EASTWOOD, BAR BURGERS, & "FRIENDS"

Had an interesting, enjoyable, quasi-weird afternoon yesterday.

It started out with my oldest grandson and I going to see the Clint Eastwood movie, Trouble With The Curve. Liked the movie a lot. It's in the vein of Grand Torino, with Eastwood playing a widower again, this time a grouchy, stubbornly old-school baseball scout suffering from failing eyesight.

 Before his sight problems fail him completely(and reveal him to the ball club's higher-ups just as his contract is coming due), Clint is assigned to assess a hotshot batter who is in contention for a number one draft pick. Through some mildly far-fetched plot mechanisms, his estranged daughter, now a high-powered attorney on the brink of making partner at her law firm, takes leave to accompany him for a few days in order to find out the truth about his condition and to try and patch up their sketchy relationship.

There are few surprises in the predictable storyline (young romance, betrayal, ultimate retribution) but the whole thing is nevertheless quite satisfying and superbly acted (especially by Amy Adams, as Clint's daughter). Our local little theater has a $4 Tuesday matinee—all ages, all movies—so it was sure as hell worth that and good enough so that I don't think I would have squawked too much even at a higher price at a bigger venue.

After the movie, Bill and I drove out to the lake to a bar we frequent called the Sand's Edge. I'm past my drinking prime and Bill is still too young, so we go there for their burger menu. If you don't know about bar burgers … well, I feel sorry for you but I won't go into a long dissertation on what you're missing.

Suffice to say that bar burgers tend to be the best eatin' you're apt to find anywhere you go. We've tried a few different ones off the Sand's Edge menu but the one we currently prefer is the Cowboy Burger—a 1/3 lb patty, topped with cheese, bacon, and a fat onion ring all pressed between two toasted buns. You can get it with barbecue sauce but we both opt out of that. Far as I'm concerned, barbecue sauce in most instances is like ketchup—it's for hiding cooking mistakes, not really for enhancing the flavor.

But I digress …

So the movie and the burgers were great.

Now for the quasi-weird part: Seated at the bar when we got there were six or eight laborer-type guys. Bill and I took seats at one of the little tables off to one side. I'm not sure if the guys were construction workers or railroaders or what. They weren't ranchers, I'm pretty sure of that. This was about four o'clock in the afternoon and it was a little rainy outside, but mostly only a faint mist. Maybe these guys were done for the day, maybe the rain (such as it was) caused them to knock off early. I got the impression they sort of knew one another, but weren't necessarily all from the same crew.

Anyway, back-to-back rerun episodes of Friends were playing on the TV behind the bar and these guys—all of these guys—were intently watching them. There was a bit of conversation here and there, but for the most part they were locked on Ross, Rachel, Joey and the gang. And there was one guy who had a laugh like a cross between Horschack (sic?) from the old Welcome Back Kotter show and a sick mule. First he'd repeat the punch line and then he'd cut loose with "Neeyah … Neeyah … Neyah-ha-ha!" The others would laugh, too, but this guy out-brayed the whole bunch.

It was the damnedest thing I ever saw. These sorta gritty-looking, outdoor-labor types so completely transfixed by Friends— and Donkey Laugh square in their midst honking his ass off.
I'm half tempted to go back again today just to see if that bunch congregates daily. But if they do, then I'd have to listen to "Neeyah … Neeyah … Neeyah-ha-ha!" some more and I don't know if I could take it.
It might even be catching …

Persevere --- WD

Available Now: THE DAY AFTER YESTERDAY (Joe Hannibal) - Kindle Version

http://www.amazon.com/After-Yesterday-Hannibal-Mystery-ebook/dp/B009GB12VA/ref=sr_1_18?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348630779&sr=1-18&keywords=wayne+d.+dundee

 

The sixth Joe Hannibal mystery—first published in 2007 as a hardcover book, and out of print for some time now—has just been released as a Kindle-version eBook.

This is the Hannibal adventure that first brought Joe to Nebraska and turned his life upside down when he ended up having to investigate the murder of his two closest friends in the world while they were vacationing in the Cornhusker State. (Spare me the cracks about what anyone would find vacation-worthy in Nebraska.) Subsequently, in several short stories that have followed and last year's GOSHEN HOLE novel, Hannibal has relocated permanently to west central Nebraska (just like his creator) to run a private security patrol around popular Lake McConaughy. I consider this move a revitalization of the whole series, making Hannibal a less stereotypical PI yet leaving him in a position where his nose for trouble and his investigate skills still get him involved in matters of foul play. 

THE DAY AFTER YESTERDAY also marks the introduction of new regulars the series: primarily Abby Bridger, who becomes Joe's main squeeze; her young son Dusty; and William Thunderbringer; former mercenary and double agent for Homeland Security, now a bounty hunter operating for a fugitive recovery outfit out of nearby Denver.

DAY AFTER sets all of this in place and, in the process, entangles Joe in a case involving murder, betrayal, homegrown terrorists, and a plot to call down a devastating missile strike on U.S. soil.

Priced at only $2.99 you can't afford to miss this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Goshen-Hole-Joe-Hannibal-Mystery/dp/1479189421/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348630971&sr=1-2&keywords=goshen+hole+dundee

Also, speaking of GOSHEN HOLE, which was released as an eBook original at the beginning of the year, for those of you who prefer print copies it is now available in that format. You can access it either at www.joehannibal.com or off the "Wayne D. Dundee at Amazon Books" tab on this site.



Finally, as a little teaser, let me additionally mention that this year marks the 30^th anniversary of Joe Hannibal's first appearance in print (Fall 1982 – Spiderweb Magazine – "The Fancy Case"). That makes him one of the longest-running, still active PIs currently on the scene. And, before the year is done, there will be a new Hannibal novel (BLADE OF THE TIGER) and a short story collection featuring a half dozen of his best adventures, including one original and the first-ever reprint of "The Fancy Case".

Like I've mentioned before: Whatever else, Joe and I are a couple of durable old bastards.

That's why I always say …

Persevere — WD

Available Now: THE GUNS OF VEDAUWOO (Edward A. Grainger's Cash laramie/Gideon Miles series) as written by Wayne D. Dundee

http://www.amazon.com/The-Guns-of-Vedauwoo-ebook/dp/B009FLOLY6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348427074&sr=1-1&keywords=The+guns+of+vedauwoo 

Funny, sometimes, how a writer pulls together bits and pieces of different things floating around in the Imagination part of his brain and forms them into a story or novel. At least that's the way it works for me. Sometimes the pieces are there right when I reach for them, other times they are more elusive. And then there are times when one or two of those floating pieces will clunk together more or less on their own and make enough noise to sort of demand some attention be paid them.

That's how it was with THE GUNS OF VEDAUWOO. I had enjoyed using Edward A. Grainger's popular Cash Laramie character for the short novel, MANHUNTER'S MOUNTAIN, which came out earlier this year, and knew I wanted to do another. But I didn't quite have a "hook" or storyline to wrap something around.

At the same time, the notion of using the historical events surrounding the Ghost Dance movement (late 1880s) had been rattling around for a long time in that empty space between my ears as the possible basis for a good yarn. Yet I still hadn't thought of connecting them to a Cash story.

But then, a few months back, my pal Richard Prosch—over on his Meridian Bridge blog—posted some photos and a short article about the Vedauwoo Rocks in eastern Wyoming, between Cheyenne and Laramie. Both the photos and the name immediately intrigued me and I instantly knew there was a story there—or, at least, there sure as hell ought to be. THE GUNS OF VEDAUWOO! The title leaped to mind. I had no idea what it meant or what it would involve, but I knew it was darn well going to be my title.

Then the floating pieces started to pull together. A Cash Laramie adventure … Vedauwoo was practically right in Cash's back yard. Upon doing some reading and research about Vedauwoo I learned it was considered a very spiritual place by Indian tribes, including the Arapaho (the tribe Cash had grown up with). Ah, and the Ghost Dance was a very spiritual movement … I learned that an offshoot of the largely peaceful Ghost Dance movement was something a little more aggressive called the Ghost Shirt belief, having followers who thought they possessed garments that could "turn away the white man's bullets" … Bullets came from guns … and so on and so on, until I had a rough mental sketch of how THE GUNS OF VEDAUWOO was going to take shape.

Only three things remained to be taken care of before I forged ahead. First, I contacted Richard Prosch to make sure I wouldn't be infringing on anything he might already have cooking if I used Vedauwoo as a setting for my tale. He told me to go for it. Then I checked with David Cranmer (who handles all of Edward A. Grainger's behind-the scenes affairs) to make sure he was okay with me doing another Cash Laramie. He told me to go for it. And, finally, I had to make a trip to Vedauwoo to get my own feel and sense of the place in order to try and do a decent job of capturing and presenting it to my readers.

The jury is still out on how well I succeeded with that.

I hope readers give THE GUNS OF VEDAUWOO a try; if they do, I think they'll like it.

In the meantime, as always …

Persevere — WD



Noteworthy Reads: PRACTICE TO DECEIVE by J.R. Lindermuth

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RQ3AJC/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_nXEwqb0YCDKJJ 

This fifth and latest entry in the "Sticks" Hetrick series by my friend John Lindermuth measures up once again to the high standard readers have come to expect. And John has even ups the ante by moving much of the action away from familiar Swatara County, PA, and involving Sticks in one of his most complex cases, this time aboard an ocean liner cruising the Caribbean. An series of stateroom thefts and the knowledge of Hetrick's police background by certain fellow passengers—some of whom are theft victims reluctant to deal with the shipboard authorities—combine to draw Sticks into the investigation.

Meanwhile, back in Swatara Creek, the police force over which Sticks had once been chief and has remained attached on a special consultant basis, is dealing with their own tense investigation into a series of bizarre assaults on several of the community's young women.

It isn't long before murder gets added to the mix in both cases.

Lindermuth's skilled writing talent cuts smoothly back and forth between the two distinctly different settings and the two disparate investigations. There is some crossover in that some of Hetrick's suspects turn out to have Pennsylvania connections so he uses his hometown resources to attain some deeper background. Otherwise—and I don't want to give too much away here—it is a refreshing change that the two cases do not end up intertwined, as is often the case in these kind of set-ups.

Coverups and deceptions from the past—aided by some convenient coincidences in the present—play important factors in solving both cases. There is plenty of suspense, some nifty twists, and a couple of hair-raising close calls before everything is satisfactorily wrapped up. Lindermuth presents a large cast of characters, but paints them so deftly (with just the right amount of color and depth) and keeps the pace moving at such a brisk clip there is never any problem keeping up with who's who.

Well done. Recommended.

The only trouble is, especially since this a transition mark in the series inasmuch as Sticks will be pursuing new duties with the Swatara County prosecutor's off upon returning home, I am bummed at the thought of having to wait another year or so for the next entry. Get to writing, John!

DUNDEE'S "BUTTERY" RADIO VOICE

I was interviewed on the local radio earlier this week. One of the hosts commented frequently on my deep, "buttery" voice. Later, when he announced some upcoming events where I would be appearing live and signing and signing some books, I warned listeners that the rich voice didn't necessarily transfer visually --- if anybody ever had a "face made for radio", it's me.
Anyway, anybody interested in having a listen to the interview, you can do so by clicking on the link below. The main discussion is on Segment #2.
Midwest Opinions - 930 KOGA - Ogallala, NE

Persevere --- WD

Another Look: GUNGA DIN (1939)

Watched this great film for the umpteenth time again yesterday on TCM.

It's another standout from that magical year 1939 (which also saw the release of such lasting favorites as Gone With The Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Young Mr. Lincoln, and on and on).

Gunga Din is, of course, based on the famous poem by Rudyard Kipling. The movie was directed by George Stevens, penned by a team of writers including Ben Hecht, and given a rousing musical score by Alfred Newman. The stars are Victor McLaglen, Cary Grant, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as, respectively, MacChesney, Cutter, and Ballantine, three sergeants in England's Royal Engineers occupying India in the 1880s. They are a rowdy, brawling, undisciplined lot but nevertheless the right men for a dangerous mission such as the one that arrives when contact is lost with the British outpost of Tantrapur. The three are assigned to lead a detail to find out what has gone wrong. Included in the ranks of those accompanying them is Gunga Din (played by Sam Jaffee) a lowly water-carrier who longs to one day become a soldier of the Queen.



The source of the trouble in Tantrapur, it is discovered, is an uprising of Thuggees, a murderous cult that has been suppressed for many years. Overcoming this Thuggee threat is the central plot element for the remainder of the movie. In the course of things, there is plenty of action mixed with a good deal of humor and banter between the three stars. Despite being a huge fan of McLaglen (who does his usual fine job here), I have to admit it is Grant who steals the show as the brash, somewhat goofy Cutter, always entangled in some kind of scheme, usually for hidden treasure or gold. It is this obsession, in fact, that leads him (with the aid of Gunga Din) to a fabulous golden temple that also just happens to be the headquarters for the Thuggees.

The climax is a rip-snorting battle between British troops and the Thuggee horde, coming when a planned ambush of the British is thwarted by a badly wounded Gunga Din climbing to the top of the golden tower and sounding an alarm with a bugle (one he has been practicing with secretly as part of his hope to join the Queen's ranks), thus warning the troopers to take defensive action before the trap is sprung. When he dies as a result of his wounds, Din is posthumously named an honorary corporal to the regiment and the colonel reads the following (the closing lines of Kipling's poem) at his graveside:



                       "So I'll meet 'im later on

                        At the place where 'e is gone –

                        Where it's always Double Drill and no canteen;

                        'E'll be squattin' on the coals

                        Givin' drink to poor damned souls,

                        And I'll get a drink in Hell from Gunga Din!

                        Yes, Din! Din! Din!

                        You Lazaroushian-leather Gunga Din!

                        Though I've belted you and flayed you,

                        By the livin' Gawd that made you,

                        You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!"

I'll admit that every time I watch that scene—and even a little bit now, re-typing the words—I get a lump in my throat.

Gunga Din is that kind of movie; for the most part high-spirited adventure with plenty of rollicking laughs, but also with sweep and spectacle and a measure of heart and genuine emotion.

The basic storyline was used for a 1962 remake called Sergeants 3, a Rat Pack vehicle starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford in the title roles. As with most Rat Pack ventures, it was a tongue-in-cheek affair set in the Old West, substituting the U.S. Cavalry and a cult-like American Indian tribe in place of the British troops and the Thuggees. Sammy Davis Jr. starred as the Gunga Din-like character. I actually saw this film in a theater before ever catching the original on TV, and thought it was pretty good. I've seen it again recently and, while it has it moments and is a rather interesting spin on things, it doesn't really hold up that well.

Gunga Din, however, hangs together just fine. It's long (especially for the period), coming in at just under two hours. But it never flags and I can pretty much guarantee you'll come away feeling that a couple hours in the company of MacChesney, Cutter, Ballantine, and Din was time very well spent.

Persevere --- WD







Noteworthy Reads: BLUFF CITY BRAWLER by Heath Lowrance

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bluff-City-Brawler-Fight-ebook/dp/B00950GB9U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346888050&sr=1-1&keywords=bluff+city+brawler

 

 

This latest entry in the Fight Card series is another pulpy, action-packed winner.

Presented under the "house name" byline of Jack Tunney, the actual writer behind the words this time around is Heath Lowrance who does a fine job of conveying a strong sense of time and place and telling a tale that propels the reader along right from the opening passages.

The protagonist here is one Tom Riley, another product of St. Vincent's Asylum For Boys and its "battling priest", Father Tim. As the story opens, Riley is a talented but too-cocky (a trait that not even Father Tim could break him of) boxer making a name for  himself in Detroit. His cockiness is ultimately a trait that lands him in trouble with the Detroit mob—not through the usual means involving gambling and rigged fights, though, but as a result of his mouth causing a barroom conflict with a high-ranking mob soldier named Wheels Meyer whom Riley ends up accidentally killing.

Riley has no choice but to go on the lam. He ends up in Memphis, the Bluff City, where he adopts a new name and a quiet, low-key lifestyle. He stays out of the boxing ring but nevertheless takes a grunt job at a local gym where he can at least be close to the action.

The reach of the Detroit mob is long, however, and the thirst for vengeance by its boss, Kardinsky, is deep.

It's just a matter of time before Riley's past catches up with him in the Bluff City. When it does, Riley realizes the only way he can put it behind him once and for all is to stand his ground and use his fists to fight his way clear.

It should be noted that Heath Lowrance also writes in the straight crime and Western genres. I haven't yet red his crime novels (The Bastard Hand, Dig Ten Graves, and the just-released City of Heretics) but they're all getting high praise and I plan to get to them soon.

On the Western front, he authored last year's Miles To Little Ridge in the popular Cash Laramie series. He's also responsible for his own Western series featuring the mysterious protagonist 'Hawthorne' who has appeared so far in the titles That Damned Coyote Hill and The Long Black Train. All of these I have read and, along with Bluff City Brawler, highly recommend.

Mr. Lowrance is clearly a writer to keep your eye on.

Persevere --- WD