The Breaker - series. Books 1 - 3:

 

The Breaker

ISBN: 9781656281517

Description:

How do you know the one you love won’t hurt you?

Or even try to kill you?
In many cases … you don’t.

How do we choose our path and purpose in life?

What makes us who we are?
When Seth Egan starts working as a private detective, he knows he’ll make enemies.
It goes with the territory.
As Seth works on a murder case and hunts down the killers, he becomes the target.
Some people have no conscience, shame, empathy, or remorse.
To get their own way, to get what they want, to take everything, they will do anything.
Even murder.
In the end, they will drag you down to hell with them.
Sometimes, our enemies are those closest to us.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/eKFZ03giKR?amp=1

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Bad Blood

ISBN: 9798682203192

Description:

No one is paying Seth Egan for his latest case.

He keeps this one unofficial.

Pro bono publico.

Off the books.

For him, this one is personal.

A matter of bad blood.

A woman with a grudge of her own leads Seth to a place where people vanish without trace.

Money is the motive.

Greed is the motivator.

Scores that can only be settled in blood.

A dark underworld of illegal gambling, prostitution, drugs, violence and murder.

Amazon link:

 

https://t.co/e0XiS8crAr?amp=1

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Mall Maze

ISBN: 9798729917235

Description:

Friday the 13th.

Unlucky for many.

What should have been a routine adultery case ends with Seth Egan fighting for his life.

Cut off from the world.

With no way to call for help.

Trapped in a place where the walls are coming down around him.

Seth is running out of places to hide.

As chaos reigns and the city burns … the hunters close in.

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09244XVYW/

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Themes:

Abuse by proxy, Adultery, C-PTSD, crime, detective, domestic abuse, enabler, flying monkey, gaslighting, hardboiled, heist, infidelity, murder, narcissism, narcissist, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, personality disorder, psychopath, sociopath, suspense, thriller, vigilante, violence.

Books available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of my books is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

What’s On?

 

What’s On?

A Guide to Movies and TV Shows

Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9798342696098

Paperback

ISBN-13: 9798341177307

Kindle

ASIN: B0DJTZ8T58

Back cover description:

What’s On? … is the timeless question we have all asked ourselves almost every day of our lives, as we reach for the remote control and settle in front of the TV screen.

Jack Kost, a life-long movie buff and coffee addict, offers his choice of favorite movie and television masterpieces.

Providing possible answers to the question of What’s On? with over 1,900 titles, from golden oldies and timeless classics, to more recent releases, all meticulously logged and summarized.

An invaluable and collectable go-to source for discovering new favorites and revisiting old ones.

Perfect for film enthusiasts and casual viewers alike, this guide will spark conversations, bring back memories, and help you navigate the ever-evolving world of screen entertainment.

A wealth of recommendations and insights from a passionate movie buff to enrich your viewing experience, complete with personal reminiscences and nostalgic reflections, told with a world-wise critical eye, sardonic dry wit, a healthy dose of cynicism, biting observations, and a well-founded rant here and there.

Just don’t challenge or get him started on his personal favorites, like The Shining, Point Blank, Jaws, The Exorcist, The Duellists, Romeo Is Bleeding, or The Ninth Configuration. His opinions on these and other iconic titles are as intense and unyielding as the movies themselves.

All compiled by an author who not only watched the movies, but also read the books on which they were based, did his research, drank a lot of coffee in the process, and advocates for the importance and value of reading.

A glimpse into the over-caffeinated mind of a writer with a passion for great stories.

What’s On? is a celebration of the intersection between page and screen, and a reminder that great on-screen adaptations often start with a great book and a strong cup of coffee.

Kick back, grab your coffee, and enjoy the show!

As author Jack Kost says:

“Happy viewing … and do yourself a favor … read the books.”

Slipped Masks:

Slipped Masks

ISBN: 9781719330640

Description:

I can’t call you because if he hears me talking on the phone he’ll hit me again. He scares me. I know sooner or later he’s going to kill me. I’ll text you again when I can. I love you, Casey. I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving to you how much I love you. Please come. Please save me …

With only text messages to guide him, Casey Byrne is on the hunt, racing across five states to save his ex-girlfriend, Madison.

Casey loves Madison deeply and wants desperately to save her life and rekindle their relationship.

But the closer he gets to her, the more surreal his journey becomes as the dead bodies pile up in his wake.

Clinical Lycanthropy: the delusion that a human can physically transform into a wolf.

If you were insane, would you know it?

How would you see the world if you were convinced you could transform into a wolf?

The hunter … and the hunted.

Slipped Masks is a dark neo-noir thriller about how the need for love and companionship becomes twisted into obsession, possession, jealousy, violence and murder.

A horrifying portrait of Clinical Lycanthropy.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/2Gwb135V3m

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Themes:

Sociopathy, narcissistic abuse, personality disorder, Clinical Lycanthropy, crime, murder.

Book available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of this book is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

Work in progress:

My next books are Triangulation and Stinger.

Books 4 and 5 in The Breaker series.

Set in the year 2001, the story continues from Mall Maze.

Themes:

Crime, detective, hardboiled, heist, murder, narcissism, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, psychopath, sociopath, thriller, vigilante.

 

A percentage from book sales is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

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The Breaker is an on-going series.

I’m outlining other stand-alone thriller novels.

Several coffee table books on my photography and my wife’s artwork.

A humorous book, based on the antics of our crazy pet Ragdoll cat, entitled: It’s That F****** Cat Again!

Here’s a GIF I made of our cat, settling down for another of his daily naps:

On this day in movie history - Oppenheimer (2023):

Oppenheimer

directed and written by Christopher Nolan,

based on the book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin,

was released in the United States on July 21, 2023.
Music by Ludwig Göransson.

Cast:

Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Scott Grimes, Jason Clarke, Kurt Koehler, Tony Goldwyn, John Gowans, Macon Blair, James D'Arcy, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Groener, Gregory Jbara, Ted King, Tim DeKay, Steven Houska, Tom Conti, David Krumholtz, Petrie Willink, Matthias Schweighöfer, Josh Hartnett, Alex Wolff, Josh Zuckerman, Rory Keane, Michael Angarano, Dylan Arnold, Emma Dumont, Florence Pugh, Sadie Stratton, Jefferson Hall, Britt Kyle, Guy Burnet, Tom Jenkins, Matthew Modine, Louise Lombard, David Dastmalchian, Michael Andrew Baker, Jeff Hephner, Matt Damon, Dane DeHaan, Olli Haaskivi, David Rysdahl, Josh Peck, Jack Quaid, Brett DelBuono, Benny Safdie, Gustaf Skarsgård, James Urbaniak, Trond Fausa, Devon Bostick, Danny Deferrari, Christopher Denham, Jessica Erin Martin, Ronald Auguste, Rami Malek, Máté Haumann, Olivia Thirlby, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Casey Affleck, Harrison Gilbertson, James Remar, Will Roberts, Pat Skipper, Steve Coulter, Jeremy John Wells, Sean Avery, Adam Kroeger, Drew Kenney, Bryce Johnson, Flora Nolan, Kerry Westcott, Christina Hogue, Clay Bunker, Tyler Beardsley, Maria Teresa Zuppetta, Kate French, Gary Oldman, Hap Lawrence, Panagiotis Margetis, Yaser Al-Nyrabeah, Hunter Avant, Aevrey Balin, Kevin Berndt, David Bertucci, Troy Bronson, Steven Bullard, Ross Buran, Andrew Bursiaga, Kaleb Clifton, Samuel Code, Michael DeBartolo, Elijah Dierking, Russel Donahue, Adam Walker Federman, Doug Friedman, Michelle Ghatan, Braden Kelsey Gile, James Paul Gregory, Christine Heneise, John T. Hillman, Katherine Hogan, Ben Holmquist, Kash Hovey, Jacquie Kachmann, Asher Kaplan, Dirk Kingston, Emily Joy Lemus, Benjamin Levine, Luke Matheis, Brendan McManus, Connor Mendenhall, Elise Newman, Jason Pfister, Skyler Pierce, Michaela Rances, Ryan Rathbun, Sam Russell, Paolo Saglietto, Meg Schimelpfenig, Susan Elizabeth Shaw, Travis Siemon, Ryan Stubo, Jacob Taylor, Scott Valentine, Jack Wang, Kyle Williams, Ansa Woo, Aamir Yusuf.

On this day in music history - Sirens of the Sea by OceanLab (2008):

Sirens of the Sea by OceanLab (2008)

Sirens of the Sea

Album by OceanLab,

released July 21, 2008.

Track list: Just Listen; Sirens of the Sea; If I Could Fly; Breaking Ties; Miracle; Come Home; On a Good Day; Ashes; I Am What I Am; Lonely Girl; Secret; On the Beach; Breaking Ties (Flow mix).

On this day in movie history - The Shootist (1976 movie & novel):

The Shootist

directed by Don Siegel,

written by Miles Hood Swarthout and Scott Hale,

based on the novel by Glendon Swarthout,

was released in the United States on July 21, 1976.
Music by Elmer Bernstein.

Cast:

John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart, Richard Boone, Hugh O'Brian, Bill McKinney, Harry Morgan, John Carradine, Sheree North, Rick Lenz, Scatman Crothers, Gregg Palmer, Alfred Dennis, Dick Winslow, Melody Thomas Scott, Kathleen O'Malley, Jack Berle, Johnny Crawford, Chuck Dawson, George Dunn, Duke Fishman, Christopher George, Jonathan Goldsmith, Leo Gordon, Charles G. Martin, Jim Michael, Ernesto Molinari, Ricky Nelson, James Nolan, Nick Raymond, Henry Slate, Bob Steele, Ralph Volkie, John Zimeas.

Recommended reading:

The Shootist

By Glendon Swarthout.

Introduction by Miles Swarthout.

Filmed as The Shootist (1976), directed by Don Siegel.

Published by Bison Books.

First published 1975.

ISBN-10: 0803238231

ISBN-13: 9780803238237

Description:

"Such style...such a strong central idea...the showdown is an unremitting as the build-up." – Sunday Times of London.

"This is an extremely well-written Western and gives the reader vivid insight into the workings of the mind of a wanderer and gunman." – Baton Rouge, Louisiana Sunday Advocate.

"The Shootist by Glendon Swarthout is the taleof the Old West's version of the modern 'hit man'. It is a splendid story, well-told and with a really satisfying ending." – Charleston, South Carolina Evening Post.

The Shootist is John Bernard Books, a man of principle and the only surviving gunfighter in a vanishing American West. He rides into El Paso in the year 1901, on the day Queen Victoria died, there to be told by a doctor that he must soon confront the greatest shootist of all: Death. In such a showdown, against such an antagonist, he cannot win. Most men may end their days in bed or take their own lives, but a man-killer has a 3rd option, one which Books decides to exercise. He may choose his own executioner.

As word spreads that the famous assassin has reached the end of his rope, an assortment of vultures gathers to feast upon his corpse--among them a gambler, a rustler, an undertaker, an old love, a reporter, even a boy. Books outwits them, however, by selecting the where, when, who, and why of his death, and writing in fire from a pair of Remingtons the last courageous act of his own legend. The climatic gunfight itself is an incredible performance by an incredible man, and by his creator, Glendon Swarthout.

The Shootist will rank with such classics as Shane and The Ox-Bow Incident, but it is much more than a Western. When, in the final afternoon of his life, J. B. Books crosses a street and enters a saloon to make something of his death, we cross, we enter, with him. He is us.

From a corner of the south window Gillom Rogers spied on the new lodger. The man unpacked his valise and put things in a drawer of the chiffonier, then hung his Price Albert coat in the closet. When he turned from the closet he was in shirt and vest. The boy's eyes rounded. Sewn to each side of the vest was a holster, reversed, and in each holster was a pistol, butt forward. As he watched, sucking in his breath, the man took the weapons out, revolved the cylinders, filled a chamber in one he had evidently fired, and replaced them before hanging the vest, too, in the closet. The pistols were a pair of nickel-plated, short-barreled, unsighted, single-action .44 Remingtons, obviously manufactured to order. The handle of one was black gutta-percha, the other pearl.

Gillom slipped away to take the horse to the livery, letting the breath of revelation out of his lungs. He was seventeen, and spent much of his time in saloons. He was not yet served, but he enjoyed himself and picked up a great deal of miscellaneous information, some of it true, some of it of doubtful authenticity. But the man in corner room was no stranger to him now. He had heard enough scalp-itch, blood-freeze tales to know that only one man carried a similar pair of guns in a similar manner...

Born on this day – Robin Williams:

Robin Williams

Actor

Comedian

July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014

Credits:

A Spinal Tap Reunion: The 25th Anniversary London Sell-Out (1992); A Wish for Wings That Work (1991); A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001); Absolutely Anything (2015); Aladdin (1992); Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996); Aladdin on Ice (1995); America 2-Night (1978); American Idol (2008); An All-Star Toast to the Improv (1988); An Evening at the Improv (1981); An Evening with Robin Williams (1983); August Rush (2007); Awakenings (1990); A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014); Back to Neverland (1989); Being Human (1994); Bicentennial Man (1999); Bobby McFerrin: Don’t Worry, Be Happy (1988); Boulevard (2014); Cadillac Man (1990); Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses? (1977); Cinemax Comedy Experiment (1986); Club Paradise (1986); Comic Relief (1986); Dead Again (1991); Dead Poets Society (1989); Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1987); Death to Smoochy (2002); Deconstructing Harry (1997); Disney’s Math Quest with Aladdin (1998); Eight Is Enough (1977); Everyone’s Hero (2006); Faerie Tale Theatre (1982); Fathers’ Day (1997); FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992); Flubber (1997); Freedom: A History of US (2003); Friends (1997); Good Morning, Vietnam (1987); Good Will Hunting (1997); Hamlet (1996); Happy Days (1978–1979); Happy Feet (2006); Happy Feet Two (2011); Homicide: Life on the Street (1994); Hook (1991); House of D (2004); In Search of Dr. Seuss (1994); Insomnia (2002); Jack (1996); Jakob the Liar (1999); Jimmy Kimmel & Ben Affleck: I’m Fucking Ben Affleck (2008); Jonathan Winters: On the Ledge (1987); Jumanji (1995); L.A. Doctors (1999); Laugh-In (1977–1978); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2008); License to Wed (2007); Louie (2012); Man of the Year (2006); Mork & Mindy (1978–1982); Mork & Mindy / Laverne & Shirley / Fonz Hour (1982); Moscow on the Hudson (1984); Mrs. Doubtfire (1993); Mrs. Doubtfire: Deleted Scenes (2003); Night at the Museum (2006); Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009); Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014); Nine Months (1995); Noel (2004); Old Dogs (2009); On Location: The Comedy Store’s 11th Anniversary Show (1983); One Hour Photo (2002); One Saturday Morning (1998); Out of the Blue (1979); Patch Adams (1998); Popeye (1980); Portrait of a White Marriage (1988); Pryor’s Place (1984); Rabbit Ears: Pecos Bill (1988); World’s Greatest Dad (2009); Rabbit Ears: The Fool and the Flying Ship (1991); Robin Williams Live on Broadway (2002); Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met (1986); Robin Williams: Elmer Fudd Sings Bruce Springsteen (1983); Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction (2009); Robots (2005); RV (2006); Saturday Night Live (2010); Saturday Night Live: The Best of Robin Williams (1991); SCTV Network (1982); Seize the Day (1986); Shakes the Clown (1991); Shrink (2009); Sorority ‘62 (1978); SpongeBob SquarePants (2009); The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988); The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014); The Best of Times (1986); The Big Wedding (2013); The Big White (2005); The Birdcage (1996); The Butler (2013); The Crazy Ones (2013–2014); The Earth Day Special (1990); The Earth Day Special (1990); The Face of Love (2013); The Final Cut (2004); The Fisher King (1991); The Larry Sanders Show (1994); The Night Listener (2006); The Richard Pryor Show (1977); The Rutles 2: Can’t Buy Me Lunch (2003); The Secret Agent (1996); The Survivors (1983); The Timekeeper (1992); The World According to Garp (1982); The Young Comedians All-Star Reunion (1986); To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995); Toys (1992); What Dreams May Come (1998); Wilfred (2012).

Born on this day – Edward Herrmann:

Edward Herrmann

Actor

Director

Writer

July 21, 1943 – December 31, 2014

Credits:

30 Rock (2008); A Christmas Wish (2011); A Civil Action (1998); A Little Sex (1982); A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story (1978); A Season in Purgatory (1996); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1987); American Dad! (2012–2016); American Playhouse (1984–1987); Andrew Jackson (2007); Annie (1982); Ape to Man (2005); Are You Here (2013); Atomic Train (1999); Beacon Hill (1975); Bereft (2004); Better Living (1998); Better with You (2011); Bible Battles (2005); Big Business (1988); Biography (1997); Black Box (2014); Born Yesterday (1993); Brass Target (1978); Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (2011); Christmas Oranges (2012); Coach of the Year (2015); Compromising Positions (1985); Critical Care (1997); Crossing Jordan (2003); CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2013); Dear Liar (1981); Death Valley (1982); Decoding the Past: Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle (2005); Desperate Crossing - The True Story of the Mayflower (2006); Don't Drink the Water (1994); Double Take (2001); Drop Dead Diva (2011); Eighty Acres of Hell (2006); Eleanor and Franklin (1976); Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years (1977); Enduring Legacy (2012); Factory Girl (2006); Fire in the Dark (1991); First Invasion: The War of 1812 (2004); Foreign Student (1994); Freedom Road (1979); Freedom to Speak (1983); Gilmore Girls (2000–2007); Gilmore Girls (2001–2007); Grey's Anatomy (2007); Harry's Law (2012); Harry's War (1981); Hatching Pete (2009); Heaven's Door (2012); Here Come the Munsters (1995); Hero (1992); Homicide: Life on the Street (1996); Hothouse (1988); How I Met Your Mother (2013); How the Earth Was Made (2007); I Think I Love My Wife (2007); Intolerable Cruelty (2003); Isaac's Storm (2004); James Dean (2001); Lady Liberty (1971); Laughter in the Dark (1986); Law & Order (1995–2009); Liberty! The American Revolution (1997); M*A*S*H (1980); Memorial Day (1983); Men of Valor (2004); Monsterquest (2008); Mrs. Soffel (1984); Murrow (1986); My Boyfriend's Back (1993); Nixon (1995); Nostradamus: 500 Years Later (2003); Nova (1998–1999); Overboard (1987); Oz (2000–2003); Pandora's Clock (1996); Perception (2015); Portrait of a Stripper (1979); Price Check (2012); Redemption: For Robbing the Dead (2011); Reds (1981); Relative Strangers (2006); Richie Rich (1994); Saint Maybe (1998); Screen One (1993); So Proudly We Hail (1990); Son of Morning (2011); Soul of the Game (1996); St. Elsewhere (1984–1986); Sweet Poison (1991); Take Down (1979); The 5:48 (1979); The Aviator (2004); The Betsy (1978); The Cat's Meow (2001); The Christmas Pageant (2011); The Day of the Dolphin (1973); The Electric Grandmother (1982); The Emperor's Club (2002); The Face on the Milk Carton (1995); The French Revolution (2005); The General Motors Playwrights Theater (1991); The Gift of Life (1982); The Good Wife (2010–2013); The Great Gatsby (1974); The Great Waldo Pepper (1975); The Lawrenceville Stories (1986–1987); The Lost Boys (1987); The Lost Boys: The Lost Scenes (2004); The Man with One Red Shoe (1985); The North Avenue Irregulars (1979); The Paper Chase (1973); The Practice (1997–2001); The Private History of a Campaign That Failed (1981); The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985); The Shaft (2001); The Six Wives of Henry Lefay (2009); The Skeptic (2009); The Surge: The Untold Story (2010); The Ten Commandments (2005); The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014); The Wolf of Wall Street (2013); Tom Goes to the Mayor (2005); Treasure Buddies (2012); UFO Files (2005); Valley Forge (1975); Vendetta (1999); Violent Earth: New England's Killer Hurricane (2006); Walking Across Egypt (1999); Wedding Daze (2006); Welcome to Mooseport (2004); What Love Sees (1996); Wings (1995); Wonder Woman (2011).

Born on this day – John Gardner:

John Gardner

Writer

July 21, 1933 – September 14, 1982

Credits:

Books:

Come on Back (1981); Dragon, Dragon (1975); Dragon, Dragon and Other Tales (1975); Freddy's Book (1980); Grendel (1971); Gudgekin the Thistle Girl (1976); Gudgekin the Thistle Girl and Other Tales (1976); He Clinc'd the Colossal Door (1971); In the Suicide Mountains (1977); Jason and Medeia (1973); John Napper Sailing Through the Universe (1974); Julius Caesar and the Werewolf (1984); King Gregor and the Fool (1974); Mickelsson's Ghosts (1982); Muriel (1974); Nimram (1981); Pastoral Care (1974); Queen Louisa (1972); Redemption (1981); So they announced (1972); So We Decided (1972); Stillness (1981); The Art of Living (1981); The Art of Living and Other Stories (1981); The Gnome and the Dragons (1977); The Griffin and the Wise Old Philosopher (1976); The Joy of the Just (1981); The King of the Hummingbirds (1977); The King of the Hummingbirds and Other Tales (1977); The King's Indian (1974); The King's Indian: A Tale (1974); The Last Piece of Light (1975); The Library Horror (1981); The Miller's Mule (1975); The Music Lover (1981); The Pear Tree (1977); The Ravages of Spring (1973); The Sea Gulls (1976); The Shape-Shifters of Shorm (1976); The Tailor and the Giant (1975); The Temptation of St. Ivo (1974); The Warden (1974); The Witch's Wish (1977); Trumpeter (1981); Vlemk the Box-Painter (1979); Vlemk the Box-Painter (1981).

Movies and television:

Biography (2006); The Liquidator (1965); The Stone Killer (1973); Wogan (1988).