At a local elementary school, all teachers are expected to help with "pick up duty". The goal is to keep the children safe as they exit the cars, so the teachers control the flow of kids by opening the doors and holding them until the child exits safely. Then they close the door and the parent can drive away.
One parent drives his child to school in a very expensive sports car. And each time the teacher let his child out, she was roundly criticized for slamming the door too hard.
The teacher quickly tired of the daily tirade. One day she answered, "Sir, I don't close your car door any differently than I close anyone else's door. I am sorry that your car sounds like a tin can."
She was never criticized again.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Angel's Perch
Angel's Perch is the story of a young architect torn between dedication to his job and love for his family. Set primarily in Cass, WV, the movie expertly captures life in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone else, and that's the way they like it. Vivid character portrayals, lovely cinematography, and the everyday beauty of living in a society where individual lives are intertwined into an unbreakable cord combine to make Angel's Perch a movie well worth seeing.
For a detailed synopsis and more information, please visit Angel's Perch website. And see the movie.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Tales out of School
A teacher gave an assignment to her students. "Use all the letters in the alphabet and write a word that begins with each letter," she instructed.
The dutiful children completed their task. While grading their work, the teacher's eye was caught by one particular paper. The "A - Apple", "B - Boy", and "C - Cookie" entries were all perfectly correct. She continued through the alphabet until she came to the letter "X". For that letter, the child wrote "Wife".
The dutiful children completed their task. While grading their work, the teacher's eye was caught by one particular paper. The "A - Apple", "B - Boy", and "C - Cookie" entries were all perfectly correct. She continued through the alphabet until she came to the letter "X". For that letter, the child wrote "Wife".
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Memorial Day
This is the day set aside to pay tribute to all those who have served in the Armed Forces of our great nation, with special emphasis on those who never came home. There is an entry devoted to the fallen soldier, and if you like, you can see this post at Memorial Day . But there are others who serve, silently and unheralded, and this post, originally published on Nov. 10, 2011, is devoted to the ones who stay at home and wait .....
Home Front
With a bloody knee he pushes his bike slowly up the lane,
He’ll try to put the training wheels back on.
There’s a little girl whose daddy won’t be watching her tonight,
As she dances in her very first ballet.
There’s a woman in the kitchen fighting silent tears alone,
It’s mac ‘n cheese for dinner once again.
She prays to God for strength to make it through another night,
And wonders when her husband’s coming home.
A faded yellow ribbon hangs in tatters on the door
The candle in the window’s lit each night.
One day a gentle wind will see our weary soldiers home
To find the peace that they’ve been fighting for.
This is the day set aside to pay tribute to all those who have served in the Armed Forces of our great nation, with special emphasis on those who never came home. There is an entry devoted to the fallen soldier, and if you like, you can see this post at Memorial Day . But there are others who serve, silently and unheralded, and this post, originally published on Nov. 10, 2011, is devoted to the ones who stay at home and wait .....
Home Front
With a bloody knee he pushes his bike slowly up the lane,
He’ll try to put the training wheels back on.
There’s a little girl whose daddy won’t be watching her tonight,
As she dances in her very first ballet.
There’s a woman in the kitchen fighting silent tears alone,
It’s mac ‘n cheese for dinner once again.
She prays to God for strength to make it through another night,
And wonders when her husband’s coming home.
A faded yellow ribbon hangs in tatters on the door
The candle in the window’s lit each night.
One day a gentle wind will see our weary soldiers home
To find the peace that they’ve been fighting for.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Book Signing at Inkwood Books
This was an evening of firsts: my first event, and the first time ever seeing DOG ISLAND as a featured offering. And most important - as I walked in the door, I saw for the very first time a customer actually holding it! What a humbling experience it was to see my book in the hands of a stranger, thumbing through the pages, and buying it.
Friday, February 15, 2013
The Next Big Thing
Dog Island
02/13/2013
I’ve been a little lax in my blog
for a while (many excuses, not many reasons), but now Lauren Sweet, a terrific
writer and editor, tagged me in her blog.
So now I can no longer procrastinate as she talked me into participating
in The
Next Big Thing interview series, in which six
degrees of separation meets the literary chain letter. So thanks, Lauren!
Lauren’s latest book, Alladin’s Samovar, was published in September, 2011. The book sounds intriguing, and I just bought the Kindle version. Check it out at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Aladdins-Samovar-ebook/dp/B005PG4Q18 .
Lauren’s latest book, Alladin’s Samovar, was published in September, 2011. The book sounds intriguing, and I just bought the Kindle version. Check it out at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Aladdins-Samovar-ebook/dp/B005PG4Q18 .
The Next Big Thing
What
Else I’ve Been Doing: Since releasing Dog Island, I’ve
been very busy at my terrific day job. I
have found time to build a website, www.gthomasgill.com,
and I’ve written a couple of poems.
Three samples of my poetry along with the intro to Dog Island are on the
web page. A Dog Island facebook
page has been built as well.
A little more about my first book….
What is the title of the book?
Dog Island. It’s the story of Cornelius Graham, ex- a lot of things but current beach bum who lives on a remote section of Dog Island. His idyllic world is shattered when a boat, laden with a dead man, an injured woman, twenty kilos of cocaine, and a half-million in cash runs ashore on his beach. Cornelius tends to the woman’s wounds and hopes to send her on her way when she recovers. But everything comes crashing down around him when the people she stole the drugs and money from come looking for revenge.
Dog Island. It’s the story of Cornelius Graham, ex- a lot of things but current beach bum who lives on a remote section of Dog Island. His idyllic world is shattered when a boat, laden with a dead man, an injured woman, twenty kilos of cocaine, and a half-million in cash runs ashore on his beach. Cornelius tends to the woman’s wounds and hopes to send her on her way when she recovers. But everything comes crashing down around him when the people she stole the drugs and money from come looking for revenge.
As
they criss-cross Florida looking for a safe haven, romance blossoms between the
two fugitives. When Homeland Security shows up, the pair has to decide between
right and wrong. But who are the good
guys and who are the bad?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The original idea came years ago. I clearly saw the opening scene, but didn’t know where the story was going so it was set aside for a while. The idea came back to me during a visit to Dog Island, a remote barrier island off the Florida Panhandle. The house where Corney lives is on the east half of the island, which is mostly owned by the Nature Conservancy. That’s why there are only three houses on that end of the island. The story fleshed out from there.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The original idea came years ago. I clearly saw the opening scene, but didn’t know where the story was going so it was set aside for a while. The idea came back to me during a visit to Dog Island, a remote barrier island off the Florida Panhandle. The house where Corney lives is on the east half of the island, which is mostly owned by the Nature Conservancy. That’s why there are only three houses on that end of the island. The story fleshed out from there.
Corpse,
cash and cocaine was too much for Cornelius to handle, and he made a couple of
wrong turns at the onset. That’s what
brought the wrath of the Russian drug smugglers to his doorstep, and his
burgeoning love for Lisa, the wounded woman, drove him deeper into a messy nest
of problems.
What genre does your book fall under?
Dog Island is loosely categorized under the mystery genre, but while there is a dead body, it isn’t about that at all. It more closely matches the suspense genre but has a lot of action in it as well. With an added dollop of romance along with a pinch of humor, you get an interesting stew.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Easy question, I can clearly see Matthew McConaughey as Cornelius. Cornelius is southern, tall, and Matthew would be great. Lisa is a little more difficult, but a top contender would have to be Charlize Theron. She'd be perfect.
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
All Cornelius Graham wants out of life is to play his guitar on the white sands of Dog Island, but life has made other plans.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I really don’t write a first draft, except for perhaps the first chapter. Once a section is set aside, I start again by reading through the completed work and edit it as I read. Then more gets added at the end, and the process starts over the next time through. When it gets too large to handle, a new section gets started and the process begins anew. So when the ms is complete, it is way beyond first draft.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Dog Island. We visited my wife’s uncle, who then lived in Carabelle, and had to go there. Once I stood on the shore, looking out at the clear blue Gulf, I knew that was the place where it all began.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The settings are real. If you’ve never been to Florida, the real Florida, not the theme park/beach Florida, you’ll get to visit places you never knew existed.
Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?
Dog Island is published by Oak Tree Press, a mid-size publisher out of Illinois.
What genre does your book fall under?
Dog Island is loosely categorized under the mystery genre, but while there is a dead body, it isn’t about that at all. It more closely matches the suspense genre but has a lot of action in it as well. With an added dollop of romance along with a pinch of humor, you get an interesting stew.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Easy question, I can clearly see Matthew McConaughey as Cornelius. Cornelius is southern, tall, and Matthew would be great. Lisa is a little more difficult, but a top contender would have to be Charlize Theron. She'd be perfect.
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
All Cornelius Graham wants out of life is to play his guitar on the white sands of Dog Island, but life has made other plans.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I really don’t write a first draft, except for perhaps the first chapter. Once a section is set aside, I start again by reading through the completed work and edit it as I read. Then more gets added at the end, and the process starts over the next time through. When it gets too large to handle, a new section gets started and the process begins anew. So when the ms is complete, it is way beyond first draft.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Dog Island. We visited my wife’s uncle, who then lived in Carabelle, and had to go there. Once I stood on the shore, looking out at the clear blue Gulf, I knew that was the place where it all began.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The settings are real. If you’ve never been to Florida, the real Florida, not the theme park/beach Florida, you’ll get to visit places you never knew existed.
Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?
Dog Island is published by Oak Tree Press, a mid-size publisher out of Illinois.
G. Thomas Gill, author of Dog Island
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.
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