About WheelMan Press

Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life reached an all time high ranking of #13 in the Short Story category on the Amazon Kindle last week, and has risen into the top 100 in the category numerous times this month. The book, originally published in 2005 and revised and republished last year, has by far been my best seller to date, and the continued positive feedback I’ve gotten from it continues to be both amazing and humbling, and I am immensely grateful for everyone’s support. If you have yet to read Phoenix Tales, click here to check it out now.

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An excerpt from the story “Touched”:

JOSEPH STROKED THE hem of the silk dress, ignoring the “Do not touch” signs posted nearby. His fingertips slid over the sleek fabric, whose fibers were fine, delicate, aesthetically beautiful in their craftsmanship. Pages of data from his neurodex scrolled before his eyes. Though he knew silk was synthetically produced these days, it was still interesting to learn about the tiny creatures that had once spun the thread.

“Come on, Honey,” called Mama. “It’s time to go.”

Joseph approached the checkout counter, taking his place at his mother’s side like a good little boy. He looked up at the elderly store clerk, who flashed a scant-toothed grin his way. While on the surface the man showed friendliness, Joseph detected the strained twitch in the man’s right cheek muscle, the nervous jitter of his pupils. A bead of sweat ran down the man’s hairless scalp, slipping between his eyes to dangle on the narrow peak of his nose. Joseph sighed.

He had discovered long ago that most people were awful liars.

“Is there a problem, Lou?” Mama asked. Joseph noted how her pulse rate had suddenly increased.

“No Ma’am,” Lou replied in a creaky voice, prying his gaze off the boy. “I was just–”

“You were just what?”

“Uh, nothing, Ma’am.”

“Then please ring up my items so we can go.”

Lou quickly finished the transaction under Mama’s heated scrutiny. She absently ran her fingers through her son’s sandy blonde hair.

“Will that be all, Mrs. Shuler?” asked Lou as he handed her the bag.

“Definitely,” Mama said, snatching it away from him and striding toward the exit. Joseph followed. He glanced over his shoulder as he passed through the doorway. He caught a glimpse of Lou’s face before the door closed between them. The man had dropped the mask of geniality; his contempt for the boy was now clear.

Mama stopped just outside the door and knelt beside her son.

“Don’t let that ignorant old fool upset you, okay?”

“I won’t, Mama.”

“Good boy,” she replied, kissing him on the nose. She stood and started down the sidewalk. Joseph followed obediently, avoiding eye contact with those they passed. Instead, he focused his attention on the swing of Mama’s russet curls as they spilled down the nape of her neck. Her beige jacket hugged her slim waist, and the matching skirt stopped just above her knees, showcasing her long legs. The heels of her leather shoes pounded a measured beat along the sidewalk. She looked back from time to time to smile at her son.

Posted on May 14th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: News, News & Notes | No Comments »

May 3, 2009 - Stockbridge, GA. WheelMan Press releases new novel based on upcoming 2012-centered film from Inner Glow Pictures (2012: Seeking Closure, ISBN: 9780982436103, 5.5 x 8.5, 190 pages, $15.99).

WheelMan Press has just released 2012: Seeking Closure by Gregory Bernard Banks. Based on a story by Tom Townsend, and in the process of being made into a motion picture by Director Kevin Tan and Inner Glow Pictures to be released in the fall, 2012: Seeking Closure is a moving character study centered around three men trapped in an elevator moments after learning that the world will end in three hours time. While trapped together, the men, who are desperate to seek closure for the things they have done and the people they have hurt, must each deal with their own inner demons while they await the end.

2012: Seeking Closure is unique in that it really isn’t a story about Mayan Prophecy or Planet X,” says Banks, who has written five other books, the most highly acclaimed of which is the short story collection Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life (Second Edition). “This is a gritty tale of people who must face not only their own mortality, but also realize the consequences of the lives they have led. 2012: Seeking Closure has many layers as well, and is not only an intriguing character study about these men and their loved ones, but is also a broader tale of what might happen if the people of the world were to suddenly realize that the government at large has forsaken them during the greatest crisis in human history. Ask yourself, if you were in that situation, what would you do? Would you seek closure, and if so, how? That very question fascinates me, and I’m excited to have been given the opportunity to explore it.”

2012: Seeking Closure is available exclusively from Amazon.com (www.amazon.com/dp/0982436106) in both print and Kindle formats. A PDF preview of 2012: Seeking Closure may be downloaded from: http://www.bddesignonline.com/Press/media/SC_preview.pdf.

For more information, or to comment on these works, you may contact WheelMan Press via email at press@bddesignonline.com, or through our website at www.WheelManPress.com.

Posted on May 3rd, 2009 by admin
Filed under: News, Press Releases, Promotion | No Comments »

The latest release from WheelMan Press, 2012: Seeking Closure, is now available in paperback and in Amazon Kindle formats. Here is the official book trailer, created by our partners in this venture, Inner Glow Pictures.

It’s December 21, 2012. Three men find themselves trapped in an elevator, forced to confront the terrible mistakes they’ve made in their lives and desperate to seek closure with those whom they’ve hurt before it’s too late. But they only have three hours left to do this, because that’s when the world ends.

Based on a story by Tom Townsend, and soon to become a motion picture from Inner Glow Pictures, 2012: Seeking Closure is an engrossing character study about people from all walks of life dealing with their inner demons while they face their imminent demise. It’s a story of tested faith, of regret, of a world in crisis gone mad, and an example of what could result when the government loses touch with the common man. It’s a story that is all too relevant…all too human…and all too real…

To learn more about the upcoming film, visit:

www.seekingclosurethemovie.com

Posted on April 30th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: News, News & Notes, Promotion | No Comments »

It’s December 21, 2012. Three men find themselves trapped in an elevator, forced to confront the terrible mistakes they’ve made in their lives and desperate to seek closure with those whom they’ve hurt before it’s too late. But they only have three hours left to do this, because that’s when the world ends.

Based on a story by Tom Townsend, and soon to become a motion picture from Inner Glow Pictures, 2012: Seeking Closure is an engrossing character study about people from all walks of life dealing with their inner demons while they face their imminent demise. It’s a story of tested faith, of regret, of a world in crisis gone mad, and an example of what could result when the government loses touch with the common man. It’s a story that is all too relevant…all too human…and all too real…

Print edition coming this week!

To learn more about the upcoming film, visit:

www.seekingclosurethemovie.com

Posted on April 27th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: News, Promotion | No Comments »

The Precious Jewel
by Gregory B. Banks

Once God’s greatest promise,
A paradise so true,
Lands covered in greenery,
Its living oceans so blue.

Gentle breezes filled with purity,
Its surface teeming with life,
A world ruled by peacefulness,
Devoid of worry or strife.

A priceless gift that God gave us,
This precious jewel for mankind,
Created so we could nurture,
Our hearts, souls, and minds.

But as sadly so often happens,
When beauty goes without care,
Its luster starts to fade away,
And upon it time begins to wear.

The polluted oceans are now lifeless,
All vegetation stripped from the land.
The skies gray and weeping,
The Earth’s no longer grand.

Now we mourn its slow passing,
Mankind has been such a Fool,
Destroyed is God’s greatest creation,
Lost forever is His Precious Jewel.

Posted on April 8th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Fun Stuff, Writing Snippets | No Comments »

Reasons/ Motivations/Inspirations Behind Why I Wrote The Feathery

I started in golf as a caddie at 12 years old. Caddies were allowed to play free on Mondays. I worked at a golf course assisting the greens keeper during high school and continued to play and become enamored by the game.

Fast forward to my adult year…as an aerospace engineer I worked in Naples, Italy, Paris France and The Hague, Netherlands over a period of ten years. While in those countries I played golf there as well as in Scotland, England and Ireland. The Feathery is set at the golf courses of Turnberry and St. Andrews, Scotland for the golf segments. London and Ireland provide a venue for drama in the book.

While in Europe I attended four British Open Tournaments and one Ryder Cup. Back in the United States I followed an acquaintance PGA Professional from Q-School and behind the ropes at The Masters. This gave me insight into the atmosphere and play at those major championships and helped me to create that same atmosphere in The Feathery.

After retiring from Aerospace, I started a golf product export business. As part of this I was consigned a collection of golf antiques and memorabilia. This took me to Japan and back to Europe in an attempt to sell them. Included in the collection were several feathery golf balls made and played at St. Andrews, Scotland in the 1800’s. I didn’t sell the collection, but feathery balls became my mantra of interest. I researched the method of manufacturing the ball and its history when used in play at St. Andrews. I decided to write a work of fiction with a valuable and most sought after feathery ball used during a record round being an object of collector greed. Besides golf play I wrapped this feathery ball in the story around teenage defiance, foreign intrigue, sleuthing, suspense and romance.

It took me about five years to complete the book. It was accepted by a traditional publisher, Sleeping Bear Press out of Michigan with a $2500.00 advance.  Half way through my work with that publisher’s editor, Sleeping Bear was sold to Clock Tower Press. The new CEO decided not to do fiction. I was able to keep the advance because of a clause in my contract stating in effect; that if the publisher changed his mode of doing business the advance would be retained by the author. I self-published with Booksurge in 2007 and since then I’ve sold a total of 612 books through bookstores, book signings, direct sales and Amazon.

About the book:

Scott Beckman inherits an antique feathery golf ball used in 1849 during a record match at St. Andrews, Scotland from his mentor, a golf professional, Sandy McNair. Sandy’s intervention had kept Scott and his best friend, Matt Kemp, away from juvenile delinquency by involving them in the game of golf. Scott moves on with Matt as his caddie to play on the PGA Tour. After running out of funds to stay on tour Scott reluctantly submits the valuable antique feathery ball, bequeathed to him by Sandy, to an auction in London. Ironically, after doing so, his earnings on tour start to soar. Scott removes the feathery from the auction much to the chagrin of those who were set on possessing this treasured artifact. One collector’s obsession is so strong he’ll murder and rob to own it.

Scott leaves the solution of murder and robbery up to Chief Inspector Bradshaw of Scotland Yard and Detective Riley of the NYPD while he continues play at the British Open. But his good play there against hot competition is interrupted when his caddie and friend, Matt Kemp, is abducted. A threatening note demanding Scott’s withdrawal leaves the tournament leader with no alternative…unless Scotland Yard’s quick intervention is successful.

About the Author:

Bill Flynn is a retired aerospace engineer who lives in New Hampshire with wife, Barbara.  His follow-on career was devoted to golf product exporting. Both careers took him to the places where his book, The Feathery, is set. He has been fortunate to have played imperfect golf on many of the perfect golf courses on this planet. Bill’s first novel, A Deadly Class Reunion was published in 2004 and available on Amazon.com.  Bill’s work in process (working title: A Drumbeat Too Near) is about the adventures of three boys on Cape Cod in the 1940’s while German submarines lurk off shore. One sub launches two spies, and the boys stumble in on their covert mission. The back story describes the life and love of a German U-Boat commander who is not as enthralled by the Nazi regime as some of those in his crew.

Buy The Feathery from Amazon.com here.

Posted on April 6th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Author Spotlight | 4 Comments »

I’ve always been a big fan of Wil Wheaton. Not only was he a star on Star Trek: The Next Generation (one of my favorite shows of all time), but once I discovered him on the Internet a few years ago, I learned that not only was he a geek like myself, but also like myself, he’s a no nonsense guy who speaks his mind. I read his book “Dancing Barefoot” a few years ago and really enjoyed it as well.

Now, I learn that Mr. Wheaton is an Indie Publisher as well, and has a post over at the “End User” Amazon Blog concerning Print-on-Demand Publishing. In his post, 2009: The Year Print-on-Demand Goes Mainstream,  he discusses why he believes that 2009 is the year that Print-On-Demand publishing goes mainstream.

To see people like Wil Wheaton acknowledge the viability and potential for POD and it’s future impact on the publishing world is a major boon for those of us who have spent years fighting the stereotypes and the prejudices against the Indie/Self Publishing route. While I personally support publishing in all forms, and even hope to explore mainstream publishing one day soon, I do believe that POD and Indie Publishing’s time has come. Throw the rapidly growing ebook marketplace into the mix, and the Independent Author/Publisher not only has more choices, but more power and control over his destiny than ever before. An as more high profile people like Mr. Wheaton joins the ranks of Indie Authors, our own profile and acceptance in the publishing community will only grow.

Check out Wil Wheaton’s article at the link below:

2009: The Year Print-on-Demand Goes Mainstream:

http://www.enduserblog.com/2009/03/2009-the-year-printondemand-goes-mainstream.html

Posted on April 4th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: About Publishing, About Writing, News, What's Up in Publishing? | No Comments »

For all of you Kindle owners, and those who own any Mobipocket-compatible device, we’re making some of our best short stories available for download for free. We provide two ways to download the files. Either click on the individual links below for each file and download them to your computer for upload to your device, or download our handy catalog and load it onto your device, then from within the catalog click on the link to your selection, and it will download direct to your Kindle or device of choice.

All stories are, at this time, only available in non-DRMed Mobipocket format. As long as they remain unaltered and intact, you may freely share them with others. Over time we will add stories, possibly even some original pieces never published before, and when we do, you may use the link within the catalog to update it and thus obtain links to the new selections. When new stories are available, we will announce them here, so stay tuned!

To get the free downloads catalog from WheelMan Press, click here.

Our free stories:

Avatar
Carver has always felt trapped in his brittle, stunted body. So when the opportunity comes to trade his ugly, disabled form for one that’s tall, handsome, and strong, he jumps at the chance.

But will he learn that fate is a much harder thing to escape?

http://www.wheelmanpress.com/Kindle-Books/Avatar-GBB.prc

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Kachina Dawn
Ahote has a secret. He’s been away from his people for 20 years in the land of the Bahanas, seeking answers to questions that have plagued him all of his life, the greatest of those being, “What is my destiny?” And it is there that he has found it, and now returns to the Hopi tribe on a mission to lift them from their plight in the post-War world and usher them into the next realm. Only a great man can singlehandedly change the fate of an entire race of people. And thanks to the Bahanas, Ahote is now the greatest.

But was it at the cost of his soul?

http://www.wheelmanpress.com/Kindle-Books/KachinaDawn-GBB.prc

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The Scent of Freshly Baked Bread
A short, sweet tale of a woman dealing with the issue of mortality, her father’s aging, and the ravages of Alzheimer’s Disease.

http://www.wheelmanpress.com/Kindle-Books/FreshlyBaked-GBB.prc

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Touched
Joseph just wants to fit in. He’s a genetically engineered boy living in a backwards town full of luddites who refuse to enter into the world of the 21st century. His mother does everything she can to protect him and make him feel loved, but his high intellect and analytic mind constantly reminds him that there is something different about him, preventing him from finding peace.

But with the help of an old man with a connection to his late father and a precocious young girl, Joseph may finally realize that the very things he’s searched for all of his life were right in front of him all along.

http://www.wheelmanpress.com/Kindle-Books/Touched-GBB.prc

Posted on April 3rd, 2009 by admin
Filed under: News, News & Notes, Promotion | No Comments »