Theodore’s Comments (group member since Apr 01, 2017)

Theodore’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

Angela wrote: "Congrats and great job! Can't wait for the Mafia story!"

It was the Mafia story that won. You can read it here:

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2017/0...

Carol wrote: "Her story makes no sense, she's of the opinion that readers don't notice if a story don't make sense."

I'm tempted to make a comment about today's politics, but...(;>)

Carol wrote: "Thanks for your comments. I did a sample for an aspiring author a couple of weeks ago, she sent me the sample, and truthfully, it wasn't too bad, but it was a total set up. When I got the manuscrip..."

Not much you can do in those cases. Sooner or later, however, reality will inject itself into her life. It has a way of doing that.

Carol wrote: "Doing a sample edit for a prospective client is fundamentally a high-wire act.
You don’t want to squash their talent by over correcting. I mean you absolutely want to correct, and show them how goo..."

I hear you, Carol. The teenage daughter of a good friend, who was entering a competition, asked me to look over her essay. I did, pointing out obvious grammatical errors (and they were numerous). She never wrote or spoke to me again. Nor did she win the competition.

I guess editors take their lives in their hands when they "attack" someone's baby. People reject what you do for a variety of reasons . . . they don't understand what type of "editor" you are (e.g., grammar editor, content editor, and so forth) or are so tangled up in their knickers that pride won't let them see the flaws in their work. For whatever reason, their rejection of your help not only hurts them but anyone who pays money for their work (much less spends time reading it).

That said (hahaha) . . . there have been times when I've threatened to shoot my editor when he got down to the point of changing "happies" to "glads." After several such go-arounds on one manuscript, I changed the sentence thanking him in the Acknowledgements to read: "To my erstwhile editor . . . . " He got the picture. He still does all my work. (The sentence ultimately was changed to read: "To my ever-suffering, earnest editor . . . .")

Theodore wrote: "

Hey, gang...thanks for your votes and support!

Theodore Jerome Cohen Wins Flash Fiction Challenge:

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2017/0......"

I just noticed that I had referenced the Vietnam War in the post above...actually, it should have read the Iraqi War (2003).

The fact is, the inspiration for the main character in my six-book, Det. Louis Martelli, NYPD, mystery/thriller series was Army CPT James Francis "Jimmy" Adamouski, who I lauded in the Afterword of Book 5, Eighth Circle. Here, for those who are interested, is Jimmy's story.

Afterword

I have always been puzzled by the dedications found in novels and other forms of literature, small but important "honors" paid to friends or family members, mentors perhaps, or a person who played an important role in the author’s life or the birth of the literary piece that now carries the honoree’s name. For most of us—dare I say all?—the dedication often is viewed as a private matter between the author and the person honored, something to which we are not privy. It’s a communication within a society of the chosen, if you will. We don’t know the secret handshake.

You may have felt the same as you read the dedication in this book. There you saw the words "For Jimmy". Perhaps you simply shrugged, guessed it was a friend of mine, someone I knew and respected, and then you moved on and (I hope) enjoyed the novel.

But there is more to this dedication than that. ‘Jimmy’ was James Francis Adamouski, Captain, United States Army, a friend of my wife Susan’s and mine, and son of our good friends, Judy and Lt. Col. Frank Adamouski, US Army (ret.). Frank and I worked together for many years, traveling occasionally from Washington, DC, to Ft. Monmouth, NJ, for our work. When in New Jersey, we took time and headed north to visit Jimmy, who was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. There, he not only excelled academically but in sports as well, soccer being his game of choice. We had many a good meal together at The Thayer Hotel, something to which I always looked forward. And what an honor it was for those who attended Jimmy and Meighan’s wedding in Savannah, GA, after his graduation to witness the solemn ceremony with its military formality and to attend the beautiful reception that followed.

Upon graduation, Jimmy attended flight school at Ft. Rutger, AL, where he learned to fly Black Hawk helicopters. His first overseas deployment was in support of the US efforts to quell the Kosovo conflict, where as a lay Eucharist minister in the Catholic Church, the troops took to calling him “Father Jimmy” because he conducted prayer services for his fellow soldiers.

Jimmy, who was to enter Harvard Business School in the fall of 2003, was killed in action when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in central Iraq on April 2, 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His remains were buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery and West Point Cemetery.

If someone were to conclude Jimmy was the inspiration for the character Louis Martelli in my NYPD mystery/thriller novels, they would be correct.

Rest in peace, Jimmy. Thank you for your service to our country.



Photo courtesy of the Adamouski Family: Judy, Frank, Karen, Laura, Jaclyn, and Meighan (Jimmy's wife)

James Francis Adamouski, Captain, United States Army
2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia
Died in Central Iraq, April 2, 2003, at the age of 29

Theodore Jerome Cohen
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Veterans Day
November 11, 2014

Angel wrote: "Congratulations! Shared it."

Thanks, Angel.

Thanks, gang...could not do it without your support.

These weekly challenges keep you on your toes. Try one!

Hey, gang...thanks for your votes and support!

Theodore Jerome Cohen Wins Flash Fiction Challenge:

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2017/0...

Next week's story is about a Iraqi War vet...a Black Hawk pilot. I think you will find it touching.

Have a great weekend.

Ted

Judy wrote: "Theodore wrote: "Hi, Judy...

First, no, I never ran into Adolfo, though from his age, he may first have been in Antarctica about the time I was there (1961-62). I was on the western side of the No..."

What you say may be true, but then, they would be a different books (different texts). In this case, the Spanish and French editions are translations.

Hi, Judy...

First, no, I never ran into Adolfo, though from his age, he may first have been in Antarctica about the time I was there (1961-62). I was on the western side of the North Antarctica Peninsula, so no, the Cohen Islands aren't near that part of the continent where the ice shelf just broke off. (Terrible thing, that!)

Regarding my series of illustrated children's books in verse, Stories for the Early Years. Currently, there are three books in the series, each teaching one or more valuable life lessons:

• Book 1, an anti-bullying story, is titled Pepe [the penguin] Builds a Nest. It addresses bullying, making the right decisions, friendship, and forgiveness. (The story is actually based on my work in Antarctica some years ago.) By the way, in addition to the English edition, paperback editions of this book are available in Spanish and French. [NB Unfortunately, the rhyming is lost in the Spanish and French editions.]
• Book 2, Rufus Finds a Home, teaches children about empathy and the difficulty of sometimes having to give up something we love.
• Book 3, Fuzzy Wuzzy, about a bear, of course, teaches children to listen to their parents (in this case, Mama!).

Actually, Pepe may be the best for that age. That would be old enough to understand a "bad" person who takes things belonging to others. The story about Rufus may be too "adult," given it deals with aging and giving up something you love. Still, the dog pictures and the story are fun. Fuzzy is a bear who doesn't listen to his Mama and almost ends up as the wolf's dinner...don't want any nightmares, there.

Hope that helps.

When a wealthy Wall Street commodity futures trader is found dead in his townhouse of an apparent drug overdose, Deputy Coroner Michael Antonetti, NYPD, is suspicious. Antonetti tells Detective Louis Martelli he suspects what appears to be a suicide may in fact be murder. After a similar case is discovered involving a former friend of the Wall Street trader who played on the same high school football team almost twenty years earlier, Martelli is convinced he is dealing with someone bent on revenge. But the two teammates who ostensibly committed suicide were part of an elite three-man squad known as The Flying Horsemen. This convinces Martelli there will be a third victim. But who might it be, and could the killings have anything to do with the rape and suicide of some of the men’s former high school classmates? The answers will be found in this mystery/thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Night Shadows received five 5-STAR Readers' Favorite (RF) reviews and won a BRONZE medal in the Readers' Favorite 2014 International Book Competition. This is what one RF reviewer had to say: "Night Shadows is a fascinating and believable story about the consequences of poor decisions...This story was an enthralling tale I just could not put down." Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite.

2015 Pacific Book Review Annual Competition Winner: Best Thriller

The Kindle edition of this book will be on sale for 99 cents through the end of next week.

Judy wrote: "I will try to remember this for when my 3 year old granddaughter is older. I know that this is the sort of book that my daughter would love her to have."

Thank you. Some four-year-olds have loved it, believe it or not. They love the pictures of the penguins.

Judy wrote: "Theo, what age group is your book for?"


All three books in the series are for K-3, so that would put the age range (approx.) at 5-8.

https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com/

Pepe Builds a Nest is available in Kindle, and in paperback, in English, Spanish, and French. The others are available in English only, Kindle and Paperback.

Judy wrote: "very impressive, Theo!!!"

Thanks, Judy. Who's impressive is the woman who manages the site. She is unbelievable.

Carole wrote: "Even better great news, Ted!! Keep losing healthy weight!!"

Susan and I both work out seven days a week, four on a treadmill, three with weights. We've been doing this for many years (me, decades). She watches what we eat like a hawk circling a farmer's field at 100 ft, looking for mice. LOL

Carole wrote: "smart,Ted!"

I see my cardio guy twice a year and have an annual electrocardiogram every December. An interesting thing came out of the last one: my heart capacity (ability to pump blood) had improved by 4%, something the doctor attributed to losing 4 pounds. I usually have a stress test every two years, so normally would be due in 2018. He wants to see how the next electrocardiogram looks before ordering that. Diet and exercise are the key!!!!!

Alex wrote: "Well I've been to the doctor - she took my blood pressure and listened to my heart but couldn't find anything wrong so I have to go to the hospital on Monday for an ECG to see if that will find any..."

Get them to give you an echocardiogram, as well, Alex. I don't know how old you are, but you also might want to inquire about a stress test. When it comes to your life, there is only Plan A.

Here's a review by the Wise Owl Factory, one of the premier sites for homeschoolers:

Pepe Builds a Nest by Theodore Jerome Cohen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"While the topic is penguins, this story is about a bully. It is told in rhyme and easy for Pre-K and primary children to follow and understand. Penguins are a favorite topic, and the photograph illustrations are so interesting to them. They will learn penguins build their nests with rocks. They will also learn about problem solving and forming friendships. This story would be nice for a class discussion for the topic of bullies. Fun and educational reading!"

https://www.thewiseowlfactory.com/pep...

The review contains superb penguin writing and activity pages:

https://www.thewiseowlfactory.com/PDF...

Carole wrote: "Today would have been my grandmother's one-hundred and nineteenth birthday and Createspace let me hit the publish button in her memory.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947188135/......"

Mazol Tov

Amy wrote: "ARGH ARGH ARGH ARGH Jim's 5 star review of Modified on the UK Amazon site pushed my average up to 4 stars, utterly negating the 1 star review that has plagued me for months. Thank you Jim. I am SOO..."

Hmmmmm...I just received this in my e-mail "Thank you for reviewing Modified: Lunar Medical: Bo... on Amazon."