The Writings of Rolland Jacks
Poems, Stories, Novels and Musings
Novels
ADVENTURES ON ALLIGATOR ISLAND
Secrets of the Hidden Caves Book 1 (2013)
Does Alligator Island really exist? Is it a real island? Absolutely! It lurks out there in the ocean just 20 miles from Santa Barbara. Most people call it Santa Cruz Island, but Squint Rye and his buddy Jon know it’s really Alligator Island.
During summer vacation they sail to the island with Squint’s dad who injures himself soon after they arrive. Squint and Jon leave his unconscious dad to return to the boat for bandages, only to find his body gone when they return, carried away by someone or some thing, leaving a trail of blood drops up a dusty trail. They find him behind a waterfall and eventually Chuma, a Chumash Indian who carried him there. They become friends with Chuma, who knows the island and its secrets better than almost anyone. And they meet Ria, a girl their age who knows some things that even Chuma doesn’t.
Together they explore the hidden caves; find dwarf wooly mammoths everyone knows are extinct but are still alive and mean; sail into the largest sea cave in the world right on the island and barely escape from angry sea lions; and discover a real treasure buried by pirates. After an amazing week they finally say their sad goodbyes to Chuma and Ria but promise to return during Christmas vacation, which they do.
Bulls, Balloons and Shark Bait Book 2 (2014)
Squint Rye is determined to become a world-class explorer. He knows knowledge is power, and to acquire the most powerful knowledge he must boldly explore the unknown. He returns to alligator island, intent on unlocking more of the intriguing secrets hidden in the island’s ancient caves, tunnels, and bays.
Squint hones his explorer skills, scoping out a sunken boat, and tests his own survival skills when buried alive beneath it. He investigates a treacherous, water filled cave seething with ferocious sea lions, and that concludes it isn’t worth the risk, but is later convinced that attacking an enraged bull with only a T-shirt to save someone’s life is.
The daily give-and-take with his friends brings Squint to the realization that even the most intrepid explore needs others, that, appreciating their strengths, accepting their sometimes- puzzling behavior, and understanding their fears and dreams may be the most powerful knowledge of all
Planes, Pirates and Prisoners Book 3 (in progress)
Crushes, Crashes and Crazies Book 4 (in progress)
MUTUAL ENEMIES (2013)
When David Deerfield humiliates a red-haired muscleman, he never imagines the nightmare that will follow. First, a threatening phone call, then a vicious, prolonged attack on his reputation and business by a mysterious Agent Blue, then attempts to kill him. While eluding his enemies he meets Cheryl who is also being pursued by Agent Blue. Realizing they have murderous mutual enemies, David and Cheryl team up to elude them and eventually entice them into a trap only to find they are no closer to discovering the true identity of Agent Blue than when they began.
Poems
I began writing little poems, short, little doggerel, when I was in elementary school. I found that I was pretty good at rhyming words and making up little poems and I enjoyed it. During my early teenage years, when I really began to give serious thought to life, God, faith, and such things I began writing my more serious poems. Writing poems, per se, has not been a high priority with me, but when I’m sparked with an idea, I go ahead and write a poem. I’ve included a few here.
Most of my poems have actually been expressed as lyrics to songs. Lyrics are not actually poems but they rhyme, of course, and some are definitely poetic and would be heard as poems if read without the music.
SLEEP
Sleep…… Sleep.
Come to this troubled mind
And slow the troubled thoughts
That still go racing to and fro.
Calm, sooth and bathe
With waters of repose
Those enigmatic thoughts
Until, as a child nestled
On his mother’s breast,
They slow to peaceful rest.
Run Dog, Run
And flick the dampened sand from flying feet.
Race through swirling surf with canine abandon.
Stop short, and smile at him who smiles at you,
Then shake the salty sea from blue-black coat.
Chase now the crusty gull who dares invade your space.
Hear pounding paws and splashing surf and baleful bark.
Stretch powerful legs.
Jump rock and wave and pool.
Twist, turn and dodge and twice retrace your tracks.
Pursue the fleeing gull on random flight,
With dogged determination
Pursue with all your might.
You will not win, oh foolish dog
For fleeing gulls, like fleeting goals,
Stay always out of reach
To tempt and taunt and tease
And sometimes teach.
But how you revel in the chase.
Run dog, run.
To Know
To know the shrouded essence of forever,
The endlessness of evermore to be,
The crying out of nevermore to see
The loveliness of one whose presence fades away.
Whose light grows dim as day gives way to dusk
And sunset slips into the long embrace of night.
While here and now, with knowing and unknowing,
Yet knowing in exquisite pain and pleasure
One heart, so closely guarded,
So freely given as a precious gift of love,
Now treasured by the one who holds
That priceless gift of love within his heart.
The essence of forever now not unknown,
No longer shrouded in the fading mists of time
But, knowing and full knowing,
The one who knows will nevermore cry out,
Will need not weep and grieve in hopelessness
As one deceived by darkest night,
But will, anticipation joyous, one day see
That precious treasure, now held within his heart,
Gleam with love more brightly than the brightest dawn.
Stories
WILSON WALKER’S AMAZING BLUEBERRY BUCKET
This is a story I wrote about my grandson, Wilson, and the dusty old bucket he found at a garage sale. He took it out to the blueberry farm and when he started putting blueberries into it, amazing things happened. The number of blueberries begin to multiply and the bucket began talking to him.
MARILYN, MONROE, AND M.E.
A young accountant, Mecham Eagle, is hosting a seminar at a Las Vegas casino where he tells the attendees why he hates the IRS and how to reduce their taxes. He meets Monroe, the casino owner who, at the same time, is being investigated and spied on by some very unfriendly IRS agents. The agents also spy on M.E., decide to hassle him and to arrest Monroe who creates a huge diversion and escapes with his girlfriend, Marilyn.
Things heat up for M.E. who eventually discovers that the agents are on the take and plan to extort money from Monroe in exchange for reducing his tax liability but eventually unravel for the agents.
LEADFOOT LOUIE AND THE INDOMITABLE DOIN’ – GOOD GUYS
COOL JACK AND THE MAGIC BEANS
BIRTH PANGS
When there are enough of them and they get old enough, aborted babies organize in the spirit world and take revenge on those who aborted them.