Welcome John Howell – #SoCS

Friends, Helping others, If having a beer, Promotion, SoCS 150 comments
My copy arrived on Monday.
John Howells Bourbon (with a little help from PhotoShop)
The perfect lime wedge.

Another weekend has arrived, and we are gathered at the bar in eager anticipation of the arrival of our guest, John W. Howell. To keep the occasion interesting, John, Cheryl, David and I will have to contend with Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. This week, she challenges us with:

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘collar.’ Use it as a verb, a noun, or metaphorically. Bonus points for using it in all three ways! Enjoy!”

Since he’s the published author, maybe John will take care of some of these, he likes bonus points as much as I do.

If we were having a beer, we’d be loosening our collective collar just as our guest is arriving.

“Dan, is that a 1956 Oldsmobile pulling in?”

“I think it is Cheryl. And it looks like our guest of honor.”

“Well, I better dust off a new bottle of bourbon.”

“Wait a minute, you poured me a glass out of the old bottle.”

“That’s true, David, and, if you want another splash, you can have the rest for free. But I’m opening a new bottle for John. Dan, I assume you’re sticking with Corona.”

“John might not recognize me otherwise, Cheryl.”

“Let’s see, a Corona Extra, long-neck. A glass of bourbon, a snifter of seltzer a glass of ice, and some Cherries. I think I’ve come to the right place.”

“Welcome to my bar, John.”

“Thank you so much Cheryl. It is great to be here with you. A rose among thorns.”

“I think I know what you’re drinking, but do you have any special requirements? Some people get, you know, a little weird about these things.”

“Yeah, I’m real fussy. How about three fingers of Willett in a glass with a water on the side.”

“Great. I’ll put the water in a snifter, so you won’t stand out.”

“Enough David-bashing, Cheryl. John, I am pleased to meet you, and I must thank you for suggesting this wonderful bourbon. But enough of that, you have a new book, and I’m a bit embarrassed to say, I haven’t read it – yet – I do plan to. I am familiar with the My GRL trilogy, is this book similar?”

“Gosh, David I’m humbled that you are familiar with My GRL. I have to tell you this book is totally different. Yeah there are some thrills but also there is time travel, romance, adventure, paranormal, a little erotica, and even an appearance by Lucifer. It is very unlike what I have written so far.”

“Lucifer? I’d hate to be collared by that guy. Now you’ve piqued my interest. Dan, you didn’t mention Lucifer.”

“I didn’t mention other noteworthy characters, either, David, but I did suggest that you read the book.”

“Dan, I suggested he shouldn’t have cherries in his bourbon. He should drink it the way John does. Here’s your bourbon, John.”

“Thank you, Cheryl. I guess I learned to drink bourbon without anything added. I can say there is more than one way to drink it. I think David should enjoy his cherries.”

“I have read the book, John, and I was surprised by the romance, especially given the, um, circumstances. Where did you get the idea for this book?”

“Well, Cheryl, the idea for the book came to me as I was thinking of another story. I wanted to write about the old West and was doing some research. All of a sudden, the two characters James and Sam showed up. I immediately got them out of my mind by writing a short story about Sam hitchhiking and James picking her up. The whole story took off from there. The idea that they were both dead and that Sam was appointed to be James’ guide to his eternal home took hold and we all went from there. I guess you could say the two hung like a collar around my neck until I gave them a full book.”

“Characters will do that, John. Dan, you look like you need another beer.”

“I think you’re right about that beer, Cheryl. Time travel is such a tricky subject, John. I hope Tiny didn’t have to make an appearance. I often feel like I’d be subject to his wrath on Mondays.”

“Ha ha ha. I told Tiny that he would have to attend the group counseling session that he’s missed for the last few months. So, he’s been very busy getting in his sessions. For your readers who don’t know Tiny, he is the WWF champ who does time travel. Unfortunately, Tiny has some self-esteem and anger issues that require court ordered group sessions. Tiny is found on my blog on Mondays when we all take off for a different time zone. Come to think of it, Dan, sounds kinda nuts doesn’t it?”

“It does, but you do it so well, John.”

“Speaking of time travel and the old west, John, I read the excerpt at Jessica’a place the other day, that got a little interesting for a moment.”

“David, you’re like most boys, I mean men, you always expect the old west to be shoot-em-ups and horses. We never would have made it to the industrial age without a little romance.”

“You’re right, Cheryl, but why Tombstone? And, while I’m at it, were you by any chance a journalism major, John?”

“I did take some journalism courses and worked on the school paper in high school. I don’t think that qualifies me as a major but did have some interest in becoming one. I opted for a generalist degree since I had a tough time making up my mind.”

“OK, these two have been trying to convince me to buy this book. Now that I’ve had the chance to sit with the author, I definitely want to. How do I do that, John?”

“It is so easy David. All you have to do is click on one of the universal links and you will be taken to Amazon. I might add that the Kindle format is on sale at 99ç so if I were you that’s the one I would pick.

“Thanks John. My reputation for seeking a bargain precedes me. I will jump on that Kindle link, right away. I see that Dan is sticking with paper…and I though I was the old man.”

“I prefer paper, David, but I also bought the Kindle version. I’m trying to get a nice library on there in case I’m ever stuck with just my iPad.”

“I want to thank you all, and especially Dan for allowing me to visit the bar today. It was a special time and I hope to be able to do it again. Great meeting you, David and so nice to see you Cheryl.”

“Thank you John. Your welcome any time.”

“In case you want to meet Tiny here is my website. http://johnwhowell.com – He’s there every Monday.”

John Howell
Eternal Road

Kindle Universal link  mybook.to/EternalRoad

Paper universal link mybook.to/Eternalroadpaper

We’ve been wondering why this light is a little slow to activate.
“Yes Maddie, they would rather see you in the photo than just old dry leaves.”
This was one of our last early morning walks. Now that the school buses are running, we won’t be seeing the moon still hanging around.
Not our Smokey, this guy lives at the end of the road.
Social distancing at the ice cream stand.
Of all the construction jobs, roofing is one I don’t enjoy. At least this one is a small job.
You were expecting a hammer? From me? Nope, another coil of roofing nails being loaded into the gun.
This is where we left off this week. All that remains is the ridge vent and the siding above the overhang.
Still blooming!
Marygolds
How we end the day. A cot, a chair, a few peanuts and a Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
Of course the squirrels have found us.
Sometimes, we sit earlier now that it’s getting cooler in the afternoon.

150 comments

  1. Pingback: Today I am with Dan Antion at No Facilities | Fiction Favorites

  2. Applause to talented writers in our blogging community and best wishes to them. :-) The shed is looking good, Dan, and I like your ‘end of the day.’ My daughter has a cot for her dog inside a good sized pen for when they are outside. I think of Maddie every time I see that cot. Happy Saturday. :-)

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    2. It must be. WordPress would probably listen to John. If that’s what it takes, I’ll keep pouring him bourbon.

      The funny thing is, I had so many problems getting the photos arranged, I was ready to punt the Block Editor and revert to Classic for this post.

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  5. Congratulations to John on his latest literary achievement. Sounds like you all had a great visit.

    Love the pic of the fading moon. Marigolds still going strong. Yes, would rather see Maddie than dead leaves, especially chilling out on her cot. Fascinated by how the nail gun gets loaded.

    Have a great weekend.
    Ginger

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    2. I’m so glad John could join us, Ginger.

      It really seems like Maddie knows that “her” followers would prefer seeing her than some artistic interpretive nature photo. She looks ate me and mutters the dog equivalent of “Pfffft”

      I love having that nail gun. I’d be a mess of bruised and bloody fingers without it.

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    1. Thanks for working with me, John. I would have done it offline, but I would have hated losing those bonus points. Best of luck with the book. You’re always welcome here for bourbon.

      I’ve been meaning to get that bottle ready for a long time. This seemed like the perfect occasion to dust it off.

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  9. This was so fun to have blog buddies meet up for a drink and good conversation. So good to see you, John. Dan–I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I always love seeing Maddie in your photos. She is one good lookin’ girl. Have a great weekend.

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  10. What a fun post! Thanks for having John over for drinks and book chat. And John, I’m about 1/3 of the way into Eternal Road now and hope to finish it later this afternoon or tonight. Having a great ride in that ’56 Oldsmobile! Cool trip! :)

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    2. Thanks Marian. We;ve been trying to figure out why that sensor has been slow to activate. Thursday, my wife was going for an early walk and said, “I think I know what’s blocking the sensor.” He moves pretty quickly. Thanks for dropping by and joining the crew and John.

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  17. How cool that “Eternal Road” made a stop here, Dan. Wishing John huge success. LOL, collared by Lucifer. I admit it could be difficult to mention this book without giving spoilers. So many great elements of it.
    The marigolds look so cheerful. And I know you’ll be cheered when you’re shed of the shed project. Kudos on a task that’s difficult in many ways. Hugs on the wing.

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      1. Thanks for joining us, Teagan. I was careful to only mention something John had already shared. Otherwise I’d be like “watch out for the shower scene” in Psycho. I finished shingling the roof today. I’ll be moving down that front wall next week. A little siding, a little soffit and I’m done.

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  18. Wow. So John Howell is a real person and not a fictional creation. Who knew? You started off early, Dan, using “collar” and eventually I lost count of the ways that you used the word–maybe I need collar ID. Your nail gun brings me back to my days in the army when we had to learn how to shoot machine guns with belted ammunition. The shed is looking good and you should have it done well before the snow comes. I was shocked to see some photos from a friend outside of Denver where they recently had a pretty good sized snowfall.

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    2. John is real, Mike, and the book is really a great read. The nail gun doesn’t do as much damage as a machine gun, but it gets the job done with similar speed. Well, somewhat similar. Between John and I working to collar those bonus points, I think we got it. I laughed at “collar ID.”

      I should be done with the shed this week. The snowblower is at the shop for a tune-up, and I will be ready for whatever fall and winter brings to us.

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  20. What a great visit to the bar with the honorable guest John Howell!

    The shed is looking good, and the Marigolds in bloom! A sure sign that fall is coming…and fast!

    Going to click on over to amazon and buy the Kindle version since I need the bigger fonts these days. Aging isn’t for wimps is it?

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    1. Thanks Deborah. I’m sticking with paper, but we won’t talk about where I have to hold it, relative to my face ;) I’m glad you enjoyed this and I’m glad you like the editing work on that bourbon bottle.

      The shed should be done by this time next week.

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  21. This is such an entertaining way of doing a book promotion, Dan. Great stuff. I was interested to read this article as it had a few things hidden in it that I didn’t know, like that John wanted to be a journalist. I also did, but I became the chartered accountant in my family and helped pay for my sisters to study to do the fun things like journalism.

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    2. Yeah, I ran out of time in College, Robbie. I needed a couple of courses for a journalism degree but was already hired by Procter and Gamble. I had no choice but to go to work, so I picked a Social Science major, grabbed the degree in December, and went to work in January. Thanks for stopping.

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  22. You had me at Lucifer. LOL. The book is floating through time and space to my Kindle as we speak. I just need a hard lemonade and peanuts so I can curl up on the couch and get started. How cool is this!!

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  24. This is such a great way to feature Eternal Road! You just can’t go wrong with a good brew and great bourbon, throw in some talented company and you’re on a sure-fire winner., Thanks for a highly entertaing post, folks.👍

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  25. I love the book’s premise and enjoyed reading how the characters hung around and insisted on a whole novel. I’m not a beer or bourbon fan, but that Mike’s Lemonade sounds like just the thing for happy hour (coming up in 2 hours and 36 minutes… 35). Love John’s car… it occurred to me that I’m a ’56 Olds too!

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  27. What a fun post, Dan, and thanks for hosting John. I’m so happy his book tour is thriving! I’m not into bourbon, but it’s almost wine time, so “Cheers” to more wonderful posts for John’s book!
    ~Lauren

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  29. How wonderful to meet John at the bar! The story and introductions – and of course the new book – were well done. Excellent post, Dan. Best of all, Tiny came into the conversation. I do hope that John writes a Tiny Top Ten one day. Dan, you you have a Mike’s Hard Lemonade at the end of the day and not a Corona? You will miss the early morning walks when the school busses begin.

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    1. I’m glad you enjoyed this, Karen. We, well, David has John to thank for the bourbon. Cheryl used to serve Woodford Reserve. John suggested, Willett a long time ago and we started calling it John Howell’s Bourbon. This crazy series at the bar has been evolving for a few years.

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  36. How exciting it’s been meeting you in person, John! I read Pam’s review of your book and also looked it up on Amazon. I need to snag my copy. It sounds so intriguing. 👏🏻👏🏻
    Lovely photos Dan. And I think I speak for everyone when I day we love Maddie’s photobombing.
    That tool is the Gatling gun of nail shooters, man! Hubs would like it. Lol And that remodel will be the Taj Mahal of workshops.
    Thanks for the meet and greet. Now I’m off to buy a book! 😀

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    1. It was great for you to work the bar for this meeting, Cheryl. the best bourbon, and the best bartender – a recipe for success.

      I know you guys like Maddie’s photobombing – I think she knows it too – she’s getting worse.

      I would be a bruised and bloody mess if I had to put those shingles down by hand.

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