Book Jacket

 

rank 5459
word count 41538
date submitted 16.01.2010
date updated 14.10.2011
genres: Thriller, Non-fiction, Crime, Eroti...
classification: adult
incomplete

A Ten Cent Movie

R.L. Meredith

As counterfeit leads to kidnapping, cold-blooded murder soon follows. This short, chilling ride through the illegal drug world will captivate and enlighten readers.

 

It was mid-September in 1974. President Nixon had just resigned, and America’s involvement in the Viet Nam war was winding down. President Ford had just unveiled a conditional clemency program for Vietnam-era military deserters and draft dodgers.

The baby boomer generation was learning how to assert their power, and the lines between right and wrong blurred more with each passing day. Illicit drugs were fueling the sexual revolution. The hippies had been replaced by credit card carrying yuppies and needle toting junkies.

America’s demand for illegal drugs was insatiable, and the profit margins from their sales were enormous. With drug money, millionaires were being made overnight. Tom, Gary, and Rick wanted their share of the action, so the three of them entered into the marijuana distribution and wholesale business.

Through the criminal’s point-of-view, this book will lead the reader through the sordid details of these three young mens short-lived adventures. It will give the reader new insight into the intoxicating yet frightening lure of the illicit drug trade, the minds of those who chose that lifestyle, and the subsequent consequences of their choice.

 
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tags

, cold-blooded murder, counterfiet, crime, criminal, drugs, gun, kidnap, marijuana, pot, rip-off, sex, true

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45 comments

 

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lynn clayton wrote 758 days ago

A superb thriller. Characterisation, scene setting, all these technical things can be taken as read, it could hardly be superb without them. But it's the atmophere, built up of a believable and convincing world and genuine danger, that makes it compelling. Brilliant. Backed. Lynn

Blousie wrote 765 days ago

I really enjoyed this, very well written. My only criticism would be overuse of dialogue - but that's just my personal preference :-)

I would love you to take a look at my book The Kid: A True Story of Cocaine, Corruption, Deceit and Betrayal. It's the same genre as yours, so I would really appreciate any comments you have.

Many thanks and good luck.

B xx

Ransom Heart wrote 736 days ago

They all would have been better off bagging groceries, instead of pot.
Backed enthusiastically.
Marianne (Saint Paddy and the Sundial)

lizjrnm wrote 801 days ago

This is, in my opinion one of the best books on thsi site - PAY ATTENTION AUTHONOMY! It is a huge book with something for everyone! It is obvious that you have spent much time and passion crafting and polishing this but yet it still reads with such down to earth style - EXCELLENT read and Backed with pleasure!

Liz
The Cheech Room

Richard Allen wrote 784 days ago

You set your scenes very well, the reader able to feel the atmosphere created. Rick and his ‘friends' are interesting characters, revealed deftly through dialogue, the narrative saved for more important matters. This is quality writing and a fascinating read, the writer sharing their research of the period. I’d forgotten most of it and now remember why. ‘A Ten Cent Movie’ is a compelling story well told. On my shelf.

Hermione wrote 180 days ago

Not quite sure what's happening here - no sign of life for 18 months, then suddenly you update... so obviously you think, rightly, that you have something worth working on. Great idea to write from the angle of the bad guys, but I think it still needs some work. Some of the dialogue is excellent, but some feels unnatural. A load of apostrophes would help. 'Couldn't', 'we're', that sort of thing. A few typos, but you'll pick them up eventually. Tighten it up and it will be terrific. Good luck.

Cait wrote 717 days ago

A Ten Cent Movie:

R. L. Enjoyable read, this, and I love books that bring me back in time, just wish I had time to read more than the first chapter. I also like books with lots of dialogue, that’s two plus’ so on my shelf, it goes. :)

Cáit ~ Muckers ~

A Knight wrote 719 days ago

Wow, now that's how a thriller is done. Equal balance between the action-packed plot and hte character development makes this a winner. I'm only sorry I didn't find it sooner.

Backed with pleasure.
Abi xxx

Linda Lou wrote 722 days ago

hulo R.L.the thrill is building and I can see several different possible plots starting to come together. Very good. Already shelved and backed.
Please take a look at my book if you have not and thanks for that.
Linda Lou Long
Southern dis-Comfort
http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=11421

toussaint wrote 722 days ago

A Ten Cent Movie

This is a really great story. The dialogue between the three guys in chapter one is truly excellent. The real twist, when we get to it comes in chapter two where Pablo pulls a gun on Rick and explains about the counterfeit notes he’s been given. Fantastic story. Jane having a go at Sandy for taking up with a drug dealer in chapter four is well done, Chapter five—man that’s HOT!—great sex scene! And chapter six really begins to rock when Tom and Gary turn up on the doorstep and admit they’ve been rolled by the junkie barman James.

Now then. I’ve just read your profile again, given the fairly noticeable homonym errors which started to crop up after the first chapter. They are difficult to spot, and your punctuation is spot on, so no gripes there. But I’d try to fix the spelling in any sample you send to a publisher, even though their copy editor will fix them for you they tend to howl if they find any. One more thing, I think you are over-using hyphens. This was particularly noticeable in chapter two.

The profile says this is 95% true. Gees! So the plot is a given. That makes critique more complicated. I think I noticed some comments about this. It does read like fiction, and that’s commendable. You have control over how you structure the story, and your opening does the business. The first paragraph is atmospheric and sets the scene of the end of a long and tedious car ride. Rather as Rick, Tom and Gary are conducting their lives. You then develop this further with the next two paragraphs and after that we get into the detail of their drug business. We are right into the drug story promised in the pitch—from the point of view of the three boys and I liked that. Your dialogue is fantastic, as I’ve already commented, and it is excellently characterised. In fact I really loved the first chapter. I think it could be tightened a bit more. For me, your descriptions of the settings are slightly over detailed and could certainly be trimmed if you want to up the pace. And on a technical point, you can lose some of the “that”s to give this even more immediacy than it already has.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I’m backing it. If you can find the time to take a look at Bokassa’s Last Apostle in return, I’d be extremely grateful.

DMR wrote 723 days ago

Chapter 1 sets the scene perfectly, the 3 compadres, on a road trip with sixty pounds of MJ in the back.. the characters come alive through your use of dialogue and your scenery descriptions are perfect - rich and evocative.. I can tell this is going to be a rollercoaster of a read - Backed!
Diane
Good Blood

SusieGulick wrote 725 days ago

Dear R.L., I got so excited when I saw that you had backed, "He Loves Me." :) Thanks so very much. :) Since I have already "backed" your book, I will also put your book on my "watchlist." Could you please take a moment to "back" my completed unedited memoir version? "Tell Me True Love Stories," which at the end tells of my illness now & 6th abusive marriage. I'd be ever so grateful. :) Thank you. :) Love, Susie :)
p.s. Remember: Every time you place a book on your bookshelf, your recommendation pushes the book up the rankings. And while that book sits on your bookshelf, your reputation as a talent spotter increases depending on how well that book performs. :)
When you back a book, it only improves the ranking of that book, not yours. However, the author whose book you are backing may decide to back your book also, in which case yes, your ranking would be improved...authonomy.

wespollet wrote 728 days ago

Hi,R.L., From the trip to Florida to drop the drugs to the shootout in the terminal and the killing of Tommy has a real smooth flow of descriptions, actions and I Back the book! Harold Alvoin(ICON)Wesley

S Richard Betterton wrote 728 days ago

You're building up the tension detail by detail. Classic thriller writing, and very difficult to stop reading!

Steve Palmer wrote 729 days ago

I read the first five chapters, wanted to know more and - OK I admit it - jumped to 20. I'm hooked and will probably read the whole book when it's all downloaded. Three men well out of their depth before they even start it seems. Very atmospheric. I've never been to San Antonio but feel I know a little bit of what it was like in the 70's.

Backed
Steve (Scar Tissue)

Shakespeare's Talking Head wrote 732 days ago

I don't know. I like the way you've built up the first scene here. (It is a matter of taste.) If you like how it flows, that's what matters. I don't live in a hot climate myself, but I would imagine that, even in the desert, it would take a while before the heat can show irradiating from the ground. It would have cooled over night, especially in the desert. Nice story so far.
Gerry
Dropcloth Angels

Light Between Shadows wrote 736 days ago

Honestly - I think that while your writing is beautiful - great imagery, etc. - the detailed, almost poetic description of i.e. a damn hot day - bog down the story. Maybe it's just a matter of taste - but I would streamline it and get to the action faster. I work in a bookstore and I watch customers - there's not much time beyond a page or two to grab the reader. I found myself reading and thinking 'cut to the chase!' Mind you, I've been struggling with this myself so I'm attuned to this. Hope this doesn't seem harsh.
Best,
Tricia

Light Between Shadows wrote 736 days ago

Honestly - I think that while your writing is beautiful - great imagery, etc. - the detailed, almost poetic description of i.e. a damn hot day - bog down the story. Maybe it's just a matter of taste - but I would streamline it and get to the action faster. I work in a bookstore and I watch customers - there's not much time beyond a page or two to grab the reader. I found myself reading and thinking 'cut to the chase!' Mind you, I've been struggling with this myself so I'm attuned to this. Hope this doesn't seem harsh.
Best,
Tricia

delhui wrote 736 days ago

Dear RL --

I was a little bit confused, as this reads like fiction yet is listed as nonfiction. Nevertheless, I found your descriptions engaging, and based on the first few chapters & your premise, A Ten Cent Movie is a wild ride. Happy to back you. -- Delhui, The Long Black Veil

Ransom Heart wrote 736 days ago

They all would have been better off bagging groceries, instead of pot.
Backed enthusiastically.
Marianne (Saint Paddy and the Sundial)

lynn clayton wrote 758 days ago

A superb thriller. Characterisation, scene setting, all these technical things can be taken as read, it could hardly be superb without them. But it's the atmophere, built up of a believable and convincing world and genuine danger, that makes it compelling. Brilliant. Backed. Lynn

Blousie wrote 765 days ago

I really enjoyed this, very well written. My only criticism would be overuse of dialogue - but that's just my personal preference :-)

I would love you to take a look at my book The Kid: A True Story of Cocaine, Corruption, Deceit and Betrayal. It's the same genre as yours, so I would really appreciate any comments you have.

Many thanks and good luck.

B xx

SusieGulick wrote 782 days ago

Dear Rick, I got so excited when I saw your message & that you told me the details about your book. My heart goes out to you. In the '70s, I took care of my husband's elderly dad. Yes, it is very hard. You are right, most of all, they need love & understanding & quality time. Thanks again for opening up your life to help others. If you only back my 2 books & read them later, it's okay with me. :) Since I have already backed & commented on your book, I came to your "comment" page to help your book advance even more. Love, Susie :)

SusieGulick wrote 782 days ago


Dear R.L., One of my 5 ex-husbands was a cocaine user/pusher & it was hell. Thanks for stepping up & sharing. May God give you the wisdom on finishing your book. I love that were straight forward. Your story is a good read because you create interest by having short paragraphs & lots of dialogue which makes me want to keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. I'm BACKING/COMMENTING on your book to help advance it. :) Could you please return the favor by taking a moment to BACK/COMMENT on my TWO Books, ... "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" ... and the UNEDITED version? ... "Tell Me True Love Stories"
Thanks, Susie :)

Richard Allen wrote 784 days ago

You set your scenes very well, the reader able to feel the atmosphere created. Rick and his ‘friends' are interesting characters, revealed deftly through dialogue, the narrative saved for more important matters. This is quality writing and a fascinating read, the writer sharing their research of the period. I’d forgotten most of it and now remember why. ‘A Ten Cent Movie’ is a compelling story well told. On my shelf.

Burgio wrote 786 days ago

This story is a well paced step back in time. Rick, Tom, and Gary are all good characters; it's easy to see why they want to experiment with pot and the fortune this could bring them. Dialogue sounds authentic. It's a good read. Burgio (Grain of Salt).

Melcom wrote 786 days ago

Wow, that was as professional as it gets.

What else can a new writer say except I'm totally envious of your work.

Superb read and one that I will be recommending.

Melxx

Sutekh wrote 797 days ago

Great writing, very professional, as for chapter 18, well, yes, I'm hooked. More please!

Darren Floyd
Match Day

soutexmex wrote 800 days ago

I'm confused: you have non-fiction picked as a genre but this seems fiction. Can you tell which it is? It's good writing though and I do like the pitches so I am SHELVING this.

I can use your comments on my book when you get the chance. Cheers!

JC
The Obergemau Key
Authonomy's #1 rated commentator

lizjrnm wrote 801 days ago

This is, in my opinion one of the best books on thsi site - PAY ATTENTION AUTHONOMY! It is a huge book with something for everyone! It is obvious that you have spent much time and passion crafting and polishing this but yet it still reads with such down to earth style - EXCELLENT read and Backed with pleasure!

Liz
The Cheech Room

Closet Writer wrote 802 days ago

There's all sorts of reasons why I'd like read your book in a week or two. For one thing, it's set in the same time period as mine and I'd like to see your portrayal of the 70s. I've added you to my WL for now.

Thanks,
SC Dwinnell, "Nobody Liked to Say"

bonalibro wrote 802 days ago

As one who values honesty, too, but knows there is little profit in delivering it here, I gave you one of my very non-specific comments saying what I could to encourage you. I was honest in saying that you write with clarity.

But there is a lot about your story that gives me pause. First, I had to wonder if you are writing about something you know of first hand, not that you have to, but you don't give enough detail about the drug deal to convince me you even researched how a deal goes down. You deliver it in a throwaway line. There are other things I could share with you, but it's midnight and I'm off to bed.

Sutekh wrote 802 days ago

Enjoyed the first chapter, I'm reading Hunter S Thompson's 'Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail in 72' at the mo and there seem to be connections...I'll give you a more feedback later hombre!


Darren Floyd
Match Day

bonalibro wrote 802 days ago

I like the clarity of the writing.

Would be happy to give this my backing if you'll have a look at mine.

Tim Chambers
Moonbeam Highway: With Apologies to Miguel de Cervantes

Francesco wrote 802 days ago

Backed with pleasure! Good Luck!!
A look at Sicilian Shadows would be greatly appreciated.
Frank.
If you back my work, you may also want to approach BJD (a big supporter of my work) for a further read of your book.

R.L. Meredith wrote 806 days ago

In the dialogue, character names are used excessively.

"Roundtrip" should be two words - round trip.

The overall story in general is exciting and the plot grabs attention. Your premise is outstanding and perfect. Now you need a book cover that's as thrilling as the story. =) Backed for strong potential.

L. Anne Carrington, "The Cruiserweight"



Thank you for your comments and the backing of my manuscript, “A Ten Cent Movie”. I am currently going through the manuscript and eliminating roughly 50% of the name use in the dialog. You were right. It reads better—less formal.

Since my Microsoft Word program did not pickup on the round trip spelling error, I had to look it up. According to the “American Heritage” dictionary, either way is correct—round trip or roundtrip—but thank you for questioning it. We both learned something.

TheLoriC wrote 806 days ago

In the dialogue, character names are used excessively.

"Roundtrip" should be two words - round trip.

The overall story in general is exciting and the plot grabs attention. Your premise is outstanding and perfect. Now you need a book cover that's as thrilling as the story. =) Backed for strong potential.

L. Anne Carrington, "The Cruiserweight"

Lockjaw Lipssealed wrote 807 days ago

This is good writing. The only thing that really seemed out of place was the over use of chacter names in the dialouge. When we're talking with our friends we don't usually repeat thier names a great deal.

Lockjaw

C.C.McKinnon wrote 808 days ago

A very thrilling and edging opening. I like the view point that you start with. The pace and tension grows and delivers the story so well. An usual read in regards of Non-fiction.

gillyflower wrote 809 days ago

Your pitch is exciting, and your plot is different. You seem to know a lot about your subject, and you hook us in with your expertise. Your characters, Rick, Tom and Gary, and later Pablo, are well drawn, realistic people, and we quickly feel that we know them. Apart from Rick, whose thoughts you give us, we meet them through their conversation. Your dialogue works well, and it feels as if we're there joining in the chat. The counterfeit bills appear early in the story, and Rick's problem, finding another supplier now Pablo is in trouble with the Feds, is a real one which we can understand. Your plot moves forward quickly, and your writing is fluent and professional. Backed.
Gerry McCullough,
Belfast Girls.

Jared wrote 809 days ago

This is an edgy crime thriller which opens from the perspective of three men who are dealing marijuana out of the trunk of a car, jittery with cabin-fever from too much togetherness, stuck in a car on non-stop drug runs on the road. As I would have expected, the dialogue is clipped and raw - very well executed. Their carnal urges - food, rest, sex - are all coming to the surface and serve to amplify the personalities of Rick, Gary and Tom.

Some notes I made as I read:
-In paragraph 4, you've got 9:00 o'clock, which seems redundant. Either spell out "nine o'clock" or leave it at 9:00
-Last sentence of paragraph 5, you use the word "turn" three times - may want to think of changing it up a bit - perhaps: "He flipped the right-hand turn signal on and eased into the parking lot..."
-Paragraph 6 - "Wakeup" should be two words (Wake up)
-Paragraph 18 - you've got an extra space in "you' re"
-Paragraph 32 - "good-looking" is two words (good looking)
-Paragraph 34 - "up-tight" doesn't need a hyphen (uptight)
-Paragraph 40 - "long- run" take out the hyphen, make two words (long run)

All in all, I loved the opening to this, and can see it appealing to a wide audience, especially a male dominated one. I love how you tell the story through dialogue, rather than relying on long paragraphs of info dump. It's always more appealing (in my opinion) to let the characters tell the story through their own words. Nice job with this. Backed.

Jared
Mummy's Boy

Natalie Jones wrote 810 days ago

I really enjoyed the first two chapters. Loved the poetic way you started chapter 1. In the first parargraph of chapter 1, you used the word queue, but I think you may have meant cue. Backed and good luck.

Natalie
Death and Destiny

brinskie1 wrote 812 days ago

I agree with pip-there is a good story promised in the pitch of Ten Cent Movie. It is a story that sets bells ringing in my memories of that space and time. I want to read this book, but you really need to dig into things. Some of the dialogue seems stilted and just doesn't ring true. Part of the problem with some of the narrative is you are trying too hard to clarify things with unnecessary words that only grind things to the snail's pace. And, although your first paragraph isn't badly written, you might want to rearrange you opening and, if you still want to use all that flowery prose, stick it in a more appropriate place. [I don't mean 'where the Sun don't shine.]

As I said, I like the story, and a good edit will do wonders for what is a promising beginning. Shelved.
G.
[I would be interested in your take on Einstein's Road Trip if your time allows. thanks.}

plip wrote 813 days ago

There is a good story here, but wrapped in language that is too formal and distant for the material. Personally, I would try to get closer in with your narrator, less abstract and impersonal in tone.
phil (Eland Dances)

Nick Poole2 wrote 814 days ago

I'm all critted out at the moment. This is good. I'll back and see if I can come up with anything constructive tomorrow.

Nick
"Mirror In The Sky"

cbearly wrote 835 days ago

R.L.:

I cannot understand why you do not have more backing for A Ten Cent Movie. It is written extremely well and it is quite obvious you have a grasp on the seventies, whether from having experienced the era or through research. The premise is interesting and the pace flows nicely.

Best of luck. Backed.

Candace Bowen Early (A Knight of Silence)

ellen911 wrote 842 days ago

I love your scenic opening and then how you dive into the dialogue between these guys. It moves quickly, but you generously toss in detail and description. Nice work.
Backed,
Ellen
(Thoughts of a Teenage Girl)

hot lips wrote 842 days ago

This is very realistic, nicely written, good dialogue and premise, very easy to back with pleaure.
BADD

mikegilli wrote 844 days ago

Thanks for the entertainment. On my shelf, I back this
you have a great story and good thriller tecnique.
best of luck with it............Mikell The Free

Ian Gosling wrote 845 days ago

A nce start, there is good imagery in the narrative and the tight dialogue sets the pace. Before Rick walks through Pablo's door you know already he's walking in trouble.
Shelved
Ian Gosling - Lying To God -

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