The Latest Liberal News Network

Welcome to the inaugural issue of America’s latest online news channel! Follow and support the Liberal Young Intellectuals News Group, the LYING Network, where just like Joe, we choose Truth over Facts! Let’s begin with some political news.

Mean, nasty, horrible President Trump bypassed Congress and used an executive order this week to ban Goodyear Tires and the NBA. Long-time basketball super fan Ben Apathetic responded by saying, “I’m sorry, were they even playing games this year?” Trump has indicated the possibility of further action to ban both the NFL and MLB. “I’m actually helping the players out by giving them more time to pursue their social justice activities.” The President also acted this week to send a pair of hurricanes to devastate our country! Being the racist that he is, he made sure that the storms intentionally avoided the homes and businesses of white people and targeted only poor and minority populations. Undocumented citizens were hit particularly hard by the wind and rain.

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats announced plans to rename their Party. Leadership is hoping to avoid the increasingly negative opinion of the party by a complete rebranding. “We’re going to start over with a whole new name and since our membership is too slow to realize nothing else has changed, we think our approval numbers will show an immediate upward trend.” The new All Liberal Political Organization, ALPO, is not concerned with possible confusion with the well-known pet food company. “The crap we feed you is better than dog food!” is being touted as the party’s new slogan.

Presidential favorite, Joe Biden has announced his plans to begin a complete remodel of the White House basement on his first day in office. “Who needs an Oval Office when you can easily and safely run the government from the basement? Besides Jill and Kamala have committed to bringing me all the snacks I need while I stay safe and out of sight.” Kamala Harris fully supports her running mate and had this to say, “Well, of course Joe is a racist and a segregationist, always has been, but since he picked me, I can’t think of a better choice for President. And hey, he can sniff my hair all he wants, if it gets me into the White House!”

In other news, the NBA has joined forces with Antifa and BLM to raise money to rebuild cities destroyed by all those peaceful protests. Players are encouraged to donate a penny for each million dollars they earn to help those less fortunate than themselves. Bazillionaire athletes and celebrities LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick, Robert DeNiro, Taylor Swift, and Alyssa Milano will host a Prime-Time Telethon later this month so that middle and lower class citizens can contribute some of their hard earned income for the cause. (You know, instead of those rich celebrities actually giving away any of their money!)

And finally, in book news, look for these new releases from the New York Times Bestseller List! From Al Sharpton, How to Get Away with NOT Paying Your Federal Income Taxes, with a foreword from Willie Nelson entitled “White Privilege and the IRS.” From Michelle Obama, a new children’s pop-up book about her husband entitled The (Former) President Who Wouldn’t Go Away, and yes, he does pop up on every page! Lastly, don’t miss Ivanka Trump’s new biography of her father called It’s Good to Be the King.

And that’s all folks! Come back next week for more all new and completely untrue news!

The Trouble with Writing #159

I’m having motivation issues this week! I know, Boo Hoo. According to my notes, I have posted 158 previous blogs! I have another ten or twelve that are started, but not finished, and then, there’s today. And I’m just not feeling it!

As with any hobby or profession or obsession, there is a need to believe that what one is doing is worth the time and effort expended. Some days, the answer is just NO! Most writers get discouraged on occasion. I guess this is just my time.

Months ago, I chose to stop writing my latest book, so that I could concentrate on editing and publishing my previous novel, Return to Eastlake. (There is also another completed one waiting for revising and editing.) That sounded like a good plan at the time, but in the last several weeks, I have avoided working on that book as well. I still plan to have it published by Thanksgiving, but I don’t know how I will do that unless it starts to work on itself!

Let me confess that I never expected to make any money from my books. I really just wanted to share some stories and I hoped that someone out there might find them interesting. I’ve been pleased with how well the books turned out and honestly, I’m proud of the accomplishment, but it’s hard not to be discouraged when you get a royalty check for less than a dollar! Yes, that happened this week!

It would have been less painful to just go yet another month with zero sales! But no, I had to get an email telling me that my latest royalty would be deposited in my account this week. Exciting, right? Until I checked my bank account and experienced the phenomenal feeling of success that accompanies a $0.26 deposit!

Anyway, enough of the pity party. I have work to do, so have a great week and I’ll try to be more enthusiastic next week!

 

Kamala Harris – The Most Dangerous Woman in America?

Well, Joe Biden finally made his pick for Vice President and it’s a doozy. Here are my thoughts on the person who may very well be the most dangerous woman in America. Or for America.

Although many consider the VP to be a relatively minor position in our country, the most important aspect of the job is often aptly described in one particular expression – the VP is truly “one heartbeat away from the Presidency.” How true! And how very frightening considering Biden’s age and his fragile mental state. (Read my previous blog on that subject. https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-real-reason-joe-needs-to-go.html)

Biden’s ability (or inability) to perform the job himself should be a huge concern for the entire Democratic Party, but apparently it’s not. All things considered, this could very well be the most important VP selection in the history of our country. (Seriously, does anyone truly believe that Biden can handle the job of President? And I don’t mean for the next four years. I’m talking about January of 2021! Honestly, if Biden wins in November, I fully expect Harris to become our 47^th President, and I don’t believe it will take four years.

So, why do I think Kamala Harris is dangerous? To begin with, she could actually help Joe Biden win the election. Most experts will say that rarely does the VP candidate have much of an impact on the election. Occasionally, they may help secure a battleground state (for example, LBJ in 1960), but even then, the person at the top of the ticket is still the most important one. This year, it actually could make a difference. Harris is young and attractive and could help overcome the obvious deficiencies of Biden and recapture some of the African American votes that he seems to lose every time he opens his mouth. (Young at 55 years of age, compared to Trump -74, Biden -77, and even Pence -61. Certainly attractive compared to Democratic politicians such as Clinton, Pelosi, and Warren.)

And why would President Harris be dangerous? Because she could very well be the most Liberal choice in the country espousing some of the most radical positions imaginable! The mainstream media has already begun to paint her as a moderate, but don’t be fooled by the spin. Take the time to study her positions on the issues. “According to a detailed assessment by Voteview, Harris holds a voting record farther left than 97 percent of Democrats in the 116^th Senate, and more liberal than 99 percent of the Senate as a whole.” (https://thefederalist.com/2020/08/12/no-kamala-harris-isnt-a-moderate-shes-a-radical-threat-to-america/) Check out the full article for a detailed look at her views on the key issues facing our country today such as: immigration, healthcare, the environment, gun control, fracking, and abortion.

For me, the most important danger is that she is represents the worst of politics, the willingness to do or say anything to get elected, to gain power. Or in other words, someone who doesn’t really have any hard and true beliefs. She has changed her positions frequently on many of the major issues, including her view of Joe Biden, the man she now thinks should be our next President.

During her own campaign for President, she called him a racist and pointed out his extremely poor record of doing anything remotely positive for the African American community. She also took issue with his alleged sexual misconduct and said we should listen to his accuser. BUT – given the chance to get within one heartbeat of the Presidency, she took the job (and became the running mate of the racist, alleged sexual assaulter), despite the obvious fact that being a woman, and a minority, were the two biggest qualifications that he considered. Hypocritical? Or just ambitious?

Either way, it scares me to think that she could help Biden win the job and in the process, ease her way into the role as his successor. And President Harris could be the one who turns our country into the Socialist Utopia the Democrats having been pushing us towards for the last several years. Of course, if you’re a radical Liberal yourself, you probably don’t consider her dangerous at all. You would probably call her the luckiest woman in America. Yeah, people like you scare me too.

The Truth About My (Fictional) Characters

After my last three (very honest) posts about my stories and the often true events which inspired them, I had intended to move on to other topics, but before doing so, I wanted to clear up one potential misunderstanding. Although they may be based on actual people, all of my characters are entirely FICTIONAL!

In particular, my last two novels (my so-called unofficial memoirs) contain a number of characters based on people I have worked with over the years, but none are meant to represent any one specific person. For example, the main character in most of the stories could easily be assumed to be me, and in many cases, I may have been the teacher, coach, or administrator caught in the middle of the related incidents. In reality however, Cole Bradford, Ron Copeland, and several other characters (although partly me) are also largely based on others, administrators whom I admired for the most part.

The superintendents, and teachers, and other school personnel are almost completely blended characters. A single character in a single story might say or do things that occurred in real life, but even the most accurate quotes may have come from several sources and the events may have actually happened years apart in entirely different schools. When writing these characters, I may be remembering a specific incident or a conversation with a certain individual, but the characters on the page are unique creations. They are often given the best (or worst) traits of real friends (or enemies), but the combination is never meant to portray any actual person.

Sometimes, I use actual names or close variations of names as a form of tribute to those who inspired the characters, but even then, the names are meant more as an inside joke. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the story behind "Friday Night Lights" came from my brother, so I named the quarterback Cecil, even though my brother never played QB. I did pattern the group of friends on my honest recollections of my brother, his friends, and the real camaraderie they shared. It seemed a nice (and innocent) way to include him in the story. In my first book, I did use the name of my very first girlfriend, but I was actually picturing an entirely different girl who sat in my old green Mustang and wouldn't quit messing with the radio.

I can only think of one character who is based solely on one student, but he is also fictionalized to a large degree. I borrowed a bit of his physical appearance, and some of his expressions and actions, but most of the character that appears in the book comes straight from my head. Honestly, sometimes, despite the author's attempts to tell the truth, these made-up people just take off and do their own thing!

Anyway, I hope I’ve not offended anyone in telling these stories. Of course, these days, not offending anyone is practically impossible. In all honesty, I just try and tell an entertaining tale and hope for the best. Hope you enjoy the effort!

 

The Idea Behind the Story – Part 3

And now for the final part of this series! My upcoming novel is a sequel to At the Drive-In which I am calling Return to Eastlake. Originally, I had not planned to write this one, but I kept remembering great stories that I had forgotten to include in the previous collection, and before long, I had a full set of new tales to share.

Of course, I still had plenty of school stories! “Call of Duty” is about my first year as an administrator and is largely inspired by several excellent school secretaries with whom I was privileged to work (and a superintendent who introduced me to the ugly world of school politics). The main plot is based on an actual incident (scandal) that took place years ago in a nearby district and some of the people from my school career might remember the events. Most of this one is completely true, although some of you may find it hard to believe!

“Dress Code” and “Testify” are also basically true stories. Principals frequently complain about the way students (and their parents) challenge the dress code and insist on pushing the boundaries. And administrators do occasionally have to testify in court proceedings. This second story accurately relates my two experiences in the legal system. Finally, “Law and Order” which is loosely based on real events gives me the chance to express my honest feelings about law enforcement in the public school setting.

Another interesting story comes from my good friend Dusty Radabaugh. Although I have taken quite a few liberties with the story, including adding some personal situations that are entirely fictional, much of the story is based on things that really happened while my wife and I sang in the choir and participated in several dramatic productions. In particular, the casting of a local high school student to play Jesus in the big Easter musical (and the resulting chaos) is still one of my fondest memories of Trinity, Texas. The Christmas productions were also great fun, including the year I played a Roman soldier!

My wife Patti introduced me to the world of true crime, and after our marriage, I read some great books and developed a great interest in books and documentaries about famous unsolved cases. At the Drive-In features a story about a carhop who goes “Missing.” In this book, I revisit the case in “Unsolved Mysteries” and eventually answer the questions left open by the earlier story. Honestly, the entire set of stories is complete fiction. Hopefully I made it sound real enough to pass for some semi-true crime.

And lastly, after I had finished the novel, my son Scott shared a story about something that happened at the private school where he taught for several years, and I couldn’t resist writing this cautionary tale of romantic entanglements at work. I borrowed the basics and used Scott himself as the model for my young teacher with a band and church job on the side. Having seen more than a few awkward situations at different schools myself, I wrote “Lonely Hearts Club Band” in two days, adding it to the book.

Just to remind everyone who knows a writer – if you tell us a good story, it could very well end up in a book someday! Just saying! Hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes look at the mind of an author, and I hope you pick up a copy of Return to Eastlake when it comes out a few months from now. In the meantime, leave a comment and let me know what you think.

The Idea Behind the Story – Part 2

This week I’d like to share some of the origins of the stories featured in my second novel At the Drive-In: Small Town Tales. Told as a series of short stories, the book includes multiple tales sharing a common setting and a number of related characters. The format is inspired by such classics as John Steinbeck’s The Pastures of Heaven and Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio. A more modern example is Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. (I would highly recommend all three of these!)

I have often referred to At the Drive-In (and its sequel) as my unofficial memoirs because so many of the stories are based on actual true events from my years as a coach, teacher, and administrator. The title and the structure developed out of the very first story I wrote for the project “The Boy Who Cussed” about a principal dealing with a special education student with Tourettes. This one is almost entirely true and provided me with the idea of building the stories around the iconic (fictional) drive-in. Most of the other school stories from the book contain at least a grain of truth.

One of my favorite stories from the collection is “Friday Night Lights” which revolves around a high school football player who steals a particular item from an opponent’s dressing room. This is actually based on a true story passed down from my brother Cecil. He is also quite the storyteller (a trait we both inherited from our father). In truth it was a basketball team and I honestly have no idea of most of the details or the aftermath, but I’ve worked with enough coaches and principals to know how most of them would have reacted. As a coach, I’ve also taken teams into extremely hostile environments. Put all those elements together and you get my version of the story.

Both of my children participated in drama while in school, but my daughter Caitlin was the one who was truly passionate about One Act Play. My star Beta Reader Mary Beth spent some years sponsoring UIL drama. Thinking of those two in particular gave me the inspiration to write “Black Romeo” which looks at the drama produced by the casting of a high school play. Believe me when I say from experience, there is often more drama behind the scenes than appears on stage!

“Meow” was inspired by my wife. (And no! She is not a battered or abused wife!) Cora Peters is the most tragic figure in the novel and this story is meant to show her true kindness in spite of all she has endured. As I wrote the story, I imagined how Patti (as a true cat lover) would act or react in the situation. I loved being able to display another side to the character.

And finally, in “Funeral” the concluding tale, I borrowed from my brother-in-law to present a sermon celebrating the long life of a beloved character. At the actual funeral of his ninety-two year old grandmother, Eric preached a similar sermon describing in detail the world in which she had been born and raised. He highlighted the enormous changes she had witnessed over her lifetime. It was a wonderful tribute and I used the same concept to eulogize one of my novel’s central characters.

Come back next week, and I will conclude this brief series with a look at my upcoming novel Return to Eastlake, and the ideas that sparked these stories.

The Idea Behind the Story

Writers are often asked where we get the ideas for our stories or books, or to sound more lofty – our inspiration. In my case, the answer is simple. I get my ideas from my daily life, the books I read, or the movies or TV shows I watch, or my true life experiences, or sometimes from family or friends who share their experiences. I thought I would take some time this week (and possibly the next two or three) and share a little background on some of my writings and reveal a few of my sources of inspiration. To begin, let me talk about my first novel, The What If Project.

The idea for the novel came from some very diverse influences. I have always been fascinated with time travel, and I love a good time travel adventure, but I really wasn’t interested in writing science fiction. One of my favorite old movies is Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. At a garage sale a few years back, I picked up a copy of the novel by Richard Matheson. I loved that it focused on the story and the people instead of the sci-fi aspects. Instead of some kind of time machine, you had a character who literally willed himself back in time through a form of self-hypnosis. No science or technology, no complicated explanations, just a good story with interesting characters.

My second major influence was the TV show The Sopranos, “the story of a New Jersey mob boss who deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.” (from IMDB.com) I love the scenes of Tony sitting across from his psychiatrist Dr. Melfi in her office. So of course, Jack, my main character would need someone to talk to about his issues, and since the doctor has supposedly discovered a way to hypnotize her patients and send them back in time, he is obviously more than willing to be a part of her project. And like Tony Soprano, Jack is a reluctant patient, as well as one who definitely needs some help.

A frequent setting to the story is the quad, an area at the center of the small college where Jack is working and the doctor is teaching. My alma mater, East Texas Baptist College (now ETBU) has a nice little spot right in the middle of the campus with a small fountain, and I borrowed the setting from my own memory banks just the way I remembered it. When Jack goes back to his childhood, I pictured the house where I grew up and the park at the end of the street. (There is a park there, but not the one I describe in the book.)

I won’t confess to everything, but many of the fine details in the backstory of the main characters come directly from my own life, little biographical touches that people who know me might even recognize. My first car was a green Mustang. My high school girlfriend’s name was – well, enough about me. A particular family member often joked about being attracted to Redheads. You get the message, right?

Anyway, the old saying is that you should write what you know and I guess that’s true. My characters are based on people I know, so if you don’t like them, or find them acting in strange or unlikely ways, I’m sorry, those are my people and that’s how they are! And in all honesty, a bunch of stuff is totally made up! It’s a work of fiction after all.

Let me know if you find this interesting, and come back next week for the real story behind the small town tales from my second novel.