Training service dogs is a highly motivating and rewarding job.
Since discovering the amazing effect that loving, well-trained K9 companions can have on disabled humans, the need for Service Dogs continues to outdo the number of animals available.
So — is there anything cuter or more inspirational than a pet bed filled with sleeping puppies?
Recently, the New York Times recognized a Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) veteran service organization partner, Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), as “having one of the best animal webcams on Earth.”
The WCC “Puppy Cam” features staff working with service dogs in various stages of their development, from newborn puppies in a nursery to being trained as full-grown Service Dogs.
“We continue to be amazed by the connections and positive impact the WCC Puppy Cam on Explore.org has on people all around the world,” explained Rick Yount, executive director and founder of Warrior Canine Connection, in a recent news release.
“Especially during the pandemic, we have heard from doctors in the ER, teachers instructing virtual classes, and people who find comfort and joy in seeing these future service dogs develop and grow right before their eyes. Besides being adorable, these pups will go on to serve our nation’s Veterans in a deep and profound way.”
This summer, WWP announced its support of Warrior Canine Connection, providing “funding for its Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program and its popular puppy webcam. The funding helps expand the program reach to WWP warriors across the country, especially those in WWP’s Independence Program, who may benefit from it most.”
Training a service dog for a fellow veteran provides “a valuable opportunity for a warrior living with invisible wounds to reintegrate into civilian life.”
MBTR can help reduce stress, improve concentration and executive functioning, reduce irritability, and facilitate social reintegration through training the service dogs.
By interacting with the dogs as they move from puppyhood, to training, to adult service dogs, warrior trainers benefit from physiological and psychological animal-human connection.
“It’s wonderful that people can watch the journey these dogs take toward becoming service animals so they can improve the quality of life and mental health for wounded veterans,” said Melanie Mousseau, WWP program operations and partnerships vice president.
“We’re grateful for the work that Warrior Canine Connection is doing with warriors and look forward to seeing the impact these dogs make in the years to come.”
These ongoing Service Dogs programs in these trying times are inspiring, man, inspiring.
IF SO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT WOLFBLOOD — MY MOST POPULAR ANIMAL STORY:
“I JUST READ WOLFBLOOD AGAIN FOR GOOD MEASURE. ONE FOR ANY WOLF LOVER. ENJOYED IT BUT WISH IT WAS A FULL LENGTH NOVEL.” – Gina Chronowicz @ginachron
“GREAT SHORT STORY! DOES REMIND ME OF CALL OF THE WILD, WHITE FANG…” – Evelyn @evelyn_m_k
A “tense, heart-tugging and impossible-to-stop-reading” tale in the Jack London Tradition about a lone Gray Wolf and it’s search for a place in the far-flung Northern wilderness. FREE TO READ ==> WOLFBLOOD: A Wild Wolf, A Half-Wild Husky & A Wily Old Trapper
This post is published on November 1st, 2020 with November 11, Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, in mind.
Learn more about the veteran service organizations WWP works with. About Wounded Warrior Project: Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition.
WARRIOR CANINE CONNECTION: From Cute Puppies on Webcam to Training Service Dogs for War Veterans
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Animal Communication: Pet Stories, Whispering, Telepathy & Andre Norton…
Surra’s color was still sand-yellow, her muzzle and ears foxlike, her paws fur sand-shoes. But she was four times the size of her remote forefathers, as large as a puma, and her intelligence was higher even than those who had bred her guessed. Now Storm laid his hand on the cat’s head, a caress she graciously permitted.
To the spectator the ex-Commando might be standing impassively, the meerkats clinging to him, his hand resting lightly on Surra’s round skull, the eagle quiet on his shoulder. But an awareness, which was unuttered, unheard speech, linked him with animals and bird.
The breadth of that communication could not be assessed outside a “team,” but it forged them into a harmonious whole, which was a weapon if need be, a companionship always…
I was 14 when I first read THE BEAST MASTER by Andre Norton
I loved her concept of animal-human telepathic teams. To me, Andre’s character Hosteen Storm took Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan the next step: not just understanding and speaking a common language, but a deeper connection. With deeper possibilities.
In Andre, I had discovered one of the essential creative writers of my life.
I learned that she had first explored the idea of a telepathic bond between animals and humans in her 1952 novel DAYBREAK: 2250 AD (STAR MAN’S SON) and followed up with novels such as STORM OVER WARLOCK and CATSEYE.
I had kind of had such a relationship a few years earlier with my cat Hunter — a gentle and loving (with me) grey Manx tomcat, who fought for his place with other barn cats in the area. He had the scars to prove it. And he brought me home mice and purrs and sandpaper licks.
I’ve never forgotten Hunter. And welcomed and loved other cats since. In my teens I had a picaro cat I called Loki. Since meeting my Mary Lee, we’ve had cats, of course. And dogs. A Husky, my first dog. I named him King, after Sergeant Preston’s lead dog, Yukon King. A one-man dog. There are others…
So what are your thoughts on Animal Communication? Writers like Andre Norton?
Here, from “conscious communication” coach and writer Stephanie Rachel Alt, is a Guest Article that gives a fascinating look into Animal-Human Communication…
“Animal Telepathy – Do You Believe Animals Can Understand What We Think and Feel?”
I never get tired reading amazing animal stories; how pets alert their owner’s when there is danger, and act as guides for those who are physically impaired.
The astonishing tales of lost animals who find their way back home after years and miles of trekking. For many of us, our animals are like additional children in the family with whom we share a mutual love and devotion. So when I learn of animals who go to extremes to protect or find their people it affirms these deep connections.
I recently read a very touching and endearing book titled WESLEY THE OWL: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl, by Stacey O’Brien.
Aside from their extraordinary nineteen year relationship I was most taken with was the empathic and telepathic bond that formed between them.
Do you have out of the ordinary animal stories to share?
We’ve had a number of cats, two dogs and three guinea pigs over the years.
When our guinea pigs were alive I’d hear them start squealing as soon as I opened the garage door. They were upstairs in the front bedroom of our house. Somehow they knew we were home, or perhaps their sense of hearing was exquisite.
When my daughter was battling the Shingles virus, I often found her cat sleeping on top of her, directly over the inflamed areas. Isn’t it uncanny how a pet knows when you are distressed? Without beckoning them they often rouse from sleeping to come and settle by your side.
But the most extraordinary pet story I have to share defies logic.
Our cats used to go outside in the backyard. My son’s cat Loki was a great hunter. I have one phobic reaction which is seeing and dealing with dead animals. I’ve worked in a Pediatric I.C.U. and a Burn Unit without upset, but my children will attest to how I “freak” seeing lifeless creatures.
It was actually my daughter’s seventh birthday. I woke up early to set her presents on the table before she came down for breakfast. I let the cats outside and set the table festively. When I opened the slider door to let the cats back inside a beheaded bird lay gorily on the mat.
I shrieked and scolded Loki; killing for sport and not out of necessity. “I just fed you! You didn’t need to kill that beautiful bird. I hate dead birds. If you want to bring me a present, bring me flowers instead”, I scoffed.
The following morning I reminded him, “… just flowers” as I let him out.
When I returned a few minutes later to call him back inside I found a large fern frond on the doormat in place of a mauled bird! I kid you not. Neither of my children was awake, and I am certain no one snuck over the fence during the night.
There is an incredible anecdote in O’Brien’s book about how she successfully used visual imagery and talked to Wesley the barn owl to prepare him for having his overgrown beak filed down and his talons clipped.
I am fascinated by the field of animal whispering. I truly believe animals have the capacity to understand what we are thinking and feeling. What do you think? – Stephanie Rachel Alt
Thanks, Stephanie. I agree. Not only do I believe that our closest animal family members can understand us — we can also understand Them!
From the very beginning my heroes have been the great animal story writers. Sir Charles G D Roberts, Grey Owl, Jack London, Ernest Thompson Seton, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Then came our beloved Andre Norton, eh? For more, SEE Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Tribute to Tarzan’s Creator, A Personal Hero.
About Stephanie Rachel Alt…
Stephanie Rachel Alt “holds a Masters degree in Counseling/Human Development from Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY. She’s also Master Certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (N.L.P.) and hypnosis. Stephanie teaches her clients to use ‘intuitive intelligence,’ logic and reason, in daily life and decision making. She created ‘Of 2 Minds’ Coaching and Consulting services, to offer these services; intuitive readings, intuitive coaching, conscious communication &NLP techniques in online sessions. She currently lives in Salinas, California.” Stephanie can be found on Facebook.
Animal Communication: Pet Stories, Whispering, Telepathy & Andre Norton
“Ho, Lura!”
The cat paused at his exultant call and swung the dark brown mask of her face toward him. Then she meowed plaintively, conveying the thought that she was being greatly misused…
She was beautiful indeed.
Animal Communication: Pet Stories, Whispering, Telepathy & Andre Norton
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TO THE RESCUE: New Heartwarming TV Stories of Rescue Dogs from Tommy Habeeb
Thank God, many animal rescue shelters that had to shut down because of Covid-19 have re-opened!
Good folks seeking their own rescue are again finding their “Furever Friends.” In these high-tension days, we need loving companionship more than ever. We have each other — and being welcomed home by joyous tail-wags and kisses just completes our day. All you need is love.
Some are predicting that by Rescue Dog Day 2021 next May, “We’ll be celebrating the end of Covid by praising our beloved Rescue Dogs who got us through the Worst of Times.”
But now: “Harrowing and heartwarming stories of rescue dogs will help us escape our 2020 nightmare.”
The new docu-series “To The Rescue” features veteran TV producer-personality Tommy Habeeb as he shares “the astonishing story of dogs and the humans who rescue them.” The half-hour weekly syndicated TV series is promoted as “premiering Saturday, October 17, airing in over 200 markets nationwide.” [1]
Each episode follows stories that “intertwine the work of animal rescue organizations, municipal animal shelters, transporters, behaviorists and foster families to reveal what it really takes to help the most at-risk dogs find their forever families.”
“Thousands of people are working tirelessly every day to save dogs who need their help,” explains Habeeb. “And our show lifts the veil on the world of dog rescue and the incredible work of these everyday heroes…
“It takes a team to save a dog’s life. So, while ‘To The Rescue’ is ultimately a story about dogs, it’s also about all the amazing people who go to great lengths to rescue them.”
As Habeeb, who founded his own dog rescue organization, Forever Family Rescue Foundation, concludes, “Each of their stories is only a small piece of the puzzle, but together, these amazing tales of hope and redemption show us that there’s no wrong way to come to the rescue.”
“To The Rescue” is a passion project for Habeeb and has taken over two years to develop, produce and distribute.
The perfect TV show for these times. This family won’t miss an episode!
[1] In a career spanning two decades, Tommy Habeeb is best known to television audiences as the original host of the long-running syndicated series “Cheaters.” However, since pioneering the reality genre in the late 90s, he has created, produced, hosted, or otherwise appeared in more than a dozen reality series.
To learn more about TV producer-personality Tommy Habeeb, go to his website https://tommyhabeeb.com. And get the latest updates about “To The Rescue” 0n Twitter @ToTheRescueTV.
SOURCE: To The Rescue TV, PRNewswire & Civilized Bears
TO THE RESCUE: New Heartwarming TV Stories of Rescue Dogs from Tommy Habeeb
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As you sit at your writing desk, searching for “best selling books of the year” and “top book marketing services,” you wonder “What must I do to get my book sold?” It’s all about learning the basics of book marketing.
With the expertise of book marketing writer Alana Johnson, we’ve crafted this savvy look at the best ways you can increase sales of your finished book, fiction or non-fiction…
Here are our Ten Best Book Marketing Tips to help increase your book sales.
“These common and uncommon strategies will help you create exposure for your book,” says Alana.
As an aspiring or published author, book marketing is of the greatest importance to your career. At some point — if you haven’t already reached it — you will come to understand that you must take matters into your own hands to market your book.
In today’s market, knowing how to sell a book on Amazon becomes critical. And building a readership for an E-book is more important than selling the paper edition, at least at first.
So let’s take care of business. If you’re reading this article you have an interest in the subject matter, yes? This is “target marketing.” Devise a plan that works for you! What are your strengths, weaknesses and resources? Know what you can and cannot do. Keep your costs down.
Here are our Top Ten Book Marketing Tips to help you get started:
1. Set up an Author’s Website. Use a top platform (WordPress is #1) — that takes care of everything like formatting, coding and design so you can totally concentrate on WRITING YOUR BEST WORK! Showcase samples of your writing: from personal blog posts to free short stories. An effective online Author’s Platform will not only help you build your readership but gives potential editors and agents a chance of finding you.
2. Create a Book Cover that sells the sizzle. Cover Image, Title and Blurb (or Sub-title) must catch potential readers at FIRST GLANCE.
3. Establish a Fan Page on Facebook (this is a great online viral marketing tool). It’s popular because it works. Facebook is still the Number One social media in the world.
4. Create an Instagram profile. And add pictures that would attract your targeted audience. Be sure to include your Author Website URL in your profile so viewers can find you.
Local Sales…
5. P.O.S. – Point of Sales is both a checkout counter in a store and the location where a transaction occurs. Consider selling copies of the paper edition of your book in a local Mom & Pop store and have them place it near the register.
6. Library Press Release – Are you a member of your local library? Once your book has been published, meet with the branch manager and ask her to issue a press release in the library system’s newsletter.
7. Trade Shows and Festivals – Set up shop (if you have enough printed editions of your book) or just mingle at local trade shows and festivals. This gives you an opportunity to connect with your community and prospective readers.
8. Giveaways – Free Copies of the Print Edition of your latest title offered to prospective readers. Either through Goodreads or your Author Website, offer a free copy of your book to be won by a set number of applicants on a set date — winners will be announced.
9. Local Radio Station – Contact a local radio station. Preferably one that will have listeners who might be interested in your book. Public Radio and (in Canada) CBC Radio are ideal — in both cases local interviews are often replayed on their national networks. Explain that you’ve written a book and would like them to do a feature on you.
10. Celebrity Article – Discuss a celebrity in detail on your Blog or Author Website and your article will come up in searches associated with that person.
Did you like any of these book marketing ideas? There are more ways to market your book online and offline through common and unique marketing strategies.
Keep your eyes open when you are out and about. Your neighborhood can offer many untapped book marketing tips you’ve never considered. An online search with quotation marks will also help you better target your research and deliver more effective results.
Keep encouraged and take your book to the heights you believe it will reach!
“ARE YOU A WRITER WHO JUST WANTS TO WRITE?”
You want to build a hot new Author’s Platform? You need WordPress!
Besides giving indispensable Marketing Tips, Alana Johnson has also written a number of knowledgeable book-marketing articles such as “Increasing Your Book Sales,” “Creating Book Exposure and Promotion,” “3 Simple Book Sales Techniques,” “Getting Online Book Sales,” “Book Marketing Profits” and “Building an Author Platform.”
Brian Alan Burhoe has written about Animals and our endangered Wilderness for years, with his best work — both “heartwarming, insightful and powerful” fiction and far-ranging non-fiction — gathered on his Civilized Bears website. SEE CIVILIZED BEARS Homepage.
WRITING ADVICE: Top Ten Book Marketing Tips for New & Established Authors – How to sell a book on Amazon – WordPress theme for writers.
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Writing Advice: Check out CyberChimps — The Hot New FREE Theme for WordPress!
WordPress is the easiest platform for Writers. And CyberChimps is WP at its best. Release the Chimps!
“CyberChimps Responsive Theme goes beyond builders and options. We’ve also developed a suite of exclusive plugins that come bundled with your purchase, adding an extra layer of flexibility. This means the possibilities with the CyberChimps Responsive Themes are limitless.”
Designed for new or established authors, as well as publishers and libraries, the visual effects of these themes are stunning.
You can use its prestyled e-commerce theme, Widgetized homepage, Multiple layout options — and so much more! And yes, it is mobile responsive, a necessity.
Writing advice: And it was picked #1 by WPForms in their updated “20 Best WordPress Themes for Authors and Writers for 2024” on their Pro Tips Blog.
Writing advice “WordPress is my favorite online platform. Perfect for writers who want to WRITE — and you can let WP do everything else for you!” – Brian Alan Burhoe
Why is it so important to have your own professional online Author’s platform?
“An author platform by definition is having a following or built up readership, an existing group or individuals who are familiar with you and your work,” explains Alana Johnson, who has written top-notch articles about book marketing.
“Having a platform helps agents and editors decide if they want you as a client. A writer, who comes with her own readers all ready to purchase her book, is far more appealing and likely to sell titles than someone who isn’t well known.
“As an author you will have to market yourself and your books, if you want to be successful. You have to build up momentum. The keyword nowadays is ‘buzz.’ You have to build up buzz about you and a buzz about your book.
“An Author Website will communicate to your existing readers and offer information for new potential readers. It will include your biography (this can cover whatever information you decide to share with viewers); any events you will be attending; other books you have written and of course a sales page for readers to purchase your book(s).
“When establishing your theme for the site, you should know what type of persona you are trying to portray and be consistent with that theme.
“Be sure to reply promptly to all posts or messages you receive through the site. This will show your readers that you genuinely care about them and their feedback.
“Can you create your author platform before you are accepted by an agent or offered a book contract? Can you build up the momentum before your book is published and sitting on bookstore shelves? Of course you can, and you can do so without spending a lot of money or driving yourself crazy.” Thanks Alana!
Writing advice: Want to build a hot new Author’s Platform? You need WordPress! And WordPress needs CyberChimps!
“Cyber Chimp is a Lovable Guy and one of the Top New Gurus who explore and live Online…
“Recently, CyberChimps has become a Plugins Machine, joining the ranks of Yoast SEO, Jetpack, WordFence Security, WP Rocket, MonsterInsights and WooCommerce. He’s a world maker, and he’s ready to unleash a barrel of fun.”
ABOUT Marketing Guru Alana Johnson: Besides “Building an Author Platform,” Alana Johnson has also written great book marketing articles such as “Increasing Your Book Sales,” “Creating Book Exposure and Promotion,” “3 Simple Book Sales Techniques,” “Getting Online Book Sales” and “Curing Writer’s Block.” Her article “How To Get Writing Jobs” has been extremely helpful to freelance writers. Based in Connecticut, Alana is affiliated with Quality Life Resources.
WRITING ADVICE: Best Free WordPress Plugin Theme for Authors – AUTHOR PRO
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“In honor of National Service Dog Awareness Month, Purina Dog Chow is launching its third annual ‘Service Dog Salute’ campaign!”
It’s National Service Dog Awareness Month. Time to recognize the increasing importance of Service Dogs in our lives. And in the lives of men and women we know. Dogs are about love, loyalty and concern — it’s natural for them, even in a time when human kindness seems to be dying in the streets. They’re wonderful to see, their distinctive vests worn with pride, a uniform.
A service dog can be life-changing in helping veterans with PTSD and other post-combat challenges.
Unfortunately, due to the cost and time it takes to train a service dog, less than 1% of veterans in need can obtain one. Dog Chow is on a mission to help change that. The Service Dog Salute campaign supports the care and training of more service dogs for America’s military veterans — so that every hero in need can find a canine hero of their own.
Psychiatric service dogs are not the same as emotional support, therapy or companion dogs. Like service dogs for the blind, deaf and physically disabled, psychiatric service dogs for veterans must be specifically trained to help their handler perform tasks they cannot otherwise perform on their own. The training process can take from one to two-and-a-half years to learn to perform tasks such as:
Placing body weight on the veteran to promote a sense of calm during panic attacks
Waking the veteran from upsetting dreams or night terrors
Reminding the veteran to take medications
Alerting the veteran when someone is approaching from behind
Patrolling the perimeter of a room for triggers and threats
Over the next year, Dog Chow will follow the journey of several service dogs in training that are currently preparing to serve a veteran in need.
To help spread the word about the benefits of service dogs and how dog owners can help, radio and TV personality and avid military advocate Bobby Bones is joining forces with Dog Chow’s Service Dog Salute campaign for a second year.[1]
“Service dogs provide so many benefits for military veterans, but it can cost over $20,000 on average to train one service dog – and less than 1 percent of veterans who need one can get one,” explained Bobby Bones in a new press release from PRNewswire.
“When our veterans come home from service, they may not be equipped to live their life without these dogs. I’m honored to be a part of a program that is helping more veterans get the service dogs they need.”
Donations collected by Dog Chow will be split equally between the Pets & Vets program at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) and Got Your Six Support Dogs.[2] Over the last three years, Dog Chow has donated over $700,000 to support the training of more service dogs for military veterans.
“As a veteran, I am sensitive to the many issues fellow veterans face as they transition after their service; those who faced combat often have the greatest challenges” said Steve Degnan, Chief Human Resources Officer for Nestlé Purina North America. “It’s a privilege to be able to help my fellow service members, and I am proud that Dog Chow supports our nation’s military veterans in such an important and needed way.”
Purina and Dog Chow are also working with members of Congress in support of federal legislation to provide training and service dogs for veterans.
The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act (HR4305) will create a pilot program in the VA to give veterans access to treatment derived from working with service dogs. The bill has been approved by the House, but still awaits passage in the Senate. To support this legislation, Dog Chow is asking supporters to visit DogChow.com/service to send an email to their state senators urging them to pass the bill.
If you or a veteran you know could benefit from a service dog, or to learn more about Dog Chow’s efforts, visit DogChow.com/service-Dogs-for-Veterans.
Note: Do service dogs have to wear vests? In the U. S. there are no laws strictly requiring it. In Canada, it depends on the province. In Ontario, guide dogs are expected to be clearly apparent. Vests serve an important function: they alert people around the dog and its human that this is a trained companion with an important job to do.
[1] “Bobby Bones, VP, Creative Director of iHeartCountry, is host of the nationally syndicated radio show, The Bobby Bones Show, which is the #1 Country morning show.” Visit bobbybones.iheart.com for more information.
[2] Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) is an award-winning, nationally recognized leader for its unique mission of “People Rescuing Animals…Animals Rescuing People®.” To learn more, visit arflife.org/pets-and-vets.
“Got Your Six Support Dogs is committed to providing specialized service dogs to veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and/or sexual trauma.” For more information about Got Your Six Support Dogs or to donate, please visit gotyoursixsupportdogs.org/.
Source: Purina Dog Chow, Bobby Bones & Civilized Bears
SERVICE DOG SALUTE: Service Dogs for PTSD Awareness Month
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“National Laws are Badly Failing Wild Animals,” Reveals Wildlife Advocate in Newly Published Book. It’s Time To Outlaw Animal Captivity! Free Them!
LICENSING LAWS & ANIMAL WELFARE: The Legal Protection of Wild Animals by Dr Liz Tyson – Book Review.
“Despite the fact most would agree that family pets should not be kicked and elephants should not be beaten with pitchforks, views on the extent to which animals should be protected from the actions of people are still the cause of much debate.” Dr Elizabeth Tyson, from the introduction to her new book.
For all our valiant efforts, the widespread destruction of our wildlife continues on a worldwide scale. Poachers continue to decimate endangered species for profit. Trophy hunters continue to use cruel government-sponsored “hunts” to kill big animals for thrills. Hired thugs continue to capture wild animals for corporate and private clients.
Zoos and travelling circuses still exist.
Even in America, government institutions from President Teddy Roosevelt’s historic National Parks to President Richard Nixon’s wonderful Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are now being compromised. Sad.
In a press release, the animal advocacy group Born Free USA has announced the publication of an important study of national Animal Welfare laws, or the lack of them…
LICENSING LAWS & ANIMAL WELFARE: The Legal Protection of Wild Animals, a new book by Dr Elizabeth Tyson of Born Free USA, calls for “reform in the way animal welfare is regulated, arguing that current legislative approaches prioritize the needs of industries that exploit animals over and above the needs of the animals themselves.” [1]
“If we are genuinely concerned about the welfare of wild animals, outlawing their keeping in captivity is the only way to ensure that their needs are meaningfully met,” Dr Tyson writes.
While the research in LICENSING LAWS & ANIMAL WELFARE focuses largely on the regulation of zoos in Tyson’s native England, she says that the findings are applicable globally. Her work discovered that zoos in England, a country which prides itself on its progressive animal welfare laws, were found to have breached relevant laws on almost 2,000 occasions during the study period between 2008 and 2019.
Despite this, only 18 instances of correct enforcement action were carried out by government officials. A similar model of licensing is used to regulate zoos in the U.S., and Tyson points out that similar issues can likely be found stateside.
Tyson highlights the weaknesses in using licensing systems to assess and ensure animal welfare, arguing that inspections are frequently little more than a rubber-stamping exercise. Some inspections intended to establish the level of care provided to thousands of animals are carried out over a single working day, or less.
“Laws that are, ostensibly, designed to protect animals invariably contain caveats, which allow for their continued exploitation,” Tyson says.
“Animals are rarely truly protected, whether that be due to exemptions such as those in the U.S. Animal Welfare Act, which simply omit entire species of animal, such as mice and birds used in research, as well as farmed animals, from their oversight, or those such as the U.K.’s overarching animal welfare law, which explicitly allows practices such as chopping off birds’ beaks or parts of their wings without the use of anesthesia.”
Tyson argues that “if society is serious about protecting animals, laws must be designed with the specific needs of those animals in mind, rather than the current model of molding legislation around the needs of the industries that use animals. If we were to approach regulation of animal welfare in this way, it’s likely that we would have to accept that many, if not all, species of wild animals cannot be held captive and have their welfare needs met.”
Tyson goes on to explain that “Wild animals have not been domesticated over millennia in the same way that, for example, dogs have. As such, they are genetically unchanged from their free-living cousins. When kept in captivity, it is impossible for all, and sometimes any, of their welfare needs to be met. I believe our lawmakers should be pioneering approaches which move away from the principle of animals as ‘commodities,’ towards considering them as individuals with needs which matter, and regulating for their protection accordingly.”
“The plight of wild animals in captivity is at the very heart of our work at Born Free USA,” added Angela Grimes, CEO of the organization. “We are very pleased to have Dr Tyson leading our programs to protect wildlife and applying her research to campaigning against captivity in the U.S. We congratulate her on this wonderful achievement.”
[1] About Dr. Liz Tyson: “Dr. Liz Tyson is Programs Director for Born Free USA. She is based in Texas, U.S., and is responsible for the management of the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary, where over 450 individual non-human primates are cared for following rescue or re-homing from the pet trade, zoos, or vivisection. Elizabeth was awarded her PhD in Animal Law from the University of Essex, United Kingdom, in 2018 just prior to relocating to the U.S. to take up her current role. Her doctoral research addressed the efficacy of regulatory licensing regimes as a means of protecting animals in captivity, particularly in zoos, in the U.K. This work was updated and published in 2020 in the book LICENSING LAWS & ANIMAL WELFARE: The Legal Protection of Wild Animals.”
Published Works: “Liz has worked for over 16 years in the NGO sector, focusing in large part on the conservation and care of non-human primates and as a campaigner on issues surrounding the captivity of non-domesticated animals. Her publications include: SPECIESISM AND ZOOS: Shifting the Paradigm, Maintaining the Prejudice in The Palgrave Handbook of Practical Animal Ethics (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018); THE HARMS OF CAPTIVITY WITHIN LABORATORIES AND AFTERWARD: The Ethical Case Against Animal Experiments (University of Illinois Press, 2018); MAKING IT UP AS THEY GO ALONG: Marius and the Zoo Industry’s Inconsistent Approach to Self-Regulation, Journal of Animal Welfare Law, March 2014; FOR AN END TO PINIONING: The Case Against the Legal Mutilation of Birds, Journal of Animal Ethics, Spring 2014; and REGULATING CRUELTY: The licensing of the use of wild animals in circuses, the Journal of Animal Welfare Law, January 2013.”
Source: Born Free USA, PR Newswire & Civilized Bears.
LICENSING LAWS & ANIMAL WELFARE: The Legal Protection of Wild Animals by Dr Liz Tyson – Book Review.
Animal ethics, animal experiments, animals in the wild, animal welfare, baby chimps, baby chimpanzees, book review, Elizabeth Tyson, Dr Liz Tyson, endangered species, legal protection wild animals, licensing laws, pinioning, Speciesism, wild animals, wildlife.
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Tom West ACE Double Western Book Reviews: NOTHING BUT MY GUN & TRIGGERING TEXAN
TOM WEST – Western Writer Who Influenced Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name
As I’ve written elsewhere, Tom West is my favourite Western writer.
And that’s saying a lot, considering how many talented writers lit the 20th Century up with their mythic frontier fiction. Writers who became my personal heroes — besides Tom — include Giles A Lutz, Will Henry, Louis L’Amour, Max Brand and Nelson Nye.
Tom West had well over sixty Westerns published in his lifetime. Mostly by ACE Books, first as reprints from hardcover editions, then as first book publications. Titles like BOTCHED BRAND, THE CHALLENGER, THE BUZZARD’S NEST, CROSSFIRE AT BARBED M, THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK, HANGROPE HERITAGE, LEAD IN HIS FISTS, LOBO OF LYNX VALLEY, DON’T CROSS MY LINE, SHOWDOWN AT SERANO, SIDEWINDER SHOWDOWN, SCORPION SHOWDOWN, CORRAL THIS KILLER, TWISTED TRAIL and THE TOUGHEST TOWN IN THE TERRITORY.
Loved those ACE Doubles. “Turn Over Book for 2nd Novel!” Two for the price of one. By pairing an established author with a newcomer, editor Donald A Wollheim was able to help establish the careers of a number of new writers — though in the early years, to a kid like me, they were all new.
The Doubles were published from 1952 to 1973. Sales may have been dropping by ’73, when they introduced the “ACE Tall Twin Western” with a different look and full-sized format.
And here’s the good news for an old time Western fan like me: since Tom West published well over sixty novels — there’s still some rare ones out there to collect.
I just got my paws on a new (for me!) Tom West ACE Double. Two Tom West novels.
Here’s a look at ’em…
Tom West’s NOTHING BUT MY GUN was first published as an Ace Double Western in January, 1960 (ACE D-418) with C S Park’s THE QUIET ONES on the flip side. THE TRIGGERING TEXAN first appeared in May, 1963 (ACE F-200) back-to-back with THE BIG SNOW by Frank Wynne (Brian Garfield).
They were published together for the first time in 1973 under the revamped “ACE Tall Twin Western” format (ACE-58878) — the covers shown here are from this new edition.
NOTHING BUT MY GUN – 1960
Shunned as a known outlaw’s son, his only home burned to the ground by cattlemen who thought him nothing but a squatter, “Smiler” Bill Kieth owned only three things: a horse, a saddle and a gun.
So he jogged his buckskin into the border town of Mesquito, burst through the batwings of the Silver Saddle Saloon, slammed his walnut-butted .45 on the bar and said, “This gun’s for hire!”
Silver Saddle owner Curt Hogan was quick to respond. Dressed in gambler’s black, Hogan was a bulky man with an empty smile. But he was hiring.
So the next day Kieth found himself stepping through a fly curtain into a Mexican cantina to introduce himself to an hombre named Pedro Hernandes Gonzales, the man who ramrodded the biggest gang of cattle rustlers along the Rio Grande.
Gonzales was dressed in bright clothes like a patron and wore a heavy gunbelt — a pearl-handled pistol on one side, long bone-handled knife on the other. He gazed at Kieth with sharp, piercing eyes as mean as a sidewinder snake’s.
And soon he was headed north again with Gonzale’s bunch of hardened vaqueros and Yanquis. Turns out one of the men, who called himself Cheyenne, had ridden the owlhoot trail with Bill’s father. Cheyenne knew the few surviving men of the outlaw bunch, naming one as the black-coated Curt Hogan. No, he couldn’t identify the lousy bounty hunter who had shot the elder Kieth in the back. Didn’t know what happened to the outlaw band’s reputed cache of stolen loot. And they rode north.
For Smiler Kieth, it became a time of treachery, backstabbing and hot lead…
Attracted by circling buzzards, Molly Burgess, graceful even in flannel shirt and stained Levis, pulled her horse off the trail. She expected to find a fallen steer. She found Bill Kieth, gunshot and bloody on the ground. The proud cattleman’s daughter hated what Bill had become — but her pulse still quickened when she was around him. She got him to an empty line shack. Tended Smiler’s wounds. And secretly brought food and supplies to him over the next days.
It took him over a week to heal enough to move around, but time came when Bill Kieth was able to ride back to town. For a reckoning.
TRIGGERING TEXAN – 1963
The South might have fallen, but Craig Carter, still wearing his tattered gray Confederate uniform was damned if he was.
“Your money’s no good here” had a different meaning to the soldiers returning to San Antonio, Texas in the early summer of 1866. When Carter went to pay for a beer with Confederate cash, the barkeep snatched the mug back saying, “We only handle rattling money, mister.”
And then a bad hombre called Buck Hobson made matters worse. Hobson had avoided serving in uniform during the war and made an easy fortune running cattle to New Orleans. Eyes as hard as onyx, face pockmarked and knife-scarred, the hardcase snatched up the bill, “Look at this! Confederate money, fit for nothing but to wipe your arse!”
Carter dropped him with a sledgehammer blow. Before Hobson staggered out the batwings, taunted by the crowd, he said, “Reb, this ain’t finished!” Enemy.
And then there’s Pete Corrigan, a stranger who paid for Carter’s beer. A wiry vaquero, Irish and Mexican, with hatchet features and devilment in eyes as blue as bottle glass. Friend.
Tom West could always tell an action packed yarn. With great hardass characters. And something else — the author knew the American Southwest. He travelled it often. Listen:
“In the freshness of early morning the rolling swales, clothed thick with mesquite, reflected a delicate green that seemed to pervade the entire horizon. As they pushed deeper into the brasada, the prickly pear formed thorny ramparts, hackberry clumped thick and yuccas raised distorted arms…”
Tom West wrote about these lands, barren and beautiful, and brought them to life in over sixty novels. Mostly, he wrote about a kind of mythic time, an Eternal West where the characters and the land they lived in were the whole story.
But TRIGGERING TEXAN is almost unique in his canon, dealing with an actual moment in American history. In this case, the rise of the great Cattle Drives. The creation of the mythic Cowboy.
Craig Carter signed on as trail boss of a restless herd of longhorns, and set out on a trail just being discovered, the wild trail from destitute Texas to a brand new cattle town in Kansas.
And Tom West takes us on that journey with almost day to day detail. Wild rivers. Storms. Stampedes — and more stampedes. Thirst. Desperate Indians. Ruthless Jayhawkers. Wide open frontier towns. Spanish Fever and Kansas Deputies.
Oh, and did I mention Jumbo, who Carter knew was “the most valuable man on his crew.” The Cook, of course.
This is a classic, pard.
The moral to this novel? Chew on this: if you work hard and fight hard and live true, you’ll get your herd to railhead — and get the girl. Or maybe this: if you ever get the drop on a gang of Jayhawkers out to bushwhack you, don’t let ’em go — shoot ’em while you can!
WHO WAS TOM WEST?
If you’ve never read the Bio of the man who called himself Tom West, you’re in for some surprises, my friend.
SEE my most popular Western Post, my heartfelt tribute: “Life and Works of Western Writer Tom West”
Want to learn more about Tom the man and his great Western novels?
How many books did Tom publish in his almost four-decade career? In how many countries (counting translations)? What European country translated 18 of his Westerns — and still avidly collects them? What American university has a Tom West Collection? To answer that — and much more — See MY COMPLETE & UNABRIDGED TOM WEST BIBLIOGRAPHY, Go Now To ==>>TOM WEST – The Man Who Wrote His Western Stories In Gunsmoke !
Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood and A Fistful of Dollars…
More to the point, Tom West’s novels of a violent sun-broiled American and Mexican Border Country were sold throughout Europe in the early 1960’s. Enter the young Italian film producer Sergio Leone, who in 1964 gave us Per un pugno di dollari (A Fistful of Dollars).
In my intro to MY COMPLETE & UNABRIDGED TOM WEST BIBLIOGRAPHY, I mention Tom’s “cast of cantankerous case-hardened careworn characters the like of which we may have met in real life, but rarely in fiction — well, until Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name later wandered a similar kind of a sunbaked Southwest. Remember Piripero, the grizzled old coffin-maker from A Fistful of Dollars? Right out of Tom West’s reality.” Did Sergio Leone read Tom West? Gotta feeling, folks…
Title: TOM WEST – Western Writer Who Influenced Sergio Leone – Clint Eastwood
Tom West ACE Double Western Book Reviews: NOTHING BUT MY GUN & TRIGGERING TEXAN
Keywords: ACE Doubles, ACE Double Western, ACE Double Westerns, ACE Tall Twin Western, book review, Brian Alan Burhoe, Clint Eastwood, Fred East, Gerald McConnell, George Gross, Jerome Podwil, Nothing But My Gun, Sergio Leone, Tom West, Tom West Bibliography, Tom West book list, Tom West checklist, Triggering Texan, Verne Tossey, Western writer, Western book review, who was Tom West
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BREAKING NEWS! “Born Free USA campaign challenges trophy hunting industry. Leading animal welfare organization sets the record straight on the cruel reality of what’s also called Canned Hunting.”
What is trophy hunting? Called a sport, trophy hunting is the slaughter of big game animals. Animals such as rhinos, elephants, lions, tigers, zebras, mountain sheep, bears (black and grizzlies), cougars and wolves.
Many of the victims are endangered species.
Those hunters don’t care — or maybe that’s part of their perverted thrill. It’s a government-protected activity catering to the monied crowd. And it’s worldwide, from Africa to here at home.
The trophy is the complete animal (or just its severed head, skin or any other body part) that the hunter keeps to show his friends. Or enemies, I suppose.
Born Free USA is “an internationally recognized leader in animal welfare and compassionate conservation.” And has launched a six week-long campaign to raise awareness of the global impact of canned hunting. And reveal the brutal facts behind fabricated statements promoting this cruel, outdated practice. [1]
“The trophy hunting industry has unfortunately been able to persuade a segment of the public that it’s actually helping save endangered species. Yes, species like lions, tigers, elephants, and rhinoceroses by killing them for so-called sport,” explained Angela Grimes, CEO of Born Free USA.
“But hunting these threatened animals as recreation and then showing off their heads or other body parts doesn’t do anything to help vulnerable populations. And this is a chance to set the record straight.”
The facts about canned hunting tell a different story from the one presented by hunting advocates:
Fiction: “Trophy hunting helps maintain wildlife populations.” Fact: Trophy hunting weakens wildlife populations by killing off the strongest and healthiest animals. Which are considered better trophies. Hunters frequently target endangered species and contribute to the global wildlife trade that threatens biodiversity and wilderness habitats.
Fiction: “Trophy hunting provides economic support for local communities and conservation efforts.” Fact: The trophy hunting industry benefits a small group of outfitters, sponsors, and government agencies. Very little of the money it generates is invested in local economies, creates jobs, or is distributed to conservation organizations. Animal-friendly eco-tourism, however, is different. It offers an efficient, sustainable, and cruelty-free economic opportunity.
Fiction: “Trophy hunting is a sport.” Fact: Trophy hunting guides lure animals with bait. They target animals in and around protected land that are accustomed to humans. They even shoot them from helicopters. In Canned Hunting Operations, “hunters” pay thousands of dollars to kill animals that have been raised in captivity. Or imprisoned in steel cages, shooting them in an enclosed area from which the animals cannot escape. There’s nothing sporting about this!
Born Free USA’s Trophy Hunting Campaign coincides with the fifth anniversary of the death of Cecil the Lion.
In a case that provoked widespread outrage, an American hunter and his guide used bait to lure Cecil from a protected Zimbabwe National Park. They wounded the big lion, leaving him to suffer overnight before returning to kill him 0ver 10 hours later.
Despite the negative public reaction to Cecil’s death, the United States continues to allow trophy hunters to import trophies into the U.S. from around the world. And allows domestic trophy hunting of iconic species like wolves, black and grizzly bears, and mountain lions.
“There’s nothing sporting about this practice,” Grimes concluded. “The animals targeted by the trophy hunting industry are facing shrinking habitats, increased contact with humans, and reduced populations. Many of them are on the verge of extinction. They need to be protected, not hunted.”
“Born Free USA works to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect. And are able to live their lives according to their needs. We oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belong. In the wild! Born Free USA’s Primate Sanctuary is the largest in the United States. It provides a permanent home for more than 450 primates rehomed from laboratories or rescued from zoos and private ownership.” For more information, visit www.bornfreeusa.org/trophyhunting.
SOURCE: Born Free USA, PRNewswire & Civilized Bears.
What is Trophy Hunting? Facts & Fiction Re Killing Wildlife for Sport.
Africa, ban trophy hunting, canned hunting, Cecil the lion, elephant hunting, and endangered species. Lion hunting, southwest trophy hunting, trophy hunting facts, and trump trophy hunting. What is trophy hunting? Wildlife conservation, wildlife in need, wildlife refuge, wildlife rescue, wildlife warriors.
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BROTHERS IN BLOOD: Ed Gorman’s Mountie Novels as by Daniel St James
Just as U.S. Marshall Frank Adams was about to set down his schooner of beer and face the man who’d just called him a name, the man decided to up the ante. He wasn’t going to settle for just a good old all-American fistfight; he was going to insist on gunplay.
The man’s hand was already dropping to his holster…
— From the novel COLD DEATH by Daniel St James.
re Mountie novels – I wrote this toward the end of my popular GREATEST WRITERS OF MOUNTIE FICTION blog post:
“A lot of the old pulp writers got Canada, our history, our mythology and our Mounted Police routines wrong. Just plain out wrong! And that’s continued with those more modern paperback action-packed Western series — as soon as our gun-totin’ hero crosses north of the border, he leaves the real world behind. Basic research doesn’t apply. The author doesn’t give a damn.”
It was a patriot’s rant, yes. But it was true. And yet…
Yet there’s the Brothers in Blood trilogy, written by Daniel St James. And I’m here to praise it — or at least recommend it.
“Who is Daniel St James?”
For the longest time, I’d asked “Who is Daniel St James?”
Turns out that St James was really Ed Gorman, a top-notch mystery writer and winner of the Shamus Award (given out by the Private Eye Writers of America), the Spur Award (Western Writers of America), and the Ellery Queen Award for Lifetime Achievement in Editing (Mystery Writers of America).
Ed Gorman explained in an interview that the Brothers In Blood series “died without a trace. I got a number of angry reader letters about them. Too much sex, too much back story and too many liberties with the Canadian Mounted Police.”
Ed added, “Of course I got a few letters from people who liked them, too, one from an Australian man who’d written a number of Mountie novels himself. He seemed to like them especially. But as I said they went nowhere.” [1]
Well yes, they went somewhere.
They’re on my pinewood bookshelves right next to such beloved writers as Ian Anderson, James Hendryx, Ralph S Kendall, Trygve Lund, William Byron Mowery and Harwood Steele.
The three Brothers in Blood Mountie novels were published by Berkley Books in 1991 and 1992. The titles were BROTHERS IN BLOOD, TRACKDOWN and COLD DEATH.
The Genre That Jack Built.
The Northwestern Genre burst on the cultural scene in 1903 with the publication of Jack London’s THE CALL OF THE WILD. Followed by WHITE FANG and his collections of short stories set in the Canadian Yukon. Jack had seen the hard side of the Klondike Gold Rush, ending up in Dawson City’s St Mary’s Hospital weak from malnutrition. He had lived through the whirlwind of greed and desperation. And survived the wild sled dogs and savage wolves. His stories reflected that and more.
Robert W Service appeared with popular ballads like “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” and “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” earning him the title of Bard of the Yukon. “There are strange things done in the midnight sun…”
The Reverend Charles William Gordon, writing as Ralph Connor, followed with CORPORAL CAMERON OF THE NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE: A Tale of the MacLeod Trail. Others had written about the Mounties before in fiction, but Gordon’s Allan Cameron of Her Majesty’s North-West Mounted Police was driven by a fiery ideal, religious in its intensity, to be the instrument of justice. Allan Cameron became the first mythic Mountie in the way that Owen Wister’s mysterious stranger with a fast gun in THE VIRGINIAN became the classic Western hero.
At first, the Northwestern appeared as short stories, novels and ballads written by men and women, Canadian and American, who knew the reality of the place. They had been there.
The Western, the Northwestern & Mountie novels
But as the genre exploded with quickly-produced popular books, magazines and movies, all that mattered was that a tale be told. The Northwestern blended with the Western as the same pulp and screen writers created both. Adventure and shoot-outs were all that were needed. Through the 1910’s into the early 50’s, a strange new Canadian Northland appeared in print and especially on the silver screen.
Hollywood’s Canada was a fantastic land indeed. One of resolute red-coated Mounties, American gold prospectors, French Canadian fur trappers, wild lumberjacks, innocent outlaws, independent women. All living in a Neverending Wilderness of whitewater rivers, snow-covered high country, wolf-haunted forests and isolated log-cabin settlements.
The man who wrote as Daniel St James drew on all that.
Mountie Novels – “Bound By A Loyalty Only Brothers Could Share.”
Barton Jaeger was disguised as a Cree Indian. It was in that disguise that he murdered the Mounted Police sentry — and then entered the quarters of the sleeping Inspector Donald Adams, officer commanding of Fort Cree. He slashed again. With his bloody knife in hand and giving a loud war whoop, Jaeger ran from the police post believing he had got his revenge for the Mounties’ near destruction of his whiskey-running empire.
But Inspector Adams had left two sons. U.S. Marshal Frank Adams and his Canadian Mountie brother David set out to catch the killer, only to be drawn into a dangerous trap. So begins BROTHERS IN BLOOD. And the series.
Gorman’s other Mountie novels were…
TRACKDOWN: When four Mounties are killed in a matter of months, David and Frank Adams team up again to uncover a killer in the town of Sunset.
COLD DEATH: Frank and David Adams investigate the suspicious death of Canadian Mountie Karl Swenson, an old friend who appears to have committed suicide by setting himself on fire.
Clues & Villains
I didn’t know who Daniel St James was when I first read the books, except that he was a mystery writer. The clue was there in his villains. Not your traditional Western villain: the crooked banker trying to steal ownership of all the besieged ranches in the rich green Valley. Not your traditional Northwestern villain: crooked government official trying to steal all the richest gold claims along the freezing creeks. The Adams brothers fought all kinds of villains: bad guys — and bad women. The kind of twisted villains mystery writers love.
What I really liked was his multiple viewpoints. Quick chapters through the eyes of one character then another, two, three, sometimes four different people in a row. Although a true Northwestern should include the viewpoint of a loyal sled dog, too, I suppose. And a wild wolf. Maybe a wayward grizzly bear. Some writers (and editors, even readers) don’t like multiple point-of-view stories. I do. So did Ed. [2]
Editor Gary Goldstein
I’m guessing that the concept of Brothers in Blood was suggested to Ed Gorman by editor Gary Goldstein (“whose ideas and encouragement made this book possible”) with the TV series Bordertown in mind. Bordertown was “Cable’s #1 Original Dramatic Program” at that time. Filmed in the wilds of British Columbia, it was set in a frontier boomtown literally on the US/Canada border, policed by both a Canadian Mountie and a US Marshall.
Here’s the ending of TRACKDOWN: “The brothers left the beautiful dead woman and the small, dark shed behind, walked out into the frontier night, and vanished in the whipping snow and wind.” What? Vanished! Were they carried off by a fiendish Wendigo? Beamed up by aliens? No. Quintessential multiple-viewpoint wrap-up: a Hollywood FADEOUT.
Conclusion: All in all, Ed Gorman’s Mountie novels are worth tracking down. A bit darker than the classic Northwestern, but Hollywood’s Canada writ large. Great fun! [3]
THEN YOU’VE GOT TO SEE “THE WRITERS OF THE NORTH-WEST MOUNTED POLICE” — MY MOST POPULAR LITERARY HISTORY POST:
“Thanks for a wonderful in-depth article on Mountie fiction. I’m a big fan of the Mounties and I really enjoyed the amount of details you provided and found many, many more books to put on my wish list.” Jack Wagner
“I just discovered your blog recently and need to dig deeper into it. That post on Mountie fiction is great!” Western writer James Reasoner
An extensive look at the writers who created the magnificent Mythology of our North-West Mounted Police. My Top 10 Mountie Fiction Writers in some detail — and a look at many other authors. Amply illustrated with marvelous magazine and book covers. FREE TO READ ==> The GREATEST AUTHORS OF NORTH-WEST MOUNTED POLICE FICTION
Footnotes & Heroes:
[1] “I didn’t know who Daniel St James was…” I’ve been dropping in on Steve M’s wonderful “Western Fiction Review” for years and didn’t know that the answer to my question “Who is Daniel St James?” had been there all along. Don’t know why Google hadn’t led me there until now. See Steve’s interview with Ed Gorman at Western Fiction Review Interview Ed Gorman.
By the way, the Australian author who Ed mentions in the insightful interview is almost certainly Ian Anderson, who was proud of his novels and wrote warm-hearted letters to folks who mentioned his work, including me. Like Ed Gorman, Ian drew on all those old Hollywood Mountie movie and pulp magazine storylines he had grown up with. Ian, who had actually served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for sixteen years, also added his own knowledge and experiences to the mix.
Ian Anderson is one of my picks for the Top 10 Mountie Fiction Writers:
I doubt if any other nation’s Cultural Mythology has ever been created by such an international mix: four Americans, three Canadians, an Australian, an Englishman and a Norwegian. Two of them had served as Canadian Mounted Policemen and one was the son of the greatest Mountie of all time.
[2] “What I really liked was his multiple viewpoints.” There is something absolutely Canadian about Multiple Point of View fiction.
Here’s why. Both Margaret Atwood and Northrop Frye have commented that Canadian Literature has never produced a Mythic Hero. Our heroes are real-life hockey players and our own family members who have stoutly served in our Armed Forces. We love our Team Canada men and women who readily represent us in World Hockey Championships and the Olympics! Most of our commercial hockey players are on foreign teams.
We have no fictional heroic characters. Except perhaps for those of John Candy — his good-hearted, fumbling rogues. And Steve Smith’s Red Green: “Remember, I’m pullin’ for ya. We’re all in this together.”
While British and American film and fiction is full of Heroes (Sean Connery’s James Bond and Duke Wayne’s iconic Westerner, including Louis L’Amour’s Hondo) that reflected those countries’ cultural convictions, consternations and conquests, Canadian fiction/mythology (including our own Mountie novels) is about Wilderness and Community. All of God’s Creatures struggling together to survive and thrive. Or at least Survive.
Our True Northern novel would be one of many voices. Feeling more like a collection of interconnected short stories than an epic romance.
The Brothers In Blood cover paintings were by Keith Birdsong and tell a wonderfully strange story in themselves.
It’s true that recruits of the North-West Mounted spent long hours in the ring with the Boxing Master. They were being taught the Canadian Way: meet trouble with a courteous voice and a big John Candy smile or — if that fails — a solid right hook.
The North-West Mounted Police had been formed with the British Mounted Rifles in mind, trained in marksmanship. After President Grant had told Prime Minister Macdonald that sending the Mounties into the Canadian West was considered an Act of War, Ottawa believed it possible that the Force of only 275 men would be fighting the U.S. Cavalry for possession of the Canadian North-West Territories.
But Grant changed his mind.
And the use of firearms by a police force of 275 men sent to bring “Law and Justice” to a wild territory as big as Western Europe, populated by white traders, the Métis Nation and an Indigenous population of an estimated 24,000 men, women and children was quickly discouraged. “A Mounted Policeman should only draw his sidearm as a last resort.”
Although the Mounties did wear their sidearms. In these cover images, Birdsong decided that David Adams would leave his revolver at home.
Keith Birdsong was best known for his Star Trek illustrations. Born in Oklahoma, Keith was of the Muscogee Creek-Cherokee people. An accomplished artist. With his own offbeat outlook on life.
My biggest laugh comes from Birdsong’s saloon fight scene for COLD DEATH. At first your eye catches the big Bowie knife. Then you see the snow blowing in. I’m trying to imagine a Northern Canadian building with wide-open Southwest swinging doors. Blackflies in summer — deadly cold in winter. “Somebody close the goddamned door!”
The fact that Berkley chose Birdsong to illustrate their BROTHERS IN BLOOD books indicates that they expected great sales for Ed Gorman’s Mountie Novels.
Image Notes: Photo of Ed Gorman is by Carol Gorman. The composite image above of the Brothers in Blood Series is from Steve’s “Western Fiction Review” — individual cover art details from my own collection. Cover art of New Mystery Adventures, August 1935, is by H J Ward.
BROTHERS IN BLOOD: Ed Gorman’s Mountie Novels as by Daniel St James
In addition to: Brothers in Blood, Daniel St James, Canadian Mountie, Ed Gorman, Gary Goldstein, Ian Anderson, Keith Birdsong art, Mountie fiction, multiple point of view examples, North-West Mounted Police, U S Canadian border, Western Fiction Review, Western writer, Western Writers of America, Who is Daniel St James, writing multiple POV.
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“Especially during the pandemic, we have heard from doctors in the ER, teachers instructing virtual classes, and people who find comfort and joy in seeing these future service dogs develop and grow right before their eyes. Besides being adorable, these pups will go on to serve our nation’s Veterans in a deep and profound way.”
IF SO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT WOLFBLOOD — MY MOST POPULAR ANIMAL STORY:
I loved her concept of animal-human telepathic teams. To me, Andre’s character Hosteen Storm took Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan the next step: not just understanding and speaking a common language, but a deeper connection. With deeper possibilities.
I recently read a very touching and endearing book titled WESLEY THE OWL: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl, by Stacey O’Brien.
IF SO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ WOLFBLOOD — MY MOST POPULAR ANIMAL STORY:
Animal Communication: Pet Stories, Whispering, Telepathy & Andre Norton
Each episode follows stories that “intertwine the work of animal rescue organizations, municipal animal shelters, transporters, behaviorists and foster families to reveal what it really takes to help the most at-risk dogs find their forever families.”
In a press release, the animal advocacy group Born Free USA has announced the publication of an important study of national Animal Welfare laws, or the lack of them…
Loved those ACE Doubles. “Turn Over Book for 2nd Novel!” Two for the price of one. By pairing an established author with a newcomer, editor Donald A Wollheim was able to help establish the careers of a number of new writers — though in the early years, to a kid like me, they were all new.
NOTHING BUT MY GUN – 1960
TRIGGERING TEXAN – 1963
WHO WAS TOM WEST?
Title: TOM WEST – Western Writer Who Influenced Sergio Leone – Clint Eastwood
Turns out that St James was really Ed Gorman, a top-notch mystery writer and winner of the Shamus Award (given out by the Private Eye Writers of America), the Spur Award (Western Writers of America), and the Ellery Queen Award for Lifetime Achievement in Editing (Mystery Writers of America).
THEN YOU’VE GOT TO SEE “THE WRITERS OF THE NORTH-WEST MOUNTED POLICE” — MY MOST POPULAR LITERARY HISTORY POST:
The Brothers In Blood cover paintings were by Keith Birdsong and tell a wonderfully strange story in themselves.
