Good morning all. The last two weeks have been rather hectic. Spent it with my daughter and her girls. I will admit, a grand time was had by all. I also needed to read a few more books to reach the goal of 100 before the year ended. What else? Ah, yes. Been working on Target Berlin, Sabotage, the poetry book and started a new project. Haven't named it yet, but if you're not a big Dallas Cowboys fan, you'll appreciate the humor. I'll post an excerpt after I've reread it a few times.

I'm laying out blogs for the coming year. I really lost the steam in the last few months and always found something better to do than sit down and write.

To end the year on the right foot I reduced the prices on all books through the end of the year. You can find all of them here: LDDJ 


In closing, I thought it only right to perform an end of the year freebie all the horror aficionados: Terror at The Sterling is free from Dec 30 through January 2nd.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe start to 2014!

Good morning from the chilly, wet plains of Texas. Good news. All books have been reduced for the Christmas season. Now is the time to cash in and save BIG BUCKS whether it be an e-book or printed version. I cover a vast array of genres: alternative history, time travel, science fiction, vampires, horror, zombies, baseball manuals, humor and of course, memoirs.

So, if you been holding off, waiting for a sale, NOW is the time to jump in and pick up your favorite book. LDDJ Enterprises Publishing.

Ravenz Reviews: FEATURING Jeff Dawson

Ravenz Reviews: FEATURING Jeff Dawson

These gals do a great job helping authors spread the word. If you've never heard of this site, stop by and check out all the folks they spotlight. Right now, they are doing a Twelve Days of Christmas. It's kinda of cool because the gals, Kelly and Tammy are letting authors run the show each day. Last year they did all the work, but do to schedules and some health issues, they decided to let the authors run with it. Here's the link: The Twelve Days of Christmas Have a great day.

This post, for a change, has nothing to do with books or reviews. Instead, I wanted to discuss a very interesting debate I’ve engaged in. A female, whose name will remain unknown, is currently dating, seeing, accosting or visiting three male suitors. I know, so what? Well, she has a rating system of 1,2,3. She affectionately refers to them as wannabees. In other words, she might wanna be with them on a permanent basis. Yeah, nothing ground shaking here until you look at the candidates with an eagle eye. #3 isn’t worth reviewing because, well, he’s #3. But numbers two and one are.

Currently, number one has a dog which stays with his ex-wife. In order to keep visitation with the animal he has to be nice and on many occasion isn’t able to spend time with our mistress in distress.

Number two on the other hand has no baggage or ex-wives holding him canine hostage. He sends flowers at least twice a month, takes her dancing and over the Christmas Holiday has paid for four days in the Bahamas. This GUY is number two! Why?

I debated the topic at great length with this fine female specimen attempting to point out that by all logic and accounts, number two is by far superior to the current number one. She only smiled and said, “maybe.” I pose the question to the readers, based on the current facts, who should be Numero Uno?  

Back in October, the gentlemen who presides over the Poetry Society I attend, gave us an interesting challenge. The poem theme was color. At first I wasn't sure what to write or how to go about it until I reread a few passages concerning the battle of Stalingrad. This is what I came up with. Tomorrow, I'll add a few photos and some audio.

Ukraine 1943

The days have become endless.

No matter where I look,

I see nothing but white.

There is no identifiable landscape.

My mind pushes forth images

Of the past, attempting to

Recapture missing hues.

I dream to see, the greens of

Pasture grass, the stunning yellow of sunflowers,

Or even the dark rick brown of a fresh,

Tilled field.

Despite the most valiant attempts

To recreate a rainbow of fluorescence,

my eyes only see endless rows

of waxen terrain.

At times, an ashen face or body part

Protrudes from the frozen tundra,

Revealing a small blotch of dried magenta,

Reminding me how close death stalks.

My soul slumps with the endless snowy show.

No life stirs in the landscape.

The few comrades who survived the onrush

Of metallic giants, have since succumbed

To the frosted, blanched land.

For me, I care not whether I live or die.

I only wish for a glimpse of vibrant colors

Before this bleak, endless bleached land,

 swallows me whole.

Copyright@2013 LDDJ Enterprises Publishing Jeff Dawson

I spent the last five days with my daughter. Why? Well, she and my oldest son took me to dinner on Sunday for my 54, yes I won't lie, 54 birthday. When we returned from the fine meal she started having bad stomach and back pains. I left six hours later only to return within another four. The pain had reached unendurable levels. Bottom line, her gall bladder was a bit out of whack and needed to be removed. With the surgery successful, she came home to rest. Her girls decided they wanted Chinese for dinner. Okay. Below is the fortune I received. 

 We had Chinese tonight. I know, what' the big deal. Well, it was the fortune cookie. Only I could receive such a moving message, and I quote, "Today's preparation "H" determines tomorrow's crowning achievement.

How’s that for a pertinent fortune. And yes, the following day, everything moved along nicely. 

Something you didn't know. Despite being serious all the time or fired up when it comes to baseball, don't think I can't let loose. Being Halloween, I'm reminded of the first time I took Debbie to see "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Yep, I was dancing in the aisles, using my bic lighter and singing all the songs. If you've never been to the show, you don't know what you've been missing. The greatest audience participation movie ever! If you've never Time Warp, now is time to get off the couch or your chair and join in. Recognize any of the actors? It's just a jump to the left! YES!

A few more baseball posts. I promise to get back on book reviews and other exciting items once the World Series is over. I just need to vent over a few issues that really get me fired up!

Sunday
This has to be the wildest World Series I can remember. Forget what the wonderful analysts are saying and take in the game. Last night's Obstruction call was the most bizarre play to date for a winning run. Let me guess, it was a walk off obstruction call. I know Ferrell had to argue or attempt a debate. The look on his face and the rest of the Red Sox and Cardinal players had them all stumped. "He gets home why?" "You've got to be kidding me?" "Nope, run scores. Read the rules." And Jim Joyce made the call immediately. No hesitation. No afterthought. You can see him in the top right corner pointing at the play and giving the appropriate sign. Talk about exciting! We've seen multiple errors, a slew of pitchers, great and not so great defense. This is why we love the game. We never know what's going to happen. Can't wait for game four. This is a series where I would love to see the best of nine!

Monday
Troy Aikman needs to worry about calling football and not commenting on last night's ballgame. What did he say, "It was a shame the game ended that way?" WTH? Shut up Troy. Worry about football. Was it shame Beltran bruised his ribs running into the wall or perhaps, it was sad Hunter flipped over the right field wall trying to make a spectacular catch. Troy, you have enough trouble calling football, so, for our sakes, leave baseball alone! While you're at it, invite Joe Buck and Tim McCarver over for dinner. With luck we'd get Tony Francona and Vin Scully to call the game. Now that would be a great tandem.

Tuesday

It took me a while to get fired up, but it finally happened. How many time during game four were we inundated with how game three ended and what a TERRIBLE end it was. For who? The Cardinals? The Red Sox or the analysts? Well, it wasn’t one and two. That’s right, number three. The so called experts didn’t like the outcome because they didn’t know the rule until it happened. Well, wah, wah, I’ll be nice, wah! It’s a rule. Deal with it. I almost puked when Joe Buck was beating his chest because Joe Torre announced, MLB will review the rule. Why? It’s a rule, just like interference, dropped third strike, infield flies, balking, fan interference, and a host of others. What if the game winning run would have scored off a passed ball, wild pitch or God forbid, a dropped third strike. Yes, there was one out and first base wasn’t occupied, so the batter could have advanced to first. Remember, with less than two outs and first base occupied, the batter is automatically out. All other runners would advance at their own peril. Imagine an overthrow to first allowing Molina to scamper home, or Jay grounds to Pedroia who wings the ball into the stands or dugout. Result—run scores, Cards win. I guess if Uehara would have balked in the winning run that would be acceptable. Not even when the cows come home. The analysts would have been freaking out because they don’t know the rules surrounding a balk. They need to shut up and call the game. Instead of running their mouths, they should spend more time reading the rules and letting the game call itself. Where’s Vin Scully, Don Drysdale, Howard Cosell, Tony Kubek or Joe Garagiola when we need them? I know where they aren’t, on MLB or in the FOX Broadcast booth. There should be a rule concerning ignorant announcers. Wow. That would thin out the field in a heartbeat. On to game five. 

Good morning across the globe. Getting geared up for multiple posts and vlogs in the coming weeks. To kick it off, starting to get a few reviews for Destination D.C.  The question of the day is, does Destination DC need an intro? I've been struggling with this for over a month. Yes, if you haven't read Gateway Pioche, it's gonna be tough to know what's going on. In fact, I saw where a copy was purchased in Germany then returned. No problem, but I'm think it's because they felt lost with the second one.

Okay, here two new reviews. Amazon review, Rise of the Fourth Reich. Both are really good reviews without giving away too much of the story. I need to try and incorporate their thoughts with the introduction.

What else is going on? BASEBALL! I don't post about it very often, but I am a huge baseball fan and this World Series is living up to all the expectations. We have seen everything from multiple errors, bad defense, great defense, base stealing, outstanding pitching, bases loaded, no outs and still a run can't be knocked in.

Last night's game ended with the most bizarre play I've ever seen and I've seen a lot. I used to coach and umpire the game for over twenty-five years. But I've never seen this play determine the final run of a game. Here's the link. Cardinals Win on Obstruction call.

What a wild game! Can't wait for number four tonight. Too bad this isn't a best out of nine series.

Have a great day. 

Ravenz Reviews: Books to read for Halloween

Ravenz Reviews: Books to read for Halloween: This special blog post showcases several books to get you in the mood for Halloween! RIVER OF BONES by Jodi Cleghorn River of Bones is...

Two works of Horror and Suspense

It's the witching month, yes it is! And what better way to kick it off than with two books sure to keep the lights on past midnight.

Terror at The Sterling is loosely based on actual events which occurred at the hotel. An unsolved murder from the mid seventies and a most peculiar eviction. My friend, Lee (Mel Thornton in the book) and the desk manager were asking two residents to move out based on non-payment. The pair agreed they wouldn't trash out the room. Well, Lee went to check on the room. His key didn't work. He called the desk manager to bring another key. His didn't work, luckily he had a master. When they opened the door, the room was completely trashed. Furniture broken, trash strewn on the floor, windows broken, A/C missing and the TV split in two. They couldn't believe it. They went downstairs and found the two guys. They both described what the room looked like. The evictees stared at them in disbelief. All four made their way back to the room. According to Lee, only ten minutes had passed. When they came back to the room, it was in pristine condition. Armed with theses tidbits of knowledge, I wrote,  Terror at The Sterling  "Click the title to purchase"

The next book is, how shall we say, a bit different. I've studied WWII for over forty years. Three years ago, the lady who was taking care of my mom suggested I write a love story about WWII. Nope, not doing it. Saw, "Enemy at the Gates." Not happening. I then called my deceased finances daughter Jessica, and asked her if vampires were still big. She gave a big thumbs up. Okay, can I combine WWII and vampires into a plausible plot? After months of deliberating, I came up with Occupation. Plain and simple, this book is about evil versus evil. I think Joey Pinkney describe it best, "anti-heroes slowly form and lines become blurred." At times, do you pull for the SS or the Vampires? That's what he was eluding to. In the end, I believe the battle lines are clearly drawn. The work captures the brutality of both sides. Not for the faint of heart.

Click Title to PURCHASE: Occupation

Happy reading to all! 

  

A modern day time travel, science fiction odyssey.

Apologize for being absent. Been busy writing and promoting. I need to get back to posting book reviews. The list has grown considerable over the past few months. Until then, I want to announce Destination D.C., the sequel to Gateway: Pioche, is now available in printed versions! I will caution readers, you have to read the first one.Why? Well, when this one was written, an introduction would have spoiled all the excitement in the first book. There will be a third one, Target: Berlin. Will there be a fourth one? I have no idea. This never started out as a series. I was convinced after Gateway, there was no way to trump time travel. I was mistaken. I know, no shock there. But when the technology used to power the time machine is converted into a magnetic resonance gravitational weapon, well, things really start heating up.

Gateway: Pioche

Destination D.C.

Destination D.C. Release!

Good morning across the globe! Good news. We beat the clock. Destination D.C. was released last night. Yep, one week earlier than I thought. Printed versions in two weeks. Onto the third one: Target Berlin.

Kathryn Magee is offering her wonderful, inspirational work, Angelic Answers: Love Letters for Daily Life, FREE through September 14. If you're looking for a great way to start the day, the week or month, or need a boost when you're feeling down, her words are sure to put a smile on your face and chase the blues away!  Angelic Answers.

Prepare for the continuing adventures of Muki, Abdul, Larry and Judith.

           We are two weeks from the launch of                                  DESTINATION DC! 

If you would like an ARC (Author Review Copy)  PDF, send me a message. Those will be available the 18th. 

Loving with all your heart. A true story of romance and healing

I went to church this morning with my daughter and her three girls. I don't go often but when I do, I'm there to learn. Today was tough. I'd never heard this song before and it almost brought tears to my eyes. All I could think of was Debbie. I wish Debbie would have been one of the survivors, but it wasn't to be. I'm thankful for the time we did share and not what could have been. If you've heard this song or seen the video, it's posted below. I want to thank all the men, women and family who support their wives, mothers, aunts and girlfriends when afflicted with this deadly disease. Thank you.

I wrote Love's True Second Chance, not just to chronicle our love, but also, how we all dealt with Debbie's diagnosis of her breast cancer returning. We didn't avoid it or speak softly around her. We accepted the diagnosis and made every minute count. Enjoy the video I'm Gonna Love You Through It. 


                                                            Debbie in 2009

                                                                   Debbie 1979

                            To puchase, click on the title below

                                             

 Love's True Second Chance

Are you a real fan of vampires?

Had a great time last night at Indie in The Big D. The folks who are hosting these events are some of the most down to Earth folks you could hope to know and for the first time, broke even at a signing. Now that's something to shout about! Here some photos from the event.

Destination D.C.

How about one more excerpt from Destination D.C. before it's release. Yes. This is the excerpt the cover was designed from. Thoughts?

10:00:00pm

The device shimmered as it came on line, releasing a deafening monotone hum. Many felt the head gear wasn’t providing the required protection. One woman, more worried about her $500.00 hair design, removed the device. Before she could release a sigh and tossell the do, her brain liquefied. Those not directly around her or saw what happened followed suit with the same gruesome results.

The air shimmered with electrical magnetic energy. Hair stood on necks, arms and legs as the power increased. A stream of immense power was released as the machine topped 100% capacity. The unseen force surged through the array installed on top of the Pentagon, reflecting off the antennae on the Washington Monument to the NSA satellite panels. With pinpoint precision it was redirected to the unwary recipients gathered at Black Water Falls State Park The image of the people in the State Park structure shuddered then disappeared.

10:00:01pm

“Dulles Tower, This is United Flight 459 declaring an emergency! We have lost our right wing!”

It was the only transmission from the crew as the plane rolled over, nose diving into the Potomac. 

Destination D.C. Book 2 in the Gateway Series. Click and get a copy today! 

UPDATE: Destination D.C. is with the editor. Should have it early next week. Dress it up, read it one more time then RELEASE! Shooting for Labor Day Weekend. If not, the following week for sure. And there's more. The third book TARGET: BERLIN, is off and running. Did Werner Von Braun and his colleagues really design the advanced weapons of the Third Reich or were they helped by capturing an alien craft in the mid thirties? Hard to say. Those questions will be answered when they unleash the most devastating weapon mankind has ever seen: THOR! Eighty years of planning are going to succeed or fail. Which will it be????

I'm planning on doing a much better video reading of Debbie's book early next week. Still playing with the music mixing. Stay tuned!

I almost forgot to mention, Gateway:Pioche received a four star rating from a top 50, Vine Voice reviewer in the UK. Now that's something to shout about. YES! Here's the link. UK review from Bob

Have a great weekend. 

Good evening and morning which ever the case may be. Earlier today I posted a video wracked with background noise. It was terrible. I have since deleted the offensive material and replaced it with something more palatable or so I think. I liked the first one because you couldn't see me, but then you also couldn't hear me. Hmm, perhaps that was a blessing. Regardless, I figured it out and here is my debut video for reading poetry. All thoughts and comments are appreciated.