Just inside the store as I entered was a woman seated at a small table about the size of a card table. There was a pile of about 50 books on the table. Hanging down in the front of the table was a small sign advertising the book and the author. I only saw what was printed on the sign later.

Because the table was so close to the entrance; I passed by the table before I realized that it had been set up for a book signing.

I am a writer and as such I am sympathetic to fellow authors and the trials and tribulations of a book signing. Not wishing to intrude, I watched this event from a distance. I was hidden from the author’s view by several stacks of books. I was hoping to perhaps learn the secrets of a successful book signing by observing unobtrusively.

Nothing happened! No one stopped to talk to her. Customers passed by her table. They glanced at her books as they passed; but no one stopped to buy or talk. I watched for about 10 minutes.

I decided I would go and talk to her. Sort of professional courtesy. As I approached her table,  I saw a couple stop and talk with her. They each picked up a book and examined it.

Now I was close enough to read the title displayed on the sign. It was (I’m paraphrasing) “How to deal with Alzheimer’s”. The author was a Ph.D.

It certainly is an important subject to write about. I guess most people are in denial about that mental condition. They do not want to admit they have it, or to admit anyone else they know has it.

Can’t really blame them.

Copyright 2009 by John Daly

My name is Striker. I’m a fictional character in the Mason Series written by John Daly.

There are three books in the series so far, Murder Murder Murder, Now You See It, Now You Don’t and Hoist up the Jolly Roger.

I like John Daly. I don’t want to denigrate his talent in any way. After all he created me and I must say he writes great scenes for me in his books.

My only problem with him is that he never listens to my advice on how the plot of the book should evolve. He treats me like I’m just a figment of his imagination. I think he listens to what I suggest, but then he disregards my suggestions and proceeds to write the story plots on his own. That’s not fair to me. I have many talents that he doesn’t describe or even mention.

John Daly has just finished writing Hoist up the Jolly Roger and it is now on the desk of John’s agent. So I have some free time until John begins another book featuring my friend Mason and me.

While I am waiting, I have escaped from inside John’s books. I intend to write some guest blogs on this web site and maybe start a dialogue with whoever reads my blogs.

Remember, I am a fictional character and can be deleted by John at any time. He may not approve of my freelancing outside his books.

We’ll see. Stay tuned.

I was in a grocery store at 7:30AM on Valentines Day. I had already delivered my own personal Valentine message to my own valentine. I was there only to make a small grocery purchase.

Immediately ahead of me in the express checkout line was a young man. I estimated he was about 16 years old. What attracted my attention to him was the message on the back of his Tee shirt.

“Can’t have too many guitars!”

Along with the message were pictures of many different guitars.

I suspected he was a budding musician.

He was purchasing a pre-cut, pre-wrapped, bouquet of flowers, a stick-on paper bow and a Valentines Day card. His bill totaled $31.70. He paid for the items with 32 very wrinkled one dollar bills, which he removed one by one from his blue jeans pocket. I imagined that he had earned the money one bill at a time. Maybe by playing his guitar at parties.

“Are these flowers for your valentine?,” the female clerk asked.

“Yes, and I’m really nervous. I hope she likes them.”

First love can be very fragile. There is always the possibility of rejection.

That’s why we have Cupid to help it along.

copyright 2009 by John Daly

I have occasionally been asked how and why I became a writer.

In my former life I was a civil trial attorney. My specialty in law is negligence. I represented various casualty insurance companies that wrote coverage for legal and medical mal-practice, automobile and product liability protection, and other policies with similar liability protection.

I took hundreds of depositions and appeared in court hundreds of time for jury and non jury trials and other court matters.

Eventually I became tired of asking the same necessary, but repetitive questions that are familiar to all trial attorneys.

What is your name?

Where do you live?

Directing your attention to—

Did there come a time when—

Now doctor, do you have an opinion, based upon reasonable medical certainty—

I began to wonder if maybe there might be life forms outside the courtroom and the legal system. I had written legal pleadings and briefs all my legal life, so why not try being a professional writer?

And so I did try. I submitted an unsolicited short story to a local magazine. They liked it and paid me for it!

This was going to be easy! Write them, submit them, and get paid. Piece of cake!

But oh no! From then on everything I submitted to anyone was rejected. I had experienced beginner’s luck. I received so many rejections that I almost wrote a story about receiving them. I didn’t though; I just kept submitting them and collecting the rejections. Very hard on one’s ego and self confidence.

Then suddenly, I was hired  by the Ocala, Florida “Star-Banner” to write a weekly column. I did that for about a year. Now writing was fun again. But it was also time to move on in my writing career. It was time to try writing a book.

I am now writing my fourth book. I expect to finish it in a few months. And so it goes.

My message of inspiration to all of you who are dedicated writers is, keep writing, ignore the rejections, even though you  might want to lash back at them, and eventually you will be “discovered” by the reading public. Then you  might receive a thunderous ovation whenever you appear for book signings.

That possibility is what keeps me writing. It might happen to me.

Copyright © 2009 by John Daly
This revised version was originally published in The Fiction Writer and Other Short Stories, which is copyright © 2007 by John Daly. No part of this story may be used without permission of the Author.

A few thousand miles away, Nancy Patterson was walking home from the bus stop after working all day in the city. Nancy was an accountant for a large insurance company. Nancy’s husband was also an accountant, but he had suffered a stroke and had been unable to work for the last six months. Nancy was rushing home to relieve the day nurse who was taking care of him while Nancy worked.

Nancy’s head was down and she was deep in thought trying to maintain a cheerful attitude for her husband.

All at once she saw a big beautiful yellow dog standing on the sidewalk blocking her way. He didn’t look threatening. He looked like he was smiling, and his tail was wagging.

“Hi there, fella. What’s your name,” she asked.

The dog just wagged his tail faster, smiled more broadly, and did a little dog dance.

And the Heavens looked down and smiled.

(The end.)

Copyright © 2009 by John Daly
This revised version was originally published in The Fiction Writer and Other Short Stories, which is copyright © 2007 by John Daly. No part of this story may be used without permission of the Author.

The next morning he was gone.

They could not find him anywhere. They called his name and searched and searched. He had just disappeared.

“Why would he leave?,” Janet sobbed. “He seemed so happy here.”

“He was happy here. I think it was just time for him to go,” said David.

“I hope he has gone to work his magic somewhere else,” said Billy Joe. I just refuse to believe we won’t see him again one day.”

“I agree,” said David.

“I guess I have to believe that too,” said Janet.

(To be continued…)

Copyright © 2009 by John Daly
This revised version was originally published in The Fiction Writer and Other Short Stories, which is copyright © 2007 by John Daly. No part of this story may be used without permission of the Author.

The end of the school year approached. It had been a wonderful year for Billy Joe. He had been selected not only as the class valedictorian, but also as the student, “Most Likely to Succeed’. His SAT scores had been outstanding. He was having the best year of his life His teachers had noticed the improvements. Mr. Sampson had also noticed. He had been working behind the scenes, advising him on what colleges to apply to for help. He had also been working the telephones, touting Billy Joe to his friends in the admission departments of several universities.

One day Billy Joe was summoned to Mr. Sampson’s office. He hoped the visit would be better than his last visit when he was chastised for poor performance. It was very much better.

“I’ve got good news for you Billy Joe!,” said Mr. Sampson. “In fact, it’s extraordinarily good news. Better news than I could ever have imagined for you. You are one lucky young man. I have not one, but three full scholarship offers from three of the best universities in the country. You will receive a letter from them at your home in a few days. I have never heard of such a thing. Three offers, unbelievable! You can take your pick. Fantastic! I’ve never heard of such a thing,” he kept repeating.

Billy Joe was speechless. He looked out the window and saw Magic looking at him and smiling. Then Billy Joe knew what had happened. He didn’t know how, he just knew why it had happened.

“How does he keep doing this stuff?,” he thought. Where did he come from? Who sent him?”

“—– and talk to your parents and tell me your decision in the next few days.”

Billy Joe was brought back from his mental wondering by the sound of Mr. Sampson’s voice.

“Yes sir, I will. And thank you for all your help. I couldn’t have done all this without your help.”

“It wasn’t all my doing. It was as if there were some kind of divine intervention. You are one lucky young man.”

That night Billy Joe told his parents about the good news. They were thrilled. It took them about 10 minutes to agree on which offer to accept. Billy Joe had dreamed about going to that school all his life. He never thought that his family could afford the tuition, so it had remained only a dream. Now it was a reality.

“Can you believe how our lives have changed since Magic arrived,” said David. First my new job, then Billy Joe’s scholarship offers. What else can—”

“I too have some good news,” said Janet triumphantly, interrupting her husband. “I got a call today from Florence Haley. Her son has grown tired of being a sailboat captain. He has met a young woman. They have fallen in love and are coming back here to be married. David, he wants to talk to you about joining you in the business.

Florence is ecstatic! She has always believed that her son would settle down one day and that the business would then grow. She is so convinced that she wants to teach me the office part of the business so that I can help her with the growth. Help her while I receive a very nice salary, I might add. Our Billy Joe is going away to college, so my work here at home is mostly over. I am thrilled that I can now help you build a new business and a new life.”

When she finished her spontaneous announcement, Janet started crying.

“Are you responsible for all this good news, Magic?,” she cried, looking over at the dog.

Magic just looked back at her.

He did not smile and he did not wag his tail. He just looked at her in his friendly way.

(To be continued…)

Copyright © 2009 by John Daly
This revised version was originally published in The Fiction Writer and Other Short Stories, which is copyright © 2007 by John Daly. No part of this story may be used without permission of the Author.

Now that David’s business was doing so well his son felt he could stop working and concentrate on his studies. His grades immediately began to improve, and soon he was a straight A student again. Billy Joe has always been a straight A student. Mr. Sampson had told him in their earlier conference that he needed to participate in more outside activities to be seriously considered for a college scholarship. There were many school activities that interested him. He had never participated in them before, mostly because of inertia. Much to his surprise, the more activities he joined the more they became interesting to him and the more he participated. The more he contributed his time and effort, the more people looked up to him as the leader.

Magic was with him everywhere he went at school. He waited patiently outside in the school grounds while Billy Joe was in the classroom. After class he followed him to the athletic field, and any other activity that would permit dogs to enter.

His classmates loved Magic. He was as popular as Billy Joe. Without his even knowing how it had happened, Billy Joe realized that he was the President of every organization he had joined, and was also the captain of every team he played on.

One day he said to Magic, “Since I met you my grades have gotten better and I am now the head honcho of every activity I have joined. Did you do all that? Is your popularity running over to me and making me more popular? If it is, I thank you. I just hope it has an effect on my getting a college scholarship. Dad still needs all his money to invest in his new business. Incidentally, while we’re on that subject, dad thinks you had a great deal to do with his getting his own business. Is that true? Did you?’

Magic just smiled and wagged his tail rapidly.

(To be continued…)

Copyright © 2009 by John Daly
This revised version was originally published in The Fiction Writer and Other Short Stories, which is copyright © 2007 by John Daly. No part of this story may be used without permission of the Author.

David rushed into his house and swept Janet up into his arms and kissed her passionately.
“David what are you doing?,” she said laughing.

“I’m kissing my beautiful wife whom I love with all my heart,” he answered.

“Where have you been? Whose truck is that? What do you have in your hand?”

“That my dear is a check for $1000 which I am handing over to you. If everything goes the way I think it will it won’t be the last check either. Sit down; you won’t believe what I am going to tell you.”

And so David told her. And then he told it to her all over again because she had so many questions and because at first his words came tumbling out so fast that they made no sense. Then Janet began to cry. When she had finished crying, she began to laugh, which made David laugh. Then they both became hysterical laughing. When that finally ended, Janet began to cry again.

“Oh David, I knew something good would eventually happen,” she said. “I never lost faith in you.”

“I know you didn’t. That’s what kept me going. I couldn’t have done it without you, dear heart.”

As he held his wife close, David could see Magic at the other end of the room silently watching them.

“Did you have anything to do with this?,” David asked him. “I think you had a lot to do with it. I just don’t know what or how.”

Magic just smiled and wagged his tail.

(To be continued…)

Copyright © 2009 by John Daly
This revised version was originally published in The Fiction Writer and Other Short Stories, which is copyright © 2007 by John Daly. No part of this story may be used without permission of the Author.

David did complete the assigned work and he loved doing each job. It was more play than work. He wondered why he had not done this all his life. He had no idea how much Florence was charging for the service. He didn’t care. It was much better then going on hopeless interviews. He had a lot to tell Janet. She had just seen him arrive in a truck, change clothes, receive a phone call, and leave immediately in the truck again.

“I’ll tell you all about it when I get home tonight,” he said over his shoulder. Don’t wait dinner for me. Go ahead and eat.”

After he had finished the last job, he tried to call Florence, but her line was busy.

“She is probably checking with the customers,” he thought. “I think I did all right though. Everyone seemed pleased with my work. I have to take the truck back there anyway. I don’t want to be responsible for her son’s tools. First I was involved in safeguarding my father’s tools and now Billy Joe’s.”

The ring of his cell phone interrupted his musings.

“Hello, this is David.”

“David, this is Florence. Congratulations! The customers liked your work and your personality. You got stunning reviews! They were so good I only called two of the three people. Where are you now?”

“That’s great news Florence! I’m in the truck on my way to your house. I’ll be there in about 15 minutes.”

“Good. I think now is the time to talk about my idea.”

When David arrived, Florence suggested they talk in the kitchen over a cup of coffee.

“Here is my idea David. You and I will form a partnership. We will divide the profits equally between us. You furnish the labor and I will furnish the customers, the office work, and any credit needed. You pay me 50% of the value of the truck out of your share of the profits. You can make the payments over a long period of time. The nuts and bolts of the partnership we can decide upon as we go. I have an attorney who can draw up the partnership papers for us. We can pay his fee out of the profits. I don’t see any problems for us that we can’t resolve. I told you I have a good feeling about you.

However, I do have one thing that I must insist on. When my son, Billy Joe comes back, and he will come back, I want to give him my share of the partnership without any objections from you. I will continue to work in the office, without pay if necessary, in order to make the partnership a success. He is handy with tools and I believe that you two will like each other. He is a very hard worker and the two of you will probably eventually have to expand the business by hiring other employees. I believe, starting tomorrow, that you will begin to make more money than you have ever made. So what do you say?”

“I say yes! Let’s do it. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

“Thank you David for being the person I thought you would be. Go home and tell your wife what you have decided. I will write you a check right now for $1000 against future earnings to show you that I believe you are about to be financially secure. I’ll call you tomorrow morning with the day’s assignments.

Please take David’s tools out of the truck. You have your own tools, I’m sure. He will need them when he returns.”

(To be continued…)