Saddlebrooke Author Festival Expanding

62 Local Authors to Participate

That Tucson author event being held in Saddlebrooke on February 20th is expanding to 62 local authors presenting their works for everyone to look at and consider. Besides book signings, there will be opportunities to engage all the authors about quite an array of topics and genres. There will also be snacks and chairs and a lot of places to commiserate with fellow readers. It’s going to be a fun event.

I will be presenting my two books: Just Dust – An Improbable Marine’s Vietnam Story, and Inconspicuous – Walter Rothwell’s Undercover Journey During the Cold War.  Please come visit and …

… mark your calendars now!

Literacy Connects – Tucson

JANUARY NEWSLETTER

Literacy Connects, Tucson’s premier educational center for teaching English as a second language, has presented a very nice online newsletter this month. Check it out by linking to:  https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&shva=1#inbox/15272208a4e9b426.

This month, Wes Choc was featured (see end of this month’s newsletter) as a special tutor who regularly volunteers his time teaching English to new residents to the U.S.  Every week, he conducts the Advanced Conversation class at Nanini Public Library on Tucson’s northwest side. Inside the classroom, students practice their speaking and listening skills in particular. The main focus in the class is on “practical pronunciation” (in order to speak more fluently and more clearly the way Americans do) as well as on “idioms, slang, and word choices” (in order to understand what people are saying, and to use these types of speaking skills). Best of all, it’s a fun way for students to practice their communication abilities in a mutually supportive environment.

Walter Rothwell Passes Away

Walter Rothwell Jr., 92, passed away in his home January 21, 2015 … peacefully while reclining in his overstuffed comfortable chair … with numerous favorite books and magazines stacked on tables alongside. Further details about arrangements will be posted when known.

Wally was the subject of the biography just completed written by Wes Choc … a nonfiction account about his life during the Cold War. Drafted into the US Army (while living in Switzerland) the same month World War II ended might seem fortuitous, but because of Wally’s ability to speak four languages like a native, it enticed him into a world of strategic intelligence … and ultimately Cold War espionage. He became a spy. His unusual and ultimately consequential life story is recountedInconspicuous Front Cover in the book titled “Inconspicuous – Walter Rothwell’s Undercover Journey During the Cold War” … find out more information on this at http://www.amazon.com/Inconspicuous-Walter-Rothwells-Undercover-Journey/dp/0996417923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449468639&sr=8-1&keywords=inconspicuous  and elsewhere on this site.

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Author Expo – Saddlebrooke February 20

If you live around Tucson, there’s going to be a significant author event held in Saddlebrooke on February 20th. More than 50 authors will be presenting their works for everyone to look at and consider. There will be book signings and an opportunities to engage each author about quite an array of topics and genres. It’s going to be a fun event. I’m planning to participate and will be presenting two books: Just Dust – An Improbable Marine’s Vietnam Story, and Inconspicuous – Walter Rothwell’s Undercover Journey During the Cold War.

Watch for more details to come. But in the meantime, be sure to mark your calendar now!

KQTH Interview with Ben Beuhler Garcia

Listen to the entire interview with Tucson radio station KQTH’s Ben Beuhler Garcia that aired first on December 29, 2015. It’s an interesting sojourn into the pages of Wes Choc’s second edition of “Just Dust: An Improbable Marine’s Vietnam Story” that was released mid-December.

http://www.1041kqth.com/podcast/dailymale/363921681.html

You’ll get insights that go between the paragraphs of this interesting book.

First read – “Inconspicuous – Walter Rothwell’s Undercover Journey During The Cold War”

“Wally reads his story”.  When you are the ‘star’ of the story……. you get to receive the first copy!

Inconspicuous: Walter Rothwell’s Undercover Journey During the Cold War

It was indeed a poignant moment when I presented Wally the first copy of his biography. He just touched the cover and turned it over and over, then opened the pages to see what was inside. His eyes paused on pages with photos before giving me one of his restrained Wally-esque smiles.

The next day, I came back to his home to learn that he was very tired. He didn’t get much sleep the night before I was told by his caretaker, Mary Brown. As it turned out, Wally stayed up to the wee hours reading his book completely through, cover to cover. I noticed his eyes were kind of heavy despite that lingering pinched-lip Wally-esque smile. Mary told me that he was now half-way through his second reading. Although Wally had indeed read numerous drafts over the last 12-15 months, this was something … well, … tangible. Not wanting to miss this moment, I decided to take a couple photos to share..

Inconspicuous – Walter Rothwell’s Undercover Journey During the Cold War”  is now widely available everywhere books are sold. Ask for it by name. As an added feature, both Wes and Wally proudly served in the ‘uniform’ for the United States. Wes as a Marine with a tour of duty to Vietnam. Wally as a career office in the US Army. Both Wally and Wes are proud to share that 25% of the book royalties will be presented to the Arizona Fisher House

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“INCONSPICUOUS – Walter Rothwell’s Undercover Journey Through the Cold War”


In addition to family time Thanksgiving week, I am delighted to announce the following…. A new book, based on a new journey. After learning the ‘ropes’ of self publishing while bringing “Just Dust” to market, I set out completely on my own with my second work. I recently established my own publishing entity… Chosen Journey Media. This new platform allows me complete control of the project from start to finish.

Published 11/24 under the Chosen Journey imprint, I am pleased to present… “Inconspicuous – Walter Rothwell’s Undercover Journey During the Cold War. It’s a biographical account about a gentlemen I met three years ago here in Tucson … a person who was a spy in the late 1940s to early 1950s and who had many interesting Cold War connections that few folks would ever recognize … or remember … let alone read about …as well as stories that were consequential!

“Inconspicuous” is available on www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com and through any retailer to order.

This multi-lingual American teenager grew up in Germany and Switzerland and was in the right place at the right time with the right skills to make a difference in some conspicuously inconspicuous ways. It’s not James Bond, but it’s a must-tell story that will make you smile and frown and pinch your lips as you nod your head.

In-law’s Laws

Years ago when Carol and I were visiting family in Ohio, her mother Olga (in her mid-80s then) and I were talking about family first names over past generations against those given to kids nowadays; some names, we concluded, were going out of fashion.

When I observed how names of each our boys had five letters, she quickly pointed out Carol’s sister Sue had two boys, one with a five-lettered name, the other with four, “not much poignancy there,” she said. I went on to note how each of her own three children’s first names had five letters too which prompted her to remark that this sort of thing probably happened quite a bit. After all, most names had either four or five, or maybe six letters. “So what?” she said glibly.

Dismissive in a typical Olga-listic way, she was perhaps only momentarily entertained—yet unimpressed along with a just-where-are-you-going-with-this? kind of look that only she could manufacture with a lowered jowl tucked under a straight face while looking over the top rim of her glasses.

Fascinated by this sort of thing, I have to admit my daydream-type musings focused on letters in words, pronunciations, anagrams, and the like. I reminded her about how I had commented at dinner that the game of golf was really flog because that’s what I did with the ball most of the time, and flog is golf spelled backwards. Remaining unamused with her smile and frown combo deepening in her forehead, she withheld a grimace while feigning a snicker.

She humored me by asking, “are there other peculiarities about our family names that are, uh …genuinely noteworthy?” She quickly pointed out how our oldest was named Brian, and Carol’s sister Sue’s oldest was named Ryan; these names rhymed. Now that was interesting! This time her snicker lingered with a twinkle in her eye as she played along.

Although previously observed, we got a reinstated chuckle out of what Ryan’s initials would have been (B.O. instead of R.O.) had Sue picked her first boy’s name choice (Bryan). I went on to observe how our Brian’s initials could have been funny too (B.M.C. or, B.M.), and she cringed at the humor for about two seconds before arching her eyelids, disagreeing the name “Bryan” was ever a serious consideration since our son had already been named Brian a year prior. This was followed instantly by that same maternal brow furrowing as she sipped her cup of tea, elevating her little finger like a sarcastic sword targeted in my direction.

She was humoring me with her penetrating Welsh-squinted eyes, pursed lips, and notorious, inquisitive but dismissive frown, but remaining entertained by this type of familial chat. So when I asked her what her maiden name was (we both knew it was Cooper), I said “if you take that ‘C’ in Cooper, then follow it by the first initial of your married name, what do you get then?”

She said “H” (for Hoier).

“OK, ‘C-H’. Then if you take the first initial of her firstborn Susan’s married name, what do you get?”

She answered “O?” promptly.

“OK, ‘C-H-O’. Now, if you take the first initial of her second-born (and my wife) Carol’s married name, what do you get?” I asked with a touch of touché in my voice.

This time the “C?” was drawn out slowly and deliberately.

“Now, place those four initial letters in chronological order, what does it spell? The answer is ‘C-H-O-C’ or my own surname correctly spelled. So, isn’t it absolutely appropriate for me to talk about letters in names, wouldn’t you agree?” asking with a pointed verbal spar.

“Well, now you mention it …absolutely not!” said with that swishing Welsh wink in one arching eye that she reserved for those “gimme putts” she’d use in her game of flog. “That name has only four letters, not five! Besides, just how else would you spell your last name?!”

[Olga Cooper Hoier passed away September 8, 2015, at the age of 97]

New Anthology “Baby Shoes” Now Available

Baby Shoes: 100 Stories by 100 Authors
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100 Stories. 100 Authors. Under 1,000 words. No Holds Barred. This book started with a call for authors worldwide and ended with a collection of short-but-stirring pieces of fiction from all genres and every corner of the human literary imagination. Spend a minute each in one hundred minds, with tales running from noir detective, to holiday heartwarmer, to serial killer thrill, to flights of fantasy and erotica. “Baby Shoes” gets its name from what’s arguably the most famed piece of flash fiction ever penned, and follows that tradition to celebrate great writing in one of its most efficient forms.

Featured authors: Joe R. Lansdale, Linda Needham and Walter Jon Williams Senior authors: April Aasheim, April J. Moore, Dan Repperger, Dani J. Caile, Danika Dinsmore, Eddy Webb, Jack B. Rochester, Jason Brick, William Hertling Contributing authors: A.A. Blakey, Adam Thomas Gottfried, Amanda Whitbeck, Amy Beth Outland, Arlan Andrews Sr., Bam Leslie, Barry Koplen, Bert Edens, C.A. Verstraete, C.M. Crockford, Caitlin Park, Carrie Uffindell, Charles Loomis, Christian Fink Jensen, Christina Dudley, Cody May, Crystal Yoner, Cynthia Lang, Dan Marshall, David M. Covenant, David Mundt, Debby Dodds, Derek Knutsen, E.A. Roper, E.L. Johnson, Erika Gimbel, Erika Rybczyk, Ethan Noone, Gerri Leen, Greg Henry, Gregg Edwards Townsley, Ian Christy, Jane Nagler, Jeb Brack, Jenny Cokeley, Jess Kapp, Jim Pahz, John Deal, John James, Julie M. Rodriguez, Karen B. Call, Katherine Valdez, Kathryn Cowan Shepherd, Kyle Owens, Larry Oldham, Laura Scott, Lawrence W. Paz, Lisa Nordin, M. Earl Smith, M.D. Pitman, M.S. Lambert, Macy Mixdorf, Maggie Grinnell, Maria Clark, Mark R. O’Neill, Mark Rusin, Marquita West, Maya Silver, Mindy Windholz, Miranda Carter, Monroe Truss, N.L. Bowley, Nancy Townsley, Nathan Hystad, Nick Briggs, Own Palmioti, Pat Marum, Patrick Garratt, Peter Boadry, Phil Cummings, Rhonnie Fordham, Robert Eversmann, Ron Chaterjee, Rose LeMort, S.M. Chandler, Sandra Valmana, Scott Crowder, Seth Bradley, Sharon Rezac Andersen, Shelley Widhalm, Thomas Palestrini, Tiaan Lubbe, Trinity N. Herr, Tyler Denning, Vinnie Penn, Wes Choc, Zephyra Burt

Second Edition of “Just Dust” due out shortly

The second edition of Just Dust is due out soon (probably around Thanksgiving). There have been some photographs added, some typos fixed, and two minor historical errors corrected …plus a revised front and back cover. I’ve also added an explanation for something that had been inadvertently omitted.

BUT SOME NEW NEWS!

With this second edition, from each book sale we are arranging for a donation to the Fisher House. As some folks probably have already heard, the Fisher House (lookup their website at http://www.fisherhouse.org) is a place where relatives of hospitalized veterans can stay—an especially useful place when veterans have operations or extended hospital stays. The Fisher House in Tucson is already under construction. Look for more details about Fisher House in the near future.