Saturday, December 22, 2012

Merry Christmas



They’re not wrapped up neatly and I guess that it shows
            I didn’t have boxes, ribbons, or bows.
But the Spirit of Christmas isn’t in what is given
            Or how much you spend or how far one has driven.
No, it’s much more important, for down deep inside
            Of the heart of the giver is where Christmas abides.
So I made from the gifts a small wreath ‘round the tree
            And they’re given with love that flows to you from me.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

COLDWATER by Diana Gould



The following is a review of a book coming soon. When you see it on the shelves, give it a try.

COLDWATER by Diana Gould

Brett Tanager is a mess.  Her world, once filled with love, money, and power, has been destroyed by alcohol and drugs.  Largely shunned by her wealthy friends, Brett is diminished to an occasional house-sitting job and handouts from friends.

Until the day her distraught step-daughter asks for her help in finding a missing friend, Brett’s life is totally focused on her self and her addictions.  Once she realizes there are needs far greater than her own, Brett’s path to redemption is clear.

COLDWATER is a vivid and harrowing picture of life among Hollywood’s rich and powerful, young and old alike.  Secrets that tear families apart are brought to light as a vicious murder is investigated.  Diana Gould, herself a screen writer, has done an excellent job in depicting what goes on behind the silver screen.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Tales out of School, ...



 ... or a lesson in homophones.

A somewhat petulant first grader proclaimed in a clear southern drawl, "I need internet to work on my project and this computer doesn't have internet.  That one does."  A finger pointed to a computer where a little girl sat working.

"But that one is in use, you'll have to wait your turn," the teacher replied.

"But she doesn't belong here.  She says she does but she doesn't.  She's a-lyin'."

This response rankles the teacher, so she takes the child aside.  "We don't use words like that here.  There are much better words to use than that."

"But she is, she is a-lyin."  Teardrops glisten in the corner of the child's eyes.

Now the teacher is really rankled.  "What did I just tell you about using words like that?" she asked in her finest teacher's voice.

"But she is, see?"  A finger directed the teacher's gaze to the wall where each student was grouped with an animal as their identifying badge.

"I'm a Monkey, and she's a Lion.  It's the Monkeys' turn now."

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Mi casa es su casa?


Had a bird in the house today.  A house wren built a nest near our front door, and laid a clutch of three eggs.  We noticed the next and the eggs earlier this year, and have been avoiding the front door to keep from disturbing momma and her babies.

This morning, a visitor rang the front doorbell.  When the door opened, one of the barely fledged wrens fluttered into the house and hid in the family room.  A careful hunt found him huddled in a corner.

The open garage door gave him a path of escape.  Cautiously, I herded him toward the doorway.  After several false starts, he finally understood and flew out the garage.  Whew, that was enough adventure for one day.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Tribute to Norway


Land of fjords, mountains, waterfalls, forests, beautiful cities and beautiful people.  This poem was written several years ago and was published in the 2007 edition of Wordsmith.  It came rushing back to mind during our recent visit to Norway, so I offer it here with slight modification.




Climb with me the rugged stair
            With wonder gaze on mountain lair
            Breathe deep once more the cleansing air.

 

On bank of silver brook we rest
            Midst golden flowers dew caressed
            As eagles soar o’er mountain crest.


Unblemished waters in their flow
            Wash mountain stone with melted snow
            And nurture verdant field below.


Sunday, July 8, 2012





Norway is incredibly beautiful.  We had a wonderful time on our vacation, but of course are glad to be home.  The picture above is one of over a hundred, this one was taken in Olden, a beautiful village of about 300 or so people.  We were privileged to visit Olden, Skjolden, Molde, Alesund, Bergen, Geiranger, and Stavenger.  Each stop was an absolute wonder of beautiful scenery and wonderful people.

DOG ISLAND continues to do well, thanks to all of you.  It would be great to see a few more reviews, so if you feel so inclined, stop by either Amazon or Barnes and Noble and post your review.  And the blog has now exceeded 1000 visitors, but no one offered a comment.  Don't be shy, let me know you have stopped by.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Trip to Amsterdam

Since I'm not a travel writer I hadn't thought about posting on our trip, but I am a writer, and I do travel, so here goes.

First, the flight to Amsterdam.  Using the last of my frequent flier miles, DW and I boarded Delta Airlines flight 33 to Amsterdam. 

Springing the extra $ for "Comfort Economy" was definitely not worth it.  There is very little comfort afforded by the very narrow, rigid sided seats, the "50% extra recline" allows the seat to go back an extra inch or so.  The extra leg room is nice, but I could not get my legs into a comfortable position the entire flight.

Dutch immigration was very easy, once our luggage was recovered from baggage claim it was simply a matter of walking out the "Nothing to Declare" door.  Sweet, the Dutch have figured out a way to simplify the process, maybe we could follow suit?

The Amsterdam Marriott people could not be better.  Our room is nicely appointed, clean, and fresh.  The concierge is helpful, and everyone goes out of their way to make guests feel comfortable. They helped us with train schedules to Maastricht for a day trip to our favorite city in the Netherlands.

Maastricht was very busy with weekenders enjoying the mid-summer festivities.  A violin concert in the Friethof brought large crowds who filled the outdoor cafes, enjoying the long summer day.  The shops offered large "korting", or discounts, on their merchandise.  It was a very enjoyable day.

One word of caution, however.  Europeans are migrating to credit cards embedded with chips rather than the magnetic stripes commonly found on American credit cards.  We ran into two occasions where our credit cards were unusable, resulting in the depletion of our stock of Euros.  Since credit cards offer better exchange rates and lower conversion costs, using the cards are cheaper than converting cash or travelers checks to local currency.  But if your card doesn't have the chip, it may not work in all cases.  Of course, hotels will still accept the magnetic strips, but we ran into one restaurant that did not and the Dutch train system did not, either.  So, check with your credit card company to see if they offer the embedded chip before you embark on your European vacation.

That's all for now, more to follow......

Sunday, June 17, 2012

1000 Visitors

DW and I are going on vacation later this week, and will be out for two weeks.  I'll post more on the blog when we get back.

Meanwhile, we are approaching the 1000th visitor to the blog site.  Be sure to leave a comment, for the first one to leave a comment along with their email address will win a prize!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Hometowns

I grew up in a small town in Michigan. Attended the same school my mother attended.  The home we lived in is gone, but the memories linger.  To give a little back, I donated a batch of DOG ISLAND books for sale at the local museum - all revenue from the sale to be split evenly between the museum and the local volunteer fire department.

The results of the first weekend sales are in - DOG ISLAND sold a whopping six books.  Not bad for a town with a population of 350.  Salute, as they used to say on Hee-Haw.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Memorial Day

This weekend is our annual remembrance of our brave military members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to provide us with the freedom and liberty that we enjoy today.  Please also keep in your prayers the family members left behind, the sacrifice of sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, lovers - should not be overlooked.


A tear slides down her cheek and spills
 its dampness on her pillow in the night.
She lies awake and wonders if this ache
 within her heart will ever fade away.
She conjures up a tepid smile in hope of
banning demons to the corners of her mind.
But dullness in her eyes betrays the sadness that she hides
so well as she throws the curtains open at the start of yet another lonely day.

There’s a grave that lies within the soil of a country on the far side of the sea
Beneath the cross there lies a man who gave his life in the fight for liberty.
This is the day we set aside to remember those who paid the price
For we know too well that freedom is not free.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Nook Version

Things are moving very fast.  DOG ISLAND is now available on Nook as well as Kindle.  Thanks to the wonderful staff at Oak Tree Press, DOG ISLAND can be found almost anywhere.  If you want to purchase a copy, here are the links:

     Barnes and Noble, paperback and Nook versions

     Amazon, paperback and Kindle versions

Thank you to family, friends, and fans who have made this launch a huge success.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

DOG ISLAND on Kindle

Just received word that DOG ISLAND is now available on Kindle.  This is terrific news, quite a few fans have been asking when the Kindle edition will be available.  Here is the link  DOG ISLAND Kindle Edition.

And a huge THANK YOU to everyone who bought the paperback edition. 

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Interview at Examiner.com

Terry Ambrose, Crime Fiction Examiner at Examiner.com, posted an interview where we discussed DOG ISLAND.  Stop by and check it out!  Here is the link ... Examiner Interview


Thursday, April 26, 2012

Murder on the Beach

Stopped by Murder on the Beach, an terrific little book shop in Delray Beach that specializes in mysteries.  Signed a couple of books, so if anyone is in S. Florida and would like a copy of DOG ISLAND, hie thyself to Delray Beach and pick one up!

Monday, April 16, 2012

A little press

DOG ISLAND is getting a little publicity.  This appeared on our local news website.....

http://springhill.wtsp.com/news/entertainment/114107-g-thomas-gill-spring-hill-authors-mystery

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Friday the 13th

It's time to load up your Kindle.  On Friday the thirteenth of April, there will be a free book bonanza from some of my favorite authors.  I don't know all of their works, but I can assure you that Timothy Hallinan is one of the best there is, and I am also familiar with Bonnie Hearn Hill's work, and she is terrific as well.

So hit this link http://www.amazon.com/lm/RXUK7UVMTPUOH/ref=cm_lm_pthnk_view?ie=UTF8&lm_bb=

and load up your Kindle with some fine writing.  And if you enjoy these writers, please leave a five star review on Amazon.  It helps create the "buzz" needed in today's market.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Now Available!

The dry throat is slaked, the wet palms are dry, and the butterflies have flown elsewhere.  DOG ISLAND is now available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

When looking for it, please do not confuse my novel with Mike Stewart's work of the same name.  The best way to find it is to search the book section of each site for "G Thomas Gill".

And I offer a huge "thank you" to everyone who helped make this possible.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Tales out of School

Every once in a while, DW comes home with a story from school. Yesterday was one of those days.

A test was given, and one of the questions was "Bessie says there are more ounces in a ton than pounds. True or false, explain."

One child answered, "True. I know because Bessie is an A+ student."

Monday, February 6, 2012

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is coming up, and it always brings out the romantic in me.

A love song

If I could write a song for you, this is what I’d say,
I’d tell you how a glimpse of you can take my breath away.
To have you wake beside me, at the dawning of each day,
I’d say I love you.

The easy way you laugh out loud while watching children play,
The rhythm of you breathing when your dreams take you away
The color of your eyes is like the seas off St. Tropez,
I’d say I love you.

I know it’s all been said before, a thousand different ways,
In a million different stories, or songs or even plays.
I don’t care if it sounds trite, don’t care that it’s cliché,
I’d say I love you.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

One Year

This blog has been active for a year now, and I offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has stopped by.

This has been a very eventful year. DOG ISLAND, the story of a young couple pursued across Florida by a drug smuggling ring, has been picked up by Oak Tree Press and is tentatively scheduled to debut on February 20.

I've also done a bit of traveling in the last year. Some of the places I've visited include Montreal, the wilds of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Trinidad, and Belize. You may well see these locations featured in upcoming novels.

Work is (slowly) progressing on two more novels, and the idea for a third has been fleshed out. My New Year's resolution is getting at least one finished this year.

So, an eventful year has passed. Again, thanks to you for taking time to read this blog. Come often and browse, leave a comment or two.