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Prairie Winds Golf Course #4
Opur's Blade
Character-Based Suspense Spiced With Mystery Life and Death Amid GolfLike most mothers, Rayelene Purler, envisions great things for her child. In an attempt to introduce her son to a slice of life the family can ill-afford she arranges for him to get instructional lessons at nearby Prairie Winds Golf Course.
After head golf pro J Dub Schroeder watched his prized pupil strike the ball he knew he had a gifted child in his presence. The lad, nicknamed Opur because of his propensity to sink putts, battles through family hardship, a future without aim, and a sudden love interest to earn a chance to play in America's most famous yearly golf event --- The Classic. But something else is going on.
Gear up for a story that has as much to do with life and death as golf.
˃˃˃ A Cozy MysteryNot all mysteries need a dead body.
Teenage prodigy Owen Purler, Jr., nicknamed Opur, has a knack for knocking the ball into the hole. His home away from home becomes Prairie Winds Golf Course after a protective mother with great dreams for her child and a traveling father with a love for the bottle create a dysfunctional household.
An unexpected event alters his path. Adolescent bliss turns into a future without aim. A sudden love interest gives life a new meaning, However when life's defining moment beckons Opur finds that something more important blocks his path. What can that be? It promises to add to the suspense.
˃˃˃ Laughs, Tears, Drama, and SuspenseRayelene Purler endures a teenage pregnancy. Her country swagger entertains after her precious son arrives on the scene. She has dreams of greatness for her first-born and they include expenses that the family can ill-afford. Meanwhile husband, Owen Purler, has a weakness for the bottle and a wandering eye. Those deficiencies place a hardship on the family model.
Their son, nicknamed Opur, takes to golf like a hawk to prey. Unexpected events lead to sadness. A clouded future confuses direction. A sudden relationship springs new hope. When opportunity knocks an old friend is called for wisdom.
Something else is going on behind the scenes that complicates the struggle at hand. Can you figure out what that can be? The ending will surprise.
Click on this today!
After head golf pro J Dub Schroeder watched his prized pupil strike the ball he knew he had a gifted child in his presence. The lad, nicknamed Opur because of his propensity to sink putts, battles through family hardship, a future without aim, and a sudden love interest to earn a chance to play in America's most famous yearly golf event --- The Classic. But something else is going on.
Gear up for a story that has as much to do with life and death as golf.
˃˃˃ A Cozy MysteryNot all mysteries need a dead body.
Teenage prodigy Owen Purler, Jr., nicknamed Opur, has a knack for knocking the ball into the hole. His home away from home becomes Prairie Winds Golf Course after a protective mother with great dreams for her child and a traveling father with a love for the bottle create a dysfunctional household.
An unexpected event alters his path. Adolescent bliss turns into a future without aim. A sudden love interest gives life a new meaning, However when life's defining moment beckons Opur finds that something more important blocks his path. What can that be? It promises to add to the suspense.
˃˃˃ Laughs, Tears, Drama, and SuspenseRayelene Purler endures a teenage pregnancy. Her country swagger entertains after her precious son arrives on the scene. She has dreams of greatness for her first-born and they include expenses that the family can ill-afford. Meanwhile husband, Owen Purler, has a weakness for the bottle and a wandering eye. Those deficiencies place a hardship on the family model.
Their son, nicknamed Opur, takes to golf like a hawk to prey. Unexpected events lead to sadness. A clouded future confuses direction. A sudden relationship springs new hope. When opportunity knocks an old friend is called for wisdom.
Something else is going on behind the scenes that complicates the struggle at hand. Can you figure out what that can be? The ending will surprise.
Click on this today!
- GenresFiction
472 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2010
About the author
James Ross
160 books119 followersI'm a cancer survivor who had something to say. One story has become several novels from fictitious Prairie Winds Golf Course high atop the Mississippi river bluffs just east of St. Louis.
My stories are character-based with the genre being realistic fiction. My writing style utilizes the use of dialogue from an eclectic cast of characters. Aside from the recurring regulars roughly 20 new personalities are introduced per story.
There will be a Midwestern flavor, solid themes, social issues, and a few lessons in life learned from the golf course which reflect my roots.
My stories are character-based with the genre being realistic fiction. My writing style utilizes the use of dialogue from an eclectic cast of characters. Aside from the recurring regulars roughly 20 new personalities are introduced per story.
There will be a Midwestern flavor, solid themes, social issues, and a few lessons in life learned from the golf course which reflect my roots.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 27, 2010
There has got to be some way to write a heart warming story without any of the following used as a check list: southern, single mother, under-dog, disability, hooker, poverty...
Golf?
Yeah, sure, golf too.
I expect self-published books to take advantage of the freedom they are given but this book was just another Lifetime cast off.
Golf?
Yeah, sure, golf too.
I expect self-published books to take advantage of the freedom they are given but this book was just another Lifetime cast off.
January 29, 2012
It has taken me forever to write this review, mainly because I have been putting it off. I tried to get into this book, but was unable to. I could not finish it.
I tend to read a lot of different genres, so I don't think that's what did not sit well with me. I just did not find the protagonist convincing. I put it down and came back to it several times to give it another chance, because I absolutely did not want to leave a low review without really giving it a shot. Aside from the protagonist, I thought the execution of the story was fine, and for that reason I marked it at the "it was ok" 2-star level.
Reading the other reviews for this novel, it seems like a lot of people really enjoyed it. Thus, I would not say it's a waste of time to try it-- I think you should definitely pick it up and decide for yourself. But if you find yourself unable to get into it, know that you're not alone.
On a side note, I was disappointed to see the negative interaction between the author and one of the reviewers in one of the reviews posted for this book. I received this novel though the first-reads giveaways and the first copy he sent me did not manage to get to me. He was very accommodating and sent me another copy, and our interaction was pleasant-- not at all like his comments in response to the reviewer. I believe that reviews should be genuine, and I cannot lie and say I enjoyed reading something when I did not. I just hope that my own comments do not receive a similar response, as they are genuine and meant to be constructive and helpful to other readers.
I tend to read a lot of different genres, so I don't think that's what did not sit well with me. I just did not find the protagonist convincing. I put it down and came back to it several times to give it another chance, because I absolutely did not want to leave a low review without really giving it a shot. Aside from the protagonist, I thought the execution of the story was fine, and for that reason I marked it at the "it was ok" 2-star level.
Reading the other reviews for this novel, it seems like a lot of people really enjoyed it. Thus, I would not say it's a waste of time to try it-- I think you should definitely pick it up and decide for yourself. But if you find yourself unable to get into it, know that you're not alone.
On a side note, I was disappointed to see the negative interaction between the author and one of the reviewers in one of the reviews posted for this book. I received this novel though the first-reads giveaways and the first copy he sent me did not manage to get to me. He was very accommodating and sent me another copy, and our interaction was pleasant-- not at all like his comments in response to the reviewer. I believe that reviews should be genuine, and I cannot lie and say I enjoyed reading something when I did not. I just hope that my own comments do not receive a similar response, as they are genuine and meant to be constructive and helpful to other readers.
June 22, 2010
This is my underdog story. A young man chasing his dream on the hallowed grounds of America's greatest golfing event - The Classic.
January 24, 2017
Owen Purler Jr., who later gains the nickname of Opur, is the only son of a dysfunctional marriage between an alcoholic trucker who is rarely home and his high-school sweetheart. The constant, almost comical conflict between his parents when his father is home has driven Opur to become withdrawn, unsure of himself, and a consistent stutterer. However, when his mother takes him to a summer instructional program at a local public golf course, the club’s pro, J Dub, discovers that Opur is a child prodigy with the golf clubs and takes him under his wing. J Dub guidance helps Opur navigate family discord and tragedy through his teen years to the point of Opur’s turning pro and facing the number one ranked player in his first major professional golf championship. For readers, this 400+ page story can be broken down into two sections, Opur’s childhood and life overcoming adversity to rise to a professional golfer and the final day head-to-head, hole-by-hole competition between Opur and the current number one player at the major golf championship. The author provides a good sense of character that helps draw in the reader to quickly empathize and become interested in the growth of Opur and his fellow characters. However, some sections in the story, including the opening, appeared to be extraneous to the main drive of the story, slowing the story and proving a small distraction to the reader. At the same time, there are other elements that are brought in to enhance conflict which appear a bit unrealistic, even as they hype up interest in the competition. I felt it would be comparable to seeing two royal flushes appear in the same poker hand, somewhat exciting to see, but unlikely to truly occur. Yet, the main theme still held my interest.
November 15, 2010
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
One of the things I'm fascinated by in the arts these days is the rise of what could almost be called the "pro/am" writer, who takes advantage of small-run publishing plants and social media to craft a humble career for themselves as the author of an ongoing, hyper-specialized series, maintaining a fan base that will never get them rich but is at least enough to justify writing another book; the reason I call these people pro/am, then, is that it seems sometimes that the writing on these specialized subjects (knitting, cooking, athletics) is as much of a hobby for these authors as it is a professional endeavor, and that in a different age these people might be spending that writing time building a model railroad in their basement instead. Take for example lifelong golfer James Ross, who decided only in his fifties to start writing for the first time, and who has now put out four novels in an ongoing series about the laid-back fictitious Prairie Winds public golf course over on the east side of St. Louis (locals, think more like Cahokia than East St. Louis proper), where a recurring cast of quirky characters take on different political and sociological issues in each title (broken families, legal corruption, fighting cancer) while mixing in plenty of golfing, discussions about golfing, theories about golfing, and golfing golfing did I mention golfing golfing golfing?
I mean, don't get me wrong, this latest in the series has more than its fair share of problems, and when directly compared to just about any mainstream novel is almost sure to come out on the losing end; but it's also very readable and entertaining, with a sprinkling of legitimate surprises and intelligent moments, a novel clearly meant for a niche audience (seriously, you better love golfing) but that keeps that niche audience highly satisfied. I find it charming that we live in an age where books like these can not only exist but can even have a decent-sized fan base, without any of the parties involved having to deal with big publishing houses or chain bookstores; and although it's far from the best-written thing I've read this year, I'm glad to know that such quietly enjoyable specialized novels as these are out there.
Out of 10: 7.5, or 8.0 for golf fans
One of the things I'm fascinated by in the arts these days is the rise of what could almost be called the "pro/am" writer, who takes advantage of small-run publishing plants and social media to craft a humble career for themselves as the author of an ongoing, hyper-specialized series, maintaining a fan base that will never get them rich but is at least enough to justify writing another book; the reason I call these people pro/am, then, is that it seems sometimes that the writing on these specialized subjects (knitting, cooking, athletics) is as much of a hobby for these authors as it is a professional endeavor, and that in a different age these people might be spending that writing time building a model railroad in their basement instead. Take for example lifelong golfer James Ross, who decided only in his fifties to start writing for the first time, and who has now put out four novels in an ongoing series about the laid-back fictitious Prairie Winds public golf course over on the east side of St. Louis (locals, think more like Cahokia than East St. Louis proper), where a recurring cast of quirky characters take on different political and sociological issues in each title (broken families, legal corruption, fighting cancer) while mixing in plenty of golfing, discussions about golfing, theories about golfing, and golfing golfing did I mention golfing golfing golfing?
I mean, don't get me wrong, this latest in the series has more than its fair share of problems, and when directly compared to just about any mainstream novel is almost sure to come out on the losing end; but it's also very readable and entertaining, with a sprinkling of legitimate surprises and intelligent moments, a novel clearly meant for a niche audience (seriously, you better love golfing) but that keeps that niche audience highly satisfied. I find it charming that we live in an age where books like these can not only exist but can even have a decent-sized fan base, without any of the parties involved having to deal with big publishing houses or chain bookstores; and although it's far from the best-written thing I've read this year, I'm glad to know that such quietly enjoyable specialized novels as these are out there.
Out of 10: 7.5, or 8.0 for golf fans
July 28, 2010
Author, James Ross, takes us back to Prairie Winds Golf Course in East St. Louis for his latest novel, Opur’s Blade. For those of you who have read Ross’ earlier releases, Lifetime Loser, Finish Line and Tuey’s Course, you will feel like you are reconnecting with friends in the clubhouse.
J Dub Schroeder, the golf pro at Prairie Winds is back and at the center of things as he discovers a raw golf talent in a young boy named Owen Purler, Jr. This young boy arrives at J Dub’s golf course with his mother, who is seeking to show her son another side of life. Owen’s father is a long hauler and is absent from his son’s life most of the time. He is also not keen on having Owen getting involved in a game they obviously can’t afford.
Turns out though that Owen is quite the golf prodigy and J Dub becomes a somewhat surrogate father helping Opur (as he is nicknamed by the regulars at the golf course) not only refine his golf skills but also to navigate through life and the trauma that he faces early on. Opur falls in love with the game and with the characters that are part of his new family at the course and needs both of them to deal with his tragedies.
The moment I started reading this book I didn’t want to put it down. At the beginning there is more focus on life, passion, sex and dealing with real family issues. Once Opur goes off on his own and finds himself qualifying for the BIGGEST tournament in golf, the story gets heavily into golf and what is happening on the course at the tournament.
Maybe there is too much detail about the hole-by-hole play but Ross does continue to weave valuable lessons throughout the back and forth conversations with Opur and J Dub who is serving as his caddy at the event. All in all you know there is a major struggle going on inside the ropes and inside Opur’s head. The ending was not what I expected at all and I am not sure I liked the ending. What I do know is I want a sequel to this novel sooner rather than later to help me pick up the pieces and get some closure.
Recommendation: Good read even for the non-golfer.
J Dub Schroeder, the golf pro at Prairie Winds is back and at the center of things as he discovers a raw golf talent in a young boy named Owen Purler, Jr. This young boy arrives at J Dub’s golf course with his mother, who is seeking to show her son another side of life. Owen’s father is a long hauler and is absent from his son’s life most of the time. He is also not keen on having Owen getting involved in a game they obviously can’t afford.
Turns out though that Owen is quite the golf prodigy and J Dub becomes a somewhat surrogate father helping Opur (as he is nicknamed by the regulars at the golf course) not only refine his golf skills but also to navigate through life and the trauma that he faces early on. Opur falls in love with the game and with the characters that are part of his new family at the course and needs both of them to deal with his tragedies.
The moment I started reading this book I didn’t want to put it down. At the beginning there is more focus on life, passion, sex and dealing with real family issues. Once Opur goes off on his own and finds himself qualifying for the BIGGEST tournament in golf, the story gets heavily into golf and what is happening on the course at the tournament.
Maybe there is too much detail about the hole-by-hole play but Ross does continue to weave valuable lessons throughout the back and forth conversations with Opur and J Dub who is serving as his caddy at the event. All in all you know there is a major struggle going on inside the ropes and inside Opur’s head. The ending was not what I expected at all and I am not sure I liked the ending. What I do know is I want a sequel to this novel sooner rather than later to help me pick up the pieces and get some closure.
Recommendation: Good read even for the non-golfer.
August 9, 2010
Opur’s Blade by James Ross
Opur’s Blade tells the story of a young man’s journey to adulthood. Owen Purler, Jr. is born into a family lacking the financial resources necessary for entrance into many of the opportunities life has to offer. The local golf course offers free instructional lessons one summer, opening a door that forever changes the course of Owen, Jr.’s life.
The story is well written and fast paced. The chapters are short, and the plot moves briskly. I found this book to be both an easy and enjoyable read, thus I spent a whole day reading it, anxious to find out how the story ended. I have never swung a golf club in my life, nor have I ever stepped foot on a golf course. James Ross does an excellent job of describing the game and the character one must possess to master golf. After reading this book, I believe I can now watch the game of golf and actually understand what is going on! If you enjoy reading about life’s challenges expressed in a realistic manner, then you will enjoy this book. Many things described in this book hit home for me, and evoked fresh thoughts and ideas for my own life. I do not recommend this book for the faint of heart or those who are easily offended, as this book contains mature content and is not suitable for children.
Opur’s Blade tells the story of a young man’s journey to adulthood. Owen Purler, Jr. is born into a family lacking the financial resources necessary for entrance into many of the opportunities life has to offer. The local golf course offers free instructional lessons one summer, opening a door that forever changes the course of Owen, Jr.’s life.
The story is well written and fast paced. The chapters are short, and the plot moves briskly. I found this book to be both an easy and enjoyable read, thus I spent a whole day reading it, anxious to find out how the story ended. I have never swung a golf club in my life, nor have I ever stepped foot on a golf course. James Ross does an excellent job of describing the game and the character one must possess to master golf. After reading this book, I believe I can now watch the game of golf and actually understand what is going on! If you enjoy reading about life’s challenges expressed in a realistic manner, then you will enjoy this book. Many things described in this book hit home for me, and evoked fresh thoughts and ideas for my own life. I do not recommend this book for the faint of heart or those who are easily offended, as this book contains mature content and is not suitable for children.
March 22, 2012
Opur's Blade by James Ross is the fourth Prairie Winds novel. In this one, a golfing prodigy is raised by a single mother after divorcing her abusive husband. To get her son Owen Jr. out of the house during summer she sends her son to Prairie Winds for free lessons. On his first day there, using a discarded driver, he shows raw talent.
Of the four novels I've now read, Opur's Blade is my favorite. The set up: a shot gun wedding turned to unhappy marriage and alcoholism and ultimately an absentee father and single mother felt real. The characters grow and change in understandable ways.
It was also the most focused of the plots. It didn't give into as many random jumps in time or an over abundance of characters.
Received for review from the author.
Of the four novels I've now read, Opur's Blade is my favorite. The set up: a shot gun wedding turned to unhappy marriage and alcoholism and ultimately an absentee father and single mother felt real. The characters grow and change in understandable ways.
It was also the most focused of the plots. It didn't give into as many random jumps in time or an over abundance of characters.
Received for review from the author.
August 21, 2015
To give her son something to do, Rayeline Parker sends her son, Owen, to the local golf course to take lessons. He turns out to be a natural, and gets nicknamed Opur by the pro, J. Dub, and the others old duffers at the course.
Opur’s Blade by Jame’s Ross is a combination suspense/mystery novel that follows Opur on his rise to golf stardom, and the physical and emotional turmoil he has to endure.
Well crafted, with just the right mix of pathos and humor, this book is perfect for a last summer day at the beach.
Opur’s Blade by Jame’s Ross is a combination suspense/mystery novel that follows Opur on his rise to golf stardom, and the physical and emotional turmoil he has to endure.
Well crafted, with just the right mix of pathos and humor, this book is perfect for a last summer day at the beach.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews