“Lafayette, we are here”

 When Colonel Charles Stanton uttered these words in Paris on July 4, 1917, he was paying homage to the Marquise de Lafayette. Lafayette had helped win independence for the 13 colonies that would become America. Twenty seven years later, on June 6, 1944, D day,  American soldiers once again repaid that debt on the beaches of Normandy. We must never forget their sacrifices. And yet a convicted felon who is running for President of the United States has called those who died there “losers.” Sir,  have you no shame?

The Miracle Club

 The Miracle Club is a strange movie. It starts out as a pilgrimage story following four women from Ireland, who for various reasons decide to go to the shrine at Lourdes in France. There is considerable animosity between two of the women and the character-played by Laura Linney. As the story unfolds, the reasons become clear.

The other two characters are played by Kathie Bates and Maggie Smith in a role far removed from the role of Lady Crawley on  Downton Abbey.

Remarkably, the plot ends up with a discution of abortion.

The acting is superb as might be expected with the all star cast. But the cast alone cannot save the movie.. I rate it as C.

The Quick Critic

Marlowe

 I recently watched the movie Marlowe. The movie stars Liam Neeson as the private detective, Philip Marlowe. Set in 1939: Neeson’s character is hired to find a missing man. That is the MacGuffin.  There’s even a MacGuffin within.the MacGuffin. Unfortunately, Neeson is too old for the role of the fist fighting,  machine gun toting detective. At least twice in the movie, the two love interests acknowledge that. One of those is played by Jessica Lange, who is superb as the Gloria Swanson like character.

It’s not a bad movie, the sets are perfect and the supporting cast set the right tone. It’s on Netflix. I rate it C+

The Quick Critic

My Books

 If you have some extra time off work and need to find a new book to read,consider buying one of my four mystery novels, Dead in the Water, A Reservation for Murder, The China Connection and A Rainy Night in Georgia. To some degree these books predicted the onslaught of  illegal drugs from China.

All of the books have excellent editorial reviews on Amazon and are available for purchase there and the Barnes and Noble wcbsite.  I think you will be surprised how prescient they were

Happy New Year🎇

HIIT CAN LET YOU LIVE LONGER

 Anybody who reads this blog even casually knows that I am a great fan of HIIT fitness training. That refers to High Itensity Interval Training, which refers to a method of training in which you exercise very hard for a very short burst followed by a much longer recovery period. This regimen is then repeated just for a few minutes. It has been determined that the bursts of intense exercise such as cycling for as little two seconds (yes, you read that right) can be enough to enjoy the benefits of HIIT, including a longer life span.

The Drug Crisis in America—The China Connection?

 I was recently watching a news program during which the guests debated the role of China for our drug crisis. Way back in 2015 when I published my first Lt. Morales novel, Dead in the Water (a Number 1 free Amazon best-seller), I began pointing to the Chinese involvement in  the illegal drug trade that was beginning to sweep our country. My subsequent novel, The China Connection, further brought the issue to the present. Although my books were fiction, more and more, my predictions seem to have been proven true. See for yourself. All of my books are available on Amazon and other retailers. See my website for more information. www.Ajbasinski.com

Mystery/Thrillers You’ll Love!

 I wanted to make you aware of my website, www.Ajbasinski.com, where you can find information about me and all my novels.

Hispanic Heritage Month

I wanted to acknowledge all of my followers of Hispanic descent. For those interested,  I have three mystery novels available on Amazon that feature an Hispanic detective , Mario Morales, one of the few Hispanic detectinves, Dead in the Water, A Reservation for Murder and The Chima Connection.

If you like thrillers, you will enjoy reading these. Gracias!

The Ultimate Consumer Guide to Solving Life’s Everyday 😦Disputes

 As readers of this blog know, I am a writer of mystery thrillers. I have written three books in the Lt. Morales series: Dead in the Water, A Reservation for Murder and The China Connection. I recently published a military thriller, A Rainy Night in Georgia. My background is in the law. I was a trial lawyer for almost forty years. While all of my books contain some legal aspects, none really set forth my philosophy of settlement. This book does that and more.

It provides specific information and approaches that can be used in almost every type of negotiation or dispute.

You can order tthe book on Amazon now, where it will be published on June 30' 2021. Here is the link if intesterested in buying the book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0965SJY9Y/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Basinski+guide&qid=1622319002&sr=8-1

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