Bayou Renaissance Man

 

Following my inquiry yesterday, a number of you provided useful information about conventional bows and crossbows.  Based on that, I think it would be best for me to learn how to use a crossbow before I try to write about it.  (I already know how to use a conventional bow.)

That being the case, and being on a tight budget, here are a couple more questions for the crossbow users among us.

1. What's the best entry-level crossbow on which to learn?  (By "best" I mean suitable for purpose, of reasonable quality, not a toy, not likely to break if I look at it funny.  I don't want to buy a cheap Chinesium knock-off.)  Brand and model recommendations, if you can, please.
2. How much would such a bow cost?  Is it worth looking for a used crossbow at a reduced price?  I've seen some apparent bargains, about half off the new price, but I don't know enough to tell whether they're in good condition and/or worth the money.  (If any of you know of a bargain-priced used crossbow in good condition, of worthwhile quality, please let me know.)
3. What accessories are necessary, and which are merely handwavium?  I'm sure I don't need a thermal or laser sight as a student!  I'm a total novice, so any and all input is valued.

Thanks again.

Peter

 

Jennifer Hast and her husband have been part of our team at the North Texas Troublemakers for years, even though they live in Oklahoma and can only occasionally get down our way.  They've been regulars at our annual Blogorado gathering, too.

Sadly, Jennifer has just been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Both her mother and her sister have already survived this disease, so as you can imagine, she's taking it very seriously.  She's asking for help with some big medical expenses, plus the cost of being off work for a month to recover from the procedure.  You can read all about it at her GiveSendGo fund-raiser.  She was in the process of starting her own business, but that's obviously on hold until she can put this behind her.

My wife and I have already donated, and we'll both be very grateful if you'll please read what Jennifer has to say, then contribute what you can to help her get through this.  She's worth it.  (I'm not just saying that because of the utterly delicious lumpia she sometimes brings to Blogorado, either!  They're a bonus. If I could figure out how to wheedle a lumpia out of her for every $10 my readers contribute, I would in a heartbeat!)

Thanks in advance.

Peter

 

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that our buddy Lawdog, whom most of you know, is having a fundraiser to cover legal expenses for what I regard as a trumped-up, malicious charge.  You can read more about the case at Old NFO's place.  Follow the links he provides to see what Lawdog's friends are offering as raffle prizes to those who contribute.

The fundraiser has been pretty successful so far, raising over $40K.  However, I know what lawsuits can cost in terms of legal fees, and $40K doesn't leave much margin for error at all - particularly when taxes have to be paid on funds raised like that.  I'd love to see Lawdog's fundraiser hit $50K, which would be enough (I think) to meet all likely demands on his bank account over this matter.

If you've already donated to the fundraiser, thank you very much!  Your generosity is greatly appreciated.  If you haven't - or if you have, but are willing to consider more - please click over to his fundraiser and do what you can to help.  Lawdog's a good man, as I said in my earlier post, and I really want to see him come through this free and clear, without being tied up for years in debt to his lawyer and expert witnesses.

Thanks muchly.

Peter

 

Our mutual friend Lawdog, who's a blogger and a writer as well as a recently-retired peace officer, has been fighting a legal battle for the past two years.

I can't say too much about it prior to the court case, but basically he was accused of unprofessional conduct - which I don't believe for a moment.  It involved a very violent situation that had to be resolved right then and there, for fear of injury to others, and he did so very effectively, IMHO.  As one who's worked with law enforcement in a prison setting for a number of years, I applauded when I heard about the incident - and I still do.  Sadly, some of the "woke" influence in law enforcement appears to have rubbed off on others involved, resulting in bleating, moaning and misdemeanor charges against him.  You can hear the man himself talk about it on a recent livestream with Old NFO.  The video is here:  the relevant excerpt starts at 14 min. 4 sec. into the clip.  Please click over there to view it.

I give Lawdog my highest possible personal seal of approval.  When my wife and I moved here almost eight years ago, it was primarily because of his presence;  being friends, we wanted to be closer to him, as well as live in an area offering greater security and peace and quiet.  He's become an even better friend since then, to both of us.  If my wife's life were in danger for any reason, and I desperately needed someone to get her out of it, Lawdog is one of the top three people in the world I'd call upon for aid;  and she and I know he'd respond without a second thought.  He's that kind of guy.  It goes without saying that, knowing him as I do, I regard him as innocent of the charges brought against him.

Sadly, Lawdog has expended his available funds on pre-trial legal costs and other defensive measures.  A peace officer's salary isn't great at the best of times, particularly not in smaller towns and cities in Texas, so he's never had the opportunity to accumulate much in the way of savings.  He's launched a fund-raiser to help pay for future costs.  My wife and I are already all-in on that, and will remain so.  I'd like to ask you, dear readers - particularly those who've read Lawdog's books - to please help him out as well.  I can't think of a worthier cause than his.  I'll be personally very grateful if you'll please click over to his fundraiser and do what you can to help.  Good lawyers and expert witnesses ain't cheap!

Thanks in advance.

Peter

 

The Intrepid Reporter, whom we've mentioned several times in these pages, is fighting a legal battle to gain legal custody of one of his grandchildren.  It's a horror story of competing interests, different laws in multiple jurisdictions, bureaucrats and emotions that's been painful to follow.  You can read about it here at the fundraiser he's launched to deal with legal and other costs.

To summarize, his granddaughter was spirited out of his state, Florida, by her mother, who took her to Tennessee.  He and his wife followed, and gained a brief legal respite, but the child has since been taken in by Child Protective Services while the matter is being resolved.  She appears to have already suffered some harm from the process and the stress.  How it will turn out is anybody's guess, but all we can do is hope for the best for the poor girl.  It's always the kids who are the real victims in something like this.

At any rate, having followed the saga for a long time through his blog posts, I'm going to support his efforts, and donate to his fund-raiser.  I'll be very grateful to you, dear readers, if you'll please consider doing the same.  We can't help everyone in this world, but now and again we get the chance to make a difference for someone.  I think this is one such occasion.

(Oh - one last thing.  The amount the fundraiser is trying to achieve is a guesstimate.  Legal fees and other costs can amount to many times that total.  I know.  As a pastor, I've been involved in several such cases, and I've learned the hard way how expenses can spiral.  Therefore, even if the target amount is shown as having been reached, please donate anyway.  I'd say the odds are all too high that the costs will exceed the target.)

Thanks.

Peter

 

As most readers are aware, back in 2004 I was seriously injured in a work-related accident.  After two surgeries, culminating in a spinal fusion, I ended up with a damaged left sciatic nerve, and in pain 24/7/365.  I can keep the latter under control if I work at it, and use pain-killers when needed, but it's no fun.  It's restricted my mobility, so that I can't walk too far without needing a stick, and not much further before I have to sit down and let the pain subside before going on.  Running is out of the question, and my sense of balance is also affected, so that cycling (on roads, anyway) can be tricky.

Another result of the injury was that my neurosurgeon told me I'm restricted to carrying not more than 25 pounds for the rest of my life.  I'm afraid I've honored that more in the breach than in the observance on occasion (try moving house carrying only 25 pounds at a time!), but generally the pain issue has helped forced me to observe it more-or-less faithfully.  I'd hoped to do more strength training to compensate for the enforced lack of aerobic exercise (see preceding paragraph), but found that I simply couldn't tolerate very much weight on a barbell before my back went on strike and started hurting me badly.  To add to my difficulties, over time I've developed arthritis in my spine, which I'm told is a normal side-effect after a spinal fusion.  It adds to the pain burden and further restricts flexibility.

I've been struggling to find a "middle way", some form of exercise that can help keep me a little fitter than a jellyfish, but won't trigger my pain reflex or mobility issues.  I've been working out with dumbbells rather than barbells, because a dumbbell doesn't rest on my shoulders or neck or spine, making it less stressful.  I can add weight to a pair of dumbbells, as heavy as my restrictions will allow, and use them in movement exercises to keep my muscles in trim.  (There are lots of exercises that use them.)  I haven't tried kettlebells to any great extent yet, but may do so soon.  (On the other hand, is it worth using kettlebells when one's already using dumbbells?  Will readers with experience of both comment, please?)

I'm trying to combine dumbbells with step training.  The latter has been used for decades as a conditioning exercise for new workers on South African mines, and I'm familiar with the way they do (or did) it.  I can't do it for long periods or at high intensity, but I can manage a few steps up and down while using a dumbbell in various exercises, then take a break before doing it again.  (I seem to use a lot more weight on my dumbbells than is seen in most videos of step exercises.  Those things are tiny!)  I hope the added workout will help my cardiovascular health to at least some extent.

Are there any other alternatives for someone in my position?  I'd appreciate suggestions from readers, please.  I don't want to die because I've become an unfit slob, but compared to most people my age, that's what I am, because I can't exercise anything like as hard or as fast as they do.  If you can offer suggestions, please do so in Comments.

Thanks.

Peter

 

I've just learned that installing a ductless, split-level air-conditioning unit in my new garden shed/utility building will be financially out of my reach.  A quote obtained early this year was about $2K, but one obtained this week is literally double that, with one option reaching almost three times as much.  It looks like the supply chain crunch has cleaned out the older stock of units, and the only ones available now cost an arm and a leg.  Guess what I won't be buying?

The alternative is to install a window A/C unit for summer use.  (In winter I'll plug in an oil-filled radiator, which'll take the edge off the cold at an affordable energy cost.)  Yes, a window unit's not ideal, and if anything goes wrong you basically have to throw it away and buy a new one:  but it'll cost only about a tenth of a split-level unit, so it's something I can afford.  It'll be a smaller unit, about 10-12,000 BTU, because the building isn't very large.  However, I'm in a quandary about mounting it.  In a metal building there's almost no wall thickness to speak of, so the "conventional" window frame or wall mount simply won't work.  The thin metal will probably buckle under the strain.  Clearly, I'm going to have to mount some sort of reinforcing bracket (see, for example, this one), but that, too, depends on a wall 4"-11" thick.  I haven't (yet) found one that can work on a metal wall less than 1/4" thick.

I guess one solution is to build a makeshift window sill out of wood, on the inside of the wall, with a panel below the window to take support bracket screws, and "legs" that reach the floor to support the weight.  However, is there a better way?  Can readers who've had to do this suggest an alternative?  If so, please let us know in Comments.  I'm sure I'm not the only person who could use such advice.  If you can include a suggestion on where to find anything specific you mention, that would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

 

The name of Bill Jeans and his training company, Morrigan Consulting, will be familiar to many in the shooting world.  Bill, a US Marine Corps and Vietnam combat veteran, was an instructor for the late Col. Jeff Cooper at Gunsite during the 1980's, and served as Operations Manager there during much of the 1990's.  He also served for several decades as a law enforcement officer, and traveled internationally to train other police and security services in the use of firearms.

Bill had a serious medical episode a couple of weeks ago that saw him admitted to hospital, where he underwent surgery.  He's apparently making good progress with his recovery (despite discussions among his "friends" about how to smuggle Irish whiskey into the Intensive Care unit for him, which are causing conniption fits among the doctors who know him!).  It looks like he'll be all right in due course, but he's got a long road to recovery ahead of him, and some pretty hefty medical bills to pay.

Friends of Bill have set up a GoFundMe fund-raiser for him.  If you remember Bill with affection or respect, or would simply like to help a man who's given his all to his country and the defensive shooting world, I'd like to ask you to click over there and make whatever donation you can afford.  He deserves our help, IMHO, having helped so many others for so long.  (Cash would be preferred, rather than Irish whiskey!)

Thanks in advance.

Peter

 

Mike Hendrix, who blogs at Cold Fury, has been admitted to hospital with a case of poisoning that's turned into a SERIOUS, potentially deadly infection.  I'll let fellow blogger Big Country Expat (a.k.a. The Intrepid Reporter) explain, from a post he left at Cold Fury, where he's also one of the contributors.

I just got word that my brother-from-another-mother Mike Hendrix, late of the famed rockabilly band The Belmont Playboys and more recently of the Blog "Cold Fury", has gotten seriously hemmed up medically speaking. Last Thursday after a slightly prolonged absence from his blog, I reached out to him to find out WTF was going on and I heard back that he'd come down with a nasty case of food poisoning.

Since then, apparently something faaar MOR serious happened.

His brother (actual) Jeff called me tonight as I left one of my more 'colorful messages' on his phone (in possession currently by his sainted lil ole Lady Mom) who apparently when she recovered from my diatribe, had Jeff call me to fill me in on whats up.

Essentially Mike's seriously ****** up.

Food Poisoning turned out to be a MAD infection. His diabeetus didn't help the issue, so they had to lop off his foot, then his leg, as the infection was/is spreading. They're fixin' to make it even MOR stumpy as the infection still isn't under control. He's in critical/ICU level condition, but NOT COVID related thank the Gods.

So, My brother-from-another-mother, henceforth now known as "Peg-Leg Mikey" is gonna have some serious medical bills and life altering needs.

There's more at the link.  It sounds very serious indeed:  if they've amputated part of his leg twice, and are considering a third round, that probably means he's been fighting off (or failing to fight off) gangrene.  That's really bad news.

You'll find a fundraiser for Mike at this link.  If you've enjoyed his writing at Cold Fury, please consider donating to his support.  I've done so, and I'm passing the word on behalf of BCE.  Mike's one of the (very) good guys, and I'm sure he'll appreciate the help, as will his family.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

EDITED TO ADD, ON THURSDAY EVENING:  BCE has posted an update about Mike's condition on his blog.  He's still in a bad way, but appears to be holding his own.  A big "Thank you!" to everyone who's donated so far.

 

Miss D. and I live in a relatively small house.  It's perfectly adequate for our needs, particularly since both of us have suffered serious injuries in the past, and aren't as mobile and limber as we once were.  We find that, working together, we can keep our home neat and tidy;  but a larger house would probably be too taxing.  We're happy here.

Nevertheless, it would be useful to have a little extra space.  At present our garden shed is a ramshackle 8'x8' structure that a previous owner appears to have built himself.  It's not very strong, and one of these days it's going to fall over.  We're thinking about building a better garden shed.  One half of it would be to store garden equipment and supplies that should not be in the house (for example, propane gas bottles, jerrycans of fuel and so on).  The other half would be a small office for me, a place to write where I'm not plagued by cats wanting attention or other distractions.

There are lots of very attractive office sheds out there.  For example, see here, or here.  Trouble is, many of those sheds are rather expensive.  We're on a tight budget, so we simply can't afford them.  We have to look for something simpler and (much!) cheaper.  That's where you come in, dear readers.

Have any of you built or bought garden sheds for use as a home office or creative studio?  If so, what did you buy, what did it cost you, how have you found working there rather than in the house, and what are your overall impressions?  Also, please go into details like what size shed works for you, and the materials used to build it.  Here in north Texas, we'll undoubtedly have to insulate it and provide an air-conditioner for summer use (and a heater for the winter).  Have you done the same?

(Also, if any of you work for a shed manufacturer or distributor or retailer, and can offer us a good deal, please leave a note in Comments.  I'm not talking about spam like "Buy our sheds!" - I'll delete any such comments - but individuals who are offering to help.  Thanks!)

I've considered a repurposed shipping container.  These are available at reasonable cost for what they are, and they're certainly much stronger and more weatherproof than the average shed.  However, they're also unsightly in a domestic setting;  and my wife gets a vote in this!  Reluctantly, I've decided that they're probably not suitable right now.  Nevertheless, if you've used one for such a purpose, I'd really like to hear from you.  That may be the most cost-effective solution available to us - and who knows?  I could always put siding on the thing!

I'll be grateful for your input.  Thanks in advance.

Peter

 

(To those waiting for my traditional Monday morning "Memes That Made Me Laugh" post, it's coming!  Check back shortly after 9 a.m. Central time.)

The fifth volume in my ongoing Ames Archives series of Western novels has just been published, in e-book and paperback.  It's titled "Silver In The Stones".  (A grateful tip o' the hat to fellow author, blogger and good friend Alma Boykin for coming up with that title.)  The cover image is, as always for this series so far, one of Frederic Sackrider Remington's works.

The blurb reads:

What comes with a silver boom? Backstabbers, claim-jumpers and con men - and that’s just the start.

Walt Ames is working hard to keep his horse ranch afloat and his transport business in motion when silver is discovered on his property. It’s going to take cunning, determination and more than a little luck to investigate the claim while others are trying to kill him for it.

Can he keep his business and integrity intact, or is everything Walt loves going to fall prey to the perils of a silver rush?

For a foretaste of what it's about, I published two excerpts from it in prior "teaser" blog posts, here and here.

This is a very important book for me, because it's the culmination of two years of hard work to get back into the writing game.  After suffering a heart attack (my second) in November 1919, followed by two bouts with COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, my writing muse took an extended vacation and left me hanging.  It was a difficult time, because I depend on my writing to make a living.  Fortunately, I had some reserves, and sold a large chunk of my gun collection.  Your support through several raffles last year helped bring in enough to keep body and soul together.

I tried hard to keep writing, even though the medications I was using and general physical lassitude often made this difficult.  I found that I would often get bogged down in a particular book if I focused on it for too long, so I started working on up to six books at the same time.  If I found myself blocked on one, I'd shift to another, work a few days on it, then try a third.  That helped me to work through the mental and physical blocks, and produce at least some output.  As a result, all of those books are now well on the way to completion, and I hope to publish one every couple of months over the next year or so.  There are two new series (probably trilogies) among them, plus a number of continuation volumes of existing series.

This novel required a huge amount of research.  It touches on so many critical historical elements that I spent literally months going into them before I began writing.  (My wife described in an article yesterday some of the research we did in Colorado.  That trip was to prepare for this book and the next one, which will deal with the "railroad wars".  I traveled most of the routes described in this book, and saw most of the mining locations mentioned, both existing and "ghost" towns.  I learned a lot.)  Every fact I've mentioned in this book is historically accurate.  I hope you'll enjoy its wider, more in-depth look at the issues around the Wild West, compared to the usual "shoot-'em-up" scenarios found in pulp Westerns.

I'd like to ask for your help, please, readers, in two ways.

1. I hope you'll buy and enjoy the book.  Please leave an honest review on Amazon.com as soon as you finish it.  Amazon's promotion of books on its site depends to a large extent on the number of reviews each receives, with 50 reviews being pretty much a minimum for any serious boosting.  (That's actual reviews, not just a star rating without an accompanying review).  I'll be very grateful if you'll leave honest feedback there.
2. As I said, I've taken two years to come back from some pretty serious health issues, during which time my "visibility" in the indie book market has fallen away.  I really need help boosting the publicity for "Silver In The Stones", and being an independent author, I don't have a big-name publisher to do it for me.  Your help will be invaluable.  I'll be very grateful if you'll please mention this book (and my other forthcoming ones) on your social media accounts, in your blogs, and to your friends.

I hope you enjoy "Silver In The Stones".  Stand by in January, God willing, for my next book, Volume 6 of the Maxwell Saga, titled "Venom Strike".

Peter

 

I'm grateful to you, dear readers, for the encouragement many have provided over the past couple of years as I dealt with the fallout from a heart attack and two bouts with COVID-19.  They disrupted my writing very severely, but I've been on the mend and working hard.  As a result, no less than seven books are in the pipeline for the next year or so.  I've also, in recent months, been active in helping Miss D. edit, format and publish her latest two novels, "Blood, Oil and Love" and "A Perfect Day, With Explosions".  Both have been well received.

You may wonder how on earth I could write so many books, so quickly.  The answer is simple - they haven't been written quickly, but in spurts.  I found the additional medication I was taking really messed with my writing creativity, so that I couldn't focus on a project for long before I had to take a break and get my mind on other things.  As a result, I started books in a number of different genres - a Western, a Viking fantasy, space opera, military science fiction, and so on.  Depending on my mood and ability on any given day, I'd pick up one of them and write a few pages, then set it aside.  If my interest on a different day was piqued by something else, I'd pick another book and do the same.  I've thus ended up with several books that are more than half completed, and others that are coming along.  Now that I'm off the additional medications and able to focus properly on my writing once more, I'm working on completing them and publishing them.

I'll need your help in making a success of these books.  If a writer is out of the public eye for too long, he loses his "visibility" in the market.  Thanks to illness and related factors, that's where I am right now.  I'm going to have to re-establish market visibility - another reason for publishing several books in quick succession, because readers who liked one may be motivated to buy more and give them a try.  At any rate, that's what I hope will happen.  I'll ask your help in leaving honest reviews of my books, and mentioning them on your social media pages, etc. as they come out, so as to enhance their visibility.  If people don't know they're there, they won't buy them!  (Of course, if you don't like my writing, don't bother to mention them - that goes without saying.)

At any rate, the next (fifth) volume in my Ames Archives Western series, titled "Silver In The Stones", is well on the way to completion.  The cover is in preparation, based on this Frederic Remington drawing of a prospector at work.  (The original's in black-and-white;  this rendition is colorized.)

There are only a few thousand more words to be written.  I hope to publish it during the second half of November.

Also coming, although not necessarily in this order, are:

• The sixth volume in the Maxwell Saga, titled "Venom Strike".
• The third and final volume in the Laredo War Trilogy, titled "Knife To The Hilt".
• The first in a proposed trilogy of Civil War historical fiction naval novels, title as yet undecided.  This will be as accurate as I can make it from an historical perspective, because I'm tired of naval blood-and-thunder books that don't match up to the facts of the era.
• A novel (perhaps the first in a short series, perhaps stand-alone - I haven't decided yet) on space warfare in a "hard science" world (i.e. no faster-than-light travel, no handwavium about super-technologies, etc.).
• A "best of" compilation of posts from this blog, about which I asked you a few weeks ago.  There seems to be a fair amount of interest in it.
• A very practical, down-to-earth look at emergency preparations.  There's far too much emphasis in much of the available literature about "Buy this, and you'll be prepared!"  There's a lot more to it than spending money, and a lot can be done without spending much at all.  I'll try to focus on the latter, for the benefit of those of us (like yours truly) on a limited budget.

That's what's currently on the list, plus a couple of short stories for forthcoming compilations.  Seven books, no less, all currently in preparation.  If I appear short of breath sometimes, that's why!

Anyway, I'm off to write some more of the latest Ames chronicle.  I hope you'll like it when it's published next month (God willing).

Peter

 

Several readers, over the years, have suggested that I should put together a "greatest hits" sort of book based on this blog:  a collection of the articles that have attracted the greatest interest (based on the number of times each has been directly accessed), or which I think are the most important, or that are particularly requested by readers.  Such queries seem to have increased lately.

I can do this, of course;  it's not complicated to put together - but I'm honestly not sure whether the demand for it would be sufficient to justify it.  I mean, the archives of the blog are online, and it's not as if anyone interested can't just search through them to find what he or she is looking for.  I don't want to do all the work to put together a collection, only to find that nobody wants it!  On the other hand, there are those requests.  Clearly, there are some who do want it.  Specific articles they've mentioned include some about South Africa ("Remembering Mike", "Remembering Inyati", "The Night Christmas Became Real", thoughts on Nelson Mandela's death, etc.), or about terrorism ("My Heroes", "Paris And The Pain Of Being Human", etc.), or other personal recollections.

Therefore, I'll be grateful for your input.  Would you be interested in such a book (or books) if I put them together?  I'd make them short enough to be readable, and publish them as e-books and in print, at an affordable price.  If you're interested, please leave a comment to this post letting me know that, or e-mail me if you prefer (my address is in my profile in the sidebar).  If you'd like to suggest any particular article(s) for inclusion, please do that too.  Based on the overall response, I'll consider whether or not to proceed.

Thanks, friends.

Peter

 

Just a reminder that our raffle for an AR-15 pistol closes on May 31st.  You've got just fourteen days to get your entry in, as per the rules posted earlier.  Don't forget to allow for postal delays in doing so;  ideally, you should post your entry this week to be sure it reaches me by the deadline.

I've also had a number of responses requesting a raffle for a Glock pistol with an MOS slide, so that it can be equipped with a reflex (i.e. red dot) pistol sight.  I do have such a pistol in my collection, and I also have a reflex sight already mounted on it;  so I'm thinking about that as a raffle for June, after this one is over.  If you'd be interested in such a raffle, would you please let me know in Comments to this post?  (However, don't let that stop you buying a ticket for the current raffle as well!)

Thanks for your interest and support, folks.  I appreciate it very much.

Peter

I'll be very grateful if those of you who've bought and read my latest novel, "A River of Horns", fourth in the Ames Archives, my Western series, would please leave a fair and honest review on its page at Amazon.com.




I fear that launching it shortly before Christmas as I did, many people bought it, but didn't read it immediately;  and now, having done so, they're not putting up reviews.  Despite selling reasonably well, it has only 14 reviews at the time of writing (all of them very positive, but simply not enough of them).

Reviews are critical to independent authors like myself.  They tell prospective buyers what to expect, and may be the deciding factor in their decision.  Sadly, many authors (including myself) have encountered steadily declining numbers of reviews over the past couple of years.  It's not that the books aren't selling;  it's that most people seem to have "switched off" from leaving them.  That hurts us, both short- and long-term.  It affects short-term sales, and it makes building a long-term readership for future books more difficult.

Thanks in advance if you're able to help.  In fact, if you've read other books of mine and not reviewed them, please consider leaving reviews on their pages, too.  It'll be a big help.

Peter

It looks like this part of the country, as well as points north, are in for a torrid time of it this evening.  As the weather map below shows, the "dry line" blew up a couple of hours ago, and a line of severe storms is marching eastwards towards us.  We expect them to arrive by middle to late evening.




Hurricane-force wind gusts, hail up to softball size, and flash flooding are in our forecast;  and we're under a tornado watch as well.






It's likely to be an "interesting" night, in the sense of the fabled Chinese curse!  Please keep this entire area in your prayers.  Locals have long memories of earlier weather disasters, and they'd greatly prefer to avoid another one.

EDITED TO ADD:  Residents of Wellington, TX are reporting baseball-size hail earlier today.  This photograph's making the rounds of social media.




I'll pass, thanks, if given the opportunity!

Peter

Those who know the photographer Oleg Volk (a decades-long friend of mine) will also probably know his cat Gremlin, who adopted him more than a decade ago, and rules his life with an iron paw.

Sadly, Gremlin got into a fight with something bigger and more bitey than himself a few days ago.  He's in a bad way in kitty hospital.  Right now, it's unclear if he'll pull through.




His treatment and recovery is going to cost a lot, and Oleg's asking his friends to help.  He's set up a GoFundMe to cover some of the costs.  Needless to say, Miss D. and I have already contributed.

If you know Oleg, and you'd like to help, please click over to the GoFundMe page and do what you can.  Gremlin's a worthy cause, IMHO.

Peter

Here's a question for the cooks and chefs among my readers.

I've always either grilled sausages over coals, or fried them in a pan on the stove.  However, I recently bought some boerewors - South African-style farm sausage - and found it very dry, after frying it in a pan and pricking the sausages to release the fat from inside them.  The sausage itself is very tasty;  it was my method of preparation that was wanting.




I've been reading up about baking and/or roasting sausages in the oven.  It seems a common enough practice - there are even recipes for using a slow-cooker, which I'd never even thought of for sausage! - but I've no experience with that method.  In particular, I'd be worried about the sausages splitting, or spitting fat all over the inside of the oven.  To avoid that, I'm considering cooking them in a roasting pan with a lid;  but Miss D. isn't convinced that will work.

I need advice from those of you who've cooked sausages in the oven.  How did you do it?  What method has worked best for you?  Do you prick the sausages, to release the fat as they cook, or leave them intact, for the fat to bubble away inside (and perhaps burst the skins)?  Either way, how have you dealt with the fat-splattering problem?  Please let us know in Comments.  I'm sure other readers besides myself would like to know how it's done.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

Normally I don't put up regular blog posts on Sundays, instead offering something in my "Sunday Morning Music" series.  However, Kevin Baker, all-round good guy and author of "The Smallest Minority" blog, is in hospital.  He needs our help.

Let his daughter describe what's going on.  From the GoFundMe appeal she's launched:

Kevin was admitted back to the hospital last night (8/15/18) after collapsing and having to be taken by ambulance to emergency. He had just gotten out of the hospital on Tuesday.

. . .

A little about my fabulous father. This is a man who took me under his wing when I was 15 years old. I was a troubled teen and he still provided the best care and attention that any teen could ask for. He taught me how to enjoy cars, how to drive, how to change a tire, how to check my tire pressure and gun safety/shooting. A lot of survival skills that many aren't blessed to be taught. All have had a huge impact on my life.

Fast forward to more current times. His health in the past few months started to decline rapidly. He had previously been diagnosed with porphyria. They then found Cirrhosis of the liver (hereditary). Later they found a bleeding ulcer in which he became very anemic. His liver condition is progressing at a high rate of speed to the point that he has now become very confused and cannot even use the technology that he needs in order to perform his work. He has exhausted his paid time off due to this. He keeps saying that he doesn't need help but he is a very stubborn individual who doesn't like burdening others with his problems and is too proud to ask for help. So here I am.

. . .

Sorry that his is so long but I cannot express enough how much this wonderful man has made a difference in my life and his family. He has always been the greatest support for his family and friends amongst many others. Please take a moment of your time to contribute whatever you can. If you can't donate please just say a prayer. These are by far the worst times we have ever seen him in.

Thank you a million! His grateful daughter,

Jessica

There's more at the link.

I've encountered Kevin's illnesses before, as a pastor and chaplain.  Porphyria often leads to cirrhosis, and being a hereditary condition, it's often hard to detect and even harder to isolate what type the patient has.  Suffice it to say that it's not good.  Please keep Kevin in your prayers for a swift and full recovery, and his family for the emotional burden they're undoubtedly carrying right now.

The latest update on Kevin's condition is:

He had to [be] put on oxygen but has since been taken off. Bad and good news. He is coherent enough to have small conversations now. Which is more great news! However, when they did further examining they found that his kidney is not doing so well. This is not good news. Therefore he will be staying in the hospital yet another night and maybe more. We are still optimistic about him making it to his Mayo Clinic next Thursday.

Many of us know Kevin, and have already supported the GoFundMe campaign for his medical and other costs (including Miss D. and myself).  I'll be personally very grateful if you'll please show your support as well.  Kevin is good people, and has helped countless others over the years.  Now it's his turn to need help, and I hope he gets all he needs.

One important note:  If the campaign reaches its stated goal, please donate anyway.  We all know how medical expenses mount, and I'm sure the small amount his daughter has requested won't cover everything.  If we can help his family cope with that burden, they'll be better able to concentrate on giving Kevin all the love and support he needs, without financial distractions.

Thanks in advance, friends.

Peter

Pitsnipes Gripes (warning:  site content is sometimes NSFW) has a fascinating post containing GIF (i.e. animated) photographic sequences of storms.  Here's one to whet your appetite.




There are many more at the link.  Recommended viewing.  Click on each image for a larger view.

Also, I need to ask a favor of my readers.  My "Cochrane's Company" trilogy is now fully published, with the first book coming out in May, the second in June, and the final volume earlier this month.




As I write these words, the review count is as follows:

Volume 1, "The Stones of Silence" - 64 reader reviews

Volume 2, "An Airless Storm" - 32 reader reviews

Volume 3, "The Pride of the Damned" - 9 reader reviews

I really need to get more reviews for Volume 2 and (in particular) Volume 3, to help prospective readers decide whether or not to risk their hard-earned entertainment dollars on my books.  If you've read either or both books, would you please help me by leaving an honest review on each one's Web page at Amazon.com?  The links are provided above for your convenience.  Independent authors like myself rely on reviews as a very important marketing tool, and you'll help me put bread and butter on the table by doing so.  Thanks!

I should add a word of explanation to readers who want me to send them a free copy for review, or something like that.  Amazon specifically prohibits incentives to reviewers, for obvious reasons:  it wants the reviews to be fair, objective and impartial, as a legitimate indication of customer opinion.  If free product or another incentive is provided, that implies that the reviews won't be as fair, or objective, or impartial;  so it's prohibited.  I agree with Amazon on this one.  I'd rather have honest reviews from those who've bought my books, or read them via their Kindle Unlimited subscriptions - even if the reviews aren't uniformly favorable.  Honesty is a good thing here, from both the author (by not "bribing" reviewers) and the reviewer, by not looking for incentives.

Peter