Free 252 Page Thriller Examines Greed in High School Sports..smashwords.com

[rndballref]

Had a great tournament last weekend...sold and signed some books.  No technical fouls, no parents thrown out the gym!

Yale

[rndballref]

Getting close to booking a date to be interviewed on a major Chicago radio show!!  Details to follow.

[rndballref]

The owner of the take out fish place, Calumet Fisheries, in Chicago (site of two important scenes in Advantage Disadvantage) contacted me to tell me that 2 couples from out of town came in and asked the owner to sign my book.  The owner of the store thanked me, and offered to buy a fish dinner.  Very wierd!!

[Kevis 'The Berserker' Hendrickson]

Yale, that is too awesome! I think I'll write my neighborhood Mickey D's into my next book. Just kidding. Then again...

[AppleHeart]

I sent my sister your book and she e-mailed me asking about any follow-up books. I told her as soon as there's one, she'll be getting a copy. So, not intending to apply any pressure on you, but, how's the second book coming along?  

Re raffle basket - a very good friend of mine (she lives in MD) chose the basket and she has called me to tell me how much she enjoyed reading ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE. So has her dh, who not only is a basketball enthusiast but also loves to go to NASCAR events yearly if he could, and who also golfs weekends and would one day like to do some scuba diving. So you see, the books from you, Michael Monahan and Michael Balkind will certainly find a home in their library! In light of this, let's see, there are still 8 months before I submit the contents of my 2010 raffle basket and a little over 2 months (2nd week in July) before the actual raffling...does that give you enough time to finish the next book? Hehehe - NO pressure indeed...

The owner of the take out fish place, Calumet Fisheries, in Chicago (site of two important scenes in Advantage Disadvantage) contacted me to tell me that 2 couples from out of town came in and asked the owner to sign my book.  The owner of the store thanked me, and offered to buy a fish dinner.  Very wierd!!

Okay, guess I'm a tad weird then.

When a whole bunch of us BBNs (Board Broads Noraholics (only a few (7) that first year, 1996 and a large group, over a dozen, in 1997) from the old AOL message boards decided to come together and meet at Turn The Page Bookstore and Cafe (this is still on-going, already on our XIII get-together last July) in Boonsboro, MD, I approached Nora's son, Daniel, who had drawn a cartoon for Nora's Harlequin book LOCAL HERO, and asked him to sign it (the page) for me. You should have seen the look of surprise in his face...but he signed it for me, very graciously, probably thinking "how weird." He has since been approached by many for his signature.

So you never know what enthusiasts will do.... Heh!  

Anyway, regardless of a second book or no, I'll make your book a part of my basket, again. My small way in getting your book out there for other people to enjoy.

Will send you another copy to personalize as soon as I get it and this time I promise it will not leave my collection of signed books!

[AppleHeart]

Yale, that is too awesome! I think I'll write my neighborhood Mickey D's into my next book. Just kidding. Then again...

Hehehe... you never know.....

[rndballref]

Appleheart, my friend!

Thanks for your kind words - being included in your charity basket has been a wonderful thing for me.  As I hope you know, I am humbled by being included.

As for the sequel - I'm in a dilemna,  I've generated some interest in Advantage Disadvantage being made into a film - a few filmmakers have expressed interest, but they won't go further without a finished screenplay.  I have consulted with a successful screenwriter about how to proceed (a few structural changes in the story would apparently be necessary), and I have been working on that.

So I must reluctantly report that my next novel, which I envision to be a psychological thriller as Frank Worrell deals with his guilt, is on hold until I figure out the screenplay.

I'll keep you posted....and as always, thanks for spreading the word about my book.  It means a lot to me!

[AppleHeart]

Yale,

Great news! About the possibility of a film adaptation of Advantage Disadvantage, I mean. Many kudos to you, friend.

Okay then, that is more important. We (sister and I) will and can wait. For as long as it will take.

In case you've forgotten, I'm reminding you that I also include DVDs in the raffle basket, so whether in book form or in film, your book will be in my basket. 2010, 2011 or whenever, G_d willing!

Ciao~

ebc

Edited to add the following:

PS -- Forgot to mention that the money we raised this year will be going to the Shepardstown Library which is in the process of constructing a new, green, building. Since books have brought our group (at Adwoff) together, it’s seems like a very appropriate choice. At least that is what we all thought, including the one person who is responsible for the group coming together, NR.
 

[rndballref]

Edith, I am so proud to be included in your charity, and humbled by your continued support of my novel.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Yale

[rndballref]

Corruption, infidelity, gambling, murder.  No not the NBA.  You'll find these in Advantage Disadvantage, a sports thriller!!

[rndballref]

Get ready for basketball season with this sports thriller!

[rndballref]

Michael Jordan and Jerry Sloan inducted into the BBALL Hall of Fame.  What a great sport!!

[rndballref]

Referee meetings starting next week....basketball season is right around the corner!!

[rndballref]

It was great meeting all of the you readers who were able to come to the Brigantine Gallery in Downers Grove last Friday night.  You were all so kind!  Thank you.

[rndballref]

I just made Advantage Disadvantage available to our service men and women free for the asking under the Operation eBook Drop at smashwords.  Hope it breaks up some boredom and lifts the spirits of our brave soldiers.

Yale

[Edward C. Patterson]

Go Yale Go!

Edward C. Patterson

[rndballref]

I've already received really nice emails from service men and spouses who have downloaded my book under Operation Ebook Drop.  What a great idea (by author Edward C. Patterson) - I feel priviledged to participate.

Yale

[rndballref]

I will be interviewed on Tuesday 10/20 @ 8:30 AM CST on Chicago radio station 1530 AM.  Simulcast and show archive on www.radiochicagoland.com

Listen to how nervous I will be 

Yale

[Edward C. Patterson]

Yeah Yale and I saw on another thread that you're going to mention Operation EBook Drop. Yell it loud so Oprah can hear it. 

Ed Patterson

[rndballref]

If you read my novel you will never feel the same going to watch a high school sporting event.  This whodunit tale is told using my 17+ years as a high school basketball referee.  Don't get me wrong - I love the game, and all that is good about it.  But there is much to dislike - overzealous parents, corrupt officials, coaches looking out for their own carreers, neighborhood bookies trying to exploit the kids, etc..

So, check out Advantage Disadvantage.  It will be the best buck you've shelled out! 

Yale R. Jaffe
Author, and Basketball Referee (calls 'em like he sees 'em!)

[rndballref]

Jason, I hope you enjoy my book.  I think it should be called a thriller in a sports venue.  Love to get your feedback.

Yale

[rndballref]

I just completed an interview on Spad's Blog about my background and why I wrote Advantage Disadvantage,  Come check it out:

http://simurl.com/spadblog

[rndballref]

A local high school teacher told me that my book will be added to the options on the summer reading list for her Contemporary Literature Class.  I am flattered!

Yale

[rndballref]

Fictional stories and films about baseball and football are plentiful, but basketball stories seem to be relatively scarce. Although I'm not a huge fan of basketball, I thoroughly enjoyed Yale Jaffe's "Advantage Disadvantage." It's a welcome addition to the sports fiction genre, with its story of the development of a young basketball player, Jamal Imari. "Advantage Disadvantage" has a nice storyline with a cast of interesting and colorful characters, but to me the real attraction is the behind-the-scenes look at how promising young basketball players are recruited and groomed for college hoops. The story takes place in Chicago, but the location could be any large American city.

The cast of characters includes Jamal Imari, a talented young basketball player with a burning desire to play in college; his father Marcus, who helps with his coaching; Jamal's mother Elizabeth, who turns elsewhere for love as her marriage to Marcus falls apart; Billy Rechter, a high school basketball referee; Frank Worrell, a newspaper reporter who gets caught up in a gambling scheme engineered by Bobby G, a former gangbanger who now has a lucrative bookmaking business; Nancy Kapist, a newspaper editor who's Frank Worrell's boss and part-time lover; and Scott Venturi, the coach of Jamal's high school team who will do anything to get a college coaching job, even if it means using Jamal to get it. All these characters' lives are intertwined against the backdrop of big-city basketball as Jamal goes through the system from grade school through high school.

The author obviously has firsthand knowledge of high school basketball. It was fascinating to go behind-the-scenes to learn how players are recruited and brought up through the system. I learned about the role that the National Athletic Union (NAU) plays in running summer camps, where players are subjected to weeks of intensive training. It was equally fascinating to see what goes into the making of a referee. Who would have guessed that making the top ranks of referees was as competitive and tough as becoming a top player. Gambling rears its ugly head even at the high school level as bookmaker Bobby G conspires with reporter Frank Worrell to suck bettors into his scheme and make a killing in the playoffs. All of these elements come together at the end to make for an exciting and violent climax.

The editing for my Kindle version was very good. I did notice an occasional typo, but not enough to affect my enjoyment of the book.

Bottom line: A very enjoyable book with an engaging story, interesting characters, and an exciting build-up to a dramatic climax.

by  J Chalmers

[rndballref]

Thanks Jim... glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the kind words!

Yale