James Ross's Blog, page 23

There is undoubtedly something therapeutic and fulfilling about sitting in front of a keyboard and spending hours alone with my ideas. Watching my three published books and their characters come to life has been an amazing experience, one that I am now enjoying with books number four and five. Stay tuned for those! While this solitary time is gratifying, I cannot express enough how much I have loved meeting countless numbers of people as I have worked to market Lifetime Loser, Finish Line, and

There is no doubt that our teenagers are facing difficult challenges that were unheard of in the times that their parents, or perhaps even their older brothers and sisters, were growing up. We have predators on the internet who are posing as adolescents in hopes of having an inappropriate relationship, or perhaps with plans for violent actions. The 24-hour media is bombarding our young people with images of sex and drugs with unprecedented frequency. The troubled economy has soon-to-be graduates

There seems to be a long-standing partnership between recreational activities and enjoying a few alcoholic beverages. Someone is usually in charge of bringing a cooler of beer to the weeknight softball game. We’ve all seen those Corona commercials that associate a cold long neck with lounging on the beach. And, every holiday seems to have some alcohol consumption associated with the celebration (including this week’s Cinco de Mayo festivities). A typical day on the golf course is no different fo

Several months ago, I published an article in several high-profile directories that highlighted some of the ridiculous laws that are passed in our city halls every year. I decided to write about that topic due to the content of my third novel, Tuey’s Course. In this book, the title character becomes increasingly frustrated with what he sees as an oppressive local government that is out to ruin his professional standing and even his life. While some of his anger at the elected officials in his t

Last week marked an important occasion for all fans of the National Football League. College players from across the country gathered to hear their name called as part of the annual draft. No one was surprised that Matthew Stafford from the University of Georgia was selected by the Detroit Lions as the number one draft pick. The Lions are hoping to improve on last season, which should not be too difficult considering they didn’t win a single game. Besides watching to see who gets selected early

The economy has found the idea of higher education one that has both merits and drawbacks for many Americans. On one hand, the rising tuition that is becoming a necessity on many campuses in the face of serious education budget cuts has parents concerned that the dream college for which their son or daughter has long desired may not be possible. Then again, there are a record number of people who are either returning to school after losing their jobs or staying in school for a graduate or profes

There are certain images that come to mind when I picture the all-American male. Naturally, I picture a group of good friends spending time on a golf course on a sunny Saturday morning. I also think of cruising down the back roads of a small town in a bright red convertible. And, of course, what guy is not complete without a loyal dog by his side? With this in mind, I certainly had to include man’s best friend in my series of books that take place at the Prairie Winds Golf Course. My readers wi

I have created a poll on the right side of my blog to see if anyone would be interested to be able to purchase my books created in a Kindle format. I am not sure what the demand would be for my books in this format, so I am leaving the decision up to all of you. If I see that this is an option people want to have, then I will setup my books in this format.

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Our economy has not offered many indicators recently to offer hope that our country may be pulling out of its recession anytime soon. Unemployment figures continue to rise, with the most recent information from our government showing the unemployment rate in March moving up to 8.5%, which is a 0.4% increase just from the previous month. The stock market shows glimmers of improvement every now and again, but the numbers still are not at a level that gives investors much confidence. One area of ou

Every cancer survivor story offers points of inspiration and reminds all of us that determination and a positive attitude can go a long way in healing our bodies. High-profile celebrities, due to their fan base and their access to the media, can play a magnified role in educating people about the early signs of cancer and what we can do to improve our chances of staying healthy. Who can forget when Katie Couric had her colon examined on live television after the death of her husband? The number