Danny R. Smith's Blog, page 7

The Gun Grip Fiasco

[image error]Not to be badmouthing my own department, but the Gun Grip Fiasco is such an excellent example of idiocy and red tape, I cannot resist telling the story.

Recently there was a post in a Facebook group in which we were discussing department-issued weapons. I didnt tell my convoluted story there, but some of you will find this entertaining.

Gun Grip Choices

When I was hired in 1983, I was issued a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver. At the time, the department was experimenting with the use of ...

Cow Boss

Here at the Rafter S, Im the cow boss. Impressive, right? Well, lets dive into that a little deeper.

[image error]Two of the babies

A cow bosss job is to oversee the day-to-day operations of a ranch. He assigns each cowboy his or her duties and he is responsible for the hiring and firing of the cowhands.

For the man (or woman) who holds that title at any of the few remaining big ranches, places like the Spanish Ranch in Elko County, Nevada, where 3,400 mother cows are managed on its 76,000 deeded acres,...

Saying Goodbye to a Local Cowboy Legend

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If you happened to be in the horseshoe-shaped cowboy town of New Plymouth, Idaho last Saturday night, you might have thought the rodeo had come early this year.

Dusty pickup trucks, cars, and a sea of bobbing cowboy hats filled the fairgrounds parking lot, as family and friends gathered to pay their respects to a local cowboy legend. One of those hats had come all the way from Oklahoma, and even a former Idaho governor was in attendance.

Cowboy Lou Janssen [image error]Lou and Karen holding a cow while...

Landing a BookBub Deal

Landing a BookBub deal is said to be a gamechanger for independent authors. As I write this, I’m two days into my first deal. But before we get into what exactly a BookBub deal is, allow me to tell you about the BookBub platform.

What is BookBub?

BookBub is a free service used by millions of readers to follow their favorite authors, to discover new authors, to review books they’ve read, and to learn of new releases and promotions. It is also a platform where authors and publishers can...

The Arrest Gods

[image error]Even a couple of hard-charging Firestone deputies could hit a dry spell now and then.

This was the result, we always reasoned, of someone having pissed off the arrest gods.

Darrell Griffith and I were partners on the early morning shift. Half redneck, half martial artist, the “Ninja Hillbilly” was as good a partner as anyone could want. And on this particular slow night, it was he who declared we had no choice but to offer up a sacrifice.

In Search of the Whopper

[image error]We needed to reel in a...

Crime Author Dallas Barnes

You may or may not know the name Dallas Barnes, but I assure you you’ve seen his work.

T.J. Hooker, Magnum PI, Hunter, Kojak, The Blue Knight, Police Story, Police Woman, Joe Forrester. Those are some of the shows for which Barnes has written. Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and Barnaby Jones are others. And there are more.

The Dallas Barnes Crime Novels:

See the Woman[image error]

Badge of Honor

Yesterday is Dead

Deadly Justice

City of Passion

Freedom Dance

A Man in Heat

Naked Justice

Dallas Barnes is no...

Writing and Self-Publishing

[image error]This blog is for authors and anyone who has considered writing and self-publishing.

Whether you want to write a memoir, a novel, or even just a weekly, monthly, or occasional blog, I encourage you to study the craft and learn to write well.

Writing and Self-Publishing [image error]The author riding #bennyboythewonderhorse while ponying his colt named Stoney boy.

Writing and self-publishing are more ofajourney than a destination.

I happen to be passionate about horses and horsemanship, so every so often I...

TV Series “Deputy”

The Fox TV Series, Deputy, has sparked some strong opinions from many of my colleagues from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the agency which is portrayed.

Deputy: The Television Series

[image error]Before the premiere episode, a trailer was circulating on Facebook, especially in some of our LASD groups. Many were upset by the way our department would be portrayed, and I was among them. As such, I didn’t waste my time watching the season premiere two weeks ago. In fairness, I don’t watch much...

New Year’s Eve in Firestone

On any night in South Los Angeles, gunfire crackles against the backdrop of revving motors and booming thumps of amplified bass. But on New Year’s Eve, those nightly but sporadic—and oftentimes purposeful—volleys of gunfire, are lost in the celebratory expenditures of what some of usconsiderto be precious metals.

A Deadly New Year’s Eve Tradition

[image error] This deadly tradition of indiscriminate shooting is a newsworthy event every year. There are often reports of injuries or deaths related to falling...

Behind the Scenes with Audiobooks

[image error]In response to reader requests, I have moved forward with the production of audiobooks in the Dickie Floyd Detective novel series. The first two are now available!

Since most people have no idea how this is done, I thought it would be fun to show you a little bit of the process.

First, the Books Door to a Dark Room

I am very excited to announce the release of this audiobook as the story is perhaps my favorite in the series. It was fun to write and I still enjoy reading it. Give it a try and...