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Spy Stuff: Bond 25 Starts Filming

If you missed it, the announcement that the 25^thJames Bond movie was beginning principal photography came recently. 

I not only immensely enjoy the James Bond films, but Ian Fleming and Bond played a role in terms of getting me started writing the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. As I noted in the new Introduction to the second edition of Warrior Monk:

     As for deciding to write Warrior Monk, my work as an economist did come into play. Many years ago now, a colleague mentioned that a new priest at her parish formerly worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. That caught my attention, and I filed it away just in case I ever did delve into the fiction realm. 

     A few years later, in 2007, I received word that Hofstra University on Long Island would be hosting a conference titled “Bond, James Bond: The World of 007.” My editor at Newsday agreed that I should cover the event for my column. At that gathering of Bond experts and fans from around the world, I learned that Ian Fleming was 44 years old when his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published. That happened to be how old I was at the time of the conference. So, I took that as some kind of sign. I filed my Newsday column on the conference, and then started working on my first novel, featuring a Lutheran pastor who had been a Navy SEAL and a CIA operative. Stephen Grant was born. 

I truly have gotten excited and humbled when a reviewer here and there has compared the Grant novels to Fleming’s Bond. How freaking cool is that?

Bond 25 – the movie has no title as yet – will be released on April 8, 2020. What do we know about it? Here’s the summary from the Bond people:

Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica.  His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. 

The return of Felix Leiter is most welcome.

I’m definitely ready for Bond 25. How about you?

- Ray Keating

Pastor Stephen Grant Character Quote of the Week from THE RIVER

From THE RIVER: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL, an exchange between Paige Caldwell and Stephen Grant form Grant's CIA days...

     “Why aren’t you sweating – at all?” asked Grant.      

     Caldwell smiled seductively. “I did enough of that last night. Didn’t you?” 

3 Reasons for Reading the Pastor Stephen Grant Mysteries/Thrillers: Vintage Moments in WINE INTO WATER

Here are three moments from Wine Into Water having to do with, well, wine...

1. A wine heist?

     Following his gaze, Caldwell asked, “And who owns that lovely yacht?” 

     Indeed, who? The answer came to Grant as he absentmindedly took another drink of his wine. He looked at the glass, and what Lafleur and Pudovkin were doing became clear. 

     “This isn’t about spies sharing or stealing secrets. It’s not about national security.” 

      Paige said, “Are you going to let me in on your revelation?” 

     Grant hesitated, as he went over the theory one more time in his head. “It’s a heist. That’s Sir James Blasingame’s yacht. Tonight, after the race, Blasingame will be hosting an auction of some of the most expensive wines in the world. And he’s doing so on that yacht.” 

2. A very special wine tasting...

     For opening such a rare, expensive bottle, the group at Banner’s spacious Upper West Side apartment in Manhattan was unusually small. In addition to his daughter and son-in-law being in attendance, Colin Wiggs, a well-known New York master sommelier, and Pearson Gerards, a columnist for a premiere wine-tasting website, waited to savor a bottle of Merlot from 1929. The website also sent along a photographer, who would be taking pictures but not tasting. 

     The five were seated at a large round table in Banner’s high-ceilinged library. The photographer had taken shots of the bottle. He then clicked away as Banner relayed the history of how this bottle, along with two others he had purchased at auction, had been taken from the Bordeaux region of France by the Nazis. The three bottles were found at the end of the war among Hitler’s massive stash of stolen wine – some half-a-million bottles – hidden in his Eagle’s Nest high in the Bavarian Alps. Banner smiled, and added, “In one of those moments of fitting justice in history, this wine was found and liberated by de Gaulle’s soldiers.” 

     The photographer took pictures of the smiles and anticipation on each person’s face while Wiggs opened the bottle with some ceremony. Of course, as the owner who paid $405,000 to purchase the bottles at auction, the first glass was Banner’s to swirl, eye, smell, and finally, taste. He said nothing; his face expressionless. 

3. Some very expensive wine...

     Holden hesitated, pulled over another glass, and looked up once again at Grant with the silent question. Stephen Grant briefly, and almost completely, returned to the man who served the CIA many years before. 

     I’ll probably never have another chance in my life to sample a $200,000-plus wine. 

     Grant nodded. 

     Holden smiled with far less sadness, and poured the wine. 

     With the Glock still in hand, Grant picked up the glass. Holden raised his own in salute. Stephen eyed the color and clarity, and breathed in the aromas. He then took more than a mere sip, moved the liquid around his mouth and swallowed. “Impressive.” 

     Holden declared, “Worth the money.” 

Spy Stuff: The Valuable U-2 Spy Plane

When the Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, the U.S. was taken completely off guard. It suddenly became very clear that the U.S. needed the ability to gather information on what the Soviets were doing across their massive nation. As noted in a fascinating article in The National Interest, part of the answer came in the form of a new airplane:

“By the mid-1950s, though, an incredible new aircraft was about to change the odds of successful overflights and break through the Iron Curtain around the USSR. Built by the famous Lockheed ‘Skunk Works’ in Burbank, Calif., and designed by the legendary Kelly Johnson, the U-2 revolutionized the art of reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering. Flying over 14 miles high and able to photograph objects just a few inches across, the U-2 was the ideal tool to help open up the secrets of the Soviet heartland.”

Read “Forget the B-2 Bomber or F-15 Eagle: The U-2 Was the Best Plane of the Cold War.”

REAGAN COUNTRY at Amazon.com

Pastor Stephen Grant Character Quote of the Week from AN ADVENT FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

An exchange between Father Ron McDermott, Father Tom Stone and Pastor Stephen Grant in An Advent for Religious Liberty: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel...

     Ron, who was eating the oatmeal, said, “So, what do you make of this guy elected mayor in the city yesterday? The news this morning seems split on his huge margin of victory, and his stupid-ass comments on religion.”
     Tom replied, “An atheist winning big for mayor of New York City? Not exactly surprising territory.”
     “But based on his, as Ron put it, stupid-ass comments last night, he’s more than just an atheist,” commented Stephen. 

A Blessed Easter to All!

Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

3 Reasons for Reading the Pastor Stephen Grant Mysteries/Thrillers: 5-Star Love for SHIFTING SANDS at Amazon.com

Here are three big thumbs-up reviews for SHIFTING SANDS: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT SHORT STORY from Amazon reviews...

1. 5 stars

“It is hard for me to imagine what impression this this novella might make on a first time reader of the Pastor Grant stories. Now that I am addicted to the series, it is like catching up with interesting friends and traveling with them to interesting places like the touring beach volleyball exposition in New York City where we learn that security has been alerted to emerging threats, and we recognize agents from previous stories on duty. Then, in the person of Pastor Grant, we get sucked into the action due to past associations/present skills and... I do not want to spoil the story for you.

“I enjoyed the ensemble aspect of this story, the broadened perspective beyond that of the main character. The fact that this is a shorter story made the narrative more vivid for me as there were fewer moving parts to keep track of than in the longer Pastor Grant novels. The character descriptions and development were satisfying and on one occasion surprising. The setting was also vivid to me conveying some of the excitement of such events where we know some of the competitors in a big venue.

“I had read that a short story had a single point, or strove for a single impression. That is not the obvious case here and it struck me as a novella rather than a short story in the tradition of Poe or Chekhov. Poe did write a series (3?) of detective stories, the most famous being "Murders in the Rue Morgue," but the Pastor Grant stories are more in the tradition of Fleming's "James Bond" with the novel addition of the world of Missouri Synod Lutherans.”

2. 5 stars

“With so many titles under his belt already, I have come to really enjoy and feel a connection to many of the characters in the Keating 'universe', and I'm glad to hear about Melissa Ambler again. There's always a pleasant suspension of disbelief while reading Ray Keating's Stephen Grant novels, but that doesn't take away from the way he weaves together the importance of faith as the foundation for everyone who faces challenges, both big and small. And Keating's writing keeps getting better and better! He has a knack for these short stories along with the novel-length pieces. Another enjoyable read!”

3. 5 stars

“I'm blown away by Keating's creativity and writing/research skills. Now he ventures out of his novel genre with the Pastor Stephen Grant series with this short story. With this considerable shorter format, he still manages to pack his usual skill in unloading a mystery involving Grant's two careers. Here it revolves around beach volleyball, American dominance vs. terrorism, and on top of all that, his theological acumen. Keating's typical, excellent, surprising, twisting ending is worth the read. Anyone looking for short read packed with action and written in clear, moving prose, would do well in getting this. Make great gift as well.”

Spy Stuff: Edinburgh Spy Week

Did you know that in Edninburgh, Scotland, something occurs each year called “Edinburgh Spy Week”? Well, I didn’t until I was just looking at some recent email I saved. 

According to an article in The Herald, “It was a talk by a modern day spy novelist, who just happened to be former head of MI5, that inspired Edinburgh Spy Week, the week-long event organised by three dedicated academics at the University of Edinburgh, that examines not only spy fiction but the history of spying, real life espionage and how the genre has seen crossover with detective and science fiction.” 

This year’s Spy Week ran from April 5 to April 12.

There’s more information at http://www.spyweek.ed.ac.uk. As explained on the website:

“Edinburgh Spy Week focuses on espionage literature, history and film and the ways in which secrecy and spying run through our history and culture. We bring together creative practitioners and academic researchers to talk about books, films and ideas in public and accessible ways.  Spy Week is organised by the English Literature and Film Studies departments at the University of Edinburgh and we work with other cultural bodies in Edinburgh to bring the very best of contemporary spy fact and fiction to the city.”

- Ray Keating 

Pastor Stephen Grant Character Quote of the Week from ROOT OF ALL EVIL?

From Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel...

"'Oh, that’s right, Larry’s dead.' Audia smiled and fired the weapon." 

Perfect Easter and Mother's Day Gifts for Readers

Get our best deals on signed Pastor Stephen Grant novels and short stories at https://raykeatingonline.com/t/book-of-the-month

4 Cool and Quick Facts: Nice Rides in the Pastor Stephen Grant Thrillers and Mysteries

Check out four moments in the Pastor Stephen Grant adventures that feature some sweet rides...

1. From Root of All Evil?...

Jennifer got into her red Thunderbird, turned the key, and as she lowered the convertible top, called Stephen. 

He answered, “Hello, Jen. Did you survive your lunch with Drew? I just realized that it’s almost three.” 

“We wound up having a great conversation. Stephen, he’s just a very lonely, sad man.” 

“Well, apparently you did have quite a conversation.” 

“We really did. He’s coming over on Tuesday for dinner and to take a look at the sword collection. If that’s okay?” 

“Okay? That’s spectacular. I’ve never been able to connect with Drew. What did you do?” 

“I’ll explain later tonight?”

“Fair enough. By the way...”

“Yes, I have a quart of lobster bisque and a piece of toasted almond cream cake for you.”

“Great. Love you.”

“Love you, too. Bye.”

With the top down, Jennifer Grant loaded the new Beach Boys CD into the car radio/CD player, flipped over to the “That’s Why God Made the Radio” track, and made a right onto Main Road. 

2. From Shifting Sands...

Stephen Grant had mastered an assortment of skills as a Navy SEAL. Later, his repertoire of abilities was both fine- tuned and expanded while at the Central Intelligence Agency. And then came four years of very different training at the seminary, and his subsequent extended period of time as a parish pastor. 

But his prowess over a wide breadth of abilities – from profiling to prayer – mattered little right now. There was no way out. Traffic on the Long Island Expressway crept ever so slowly toward the Midtown Tunnel, leaving Grant no alternatives or escape routes for his Mojave Sand-colored, four-door Jeep Wrangler. But it really didn’t matter. Grant was in no hurry. He enjoyed the company. 

His wife, Jennifer Grant, sat next to him on the passenger side, and in the backseat was Father Tom Stone, one of his closest friends. 

3. From Heroes and Villains...

The four stopped at the closed front door. Guy, Diane and Stephen were beaming. And then Stephen opened the door. Jennifer stepped outside and saw the car that the Nodells had delivered. It was a red 1957 Thunderbird with its top down. Jennifer stood still and put a hand over her mouth. 

Guy asked, “This is the one, right? Stephen said that growing up you were a big fan of the TV show Vega$ with Robert Urich.” 

Jennifer still didn’t move or reply. 

Diane explained, “And this is the car he drove in the show. Well, not the exact car, but you know what I mean.” 

4. From Murderer’s Row...

After the SUV drove off and Victor entered the home, Paige Caldwell pulled up and parked her blue Mustang GT. 

Charlie Driessen, sitting in the passenger seat, said, “A stakeout in an attention grabbing Mustang, with the top down no less. I still don’t see how this makes sense.” 

“Like I said before, look at the view of the water and these houses. A couple sitting in a convertible, looking out at the water, enjoying two coffees, and generally not bothering anyone is more likely to fit around here, as opposed to a nondescript white van.” 

Great Gifts for Easter and Mother's Day!

Get our best deals on signed Pastor Stephen Grant novels and short stories at https://raykeatingonline.com/t/book-of-the-month

3 Reasons for Reading the Pastor Stephen Grant Mysteries/Thrillers: Loving LIONHEARTS at Amazon

Here are three big thumbs up from reviewers at Amazon.com for Lionhearts: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Lionhearts also is the Pastor Stephen Grant Book of the Month, with deals on signed books at https://raykeatingonline.com/t/book-of-the-month, and the Kindle edition price cut form $5.99 to $2.99 here.

1. 5 stars: “I have really come to appreciate Keating's writing of late; the tone is very good for our time. We all realize that these are entertaining novels, but their message is highly on point with contemporary issues facing Christians and Lutheran clergy in particular. Without spoiling anything, this book faces one of several nightmare scenarios for pastors and churches and mirrors the various approaches churches have (or haven't) taken to address those issues. Aside from the seriousness, however, which I deeply appreciated, it was another very engaging read, another page-turning thrill from Keating!”

2. 4 stars: “Typical Ray Keating . Realistic, exciting, inspiring, I look forward to the Pastor Grant releases.”

3. 5 stars: “Best of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels! Can't put them down!”

An Amazon.com Review Helps!

A Business Plan – An Action Plan – for Your Book!

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Go to www.authorsandentrepreneurs.com

Character Quote of the Week from REAGAN COUNTRY

The character quote of the week comes from Reagan Country: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel...

Tony Cozzilino: “When it comes to sex, people talk themselves into all kinds of things. That’s why honey traps are such old stories.” 

Facebook Reviewer Calls Shifting Sands "Awesome!"

A new Facebook review of Shifting Sands: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story says: "Just finished it! Awesome!"

That adds to the many positive reviews of this exciting tale about beach volleyball, danger and international intrigue.

For example, Self-Publishing Review also said: "Keating compresses what could be a full-length novel into a tightly packaged and page-turning mystery that hums with energy - as is always the case with this series. Rich descriptions, detailed background research, and a confident storytelling tone continue to serve Pastor Grant and his loyal readers exceptionally well. Recommended for fans of the series or as an introduction to Keating's engaging protagonist."

Spy Stuff: Amateur, Adventurer Spies of WWII

RealClearLife.com serves up a fascinating article about three amateur spies during World War II. They were known as GBT group, “a secret operation that worked alongside, but not for, Allied intelligence agencies during the Japanese occupation of what was then called Indochina. In a part of the world where the Allies were struggling to get any useful information, the GBT group’s network of amateur informants became one of the most effective spy rings of the war.”

This is fascinating and exhilarating stuff.

Read the RealClearLife.com article here, or the CIA report that it was based on here.

3 Reasons for Reading the Pastor Stephen Grant Mysteries/Thrillers: MURDERER’S ROW on Baseball’s Opening Day

It’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball. So, it’s a great time to grab Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel for the Kindle since it’s on sale as the Pastor Stephen Grant Book of the Month. That means the Kindle price at Amazon.com has been slashed from $5.99 to $2.99. By the way, there also are savings on signed copies of Murderer's Row and assorted book sets at https://raykeatingonline.com/t/book-of-the-month. The sale ends on March 31^st!

Need more reasons, well consider the following baseball snippets from Murderer's Row:

1. A key character plays in his first professional baseball game...

Dawud Wasem took the sign from Ty Beachamp for a fastball. He wound up and launched his first professional pitch. While registering 97 mph, it also sailed over the heads of Beachamp, the batter and the umpire. 

After the ball hit the backstop, Beachamp reached up for a new ball from the umpire. He tossed it to Wasem, and then moved his hands in a slight up-and-down motion that communicated a settle-down message. 

In the second row of the stands next to the first base dugout, Melissa said, “He’ll be fine, Tom.” 

Maggie was sitting on the other side of Tom, and squeezed his hand. 

Three more balls followed, and the leadoff man for the Nassau Gold Coasters was on base. 

The next batter laced a hard line drive to left for a single. No outs, and men on first and second. Beachamp called, “Time.” He walked to the mound, and said, “Okay, are we done with that crap?” He offered a slight smile as he placed the ball in Wasem’s glove. “Like I’ve told you before, you’ve got great stuff, and you’ve got the smarts to manage it. Nobody knows better than you that this is just baseball. It’s time to enjoy something simple that I can tell you love.” 

Wasem managed to return a small smile, and nodded. 

The next pitch was a nasty cutter. The batter swung, and broke his bat. The ball bounced back to the mound. Dawud fielded it, turned, tossed the ball to the shortstop, Jackson Quick, at second, who then fired it to first to complete the double play. 

The sellout crowd erupted in approval, with Ambler leading the cheers on her feet. 

2. A meeting between Stephen and Jennifer Grant, Mike Vanacore and Melissa Ambler...

As other guests approached, Jennifer looked down at two pugs – one fawn and the other all black – that were quietly sitting at Melissa’s feet. She bent down and petted each on their wrinkled foreheads above their flat faces. “And what are their names?” 

Melissa pointed and said, “That’s Trevor and he’s Tony.” Stephen said, “You really are a big Padres’ fan.”
Mike said, “See, I told you.”
Jennifer offered a perplexed look. “What am I missing?” Melissa said, “Stephen’s right. They’re named for Trevor 

Hoffman and Tony Gwynn.”
Jennifer replied, “I see now – two Padre greats.”
As Mike and Melissa moved off to greet other guests, 

Trevor and Tony dutifully followed Melissa.

3. And a moment with Stephen Grant reflecting on the game...

Stephen Grant inhaled deeply. He loved the aromas of baseball. 

Having been mown just a couple of hours earlier, the smell of fresh-cut grass under his feet still lingered. 

He raised the glove on his left hand to his face, and took in the bouquet of oil and leather.How long has it been since I was on a baseball field? Had to be the softball team at seminary. Too long. 

Growing up in the Cincinnati area, Grant became a big Reds fan, and in addition to golf and archery, he played Little League and high school baseball. After graduating from Valparaiso University, and serving his time in the Navy SEALs and with the CIA, Grant arrived at the seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he organized and managed the seminary softball team. 

In fact, the last time he stood in centerfield, as was now the case, Grant was in the vast field at the back of the seminary property. At that time, his friend and fellow seminarian Jacob “Big Jake” Stout joked, “You’re the best we have on our baseball and basketball teams, Stephen. But considering that we’re dominated by short, pudgy guys of German descent, that’s not exactly saying much.” 

4 Cool and Quick Facts: Cool Churches in the Pastor Stephen Grant Mysteries/Thrillers

Check out the descriptions of four churches or chapels from Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant novels and short stories...

1. From Warrior Monk...

The Puddleworths’ sensibilities when erecting this gothic-style building back in the nineteenth century made for an ideal abbey. The family’s original small chapel still served for private prayer. After taking over the facility, the Catholic Church merged another four rooms on the ground floor into the facility’s main chapel. 

The windows along the north side of what was called the Holy Family Chapel long ago were replaced with stained glass scenes from Acts. Stephen found that interesting. He could not recall being in another church or chapel with scenes from the Book of Acts. These included the Ascension, Matthias being chosen to replace Judas, Pentecost, Peter and John on trial, Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, Paul’s conversion, and Paul preaching in prison. 

But Grant’s attention was drawn to the window between Peter and John, and Philip. That was the martyrdom of Stephen. Grant, in fact, was specifically named by his mother after St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. So, this was a scene Grant was familiar with – Stephen gazing up at Jesus at the right hand of God the Father, the Holy Spirit as a dove shining the power of faith down on Stephen, all while an angry crowd threw stones to kill Stephen. 

Hope that’s not prophetic as well. 

He turned to the altar, behind which was a wall of statues of saints, with Mary and Joseph atop looking down lovingly on Jesus as a baby. Grant loved his Catholic brethren, and even admired various aspects of the Roman church, but he had a tough time with the Catholic view of and emphasis on saints, especially in worship spaces like this. But he slid into one of the pews, even though Vespers would not begin for another half hour. 

2. From Warrior Monk...

St. Bartholomew’s Church itself was a beautiful, historic stone building that resembled a mini-castle. Another building comfortably housed church offices, a large room for congregational meetings, dinners and events, classrooms and storage. And the large, six-bedroom parsonage was made of the same materials as the church. All of this sat on four acres on a lake in Eastport. 

3. From Lionhearts...

Grant walked by the old brick buildings that populated the small university across the street from the church. When the founders built the Lutheran University of New York, they also erected St. Mark’s. The school buildings, church, president’s home and the parsonage all followed a brick gothic architectural style. At the end of the campus, Grant came to the St. Mark’s parsonage. 

He paused on the sidewalk, and looked back at the church. Grant was a stickler when it came to church architecture, appreciating a wide array of styles, except for the churches built in recent decades that lacked any distinction, sometimes looking like office buildings. Grant not only liked the architecture of St. Mark’s, but also that this very much was a neighborhood church, surrounded by homes, the university, small apartment buildings and local stores. He then had a passing thought of appreciation that his own leaders and congregation at St. Mary’s had chosen a Tudor-style when their new church was built a few years ago.

4. From Warrior Monk...

Entering the nave and proceeding halfway up the center aisle, Grant bowed before turning his back to the altar and the massive Crucifix hanging on the wall behind it. 

The inside of the new St. Mary’s jibed nicely with its Tudor exterior. Lining the walls was a dark wood paneling about four feet high. Rising from there up to the various points in the ceiling were off-white walls accented with wood beams. The windows and ends of each pew came to a similar pointed shape as the ceiling. Rather than stained glass, the windows featured scenes from the life of Jesus Christ etched into otherwise clear glass. Daylight was allowed to stream into the building as a result. 

The largest etched window was behind the choir loft, showing Jesus as the teacher. At the other end, under the Crucifix, the altar rail closely mimicked the wood paneling and beams, while the altar was bathed in a white brighter than the walls...

He strode back into the narthex. A turn left would have taken him down a hall to four rooms—three used for Sunday school and various church meetings, and the other for storage. He instead went down the hall to the right, which led to the budding church library and conference room, a small copy room, his secretary’s office—though Mrs. Barbara Tunney more often acted like a nosy mother than a secretary—and his own office. 

Spy Stuff: Death of Mossad Spy Who Captured Eichmann

On Saturday, March 23, Rafi Eitan passed away at the age of 92. Eitan led the Israeli Mossad team into Argentina in 1960, and extracted Nazi Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Holocaust. 

According to a Washington Examiner report, “Eitan was not just involved in Eichmann’s apprehension. He also assisted Israel with a number of other national security and intelligence projects, including its nuclear program, and the assassination of the Palestinians involved in the 1972 murder of Israeli athletes at the Olympics.”

The BBC noted, “Speaking to the BBC in 2011, Eitan described Eichmann as "completely average" and laughed off his own hero status, describing himself as only ‘half of James Bond’.”

However, Eitan also was the handler for “Jonathan Pollard, a US analyst who gave thousands of top secret documents to Israel. The FBI issued an arrest warrant for Eitan after Pollard was exposed. Pollard spent 30 years in prison after his capture in 1985.”

- Ray Keating

Character Quote of the Week from HEROES AND VILLAINS: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT SHORT STORY

An exchange between Pastor Stephen Grant and Pastor Zack Charmichael in HEROES AND VILLAINS...

     “Tell me more about the author who is receiving a lifetime achievement award tonight?”
     “Wes Jenkins. He ranks as one of the great storytellers, as a writer and artist, in comic book history.”
     Stephen noted that Zack was ramping up the enthusiasm to provide the Jenkins’ bio.
     Zack continued, “Early on, he had great runs with some of the big DC and Marvel characters. But then he teamed up with Simon Huck to form J&H Comics Publishing. Fans and people in the industry thought Jenkins was nuts. No one predicted his subsequent burst... No, wait, ‘burst’ doesn’t capture it. No one predicted his outbreak or storm of creativity. He gave comic book fans dozens of heroes and villains, ranging from more classic, bright characters to dark, noir-ish ones. Jenkins’ creativity, coupled with Huck’s eye for bringing in complementary talent, launched J&H from nowhere to the third largest comics house.”
     “Impressive.”
     “You’ll appreciate the fact that Jenkins’ work is rich in biblical allegories, and Greek and Roman myths. He also likes to play with historical parallels.”

Mike Trout, Economics and Pastor Stephen Grant

by Ray Keating

So, forget about Bryce Harper and that $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. According to assorted news reports, outfielder Mike Trout has signed a 12-year extension with the Los Angeles Angels for a breathtaking $430 million.

Well, if anyone in baseball deserves the highest contract, it would be Mike Trout – the best player in the game today.

Now, this deal actually touches on two aspects of my own career – as an economist and as a novelist.

Trout and Economics

Let’s first consider the economics. Many people inevitably will – if they haven’t already – complain about paying a baseball player $430 million, while teachers, cops and assorted other “more important” professions get paid a fraction of that – indeed, a tiny fraction. The problem with this thinking is that it ignores basic economic principles, such as supply and demand. It’s more about feelings rather than economic realities. After all, water is far more important than a bottle of Dom Perignon, but guess what costs more?

Consider that compensation is about productivity, and demand relative to supply. Productivity and skills vary widely. If one possesses highly specialized skills, this will lead to better pay. And compensation will be driven higher if those skills are in high demand. Likewise, the more productive an individual is, the higher that person’s earnings. Skills and productivity are affected by natural talent, work ethic, and investments made in human capital. Those investments can take the form of education, practice, experience, and knowledge.

Economists refer to the “marginal revenue product” of a worker. That essentially means that the greater a worker’s contribution to a firm’s revenue, due to productivity and skills, the greater the compensation.

So, few people on the planet possess the abilities to be among the very best in Major League Baseball. For good measure, consumers willingly spend billions of dollars enjoying Major League Baseball each year. Therefore, people like Bryce Harper and Mike Trout are extremely well compensated.

Trout and Murderer’s Row

Okay, now what about being a novelist? Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is a mystery/thriller taking place amidst minor league baseball on Long Island. Pastor Stephen Grant and a few clergy friends find themselves serving as team chaplains, and they have the opportunity to shag some fly balls with the team on Opening Day. Here’s what happened:

    They looked in at the pitching coach tossing another fat batting practice fastball, and Blue launching the ball high and deep.

    It was Stephen’s turn. “I’ve got it.” He turned and ran toward the six-foot centerfield fence. Grant looked over his left shoulder, picked the ball up in the sky, continued his strides, glanced one more time at the warning track and wall, and then back at the quickly descending ball. At his second step on the dirt and gravel mix of the warning track, he jumped. Using the top of the wall, Grant pulled himself up higher with his right hand, and fully extended his glove into the air. The ball landed in the mitt. The momentum of the fly ball took Grant’s forearm over the wall. Descending to the ground, he pulled the glove back with the ball resting firmly in the pocket.

    Grant held the glove up as he felt a wave of elation sweep over him.

    Shouts of approval came from around the field. 

    Zack called, “Sweet catch!”

    With the bat still in his hand, Brodie Blue walked past the pitcher’s mound, stopped at second base, and pointed at Grant. He yelled, “Who do you think you are, Mike Trout?”

    Assorted Surf Kings latched onto that, with calls of “Nice, Father Trout” and “Father Trout’s the man,” along with a “Blue robbed by Father Trout.”

    Grant was still smiling as he tossed the ball back into the infield. 

By the way, Murderer’s Rowhappens to be the Pastor Stephen Grant Book of the Month for March, with the price of the Kindle edition cut from $5.99 to $2.99, and signed books and sets on sale as well at https://raykeatingonline.com/t/book-of-the-month.

Hey, it’s not like I’m making Mike Trout money, so any opportunity for a plug, I’m grabbing it.

Ray Keating is the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels, with three books - Reagan Country: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, Heroes and Villains: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Storyand Shifting Sands: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story– published in 2018. In addition, the second edition of Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novelwas published in January 2019. He can be contacted at raykeating@keatingreports.com.