NEW DEAL – INTEGRETY TRUMPS SLEEZE!

Commencing immediately, after the GIA event has passed into history, A NEW DEAL will be initiated – By me, Robert Hatting! 

My twelve (12) novels represent a lot of work and expense.  I will no longer place them on sale for 99 cents.  That’s a crap price. You can’t buy a package of bubble gum or a condom for 99 cents anymore.   Neither will there be free offerings that last 48 hours.  Perhaps an offering once in a while that lasts 4 hours – tops out 100 freebies – never more. 

My base price per title will increase to the current price of a gallon of diesel in Panama $4.99.   (1 gallon of diesel represents a round trip to the nearest beach for me.)

I’m not going to fall prey to the gizmos, gimmicks, or the sleeze that seems to follow us hard working authors.  Outfits like BookBub, bargain book hunters and these other parasite blogs get rich off our sweat.  I will not use these people anymore.  This is not a call to arms; just one guy who’s had enough!

If this hurts my meager sales or offends the parasites…BFD.  I’ll go to the beach and photograph bikinis!

THIS WAS POSTED ON FACE BOOK YESTERDAY. 

This set of statements that will hold true for the balance of my writing career.  I’m probably shooting myself in the foot -- The cause and effect of life’s decisions. But I don’t give a furry rat’s ass!   I have no one to answer to; my mother and father have passed away, I’m not married and from where I sit, not even the clown in the white house has the power to keep me from making my own decisions.  Amazon will probably whine -- but again, I don’t care.  There are many e-book retailers in the world today. 

Discounting my work is like pissing on my entire life’s endeavors.  A visit from the ghost of Edward Abbey would agree.  I chose to be a writer because it’s fun.  No other reason.  If I can’t enjoy what I do, I won’t do it.  It would be nice to be rewarded for my creativity but I will no longer pimp myself out!!!

Readers don’t realize the steps we authors take to get a manuscript self published.  The first expense is the actual copyright registration.  That’s the government getting their pound of flesh before anything else occurs.  Then the beta reader, the editor, the proofreader, the cover art, the formatting guy and finally a manuscript is ready to publish.  This expense is AFTER the manuscript is completed.  Sometimes thousands of dollars are spent on research alone.  Add in the cost of travel, hotels, meals while away and paying tour guides and the like. It becomes a financial burden for some writers.  I plan on travelling to the Philippines in a few months.  Another writer friend is planning to travel with me so the expenses can be shared.  I have a trilogy outlined and it takes place in the current times; located in several islands in the Philippines.  I haven’t been there for a long time and certainly not to some of the islands I expect to visit in this upcoming trip.   Will I ever recover my expenses?  Probably not.   I strive to depict a location or event as close as reality as I can get.  The term ‘grounded in reality’ is not just a buzz phrase.  I apply it with gusto.  My writing buddy is also a stickler to details of reality.  Back to the subject at hand; giving away our hard earned creativity.  That’s the operative word – CREATIVITY! 

Just because my novels are in a digital format does not mean the process from start to finish is any less.  When one goes the old-fashioned writer-agent-publisher route, the author doesn’t take any shortcuts.  It’s still the same creativity and work.  The format for the final product is different.  No paper, ink, and binding are involved but also there’s no agent, publisher, or big-box retailer involved either.  The paradigm has changed.  Now, it’s changing again and Amazon controls the rules if you play in their park.  When I offer one of my novels for 99 cents, I forfeit 50% of my royalty.  Amazon gets a HUGE percentage of the sale.  Amazon didn’t write a word in my novel.  Nor did they pay to have it edited and proofread.  But they are the ones offering the cyberstore -- so, they benefit. 

I’ve restructured my prices to reflect the creativity of my offering.  If the book was in print and I was selling it on the corner of ‘walk’ and ‘wait’, I would receive X number of dollars.  I eliminated the printing – binding – shipping costs, the agent’s commission, and the profit usually taken by the publisher.  What’s left is what the retailer and I split. No more sales!  No more games! That’s the price. 

The most expensive novel in my inventory is about the price of a hamburger and fries.  It contains 140,000 words.  Most of my work is way above average in the e-book market.  I have two novels or novellas under 50,000 words; the remainder are average or above average in reading pleasure. Also all my work is 4 & 5 star in the review department.

Giving away for free – an e-book.  This marketing program was developed by some pimply face genius in the bowels of Amazon.  Again, it favors the retailer.  It’s like offering crackers and a cheese spread in the aisles of a warehouse retailer.  Offer the sample for free.  Maybe the shopper will buy a box of crackers or the processed cheese dip.  Good idea, right?

Now, let’s take a family with seven brats….put them in the store and they go from vendor to vendor eating all the free samples. They don’t buy a thing.  That’s what has happened to the e-book industry.  In addition to the freeloaders, there are parasites offering to spread the word that the author’s e-books are free.  They get paid to offer this information to their data base. I despise them...a pox on their families!!

I’m embarking on a new program with the FREEBIES.  I can understand the concept.  Give it away to gain a broader reader base.  But I don’t want the freeloaders.  I was told that only 5% of the people that download the free books actually read them.  That’s crap if true.  So, here’s the new plan -- pay attention.

CRYSTAL COWBOY will be offered for FREE on July 17^th, 2013.  The schedule starts at midnight Pacific Daylight Time and goes until I flip the stop switch.  I will allow 100 novels for free.  If you are subscribing to my blog or on my FB friends list, you will have a head’s up.  Perhaps I’ll make a few tweets on the subject but for the most part, no one else will be touting my offering. The parasites won’t know about it nor will the freeloaders.   This is the Robert Hatting promotion plan. All my novels will undergo this form of promotion over time.  If you're in the loop you'll know about it -- tell you family and friends.

IT'S STILL GOING ON...

The GIA summer sale is still in progress.  Evidently it’s a success back in the USA but down here it’s a bust.  I’ll keep the promo going but it’s time to move on…

COPY CATS, PERSONIFIED

One of the industries I bought into while doing my “turn-around’ businesses, was the knife industry. I became pretty good at converting these small unprofitable factories into profit making concerns.  I’ve always had a love of knives; I made my first knife while on a fire look-out in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon; I was just eighteen. I took an old car spring and hand ground it (with a file) into a large butcher knife.  It took me all summer.

When I was operating these knife factories, I was the type of CEO that didn’t mind getting dirty.  Often I was sitting at a grinder or some other piece of equipment in my shop when my employees arrived.  I need to shorten this! Bottom line – I like knives and was very good at designing and making prototypes for the knife industry. Over the years, the knife industry has changed a great deal.  Not just a shift; a major upheaval! Like everything else manufactured, the industry moved to China.  The Chinese are the OEM for most major brands of knives sold around the world.

 

I was perusing a Chinese tools-for-sale site a few months back and discovered one of the knives I designed 28 years ago. The unit is a 100% copy except for the material.  The original frame was made from milled titanium and the blade was Damascus steel.  The blade on the Chinese unit is just plain; not serrated at all.  I modified the two I just purchased.  I believe in partial serration on all blades.  I can understand why the Chinese didn’t add that feature.  It’s expensive; requiring two or three additional steps in the manufacturing process.  I also purchased another knife I designed.  It’s an automatic. But, again, it doesn’t have the serrations on the blade. The thoughts behind an auto are: you need it out—open and cutting fast. If you don’t have the serrations on the base of the blade you won’t be cutting fast – like a seatbelt, parachute cord or a tangled rein.  The perception has always been – switchblades are for fighting.  Bull.  Switchblades were designed for paratroopers.  No one would purposely fight with a switchblade.  The hardness in the blade of the ‘auto’ is around 55 to 57Rc. The ‘Bulldog,’ the one in the photo above, has a properly hardened blade, too; around 57Rc.  The frame has been heat-treated as well in order for the ‘frame-lock’ to function properly.

The diamond sharpeners shown in the photo were a real find. I haven’t owned them long enough to test for longevity but I suspect from my initial usage they bring a lot of sharpness for the buck.  None of my knives have been properly sharpened since I arrived in Panama ten years ago.  Scissors and cheap kitchen knives I just threw away.  I had ordered several of the diamond sharpeners from e-bay and other sites.  They didn’t work properly. These do.  They have a flat surface that roughs the bevel and a round side that acts as a ‘steel’ to remove the burrs. Turn the unit around and you have a ‘rat tail’ for sharpening serrations. Now all my knives are sharp and my scissors, too. Next project a couple of machetes.   

Another item I found in China is a perfect cell phone for Panama.  It’s a dual SIM, quad band.  It’s 4G so it will take any of the data chips from the local carriers. Connecting to the internet through the cell towers is superior to looking for WIFI hotspots in Panama.  The extras are too long to list but it’s really handy to have TV capability when the power is out – that’s quite often. It’s also neat to have two cameras; one on the front and one in the back.  I use Skype a lot and this front camera is just right for Skype on the go!

All of these items required me to buy a ‘lot’ (multiple items).  For instance, I needed to buy six cell phones to obtain two.   Same way with the knives and sharpeners. I have these item for sale on my other site.  If you interested.  Check out ISTHMUS TRADER. 

 

http://isthmustrader.blogspot.com/

 

THE GREAT INDIE AUTHOR’S SUMMER SALE IS UPON US.

I am privileged to be the newest member of a group on Face Book named appropriately, GREAT INDIE AUTHORS.  They were planning the sales strategy for an upcoming summer sale when I joined the group.  They have invited me to participate.  The event begins July 11^th and runs through the 15^th.

 

 

Books by Charity Parkerson, Calinda B, Scott Mallory, Faith Helen Mortimer, Regina Puckett, Dave Leadbeater, Natalie G. Owens, Robert Hatting, Zoe Saadia, Scott Moon - many of these authors are Best Selling Authors! All of these authors are Great Indie Authors.

 

UNTAMED, my contemporary western action adventure novel has been discounted to 99 cents for inclusion in this event.

 

The year -- 1973 -- The Vietnam War rages on, Nixon is still in office and two modern cowboys approach life the ‘old fashioned way’. One partner is hiding out – wanted by the government, and the other cowboy works for an unscrupulous rancher. All manners of peril brace these two ‘head on’ characters. They discover that riding, roping, and shooting their way through life doesn’t always work in the modern world. Their women aren’t impressed, either.
A full length Action adventure novel. 80,000 short words and one long one…wheelbarrow!

 

UNTAMED -- BACK STORY

Curtis Dawson and RC Bellars were created in my novel, PARTNERS back in 1981.  They remained true-to-form in the second writing of PARTNERS (partners 2.0) and also into the screenplay, PARTNERS.   The script was optioned but the movie was never made so the script rights were returned.  Several years later a producer of some merit wanted me to write five (5) screenplays for a mini-series on HBO; all on Spec, of course… Negotiations lasted almost a year.  In that time frame I began sketching shorts of some of the experiences, Rick and I had either been directly involved in or had witnessed firsthand.  The stories seemed to grow in my mind and I was almost finished with the first screenplay before the negotiations were complete.

I finally condescended when the producer sent me a check for ten grand; once he approved one, he would send me ten thousand for each following script; for a total of $50,000. 

I wrote two prequels to the Partners screenplay.  NO WAY & UP NORTH.  I then spent some time rewriting PARTNERS so the three scripts would fit together smoothly.  Then I wrote TRUST ME.  All of these screenplays were stand-alone movies; two hours in length.  I sent this guy the two prequels and he was supposed to send me another ten grand.  That didn’t happen but I kept writing anyway. 

At no time in all of this non-communication had I signed over any rights. The end of the story?  NOTHING!  Never a peep or a centavo mas. So, I had four screenplays with no buyer.  I turned the internet and the mail service black with submissions to producers and directors.  After a couple of years of this lame nonsense, I discovered e-books. I posted the screenplays on line and sold a few…the format is entirely wrong for the Kindle and Nook.   I decided to write the screenplays into novels.  That was the case with NO WAY and UP NORTH.  Combined they became the outline for UNTAMED. All the incidents in the screenplays were based on experiences my riding partner, Rick, and I had back in our earlier years.  The 1970’s and early 1980’s seem a long way back in history for some of the younger generation. For Rick and me this was the last of the truly ‘OLD WEST’ experiences.  The RIDE, ROPE & SHOOT, was leaving the west; we were the ones waving goodbye. That mentality and value set may be depicted in novels or movies but in real life; it’s gone.  It was a fun time in our lives and I really enjoyed writing the scripts and later the novel.  I’ve yet to turn TRUST ME into a novel. Perhaps I’ll start that conversion soon. 

UNTAMED has received 5 star reviews from those who have discovered the novel. 

http://greatindieauthorbooks.com/  Check it out and get involved. 

THE TERRITORY AND ED WHEELER

 

INTERVIEW BY ROBERT HATTING

If you were to poll the people I know and all the ‘friends’ on face book, they would tell you I’m a novelist.  That’s true.  BUT, I’ve also spent a few years writing screenplays for the Movie and Television industries. 

My experience over the past couple of decades of dealing with the ‘Hollywood’ folks has been negative.  Mostly because of the ‘sleeze’ factor; the GET SHORTY mentality that seems to prevail.  The next feature of this blog focuses on the exception; the cream of the crop… A sterling individual in the film industry?  Yes, folks and his name is ED WHEELER.

*****

My guest today is Ed Wheeler; Photographer -- extraordinaire, Cinematographer, director, and writer.

EDWARD WHEELER - Creator, Director, Producer

Being a professional martial arts instructor and acting since high school, Edward became a stuntman performing in live shows and television around the country, eventually writing, producing and directing his own shows. With this experience he became a stunt coordinator, working behind the camera with many directors to learn his craft. Edward has worked on 20 films, 16 television shows and over 70 stage productions. His projects include Court TV's, Haunting Mysteries, soap operas One Life To Live and Guiding Light, and the Fox Series New Amsterdam. More recent directing credits include Good Will Industries documentary Breaking The Cycle, pilot episode for The History Channel's Woman Warriors and the television pilot for The Territory. Edward is now a Media Production Director in New York City and a staff photographer.

I met ED while he was directing a trailer for a pilot Television series entitled the TERRITORY.  At the time, he was doing a lot of the filming in Tucson’s Old Trail Dust Town.  I was on my book tour with PARTNERS and periodic fixture at that establishment; set up outside Pinnacle Peak’s -- selling and signing my novel PARTNERS. (Some of the scenes caught my eye)

 

BTW, Ed is the photographer who allowed me to use his exquisite B&W photo for the cover of my novel, HART RULES.

 

Q.. Ed, let’s talk about THE TERRITORY. I noted that when I posted the old poster on my blog a few weeks ago, I received a lot of action.  Since it didn’t get off the ground during the 2006 depression, do you think it’s time to revisit the project?

A..In many ways the timing is more right now than back in ‘06. We had a very real, gritty idea for how it should be shot that is more in style now than 7 years ago. The main creative team of Alberto Bonilla, Jerry Woods and myself have put a lot of experience under our belts since then. Also the technology is much more accessible.

The nice thing about doing a period piece is they come back into fashion over and over, particularly westerns. I’d like to believe this story transcends the genre, but maybe that’s just me.

So the answer is yes, we’d love to revisit this project.

 

Q . . In the promo piece you sent me, the following excerpt caught my attention.  Is this still a valid assessment?

The Territory delivers drama, action and rousing romance in the style of Dances With Wolves, Last of the Mohicans and Legends of the Fall.

A..Did I write that? Those are big, big budget films, so of course ours would be scaled back, but the world we would want to deliver is similar. Those stories took place in a world you could buy into, believable. I consider ‘Last of the Mohicans’ Mann’s best work and I’d be honored if we could capture even a little of Edward Zwick’s vision in our project. There’s no flying through the air fight scenes and impossible stunts. The characters in those films were involved in an amazing adventure, not an impossible one. It’s very important to our team to “keep it real” and magical at the same time.

Q..Let’s leave the TV format for a moment. In the above examples, those are all full length movies. Dances with Wolves was way over the two hour norm.  What is your opinion on that venue for your story?

 

A..Well, I believe the line between venues is increasingly blurred. TV is shot like film and vice versa.

Back in 2009 I was approached by a financial backer who was interested in the project, but as a feature, not a series. So I worked up a treatment that I felt worked great. In many ways it’s easier to get in and get out with a feature. Obviously the funding I mentioned fell through, of events that should have been made into a film of its own. I had to fly back and forth from New York to Tucson, the backer was crooked, police got involved, I had to testify to the TPD…it was very exciting. The good part is I developed a solid feature treatment for the story.

Q..Let’s assume you move forward in resurrecting the project.  What is your next step?

 

A..Securing funds, finding the talent and finalizing the script. Some of the members of our team have moved on. Our good friend Bob Morgan, producer and horse wrangler, has passed away and is sorely missed. The rest of us are ready to carry on. I’m a big fan of getting the dialogue up on its feet and work shopped with actors, historians for accuracy and great story tellers, like yourself, Robert, that can work the script over, make it as clean and powerful as possible. Story, story, story. That has to be right and we’d love your input!

Budget of course affects all of this, but that’s the great thing about shooting this story in Southern Arizona; we can make a budget go much farther than most would expect. We shot the pilot for only $3,500.

 

Of all the projects I’ve worked on over the years, completed and not, I believe in this production the most. Everything is just waiting for us to “pull the trigger”. We’ve developed original characters in an exciting story, in one of the most starkly beautiful places on the planet. We’re ready.

 THANK YOU EDWARD WHEELER!!!

*******

FOLKS,

This blog post will remain in place for several days while I promote the two novels contained in TUCSON TERRITORY.  Both are period westerns set in and around Tucson, Arizona.  BOOMER was written first and then HALF BREED. I’ve packaged both novels in the volume, TUCSON TERROTORY.

TRES PIEDRAS IS FREE JULY 4TH & 5TH

Tres Piedras – Back-Story (3 stones)

My latest novel has been getting a lot of attention.  I suspect it is because it is Waaaaayyyyy out of my normal genre. 

I just finished this book. I couldn't put it down. This book kept me so excited to I couldn't put it down. A little graphic for me at times but it was needed to complete the story. Good book Robert, now I start UNTAMED.

This above review was written by a friend that went to high school with me.  I haven’t seen her since 1960. She’s one of the few that will post on my FB page.  Most readers won’t post a review.  Instead, they find my address on this blog and send me a private note.  Some even point out a typo or misspelled word.  (That hasn’t happened often since I discovered Melissa Gray, my new editor.) I get a dozen private emails (always positive) to every posted review on Amazon. It’s rewarding to receive so many positive comments; especially from old friends and associates. However, the private e-mails don’t advance my standing with Amazon.  Only multiple sales with positive reviews will increase one’s ranking. 

TRES PIEDRAS was inspired by my lady friend but the idea for the title and the overall story line was formulated in my mind while visiting an archeological site here in Panama.

Inspecting the tools of the pre-Colombians and then witnessing the current culture, it occurred to me that not much has changed in the cooking department.  In the larger towns and cities, the Panamanian ladies have mostly modern kitchens.  In the country and even the small towns, they still use open fires outside under a thatched roof ‘rancho’ or bohio if you prefer.  A stand made of concrete blocks or stones raised the fire pit to counter height.  It’s the only improvement they’ve made since man discovered fire.  Panamanian kitchens often are so sparse that it takes them two hours to prepare a simple meal and up to four hours for a multiple course dinner. Some only use the TRES PIEDRAS and open fires for special events or special dishes; like their version of the tamale.  Other folks like the employees on some of the farms and the indigenous on the reservations (Carmaca), have very little choice.  Their cooking occurs in the same fashion as it did thousands of years ago.

 

One of the reasons given by Panamanians is that cooking outside keeps their homes cooler.  The same reason they give for not having ovens; just 2-4 burner propane burners. So basically there is very little baking done in the more ‘traditional’ homes.  I personally don’t understand this problem.  My ancestors have been using outside ovens for centuries.  The Mexicans use ceramic ovens outside.  Woodstoves placed in these bohios would be so much more efficient.  They wouldn’t rust out if maintained correctly.  As an alternative, they could use a buried cast iron pan.  I have used the old fashioned “Dutch Ovens” for years.  I’m about to introduce the method to a few of my Panamanian friends.

My brother sent me some of my belongings he had stored in his basement.  One of them was a large Dutch oven. It was necessary to remove all the rust and take the unit back to almost bare metal.  Then I ‘seasoned’ it in a campfire, cleaned it again with a solution of Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.  Then it was baked for several hours.  I baked a loaf of bread in the unit a couple of days ago and a double batch today.

 

 

 

My next step is take the unit to my lady friend’s farm, start a campfire, dig a hole next to the fire and once the bread has risen in the Dutch oven, I’ll shovel some coals into a hole lined with river rock, lower the Dutch oven into the cavity, shovel more coals onto the lid and around the sides and cover the unit with a banana leaf.  Placing a layer of dirt on top of that will finalize the ‘cowboy oven’. TRES PIEDRAS – enhanced!

I’ll use this unit sparingly.  I have a first rate bread machine and a Crockpot for my normal day-to-day.

Over the years I’ve cooked everything imaginable in my ‘cowboy cook pot’. This is the original slow cooker.  Biscuits, bread, lamb stew, venison and elk roasts, beef stew & roasts and my favorite; cowboy chili. While fishing in Alaska, a similar in size Dutch oven without the tripod legs, resided on my diesel stove; It was cooking 24/7; crab, halibut, shrimp, salmon, ling cod, black cod, and even venison or moose stew once in a while.

This quite a segue from the back story of TRES PIEDRAS and yet it isn’t. Backward thinking is the primary reason we have so many wars in the world; the reason many cultures don’t advance and consequently become extinct.  Look at the Native American Indian.  They were introduced to the wheel by the Spaniards in the 1500's.  The never adopted it and continued to transverse the countryside with dogs and women packing their stuff.  Eventually they did adopt the horse as a means of transportation.  Then they let the horse pull a travois.

Having a horse pack some belongings is akin to moving the fire pit from the ground up to counter height.  A small advance but still really archaic thinking.  That’s the premise behind my novel.  TRES PIEDRAS thinking – in a modern romance. The action adventure of this novel is just my imagination embellishing my own personal experiences.

 

The boat trip from Oregon to Panama is a composite of several voyages on several different vessels plus one in particular.

  Years ago I’d met a guy on a dock in Anacortes, Washington who looking for a deckhand for his 46’ sailboat.  He needed to move it from Seattle to Newport, Oregon.  My big boat was in dry dock getting a new garber seam and some additional ironbark added to the hull. I had time to kill so I decided to join him in his adventure. It was a hoot and a half.  Neither of us were good sailors so when the weather and the sea got gnarly, we dropped the canvas and went to the auxiliary engine.

Over the years, this friend and I stayed in touch and each time he needed to make a passage, I was able to help him move his boat further and further south.  We finally ended up in Boca Chica, Panama, fifteen years later.    

ALASKA BE DAMNED, BACK-STORY REVISITED

ALASKA BE DAMNED, has become my number one seller.  I've received many e-mails from readers who enjoyed the story but didn't write a review.  Many of them, Alaska Fishermen,  are living the experiences set forth in my novel.  Just recently, I received a box in the mail which contained several ounces of THALKUSH. (dried sea lettuce, harvested from Prince William Sound).  I was overwhelmed with gratitude as it really enhances the flavor of seafood; even the warm water CORVINA & DORADO I favor here in Panama. 

Since ALASKA BE DAMNED Is being featured in several blogs this month, I decided to run the back-story again.

(The cover for this novel was taken by my father in 1956)

I believe it’s very important for readers to understand that this novel does not slam the state of Alaska.  I loved living in the ‘last frontier’.  I appreciated and marveled at the people, their attitudes and their rugged spirits.  The diversity and beauty of Alaska is breathtaking.  It’s also dangerous. A brown bear can eat your ass but you can also be eaten by the parasites that prey on the working class and business-folks of Alaska. RWH

My number one novel in sales was written during and just after I left my stint as an Alaska commercial fisherman. Those years, the middle-aged life chapters, were truly chocked full of excitement and adventure.  The money was good but the adventure of the unknown was omnipresent.  One could be at anchored in a small inlet that was as calm and smooth as a mill pond.  Three hours later a williwaw would stir that cove into a cauldron of wind, waves and chop.  Dragging anchor was a given so the danger of crashing on the rocks was always a threat.  Factor in mechanical problems, drunken deckhands, fish prices, and the ever-present weather conditions and you have an exciting time in Alaska; an adventure every day. 

One aspect that spoiled the experience was the constant harassment by the U.S. Coast Guard, the fish cops, and the red tape of just doing business from a boat. It was enough to curdle a person’s milk.  In my case, I elected to push back. That was an adventure that is partially chronicled in my novel.

One of the most disturbing aspects of cruising around Alaska was learning of the large number of people who die in boating accidents on an annual basis. Many of them unreported.  Fortunately, my crew and I were able to rescue -- not just lend a helping hand, but actually rescue from certain death over a dozen people. Nine separate incidents where lives were at stake, my crew and I saved the day. Our reward was undying gratitude from not only the people rescued but also from the fishing fleet in general.  Unfortunately, we were chastised by the coast guard (notice I didn’t put them in caps?) The castigation came from not following protocol and procedures.  I had made decisions based on the most expedient method to save peoples lives and property; including ignoring voices on the radio that were disrupting and contradicting my rescue processes.  I always strived to help the poor souls that were either drowning, near catastrophe or in distress.  Most times I was breaking rules and protocol set forth by fifedomes of the Coast Guard watch commanders. I always assumed it was more important to save a life rather than succumb to authority. It’s been my personal millstone for the better part of my adult life.

“Coast Guard, Sitka, this is Wolf Bay. Listen up, Ensign Pulver, ‘cause this is my last transmission to you. The wind is blowing out of the north at eighty knots and Chatham Strait has breakers upward to sixty feet. This is a Class A storm, Pulver. Do not, I repeat, do not send a cutter, a battleship, or any other type of vessel into this storm. All parties are fine… doing five by five. We have ample supplies and shelter, but the radio battery is almost gone. I will oblige you with paperwork after this is over. Do you read me, Ensign Pulver?”

 

I think the crowning moment in their stupidity and my blatant disregard of their orders came when I was told to ‘stand down’ in my attempt to rescue a fisherman who had crashed into a deadhead (sunken log) in Chatham Straight.  His vessel had been totally destroyed and sunk but he was able to reach a rock outcropping near the shore line.  To reach him was almost impossible.  Any attempt with my skiff would surely put both of us on that cluster of rocks.  Soooo, I pulled the emergency life raft off my big boat and lowered it into my skiff.  I then drove the skiff upwind from the rock and the fisherman.  When I inflated the life raft, it took off like a kite in the strong winds.  I was finally able to use the wind and the current and allowed it to drift toward the rock.  The fisherman was able to crawl inside and I then towed him back to my eighty-five foot vessel. The fisherman I saved became a good friend.  His family and fellow fishermen applauded my rescue.  Later in the week, twenty minutes from arrival at the dock, my vessel was boarded by a 20 year old acne faced E-2 seaman from Topeka Kansas and two other snot nosed coasties. They inspected my vessel and I was issued five tickets for safety violations; including one for not having an operable life raft in place.  That was the cork blower!

I took the offensive and used whatever public forum was available (including the VHF and SSB airwaves) and began slamming the USCG, US Forest Service and a host of other US agencies that locked down the State of Alaska.  I was very careful to not include the rank-in-file coasties; those that risked their lives everyday saving people.  I targeted the upper echelon; those dopes that sat in the warm cushy offices and wrote rules and regulations for their drones to enforce.  I attacked all the politicians, the big multi-nationals, and the cops that enforced their doctrines.  I was finally threatened with arrest or worse if I didn’t pipe down or leave the state.  I quieted my rants, put all my boats and real estate on the market, and began ALASKA BE DAMNED.  A year later, with everything sold, I took my partially finished manuscript back to the lower 48 and hibernated for a year; finishing the first draft of ABD (originally 260,000 words). 

Suddenly the night turned a bright orange-white as the flare Ben shot off hung just over the barge. After a few moments it was dark again, until Tom turned the spotlight back on. Meg’s eyes followed the spotlight as she moved the Ancient Mariner forward of the barge. Ben aimed the light at the waterline of the anchored barge and the towline became visible. He shined from the top of the barge to where it entered the water. Then he then pointed the light high on the logs above the barge deck. Silhouetted in the light was the figure of a man. He was flashing a small light so they could see it from the Ancient Mariner.

 

Since completing ALASKA BE DAMNED, I have moved several times and have always compared my current location to that of Alaska.  I will often reread the novel to re-experience the beauty and grandeur of that great territory.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PANAMA

PANAMA PERTINATE

The term expatriate or Expat has changed in perception over the years.  It used to be defined as mostly a malcontent; one was not happy with their birth country.  Over the years that has evolved to just someone living abroad – outside their home country.

When I first arrived in Panama, Ten years ago, the expats that lived in the Chiriqui were focused on the cheap cigarettes, cheap booze, and chasing young Panamanian women (men). These people remain; older and sicker, but they are not the majority they once were.  Prices and Panama’s sin taxes have curtailed that category of expats.  Now we have a broad spectrum of North Americans and Europeans living here.  Some come to build their dream homes and live in the gated communities, while others get immersed into the Panamanian society and customs. There’s a third category I’d like to highlight once in a while in this blog; THE GIVERS. There are a handful of these individuals I'll be showcasing over the coming months.  They make me proud to be an EXPAT.

Expatriates can and do make a difference in our province of Chiriqui.  I’d like to showcase some of the people I’ve been involved with over the years.  I’m going to start with my good friend and neighbor, Christopher Smoot.

Chris came to Panama four years ago.  He’d lost his wife to cancer five years prior and found a new love and a home here in Chiriquí.  His Spanish skills are excellent and he was able to easily assimilate into the Panamanian culture.  He’s known affectionately as ‘el paparazzi’ because of his hobby of photography. If you live near David, you’ve probably seen him capturing the action at all the public events and many weddings and parties.  Chris doesn’t charge for his services and spends hours each week downloading the photos he took and delivering them to the parties represented. I’ve known him to drive to Tole’ and Las Lajas to deliver a USB flash drive to a school so the kids could have a copy of their event that took place in David the week prior.

 

Chris also donates his time, talent, and food products with Nutri Hogar.  Helping those malnourished tykes has been one of our common causes. In addition he teaches an illiterate youth with learning problems the basics of math.  He also volunteers at one of the private English Schools to converse with the students in the language they are studying.  Al in all a good guy with a big heart that is here in Panama to make a difference.

 

Check some of his photos on the sites below.

http://christophersmoot.slickpic.com         http://criscofotographia.blogspot.com 

 

 While we’re on the subject of Panama and the tropics, check out the 3 five star reviews TRES PIEDRAS received in the first week of publication.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Panama Portrait, June 24, 2013

By 

Don R. Williams (Panama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: TRES PIEDRAS (Kindle Edition)

Tres Piedras is the latest book I have read and I just completed it today.

I know the author, Robert Hatting. He has helped me on multiple occasions with cases I have had volunteering as Warden for the US Embassy in Panama.

One case was a young man whose father (a treasure salvager) was murdered off the coast of one of the locations mentioned in Tres Piedras. Bob's knowledge of ships provided excellent consulting for the young man who needed to sell his father's boat. Bob appraised it and his estimate was on target.

Bob's ship experience winds up being a large part of Tres Piedras.

On another case, Bob volunteered to be the auctioneer to help me sell off the belongings of a US Citizen that was murdered in Panama and whose kids could not afford to come to Panama to settle their dad's affairs. I imagine auctioneering is something he picked up during the cowboy phase of his life. The country in Bob shows up in this book.

I have read and enjoyed another of Bob's books, which was The Last Fruit Stand on Guam. Yes, Bob spent time in Guam and added that experience to his book inventory.

Bob has lived an interesting life and his life's experiences seem to find their way into his books. Tres Piedras is his latest and he calls it a novella, because it is shorter than most of his other books. The majority of this book takes place around Panama.

In an opening note in his book he wrote the following.

"TRES PIEDRAS was inspired, and certainly influenced, by my recent exposure to the woman I've dreamed and written about my entire adult life. She was always a fictional character; the loyal life partner that made life worth living. Now, this heroine is part of my real life and inspires not only my imagination but my way of living."

I am happy that Bob has a lady in his life. I am happy she is making writing as well as living fun for him again.

I will tell you this. This book is written in ADULT language, and the scenes contain plenty of sexual narrative. If you are prudish in what you like to read or if you have a weak heart, I would pass on this book.

However, if you want to put a little salsa in a dreary afternoon, it will spice things up for you.

I liked it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Romance, action, exotic setting - it's all there!, June 16, 2013

By 

Zoe Saadia - See all my reviews

This review is from: TRES PIEDRAS (Kindle Edition)

I read this story in just a few sittings, enjoying myself very much. A delightful romance between two out of the ordinary people kept me glued to the pages as their story unfolded, from a chance encounter to the full time romance with action and adventure on every turn.
These well developed characters had my heart from the very beginning, especially slightly mysterious Cecilia, so different from the usual heroines we are offered in movies and books. Willis had my full sympathy too, his calm, slightly amused confidence and his approach to life winning me in just a few pages. Their journey from Oregon to Panama provided a delightfully new, unfamiliar setting, to ignite my enjoyment of the story even further.

A great read I recommend highly to anyone who enjoys a good book.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Electrically Charged Adventure, June 19, 2013

By 

Lee (London UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: TRES PIEDRAS (Kindle Edition)

On this is my second dip into the Hatting oeuvre, I was both surprised and suddenly pleased that with his gift for keeping readers on the edge of their seat with lashings of adrenaline-filled adventure, he weaves into "Tres Piedras" an electric coil of love that is both emotionally-charged and very real.

John Willis thrives on danger and meets the yin to his yang in the sparkling femme fatale Cecilia, who rides the big waves with him on a fishing boat out of Oregon heading south to the narcotic-trafficking, trigger-happy cop infested waters of Panama. They get into scrapes as fast as they get out of them, but that just fuels the bed action, deliciously described and with the same sense of danger running through the journey.

With his eye for eccentric characters and neat plot twists, you get a feeling as you turn the pages that execs in their Hollywood glass offices will be making a phone call when the book crosses their desk. With news in the air that a new canal may be built in Panama, and a rival waterway through the pristine jungles of Nicaragua, this is an opportune time to take readers on a journey into the Caribbean.