The Ghost of Atlanta in the Ebook Galore Online Bookstore!

  Wow! I have some fantastic news.

My national award winning novel, The Ghost of Atlanta, can be purchased at the new EBook Galore Website. Please click and order your copy of the Gold Medal novel in any EBook  format.

The Ghost of Atlanta Synopsis:

In The Ghost of Atlanta, Andy Michael Pilgrim faces demons from his youth that haunted his life. These are the ghosts in the crawl spaces of his life; some are real and some supernatural. After landing a job with The Atlanta Defender, Andy returns home and visits the place where he finally faces remembrances of his deceased abusive father. While walking around the grounds, he meets his mysterious cousin, Joe Boy, and finds out that the property is going to be sold by unscrupulous cousins. While Andy fights this battle, he must confront the personal demon of a possible drug addiction, breaking the color barrier at the south’s largest newspaper, The Atlanta Defender, meeting his old girl friend and fighting the lingering effects of segregation in small-town Georgia life. As the story unwinds, all these forces push Andy toward the breaking point, where he almost quits on life. Malevolent mortal deeds are committed and Andy could be next in line. “The Ghost of Atlanta” is, overall, a superbly written book. 5 stars!~Readers Favorite.

The Ghost of Atlanta on the EBook Galore Online bookstore Website:

http://ebg247.com/bookdisplays/ghost-atlanta

Fever: Little Willie John’s Fast Life, Mysterious Death and the Birth of Soul: The Authorized Biography

     Stephen King wrote: “Writing is reading and reading is writing.” I believe this and when I have the opportunity, I read as much as I can from a variety of genres. Fever: Little Willie John is an excellent biography about one of the least known soul music legends. Sometimes I will review a book, but in other cases I will get information from other sources. The information for this book is from Amazon.com. I will be listing different books from time to time on the website.

Little Willie John lived for a fleeting 30 years, but his dynamic and daring sound left an indelible mark on the history of music. His deep blues, rollicking rock ‘n’ roll and swinging ballads inspired a generation of musicians, forming the basis for what we now know as soul music.

Born in Arkansas in 1937, William Edward John found his voice in the church halls, rec centers and nightclubs of Detroit, a fertile proving ground that produced the likes of Levi Stubbs and the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. One voice rose above the rest in those formative years of the 1950s, and Little Willie John went on to have 15 hit singles in the American rhythm & blues chart, with considerable cross-over success in pop. Some of his songs might be best known by their cover versions (“Fever” by Peggy Lee, “Need Your Love So Bad” by Fleetwood Mac and “Leave My Kitten Alone” by The Beatles) but Little Willie John’s original recording of these and other songs are widely considered to be definitive, and it is this sound that is credited with ushering in a new age in American music as the 1950s turned into the 60s and rock ‘n’ roll took its place in popular culture.    The soaring heights of Little Willie John’s career are matched only by the tragic events of his death, cutting short a life so full of promise. Charged with a violent crime in the late 1960s, an abbreviated trial saw Willie convicted and incarcerated in Walla Walla Washington, where he died under mysterious circumstances in 1968.

In this, the first official biography of one of the most important figures in rhythm & blues history, author Susan Whitall, with the help of Little Willie John’s eldest son Kevin John, has interviewed some of the biggest names in the music industry and delved into the personal archive of the John family to produce an unprecedented account of the man who invented soul music.

“Little Willie John is the soul singer’s soul singer.” – Marvin Gaye.

“My mother told me, if you call yourself ‘Little’ Stevie Wonder you’d better be as good as Little Willie John.” – Stevie Wonder

“Willie John was one of the most brilliant singers you would ever want to come across, bar none. There are things that were great, there are things that were good. Willie John was past great.” – Sam Moore

“Little Willie John did not know how to sing wrong, know what I mean?”– Dion

“Little Willie John was a soul singer before anyone thought to call it that.” – James Brown

Available on Amazon.Com:

The Re-Introduction of The Ghost of Atlanta Book Ttrailer!

      This is the original “Book Trailer” to the National Award Winning the Ghost of Atlanta…click the link at the end of the story!

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    In The Ghost of Atlanta, Andy Michael Pilgrim faces demons from his youth that haunted his life. These are the ghosts in the crawl spaces of his life; some are real and some supernatural.

       After landing a job with The Atlanta Defender, Andy returns home and visits the place where he finally faces remembrances of his deceased abusive father. While walking around the grounds, he meets his mysterious cousin, Joe Boy, and finds out that the property is going to be sold by unscrupulous cousins.       While Andy fights this battle, he must confront the personal demon of a possible drug addiction, breaking the color barrier at the south’s largest newspaper, The Atlanta Defender, meeting his old girl friend and fighting the lingering effects of segregation in small-town Georgia life.
As the story unwinds, all these forces push Andy toward the breaking point, where he almost quits on life. Malevolent mortal deeds are committed and Andy could be next in line.
“The Ghost of Atlanta” is, overall, a superbly written book. 5 stars!~Readers Favorite

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J.E. Thompson new Facebook Fan Page!

I have created a new Fan page for my new book on creative Writing: “Jump Starting Your Inner-Novelist to Life” that will be published in July 2015. Please visit and Like my Fan Page…Thanks in advance! https://www.facebook.com/JEThompsonWritingmanual

J. E. Thompson Ebook Novels’ Sale Ends May 17, 2015

What a wonderful deal! You can purchase all four of my novels for your spring reading for just $4.00 in the Ebook format…that’s just $1.00 a Novel! You can buy just one or all four for the price of $1.00 for each book. My four published novels are on sale from April 17, 2015 to May 17, 2015 for half price. The regular price for the Ebook is $1.99, but I generated a fifty-percent coupon for each of the novels. The Novels include: A Brownstone in Brooklyn, Philly Style and Philly Profile, the National Gold Medal Award winning The Ghost of Atlanta and Phantoms of Rockwood.. It’s a great deal and now you can purchase all four books at a fantastic price. The sale ends: May 17, 2015! Please follow these instructions to purchase the novels. Thank You for reading my novels! Please enter the code prior to completing the checkout and the website: A Brownstone in Brooklyn https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/58281 Promotional price: $1.00 Coupon Code: HP57S Expires: May 17, 2015 Philly Style and Philly Profile https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52558 Promotional price: $1.00 Coupon Code: YP77V Expires: May 17, 2015 The Ghost of Atlanta https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/485441 Promotional price: $1.00 Coupon Code: HW35S Expires: May 17, 2015 Phantoms of Rockwood https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/353764 Promotional price: $1.00 Coupon Code: WP79E Expires: May 17, 2015

Jump Starting Your Inner-Novelist to Life! Coming in July 2015!

   I learned a few things about being a successful author after writing five novels, including a gold medal winner. Nine years of coaching hopeful writers in Evening at Emory University’s Creative writing studio convinced me that budding scribes often make unnecessary mistakes—the same mistakes.
So I thought, “why not flatten the writing curve for writers who have the talent but don’t’ know the tricks of the trade?”
My latest manual, Jump-Starting Your Inner-Novelist to Life! , harnesses nearly a decade of the teaching, writing and editing techniques my most successful students used in getting their books to publication. The manual presents a set of tools for issues such as developing captivating scenes, vivid descriptive details, living in a believable setting and other crucial elements of a successful novel.
I’ve enclosed testimonials from my students who are published authors, testimonials from writers I have tutored, valuable writing tips from my teaching, writing and publishing experiences. These tried and true nuggets of wisdom and advice will be valuable for the twenty-first century author.

What is Stream of Consciousness in a novel? Help!

I was lounging on a couch on the outside deck of the Starbucks in Tucker, Georgia enjoying a tall “Flat White” coffee drink. It was creamy and good…very good! The sun was hot, and yet a crisp cool breeze washed over the deck and kept me alert as I was reading J.D. Sallinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. The traffic on Highway 29 didn’t distract me as I was involved in reading the classic novel.
A few minutes earlier, when I was buying my drink, the barrister smiled, noticing the book, and said, “I remember that book from high school a few years ago.” I smiled and said, “So did I, but many, many, many years ago in high school in Brooklyn.
We both laughed!
What made me go back to my Bushwick High School reading list was a review left about a chapter in one of my novels. At first I was surprised, a little stunned, and read the review a number of times: “Fluid writing style. Plenty of concrete detail that defines the character and the street names of cities I’m not familiar with. I feel as if I’m witnessing Walter with binoculars from a distance. I know who he is, but it’s not enough. Without some stream-of-consciousness I can’t sympathize with his death. He’s just an accident victim on the evening news.”
I leaned back on the couch and thought this reader didn’t know or care about a character in my novel.
As I read and concentrated on the review over and over again, the words “I know who he is, but it’s not enough” kept replaying in my mind. This is what a review is supposed to do for a writer; make an author think.
Now, I am in the midst of writing my next novel, Stormy Winds, the review is giving me food for thought about the development of characters, especially lead character Justin Fleming, This philosophical novel will be released in November 2015.
I keep asking my self, over and over again, what is “Stream of Consciousness” in a novel?
Most people think Stream of Consciousness means: “In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode that seeks to portray an individual’s point of view by giving the written equivalent of the character’s thought processes, either in a loose interior monologue, or in connection to his or her actions.”
Definitions are easy to recite, but what does it mean and how do you make this writing technique work in a novel?
After reading the review, I needed to find examples of Stream of Consciousness. Give me some examples of effective Stream of Consciousness in a successful book! The book that came to mind was The Catcher in the Rye. Well, I was going to read the book again to get a feel for this technique.
Since I didn’t have a good copy of the novel, I purchased the book at the local Barnes & Nobel in paperback, not in E-Book format. The paperback is easier for me to read and read again.
Now, I’m reading this classic again, not as a dreaded high school English assignment, but as a present day author learning from an American Classic book.
What is Stream of Consciousness?
***Is it a character’s random thoughts that cruise through a person’s mind?
***Is it a character reaction to a developing situation?
*** Is it a character going back in time and reacting to an event?
*** Is it a character musing about a future event?
***Are you giving the reader insight into the character and why the person does what he does in the novel? ***
Is it a book told strictly from the first person?
Questions? Questions? Questions?
As I read The Catcher in the Rye, I’m observing how a great author uses this technique to help the reader “Know who the character is!”
From the novel:
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
The Catcher in the Rye
Holden Caulfield in Chapter 1, opening words of book
As I’m reading, I’m learning who Holden Caulfield is and what his personality is. This will be a very informative reading adventure and a learning process.
Now, the late afternoon sunlight creates a nice atmosphere on the deck of the Tucker Starbucks, as I carefully read each and every word, phrase and incident to figure out “Stream of Consciousness.”
One thing I’ve learned, over the years, about the writing process is that you never stop learning. You must always have that thirst for knowledge and improvement in your craft. This “Reading Exercise” encourages me in taking the next step in crafting the best novel, Stormy Winds; I can create over the next few months.
Thanks for the review on Authorsden.com

Enjoy Chapter 23 Podcast from Philly Style and Philly Profile!

In the middle of Philly Style and Phlly Profile, the action continues as a character named Martha is killed. She knows too much! After Reading the chapter, please click the link and listen to Chapter 23 Podcast..
Chapter Twenty-Three

Meanwhile, Martha walked up 16th Street, pulling the lottery tickets out of her pocket. She concentrated on her numbers. She walked past the Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center. It should have been open but it was closed because the recreation leader was sickand there wasn’t anybody to open the building.

As Martha walked up the block to Waterloo Street, the doors to the row houses, that surrounded the recreation center, were closed. The street was filled with Saturday traffic; people walked up and down the block, despite the drug dealing going on around them. A drug house had been torn down across from the recreation center. There was still paraphernalia—filthy needles and smoking pipes, on the ground.

Martha didn’t notice the Deuce-and-a-Quarter coming down the street. When sheheard the rat-a-tat-tat of the rapid-fire automatic weapon, it was too late.First came the sound, and then she fell against the concrete wall as if someone had slammed a Raggedy Ann Doll against that same wall. Her legs buckled and she crumpled into a heap with blood oozing from the wounds.

The lottery tickets, she clasped in her hands, floated away as the wind blew them across the street. People grabbed the tickets and then ran for cover.
Please click on this link to enjoy this Podcast.