C.A. Chimene
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Now, I'm at the party drinking beers and devouring crawfish carcasses almost as fast as I can, when I spy a slinky-looking blonde babe sitting across the table smiling at me with lips parted and bright blue eyes watching me intently, seemingly fascinated by my manual dexterity or something. I notice her watching the movements of my hands and mouth as I rapidly pop the peeled crawdaddy tails into my oral orifice, give a few chews, and wash them down with a quick gulp or two of the beer from a large waxed paper cup. Well, I see good looking dames acting fascinated with me before, but every time it happens, it seems to intrude on my psyche and insinuate itself on my hormonal balance, which is rarely in a state of perfect equilibrium anyhow. Still, I manage my best to give the appearance of ignorance and continue my methodical attack on the large pile of red bodies in front of me, not wishing to expose my knowledge of this babe's interest until I've figured out how interested I am and what the odds are.
These thoughts are going through my mind for a few moments and distracting me a bit from my main action with these bayou bugs. I suddenly notice her stand up and begin a languid stroll around from her side of the table to mine, where she disappears past my peripheral vision. I polish off another Cajun lobster tail and I'm about to turn my head to check her location, when I feel the soft warm pressure of a thinly clad lower abdomen and thighs pressing gently onto the back of my head, neck and back.
The author is a fourth generation Houstonian who has spent the better part of a lifetime observing the city and its outstanding characters. Following a long and varied career in major corporations as a scientist-executive, he rose to the position of president of his own corporation. Upon his retirement from monetary pursuits, he began this new career in fiction-writing to chronicle the myriad humorous characters and situations he has been privy to in his experiences. The chapters cover a broad range of characters and subjects throughout the 50 year span of this book, but there is enough character repeatability to weave the chapters into a complex tapestry of the city's 'life as we know it.' Each chapter is a story, complete within itself, and all are not only unique in outlook, but present the color, feel and taste of the times and place in a new and unexpected manner.
Chimene's previous works are all non-fiction. Many of them have been published in scientific memoirs, treatises and commercial journals. His academic credentials are adequate, having graduated from two major Universities with Science Degrees. He is a veteran of WW II, raised three sons, all professionals in their fields, and is still winning medals in the Senior Olympics at the age of 71.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FIFTY GUYS (1942) 4
BIRDS OF A FEATHER (1943) 13
THE HEROES' FATE 22
ICE CREAM (1944) 28
THE HIGHJACK (1948) 36
ATHENE ST. JOHN (1950) 45
SATISFACTION (1951) 53
THE HISTORY LESSON (1951) 59
FIDDLING ON THE ROOF (1952) 66
WHEN GOYIM LAST IN THE DOORYARD BLOOMED (1952) 74
THE OCTOPUS (1961) 88
THE FINEST REAL ESTATE MIND TEXAS EVER PRODUCED (1962) 93
THE BALLAD OF PIN BALL PAUL (1963) 100
COO COO NEGRITO (1963) 111
THE GUMBO CHRONICLES (1965) 118
A HOT NIGHT IN HOUSTON (1973) 128
THE RAILEY - JEAN CATASTROPHE (1967) 133
THE PERFECT MATE (1968) 141
SATORI (1969) 147
THE DEAN (1969) 157
THE COSMIC BOMB (1970) 163
FOOTBALL'S FREUDIAN HOOK (1970) 170
THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING (1971) 179
THE GAZPACHO KID (1972) 187
WILL I RECOGNIZE THE LIGHT IN HER EYES? (1973) 194
THE MAD DOG (1982) 202
NOUVEAU BEAUJOLAIS (1982) 209
THE BIG TIME KID (1983) 219
ENTROPY (1983) 229
THE ETERNAL TRIANGLE REDEEMED (1989) 237
LANCELOT AND THE HOLEY GRAIL (1991) 251
