Job Leach's Blog

In many cases, an artist, musician, actor, writer, or celebrity becomes a favorite because that performer verbalizes or otherwise captures very closely the feelings that fans experience inside their own heads. It’s especially powerful when the fan is never quite able to express those feelings, but the performer has that ability. Norm Macdonald was that figure for me.

Norm, for many, is in the running for the title of funniest person ever. I agree with that, and Norm’s comedy has provided me laughs of a degree and nature that simply do not happen with any other comedian. He might hold the top five spots of what I consider the best jokes ever written in professional comedy. And yet, that’s not why he was –and will always be—my favorite person that I’ve never personally met.

It’s because every now and then, something comes out of his mouth (or pen, or Twitter) that is so strikingly similar to what is happening in my innermost workings that I didn’t even realize another person could possibly understand it. Partially because I couldn’t completely understand it myself. It’s not because I think Norm and I are exactly alike or always feel the same way about life. In fact, I’ve disagreed with plenty of things Norm has said over the years. But then, there are those personally poignant moments that grab me by the face and “give my head a shake.”

I have likely watched every video that exists on YouTube that features Norm. Probably twice. That includes interviews, his shows, podcasts, movie clips… everything. That sounds crazy, but it’s not hyperbole. I have pored over  “norm macdonald” search results on YouTube and made sure I didn’t miss anything. Of course, new ones pop up daily, but I can promise that I’ve seen a solid 95% of anything that exists right now. And I’ll be continuing to watch and rewatch to maintain that A+ grade. Probably the only one I’ve really cared about.

I don’t hero-worship any celebrities. It’s just not my style to hold somebody up on a pedestal because they’re famous. Norm is the closest thing to that for me, although I’d like to think it’s less of putting him on a pedestal and more just sincerely appreciating him as a human being. Maybe it’s a little of both.

Norm really didn’t give a shit about politics, he only ever cared about following a religion for spiritual reasons over dogmatic, and I don’t think he stood for anything but being funny as often and intensely as possible. Don’t let anybody tell you differently, because he’s said as much in his more serious interviews. He only ever made controversial statements or sweeping generalizations to get a rise out of people. He certainly had personal, private thoughts on lots of stuff, because he was wildly intelligent, but the commitment to funny was the only thing he was unambiguous about publicly.

Make it a point to see every bit of his standup that you can. Watch his movies over again and enjoy the weird, surprising, and sometimes oddly profound laughs. Go back and be blown away at the balls it took to do his Weekend Update jokes. Do all of that and remember why Norm is a hilarious and remarkably unique performer. But please, please, please watch my second favorite Norm clip below from when he had an extremely rare moment of true public vulnerability a few years ago. Be reminded of all that was going on in Norm’s head to produce all those great moments for fans. It’s only my second favorite clip because the “chairman of the bored” moment is the greatest clip ever. I want to pretend his vulnerability is my favorite, but Norm wouldn’t stand for insincerity or holding up sentimentality over funny.

Thanks, Norm. I wish you’d actually been with us long enough to really be the old chunk of coal you pretended to be, but you’ve gone too soon.

When the subject of penning a book comes up in conversation, I’ve had a variety of people tell me they’ve had a great story idea bouncing around their heads for years. Sometimes it’s a fictional novel idea, and sometimes it’s that they think their memoirs would be interesting. It might sound mean, but I think most people vastly underestimate how interesting a memoir has to be to ever get close to being published.  Or a fictional story, for that matter. Anybody who has published a book gets the inevitable “I have a great story idea!” from folks who mostly mean well. The translation of that is often “I have a story idea that I’d like you to write for me because I’ll never get around to it but want to see it in full book form.”  Writers generally have a regularly replenishing well of ideas. Ideas are cool, but the execution is what matters.

It sounds ridiculously simple, and it’s a common refrain heard among people who write seriously, but the hard truth is that you have to WRITE to finish things and KEEP writing to get better at it. The chance of completing a manuscript is exponentially higher simply by starting. It can be short, maybe just a page or two, as long as you feel like you moved something from point A to point B (physically or metaphysically). If you can do that, then honestly reread and be self-critical without depressing yourself too much, you have a shot at fleshing out your idea. Or you’ll realize your idea sucks and stop talking to me about it, which is also okay.

People are also curious what tips or behaviors can help them really get writing. My initial snarky thought is that if you have to ask, you probably can’t do it well. That is definitely not true or fair. Developing the ability to focus and write is absolutely learnable, but only through your own trial and error. So, I can’t give hard and fast rules about how to write –especially because I have much to learn myself—but I can share the little things help me actually write and not watch more YouTube videos.

While working on a book manuscript, my favorite thing is to begin each writing session with the same song every time. It acts as a cue to my brain that it’s time to start writing, provides a comfort and relaxation level, and brings me back into the world of the story. I found it helps to choose a nice long song. For As the Raven Flies, I started most of my writing by listening to “Down by the River” by Neil Young. It’s a great rhythmic tune with a lot of jamming that rides an awesome bassline, and it’s nearly ten minutes long. Without thinking about it, I started listening to it every time I sat down to write. Eventually, it became a conscious ritual that worked for me.

I used to read a lot of true crime non-fiction, including a multitude of books about the American Mafia. These days I mostly get my true crime fill from Netflix and other streaming documentaries, but I do still like a good true crime read every now and then. I would say Gotti’s Rules by George Anastasia is one of the better ones I’ve read in years.

Gotti’s Rules tells the story of John Alite, a hit man, enforcer, all-around criminal, and close associate of the Gotti family from the 80s until the early 2000s. Alite was already entrenched in the criminal life when he met John Gotti’s son, also John but commonly known as Junior. Through his ruthlessness, fearlessness and loyalty, Alite became part of their inner circle –about as close as one could get without being a “made man.” He openly admits to crimes from petty theft to murder and most things in between. He does claim to have followed at least some kind of code where he only injured or killed other criminals, more of a traditional attitude towards being in the mob. As it turned out, Alite realized that the Gottis were not really the shrewd, businesslike leaders they portrayed. The Gottis expected others to follow old-school Mafia ethics while completely disregarding that code themselves.

Speaking of rules, the book includes the real ordinances enforced by the Gotti family during their reign (according to Alite). Some were juvenile, some were kind of funny, and some were downright bizarre.

The Rules:

Whenever possible, underlings must take the weight of a crime pending against Gotti or his family.No member of any crew, in the presence of the boss, may wear sunglasses.Members and associates are not to speak to the media.Wives and girlfriends are to remain low-key. They are not to speak in public or call attention to themselves.Whenever possible, use demeaning nicknames to describe underlings. It establishes who is in charge and who is subservient.Drug dealing is prohibited and punishable by death.Always keep underlings waiting. It reminds them who’s in control without saying a word.No member or associate is to fool around with the wife, girlfriend, or daughter of another member of the organization.Always acknowledge the presence of the boss first in any public setting. In any social setting with members of other crime families, make them come to you to pay their respects. Going to them first is a sign of weakness.Never talk business indoors. The government has “ears.” If you are talking business in a car, be sure the radio is turned up loud. Best to talk on the street while walking.When charged with a crime, no matter the circumstances, do not plead guilty. It’s a sign of weakness.Always manipulate the facts to present a positive image. Perception is reality.

While running the Gambino crime family, John and Junior regularly broke many if not all of their own rules. The business-like criminal empire was only a façade. In reality, it was a chaotic existence fueled by unnecessary violence, rampant drug dealing, and fear. It took a long time for Alite to realize that truth and finally distance himself. The book follows his entire journey from meeting Junior, going on the run (which at one point found him in a horrific Brazilian prison), to finally testifying against the Gotti family in court.

The book was well-organized and kept a tight focus on Alite and his relationship with the Gottis. Mafia books and documentaries, because there are so many players involved, can easily become a mess of vowel-dominated Italian names and lists of crimes. Anastasia shows his chops as a journalist and demonstrates his incredible knowledge of the subject of the Gotti family and its eventual demise. He spent thirty years of his career reporting on crime in Philadelphia, and it shows in the quality of Gotti’s Rules.

Just Like Me: When the Pros Played on the Sandlot gathers the reflections of several retired professional baseball players about their youth and coming-of-age in the sport of baseball. Written by Sunbury Press author Kelly G. Park, this collection might provoke some nostalgia from baseball fans and former sandlot players, but it’s also a very real, humble look at the path that it takes to become a professional athlete. I always enjoy a film, article, or book that humanizes the pros. Those who make it to the highest levels of sport often have mythical status surrounding their money, lifestyle, and athletic ability. That can be fun when they’re your childhood heroes, it can be negative and mean-spirited if you dehumanize them as an adult—read any ESPN comment thread. Either way, the mythical status is never totally based on reality, and both athletes and sports fans are better off having an understanding that pros are simply humans that play a sport for a living, not just athletes that happen to be human.

Park’s book features the baseball and life experiences of mostly older players like Boog Powell, Fergie Jenkins, White Herzog, and Lou Piniellea, but also includes some more recent pro players like Lou Whitaker and Willie Blair. Adding variety to the stories is the fact that players are from both the MLB and Negro Leagues. Interestingly, two female players Lois Youngen and Katie Horstman are also featured. Both played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (yes, the one in A League of Their Own) and added unique perspectives to the book. All the content was presented in a pleasant conversational tone. They shared everything from what their youth baseball leagues were like (if there was even one organized in their town), what their family life was like, and the path they eventually went through the ranks to make the big show.

The book is organized nicely by various topics –one individual topic per chapter with information from each player. There isn’t any transitional material to start or end chapters. That is good because the conversational tone isn’t broken up, but might make the topic changes a bit jarring for some readers. I’m a reader that would have liked a little primer leading into the players’ responses, but it certainly didn’t have a hugely negative effect on my reading.

My favorite chapter was “The Games We Played” because it reflected on the made-up games that mimicked the game of baseball, but were slightly broken down for time, physical space, or lack of players. I really liked this section because it made me recall some of the goofy games that I played as a kid that were baseball-adjacent but not even close to an organized game of baseball. Some of the best ones were at my older sister’s softball games. Instead of watching our sisters play, we a had a group of younger siblings who played pickle and “wallball” until we were forced to quit and leave when the real game was over. Hearing about some of the adapted baseball games that pros played was awesome.

Another favorite chapter was “The Season, the Sport.” This section focused on the more general athletic life of the pros as kids and teenagers. Over time, parents of talented kids started pushing their kids to focus on one sport if they really wanted to play it professionally in the future. It’s now been recognized that many of the best athletes in the world got that way because they had a more well-rounded sports life. In some cases, baseball wasn’t even the favorite sport of the pros in this book. The approach to raising a “future star” has changed as people realize the benefit of playing various sports to work out different parts of the body, keep a kid interested in playing, and develop skills that translate between sports. The players in this book loved basketball, football, running track, and other athletic activities, demonstrating the valuable lesson that gifted athletes are rarely entirely focused on one endeavor.

If you’re into baseball, Just Like Me will have you thinking about your old playing days and will definitely have you pining for Opening Day. In the meantime, finish the book and enjoy all the unique baseball knowledge that you won’t find on the backs of cards.

Purchase through Sunbury Press or Amazon.

In the short time that I’ve had a published book on the market, people have frequently asked where they should buy it. Those asking the question usually want to make sure that I get the most money possible from their purchase.  That’s great –and certainly appreciated– but there are reasons why the most profitable transactions for an author are not the only sale types that can benefit them in the long run. This information is geared towards people who know an author from a small, independent publisher. So, what are the different options to buy a book from these types of authors, and how does each option benefit the author?

Buying Directly from the Author

This is obviously the easiest way to get a book from an author if you see them regularly. It’s also the easiest way to get a signed copy if that’s something you desire. Direct-from-the-author is almost always the most profitable for them. Their publisher probably allows them to buy copies at or close to the wholesale price that they offer to bookstores and online stores –roughly half the retail cost in most cases. The good thing is that there’s no middleman taking a cut, so the author gets the entire difference of the retail price minus the wholesale cost.

Buying Directly from the Publisher

This is typically the second-most-profitable method of purchasing for the author. It’s the best method for the press itself, financially and otherwise. If you purchase from the press, they get the full retail price minus a modest royalty paid to the author. Shopping with the press increases the chance that you see another book that interests you enough to purchase. Obviously that’s good for the publisher. It also gives immediate, direct feedback that people are interested in the book, which helps the press decide if they should keep printing copies and supporting the author with marketing efforts.

Buying From Amazon

Of course, Amazon is a huge part of many people’s lives, and Prime is a game-changer. Ordering through Amazon is probably the most comfortable way to order online for most consumers. If you have Prime, you also enjoy fast and free (at the time of purchase anyway) shipping. Amazon also happens to be the bane of most independent bookstore’s existence. It’s a reality that it’s the most powerful retailer in the world, so it’s just something they have to deal with. Still, it’s a bummer when people visit their store, flip through a bunch of books, then go out to their car and order what they like at a discounted rate. It’s something we all deal with when deciding between buying local and saving dollars. It’s magnified in the book world.

Amazon takes a healthy cut from every sale, so the financial benefit for publishers and authors is minimal. That doesn’t mean it’s not beneficial though. Amazon closely tracks sales and clicks and all kinds of behavior of customers. Any activity for your book, like sales and customer reviews, plays into how they position the book on the site and market it in other ways. So while an Amazon sale is not very profitable in the short term for an author, it may help grow the popularity of the book.

NOTE: You can leave a review for anything on Amazon as long as you’ve spent at least $50 on the site in the last year. A review and star rating increases a book’s credibility to browsing customers seeing it for the first time. A “Verified Review” is even better. For a review to be verified, the customer has to have purchased the book on Amazon for at least 80% of the suggested retail price. “Verified Reviews” weigh heavily into the mysterious Amazon algorithm that decides how many people see your book, where it shows up in search results, etc. If you choose to purchase your friend or family member’s books through Amazon, give them the extra boost of leaving a review or rating of some kind.

Buying from a Large Bookstore

Big-box bookstores are suffering the most of all booksellers –and have been for some time. Google “Barnes & Noble struggling” and read all of the articles you see on the first page. By the time you’re done, news outlets might already be writing new ones reporting that B&N is finally out of business. I don’t want that to happen since I support anybody selling books, but they’ve struggled with CEO issues, battled Amazon, made poor decisions about selling other products like music and toys, seen dismal electronic books sales, and –somewhat surprisingly to some– faced increasing competition from smaller, independent bookstores in recent years. It seems consumers tend to go either the fast, easy, cheap route of Amazon or go totally the other way and enjoy the intimate small bookstore experience. To be fair, it does seem like B&N has made some positive moves recently.

The benefits of buying at a large bookstore are, much like Amazon, more about growing popularity than seeing immediate profits. Sales at a large bookstore may trigger them to purchase more copies and merchandise them favorably in the store. At physical locations where an author sells copies, it may even open up opportunities for them to have reading and signing events to grow their presence.

NOTE: It’s much more likely your friend or family member’s book is available online through a large bookstore. If you want to purchase it in a brick & mortar store, chances are you’ll have to ask them to stock it, which would be a huge favor to the author you know.

Buying from an Independent Bookstore

Independent bookstores are a different animal than larger sellers. “Indies” usually thrive on having a close relationship with their surrounding community and act as a hub for book clubs, children’s events, and curated book selections. They provide experience rather than expedience; value-attachment versus volume.  As such, they typically sell books at full retail price and not the discounted rates like Amazon and big-box bookstores. Low volume means higher per-book cost, which usually translates to a more favorable financial situation for the publisher and the author.

Similar to large stores, sales at an indie can mean reading and signing events. Indies, though, often attract more committed readers and provide a much better opportunity to grow a passionate and loyal fan base. Buying from an independent bookstore helps sustain those networks, which in-turn adds economic, social, and educational value to a community. Many are starting to recognize these benefits, and indies have seen promising growth in recent years.

Even though you had to read a bunch of words to get to this point, I’ll admit that there’s a really, really short answer to the question of where to buy your friend or family member’s book. It’s just one word, in fact –ANYWHERE. Seriously, I can assure you with almost complete confidence that your friend or family member will be very happy just to know that you bought a copy. Just consider all the information above and go with the best option for your situation.

Larry Loebell is a Sunbury author who I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with at some book events where we talked writing and life. He’s an accomplished writer in a variety of areas including drama, television writing, and short fiction. He was also a professor and taught such subjects as film history, dramaturgy, screen writing, theater history, and play writing. He also led creative writing workshops. Tough Girl in the Jam is his first novel. He also happens to have one of the coolest bio bullet points of any writer I’ve met personally –he won an Emmy writing on the first season of Rugrats!

Tough Girl in the Jam follows the partnership of Nina and Rachel, two women nearing the year mark in their romantic relationship. Nina is a physical therapist by trade, and a roller derby player by passion. Rachel is a professional masseuse and Nina’s biggest fan. They live together, although it’s in Nina’s apartment that she still largely operates as her own space. This is a perfect representation of their relationship with Nina as an overpowering force and Rachel as the quieter, more submissive partner.

Nina plays for the Freedom, a semi-professional roller derby team from Philadelphia. Her strong, aggressive attitude translates well to the rough-and-tumble sport, and she is one of the top players on the squad. The Freedom are training for their upcoming championship bout, with intense practice sessions filling the players schedules and leaving them mentally and physically exhausted.

Nina is coming to terms with the fact that, although only in her early thirties, she may soon see a decline in her performance from aging and the abuse her body has taken from the sport. She also becomes aware of a major health issue her father is experiencing, one that may require her to donate her own kidney to save his life. As a consequence, she would also have to give up roller derby or be risking her life every time she gets on the track.

Despite being divorced, her parents still have a
relationship with each other, albeit screwed up and unhealthy. Her mother wants
her to give up her kidney for him, but her father is vehemently against it. He
insists that he will not change his unhealthy habits that caused his health troubles
to begin with. That, and the effects it will have on Nina’s life, leaves her in
a tough jam (“jam” is also a significant roller derby term and the crux of the
book title’s wordplay).

Most of Rachel’s story is told through sessions with her
therapist, who she is seeing because of her overall anxiety and her concerns
about the health of her relationship with Nina. She often feels overwhelmed by
Nina’s tough, stubborn attitude and resistance to having deep discussions about
the future of their partnership. This method of telling her story is excellent
because the reader gets to hear her inner thoughts and learn much about her
without feeling like it’s unnaturally stuck into the text. It also keeps her
part of the plot concise but powerful.

The novel is set amidst the world of roller derby, which is a really interesting subculture to learn about. That being said, the novel is really a much deeper story about having to make tough decisions that leave you essentially choosing who gets priority between the people you love. It also takes a look at how people decide between self-preservation and sacrificing a part of their own life to help another. The reader also learns some of the intricacies of what lesbian women go through in their path to realizing and eventually claiming their sexuality. Nina and Rachel deal with parents who, while not exactly shunning their daughters, are obviously uncomfortable with the reality of their being gay. Interestingly, that means they still have relationships, of sorts, with them, but they’re fraught with stress, passive-aggression, and unpleasantness.

Loebell tells a very well-crafted story that begins with two women who have somewhat similar jobs, are close in age, and hang out in the same circles of people. Loebell expertly shows that while these women are analogous on the surface, how they experience life and what they want from it differ to the point of major contention between them. Showing that arc is the job of a writer of literary fiction, and Loebell succeeds at it in this novel.

Pick up a copy of Tough Girl in the Jam through Sunbury’s online store or on Amazon.

My reading and blog writing has been limited for some time. I’ve been doing some traveling for a couple friend’s bachelor parties – one in Vegas and one in Dallas, both requiring several days of recovery afterwards. I’ve also devoted a majority of my spare time at night to writing my next novel, which I’m just about halfway through. That being said, I met a few authors from Sunbury at a book event in Doylestown and want to read their books and write reviews for them. Pat Lamarche was one of those people, so I started with her book Magic Diary. Pick it up on Amazon or at the Sunbury online store.

I sat beside Lamarche at the Bucks Country Bookfest and we
had plenty of time to talk books and get to know each other a little bit.
Lamarche has an interesting backstory as a history scholar, broadcaster,
healthcare advocate, political activist, journalist, and, now, novel author. Magic Diary is her first foray into
fiction and is an intriguing story that captured a lot of people’s interest at
the book event.

Magic Diary tells
the story of Genevieve, a fourteen year old girl fighting cancer that has
relapsed after several years. She’s whip-smart and full of spunk despite her
condition, and has a pretty great attitude about her situation and the
possibility of losing her battle with the illness. Through the entire story,
she’s residing on the eighth floor of a hospital where she begins to form
relationships with staff members and also has to watch other sick patients
filter through the floor. She no longer has a relationship with her alcoholic
father, so her core family includes her perpetually worked-up mother and her old
but sassy “Nana.”

Genevieve is given a diary from her favorite teacher, who
tells her that it is magic because time will fly right by when she writes in
it. Starting off in a pretty normal way, she documents her time in the hospital
and the emotions that she’s experiencing about her mother and her sickness.
Suddenly, her diary is answering her back using the voice of famous historical
figures who all somehow fit together to teach and encourage Genevieve. To name
a few: Charlie Chaplin, Florence Nightingale, and Arthur Ashe. My favorite was
Florence Nightingale because I didn’t know much about her, so it was the most
educational section for me.

Throughout all of it, a tarot card-reading psychic becomes
involved, we meet Genevieve’s crush from school, and her mom and grandmother
are consistently present at Genevieve’s bedside. Genevieve and her grandmother,
who she identifies with strongly and holds as something of a partner-in-crime,
try hard to figure out if the writing is actually magic, or if it’s somebody
else secretly writing the passages. All the while, the reader gets a glimpse
into the life of a young cancer patient worried more about her family and the
logistics of getting hospital treatment than disease and death. That makes her a
likeable and endearing character that gives the story the necessary depth to follow
along the journey.

If I have any criticism, it would be that Genevieve
occasionally slips into language that seems a little too mature for a fourteen
year old –even a really, really intelligent one. Didn’t happen often, but there
were a couple moments where her thoughts or dialogue just seemed a little to
adult-like for a teenager. Didn’t really interrupt the story, just a thought I
had briefly when reading. I should add, it’s in a wide vocabulary kind of way,
not a swearing or inappropriate language way.

While most of the historical backgrounds were excellent and,
to my knowledge pretty factual, they should all be a starting point to a discussion
about said topics. It’s a lot of heavy stuff that young people should know
requires a close, detailed inspection to understand. Particularly, the section
where the Kennedy assassination is mentioned might be a little confusing for a
younger person. It is a fascinating topic, and it’s safe to say there is a
general consensus that it didn’t go down like the government first wanted
everyone to believe. That being said, very little has been absolutely proven
about it. Introducing it to a young person out of the box as a huge CIA
conspiracy might not be the best approach… albeit interesting haha.

Magic Diary shows
the reader a family and a young lady being forced to think about mortality and
the different ways people react to it. While the historical figures’ letters
were something of a day-to-day distraction for Genevieve, she was also thinking
deeply about life and the big picture, which ultimately helps a person accept
their own place in it. Life is often best understood by thinking about it from
a different perspective. LaMarche’s work in healthcare, history, and journalism
has obviously brought her to a point where she can express that in an
interesting and clever way through a touching novel.

Great for a wide variety of ages. An excellent book for a
young person and adult to read at the same time and discuss afterwards. Quick
but solidly educational introductions to important historical topics.
Ultimately heartwarming and fun with an ending that ties it together nicely.

I will be at the Bucks County Book Fest on October 13th! Myself and several other Sunbury Press authors will be selling and signing books in the Book Marketplace area of the event from around 11:30 to 5:30. There are activities in various areas in Doylestown, but the Book Marketplace will be on Hamilton Street between State Street and Oakland Avenue.

The Fest is organized by Discover Doylestown and aims to support literacy and connect authors with readers while also encouraging people to enjoy the Doylestown area. There are workshops, children’s events, a pub crawl, and a marketplace for independent publishers like Sunbury. The event features best-selling and award-winning authors from all over the country. This year the Keynote Author is Anna Quindlen, a #1 NY Times best-selling author of A Short Guide to a Happy Life and Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir of a Woman’s Life and more.

Breck’s Quandary is another novel by a fellow author from the Milford House imprint of Sunbury Press. His name is Mark Mitten and he has written three novels including: Sipping Whiskey in a Shallow Grave, Hard to Quit, and Breck’s Quandary. All are available at the Sunbury Press online store and Amazon. Mitten specializes in western-style stories written in the vein of Cormac McCarthy.

Breck’s Quandary introduces
the reader to Sheriff Breckenridge “Breck” Dyer, the main lawman in a remote Colorado
ski town named Quandary. Breck is aided by only one other deputy, a manifestation
of an underfunded department. His main opposition in the town is a corrupt
mayor who despises Breck and is the main reason that the department has been nearly
gutted. Quandary is suffering in general as its main source of revenue, skiing
tourism, has been dwindling and mismanaged. Outside of skiing, Quandary doesn’t
have a whole lot to offer economically, socially, or culturally.

Trouble worse than money woes arrives in town when two
members of a powerful Mexican drug cartel pay a visit to Quandary. A danger to
citizens and a major headache for Breck, the two cartel representatives are
exploring the area to eliminate any possible competition and begin trafficking narcotics.
Breck is faced with the challenge of getting rid of the two criminals while dealing
with a scheming mayor and accusations of corruption regarding his own department.
Not to mention the terrible cell phone service, broken down snowmobiles, and
lack of financial resources.

Mitten’s story has the feel of a classic western, but is set in modern-day Colorado dealing with changing drug laws and evolving social attitudes regarding marijuana usage. Breck’s Quandary has distinct characters that don’t seem forced or artificial. Breck is a reliable, blue collar sheriff trying his best to be frugal and fair while maintaining order in the town. His only deputy, Jenny, is tough while still being likable and helpful. It never feels like she’s trying too hard to impress anybody. The mayor is a corrupt and conniving jerk who doesn’t really have the town’s best interest as a priority. While he can be pretty cutthroat, it’s obvious that he is a stereotypical dirty small town bureaucrat who isn’t exactly a political mastermind. His method of greasing the wheels with one of the council members is to buy him Subway sandwiches when he needs his vote on an issue. It was important that the mayor’s nefarious characteristics were shown, but that he never seem like a powerful, impressive figure.

Breck’s Quandary is a nicely paced crime story with a lot of action; a successful blend of old school western ethos and current issues. Different character’s experiences are woven together to form a cohesive narrative. This well-crafted novel maintains a solid focus on showing how an already challenged small town reacts to a major criminal threat. The exact nature of Breck and Quandary‘s problems might be new to them, but they’re rooted in the same basic greed and corruption that frustrated sheriffs in the old west. Breck is the next generation of overworked small town law enforcer with a full plate and a loaded gun.

On the Run is an action/suspense thriller from the Milford House imprint of Sunbury Press – the publisher of my novel. Scott Stevens is a talented author and former sportswriter that Sunbury added to their stable in early 2019. This novel is one of three books he has written, the other two being Twister Town and On Ice. On the Run is available through Sunbury and Amazon. The other two are available on Amazon, although they will be re-released by Sunbury in the future.

On the Run is an interesting take on the suspense genre. It takes the motif –made popular recently by things like Breaking Bad– that puts “normal” people directly into the criminal lifestyle. In fact, like Breaking Bad, this book even specifically has a regular guy dealing with a powerful drug cartel that has seemingly limitless strength and non-existent compassion. The novel also explores the idea that it becomes much easier to continue committing crimes and testing your moral boundaries once an event occurs that forces you to do so, even if that event was happenstance and completely outside of your control.

The regular guy in On the Run is named Dwight Cobb. He’s a successful author with an artist wife who frequently attends art shows to sell her works. After doing what they think is a friendly favor at a show in Miami, they find themselves in the middle of a serious drug deal. Eventually, said drugs and Dwight’s wife go missing, and he is left in a perilous situation with a member of a Cuban drug cartel. The cartel, headed by the ruthless Rosa, is not sure of the nature of Dwight’s involvement with the botched drug deal, so they react in the only way they know how; threats, pressure, and violence. Through a fast-paced series of turns, the story takes the characters to Los Cabos, Mexico, where the situation eventually comes to a head in a satisfying conclusion.

My tastes tend towards more literary fiction, and I don’t
read a lot of straight suspense or action thrillers. The novels I read
typically use precise detail and deep introspection for character development.
Often, the plot is drawn out slowly and in a more ambiguous way. Some might
describe this as tedious or boring, but it is my preference for reading as well
as my own writing. That being said, I still like to mix it up and read something
out of my ordinary realm.

Since the book is so focused on delivering action, it did
take me a few chapters to get into the rhythm of it. Again, that’s more because
of my normal reading choices and not a flaw of the book. On the Run is definitely exciting from beginning to the end. I
heard Stevens discuss on a podcast that he tries very hard to produce a story
with constant action in every chapter. This sounds simple, but it’s not an easy
thing to do and still have a tight plot that all comes together cleanly. It’s
also vastly different from the way I approach crafting a novel and that
actually makes it interesting for me to read with that in the back of my mind.

On the Run is an
intriguing page-turner where you feel like you’re looking over Dwight’s
shoulder while he dives headfirst into a dangerous criminal world. With a desperation
and nervousness that leaves the reader feeling the same way, Dwight keeps
running forward despite not knowing exactly what he’s going to do with his next
step.