Stephen Burckhardt's Blog: My Blog Ramblings, page 36
September 27, 2021
Monday Movie Madness: Vacation Time!
Hello, Posse!
This weekend is going great. Our giveaway for Into the West: A New Home - Special Edition has put it back on the Best Sellers lists on Amazon. It spent the entire weekend in the top 15 on German Amazon and in the top 30s on the United Kingdom's Amazon. The book sat around 105 all weekend on American Amazon, but did not have a noticeable move from the normal positions on Canadian Amazon this time.
The debut of part six, Into the West: Last Showdown was not too bad. On the American Amazon site, it opened at #846,955 in all books in the Kindle Store, #7,332 in U.S. Historical Fiction, #12,350 in Westerns (Kindle Store), and #14,926 in Westerns (Physical Books). When you consider I do not have any money for advertising and everything I am doing is from posting on social media and word of mouth, that is not terrible.
Now that the weekend is almost over and the giveaway will end tonight (I'm writing this on Sunday, Sept. 26th) we need to take a few days to relax. I was personally so stressed this weekend, I yelled at Shaggy when he started barking at the doorbell. I never yell at my dog. I knew when that happened, I needed to take a break.
So I am taking this week off of "Book Stuff" and just relaxing and reading some books I have not had time for the last few months. Have a great week posse and I will be back next Monday with The Searchers. It falls on National Taco Day so I'm going to have to share my favorite recipe for homemade tacos. When you realize how easy this recipe is and how good it tastes, you will never buy taco shells again.
Have a great week, posse!
Stephen
September 24, 2021
Friday Funnies: Writing!
Hello, Posse!
I hope you have had a wonderful week and are looking forward to an even better weekend which will include reading my next book, Into the West: Last Showdown (of course). It is on pre-sale now on Amazon and publishes tomorrow, Sept. 25th.
I am so excited for you to read this next book. This one is different than the rest in that it is more serious and deals with a lot of important issues that went on during this time in the US history. I did my best to stay true to the issues without moving away from being light entertaining reads. It was a serious tightrope act, but I think I managed to do it.
Finishing up this book on time proved to be a very stressful process for me this time and would not have happened without my amazing editor, Greg Wood. It never fails that even when I get my book to him late, he still manages to pick up my slack and get the changes back to me in a day or two so I can still meet my deadlines.
I also want to inform you all that next week I will be taking a vacation from writing anything including these blogs. I have actually managed to keep up with them fairly well the last few years, but honestly I need a break. I was so stressed out yesterday, I yelled at Shaggy to shut up. I never yell at my dog. I love my dog! He's my baby. I still feel guilty today about yelling at him. I knew in that moment, I need to take a break and relax.
Tomorrow is Shaggy's 6th birthday. He's going to Who can yell at this sweet face? get extra pampered! I'm even building him stairs so
he can get up to his perch I build him in front of the windows in my office. He should be able to get up there anytime he wants, not just when I am in there writing and can lift him up. I just hope he won't be too afraid to use them. He's not good on anything that doesn't feel 100% solid to him. We will see.
The Business StuffPart six, Into the West: Last Showdown (
If you know someone who has not read the Into the West Saga Serial, now is the time to introduce them for FREE!
Into the West: A New Home - Special Edition with both parts one and two in one download will be Free Today, Sept. 24th through Sunday, Sept. 26th. Just share this URL with you friends and they can download this free eBook. https://tinyurl.com/FREE-A-New-Home
Don't forget, you can join my mailing list and never miss out on news or upcoming release dates. Just go to our subscribers page (Into the West: The Orphan Train for free. If you haven't read my books this is a great way to try them out with no risk to you. The mailing list is free to join, quit anytime, no strings attached . . . ever! What have you got to lose? Join us today and start reading!
Enough about business, time for some laughs!
Have a great weekend and enjoy!
StephenQ: Since you became a full-time writer, have you sold much?
A: Oh, yes! My house, my car, my jewelry…
Q: What do you call an indie author with health insurance?
A: Married.
Q: What is the most common blood type for editors?
A: Type O.
Q: Oh my goodness, you sold your first ebook online? What are you going to buy with the money?
A: I don’t know . . . a candy bar?
Q: What do you get when you cross an author with a deadline?
A: A really clean office.
Q: How many writers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Get out of here! I’m not changing anything! (I personally feel attached by this one, LOL)
Writer: What kind of writing pays the best?
Agent: I don't know, ransom notes?
Q: What do you need to do to have a lot of money as an indie author?
A: First, you start with being born into a very wealthy family…
Q: What’s the difference between an indie author and a large pizza?
A: A large pizza can feed a family of three.
Q: Is it true all writers are very tolerant people?
A: Yes, my tolerance for alcohol has increased dramatically since I became an indie author!
Q: What does being and indie author have in common with parenting a toddler?
A: They both read the same damn book over and over and over...
And last but not least . . .
Q: What’s random, often disgusting, and will put you on a government watch list?
A: An indie author’s internet search history.
(Funny story: once, for a horror story I was writing about a shapeshifter, I searched if an eyeball could retain its appearance and be recognizable as an eyeball if eaten and thrown back up. I'm sure that had to ping a watch list somewhere, and mentioning it again here just might too. )
5 Signs You're a Writerhttps://youtu.be/hLzDBVqAsboSeptember 22, 2021
Whatever Wednesday: Birthdays & BOOKS!!
Hello, Posse!
I hope things are going well where you are. We have been having a lot of fun and stress around here. Some of you may know that the eBook version of Part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown is on pre-sale now on Amazon (. As is my tradition, that means we will also have a giveaway weekend for the Special Edition of Into the West: A New Home which has both parts 1 and 2 of the Into the West Saga Serial in it.
If you know anyone who has not read my books and you think they will like the saga, be sure to let them know about the giveaway weekend. This free download is a great way to try out the serial at no risk to them. The last time we had a giveaway for Into the West: A New Home - Special Edition, it hit 9 separate bestsellers lists on Amazon and made it all the way to #1 on a few of them. It would be great to see it do that again.
It is a miracle these release dates actually worked out. It was right down to the wire and there was a technical glitch that I had to fix today to have the books release on September 25th, but it all worked out in the end. I don't know who I feel more sorry for, my husband, Pedro, or my editor, Greg.
My editor, Greg Wood, is such a trooper. I got my book to him at the last minute (I know, no surprise there) and he managed to get me the edits a few hours before the deadline I had to get things loaded up on Amazon. Plenty of time to make the changes. However, my husband had to listen to me rant at 2 am when we had the technical glitch and I thought I had lost Sept. 25th as my publication date. The both deserve long vacations!
When I selected the dates for the pre-sale (Sept. 19th, my birthday) and the actual publishing date (Sept. 25th, Shaggy's birthday) I had planned to finish writing the book by the first week of September, giving Greg and I plenty of time for edits and to load things in the programs on Amazon. But then Murphy had to show up again and throw a wrench in the works.
I had to have the final edits uploaded by 2 am on the 22nd. I got them uploaded and saved with 30 minutes to spare. However, the next day I got an email stating my publication date had been changed to the 27th (if you had already pre-ordered, you got an email about that). The program was still processing and I could not do anything about it until today. When I was able to get into it today, I was able to change it back to the 25th (you probably got a second email about that too).
But now everything is set and uploaded and I even managed to get the free download set up to be live from the 24th to the 26th for Shaggy's birthday. All that is left to do this week is relax, make lots of ads for the books and promo the crap our of everything.
If you like my books, please share the posts, tell people about them, or leave a review, you will never know how much this all helps. The Into the West Saga Serial has one more book left to finish out this saga. The plan is to have it out for Christmas. I will be taking a week off of writing books next week and just work on the blogs and some promotional ads going out. The following week I plan to hit the next book hard and try to finish it by November!
Keep your fingers crossed for me!!
Don't forgetYou can join my mailing list and never miss out on news or upcoming release dates. Just go to our subscribers page (Into the West: The Orphan Train for free. If you haven't read my books this is a great way to try them out with no risk to you. The mailing list is free to join, quit anytime, no strings attached . . . ever!
What have you got to lose? Join us today and start reading!
Have a great Wednesday, Posse!
DianneSeptember 20, 2021
Monday Movie Madness: Farewell Jane Powell
Hello, Posse!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Today is a mix of wonderful things that happened this weekend and one tragic loss. We lost screen legend Jane Powell September 16th. I am not going to go into great detail about this so I linked a wonderful article from MeTV about her and her career if you would like to read more about her.
I had planned to talk about Night Passage today with James Stewart and Audie Murphy, but with Powell's passing I decided to move that to next week. today's blog is more about her than a specific movie but I do love one of her movies in particular.
I have always loved her work in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It is still one of my favorite movies. She had such a wonderful screen presence and her singing voice was fantastic. I love watching her go back and forth with Howard Keel in this movie. She was so petite (4'11.5") especially next to his 6'4", muscular build, and yet she still easily and believably gives him and the brothers what for on screen. She and Keel were great together.
While she she did not appear in a lot of western shows on stage or on the big or little screens, she does have some incredible credits to her name including Royal Wedding with Fred Astaire and Hit the Deck with Debbie Reynolds. When you read her biography, it seems as though she was performing her entire life. Powell began taking dance lessons at the age of two and performed on the radio program Stars of Tomorrow at the age of 5. By 12 she was performing on the radio to help sell victory bonds and at 14 she signed her first contract with MGM in Hollywood.
Her life was not a glamorous whirlwind of success that this brief history might imply. Powell was born Suzanne Lorraine Burce. As a child, she survived abuse from people around her as well as within her own family. She escaped that abusive environment and went on to build a successful career and transformed herself into Jane Powell, a name she took from her character in her first film, Song of the Open Road. You should take the time to seek out some of her movies. You will not be disappointed.
Movie Snack RecipeIn Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, there is scene after Powell's character, Milly, gets married and is heading off to her new home. She and her new husband stop on the way and she decides to pick some sorrel to cook for them later.
I thought this would be a great time to share a wonderful Spring Quiche with Leeks and Sorrel recipe from TheKitchn.com (Megan Gordon) Sorrel is a wonderful nutritious leafy green plant that you can often find growing wild in many parts of the world. If you do decide to forage for yours, just be sure you know what these plants look like. Check here with the Wild Foodie if you need help identifying wild sorrel.
General NewsSome great news that happened last night, To Celebrate Dianne's birthday, the eBook version for Part Six, Into the West: Last Showdown went on Pre-Sale September 19th.
The book is with my editor right now and depending on how fast we can get the edits made and uploaded to the publishing websites, the actually drop date might still change. It is currently set to download on September 25th (Shaggy's birthday).
To make that date, I have to have the final text uploaded by midnight September 21st. That is a long shot, but we are trying to make that happen. If we cannot make that, the drop date will only be pushed back a day or two. I hope to have the paperback on Pre-Sale before I go to bed tonight. The information is all set to go, but I need to update the cover a bit before I can set that up. I will make posts on my social media as soon as everything is set in stone.
One more bit of good news from this weekend. Dianne had a fantastic birthday weekend. Her incredible husband, Pedro, pulled out all the stops to make sure that happened. He even baked her a birthday cake. While he is well known for his cooking (He got Dianne's parents to eat a fish soup. If you knew them you'd know that was a miracle) and especially his grilling skills, this was only the second cake he has ever baked. The first being her birthday cake last year. According to Dianne, it was so good she had a hard time sharing it, even with him.
Last Bit of BusinessRemember, many great western movies started out as great western books. If you haven't already, why not read my Into the West Saga Serial Collection (. Parts one through five are available now on Amazon.com and BN.com in eBook and Paperback formats. Part six, Into the West: Last Showdown on Pre-Sale now on Amazon in eBook and paperback is coming soon! Part seven, Into the West: Family Ties, the final book in this serial, is slated for a Christmas release (cross your fingers).
Don't forget, you can join my mailing list and never miss out on news or upcoming release dates. Just go to our subscribers page (Into the West: The Orphan Train for free. If you haven't read my books this is a great way to try them out with no risk to you. The mailing list is free to join, quit anytime, no strings attached . . . ever!
What have you got to lose? Join us today and start reading!
You know what time it is now, posse! It's time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!
I hope you have a great week, posse!
Enjoy,
StephenMilly Meets the Brothers - Seven Brides for Seven Brothershttps://youtu.be/gvygCkUXOvUSeptember 17, 2021
Friday Funnies: Getting Older, Again!!!
Hello, Posse!
Have I got some great news for you!
I finally finished writing Part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown!!!
I plan to work on my first read through and edit today then get it shipped off to my beta readers and my editor. I think I might be able to keep the timeline I had hoped for, going up for pre-sale on my birthday, September 19th, then finally dropping for delivery on Shaggy's birthday, September 25th. I will speak to my editor this weekend and confirm if he thinks that timeline is doable.
Writing this book has been a weird experience since I had most of it written already from where I split it to make Part 5: Into the West: To Save Them All. But then I had to create a new backstory to start the book sixth book off with and get it to blend into the story where I split the books. That was not as easy as I thought it would be.
Then once I go that part fixed and was back to just writing the ending, I was having too much fun writing the end of this story and started writing too much again. I managed to stop before I got too carried away this time.
As soon as I finish with the post, I am going to get back to editing between doing laundry. I'm trying to get all the chores and projects done today that I can so I can just relax and enjoy my birthday weekend. P.R. had been wanting to take me on a weekend trip to the beach, but all the places we could go started spiking with CoVid. We decided to just do somethings around home instead.
We are going out for dinner tomorrow. It will be the first time since CoVid hit that we will actually go eat in a restaurant together. We get take out once in a while and P.R. has gone out a few times for client dinners, but this will be our first time to get to do it together. I still don't know where we are going. P.R. is making me wait to find out when we get there. I'm okay with that, I trust P.R.'s taste.
But now . . . we should get on with the jokes!
Have a great weekend, Posse!
Stephen"You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake." —Bob Hope
"I'm at an age when my back goes out more than I do." —Phyllis Diller
"You know you're getting old when you get that one candle on the cake. It's like, 'See if you can blow this out." —Jerry Seinfeld
"I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes." —Andy Rooney
"You know you're getting older when you're told to slow down by your doctor, instead of by the police." —Joan Rivers
Q: Why did you shave your beard?
A: I grew it thinking the grey hair would say Distinguished Gentleman, turns out it says, "Senior Discount, Please!"
Q: Why is it better to have conversations with kids?
A: Because adults never ask what your third favorite reptile is.
Saying that you are "aging gracefully" is just a nice way of saying you're looking old slowly.
A diplomat is a person who always remembers a woman's birthday but never her age.
The question isn't at what age I would like to retire, it's with what income.
Q: What do many women deny and some men refuse to act like?
A: Their age.
Q: Why is it good to marry and archaeologist?
A: Because the older you get the more interested in you they will become.
Q: As I get older, I wonder, has everyone lost as many people as I have along the way?
A: If not, maybe a career as a tour guide wasn't for me afterall.
Q: How do you know when you are getting old?
A: You have more candles on your cake than friends at your birthday party.
and last but not least . . .
I am so old I can sometimes forget and tell the same joke on facebook every day.
The great thing is my friends are so old, they forget and think it is a new joke every day.
George Carlin on Getting Oldhttps://youtu.be/2TBc_YB600cSeptember 15, 2021
Whatever Wednesday: Part Six!!
Hello Posse!!!
I am so frustrated at the moment. I am so close to finishing Part Six, Into the West: Last Showdown, but life keeps getting in my way. I was trying so hard to finish it Monday night, but I literally started falling asleep while writing. That is not commentary on the story mind you, I was up writing until about 3 am. Yesterday was filled with chores around the house and all of my "other" responsibilities. I did not get more than a page written yesterday.
But . . . today is a new day and I am determined to get this book finished tonight. I have already finished all my chores around the house, I cooked extra food last night so we can have leftovers for dinner tonight, things only need to be warmed up, and after I finish this blog, I have nothing to do but write the book!
My amazing editor, Greg Wood, is ready and waiting for me to send him the book. If all things go as we have planned, I will have the book available for presale on September 19th, my birthday (a little happy birthday to me), and it will actually release on the birthday of our adorable rescue dog, Shaggy's, birthday on September 25th. I will let you know Friday if these will be our final dates.
Part Six, Into the West: Last Showdown is darker than some of the other books in this serial. I have touched a little on prejudices regarding the Irish at this point in American history, but now I am starting to deal with more characters from other races and ethnic backgrounds and the struggles they faced in the late 1850s. I want to stay true to history because I think those who have fought so long and hard for rights deserve honest representation, but at the same time I want these books to remain light, entertaining reads. Trying to do both is a serious tightrope walking act. I think I managed to hit a decent balance in this book.
I have really been enjoying writing the ending of this one. I want to keep stretching out the action because I'm having so much fun writing it, but I also want to wrap this book up without writing too much again. I do not want to have to try to manage another split! However, the ideas I'm having for this story are giving me thoughts about the next serial I want to write. Stay tuned for more on that later.
For now, I am just going to go get busy wrapping this book up so I can get started on part seven, the final book in this serial. I really want to have the last book ready for a Christmas release so that will be some serious work on my part to make that happen. If Murphy and his law would just take a seat for a while, it can happen.
The Business StuffIf you haven't already started reading my books, why not start now? Check out them all out by clicking here ---> Into the West Saga Serial Collection. Parts one through five are available now on Amazon.com and BN.com. Part six, Into the West: Last Showdown is coming soon! It is currently set for a September 19th presale for a September 25th release. Part seven, the final book in this serial, is slated for Christmas (cross your fingers).
Don't forget, you can join my mailing list and never miss out on news or upcoming release dates. Just go to our subscribers page (Into the West: The Orphan Train for free. If you haven't read my books this is a great way to try them out with no risk to you. The mailing list is free to join, quit anytime, no strings attached . . . ever! What have you got to lose? Join us today and start reading!
If you have started reading my books and you like the stories, please take a moment to help us out. Post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or Barnes & Noble Booksellers, tell your friends about the books, ask your local library to carry them, or just share our posts and blogs on any social media platform. These things will cost you nothing but a little time, but it will make a huge difference for Stephen Burckhardt and everyone working on the books.
It is a serious, constant struggle to get indie books noticed, especially when you do not have a budget for advertising. We have been at this for six years now and are still not even close to making a profit. We continue to do this because we all love it, but the goal for the books is for them to become financially self-sustaining at some point (hopefully soon). So any help you can give us to make that happen is greatly appreciate.
I hope you are having a fantastic week, posse!
Thanks for being on this ride with us!
DianneSeptember 13, 2021
Monday Movie Madness: No Name on the Bullet
Hello Posse!
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and are not getting hit with any of the extreme weather moving onto parts of the US. We had some pretty severe rains last week and ended up with some more minor flooding in our area. Luckily, the landlord was home this time around and was able to take care of things right away. You wouldn't even know the basement flooded again.
With the cold rainy weather, it was a good excuse to spend all my time inside writing and boy did I make some great headway on part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown. I am so close to finishing this instalment I can practically taste it. I think I can wrap this book up in one, maybe two more chapters. I'm hoping to do that today!
I really want to have this book at least on presale this weekend to celebrate my birthday. I have published books around my mom and dad's birthdays to celebrate theirs and the very first book was published on what would have been my granny's 100th birthday. I published one around P.R.'s birthday too. I guess I'll have to shoot to publish part 7 at the end of November for my sister's birthday and I will have hit all the immediate family.
I really want to get back to writing so let's get on with today's movie, No Name on the Bullet starring none other than movie legend, Audie Murphy. No Name on the Bullet was release in 1959 by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Jack Arnold. Joining Murphy on the cast was Charles Drake, Joan Evans, Virginia Grey, Warren Stevens, R.G. Armstrong, Willis Bouchey, Edgar Stehli, Simon Scott, Karl Swenson, Whit Bissell, Charles Watts, John Alderson, Jerry Paris, Russ Bender, and James Hyland.
This movie was a departure from the norm for both the director and the main star, Murphy. Arnold was not new to directing, but the western genre was not something Arnold was typically known for directing. He had made his mark mostly with science fiction movies such as It Came from Outer Space (1953), Tarantula (1955), and The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). He also directed Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), which if you have been following my blogs for a while, you know my family actually has a personal connection to one of the creature's stunt divers from that movie. I even named a character, Marshal Blackjack James, after the stuntman. For Murphy this movie gave him a chance to step away from his stereotypical roles. He was known for always being the hero or at the very least playing decent, honorable characters. In No Name on the Bullet, Murphy plays a cold-blooded killer and does it quite convincingly.
This story follows notorious gunfighter, John Gant (Murphy), as he travels to a small town in Arizona. His reputation is well known and having him in town puts the townspeople on edge. Everyone knows Gant is a gun for hire and assumes if he is in town then one of them must be marked for death. No knowing who his target is begins to get to everyone in town. The townspeople get together and ask Gant to leave, but he refuses. Dr. Luke Canfield (Drake) defends Gant, but the townsfolk are not convinced and decide to take matters into their own hands to take out Gant before he takes out one of them.
This role was definitely not something you expect from Murphy, but his performance does not disappoint. If you just watch one western this month, you should make it No Name on the Bullet.
Movie Snack Recipe Today's movie snack recipe is another great offering from Sally's Baking Addiction, I'm talking about their Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Stuffed Jalapeños. (^^^click to go to recipe) These tasty snacks have a surprisingly delicious blend of flavors that is as unexpected as it is good. What better treat to have with today's surprisingly unconventional movie?
I have never been a huge fan of Jalapeños until recently. I am finding I rather enjoy them in a lot of dishes I never thought about before. I have been eating them on my burgers, in sauces to give them a nice flavor kick, and even like this where they are the main carrier for a dish. If you like them at all, you really should give Sally's recipe a try. Then be sure to check out her site and see all the other great recipes she has to offer. (No, she is not paying for this endorsement, I just really like her stuff and love sharing it with others)
Great WesternsRemember, many great western movies started out as great western books. If you haven't already, why not read my Into the West Saga Serial Collection (. Parts one through five are available now on Amazon.com and BN.com. Into the West: Last Showdown is coming soon! Part seven, the final book in this serial, is slated for a Christmas release (cross your fingers).
Don't forget, you can join my mailing list and never miss out on news or upcoming release dates. Just go to our subscribers page (Into the West: The Orphan Train for free. If you haven't read my books this is a great way to try them out with no risk to you. The mailing list is free to join, quit anytime, no strings attached . . . ever! What have you got to lose? Join us today and start reading!
It's time for me to get back to writing and finish part 5 Into the West: Last Showdown. So now you know what time it is, posse! It's time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!
Enjoy,
StephenNo Name on the Bullet (Trailer) https://youtu.be/qjc-GutTT3YNo Name on the Bullet 1959 Audie Murphy Music Tributehttps://youtu.be/KdIt4a7OsQUSeptember 10, 2021
Friday Funnies: Libraries
Hello, Posse!
I hope you all have had a wonderful week. I have been working diligently on my next book, part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown. I am not writing this blog on Friday, I hope by today I can add an update and let you all know that I finished my book, sent it off to the editor, and am setting everything up for publishing while he works on it. That is the plan as long as the characters cooperate!
I am just waiting for our local library to open back up. They moved to a new building and as soon as I can, I want to take them copies of my books. They have parts one and two in their catalog but I have not taken them the other books. My hope is that one day they will have all my books on their shelves.
While I wait for the library to reopen, I thought now would be a great time for jokes about libraries and the wonderful people who run them. So check out these great Dad jokes and start off your weekend with a chuckle or two . . . I hope.
Take care, posse!
Stephen
Q: Why did Dracula love go to the library?
A: He liked sinking his teeth into a good book.
Q: Why are libraries such tall buildings?
A: Because they have many, many stories!
Q: What book did the librarian read to her cat?
A: The Prince and the Paw-purr.
Patron: Where do you keep the conspiracy books?
Librarian: Shhh, They're right behind you.
Patron: Where are the books about Big Foot?
Librarian: In the large-print section.
Q: Why do librarians love a good joke
A: They always get the reference.
Q: Why did the librarian never go out?
A: She was always booked up.
Patron: Do you have any books with cliffhangers?
Librarian: Yes, they are right over . . .
And last but not least . . .An agent calls his author client.
Agent: Hello, I have a good and bad news.
Author: Start with the good . . .
Agent: Jackson loved your book and literally devoured it!
Author: And the bad news?
Agent: Jackson's, my dog.
Funny Library Montage
https://youtu.be/7_a7OTE2nLgSeptember 8, 2021
Whatever Wednesday: National Teddy Bear Day Again
Hello, Posse!
Happy National Teddy Bear Day! Teddy Bears have been a favorite toy of children since the early 1900s. The toy was actually created because of a story of Teddy Roosevelt sparing the life of a bear.
The story was reported that Roosevelt, who was an avid big game hunter, had been invited by Mississippi's Governor Andrew H. Longino for a bear hunt near Onward, Mississippi in 1902. Roosevelt did not have luck that trip and had not spotted a single bear. One of Roosevelt's assistants corned a bear and tied it to a tree. Roosevelt was brought to the tree to shoot the bear, but he refused saying it was unsportsmanlike.
When word got out about Roosevelt sparing the bear's life, the public took notice. Articles were written about the event and Clifford Berryman, a political cartoonist, drew a cartoon depicting the hunt and Roosevelt's encounter with the bear. The cartoon was published in the Washington Post on November 16, 1902.
Morris Michtom owned a candy shop in Brooklyn, NY. Michtom and his wife, Rose, also made stuffed animals. When they saw the cartoon of Roosevelt and the bear they had an idea. The couple created the first Teddy Bear, dedicating it to the president and his encounter with the bear.
Clifford Berryman's 1902 cartoon lampooning
The Teddy Bear was well received and Teddy Roosevelt sparing the bear.
Michtom was able to get permission from
Roosevelt to use his name in connection with the bears. The bears became so popular, he began mass producing the bears and created the Ideal Toy Company to meet the demands.
Even today with the plethora of electronic toys and devices, the Teddy Bear is still an
extremely popular toy for all ages.
The Teddy Bear even spawned a song that is still a popular children's song today. The song The Teddy Bears' Picnic was composed in 1907 by Walter Bratton. Lyrics were added in 1932 by Jimmy Kennedy. Over the years, the song has been recorded by various artists including Anne Murray whose video is posted below.
In the Into the West Saga Serial different children are described as hugging rag dolls and bunnies but there is no mention of Teddy Bears. This is because the events in the Saga take place The bear my sister and I before the creation of this favorite toy.
both loved as children.
Many people have a strong emotional attachment to their childhood Teddy Bear. They can be a great sense of comfort and emotional support. There are programs that provide bears to first responders to give to children in stressful situations to help give them comfort. There are several groups across the US that collect bears and donate them to first responders. A quick Google search will put you in touch with a group in your area if you would like to donate bears or money to support the programs.
Even animals can love the comfort of a Teddy Bear. Our rescue dog, Shaggy, loves his bear, George. He sleeps with him from time to time and loves to carry him around the house.
We would love to hear your personal favorite Teddy Bear or other childhood toy stories. Share your photos Shaggy and George
and comments on any of our social media.
Enjoy National Teddy Bear Day, posse!
DianneTeddy Bear's Picnic Song - Sung by Anne Murray
https://youtu.be/uxFIGWm9M6wSeptember 6, 2021
Monday Movie Madness: Red River Remake
(Click photo to check out this title on INSP.com)
Hello, Posse!So sorry about all the alliteration in the title. It could not be helped. I plus I'm tired and a little loopy. P.R. is on a business trip and I never sleep well when P.R. is on the road. I used to enjoy always being alone and being so independent until I finally met someone I actually love being around all the time. It is still so surprising to me how much I miss P.R. when these business trips come up.
One thing that I can do while P.R. is out of town, is devote all my time to writing. I plan to finish part six: Into the West: Last Showdown this week and get it off to Greg, my editor asap! I want to put it up for sale by the 19th. Keep your fingers crossed. But now, on to today's movie.
As that title of the blog implies, we are talking about the 1988 remake of Red River. If you remember, the original movie was released in 1948. It was directed and produced by Howard Hawks and stared western legend, John Wayne, and Montgomery Clift. The Red River is based on a serial story (you know I love serials), Blazing Guns on the Chisholm Trail by Borden Chase which was published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1946.
This remake was directed by Richard Michaels and stars James Arness and Bruce Boxleitner. The supporting cast includes Gregory Harrison, Stan Shaw, Laura Johnson, Ray Walston, Robert Horton, L.Q. Jones, Zachary Ansley, Jerry Potter, and Burton Gilliam. The film also features cameos from Western stars Ty Hardin and Guy Madison.
As with the original movie, the story follows a crew of men hired by a Texas rancher, Thomas Dunson (Arness), to drive the first herd of cattle from Texas to Kansas on the Chisholm Trail. Along the way, there are disagreements and altercations between Dunson and his adopted son, Matthew "Matt" Garth (Boxleitner) over just how the drive should be handled.
This remake made the cast addition of a black actor as one of the cowboys on the trail. Many people do not realize how historically accurate this actually is. According to the Smithsonian, at least 1 in 4 cowboys it the Wild West were black. This reality deserves representation to ensure history is always accurately portrayed and also provided an opportunity to discuss the racial issues of that era. While John Wayne's version is still considered the better film adaptation, this 1988 version is still very well received and worth the time to check it out.
Movie Snack RecipeI was searching for a quick and easy bite-size beef appetizer for today's movie snack recipe, but then I came across this and just had to share it. This recipe comes from the Pillsbury site and uses their ready made bread dough to make this recipe super easy to make.
This Cheesy Taco Beef Sandwich by Pillsbury could easily be made vegetarian or even vegan. If you don't like taco burgers you can also leave out the taco seasoning and just make this a cheeseburger ring. There are so many variation you could do with this recipe. I love recipes that are like that. This recipe will be great for movie night, a party snack, or a fun family dinner.
Great WesternsRemember, many great western movies started out as great western books. If you haven't already, why not read my Into the West Saga Serial Collection (. Parts one through five are available now on Amazon.com and BN.com. I'm currently writing part six, Into the West: Last Showdown. It is currently set for a September release and part seven, the final book in this serial, is slated for a Christmas release (cross your fingers).
Don't forget, you can join my mailing list and never miss out on news or upcoming release dates. Just go to our subscribers page (Into the West: The Orphan Train for free. If you haven't read my books this is a great way to try them out with no risk to you. The mailing list is free to join, quit anytime, no strings attached . . . ever! What have you got to lose? Join us today and start reading!
You know what time it is now, posse! It's time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!
Enjoy,
StephenRobert Horton as Cattle Buyer in Red River (1988)I could not find a trailer for this film but I did find this clip from the movie.
https://youtu.be/6iJykrLMCp0
