Jeffrey Miller

A Writer's Life

Tag: Panama (page 1 of 3)

The Panama Affair — The Soundtrack

June 11, 2015 / / 0 Comments

TPA_ebook April

It’s true that when I write, I often see a movie in a mind. And if I am seeing a movie in my mind, I need some music. At the same time, music from a particular period, such as the late 60s for Ice Cream Headache, also inspires me when I write.

For The Panama Affair, which begins in 1976 and ends in 1989, I had a lot of music to choose from which also was part of my musical growth, from classic 70s rock to Punk and New Wave.

The Panama Affair Playlist

1.       Welcome to the Jungle – Guns ‘N Roses

2.       Bad Company – Bad Company

3.       Sonic Reducer– Dead Boys

4.       Psycho Killer– Talking Heads

5.       Desperado –Alice Cooper

6.       Fortunate Son– Credence Clearwater Revival

7.       I Can’t Get No Satisfaction – Devo

8.       We’re Not Going to Take it – Twisted Sister

9.       Life During Wartime – Talking Heads

10.    Hotel California – Eagles

11.    Love Hurts –Nazareth

12.    Happy Hunting Ground – Sparks

13.    Jet Airliner –Steve Miller Band

14.    Roland theHeadless Thompson Gunner – Warren Zevon

15.    Storm the Embassy– Stray Cats

16.    Refugee – TomPetty

17.    Lawyers, Guns,and Money – Warren Zevon

18.    Ballroom Blitz– Sweet

19.    Highway toHell – AC/DC

20.    Search and Destroy – The Stooges

21.    Slow Motion –Ultravox

22.    Bad Reputation- Joan Jett

23.    Mad World –Tears for Fears

24.    Let’s Have a War – Fear

25.    Hey, Hey, My My (Into the Black) – Neil Young

26.    Free Bird –Lynyrd Skynryd

27.    Wait for the Blackout – The Damned

28.    Born to Lose– Heartbreakers

29.    Highway Star –Deep Purple

30.    Paranoid –Black Sabbath

31.    Hotter thanHell – Kiss

32.    Wasted Days and Wasted Nights – Freddy Fender

33.    Dangerous Type– The Cars

34.    Come Back Jonee– Devo

35.    Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits

36.    Commando –Ramones

37.    Boys of Summer– Don Henley

38.    Livin’ Thing –ELO

39.    Blinded by theLight – Manfred Mann

40.    Fernando –ABBA

41.    Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult

42.    Ghost Riders in the Sky – The Outlaws

43.    I Wanna Be Sedated – Ramones

44.    White Lines –Grandmaster Flash

45.    Surrender –Cheap Trick

46.    Bad to the Bone – George Thorogood

47.    Poor Boy (TheGreenwood) – ELO

48.    GoingUnderground – The Jam

49.    Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die – Jethro Tull

50.    I Fought the Law – The Clash

51.    Heartbreaker –Pat Benatar

52.    Show Me the Way – Peter Frampton

53.    Dream Weaver –Gary Wright

54.    Rock and Roll– Led Zeppelin

55.    We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel

56.    Run Like Hell– Pink Floyd

57.    Running with the Devil – Van Halen

58.    Homicide – 999

59.    Gut Feeling/SlapYour Mammy – Devo

60.    Havana Affair– Ramones

61.    Cum on Feel the Noise – Slade

62.    Waterloo –ABBA

63.    Rumble in Brighton – Stray Cats

64.    They Don’t Want Me – Wall of Voodoo

65.    Let’s Lynch the Landlord – Dead Kennedys

66.    Living Next Door to Alice – Smokie

67.    La Grange – ZZTop

68.    Black Betty –Ram Jam

69.    Prisoners of Rock and Roll – Neil Young

70.    You’ve Got Another Thing Coming – Judas Priest

71.    One –Metallica

72.    Eye of Fatima –Camper Van Beethoven

73.    Shanghai’d in Shanghai – Nazareth

74.    Orange Crush– REM

75.    Beef Boloney –Fear

76.    It Takes A Worried Man – Devo

77.    The Heat is On– Glenn Frey

78.    You Got Lucky– Tom Petty

79.    Beds are Burning – Midnight Oil

80.    Don’t You Forget About Me – Simple Minds

81.    Hang em High –Van Halen

82.    Flirtin’ With Disaster – Molly Hatchet

83.    Pretty Vacant– Sex Pistols

84.    Back in Black– AC/DC

85.    Cretin Hop –Ramones

86.    Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who

87.    No Thugs inOur House – XTC

88.    For Whom the Bell Tolls – Metallica

89.    Big Shot –Billy Joel

90.    Immigrant Song– Led Zeppelin

91.    Burning Down the House – Talking Heads

92.    Running on Empty – Jackson Browne

93.    Games Without Frontiers – Peter Gabriel

94.    Hair of the Dog – Nazareth

95.    The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum – Fun Boy Three

96.    Breaking the Law – Judas Priest

97.    I Remember Death in the Afternoon – Ultravox

98.    Generals and Majors – XTC

99.    Because the Night – Patti Smith

100.Who Are You –The Who

 

 

And so it begins

June 9, 2015 / / 0 Comments

TPA_ebook AprilOn June 9, 1976, I started Air Force basic training.

On June 9, 1980, I started classes at Southern Illinois University.

On June 9, 1989, I arrived in Japan to teach English.

Today I published The Panama Affair.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

After almost two years of writing and revising and then writing and revising more and more, my novel about Panama finally entered the world today. It was a long journey that actually began in 1980 when I first sat down and penned a screenplay about Panama (which has long since disappeared). Of all my novels, this one was the most challenging because of the twists and turns in the story but it was also my most rewarding effort (right up there with Ice Cream Headache) because of the memories I drew upon to bring this story to light.

A lot of memories in this one.

Like all my other books, I hope this one will be successful. There’s always this feeling of apprehension when you come out with a new book. After all those months of writing the story and getting yourself out of all the corners you wrote yourself in, you hope that people will be interested in what you have created. You’ve done all you could do to promote it and hope all those friends who “liked” your status on Facebook or other social networking sites when you uploaded the photo of the cover or shared a blurb with them will be interested in reading the finished product.

Hope. That’s a big word when it comes to self-publishing. It’s not easy these days when you find yourself competing with thousands of other authors who also hope their writing endeavors will also pay off. The market has become a lot more saturated than it was when I published War Remains in 2010.

Without question, it’s a nerve-wracking experience to self-publish. First, you hope that you’ve done all you could have done to tell a good story; then, you have to start marketing and promoting your book. I am at a bit of a disadvantage living in South Korea. It’s not like I can contact a local bookstore and do a signing. Sadly, and sometimes tragically, I have to rely solely on Facebook to let the world know of my literary accomplishment. I’m not alone, though. Indie authors rely on reviews and word of mouth testimonials to help promote and market your book. Those reviews and testimonials will ultimately determine if your book is successful or not.

 And so it begins again. I’ve written and published another book. It’s a good story. There will be many who will like it; others will probably say it was an okay story. Some readers will write reviews; others won’t. After eight books, I know what to expect and what not to expect, but I never give up hope, yes, there’s that word again, that this book will be the one.

In the meantime, I am working on my next book because that’s what writers do.

The End is Near

May 7, 2015 / / 0 Comments

TPABookCover5_25x8After almost two years of writing, revising, editing, and doing it all over again, my latest novel, The Panama Affair will soon see the light of day.

It’s been quite the journey. In fact, this novel originally started out as a screenplay in the spring of 1980, just a few months before I got out of the United States Air Force on May 9th. Although that screenplay was lost, I recreated some scenes from it for the novel. Additionally, there were two short stories, “Love Song from the Zone” (which was part of my MA thesis) and “Pictures for Lily” which also served as an inspiration.

I had planned to publish this novel in November, but due to circumstances beyond my control, it had to be delayed. It was to be a blessing in disguise. The delay was the best thing that could have happened to the story because in that time I rewrote some major scenes and added other ones which strengthened the story. The manuscript I have now is ten times better than the one I thought was ready to publish seven months. Stephen King is right. The best thing a writer can do when they finish a novel is put it away for a couple of months. You’d be surprised how it reads, and perhaps doesn’t read, after you have put it away for a while.

And once again, my designer, Anna Takahashi, has come through in a very BIG way with her cover design. This by far is her most impressive cover design.

I can’t wait to share this book with the world. It’s been a labor of love and I have laid to rest some ghosts from my past while resurrecting others.

I’m happy with the yarn I have spun.

 

The Panama Affair — Coming Soon!

March 16, 2015 / / 1 Comment

22_bigIt’s such a thrill to say those two words, coming soon, when I am ready to publish another novel.

I am very excited about my latest, The Panama Affair. Of all my books, this one was by far the hardest to write. A lot had to do with all the twists and turns in the plot as well as trying to find the right angle to tell a story about Panama, the Canal Zone, and Howard Air Force Base.

This novel dates back to the spring of 1980 when I wrote a screenplay about Panama when I was stationed at George AFB. Although that script has long since vanished, there are still some elements from that script in my novel.

I’m really happy the way this novel turned out–nothing like I imagined when I first started writing it over a year ago.

The Panama Affair — Coming Soon!

October 30, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Panama Affair 1My new book, The Panama Affair will be out soon.

The manuscript is still being edited and the cover design still needs to be finished. This is a rough draft of what the final design will look like.

The genesis of this book dates back to 1980 when I was still in the Air Force stationed at George AFB outside of Victorville, California. I wrote a screenplay about the time I was stationed at Howard AFB. Although I lost that screenplay there was one scene which I recreated for The Panama Affair.

 

City on Fire

May 17, 2014 / / 0 Comments

800px-Panama_clashes_1989

Nearing the end of my novel about Panama and the exciting conclusion which takes place during Operation Just Cause.

Will Kevin Rooney save the friend who betrayed him by the stealing Inez, the girl of his dreams, away from him ten years earlier?

Will Buck Smith, the CIA agent, allow his Panamanian friend, who he saved in the 1964 riots, escape?

With US forces invading Panama City in search of Manuel Noriega, the lives of five people intertwine. Before the night is over only a few will survive.

The Panama Novel eclipses 60,000 words and counting

May 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

22_big

Today I reached another milestone: 60,000 words completed for the Panama novel. Realistically speaking, this novel will most likely end up being around 65,000-70,000 words depending on the final chapters.

This photograph was taken right around the same time I was stationed at Howard Air Force Base. On the left is the hangar that I worked of from 1977 to 1978 when I worked in the Repair Cycle Support Unit. That was a pretty awesome job: I went around Howard as well as Albrook picking up items which could be repaired at stateside depots. After I processed them, I had to take them to Packing and Crating for shipment back to the States or pick up repaired items on base and return them to supply.

In the background in the center is the base gym and beyond it, the parade field. My barracks was located on the right next to the first three-story building which was where one of the chow halls was located.

Panama Daze

April 30, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Howard AFB 2

You might say that I have been in a daze since I started working on my new novel which takes place in Panama during the 1970s-1980s.  For the past two months I have been working on this new novel as much as I can when I am not teaching or spending time with my children. Because of my schedule and wanting to spend time with my children, I only write in the morning from 5-7 and in the evening from 9-12. Surprisingly I have been averaging around 500-700 words a day. I’m nearing the 55,000 word count mark and I can easily see this novel coming in at around 65,000-70,000 words.

Without question, this is my most ambitious novel since War Remains which contains to stay in the top 50 for Korean War best sellers at Amazon. Today it is at Number 7.

There has been a lot of research and more to come.

It really feels as though I am back in Panama. That period of my life, from 1977-1978, was such an important time. I am happy to finally write about it.

Writing from Memory

April 4, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Howard AFB 76-78

I’m surprised at how much I still remember about serving at Howard Air Force in the Panama Canal Zone; I’m surprised at how much is still crystal clear.

For my latest novel, which is a thriller set in Panama in the 1970s and 1980s, I am drawing on a lot of memories of the time I spent there from 1976-1978. I can just close my eyes and I am back there at Howard. It’s weird you know, how much that I still remember and how all these memories are overwhelming me now. There are a lot of things which are crystal clear, as though they happened yesterday.

I started this book a little over a year ago. I shelved it last year so I could work on When A Hard Rain Falls and I’ll Be Home For Christmas.

It was a little slow moving at first, but I think I have finally found my rhythm; this past week I have written over 5,000 words.

Panama Red — Panama, 1978

May 30, 2013 / / 0 Comments

jeff009

Trying out my best tough guy pose near Galliard Cut along the Panama Canal in June or July of 1978. I was stationed at Howard Air Force Base in the Panama Canal Zone from 1976-1978.

Not so sure about keeping my hair length with 35-10 regulations, though.

I’ve always looked back fondly on those two years I was stationed in Panama. It was, without question a very interesting time. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

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