The Wrong Road – Jack Bennett Sr.

I just finished reading, The Wrong Road – A Crime Story, the second book by fellow local author Jack Bennett Sr. More a short story or novella, Bennett weaves a tale of a young and impressionable man from Windsor, Jimmy Burns, who wants to become a somebody by hanging with the wrong crowd.

Burns figures the best way to impress the local stripper he’s taken a shine to, is by showering her with money that he doesn’t have. The solution to his dismal situation is to resort to crime in order to improve his cash flow. Burns soon learns that he’s being taken for a ride and decides to strike out on his own, continuing a cross-country crime spree.

The story finds Burns digging a deeper hole for himself, before he meets the woman who might actually help turn his life around.

The Wrong road is an interesting story and an easy read. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5. It is available locally through the author or at Story Tellers Book Store in Windsor.

Five Reasons to Buy A Casual Traveler

At a retirement seminar I attended, before packing in my thirty-one years and four months of police work, we were told to have a plan, a hobby or something to do for the rest of our lives. Even before that, I knew that travelling the world was how I wanted to spend a large part of my senior years.

I travelled abroad and around the continent for the first two years of my retirement, and sent family and friends email about my adventures and misadventures. Coaxed on by their remarks, I wrote my first book.

Here are five reasons to buy A Casual Traveler:

Forty-two Travel Tales. Stories like the kind in Readers Digest, that take you to exotic places near and far that in some cases you can only dream about. Share my experiences on motorcycle trips across the continent or in countries like Peru, Argentina, Chile, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico and Belize.

Travel From Home. In these unsure times of the Corona Virus and restricted travel, stay safe at home and read a good book. You only have to go as far as the book store or your computer to order a copy online.

Cheap Entertainment. Since we can’t go to the movie theaters and there seems to be nothing left to watch on Netflix or Crave, visualize all the places you can’t visit by seeing the world through my stories.

Support a Local Author. The ten most popular authors in the world control eighty percent of book sales. Help me supplement my retirement and build my travel fund.

It’s Christmas. What do you buy someone who has everything but likes to read? A book. A Casual Traveler’s convenient size makes it ideal for wrapping, mailing or stuffing it into a Christmas stocking.

A Casual Traveler and all my other books can be purchased locally in Windsor at PB Books or Storytellers Books, and in Amherstburg at River Bookstore, or online through my website: www.edmondgagnon.com

Norm is Back! Border City Chronicles

Layout 1Maybe you’ve heard the rumors on Entertainment Tonight, Ellen, or WKRP in Cincinatti. Perhaps you only dreamed and hoped it was true. You’ve probably been wondering what Edmond Gagnon has been up to (besides travelling) and where the heck has Norm Strom been.

Let me make it clear…they are not rumors, you haven’t been dreaming, and Ed has finally finished his latest book, Border City Chronicles. Some of you were test-readers, others voted for the title, and a few may find their names used as characters. The book is three short crime fiction stories from the Norm Strom archives.

News of this upcoming book is receiving a positive buzz on the street. Here’s a few comments about Norm’s new stories:

Baby Shay – “The challenges told in this story are heartbreaking and can make strong experienced officers unable to function. This is one story you will not be able to put down.”

Designated Hitters – “This story provides the reader with a unique insight into police work and the thoughts and emotions cops work through every day. Norm doesn’t regret retirement. After reading his story, you will understand why.”

Knock-Out – “Norm introduces Abigail Brown, a Detroit Homicide Detective. He’s her friend and confidant and relies on his expertise to provide her with a little extra help. This is an excellent story and I’m hoping to read more of her exploits in the future.”

Border City Chronicles is coming to book stores and internet sites across the world very very soon! Feel free to reserve a copy with the author now.

Same but Different

IMG_2572Let’s start with vacation vs. travel. To those inexperienced in the latter, as opposed to the former, you’ll completely understand. Others may think the two getaways are the same, but they are quite different. Vacations tend to be those one-week jaunts to somewhere warm, where you can relax and forget all about work or whatever other crap life throws at you on a daily basis.

Travelling entails extending those sojourns, not only to relax or escape every day life, but to explore new places and perhaps venture off the beaten path. Two weeks at an all-inclusive resort may sound the same as two weeks in Europe, but they are very different. So, the question is do you want everything to be the same as home? If you do then stay at home. One reason to travel is to experience something different, whether it’s the weather, or food or wine or landscape or culture.

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The Men of Melaque

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Who are the elusive men of Mexico? To us Gringos who flock south for the winter, if we pay attention, we might just catch a glimpse of the homosapien species. Our first exposure was at the Puerto Vallarta airport, where throngs of eager males threw themselves at arriving snowbirds in the hopes of snagging fares for the taxis and shuttles that were stacked up out front.

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