A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION THAT COUNTS!

I had long concluded that New Year's resolutions were rather meaningless; holiday ritualistic fantasies sounding good but soon forgotten because of the difficulty in carrying them out. So as 2012 approached, I had resolved to skip making any resolutions.

I was to change my mind.

At a small holiday gathering, a book signing for my suspense thriller Of Good And Evil, I was sitting at a table with copies of my novel on display, full of enthusiasm with that enticing carnival barker facade I've found to be essential for such occasions.

An attractive, well-dressed woman in her early 30s picked up a copy of my book from the table, quickly glanced over the first page, taking no more than a few seconds, then put the book down and commented to me, "This is strictly a man's book!" With confidence in her conclusion, she then strolled off.

Watching her, my face dropped and my carnival barker facade evaporated. Then and there, out of my dismay, my New Year's resolution was born: correcting this erroneous and hastily concluded impression.

So ladies, my New Year's resolution if for you; proving that Of Good And Evil is as much a woman's story as a man's tale. To begin, the novel has a beautiful, unusual and captivating love story, as well as strong, vibrant women essential and pivotal to the story's plot and its outcome. But I'll present to you more than my word.

Shane Poeteous, author of Rasciss, GraveCaller and How Gods Bleed, said in his review: "Now I must admit that I've never been a big fan of romance in stories, but of the 100s and 100s of books that I have read in my life, the love between Amber and Ron, the main characters in Of Good And Evil, was by far the most genuine romance I have ever read about."

But let's let's hear from women , those who actually took the time to read the novel rather than just hastily glancing at the first page, not realizing what was in hand.

Backing up Shane's words, Starr Reina of Suspense Magazine, a discerning woman, said in her review of Of Good And Evil: "An absolute must read!" (for both men and women)

And here's what Camille Kelly of New York, an avid female reader, said: "Of Good And Evil definitely had me interested from the very first chapter...This novel contains everything that a good suspense novel should have...Mr. Griffin has captured the essence of each character and made his readers involved in their journey, and a wonderful journey it is. Each chapter was gripping and, as a reader, I wanted more....Every person in this story had a definite part to fulfill and Mr. Griffin accomplished that. The story was written beautifully and I felt all the emotions that each person entailed. I laughed, I cried, I was holding on, in parts, for dear life. A wonderful, wonderful novel."

From Jan Zabel's 5 star review: "Of Good And Evil is a book for readers of different tastes. It is a military story, it is a romance story (among other things)...Many adventures ensue...Before the government can terminate Ron, the Mafia takes him out. Only a woman, Amber...can save him."

From the review by Lindsay Home, presented with great enthusiasm: "Wow, there was SO MUCH GOING ON in this novel...I was most impressed by the author and his writing...I was literally on the edge of my seat with each turn of the page...I can see the provoking great discussions about philosophy among a group reading it."

And then there is the review by Tracey Alley, author of Erich's Plea and Ursula's Quest: "I believe that writers, especially those who are great writers, are born and not made. They have burning passion to put pen to paper, they're tormented by stories that need to be told and see characters as real people rather than imaginary friends. No where is this driving need or this kind of talent more important or more necessary than for the writer of contemporary fiction.

"Gerald G. Griffin is an author with just such talent. In his brilliant thriller "Of Good And Evil" he takes the reader on a wild ride with the world as his background and makes the the reader believe in his plot and characters. He's also gone that step further that separates writers from great writers....Gerald has given his audience a well-conceived story and has delivered it with the talent of a born writer...Ron Sheffield, Gerald's gifted but tormented main character (and Amber Ash, his beloved), has everything a great writer needs to engage a reader on an emotional level. This is one of the gifts of a great story-teller."

So there you have it, ladies. I rest my case...and fulfill my New Year's resolution.

Women love my novel!

SANTA'S CHOICE! Guest Post by Richard Gazala (Blood of the Moon)

Richard's chat with Santa (below) shortly follows my chat with Saint Nick in the posting following this one.

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" wheezed out of a juke box as I perched myself on a squeaky stool next next to my beefy buddy in the red suit. I ordered the bartender to mix me up something tricky. Then I turned to Nick to watch him scowl over a long, long scroll while he mumbled silently on chocolate chip cookies between sips of milk.

"Surprised to find you cooling your sleigh here tonight," I said. "Just nine nights to the big day, and you're loafing in this joint?"

"Relax, friend. I'm working," Nick grunted at me without looking up. He jabbed a quick finger at the scroll. "Going over this year's nice and naughty list."

I sneaked a peek at the list, trying to spy my name. "Well, you aren't sounding too jolly about it."

"That's because naughty is outnumbering nice in a big way." He gave me a knowing glance. "It's been a tough year."

The bartender sat a tall glass full of dark, bubbling amber liquid in front of me. Black smoke oozed over the tip of the glass and crept along the top of the bar. I raised a questioning eyebrow at the tender, but he just winked and promised me this was one very tricky drink. I shrugged and took a deep swallow. It tasted like chicken.

I tipped my chin at Nick's list. "Where's my name?"

Nick's blue eyes wandered from me to my drink and back again. "Let's say don't be surprised when Rudolph bolts past your rooftop without slowing down even a little bit."

I sighed as my fingertips drummed against the smoking glass in front of me. "I keep forgetting what a nosey guy you are," I muttered.

"Hey, what can I say? Like the song goes, I know if you've been bad or good." A grin formed under his rosy cheeks. "It's a gift."

I slurped down the rest of my slurpy drink, peering at my hefty companion through the bottom of the glass. "Okay, I admit it's been a rough year for me. Sometimes I had to go naughty. I'm not proud of it."

"So 'Be good for goodness sake' just kind of slipped past you, huh?" he said.

I gave his scroll a dimissive wave. "I'm saying you should ease off this whole list of nice and naughty thing. Give me a break! It's too much for you to leave something awesome under my tree just because my moral compass jammed a few times this year?"

Nick's considerable gut wobbled like jelly as he guffawed in my face. "A few times?" He wiped a tear from his eye.

"Just one cool gift, Nick. I'll mend my ways next year. Make you proud. You'll see."

Nick surveyed my pleading eyes while he nibbled on another cookie. He didn't say anything.

I slapped a palm on the bar, startling the tender. "Your lists are clouding your vision. Lists of nice and naughty, of good and bad..."

A huge smile broke over Nick's face. "Of Good And Evil," he said.

"Great," I mumbled, rolling my eyes. "Another list."

"No, fool," Nick replied. "Since you swear you'll mend your ways, I'm giving you that break you want so badly. Tis the season , after all. You want something great under your tree? You got it." He reached into a big red bag on the floor next to his shiny black boots and handed me a book wrapped in a gleaming gold ribbon. "Put this under your tree."

My eyes ran across the cover. It was a copy of Gerald Griffin's "Of Good And Evil." I couldn't believe my excellent fortune.

The bartender pushed another tricky drink at me. I waved it off and pointed at Nick's milk. "I'll have what he's having."

Nick nodded at me. He stood up and grabbed his red bag. "Merry Christmas," he said. Then he put a finger beside his nose, and vanished like he was never there at all.

But I know he was there. I have a copy of Griffin's "Of Good And Evil" to prove it.

A TALK WITH SANTA

I had a funny dream last night. I was a kid again and sitting on Santa's lap, peering expectantly into his startling Adriatic-blue eyes. But he remained silent, the weathered ageless features of his bearded face set in disquieted resolve.

Uneasily I asked, "No HO HO HO...no asking what I want for Christmas? What kind of Santa are you? Why did all those other kids run away from you crying?!"

"Tough year, kid," Santa finally spoke, his resonant voice sad and not so soothing. "No toys --- for anyone! I had to lay off all my elves, get rid of my reindeer. Even fired Mrs. Claus, a belly full, anyway."

"But...but how can there be Christmas without your toys?" I squawked. "We need those toys as a reward for being good and nice all year. I worked dam...darn hard at that. Only a few slip-ups."

Santa looked at me solemnly. "There are worst things in life, kid, than not getting toys on Christmas. Sorry, but good or not, I've been wiped out, like untold others. These are bad times! At least I'm telling you face-to-face."

"All that goodness for nothing," I sighed, disheartened. "I should have been naughty --- like kids really want to be. No toys, no being good!"

"The true Christmas spirit is giving gifts to others. Your parents, your uncles and aunts, others."

"But what gifts can I buy? I'm just a kid. I make no money."

"You receive an allowance."

"But that's measly!"

"You can supplement it by catching crickets and digging worms, selling them as fish bait. Anyway, the gift I have in mind doesn't cost much. And it's the perfect gift for this year; highly appreciated by those who receive it. They'll be thankful to you forever."

"What gift is that?" I squinted, really not believing what I was hearing.

"Your novel. Of Good And Evil."

"WHAT?!!" I squirmed on Santa's lap. "But...but I won't write that until many, many years from now. So how can I give it to anyone as a gift?!"

Santa finally smiled. "Remember, this is just a dream. Anything's possible in a dream."

Santa pulled out a sheet of paper from inside his red jacket.

"What's that?" I asked, more astonished than curious.

He now grinned broadly, eyeing me admiringly. "A review of your suspense thriller Of Good And Evil. By Tracey Alley. Like you, an author in the future."

"You carry around reviews?"

Santa broke into laughter, a loud, naturally infectious laugh. "In this dream, yes." Then calming down, he said, "Now listen. Let me read parts of it to you." He began reading:

"In order to be able to engage the reader from the opening paragraphs and hold their attention throughout, to be able to let the reader suspend their disbelief for the duration of the novel takes a special kind of talent. Gerald G. Griffin is an author with just such talent. In his brilliant thriller 'Of Good And Evil' he takes the reader on a wild ride with the real world as his background and makes the reader believe in his plot and characters."

I gawked at Santa startled. "Gosh, I did that?"

"Quiet. There's more." He read on:

"Gerald has given his audience a well-conceived story and delivered it with the talent of a born writer. He's also gone that step further that separates writers from great writers. He's worked hard at the mechanics of the novel so that the plot flows smoothly, the characters are believable and the reader is able to sit back and enjoy this page-turning thriller."

"Wow! This Tracey thinks I'm a great writer!"

"Will you hush, kid. Let me finish reading this." Santa continued:

" 'Of Good And Evil' has received several well deserved 5 star reviews. Ron Sheffield, Gerald's gifted but tormented main character, has everything a great writer needs to engage a reader on an emotional level. This is one of the gifts of a truly great story-teller."

Finished reading, Santa adamantly said to me "You see, what did I tell you? This is the gift! The gift of Christmas! The gift everyone should receive."

Santa once again broke into laughter, the laughter becoming spasms. Through his laughter, Santa quipped, "You see, kid, dreams too can become true. Merry Christmas!"

A THANKSGIVING TALE

A funny thing happened on the way to the Thanksgiving festivities.

Oddly beset with the true spirit of the Pilgram Fathers, I bought a live turkey --- from quite a weird featured character, as I recall --- the day before Thanksgiving, determined to prepare it from scratch as our first settlers had done.

But the novice I was at being a first settler, the turkey got loose from its pen in the back yard and swiftly disappeared with gobbly grunts of victory into the woods.

"Gads, so much for the pilgrim spirit," I sighed heavily in disappointment. "I'm stuck with the stale chicken in the fridge!"

Following the turkey's daring escape on Thanksgiving Eve, defying all turkey lore, I sought solace by rereading my novel Of Good And Evil on the open porch in back. Laughing and crying while immersed in deep thought, I found the book still to be fantastic reading. So fantastic that the turkey, safely hidden in the woods, mesmerized by all my laughing and crying, gobbled back in a dash and strangely demanded to read the novel (this daring turkey escape artist was so bizarre that it could do this, and with amazing speed). Finishing the suspense thriller, the turkey looked at me with those flashing, gobbly turkey eyes, and in its excited, gobbly turkey sounds (which even more amazingly I could understand), said to me:

"I'm getting you a copy of this spectacular thriller as a Christmas gift!"

Needless to say, these words were better than a White House pardon.

The turkey and I ended up eating chicken together on Thanksgiving.

I'm being SHOWCASED at Nurture Your BOOKS™