James R. Callan | Spread the Christmas Joy

  The Christmas Cat

It was decided, by whom I have no idea, that the kids would get a cat from Santa. I, who had never had a cat and did not like cats, who was, after all, a “dog” person – who had happily gotten the dog about whom Jamie said, “I think we’ll call him Charlie,” and as far as I knew Jamie had never known anybody named Charlie, and possibly never even heard the name before -- was sent to pick up the cat.

The house, no address, turned out to be a clandestine hideout for a member of the FBI or CIA. I was fingerprinted, subjected to search, and interrogated for three hours in a 2x2 room under hot lights, with lie-detector attached, questions being asked over a speaker hidden in the wall above the one-way mirror. No Dr Peppers. Suddenly, the voice stopped, the lights went cold and I sat in darkness. My life, short as it had been at that time, passed before my eyes, though without the lights, I only got a few glimpses of the brighter spots.

Finally, the door opened. I didn’t know what to expect, and was ready for it. Instead, blank sheets attesting to what I had no clue, were thrust under my nose (or perhaps my hand, I am no longer sure) and I was ordered to sign each and initial the back of the first one next to the initials of my interrogator, though his were in invisible ink and I might have actually put mine initials on top of his.

And then, the cat was released into my custody.

Little did I know, it was actually a suicide feline, barely out of commando training, who had never been in a car before. With the cat safely inside the car, I had backed up no more than ten feet when Kamikaze Kat was racing around the car, flinging itself against the glass, tearing at the seats and slashing at the driver.

In one of the most incongruous scenes ever video taped by the Agency, the cat-unfriendly driver can be seen trying every seducing, soothing, baby-talking line known to mankind in the futile effort to calm down the run-away cat. Finally, by the end of the first block of a 5,000 block trip, the killer kitten settled down, still scared, but feeling somewhat secure by anchoring its claws into the top of the driver’s head. And it remained there for the remainder of the trip.

From Pinterest

Christmas morning, the terrorist-cat had transmogrified into a small, tame kitten. The kids were thrilled.

But the cat was about to get a comeuppance, or a comeapartness. At last, Kristi (after all, the youngest is always last) got her chance to hold the kitten. Being no more experienced than I was, she grabbed it, got the kitten’s neck in the crook of her arm and locked her hands to her chest. The kitten, hanging down, but firmly secured by its head, immediately yelled for help. Older and more experienced sister Kelly came to the aid of the kitten-in-distress. She tried to take the kitten. Kristi was not about to have her turn commuted to such a short time. She held tightly. Kelly pulled mightily. The kitten got longer. Only when an adult (who knew a thing or two about kittens and just how long they could be stretched) came to negotiate, did the kitten get off the rack.

Giraffe, Stretch, Longfellow, and The Cat in the Rack were names proposed by the adults. I don’t recall what the kitten was actually named by the kids.

The kids loved the kitten and learned to take special care of it as it grew into a cat. This was definitely a Christmas to remember. And to the day he/she died, I’m sure the kitten remembered it also.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win this beautiful "Peace" ornament! 

 

After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing. He wrote a monthly column for a national magazine for two years, and published several non-fiction books. He now concentrates on his favorite genres, Mystery and Suspense, with his sixth book released in 2014. At the request of a publisher, he has also written books on character development and how to write great dialog.

Purchase: Cleansed by Fire  http://amzn.to/1fqgWee
Website: www.jamesrcallan.com

James R. Callan {Writer Wednesday}

A little bit about James...

After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing. He wrote a monthly column for a national magazine for two years, and published several non-fiction books. He now concentrates on his favorite genre, mystery/suspense, with his sixth book releasing in Spring, 2014.

How to connect with James...

Website: www.jamesrcallan.com
Blog: www.jamesrcallan.com/blog
Amazon Author page: http://amzn.to/1eeykvG
Twitter: @jamesrcallan
Purchase A Ton of Gold [Here]

Author Interview | James Callan

You and Writing

Who is one of your favorite authors and why?
...I like David Baldacci for his intricate plots. Also, Stephen Woodfin writes very interesting suspense books.
What is one book or resource you would recommend to other writers? Why?
...Beyond the thesaurus? That is my first choice for every day writing. But, for a more general view, I’d recommend The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler. It lays out the underlying structure necessary to produce great plots and great characters.

How do you balance your time between writing and other actives? Any helpful tips, tricks, or suggestions?
...I’m not the one to give advice on that. I do a terrible job in that regard. What I try to do is set aside the same time every day that is “writing time.” I try to let that be known so fewer interruptions will occur. Having said that, to be completely honest, I don’t seem to make it work more than half the time. But, that’s better than nothing.

Your Writing

Tell us a little bit about your book.
...A Ton of Gold is a look at how an old, long forgotten folk tale could affect the lives of people today. Crystal Moore, a brilliant computer researcher, learns that someone is trying to kill her grandmother, her only living relative. As she tries to find out who and why, the world seems to fall apart around her, with murders, arson, and kidnapping. And in the midst of this, the man who nearly destroyed her emotionally comes back. This time, he can ruin her career. She will need all the help she can get from a former bull rider, a street-wise housemate, and her feisty, 76 year-old grandmother.

What was one trial you faced when writing it? One success?
...I needed a way to get information to the greedy and unscrupulous characters and how to pin down a location where the thugs would search. A little “sittin’ and thinkin’” solved that. Crystal’s sidekick, Brandi, turned out to be a great success. I had expected Crystal’s grandmother to be really good (and she is quite popular with readers), but Brandi grew to be special and she plays an even bigger role in the sequel.

Who is your favorite character and why?
...I have to put Crystal Moore at the top. She must not only confront the thugs who try to kill her only living family, but she has to deal with a powerful man who has tried to destroy her emotionally. She has to grow or be swept away. However, Brandi was a pleasant surprise, a character that jumped in and demanded a larger role.

What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...I’d like the reader to take away two thoughts. The first is that family is more important than job. And the second is that we cannot let others determine our self-worth.

You

Favorite writing snack:
...Dr Pepper and dry-roasted almonds.

Book you’re reading right now:
...Sweet Masterpiece by Connie Shelton. 

If you could go anywhere in the world for one month (for free) where would it be and why?
...That’s tough. But if I have to pick just one place, I think I’d pick Australia. Several years ago, my wife and I spent a month in Australia and didn’t begin to satisfy ourselves. It is an amazing country. Our one week in Tasmania was totally insufficient. Another month “down under” would be great.

 _______________________

So great to hear from you again, James! I like your time-management advice, and the fact that you struggle with it. That sounds strange, but as a fellow writer, I can completely identify with you on how hard it is to stick to a schedule!

Your book sounds great and I hope that it will hit the "to read" list for many of my readers! As for the Dr. Pepper, that's just great. For some reason, it immediately makes me think of Ronie Kendig and one of her characters from her A Breed Apart series - he's always drinking Dr. Pepper haha :) Thanks again so much for the interview!

James R. Callan {Writer Wednesday}

A little bit about James...

After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing. He wrote a monthly column for a national magazine for two years, and published several non-fiction books. He now concentrates on his favorite genre, mystery/suspense, with his fifth book in this area released in 2013 and two more scheduled for 2014.

How to connect with James....

Website: http://www.jamesrcallan.com
Blog: http://www.jamesrcallan.com/blog
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/13fCBdp
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/VlgFi5
Twitter: @jamesrcallan
Author Page on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eeykvG
--> Preferred purchase links for A Ton of Gold
A Ton of Gold on Amazon http://amzn.to/UQrqsZ
A Ton of Gold on Amazon -Kindle http://amzn.to/12PeHJb

Author Interview | James R. Callan

You and Writing

--> Tell us a little about yourself: How did you start writing?
...First, I want to thank you for having me on your blog site. I truly appreciate this opportunity. Thanks. 

...I was interested in writing in my twenties, but soon found I could not support a family on writing. So, I returned to graduate school in the field of mathematics. For thirty years, I worked as a mathematician and computer scientist. And then one day, I said, “The kids are all grown and self-supporting. I can go back to my first love, writing.”

--> Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written?
...That’s like asking me if I have a favorite child. They are all my favorites. But, as is often the case, the one I’m working on is most on my mind now and so today, it is my favorite. It is called The Silver Medallion and it is the sequel to A Ton of Gold. I expect it to be published in 2014. About half of the story takes place in Mexico, a place close to my heart. And in it, a young woman travels to the jungles of Mexico to rescue two young girls held captive by a cruel and ruthless bandito. This is not an adventure seeking woman, but a computer scientist who is terrified by what’s she is doing, but cannot leave these girls in captivity.

--> What is the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...The easiest is the first draft. The story is unfolding and it is an exciting time. I’m not worried about any of the details that will have to be refined in the rewrites. The hardest? Initially, finding an agent and publisher. But once the books are published, clearly the marketing and social media are the hardest – for me, a least.


Your Writing

Tell us a little about your latest published book.
...A Ton of Gold was published in 2013 by Oak Tree Press. I had done some research in information retrieval and had long wanted to use someone in that field as a protagonist. Then, I read an old Texas folk tale about a wagon load of precious metal being hidden in a lake back before Texas became a state. Those two ideas tumbled around in my head for some time and eventually A Ton of Gold came out. Its basic question is, can an old folk tale affect the lives of people today? Crystal Moore is certainly affected as murder, arson, and kidnapping swirl around her, all because of a long forgotten folk tale.

--> Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...A Ton of Gold is fortunate in having a number of great characters. Of course, Crystal is a favorite because she has to grow so much during the book. Her no-nonsense 76 year-old grandmother is a favorite of many readers including myself. Then there’s the former bull rider who plays an important part. And, Crystal’s street-wise friend adds a lot of fun. Plus … well I’d better stop.


--> What is one take-away from the book you hope readers identify with?  
...Family and self-esteem are essential ingredients. If you let someone trample your self-esteem, you are in trouble.


Writing
 
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...For A Ton of Gold, I explained above where it came from. The sequel, The Silver Medallion, was inspired by a three paragraph story I read in the newspaper. It’s 95,000 words long, so a lot of imagination came into play. But the basic inspiration was from real life.

What is your overall intention with your stories?
...First and foremost, I intend to entertain. If the reader is not entertained, I have failed. But secondly, I like to look at ordinary people who find themselves faced with extraordinary circumstances, and rise to handle it.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing?
...Write, write and write. Then read. Then write some more. And don't give up on a manuscript you believe in. Madeline L'Engle's masterpiece A Wrinkle in Time faced rejection 26 times before being published and then winning the Newberry Medal.

You
What is your favorite activity during the summer?
...My favorite activity anytime is traveling.

What are you currently reading?
...I have just finished Next Always by Nora Roberts. (I believe you need to read all genres, not just the one you write in.) Next on my list is The Alzheimer's Conspiracy by Stephen Woodfin.

Apparently August 15th is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day (who knew). What is your favorite dessert?
...Almost any flavor of ice cream. But, if you put a slice of warm pie underneath the ice cream, I’d say that about impossible to beat. 

Again, thanks for hosting me. Right now, I think I’m going to go find some lemon meringue pie – and ice cream.

___________________________

Thanks so much for the wonderful interview James. I love that you are combining the things you are passionate about, using your previous career to influence your writing. Also, the idea of using a folk tale as inspiration for a novel is great! I love when history (even if it's just a verbal tradition) comes to light in modern day. 

I hope you enjoy that pie and ice cream, James and as for you, Thinking Thoughts readers, I hope you stop by Amazon today to pick up a copy of A Ton of Gold.