I am a retired airline pilot and author. My work has appeared in regional and national publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Multimedia Producer, and Professional Pilot magazine. I have appeared as an aviation expert on the show Studio B with Shepard Smith and in the MSNBC documentary Why Planes Crash: Brace for Impact. I am the author of the bestselling book 35 Miles From Shore: The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980, which tells the … [Read more...]
Saddle Up for an Adventure with Jim Duke’s DANCES WITH DONKEYS, the Memoir of a Half-Assed Cowboy
"I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A COWBOY" Journey through the dusty plains of Texas and the rugged mountains of Colorado in Jim Duke's debut, DANCES WITH DONKEYS: The Memoir Of A Half-assed Cowboy-the often hilarious, occasionally poignant, sometimes hair-raising, and always entertaining tales of a man who dropped out of high school and took off for Texas to become a cowboy. In this captivating memoir, Duke recounts his adventures and ass-inine … [Read more...]
Gallery | DANCES WITH DONKEYS: The Memoir of a Half-ass Cowboy by Jim Duke
This photo gallery takes you on a visual journey through Duke's adventures and misadventures, showcasing the profound bond that can be formed between humans and these intelligent creatures. From heartwarming moments of connection to hilarious escapades, each photo tells a story that will entertain and inspire you. PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE BOOK ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS … [Read more...]
Storyteller Jim Duke on the Ways of True Cowboys
Kyzar The first time I went on a large animal call with Kyzar, I was seventeen. Once in the truck and headed out, he asked if I'd like a chaw, which I gladly accepted, confident that I was a rough and tough cowboy and a seasoned veteran of tobacco products. He pointed to the dash where a large wad of chewing tobacco sat without any sort of wrapper in the hot sun. He informed me that it was Redman Tobacco but that he had thrown away the bag … [Read more...]
Meet Memoir Author Jim Duke
VISIT authorjimduke.com Dropping out of high school to pursue the life of a cowboy in Texas, Jim Duke eventually bullshitted his way into college and attended University of Wyoming and University of Texas before finally earning a BS in Zoology and MS in Range Science on Mountain Goat Habitat in Alaska, both from Colorado State University. His taste for the wild has taken him to the upper Amazon, Patagonia, Madagascar, and mountain biking … [Read more...]
Ron Franscell Discusses the “Coolest Crime Sites” He Has Visited While Doing Research For His CRIME BUFF’S GUIDE™ Series
“What’s the coolest crime site you’ve ever visited?” It is crime buffs’ most common question. And after traversing thousands of miles from Pennsylvania to Southern California, and the northern Rockies to the Mexican border, I’ve visited historic crime-related spots most of us have only seen in books or movies. It’s every crime buff’s dream to stand precisely where Wyatt Earp, Bonnie & Clyde, Charles Manson, or Butch Cassidy once … [Read more...]
BORDERLAND Author Peter Eichstaedt On Border Culture in Ads, Song, and Fiction
Few people realize how deeply ingrained Mexico and its border with the U.S. are in American culture. Consider the television advertising that Taco Bell has used for decades that capitalizes on the border, the Spanish language, and all things Mexican. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Taco Bell got mileage out of the slogan: “Make a Run forthe Border.” The slogan played on the well-worn theme of criminals running from the law and crossing the … [Read more...]
True Crime Author Steve Jackson Discusses Death Penalty From Epilogue Of A CLOCKWORK MURDER
New York Times Bestselling Author Weighs Pros and Cons In Book About "The Night A Twisted Fantasy Became Demented Reality" An Excerpt From The Epilogue of A CLOCKWORK MURDER: I personally am not a fan of the death penalty in its present form. I have several reasons for that: --Prosecutors who file death penalty papers in order to coerce a defendant into accepting a lesser plea. As noted in my colleague John Ferak’s wonderful book, … [Read more...]
Crime Buff’s Guide™ Author Ron Franscell Discusses How The Series Came To Be
It’s funny what you discover on less-traveled roads. Several years ago, my wife and I were traveling across northern Louisiana. On a whim, I wanted to find a hidden but historic place: the isolated the spot where lawmen ambushed Bonnie and Clyde in 1934. In the nearby village of Gibsland, we asked a fella how to get to the monument on a lonely rural road. He told us, but whether the directions were bad or we misunderstood, we couldn’t find … [Read more...]
Author Peter Eichstaedt Discusses The Border Wars That Play A Large Part In BORDERLAND
To write Borderland, I drew heavily on the tortured relationship America has had and continues to have with Mexico. Having survived our recent exhausting and sometimes repugnant presidential election, we all know that the current occupant of the White House used border security as one of the pillars of his campaign. It’s a legitimate and very real concern, although the proposed solution is impractical. When I researched my nonfiction book … [Read more...]
