Top Ten Laudizen Stories for 2011

The following link entries comprise the "Top Ten List" of most-read stories at the Laudizen King website for the year 2011.

1.
Murder at Midnight

Forty years ago, two American MPs died in the Ivory Tower, a downtown Saigon bar, and the embers of anger and resentment still burn today.

2.
Burial Detail

Remembering a Military Funeral Detail at Fort Bragg

3.
My AMC White Mountain Guides

Homage to the White Mountains of New Hampshire

4.
Remembering the Dugout and Larry Lisciotti

A teenager discovers the game of pool, and meets the future world champion

5.
On Martinis and Oysters

heaven meets the earth where it joins the sea

6.
Oscar Wilde on Death

To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence

7.
Heinrich Harrer

The enigmatic Austrian climber and explorer

8.
Off the Shoulder of Orion

A personal lament

9.
On a Beach on Nantucket

Remembering youth and love on the island of Nantucket

10.
Scouting and the Tattoo Merit Badge

The Boy Scouts teach business acumen



Follow this Link to the Laudizen King Website

Thank you all! Laudizen King

Personal Bestseller of 2011

The White Mountain Chronicles

As 2011 draws to a close, I look back on the year and am thankful for the thousands of people who visited my website and to the many readers that purchased one of my eBooks. I am especially indebted to those readers who purchased a copy of, ”The White Mountain Chronicles", making that collection of stories from the mountains of New Hampshire my personal bestseller for 2011.

I am gratified that this unique volume of creative nonfiction, a simple compilation of travel, memoir and adventure from the Granite State, and the White Mountains in particular, is embraced by readers throughout New England and beyond.

I possess a lifelong passion and partiality for the White Mountains of New Hampshire including the Appalachian Trail, the mountains, the people, the forest and its roads. I look back on those years with an oleo of emotions, but primarily with love, gratitude, and longing for those times gone by. Because of that love and gratitude, I present the stories honestly, leaving the flaws and blemishes intact; the readers can make their own judgments. I also enjoy a great feeling of self-satisfaction over the challenges and obstacles I faced and overcame during my 18 years of adventures in the long shadows of the mountains of New Hampshire.

I appreciate your support and hope you will tell your friends about this unique collection of stories and adventures.

Thank you, and may 2012 be a great year for you! Laudizen King

The White Mountain Chronicles

The eBook is available for only $3.99, and may be purchased and downloaded to your Kindle or Android from Amazon, to your Apple device from the Apple bookstore, or downloaded to the eReader of your choice from Smashwords, Sony, Barnes & Noble or other eBook retailers.


"The White Mountain Chronicles" at Amazon

"The White Mountain Chronicles" at Smashwords

For more information about "The White Mountain Chronicles" eBook, click here

Link to the Laudizen King website

(approx 53,900 words)

'The White Mountain Chronicles', a collection of 22 travels, memoirs, and adventures from New Hampshire, the Granite State.

Chapters
My AMC White Mountain Guides
May Camp
Red Flannel Hash
In the Shadow of Monadnock
Carter Notch in Winter, the First Trip
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Winter Night at Hermit Lake
How Things Come to Pass
Second Sojourn
Camp 16
Ghosts and Summits
Golden Girls
Pilgrimage
Mt Garfield Dream
Closing Galehead
Remembering Ray Evans, 1909-2001
Mountain Pond and Carter Dome
Riddle of New Hampshire
Mt Carrigain Trilogy
On the Garfield Ridge with Jack Kerouac
Out of the Fog
The 48 Summits

The White Mountain Chronicles in New Zealand

In New Zealand, visit Whitcoulls to download a copy of Laudizen King's 'The White Mountain Chronicles'.

Laudizen King writes creative nonfiction: memoirs, travels, and stories that celebrate the human spirit and honor the diverse moments that comprise a mortal life. 'The White Mountain Chronicles' is a collection of 22 adventures that celebrate New Hampshire, the Granite State. Unconventional yet accessible and emotive, this collection follows the author through two decades of discovery in the mountains of New Hampshire, unique and authentic stories penned by an original author with a wide-ranging eye.

Visit Whitcoulls to download the eBook to your eReader.

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at Whitcoulls

(approx 53,900 words)

Chapters
My AMC White Mountain Guides
May Camp
Red Flannel Hash
In the Shadow of Monadnock
Carter Notch in Winter, the First Trip
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Winter Night at Hermit Lake
How Things Come to Pass
Second Sojourn
Camp 16
Ghosts and Summits
Golden Girls
Pilgrimage
Mt Garfield Dream
Closing Galehead
Remembering Ray Evans, 1909-2001
Mountain Pond and Carter Dome
Riddle of New Hampshire
Mt Carrigain Trilogy
On the Garfield Ridge with Jack Kerouac
Out of the Fog
The 48 Summits

Thank you, Laudizen

Saco River Idylls

Remembering those hot days after a hike in the White Mountains, swimming in the Saco River near North Conway, New Hampshire.

You can read the story at the link below.

Saco River Idylls

Laudizen

The Franconia Range

I made my first traverse of the Franconia Ridge Trail in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in 1976, standing on the summits of Mt Lafayette, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Liberty. On that hike, we climbed the Greenleaf Trail to the summit of Mt Lafayette and descended the Liberty Springs Trail after summiting Mt Liberty.

You can read the story at the link below.

Franconia One

Laudizen

Big Audio Digital Dynamite

I have created several mixed digital audio versions of my writings.

Follow the link below to various selections.

Big Audio Digital Dynamite

Laudizen

My AMC White Mountain Guides - audio

The audio story of My AMC White Mountain Guides

Follow the link below to listen to the story.

My AMC White Mountain Guides

Laudizen

mixed digital audio versions of my writings

I am experimenting with mixed digital audio versions of my writings, learning about podcasting and audiobooks.

Follow the link below to listen to several attempts.

Big Audio Digital Dynamite

Laudizen

Joan Osborne - an audio appreciation

A mixed-audio appreciation and memoir of Joan Osborne, from an original story.


Follow the link below to listen to it.
Joan Osborne - an appreciation

Laudizen

Father's Day - 2 audio stories

Rembering my Dad, with two stories for Father's Day

First, 'Paper and Fire', a story about a fire and its emotional aftermath.

Read the story at the following link:
Paper and Fire

Or listen to it in MP3 streaming audio at:
Paper and Fire Audio Version


Second is 'Popcorn', a story about memories, my father, and my youth. Oh yeah, and popcorn, too.

Read the story at the following link:
Popcorn

Or listen to it in MP3 streaming audio at:
Popcorn Audio Version

Laudizen

The Riddle of New Hampshire

'The Riddle of New Hampshire': Even before the demise of 'The Old Man of the Mountain' I pondered over the riddle that lay hidden in my AMC White Mountain Guide for years.

This story is available only in 'The White Mountain Chronicles', a collection of 22 travels, memoirs, and adventures that celebrate New Hampshire, the Granite State. Unconventional yet accessible and emotive, this collection follows the author through two decades of discovery in the mountains of New Hampshire, unique and authentic stories penned by an original author with a wide-ranging eye.

Enjoy!

'The White Mountain Chronicles' can be viewed at the links below:
at Amazon
at Smashwords

The eBook may be purchased and downloaded from Smashwords or Amazon, and at other premium digital stores as well. Visit Smaswords to download the eBook in any format or visit Amazon to download the eBook to your Kindle.

(approx 53,900 words)

Chapters
My AMC White Mountain Guides
May Camp
Red Flannel Hash
In the Shadow of Monadnock
Carter Notch in Winter, the First Trip
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Winter Night at Hermit Lake
How Things Come to Pass
Second Sojourn
Camp 16
Ghosts and Summits
Golden Girls
Pilgrimage
Mt Garfield Dream
Closing Galehead
Remembering Ray Evans, 1909-2001
Mountain Pond and Carter Dome
Riddle of New Hampshire
Mt Carrigain Trilogy
On the Garfield Ridge with Jack Kerouac
Out of the Fog
The 48 Summits

Thank you, Laudizen

Father's Day Popcorn

With Father's Day a week away, I recall those lost days with my Dad.

Here is 'Popcorn', a story about memories, my father, and my youth. Oh yeah, and popcorn, too.

Read the story at the following link:
Popcorn

Laudizen

The 48 Summits

When it comes to climbing all 48 4000' peaks in the White Mountains, the hiker faces a myriad of ways and styles, and all choices will accomplish the goal, whatever that goal might be.

The 48 Summits

This story is available only in 'The White Mountain Chronicles', a collection of 22 travels, memoirs, and adventures from New Hampshire, the Granite State. The eBook may be purchased and downloaded from Smashwords or Amazon, and at other premium digital stores as well.

Enjoy!

Two hyperlinks appear below; visit Smaswords to download the eBook in any format or visit Amazon to download the eBook to your Kindle.

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at Smashwords

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at Amazon

(approx 53,900 words)

Chapters
My AMC White Mountain Guides
May Camp
Red Flannel Hash
In the Shadow of Monadnock
Carter Notch in Winter, the First Trip
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Winter Night at Hermit Lake
How Things Come to Pass
Second Sojourn
Camp 16
Ghosts and Summits
Golden Girls
Pilgrimage
Mt Garfield Dream
Closing Galehead
Remembering Ray Evans, 1909-2001
Mountain Pond and Carter Dome
Riddle of New Hampshire
Mt Carrigain Trilogy
On the Garfield Ridge with Jack Kerouac
Out of the Fog
The 48 Summits

Vet's Tribute

a moving audio tribute to Veterans by long-time radio personality and proud Vietnam Veteran, Bob Leonard.

Follow the link below.

Vet's Tribute

Thank you, Bob!

Laudizen

Where youth and laughter go- Memorial Day

A poem for Memorial Day


You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you’ll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.

-Siegfried Sassoon, poet(1886-1967)

Story for Memorial Day, 2011

Every Memorial Day, a US Army veteran looks back on a special detail at Fort Bragg.

Read it at the link below.

Burial Detail

Thank you!

Laudizen

Memorial Day 2011, quote 9

Abruptly the poker of memory stirs the ashes of recollection and uncovers a forgotten ember, still smoldering down there, still hot, still glowing, still red as red. –William Manchester, historian, biographer (1922-2004)

Memorial Day 2011, quote 8

You can't use no eraser where you want to go. –Michael Herr, writer (1940-)

Memorial Day 2011, quote 7

Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events. –Winston Churchill, British statesman (1874-1965)

Memorial Day 2011, quote 6

The real war will never get in the books. -Walt Whitman, poet (1819-1892)

Memorial Day 2011, quote 5

I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell. -William Tecumseh Sherman, soldier (1820-1891)

Memorial Day 2011, quote 4

I was always embarrassed by the words sacred, glorious and sacrifice and the expression in vain. We had heard them, sometimes standing in the rain almost out of earshot, so that only the shouted words came through, and had read them, on proclamations that were slapped up by billposters over other proclamations, now for a long time, and I had seen nothing sacred, and the things that were glorious had no glory and the sacrifices were like the stockyards at Chicago if nothing was done with the meat except to bury it. -Ernest Hemingway, writer (1899-1961)

Memorial Day 2011, quote 3

There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity. Certain numbers were the same way and certain dates and these with the names of the places were all you could say and have them mean anything. Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene beside the concrete names of villages, the numbers of roads, the names of rivers, the numbers of regiments and the dates. -Ernest Hemingway, writer (1899-1961)

Memorial Day 2011, quote 2

One strange feeling, which I remember clearly, was a powerful link with the slain, particularly those that had fallen within the past hour or two. There was so much death around that life seemed almost indecent. Some men’s uniforms were soaked with gobs of blood. The ground was sodden with it. I killed, too. –William Manchester, historian, biographer (1922-2004)

Memorial Day 2011, quote1

Everything up there was spooky, and it would have been that way even if there had been no war. You were in a place where you didn’t belong, where things were glimpsed for which you would have to pay and where things went un-glimpsed for which you would also have to pay, a place where they didn’t play with the mystery but killed you straight off for trespassing. The towns had names that laid a quick, chilly touch on your bones: Kontum, Dak Mak Lop, Dak Roman Peng, Poli Klang, Buon Blech, Pleiku, Pleime, Plei Vi Drin. Just moving through those towns or being based somewhere above them spaced you out, and every time I’d have that vision of myself lying dead somewhere, it was always up there, in the Highlands. –Michael Herr, writer (1940-)

Popcorn

'Popcorn', a story about family, memories, my father, and my youth. Oh yeah, and popcorn, too.

Read the story at the following link:
Popcorn

Laudizen

Leigh Lake

Read the story, 'Leigh Lake', in 'Mosaics', an ebook from Laudizen King.

'Mosaics' is a collection of travels, essays, and memoirs that includes many of my best-known works, including 'Leigh Lake', the account of a backpacking trip to the Cabinet Mountains of Montana where I almost met a violent end, twice.

This ebook also contains several stories from my days in the US Army: the savage killings of James Workman and Eugene Cox in Saigon (Murder at Midnight), a night mission in Vietnam (Bridge Inspection), and an emotional assignment at Fort Bragg (Burial Detail).

Within this collection are stories celebrating the singer Joan Osborne, Richard Brautigan, Blood Mountain in Georgia, and Mt San Jacinto near Palm Springs.

Timeless and emotive, these 41 stories hold something for everyone.

'Mosaics' is available at Smaswords and Amazon, or at your favorite ebook retailers everywhere.

'Mosaics' at Smashwords

'Mosaics' at Amazon

Chapters
Breakfast in Pahrump
The Dreams of a Young Man
A Special Cup of Coffee
Joan Osborne
The Ocean House
Bobby Fischer - In Memoriam
The Cosmic Bridge of November 1999
Talking to Carla Jean
Maizie
Reunion
Murder at Midnight
Blood Mountain
Brautigan Gift
Dog-Day Afternoon in the Laguna Mountains
Salters Pond, Beau Geste, and the Return of the Vikings
Suit
Snow Day
A Husband Dies
Worms
Passages in Stone
Cheers and Slainte
Shoehorn
Burial Detail
Bridge Inspection
On a Beach on Nantucket
La Grange
Mt San Jacinto, Winter 1991
Mt San Jacinto, Summer 1992
September 1959
Out of a Blue Sky
Mt San Gorgonio
Leigh Lake
Paper and Fire
Manchester Redux
Remembering the Dugout and Larry Lisciotti
Empty Bottle
My AMC White Mountain Guides
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Pilgrimage
I'm Seeing Keith Richards in the Morning
In the Grass of Mt Diablo

Thank you!

Laudizen

AT on Blood Mountain in Georgia

a Collection of Images showcasing one spot on the Appalachian Trail, a picture taken in every season.

AT on Blood Mountain

Laudizen

Listening to: Gone Again

Dino Valente of Quicksilver Messenger Service sings 'Gone Again'

Gone Again

the stranger the brewing, the sweeter the brew......

Signposts to Afghanistan - 2011

A former Afghanistan intelligence analyst looks back at his military years, and at dreams gone by.

Although I created this piece in January of 2007, I am surprised at how well it stands and reads today, how germane it remains in the harsh light of current events. I once served in Military Intelligence as an Afghanistan Analyst with the US Army (1970-71) and I can't help but compare those years with the situation today. This story is part history, memoir, essay, and personal lament. It also voices my heartfelt and public concern over the opportunities and quality of life issues that face all of our current and future veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These have been tough years for soldiers. How does a young family survive, financially and emotionally, through tours of duty with numerous combat deployments? What dreams do these veterans harbor for themselves and their families in the life that follows after military service?

Read Signposts to Afghanistan at the link below

Signposts

Laudizen

Dino Valente

Today, I'm drifting through the 60's and 70's, remembering old friends with names like Danny West, Gerry Coley, and Dave Reed, recalling those Army days at Fort Bragg, lost in the music and words of Dino Valente, like the song below.

Dino Valente sings 'Time' -- Time

suddenly, these dreams are behind you.....

Success

What does it mean to call an expedition a 'success'? For me, a backpacking and hiking trip to the mountains never required that I stand atop a summit. 'Success' wears many faces, and striving and companionship leave an abundance of memories that are cherished years later.

Read my account of two summit attempts on the highest peak in Southern California (Mt San Gorgonio), one that reached the summit and one that did not.

'Mosaics' is a work of creative nonfiction: stories, memoirs, and essays of travel and adventure that celebrate the human spirit and honor the diverse moments that comprise a human life. Timeless and emotive, these 41 stories hold something for everyone.

'Mosaics' is available at Smaswords and Amazon, or at your favorite ebook retailers everywhere.

'Mosaics' at Smashwords

'Mosaics' at Amazon

Chapters
Breakfast in Pahrump
The Dreams of a Young Man
A Special Cup of Coffee
Joan Osborne
The Ocean House
Bobby Fischer - In Memoriam
The Cosmic Bridge of November 1999
Talking to Carla Jean
Maizie
Reunion
Murder at Midnight
Blood Mountain
Brautigan Gift
Dog-Day Afternoon in the Laguna Mountains
Salters Pond, Beau Geste, and the Return of the Vikings
Suit
Snow Day
A Husband Dies
Worms
Passages in Stone
Cheers and Slainte
Shoehorn
Burial Detail
Bridge Inspection
On a Beach on Nantucket
La Grange
Mt San Jacinto, Winter 1991
Mt San Jacinto, Summer 1992
September 1959
Out of a Blue Sky
Mt San Gorgonio
Leigh Lake
Paper and Fire
Manchester Redux
Remembering the Dugout and Larry Lisciotti
Empty Bottle
My AMC White Mountain Guides
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Pilgrimage
I'm Seeing Keith Richards in the Morning
In the Grass of Mt Diablo


Laudizen

Creative Nonfiction of Laudizen King

The eBooks of Laudizen King are now available for purchase and download. These are works of creative nonfiction: stories, memoirs, and essays of travel and adventure that celebrate the human spirit and honor the diverse moments that comprise a mortal life.

The books are available at Amazon, Smashwords, and other fine eBook retailers.

For download to the Kindle from Amazon, follow the link below to reach the Laudizen King author page at Amazon.

Laudizen King at Amazon

Laudizen King's eBooks are also available at Smashwords, where they can be downloaded in all the formats used by the most popular digital readers. Follow the link below to reach the Laudizen King author page at Smashwords.

Laudizen King at Smashwords

Thank you,

Laudizen

Kindle for Android

Using (and enjoying) the 'Kindle for Android' app on my LG Optimus phone, a free download from Amazon.

The 'Pee' Cup

Every now and then, Shirley gets a cup of coffee in the 'Pee' cup; a special day indeed.

Read the story, 'A Special Cup of Coffee', in 'Mosaics', an ebook from Laudizen King.

'Mosaics' is a collection of travels, essays, and memoirs that includes many of my best-known works: discovering pool as a teenager and meeting the great Larry Lisciotti (Remembering the Dugout and Larry Lisciotti), a fire and its emotional aftermath (Paper and Fire), the story of two ascents on the highest peak in Southern California (Mt San Gorgonio), and the account of a backpacking trip to the Cabinet Mountains of Montana where I almost met a violent end, twice (Leigh Lake).

This ebook also contains several stories from my days in the US Army: the savage killings of James Workman and Eugene Cox in Saigon (Murder at Midnight), a night mission in Vietnam (Bridge Inspection), and an emotional assignment at Fort Bragg (Burial Detail).

Within this collection are stories celebrating the singer Joan Osborne, Richard Brautigan, Blood Mountain in Georgia, and Mt San Jacinto near Palm Springs.

Timeless and emotive, these 41 stories hold something for everyone.

'Mosaics' is available at Smaswords and Amazon, or at your favorite ebook retailers everywhere.

'Mosaics' at Smashwords

'Mosaics' at Amazon

Chapters
Breakfast in Pahrump
The Dreams of a Young Man
A Special Cup of Coffee
Joan Osborne
The Ocean House
Bobby Fischer - In Memoriam
The Cosmic Bridge of November 1999
Talking to Carla Jean
Maizie
Reunion
Murder at Midnight
Blood Mountain
Brautigan Gift
Dog-Day Afternoon in the Laguna Mountains
Salters Pond, Beau Geste, and the Return of the Vikings
Suit
Snow Day
A Husband Dies
Worms
Passages in Stone
Cheers and Slainte
Shoehorn
Burial Detail
Bridge Inspection
On a Beach on Nantucket
La Grange
Mt San Jacinto, Winter 1991
Mt San Jacinto, Summer 1992
September 1959
Out of a Blue Sky
Mt San Gorgonio
Leigh Lake
Paper and Fire
Manchester Redux
Remembering the Dugout and Larry Lisciotti
Empty Bottle
My AMC White Mountain Guides
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Pilgrimage
I'm Seeing Keith Richards in the Morning
In the Grass of Mt Diablo

Thank you!

Laudizen

Through the Past Darkly

Divorce, Martinis, and out on the trail at 1:00am with a candle for a light; what could go wrong?

Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns

The entire story is available only in 'The White Mountain Chronicles', a collection of 22 travels, memoirs, and adventures from New Hampshire, the Granite State. The eBook may be purchased and downloaded from Smashwords or Amazon, and at other premium digital stores as well.

Enjoy!

Two hyperlinks appear below; visit Smaswords to download the eBook in any format or visit Amazon to download the eBook to your Kindle.

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at Smashwords

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at Amazon

(approx 53,900 words)

Chapters
My AMC White Mountain Guides
May Camp
Red Flannel Hash
In the Shadow of Monadnock
Carter Notch in Winter, the First Trip
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Winter Night at Hermit Lake
How Things Come to Pass
Second Sojourn
Camp 16
Ghosts and Summits
Golden Girls
Pilgrimage
Mt Garfield Dream
Closing Galehead
Remembering Ray Evans, 1909-2001
Mountain Pond and Carter Dome
Riddle of New Hampshire
Mt Carrigain Trilogy
On the Garfield Ridge with Jack Kerouac
Out of the Fog
The 48 Summits

Mt Garfield Dream

In the story 'Mt Garfield Dream', the author and a companion, after camping for two wet days at 13 Falls in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, ascend the Garfield Ridge in a May rainstorm, enduring a frigid and dangerous water crossing on the way. After reaching the Appalachian Trail (AT), that travels along the crest of the ridge, they turn west and continue their ascent toward Garfield Shelter, negotiating the steep climb up the rocky cone of Mt Garfield. As the freezing runoff from the rain cascades down the trail like an icy waterfall, the rain turns to a blinding driven snow and they worry about hypothermia and their ability to erect a tent if Garfield Shelter is no longer there. But they press on, unaware of what awaits them higher up the mountain.

The entire story is available only in 'The White Mountain Chronicles', a collection of 22 travels, memoirs, and adventures. The eBook may be purchased and downloaded at Smashwords or Amazon.

Enjoy!

Two hyperlinks appear below; visit Smaswords to download the eBook in any format or visit Amazon to download the eBook to your Kindle.

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at
Smashwords

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at
Amazon

(approx 53,900 words)

Chapters
My AMC White Mountain Guides
May Camp
Red Flannel Hash
In the Shadow of Monadnock
Carter Notch in Winter, the First Trip
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Winter Night at Hermit Lake
How Things Come to Pass
Second Sojourn
Camp 16
Ghosts and Summits
Golden Girls
Pilgrimage
Mt Garfield Dream
Closing Galehead
Remembering Ray Evans, 1909-2001
Mountain Pond and Carter Dome
Riddle of New Hampshire
Mt Carrigain Trilogy
On the Garfield Ridge with Jack Kerouac
Out of the Fog
The 48 Summits

The White Mountain Chronicles

'The White Mountain Chronicles' is now available for download at Smashwords and Amazon. These 22 stories celebrate the author’s two decades of adventure in the mountains of New Hampshire. From Monadnock in the south to the White Mountains in the north, these memoirs and stories capture the fleeting moments of a New Hampshire life: from friendships forged on the trail to nights of revelry, from dangerous water crossings to winter storms, and all the strange memories and events that make the experience whole.

The volume begins with 'My AMC White Mountain Guides', the author's homage to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, a story that ends with a poignant bit of graffiti found by the author years earlier.

That story is followed by 'May Camp', an appreciation of setting up camp in a driving rain, a task made joyous so long as it means being back in the White Mountains.

Many adventures follow: from wild nights on the trail to hot summer treks, from the humor of the 'Golden Girls' to the discovery of red flannel hash, from frigid winter outings to the camaraderie of the High Huts, from the last motorcycle ride to the shadow of Monadnock.

In 'Mt Garfield Dream', the author and a companion ascend the Garfield Ridge in a May rainstorm, enduring a frigid and dangerous water crossing on the way. After reaching the ridge, they continue their ascent toward Garfield Shelter, negotiating the steep climb up the rocky cone of Mt Garfield as the freezing runoff from the rain cascades down the trail like an icy waterfall. As they climb wet and frozen, the rain turns to a blinding driven snow, yet more wonder awaits them higher up the mountain.

'Out of the Fog' is a collection of strange happenings compiled over eighteen years on the trail in New Hampshire.

In 'The 48 Summits', the author describes the haphazard way in which he came to climb all of the 4000' peaks in New Hampshire, and gives special mention to those awe-inspiring places he visited numerous times over the years, such as Mt Moosilauke, a peak he climbed twenty times.

These unique stories are filled with the author's love and respect for New Hampshire; this collection is unlike anything available on the market today.

Enjoy!

Two hyperlinks appear below; visit Smaswords to download the eBook in any format or visit Amazon to download the eBook to your Kindle.

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at
Smashwords

'The White Mountain Chronicles' at
Amazon

(approx 53,900 words)

Chapters
My AMC White Mountain Guides
May Camp
Red Flannel Hash
In the Shadow of Monadnock
Carter Notch in Winter, the First Trip
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Winter Night at Hermit Lake
How Things Come to Pass
Second Sojourn
Camp 16
Ghosts and Summits
Golden Girls
Pilgrimage
Mt Garfield Dream
Closing Galehead
Remembering Ray Evans, 1909-2001
Mountain Pond and Carter Dome
Riddle of New Hampshire
Mt Carrigain Trilogy
On the Garfield Ridge with Jack Kerouac
Out of the Fog
The 48 Summits

Laudizen King

Mosaics

The latest edition of 'Mosaics' is now available for download at Smashwords and Amazon. (Price - $3.99, 76,000 words)

'Mosaics' is a collection of travels, essays, and memoirs that includes many of my best-known works: discovering pool as a teenager and meeting the great Larry Lisciotti (Remembering the Dugout and Larry Lisciotti), a fire and its emotional aftermath (Paper and Fire), the story of two ascents on the highest peak in Southern California (Mt San Gorgonio), and the account of a backpacking trip to the Cabinet Mountains of Montana where I almost met a violent end, twice (Leigh Lake).

This collection also presents several stories from my days in the US Army: the savage killings of James Workman and Eugene Cox in Saigon (Murder at Midnight), a night mission in Vietnam (Bridge Inspection), and an emotional assignment at Fort Bragg (Burial Detail).

Within this collection are stories celebrating the singer Joan Osborne, Richard Brautigan, Blood Mountain in Georgia, and Mt San Jacinto near Palm Springs.

Timeless and emotive, these 41 stories hold something for everyone.

Two hyperlinks appear below; visit Smaswords to download the eBook in any format or visit Amazon to download the eBook to your Kindle.

'Mosaics' at Smashwords

'Mosaics' at Amazon

Chapters
Breakfast in Pahrump
The Dreams of a Young Man
A Special Cup of Coffee
Joan Osborne
The Ocean House
Bobby Fischer - In Memoriam
The Cosmic Bridge of November 1999
Talking to Carla Jean
Maizie
Reunion
Murder at Midnight
Blood Mountain
Brautigan Gift
Dog-Day Afternoon in the Laguna Mountains
Salters Pond, Beau Geste, and the Return of the Vikings
Suit
Snow Day
A Husband Dies
Worms
Passages in Stone
Cheers and Slainte
Shoehorn
Burial Detail
Bridge Inspection
On a Beach on Nantucket
La Grange
Mt San Jacinto, Winter 1991
Mt San Jacinto, Summer 1992
September 1959
Out of a Blue Sky
Mt San Gorgonio
Leigh Lake
Paper and Fire
Manchester Redux
Remembering the Dugout and Larry Lisciotti
Empty Bottle
My AMC White Mountain Guides
Through the Past Darkly with Sven Saws and Candle Lanterns
Pilgrimage
I'm Seeing Keith Richards in the Morning
In the Grass of Mt Diablo

Thank you!

Laudizen

Death Valley Wind

'Death Valley Wind', a collection of 38 stories, is now available for purchase and download at Amazon and Smashwords. The travels, memoirs, and stories in this eBook cover a wide array of subjects, locales, and events: houseboats, motorcycles, Yosemite hiking, the artist’s life, personal loss, a mother’s gift, Little Tokyo, lost love, winter in New Hampshire, the wind of Death Valley, Richard Brautigan, Joni Mitchell and the town of Hollister, and much more.

In 'The Power of Symbol', the author as a child learns about the Holocaust and the power of symbol, and in the story 'Heinrich Harrer', the author relates a strange and distant communication between Laudizen's brother and the famous climber and adventurer. Also included in this book are 4 baseball stories ('Foul Ball', 'With Carlton Fisk, Forever', 'Baseball and Coffee', 'Born to Love Baseball'), my wife's amazing oral history of her grandfather's life in the Southwest ('The Road to Paradise'), the story of a motorcycle accident and its aftermath ('October 5, 1980'), a remembrance of the town of Manchester, New Hampshire ('The Queen City'), 2 stories about direct sales ('Chairman of the Board', 'The Product'), and a strange tale of a group of Boy Scout misfits ('Scouting and the Tattoo Merit Badge').

'Death Valley Wind' is a diverse and multi-layered collection of stories; all readers should find some moment or emotion to call their own.

Two hyperlinks appear below; visit Smaswords to download the eBook in any format or visit Amazon to download the eBook to your Kindle.

'Death Valley Wind' at
Smashwords

'Death Valley Wind' at
Amazon

(approx 55,400 words)

Chapters
The Power of Symbol
With Carlton Fisk, Forever
Induced Enlistee
First Flights
Leaving the Army
Snow Day at the Dugout
Off the Shoulder of Orion
In the Mind of the Artist
Baseball and Coffee
Foul Ball
Sto Lat
Dreams
Saint
Sentinel Snow
Norman
Beginnings
October 5, 1980
Pasadena Lunch
Scouting, and the Tattoo Merit Badge
Chairman of the Board
The Product
Houseboat
The Fokker U 2
Piece of Work
Death Valley Wind
Awash and Adrift on the Hockanum River
Interlude
Little Tokyo Moment
On a Beach on Nantucket
Mountain Pond and Carter Dome
The Pyrite Literary Review
Born to Love Baseball
Heinrich Harrer
Reluctance
Song for Hollister
The Road to Paradise
Oscar Wilde on Death
The Queen City

Thank you!

Laudizen King

Laudizen King's eBooks at Smashwords

Laudizen King's eBooks are available at Smashwords, where they can be downloaded in all the formats used by the most popular digital readers. Follow the link below to reach the Laudizen King author page at Smashwords.

Laudizen King at Smashwords

Laudizen King eBooks: now at Amazon

Laudizen King's eBooks are now available for download to the Kindle. Follow the link below to reach the Laudizen King author page at Amazon.

Laudizen King at Amazon

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers

An original story, 'Passages in Stone', appears in the new print anthology of stories, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers. 'Passages in Stone' is a story of a Grandmother's love reaching across the generations, and of the inevitable march of time in a world where nothing remains constant or unchanged.

I am pleased to have this personal and moving story selected for publication in such a collection, a compilation that features the work of 101 authors writing on a diverse assemblage of themes and emotional settings.

The book is currently available in bookstores everywhere.

Laudizen King

3 New Kindle Editions at Amazon

My 3 eBooks are now available for download as Kindle editions at Amazon. All three feature short memoirs, travels, and stories that celebrate the human spirit and the moments of a life.

(follow the links below)

Mosaics

Death Valley Wind

The White Mountain Chronicles

Laudizen King

Apple iBooks

Thank you, iPad and iPhone users, for purchasing my eBooks at the Apple iBook Store. I appreciate your support.

Laudizen King

Joshua Tree National Park

Follow the links below to 4 new images from Joshua Tree National Park

Desert - Joshua Tree National Park

Vista - Joshua Tree National Park

Near Keys Ranch - Joshua Tree National Park

Road - Joshua Tree National Park

Laudizen

Song for Hollister

A song by Joni Mitchell, "Urge for Going", recalls a special moment with my wife some 10 years ago, and I return in my mind to Hollister, California and feel the emotions of that night anew.

Read the story at the link below.
Song for Hollister

Laudizen

Read an eBook Week March 6-12, 2011

Read an eBook Week is March 6-12, 2011

To show my support for this promotion, I am reducing the price of all three eBooks that I currently have available at Smashwords: I will sell 2 books ("The White Mountain Chronicles" and "Mosaics") at 50% off list price, and "Death Valley Wind" will be free.

They are published by Smashwords and are available in all the download formats used by the most popular digital readers: the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes & Noble Nook, the Sony e-reader, select Palm devices, the Apple iPhone or iPad, and your personal computer as well.

To begin, create an account at smashwords.com with an email address and a password.

Visit my authors page during the week of March 6-12 at the following link to select a book.
Laudizen King

Add a book to your shopping cart and follow the instructions.

Don't have a handheld digital reader? Download a version for your PC at the links below and enjoy eBooks all the more.

Adobe Digital Reader for PC

Kindle for PC

Kindle for MAC

FBReader for Unix

Enjoy, and thanks. Laudizen King

Early look: Chicken Soup for the Soul

Because I have an original story making its debut in the book, I have just received several advance copies of the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers' anthology of stories. The book will be available nationwide on March 22, and it feels satisfying to finally hold the book in my hand and see the quality of the finished product.

My story, 'Passages in Stone', is a heartfelt narrative that I penned for my favorite Grandmother (my wife Shirley). 'Passages in Stone' is a story of a Grandmother's love reaching across the generations, and of the inevitable march of time in a world where nothing remains constant or unchanged.

As a writer, I am pleased to have this story selected for publication in such a collection, a compilation that features the work of 101 authors writing on Grandmothers using a diverse array of themes and emotional settings.

Look for it everywhere on March 22, 2011.

Laudizen King

Spring eBook Sale - 'Mosaics'

March is almost here, welcome in the Spring season a new eBook.

'Mosaics', a collection of travels, essays, and memoirs that includes many of my best-known works, is now on sale at Smashwords only for 2.99, a dollar off the list price.

Included in this volume are: Remembering the Dugout and Larry Lisciotti, Paper and Fire, On a Beach on Nantucket, Worms, Leigh Lake, and many more.

Also included are three stories from my years of service in the US Army: Murder at Midnight (about the tragic deaths of two American MPs, James Workman and Eugene Cox, in a Saigon bar in 1969), Bridge Inspection (a strange night mission during the Vietnam War), and Burial Detail (some Army details take you to unexpected places).

Timeless and emotive, these 41 stories hold something for everyone.

'Mosaics' is available for download in all the popular eReader formats for use on your handheld device or your PC.

To begin, create a free account at Smashwords with an email address and a password.

Then, follow the link below and use coupon code ET93G at checkout

Mosaics

Laudizen

My Life on Nantucket

Last night's cold winter rain in Southern California reminded me of rainy winter nights on Nantucket Island years ago, and of the many ghosts that populated those ancient evenings.

Read the story at the link below.
Nantucket Island

Laudizen

Events after the Killings

Eugene Cox and James Workman, two Military Policemen assigned to the 716th Military Police Battalion in Saigon, were killed on June 30, 1969, in a Saigon Bar named "The Ivory Tower" (Tour d'Ivoire). After reading my story, 'Murder at Midnight', Harry Lambert, an MP serving in Vietnam at the time of the killings, recalls several personnel reassignments that followed the deaths of the two young MPs.

Read Harry's letter at the link below
Events Following the Cox and Workman Killings

Laudizen

Janitor's Justice by David Jackson

Friend and author David Jackson has written a compelling novel, a timely drama revealed through the eyes of a courthouse maintenance worker. A courthouse janitor who lost his wife and child to a hit and run believes a judge and attorney are responsible. With the help of a reporter, he bugs the courthouse and finds the judge and lawyer more corrupt and sinister than either had imagined. As the two seek ways to destroy the judge and attorney, they confront their own competing motives and emotions, as well as a growing sexual tension. The novel, Janitor's Justice, is released through Smashwords.

Visit David's website at "Janitor's Justice" by David Jackson

Visit Smashwords at the link below
Janitor's Justice at Smashwords

Laudizen

Spring Fever in New Hampshire

It has been a long tough winter and its time to generate a serious case of spring fever. Fire up some excitement with "The White Mountain Chronicles" by Laudizen King, an eBook celebrating 18 years of exploration and adventure in the mountains of New Hampshire. From the Presidential Range to Monadnock, this book embraces the Granite State, from nights of revelry to the hard challenge of the trail.

Priced at just 3.99, the ebook is available in all the popular download formats at Smashwords, just follow the link below.

The White Mountain Chronicles at Smashwords

For those with other eReader accounts, "The White Mountain Chronicles" is also available for purchase at the following eBook stores: Kobo, Diesel, Barnes and Noble, Sony, and Apple.

Laudizen

Passages in Stone

I am please to say that 'Passages in Stone', a heartfelt narrative that I penned for my favorite Grandmother (my wife Shirley) has been chosen for inclusion in the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers' anthology of stories. 'Passages in Stone' is a story of a Grandmother's love reaching across the generations, and of the inevitable march of time in a world where nothing remains constant or unchanged.

'Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers' is a compilation that will feature the work of 101 authors writing on Grandmothers using a diverse assemblage of themes and emotional settings.

Look for it in bookstores everywhere on March 22, 2011.

Visit my website at the link below.

Gathered Along the Way

Laudizen King

The Road to Paradise 1893-1923

The Road to Paradise 1893-1923

From the birth of Clarence Wager in 1893 to the Wager family's arrival in Paradise, California, 1923

The story of a family forging a life out of nothing in the hardscrabble West that existed at the turn of the century. From humble beginnings in Arkansas, to the mines of Jerome Arizona, along the migrant camps of the Central Valley, to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. From the oral history of my wife's grandfather.

Read the story at the link below.

The Road to Paradise 1893-1923

Laudizen

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers

'Passages in Stone', a heartfelt narrative that I penned for my favorite Grandmother (my wife Shirley) has been chosen for inclusion in the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers' anthology of stories. 'Passages in Stone' is a story of a Grandmother's love reaching across the generations, and of the inevitable march of time in a world where nothing remains constant or unchanged.

As a writer, I am pleased to have this personal and moving story selected for publication in such a collection, a compilation that will feature the work of 101 authors writing on Grandmothers using a diverse assemblage of themes and emotional settings.

Look for it in bookstores everywhere on March 22, 2011.

Laudizen King