Gene LeBlanc

Gene LeBlanc is an enigmatic character in FERGUSON'S TRIP.  He's a fine semi-pro hockey player on Ferguson's team in the Maine/New Brunswick league. He plays center on the line in which Thane Ferguson played as a wing before moving to defenseman. Probably the fastest skater on the ice, he also has a wicked wrist shot which he uses to score in the game which starts the novel. Although socially awkward off the ice, he is a talented guitarist and songwriter and is heading to an audition in the southern part of the state. His name is a tribute to Clarence White and Gene Parsons who were both members of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers bands. White was born Clarence LeBlanc in Lewiston, Maine in 1944. His friend Gene Parsons was a drummer with the band and collaborated with White in the invention of the "B-Bender," a device White used on his Telecaster to bend the B string upward, simulating the sound of a pedal steel guitar  

https://youtu.be/-olDjUy4540

Clarence White

Gene Parsons

Tilt-a-Whirl!

After some time, it becomes clear that contrary to his claims, one of the characters in my current book didn't work with a Tilt-a-Whirl, or if he did, it simply  served as a prologue to criminal activity. It is a crime novel, after all.  Nevertheless, the character referred to the Tilt-a-Whirl mechanics and the chaotic nature of the ride enough to make me look up the ride. It certainly has had an interesting 94 year history, with surprisingly few injuries. My character holds the belief that like the structure of snowflakes, no two rides on a Tilt-a-Whirl are ever identical. I have no idea if this is accurate, but he says it with conviction, and it sounds somewhat reasonable.Sounding reasonable in this case is as much as is needed.    

I added the Trinity novels to my website, last night. The three Trinity novels are available, and the two upcoming novels will be there soon. I will be happy to send them out to U.S. addresses. People out of the country who would like to buy them would be best served by Amazon, either for an eBook, or a paperback. If you've already read one of the books, please consider writing a review and leaving it on the Amazon site. It's a good way for the book to get more visibility. Now back to the day's writing. I'm anticipating about another week on the current work. I've gone back and forth on a title, with two ideas in mind. I'm sure the right choice will become apparent when it's ready to roll.  I'll let it sit for the time being while I go over FERGUSON'S TRIP in preparation for publishing.  

The Friends of Eddie Coyle

 Here's another good reason to mention The Friends of Eddie Coyle. John Holliday, who designs the covers for the Trinity novels let me know The Friends of Eddie Coyle was an answer to a Jeopardy question recently. Maybe last night. Sorry I missed it. But it gives me a chance to quote from the book. Notice the name of the character Eddie's talking to. Elmore Leonard noticed the name and used it as the name of a title character. Another thing. In the book, the hockey team in Boston is called "the Broons."

                             ###
              
 Jackie Brown at twenty-six, with no expression on his face, said that he could get some guns. "I can get you, probably, six pieces. Tomorrow night. In a week or so, maybe ten days, another dozen. I got a guy coming in with at least ten of them but I already talk to another guy about four of them and he's, you know, expecting them. He's got something to do. So, six tomorrow night. Another dozen in a week." 
    The stocky man sat across from Jackie Brown and allowed his coffee to grow cold. "I don't know as I like that," he said. "I don't know if I like buying stuff from the same lot as somebody else. Like, I don't know what he's going to do with it, you know? If it was to cause trouble to my people on account of somebody else having some from the same lot, well, it could cause trouble for me, too.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle, 
by George V. Higgins

Edison Graves

Work in Progress: 
I'm at work on an Edison Graves novel. Naturally, it takes place in Holbrook, but there's a little bit of Globe, Arizona in it too. Just enough for some good Mexican food.
Close to forty thousand words now, so I should wrap it up pretty soon.  Then I'll feel okay about publishing Ferguson's Trip.
 
I don't think El Rey is still open, but it was the best in the state, in my opinion.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler

Research finding of the week:  

Middleweight Marvin Hagler had his name legally changed to Marvelous Marvin Hagler. He was tired of sportscasters not getting it right.



I needed to know about Marvelous Marvin, because Edison Graves "looked like a middleweight contender. Like a native Marvelous Marvin Hagler." He's been getting a lot of road work in outside of Globe, Arizona.

"Probative of Powers to Astound" George V. Higgins

  Elmore Leonard  
George V. Higgins

Masters of Dialogue

 Writing is the only trade I know of in which sniveling confessions of extreme incompetence are taken as credentials probative of powers to astound the multitude. - George V. Higgins