Hey friends....

Well, I'm not very good at this UTube thing, but I shot a short video about my new book coming out next month. Polar City Red is set to release April 22, 2012 in conjunction with Earth Day. You can preview it at my website, www.jimlaughter.com, but click on this UTube link, take a look, and let me know what you think.... Jim

UTube about Polar City Red

Polar City Red interview

Hey friends... I thought you might be interested in reading a recent article that came out in Hollywood Stars entertainment magazine about a new book I'm writing. Polar City Red is a look at life after global warming destroys the habitable parts of the Earth, forcing human beings to migrate to the great northern frozen tundra. How will the human race survive on a planet that has rejected our presence? Enjoy the article and look for the book, Polar City Red, to come out this summer.

By the way, today (Saturday, January 14th) is the last day we are offering two of my co-authored novels, Escape to Destiny and Ghost in the Dark, as FREE kindle downloads. These are the first two books in our Galactic Axia Adventure and Young Reader series. Order these books free of charge. Enjoy them.... Tell your friends.

Free Kindle Books

I really didn't plan to use this blog for advertising, but since we're giving two of my books away free, I don't guess it's really advertising. For two days only (January 13th and 14th), if you have a Kindle reader or application, we're giving away Escape to Destiny and Ghost in the Dark. These are the first two books in the Galactic Axia adventure and young reader series.

Just click on these covers to go directly to the Kindle Store for your free copies of Escape to Destiny and Ghost in the Dark.

Oh yeah, and since I'm violating my own rule of non-advertising on this blog, I might as well mention that I've begun a limited editing and proofreading service. If you write, and you think you need someone to lookat your, I may be able to help. Please visit my Editorial Services page at my website.

OK, that's the last bit of advertising. Now for sports..... Or is it weather next? Can't remember.

Thanks for 2011

As we finish 2011 and go into 2012, I want to thank all of my special friends, especially you, for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.

Why? You ask why? What kind of excellent advice did you send me in 2011 that changed my life. Here are a few of the wonderful changes to my life I've had the pleasure of experiencing. For one....

I can no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel, nor let the waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can't sit down on a hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking one's nose.

Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans-fats I consumed in 2011 and will in 2012.

I can't touch any woman's handbag for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public toilet.

I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS for the email about rat poo in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.

ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I can't have a drink anywhere except at home because I fear I'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidneys gone.

I can't eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers.

I can't use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

THANKS TO YOU, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer buy fuel without taking someone along to watch the car, so a serial killer doesn't crawl in my back seat when I'm filling up.

I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven different types of cancer.

AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face, disfiguring me for life.

I no longer go to the cinema because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS when I sit down.

I no longer go to shopping centers because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

And I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a huge phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , Singapore and Uzbekistan .

THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big black snake could be lurking under the seat and cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up a dime coin dropped in the car park because it was probably placed there by a sex molester waiting to grab me when I bend over.

I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the Violin Spider and my hand will fall off.

If you don't send the link to this blog to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor’s ex mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's best friend's beautician.

Oh, and by the way:

A German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read blogs with their hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

P. S. I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because I was told by e-mail that water splashes over 6 ft. out of the toilet.

Oh yeah, one more thing.... Anyone who doesn't order at least one of my books from my website www.jimlaughter.com will grow a second nose and suffer a lifetime of nasal drip. I know this to be true because -- well, just because.





NOW YOU HAVE YOURSELF A GREAT DAY…

A Moment that Changed My Life

I've had a life-changing experience, a moment of pause; an epiphany – something to make me stop and think for a minute.

I drove to the mall and had just parked in one of the many empty parking spots left vacant after the Black Friday shopping frenzy. There in the parking lot was a mall employee, a groundskeeper doing his job. He had a gas-powered leaf-blower slung over his shoulder and he was walking along the parameter of the parking lot blowing dead leaves away from the curbs and out into the street and parking lot.

I sat and watched the man for several minutes. He would blow the leaves away but when he would walk away, the wind would blow the leaves right back against the curb. His actions, although he was gainfully employed, did not seem to serve a purpose, and he didn’t seem to care one way or the other. I’m sure he would be paid the same wages regardless where the leaves ended up. Cars passed by, scattering leaves in all directions. Some of the leaves would blow down the street only to end up against another curb, which the man would dutifully clear away with this blower.

I tried to relate this man’s efforts to my own life. Do I make a difference in the lives of other people or do I just aimlessly blow leaves from one place to another? Do I live with a purpose in mind or do I just go through the motions? Am I sowing seeds for a future harvest or am I just blowing leaves?

My life must count for something. I must be better focused than the man with the leaf-blower. I cannot be content with payday, just narrowly getting through life. I need to know when all is said and done that I made a difference somewhere along the way and that I’ve not just left a lot of scattered leaves lying along the course of my life.

In the end, I watched the groundskeeper walk carelessly up the street looking for more leaves to blow, his leaf-blower running in idle. He would pause from time to time and clear away a section of curb, caring not where the leaves ended. His expression never changed, his purpose was still unclear. It was just another day on the job. He will be back out tomorrow to clear the same curbs again of the same dead leaves.

With this thought in mind, I've had to reexamine my own efforts. Although I enjoy writing science fiction, I've tried to take on writing projects the last couple of years that are more than just simple fiction. I want people to read my books and not only enjoy them, but that will make a difference in their lives. When I first took on the project of writing From Victim to Hero -- The Untold Story of Steven Stayner, I wasn't sure I could do it. It was a daunting task that forced me to trudge through years of police reports and interviews, and I was forced to envision the torture and torment young Steven suffered at the hands of his captor. But since it's publication, I've received many emails from people all over the world telling me how it has opened their eyes to the reality of child abduction and sexual predators, and how it has helped them keep their children safe.

So the question I ask myself now is, am I making a difference, or am I just blowing leaves? When people read my books, are they better for reading them or are they just another form of entertainment? Are they seed for new growth, or are they dead leaves blowing down the street? I'll leave that for you to decide.


From Victim to Hero and The Apostle Murders are available in paperback, Kindle, and Nook formats. Strangers in the Stable, my new children's book, is available in paperback because it is fully illustrated in 3-D graphics. Your children and grandchildren will enjoy it for years. Just click here for ordering information.

Hammer versus the Velvet Glove

I was recently asked my solution preference when dealing with political correctness. Am I more likely to use the hammer or the velvet glove when people take very simple things and make them difficult, or when someone is so concerned with political correctness that they ignore common sense? My answer – the hammer. Why? Because I believe political correctness is a major bane on American society. We’re so concerned about not offending the minority that we step on the majority.

A good knock in the head with a hammer is just what this country needs. We trample the rights of the very people that make this country great. For example, if a child doesn’t want to pray or exercise any religious beliefs in school, let them read a book or just sit quietly. But don’t deny my child his right to pray and exercise his religious beliefs for fear of offending yours. If an atheist athlete wants to give the glory of his touchdown to the coach, fine, let him. But don’t deny the Christian athlete the right to kneel in the end zone and thank God for giving him the strength, skill, and ability to make the run.

Another prime example for the need of hammer versus the velvet glove is the argument of the legality of gay marriage. The whole gay and legal community is up in arms arguing with each other, trying to legalize or condemn gay marriage. A good knock in the head would allow both sides to clearly see that gay marriage is and has always been legal in all fifty states of this country. Two gay people can legally marry any time they wish as long as they are of majority age or receive permission from their parents or guardian. There is no standing law against gay marriage in any state in this union.

The real question on the table is not the legality of gay marriage – it’s the definition of marriage. If a gay man and a gay woman want to marry, they can, and it’s perfectly legal. It’s the question of two people of the same sex marrying each other that is causing the argument. This country does not recognize the marriage union of two men or two women especially when sexual intercourse is the primary motive. So why are we bogged down in this meaningless argument?

Personally, I like the hammer approach. It’s just what we need in this country from time to time. But let’s discuss it in terms of religion. The hammer may not really be a good approach when working with religious people. Christians, especially Pentecostals which is my personal religious background, are a hard-headed bunch, and often hard-hearted. And let’s face it, your church or religion isn’t the only game in town. People can go to church anywhere, not just your particular little patch of sacred ground. It’s an atmosphere of love that will keep people coming back to your church instead of going across town. If you offer a nurturing place to worship, eventually people will find the love and peace of God they desperately need in their lives.

Hammer or velvet glove? They’re both viable tools if used in the proper context. Political correctness needs a good knock in the head, but religion needs ministries that care about the people in the pew, not just the size of the offering. For this, only the velvet glove will work.

***********************

Yep, it's time for another advertisement. As my old daddy used to say, "A fella's gotta make a livin', don't he?" So here goes.

Do you realize your bookshelves are dreadfully empty without my books? Don't you know what momentous adventures you are missing by not owning my Galactic Axia series? Have you ever dreamed of traveling to distant planets, viewing twin suns over a purple vista, or streaking through space at speeds that boggle the imagination? Well now is your chance to catch up with the rest of the universe. Available in paperback, Nook, and Kindle formats. Just click on these covers to begin your adventure.

Are you looking for a fast moving murder thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat? Have you ever wondered what mania could drive a man to kill? Is it possible that a serial killer could be sitting next to you in church or even preaching from your pulpit? Click on this cover of The Apostle Murders and begin an across-country journey into the mind and heart of a killer.

Crime happens around us every day. No one is safe from predators that seek their next victim. But the true victims are innocent children targeted by pedophiles whose lust drive them to kidnap children to satisfy their inner perversions.

Read the true story of Steven Stayner, a 7-year old boy kidnapped in Merced, California while walking home from school. Steven was held captive for 7 years by pedophile Kenneth Parnell before escaping and rescuing another kidnapped child and returning him to his family. Steven became a national hero and a voice for child safety, helping children avoid the horrors he had suffered.

Click on this cover to order From Victim to Hero -- The Untold Story of Steven Stayner in paperback, Kindle, or Nook. It will help you protect your most valuable possessions; your children.

This book is endorsed by Safety Kids, Inc., as well as The Surviving Parents Coalition.

Now for my final plug.... Just in time for Christmas, my new children's book, Strangers in the Stable is a delightful telling of the nativity, looking at the birth of Jesus Christ from the viewpoint of the animals in the stable that first Christmas. Illustrated in beautiful 3-D graphics, see what the animals saw that fateful night the world changed forever. Click on this cover to order your copy of Strangers in the Stable.

Well, that's it for this week. I hope you enjoyed my blog. If you did, please pass my link on to your friends and family. If you've never read a Jim Laughter book, I believe you would enjoy any (and all) of them. I'd love to hear from you. See ya next time.....

They are at it again

I am flabbergasted and disgusted at the ignorance and audacity of this pack of scam artists preying on elderly citizens in the country and our apparent inability to do anything about it.

If you’ve read my last two postings, you know that I was the target of a scam artist, and that I filed an official report with the United States Secret Service and the Bessemer, Alabama police department. Both ordeals were frustrating days for me and I’m not sure I accomplished anything except to spend a lot of time on the phone.

But you’re not going to believe the phone call I got today. I know I couldn’t believe it when I answered the phone and another one of those Nigerian con artist thieves was on the line again. This time he said his name was Mr. Parkinson. I couldn’t understand him very clearly and had to have him repeat himself several times, but I finally to the bottom of it.

I guess my stock has gone down a little in the scammer’s eyes. Today I only won $150,000, and no new car. But the investment wasn’t as much either. Today the scam was for only $150, only 1/10^th of 1 percent of the total prize. And all I had to do today was go to a local CVS drug store or Radio Shack and buy one of their Brown Dot gift cards, and then call the Nigerian crook back. He said when I got the gift card; his courier would come to my house to pick up the card in exchange for the $150,000 check.

Well, I really hate being taken for a fool, and to have these low-life, sewer-crawling, slime-bellied, vomit-eating Nigerian sons-of-hyenas call me twice in an eight day period just makes me crazy. But I try to be a gentleman, so I listened to this hairball until I just couldn’t take it any longer. So I told him that I knew who and what he was, then I told him what I thought he was, and in no uncertain terms. Then I hung up the phone because my time is valuable to me and I have better things to do than talk to a crook.

Then my phone rang again and this arrogant jerk weed asked me why I hung up on him as if he was doing me some kind of favor by assuming I was a total fool that can’t tell when my backside is on fire.

I didn’t spend much time on the phone with Mr. Parkinson because by this time I was really upset. I tried to pick my words carefully and small enough that this scavenger could understand. I don’t think they’ll call back, but you never know. Ignorance and arrogance run in packs.

But as Paul Harvey used to say, now for the rest of the story.

I thought that since these low-life dirt bags are using local businesses to finance their thievery, I should call CVS Pharmacy and Radio Shack and alert them to watch for elderly people coming in to their stores to buy gift cards, and to have their clerks ask these people why they are buying the card. Then if the person says they’re buying it because they’ve won money, the clerk can advise the senior citizen of the scam and advise them not to buy the card.

I spoke to the manager on duty at CVS Pharmacy and he took my call graciously and assured me he would pass the information on up his management ladder to send out a nationwide memo to all CVS Pharmacies. Radio Shack, on the other hand, was a different story. I guess their focus is on selling the merchandise, not just good customer service. The manager I spoke to wasn’t really interested in my story, so I asked for their corporate contact information. She gave me the names of their two district managers, which I called. I wasn’t able to speak to either manager, so I left my name and phone numbers and a message that I needed to speak to them about the possibility of their business being used as a part of a scam. I’ve still not heard back from either of them. We’ll just have to wait and see.

I wish I had been thinking more clearly when I was on the phone with Mr. Parkinson, and before I told him to never call me back, and before I called him every dirty name I could think of without actually cursing at him. If I had been thinking, I would have gone to CVS and purchased the gift card, but for $1.50 instead of $150. Then I would have called the police and had them at my house when the courier arrived to pick up the card in exchange for the bogus check.

But I wasn’t thinking straight. I was just plain old mad. I just wonder if these people are really as stupid as I think they are. I wonder if these fools will call me again next Friday. I think I’ll stay home by my phone and hope to hear from another Nigerian scumbag that preys on elderly U.S. citizens that don’t have anyone watching out for their interests.

Come on, sucker ….! Call me again… I dare you….

Let me invite you to visit my website www.jimlaughter.com to take a look at my books. I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll like. And if you have a Kindle or Nook reader or application, you can purchase any of my novels for only $2.99 (Strangers in the Stable children's book excluded).