Jun
7
I started writing Happy Monday/Black Friday shortly after I finished the Light of Day, and the story was writnig itself. Words were flying from the tip of my pencil, then they stopped. I won’t go into details, but suffice to say that my routine got interrupted. I’m a creature of habit, and laziness is my natural state. Well, maybe not laziness, because I’m always doing something. But chaos, entropy, and a general lack of focus rule my life, and drive my wife crazy. Once I revert back to my natural state it’s difficult to reestablish a routine. So, in an effort to force myself to write every day I am instituting some drastic measures. I will be posting what I write every day. Keep in mind that this will be raw unedited, unrevised, un-proofread prose. It will contain spelling, grammatical, and stylistic errors. In short it will probably suck, but that’s part of the process. Also, I don’t always write in order. If I ’m having trouble with a chapter I’m prone to skip forward to the next chapter, I currently have an unfinished chapter two and three. Sometimes I skip entire chapters. If, after reading these caveats you’re still interested, check SnookieLane daily and keep me honest. I have the better part of three chapter so for several days I will be posting old material. I will only be leaving the posts up for a week. If I miss a day let me hear about it.
Jun
6
I have reduced the price of the Kindle version of the Light of Day to $2.99. So any of you with a new Ipad, go download the Kindle app, and buy The Light of Day. It’s a steal.
Dec
22
The Light of Day is now available directly from Create Space. https://www.createspace.com/1000251476
Nov
27
The Light of Day is the first novel by author James Byrd. This is a story of the human spirit, the potential for good or evil within us all, and the struggle for individuality within an oppressive society. With underlying themes of morality, collectivism, environmental regulation, and the struggle for freedom; it is well worth your time to read. The Light of Day combines dynamic characters with vibrant scenes that draw the reader into the story from the first chapter.
From the beginning, the reader is confronted with the potential for a powerful elite to manipulate the larger population to their own advantage. Although this is not an anti-government treatise, it does illustrate the potential for the powerful in government to oppress the people they govern. The reader is thrust into a struggle between the individual and the State, the inflexibility of an impersonal set of rules and their imposition by people whose only purpose is to ‘rule’. There is an underlying theme of environmental regulation pushed to its extremity. However, it is not the purpose of the book, nor is it blamed for the actions of those in power. It is merely a weapon which they wield to instill fear and guilt in the populace and manages their actions effectively without conflict. Given the current conflict over Cap and Trade legislation, it is an example of how things can be carried too far, in the name of the ‘greater good’.
The main character, Jeff, was born into a society called The Underground where all actions are determined by their impact on the environment. Everyone lives below ground, in a system of tunnels and rooms that are dirty and cramped. Access to the surface is granted only with permission by a government employee, and is subject to refusal at any time. Technology is limited and regulated, and individual experimentation is discouraged. Jeff finds himself fighting with the curiosity innate in his character and the struggle to evade discovery and punishment by the state. His grandfather, Old Man O’Hara, discovers his curiosity and warns him against carelessness. He is simultaneously proud of his grandson and fearful for his safety. Having moved to the underground grudgingly, in order to save the life of his wife, O’Hara has long wished to return to his position as a revolutionary. He now sees the potential for his grandson to be a free individual, but is concerned about the consequences of those in power discovering his ability.
Jeff’s parents have not known freedom and are content to live by the standards of The Underground. They have become comfortable in the ’security’ provided by the State, and have no use for freedom. When Jeff’s technological deviance is discovered, they scorn him for his unsocial behavior.All of these underlying conflicts are the result of state propaganda directed at controlling the individual. Jeff is faced with an internal conflict between the human need to fit into a group and his individual desire to improve his quality of life and gain knowledge.This story illustrates the struggle between people, like Jeff’s parents, who accept what the state provides because it is easy, and those who would improve the lives of society as a whole through their personal achievements.
When Jeff is faced with the loss of his grandfather through the malicious negligence of a guard, he is thrust into a world of personal conflict and direct oppression by those responsible for his loss. Blame for his grandfather’s death is transferred to Jeff on the grounds that he broke the rules and set himself apart from society. When his parents turn their back on him, blaming him for the actions of the officials and showing indifference to human life, Jeff decides to turn his back on the oppressive society he was born into. After enduring a violent interrogation on the grounds of technological deviance, Jeff is sentenced to Madison, a prison for the mentally ill. This forces Jeff to choose between the use of force in order to escape and complacency with his fate. Because Jeff chooses to fight for his liberty, he launches himself into a new world of personal responsibility, morality and self-reliance.
Jeff is united with The Resistance and discovers that life above ground is not only possible, but is not the environmental scourge that he was led to believe. Jeff forms new friendships, learns to interact in a free society and takes on all the responsibilities required of an individual in a free society. He learns that there are consequences for one’s actions and that the right choice is not always an easy choice. He is faced with prejudice and isolationism, spirituality, and the struggle with the lust for power that corrupts men and requires constant vigilance on the part of society.
When Jeff discovers the opportunity to join The Resistance in an invasion of the facility at Madison, he is faced with the most formative experience of his life. With the death of a friend, Jeff is plunged once again into the realm of personal loss and regret. He is reminded that all actions have consequences and that personal sacrifice is often the cost of freedom. The book ends on a melancholy note of redemption and new beginnings. The reader is left wondering how things will turn out for the characters and looking forward to the next book.
Nov
20
I have a request for all of you who have recently purchased The Light of Day. When you are finished reading the book, please go to Amazon and write a quick review and add some tags. Put it on a Listmania list or a So You’d Like to list. All of these things will help people to find The Light of Day and to decide whether it’s a book they will enjoy reading. But please don’t post any reviews good or bad if you haven’t read the book. If you have read it then post your honest opinion positive or negative.
Thank you all for spending your time and money to read my book.
Nov
19
After I obtained my degree in computer art from the Savannah College of Art and Design I decided that I didn’t want to animate. I didn’t want to help other people realize their ideas. I had ideas of my own. I wanted to write. It was about a year after graduation and I was working on a novel about a new Cuban revolution, and though the writing was going well I wasn’t happy with the structure of the story. I was driving home from my girlfriend’s house down dark country roads and I asked myself “If the arguments of the environmental extremists are taken to their logical conclusions what would the world look like.” That question prompted me to write The Light of Day. Here is an excerpt from the book that is in part an answer to that question.
John started walking again, his eyes focused somewhere beyond the dark of the forest.
“From each according to his ability to each according to his need. That is Communism; at least it is one of the tenets of communism according to Marx. The stated goal is to achieve an equality of outcome. All determinations of value are based upon the common good. Economists and political scientists will give you more exact definitions. They will give you the history of different communist movements. They can detail the differences between Marxism, Trotskyism, and Stalinism. They can spend hours discussing and arguing over the differences and similarities of communism, fascism, nationalism, agrarianism, and every other form of statism, but the one common denominator is the belief that society is superior to the individual. If you ask an adherent of one of these philosophies why communism or socialism or whatever has always failed, they always reply that it wasn’t really their philosophy that had been tried. It’s never their philosophy. It’s always because it wasn’t pure, but if they could….”
“John. What does any of this have to do with my grandfather?”
John’s eyes focused and the determination returned to his countenance.
“When international communism collapsed its adherents found a home in the environmental movement, they founded a radical faction known as Freedom Earth. Eventually Freedom Earth became the Consortium, and proffered the idea of The Underground, a wonderful world where everybody would be taken care of and no one would have an impact on the environment. “
Nov
18
Thanks to Alvaro Alvillar at Big Government for writing a very nice review of The Light of Day.
The Light of Day’ Exposes the Green Movement’s Roots in Tyrannyby Alvaro Alvillar
This book, by emerging author James Byrd, paints a telling portrait of the true agenda of the Green Movement. It successfully exposes the underlying agenda of collective power in the hands of the State; at the expense of the individual. Mr. Byrd creates a world of dynamic characters, their interrelations, and the societies in which they are cast. It is a powerful first book, by an author who has a firm grasp of the way in which an oppressive government uses propaganda and fear to control the general population. The Light of Day is the story of Jeff O’Hara and his struggle for personal freedom and the realization that the things most worth having sometimes require the greatest sacrifice.
From the first paragraph, the reader is thrust into the O’Hara family dynamic.
Old Man O’Hara comes from a time before The World Consortium forced the people of the earth into a subterranean existence, where some never experience the simple pleasure of feeling sunlight on their skin. Those who live in the lower levels never have the opportunity to see the sky, even through the barrier of an observation window. It is a world of grime and florescent lighting, where people don’t care about their surroundings. The bleak artificial nature of their world has deprived them of a sense of accomplishment and the desire to maintain their surroundings. The concept of individuality is virtually nonexistent.
Jeff is the grandson of Old Man O’Hara. He is inquisitive, headstrong, and intelligent. Because these are all qualities discouraged by the collective, Jeff soon finds himself at odds with his situation. A conflict between his grandfather and the guards who grant access to the surface leads to Jeff’s determination to escape the oppressive environment of his birth. Subsequent events lead to Jeff’s banishment to a prison compound and his personal quest for Liberty. Through the kindness of others and his own strength of character, Jeff escapes and joins up with The Revolution of which he had heard rumors.
The Light of Day is a must read for anyone who is concerned with the veracity and motives of the modern environmental movement. The reader will find themselves cast into a world that may not be far off, where the needs of the individual are superseded by the ‘virtues’ of nature. It is a gripping first novel and a testament to the integrity of the human spirit.
Nov
13
Happy birthday and Semper Fi. Also, thank you to all our veterans. I know I’m a little late. I didn’t actually intend to post anything concerning the Marine Corps birthday or veterans day, but I was reading my son poetry tonight and I read him one of my favorite poems, and – well we’ll get there.
Almost the first time my son heard my voice I was reading verse. That first night in the hospital room while he and my wife were sleeping I read to him from Classics of Victorian Verse, and although since then the ratio of poetry to prose has shifted dramatically to prose, I am happy that he now asks for me to read him poetry.
Poetry and fine art have a lot in common in the way that they viewed in our society. They are seen as effeminate leftist drivel, the providence of hippies, beatniks, existentialists, and deconstructionists. People don’t get it, and the reason is that the tastemakers, the critics, the intelligentsia have convinced people that drivel is art. A friend of mine in art school had a professor that called it “barbed wire and vomit”. Duchamp hung a urinal on the wall and the art world went to hell. Suddenly figurative art was pedestrian.
When it comes to poetry literary critics have convinced people that poetry that has rhythym and rhyme is for children and simpletons. They torture school children with drab boring verse or poetry that is written in language that is unintelligable to school age children, in effect killing the natural love that children have for poetry. Most people probably haven’t read the fireside poets; Longfellow, Whittier, Bryant, Lowell, and Holmes. People read these poets by the fireside as entertainment. But remember, in the intelligentsia’s eyes any art or literature that is intelligable and enoyable, and therefore has the potential to be popular, is pedestrian. Only if they, the intelligentsia, are the only ones that can enjoy and understand it is it real art.
So now we come around to the reason for this post. My son asked me to read his current favorite poem, The Dangerous Dan McGrew by Robert Service. Comparative Lit majors everywhere are rolling their eyes. So, I read to him about Dan Mcgrew and Lou and the stranger crazed with hooch. Then I read him one of my favorites, Tommy by Rudyard Kipling. I am going to share it with you. Remember that this was written in 1890. The problems we face today aren’t old, they have always been with us.
Tommy
by Rudyard Kipling
I went into a public-’ouse to get a pint o’beer,
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.”
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins, when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s “Thank you, Mr. Atkins, when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-’alls,
But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;
But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,
The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.
Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;
An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.
Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy how’s yer soul?”
But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.
We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints:
Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;
While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, fall be’ind,”
But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind,
There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,
O it’s “Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind.
You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires an’ all:
We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country,” when the guns begin to shoot;
An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
But Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool – you bet that Tommy sees!
Nov
7
For those of you with a Kindle, there is now a Kindle version of The Light of Day available. Currently Amazon shows that it is not available in the United States. I assure you that it is available in the U.S. I have contacted tech support and they should have the issue resolved soon.
