Stephen Shaiken's Blog, page 5
May 21, 2023
WATCH MY INTERVIEW ON THAIRISH TIMES
When I was in Dublin, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Pete of Thairish Times, a successful YouTube Channel that came to be in Thailand but is now based in Dublin and focusing on broader topics. In this interview I talk about my life as a criminal lawyer and my NJA Club series of Thailand based thrillers.
Hope you enjoy it!
Click on the link below to watch the interview:
Check out the amazon page for the NJA Club Series:
May 20, 2023
I Finally Get to Take A Liverpool Beatles Tour
I’ve been a rock ‘n’ toll fan my entire life. In fact, I wrote a novel, Queensborough Rock, based on my own experiences as a would-be rock manager in the late Sixties and early Seventies. I wouldn’t have written it if I didn’t want people to read it, and so far those who have are rather pleased. Click here to visit the Amazon page for Queensborough Rock
I’ve just returned from a visit to Ireland and England, and this allowed me to fulfill a dream beating in the heart of all fellow Beatlemaniacs- a visit to their native city of Liverpool and a tour of the places certain to tickle the hearts of all such fans.
There are several tours and several museums.We chose a bus tour that took us to all the fabled places and the homes of three Beatles. (Ringo’s childhood home is long gone.) The famed Cavern club, where the Beatles really became the group they were destined to be, has been faithfully restored with live music.
Old posters in the Cavern club 
Bottom left: George's childhood home. Bottom right: Paul's much more middle class house. John grew up in the biggest and best, but no decent photo taken. Photos by Stephen Shaikenb. I found Liverpool to be an interesting and pleasant city. There’s a lot of music and art. (Lennon attended a fine arts college in the City.) It hosted the Eurovision concert as I was leaving. They are certainly proud of the Beatles, but also love the many other groups that came from Liverpool, from Frankie Vaughan, Echo & the Bunnyman, A Flock of Seagulls, and a real favorite, Frankie Goes to Hollywood. (The latter group’s lead singer opened Eurovision and by coincidence, was the younger brother of our tour guide!)
If you get the chance, go!
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
April 25, 2023
BANGKOK WHISPERS IS A FREE EBOOK APRIL 26-29
April 23, 2023
DON’T POST THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Inage courtesy of The Forward DON’T POST THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
It’s bad for everybody.
All wise traditions have the same prohibitions on murder, theft, lying, adultery. (If it’s too difficult to talk about gender or sexual orientation, how the hell can the teachers explain adultery?)
Not all wise traditions hold that “Thou shall have no other Gods before me.” (This makes no sense, for example, to Hindus, Buddhists, atheists and others who aren’t from a monotheistic tradition.)
Someone who is a non-believer is under no prohibition against taking the name of someone else’s deity in vain. (Who decides when it’s “taken in vain?”)
Few religions have a Sabbath that must be honored, and those that do do not agree on what day is Sabbath.
Graven images are perfectly fine in many religions and certainly fine for nonbelievers. (Besides how do we interpret this? Some religions say this is violated by simply portraying people, others only of you portray angels or a deity.)
Nothing wrong with schools telling children not to lie, steal, cheat.
Everything is wrong about telling them to follow the dictates of only one religion in a nation of such diversity of belief.
Worry more about schools teaching math, science, history, language.
Religion is purely private matter.
That’s why the founding Fathers wanted a wall of separation between church and state.
April 22, 2023
MEATBALL DESANTIS RUNNING FROM MICKEY
This image was sent to me by FB friend Ben Banneker.
As his fellow Republican Chris Christie said, how can Meatball face down Putin or Xi if he gets hid ass kicked by Mickey Mouse?
April 19, 2023
ANOTHER GREAT REVIEW FOR QUEENSBOROUGH ROCK
Here’s another glowing review of Queensborough Rock, the rock ‘n’ roll novel you’ve been waiting for.
If you enjoyed Daisey Jones and The Six or Utopia Avenue, this book is for you.
Click here to read the review in Let It Rock.(It’s a long read but well worth it as Dmitri gives you a basis to decide whether to read the book…and I’m sure you will. (Especially since it is on KU.)
Click here to visit the Amazon page for Queensborough Rock
Courtesy of a tweet by author Morgan Wright.
April 9, 2023
READ THE NJA CLUB NOVELS IN ANY ORDER
“Does it matter in what order I read your NJA Club Series?”
That’s a question I’m frequently asked. I understand why, as all voracious readers encounter two types of series: one which must be read from first novel forward in order to understand the subsequent books, and another type where a reader can read the series novels in any order they choose.
No matter which path a writer follows, they must decide the role of successive novels in a series. Fictional characters change and develop just as real people do, and a person’s actions and thoughts are shaped by their past, so it can’t be totally ignored. On the other hand, a writer does not want to limit their readership to only those who have read their prior work.
That’s why the author Jay McInerney said that hardest job a writer can face is working on a series where they must strike that balance between making the past novels relevant without confusing those who haven’t read the earlier book. Jay was astute; it’s really difficult, and it takes a few novels to get it really right.
THE NJA CLUB SERIES WAS DESIGNED TO BE READ IN ANY ORDERThe collection is called the NJA Club Series because the main characters all met and congregate at the mysterious NJA Club, where people of all backgrounds mix, the common denominator being their strangeness.
The first novel in the Series was Bangkok Shadows. It is the first book I ever published, and when I started writing it, there was no intention of starting a series. I had retired from the practice of criminal law and was living in Bangkok when it dawned on me I could start doing what I always wanted to do, before I ever thought of law school: write fiction. My MA degree in Creative Writing had been forlornly staring at me from my wall for many decades. I had the time, the stimulation of an exotic locale, and a new Apple notebook (which I’m still using.)
Bangkok Shadows didn’t even start as a novel. I had just joined Keybangers Bangkok, my beloved writing group, and wanted to have recent work to bring for critique. I started writing a series of character sketches which were greatly exaggerated composites of people I’d met throughout my life, placing them in Bangkok. These early sketches led to the full development of the major characters who have graced the pages of the series ever since: Glenn Murray Cohen, the contradictory but lovable US expat criminal lawyer, Sleepy Joe, the Australian Special Forces veteran who is part hippie and part killing machine, the elusive but wise and generous retired Thai officer known as the General, Oliver, the big, boisterous yet all-knowing Aussie information expert, the man who can find out almost anything, and Phil Funston, the talented but unbearably obnoxious American guitarist. The sketches also created the most important secondary characters: Lek, Glenn’s building concierge and good friend, plus Ray the Bartender, the greatest raconteur in Bangkok (and that’s a steep hill to climb) and Edward, the untrustworthy would-be money launderer.
I had no thoughts of creating a series when I decided to turn my sketches into a novel. I was totally consumed with the problems of developing a plot and storyline that would keep people reading. I decided to base the story on a true incident where the US essentially kidnapped from Thailand a Russian arms dealer wanted in America. In my book, the CIA recruits Glenn and his friends to do the dirty work for them. It was only at the very end of the book that I realized I could keep the option open, though it wasn’t my immediate intent. Like every writer, my plans were to move on to writing books I thought would be more significant contributions to world literature.
Then a strange thing happened: people liked Bangkok Shadows. Five years later, it still sells and gets large numbers of KU readers. I’m pleased to say that many readers go on to enjoy the other books. There’s no greater motivation to write a second novel and create a series. That’s how Bangkok Whispers came to be. Bangkok Whispers continues to attract readers in the same numbers as the first book, and from I can see, many readers move on the the third novel, Bangkok Blues.
Bangkok Whispers tells the tale of an old friend of Glenn’s who comes to Bangkok seeking protection from people who are out to kill him, but he offers little information about who or why. There’s more overt violence than in the first book.
Bangkok Blues finds Glenn managing the career of Phil Funston, and going nowhere fast. He and his friends meet an american scientist investigating claims of a deadly virus in china. Strange thugs tail the scientist, and the NJA gang must come to the rescue.
The fourth novel, Bangkok Changes, has just been released. A crew from the Brooklyn Mafia is in Bangkok, trying to extort local businesses to buy booze they hijacked back home. I loved mixing the Mafia and Bangkok, two subjects I’ve explored so often in my writing.
BANGKOK BLUES MARKED A CHANGE IN STYLE
The third novel, Bangkok Blues, marked a significant shift in writing style, which I like to attribute to my developing as writer. The first two novels were written in the first person, which is a common voice and point of view in the kind of exotic noir thrillers I believe I am writing. It is also generally considered easier for authors, as there is only one person’s thoughts and perspective to focus upon. Every character is seen through the prism of that first person narrator. The secret in writing first person is to do what F. Scott Fitzgerald did in The Great Gatsby: leave with the reader the possibility that this narrator is not always accurate or correct.
I switched to third person for Bangkok Blues because I wanted to show scenes where Glenn was not present (impossible in first person) and show the thoughts and actions of Thai people but not solely through the eyes of Glenn Cohen. I quickly came to realize that I was now presenting Thai people through the eyes of Steve Shaiken, but that’s what writers do. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to represent Thai characters in a believable way, since I am not Thai, but it worked out. I like to think that even if no farang can ever fully grasp the mind of a Thai, a good writer with on-the-ground experience can do a very credible job of portraying how an objective outsider sees and presents them. Bangkok Blues greatly expanded the role of the Lieutenant, an honorable and extremely smart Thai police officer who was a patrolman in Bangkok Whispers. It also introduced two of the General’s military friends, who may or may not be back someday.
I enjoyed the greater artistic range the third person allowed, and continued with it in the fourth NJA Club novel, Bangkok Changes. The Lieutenant plays an even greater role in this book, and s Thai women and a female FBI agent characters play important supporting roles. I’ve tried to populate my novels with as many non-stereotyped woman as possible. We’ve seen Thai women as money launderers, condo managers, waitresses, as the General’s troubleshooter (literally), as masseuses, bank employees, and despite Glenn’s best efforts to avoid them, the occasional hooker. In Bangkok Changes, the NJA Club gang meets Fah, a well-educated, brave and independent woman who to me represents the best traits of the Thai people.
EVERY NOVEL HAS A DIFFERENT VILLIANYou can’t have a thriller without a villian, can you? Some series keep the same villain and the ongoing battle with the protagonist is the plot that reaches from one novel to the next. That’s not the case with the NJA Club Series. Every novel is a standalone and they can be read in any order.
The plot and the villains are vastly different from book to book, and while readers might enjoy watching the characters develop chronologically, it isn’t by any means necessary. The essential personas of all major and recurring minor characters remains the same from one book to the next. It’s the dates and the circumstances that change.
In Bangkok Shadows, the villains are a Russian arms-dealing gangster and a psychopath CIA agent. In Bangkok Whispers, the enemies are North Korean hitmen and their American flunkie. In Bangkok Changes, it’s the Chinese government trying to suppress news of COVID at the start, along with some elements of the U.S. government. In Bangkok Changes, the villain is the Brooklyn Mafia, come to Bangkok to force local businesses to buy their hijacked liquor.
The novels are not interconnected even though the character are. As one reads more of the series, the relationships between the characters become more meaningful and a simple reference to the past will mean more to one who read the prior novels. However, a reader can start with any one of the four novels and can read them in any order they like. This is especially true due to the change in point of view after the second novel.
CHECK OUT MY SERIES PAGE BELOW:
START READING THE NJA CLUB SERIES NOW
Click here to visit the NJA Club Series Page
Photo of the author, by Josephine Shaiken 
Our rescue grewyhound Ginger. Phot by author. Courtesy of a tweet by author Morgan Wright
April 5, 2023
HAPPY PASSOVER AND LOVE THE IMMIGRANT
Happy Passover! As is our custom, I share with you the timeless teachings of Leviticus 19:33-34, which has guided the Jewish People for over four thousand years. It may not be the message you hear from others, but it is our message and what we live by. Today it is more important than ever that our message be heard: “When an immigrant resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The immigrant who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall live him as yourself, for you were migrants in the land of Egypt; I the LORD andyour G-d.” This is what we believe, and no one is changing our minds. Some religions require their adherents to oppose freedom of choice for women, or marriage equality, or acceptance of transgenders, or stem cell research. Our religion compels us to oppose mistreatment of immigrants and to support them in every possible way. So when someone attacks our views on immigrants, they are not attacking a political viewpoint, they are attacking who we are as a People. Memo to those who hate us because of who we are, especially because we must love the immigrant: we’ve been around a lot longer than you and we’ll be here long after you’re gone. Just think about that for a moment. Zissen Pesach!
March 28, 2023
FIRST PODCAST INTERVIEW ON QUEENSBOROUGH ROCK, MY NOVEL
Here’s an interview of me on Booked On Rock Podcast, a show dedicated to rock ‘n’ roll books. I discuss Queensborough Rock, my recently released novel, set in NYC during rock’s classic era.
Available on Amazon: https://lnkd.in/e_53kF7G
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW:
https://lnkd.in/e66JUHfd
Courtesy of Author Morgan Wright
March 24, 2023
TWENTY YEARS AFTER WE WENT TO WAR IN IRAQ, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
Twenty years after our ill-fated decision to go to war in Iraq, Yahoo News noted the anniversary. It got me thinking about whether our current strategy in Ukraine is qualitatively different, and whether we have learned from the disasters in prior wars. I conclude that we have and what we are doing is both necessary and correct.
HAVE WE LEARNED?
That is the question we need to keep asking. So far, we’ve had three presidents after the war-mongering Bush-Cheney administration, and happily there have been very, very few “boots on the ground.” In fairness to the hapless ex-President W, let’s note that he couldn’t have dragged us down that hopeless road without the fervent backing of Democrats; 40% of House Dems and 60% of Dem Senators went along for the ride, including both HRC and Joe Biden, a major reason I supported Bernie twice, though I am fine with President Biden’s handling of this threat from Putin. It’s clear to me President Biden learned from his wrong vote in favor of the Iraq War. Neither party had yet learned the lesson they should have learned from the disastrous Vietnam War, and thirty plus years later, they were both living a delusion. We have now shifted to a strategy of air strikes and drones, and have hopefully abandoned the impossible task of “nation building.”
It’s a difficult balance to defend ourselves and support a peaceful world, but the alternatives are unthinkable. Teddy Roosevelt (“TR”) had the right idea when he said “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Time Magazine publisher Henry Luce, a relatively moderate Republican, urged a “Pax Americana” after WWII, where the world’s then only superpower would keep the kid on things; that ended when the USSR possessed nuclear weapons. This lead to the strategy of “Mutual Assured Destruction,” which meant the USSR and the USA knew what would happen if there were a nuclear war, so they developed safety nets like the hot line and increased diplomacy to make sure that policy worked. Maybe it worked with relatively rational communists like Brezhnev, Yeltsin and Gorbachev, but now we’re facing Putin, who is not the leader of a world power in the way those men were, and he has little interest in maintaining order and avoiding conflict; to the contrary, he thrives on violence, genocide, and physical violence against his neighbors. (By 1980, the USSR had learned in Afghanistan what we learned decades later.) Unlike the misguided and reckless involvements in prior wars, Putin’s violence and aggression present a clear and present danger to all of Europe, and thus, to America. So something had to be done, and the nations of the West came together to aid Ukraine without fighting ourselves.
Thus far, the unified West is doing a fairly good job of opposing Putin without getting involved in battle. We have seen the Russian army exposed as a fraud and horribly ruined by poor strategy and poor equipment, with soldiers spending every waking moment planning to desert. The unified NATO alliance strategy is working far better than our failed strategies in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Let’s stick with the plan. If the West hadn’t stood up to Putin, our NATO troops in Germany would face a substantial likelihood of armed conflict with Russia. We would have kicked their asses, of course, but not without horrible loss of life and destruction of much of Western Europe. Yes, it costs money to aid Ukraine, but if Russia prevaled, it would cost us a lot more in every way. I’m quite certain TR would approve of what we are doing with our allies.
Photo courtesy of Ukraine Government 
Photo courtesy of Getty Collection
