A PARADIGM SHIFT

Over the course of my writing career which spans fifty plus years (mostly journalism), I’ve always maintained a very realistic view of life and its crazy twists and turns. I’ve read a great deal and seem to be drawn toward the authors who were grounded in reality. I was never been a fan of paranormal, science fiction, or horror type writings. Stories that include a lot of divine intervention try my patience; same way with inaccuracies. Please don’t write a novel and have some eight-year old girl that plays on a Little League team become ‘better than the boys at stealing first base’. Or, in the same book, have a little league game go past six innings. That doesn’t happen unless it’s a tie score. If you’re going to write a novel featuring the military, YOU should know the difference between the army and the marines. To summarize, I usually write from experience. I’ve either done what I describe, been there, or saw it happen. I don’t need a lot of reference materials to write; just some journal notes to jog my memory.


*****


In evaluating my book sales over this past year, I noticed several common threads to my better sellers. Also I determined why some of my novels and screenplays don’t sell well. Westerns, no matter how well written, are difficult to sell. Those that read them really like them but there just aren’t a lot of ‘western fans’ anymore. Formatting and editing hurt some of my work and I’ve resolved to repair those works by the end of the first quarter of 2012. Some folks don’t like to read screenplays. That I can’t control. However, there are some good stories included and perhaps by the end of next year several of the screenplays will be written into novels.

The novels that sell the best are:

ALASKA BE DAMNED

MURDER IN PANAMA

THE LAST FRUIT STAND ON GUAM.

PARTNERS

The common thread that drives readers to recommend these novels is heroics. Not the knight against the dragon heroics but the courage it takes to fight the system (Ben Reed in ABD), the will and skill to right a lot of wrongs (Jimmy Hart in MIP), and the least probable character rising to the occasion during a natural disaster (Skid McMasters in LFS). PARTNERS, features a couple of characters (RC Bellars & Curtis Dawson), that strive for freedom and independence in a modern world that no longer rewards or even recognizes those traits.

SO, the PARADIGM SHIFT I mentioned will be away from romantic comedies and more toward the unsung heroics of ordinary people.

Currently I am writing a sequel to MURDER IN PANAMA, and a contemporary western that features the characters in PARTNERS. In the background I’m writing a non-fiction book. This book chronicles my health issues and my unorthodox solutions and techniques that allow me to live a full life in spite of several doctors’ dire prognosis.
Have a swell Xmas and New year!

MURDER IN PANAMA REVISITED

The KPC plague (Klebsiella Pneumoniae Carbapenemases) that seems to be spreading throughout the hospitals and clinics of Panama appears to be out of control. The KPC virus has spread to almost all of the provinces and the powers to be are bewildered. Over one hundred deaths are now attributed to this infection. It’s a travesty of grand proportions.


When scientists wish to have a clean room; a locale where no germs can exist, they flood the sealed facility with Ozone to rid them of all microscopic impurities; including viruses. One would assume this technology is used in Panama’s Hospital Gorgas, where all medical research is being performed. If not, that’s a travesty, too.

Large Ozone generators have been used for years to reinstate flooded homes and vessels to pristine newness. After Hurricane Katrina, many of the upscale homes and hospitals were made pure by this process.

I’m truly sorry the medical community at large can’t see past their education. Many lives could have been and will be saved by applying these techniques from other industries.

On a personal note, I use medical grade Ozone to deal with my heart condition. It virtually saved my life.

My novel, MURDER IN PANAMA, discourses on the subject from time to time.

Season’s Greetings from Panama.

‘TIS THE SEASON!

Yep, Xmas is drawing near. Personally, I don’t care for the holidays. I won’t list the many reasons; just one – SHOPPING. Gad, what a pain! This year like last…I’ll shop from my computer. Everyone on my Xmas list (all three) will get one of my e-books as a gift. ( I HAVE 8 NOVELS AND 6 SCREENPLAYS PUBLISHED + 1 NON-FICTION BUSINESS BOOK.)


I’d like you to consider giving my e-books for gifts. They can be downloaded on just about every PDA device imaginable including a PC or Mac. The Kindle and Nook each sport new models as well as the Ipad and a host of tablets and smartphones; all capable of accepting e-book downloads. THE PRICE FOR MOST OF MY WORK IS 99 CENTS! That’s right, less than a dollar.

There are a variety of genre’s; from period Western’s to contemporary Action/Adventure and Romantic Comedies. They are all available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. Just click on either of the two URL’s and it will take right to my page.

AMAZON - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22



BARNES & NOBLE -http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?store=EBOOK&WRD=robert+hatting&page=&prod=univ&choice=ebooks&query=robert+hatting&flag=False&ugrp=1



HAPPY HOLIDAY!

Robert Hatting

ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT!

As Amazon’s new program information became available to me, it became obvious that I had made a mistake to subscribe – I opted out because of the fine print. The lending library is for only those that currently own a Kindle and the price of enrollment in the free library is $79. The program is not available for overseas customers.


My mission is to expose my books and screenplays to as many readers as I can and hopefully they will come back and buy more. I’d like to give my books away for free but I can’t. So, everything is back to 99 cents. I made the change this morning at 4 am. I’m assuming by this evening all the prices will be back to 99 cents.

A NEW WRINKLE FROM AMAZON.COM.

Today Amazon Kindle announced a new program that changes the playing field between them and all other e-book retailers. Amazon has had the upper hand for some time. Now they are seeking a monopoly. However, they are also offering a lending program so more e-book patrons will be able to read for free. It’s complicated but I enrolled all of my novels and screenplays in their new program.


Today is the last day you can purchase my novels and screenplays for 99 cents. Starting tomorrow the prices will change. Not much; still less than a gallon of diesel or a bag of chips.

My novels and screenplays will no longer be available on Barnes and Noble Pubit. Sorry nook owners…your device is going the way of the beta max…

Act now and take advantage of this transition!

KINDLE – don’t leave home without it!

While planning for 2012 I began consolidating my personal papers and noticed the pages remaining in my personal planner. I was about to order another when I discovered a Daily planner available for my Kindle. I downloaded it along with a Daily Journal and Notepad.

I already use my Kindle for back-up internet using the G3; as an MP3 player as well as keeping all the user manuals for my computers, recipes, appliances, and other personal documents. Of course, I carry all seventeen books currently for sale on Amazon and B&N.

My Kindle memory stores over two hundred books from other authors as well as several samples from authors I’m intending to purchase. My archives include four hundred plus and counting.

With these three additional applications the Kindle becomes even more important in my life. I’ll be able to post short blurbs on Twitter and Face Book. Shoot, I may even write a novel using the Daily Journal. AIN’T TECHNOLOGY SWELL?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22 AMAZON OR BARNES AND NOBLE.
http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?store=EBOOK&WRD=robert+hatting&page=&prod=univ&choice=ebooks&query=robert+hatting&flag=False&ugrp=1

Do you have a witness to your life?

As most of my loyal readers know, I usually write from experience. The impressions I have for known events or processes keep my stories grounded in reality.


Recently I have been researching an idea for my book, REVOLUTION OF FOOLS. (the sequel to MURDER IN PANAMA) Without giving away the plot, I’m investigating a plausible method to bring large forces of Colombian and Venezuelan rebels into Panama– legally. I checked with local immigration and began to understand the processes. Coming to Panama from South America isn’t that easy. However, obtaining a visa to visit Panama is less arduous and faster if one gets a sponsor that resides in Panama. I considered the variety of ways for a rebel to obtain a sponsor. I slept on the dilemma and then it dawned on me…

There are thousands of innocent co-conspirators waiting with baited breath in on-line dating services. How do I know this? I joined one in order to understand the process.

WOW! What an awakening…thousands of lonely Panamanian women seeking the man of their dreams; from all ages – 21 to 75. So, I found the plausible method. Some handsome dude from Colombia or Venezuela answers an ad … throws some romantic sonnets her way and presto he has a sponsor for a tourist visa.

Well, now I know. Just like my recent heart attack, this is a first for me; an on-line dating service. The entire world can get a shot at getting into my heart, knickers or wallet. (At least for another week)

All kidding aside, it’s sad there are so many lonely folks out there. It just proves what my father related to me years ago when I asked him why he married.

“Son, everyone wants and needs a witness to their lives.”

A DEAL IS A DEAL!

My last post announced the re-pricing of all my novels and screenplays to $.99 each.  I was expecting a larger volume to make up for the normal loss of revenue.  It's not working tus far.  Please spread the word, folks,  I'll stand by my deal until January 1, 2012 but then the prices go back up...not drastically but enough to create a bottom line for the tykes at Nutre Hogar.

E-BOOKS ON SALE

Until December 31, 1011, all e-books and screenplays by Robert Hatting are on sale for 99 cents each. Choose from a wide range of genre’s (17 titles) including my most current novel, MURDER IN PANAMA and my bestselling novel, ALASKA BE DAMNED. These are available at Amazon’s Kindle store and Barnes and Noble’s Pubit store. One can download these e-books to almost all electronic devices; all of the Kindle readers, all the Nook readers as well as tablets, Blackberry units and most PDA units. Don’t forget, you can also download them to any computer.


E-books make an excellent gift; easy to purchase and send electronically. Consider birthdays and of course the rapidly approaching holidays.

SEND ME YOUR CASTOFFS!

I usually avoid discussing politics and religion. But I have to comment on this latest political free trade treaty between the US and Panama. I guess mostly I have a question: WHAT BENEFIT DOES PANAMA GET OUT OF THIS TREATY?


I’ve asked a lot of people; ExPat and Panamanian. No has given me an answer.

NAFTA killed the small farming industry in Mexico and I suspect the same will happen here in Panama.

Be prepared for the giant US agribusinesses to start dumping all their genetically engineered, hormone enhanced, steroidal beef, pork and chicken plus other farm products into the mainstream of the Panamanian food cycle. This can’t be good for Panama. Where’s the upside? A less expensive D-9 Cat or a deluxe Amana appliance?

Please, somebody explain because I’m bewildered. It appears to me that it’s a one way treaty. What can Panama sell to the US? Tropical fruits and vegetables? Coffee? Raspadura?

I don’t get it…someone please explain.

PANAMA CANAL -TONNAGE 1956

This photo was taken by my father, Wayne Hatting.

MURDER IN PANAMA AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

TWO BOOK COVERS -- SAME NOVEL

My latest novel, MURDER IN PANAMA, was uploaded to Amazon.com, Kindle store, yesterday.  This is my eighth novel – 66,000 words.  It’s the first of the Jimmy Hart series I’ve created. Second in the series, REVOLUTION OF FOOLS is outlined and in the creative first writing stage.  Depending on reader feedback, I expect at least three novels featuring Jimmy Hart and his cohorts to be published by the end of 2012. However, I like writing westerns as well.  I may slip in another western novel or screenplay.  In the background of all my fiction writing I have started a HOW TO essay on my experiences concerning my heart attack.  It will include photos of canning techniques, food preparation, tips on Ozone therapy, exercise regimes, and of course sources for more information concerning all of the subjects covered in the essay. I expect to post it on a stand-alone blog and have it available any and all interest parties at no charge.  

KOOL KINDLE FIRE

Amazon just released their “Fire” Kindle this week. From everything I’ve read so far it appears to be the perfect unit for those of us who embrace technology. The advertised price, $199, is about what I paid for my WiFi/3G Kindle a year ago. That unit is now selling for $99. Hopefully that will entice more people to convert to e-books.


The Kindle FIRE proves that Amazon is dedicated to making tools while Barnes and Noble is making gadgets. Their Nook is so far behind the curve, it’s almost embarrassing to have books on their Pubit site. They don’t sell very well but just in case, I’ll continue to upload all my novels as they come out… Like next week.

MURDER IN PANAMA has been through the editing process and is in the formatting stage. I hope to have it published sometime over this coming week-end. 66,000 words, first on Amazon.com –Kindle store, and then on those other guys site.

MURDER IN PANAMA – This novel is the first of the Jimmy Hart series. A contemporary story laced with action, adventure, romance, and mystery.


Jimmy Hart and his sidekick, Lowell Downs, learn that a weapon seized by the Police was used in five international murders. One victim resided in Chiriqui, Panama. Further investigations reveal the murder-for-hire assassin is still at large somewhere in Panama. Continuing curiosity puts their lives in peril; the assassin has them in his sights.

NO HELP SO FAR FROM THE PUBLISHER

. This letter was sent to Amazon.com on September 16^th.  I followed up and resent it 2 days ago.  I have NOT received any reply or even an acknowledgment of receipt.  It gives me pause.


Dear Amazon copyright person,

If you Google the blog BELOVAPOLIDWQ it will take you to this site: http://download-file.net/search.html?type=all&search=alaska+be+damned, you will see that my novel, Alaska be Damned was lifted from your Amazon Kindle site and is available via this pirate website. I would expect many other products from Amazon are also being sold by these thieves. I counted 948 downloads of Alaska be Damned. This novel and everything I have published on Your Kindle store is copyrighted in the Library of congress. This specific book's registration number is TXu 1- 738-979. Effective date of registration is december 15, 2010.

I have never issued the rights to any of my work except by publishing on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. I know this was pirated from Amazon as the cover is slightly different on the Pubit site.

I would appreciate any help you can give me in regard to this matter.

Regards,

Robert Hatting

WAR DECLARED ON RUSSIAN AND CHINESE PIRATES

Thieves rush in…


I was searching the internet yesterday to determine if I was stepping on someone with my upcoming novel, Blood Tide. It appears that am, so scratch that for a book title. I decided to see if someone was stepping on me. I searched for my best selling e-book, Alaska be Damned and discovered that some low-life Chinese blogger is advertising my book – lifted right out of Amazon.co. Further investigation proved that my novel was being downloaded from a scummy Russian pirate site. They steal books, Software, Music, Movies, Games and other intellectual property. So, the count is: 948 books stolen from me and my publishing partner, Amazon.com.

Everything I write is registered with the Library of Congress and Screenwriters Guild. I’ve contacted the copyright people with Amazon who will probably contact the appropriate authorities.

Will there be any retribution? I doubt anything will happen. There’s too many politics involved. However, I am going to wage a personal war against people like this. Stay tuned for further developments.

THE PUBLISHING PROCESS – PIA

Writing is fun. Seeing an outline or idea come to fruition is exciting and kinda kool. The rest of the crap that accompanies publishing either a novel or screenplay is unrewarding and a downright pain in the ass.

The US library of congress is where you go to copyright a novel or non-fiction book. In the new millennium it’s possible to do it electronically. The first time it takes on average two days of fiddling with their system and being guided by through the maze by a retarded and blind baboon. (Press 1 for stupid, press 2 for blood pressure medicine.) I just uploaded my novel MURDER IN PANAMA. The fee was $35.00. (food for the baboon?). Since this is my eighth novel, I was able to glide right through the process in fifty-six (56) minutes. I will receive a certificate with my confirmation number in approximately six months if I’m lucky. Registering a screenplay is soooo much easier. I just send the script to the SCREENWRITERS GUILD and pay my fee. They issue a registration number right away and I’m finished.

Building covers, proofreading, editing, rewriting, soliciting reviewers and determining where the book fits (which genre) is just part of the process. It needs to be completed before the e-book can go on sale. Then the publishing process begins; Amazon is slick and quick. Barnes and Noble, not so much.

The end of this story… MURDER IN PANAMA may be available in another week or two.

The View From Behind the Donation Can

Yesterday (Wednesday, Sept. 7th) was our first participation with the David Market. It was not well attended; by vendors, nor were there a lot of shoppers. Consequently, my observations of how we performed for Nutri Hogar are jaded. I was surprised at the number of North Americans that have never heard of the home for malnourished children. Even after Chris or I enlightened them, it usually resulted in a walk-away. The representative at our table for Nutri Hogar spoke no English so she was shy with North Americans. People in general gave us a wide berth…not wanting to participate in donating nor in dialogue. All in all it was a bust! But we’ll give it another go next week and maybe the week after that. Using a baseball metaphor, three strikes and we’re out.


Yesterday was the monthly gathering for THE GRINGOS OF DAVID. I understood they were to meet at the market and then decide on a restaurant for lunch and their meeting. Neither Chris nor I were invited to attend.

I have no idea where they went. I’m wondering what’s up with that? Is it the rattle of the near empty donation can?

FULL COURT PRESS; NUTRI HOGAR & MY E-BOOKS

Visiting Nutri Hogar in David can be a joyful occasion or a sorrowful one, depending on your attitude. Because it exists is joyful to me. I can’t imagine how life would be for those little tykes if Nutri Hogar wasn’t the safety net. I’m always pleased to find the facility clean and well cared for. For that I’m pleased. But, the caveat (or snake in the grass) is it takes money to operate. Providing the needs for 40 plus kids under the age of five isn’t cheap. Especially when they’re malnourished from the get go. So, since my health has improved, we’ve decided to get very proactive. We expect to have representatives for Nutri Hogar at most gatherings and festivals. I look forward to you participating – nickels dimes and quarters, folks. It all adds up to feeding starved children.


The other full court press is my e-books. I have sixteen published; seven novels, six screenplays, a business book and two collections. My eighth novel will be complete within the next few weeks.

I’m going proactive with this endeavor as well. Mailings will be going out soon -- so brace yourself!

Healing a Heart Attack is Hard Work!

It’s been four and a half months since I experienced a heart attack. It has been a lot of work to get to a point that I can honestly say “I’m 2/3 of my previous self – energy wise.” It has been a difficult challenge made easier by Ozone Therapy; currently I take two injections a week (Monday & Friday). These injections are made using a butterfly needle directly into a vein. I then inject on average, 50cc of Ozone gas. My blood absorbs this gas (which is concentrated molecules of oxygen) and I suffer no side effects. The results are self evident to anyone who knows me. (Then and now)


A salt and sodium free Diet is the challenge. Nothing canned, boxed, packaged or baked commercially is sodium free. Everything contains some form of preservative – mostly salt depicted as sodio down here in Panama. Even a lot of products depicting sodium free are counterfeit. One cannot trust the labeling on products.

I have been making everything from scratch; mayonnaise, mustard, syrup, tartar sauce, etc. Also bread, biscuits and muffins.

Lately, I started canning meats, chicken, hamburger, and a host of other items including the mayo and sauces; and vegetables. Glazed carrots, beets, and glazed plantain. I use a juicer to make fresh juice and can the extra so it won’t spoil. My larder is full and I’m able get out and about now and start living a fuller life.

Yesterday I received a bread machine. I had ordered it from Amazon.com and paid $85. Amazon charged me $17. to ship it to Miami and Airbox Express charged me $98. From Miami to David. So, for two hundred bucks I have a new tool to make my life easier. NO SALT BREAD…

Soooo, my life is complete except for the bestselling novel and the retired Playboy Bunny to push the start button on my bread maker.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22

Murder in Panama – Non Fiction

Folks close to me know that I’m currently writing a novel entitled Murder In Panama It’s a love story/mystery set right here in Chiriqui. Unfortunately, while I have had my head in my imagination, real murder is being committed by the folks that run Panama’s medical system by covering up the two dozen deaths (that they’re finally admitting to) caused by KPC*; add that to the couple of hundred deaths the government caused by making faulty medicine (DEG)**, and you have murder in grand proportions. How many people have to die for it to be called a massacre or genocide? Is there a number? I just read on today’s news that 30 people have been murdered (shot down***) in the past fifteen days. That’s a lot of folks dying in anyone’s neighborhood.


*(Klebsiella Pneumoniae Carbapenemases)

** (Diethylene Glycol)

*** (.357 Mag, 9mm, .45 cal auto)

The irony of all this is: the government of Panama is issuing a card to every tourist entitling them to FREE medical care while visiting Panama. Talk about Russian roulette!

Two new Books

I recently published two new books on Amazon Kindle. One is a novel and the other is a nonfiction business book.

The novel, HALF-BREED is a period western that is unique to my writing style because it isn’t humorous. In fact, it’s bloody and ruthless. Set in southern Arizona in the late 1800’s, it deals with social stigmas plus the cruelties of whites, Mexicans, and Indians; specifically the Chiricahua Apache.

The business book, $HARE THE WEALTH, is series of operational formulas I used in the various businesses I owned over the years (30+). It was a system I developed in 1977 and refined over the years. Anyone in business can appreciate the simplicity of the methods described in my first nonfiction book to be offered. The book includes formulas for sales as well as operations.

Currently these books are exclusively on Amazon Kindle. In days to come they will be published by Barnes and Noble’s Pubit.
Both books as well as the other nine published offer a trial read. Check them out: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22

Boredom, Books, and Ozone Therapy

Almost two months has lapsed since my heart attack. My recovery is slow but sure. My diet had to change…it has and it is boring. Eating foods without sodium or salt is a much larger challenge than one would think; also a lot of work. I have to make everything from scratch like Grandma did; baking bread, muffins, biscuits, and soon making mayonnaise and mustard. Everything on the grocery shelves is loaded with sodium; to me it’s the same as arsenic.


In my spare time between lowering my blood pressure by camping in my hammock, I was able to finish the first draft of HALF-BREED, a period western set in southern Arizona. I’ll start the rewrite next week.

I feel better due to a regime of ozone therapy. I drink a half gallon of ozonated water every day and three times a week I’m injecting 25 to 35 cc’s of ozone gas directly into my blood stream. I expect to hold at 35 cc’s for another week and then advance to 50 cc’s each session until I finish in seven more weeks. For more information; http://www.ozoneuniversity.com/

I’m confident that two months from now my Doctor will pronounce me healed.

WILLFUL IGNORANCE

Refusing to learn new things or seek broader horizons appears in many forms at any age. This attitude is a weakness of character and in many cases is just plain stupid and dangerous. For ex-patriots, refusing to learn to use cell phones, computers, the internet and PDA devices is akin to forced isolation; especially here in Panama. Communication is extremely important. After my heart attack my brother, Bill and I video chat several times a week. That way he can see me and determine for himself if I’m okay. There’s a myriad of IP phone systems available and they are an inexpensive method to reach loved ones around the world. But – you have to be willing to embrace today’s technology.


The unwillingness to learn Spanish is another example of willful ignorance. I know a gringo that has lived in Panama for fifteen years yet refuses to learn the language; expecting others; bilinguals, to handle his affairs. He’s a joke in the community. If you live in a Latin country and don’t make an attempt to adapt to language and culture, it’s a major insult to your host country and you will be held in contempt for your willful ignorance!

Living abroad in a non-English speaking country without a Kindle or some other electronic reading device is also a form of willful ignorance. I’ve heard all the excuses: “I like the feel of a book.” “The written word needs to be on paper.” “How can one appreciate a book on a gizmo?” If you are guilty of remarks like those, shame on you! E-books are not just a passing notion or fad. This is a major paradigm shift in the book industry. Kazillions of trees are being saved! There are over a million books available to me on my Kindle. I can download over three thousand and hold them in the unit that weighs the same as my cell phone. The battery charge holds for three to four weeks and in a pinch, I can use the unit to check my e-mails or surf the web. I’m able to change the size of the font so in some cases I can read without my glasses. E-books are inexpensive. Most sell for less than a Starbuck’s latte and a lot of the older books are free. I can buy my books from anywhere; from a bohio on the beach, horseback in the mountains, or lying in my hammock.

Advancing years is not an excuse for willful ignorance. My mother learned to use a computer when she was in her eighties and stayed in touch with my brother and me by e-mail right up until a couple of years before she passed at age 99.

The world is changing and it’s changing rapidly. Welcome aboard but leave your willful ignorance behind.

Jack London once wrote … “a dead man controls the situation!”

Those words certainly ring true in today’s world.


The world is abuzz about the death of Osama Bin Laden. Pundits and politicians all have an opinion, the public in the US seems joyous, and the major newspapers have kept it “top of the fold”. Even the Internet news reporters keep spinning the story.

The story has displaced the news about the royal wedding, Charlie Sheen’s troubles and the Lindsay Lohan debacles. It even overshadows the NFL draft, and who’s wearing what on the red carpet. For that, I’m personally pleased.

Now it’s time for the books to be released. Unless they were written by members of the SEAL 6 team, they’ll probably be counterfeit…

I was sent all 4 manuscripts by the man himself; we’ll publish them in the following order.

I DIDN’T REALLY MEAN TO PISS YOU OFF by osama bin laden

OOPS! I JUST SHIT MY PANTS by osama bin laden

SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES by osama bin laden

SEVENTY TWO OF THE UGLIEST VIRGINS ON EARTH by osama bin laden

Now everyone who reads this blog will realize this is a joke…but it will be criticized. I don’t care!

Did you ever see a girl throw a baseball?

Writing styles are just as distinctive. They reflect the life of the writer; also their gender. That’s right. There are four distinctive styles I can determine by reading only three pages of a novel. Sometimes I can tell by just by looking at the cover. A great number of female writers disguise their gender by using only initials. JZ Knight is a good example. She is a very successful mystery writer from the Southwest and Seattle. But if a male reader didn’t know she was a girl, it would become obvious with a chapter or two. JA Konrath. Once you start one of his books, it’s obvious he’s a guy right away.


Guys seldom write about bedspreads, curtains, décor, and dust ruffles unless it’s germane to the story. Women writers normally do. (Shirley McClain in “Out on a Limb – gag me with a spoon!) Conversely, men will write a lot more details about tools, guns or car engines. For example; “…was driving a customized old pick-up with a 327 ci Chevy small block bored .40 over, balanced and blueprinted. Most women writers wouldn’t write that kind of description. They are hard pressed to check their oil!

Okay, that’s the first two styles…simple – guys and gals.

The other two take a while to spot. The done that myself, been there, and have the t-shirt. Then you have the research & fake-it with well turned phrases, style. The writers who research everything and seldom leave his/her word processor. I fall into the first category. I write from experience. Many best sellers are written by people who are excellent writers (can really turn a phrase) but know nothing firsthand about their subject matter. I read part of a best seller (#1 for 10 weeks on the NY Times list) a few years ago that was written by a professor from a university in New England. “……character X was suddenly afraid as the silence of the jungle night enveloped him like a cobweb.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Silence of a jungle night? Jungles aren’t quiet in the night! Screeching monkys, bats, owls, various chirping crickets that will drive you nuts, lizards, night birds, and much more. The closest this guy ever got to a jungle was a Tarzan movie! I pitched the book out the porthole of my boat. What a crock!

I was questioned by a reader one time about the scene in PARTNERS where the two cowboys take a bull that is caught in a tree trunk and sew his eyes closed. The reader thought that was farfetched. In reality, years earlier, my ranching neighbor and I were contracted by the Park Service to remove feral cattle from their mountain park near Tucson. We spent over a week in those badlands, trapping the cows and bulls by building a brush corral around a spring and placing a salt block nearby. We finally captured twenty head. We roped them – head and heels and sewed their eyelids closed. They could eat, drink and shit…the things cattle do. We eventually led them off the mountain only to be met by a firestorm of animal activists. To this day I take pot shots at those ignorant imbeciles.

That was the real life drama that produced the scene in PARTNERS

I fished commercially in Alaska – ALASKA BE DAMNED

I lived on Guam and went through typhoon Karen – THE LAST FRUIT STAND ON GUAM

I lived and worked in Mexico. – EXPAT

I’ve participated and have been associated with Rodeo for many years. -- CRYSTAL COWBOY

I’ve owned several ranches and made a decent living breaking and training horses. SCREENPLAY’S -- NO WAY!, UP NORTH, PARTNERS, and TRUST ME.

I lived in southern Arizona for some time so period western, BOOMER and the novel I currently writing, HALF-BREED are authentic as to locale.

I’ve lived in Panama for a long time. First in the Canal Zone with my folks and now as a retiree/writer. – SCREENPLAY’S, GAVIOTO’S GOLD & EMPTY KAYAK.

I guess the point of this exposition is to enlighten. My books and screenplays reflect my past. My style is to write tight and be a story teller. If it’s in the book it either happened to me, a close friend or I witnessesd it happening. Except for the romance – that’s all bullshit!

CRYSTAL COWBOY ONLY 99 CENTS

As many of you know, I have several books written and residing on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. They are for sale but not selling well. I recently donated three months of my royalties to a local charity and was ashamed of the results. Therefore I need to start promoting my work. I don’t think my books are horrible, just undiscovered. Remember the Daisy chain? I’ve chosen one novel and priced it so low it’s ridiculous. However, if I can move one novel to the top 1000 in the Amazon rating system, perhaps some of the others will follow. If you’re interested, it will cost you a bit of time and 99 cents.


Daisy chain Instructions:

This is a simple way to extend the purchase/readership of one of my eBooks. We are going to start a Daisy Chain. This Daisy Chain is not illegal or expensive.

I will gift you my eBook, Crystal Cowboy. The gift will come from Amazon.com. You do NOT need a kindle to accept this electronic file. Mac, PC, Android, any tablet and even a blackberry can accept this gift. Note: I said gift. All I ask is that you go to Amazon.com and gift it to someone else.



http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22



The price of CRYSTAL COWBOY IS only 99 cents. Make certain recipients either have or can obtain an Amazon account – a debit or credit card is required.

The daisy chain needs to perpetuate itself to make this work. Please help if you can. You don’t even have to read the book. Just pass it on. You have the option of reading the book later. The secret of this program is timing; the sooner, the better.



Thanks for your efforts,

Robert Hatting

Price changes and promotions:

Starting next week, most of my novels will have a higher price. My books featuring my screenplays will be priced at .99 as will my novel Crystal Cowboy. I get a lot of advice from other writers; some successful and some not. Most agree that .99 for an 80,000 word novel is criminal. Most of my books encompass that many words or more. They are all bargains but the deal on the tray is TRILOGY; three full length movie scripts for ninety nine cents. (a series featuring the same characters) Crystal Cowboy is another deal. I’m leaving it at .99 in the hopes it will somehow reach the top 1000 in the Amazon Kindle rankings. Over the next weeks and months I’ll be experimenting with the marketing and promotional side of this business, as well as completing the two novels I have on my hard drive, HALF BREED and MURDER IN PANAMA.

SORTA BACK ON TRACK

Yesterday, my Doctor drove me out to Nutre Hohar so I could deliver three months royalties from book sales as promised. It wasn’t a big deal, financially, but every dime counts toward the care of those tykes. It was my pleasure and I hope to contribute more next time.

WHY I CANCELLED MY AIP MEMBERSHIP.

WHY I CANCELLED MY AIP (Americans in panama) MEMBERSHIP. I’m usually too busy to read -- let alone engage in all the chat groups that feature Panama. Since my doctor relegated me to a post- vegetative state while I recover, I spend more time on the computer. So I started reading the chat sites and the blogs. Reading AIP gave me gas. There’s a tourist named LLOYD posting long discourses about his freshman tour and sophomoric impressions of Panama. It’s posted in volumes and it’s TOTAL POLYANNA! I interjected that his long missives are better suited to a blog or a long letter home. Well, that scrambled the egg. Members jumped all over me. Not just one or two but a horde. Well, LLOYD, retrace your steps. We’ll take a different tour; one which is real and not misleading to the folks back home or the recent arrivals. First, when you get off the plane, don’t rent a car. Take a taxi or bus. That’s how 85% of the people in Panama travel. Have the taxi take you from the TOCUMEN airport, to the village of Tocumen. Then tell him to skip the corridor and the coastal strip and take you through the city to the Albrook bus terminal. Make a side trip to La Boca and see how the fishermen live. Once at the bus terminal, take the Panama – David bus. It’s pretty nice, unless it breaks down. When you reach the terminal in David, transfer to the Boquete bus…a school bus of unknown vintage with no air conditioning, hard seats, and stuffed with folks going to work. A lot of them getting on along the way and having to stand the entire trip. ARE YOU GETTINGTHE PICTURE, LLOYD? Okay, let’s skip the part where you enjoy the quaint B&B, the fine cuisine, beer and wine, the coffee tour, looking at gated communities and the like. I’ll pick you folk up in my car and we’ll spend some time exploring Chiriqui. Not far out of Boquete, situated near all those nice gated communities is a small complex called Casa Hogar, Trixer. On any given day there could be fifty to eighty orphan kids living in near poverty. Wanna stop in for a visit? Further down the hill, past Dolega is los Algorrobos. Here’s my old house, where I was robbed twice in one year. Let’s go across the hiway to the house when another gringo was murdered. We could spend several days viewing these crime scenes, but let’s move on… Here we are in David. First let me show you Nutre Hogar, a special home for malnourished children – under the age of five. Oh, look, there’s over forty of them. Shall we take the tour? Next stop the Regional hospital. Looks pretty good from the outside, right? What are all those people doing standing in line? Oh, gee, they’re trying to get in…let’s take the tour. Walk single file, the halls are crowded with sick and injured folks. Once in a while you’ll see a gurney parked with a dead person in a body bag. Oh look, there are sixty people in this ward and only two attendants. “I’m sure conditions will improve once the new subway is completed in Panama City” “LLOYD, you look pale. Maybe we should leave here and go have a drink at TGIF.” As we drive down the Inter-American I point to the taxi stand where I was almost stabbed and mugged in broad daylight. I show them the turn off to Villa Mercedes, an upscale community where another gringo was murdered. We get to the restaurant and we review the tour. “What? You didn’t like it?” This is just a small sampling. (The other side if the tourist brochure.) The entire population of Panama is 1/3 that of Chicago, USA. The difference is there is no safety net; no one to step in and keep you from starving to death. There’s no food stamps here. No welfare checks and an extremely low consideration for the working people. I doubt our waitress makes $300 a month. It’s been that way since I first arrived in 1951. “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” A lot of us old time gringos try to help…and we do in a small way. The applause you’re getting on AIP is from naive people looking for Shangri-la or local folks that have something to sell you…bank on it! “Okay, here’s what we can do… there’s two more orphanages we can visit, a large special needs school, a few more crime scenes and we can check in at the local prison and say howdy to Wild Bill. OR, I can drive you to the airport and you can GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE! Robert Hatting

A TRIBUTE TO DOBE HARDING

This is a good summary of a good man; my friend and hero. Gerald (Dobe) HardingApril 16, 1941 – April 1, 2011 Dobe Harding of Bend passed away on Friday, April 1 in Crane while hunting with friends. He was 69 years old. He was born in Aberdeen, WA on April 16, 1941. His parents were Milford (Mel) Harding and Kittie Barbara (Wendorf) Harding. As a child, Dobe attended school in Arlington, OR, then attended high school in Stayton, OR, and graduated in 1959. After moving to Central Oregon from Stayton in the 1970’s, Dobe had a plumbing and heating business in Sisters. Over the years, he lived in many places, including Maui, San Jose, CA, Redding, CA and Lapine. Dobe enjoyed fishing, hunting and was talented in fabricating metal and welding. He was witty, and had the ability to make people laugh, and was a great conversationalist. He also loved music. He is survived by his wife and partner of 32 years, Toni; daughter Lisa Davis of Bend; son Brad Harding of Bend; stepson Dude Aylor of Sisters; and 11 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Rick in 1995. Dobe will be missed so much by everyone who knew him, loved him and enjoyed his company, family and friends alike. He was a very special person.

A TRIBUTE TO DOBE HARDING by Bob Hatting.

Dobe and I went to high school together. We played sports, fished, hunted, and later we were in business together. One time we even swapped houses; his in Stayton for mine in Sisters. Over the years we developed that special bond of trust. My book “Partners” is dedicated to him. His character, wit or stature is featured in almost all of my stories. Dobe’s stature was “Chief” in THE LAST FRUIT STAND ON GUAM. His character is Sheriff Boomer in my novel BOOMER, and I used not only his stature but his fine unwavering character as Sergeant Bell in ALASKA BE DAMNED . In 1973, Dobe and I entered the “Wild Cow Milking” event at the Sister’s Rodeo. My job was to rope the cow. Dobe was supposed to “Mug” the old girl, remove the loop and hold her while I dismounted and milked her to obtain enough liquid into a stubby beer bottle to run to the judge…at least a drop or two was required. This was a three day event. The first go…I roped a fence post. (Obviously I was a lousy roper). The second go, I roped the hind legs of my horse and was bucked off. The third go, I got lucky and roped a cow right off. Dobe rushed from the bucking chutes, grabbed that cow and pitched her to the ground. He was so Bull strong, he removed the lariat held her 900 pounds of kicking and thrashing while I rushed to her udder – being cow kicked several times, to milk perhaps two ounces of moo juice. We won the event. Mert Hunking, the producer of the rodeo presented us a trophy buckle and fifty bucks. Neither of us wanted the money, we wanted the buckle. We flipped and Dobe won. It was the only rodeo award he’d ever won. A couple of weeks later, Mert had another buckle made for me. It was the ONLY roping event I ever won. I have the buckle to this day and I’m sure Dobe kept his. I have a hundred stories like the above. Why choose that one? Because every time we reunited after a long absence, that was the story that was rehashed. All who knew him at least liked him. Most loved him. I’m one of the latter…gotta stop now, I’m getting’ tears on my keyboard. SO LONG, DOBE – SEE YA SOON!

Back on Topic- Crystal Cowboy

For some unknown reason --

The novel CRYSTAL COWBOY has been outselling ALASKA BE DAMNED! To date, my best selling novel. I thought it may have been the lowering the price to .99, but that was done a month ago. One never know in this writing world.

OFF TOPIC – AGAIN

As one would expect, health becomes the number one priority for most folks when they’ve had a scare like I recently experienced. So, I’m going to write about it -- again. As an author, I have an eye for detail. Observing people, mannerisms, inanimate objects and the like is just habit for use in future stories. I’d like to share those observations with you, now. CLEAN – There’s household clean and clinical clean. Hospital clean should be of the highest order. Hospital Chiriqui smells clean, the floors appear to have been mopped with a disinfectant but the exam rooms look shoddy and grimy. The girl in the lab who took my blood the second time, had dirt under her fingernails and I assume hadn’t bathed that morning. The Regional Hospital was extremely filthy. In the ward I was housed, there was blood on the floor, insects running willy-nilly across the ceiling and of course the gurney where I was bunked hadn’t seen soap and water since its manufacture – sometime during WWII. When you think you’re dying, none of this makes a whit of difference. However, in retrospect, it gives me the shudders. EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES: How can any reasonably intelligent doctor make a decision based on erratic procedures and outdated equipment. Every instrument needs to be calibrated on a regular basis. I’m just guessing here, but if those three EKG machines used on me were set side by side and hooked to the same patient, all three would give different results; same with the BP apparatuses and the lab equipment. Where am I going with this litany of complaints? I’m not sure other than to expose what I witnessed and experienced and hope you are forewarned to this backward health system for the average and less privileged. Bob

WAY OFF TOPIC

I suffered what I suspected was a heart attack (severe chest pains) the other day and had a friend take me to Hospital Chiriqui. I filled out the forms, a nurse took my blood pressure 160/80, and then doctor on staff at the emergency room looked at the chart and ordered me to have a chest X-ray. Thirty minutes later I’m ushered into his office and informed I still have residual phlegm in my lungs from when I smoked 3 years ago. He wrote a couple of prescriptions, one for anti-inflammatory and another for cough syrup. This dipstick hadn’t even placed a stethoscope on my chest) DOCTOR #1. A day later at 5AM, I drove myself to the same hospital. Again I had severe chest pains. A young Panamanian woman doctor was on call. (DOCTOR # 2) After using the stethoscope and reviewing my blood pressure (160/100) she promptly gave me an EKG. Then she sent me to the lab for some blood tests. (the one person on staff was very professional) I returned to the doctor an hour later and she reviewed the results. They were normal. I hadn’t had an INFARTO (heart attack). However she was worried about what she saw on the EKG print-out and asked me to come back at 1pm to review the results with the Cardiologist. At 1:00 PM. I arrived at the hospital with my friend, Sue. She is a retired nurse from BC. She knew what questions to ask. The Cardiologist’s office was just down the hall from the emergency room. He wasn’t there and we were told by the rudest receptionist to come back at 3:30pm. By 4:00 we were in front of the Doctor. (DOCTOR# 3) He looked at the file; cardiogram and laboratory results. He pulled out a worksheet and checked off every lab test known to man. Then he wrote a couple of prescriptions; one for Plavix and the other for Exforge. He added one for a sleeping pill. He wanted to run another EKG and a stress test the next morning at 10. My friend Smoot agreed to drive me to the hospital in the AM for the Lab work. There were three young women in the lab. I watched them carefully. None were focused on their jobs…I have a no confidence in the results of their test results because they were playing grab ass, texting, and really being unprofessional. One hundred fifty bucks later, I get my results…4 pages of hieroglyphics. I might add…not once during these tests did they check my blood pressure. Now, I’m in the cardiologist’s waiting room. His nasty receptionist hollers out. “How are you going to pay $290 for the tests?” I argued that I’d never agreed to those prices. Finally Smoot and I were ushered into the inner sanctum. My BP was really high 180/110. I asked the doctor “Explain to me why at the other end of this hall an EKG is $23. And in here it’s $145?” (wrong thing to do…like cursing at a cook before he prepares your food) Well, he gave me the EKG for the price of an office call ($40) than wrote a set of instructions on a prescription pad and told me to go to the regional hospital. I didn’t realize how bad I’d pissed him off until I was admitted to the welfare hospital. The hallways were filled with patients on gurneys, all lab work is done in the hallway. A scrap of paper is taped on the wall above your head and the occasional nurse make notes on it from time to time. I was in the hallway for seven hours waiting for a bed. During that time my BP was checked once and they stabbed some kind of needle with a cap into my hand. (A dead person in a body bag on a gurney was sitting in the hall in front of me during this procedure). I was finally ushered through a ward with at least sixty sick or injured people on gurneys, to a cell like room with four others…it said observation above the door. I spent six hours on a hard cot with no pillow, nothing to drink and I saw my assigned doctor once…when they told me I could leave. (Doctor # 4) Yesterday, I met with a doctor of my choice. (Doctor# 5) I showed her my test results including my EKG’s. I asked her what she would do…she indicated the Plavix and the Exforge was a good call. The half a sleeping pill was good, too. She took my BP, it was 130/90. The best since this whole thing started. She gave me her private cell number and told me to call her anytime and she would make a house call, too. I’m confident I’m in good hands and now I can mend. Bob

Book Covers – 1st impression?

A few years back, when my novel, PARTNERS, was being published, I was fortunate to have Bill Moomey in my corner. He allowed me to use several photos of his Western Art Paintings. These were beautiful pieces, the full size canvases were the size of plywood. They were used as the cover of PARTNERS as well as several interior illustrations. The details, captured on a large format camera, were even evident when the photos were rendered down to book cover size and later to the small digital images you see on the Kindle and Pubit sites. I’m proud to have him in my corner. Without his assistance, half of my books would be naked.

BOB HATTING
MY BOOKS
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22
MY BUSINESS
http://isthmustrader.wordpress.com.
MY BLOG
http://blair-pacificpublishing.blogspot.com.
MY CHARITY
http://www.nutrehogar.org/en/index.html.

NOVELS AND SCREENPLAYS ON KINDLE

As of this date, March 5th, 2011, Amazon Kindle Store has nine of my books for sale. Six are full length novels of varying genre. Three others are collections and stand alone screenplays. Prices range from .99 to $4.95. Until March 31, 2011, all royalties are pledged to Nutre Hogar in David, Panama. I would hope anyone interested in purchasing some of my work will act before the end of this month. The tykes need help.
BOB HATTING
MY BOOKS
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22
MY BUSINESS
http://isthmustrader.wordpress.com.
MY BLOG
http://blair-pacificpublishing.blogspot.com.
MY CHARITY
http://www.nutrehogar.org/en/index.html.

Toy or Tool?

I’ve been using the NEC 900 I purchased on eBay for about three weeks. I’m ready to review my decision.
· It has become a tool I use daily. I found the portability to be that of my cell phone or sunglasses. It goes everywhere I go and sits on my desk when I’m home because I use it like I used to use my Franklin Planner. Copying files from the NEC to my 64 bit system is simple, using the USB ports and a flash drive.
· I purchased more accessories than I need. The extra battery I bought hasn’t been used. Same with the wireless card and the portal to portal cable. I have not seen the bottom of the battery except when I originally tested the unit (5 hrs). I have no need for the wireless card at this time. I suspected I needed the internet capabilities to transfer files. Not so. The USB flash drive is a simple way to transfer files.
· I discovered that if I calibrate the touch screen each time I turn on the power, the screen and stylus works better. Sometimes I forget and it becomes frustrating.
· The instant ON is great! No waiting for a bunch of junk to load. When I’m using the word processor, I can save the file, close the unit and hours later open the case, turn it on and POOf! It’s right where I left the cursor.
Overall I’m happy with my unit. It has frustrated me at times because of my learning capabilities, but I am more productive. That was the goal. The price/performance is excellent. If you only need an ultra portable word processor, this is the tool for you.
Bob

My first job didn’t last this long!

This post has nothing to do about writing, e-books, Kindle or related topics. It’s about Panama!

Due to a robbery, my failing memory, and bad judgment, I found myself driving on an expired stateside driver’s license. The cops discovered me, too. Two years is a long time to explain away, so in order to obtain a drivers license, I had to do the same process as someone eighteen years old would do; take a beginners driving course, blood test, hearing& sight test and then the written exam and driving test. All went well right up to the written exam…now done on a computer in Spanish. Not just Spanish but technical Spanish. I failed it four times – three with a translator. The last translator I hired was Lola Braxton. She translated a sampling of the questions from Spanish to English. It was very helpful. However, our first time as a team, I failed (#4) by one point. This is a timed exam. Sixty seconds for each question and four multiple choice questions. Yesterday we took our time and I was able to pass. The driving portion is a snap. I’m legal in Panama until 1015! ($366.00 = Ticket, driving course, translators and fee)

I’m including a few of the questions and answers for your amusement.

What entity corresponds to the judgement and sanction for faults or infractions to the rule of ( Decree ( Decreto ) 640 on Wednesday 27th of December 2006 ?
R- The Land and Transit Authority.

What should you do if when crossing a railroad track and the car stalls and you cannot get the car to go. The siren sounds . What should you do ?

R- Get out of the vehicle and get far away from it.

And my favorite:

You are driving at approximately 65 kms/hr , accidentally you hit a pedestrian. At that speed what may happen ?
R- It is probable that the pedestrian dies.

There’s about two hundred more questions/answers available. Contact me and I’ll put you in touch with Lola.

Happy Motoring!

BOOKS – BABES & BETS…

A friend of mine who is prone to declamation, made this statement. “If you went to Boquete and tried to hand out hundred dollar bills, those folks would think it was a trick or you were passing phony money.”
That initiated the BET! The wager was I could go on the Boquete Blog and offer ten FREE eBOOKS in three days. If ten people accepted, he had to buy ten as well. The BABES, happen to be the tykes at Nutre Hogar in David. All my royalties are pledged to this charity until March 31st.
I was worried at first. Only three takers. Then I received some cheer-leading help from Dennis Nutting. I was able to buy and deliver ten books via Amazon Kindle in a shade over two days. Thanks, everyone, I’m proud of you.
BOB HATTING
MY BOOKS
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22
MY BUSINESS
http://isthmustrader.wordpress.com.
MY BLOG
http://blair-pacificpublishing.blogspot.com.
MY CHARITY
http://www.nutrehogar.org/en/index.html.

BORDERS IS BANKRUPT! Yippe!

A few years ago I was on a book tour with Michael Blake (author of Dances with Wolves). Our mutual agent set up our schedule; notifying Borders and Barns & Noble plus some independents. This was all planned out. Michael was promoting his newest book, INDIAN YELL and I was signing and selling PARTNERS. We paid our own expenses; airfare, car rental, hotels and meals. We also paid for the advertising. Without exception, we’d arrive at Borders or B&N and a large number of people were there to buy books (mostly because of Michael) but there were very few books on the shelf – 50 people in line to buy our books and the store only ordered 12 of Michaels and 4 of mine? This was a guaranteed deal for them – authors signing books. Book stores are allowed to return unsold books! So it’s really very little risk for them. SOoooo, the dummies are gonna go bankrupt. They owe billions and a lot of people will be out of work. I should be gloating but it’s bad for authors. Unfortunately, this will cause a domino effect. Publishers and book printers had to cater to these people. All the books in all the stores will be returned to the publishers. What will that do? Yep, cause financial chaos and the ones who are financially marginal will crash and burn. A few of the larger publishing houses will hesitate to take on new titles because the same may happen to B&N. The big box business model the last twenty years wiped out most of the independents. Where are they gonna sell books?
ON-LINE or by eBook.
One would think that as an e-book author I would see this as a good thing. Perhaps in the short run but over the long haul, I believe the book industry will suffer. Fiction and non-fiction will survive but what about the coffee table books? Children’s books? Libraries?
I suspect the book industry will be re-invented over time. Independent bookstores may fill the gap between on-line and e-book. But personally, I believe the authors lose in the long run.
Bob

Oh, Boy! Packages from…ouch! #/*@&*%!!!

The PDA I won on eBay finally arrived, yesterday. The winning bid was $51.00. The seller charged me $15.00 in shipping. ( he/she did a lousy job of packing). The charge from Miami to David was $19.00. So, if my math is correct, freight and duty was $34.00 – 2/3 of what the PDA cost! In addition I bought an extra battery and a case. I won’t dwell on those costs but my freight bill at this end was $55.00 for the four small packages. (Miami-David)
This is the downside of ex-patriot living. Just a simple letter costs $2.14. I won’t dwell on this negative because I’m really happy with my old/new NEC PDA. It’s very portable and I can type on the unit without a problem. I used it yesterday and discovered the battery lasts for five hours.
I expect to be much more productive in the coming weeks/months. I highly recommend any writer who wants portability without a major cash outlay to consider the obsolete NEC MobilPro 900.

LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY

Tricks learned as a journalist have served me well over the years. Taking notes, taking photos or just recording thoughts and feelings help flavor a news story of magazine article. Over the years, the tools changed but the habits prevailed. Moving from the news genre to writing fiction was not much of an adjustment for me because I had all those old habits. My first novel was written in the cab of a truck in Prudhoe Bay Alaska; one hundred and twenty thousand words, all handwritten on scraps of paper, can labels, and sometimes even college ruled tablets. Once back to the “lower forty eight,” this manuscript was typed on an IBM electric typewriter; complete with carbon paper. It was rewritten several times so consequently retyped as many times. I was really getting sick of the story.
(I wish I could tell you that OIL SPILL was a huge success. It wasn’t…but it was a learning experience. It revealed to me the corrupt aspects of the publishing industry; BTW the sleaze factor is still prevalent.)
Then along came the Personal Computer. The first one I bought was a TANDY from Radio Shack. One had to program it in BASIC Level 2. Then IBM released the XT with DOS, then the Mac 512. I had the all – 386, 486, with every conceivable storage device.
Now, thanks to my brother, I use a 64 bit laptop with the almost latest gadgets and software. A 16” screen and live streaming internet. I’m confident I only use two or three percent of the computer’s capability and it’s too big to pack around. I think a lot of folks have those reservations, hence the popularity of the tablets. They are very portable. Also the minis; portability versus true laptops.
I yearn for Windows 98 and my old Panasonic Tough-book (magnesium case, rubber keys, etc.) It’s stored away with some of my other treasures and it doesn’t make sense to travel north to fetch an old reliable that isn’t worth $50 bucks. So I decided to try something else.
Back in “The Day,” NEC made a neat little hand held. It wasn’t all that powerful but it had a decent sized keyboard and was a fine word processor. Last week I bought one on E-bay. I should have it next week. I anticipate the step back will allow me a step forward in production. I’ll give a fair report on my decision.
Bob

Reverse -- but not backward!

In the writing world there are certain standard procedures followed in most segments of the industry. Novels and Screenplays, my forte, are a good example. Usually a novel is written and then if it appeals to the movie industry, it is adapted to a screenplay.
A good example is DANCES WITH WOLVES. My friend, Michael Blake, wrote the novel, Dances with Wolves, and later adapted the story to a screenplay. The novel wasn’t doing especially well but his old friend (Kevin Costner) from their salad days in Hollywood, read the book and encouraged Michael to write a screenplay. The rest is history: Dances with Wolves was made into a movie and Michael won an Academy Award for his efforts.
An opposite approach was taken by Larry McMurtry. He’d written a screenplay specifically for John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Henry Fonda in 1972. It was entitled “Streets of Laredo”. The movie was never made so he used the story as an outline for the novel, “Lonesome Dove.” In 1986 Larry McMurtry was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
What’s the point of this post? I’m about to embark on the process of turning one of my screenplays into an eBook novel. It’s going to be a new approach for me. I’m looking forward to the experience.
“Empty Kayak,” a romantic adventure script was written in 2009. The backdrop is Panama in current times. I have it available in PDF form for those of you that wish a copy…just e-mail me. bobhatting@gmail.com.

Amazon Kindle versus Barnes and Noble Pubit

The difference between Kindle publishing and Pubit publishing is like night and day – correction more like a cold arctic night and a warm tropical day. A lot of words to say that there is an enormous difference between the two e-book publishers. All in the favor of Amazon’s Kindle. I’ve used both and tend to agree with a statement made by another e-book author. “In a couple of years, Amazon will sell 85% of all e-books.”
The attitude toward authors that prevails in the BIG BOX book stores, like B&N and Borders is contra to the source that keeps them in business. They have no respect for Authors or Publishers. This lack of respect has carried over to their e-book business as well. I suspect the BIG BOX bookstore has outlived their time; soon to be replaced by a JIFFY LUBE and a Kindle.

Pubic for the Nookie!

Around five yesterday morning I was able to upload my novel, ALASKA BE DAMNED to Barnes and Noble’s Pubit -- e-book format for the Nook. It was a very user friendly experience until I reached the point where one uploads the Book cover. The cover I chose for my original publication on Amazon’s Kindle would not upload. I want the Novel to have the same look and the price. Apples vs Apples. Evidently, the digital image has to be at least two thousand pixels along one side. I assume this requirement is for the color process on the Nook.


Soooo, my novel, Alaska be Damned, which is showing promise on Kindle, is residing in the bowels of the Barnes and Noble digital platform without a cover. It’s for sale…for those of you who use a Nook.

http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?store=EBOOK&WRD=robert+hatting&box=robert%20hatting&pos=-1&ugrp=1

The cover, of ABD, seen here on my blog , was created from a photo taken by my father in 1956…right here in Panama. My brother scanned an old 35mm slide to create a digital image. I called him last night to see if he could find the slide and rescan it in a denser format. Perhaps this will work. Stay tuned….

bh

Opportunity to help!

From January 1 to March 31, I have pledged 100% of my Amazon Kindle royalties to Nutre Hogar. I’ve made that public and at the same time notified the staff at Nutre Hogar. http://www.nutrehogar.org/en/index.html.



All that being said…there is an opportunity to help myself and my writing career as well. Self serving? Yes! This opportunity won’t be around long…I admit it.

My Novel, “Alaska be Damned” has reached a point in Amazon’s system that it won’t take too many more sales to push it over the crest and into the top 100 rankings. (that is a major career opportunity)

THE PLAN

This is going to cost each of you $50….of which $35 will go directly to Nutre Hogar. (Amazon keeps the other 30%).

Go to my Kindle page; http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22

Click on, ALASKA BE DAMNED, and then gift this book to ten friends. All you need is their e-mail address. They can accept the gift on any computer and most PDA devices. Please ask them to send this off to others and to give positive reviews on the novel.

This has to be accomplished in a timely manner …By the end of January, 2011.

I’ll appreciate your generous effort and I know the tykes at Nutre Hogar will too.

If you have any questions or comments, write or call.

Robert Hatting

bobhatting@gmail.com

(507) 6-809-4510

One in a row!

It’s been over a month since I published on Amazon’s kindle store. I submitted five novels over this time period and submitted my sixth this morning. I’m watching the sales increase every week, but particularly, “Alaska be Damned.”


Every author wants feedback, especially positive remarks. The following is my first review.


“I started reading this literary gem on a Sunday evening and stayed up way too late as I didn't want to put it down. I couldn't wait to get home from work the next three evenings so I could continue this fine read.


Starting out as a fast paced, stormy Alaskan ship wreck rescue, this story develops into an intriguing and complex romantic mystery exposing political corruption.


At the same time as the story develops, the characters fully develop until you really know them. The geographic area and waterways are described so well that you feel like you have just spent the summer in Alaska and have gotten to know Alaskan life.”


Raymond Samek

Kindle Komments …for the Kindle Klub

Kindle Browser:


I had an internet outage last week. My modem was bad. It took two days for the Cable and Wireless technicians to respond. (Actually, that’s good service in Panama, folks!) I was at a loss and frustrated because I was in a transaction with a client from Costa Rica and really needed to let him know I wasn’t ignoring the deal. Then I remembered my KINDLE 3G. The browser put me back on-line. It was a deal saver.

Kindle MP3:

I’m still experimenting with the MP3 feature. I downloaded a few songs to my computer and then was able to easily transfer them to the Kindle. I can’t tell you how kool it is to sit in a car waiting for someone, reading a novel and listening to music…

Kindle Battery:

It still surprises me how long a charge lasts on my Kindle 3g. A very thrift appliance!

E-Book update

I was just notified by the US Copyright office that my most recent novel, ExPat was registered successfully. This process is a painless compared to how it used to be. In the past, I had three novels copyrighted. It took weeks. Now, just a few keystrokes and it’s finished. Once the novel, ExPat returns from my editor, I will reformat it for delivery to Amazon Kindle. In addition it will be sent to Barnes & Noble Publishing for their NOOK.
I will make an announcement once the book is on sale.

THE FUN IS OVER -- NOW THE WORK BEGINS

I just wrote the last sentence on my novel, ExPat.  68,000 words.  I'll let it sit for a few days while I work on Half Breed.  Then I'll go back and read it for continuity and clarity.  Then again -- then again, and then let it soak a few days more until I think all the words are in order.  Then the last read before I send it to my editor.

As you wait with baited breath...check out some of my other work now on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Robert+Hatting&x=14&y=22.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Bob