STILL ON PATROL

Book Review: "Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen"

At first glance, a book that manages to include the words "Salvation" and "Dairy Queen" into one title promised to be intriguing and a little off the normal well-beaten path.  Susan Gregg Gilmore's debut novel was all that, and more.  It is an old joke and cliche to say "I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me" but in this instance that is true.  It is 3:01 a.m., I just finished the book, and could not rest my eyes until I shared this review with my dear readers.

Set in Ringgold, GA in the 1970's, Ms. Gilmore takes us along for the childhood and maturing teenage years of Catherine Grace Cline and her dreams of finding a bigger and better world beyond her small-town roots.  It is a place so many of us will readily recognize - certain that where we grew up is holding us back from our destiny, yet fearing the uncertainty of the unknown.  While some reviews of this book have characterized it as appealing to a female reader, I think that is unduly limiting - the story spoke to me on several levels and evoked many memories, good and bad, of my small-town upbringing as well as my present abode.  Ms. Gilmore has an unfailing eye in creating the cast of characters in this small, church-centered community, and an unfailing ear for their manner of speaking and being able to express it in her sharp, witty dialogue.

This is no ponderous paen to small-town American life.  It is briskly paced but brings the reader to its conclusion feeling unrushed in a satisfying journey with Catherine Grace.  The story completes itself, yet at the same time lends itself to a (hopeful) return to Ringgold for further chapters in the lives of its fictional citizens.  Ms. Gilmore has created a triumph in her maiden voyage as a novelist and we can only hope she will continue to favor us with her work.

LEST YE BE JUDGED Makes Bluegrass Festival of Books

I am very excited and pleased to announce that my novel of murder, politics and intrigue within the Episcopal Church, Lest Ye Be Judged, has been accepted for inclusion in the 2008 Bluegrass Festival of Books.  This year's Festival will be held at Joseph Beth Booksellers and the Hilton Suites in Lexington Green, Nicholasville Road, Lexington, KY.  This Festival, to be held on May 17th (all day 9-5), is fairly competitive and selective and I am honored to be chosen as one of the participating authors.

We have not yet seen the list of attending authors, 2007 authors included Paula Deen, Dorothea Benton Frank, George Ella Lyon, Bobbie Ann Mason, Sean Clancy, Pauline Frommer, and Silas House among 80 writers, photographers, and artists in attendance.

So, if you are either from the Lexington area, or happen to be passing through in mid-May, please come by and see us at the Festival.  Many in the Lexington area already have a copy and if it has not been signed, bring it by and I will be glad to fix that for you.  Or, if you cannot make it to the Festival and would like your own copy of Lest Ye Be Judged, it is available for purchase here or  here or here .

Book Review: "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" by Ken Follett

Noted author Ken Follett took certain risks in writing his two novels set in midieval England, Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, but in my opinion those risks paid off BIG.  He has accomplished two sweeping novels that are at the same time historic and a cracking good tale.  Once I finished the second book, I felt so completely sated by the reading experience that I have not started another book for what is now approaching a week, and doubt I will do so in at least the next few days.

Pillars of the Earth was actually written several years ago, but has been reprinted to coincide with the release of World Without End.  The new printing contains a foreword by Follett explaining why he went so far afield from  his usual genre of WW II thrillers with Nazis, spies, and virtuous British heroes.  I'm not sure how I missed Pillars first time out, but apparently I was not alone because I was told at my local Barnes & Noble that both books are "flying off the shelves."

Pillars is set in 12th century England in and around the County of Shiring and the towns of Shiring and Kingsbridge.  The story centers around the construction of a cathedral at Kingsbridge, and the intrigue, politics, and power plays amongst clergy, monks, nobles, and stonemasons.  It is at once engaging, sexy, thrilling, and a page-turner, which is saying a lot for a 950+ page book.  The characters are so very real and make you either care deeply about them, or loathe their appearance on the page.  The parallels to present-day scheming among politicians and church leaders are compelling, particularly given that the church around which Pillars is set is pre-Anglican Roman Catholicism as it existed in England.

World is not a sequel in the conventional sense.  Set some 200 years later in the same locations, the characters from Pillars are dead and gone and only occasionally referenced in this story.  I found myself almost mourning them for the first few pages, but Follett quickly engaged me in the new cast of characters that were no less richly drawn than the originals.  The intrigue has grown more complex in 200 years, because England as a country is growing up and progressing from its 12th-century status, yet it still retains the incomparable flavour of the mixture of religion and power, with clergy and noblemen flexing their respective political muscle to gain the King's support for what they seek.  World, like Pillars, is sweeping, sexy, thrilling, and a page-turner that once again held me closely throughout 950+ pages.

Thriller readers should not be daunted by the combined length of these books.  As with a great movie, one will feel by the end that this has been a much shorter read, and disappointed that it has been completed.  I cannot recommend more highly any books presently on the market than Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.

Another Joke Gets Published While Good Writing Dies

I am typing this post between biting some ten-penny nails in half after reading at CNN.com that the Hatchette Publishing Group is paying Ted Kennedy an $8 million advance to write and publish his memoirs.  Hachette claims the book will be "a valuable record for anyone who cares about our government, our politics, and our growth as a nation."  Yeah, right.

Anyone who cares about our growth as a nation?  Except for those who would like to hear the truth about Uncle Teddy's alcoholism and party lifestyle.  Or who would like to hear the truth about his abandonment of Mary Jo Kopechne in a submerged car on Martha's Vineyard after he drunkenly drove it off a bridge - (why, Ted, did you swim to another island, go to your motel room, and not report the accident for several hours instead of going to a nearby house and seeking help?  Why, Ted, were you never indicted or charged in Ms. Kopechne's death?)  Or hear the truth about Uncle Teddy's involvement in a Florida rape case brought against his nephew William Smith? Or hear the truth about the death-grip of Uncle Teddy on his Senate seat despite his being an out-of-touch liberal who has been a joke in the Senate for years?  Or, going back a few years, hear the truth about JFK, Marilyn Monroe, and the starlet's tragic death?

I would suspect that a substantial amount of ghostwriting will be involved, even in the limited look at his past this book will entail, because it is doubtful Ted can remember enough to put together more than a short pamphlet.  Wonder what Ted will call his memoirs?  Perhaps "Water Under the Bridge"?

No, actually I'm certain this will be yet another tired paean to the so-called "Kennedy Legacy" in yet another effort to resurrect memories of the "Camelot" era of American politics.  It will probably also serve as a platform from which Kennedy can tout the liberal agenda and how he believes conservatism has ruined the United States.  In other words, I would hope booksellers would shelve this tome in the Fiction section, rather than in History or even Biography.

This is the kind of book deal that steams me and should steam every other struggling writer out there.  We work our butts off to bring to the world damn good fiction, poetry, history, biography, short stories, and the like, only to be told that publishers won't speak to us without a literary agent.  We then go in search of a literary agent only to find that, unless we know someone or have some kind of foot in the door, we will be more rudely blown off than in just about any other endeavour in our lives, if we get a response at all.  Along the way we have shelled out for countless "How to Get Published" guidebooks, internet listing and editing services, etc., most of which are outright frauds.  We spend much more time pleading to be published than we do actually writing, only to see an alcoholic schmuck like Ted Kennedy waltz in and get a check for $8 million before he even has had some ink-stained wretch of a ghostwriter begin to put pen to paper.

That's why so many writers now self-publish as I did with Lest Ye be Judged.  I was amazed by how many  of the authors at the recent Kentucky Book Fair were self-published.  We get to see our work in print and with some leg-work may even sell a few.  We might even be picked up by a publishing house with a little luck - John Grisham and Vince Flynn both got their start this way.  It is sad, though, that the publishing industry has become so jaded that it shells out huge amounts of money to any two-bit celebrity to publish memoirs, often before they're old enough to have accumulated any real memories, when there is a vast sea of untapped literary talent out there begging for just a little light of day.  How interesting and potentially lucrative, not to mention a service to an increasingly illiterate society, might it be for a publisher to seek out new literary talent, rather than the latest tell-all by O.J. Simpson or the empty-headed memoirs of a lifetime political hack.

It takes very little time to discover how low the quality of writing in this country has fallen.  Typos, mis-spellings, and grammatical errors abound daily in our print media, in advertising, and even in the scripts read by television and radio talking heads.  The ability to write in an interesting fashion, to use devices such as sentence structure and vocabulary to create prose which is an art form in and of itself, are skills which we as a society have ignored and in some cases nearly lost.  A large part of that loss must be attributed to the triumph of celebrity publishing over literary merit.

As the saying goes, the rich get richer.  Count me as one who will not be pre-ordering Uncle Teddy's memoirs.  Even if he does name them "Water Under the Bridge."

Great Day at the Kentucky Book Fair

I realized one part of my dream of being a "real" author Saturday by participating as such in the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort, KY.  The 26th edition of the Fair, sponsored primarily by the Frankfort State Journal and JosephBeth Booksellers, featured 180 authors of all genres of books.  Even though I am told attendance was down from past years, it was an absolute delight and honor to be one of the authors and a learning and rewarding experience.

I was also great to be part of an event which promotes literacy in our state.  The Book Fair is non-profit and donates its proceeds to various libraries around the state for expansion of their resources and collections.  With all of the negative news in Kentucky about literacy and education, it feels good to be part of striking any kind of blow to reverse those trends.  Given the armloads of books I saw leaving the Frankfort Civic Center, I can almost hear the hum of reading going on as I type this post.

Lest Ye Be Judged did well, selling 21 copies and leading me into meeting and discussing it with several interesting people.  The depth of feeling about the controversies in TCGC continues to amaze me.  It's not just a rabid few on the blogs, but all manner of people from many different experiences, including from other denominations.  I received more than a few invitations to attend break-away churches here in central Kentucky, all of which seem to be doing well.

My first book, Furious, Insatiable Fighter, a biography  of Major General Isaac Ridgeway Trimble, sold out of the few copies I had there.  The biggest excitement about this book came from the last sale, which was a purchase by the W.T. Young Library of the University of Kentucky.  Yep, that's right, my little book is going into the collection at my alma mater.  I couldn't be more proud and hope Gen. Trimble feels a bit proud of his legacy as well.  If you haven't read his story, check it out - 1822 graduate of West Point, railroader, age 59 at the beginning of the War Between the States and a military leader whom I believe would have been considered among the greatest but for two debilitating wounds at 2nd Manassas and Gettysburg. 

The only negative to report from the Kentucky Book Fair was one of those incidents of bigotry that so irritate me.  My good friend Bill Nordan went along to help me promote my book.  Bill dressed as a character from my novel, which involved him wearing a white hooded alb and a black-out mask.  He was going to roam the aisle and hand out cards with my book cover, title, and a couple of reviwers' comments to send people my way.  About an hour into the event, the Fair manager called me aside and said there had been complaints about Bill - someone thought he was a Ku Klux Klan member!  Being a newbie, I assented and asked Bill to lose the costume.

If bigotry is making uninformed assumptions because of someone's appearance or some superficial characteristic, then it was at work by whomsoever assumed Bill was a KKK-er without asking what he was doing.  It is a shame that some allegedly intelligent person, i.e., an author, reacted in such a bigoted fashion.  Then again, isn't it the way in our society where so many people walk around with a chip on their shoulder looking for something at which to take offense?  Many of those who decry bigotry need to look in their own mirrors and ask the same hard questions of themselves.

That small incident aside, however, it was a great experience and I thank the Kentucky Book Fair for this opportunity.  I hope to be back with Breach of Trust next year.

What Was the Point, Ms. Rowling?

J.K. Rowling, multi-million-selling author of the "Harry Potter" series of books, made news over the weekend at a Carnegie Hall book signing by declaring that "Dumbledore," the fictional headmaster of the Hogwarts School in her books, was "gay."  The declaration, made in response to a young reader's question about whether Dumbledore would ever find true love, has re-fueled speculation which has been going on among "Potter" readers for some time.  It has also brought more publicity to the already well-hyped series of books and movies.

As an author myself of a book in which homosexuality was an issue, I'm not sure what Ms. Rowling hoped to accomplish by "outing" a character long after she has supposedly finished her series of wildly successful books.  There is no reason to take this stance for story development, for that has all been done.  She certainly does not need the additional publicity for the series which has had hundreds of parents taking their children to midnight bookstore events debuting new "Potter" books.  And putting an end to reader speculation about a character's sexuality is of little value to the continuing interest in her books.

The obvious question is why would Rowling make a fictional headmaster of a school for young children a homosexual, when from all I have seen the character is for the most part an asexual, benevolent figure in these stories?  I will freely admit to not being a deep devotee of the series, unlike other bloggers I have read, so perhaps I don't understand the deeper levels of analysis to which the "Potter" books have been subjected.  But at the same time I just don't see the point behind Rowling's "revelation" of Dumbledore's sexuality.

What I do see is more evidence of the extent to which the LGBT lobby has forced itself into so many areas of society where issues of sexuality and the political agenda of the LGBT groups are taking precedence over so many larger and more societally significant issues of all shape and form.  Did Rowling hope to gain acceptability for the LGBT people by declaring a beloved fictional character to be "gay"?  Perhaps so, but I simply do not believe what is still primarily a children's book series, the huge numbers of adult readers notwithstanding, is an appropriate place for the LGBT lobby to be making its latest political stand.  Why does sexuality of a fictional character even have to be an issue when it is not central to the storyline?   And why do we continually force issues of sexuality into places where they are not necessary and should not belong?

Perhaps Rowling is guilty only of blurting something out without sufficient forethought.  Nevertheless, her choice to declare Dumbledore to be "gay" was unnecessary.  It saddens me to see what has heretofore been a nonpareil literary triumph sullied by the relentless forcing of politically-motivated sexuality agendae into every aspect of our daily lives and societal mores.  "Harry Potter" and "Dumbledore" deserved better, Ms. Rowling.

Why the Gay Sex Scene in Lest Ye Be Judged?

I was reading Sarah Hey's post at StandFirm about Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in San Francisco, and the drag-queen pseudo-nuns who call themselves the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence ( http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/6800/ ) , which reminded me of an interview question posed to me recently about my novel, Lest Ye Be Judged.

The reporter asked me why I had included a gay sex scene in the book but there was no comparable heterosexual sex scene.  I was asked whether I was "just trying to gross the readers out" and whether the scene was gratuitous.  My response, of course, was no.  With regard to the "gross-out" portion of her question, I refer only to my 83-year old Mother-in-law, a voracious reader, who has said, "It's no different than all kinds of straight sex scenes in books I read."  In other words, she wasn't grossed out.  I think the scene is rather artfully written and has some interesting aspects to it, other then just "wham, bam" sex.  Given that my mother-in-law is one of those wonderful southern steel magnolias, I am comfortable with her endorsement.

As for the "gratuitous" portion of her question, I answered "no" for several reasons.  First, the scene was significant to further the relationship between the two involved characters and set the scene for a later discussion they have.  I don't like gratuitous sex scenes in books or movies, which do not further the plot or character development, and I would not write one just to "sex up" a book.

Second, the book is set against the backdrop of the current controversies in TCGC, which very much involve acceptance of LGBT people on all levels of the church, including as clergy.  I have long held the opinion that a great number of people who say that they "accept" the gay lifestyle do so by purposely ignoring the sexuality of homosexual relationships.  To many of these people, to think about male-male or female-female sexual relations would be, for lack of a better term, a "gross out."  So, to seem "inclusive" and "politically correct," to be able to "accept" the gay lifestyle they just ignore its sexuality and do not think about it.  I therefore thought it was important to present the entirety of the issue of "acceptance" of gay lifestyles as I told my story.

As for the comparative absence of straight sex scenes, the couple she was primarily asking about will return in my next book, tentatively titled "Breach of Trust."  Who knows what they may get into?

It will be interesting to see how this is handled if and when the reporter actually writes a review/article.  Any comments from those of you who have read it?  If you haven't read it, purchase information for Lest Ye Be Judged can be found by clicking on this link: http://stillonpatrol.typepad.com/lest_ye_be_judged/ .

Update on Lest Ye Be Judged

My novel, Lest Ye Be Judged, about the abduction and murder of an Episcopal Bishop, seems to be gaining some readership, although I do not have overall sales or order figures yet. It has been listed as high as #2 on Amazon's Legal Thrillers List.

I have received quite a few positive reviews and comments, not the least of which have been from Brad Drell, and four readers who have posted 5-star reviews on Amazon.com, including a regular reader and commenter on this site.  I do know that I have readers in the US Virgin Islands, and Washington State, and I shipped out a review copy to a book reviewer in Malaysia this morning, so word is getting around.

Locally, I have a book signing scheduled at Bohannon's Books in Georgetown, KY on August 23 from 5-7 pm, and Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington, KY has ordered LYBJ and should have them soon.  We are trying to get in the Kentucky Book Fair for November - keep your fingers crossed!

For more information, reviews, news, and links to purchase Lest Ye Be Judged, go to http://stillonpatrol.typepad.com/lest_ye_be_judged/ .  Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the story!

Another Great Review for Lest Ye Be Judged !

Ms. Margaret Lane, an author who includes among her publishing credits co-authoring The People's House with eminent historian Thomas D. Clark, has reviewed Lest Ye Be Judged:

Although I don't usually read mystery novels, I found this one to be a page-turner, hard to put down.  Trimble's done his homework.  His personal legal expertise and insight into the inner workings of trials enriches and personalizes the reader's experience.  The forensic details were fascinating and believable.  Character development was thorough and multi-faceted. Trimble provides a solid education in the inner workings of the Episcopal Church, and this novel will be especially riveting to those embroiled in the current controversy.  I congratulate the author, his "muse" and his family and friends for a novel of substance, complexity, intrigue and local interest....very well done!

Margaret tells me she stayed up until 2:00 a.m. one night reading, and the next night had to skip ahead to see how the trial came out before reading the last few chapters.  Thanks, Margaret, for this wonderful review!

Here's the links again:

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-42989-0 .

Also available from Barnes & Noble:  http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780595429899&itm=1

Also available from Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/Lest-Ye-Judged-David-Trimble/dp/0595429890/ref=sr_1_2/102-8992562-2812964?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183412885&sr=8-2

Thanks for the Great Review!

Someone going by the screen-name "Anthrogeek" just gave my novel, Lest Ye Be Judged, a fantastic, five-star review on Amazon.com:

Great Read From A New Author

This book combines Episcopal church politics, love, lust, murder, and a trip through the legal system from autopsy to trial. Set in the beautiful Bluegrass region of Kentucky, I suggest you settle in with a good bourbon and enjoy the intrigue!

Here's the link again:  http://www.amazon.com/Lest-Ye-Judged-David-Trimble/dp/0595429890/ref=sr_1_2/105-9258351-3886056?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183761621&sr=8-2

Thanks, Anthrogeek!

Lest Ye Be Judged Has Been Released!

My novel, Lest Ye Be Judged, has been released by iUniverse Publishing:  http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-42989-0 and is available for purchase.   

More information about the book can be found at http://stillonpatrol.typepad.com/lest_ye_be_judged/ .

Addendum:  Lest Ye Be Judged is now available on Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/Lest-Ye-Judged-David-Trimble/dp/0595429890/ref=sr_1_2/102-8992562-2812964?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183398361&sr=8-2

Lest Ye Be Judged - A Novel

The process of publication of Lest Ye Be Judged is coming down the home stretch.  It has been a long effort by a dedicated group of consultants and editors to help me get this thing almost done since the concept for this book was born, nearly 2 years ago.  With some luck, it should be available in early July, just in time for summer vacation and to put you in the mood for the fall's upcoming attractions in the Episcopal Church.  I have been told by several who have seen earlier drafts that it is a "page-turner"; I can only say I am excited, and a little scared, but can't wait to offer this work for your enjoyment.

Check out more information at this link:  http://stillonpatrol.typepad.com/lest_ye_be_judged/ . 

We call it the book they don't want you to read because it has already caused some consternation in one corner of the Church, about which I am not at liberty to say much more.  Suffice it to say that a novel premised on the abduction and murder of an Episcopal Bishop, set against the backdrop of the current controversies between TEC and the AC, may not win me any brownie points with the pointy-hats.  Not that I could earn any after some of the more choice posts on this blog.

Lest Ye Be Judged will initially be available through iUniverse Publishing's on-line bookstore, and through Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.  If you cannot find it, contact me through this site and I will help.

"Jesus of Nazareth" by Pope Benedict XVI

I am very much looking forward to reading "Jesus of Nazareth" recently written and published by Pope Benedict XVI.  I have read a few excerpts and reviews of this milestone book, and believe it may be just the antidote to the secularism which has invaded and threatened to ruin the Christian faith since the onset of the so-called "Enlightenment" over 300 years ago.

Prior to becoming Pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was already a highly-respected theologian, and came to be, under Pope John Paul II, the defender of Roman Catholic doctrine.  He thus comes to this project with ample credentials to restore the power and essence to familiar stories which have dulled over the years by relentless dissection and interpretation by biblical "scholars" and secularized theologians.  Pope Benedict urges us to "trust the Gospels" and to read them both critically and with love.  He reminds us that Jesus cannot be forced into any boxes or categories, and "can only be understood in light of the mystery of God."  Pope Benedict strikes a balance between an evangelical's belief that the words of the Bible are 100% factual, and the destruction of the beauty of the Scriptures which has happened through over-analysis and criticism, and in so doing brings a new life to these time-honored stories and principles.

Many Episcopalians and indeed many Christians of all denominations have been starved in recent years, whether we realize it or not, of good, solid preaching and teaching of the Gospels and Scriptures.  We have instead been fed, as one priest says, "the thin gruel of humming and strumming", i.e., the overtly secularized version of Christianity that devalues the story of the miracles of Jesus' life by attempting to historically dissect what the Bible tells us occurred.  I feel myself yearning to put my hands on this new book, which I intend to go find this morning, because of the hope in my heart that it will truly provide me with that "spiritual food" which has been so lacking in my church experiences of recent years.

"Lest Ye Be Judged - A Novel"

Here is what my publisher has to say about my upcoming novel:

The abduction and murder of an Episcopal bishop from his own Cathedral threatens to tear apart an already-divided Diocese in this thrilling mystery.

Widely viewed as a liberal, Dunstan Mitchell, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Kentucky, has been aggressively pressing his agenda for the Episcopal Church, including ordination of openly gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex marriages. His actions have severely offended the more conservative elements of the Diocese. Mitchell also has some personal habits that his allies in the Church find distasteful, and it soon becomes apparent that he is a liability-one that the church may want to eliminate.

Six weeks later, the bishop's desecrated body is found in the covered swimming pool of one of his archenemies, crusty Circuit Judge James Chancellor. An extensive police and forensic investigation leads to many possible suspects, none of whom are in the least upset that Bishop Mitchell is gone, including his ex-wife, rival priests, and disgruntled former parishioners. Ambitious prosecutor Ron Gaither soon gets his way, however, and indicts Judge Chancellor, a conviction that will ensure Gaither's political future. The trial becomes a battle of wills between these formidable men that leads to a surprising and disturbing conclusion …

Set against the backdrop of the theological and political turmoil plaguing the modern Episcopal Church, Lest Ye Be Judged is a compelling page-turner that escalates the tension all the way through the final page.

And by the way, in case any of the Episcopal or Anglican readers are wondering, the Dunstan Mitchell character in Lest Ye Be Judged is entirely fictional and not based on my local Bishop or anyone else.

We are finalizing the cover design as I write this and I hope to be able to tell you in about six weeks where you can find a copy.