A Blessed and Safe Memorial Day

I just wanted to wish my fellow vseterans a blessed and safe Memorial day. I also want to acknowledge those of our brothers and sisters for whom this day is named. 

RIP

Discounts for Veterans on Veterans’ Day

 Tomorrow, November 11, was originally known as Armistice Day and honored veterans of World War I or the “14-18 war” as it was known in England.  Today, it is universally known as Veterans Day. Many companies now offer discounts to veterans. https://militarybenefits.info/miscellaneous-discounts-veterans-day-deals-veterans/

A Rainy Night in Georgia is an Amazon Bestseller

 I am very pleased to announce that my recent Vietnam War novel reached best seller status in the Kindle military and legal categories. Thanks to everyone for your support.

Brook Benton

 My Vietnam war/thriller is on sale now for only 99 cents as an ebook on Amazon for a limited time. This is a savings of $10.00 off the retail price of the paperback edition.

The book features the Brook Benton song, A Rainy Night in Georgia.

A Rainy Night in Georgia Paperback Edition

After considerable work, I have finally published the paperback edition of my Vietnam War novel, A Rainy Night in Georgia. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DBNHC99/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1595701316&sr=8-
If you decide to buy it either in paperback or as an ebook, please consider writing a review on Amazon. Customer reviews are the lifeblood of indie authors like me. Thanks!
And don’t forget to tell your friends.

COUNTDOWN DEAL

Beginning tomorrow, May 25, 2020, my coming of age, courtroom drama, A Rainy Night in Georgia,  will be on sale on Kindle for just one week. With summer just beginning, it is the perfect time to buy this book that you will never forget. It's a quick read for the beach or if you're just staying home (like the rest of us)  and looking for something to help pass the time. You will not be disappointed. Just click the link below:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=a+rainy+night+in+georgia+basinski&crid=2V7H2UZ8RC1O0&sprefix=a+rainy+night+%2Caps%2C161&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_14

A RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA

I just published on Amazon Kindle my latest novel, A RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA,  Although the novel is set in Georgia in the fall of 1969, I like to think of it as my Vietnam war novel.  The novel follows a young attorney who is drafted into the Army.  When a friend of his is charged with murdering a drill sergeant in basic training in Georgia, he reluctantly agrees to serve as counsel for the accused even though he has never tried a single case, let alone a first degree murder case. The investigation, trial preparations and the trial itself are all seen through the eyes of the lawyer. If you enjoy courtroom drama, I am sure you will love A RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA.
Comparable books are James Patterson's recent novel."Juror #3" and "A Few Good Men" (Jack Nicholson: "You Can't handle the truth,") Please click on the link if interested in a good quick read.
https://www.amazon.com/Rainy-Night-Georgia-AJ-Basinski-ebook/dp/B08778VSMD/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Basinski+Georgia&qid=1587241440&sr=8-1Right now only the Kindle version is available on Amazon.  Still working on the paperback.

LOVE

In this time of great anxiety, I am reminded of what the French philosopher, Teilhard De Chardin wrote, "Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love.  Then for the second time in the history of the world, we will have discovered fire."

Free Book

I know that a lot of people are off work or working at home due to the coronavirus crisis. In case you are looking for a good book to read, I have decided to make my mystery thriller, The China Connection, free on Amazon for 3 days beginning March 19th through March 21. The book, while fiction, shows how a foreign government can interfere with our presidential election.
If you decide to download the book, please consider writing a review on Amazon.
Thanks!

UPDATE TO "HOW TO GET THROUGH AIRPORT SECURITY QUICKLY"

My October 27, 2013 post, HOW TO GET THROUGH AIRPORT SECURITY QUICKLY, described a method for flying through airport security. I suggested you remove your watch, belt, etc.,  before approaching security and place them in a baggie or plastic bag. Then. you place the bag in your carryon or purse. After that carryon goes through security, you can then remove the items and put on your watch etc.

I wanted to update that post.

First, since I wrote that post, the TSA has made available to all qualified travelers, the TSA Known Traveler or Pre-Check, program.tsa.gov/precheck. That program, for a relatively small fee, allows you to obtain a number that allows you to bypass security by going through a separate designated line that does not require you to remove your shoes, belts etc. What a timesaver.  Not all items can be worn, so using the bag system desscribed above and in my earlier post is still necessary

Also since that post, in light of the Coronavirus potential pandemic and the concern for avoiding exposure to the virus on environmental surfaces, using the baggie method lets you avoid exposure on the trays for your personal items.

SAFE TRAVELS

Lieutenant Morales Mysteries and Parkinson's disease

I have published three mysteries featuring the Hispanic detective, Lieutenant Mario Morales.  When I published the first of these novels, DEAD IN THE WATER, I decided to donate a portion of the earnings from the sale of the book to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Since then, I have published two other novels, A RESERVATION FOR MURDER and THE CHINA CONNECTION. I wanted to let everyone know I will do the same for those novels as well.

If you are interested in purchasing any or all three of the mysteries on Amazon either as an e-book or paperback, here is the linkhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753HWZTV?searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt

Attention All Veterans: Available Discounts

The website, MilitaryBenefits.info, lists hundreds of companies that offer discounts to veterans.The discounts range from $500 off certain automobiles to 10% off at certain fast food chains. Check it out.

Today's BookBub.com Featured Deal

Today is the day when my mystery thriller, Dead in the Water, is a featured deal on the website BookBub.com. It is available at a discounted price of of just 99 cents.  But hurry, this is a limited time offer. Thanks.

BookBub Featured Deal

I just learned today that my novel, Dead in the Water, will soon be a featured deal on the BookBub.com website. Those of you familiar with the site know that is the premiere site for book recommendations.
More details to follow.

The China Connection

My mystery novel, The China Connection is a fictional account of how the Chinese government might have been responsible for the United States’ opioid drug crisis. Turns out I was right. In the New York Times Sunday Magazine of October 20, 2019, there is an article entitled “The China Connection: One D.E.A. Agent Cracked a Global Fentanyl Ring.”
Sometimes fiction may be ahead of reality.

Dead in the Water is on SALE

Just in time for summer at the beach (or in your own backyard), I have reduced the e-book price of my best-selling thriller, Dead in the Water, to $.99. (Kindle best seller 3/17). For the price of your daily newspaper, you can read a 250 page legal mystery. You will follow retired LAPD homicide detective, Lieutenant Mario Morales, as he investigates the case of a bride who disappeared on her honeymoon cruise in the Caribbean. What Morales discovers about Chinese drug-smuggling will  knock your socks off!
BookBub.com has called Dead in the. Water “A heart-pounding read!”
The esteemed Kirkus Review has said Dead in the Water has “[A]n.exquisite atmosphere.” Buy.here:https://www.amazon.com/Water-Lieutenant-Morales-Legal-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00U35Z7CS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1560628839&sr=8-2

If you like Dead in the Water, you’re sure to love A Reservation for Murder, the second book in the Lieutenant Morales mystery series. One reviewer has said of the book, “All reader expectations are met or exceeded.” Kirkus Reviews. It also is priced at only $.99.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IYGQNWK

Bottom line, you can have a whole summer’s worth of thrilling reading for just $1.98. For $4.99 you can also buy the e-book format of my latest thriller, The China Connection. For those of you who like the feel of a book in your hands the  paperback edition is just $8.49.

Thanks and “Happy Reading!”https://www.amazon.com/Water-Lieutenant-Morales-Legal-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00U35Z7CS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1560632134&sr=8-2https://www.amazon.com/China-Connection-Lieutenant-Morales-Mystery/dp/1981243143/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Mystery Lovers Bookshop

I just wanted to let everyone, especially those in Pittsburgh, know that my three Lt. Morales mysteries, Dead in the Water, A Reservation for Murder and The China Connection, are now available for purchase at the Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, PA. It is an old-fashioned bookstore that will surely delight any mystery reader. Located at 514 Allegheny River Boulevard, it is a must see in Oakmont just across the railroad tracks from Hoffstot’s restaurant.https://www.mysterylovers.com/

Lieutenant Morales is on SALE

Just in time for Christmas, I have reduced the price of the three ebooks in the Lieutenant Morales mystery series. For just $0.99 each you can follow the adventures of Morales in "Dead in the Water" (a BookBub featured deal), "A Reservation for Murder," and my latest political thriller, "The China Connection."
Think about it: for just $2.97 you can own the entire trilogy! That's less than the cost of a Starbucks latte!
Just go to the following link for many hours of enjoyment:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07921Q369/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

BooksGoSocial.com

Check out this website for cool end of summer book recommendations. My latest political thriller, The China Connection, is included in the list.BooksGoSocialhttps://booksgosocial.com/2018/08/17/end-of-summer-promotion/ To purchase a copy, please go to this website:https://amzn.to/2KY1HeD

Lawrenceville is the Coolest

Another accolade for the Lawrenceville neighborhood in the Eastern area of Pittsburgh. The TripAdvisor Rentals Blog has named it one of the “coolest” neighborhoods in America. The blog referred to its “eccentric boutiques and galleries.” The post was designed to give vacationers a list of places where you can became “immersed in the heart of a neighborhood.”

Just last year, Money Magazine called Lawrenceville the “coolest” neighborhood in America.

Update to Want To Live Longer, Read Post

My August 29, 2017 post  Want To Live Longer, Read, explained that based on a study done by the Yale School of Public Health, simply reading a book every day can prolong your life by up to two years. The current edition of the Costco Connection sent to Costco customers repeats some of that same information.at page 68.

Free Book on Amazon

Beginning tomorrow, July 24, the latest mystery in the Lieutenant Morales series, The China Connection, will be free on Amazon for a limited time.  Just go to Amazon and download it. If you like this political thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end, please consider writing a review on Amazon.  Thanks.

Making Flying Easier

The summer vacation season is almost upon us. Soon, many of us will be off to the seashore or the mountains. Or maybe just to see grandmom. Wherever we are going, many of us will choose to fly there. Maybe it’s because of the distance involved or maybe you just prefer flying to sitting in a cramped car with the kids and luggage.
But as we all know, flying today comes  with its.own perils. Who hasn’t found themselves impatiently crawling along in an interminable security line only to find out you just missed your flight by a millimeter?
Well, today, you are in luck. The New York Times recently published an article on how you can make flying easier. Notice I said easier not easy
Just copy the following link to your browser.

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/travel/how-to-fly?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website&emc=eta1

Jake Tapper's New Political Thriller

Jake Tapper of CNN has a new political thriller coming out soon. It's called "The Hellfire Club." From what I have seen of it, it deals with a host of political issues in the 1950s.  If you are inclined to read it, give my political thriller, "The China Connection" a chance also.  I think it will stack up quire well against Tapper's book.

"A Rainy Night in Georgia"

The first chapter of my new thriller, "A Rainy Night in Georgia," is now available for preview on my website, www.ajbasinski.com.  Please let me have any comments. Thanks.

"A Rainy Night in Georgia"

My new suspense novel, "A Rainy Night in Georgia," is starting to take shape.  It is a Vietnam era war novel that takes place largely in Georgia. I think you will enjoy it. It is a departure from my Morales mysteries. I will be posting a copy of the first chapter on my website, www.ajbasinski.com. Look for it there soon.

Goodreads Giveaway---The China Connection

Beginning January 26, you can win an e-book copy of my latest political thriller, The China Connection.  Just go to Goodreads Giveaway and enter. It's that easy. If you do win a copy, I only ask that you write a review on Goodreads and/or Amazon. I would be extremely grateful. Thanks.

The China Connection is Here!

Just in time for Christmas, The China Connection, the third thriller to in the Lieutenant Morales Mystery series was published and is available on Amazon in e-book for Kindle and paperback.

When Lieutenant Morales is accused of trying to murder his wife, the exotic Sun Li, Morales will go to any length to find the real attacker. His search takes him from South Florida to Shanghai. While in China, he unearths a a conspiracy involving an American senator with presidential ambitions at its center.

The China Connection is a political thriller torn from today's breaking news headlines about collusion that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

This is fiction, right?  Or is it?

The China Connection

ATTENTION:  It's almost here.  My latesst political thriller,  The China Connection, will be published in just a few short days.  It is the  third mystery in the Lieutenant Morales trilogy. If you are looking for a quick read for yourself or as a gift for Christmas, you will be happy with this latest installment.
Come back here soon to check on its availablity.
Thanks!

CALLING ALL MY FELLOW VETERANS

If you are an honorably discharged veteran, you may be eligible for a new, lifelong benefit that may save you money. Effective Veterans Day, November 11, 2017, qualifying veterans may begin to make purchases on the online military exchanges.  All you have to do is complete a form verifying your service and that your discharge was honorable. You can then begin making purchases online which may be sales tax-free and may also be free of some shipping charges. Go to www.shopmyexchange.com for complete information about this program and the forms you will need to complete.

60 Minutes on the Opiate Crisis

If you saw the 60 Minutes story today (October 15) on the whistleblower from the DEA on the opiate crisis in America, you'll want to read my soon to be published novel, The China Connection, that fictionally explores another aspect of the drug crisis. Look for it soon on Amazon and other bookstores and ebook outlets. 

The China Connection

My new Lieutenant Morales mystery/thriller will be published shortly. Keep an eye on this blog for details.

Sister Corita Kent/Albert Camus

The thought is by the French existential philoosopher, Albert Camus.  The painting is by Sister Corita Kent.

Food for Thought

"Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." J. Robert Oppenheimer quoting the Hindu Bhagavad-Gita, on the detonation of the first atomic bomb.

Upcoming Appearance

i will be appearing at the Fall Author's Forum at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library on November 14, 2017 at 7:00PM to discuss my new mystery, The Trials of Lieutenant Morales. Please plan on attending.

Want to Live Longer? Read!

Do you want to live longer? Of course you do. Who doesn't? I'm going to surprise you with an easy and effective way to increase your life span. And this method requires no special exercise equipment, no gym membership and not even any special diet. The only thing you need is a book!

Yes, you read that right---a book can be your key to both a longer and more fulfilling life.

In a 2016 study published by the Yale School of Public Health, it was reported that people over the age of 50 who read any type of book for as little as 30 minutes a day could increase their lifespan on average by two  years.  The study was based on some 12 years of data originally compiled by the University of Michigan's Health and Retirement Study.

It should be emphasized that while  reading any type of book is effective, simply reading magazines and newspapers does not appear to have the same effect. Although researchers are not sure why that is the case, one theory is that reading a book causes you to think critically and make more brain connections that can protect against cognitive decline.  They referred to this effect as "deep reading."

So, if you want to live longer, get out your library card and head to your nearest library.

Dead in the Water

My mystery thriller, Dead in the Water, is anything but dead in the water.
Dead in the Water, which features the retired homicide detective, Lieutenant Mario Morales, has been called a "heart-stopping read!" by the acclaimed book lovers' website, BookBub.com. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It is the perfect book for the beach or just sitting on your back patio drinking a glass of homemade lemonade.https://www.amazon.com/Water-Lieutenant-Morales-Legal-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00U35Z7CS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1501524039&sr=8-9&keywords=dead+in+the+water&linkCode=ll1&tag=a0643413d-20&linkId=a5ee4affb7919a0538424466671b8b1a

Amazing Relief for Lower Back Pain

Suffer from lower back pain? Believe me I know all about it. My pain was so bad that I underwent four procedures and surgeries this past winter. Only the last, a lumbar fusion, finally gave me the much hoped for relief. But I still have some residual pain. You can imagine how grateful I was when I read recently that ginger oil massaged  into the lower back can relieve much of the residual pain. Ginger root has long been prized for its anti-inflammatory qualities. Now, studies have shown that its application to the lower back can actually help reduce pain.
Scientists in Pain Research and Treatment suggest rubbing a several drops of ginger oil mixed with jojoba oil on the effected area once or twice a day. The studies show this simple ginger massage can result in a 71% reduction in pain intensity and 66% greater mobility.
Sounds like a winner to me. I know I will give it a try.