Montana Harvest Now Available In Paperback

Montana Harvest

by Felix F. Giordano (Author)

Now available in paperback on Amazon.com. Click on the title link of this blog entry to bring you to my novel's marketplace on Amazon.

About the Novel:

Torn between two different worlds, Jim Buchanan, the son of a Scottish immigrant and a Native American woman, had it all--a lucrative sports career and celebrity status. But it wasn't enough to satisfy a deeper hunger. So he sacrificed it all to return to his roots, to the land he knew and loved.

In fictional Cedar County, Montana, Sheriff Buchanan is the law. When the FBI approaches him concerning a missing persons investigation, it threatens not only his own life but also the life of the person dearest to his heart.

In his attempt to crack the case, Jim comes to grip with a long-held family secret and experiences the mystical nature of his Native American heritage.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author:

The son of a Scottish immigrant and a Native American woman, Jim Buchanan found his glory on the gridiron. After a star-studded college career and three years with the Chicago Bears, Jim Buchanan retired from football. A deeper hunger within his soul compelled him to yearn for something more.

A hitch in the United States Air Force as a military policeman piqued his interest in law enforcement and upon returning to the states he joined the Montana Highway Patrol. Three years later he was elected county sheriff.

Montana Harvest begins in the spring of Jim Buchanan's first year as sheriff of Cedar County, Montana.

Montana Harvest

Montana Harvest, the first novel in the Jim Buchanan series is now in Kindle format on Amazon.com. 

The son of a Scottish immigrant and a Native American woman, Jim Buchanan found his glory on the gridiron. After a star-studded college career and three years with the Chicago Bears, Jim Buchanan retired from football. A deeper hunger within his soul compelled him to yearn for something more. 

A hitch in the United States Air Force as a military policeman piqued his interest in law enforcement and upon returning to the states he joined the Montana Highway Patrol. Three years later he was elected county sheriff. 

Montana Harvest begins in the spring of Jim Buchanan's first year as sheriff of Cedar County, Montana. The FBI approaches Jim concerning a missing persons investigation and in his attempt to crack the investigation, Jim comes to grip with a long-held family secret and experiences the mystical nature of his Native American heritage.

The paperback edition will be available shortly. You can access the novel by clicking on the title link of this blog entry.

Montana Harvest Pictures

Back in the Saddle Again

I'm in the process of redoing my writing area which will make it more conducive to writing. Had a dream the other night which will become a short story that will appear in More Tales From Half Moon Room. It's about a father who surrenders his fifteen year old, runaway daughter to Sheriff Jim Buchanan's office and wants her and her eighteen year old boyfriend jailed. As Jim delves deeper into the family relationships he realizes that what at first seemed obvious just scratches the surface.

"Incident at Dead River Junction"

There is a town in Vermont called White River Junction and I grew attached to the name and wanted to use a form of it for the title of one of my novels. I initially did just that for my fourth novel in the Jim Buchanan series, Incident at Cold River Junction. A fictional ghost town set in Montana, I really liked the name, Cold River Junction. However, I recently discovered that Cold River Junction is the name of an actual business in Concan, Texas and so I am considering renaming my novel, Incident at Dead River Junction.

My First Paragraphs

Montana Harvest -

The thunderstorm continued to bully its way onto the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. In an old two-room unheated cabin with tarpapered roof and a few plywood-covered windows, the extended Robinson family huddled in the lone bedroom. Sandy Robinson, an eighteen-year-old unwed mother of three held her oldest in her arms. Each crash of thunder caused the four year old to dig his fingers into her shoulders. The clasp of the chained locket around her neck loosened each time that he did.

Mystery at Little Bitterroot -

A long, inquisitive sniff, a lick, a bite, and then the hungry scavenger braced its hind legs. Tugging at her find and shaking her head, the coyote loosened the carcass from the riverbank. Behind her, the field of buffalograss, a shade of gold under the Montana sun, darkened as a weather front crept across the landscape.

The Killing Zone -

At 8:47 PM, Mick, dressed in blue jeans, a short sleeve t-shirt and a black leather jacket drew a long drag from his cigarette as he stood outside the liquor store with his friend Ray who shooed a moth that seemed interested in the overhead light above the door. A young, attractive woman, professionally dressed, walked up to them. Mick stepped out of the way.

Incident at Dead River Junction -

Parked on the breakdown lane of a lonely stretch of US Highway 228, just west of Taylor, sat a Montana Highway Patrol cruiser. Tired, anxious, and on the back end of a ten-hour shift, Officer McCoy stared at the sun as it continued its slow dive behind the Cabinet Mountain Range. Aroused by the intrusion of smoldering aspen riding on a crosscurrent summer breeze, he rolled down his window.

Incident at Cold River Junction

I've begun writing the fourth novel in the Jim Buchanan Series, Incident at Cold River Junction. 

"When a trip home takes a scenic detour through a Montana ghost town, Sheriff Jim Buchanan and his teenage nephew Josh are faced with more than they bargained for. Alone and cut off from help, Jim must protect Josh from the mysterious inhabitants of Cold River Junction, face off against a familiar and evil adversary, and discover a way home."

Know the Power that is Peace

Black Elk was a holy man of the Lakota Sioux Nation (click on the title of this post to learn more about Black Elk).

Black Elk's Prayer, as translated by John G. Neihardt, is as follows:

Grandfather, Great Mysterious One,

You have been always,

and before you nothing has been.

There is nothing to pray to but you.

The star nations all over the universe are yours,

and yours are the grasses of the earth.

Day in, day out, you are the life of things...

You are older than all need, older than all pain and prayer.

Grandfather, all over the world the faces

of living ones are alike.

In tenderness they have come up

out of the ground.

Look upon your children

with children in their arms,

that they may face the winds and 

walk the Good Road to the Day of Quiet.

Teach me to walk the soft earth.

a relative to all that live.

Sweeten my heart,

and fill me with light.

Give me the strength to understand and

the eyes to see.

Help me, for without you,

I am nothing.

Hetchetu aloh!

I captured this picture of one of Black Elk's phrases on the outside wall of the visitor's center at the Little Bighorn National Battlefield. The first part of the dialogue is in his own language and the second part translated into English.

When I went inside the visitor's center I was immediately overwhelmed by the massive loss of life on both sides at the Battle of Little Bighorn and my emotions overcame me. When one of the admission representatives approached me I could not stop shaking and my heart raced. In that state, I was unable to purchase a ticket. She suggested that I sit on a bench for a few minutes. 

Once I thought I was able to control my emotions, I purchased a ticket and attended a short film on the battle. Sadness again engulfed me and my eyes welled up with tears as I listened to the story of how the US Government and Native American Nations each both foolish and strong-headed, descended toward an unavoidable confrontation.

Outside, the battlefield itself causes one to reflect on the magnitude of suffering. Here are random pictures that I captured. I believe they speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lives taken unnecessarily because of man's inability to sit and speak with one another. Pride, ambition, stubbornness, revenge, all get in the way when what we really need is love, empathy, and understanding. If we could for once just let our minds listen to our hearts.

Along The Tracks

During my Amtrak trip out west in 2011, I saw many simple but beautiful sights of our country right along the tracks from my window seat. These pictures are from Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana and are but a few of many that I captured.

 

 

 

The Crazy Mountains

The Crazy Mountains near Big Timber, Montana are believed to be a spiritual place according to Native American legend. I traveled there in October, 2011 hiking in the Gallatin National Forest along Big Timber Creek Falls where I saw mule deer along with fascinating sites and breathtaking vistas. In a state where remote is a relative word, the Gallatin National Forest is about as remote as one can get and still be within a half-hour drive of civilization. The Gallatin National Forest has served as a backdrop to many western movies, most notably Robert Redford's The Horse Whisperer.

Upon leaving for the day I shot a short panoramic video of the Crazy Mountains from the approach road to the forest.

Short video of the Crazy Mountains

Glacier National Park

One of many photos that I took while in Glacier National Park. Click on the title of this post to learn more about the park.

Virginia City, Montana

A picture of the Wells Fargo Office in Virginia City, Montana (JP, this one's for you). 

In the fall of 2011, one of the places that I visited in Montana was Virginia City which is a working ghost town. That means the buildings are preserved as they once were over one hundred years ago when the town was bustling but the town still has an active government. In fact, it is the county seat of Madison County, Montana. 

As I walked the streets, I marveled at the richness and diversity of the town buildings. Although the purpose of some buildings has changed, such as the Wells Fargo & Co. Overland Mail and Express Office is now a restaurant, most, if not all of Virginia City's buildings are in a historic district and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

To learn more about Virginia City, click on the following link:

 Virginia City

Please take the time to view the video, Virginia City...Where History Lives. As I watched it, I saw historic photos taken over one-hundred years ago of people standing in front of the exact same buildings I walked past during my visit. It's a breath of Americana that you won't regret witnessing.

Here are a few more of my Virginia City photos:

In Honor of Shep

When I visited Fort Benton, Montana in October, 2011 on the banks of the Missouri River, I stumbled upon a memorial that brought tears to my eyes. We sometimes marvel at the loyalty and intelligence that our four-legged friends exhibit. They are truly in-tune with the world in a way that we can only imagine.

Barbed wire, golden grass, and snow-capped mountains in Big Sky Country!

This is a picture near the entrance to Gallatin National Forest in Big Timber, Montana. The Crazy Mountains are in the background.

Sasquatch

Sasquatch

Mighty creature sent from Creator,

you are lord and master of the wood.

The stars are your tipi, the sun is your fire,

for thousands of years, your legend has stood.

 Keeper of Mother Earth, that is your task,

your bond with her is deep and without end.

Hidden in the wild, you live a life of peace.

a silent sentinel, a Native’s eternal friend.

Powerful as the trees are tall,

you walk unbowed among the bear,

Gentle like the ladyslipper,

you smile at the woodland hare.

Oft misunderstood across this land,

the white man saw you and ran.

Wise in the ways of Mother Earth,

Sasquatch, you teach us how to be human.

© 2007, Felix Giordano

Editor's Note: This photo is a cropping of a larger picture which was taken in September, 2011 at Ross Creek Cedars in the Kootenai National Forest in Northwest Montana just outside of Troy and Libby, Montana. After I returned home my son spotted an anomaly in the picture which is unexplained and could be an image of a creature covered with dark brown or black hair.

Creator’s Gift of Life

Creator’s Gift of Life

When trees have shed their leaves, and the days are short and cold, watch the bare limbs reach to the sky in praise of Creator! 

When the winter winds arrive, the branches, freed of their leafy bonds, sway in the breeze, like a dance of submission to the powers of Mother Earth.

Breathe deep the crisp air and rejoice for the trees lead us in a new and profound way to honor the wondrous gift of life!       

     

© 2013, Felix Giordano

Sacrifice Cliff

Sacrifice Cliff

Oh, sandstone cliffs so high,

what secrets do you hold?

Like an amphitheater for the prairie wind,

you watch the town stretched out below.

The Rimrocks are cold and silent, blessed to no living man,

only to the courageous, eternal souls who linger in time.

Oh, brave warriors, who rode blind ponies over the edge,

and sacrificed their lives so that others may live.

While we sleep, your cries fill the thick night air,

as you ride your ghost horses on the wind.

Never to touch the ground again,

only to kiss the Creator’s sky.

© 2006, Felix Giordano

Connecting with Twitter, Facebook, & Linkedin

I've become more active on Twitter with the consequence resulting in a decrease of activity on my blog. I hope I've now found a way to be active on all my social media sites (Blogspot, Twitter, Facebook, & Linkedin) without having to produce multiple and redundant posts. 

I've followed the steps to link my blog with Twitter, Facebook, & Linkedin. I'm not sure if my individual posts will show up on these apps but even if just a link appears that would be great. The more I engage in social media, I've come to realize that the more important it is for me to post news, observations, and comments to just one service and have them automatically appear on the others. 

This is a test to see if connecting the apps to my blog will provide automatic updates on the other services. Wish me luck.

Virtual Montana Trip

Use this link to go to my Virtual Montana Trip page. I posted additional pictures and will post more as time allows.

Weekly Updates - w/e 7-28, 8/4, & 8-11-2012

Attended my writer's group (Jordon's Twelve) meeting on the 11th. Received very good feedback for my novel Mystery at Little Bitterroot which I can use in future novels.

My agent sent Montana Harvest to a publisher for review. Hope to hear something in a few weeks.  

Still looking for a customer review for my writing group's anthology, Tales From Half Moon Room. If you have read the book, please consider submitting a review at the above link.

Weekly Updates - w/e 7-14 & 7-21-2012

The final rewrite of The Killing Zone is now 6.0% complete.
Attended the first of two writing workshops taught by my editor. The follow-up workshop will be in August. 

My writing group, "Jordon's Twelve" will meet this week. We received our first royalty check for Tales From Half Moon Room.

Weekly Update - w/e 7-7-2012

The final rewrite of Mystery at Little Bitterroot is now 100% complete.

 

Added a first chapter to The Killing Zone that will engage the reader in a way that the original beginning didn't. The final rewrite of TKZ is now 0.6% complete.

 

Signed up for two writing workshops to be taught by my editor. The first one is in July and a follow-up in August.

 

Flesch Reading Ease & Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level

For those of you who may not understand the theories behind the Flesch Reading Ease & Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level applications that I made reference to in my previous post, the following two links provide helpful information. Basically, the higher the Reading Ease, the more people will be able to comprehend your writing and the lower the grade level potentially exposes more people to your writing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch%E2%80%93Kincaid_readability_test

http://mabfan.livejournal.com/105017.html

(The average reader in the U.S. reads at fifth grade level)

Mystery at Little Bitterroot

Mystery at Little Bitterroot is 100% complete. Using the evaluation statistics in MS Word, my novel checks out at 69,520 words with a Flesch Reading Ease of 84.0 and a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 3.9 (you want the higher the better for the reading ease and the lower the better for the grade level). Statistically, Mystery at Little Bitterroot grades out slightly better than Montana Harvest which was accepted by my literary agent. Now it's on to a final edit for The Killing Zone. Expected completion date for my third novel in The Jim Buchanan Series is September 30th.

                                    Montana Harvest        Mystery at Little

                                                                             Bitterroot

Counts            

  Words                                   64,549                     69,520

  Characters                           293,793                  314,377

  Paragraphs                              2,836                       3,021

  Sentences                                6,719                       7,095

                       

Averages                    

  Sentences per Paragraph            2.4                           2.4

  Words per Sentence                   9.5                           9.7

  Characters per Word                  4.3                           4.2

                       

Readability                 

  Passive Sentences                      0%                           0%

  Flesch Reading Ease                82.3                         84.0

  Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level      4.1                           3.9

Progress on MALB Rewrite

On June 14th I began a rewrite of Mystery at Little Bitterroot. Today, I passed the 75% completion mark. I have eight days left to complete the rewrite within a one month time-frame and I should have no trouble in accomplishing that. In fact, I hope to complete it by this weekend. 

Then I will begin the final rewrite for my third novel,  The Killing Zone and will give myself 90 days to complete it. The reason for the extended time is that the professional edit for that novel was provided as a hard copy edit, not as an electronic copy and I'll need extra time for that. 

With Montana Harvest, already in the hands of my agent, all three novels will be edited based upon the feedback I received during my trip to Montana by September 1st. Then it's on to my 4th novel, as yet unnamed.

Weekly Update - w/e 6-30-2012

The final rewrite of Mystery at Little Bitterroot is now 59.2% complete.

 

Attended my bi-monthly writers group meeting. Next meeting scheduled for July 14th.

Have decided to write a future novel based upon a real-life cold case murder.

 

 

Mystery at Little Bitterroot Hook

In one of my previous posts...

http://thejimbuchanannovels.blogspot.com/2012/06/hook.html

I mentioned the fact that my intent in each novel is to develop a hook involving my protagonist's interactions with Native American ancestry, customs, friends and relatives. In Montana Harvest, the hook was Alma's path toward becoming a shaman, and her life and death utilization of what she had learned.

In Mystery at Little Bitterroot, the hook will be fictionalized legend, ḿalyè es šeýiłk. When a person dies a violent death at the hands of another, their life energy escapes to a place parallel to but not of this world. The murder victim's spirit retains the experience of its last moments on Earth and those memories drive it to seek revenge, wrecking death and destruction to all that stand in its way.

Twitter & Facebook Links

Recently, I've been active on both Twitter and Facebook. You can access my posts at the following link. You can also follow me on both services if you have accounts with them. 

https://twitter.com/#!/idowrite

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003157538795

The Dumbing Down of Grammar

As someone who spent 36+ years in the corporate world as an accountant/budget & financial analyst, a significant portion of my time was spent composing reports and memos. I found both internal and external communications to often be lacking in proper grammar. The following three articles support my observations. I believe these lessons are pertinent to any writer who offers their submissions to agents, editors, and publishers.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/every-company-is-a-publishing-company/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303410404577466662919275448.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_LeadStoryNA
 
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/29/dumbing-it-down-the-pursuit-of-intellectual-mediocrity-in-america/

Weekly Update - w/e 6-23-2012

The final rewrite of Mystery at Little Bitterroot is now 20.2% complete.

I've submitted my piece for next Saturday's writers group meeting.

I've come up with names for future characters: John Claire, Shelby Brewer, Lyle Dupré, Ben Kettering, Shane Doyle, Ruth Bane, Leonard Styles, Bonnie McAskill, and Moon Winter.

Weekly Update - w/e 6-16-2012

Attended my bi-monthly writers group meeting. Even though we met twice this month already, we scheduled another meeting for June 30th.

Have begun outlining my 4th novel. It will be a sequel to my 3rd and will bring back antagonists from my 1st and 3rd novels.

I now have an agent. Hope to receive more good news later this year.

The final rewrite of Mystery at Little Bitterroot is now at 12.1%.

Jim Buchanan's Scouting Report

As you may know, the protagonist in my novels, Jim Buchanan had a football career from high school to college and finally to the pros. I've created statistics to support his drafting position when he entered the NFL but what I've now done is to create a draft profile comparable to what the NFL uses in evaluating college talent. Basically, a scouting report. Using the standard Pro Football college player evaluations, here's what I've created:

 

DE-DT JIM BUCHANAN, #92

Montana                                                                      GRADE: 8.25

Ht: 6-5½      Wt: 280      Sp: 4.68      Arm: 35¼      Hand: 11½

Notes: Native American who did not begin playing high school sports until his junior year. Played high school ball at Taylor High in Montana where he won a football state championship and pitched on the baseball team. Accounted for more than 3,000 all-purpose yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior halfback. Had arthroscopic surgery to remove a torn meniscus and bone spurs once the baseball season was over. Committed to then-head coach Mike Chapman and the Montana Grizzlies and spent a relatively quiet freshman year as a 6-3, 210 pound backup fullback/outside linebacker while rehabbing his knee and playing in all 12 games in ’80, gaining 128 yards on the ground and scoring one touchdown while recording 15 tackles (11 on special teams). Back to full health, started all 12 games as a 6-4, 240 pound inside linebacker in ’81 and tallied 49 tackles, five batted passes, three sacks, one blocked FGA, and two interceptions, including a 76-yard return for a touchdown. Moved to defensive end in ’82 and was a disruptive force at 6-5, 270 pounds, leading the team in tackles with 89. Added seven sacks, eight batted passes, two blocked kicks, and three forced fumbles in 12 games. First team All Big Sky Conference, second team All-American. Moved inside in a 4-3 scheme in ’83 and posted 123 tackles, eighteen sacks, twelve batted passes, seven forced fumbles, three blocked kicks, and two interceptions in 12 games. Incredibly, was occasionally used to drop into coverage. Returned one interception, 24 yards for a touchdown and scored a hat trick plus one vs. Montana State (sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, 87-yard scoring play). Big Sky Conference Player of the Year, first team All American, Outland Trophy winner.

Positives: Natural talent has vines for arms and meat hooks for hands. With only 5% body fat, looks like he was weaned on a Nautilus machine. Intriguing size-speed ratio, can flat-out fly. Rare movement skills, balance, change of direction, and agility for his size. Can grab and toss with ease. Uses his quickness to get under the pads of offensive linemen. Extremely gifted, athletic, spins off blocks, able to adjust and redirect, can slide along the line. Eyes and instincts are superior – quickly locates the ball and fights through clutter. Directs the defense, changes schemes based upon what he sees at the line. Is rarely wrong and out of position. Outstanding production, motor, effort, and hustle. Has proven he will play through injuries (knee) and has a high pain threshold. Physically tough, highly competitive, solid personal and football character – hardworking, outgoing, and well-respected, team captain, a coach's dream. Aggressive when he needs to be, under control at all times. Just scratching the surface and is loaded with potential, tremendous upside.

Negatives: Durability is a concern. Could be stronger at the point of attack. Appears in game film like a man among boys tossing blockers aside like trash, so competition has to be considered. Lacks experience locking horns with top-flight offensive linemen. Does not have the size or bulk for a NFL defensive tackle, will have to play outside. Needs to adjust to the speed of the pro game.

Summary: Has upfield speed to roar off the edge and the bulk and weight-room strength to fight in the trenches. Strong, long, quick, athletic, productive, instinctive, powerful disruptive force who really came onto the scene as a junior and possesses the position and scheme versatility to warrant top-five consideration. May serve him best working in a rotation as a rookie. Limitless upside, can have a lengthy pro career as long as he avoids major injury. Perennial Pro-bowler. Once in a lifetime player.

NFL Projection: Top-5 talent. Could be the first player drafted overall by a team that needs that final building block.

Hook

I've come to realize that a hook is needed for each of my novels. Not just any hook but because my novels involve a mixed blood sheriff, his interactions with Native American ancestry, customs, friends and relatives, the hook needs to involve that aspect of his life. In my first novel, Montana Harvest the hook was Alma's path toward becoming a shaman and her life and death utilization of what she had learned. In Mystery at Little Bitterroot, the hook will be a fictionalized legend. It is these hooks that will drive and compel the plot twists that I believe add a sense of mystery to my novels. My intent is to create multifaceted layers to my plots and if I do that the reader should say to themselves at the end of the novel, "Now I know why they did that" or "Now I can see why that happened."

Wisdom

I suppose wisdom can be defined as learning from one's mistakes or heeding the advice of others. If so, then I've incorporated wisdom into my novels. One thing I've learned from my trip to Montana is that because it is such a small populated state, I needed to fictionalize the locations in my novels. I created Cedar County with Taylor (pop. 65,167) as its county seat. US Route 228 (this highway does not exist anywhere in the USA) dissects Taylor. Some other towns in the county are Horace, Spaulding, Mallory, Big Stump, and Bryce Hollow. There is even a fictionalized ghost town named Louisiana City. Within Taylor are Taylor University and the Taylor University Medical Center. I also placed an office of the State Crime Lab in Taylor with Hank Kelly as the Chief Medical Examiner. Creating these fictionalized locations and establishments allows me to freely use them without offending or upsetting anyone.

Short Stories

I'm currently working on a number of short stories for my writing group's 2nd anthology.

They are:

• Threes – the clock, remote, and camera
• The Others – part 2 (part 1 was in my writing group's first anthology)
• A Medieval Tragedy – a story about a prince & princess
• Brooklyn Alley – Jonathan’s story
• Kill the Squeaker – a dog story

The second anthology is projected to be finished by the end of this year with publishing shortly thereafter. If you haven't purchased the first book, you can buy it by clicking on this link:

Tales From Half Moon Room

For those of you who have read the book, a customer review posted on our book's Amazon.com page would be much appreciated.

Link to my website

I've placed a permanent link to my novels' website on the home page of this blog. It appears just below the main page's picture of East Glacier Park.

What I've been doing

It's amazing that this is my first post for 2012. No, I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth. I've been busy working on a half-dozen or so short stories for inclusion in my writing group's second anthology later this year. I've also been busy attending my writing group's bi-monthly meetings. Finally, I've begun the fourth novel in the Jim Buchanan series. It will be a seamless transition from the third novel but will stand on its own while introducing a major character to the series. I can't say too much about it now but what I will say is that this new character's first name is Axe. I'll let your imagination run wild from there.