ago are mirrors of each other with one exception; his has a happy ending.

That aside, the brilliance of his book follows the same theme as Jaci Bryant’s, “Penny Lane.” Each chapter is not just a trip down memory in the 70’s, they are devoted to a particular song of the era. For those of us who grew up during this decade, the book is a tribute to love, life and music.

Shawn does an excellent job in portraying the love he and Dawn shared as tender teenagers and then how their love (especially his) affected future relationships. I could relate to his feelings. Good to know I wasn’t the only who still held a flame for our first true love. And then the chance meeting thirty years later at a drive-up window. How would you react if you unexpectedly ran into an old flame at the drive-in window? And of more consequence, despite your recognition, did they exhibit the same? Would you try and make contact again or would you drive away and wonder what could have been?

Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R20LYXWQOQTI9T/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1479258946&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

Last but not least, your host is throwing his book into the mix. When I read Shawn’s book, I was amazed at the similar paths our lives had traveled in the arena of love. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised to connect with someone who experienced many of the same highs and lows with that first love. Very cool. The main difference between the two works, Shawn is married to his true love while mine passed away July 20, 2009. Both of our works carry the same message; Love is Worth a Second Chance.  Even though Debbie and I were only allowed a short seven months together, the lessons she and her daughters taught me in that short time frame will never be forgotten. She and her girls reminded me, we work to live, not live to work.  They were the happiest seven months of life to date.

Book cover

I wasn't sure which review to post since they are all wonderful. I decided on two.

Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1AR4VAWZ0R5IT/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004PYDG30&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text

Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3UK2P4DXLX6RA/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004PYDG30&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

I hope you enjoyed this journey of love through men's eyes. If enjoyed the reviews, please hit the like button after reading them, but more important, if any of the stories have piqued your interest, do the author a favor and click the buy button.

Next week, I think were gonna look at those who delve into globetrotting espionage.

Have a great week!

This has started out as a very busy few weeks. Three interview hit the airwaves. Very nice. Let's bundle them up so we aren't searching through each and every site.

Joey Pinkney-Acclaimed book reviewer, Joey Pinkney, provides an excellent look into Occupation I'm still beaming over the comment about it being a,"A unique literally document." Very nice. Joey Pinkney's thoughts.

Dan Obrien-Met Dan after surfing around one day. I liked his style of humor and decided to give it a go. Good Times! A few minutes with Dan O'Brien

Vampire Realm-Folks, this is a site for those who are "Hard Core" vampire lovers. This site covers every angle one could think about in the genre. I will say this, Occupation appears to be the only written with a true historical background. Perhaps a trendsetter in the making? Now, about the photo. I think the sun was in my eyes. Enter the world of Vampires!


Don't forget, later this week I'll be featuring a few authors who have written very compelling lover stories.

Have a great week!

Apologize for the delay. I took the weekend off to spend it with my kids. What a great Easter weekend we enjoyed. It was the first time in probably ten years that all of us, expect Shawn, went to church together. We had a great time and I think the pastor wants me to perform my speech. How cool is that? Okay, let’s get back on track.

 What shall we SPOTLIGHT this week? Well, if you read last week’s post (hoping you did) I made mention of running off into a completely different world. One, where even the brave enter with great tepidity.  Yes, a place divided by time, imagination and parallel universes: Science Fiction! The four authors being featured show just how diverse and exciting this genre cane be. Their works span from great novels to the shortest of frightening stories. If you like what you hear, and enjoy the reviews I’ve written, the next obvious  step, would be to purchase one of their fabulous works and journey through their minds and stories.

T.M. Hunter—Not familiar with the name? Well, I didn’t know who Tom Clancy was either. I met Tod and his wife at the FenCon convention in Addison,TX. back in February. You know how we say “it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out?” Well, Tod can do that, because he is the proverbial rocket scientist. Pretty cool huh? I thought so. I kept listening to him and his wife describing T. M.’s works and decided to give one a try, “The Cure.” That might not be the catchiest title, but once I read the book, the cover and the title truly depict the story. Imagine being in a world run by religious zealots who for the most part frown at science and its abilities to solve the problems of the universe, including death. Ponce de Leon would kill to read this story. Is the fountain of youth a myth? Can science unravel the genes to revive dead cells? If you’re still intrigued, pick-up a copy today and begin the journey.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cure-T-M-Hunter/dp/1466239522/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/RI773RXL3OPY7/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Issace Hooke has released one of the most original and entertaining stories I’ve come across lately. Now that doesn’t mean I enjoyed the entire story, but his ability to blend unencumbering yet excellent descriptions and dialogue keeps the reader moving forward. The scene where Hooke is climbing a mile high mountain with nothing more than the ropes left in place by explorers before him, will have you shivering with each and every painful move to the top.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Forever-Gate-Part-ebook/dp/B00AVXHRAM/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R11EPNN2ANLDMB/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Daniel L. Carter. I met Daniel on a FB site: Free reads. He was offering a different type of adventure in the realm. His is a Christian based theme. Now what a minute. Don’t overlook his work if you aren’t faith based. He tells a wonderful, captivating tale. It’s not along the lines of the movie “Courageous,” but it has a great message. So give Daniel a chance and check out his entire series

http://www.amazon.com/The-Unwanted-G-6-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B0084VC398/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/RY1BLJI7U20EH/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Next in line would be A. Philipson. He has taken a different take on the apocalyptic world.  His story starts off with current events as a strange force kills off over 90% of the world’s population. I know, we’ve seen this before, but have we seen it with one family becoming the rulers of Earth. Oh, those who survived obtain IQ’s over 150. They build a utopian world, but like all stories, peace can only last so long. The Mathews find themselves in a life and death struggle with an alien force that is as scared of the humans as the humans are of them. Think Star Wars and you get the idea.

http://www.amazon.com/Children-of-Destruction-ebook/dp/B004NIFSXO/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

Review:http://www.amazon.com/review/RL9HJQJLIIGPV/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Last, but definitely not least is Hugh Howley. For those who have read any of his short stories, you already know he is a master at the craft. Think of Hugh as modern day Rod Serling.  Last I heard, he has signed with a major publishing house and is working on a movie deal. Pretty cool huh? And they say short stories can’t bring you fame.

http://www.amazon.com/Wool-Part-One-ebook/dp/B005FC52L0/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

 Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2J1I18YZAI2XM/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

There are a few others, but I’ll save that for another post. Think John Patin and Linell Jeppsen. Yes, they too have the gift. As always, if you enjoyed what you read about these excellent authors, please feel free to hit the like button. Every little vote helps all of us. 

Next week I’ll be featuring men who have written very compelling stories of love and loss. The authors I’ll be featuring are masters of the craft. Yep, men can write true, heart tugging stories also. Harry Leslie Smith and Shawn Inmon.