A person can have so much wealth that boredom encourages odd pastimes. John Armstrong buys other people’s dreams, then a chance encounter changes the course of his listless life.
In addition to the seven novel-length Steve Dancy Tales, Amazon now offers two Dancy short stories. "Snake in the Grass" was fun to write because the story is told in third person from Joseph McAllen's point-of-view. (All of the series novels are written in first person from Steve Dancy's point-of-view.)
I hope you enjoy the stories.
A lone wrangler with a fine herd of horses goes berserk in the middle of nowhere. Steve Dancy and Joseph McAllen must decide whether to ride off or help the crazed boy.
In a remote wilderness, a band of outlaws chase Steve Dancy. They want his horse. They want his gear. They want his money. And they want his life.
This is a fun memoir of a modern-day search for the real
Abraham Lincoln. In childhood, Andrew Ferguson had been a Lincoln buff but had
developed other interests in adulthood. The enigmatic and “shut-mouth” Lincoln
provided pundits an open field for speculation. As a result, a plethora of
interpretations have been tossed around that purport to explain his
personality, beliefs, motivations, administration, family, and even sexual
orientation. Glorifying tributes stand beside hate filled censures. Ferguson trekked
across the country to get a fix on the man. He traversed the Lincoln Heritage
Trail with his family, visited major and not-so-major memorials, interviewed
Lincoln collectors, gawked at Lincoln impersonators, and talked to guides,
academics, and park rangers. Lincoln remained elusive, but Ferguson’s wit and
lively writing style kept the quest entertaining and educational … although the
reader may learn more about modern-day Americans than they learn about our
sixteenth president.
When writing a historical book, sometimes you need a recess from hard history. I thought The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry would provide an appropriate break. Instead of relaxing, I found the book annoying. The Lincoln Myth interlaces Mormon history and a trendy premise about Abraham Lincoln into a modern-day thriller. The premise probably came from The Real Lincoln by Thomas J. DiLorenzo, a popular 2009 book that contended that the South had a right to secede, and the Civil War was unnecessary. DiLorenzo went further stating that eliminating slavery was not a goal of the conflict and only afterwards used as a justification. I believe this premise an over-simplification, but I’ll postpone explaining why until I review The Real Lincoln.
What drew me to the book was the Lincoln and Constitution history interwoven into the story. I wrote my own Lincoln mystery/thriller (The Shut Mouth Society) and a novelization of the Constitutional Convention (Tempest at Dawn), so I found it jarring to read Madison’s convention notes and finding material I knew wasn’t present. Berry had a viewpoint with little evidence to support that his viewpoint was correct, so he altered existing documentation and invented entirely new documentation. I objected less to the invented documentation because it disappeared with a novelist sleight of hand. Perfectly legitimate. Altering Madison’s notes, however, seemed lazy and unnecessary to support his plot. Berry was making a political point by modifying the historical record. If omitted, the plot could have moved along the same path without a jarring interruption that defiled Madison's notes.
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| Monument Valley |
We lived in Arizona for twenty-four years and loved the state, but grandchildren are a strong pull, so seven years ago we moved to Omaha, Nebraska.
Arizona has only two seasons; winter and Hell. Like pre-air-conditioning pioneers, we spent much of our summers atop the Mogollon Rim in a
rustic cabin nestled in the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world. A
ninety minute drive along the stunning Beeline Highway and we could shed at
least twenty degrees. Bliss … until we took a vacation in San Diego. Soon, we
swapped our cabin for a condo above a surf spot called Old Man’s. Perfect.
After our move to Omaha, we converted our summer retreat to
a winter escape. We also acquired a new nickname. In Arizona we call winter
visitors snowbirds. Californians somewhat disparagingly refers to Arizonians as
Zonies. Having grown up in Hermosa Beach, I understood. In high school, I had a
tee-shirt that said: “There’s no life east of Pacific Coast Highway.”
Our primary residence is still in Omaha, but after fifteen
years in San Diego, we’ve returned to the Grand Canyon state to escape Inclement
weather. Despite rusty surfing skills, we had a fabulous time at the beach and
in the water. Unfortunately, politicians have turned the Golden State into a
tarnished silhouette of its former splendor.
We forgot how much we loved Arizona until we returned. We’re
reconnecting with old friends, cool haunts, and outstanding eateries. It’s been
a little over a month and we still have not made a day trip to some of the
state’s grand adventures. Many believe Arizona is nothing but desert, weird plants, and nasty creatures. (If it doesn’t bite and it’s not poisonous, then
it’s not native.) Not true. As the nation’s sixth largest city, Phoenix is
cosmopolitan with all the amenities one would expect. Other than Tucson,
the rest of the state is, well, kinda empty. But not all deserts. The state
boasts 1.8 million acres of pine forest and the desert part is beautiful enough
that Arizona Highways never had any trouble filling their four-color magazine
with tourist-baiting photographs.
All in all, we’re happy with our decision … and I can’t wait to take an
excursion down to Tombstone.
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| Honest westerns. Filled with dishonest characters. |
This feels like a major milestone, so I guess it must be. In
January, The Steve Dancy Tales (7 books) exceeded 100,000 Kindle sales. Sales are over 120,000 when print, library large print, and audio are considered. (That’s
really fun to type.)
More important, the Tales have over 2,000 Amazon
ratings for 4.5 stars and over 4,000 Goodreads ratings for 4.4 stars.
Thank you to all my readers. I appreciate you.
Now, if only I could get my thriller series to catch up.
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were interesting characters. Exactly the type of characters a novelist needs to carry a story.
In writing Maelstrom, I had a scene where Lincoln addresses
Congress after a recess. (As customary at the time, his address was read by a
clerk.) Not much has happened during the recess. Eleven states had seceded from
the Union, Fort Sumter had been bombarded and surrendered, a piece of Virginia
had been occupied, and Lincoln had exceeded his executive powers to spend
unauthorized money, build an army, and suspend habeas corpus among other
things.
He desperately needed Congress to backfill behind him.
This was a crucial address. Important for Lincoln and the
country. The address was not one of his well-known speeches, but I was struck
by the clarity and simplicity of the explanation of why he took these actions.
Lincoln said it was a struggle for maintaining a form of
government “whose leading object is to elevate the condition of men—to lift
artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit
for all—to afford all an unfettered start, and a fair chance in the race of
life.”
I cannot think of a loftier goal for government.
Because I intend to add to the pile, I own about forty of these books. Every Lincoln author looks for a unique perspective. Some see themselves as myth busters. Others delve into a niche of his supposed psyche to unearth a differently tempered person. Responsible historians frequently zero in on a single event or unusual theme to add fresh insights. Entire books are dedicated to a single speech, battle, or political issue.
Ted Widmer made a great choice of subject matter. Lincoln on the Verge concentrates on the thirteen days it took Lincoln to journey by train from Springfield to Washington. It’s a fascinating story and it illustrates the political savvy of this supposed country bumpkin. Widmer introduces us to the president-elect as he travels across a great land he knows will soon be thrown into turmoil.
What could Lincoln accomplish on this tedious trip? You’ll discover he could do quite a bit. He engineered the journey of the Presidential Special so he could more easily save the nation after inauguration.
Widmer has a clear and concise writing style that keeps the narrative moving, and his matter-of-fact presentation allows the reader to mine for new insights without being led to the trough.
If you’re a Lincoln enthusiast, or merely curious, you’ll enjoy this book.
(This is a research book for Maelstrom, a sequel to Tempest at Dawn)
