Support Indie Writers

Here is an example of a creative, clever tale from an independent writer.  Modern publishing technology makes it possible for good writers to get their stories to the public quickly and in quality formats.

Piccolo Fortunato is an Italian greyhound--and an artist.  After Piccolo's father goes to America to seek fame and fortune and does not return, Piccolo follows to look for him.  He meets a famous human artist on the voyage to America and becomes his intern.

Will Piccolo find his father? Will he ever return to his sweet mother in Italy?  Can the famous American artist be trusted, or is he cheating Piccolo out of his artwork?  These questions and more will be answered in a well-written story for lovers of art and/or dogs.

I received a free copy of Piccolo: An Intern's Tale for my honest review.  It is available on Kindle and makes fun read when you need an escape from daily cares and stress.

Keep an eye out for the second book in the series: I, Piccolo.  I was privileged to preview a draft and found it interesting as well.  I will not spoil the story for you, but will let you know that things in Florence are not exactly as Piccolo left them.

Take Back "Cool" From the Hipster Frauds

What does almost all the insanity in the United States have in common?  The pursuit of a twisted, distorted version of "coolness" as defined by people who wouldn't know real cool if it slapped them in the face.  Cool used to mean something special and unapologetically different from the crowd. Now it means thinking and saying and wearing and doing exactly what everyone else is.  What's cool about total conformity?

Greg Gutfield seeks to put us back in touch with actual coolness.  Greg tells you the "beliefs the cool use to enslave you" such as that nobody will like you.  When Greg says "cool" he is referring to hipsters who "pretend the predictable, acceptable choices they make are actual risks."  He attacks pointless "activism" and those cool losers who attack the people who actually make things work--things like liberal protesters' smart phones.

If you long for the days when people aspired to be like people who actually did cool things, e.g. walk on the moon (Neil Armstrong) or actually help the poor themselves (Mother Teresa) or invent stuff that makes people safer or happier (countless engineers in uncool clothing working long hours) you will enjoy this book.  Gutfield understands your frustration with a world that values awareness over achievement, novelty over values, and entertainment over productivity

I received a free review copy of Not Cool from the publisher for my honest opinion.

He Should Have Shrugged!

What if Atlas didn't shrug?  This short novel explores the pitiful life of Henry, an Atlas who should have shrugged years ago.  Instead Henry slogs along, doing his daily work for the benefit of anyone but himself.  He is falling apart (quite literally) and nobody cares--even Henry seems rather nonchalant about it.

I think this is what Ayn Rand's producers in Atlas Shrugged would have looked like if they had not gone on strike, but kept stubbornly working for a system that did not appreciate them nor reward their efforts. Jeremy Tyrell's clever story is available on Smashwords.