MIKE'S WRITINGS
Below is a synopsis of some of Mike's recent writing endeavors! He still remains unpublished, but still very hopeful. Also, scripts to his monologues from the collection entitled, "Extrodinary Events  by Ordinary People" are available. Contact Mike for an electronic copy of indiviudal scripts. The Easter musical "The Hallelujah Holy Land and Bible Time Tour "  is also available upon request. For both, please provide proper credit when performing.
The Summer of Heroes
School is out, and Billy Pecos’ thoughts are of a lazy summer on his ranch in the 1870’s in West Texas and of his dreams of one day capturing that elusive, wild, white stallion in the hills. But, the summer becomes anything but easy. Foiling a bank robbery in town, meeting a girl who steals his heart and being forced into taking a herd of cattle to market when his dad does not come home, are only the beginnings of an adventurous summer. His journey begins with the banker’s son running away from home to join Billy’s cattle drive, traveling the Chisholm Trail and running into its namesake. After meeting up with outlaws who had stirred up trouble with the Indians, they run into Marshall Bass Reeves, the first black U.S. Marshall, who introduces them to the famous Indian chief, Iron Kettle. On his return trip home, Billy is shadowed by a young Indian brave who befriends him on the trail, and helps him capture the illusive white steed.
[The manuscript has been completed and ready for publication.]
 
Does the River Ever End?
It’s the 1840’s along the Mississippi River, and thirteen year old Mike Fink has lived in the shadow of his infamous father for as long as he can remember. Unloading paddlewheels in the small river town of Cairo, Illinois, Mike is unwittingly put with Cletus, a young black slave. Both are forced to run when the captain and his foreman are supposedly killed on the Cairo Queen riverboat, and they are the prime suspects. As Mike and Cletus flee capture into the backwoods of Illinois and onto the Ohio and down the Mississippi Rivers, they meet up with several unusual characters, including poachers, a down-and-out trapper, a back East preacher, some moonshine smugglers and a chance meeting with Davy Crockett and his men. In the following days and nights of hiding from the law, Mike, who thought he had plenty of schooling, learns just how much smarter Cletus is than himself. Just as they are approaching Memphis, thinking they have escaped and are about to be free, the Cairo Queen appears with the Captain and Mike’s family aboard.
[The manuscript has been completed and ready for publication.]
 
Blood on the Grade Book (Or Was It Just Tomato Juice?)
When Chuck proclaims, "Believe me, I’m telling the truth!" It usually means it couldn’t be further from the truth. But this time, he may be on the something. When Mr. Lathan Whitworth, Chuck’s new high school American lit teacher, disappears in the middle of the year, he says it’s murder. Most blew it off as the teacher having a case of cold feet and returning to his home in England. But Chuck convinces his only two friends, Eugene Aarington and Suzannah Ford, that there are too many coincidences involving Rosetta Galvez, their principal, Mr. Sims, the town’s tycoon, and a bunch of shady characters who never seem to have a steady job. In the end, Chuck and his friends face their own threat of murder as they uncover a plot that starts with finding out what happened to Mr. Whitworth and ends with linking a small southern town to drugs, smuggling, kidnapping and the CIA. [The manuscript is ½ completed.]
 
Who the Heck is Richard Peck?
Elizabeth Renee Todd is in love with her favorite author, Richard Peck, and in her passion for independence, she sets herself apart from family and friends by plunging into the world of Peck’s books and their characters. The truth be told, she begins her dive right after her parents died in a car accident (for which she blames herself) and she moves to a new high school, living in the Deep South with her aged, seemingly out-of-touch grandparents. But losing herself in Peck’s books and his characters can not keep her from being pulled into the social scene by forces she did not understand. One force, the star athlete at Pinchback High School, wants romance she would not give and the other force, his ex-girl friend, wants to sabotage Elizabeth’s very existence. The characters in Peck’s books, who helped Elizabeth hide herself in the beginning, now give her strength to face the pressures mounting against her and direct her to overcome her fear of relationships, confrontation and intimacy. [The manuscript is in the research stage.]
 
Fiddlin’ Jake and the Battle of Baton Rouge
"You’re too young to fight!" the Confederate general barked, but Jake knew he wasn’t too young to fiddle. His father was a fiddler and Jake was told he learned from the best. But his father’s untimely death forced his family to move from the bayou swamps of South Louisiana to the bustling river town of Baton Rouge. Once there, they immediately found themselves right in the middle of the Civil War. Following his older brothers’ Louisiana brigade into battle never frightened eleven-year-old Jake.  Faced with exploding cannon balls, musket fire and the loss of life and limb of those around him, Jake knew he and his fiddle could calm the pain, the hurt, the distrust and the hatred of all who heard him. From battlefields to hospital wards, to a Union prison camp, Jake’s fiddle brought peace and comfort during a troubled time.  [The manuscript is in the research stage.]
 
Taking Down the Dragons
Steve O’Rielly is excited to be hired to teach at an American school in Costa Rica. Finding out they need a basketball coach for the high school junior varsity team, he jumps at the opportunity.  Thinking his coaching experience in the states will help him, he is in for a rude awakening as he finds the sport in other countries is not exactly what he expected.  Language barriers, year long seasons, postponements, long bus rides, outdoor courts with empty stands, very rough play and habitually late referees only compound his frustration.  He struggles to finally pull a team together of individualists, misfits and players from many different countries, to be winners and to at last play their arch rival, the Dragons, in the championship game.
[The manuscript is in the outline stage.]
 
My Dad is in the Dugout
Having lost his father to a tragic accident, Mike was too young to learn all the baseball he could from his professional ball player dad, at least until that day in the dugout when Mike appears to be the only one to hear his father’s voice. Mike wants so much to be as good as the stories he had heard about his dad, but the hits, the RBIs and the homeruns never come.  However, in the course of that fateful season, Mike learns the lessons of commitment, teamwork and friendship, the real lessons his dad wanted him to learn.
[The manuscript is in the outline stage.]
 
Reducing the Risk of Road Rage
The Unauthorized, Unabridged, Unbridled Guide for Young Drivers Staying Alive on the Streets, Highways and Interstates of America
Whatever happened to the fun on the open road?  The wind blowing through your hair now days is usually the breath of someone yelling at you from their car. Give a man (or a woman) a license to drive and it’s like having a license to harass, intimidate, and bully in a 2,000 pound projectile. These are the bad lessons we don’t want our young drivers to learn. This book looks at both sides of the issue of road rage (the rager and the ragee) and tries to pinpoint the ways to lessen its destructive impact. Using a sprinkling of facts, a liberal dose of a half century of driving, with generous portions of humor, peppered with anecdotes and common sense, the book will give the young driver a slew of recipes for a safe on-the-road experience.  Bon appetite and bon voyage!  [The manuscript is in the research stage.]
 
Extraordinary Events by Ordinary People
Nameless Men and Women in the Bible Who Furthered the Kingdom of God
(A collection of dramatic monologues and dialogues for church presentations)
Throughout the Bible there are numerous examples of nameless men and women who played major roles in advancing the Kingdom of God. These individuals have wonderful stories to tell. Although the Bible does not go into great detail about these servants of God, we can only imagine the events, the personalities and the hearts of these men and women whose contributions were vital in  God's plan for mankind. This book includes such events as the Innkeeper and his wife, witnessing the birth of Jesus from nearby; a visitor from the East who, along with others, brought gifts to the Christ Child; the man who shared the Upper Room for the last supper; and the servant girl who was there to witness the event; the man, along with his daughter, who owned the colt on which Jesus rode for His triumphant entrance to Jerusalem; one of the men who helped lower the paraplegic through the roof to see Jesus; a sailor who witnessed Jonah’s ordeal,  as well as other dramatic presentations. Also included is a list of props and suggestions about costuming, character development and makeup for each presentation. [In the final editing stages.]
 
The Hallelujah Holy Land and Bible Time Tour (Easter musical,) Co-written by Mike and Bonnie Owens
Designed with split action, one part of the play features a group of six tourists with a guide and bus driver, touring the sites of the Holy Land, and then the other group of actors who portray the events 2000 years ago. The action alternates from the tour group as they recount the places and events surrounding Jesus’ life, to the Bible characters who use dialogue and song to tell the related stories. The tour starts off with a group of mismatched travelers, but through the telling of the story, they begin to bond and understand the true meaning of the life of Christ. Six contemporary Christian songs are used in the drama either as solos or as groups. A solo dance and a group dance number are also part of the production. Scenes include making water into wine at the wedding feast, the woman with the issue of blood, Jarius’ dying daughter, the young woman with the alabaster box, the triumphant entry of Christ as well as the crucifixion and the empty tomb. The unique quality about this play is that a Jesus character is not required. The play includes a list and description of all characters, script, suggested music, costuming, makeup and promotional suggestions. Information about the use of minimal props as well as preproduction information, production plans and backstage direction is also included. The play is designed with the medium-sized church in mind, but could be modified for any size production. [The manuscript has been completed and ready for publication.]
 
 
This page was last updated: March 17, 2010