by Jason Joyner | Nov 19, 2007 | Blog, football
Last week was a hard week (evidenced here as a lack of blogging). However, one of the highlights was by my alma mater, Blackfoot High School. After years of futility, the Broncos have delivered a state championship to this little burg. I’ve heard two different accountings, that this is our first Idaho championship, or that it is our first one since 1932. Either way, it has been a long time in coming.
I admit I jumped on the bandwagon when the JV season ended and my sophomore nephew Anthony Clarke moved up to varsity. The quarter- and semi-final games were the stuff of Friday night lore. On 11/2 we played Minico, the number 1 team in the state at Holt Arena in Pocatello. We scored with around 40 seconds left on the clock to win that game.
The next week we faced Pocatello, the team that knocked us out in the semi-finals the prior two years. The game was held outside at Blackfoot to nullify the home field advantage Poky would have if held where they usually play (much to their chagrin). It was a great night of community as the town poured out in the mild autumn evening to enjoy a tailgate barbeque and support the team. Again, we were treated to a thriller of a game as Pocatello took the lead back with 1:40 on the clock, and the ensuing kickoff was caught with the returner’s foot out of bounds at the 10 yard line. Blackfoot took their one time out on the field and marched down to score with 13 seconds left. I’ve never seen our community celebrate like that night!
The championship game was almost anti-climatic. The Nampa Bulldogs came to Holt Arena without their main QB, as he had broken his foot in the previous game. They tried hard, but the injury was too much to overcome and the team rolled 46-14. Wow.
Congratulations Broncos. You made a city proud!
by Jason Joyner | Nov 19, 2007 | Blog, football
Last week was a hard week (evidenced here as a lack of blogging). However, one of the highlights was by my alma mater, Blackfoot High School. After years of futility, the Broncos have delivered a state championship to this little burg. I’ve heard two different accountings, that this is our first Idaho championship, or that it is our first one since 1932. Either way, it has been a long time in coming.
I admit I jumped on the bandwagon when the JV season ended and my sophomore nephew Anthony Clarke moved up to varsity. The quarter- and semi-final games were the stuff of Friday night lore. On 11/2 we played Minico, the number 1 team in the state at Holt Arena in Pocatello. We scored with around 40 seconds left on the clock to win that game.
The next week we faced Pocatello, the team that knocked us out in the semi-finals the prior two years. The game was held outside at Blackfoot to nullify the home field advantage Poky would have if held where they usually play (much to their chagrin). It was a great night of community as the town poured out in the mild autumn evening to enjoy a tailgate barbeque and support the team. Again, we were treated to a thriller of a game as Pocatello took the lead back with 1:40 on the clock, and the ensuing kickoff was caught with the returner’s foot out of bounds at the 10 yard line. Blackfoot took their one time out on the field and marched down to score with 13 seconds left. I’ve never seen our community celebrate like that night!
The championship game was almost anti-climatic. The Nampa Bulldogs came to Holt Arena without their main QB, as he had broken his foot in the previous game. They tried hard, but the injury was too much to overcome and the team rolled 46-14. Wow.
Congratulations Broncos. You made a city proud!
by Jason Joyner | Nov 16, 2007 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, reviews
This week’s CFBA Tour features the book Try Dying by James Scott Bell. It is the first book of his that I’ve read. I’ve always heard glowing things about his writing. He is also a regular contributor to Writer’s Digest magazine, so my impression was that he must know his craft.
And how.
Try Dying is a great tale of suspense. Bell’s past experience as a lawyer gives this legal thriller the type of authenticity that immerses the reader in the story. The opening chapter fully captures your attention, and the plot rarely gives you time to put the book down for mildly important things, such as sleep, work, and eating.
The story is told in first person view, from the perspective of Ty Buchanan, an up-and-coming lawyer in Los Angeles. The tragic loss of his fiancee in a freak accident sets his world on its edge. Then a startling revelation from a stranger loitering at the graveside service puts his life in a tailspin that will envelope the high-profile case he’s working on, a prominent service organization, and the gang scene in Southern California.
The characterization of Buchanan and the people he encounters are tremendous. The motivations and actions make sense and drive the thrilling tale along. There are surprises along the way that have you second-guessing the plot and where it seems to be going the whole time.
This book has moved Bell into an author that I definitely want to check out more. So far Try Dying has moved into position as one of my favorite books of the year.
See Bell’s bio and teaser below for more information. Also, Brandilyn Collins had an interview with him recently on her blog, so be sure to check it out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
James Scott Bell is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He is also the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.
His book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today. The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up and still lives in Los Angeles, where he is at work on his next Buchanan thriller.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
On a wet Tuesday morning in December, Ernesto Bonilla, twenty-eight, shot his twenty-three-year-old wife, Alejandra, in the backyard of their West 45th Street home in South Los Angeles. As Alejandra lay bleeding to death, Ernesto drove their Ford Explorer to the westbound Century Freeway connector where it crossed over the Harbor Freeway and pulled to a stop on the shoulder.
Bonilla stepped around the back of the SUV, ignoring the rain and the afternoon drivers on their way to LAX and the west side, placed the barrel of his .38 caliber pistol into his mouth, and fired.
His body fell over the shoulder and plunged one hundred feet, hitting the roof of a Toyota Camry heading northbound on the harbor Freeway. The impact crushed the roof of the Camry. The driver, Jacqueline Dwyer, twenty-seven, an elementary schoolteacher from Reseda, died at the scene.
This would have been simply another dark and strange coincidence, the sort of thing that shows up for a two-minute report on the local news–with live remote from the scene–and maybe gets a follow-up the next day. Eventually the story would go away, fading from the city’s collective memory.
But this story did not go away. Not for me. Because Jacqueline Dwyer was the woman I was going to marry.
In Try Dying, this fast-paced thriller, lawyer Ty Buchanan must enter a world of evil to uncover the cause of his fiancee’s death–even if he has to kill for the truth.
“Bell is one of the best writers out there…he creates characters readers care about…a story worth telling.”
~Library Review~
by Jason Joyner | Nov 16, 2007 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, reviews
This week’s CFBA Tour features the book Try Dying by James Scott Bell. It is the first book of his that I’ve read. I’ve always heard glowing things about his writing. He is also a regular contributor to Writer’s Digest magazine, so my impression was that he must know his craft.
And how.
Try Dying is a great tale of suspense. Bell’s past experience as a lawyer gives this legal thriller the type of authenticity that immerses the reader in the story. The opening chapter fully captures your attention, and the plot rarely gives you time to put the book down for mildly important things, such as sleep, work, and eating.
The story is told in first person view, from the perspective of Ty Buchanan, an up-and-coming lawyer in Los Angeles. The tragic loss of his fiancee in a freak accident sets his world on its edge. Then a startling revelation from a stranger loitering at the graveside service puts his life in a tailspin that will envelope the high-profile case he’s working on, a prominent service organization, and the gang scene in Southern California.
The characterization of Buchanan and the people he encounters are tremendous. The motivations and actions make sense and drive the thrilling tale along. There are surprises along the way that have you second-guessing the plot and where it seems to be going the whole time.
This book has moved Bell into an author that I definitely want to check out more. So far Try Dying has moved into position as one of my favorite books of the year.
See Bell’s bio and teaser below for more information. Also, Brandilyn Collins had an interview with him recently on her blog, so be sure to check it out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
James Scott Bell is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He is also the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.
His book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today. The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up and still lives in Los Angeles, where he is at work on his next Buchanan thriller.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
On a wet Tuesday morning in December, Ernesto Bonilla, twenty-eight, shot his twenty-three-year-old wife, Alejandra, in the backyard of their West 45th Street home in South Los Angeles. As Alejandra lay bleeding to death, Ernesto drove their Ford Explorer to the westbound Century Freeway connector where it crossed over the Harbor Freeway and pulled to a stop on the shoulder.
Bonilla stepped around the back of the SUV, ignoring the rain and the afternoon drivers on their way to LAX and the west side, placed the barrel of his .38 caliber pistol into his mouth, and fired.
His body fell over the shoulder and plunged one hundred feet, hitting the roof of a Toyota Camry heading northbound on the harbor Freeway. The impact crushed the roof of the Camry. The driver, Jacqueline Dwyer, twenty-seven, an elementary schoolteacher from Reseda, died at the scene.
This would have been simply another dark and strange coincidence, the sort of thing that shows up for a two-minute report on the local news–with live remote from the scene–and maybe gets a follow-up the next day. Eventually the story would go away, fading from the city’s collective memory.
But this story did not go away. Not for me. Because Jacqueline Dwyer was the woman I was going to marry.
In Try Dying, this fast-paced thriller, lawyer Ty Buchanan must enter a world of evil to uncover the cause of his fiancee’s death–even if he has to kill for the truth.
“Bell is one of the best writers out there…he creates characters readers care about…a story worth telling.”
~Library Review~
by Jason Joyner | Nov 13, 2007 | Blog, fiction, miscellaneous, writing craft
Okay, so how dated does the title make me?
Anyway, I’m sure most of my writing buddies out there know about NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. The goal of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days must seem like self-flagellation to some people. I don’t think I could ever do it.
However, I did, for some strange reason unknown to me now, sign up for it two years ago. Because of that I am still listed as a NaNo participant for Idaho. So before November 1st, I got an email discussing a write-in being held in Idaho Falls. I considered going, and when I mentioned it to my wife that I was thinking about it, she announced, “Great! I can go shopping while you’re doing that.”
Not quite the response I was anticipating.
I ended up going to the write-in the first Saturday in November at a little coffeeshop called The Villa. Nice place with good atmosphere. When I first arrived there were a couple of ladies in line for coffee with obvious notebook bags. Holding my trusty writing folder, I found that they were there to NaNo. We ordered and adjourned to a separate room to don our quills and write away.
I was the only guy initially, but soon a couple of other brave masculine souls showed up. We had nice introductions. “Hi, I’m Jason, and I write action/suspense. Who are you, and what do you write?” I was the lone computer-less person, although another gal had problems with her connection and had to switch to old-fashioned paper.
We had a good time connecting with other crazy writer-type people. We decided to meet again the following Saturday. There was a little attrition, which should be expected. Gained another guy (yeah guys!) and got some more writing done. I’m not going to vouch for the quality of writing, but there is official ink on paper documented.
I’m not officially trying to do the whole NaNo 50,000 word thing. It has just been nice for a little accountability to sit down and write with like-minded folks. Also, shutting off the internal editor and just doing it is another benefit. I know there’s a lot of crap in what I wrote, but it also is helping me plot and see how the scenes should go.
Anyway, that’s my writing life the last few weeks. I’m grateful for the camaraderie and accountability. So if any of you haven’t been writing lately, close the web browser now, and open up your file and WRITE!
by Jason Joyner | Nov 13, 2007 | Blog, fiction, miscellaneous, writing craft
Okay, so how dated does the title make me?
Anyway, I’m sure most of my writing buddies out there know about NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. The goal of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days must seem like self-flagellation to some people. I don’t think I could ever do it.
However, I did, for some strange reason unknown to me now, sign up for it two years ago. Because of that I am still listed as a NaNo participant for Idaho. So before November 1st, I got an email discussing a write-in being held in Idaho Falls. I considered going, and when I mentioned it to my wife that I was thinking about it, she announced, “Great! I can go shopping while you’re doing that.”
Not quite the response I was anticipating.
I ended up going to the write-in the first Saturday in November at a little coffeeshop called The Villa. Nice place with good atmosphere. When I first arrived there were a couple of ladies in line for coffee with obvious notebook bags. Holding my trusty writing folder, I found that they were there to NaNo. We ordered and adjourned to a separate room to don our quills and write away.
I was the only guy initially, but soon a couple of other brave masculine souls showed up. We had nice introductions. “Hi, I’m Jason, and I write action/suspense. Who are you, and what do you write?” I was the lone computer-less person, although another gal had problems with her connection and had to switch to old-fashioned paper.
We had a good time connecting with other crazy writer-type people. We decided to meet again the following Saturday. There was a little attrition, which should be expected. Gained another guy (yeah guys!) and got some more writing done. I’m not going to vouch for the quality of writing, but there is official ink on paper documented.
I’m not officially trying to do the whole NaNo 50,000 word thing. It has just been nice for a little accountability to sit down and write with like-minded folks. Also, shutting off the internal editor and just doing it is another benefit. I know there’s a lot of crap in what I wrote, but it also is helping me plot and see how the scenes should go.
Anyway, that’s my writing life the last few weeks. I’m grateful for the camaraderie and accountability. So if any of you haven’t been writing lately, close the web browser now, and open up your file and WRITE!
by Jason Joyner | Nov 9, 2007 | Blog, missions, prayer, social justice
This Sunday is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. For those of us in the protected West, we have no excuse not to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who hold up the mantle of our Lord Jesus and those saints gone before who suffered for the gospel. We do not suffer persecution here. Any perceived persecution pales compared to that of Christians in Myanmar/Burma, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, North Korea, and numerous other places around the world.
Here are some resources for you to pray knowledgeably and effectively:
The website of Open Doors and their IDOP materials page. Another news page from Open Doors.
The Persecution Blog of the group Voice of the Martyrs.
Operation World has daily prayer guides for the world.
Please make time this weekend to pray for those suffering in Jesus’ name. That’s the least we can do if we are truly little Christs.
by Jason Joyner | Nov 9, 2007 | Blog, missions, prayer, social justice
This Sunday is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. For those of us in the protected West, we have no excuse not to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who hold up the mantle of our Lord Jesus and those saints gone before who suffered for the gospel. We do not suffer persecution here. Any perceived persecution pales compared to that of Christians in Myanmar/Burma, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, North Korea, and numerous other places around the world.
Here are some resources for you to pray knowledgeably and effectively:
The website of Open Doors and their IDOP materials page. Another news page from Open Doors.
The Persecution Blog of the group Voice of the Martyrs.
Operation World has daily prayer guides for the world.
Please make time this weekend to pray for those suffering in Jesus’ name. That’s the least we can do if we are truly little Christs.
by Jason Joyner | Nov 9, 2007 | Blog, Uncategorized
The latest book from Robert Liparulo is Deadfall. If you like intense suspense, then you should probably check this book out. His last book Germ was one of my favorite books last year. I’ve started reading Deadfall, but wasn’t able to finish it in time for this tour. The beginning is classic Liparulo – fast and furious. I’ll review it when I finish (which may be a couple weeks with other things in the way), but check out this back cover copy for it.
Also at the end of this post is a special offer from Bob Liparulo – don’t miss it!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Deep in the isolated Northwest Territories, four friends are on the trip of a lifetime. Dropped by helicopter into the Canadian wilderness, Hutch, Terry, Phil, and David are looking to escape the events of a tumultuous year for two weeks of hunting, fishing, and camping.
Armed with only a bow and arrow and the basics for survival, they’ve chosen a place far from civilization, a retreat from their turbulent lives. But they quickly discover that another group has targeted the remote region and the secluded hamlet of Fiddler Falls for a more menacing purpose: to field test the ultimate weapon.
With more than a week before the helicopter rendezvous and no satellite phone, Hutch, a skilled bow-hunter and outdoor-survivalist must help his friend elude their seemingly inescapable foes, as well as decide whether to run for their lives…or risk everything to help the townspeople who are being held hostage and terrorized.
An intense novel of character forged in the midst of struggle, survival, and sacrifice. Deadfall is highly-acclaimed author Robert Liparulo’s latest rivetingly smart thriller.
Get Downloads and EXCERPTS at www.LIPARULO.com
A NOTE from Bob: I’d like to give away five signed copies of Deadfall to readers of CFBA blogs during my tour. All they have to do is sign up for my e-mailing list (they won’t be inundated!) by going to my website (www.robertliparulo.com) and going to the “Mailing List” page. Or email me with “CFBA giveaway” in the subject line.
And a second NOTE from Bob: I wanted to let you know that I’m holding a contest on my site:
**one winner a week till the end of the year for a signed Deadfall
**one winner a week till the end of the year for an unabridged audio MP3-CD of Deadfall
***and on Dec. 31, I’m giving away an iPod Nano, pre-loaded with an unabridged audio recording of Deadfall
Winners are selected from my e-mailing list—sign up at my site. If a winner has already purchased what he/she wins, I will reimburse them for the purchase price (or give them another—whichever they choose), so they don’t need to wait to see if they win before buying Deadfall.
by Jason Joyner | Nov 9, 2007 | Blog, Uncategorized
The latest book from Robert Liparulo is Deadfall. If you like intense suspense, then you should probably check this book out. His last book Germ was one of my favorite books last year. I’ve started reading Deadfall, but wasn’t able to finish it in time for this tour. The beginning is classic Liparulo – fast and furious. I’ll review it when I finish (which may be a couple weeks with other things in the way), but check out this back cover copy for it.
Also at the end of this post is a special offer from Bob Liparulo – don’t miss it!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Deep in the isolated Northwest Territories, four friends are on the trip of a lifetime. Dropped by helicopter into the Canadian wilderness, Hutch, Terry, Phil, and David are looking to escape the events of a tumultuous year for two weeks of hunting, fishing, and camping.
Armed with only a bow and arrow and the basics for survival, they’ve chosen a place far from civilization, a retreat from their turbulent lives. But they quickly discover that another group has targeted the remote region and the secluded hamlet of Fiddler Falls for a more menacing purpose: to field test the ultimate weapon.
With more than a week before the helicopter rendezvous and no satellite phone, Hutch, a skilled bow-hunter and outdoor-survivalist must help his friend elude their seemingly inescapable foes, as well as decide whether to run for their lives…or risk everything to help the townspeople who are being held hostage and terrorized.
An intense novel of character forged in the midst of struggle, survival, and sacrifice. Deadfall is highly-acclaimed author Robert Liparulo’s latest rivetingly smart thriller.
Get Downloads and EXCERPTS at www.LIPARULO.com
A NOTE from Bob: I’d like to give away five signed copies of Deadfall to readers of CFBA blogs during my tour. All they have to do is sign up for my e-mailing list (they won’t be inundated!) by going to my website (www.robertliparulo.com) and going to the “Mailing List” page. Or email me with “CFBA giveaway” in the subject line.
And a second NOTE from Bob: I wanted to let you know that I’m holding a contest on my site:
**one winner a week till the end of the year for a signed Deadfall
**one winner a week till the end of the year for an unabridged audio MP3-CD of Deadfall
***and on Dec. 31, I’m giving away an iPod Nano, pre-loaded with an unabridged audio recording of Deadfall
Winners are selected from my e-mailing list—sign up at my site. If a winner has already purchased what he/she wins, I will reimburse them for the purchase price (or give them another—whichever they choose), so they don’t need to wait to see if they win before buying Deadfall.
