A Word Please

Homelessness is a major problem here in the U.S. It shouldn’t be. We’re supposed to be a wealthy country. We shouldn’t have families sleeping in their cars and battered women sleeping in a “tent city”.

According to the National Coaliton for the Homeless: A recent study conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that 12 of the 23 cities surveyed had to turn people in need of shelter away due to a lack of capacity. Ten of the cities found an increase in households with children seeking access to shelters and transitional housing while six cities cited increases in the numbers of individuals seeking these resources (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007).

My novel Beyond Salvation deals with Sara, a young runaway living on the streets. In desperation, she seeks help from the wrong source and one day just disappears. Few people know when someone on the street disappears. Few people care.

The National Coalition for the Homeless lists the following factors as causes of homelessness:

Foreclosure
Poverty
Eroding Work Opportunities
Decline In Public Assistance
Housing
Lack Of Affordable Health Care
Domestic Violence
Mental Illness
Addiction Disorders

In Beyond Salvation, Sara runs away from a horribly abusive and dysfunctional family. She’s one of the many lost and invisible teenagers in the U.S.

According to www.YouthNoise.com:

1.6 to 1.7 million people under 18 will experience homelessness each year. (That’s more than the population of Philadelphia.)
63% of runaway and homeless youth are never reported or sought after by guardians.
22 to 44% of their parents abuse drugs or alcohol, leading to domestic violence and conflicts.
79% were attending school regularly before entering a shelter.

Charlie, a homeless man in Beyond Salvation, is one of my favorite characters. He helps Michael Sykora find Sara.

Charlie cleared his throat, then took another gulp of his coffee-bourbon mix. “First the one man, he steps out,” Charlie said. “The passenger. Not too big a guy. Average, I’d say. Dressed all in a fancy suit. I swear the thing shimmered. I remember thinking right away that I’d never trust a man in a suit that shimmered.”

Thanks to two good friends Sara made on the streets, and my main character Michael Sykora, people are now looking for her. In the process, Michael finds his preconceptions about a homeless drunk are profoundly wrong. With some luck, Charlie will do that for a few readers, as well.

Michael didn’t like hearing that. He didn’t want to know the sadness that created Charlie.

Again, from the National Coalition for the Homeless: The number of homeless families with children has increased significantly over the past decade. Families with children are among the fastest growing segments of the homeless population. In its 2007 survey of 23 American cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that families with children comprised 23% of the homeless population (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007). These proportions are likely to be higher in rural areas. Research indicates that families, single mothers, and children make up the largest group of people who are homeless in rural areas (Vissing, 1996). All 21 cities with available data cited an increase in the number of persons requesting food assistance for the first-time. The increase was particularly notable among working families. (U.S. conference of mayors 2008).

Not a happy topic, I know. It makes many of us uncomfortable. But I’m sitting here in a home with air conditioning and food in my refrigerator. My discomfort is nothing compared to the families on the street.

Charlie sat on the same bench, beneath the same tree. Mosquitoes buzzed just like before. But now Michael knew Charlie’s story; everything was different.

A video I made some time ago. It’s set to the song We’re Forgiven by The Calling. The lyrics make me think of our homeless problem here in the U.S.

There are many ways to get involved. We don’t have to be wealthy to care.
www.nationalhomeless.org/

Every now and then, I am fortunate enough to stumble upon a relatively unknown author whose work makes me think. Eric Glick is one of those authors. His novel The Dog At The Signpost looks at the subtleties of human behavior; how one interaction, one decision, one chance meeting, can alter the course of our lives. After I’d read his book, I contacted Eric and we had a great conversation about his writing, which I’ll share with you today. But, first, a little about Eric and his book:

Eric Glick is an author, writer, editor and recovering journalist. His novel, The Dog at the Signpost, is now in its second printing. He is a two-time recipient of the Larry Neal Award, given each year by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
***

Joe Berzinski lives in a state of perpetual malaise, drifting from the confines of his home, to the drone of his working day, to casual encounters with acquaintances. The plodding rhythm of this existence is set off kilter after meeting Reed Devonshire, an enigmatic stranger whose continuing and unexplained presence in all aspects of Berzinski’s life carries with it a disquieting air of foreboding and a constricting sense of dread.

THE DOG AT THE SIGNPOST is an exploration of the rifts in one man’s identity, as well as a study in the unspoken, unknown connections that have both the power to bind any group of people together and to leave them isolated forever.
***

A Chat With Eric:

Is Dog At The Signpost your first book?

Yes. After many false starts with novels I never finished, I finally set my mind to completing a book. Blame ADD.

Where does the title – The Dog At The Signpost – come from?

I struggled with the title literally for more than a year. One day I was reading a news briefing about a senior executive at some company I have now long forgotten and he said something to the effect of, Our industry is like a dog lost in the rain contemplating a signpost. That kind of stuck with me and, frankly, I pretty much stole the whole quote verbatim (as best as I could remember it) and used it in a scene in the book (Joe is reading an industry report with the same quote). I liked the idea of the dog at the signpost working on two levels. Joe relates to the notion of being directionless, uninspired, sort of like that dog lost in the rain.

What prompted this particular story?

I can’t say whether any one thing prompted me. This actually started as a short story < in fact, it started as a sentence - more accurately, an image - that had been in my head and I finally got around to putting down on paper. Then I wrote another sentence. And then another. Then, after a while, I realized there was no turning back.

For me, your book was more about the characters than the plot. Life was happening to them in a way that made me more interested in how they reacted than what would happen next. (That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy the plot as it unraveled.) Was it your intention to be more character-driven in your writing?

I suppose I’m sort of fascinated by people and what drives them, so, yes, I am a character-driven writer, but not intentionally. I started as a playwright because dialogue was always my strong point – and Lord knows there’s enough dialogue in this book (my characters are awfully prolix). But when you think about it, language, and the way people use it, defines who we are, in a sense. I don’t imagine you talk the same way to your boss as you do your intimate friends, or your mother. My point is, we tailor our language to our audience, and that partly defines how we see the world and how we manage ourselves and the people around us.

I’ll be honest – I had absolutely no plot in mind when I started writing this book. In fact, it was only at about page 50 when the plot began to emerge. I warn readers that the book starts out very slowly because the first fifty pages or so mostly take place in the protagonist’s head, and, admittedly it appears to be going nowhere. (I remember being in a writing group while putting this book together and one of the criticisms was that it appeared to be a lot of words with no story.) So again, there’s more proof I seem to be character-driven than plot-driven. I suppose my feeling is that if the characters are compelling enough and the prose is muscular enough (not that I believe mine is), the plot – for what it’s worth – will take care of itself.

Besides, plots are over-rated! Some of the greatest books of all time (and again, mine is not) have no plot. And I challenge anyone to find a plot to one of my favorite movies, La Dolce Vita. So, I’m pigeon-holing myself! I’m a writer who could care less for plot. I’m more interested in language and the psychology and motives behind characters. I think people miss a lot by spending too much time looking for a narrative. Life isn’t a narrative – it’s much too random and chaotic. (But I could be wrong.)

Did you work at uncovering a plot to tie your story together or did you have an “aha” moment”?

A little of both. I was looking for some connective element during the writing, and I suppose the “aha” moment came when I realized that it made perfect sense that some of these characters could connect while coincidentally not knowing that they had a mutual acquaintance. I think it happens all the time, so why not in fiction? Besides, I liked having a way to tie all the loose plot ends together. When people ask me what my book is “about”, I usually say, “coincidences”. If they press, I explain that there are these little eccentric circles happening as the book builds momentum. The circles come closer together and more concentric as the plot builds to its final crescendo, as it were.

Joe Berzinski, your main character, seemed stagnant in his misery until the world around him forced a reaction. Do you think that most of our behaviors are reactionary?

I suppose it depends on the person. Some people are highly motivated and proactive. Others wait for things to happen to them. But I suppose on some level, we are all reactionary creatures. It’s hard to imagine how you would respond to certain stimuli or events, especially if they are unpredictable. We all have a certain routine and have certain expectations of what will unfold during the day. It’s the utter unpredictability that I suppose helps shape our personalities and, to a larger extent, our society – have you ever noticed that most preventative laws are created after something goes wrong? And in a way, the unpredictable is a test of strength and character. Say you were an ordinary German citizen in 1939. How would you have responded to Hitler’s policies – would you have gone along with them and kept your mouth shut even though you didn¹t agree with it, just to save your own skin? Or would you have taken a stand and, say, hidden a Jewish family in your home? Same with, say, being a white person in Selma, Alabama during the civil rights era. It’s very easy to say, “Oh, I would definitely fight against injustice” but to actually do it takes real courage, strength and conviction. And the outcome is far from predictable. You don’t know if you’re choosing the winning side. Who can say they truly have the strength to stand up for what they believe?

I think I got totally off topic there. Sorry.

No need to apologize. I’m enjoying the conversation.

You touched upon the issue that, not only do each of us have our own unique style of speaking, but we speak differently to the various people in our lives. Joe Berzinski not only spoke a little differently but he also altered his personality slightly when interacting with various people. Do you think that’s a way of conforming to other people’s expectations or is it about containing and/or showing aspects of our unique personality, given a certain circumstance?

I absolutely believe that we tailor our behavior to our audience – not only in speech but in body language as well, our very manner of being, I don’t know if it’s because we’re conforming to other people’s expectations – maybe that’s
part of it. But I imagine we’re also conforming to our own. We tend to perform, no matter what situation we’re in and, as self-conscious beings, we’re aware of our audience and what the audience’s expectations are. It’s part of the complex human makeup that we process all of this while interacting with fellow humans.

You mentioned that you started out as a playwright. Have you completed a play that we might someday see on a stage?

Ha! That would be nice. I’ve probably written about four or five full length plays and a dozen or so one-acts. Out of all of those, I only believe one is truly stage-worthy (maybe two if I ever rewrote it). It’s had a couple of readings and won a literary award, but no full production. I barely give it any thought anymore. My bad writing habits usually include not keeping track of my old work, and believing that whatever I’m currently working on matters more than whatever I wrote last week (and I usually hate what I wrote last week). I tend to look down on my old work, hoping I improve with each piece.

What are you working on now?

I have three projects going – all in similar stages of incompletion. The first is another novel, the furthest along of the three. It’s called Elvis Goldberg is (Not) the Devil, and it’s about a young man who becomes famous for nothing – or at least becomes a tabloid star (thanks to reality TV). I’m about halfway through the first draft.

The second piece is called Joe the Lion (I stole the title from David Bowie, if it sounds familiar), and it’s about a drug-addicted U.S. president, his high-level confidant (Joe King), and a congressional committee hell bent on seeing him impeached. I started it as a play, then thought about it as a screenplay. But it’s all dialogue.

And the third is a sort of memoir of my working life. I realized that I have easily had more than 40 jobs my entire life (starting at age 15). So I’m telling the story of my life through these various jobs. It’s called Plan Z.

***
You can find Eric on his 2 blogs:
http://eglick.blogspot.com
http://dogsignpost.blogspot.com
These blogs have been sadly uninhabited for the past year. Being “a proud lapsed blogger”, Eric has allowed these 2 sites to wallow on their own. Perhaps we can help to give Eric and his blogs a nudge by directing a little activity their way.

Check out his book on Amazon:

You can find The Dog At The Signpost in e-book format on Pablo D’Stair’s website: http://brownpaperpub.wordpress.com

Do names influence or even shape personality? It’s a question I’ve often pondered. My first name is unique. While I have heard the name “Darcy” (or Darci) on occasion in my adult years, I have never run into another Darcia. In a sense, my name is an outcast. Did that have anything to do with me being somewhat of an outcast throughout my youth?

Research by S. Gary Garwood of Tulane University addresses this issue. A group of teachers were asked to rate names as either desirable or undesirable. Garwood later performed psychological tests of personality and self-concept on a group of elementary school children. He separated the completed tests into “desirable” and “undesirable” groups according to the teachers’ ratings of the names. Garwood then compared the scores, finding that the group with the desirable names showed “a considerably higher level of adjustment” than the group with the undesirable names.

Is the problem that the names are undesirable in general? Or undesirable to the person with the name, who then projects his or her discomfort to the world?

A study by Orlo Strunk, Jr. of West Virginia Wesleyan College compared people’s opinion of their name with each person’s self-concept. Strunk found that “there appears to be a persistent tendency for individuals who dislike their first name to have less affirmative attitudes toward themselves than do those who like their first name.”

Looking at the issue in that way, self-esteem is not so much tied up in the teasing one receives from an odd first name but, instead, from the person’s own opinion of that name he or she is permanently stamped with.

The problems with “odd” first names seem to be much worse for boys than for girls. Various studies over the years have found higher tendencies toward mental illness in people with uncommon first names. (Thankfully, I think I managed to avoid this dilemma, despite my uncommon name. Maybe it is because I always liked being the only one with the name!) This tendency is, for whatever reason, higher in men than in women. Perhaps society allows for more freedom and extravagance with female names. The reasons are unclear. However, parents might want to give serious thought before naming their son Fleming, Dax, or Altair. And, while “A Boy Named Sue” might have been a great song, I don’t think Johnny Cash meant for your son to be tormented throughout grade school.

Win a signed copy of my new release The Cutting Edge!

I just listed a new 48-Hour Book Giveaway! Enter between noon EST on Saturday, July 24 and noon EST on Monday, July 26 for a chance to win! Sadly, shipping costs limit this contest to those in the U.S. and Canada. To enter, fill out the form on the contest page of my website. Be sure to fill out the correct form for the contest you want to enter. (You can enter each contest once per person!)
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Blurb From Back Cover:

My name is Skye Summers. I’m a hairstylist and I can’t stop fantasizing about killing my clients. Not all of them, of course. I only want to kill the ones who irritate me, which, if I’m being honest, is most of them. My occasional fantasies have turned into chronic daydreams. They’re bloody and vivid, like watching a slice-and-dice movie on IMAX.

I also want to kill my husband’s ex-girlfriend. She’s not a client but she tops my list. Eighteen years ago, she gave birth to his daughter and she has tormented him ever since. I should be troubled by this growing desire to use my surgically sharpened shears for more than a haircut. Instead, I wonder how I can get away with it.
***

If you’ve ever had a job you’re sick of, an ex that makes you crazy and/or family members that try your patience, you’ll be able to relate to Skye and her growing desire to do damage to those that irritate her!

Contest Form: www.QuietFuryBooks.com/contests.html

Good luck!

I’m excited to introduce everyone to author Donald Allen Kirch! After reading his book MANCHESTER HOUSE, I contacted Donald about his book, the inspiration behind it, and an extraordinary experience he mentions in his bio. Donald graciously agreed to share with us today the story of his ghostly experience!

First, a little about Donald:

Donald Allen Kirch lives in Kansas City, Missouri. He is an avid reader of history, Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, and the paranormal. He has a degree in Radio and Television Arts, and is listed in “Who’s Who in America.” After spending two weekends in the famous “Sallie House,” a “haunted house” featured on the Fox TV-series Sightings, in Atchison, Kansas, he is one of the only authors of his genre who can claim to have been attacked by a ghost!
***

About MANCHESTER HOUSE:

Manchester House was built upon secrets and blood. Even the land upon which it was built was considered…bad.

No one in the town wanted to admit that the ancient house even existed. All homes facing the ruin had their windows boarded shut. All roads to the thing were blocked, overgrown, or forbidden.

Manchester House was a beacon of evil at the center of a small Kansas Town with a dark and mysterious past that would not go away. All tried to forget it even existed — until the police had to bring the bodies out.

When a group of professional “ghost hunters” explore a local haunted house, they descend into absolute darkness and terror, learning the incredible truth behind the legend of MANCHESTER HOUSE.
***

Donald’s Story:

“I Was Attacked By a Ghost!”
By Donald Allen Kirch

Since the publication of my horror novel “Manchester House” back in November of 2009, I have received a lot of compliments, some conservative praising, and one of two “WTF’s?” I appreciate all of them – even the negatives. In all things, we learn by doing. However, this book was an important exception to me. It was inspired by a true event.

In short: I was attacked by a ghost.

Back in 2004, I knew a group of individuals who wished to get together and form a production company. Their goal was to create low budget documentaries, which they hoped to feature on an online website. They all seemed passionate and willing enough to do the incredible task ahead, so I joined them as a creative consultant. It was a slow summer, and, frankly, I had nothing better to do.

While at one board meeting, blowing spit bubbles of boredom, someone suggested that we do a documentary on “haunted houses.”

Suddenly, my ears perked up and my spit bubbles ran dry!

As a child, I loved to watch the TV series “In Search Of…” Some of their best episodes were on the subjects of ghosts, haunted houses, and curses – I have a giant sweet tooth for this stuff, and knew the suggestion was “gold.” I also remember one of the researchers from that television series. His name was Hans Holzer.

Hans Holzer had more degrees than a thermometer. He specialized in paranormal studies, and was quite intelligent and timid-looking. I watched this guy on TV, carrying an old-fashioned cassette recorder, and a cheesy microphone, claiming to be chasing ghosts. And, as a child, I bought it! I ate it up like candy after a diet! He struck an everlasting and positive cord in my early memory. I named one of my main characters in “Manchester House” after him, in his honor.

In any case, to continue…

Having explained to the entire crew that I knew “something” of the paranormal, I suggested we scope out Atchison, Kansas – not too far from Kansas City, MO where we all lived. Atchison, Kansas was once an important hub in the American Railroad Empire, it was the starting place of the “Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad, Companies,” it was also the hometown of Amelia Earhart, the famous female aviator. Also, this small hamlet of a Kansas town, held yet another important honor – it is considered the “Most Haunted Town in Kansas.”

We agreed. Atchison would be the setting of our documentary.

Several members of the crew started to investigate, contact, and scout out the town. While doing this, we came across some incredible luck – the owner of the “Sallie House” was going to allow us the opportunity to stay two weekends, alone, within the residence. And, he was going to do it for free!

The “Sallie House” is a two-story, post Civil War home, built in the 1890’s, and had been featured in the Fox TV series “Sightings” and the Learning Channel’s documentary “Haunted Town.”

The story behind the house is this…

In the late Nineteenth Century, the home was owned by a medical practitioner, who had also once been the Mayor of Atchison. As was the practice of the time, he had live-in servants. One was an attractive black woman, whose name has been lost with time. In short, she and the doctor had an affair, and from that affair “Sallie” was born.

“Sallie” lived in the house, and she, her origins, and her mother’s affair were closely guarded secrets. It would not have served the doctor any, for those amongst him, or his peers to learn that he had fathered a black child. Again, this was not an enlightened time, and “color” was an important gage upon the social ladder.

In any case, “Sallie” ended up having trouble with her appendix.

As the story goes, the doctor, and “Sallie’s” father, had a drinking problem. And, upon the night in question, the man had been deep within his cups. Solidly drunk, the man inadvertently allowed his daughter to die upon the operating table, and was never held responsible for the act. In the eyes of the times, it was just the death of another servant’s child.

“Sallie,” according to legend, was buried in a nameless grave – or – within the confines of the doctor’s basement. Either fact is impossible to prove. As with “Sallie’s” mother, her family name has been lost. To find a grave would be quite impossible. Note: Several psychics have claimed that “Sallie” has a grave, and that site has been examined, but to no apparent conclusion.

Upon her death, “Sallie” declared war on all male occupants of her house.

In August of 2004, we ventured into this house, never fully seeing the danger we were putting ourselves into.

Now, before this episode, I had always been a believer in the afterlife. However, time, taking her course upon an open mind and an adult heart, I became a skeptic. I still believed, mind you, but I also believed in the human ability to create a fraud. One of my favorite quotes is, “If it’s put on a T-shirt, and makes money, then it will never go away.” Two great examples: Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Next to Elvis…the biggest “tourist traps” in the world!

So, as a skeptic, I was chosen as a member of the “crew.”

The owner of the “Sallie House” informed us that he was preparing the home for a new client. The house is a rental, and was in between residents. So, we would not be held back by manners or film restrictions. In short, we had full reign.

Upon our entrance, things turned weird. A cameraman, and a non-believer, instantly started to become sick. Vomiting several times, he left. The man never again set foot in the house.

Instantly, our digital camera started to have problems. A photographer’s flash wouldn’t work, and batteries drained like there would be no tomorrow. All our hard work was starting to fail at each and every corner.

Luckily, our two backup cameras still worked.

Heading down into the home’s basement, we decided to do some filming there.

The basement of the “Sallie House” is quite ordinary. It consisted of a long wooden staircase, furnace, and lovely riverbed rock walls.

There was also something else.

A black pentagram.

Someone, we do not know who, had drawn a black pentagram upon the floor, directly in front of the furnace. This, I have to say, freaked me out.

One of the cameramen decided to try our new “night vision” camera filter.

We turned off the lights.

The cameraman started his filming.

A scream was heard.

Flipping the basement lights back on, we discovered that one of our team was attacked by a brick. In point of fact, there are no bricks in the basement of the “Sallie House,” other than those in the chimney. As mentioned, the walls are constructed from riverbed rock. At first, we all took the attack as a kind of “April Fools” joke. So, the lights went out again, and the bricks continued to fly. All in all, six. Each victim hit was a male within our group. I had been personally grazed by a brick that hit me in the right kidney area.

Then, came my attack.

As we continued our investigations, I was taking notes in the hallway on the second floor, between the bathroom and nursery. I had come to the conclusion, while in the basement, that there was something genuine about this haunting, and was writing that in my notes, when, upon heading down the main staircase, I felt something.

As I remember, I felt a small pair of hands – like those of a child – taking hold of my ankles, and a rather adult pair of hands grabbing me at the shoulders.

My pen stopped in mid-sentence.

My eyes, I’m sure, opened quite wide.

And, my world changed.

All at once, the child’s hands pulled my feet off the steps, and the adult hands upon my shoulders pushed. If it had not been for my instant reaction to place my right hand against the staircase wall, and my left upon the railing, I’m sure that I could have fallen down the stairs, breaking my neck. The staircase is indeed long and deep enough to cause serious energy.

I am not one for delusional fantasies – I create too many on my own and need little help.

This…happened.

I was attacked.

And, until the day I pass, I will state this for the record.

There was “something” within the confines of the small Kansas house, that did not like or want us there. If it is the child ghost known as “Sallie” she got her wish. Upon being attacked, and having felt a level of personal horror I have never felt before, I left. I had people in our group tell me, later, that it appeared that I had been lifted from the stairs, and thrown from my footing. I thank God, that I had the presence of mind – or instinct, at least – to take some kind of action.

There are more things in both Heaven and Earth that are beyond our dreams or thoughts.

If you ever find yourself in the town of Atchison, Kansas, why not take a drive down Second Street and find out for yourself.

“Sallie” is waiting.

She has all the time in the world.
***

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, you have to admit that this is a fascinating story!

You can learn more about Donald and his books, as well as purchase his paperbacks, on his website: www.donaldallenkirch.com

His books are available in e-book format on Fictionwise.

And here are his books on Amazon:

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