Feedback from a reader - Brand Loyalty and Beyond the Law

Feedback from a reader. We worked together about a decade ago. Time marches on...

Frank,

I'm about halfway through "Brand Loyalty" and enjoying it thoroughly. You weave a good yarn, sir.

Did you ever work in Rio? You seem to have good knowledge of the city. About a week after I retired from Bechtel, my old division Manager called me to ask me to go to Rio for a few months. The Systems Enginer from my Seoul project was in Rio and in need of help. He is a dear friend, but still I had to turn it down. Shame.

Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you on a fine job. I also have your second novel which is waiting for me when I finish this one. They're both on the Kindle app on my iPad.

Keep up the good work,
Vic

My first weblog interview - It's a great website for readers, so feel free to check it out!

This interview with Megan Cyrulewski was a delight for me.

Megan has a wonderful blog and website.  I think any reader or author will find it fascinating.

Also, as I mentioned, there's my interview.

Thanks again to Megan.


http://www.megancyrulewski.com/blog/authors-supporting-authors-f-m-kahren

Great Photo from a Reader

Great Photo from a Reader

I haven't seen promotional material for any novel that looks as good as this wonderful photo composed by Mey Saelee-Fullington.  Thanks Mey.

Everybody else, break out the wine and stoke up the fireplace.

Also, take a look at this one.  These would be wonderful promotional photos.  These are better than a lot of the professional stuff.  Possibly, this is true because Mey is a reader and is using her considerable talent to aid me.

Time to Develop Another Skill

Time to develop another skill.

I'm referring to promotion.  To be more specific, promoting my books.

"Beyond the Law" is my second novel.  It's a good piece of work, but it is clear to me that I am doing a poor job of creating interest and reaching out to people outside of my immediate geographic area.

So it's time to learn what I need to know about reaching out to strangers.

I sent out my first query for an interview.  We shall see how this develops...

Are German Americans the largest ancestry group in America?

Are German Americans the largest ancestry group in America?

I never would have guessed this.  Even now, I'm wondering if this Wikipedia article is correct.
It claims that, at 50 million people, German-Americans are the largest ancestry group.

Funny, in American fiction or media entertainment, it doesn't seem this way.

Just like you wouldn't know that some people maintain that English was once a dialect of German.  Look at the Canterbury Tales in Middle English and see if you can see the similarities ("unbokled is the malle").

Mind you, as a result of the disturbance in 1066, 60% of the current English language consists of words that were French (d'originne francais).

I have to admit that I have never heard of the "German-American Steuben Parade" or "German-American Day", but everyone knows about Octoberfest.

Article from Wikipedia below:

German Americans (German: Deutschamerikaner) are Americans who were either born in Germany or are of German ancestry. They comprise about 50 million people,^[1] making them the largest ancestry group ahead of Irish Americans, African Americans and English Americans.^[5] They comprise about ¹⁄₃ of the German diaspora in the world.^[6][7][8]

None of the German states had American colonies. In the 1670s the first significant groups of German immigrants arrive in the British colonies, settling primarily in New York and Pennsylvania. Immigrationcontinued in very large numbers during the 19th century, with eight million arrivals from Germany. They were pulled by the attractions of land and religious freedom, and pushed out of Europe by shortages of land and religious or political oppression.^[9] Many arrived seeking religious or political freedom, others for economic opportunities greater than those in Europe, and others for the chance to start fresh in the New World. The arrivals before 1850 were mostly farmers who sought out the most productive land, where their intensive farming techniques would pay off. After 1840, many came to cities, where "Germania"—German-speaking districts—soon emerged.^[10][11][12]

German Americans established the first kindergartens in the United States,^[13] introduced the Christmas tree tradition,^[14][15] and originated popular American foods such as hot dogs and hamburgers.^[16] Like many other immigrants that came to the United States, an overwhelming number of people of German or partial German descent have essentially become americanized.

German American celebrations are held throughout the country, one of the most well-known being the German-American Steuben Parade in New York City, held every third Saturday in September. Also traditional Oktoberfest celebrations and the German-American Day are popular festivities. There are major annual events in Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and other cities.

For a young country, this is relatively old silver

Fifty cent piece - nothing special about this coin.  It isn't all that rare.  It isn't all that expensive.  When this coin was minted, Andrew Jackson was the president. Abraham Lincoln and Edgar Allen Poe were both 21 years old. As I recall, $800 per year was an ordinary income during Poe's life.  He never earned more than $800.  If a person worked 260 days to earn that money, then one day's labor would gain 6 of these.  There were those who worked hard and earned less.

This coin was probably passed from pocket to purse until well after the American Civil War some 30 years after its minting.  I don't know when coins like this one became collectable.

What does it cost to be a Prison Guard? - Beyond the Law

Prison guard, correctional officer. What does it really take to do a job like that? What is it like to do that job year after year? I got an e-mail from my brother's best friend. He read "Beyond the Law", enjoyed it and was kind enough to say so. What I think he particularly enjoyed was that I had used one of his stories to illustrate what it is like to be around convicts year after year. For years, this man was a correctional officer at San Quentin. This is just me, but I think he also got some value just from the brief discussion in the novel of the toll such work takes upon the men and women who are correctional officers. Not everyone in prison is a nice person. Not all of them are entirely sane. There is actual physical danger. As the years mount up, there is a price to be paid. There is physical wear and tear. There is the impact on the families. Not an easy job.