Tim Baker – update on a new book

Path of a Bullet – A Collection of Short Stories featuring Ike available in print and eBook!
Amazon – eBook and print
Createspace – print

There are plenty of heroes in the world of crime-fiction, each with their own personality and style.

Ike has earned a seat at that table, but, being Ike, he prefers to find his own table…and let others sit with him.

A former US Navy SEAL, Ike’s current position as an enforcer for a local bookie often puts him in close contact with an element of society most of us fortunately never see. These encounters usually lead to trouble and Ike routinely inserts himself at the center of it all to make sure innocent people aren’t hurt. Ike has a tendency to…shall we say…bend some of the rules…and even break a few on occasion, but his moral compass is always strong and true.

It’s this very behavior that has readers of Tim Baker’s novels calling him “Robin Hood on a Harley” or “…an off-white knight in shining armor.”

Thirteen Stories.

One hero.

Path of a Bullet explodes from the barrel with the first tale about Ike’s encounter with a not-so-scrupulous Santa and follows a deadly trajectory until it hits a bull’s-eye with a Thanksgiving story that has Ike questioning his purpose in life.

Ike dispenses justice at a rapid-fire pace until the only danger in Flagler Beach is a traffic jam on A1A.

From the back cover …
Acclaimed author Seumas Gallacher has read it and had this to say …

“…for aficionados of clever, solid, pacy action writing, PATH OF A BULLET is for you… a compilation of great short stories dressed up as a loose calendar of events spins around Ike, an improbable, roustabout hero… ex-Seal, six-feet-five, 275 pounds of muscle, carefree by nature, but caring by inclination… a modern off-white Knight in shining armour, likes his beer, his liquor, and his ladies… most of whom seem to have need of the self-dispensing justice and skills that his past has endowed him with…

…Ike’s principal source of income comes from heavy duty collection work for a local bookmaker in Florida’s Flagler Beach and St. Augustine, and provides a baseline for the stories…

…Tim Baker’s ear for punchy narrative runs through this rapid-fire collection, in which a few hand-picked author pals have also contributed… Ike is an enduring character you can’t help but take to, although some of his methods will have you wincing…”

~Seumas Gallacher, Author of the Jack Calder crime series

From Tim Baker …
I was extremely flattered by that endorsement, and I’m fairly confident that Path of a Bullet will live up to Seumas’ praise.

This book was a year in the making. It contains 18 stories … but only 12 of them were written by me.

The other six were written by writer friends of mine.

For some of them it will be the first time their work has been published … making it a very special occasion indeed.

Over the past twelve months I had lots of fun writing my Ike vignettes, but I have to admit – it was just as fun working with the contributing authors too.

It was also very flattering that these writers thought enough of me and my work not only to become involved, but to write fan-fiction about my character. I can’t think of higher praise for a writer.

I’d like to share with you some of their thoughts about the experience…

Ann Marie Vancas

“This will be the first time I have ever been published. My writing has mostly remained hidden. It’s like having a crush you don’t want to reveal… But like love…once you know it’s right…you want to tell the world.”

Gi Arena

“I’d like to thank fellow author and friend, Tim Baker, for giving me the opportunity to write about his elusive character, Ike. I had the best time pairing Ike with my character, Ruby. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I loved writing it.”

Becky Pourchot

“I must say, I never thought I’d be in a compilation of Ike stories. Action stories were never my thing. That said, I liked the idea of pushing myself out of my comfort zone. In the end I had a lot of fun with it. Who knows, someday I might even write more stories featuring the tough guy, hero.”

Lockie Young

“It was an absolute pleasure working with Tim on this project. I tried to get behind the character of Ike, and figure out what he would want. I think I came up with just the down to earth guy to get Ike the goods he really wants.”

Becky Heishman

“I didn’t have to write a story for Tim Baker’s anthology. I’m a pretty fair writer with my own thing going on. But I believe in Tim Baker and his talent. I believe that his character, Ike, has the potential to become a cultural icon. So when the Tim Baker rocket ship is launched into the stratosphere, I want to be on board.”

Susan M. Toy

“Bequia Blues, a pure piece of Ike fan fiction that takes the man to my Caribbean home of Bequia, was written and submitted for inclusion in Path of a Bullet, because Tim Baker assured me I’d be able to go on a date with Ike as payment. That I’d stay on the boat with him, go for dinner and drinks at The Golden Lion, meet Brewski and Mr. Donebedian, and ride on the back of Ike’s Harley down A1A. That hasn’t happened yet and I’m beginning to think it never will. I’ve been hearing rumours lately that larger-than-life Ike is actually, and indeed, a fictional character! And that he may not exist AT ALL!!! WTF??? This all proves you just can’t trust novelists, because they all lie like a dog!”

Tim Baker has previously been featured on Reading Recommendations, as have Lockie Young, Becky Heishman, Seumas Gallacher (who wrote the promo blurb) and S.K. Nicholls (who provided the introduction). And I, Susan M. Toy, created Reading Recommendations!)

I now present … The Reading Recommendations All-Star Authors!!

When Authors sign on with me to promote themselves and their work on my blog, they agree to this sentence in my description of the site:

In exchange for this free listing, I request all authors reciprocate by promoting Reading Recommendations, their fellow authors listed on the site, and me and my work, as much as possible.

Ten out of the 168 Authors I’ve promoted here on Reading Recommendations have more than lived up to this agreement by not only sharing and retweeting their own promotions, but by sending me new authors to promote, liking, reblogging, sharing and retweeting other Authors’ posts and promotions, commenting on my blogs, engaging with me and other RR Authors on Facebook, Twitter, etc., reading and reviewing my books, promoting and interviewing me on their blogs, reading and recommending books written by their fellow RR Authors, and just being generally all-round congenial people who understand the value of this writing community I’ve created and how important it is to support one another.

So I’d like to take the opportunity now to give these Reading Recommendations All-Stars an extra shout-out, to let my blog readers know just how valuable these Authors have become to me and to their colleagues, and to show them how much I have appreciated their support over this past year. Please check out their links, buy and read their books, and give them a bit of reciprocal promotion – They deserve it!!

(Alphabetical list and all links lead you to their Reading Recommendations promotions.)

Tim Baker
Tricia Drammeh
Michael Fay
Seumas Gallacher
Rebecca Heishman
Allan Hudson
J.P. McLean
S.K. Nicholls
David Prosser
Lockie Young

Thanks to my All-Stars! After all, I get by With a Little Help From My Friends …

Rebecca Heishman – update on a couple of events

Rebecca Heishman was featured on Reading Recommendations Feb. 25 this year and is back now to tell readers about a couple of important events that are coming up soon and to give us some more background information as to why she has become an advocate for animal welfare and rescue organizations. (And if you cannot join Rebecca in person on these dates, you may want to consider donating by purchasing her book online. All links to purchase are included in the earlier blog post.)

Author and animal welfare advocate Rebecca Heishman will join the National Library Week Author Fair at Jeffersonville Township Public Library in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on Thursday, April 17, from 3 PM to 7 PM. Over 25 authors will be participating. All of the money obtained from Rebecca Heishman’s book The Misadventures of Millie will go directly to Animal Adoption Network, Inc., a southern Indiana animal rescue group. There will be a representative from the rescue group sitting with her, and book buyers may obtain a tax-exempt receipt for all books sold if they would like one.

On Saturday, April 19th from 11 AM to 3 PM, Rebecca Heishman will be the featured guest author at Café 27, located at 145 East Main Street in New Albany, Indiana, from 11 AM – 3 PM. She will be signing and selling copies of her book The Misadventures of Millie. All money from Rebecca Heishman’s public book events is always donated directly to animal welfare/rescue organizations in the Kentuckiana area. Animal Adoption Network, Inc., is an Indiana regional 501(c)3 non-profit animal welfare/rescue organization dedicated to the re-homing of abandoned animals in the Southern Indiana area. They will benefit from this book event.

The Misadventures of Millie is a little book with a big message. It is chock-full of humor, love, and dog wisdom, as told by Rebecca Heishman’s rescued 8-pound Chihuahua, Millie. Millie survived a life as a breeder dog, as well as a stint in a high-kill shelter. But, Millie doesn’t let her tragic past get her down. As Millie so wisely exclaims, “It doesn’t matter what happened to you yesterday. All that really matters is what you do with the time you have today.”

Animal Adoption Network, Inc.

More About Rebecca Heishman:
My parents were animal welfare advocates long before that phrase was coined. My big tough manly father would drag all the stray dogs home to the freedom of our farm, and they would run and play, and we would love them for the rest of their natural lives. In this photo, My father is actually toting one of his many rescued dogs. Dad was a mail carrier in our town at the time, working a walking route. He was one of the fellows who had a big brown satchel full of mail hanging from his shoulder and he would walk house-to-house delivering mail. One day, in a heavy rain, a little stray dog walked behind him the whole afternoon. She was filthy, caked in mud, and had a forlorn look in her eyes. Dad couldn’t stand it. After he returned to the post office and finished his paperwork, he returned to the street where she was and brought her home. She was filthy. My mom bathed her. A beautiful copper-colored coat emerged from all the filth. We named her Penny, and she lived with us as a beloved house dog for many years. She had her own special place on our couch, and a special place in her heart for my dad. Wherever Dad was, Penny was there.

There were no animal shelters or animal welfare groups in our rural community back then. Some years, there wasn’t even a veterinarian within driving distance. If a person came upon an abandoned animal in need, they had to choose between driving on and hoping for the best for the animal, or stopping and doing the right thing. My parents did the right thing, always. After I became an adult and went out into the world, I realized how unique my parents were. It surprised me that very few people did “the right thing.” I give back to the animals in my senior years in memory of the parents who went before me. My parents have been dead for years. But, the lessons they taught me live on in every book I sell.

Amazon Author Page
Website (under construction)

I use my books to keep my mind off disease problems. Chronic illness will envelop you if you don’t keep your mind active. I have to stay busy to keep from thinking like a sick person too much. Plus, so far, I have been able to help with some animal rescues that have been very satisfying for me. These animal rescue folks work hard, and a lot of what they do holds unexpected expenses. They had one rescue that required them to drive a fairly long distance. They needed gas in the rescue van. I was able to give them gas money because I’d sold a few books at a small local book event here. They sustain the organization on donations alone. Small donations like that go a long way. I paid the vet bill for a needy rescue dog who had been abused by an owner. He got well, and now he’s living in a wonderful home. I enjoy this very much. I am not the hero here. The rescuers are. I keep that first and foremost in my mind. It keeps me grounded.

You may follow Rebecca Heishman and her animal advocacy efforts on this Facebook page:
Misty-the-Dog and Friends

Thank you, Rebecca! For writing, and for all that you do to help the animals!

Rebecca Heishman

Rebecca Heishman

What is your latest release and what genre is it? My book is entitled The Misadventures of Millie. I would include it in: humor and family fiction with a hint of autobiography.

Quick description: The Misadventures of Millie is a little book chock full of humor, love, and dog wisdom. This book was born as a result of a Facebook community page that I launched in 2010 called Misty-the-Dog and Friends. I used the page as a tool to take my mind off multiple sclerosis, the illness that had turned my life upside down. I began writing and posting daily humorous stories as told by my dogs. The feedback from the followers of the page was extraordinarily positive and my audience grew and grew. Many of my followers suggested that I publish a book of the stories. So, I did, and the response has been amazing. I use the money from book sales to help regional animal welfare/rescue organizations. My dogs have all been rescues. They have provided me with the only unconditional love I’ve ever known. I even credit an old yellow mutt named Misty with saving my life when I was sick and depressed and seriously considering suicide as a way out of my dilemma. I looked into Misty’s eyes and saw a reason to live. She is gone now. But, I am here because I saw her as the only bright light in my world when everything in my life had gone cold and dark. Misty will always be my muse. I give back to animals in need in memory of her and all the beautiful animals who never made it out of shelters and puppy mills alive.

Brief biography: I am a lifelong poet and writer. I became a new author at the age of 62 and I’m proud of that. I proved to myself that I am more than a disease. In 2002 I was totally disabled for three years by multiple sclerosis. I achieved remission of my disease and began writing again, this time with a focus and a frenzy to get out there amongst other writers and prove to myself that I could legitimately be their contemporary. I feel that I’m doing that and I’m getting stronger every day in my belief that what I have to contribute to the world does matter.

Links to buy Rebecca’s book:
The Misadventures of Millie: Tate Publishing

Rebecca’s promo links:
Website
Facebook
Misty-the-Dog and Friends
LinkedIn
Blog
Twitter

What are you working on now?
The Misadventures of Millie is becoming a dedicated series which is very exciting to me. The second installation tentatively entitled The Misadventures of Millie – Rodney and the Legendary Cricket Family Rescue will be released in the spring. Many more will follow.

Becky also ran an update on ReadingRecommendations talking about her other public promotions and the man who inspired her to help rescue dogs.

Rebecca’s reading recommendation:
I love The Cynthia’s Attic Series by Mary Cunningham. These are magical tales for tween girls that are, as one reviewer put it, ‘somewhere between the Harry Potter tales and the mysteries of Nancy Drew.’ Keep in mind — these stories are also highly entertaining for adults who have managed to hang onto their child-like imaginations. I’ve read them all. (Mary Cunningham will be the next featured author on Reading Rcommendations!)