Tag: Caleb Pirtle III

One Bullet At A Time

Writing one bullet at a time.
—Caleb Pirtle III

In this age of hyper-narcissism, Caleb Pirtle was that most rare of human beings: a selfless man.

His passing has left a huge hole in the writing community. Yet, he continues to speak to us. He does so through his books.

And what you find in his books is a man with an incredibly deep well.

He knew life. He knew people. He knew the nastiness and he knew the sublime. His years of talking to people and observing them comes through when he tells his stories. They are always about people and what they do and don’t do. The lies they tell and don’t tell.

Caleb’s writing was always centered around the human factor. Fiction, or non-fiction. Didn’t matter. People were at the center.

He used to say he was writing one bullet at a time. That bullet could be literal or metaphorical. And its impact depended on where it hit. And how hard. Literally or metaphorically.

He was an incredibly optimistic man. If you talked with him, as the song goes, never was heard a discouraging word, and the skies were not cloudy all day.

Yet, Caleb was no Pollyanna. There is a darkness to his Magnolia Bluff books that is not present in any of the other books I’ve read. And that might be due to the Magnolia Bluff stories being told in the first person. They are told by a person who has seen a lot of life. And a lot of it wasn’t good. Or especially nice.

I have found that third person puts distance between writer and reader. First person erases that distance. The first person story is intensely intimate.

And it is that intimacy that gives his Magnolia Bluff books such incredibly deep insights into human nature.

I find the last five lines of Death in the Absence of Rain enigmatic. I’m not sure what they mean, and I didn’t get a chance to ask Caleb. 

Graham Huston, the narrator of the story, says:

We as a people are what we bury inside of us.
I believe it with all my heart.
Don’t know about you.
But, frankly, I’ve buried about all I can bury.
I’m running out of room.

There’s an observation about people in general. Then there is the application by Graham to himself.

That is one doggone penetrating bullet.

We are what we bury inside of us.

Death in the Absence of Rain is a book about lies. Lies we tell others and lies we tell ourselves.

It’s a theme Caleb explored in Last Deadly Lie.

There is a darkness that surrounds us. All of us. Even so, Caleb chose to see what was good and positive — even if he had to rummage around in that darkness for a while to find it.

Caleb was a pantser. Pull up a blank Word doc — and start typing. The story will flow from the subconscience, through the fingers, and onto the page.

The downside to being a pantser is that there are usually no notes or outlines lying around. Which means we will never know if Graham found a way to make more room, or somehow stopped burying.

We are what we bury inside of us. 

Graham was burying a lot of crap. Most of us are.

I don’t think Caleb was.

Just a day or two before he went into the hospital, I spoke with him on the phone. He was optimistic as ever, even though he was in great pain. He was looking forward to conquering whatever the heck was the problem and getting back into the saddle.

We are what we bury inside of us.

Unlike Graham Huston, but very much like Caleb Pirtle, I hope I’m burying good stuff.

I want to end my days looking to get back into the saddle.

If you missed the Underground Authors tribute to Caleb, take a watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trjgrs0Qkwk

May we all take a life lesson from Caleb Pirtle. Write one bullet at a time. And do our darnedest to get back into the saddle.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

 

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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In memoriam: Caleb Pirtle III

A week ago, on Wednesday, August 2, the writing community lost a great soul: Caleb Pirtle III.

Caleb was an indefatigable writer of non-– fiction and fiction, with some 90 books to his credit, in a writing career spanning some six decades.

He was an untiring supporter and encourager of his fellow writers. Aside from telling a good story himself, he did his best to help other writers to tell their stories.

And Caleb was a wonderful person to have as your friend. You could find none better.

Our paths crossed sometime in 2019 on Twitter. As near as I can recall. I was flabbergasted when he named me one of the top 25 mystery writers people should be reading. That pronouncement certainly captured my attention.

Who was this guy? Obviously, someone who’d been around the block a few times. But I’d never read anything he wrote. I promptly remedied that by reading his Man on the Run trilogy. I loved it and I was hooked.

Caleb Pirtle is easily the best writer who is not a household name — but should be.

A year later Caleb invited me to join a writers co-op he was putting together. Serious writers who were looking for ways to market their books. And this began a path that eventually led to a friendship with a wonderful human being.

I don’t think I exaggerate when I say Caleb Pirtle was a giant among men. And as far as I’m concerned, remains a giant among men.

For the past nine months I had the incredible privilege to be in a writing critique group with Caleb. Those nine months were nine master class sessions on the art of writing. Not only was his advice each session a pearl of great price, but his own writing was a priceless example of how to tell a story.

As great a writer as Caleb was, he was perhaps an even greater human being. He never had an unkind word to say about anyone. He saw beyond a person’s limitations to the good that was inside them. He was a kind and gentle soul who understood people where they were at and did not judge them for their failings.

Life is often unrelentingly hard and difficult. It is often nasty and brutish. Caleb Pirtle was a ray of brilliant sunlight parting the black clouds. He made the rough places plain.

One of the greatest privileges of my life was to have this man as my friend.

In Memoriam

above the pines   the full moon floating
on morning’s   humid heat
brightly   burned our friendship   for too brief a time

 

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

 

 

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes 

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Death in the Absence of Rain

Readers of this blog know I think very highly of Caleb Pirtle’s ability to tell a thought–provoking and heart–moving story.

It doesn’t matter if the story is a historical narrative, a biography, a gripping thriller, or a puzzling mystery. Caleb delivers the goods as few writers can.

He is one of the most successful writers who is not a household name. (You can read about him in my previous post.)

This month he released his latest book: Death in the Absence of Rain. It is the 15th book in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series, and it is a winner.

There’s a dead man walking the streets of Magnolia Bluff. 

A blazing hot sun is drinking up all the water for miles around. The drought is causing Burnet Reservoir to dry up. 

And out of the receding waters rises a town drowned 50 years ago. A dead town with living secrets.

Then there’s a murder. Followed by a second murder.

Law enforcement is baffled. And so is Graham Huston, editor of the town newspaper. But Graham has an advantage law enforcement doesn’t. The dead man talks to him.

And Graham listens. But what is the dead man trying to tell him?

A trip out to the ghost town that’s rising back out of the lake reveals yet another murder. One that’s 50 years old.

Graham’s dogged pursuit of the truth brings an old, old secret to light. It also puts him on the receiving end of a shotgun blast late at night.

Caleb Pirtle tells us a suspense-filled tale and while doing so weaves in observations about life and death and living that only a person with a lot of years under his belt can give us. 

Death in the Absence of Rain is a mystery only Caleb Pirtle could write, and one you won’t easily forget.

It is still only 99¢ on Amazon. If you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you’ve already paid to read it. So go ahead!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

 

 

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes 

 

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!

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Caleb Pirtle III — Writer Extraordinaire

Caleb Pirtle III is one of the most successful writers who is not a household name.

Award Winner

Yet, he came out of the gate with a William Randolph Hearst award in his pocket for excellent collegiate journalistic writing. The first University of Texas-Austin journalism student to win the award.

And he hasn’t looked back. In the six decades since receiving that award, Caleb has been a reporter for numerous newspapers, travel editor for Southern Living, and editorial director for a Dallas-based custom publisher.

He’s won national awards and regional awards for his writing.

To date, he’s written somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 books, and several screenplays for television. And that doesn’t include the innumerable newspaper stories and magazine pieces he’s written. Caleb is one prolific writer.

All in all, he has had, and continues to have a successful writing career. And which one of us wouldn’t love to swap places with him?

Supports Writers

I met Caleb at that social media party known as Twitter, and soon to be called X, back in 2019. He gave me an award.

He named me as “One of the Top 25 Mystery Writers You Need to be Reading”. (Here is the link to the article: https://www.calebandlindapirtle.com/c-w-hawes-one-top-25-mystery-writers-need-reading/)

Needless to say, I was tickled pink to have achieved notice by an experienced, accomplished, and award winning writer. And thus began an acquaintance, which has since turned into friendship.

A Teacher

Caleb freely shares his knowledge and expertise. In addition, each of his books is a masterclass on how to use language to achieve the most visual results.

As an example, from his newest book Death in the Absence of Rain, he’s describing a drought:

…the sun just hangs high in the sky the color of dry bones in the field, cracking the ground around us, burning the land that rain hasn’t touched. There’s not enough green grass left to slip between the ribs of a mosquito.

There’s not enough green grass left to slip between the ribs of a mosquito. That, my friends, is poetry masquerading as prose. It is the quintessential Pirtle-ism.

His Fiction

While most of Caleb’s writing has been non-fiction, he has written some spectacular novels and novellas.

My introduction to Caleb’s writing was Lonely Night to Die. Three thriller novellas that, together, read like a novel.

Roland Sand, the Quiet Assassin, has gone rogue from a rogue agency within the CIA. Now he’s wanted by everyone.

The book was so good, I immediately became a Caleb Pirtle fan and have been buying up everything he’s written.

I think Caleb’s finest achievement may be The Boom Town Saga and his two contributions to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. Those five books contain the most fascinating characters and storylines you’ll find anywhere.

But anything by Caleb is good. Checkout his Amazon author page.

Supports the Writing Community

Caleb Pirtle is an amazing writer and a wonderful person. He has given much to the writing community over the years.

His may not be a household name. But the households of many writers know him.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

 

 

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes 

 

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!

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Meet the Characters of Magnolia Bluff: The Investigator

Once again I’m taking a stroll down the streets of Magnolia Bluff, Texas.

I say hello to those I meet on my morning walk. There’s Gunter Fight entering his bank. We exchange waves. 

I pass by the bakery, mostly because my waistline says I should, but I do wave to Noonan Leigh, the owner. He’s busy so I don’t know if he saw me or not. Best pastries, cakes, and doughnuts in town at Bluff Bakery. At least so I hear.

Down by the courthouse I run into Reece Sovern. He’s the police investigator in Magnolia Bluff. And rather than my words to tell you about Reece, I’m going to once again let Caleb Pirtle talk to you and fill you in on Magnolia Bluff’s detective.

You can find the original blogpost here.

Down deep inside, Detective Reece Sovern may be the happiest man in town. He has a murder to investigate. He’s in the big-time now.

Reece Sovern has been a policeman all of his life.

Spent years driving a patrol car.

Kept his nose clean.

Worked his way up the chain of command.

And now he’s a detective in the small town of Magnolia Bluff.

Mostly he investigates the small stuff.

Thefts.

Burglaries.

Peeping Toms.

But in Death Wears a Crimson Hat, Book 1 of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, Reece Sovern finds himself with a murder and a hit-and-run.

Maybe the hit-and-run was an attempted murder.

He’ll find out.

Down deep inside, Reece Sovern may be the happiest man in town.

He’s in the big-time now.

He’ll begin his investigation by talking to the biggest and probably the richest flirt in Magnolia Bluff.

*

Standing on the sidewalk, Reece Sovern unwrapped a cigar, stuck it in his mouth, and walked back to the city hall and police complex to get his car. He’d start by talking to Scarlett Hayden.

Sovern drove around the north end of Burnet Reservoir to Hayden’s Resort, which was situated on the northwest shore of the reservoir.

He remembered when the Haydens bought the fifty acres, put in twenty cabins, and then added a campground with twenty spots. They’d built a fabulous Prairie-style home for themselves, as well.

After all these years, the whole shebang must be worth a few millions, the detective thought, as he pulled into the drive, which was marked private. He wound his way through bald cypress, pecan, Texas ash, cottonwood, bur oak, and cedar elm. He emerged in a clearing. He recognized Scarlett’s big Land Rover and speculated that the beat up Honda parked next to it belonged to some young guy from the college. If one were to believe the gossip, that is.

Of course, if one did believe the gossip, Scarlett Hayden would rarely, if ever, be vertical. And he’d just seen her a little while ago in a vertical position. Besides, she had a resort to run, even though the Smiths did much of the day to day management, Scarlett still had to watch the big picture, which probably meant she was vertical quite a bit of the time.

He parked his car, got out, and walked up to the door. A vision flashed before his eyes of Scarlett walking into Thurgood’s coffee shop. He shook his head and pressed the doorbell.

After what seemed forever, the door opened.

“Mr. Sovern. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?”

She was wearing one of those filmy white outfits that women wore in the movies from the 1930s. Jesus, he said to himself. Out loud he said, “I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

“Sure. C’mon in.” She stepped away from the door and headed for somewhere in the house.

He entered, closed the door, and followed. Her outfit billowed behind her like a cumulus cloud until she stopped at a door.

“We can talk in here.” Her hand motioned for Sovern to enter the room, which he did.

Scarlett followed and sat on the sofa, then tucked her legs under her.

Sovern sat, met her gaze, swallowed, pushed his glasses up his nose, and asked, “What happens if Mary Lou dies? With the society, that is?”

“We elect a new queen. And we’ll add a couple new members.”

“What does the society actually do?”

Scarlett chuckled. “It doesn’t do anything, Mr. Sovern. We girls just wanna have fun. So, we have fun.”

“I find it difficult to picture Mary Lou Fight having fun.”

Scarlett laughed loudly. “Then you don’t know Mary Lou. She has the most fun of us all. All of her gossipy little doings. She damn well has everyone in fear of her. What will she tell? What will she not? And at what price?”

“And you? Does she have you in the palm of her hand?”

“Good lord, no. But that’s only because I don’t give a damn.”

“So who do you think would want Louisa Middlebrook and Mary Lou Fight dead?”

“Louisa?” Sovern watched her cock her head and aim her eyes at the ceiling, and hold that pose for a moment, before turning those dark orbs of hers back to him. “I don’t have a clue. Most likely someone she pissed off when she became Mary Lou’s lap dog.”

“Lap dog?”

“Oh, yes. Mary Lou gave Louisa social standing. Made her somebody. And for that honor, she practically worshipped Mary Lou.”

Sovern thought on that for a moment, and then said, “And Mrs. Fight?”

Once again, Scarlett’s throaty laugh filled the room. “You’d be better off asking, Reece…”

The investigator couldn’t help but notice how she drew out his name and that her eyes became filled with longing. He cleared his throat.

“You’d be better off asking who didn’t want to kill her.”

“And who might that be?”

“I’d guess her husband, Harry Thurgood, and myself, of course. Actually, I have second thoughts about her husband.”

“Why do you exempt Thurgood and yourself?”

“Because neither one of us gives a damn about this little pimple on the butt of nowhere.”

*

Please click HERE to find Death Wears A Crimson Hat on Amazon.

Sandy Signing In wrote on Amazon:

Death Wears A Crimson Hat is a well-written mystery. It’s filled with characters, especially members of the Hats, who are deeply flawed and very believable. Mary Lou’s unprincipled character is one that evokes both dread and disgust. So, I’d have to say that the author, CW Hawes, definitely elicited an emotional response in this reader. Hawes also used character personalities, dialog and action in a way that kept me completely engaged throughout the book. Great job, Mr. Hawes! This is a story that I can highly recommend.

You can’t beat that for a hearty recommendation. Thank you Sandy Signing In!

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

 

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

 

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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The People of Magnolia Bluff

The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, Book 3, is on pre-order right now!

The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy by Cindy Davis goes live on June 20th. You’ll meet Bliss; Tommy, the police chief; Olivia, the pizza shop owner; and a whole lot more folks who make Magnolia Bluff, Texas home. Reserve your copy today! On Amazon!

More Good Folk

Caleb Pirtle III, author of Eulogy in Black and White, the 2nd book in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, is running a series on the good (and bad) folk of Magnolia Bluff.

With his kind permission, I reproduce one of his posts. You can see the original on his blog.

Impossible Love:
The Characters of Magnolia Bluff

Harry Thurgood, handsome man with a checkered past, meets Ember Cole, a lovely young Methodist Minister in Magnolia Bluff, and sparks fly.

Who is Harry Thurgood?

He is the dashing man of mystery in Death Wears A Crimson Hat, Book 1 of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles by CW Hawes.

He owns the Really Good Wood-Fired Coffee Shop.

It’s first-class.

It’s high-class.

It has few customers.

How does it survive?

Where does Harry get his money?

Who is Ember Cole?

She’s the new minister of the Methodist Church.

She’s lovely.

She immediately catches Harry’s eye.

He’s looking for love.

She’s interested.

But she’s afraid of the gossip in town if he finds love with her.

They want each other.

They need each other.

Both are outsiders.

The candle of love flickers between them.

But will Ember ever let it burn?

A Snippet from the Book

Harry Thurgood got out of bed, showered, shaved, dressed in his custom made Tom Jones suit, and quickly descended the stairs to the Really Good Wood-Fired Coffee Shop, which he owned, operated, and lived above.

Harry paused a moment in the doorway and let his eyes roam the coffee shop. He was pleased with what he saw.

“What a contrast to the dump this place was three years ago,” he murmured.

The tables and chairs he’d brought in from T.A. Tandy in Chicago. Henri Vernier of New York had supplied the flooring and lighting. He was especially pleased with the commissioned paintings by California artists Jane Dillon and Lawrence Pruett that hung on the walls.

A smile formed on his lips. This was a coffee shop worthy of any that could be found in New York, Chicago, or San Francisco.

The smell of high-end brewed coffee filled the air…

*

Harry crossed the street to the green, took his phone out of his suit coat pocket, and told it to call “Em.”

After four rings, he heard, “Hello, Harry. I think it best if I say no.”

“Say no to what? I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Good. I don’t want you to say anything I might say yes to.”

“What’s the matter? Did I say or do something you don’t like?”

“No, you didn’t. It’s not you. It’s us.”

“We’re an us?”

“Well, no, we aren’t and I want it to stay that way.”

“I have no idea what’s going on, Em, but maybe we should talk.”

“We are talking.”

“In person.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Harry. If people see us, they’ll talk, and right now I don’t need that.”

“Okay. I get it. This has something to do with the Queen of Dirt and her minions, doesn’t it?”

“That’s a good one. Did you make that up?”

“I did. Just now. Look, how about you drive out to some place and I’ll meet you there and then we’ll go to Austin. We can have supper and you can tell me all about it.”

“Not a good idea, Harry.”

“Didn’t I learn in Sunday school that Bible verse, ‘Greater is he that is within you, than he that’s within Mary Lou?’”

Ember burst out laughing.

“Glad I can make you laugh, Em.”

Her laughter subsided. “Thank you. I needed that.”

“So why don’t I meet you in the college parking lot. Will that work? Or do you have a better place?”

“I don’t know why I’m letting you talk me into this.” There was a pause, and then she said, “Yes, I have a better idea. Pick me up at the cemetery.”

“Huh. That’s novel. You don’t think Mary Lou communes with the dead?”

“Being a bloodsucking vampire, she probably does. But she definitely prefers the living.”

“Wow. I think you’re going to have to go to confession.”

“I’m Methodist. I talk directly with God.”

“Hope he’s talking back.”

“Ha, ha. Meet me at the cemetery at eight. And I still don’t know why I’m letting you talk me into this. It really isn’t a good idea.”

“If it isn’t a good idea, then why are you giving in?”

“Because, right now, you’re the only person I trust, and I’d really like to talk to someone who comprehends the definition of the word discretion.”

Hope you enjoyed the guest post. You can get the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

 

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

 

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Odds & Ends

Today’s post is a bit of a salmagundi. A collection of diverse snippets. A smorgasbord of thoughts. Enjoy!

Eulogy in Black and White

If you haven’t already pre-ordered your copy, do so. Eulogy in Black and White by Caleb Pirtle III is a terrific read. Perhaps the best I’ve read so far this year. Get it on Amazon.

Podcast Appearance

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18th, at 1pm CT, I’ll be on the BookWorld podcast with authors CJ Peterson and Michael Scott Clifton. We’ll be talking about mysteries. Here’s the link to the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bookworldtge/

 And here’s the link to CJ’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoZXLhhlqpThV7dV7uNSlXw/featured

Going Wide

In preparation to my eventual leaving of the Amazon ecosystem, all of my books will be out of Kindle Unlimited by the end of June. Most of them already are.

I’ll be uploading the books to Draft2Digital for distribution to a host of vendors and eventually to the Smashwords store.

The first book I’ve uploaded to D2D is Festival of Death. I’ve done a minor text cleanup, and reformatted the book using Atticus. Here’s the new Books2Read link: https://books2read.com/u/mYaJPm

The Justinia Wright Private Investigator Omnibus is also live at a variety of sites. Here’s the Books2Read link: https://books2read.com/u/mdN55w

The Mind Game

Have you ever visited Great Sand Dunes National Park? If not, you really need to go. It is so very neat.

Here’s a pic from the park’s website:

Back in the 1960s when I was in Junior High, my parents, brother, and I visited the park on our way to Wyoming.

The day was hot, and my parents weren’t feeling well. However, my brother and I were going to climb the highest dune and promptly set off.

Unfortunately, halfway to the top, my parents called us back. They were afraid they wouldn’t be able to rescue us should something happen. Never mind, there were probably at least a hundred other people in our area climbing the dunes. Plenty of people to conduct a rescue, should one be needed.

A few years ago, my brother went back and climbed that highest dune. Good for him.

I probably never will make it back. But I don’t really need to. Because I see myself standing on top of that dune, waving to everyone below. And it feels really good.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

 

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Eulogy in Black and White

I met Caleb Pirtle III on social media. And I’m glad I did. He is a wonderfully encouraging and supportive person. A valuable mentor. 

He’s also an incredibly talented writer, who has been writing almost his entire life. His fiction has provided me with hours of wonderful entertainment.

He also happens to be the prime mover behind The Underground Authors. That intrepid band of writers who love writing, write fabulous fiction, and want to share their stories with a wider audience.

Storytellers are entertainers. No different from a singer, or a comedian, or the busker playing his guitar on the street corner to make a buck.

Last year, to share their stories, The Underground Authors put together an anthology of their short fiction: Beyond the Sea: Stories from The Underground.

This year, The Underground Authors took on a more ambitious project: a multi-author crime series set in the fictional town of Magnolia Bluff, Texas.

Nine authors. Nine novels. Nine pictures of life and death in a picturesque small town nestled in the Texas Hill Country.

The first book, Death Wears a Crimson Hat, by yours truly, was released last month.

This month Caleb Pirtle releases Eulogy in Black and White, Book 2 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. And what a wonderful book it is!

Caleb is a marvelous storyteller. Even though you know you’re reading a book, you’d swear it was real life.

He has a way of painting scenes and people that come off the page and surround you, wherever you are.

Eulogy in Black and White is a fine example of Caleb Pirtle’s artistry. A book you will not want to end, because he won’t want to leave the world he’s created for you.

Here’s a bit about the book:

Eulogy in Black and White is about murder and revenge. It’s also about life and death. It’s about what the dead know, that we, the living, don’t: how precious life is. It’s also about what’s just and unjust.

Graham Huston should have died in Afghanistan. He didn’t. His friend, Harley, did. Harley was from Magnolia Bluff, the town where someone dies every May 23rd.

And Huston, as if by Fate, has the chance to unravel the mystery of the murders plaguing Magnolia Bluff. His chance to earn redemption for the bullet that killed Harley instead of himself.

Caleb Pirtle knows how to write a powerful novel, and this is one heck of a powerful novel. It’s one heck of a whodunit, with things twisting and turning right up to the end. 

You will love it. I know you will. It’s on preorder at Amazon. Reserve yourself a copy today!

I rarely read a book more than once. But I’ve read Eulogy in Black and White twice already. And will without a doubt read it again, and most likely yet again.

And you can read it, too. Starting Friday, May 20.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

 

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Best Reads — A Half-Time Assessment

Reading is, for me, the best entertainment. More than movies, more than TV, reading provides a person with more entertainment stimulus, and definitely more interaction.

That’s because movies and TV are like watching a baseball game. Whereas, reading is like playing in a baseball game.

June is almost over, and with it the first half of 2021. So I took a look at my reading from January to the present, and thought I’d share with you my thoughts about some of the books and stories I’ve read.

Thus far, I’ve read:

25 novels/novellas
36 novelettes/short stories
5 screenplays
3 non-fiction books

And I’m currently reading Raymond Chandler’s Farewell, My Lovely, which I’ll undoubtedly finish before month’s end.

Were there any books or authors that particularly grabbed my attention? There were!

The brand-new-to-me author who grabbed my attention was Garrett Dennis with his book Port Starbird: A Storm Ketchum Adventure. In fact, the book so impressed me I bought the entire series, which you can find on Amazon.

I love Mr Dennis’ laidback style of storytelling. No in-your-face-from-the-beginning action, just a deliciously slow build-up of tension to the action-packed climax. Which is how a story should be told, IMO.

Port Starbird was a wonderful read, Garrett Dennis is a talented writer, and I heartily recommend him for your reading pleasure.

The novelette/short story that most impressed me was my re-read of “The Colour Out Of Space” by HP Lovecraft, which is probably his best work.

However, right behind HPL’s novelette was “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin. The story was originally published in the August 1954 issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine. I ran across a PDF on the web, and I’m glad I did. You can read it on LightSpeed ezine. It’s a powerful story about breaking the rules and owning up to the consequences.

The novel/novella that lingers in my mind is Last Deadly Lie by Caleb Pirtle III. It’s a masterful piece of writing. A fine example of contemporary Southern Gothic. Mystery, lies, intrigue, and deceit — all expertly woven together to make a story that will linger on in your mind long after you’ve read the last page.

I should add that Mr Pirtle had high-powered competition from the likes of William Meikle, Greig Beck, James Vincett, Andy Graham, John F Leonard, and the above mentioned Garrett Dennis.

I cannot encourage you enough to get a copy of Last Deadly Lie. For me, it is the book to beat this year. You can find it on Amazon.

Non-fiction comes in all shapes, sizes, and subjects. In most cases, I don’t find it to have much more than momentary impact. But that is not the case with How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life; edited and translated by James S Romm from the writings of Lucius Annaeus Seneca.

Seneca never wrote a book on death, although he wrote a lot about death. Professor Romm has done us the great favor of “writing” the book Seneca didn’t get to.

I am not exaggerating when I write: How to Die is one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read. It is, quite ironically, one of the best books on how to live that you could ever read.

Seneca was sick his entire life. Never far from Death’s Door. For him, the possibility of death was a daily reality; and it was the reality of death that taught him how to live and get the most out of life.

How to Die is an amazing book. I urge everyone to get a copy and read it. You can find it on Amazon.

That’s my wrap-up of the best reads during the first half of 2021. Now on to the joy to be found in books during the second half of the year.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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The World of Justinia Wright

About a month ago, I wrote a post announcing I’d been given an award by international bestselling authors Caleb and Linda Pirtle. You can read that post here. I’m still excited at being named One of the Top 25 Mystery Writers You Need to be Reading.

There are currently 7 books in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mystery Series. Vampire House and Other Early Cases of Justinia Wright, PI, which I’ve numbered Book 0, doesn’t get included on the Amazon series page due to Amazon’s quirky rules.

I’m in the middle of doing line editing and proofreading on Book 7 (actually the 8th book in the series) and hope to publish it by Christmas. More on this book in a future post!

So what is it about the Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mystery Series that makes it worth reading? I thought I’d let some of the reviewers tell you what makes the series so fun to read (and for me, to write!).

Richard Schwindt, who has an excellent amateur sleuth trilogy — The Death in Sioux Lookout Trilogy — and an equally excellent occult detective trilogy — Tony Price: Confidential — wrote this about the world of Tina and Harry Wright:

Some fictional universes are just places you want to be, and I have been so moved by the world CW Hawes has created for private detective Justinia Wright and her brother Harry. Although Hawes has a demonstrated penchant for the scary and grotesque, and can frequently be found (at least in his fiction) underground, he has shown a remarkably light and airy touch in Trio in Death-Sharp Minor. Tina and Harry’s world comes complete with music, art, excellent food and drink. I would drop by their house any time, if only for a glass of Madeira. The three mysteries are deftly written and include an adorable and sexy love affair between Harry and Bea, one of the bereaved from the first story. If you want to check out a good cozy mystery, without the annoyingly twee failings of the genre, you could do much worse than this series. Highly recommended for mystery lovers and anyone looking for an escape with a light touch.

And that is exactly how I feel when I write these mysteries: Tina and Harry’s world is where I want to be.

Another mystery writer, Joe Congel, who writes the superb Tony Razzolito PI Mysteries, wrote this about Tina and Harry:

[But Jesus Never Wept] is the third book in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator series, and it is a top-notch addition to a top-notch series, written by a top-notch author. If you’ve been following the brother/sister PI team, you already know this series is rich in storyline and character development. If you are discovering the Wrights for the first time in this book, you will not be disappointed. However, treat yourself, and go back and read the first two books in this wonderful series.

In this installment, the author mixes religion, the Japanese mob, and high-end prostitution, and wraps it all up in a very engaging murder mystery. But what truly drives this story is the relationship between the main characters – Justinia, Harry, Bea, and Cal. The subplot of their lives is intertwined masterfully with the main plotline of the book, which is the mystery that needs to be solved. And although the idea of an intriguing mystery may have brought you here, the well thought-out, fun, realistic, characters are what will bring you back for more. A great murder mystery will make a great book, but a deeply developed cast of reoccurring characters is what makes a great series… and this is a great series.

I loved the first two books, and this one is no different. It’s why I bought the whole series. I look forward to seeing what the Wright’s get themselves into between the pages of the next book. But don’t take my word for it, try them for yourself – just don’t be surprised if you become addicted.

For me, the story is all about the characters. The plot, or storyline, is simply the characters doing their thing in a particular situation.

I find it very satisfying when my fellow mystery writers have such a glowing opinion of Tina and Harry. They are telling me I have accomplished what I set out to do: to create a world that is as cozy and enjoyable as the one Rex Stout created with Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.

I love Tina and Harry. They were my first children, as it were. In fact, they are older than my daughter! I love the world that Tina and Harry inhabit: a Minneapolis that is akin to the real city, and yet is its own world.

If you desire to travel anywhere in the world right from the comfort of your favorite chair, if you want to entertain yourself at your own pace, if you want to put your worries and problems on a shelf for awhile and lose yourself in someone else’s world — then I encourage you to explore the world of Tina and Harry Wright. It’s a world filled with comfort, good food, and lots of adventure. Live a little from the comfort of your favorite chair, at your own pace.

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