63 replies to this topic

[sdobie]

Quote

Now I'm an author with one novel completed but still unpublished. am preparing to start the second book in a couple months when my research is completed

Dick that's very neat, may I ask what your novels are 'about' (I know some writers must potentially hate that word, hehe) ?

[Dale]

Driver Name:  Dale69
Forum Name: Dale
Real Name: Dale Ballweg
Location: Cottage Grove, WI USA
Email: satkad6@charter.net
Season Started:  This is my first season



My driving career started when Grand Prix Legends first came out, I’ve raced GP2, GP3, Indy Car2, Grand Prix Legends, GTP and lately a little rFactor. It’s funny, I tinker around with other sims and but I always keep coming back to GPL. In the 70’s I went out to Watkens Glenn to watch Mario race in the F1 race there and I made many trips up to Road America which is about 2 hours away from where I live. So racing hooked me early and hard and I’ve loved racing ever since. I remember growing up in the 60’s and waiting for my Road & Track to come so I could read the articles about the Grand Prix races so when GPL came out, I had to have it, but when I got it home I realized my computer didn’t have the power to run the game without it stuttering everywhere. 2001 or so I remembered I had this game, had a better computer and started playing it, Found the RSC forum and realized how much better the game was. Played it a lot and thought I was pretty fast, LOL till I got the bright idea to try online racing. Realized how slow I was, but also realized that this was whole new world and I was loving it. I’ve been racing in leagues ever since, racing against other people from all over the world was great and I have never ever looked back. I’m already glad I joined Mybroga; the members have made me feel totally welcome and very informative in helping with setups and just generally getting acquainted with how Mybroga works.

Edited by Dale, 20 February 2006 - 01:08 PM.

[Strider]

sdobie, on Feb 20 2006, 06:32 AM, said:

Dick that's very neat, may I ask what your novels are 'about' (I know some writers must potentially hate that word, hehe) ?

Sam,

In my manuscript, Morgan James is a successful novelist living in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with a bright future and no past.  His past vanished when he severed the links with his former reality and embraced the fiction of his newly created life.  Now reality has come to kill Ashton Morgan Stanwell, a.k.a. Morgan James, for a lie that he has known nothing about for forty years.  The lie, a web of international machination, belongs to his father.  It begins to entwine and destroy the lives of those who had any association with its weaver, Richard Stanwell.  Morgan becomes aware of the lie after he receives a devastating and mysterious telephone call from a man known as ‘The Indian’, once an associate of his father.  As the past opens, the web begins to unfurl and a deadly hunt is unleashed.

Morgan gathers those most affected by this ‘lie’ to try to discover who is doing the hunting and stop them.  Ultimately the nine men whose fathers collaborated in this lie find themselves forced to defend the life they have known, though not the one planned for them.  A fatal confrontation proves to be the only option, as others enter the arena.  ‘The Indian’ sends his assistant, Kirsten Donovan, to aid Morgan and the others, but she becomes as ensnared as they.  As the insane, misguided rush to death accelerates, it becomes tragically obvious to all that this is truly A Lie To Die For.

The sons' fathers were a team of OSS operatives during WWII who created and performed their own agenda. They became very rich by capturing Hitler's treasure trains before the ill-gotten loot could reach its intended destination. With Richard's financial expertise the wealth expanded beyond their expectations. At the same time they were making preparations for the future of the world by attempting to ensure that there could never be another Hitler, Stalin or the like. They had inserted their own operatives into the political lines of the major countries in hopes of gaining some control of those countries as time progressed. That part of the plan failed and has now become the death knell of that OSS team and their sons who were, unknowingly, part of the plan for the political control. If the ascension of their moles through the political ranks failed, the sons would be sent to eliminate any troublesome heads of state. With the early failure of the polical phase of the plan, the sons never knew of their intended future. Now it has come to light as an opposing team of assasins have begun to hunt them.

This adventure novel should appeal to readers of that and the mystery/suspense genre.  The characters are many, but distinctive enough to keep the reader from being confused by the large cast.  The fluid plot has many twists that lends the reader a need to read to the ending, then want the sequel.  The idea for the story emanated from a mysterious phone call I received from a man known as ‘The Indian’, an associate of my father.

Thank you for asking about my book, for unlike some, I never tire of talking about it. I'm still sending query letters to agents for representation and still getting turned down. Only 28 times so far, so I'm still just a noob. I'll get there. Book 2 is the sequel to A Lie To Die For.

Thanks again Sam.

Dick

[sdobie]

Dick, I really appreciate you taking the time to fill us in (and that you were glad to do so!) with the extensive preview...sounds like some fantastic stuff! - very much enjoy the idea of an intricate mystery/suspense novel beginning to weav back into, and play out against such an evocative historical backdrop - and all the more interesting to know that the idea was sparked by your rather intriguing personal experience!

Definately wish you the best getting it out there - You have to keep us up to date on your progress!

[Andreh]

Good luck!
I always wanted to get in some kind of activity after retiring. I wish I live long enough and healthy to do so!

[Dale]

Very cool Dick, I agree, please let us know about your progress, sounds like a great read.

    Dale

[Chuck K]

how come my life isn't that suspenseful?

[Steve B]

I'm hooked just from reading the synopsis!!

[Geezer]

Sounds fantastic Dick, I love stories like this.

have you thought about publishing it yourself and distributing it at a local level? I've heard that some people have had success with it and with every Tom, Dick, (sorry) and Harry doing home publishing and printing these days, it's not as expensive as you think.

[K.Dickie]

I agree with Geezer. I haven't read much fiction recently, but that was the kind of story that I used to get into. Sounds almost Clancey-isk in it's depth. It sounds like a good read, so best of luck to you.  

I thought of writing a novel, but I didn't think there was much of a market for a story about a guy who can't pay his bills and spends most of his free time 'Walter Mitty'-ing with a Racing Sim, pretending he's kicking Jackie Stewart's butt at the '67 Canadian Grand Prix. Hmmm... I might be able to sell about 55 copies.  

[John_Leonhardt]

Driver Name: John65_Leonhardt, John67_Leonhardt and John69_Leonhardt
Forum Name: John_Leonhardt
Real Name: John_Leonhardt  (a pattern developing?)
Location (Country, State, City): USA, Arizona, Gilbert
E-mail address: waltermydoinhere at hot-mail dot com
Season Started with Mybroga:  well, I just put my name on the list...so hopefully someday!


I got GPL in 1998.  I was almostr depressed at how had it was.  I was also playing tribes back then..  Once when we had a little 'lan' party, my brother also had GPL, we decided to try to race each other.  We were hooked, with our joysticks we had a blast.  Then, I got a steering wheel.  THEN the game came into fruition.  I started reading about it online.  Vroc was just starting to be used, etc...

Well, I stunk (and pretty much still do) but what a blast.

I started originally with the ADC, a group I still drive with..but on thursdays they do GTR "America's and not enough show up...  

I also drove with WSL, with Maddogg and Bentcam.  Just the other night I spoke with Bentcam in Vroc chat.  He mentioned the Mybroga so I thought I'd come and see what it was all about!

Cheers to all..

John

[Bentcam]

Hi John!

Welcome aboard.  

Edited by Bentcam, 27 April 2006 - 09:55 PM.

[Geezer]

Welcome John,

It looks like you won't have long to wait.

[Michael Valls]

Driver Name: Michael Valls
Forum Name: whats a forum?
Real Name: Michael Valls
Location (Country, State, City): USA, Eureka, Ca.
E-mail address: mvallsalise27@yahoo.com
Season Started with Mybroga: (have to check season standings) Wow I started way back in season 4 well at least the last 4 races of S4 under my heros name Jean Alesi.

        Wow its hard to beleive I have been with one game and one league for so long, 11 seasons, and how many years, I need a life.  I have been playing racing games scence I droped my matchbox cars it seams.  HHMM I guess its really true, Racing is life, everything else is just waiting, at least for this guy.  I actually found GPL through an online serch for online racing games after playing my brothers game online called Counterstrike (you may have herd of it).  I thought if theres an online game for that there had to a good one for racing.  I'm Not sure where but in some live chat forum I asked whats the best online racing sim, the response was GPL, so I orderd it.  I had plenty of money and time after just getting out of the army.  I think I had my brother help me install the game on my moms computer and started playing it offline with a playstation type controller (it was very dificult but thats what it was spose to be and I loved it).  My first time online was at the glen for a pickup race,  I couldn't beleive how fun it was.  Somehow I got in a gpl league called the lunatix (really more of a club) I was with them for about a year when it kinda fell apart.  Luckaly another member of that league was the great Mike Bennett.  He had told me about Mybroga, and I was wanting a more F1 like league that used a point system.  One day at monaco in my favrite honda I ran into the king Ceasar Ascari.  We had a hell of a race and he invited me to join the league.  My first race was at Cilce under that name Jean Alesi in the copper.  I was doing great and compeating for the podium.  Unfortinaty I had a couple of offs and finish 4th.  I got my first win at Monza in an epic battle with the King CA in S8.  Except a long break for colege I've been with league ever since.  I strugle in every race, and am always tring to do my best.  Consistance is a huge foe, this season I've finally finished a couple of races with now offs or mistakes (a personal goal).  I don't contribute much to this league but a warm body and a strong car but I know I'm lucky to be in Mybroga.    

[Taurus_Cba]

Driver Name: J.M.Moreno69
Forum Name: Taurus_Cba
Real Name: Jorge M. Moreno
Location Argentina (Córdoba- Córdoba)
E-mail address: Taurus_Cba@hotmail.com
Season Started with Mybroga: 15

It is my first season here, my recognition mas big to this league. Sincerely it was never spectacular and pense that there existed such a recognized and competitive sim as the GpL. In "Mybroga" enjoy many new things, very been grateful by it and for all the gpleros!    
My car was the slightly really slow L63, but it me demonstrated that here with any car it is entertained. We all feel it this way, I wait for many amusement in the close Season

Taurus_Cba
(Jorge M. Moreno)

[SteveC]

Driver Name: Steve Cloyd
Forum Name:SteveC
Real Name: Steve Cloyd
Location (Country, State, City): USA, Indiana, Greenfield
E-mail address: scloyd@insightbb.com
Season Started with Mybroga: Season 16

I've been sim racing to some degree since Indy500 was released waaaaay back when. In 1999, I bought GPL and promptly shelved it because it was to damned hard and my computer didn't like it much. I ran the NASCAR series for several years off-line with only a few forays on-line. In 2001, I got frustrated with N4's AI and decided to give GPL another shot. I was addicted when I found GPL Rank. For 2+ years I chased my rank. In 2003 or so, I got a cable connection and started racing on-line and here I am. Also around that same time, I had started a crappy website on one of those free hosting places, banner ads galore. Paul Jackson contacted me and we started GPL Addicts, thanks to his generosity.

Hobbies: Sim racing, sim racing and more sim racing.

Turn ons:
The Nurburgring and Clermont Ferrand, especially in the 65's and 69's
My wife
Fatty foods
HDTV
Led Zeppelin

Turn offs:
Turn one accidents
Turn one accidents that are my fault
Rap
People that can't let accidents go
"Reality" TV

[SteveC]

Here's a picture you can use for my profile. I can shrink it down more if need be. Just let me know.

Attached Files

•  Steve___IROC.jpg   41.76K   86 downloads

[SteveC]

Just noticed too, my profile last name is spelled "Cloyde". It's really "Cloyd".

No big deal.

[Geezer]

It's fixed Steve.

And DC Snr has his English flag that he wanted too.

[Cavaleri]

Mi autobiografía (No autorizada)

Driver Name: Carlos Cavaleri
Forum Name:cavaleri
Real Name: Carlos Cavaleri
Location (Country, State, City): Argentina, Buenos Aires, Lomas de Zamora
E-mail address: carloshoward@gmail.com
Season Started with Mybroga: Season 18 (desde The Moon)


Siempre me gustaron los videojuegos de carreras de autos y creo que llegué a correr en todos los videojuegos de salon que han aparecido por Argentina, desde los más elementales a los avanzados, ya con los primitivos sistemas de vibración en los volantes y cockpits que se movían según uno girara el volante para izquierda o derecha, produciendo un efecto para nada semejante a la realidad y del cual te bajabas con nauseas y mareado.

He tenido mis breves días en el mundo de competición real manejando kartings de 125 cc2, pero por ser una actividad algo onerosa, he tenido que dejar ese sueño de convertirme en piloto de verdad de lado.

Para cuando tuve mi primer ordenador enseguida busqué juegos de carreras que instalar, pero mi total desconocimiento en el tema (de hecho no sabía que existían simuladores por un lado y arcades -jugabilidad- por otro) me hizo ir por un par de jueguitos que no eran para nada difíciles y en algunos casos ni siquiera se configuraban -setup-.

El último de estos jueguitos que jugué fue el F1 Racing Championship habiéndo superado todos sus niveles...

Pero quería algo distinto y empecé a buscar...

El juego que le siguió (ya mucho mas complejo) fue el GP4 de Geoff Crammond pero me enrosqué tratando de entender sus innumerables carsets. Además no tenía volante (steering wheel) y pronto fue muy dificil llevarlo en condiciones decentes con.... teclas!

Cierto día, husmeando por varios sitios, entré a YouTube, puse Kyalami, aparecieron un par de videos, acaso doloroso alguno (Tom Pryce, 1977) y uno que me llamó poderosamente la atención: Una vuelta al Kyalami desde Grand Prix Legends.

¿Grand Prix Legends?... Qué es eso?

Automáticamente empezó a rodar el video me enamoré de la gráfica de esos autos. Se trataba ni mas ni menos que de la F1 de los 60, aquella que tanto me gustaba de niño, esos autitos con sus locas ruedas gorditas al descubierto... Era el sueño del pibe. Lo busqué por ahí, lo bajé, lo instalé. Y tan pronto pude verlo bien la gráfica era muy fea (era el juego original). Luego, de a poco fui enterandome de sus cosas, de sus modificaciones.... Pero siempre corriendo con teclas. Hice el intento, me compré un volante marca Genius (una porquería redonda) y a los pocos meses adquirí un Logitech DFP que me permitió confiabilidad. Es que ya empezaba a enterarme mejor de las dificultades del GPL, a enterarme de que me las estaba viendo con el simulador mas dificil que se haya diseñado jamás (y yo que pensaba que eran solo cochecitos de los 60!) y necesitaba elementos para correrlo con cierta tranquilidad. A los pocos días comencé anotándome en una liga española en un campeonato largo, pero fui reclutado por el Pela para unirme a Mybroga en un torneo más corto, con semejante cantidad de carreras y con un grupo muy variado... Y donde había muchos argentinos, así que, quedándome corto de tiempo, largué la liga española y me quedé solo con Mybroga.

Y bueno... me las veo constantemente con un simulador bien dificil, con un medio muy competitivo también, pero a la vez en un entorno lleno de personas maravillosas conviviendo de la manera más sana y amigable que jamás haya conocido, siendo muchos formidables simdrivers; es el día de hoy que no puedo creer estar en el mismo lugar (aunque no siempre en la misma división, OBVIO) donde están los Glenn Titan, Horacio Ostoich, DC Jr, Tim Crowell (where are you?), Jimmy Eaglerapids, Daniel Demarchi, Enrique Farina y un fantástico etc,. de tipos rápidos, pero por sobre todas las cosas de BUENAS PERSONAS. Gracias por abrirme las puertas de una liga como esta.

LLM!!!