BEFORE THE FALL by Orna Ross: some thoughts

This is a five-star novel. Ross has a nice way with words. A couple of examples: “the one he likes best is the one who comes out when we’re home, snuggled up, three quarters of the way down a bottle of wine.” Or, “Dirty dishes accumulate in my sink until furred.” Her description of a plunge into alcoholism is grand, as the Irish might say. There is so much written about “roots.” The protagonist of this novel overcomes her roots, triumphs over the society into which she was born and her family ties to emerge as a startlingly independent, fulfilled woman. She takes the reader to unexpected places: backwater Ireland, to London, to San Francisco, where she is the most interesting. I suffer from an affliction, perhaps, of living in the modern world, but I was halfway through the novel before I realized what the title meant, who was the fallen.

A suggestion: My novel, THE PENCIL ARTIST is available as an e-book on Smashwords, Kindle, and Barnes and Noble; as a paperback on Amazon.

For Science Fiction fans: OOOEELIE by Kenneth C. Crowe

A woman named Raine gave my novel, OOOEELIE, its first review, suggesting that Science Fiction fans would enjoy the book. The review on Shelfari: Rated 4 stars “I needed a book to read and I looked on my kindle and started OOOEELIE. it starts out about a couple whose marriage is on the rocks, and it seemed pretty interesting. Then I got to Chapter 9. If you can make it past Chapter 9 (where it is explained how Oooeelie is a descendant/reincarnate of a dog who landed on earth from outer space and taught man how to communicate) you will really enjoy this book. I'm not a science fiction book reader, but this one was really good. I really couldn't put it down. I liked the story of Joanna and how her life changed and also how her husband Gil was able to reinvent himself. The story of the Wesos Foundation and how the (foundation) tracked Oooeelie kept the story going. The ending was perfect! You can tell that this book was written by a man by some of the descriptions of the love/sex escapades. Oooeelie was not what I expected, but it was really enjoyable. I think Science Fiction fans would really like this. Give it a try!” Raine wrote this review 2 days ago.

A suggestion: My novel, THE PENCIL ARTIST is available as an e-book on Smashwords, Kindle, and Barnes and Noble; as a paperback on Amazon.

Oooeelie by Kenneth C. Crowe is free

After two years of indecision, I decided to turn my e-novel OOOEELIE into a freebie on Smashwords, which means it will be free on Barnes and Noble, Apple, and Sony. Of course, I would like to make money from my writing, but what tipped me into making OOOEELIE gratis is my desire for an ever larger readership. I am approaching an overall total of 50,000 downloads of my various novels. Three of them have been offered to readers without of charge, obviously the preference of my audience. Adding OOOEELIE to the free mix hopefully will speed me to my 50,000 download goal. A brief description of the novel: The book opens in the backyard of a house on Long Island overlooking Huntington Harbor. There is a husband, a wife, and a beautiful dog, an Airedale with the strange name of Oooeelie. There is a sense of a growing distance, of marital discord between the man and the woman, Gil and Joanna Tyrling. Gil’s business ventures are collapsing; his body, his spirit, and his marriage are tumbling too. He longs for something better, something that seems beyond his reach. And so does the dog. The reader will soon discover Oooeelie is no ordinary Airedale, but the reincarnation of a canine creature who taught man to speak tens of thousands of years ago. Like the hero of all good dog stories, Oooeelie is on an unrelenting quest to return to the home he loves. That place happens to be millions of light years away on a planet in Sirius System, and Oooeelie has been trying to get there ever since he crashed onto earth in a spaceship gone awry.

A suggestion: My novel, THE PENCIL ARTIST is available as an e-book on Smashwords, Kindle, and Barnes and Noble; as a paperback on Amazon.

THE FEAR INDEX by Robert Harris in perspective

The Fear Index: The lesson to be learned: How to take a used subject and turn into a very readable novel. The story is derivative. I saw a major piece of the theme in a television drama back in the 50s, maybe the 60s, and of course there was the novel, FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley, written in the Nineteenth Century with another, very large piece of the theme.
Like all Robert Harris’ novels, it is well worth reading

A suggestion: My novel, THE PENCIL ARTIST is available as an e-book on Smashwords, Kindle, and Barnes and Noble; as a paperback on Amazon.

Discovering A.H. Raskin’s review of COLLISION by Kenneth C. Crowe

One of the great disappointments of my writing life was the failure of the New York Times to review COLLISION, my book about Teamsters for a Democratic Union and the election of Ron Carey to the presidency of the union in 1992.
When COLLISION was published in February, 1993, I was told in confidence by Moe Foner of 1199, the hospital workers union, that A.H. Raskin, the great labor writer, had written a review of the book for the New York Times. Moe was a mutual friend of both Raskin and me.
I so looked forward to reading what Abe Raskin (whom I greatly admired) had to say about my book. Eventually, COLLISION was reviewed by the Washington Post, Newsday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer; the list goes on of major newspapers and magazines all over the country. But it doesn’t include the New York Times.
Raskin, who had been ill for some time, died at the age of 82 in December, 1993.
I had always wondered whether he finished the review and then: I was roaming the internet where I discovered a reference to Raskin’s papers including “Review of Collision by Kenneth C. Crowe undated.”
Finally, I could read what Raskin said about my book.
I went to New York University’s Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, where I discovered that the Raskin papers had been processed in 2011 by project archivist Daniel Michelson.
I love Abe Raskin’s review. These excerpts explain why:
“In ‘Collision’, written by Kenneth C. Crowe, we find an accurate, brilliant, fact-filled chronology of the plight of the rank and file in their attempt to take back the reins of power.
“For the student of labor wishing to be well versed in the inner revolution of the rank and file against the stronghold of the mob, this book will serve as an invaluable source of information...
“Citing the difficult rise to authority in the blatantly non-democratic Teamsters, the book describes the struggle of those such as the brave and devotedly committed union patriot, Ronald Carey and his 35 year ascent to his present position as president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.”
(Raskin gives credit to TDU for the significant support that rank and file organization gave to Carey.)
Raskin continued: “In years to come ‘Collision’ will be viewed as an invaluable reference book, an encyclopedia of the post-Hoffa Teamster era.”
Raskin’s assessment of the significance of COLLISION as “an invaluable reference book” has proven true. COLLISION has been cited in numerous civil and criminal lawsuits, research papers, and labor books.

A suggestion: my novel, THE TRUCKERS, has been described as a fun read. It is serious and tragic too. Try it free on Kindle, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, or Apple.

Disdain for the unpaid novelist

I looked into the eyes of a novelist friend over lunch last week and sensed disdain as I told him that I was approaching 45,000 downloads of my free ebooks, three novels: THE DREAM DANCER, THE HERO, and THE JYNX.
He put the old fashioned notion of writing for money that I saw in his eyes into words: “And how much have you been paid.” No question mark. It wasn’t a question, but I will answer it:
I wasn’t paid in cash, but the profit has come in other forms. Before I made the novels free I charged to read them, managing to sell a few dozen. I wanted a larger audience and I have achieved that along with the occasional review or “like it,” or stars.
My novelist friend’s one novel, published many years ago, is still for sale as previously owned on Amazon with other reaping the cash; and it is available in public libraries as a free read. No money to be made there either. He hasn’t been able to find a traditional publisher for his later works; I know that empty feeling.
In case you are curious, I do have three more novels for sale at modest prices on the various internet sites (Kindle, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Apple iTunes, Sony, etc. They are: OOOEELIE, THE TRUCKERS, and THE ABSCONDER.

A suggestion: My novel, THE PENCIL ARTIST is available as an e-book on Smashwords, Kindle, and Barnes and Noble; as a paperback on Amazon.

A few thoughts on THE GAME OF THRONES by George R. R. Martin

THE GAME OF THRONES by George R. R. Martin: When you read a book and want to read on, obviously that’s the sign of a good piece of writing. The Game of Thrones is a short book at 820 pages (the print version). I read it on my Kindle.
I give it five stars for entertainment, not substance. The characters—there are many protagonists--emerge in their different ways as jealous, cruel, fearless, brave, crazy, vicious, ambitious to a fault, loyal and submissive. Having said that I didn’t come away with any special perspective on human nature. The author simplified a complex cast and subject by using the technique of focusing on a single point of view in chapters entitled with a character’s name.
There are interesting touches of fantasy, an atmosphere of constant threat, and a mystery of what nightmares lay beyond the wall.

A suggestion: My novel, THE PENCIL ARTIST is available as an e-book on Smashwords, Kindle, and Barnes and Noble; as a paperback on Amazon.