Is a Gift Card an Appropriate Gift?

My kids called to find out what I wanted for Christmas. When I asked for a gift card from Amazon, they said that would be impersonal. I didn’t argue, but it made me wonder why they asked.

Their response made me think about the appropriateness of gift cards. I think they’re great. If emailed, shipping costs are nil, they arrive at the speed of light, and I get to pick my own gift at the time of my choosing. What could be better?

Then I thought about it. What would be better is a present the giver enjoys giving. A gift is not one-way social exchange. Fathers used to be effusive when they received ugly ties. There was a reason. The giver was a loved one … perhaps a loved one with lousy taste, but a loved one nonetheless. You don’t make someone feel crummy because you didn’t like their gift.

That said; I’m getting an Amazon gift card for Christmas. How did I convince my kids? I told them I would email them a thank you each time I bought a book for my Kindle and send them my review when I finished the book. That promise overcame the biggest negative of gift cards; the giver never knows what the recipient does with it ... or if it's lying in a drawer somewhere.

Gift cards are becoming ever more popular and they are changing the ebb and flow of book sales. Print sales are best before the holiday and ebooks are better after the holiday. You can almost feel people using gift cards to load up their electronic devices.

By the way, if you expect a gift card for Father’s Day, download samples of my books now so you can decide where to spend your largess.

Take a vacation from all this nonsense with a good book.

Top 10 Tips for Book Gift Giving

 

A book is unique. Reading fiction is like taking a mini vacation without leaving home. An engrossing story makes a person’s worries fade to the background. Reading nonfiction can entertain while learning how-to tips, gaining perspective, adding to knowledge, or finding enlightenment.

At times, friends and relatives can be hard to buy for. Some seem to have everything. Due to age or illness, others may be less mobile than in years past. Some don’t really want much. Families scatter across this huge country and selecting a gift, packaging, and shipping can be a chore. 

A book is always a great gift … especially if you take the time to match the recipient’s taste in fiction or nonfiction. There are books about every hobby and interest in the world. Picking the right book shows you care, and your thoughtfulness becomes part of the gift. Whether your relatives or friends are interested in the Civil War, literature, romance novels, westerns, paranormal fiction, railroads, guns, cooking, collecting old comic books, antique automobiles, or anything else, there's always a book that will bring a smile to their face.

Here are my Top 10 Tips for Book Gift Giving

1. Write a personal message on the flyleaf that won't get tossed out like last year's holiday card. 
2. Write surprise messages in the margin of random pages. If you don’t like writing in books, use yellow sticky notes.
3. Create an eye-catching bookmark that reminds the recipient to call or write.
4. Search out an author signing for your recipient’s favorite author or give a collector’s edition of the recipient’s favorite book.
5. Shop at an independent bookstore to receive personalized professional help.
6. If shipping is not free, mail books early to take advantage of media class at the U.S. Post Office.
7. Give a book as a piece of art, like a fine print book, unique coffee table book, favorite childhood book, or collectible cover art.
8. College students will appreciate cash or a gift card tucked into the flyleaf. 
9. If your friend or relative already owns piles of books, consider a unique set of bookends to hold them in their proper place.
10. Give a bookseller gift card for e-book and audiobook enthusiasts.

Children's books are also great gifts. We search for autographed storybooks for our grandkids. Bookstores always have children book signings around the holidays, and this is one area where we join the crowd. The icing on the cake is that we get to read from one of these books when we visit.

Books are a great entertainment value. They provide hours upon hours of personal pleasure, and then can be passed on to another person ... or even another generation. What could be better?

Old Haunts has joined the Steve Dancy Tales.

The Shut Mouth Society -- Free During Promotional Period

 

The Kindle version of The Shut Mouth Society free through Saturday, November 11, 2023, 11:59 PM PST

Detective Greg Evarts and Professor Patricia Baldwin must unravel the 150-year-old conspiracy before it’s too late. A rich Santa Barbara collector acquires an Abraham Lincoln document and asks Evarts and Baldwin to authenticate it. Their research launches them into a dangerous struggle with a secret society formed during Reconstruction. Before they can solve the mystery surrounding the Lincoln manuscript, a shocking murder forces them to run for their lives.

As they race across the country, they uncover a Civil War secret that could upset the balance of power in North America … and end their lives.

Finalist: APA Glyph Award for Best Novel

The Shut Mouth Society is a fast-moving, well-written novel.-- Huntington News

The author has done an excellent job of building the story. --Book Advice

 

James D. Best's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Shepard.com invited me to list my three favorite reads for 2023. Since most of my reading this year has been research for Maelstrom, my civil war novel, my list has a predictable theme. You can see it here.

In case you are unfamiliar with Shepard, it's a site that helps readers discover their next book. This year, Shepard asked 884 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads in 2023. The book with the most mentions was Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead. Fitting since Demon Copperhead has won prizes and awards galore.

Here's the full results.

And my own picks.

The best westerns where friendships drive the story

Shepard.com invited me to pick a category of novels and select five books that exemplified the category. The Steve Dancy Tales are buddy stories, so I chose "The best westerns where friendships drive the story." Rules forbid me from picking my own books but you can click here if you want to know what five books I chose to exemplify buddy westers.

Old Haunts was a kick to write because I brought all my characters back for another romp. Here's an excerpt from Old Haunts where Steve and Jeff give each other a hard time. 

“Why didn’t ya tell me ya were takin’ coffee?” Sharp asked, irritation showing in his tone.

I held the reins in one hand and a cup of hot coffee in the other. I took a careful sip from the tin cup before answering. “I didn’t know the hotel kitchen was up and about when you went charging off to see if the mule was properly packed. Last minute notion.”

“Where’d ya get that cup?” Sharp organized his life around coffee, tobacco, whiskey, and women. Pretty much in that order nowadays, although I believed women had become an afterthought.

“You had my trail gear already packed, so I bought a banged up one from the cook.”

“Coulda bought two.”

“Your right, which would have been gentlemanly.” I took another sip and sighed contentedly. A glance at Sharp told me I had taken this far enough. I reached behind me and gingerly lifted my canteen by the strap to hand it across to Sharp. He beamed when he saw a tin cup hanging over the lid of my steamy canteen.

“Careful,” I admonished. “Use a kerchief. That canteen is hot as hell.”

We stopped the horses, and before long Sharp and I both had hot cups of coffee. We walked the horses slowly ahead. No hurry. Unless delayed, we should arrive at the McAllen ranch by mid-morning.

“What ’bout water?” Sharp asked.

It was going to be a hot day and Sharp was concerned I had foregone life-giving water for the pleasure of a cup of coffee.

“Cook assured me that there was a spring about an hour out of town. We should have this canteen dry by then.”

“Right smart of ya,” Sharp said, “but I can’t roll a cigarette an’ hold this cup.”

“Long ride. Time enough for all your pleasures, just not at the same time.”

“Am I gettin’ trail wisdom from a city-dweller?”

After a few moments, I said, “You know, I used to feel self-conscience about being called a city-dweller. Not anymore. I like the city and the comforts of a nice home. Not ashamed of it. But I also enjoy the wilderness. I feel comfortable in either place.”

“That’s ’cuz ya learned to handle yerself out here. Once ya know ya can survive wild country, it grows on ya.”

Literary License or Error?

 

If readers are the judge, Old Haunts is a good read. After three months, Old Haunts has garnered a 4.5 Amazon score with 88 ratings and a 4.7 Goodreads score with 44 ratings.

That doesn’t mean the novel has received exclusively high ratings. No book does. A couple of the poorer reviews mention two issues. One of the issues is embarrassing and the other intentional.

Guns and horses are sacrosanct to western enthusiasts. Since he was a rich man, Steve Dancy always carries the latest in firearms. In Old Haunts, he uses a Winchester Model 1895, the first Winchester to use a box magazine to accommodate pointed bullets. To my embarrassment, I mentioned that he uses .30-06 ammunition. The story takes place at the end of the nineteenth century and the .30-06 was developed in 1906 (thus the 06). I have revised later editions to call out .30 Army ammunition.

The story also has the bad guys driving an 1896 Armstrong Phaeton. I knew only one Armstrong Phaeton was built, but it was a unique vehicle. A hybrid, with both a gasoline engine and an electric drive. Unfortunately, the manufacturer went bankrupt before this horseless carriage went into production. I thought the car was fascinating, and I needed a vehicle that could carry four. No worries. Novelists have magical powers and, in the world I created, the Armstrong Phaeton was available to cart around four bad guys in style.

Old Haunts Excerpt

Honest westerns. Full of dishonest characters.

 

Readers are giving Old Haunts great ratings. After two months, the new Steve Dancy Tale has nearly a hundred Amazon ratings for a score of 4.5 and a Goodreads ratings of 4.7. 

Here is an excerpt.

What happened next surprised me. The marshal cold-cocked him from behind with his pistol. The supposed Cutler offspring crumbled like a scarecrow cut from his supporting stick. He had been knocked out twice in as many hours. I bet this confrontation wasn’t how he had envisioned it in his imagination.

The marshal gave me a sideways glance. “What’s your beef with this man?”

“None. He seems to think he has a beef with me, but I never saw him before he accosted me on the train. I told him he was mistaken and asked him to return to his seat. This was the first I saw of him since.”

The marshal shook his head, “Well, I guess I gotta sort this out. I’ll hold him for a day or so. Damn, this morning started out nice and quiet.”

Sharp asked. “Ya need help with ‘em, marshal?”

“Ah do,” the marshal replied.

“Give ‘em a hand, Steve,” Sharp ordered.

“Jeff, I thought you were offering.”

“Me? Hell, it was you he wanted to kill. ’Sides, I’ll get our bags and have them sent over to the hotel. Meet ya at the marshal’s office.” He threw this last over his shoulder as he sauntered down the platform toward the baggage car.

I laughed and grabbed my assailant’s legs while the marshal lifted from the armpits.

“What’s your name?” the marshal asked as we stutter-stepped down the platform steps.

“Steve Dancy.”

“Staying?”

“The General Palmer … unless you can suggest better accommodations.”

“None better except Mrs. Prescott’s, but she full up. You say you never saw this man before?”

“Never. He claims I killed his father in a street fight in Nevada, but I live in California.”

“You the writer?”

“I am,” I was suddenly wary. My novels didn’t sell that well. “How did you know?”

“Not that common of a name. Read all your books. Good yarns. Unrealistic, but that’s to be expected.” He walked a couple more steps before adding, “Several of your stories take place in Nevada.”

This man was smarter than he appeared. “Yes, I lived in Nevada one summer. Many, many years ago.”

“Happen to kill anyone?”

I smiled. “Marshal, my books are all in fun.”

The marshal nodded toward the man we were carrying. “This man looked serious.” The marshal remained quiet for a few steps. “Many, many years ago there was a gunman named Dancy. Like I said, uncommon name hereabouts. That be you?”

 There was no question that this marshal was savvy enough to get the complete story out of the Cutler offspring. I decided to quit concealing my past.

“I am that Dancy … and twenty years ago I did kill the man he claims to be his father. Cutler had raped a woman and was trying to kill my friend. I approached him with my gun holstered. Things got out of hand and we both pulled. I was not charged … nor have I ever been charged for any crime. I didn’t deserve my reputation as a gunfighter, but stories grew. Get exaggerated. I do it myself in my books.” When the marshal didn’t say anything, I added, “Brian Cutler was a bad man. Worse, he did his criminal deeds for hire.”

“I see,” he finally said. “Nothing I can do about it anyway.” He smiled at me. “However, some of your exploits were in Colorado.”

An uncomfortable observation. “Passed through Denver many times and lived in Durango for a while. Used to own a house here. I gave it to Maggie McAllen as a wedding present.”

“That’s quite a wedding present. You must be nicely fixed.”

“I am,” I answered without elaboration.

“Hmmm,” was all he said.

We arrived at the marshal’s office and plopped our burden onto a narrow cot in a big empty cell. There was a cot against each wall, so this must have been a communal holding pen.

After locking the cell, the marshal asked, “Know Maggie’s pa?”

“Joseph?” He nodded. “On our way to visit him and Maggie’s family. We ride out tomorrow.” I paused. “I assume you know him?”

“You might say. He’s the one who got me started on your books. Also told me some yarns not in your books.”

“Joseph’s not talkative.”

“You sure got that right, but he can get downright chatty in the right circumstances.”

“What might those be? I’ve never seen that man chatty.”

“Late at night around a campfire with family and good sipping whiskey.”

That stopped me. “Are you related to Joseph McAllen?”

He hung the cell key on a peg behind his desk. “My uncle.”

Cormac McCarthy 1933 – 2023

 

I never met Cormac McCarthy, but I will miss him. He tucked me in at night many times.