Let's Play Ball (Book) - 5/28/2021 10:20:04 AM
Great story line....When developing a story, one has to be creative, just like in my short story & book Jayson Gannon and how I came up with the carnival circus ringmaster, then the elusive Henry Pennington.
Stephen Pollard
Sycophants (Book) - 12/29/2018 10:19:49 AM
Your trailer and excerpt are both descriptive of the storyline, but both convey no dialogue of the kinds of problems Imogene faces. What are her two coworkers say/doing to undermine her?
Ron
The Rock Star's Homecoming (Book) - 5/13/2008 7:36:30 AM
The Rock Star’s Homecoming is even better than Linda Gould’s first book, Secretarial Wars. Ms. Gould is a highly competent and literary author whose slice-of-life tales develop from the minds of her lively, swirling characters. Most of the action in The Rock Star’s Homecoming takes place on a quiet, small-town campus where the local rock hero, who now runs a successful New York recording studio, is scheduled to wield his axe at the Homecoming Dance before a horde of nostalgic fans. The storyline is sort of a Bye Bye Birdie meets Steven Tyler. The reader follows a group of girls who live in Clemens Dorm, one of whom is the little sister of the infamous guitar player, as they act out their collegiate, romantic jealousies and fantasies. Ms. Gould’s storytelling abilities are exceptional. I felt like a fly on the wall in a girl’s dorm, just as the author intended.
Secretarial Wars (Book) - 7/5/2007 2:03:44 AM
Linda Gould has crafted an unusual slice of life in which the secretarial slaves of America can joyously revel. The storyline combines the romantic fantasies of three secretaries working the phones and keyboards of the nation's bureaucracy. Their exploits surround a quarterback rivalry in the hometown of the Redskins layered over the backdrop of a presidential administration not unlike our current Pennsylvania Avenue fiasco. Ms. Gould's first novel displays a literary depth and maturity rare in a debut effort. Neither comedy nor drama, Secretarial Wars is a quietly satisfying read.
Gilded Prisons (Chapter One) (Short Story) - 7/3/2020 8:17:11 AM
You seem to write in several genres. But after I looked at your bio, I see that baseball is one of your major interests. I loved playing baseball, even pitched a no-hitter to poor batters in junior high, but found watching others play slow and boring. And I and eyesight problems, needing glasses, so that I couldn't hit properly. I have enjoyed some baseball movies like The Natural and "If you build it, they will come." And some baseball stars like Ted Williams (for his fishing) and Henry Aaron for his longevity in a hostile environment. My dad was a big baseball fan, watching one game on TV while listening to another on the radio.
You seem to signal your plot with having things turn out for the best and a weirdo waiting in the wings named Randy, combined with a deserted stadium. I found it hard to believe that three baseball players in the locker room would get anxious hearing a single set of footsteps coming down the ramp. Conjuring up a kidnapping seven years before? Do baseball players think this way… Ghosts? Threats? I spent nights after wrestling in the gym and swimming pool all alone. Never felt threatened. If I heard footsteps it was just another student or coach. But then, major league baseball players can have crazy, stupid fans with other plans.
You are no longer signaling at the end of chapter with three intruders and a clear kidnapping. Setting the stage for the rest of the book. Already it looks like they needed an insider, like Randy to make the grab without being detected before or during the operation. What their motive is, is still unclear. Why kidnap a middle-of-the-road ballplayer?
Ron
Sportsmanship (Short Story) - 8/29/2018 7:31:45 AM
Now that was small-town college [high school?] drama at its best! As I read I could see all of the behind the scenes intensity of rivalry among athletes on teams across the country. But this one had a particularly feminine twist to it, especially when it came to snaring the star quarterback… Always the object of romance in any school. The best breeding stock?
I believe there actually have been tell-all speeches like this by young people who have found their idealism shattered by the ins and outs of fortune and fame. And there may have been sports heroes who shared their accolades with their teammates, as well. But I found, in general, the bitter nature of Sara's speech to be less than sportsmanlike. But I come from an era where sportsmanship was about how you played the game, not how you shared trophies.
Ron
Sportsmanship (Short Story) - 8/28/2018 1:59:10 PM
That was a wonderful victory speech from Sara! It is so well-spoken and filled with compassion for everyone on the team. Great job and well-written!
Sandie
Sportsmanship (Short Story) - 8/28/2018 8:45:19 AM
If only there were more like Sara Murphy--keeping things balanced and leveling the playing field through a victory speech, where everyone got their due.
Cheryl's Lunch Hour (Short Story) - 7/16/2018 12:43:37 PM
BUTTERFLIES, BUBBLES AND DREAMS...THE 'THINGS' THAT MAKE UP A WOULD-BE MENTOR'S FAMILY LIFE AND LUNCH HOUR...ENTERTAINING AND ENJOYED. THANKS FOR SHARING, LINDA. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS
Good Taste (Short Story) - 7/16/2018 11:50:28 AM
I LOVED IT! A CANDID, BELIEVABLE SCENE- GETTING DOWN TO THE REAL NITTY GRITTY OF FEARS, TEARS, REGRETS...DEALING WITH LIFE AND FAMILY. THANKS FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS
Good Taste (Short Story) - 4/21/2018 12:47:02 AM
I enjoyed your realistic story, leaving me to wonder what transpired on Renee's date. Sherri needs to think outside the box, or in her case, a flower vase mired in the past.
Cheryl's Lunch Hour (Short Story) - 2/19/2018 8:26:47 AM
well written and true to life
Cheryl's Lunch Hour (Short Story) - 2/14/2018 2:17:00 AM
Your well-written moving story propelled me throughout. While I would have loved to have seen Cheryl rise above mediocrity--such is life which makes your story all the more poignant.
Cheryl's Lunch Hour (Short Story) - 2/13/2018 8:10:18 AM
I thought this was this going to be another romance story. In a way, I guess it was. But when the tempo changed, I really got interested in the ending, only to find that it looked like your heroin was going to settle for what she had rather than what her potential was.
Well written and motivated me to wade through the dense text.
A lifetime ago, in 1973, I had the option to go to Transpo 73, transportation secretary Volpe's big show. Following the trend, we took the Amtrak from Grafton, West Virginia all the way in to DC. We arrived at Union Station, and I marveled at the beautiful old station way back then.
Ron
