Alan M. Guy is a retired dentist and indie author. “Jake: A Murder in Brooklyn” begins when the protagonist is awakened at 3:33 a.m. from a dream. Detective Stanislaus Jakubowski (Jake) begins a quest to find the vicious murderer of his now retired, former detecting partner and mentor. Guy cautions readers that the content is raw and gritty, and “Not for everyone.”
Guy, a member of a Florida writing group, produced this work as a challenge to see if he could write without using an English word deemed to be most common in all compositions. Can you guess what word he left out?
My senior center writers’ critique group is composed of an eclectic mix of capable, original thinking, intelligent individuals, all of whom have impressed me and educated me in some way or another, to become better at this craft.
Mary Alice brings wisdom, derived from her many active years, to frequent musings: most are humorous in her unique style. A few are serious. I guess it must depend on her mood that week. All her creations, however, reflect her ability to simplify with dignity and grace those thoughts, which flow through her mind.
Carol contributes her unique ability to make us feel comfortable with her down home Wisconsin war-year childhood essays. We feel these essays must be compiled into an anthology to share with her family members. Most outstanding is her writing and rewriting remarkably reflective remembrances carefully crafted with alliterative alliterations.
Bonnie has created a semi-fictional family saga, which entertains and envelopes us with each reading in its unusual stylized format. In addition, she has a remarkable ability to listen intently and constructively critique unabashedly. Despite her recent “JOB-like” trials and tribulations, she has returned to us with her ever-positive smile and giggles.
Steve has shown an ability to artfully describe real characters. On his imaginative side, he creates fictional futuristic mysterious men secretly training for some worldly salvaging of our seas, or perhaps more, as that might be a smokescreen for something more sinister.
No one can deny Limone’s deep-seated love for his horribly damaged homeland. He expresses his spirituality so humbly as he describes his feelings towards God, Mother Earth, and his fellow human beings.
Doug has brought an unusual frank story of real people from financially humble beginnings with a style so dramatic it is enthralling just to listen. He has a fabulous matter-of-fact ability to read his story that seems like a professional actor. He has a great voice for radio.
Don’s mischievous, rebellious views of life and religion sometimes masked a great talent he possessed in many artistic aspects of his long life. His position was that he was unable to critique our fiction, which did not detract from sharing with us his well-researched writings on classical painters and Germany’s Bauhaus movement.
Jane, as facilitator, provides guidance with a well-balanced firmness to keep our group on track, combined with enough flexibility to allow some deviation, so long as it is informative or helpful to some of us in our world of writing and literature. Her lack of visual acuity, which has forced her to become an involuntary Luddite, has not deterred her ability to keep up with current events or knowledge of the technology to which she is no longer privy.
__________
Answer? The. Did he succeed?
Sharon Vander Meer 