Understanding Turtles

A few years ago, I remember telling my friend that I was thinking about writing a story about a character named Turtle. She misunderstood me and replied, "Randy, I know that you love to write but I didn't know that you wrote children's books also." Our conversation was brief but ended on a positive thought so I left it as that and didn't bother to explain myself further. Actually, Turtle is one of the main characters in my novel FALSE DANDELIONS, a Southern tale about the lives and dreams of underdogs. Turtle is an aging street dog who is tired of always being somebody else's errand boy and struggles to break out on his own.
Sometimes, we all may find ourselves in a place where we don't want to be. And at times, there's no difference between people like Turtle and you and I. Every single day of the week somebody is struggling to climb out of their hole. I believe that there's a little Turtle in all of us, and that's why I wrote False Dandelions. The better we understand people like Turtle, the better we can reach out and help them.
Learn more at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

Is There a Lit'l Turtle in You?

Working from paycheck to paycheck in a going-nowhere, thankless job, we sometimes get the feeling that we're just errand runners for others. In 'FALSE DANDELIONS' the character 'Turtle' has always been somebody's errand boy. As time went on, Turtle has become an old street dog who has made a few bad decisions...one of which is deciding to steal money from a drug deal and quietly skip town. At times, there's a little Turtle in all of us...sometimes when you feel stuck in a nowhere place and you feel like there's no way out, you began to get anxious and desperate...When you've always been a nobody, you feel a hunger to be a somebody. Turtle was tired of always being somebody else's errand boy. He wanted to run his own game...to become his own man. When you take a gamble as Turtle did in 'FALSE DANDELIONS', sometimes you win -- sometimes you lose.

More at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

BOOKS BY RANDY on Amazon

FALSE DANDELIONS  is Randolph Randy Camp’s third novel. It’s a contemporary Southern crime fiction set in rural Virginia. The book is dedicated to the good people of Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg, Virginia: the place where Randy grew up and the place where his dreams were formed. ‘False Dandelions’ (book ISBN: 978-1478273721) has 156 pages and 18 chapters:

Chapter 1. Street Dogs

Chapter 2. Welcome To The Country

Chapter 3. Dandelion Wine

Chapter 4. Lamar

Chapter 5. Turtlenopoly Baby!

Chapter 6. Serv City

Chapter 7. Doing Laundry

Chapter 8. Blue Nova

Chapter 9. Knock n’ Walk

Chapter 10. White This Morning

Chapter 11. ’65 Mustang

Chapter 12. Bad Petals

Chapter 13. Do What We Gotta Do

Chapter 14. Patty’s Blood

Chapter 15. RO

Chapter 16. Patty’s Body

Chapter 17. The Bus

Chapter 18. Changin’ Face
Connect and 'LIKE' Randolph Randy Camp on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/rcstories

‘FALSE DANDELIONS’  is now available in paperback and eBook (Kindle) via Amazon and B&N.

Randolph Camp's fourth novel "29 DIMES: A LOVE STORY" is a love story amid a crazy, explosive summer.

Learn more about '...THEN THE RAIN' and 'WET MATCHES' at 
https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp 

CHANGIN' FACE by Randy Camp

 

 

CHANGIN' FACE

Here we go...changin' face
Just like the river...in the race
Here we go...changin' face
Just like the dandelions...in the wind
Feels like blood...gettin' thin
Here we go...changin' face
Just like the river...in the race
Maybe these dreams of ours just floats away
Here we go again...changin' face
Just like dandelions...in the wind

*Note: CHANGIN' FACE was written for the character Jesse, a rising songwriter and singer in the Southern noir novel 'False Dandelions'

 

 

*Follow Randolph Randy Camp on Twitter  @rcstories
*US Copyright Reg# PAu003414222 Randolph Randy Camp
(Learn more at  https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp )

Press Release: 'False Dandelions'/ Richmond Times-Dispatch

Wet Matches: A Novel" is an inspiring and uplifting story about five homeless 'throwaway' teens (all HIV positive) getting a second chance at a better life when a young couple on a high school reunion trip rescues them and takes them on a cross-country journey to their new home in sunny California. 'Wet Matches' is about friendships, and it asks the question, "How far would you go for a friend?" Fifteen years of separation didn't stop Crystal from being there for Jalan. What Crystal did for Jalan will inspire us all to take a closer look at our own relationships and friendships...Could you still laugh knowing that death was possibly lurking around the corner? Meet five free-spirited teens: Shelly, Robbie, Josie, Micky and Cole, who will inspire you to enjoy every second of your life. Shelly is pregnant. Robbie plays guitar. Josie's a little confused. Micky likes cars. Cole's a little shy. Some people called them useless. They were told to get out of town. Some people said that they were about as good as wet matches...but Jalan, Crystal and Jack thought otherwise. If you had ever been ridiculed, bullied, mocked...or if someone had ever made you feel like you was good for nothing or worthless then Randolph Randy Camp's award-winning 'Wet Matches: A Novel' is a story for you. Without being preachy-but yet-entertaining, 'Wet Matches' takes a fresh contemporary look at America's ever-increasing youth runaway and teen homeless problems. 'WET MATCHES' is a Quarter-Finals Winner of The Writers Network 14th Annual Screenplay and Fiction Competition.

Follow Randolph Randy Camp on Twitter  @rcstories

'False Dandelions' a Southern noir crime fiction novel was mentioned in Jay Strafford's (Books Editor) monthly column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch (Sunday edition, November 4, 2012). Here's the link: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/entertainment/arts-literature/2012/nov/04/tdbook04-virginia-book-notes-for-nov-4-ar-2326915/

Randolph's Bookstore

1. 'FALSE DANDELIONS' is a contemporary Southern crime fiction novel set in rural Virginia.

2. '...Then The Rain' is a contemporary thriller about a female pop star and her band battling a sick twisted preacher to rescue a wayward teen.

3. 'WET MATCHES: A NOVEL' is an award-winning tale about five homeless teens (all HIV positive) getting a second chance at a better life when a California couple takes them in.

4. '29 DIMES: A LOVE STORY'  (Randy's latest novel)


One summer. Seven hearts. 29 Dimes. It wasn’t your typical LA summer. No one could’ve predicted what happened that day in Silver Lake. It was a summer of passion, confusion, and growth.
                                                     One hot, crazy summer.
                                                      Seven hungry hearts.
                                                     29 Dimes.
Award-winning, prolific writer Randolph Randy Camp creates a moving, tender love story amid a wild, crazy summer as Teki, Ronnie, Pepe, Brittany, Kalib, Tip, and Valerie each will have an experience that will forever shape and change their young lives.
Valerie has the kind of natural beauty that belongs on magazine covers. All the guys in Silver Lake dream about her. One guy will get lucky this summer and win her heart.
A gifted storyteller, Randolph Randy Camp offers the reader a realistic glimpse of the Los Angeles community of Silver Lake. If you still believe that love can happen to the most unlikely people and love still can be found in the most unusual place, then Randolph Randy Camp’s ’29 Dimes: A Love Story’ is certainly a must-read for you. 
                                       One Summer. Seven Hearts. 29 Dimes.


*NOTE: All of Randolph Randy Camp's novels are available in paperback and eBook (Kindle) format via Amazon.


RCstories' Children's TV Series

HARRY'S FIELD is an animated, children's fantasy TV series. The series centers around a magical flying school bus named Eagle Wing, which transports kids from urban areas to an enchanted, colorful place called Harry's Field, where they learn about nature and our environment from a variety of jovial, talking animals and plants. TIME OUT TIME IN is another very lively and engaging animated, children's fantasy TV series created by Randolph Randy Camp. In a very entertaining and colorful manner (without being preachy), the series encourages young kids to use their imagination while simultaneously teaching them about life's virtues, such as the importance of being polite and kind to others. All works registered with the Writers Guild of America, East. Learn more at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

THE LEGEND OF THREE TREES

LOGLINE: A country boy with extraordinary powers helps to free a terrified community of a notorious street gang and becomes their hero.

SUMMARY: Abandoned as a baby in the backwoods of rural Virginia, young THREE TREES inherited a mysterious power. Gifted with an uncanny sense of strength, both physically and mentally, Three Trees was often misunderstood. Being poked and prodded as a research guinea pig took its toll on Three Trees. With the help of a concerned nurse, Three Trees escaped from the life of a lab animal and headed on a journey to find his true purpose. On his journey, Three Trees learns a lot about himself and discovers the ugly side of humans. Settling down in the seedy side of a big city, Three Trees helps to free a terrified community of a notorious street gang and becomes a legend in the process.

The Legend of Three Trees, Original Draft Screenplay, US Copyright Reg# Pau 002992813, Writers Guild of America, West (WGA,W) Reg# 1095196, Author: Randolph Randy Camp

Learn more at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

NEW K.A.N.S.A.S. Dissatisfied with the way the adults are running the nation, a well-organized, underground society of intelligent kids demand the right to vote and to be given their own statehood or else. (The kids believe that voting should be based upon a person’s IQ, not their age.
Synopsis: ‘NEW K.A.N.S.A.S.’ (Kids’ Alliance National Society And Sanctuary): Discouraged with his lack of ability to control his own destiny fueled by his parents’ divorce and already fed up with the way the adults are running the country, a twelve year old boy forms a society to give children the Right to Vote and attempts to establish their own State in which to do it. All hell breaks when the U.S. Government starts to hunt down the leader and his underground network. In the meantime, the secretive children’s society is growing to an unbelievable size and there’s no stopping them now! TAGLINE: “Don’t underestimate the power of kids”
Although I’d originally wrote ‘NEW K.A.N.S.A.S.’ as a live action feature, it could also work as an ANIMATED feature-length movie as well. (The ‘Kansas’ in NEW K.A.N.S.A.S. stands for Kids’ Alliance National Society And Sanctuary)
U.S. Copyright: PAu002651984 (Original Screenplay Draft/ Author: Randolph Camp)
Learn more at AUTHORS DEN http://www.authorsden.com/randolphrcamp and WRITERS NET http://www.writers.net/writers/81919


 ‘NEW K.A.N.S.A.S.’ (Kids’ Alliance National Society And Sanctuary)

Book Details for 'FALSE DANDELIONS'

 

 

FALSE DANDELIONS  is Randy Camp’s third novel. It’s a contemporary Southern crime fiction set in rural Virginia. The book is dedicated to the good people of Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg, Virginia: the place where Randy grew up and the place where his dreams were formed. ‘False Dandelions’ (book ISBN: 978-1478273721) has 156 pages and 18 chapters:

Chapter 1. Street Dogs

Chapter 2. Welcome To The Country

Chapter 3. Dandelion Wine

Chapter 4. Lamar

Chapter 5. Turtlenopoly Baby!

Chapter 6. Serv City

Chapter 7. Doing Laundry

Chapter 8. Blue Nova

Chapter 9. Knock n’ Walk

Chapter 10. White This Morning

Chapter 11. ’65 Mustang

Chapter 12. Bad Petals

Chapter 13. Do What We Gotta Do

Chapter 14. Patty’s Blood

Chapter 15. RO

Chapter 16. Patty’s Body

Chapter 17. The Bus

Chapter 18. Changin’ Face

‘FALSE DANDELIONS’ (paperback) is now available via Amazon and B&N. The ebook (Kindle) version of ‘False Dandelions’ is also available via Amazon.

False Dandelions: Southern Crime Fiction Novel

Book ISBN: 978-1478273721...............Set in rural Virginia, ‘FALSE DANDELIONS’ is a contemporary Southern crime fiction novel filled with romance, small town secrets, broken dreams and murder as locals from Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg, including a young disabled Iraq war veteran, stop a misguided band of Washington, DC criminals from setting up shop in their quiet town. When Lamar returned home from Iraq they gave him a hero’s welcome but he actually never felt like a true hero until he pulled off his greatest mission ever. A mission that will make this disabled vet a local legend, and a mission that will literally blow you away. Jesse is a rising star but when his mother’s body was found in the murky waters of the Rappahannock, he trades his prized guitar for a shotgun. Ever since Turtle was little, he was always somebody’s errand boy. Now, twenty years later, he decides to break the mold and that is just the beginning of many mistakes Turtle will make. Randolph Randy Camp’s ‘FALSE DANDELIONS’ is about the lives and dreams of underdogs. When you’re stuck in a nowhere place, physically or mentally, you dream of leaving. When you’ve been a nobody and strive to become somebody, sometimes you succeed, sometimes you don’t. Once again, this prolific award-winning writer paints a straight forward picture of contemporary Southern life and reminds us that, regardless of your income or race, there’s a touch of Jesse in all of us and there’s a little Turtle in all of us. If you like Southern noir fiction then Randolph Randy Camp's 'FALSE DANDELIONS' is an absolute must-read!

RCstories' Children's TV Series

HARRY'S FIELD is an animated, children's fantasy TV series. The series centers around a magical flying school bus named Eagle Wing, which transports kids from urban areas to an enchanted, colorful place called Harry's Field, where they learn about nature and our environment from a variety of jovial, talking animals and plants. TIME OUT TIME IN is another very lively and engaging animated, children's fantasy TV series created by Randolph Randy Camp. In a very entertaining and colorful manner (without being preachy), the series encourages young kids to use their imagination while simultaneously teaching them about life's virtues, such as the importance of being polite and kind to others. All works registered with the Writers Guild of America, East. Learn more at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

Connect  and 'LIKE'  Randolph Randy Camp on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/rcstories 
Learn More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp 

‘FALSE DANDELIONS’ is available in paperback and eBook (Kindle) on Amazon. 

Remembering My ' Walkabout '

It's the beginning of March 2014 and nearly 37 years ago I had an experience that I still think about today. When I think of those pivotal moments of my life, especially the life-changing events of my early years, my mind drifts back to my 'walkabout.' It was early Spring 1977. I was turning fifteen and doing quite well in the 10th grade at Spotsylvania High in rural Virginia. A strong urge of wanting to explore and escape came over me during this period of my life. I absolutely loved going to school and learning about different cultures in other parts of the world. I'd learned how the Australian Aborigines would send their juvenile boys to survive on their own in the wilderness as a passage into manhood. The Aborigines called this 'the walkabout.' After saving up enough money from doing odd jobs like picking up hay on local farms and weeding out flowerbeds, I boarded a Greyhound Bus and went on a journey to the city of Philadelphia. The juvenile court system classified my journey as "running away", but to me, it was my 'walkabout.' The journey itself, coupled with my experiences on the streets and a brief stay at the Philadelphia Youth Study Center, actually changed my life forever. After seeing and breathing the smell of old urine and dried up alcohol on Philadelphia's dirty sidewalks it made me truly appreciate the simple, natural beauty of little ol' Spotsylvania County in Virginia. It was at this time in my life that I began to recognize how important the Rappahannock River (in Virginia) was in my life and how it would help shape me as a person and a writer. My 'walkabout' to Philadelphia really opened my eyes to a lot of things. After returning back to Spotsylvania County, I had this renewed sense of "I gotta do something", so I started reaching out more, mostly through my stories and writings. I wrote to magazines, and my very first published article was a local newspaper piece entitled 'PUT SOMETHING BACK' for the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Still, to this day, when people would ask me what do I consider the best thing I'd ever written, or what stories or books am I the most proud of as a writer, I always say the 'Put Something Back' newspaper article I'd wrote as a teenager. Periodically, when I meet a troubled young person who might be a little confused or feel a little misplaced, I would share with them my walkabout story, and hopefully, they too, will begin to recognize the simple, natural beauty (of both people and things) which already exists around them...(we just don't see it until we venture out.) So  now, here it is the year 2014 and in many ways, sometimes I still feel like I'm on 'my walkabout'....still learning and growing. -  Randolph Randy Camp, More at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

Randolph Randy Camp’s ‘TONY’S BIKE’ Logline:

During his summer break, a kid detective helps the local cops solve a murder in rural Virginia.

‘TONY’S BIKE’ Plot/Summary:

Ever since Ricky Curtis was six years old he wanted to be an investigator. Now, at twelve years old, Ricky runs his own Private Investigator Agency out of his bedroom. Thus far, most of Ricky’s cases have centered around missing bikes. Ricky and his new sidekick, twelve year old Sheila, are caught off-guard when they discover a murder while investigating a stolen bike case. Realizing that young Ricky Curtis knows the backwoods better than they do, the local cops gladly accept his assistance in solving this heinous crime.

TONY’S BIKE, Original Screenplay Draft, U.S. Copyright Office Reg# PAu 002013080, Author: Randolph Randy Camp

 

*Learn More at  http://randy0312.wordpress.com/

"...THEN THE RAIN" is now available on Amazon. *Connect and 'LIKE' Randolph Randy Camp on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/rcstories         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            "FALSE "FALSE DANDELIONS" a contemporary Southern crime fiction novel is now available on Amazon.

Posted on July 21, 2012 by rcstories1

Book ISBN: 978-1478273721..............Set in rural Virginia, ‘FALSE DANDELIONS’ is a contemporary Southern crime fiction novel filled with romance, small town secrets, broken dreams and murder as locals from Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg, including a young disabled Iraq war veteran, stop a misguided band of Washington, DC criminals from setting up shop in their quiet town. When Lamar returned home from Iraq they gave him a hero’s welcome but he actually never felt like a true hero until he pulled off his greatest mission ever. A mission that will make this disabled vet a local legend, and a mission that will literally blow you away. Jesse is a rising star but when his mother’s body was found in the murky waters of the Rappahannock, he trades his prized guitar for a shotgun. Ever since Turtle was little, he was always somebody’s errand boy. Now, twenty years later, he decides to break the mold and that is just the beginning of many mistakes Turtle will make. Randolph Randy Camp’s ‘FALSE DANDELIONS’ is about the lives and dreams of underdogs. When you’re stuck in a nowhere place, physically or mentally, you dream of leaving. When you’ve been a nobody and strive to become somebody, sometimes you succeed, sometimes you don’t. Once again, this prolific award-winning writer paints a straight forward picture of contemporary Southern life and reminds us that, regardless of your income or race, there’s a touch of Jesse in all of us and there’s a little Turtle in all of us.
‘FALSE DANDELIONS’ is now available in paperback and eBook (Kindle) on Amazon.
Writers Guild of America, East Reg# R25183, October 2008
US Copyright Office Reg# PAu 3-414-222, October 2008

*Follow Randolph Randy Camp on Twitter  @rcstories 

One summer. Seven hearts. 29 Dimes. It wasn’t your typical LA summer. No one could’ve predicted what happened that day in Silver Lake. It was a summer of passion, confusion, and growth.
                                                     One hot, crazy summer.
                                                      Seven hungry hearts.
                                                     29 Dimes.
Award-winning, prolific writer Randolph Randy Camp creates a moving, tender love story amid a wild, crazy summer as Teki, Ronnie, Pepe, Brittany, Kalib, Tip, and Valerie each will have an experience that will forever shape and change their young lives.
Valerie has the kind of natural beauty that belongs on magazine covers. All the guys in Silver Lake dream about her. One guy will get lucky this summer and win her heart.
A gifted storyteller, Randolph Randy Camp offers the reader a realistic glimpse of the Los Angeles community of Silver Lake. If you still believe that love can happen to the most unlikely people and love still can be found in the most unusual place, then Randolph Randy Camp’s ’29 Dimes: A Love Story’ is certainly a must-read for you. 
                                       One Summer. Seven Hearts. 29 Dimes.