Congratulations DL Havlin! “The Grave with Greener Grass” Royal Palm Literary Award entry has just been named a FINALIST! RPLA Award winners will be announced at the Saturday evening Banquet on October 21 as part of Florida Writerscon 2023, October 20-22. https://amzn.to/3sSz8X8
Congratulations DL Havlin! “The Grave with Greener Grass” Royal Palm Literary Award entry has just been named a FINALIST! RPLA Award winners will be announced at the Saturday evening Banquet on October 21 as part of Florida Writerscon 2023, October 20-22. https://amzn.to/3sSz8X8
I’ve been struggling with a few health problems over the last six months. Combating such issues is never easy, but it seems the fates and the outside world is conspiring against me! A badly injured knee, type two diabetes flareups, a wound that refused to heal, and mix up with my prescriptions have made things difficult. However, I battled those to the point of gaining control.
A few more things have left me feeling down! First my agent and I have been fighting with one of my publishers…no, better stated, we are trying to contact it to argue with them. Second, as I previously stated in my blogs, Ian devastated our area. Though the storm was easier on us than many of our neighbors, it still did considerable damage to our home. Enter the insurance vampires. We carry every type insurance possible, home-owners, flood, wind. Guess what? Everybody tells us the other guy is responsible. It is so bad we have had to get a professional adjuster and a lawyer. Of course, the media support disappears and leaves us with what you see below.
While those are weighty problems, the prospect of facing the national news coverage of the 2024 election makes me cringe! I don’t know if I can survive another horror movie like the last few.
Listening to and seeing the press idiot’s vomit into microphones and cameras forces one to consider burning the national media to the ground. Choosing between the probable candidates, Biden and Trump? ……Yuk, that’s like a restaurant menu with only two selections: Cow Crap and Horse Shit! Oh, well. I wonder if Rip Van Winkle knew how lucky he was!
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Congratulations to our Finalists!
DL Havlin
The Grave With Greener Grass
You have been selected to receive a medal as one of our finalists in the Florida Authors and Publishers Association’s Annual President’s Book Awards. This is a remarkable accomplishment and is a testament to their skill and talent as an author.
We will be announcing the final places and presenting gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 2023 FAPA President’s Book Award Ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023 in conjunction with our annual conference, FAPACon 2023.
Now available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3sSz8X8
I was watching a national TV news program two nights ago. It was a channel I normally watch. The volume of inflammatory rhetoric got to the point I flipped the channel … Guess what … I got more of the same. After repeating the process several more times, I decided I’d go to a local channel to avoid the garbage. Oh, contraire … I was still in the truck, bouncing my way to the landfill.
At that moment, an advertisement for a car dealership came on. It was a relief from what had been insulting my eyes and ears moments before. You know … what falls on the barn floor. The man mentioned his stupendous, unbelievable, special would be available to his customers through Memorial Day.
Memorial Day! A day to honor all those who fought to provide us with the freedoms and lives we enjoy daily. I wondered … what would those who fought … bled … and died think about the two sides in this country trying their best to destroy all that those brave men and women fought to preserve?
I understand one of those rights is the freedom of expression. I also understand abusing a right is a sure way to lose it. In my opinion, today’s’ media sources … both sides … are so corrupt they are valueless. Happily or unhappily, this is an opinion shared by … in excess of 80% of our citizenry … not just me. Watching, listening, and reading the filth makes me disgusted and angry. It is an affront to those who fought and died for this country.
Criticizing, moaning … those things do no good. I want to do something. So … I’m going to ask that for one week … the Memorial Day week … the media return their manure to the cesspool. Eliminate all opinion of ANY KIND! One week! Just, one little week.
I’m going to send my request to as many national and local media as I can. TV … radio … newspapers … magazines … anywhere I see the stench of agenda over substance. Will it do any good … I don’t know. I do know my conscience will have some comfort. At least I’ve tried to do something to end the madness.
It might help … how sweet. It might … if I can get people to join me. If you agree … join me in sending this message.
I’m sick of it!
Both sides!
Stop indoctrinating and return to informing.
For the Memorial Day week, put your agenda aside.
Don’t broadcast or print opinion for those 7 days.
For one week, stop waging war on this country and its people.
If you decide to send this message, encourage others to do the same. The more voices that make noise, the harder it is to ignore for those who cavalierly go about destroying this country.
DL Havlin
Please visit my new blog site www.DLHavlin.wordpress.com .
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It has been a long time between posts. There are reasons we all have for ‘not getting to it.’ Some of mine are reasonable…some just fluff. I hoping to get back into the posting routine by easing into it. My human has been busy with all sorts of things. Some are good, like books he’s written and is promoting. Some are items revolving around his health and Ian the hurricane that visited last September. I have some pictures to tell those stories.
The Geezer and Mrs. G are still struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. It certainly has caused sleepless nights, headaches, heartaches, and problem after problem to solve. However, when we see the terrible destruction caused by the storm to our friends and neighbors, we feel so blessed.
We do have a new addition. Tucker! Mrs. G rescued him from being a meal for an osprey. He was tiny when she scooped him up, but the rascal is growing like a weed. He is about to drive me and the Geezer crazy.
Good Luck until next post! Hope to be back soon.
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It’s been over a month since my previous post. I’ve been that busy. With excellent reviews and lots of promotional events, I’ve been derelict in my blog postings. I’ll let pictures catch you up on my travels in the past 45 days!
I’m in the process of planning a 24 bookstore tour through the state of Florida. As soon as its firm I’ll post it here. I’m looking forward to seeing you then.
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It’s time to mix some business with pleasure. The Grave with Greener Grass is officially released from TouchPoint Press on August 2nd. To help kick off the book’s publication, I’ll be in the North Carolina on a promo tour. The Mt. Mitchell Craft Festival held in Burnsville and the Sourwood Festival located in Black Mountain are great places to do this. These festivals attract people from all over the region and country. The added benefit of spending time away from Florida’s punishing heat and humidity is certainly a bonus. I love my state but……
Burnsville is a quaint mountain village established by John Bailey in 1834. At 2800 feet elevation it provides a cooler environment in hot summer months. It offers things from great mountain hikes, and local heritage opportunities to trout fishing in nearby streams. Most of all it offers a less frantic, more friendly mode of living. I’ve had the privilege of visiting numerous times; a good friend and his family are longtime residents. This year the annual Mt. Mitchell Craft Festival will be held August 5 & 6 in downtown Burnsville. I’ll be in booth 60. I’ll also have September on Echo Creek available, one of my first published novels that is set in Burnsville. Come see me.
After a week of relaxing J and I will travel to the Sourwood Festival. It’s located in the town of Black Mountain a few miles east of Asheville. The Sourwood festival is second to none in size hospitality and pure fun. My booth is on Cherry Street, number 32. It is located close to the one of the stages. This one is for acoustical music, dare I say Blue Grass, one of my favorites! I’ll be there Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th. If you’re a night creature, the festival stays open until 9 PM on Saturday.
I’ve prepared a special historical board exhibit that features the early history of the area. It will be on display both places. Would you believe the Spanish tried to establish colonies in the area four decades before Jamestown was founded? Come see J and I! We’ll be looking for fans and friends.
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Who hasn’t seen “Jaws?” The ominous music that marks the appearance of the super predator can’t be forgotten. Sharks are in the news currently. Unfortunately, when humans venture into the shark’s domain the results aren’t always so nice. These tigers of the sea fascinate us and create the ultimate fear; that of being eaten! Though a few unfortunate individual humans are attacked each year, most cases are mistaken identity. Sharks don’t have us listed on their menus as a New York Strip. Humans create far more carnage among the shark population than vice versa.
If you have the desire to learn more about these survivors from eons of time in the past (far before humans stood upright) a great opportunity exists for Florida residents. Sharkcon will be held this Saturday and Sunday at the State Fair Grounds in Tampa. Everything you want to know about these finned eating machines will be on display. One of the features will be a special showing of Jaws II and a Q & A session with some of the cast members. The fair grounds are located near I-4 on the eastern extremity of Tampa. Visit the Sharkcon webpage for complete details. Come out…it’s great fun!
I’ll be there! Along with over 600 other exhibitors, I’ll have a booth (#624) displaying my books that feature history and mystery. Among the books on display will be Blue Water, Red Blood and The Grave with Greener Grass. Blue Water, Red Blood retells the story of the development of the landing craft used by our US Marines in the Pacific during WWII. It’s a Florida story few know about. The Grave with Greener Grass is my brand-new historical novel published by TouchPoint Press. It captures the mystique of Florida’s cattle days, a Holmesian set of cryptic clues, and the knowledge of a pioneer farming trick to find The Grave with Greener Grass.
See you at Sharkcon!
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