JOHN HOWARD REID:
Bible Translations, Historical Novels, Short Stories, Poetry,
Movie Guides, Writing Advice, Mystery and
Detective Thrillers
I have written too many books to list them all on this page. For a more complete overview of my work, please visit http://www.booksinsync.com/authordirectory/reidjohnhoward.html
For full details of my "Merryll Manning" series of mystery/suspense novels,
please visit http://merryllmanning.exactpages.com
2. The $5,550 Margaret Reid Poetry Prize for Traditional Verse, closing June 30,
2011. Entries will be accepted from November 15, 2010. The link: http://margaretreid.exactpages.com
3. The $5,550 Tom Howard Poetry Contest for Verse in All Styles & Genres, closing September 30,
2010. Entries are now being accepted. Please click this link for further
information: http://tomhowardpoetry.bravepages.com
Here's absolute-must reading for all who wish to succeed in literary contests and writing competitions! A new edition of John Howard Reid's famous handbook "WRITE WAYS TO WIN WRITING CONTESTS: How to Join the Winners' Circle for Short Story Awards, Poetry Prizes, etc." is available direct from Lulu at http://www.lulu.com/filmindex
Price is $12.50. The book trade edition is also now available. Buy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other bookstores. Usually the same price, but the book is currently "on special" at Amazon for only $11.25. Yet another reason to buy this essential handbook now! What's $12.50 (or $11.25!) compared to increasing your chances of carrying off
a $3,000 in cash First Prize? And now even more good news: A Kindle edition has been published! Please click this link: Write Ways to WIN WRITING CONTESTS
"Sailing in the Mist of Time" is the latest anthology of award-winning poetry, edited by John Howard Reid. This lavishly produced, 196-page, large-format book features no less than 102 award-winning poems from both the Tom Howard and Margaret Reid Contests, plus 3 original poems from each of the judges. Currently, this beautiful book is on special everywhere for only $9.95. (The normal retail price is $16.50).
Reid has published two personal anthologies of poetry. The latest, entitled ESCAPE TO PARADISE AND OTHER POETIC FANCIES, has been issued under his Tom Howard pseudonym. Please scroll down to the bottom of this page for details. Reid's first collection of poems is also still available. It's titled "Anyone for Love":
Further
Notes on the
Author
A keen Bible
scholar, John Howard Reid, has translated portions of both the Old and New
Testaments in Bible Wisdom for Modern Times: Selections from the Orthodox Old
Testament and More Bible Wisdom for Modern Times: Selections from the
Early New Testament. He has recently published Essential Bible Wisdom:
GOOD NEWS by John, the Beloved Disciple, and John, the Elder and Bible Wisdom: PSALMS of Praise and Power newly translated from the Greek Old Testament. For further
information, please click http://reidbooks.exactpages.com
Reid's novel, In
All His Glory, based on the Greek editions of the Biblical books,
"Kings" and "Chronicles" (not the abbreviated Hebrew
versions), has a central character in King Jeroboam of Israel. The novel
recounts his adventurous dealings with Pharaoh Shishak while
in exile in Ancient Egypt, after his narrow escape from King Solomon. This book was published in 2006. A follow-up novel of mystery and suspense, "Prophet, Priest and King", dealing with the last days of King Solomon, was published in November 2008.
Reid's other books include four collections of short stories, Mexican Autumn (2006), in which all the stories are not only cleverly inter-related, but are all accurately set in a real Mexican village in Lower California called Bahia de los angeles; Micaela Morris in Jo's Heaven (2007), which includes five award-winning stories, including two First Prizes; A Packet of Dreams, and A Mountain of Many Treasures, both of which were published in late 2008.
Using the
knowledge gained both as a First Prize winner in several literary contests and
as the Chief Judge of three of America's richest writing competitions, Reid
authored a popular handbook, Write Ways To Win Writing Contests in 2004.The book was revised and republished in an Expanded Edition in 2009.
Reid is also an expert on classic films and vintage movies from both Hollywood and British studios. He has published a large number of books on this topic, including Silent Films & Early Talkies on DVD: A Classic Movie Fan's Guide (2008). Reid's most recently published movie project is "Mystery, Suspense, Film Noir and Detective Movies on DVD: A Guide to the Best in Cinema Thrills". See http://filmindex.0catch.com
Was King Solomon Really Wise?
In his latest historical, suspense thriller, author John Howard Reid challenges the common belief that King Solomon was a prince of wisdom. The Bible chroniclers, in fact, try to play it both ways. According to the Bible, Solomon was wise when, as a rash youth, he usurped the kingdom of Israel from his brother and then almost immediately introduced a reign of terror against both his political opponents and those who simply irritated his allies, the priests. When, later in life, Solomon repented of the persecutions of religious rivals that he had led and instigated in his youth, this, according to the Bible, was most unwise!
Solomon was obviously a complex character, and he is presented as such in "Prophet, Priest and King", a worthy successor to Reid's earlier historical novel, "In All His Glory" which, set in Ancient Egypt, detailed the conflict between Solomon's rival, Jeroboam, and Pharaoh Shishak. In this latest book, set in Ancient Israel around the same time as the events in "In All His Glory", the plot is set in motion by an unknown assassin who is targeting the priests of Baal. In an already explosive political situation, Solomon himself is obliged to run the killer to earth. Will wisdom desert him in his efforts to bring peace to Israel?
A gripping novel of murder and suspense, "Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island" is the first in a series of highly acclaimed mystery suspense novels that began life overseas back in 1985.
Merryll "Merry" Manning is a police sergeant, which is certainly not an unusual occupation for the hero of a series of detective thrillers. Admittedly, he comes across as somewhat eccentric, but this again could be rated as a fairly conventional trait among the clue-hunting heroes of crime fiction. Furthermore, Manning works in Miami, Florida, a tried-and-true venue in numerous films and novels.
What does set Manning slightly apart from the pack, however, is Susan Alexis Devoro Ford, his young, super-attractive, pocket-sized girlfriend. Despite her diminutive size, Miss Ford proves quite a handful for a hero who is, as he ruefully admits, more than twice her age. Again, this figures as standard Hollywood material, particularly for fans of aging heroes like John Wayne, Clark Gable and Gary Cooper. Unlike these macho super-stars, however, the far more cerebral Manning is really trapped by Miss Ford. She holds the whip hand.
In any case, Miss Ford proves a most unusual assistant in his perilous investigations, although it's not until the fourth novel in the series, "Merryll Manning: A Brush with Death" that she reveals her true character.
In the meantime, both the second Manning novel, the acclaimed "Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders", and the third, the equally acclaimed "Merryll Manning: Beachfront Holiday" are now available for the first time in paperback. These are the books that started the famous literary controversy between Selwa Anthony (who said in her Book Review that John Howard Reid was as effective a writer as Agatha Christie) and American critic, Richard Deutch, who answered in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper: "Some critics have compared Reid's novels to those of Agatha Christie. I find the comparison a little unfair -- to Mr Reid. If Reid's work needs comparing, I would liken it to Graham Greene's." Cherie Fisher in "Reader Views", August, 2009, has this to say: "Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders" is a well-written story full of intrigue and suspense that will keep you turning pages until the final surprising outcome... Manning is taking a well-earned vacation from the Miami Police Department, or is he? He arrives at Sister Susan's Health Farm in Happy Valley, Australia, excited at the prospect of doing something healthy and restful from his stressful job. He quickly finds himself in the middle of an investigation as the other visitors at the health farm start dying. Police Sergeant Lambert is quick to blame a local who had an affair with the Sergeant's wife. Merry is not convinced. Each of the suspects is a very colorful character, but do they have the potential of turning deadly killer? The author also does an excellent job of describing the local countryside in detail. The story setting is in a beautiful valley that was burned by fire. It includes a harrowing hike through the sometimes beautiful, sometimes desolate terrain that has many landslides, sheer cliffs and rivers -- all places for people to meet unfortunate ends. As Merry is fully immersed in this nightmare, he finds part of the truth when he almost loses his life. The other part of the truth comes out later and is very surprising. I recommend "Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders" by John Howard Reid to mystery fans; it makes for a great summer read."
For full details of my "Merryll Manning" series of mystery/suspense novels,please visit http://merryllmanning.exactpages.com
For my latest anthology of original poems, I decided to use my "Tom Howard" pseudonym. I was in the army when some of these poems first appeared on the literary scene, so naturally I had to use a pen name. Some of these poems like "Escape to Paradise" itself won prizes and/or were published at the time. I thought it might confuse readers and bibliophiles to change "authors". So I've also used this opportunity to include no less than 21 translations from some of the Spanish masters like Ruben Dario, Rosalia Castro, Leopoldo Lugones and Miguel de Unamuno. A beautiful book, if I do say so myself. If you don't like the poems, don't blame me, blame the judges! All told, there are 98 poems in this collection, including 25 published much longer ago than I like to recollect, plus the 21 new translations. Response to the translations has been so encouraging that I have now fashioned a whole book, "A Salute to Spanish Poetry: 100 Masterpieces from Spain and Latin America rendered into English verse by John Howard Reid". This exciting anthology is now available at Amazon and other retailers.
My latest movie book, MYSTERY, SUSPENSE, FILM NOIR AND DETECTIVE MOVIES ON DVD, is attracting some excellent reviews which you can read at Amazon if you click the link below:
I have too many books to list them all on this page. For a more complete overview of my work, please visit http://www.booksinsync.com/authordirectory/reidjohnhoward.html
