Jim Cherry's Blog, page 11
October 4, 2015
New Stuff!
I know my posts have been few and far between as of late, let's try to remedy that!
Here's an interview I did with rock and roll Gideon Smith a couple of weeks ago: http://www.gideonsmith.net/featured_g... I think I give good interview, what do you think?
Last week I did a little work on my novel "The Third Day" and I published the first 5 pages see how you like them! https://jymwrites.wordpress.com
Those of us waiting for my short story "The Captured Dead" I've hit a little snafu with the cover and the rights, so bare with me and I'm hoping to have it up a ready for Halloween (and will only be .99!) after all it is a ghost story.
Thank you!
Jim
Writing under the influence of Rock ‘n’ Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
Here's an interview I did with rock and roll Gideon Smith a couple of weeks ago: http://www.gideonsmith.net/featured_g... I think I give good interview, what do you think?
Last week I did a little work on my novel "The Third Day" and I published the first 5 pages see how you like them! https://jymwrites.wordpress.com
Those of us waiting for my short story "The Captured Dead" I've hit a little snafu with the cover and the rights, so bare with me and I'm hoping to have it up a ready for Halloween (and will only be .99!) after all it is a ghost story.
Thank you!
Jim
Writing under the influence of Rock ‘n’ Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
June 13, 2015
The Captured Dead
It's been awhile since I posted anything, but here's a reason why I've gone, my short story "The Captured Dead" https://jymwrites.wordpress.com/2015/...
I started out to write an American Indian zombie story, but decided things would work out better just with ghosts. When I was writing it I kept Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" in mind.
I hope you enjoy the story and if you have feedback please feel free to leave a message!
Keep rocking!
Jim
I started out to write an American Indian zombie story, but decided things would work out better just with ghosts. When I was writing it I kept Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" in mind.
I hope you enjoy the story and if you have feedback please feel free to leave a message!
Keep rocking!
Jim
February 3, 2015
Robert Gover 1929-2015
We’re saddened to have to report the death of writer Robert Gover. Robert died January 12, 2015. He was 85.
Robert lived a writer’s life. He was friends with people like Jim Morrison, he was kicked out of a restaurant with Bob Dylan, James Baldwin tried to convince him to move to Paris, he had drinks with Norman Mailer, and Gore Vidal and Henry Miller praised his book “The $100 Misunderstanding”. His book “The Maniac Responsible” was called “a work of art” by Newsweek. Robert said of his career, “I made a million dollars during the 60’s and lost it during the 70’s.”
“The $100 Misunderstanding” which was published in 1962 challenged and satirized the racial stereotypes of the times. “The Maniac Responsible” delved into a lurid murder in which newspapers and TV falsely implicate a man in the murder. Doors lead singer Jim Morrison was enamored with the book and wanted to make a film of it in which he would star. After Gover declined the opportunity to a write a book on The Door’s 1968 European tour, Morrison lost interest in the project.
I got to know Robert via email correspondence during the course of writing an article on Jim Morrison and he was kind enough to share his experiences. He was also generous with his time, taking the time to read one of my books. I reviewed one of his later books “Two Brothers”, and he tweaked a query letter I was sending out to agents none of whom showed any previous interest. After making the changes to the letter Robert suggested, suddenly agents were asking to read my novel. Thank you Robert.
Writers invariably want to be remembered for the books they’ve written. Some of Robert’s are available, “The $100 Misunderstanding,” “Two Brothers,” “Poorboy at the Party,” “Voodoo Contra,” and “Time and Money: The Economy and the Planets.” You can also visit Robert’s author page at Hopewell Publications(http://www.hopepubs.com/Gover/Gover-B...).
If you would like to read a biography of Robert there is one on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_G...).
Robert lived a writer’s life. He was friends with people like Jim Morrison, he was kicked out of a restaurant with Bob Dylan, James Baldwin tried to convince him to move to Paris, he had drinks with Norman Mailer, and Gore Vidal and Henry Miller praised his book “The $100 Misunderstanding”. His book “The Maniac Responsible” was called “a work of art” by Newsweek. Robert said of his career, “I made a million dollars during the 60’s and lost it during the 70’s.”
“The $100 Misunderstanding” which was published in 1962 challenged and satirized the racial stereotypes of the times. “The Maniac Responsible” delved into a lurid murder in which newspapers and TV falsely implicate a man in the murder. Doors lead singer Jim Morrison was enamored with the book and wanted to make a film of it in which he would star. After Gover declined the opportunity to a write a book on The Door’s 1968 European tour, Morrison lost interest in the project.
I got to know Robert via email correspondence during the course of writing an article on Jim Morrison and he was kind enough to share his experiences. He was also generous with his time, taking the time to read one of my books. I reviewed one of his later books “Two Brothers”, and he tweaked a query letter I was sending out to agents none of whom showed any previous interest. After making the changes to the letter Robert suggested, suddenly agents were asking to read my novel. Thank you Robert.
Writers invariably want to be remembered for the books they’ve written. Some of Robert’s are available, “The $100 Misunderstanding,” “Two Brothers,” “Poorboy at the Party,” “Voodoo Contra,” and “Time and Money: The Economy and the Planets.” You can also visit Robert’s author page at Hopewell Publications(http://www.hopepubs.com/Gover/Gover-B...).
If you would like to read a biography of Robert there is one on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_G...).
October 19, 2014
Tom Messenger's "Looking for Flyboys"
Hello Jymsbooks!
I want to turn you guys on to a new book that just came out, it is called "Looking for Flyboys" by Tom Messenger and it recounts his experiences in Vietnam as a helicopter flight engineer. Tom was also a part of the writers workshop I run at the Oswego public library.
I've started reading the book and I'm enjoying it whole-heartedly, so if it's a book you'd be intereseted in reading you can find it at www.hellgatepress.com, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Hope you're having a great fall! It's beautiful outside!
Jim Cherry
Writing under the influence of Rock ‘n’ Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
I want to turn you guys on to a new book that just came out, it is called "Looking for Flyboys" by Tom Messenger and it recounts his experiences in Vietnam as a helicopter flight engineer. Tom was also a part of the writers workshop I run at the Oswego public library.
I've started reading the book and I'm enjoying it whole-heartedly, so if it's a book you'd be intereseted in reading you can find it at www.hellgatepress.com, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Hope you're having a great fall! It's beautiful outside!
Jim Cherry
Writing under the influence of Rock ‘n’ Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
August 17, 2014
T-Minus 3 Weeks and Counting
Hello Everyone!
I hope you're all enjoying a Sunday afternoon. Here's an update on the upcoming Authors Fair sponsored by the Aurora (IL) Library.
The event is on Sept 6 between 1pm and 4pm, a panel discussion leads off the event at 1. This year's discussion "Scandal: Writing the Mysteries that Shock and Thrill" it will last until 1:45 and is followed by a 15 minute Q&A session. At 2:00 it opens up to the main event where you'll be able to meet authors, peruse their books and buy them if so moved. The authors fair is being held at the Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Avenue, Aurora, IL, 60506. If you would like more information you can visit the event page setup on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/14585...
Hope to see you there!
Jim Cherry
Writing under the influence of Rock 'n' Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
I hope you're all enjoying a Sunday afternoon. Here's an update on the upcoming Authors Fair sponsored by the Aurora (IL) Library.
The event is on Sept 6 between 1pm and 4pm, a panel discussion leads off the event at 1. This year's discussion "Scandal: Writing the Mysteries that Shock and Thrill" it will last until 1:45 and is followed by a 15 minute Q&A session. At 2:00 it opens up to the main event where you'll be able to meet authors, peruse their books and buy them if so moved. The authors fair is being held at the Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Avenue, Aurora, IL, 60506. If you would like more information you can visit the event page setup on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/14585...
Hope to see you there!
Jim Cherry
Writing under the influence of Rock 'n' Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
August 3, 2014
Circle Sept 6 on Your Calendars!
Hello All!
I know it's been a long time since you've heard from me but I only want to share things that are truly news!
I will be appearing at the Aurora Library's Catch a Bunch of Author's Fair on September 6 at the Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Avenue, Aurora, IL that will run from 1pm to 4pm. The event will also feature a panel on crime and mystery writing. I won't be part of that, although I did offer to commit a crime so I could speak of the experience in the discussion. If you want more information on the fair please call 630-264-4125. I hope they will put up a website or Facebook page for this too.
In conjunction with this event the library has posted an interview with me, that is pretty good, has some good quotes and the writer, a publicist for the library did some pretty good research and pulled up some interesting stuff! You can read the article at http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs...
One thing that's kind of wrong in the article is (it's so hard to trust the liberal media these days!) it gives the wrong URL for The Doors Examiner, that's at www.examiner.com/the-doors-in-nationa... or you can visit my website at www.jymsbooks.com
See you at the Author's Fair!
Keep it rocking!
Jim Cherry
Writing under the influence of rock 'n' roll!
www.jymbooks.com
As always, feel free to forward this anybody you think will be interested!
I know it's been a long time since you've heard from me but I only want to share things that are truly news!
I will be appearing at the Aurora Library's Catch a Bunch of Author's Fair on September 6 at the Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Avenue, Aurora, IL that will run from 1pm to 4pm. The event will also feature a panel on crime and mystery writing. I won't be part of that, although I did offer to commit a crime so I could speak of the experience in the discussion. If you want more information on the fair please call 630-264-4125. I hope they will put up a website or Facebook page for this too.
In conjunction with this event the library has posted an interview with me, that is pretty good, has some good quotes and the writer, a publicist for the library did some pretty good research and pulled up some interesting stuff! You can read the article at http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs...
One thing that's kind of wrong in the article is (it's so hard to trust the liberal media these days!) it gives the wrong URL for The Doors Examiner, that's at www.examiner.com/the-doors-in-nationa... or you can visit my website at www.jymsbooks.com
See you at the Author's Fair!
Keep it rocking!
Jim Cherry
Writing under the influence of rock 'n' roll!
www.jymbooks.com
As always, feel free to forward this anybody you think will be interested!
April 22, 2014
Empty Mirror Review and...
Can you believe two updates in the past 24 hours! When was the last time that happened?! Well, that can match the two things that happened in the past 24 hours!
The first, Empty Mirror Books has published my review of Jack Kerouac's new book "The Haunted Life" under the title: Kerouac Before The Jazz: A Review of The Haunted Life (http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/featu... you to Denise at Empty Mirror for making my review look so good!
If you want some perspective on the Jim Morrison-Jack Kerouac connection plus some other Doors related opinions I did a podcast yesterday afternoon with Jason Shimberg at ShimDawg Press: https://soundcloud.com/jason-shimberg...
I hope you enjoy both!
Jim
The first, Empty Mirror Books has published my review of Jack Kerouac's new book "The Haunted Life" under the title: Kerouac Before The Jazz: A Review of The Haunted Life (http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/featu... you to Denise at Empty Mirror for making my review look so good!
If you want some perspective on the Jim Morrison-Jack Kerouac connection plus some other Doors related opinions I did a podcast yesterday afternoon with Jason Shimberg at ShimDawg Press: https://soundcloud.com/jason-shimberg...
I hope you enjoy both!
Jim
April 21, 2014
Work in Progress: The Captured Dead
Here's the start of a short story that I think will be really cool! Hope you enjoy the fragment.
The Captured Dead
Comancheria 1874
The dark of the night pressed in around the warriors, saved by the light of the fire carving a shelter out of the liquid darkness that surrounded and threatened to drown them. Each was dressed in brightly colored shirts of red, yellow or blue buckskin that the shaman Isatai had given them. They huddled around the fire, the warriors looked glum, they couldn’t even look at each other, all they could do was stare into the flames, it was early June, it must have been warm out, but they all huddled in close to the fire trying to gain its warmth, the white man had driven them to this, into the night.
“Why are you not dancing, celebrating?” Isatai asked. “What you have done today is a very brave thing.”
“We did a terrible thing, the wasichu will kill us all.” Said one warrior.
“It will bring the soldiers.” Said another.
“They will outnumber us, and their bullets are faster than our arrows.”
“Have you no faith?” Isatai asked, “did not the medicine shirts I’ve given you protect you from the wasichu bullets today?”
“They were farmers, gatherers not warriors.”
“The soldiers are many, like the buffalo were, now are the soldiers.”
“I will show you. Look into the flames and you will see.” Isatai started chanting, the rhythm gathered and the beat of their hearts, and sound matched their thoughts, it was one sound they could hear, then they felt a deep pounding of hooves in their bodies, as they stared into the fire they saw the face of a great buffalo, its mane, flame. It grew and grew in their eyes, engulfing them in its spirit, the vision raced through their hearts like an engine. They believed. “What we have done today will bring the soldiers.” Isatai said, “the dead will come to protect us.”
www.jymsbooks.com
The Captured Dead
Comancheria 1874
The dark of the night pressed in around the warriors, saved by the light of the fire carving a shelter out of the liquid darkness that surrounded and threatened to drown them. Each was dressed in brightly colored shirts of red, yellow or blue buckskin that the shaman Isatai had given them. They huddled around the fire, the warriors looked glum, they couldn’t even look at each other, all they could do was stare into the flames, it was early June, it must have been warm out, but they all huddled in close to the fire trying to gain its warmth, the white man had driven them to this, into the night.
“Why are you not dancing, celebrating?” Isatai asked. “What you have done today is a very brave thing.”
“We did a terrible thing, the wasichu will kill us all.” Said one warrior.
“It will bring the soldiers.” Said another.
“They will outnumber us, and their bullets are faster than our arrows.”
“Have you no faith?” Isatai asked, “did not the medicine shirts I’ve given you protect you from the wasichu bullets today?”
“They were farmers, gatherers not warriors.”
“The soldiers are many, like the buffalo were, now are the soldiers.”
“I will show you. Look into the flames and you will see.” Isatai started chanting, the rhythm gathered and the beat of their hearts, and sound matched their thoughts, it was one sound they could hear, then they felt a deep pounding of hooves in their bodies, as they stared into the fire they saw the face of a great buffalo, its mane, flame. It grew and grew in their eyes, engulfing them in its spirit, the vision raced through their hearts like an engine. They believed. “What we have done today will bring the soldiers.” Isatai said, “the dead will come to protect us.”
www.jymsbooks.com
April 6, 2014
News From the Literary Front
Hello All!
I know this is a little late but a lot of people have been asking how my book presentation went at the Tinley Park Library March 12th. It was great!
About 60 people showed up, I was later told that it pulled in more than the average of amount of people for their presentations, but the library did a great job of promoting the event there were at least 3 exhibits around the library promoting the event and my appearance! I gave a 20 minute talk about how The Doors were still an inluence in our lives 43 years later and not a nostalgia act! Then we watched a DVD I put together on the history of The Doors following the chapters and countours of "The Doors Examined." Afterwards, about 15-20 minutes of questions. I'm always afraid someone will have a question that stump me! It's always interesting to hear what aspect of The Doors people want to know or hear more of. All in all a good time was had by all!
Here's an interesting item. Jack Deadman the author of "Nobody Special: The Death of Johnny Salinger" had an interview with Punk Globe and mentioned me! And mentioned a bit about "The Last Stage". http://punkglobe.com/jackdeadmeninter... Thank you Jack that was very cool of you! If you want more info on the book or buy a copy it's on Amazon (http://tiny.cc/ih4wdx.
"The Last Beat" If you haven't heard of "The Last Beat" (you haven't been keeping up with my Doors Examiner articles, shame on you!) it's an indie movie about the last days of Jim Morrison in Paris. The movie is trying to raise funds to produce the movie through crowdfunding at indiegogo and have a goal of $100,000 and only 15 more days to raise it! It looks like it's going to be a pretty cool movie, they have the first 9 minutes of the film available to watch at indiegogo, so if you would like to contribute to the film (any amount is accepted from $10 up to executive producer status if you want!) I've thrown in a couple hundred dollars, check it out at Ride With The Beat (http://www.ridewiththebeat.com)
That's all for now! Hope everybody is having a great April don't forget to do your taxes by the 15th!
Keep rocking the world!
Jim
Writing under the influence of Rock 'n' Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
I know this is a little late but a lot of people have been asking how my book presentation went at the Tinley Park Library March 12th. It was great!
About 60 people showed up, I was later told that it pulled in more than the average of amount of people for their presentations, but the library did a great job of promoting the event there were at least 3 exhibits around the library promoting the event and my appearance! I gave a 20 minute talk about how The Doors were still an inluence in our lives 43 years later and not a nostalgia act! Then we watched a DVD I put together on the history of The Doors following the chapters and countours of "The Doors Examined." Afterwards, about 15-20 minutes of questions. I'm always afraid someone will have a question that stump me! It's always interesting to hear what aspect of The Doors people want to know or hear more of. All in all a good time was had by all!
Here's an interesting item. Jack Deadman the author of "Nobody Special: The Death of Johnny Salinger" had an interview with Punk Globe and mentioned me! And mentioned a bit about "The Last Stage". http://punkglobe.com/jackdeadmeninter... Thank you Jack that was very cool of you! If you want more info on the book or buy a copy it's on Amazon (http://tiny.cc/ih4wdx.
"The Last Beat" If you haven't heard of "The Last Beat" (you haven't been keeping up with my Doors Examiner articles, shame on you!) it's an indie movie about the last days of Jim Morrison in Paris. The movie is trying to raise funds to produce the movie through crowdfunding at indiegogo and have a goal of $100,000 and only 15 more days to raise it! It looks like it's going to be a pretty cool movie, they have the first 9 minutes of the film available to watch at indiegogo, so if you would like to contribute to the film (any amount is accepted from $10 up to executive producer status if you want!) I've thrown in a couple hundred dollars, check it out at Ride With The Beat (http://www.ridewiththebeat.com)
That's all for now! Hope everybody is having a great April don't forget to do your taxes by the 15th!
Keep rocking the world!
Jim
Writing under the influence of Rock 'n' Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
March 26, 2014
Shells Interviews: Jim Cherry!
Happy Spring! It's come, at least officially!
Not much was happening on the literary front until I heard about Shells Walters interviews writers. Now Shells is an old writer friend of mine. She used to edit a science fiction zine called Sonar4 that published my science fiction stories (2) and I also wrote book reviews for the Sonar4 until they decided to go more towards horror and horror just isn't my genre. Unfortunately Sonar4 hit hard times and is no more but Shells is back with a blog that interviews writers, and she also runs Heroic Fantasy Writers.com (http://www.heroicfantasywriters.com) which will publish my interview later this week. But right now she has the interview published at her Shells Interviews blog http://shellsinterviews.blogspot.com I hope you all have a moment to check it out, I'm usually pretty good in interviews (I'm interviewing myself for my books anyway!)and you might see a little what's going on in my head about writing!
Keep rocking!
Jim Cherry
Writing under the influence of Rock ‘n’ Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
Not much was happening on the literary front until I heard about Shells Walters interviews writers. Now Shells is an old writer friend of mine. She used to edit a science fiction zine called Sonar4 that published my science fiction stories (2) and I also wrote book reviews for the Sonar4 until they decided to go more towards horror and horror just isn't my genre. Unfortunately Sonar4 hit hard times and is no more but Shells is back with a blog that interviews writers, and she also runs Heroic Fantasy Writers.com (http://www.heroicfantasywriters.com) which will publish my interview later this week. But right now she has the interview published at her Shells Interviews blog http://shellsinterviews.blogspot.com I hope you all have a moment to check it out, I'm usually pretty good in interviews (I'm interviewing myself for my books anyway!)and you might see a little what's going on in my head about writing!
Keep rocking!
Jim Cherry
Writing under the influence of Rock ‘n’ Roll!
www.jymsbooks.com
