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Veteran writer sets 'Chopper Caper' in Valley

Published online on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009

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Ron D. Moore Sr. is credited as R.D. Moore on "The Chopper Caper" (AEG, $30.50), the novel he co-wrote with George Dorsey. The Chowchilla native's full name wasn't used out of fear that shoppers might mistakenly think the book was written by his son, television writer and producer Ron Moore.

Actually, the senior Moore has been writing a lot longer than his son.

"About 35 or 40 years ago, I was a stringer for The Fresno Bee. Since then I have been writing local newspaper articles and press releases," Moore says.

Moore wasn't planning to write a book, but that changed five years ago when a friend gave him a copy of an extended short story by Dorsey, who wanted Moore to give the story to his son for consideration as a screenplay.

Instead, Moore and Dorsey began to expand the text into the novel about a pair of Vietnam War combat helicopter pilots who plan to rob an armored car. One is a former California State University, Fresno, linebacker who dropped out of college to become a pilot.

"There are several local tie-ins in the Fresno and Chowchilla areas, including technical details by a former Fresno Huey pilot and colorful and outrageous anecdotes about Fresno State football by a former FSU player," Moore says.

The book is available though Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

Other new books of local interest include:

*"Cheeseburgers in the Rose Room" (Trafford Publishers, $18): Fresno's Norman Stokle has written a satirical novel under the name Jonathan York. In the book, two elderly women make a discovery at a museum that turns America on its head.

"It is a funny book with quickly-paced action and lively, colorful characters. It also exposes in a light-hearted manner some of the excesses in our own society. But the tone is gentle, and the accent is on humor. In a word, it is a pleasant read on any four-hour plane trip or on a dreary winter's evening," Stokle says.

The book can be bought at www.trafford.com.

*"Grief, Grace and Hope: The Autobiography of Pakisa K. Tshimika" (Good Books, $15.95): The Central San Joaquin Valley resident is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. His book is a collection of stories of his journey.

It is available at amazon.com.

*"Garden Haiku: Raising Your Child With Ancient Wisdom" (iUniverse, $9.94): Lily Wang's new book offers parenting advice through haiku. The book gives parents guidelines for raising happy, respectful and resourceful children.

Wang, who received her master's in English at Fresno State lives with her husband and two children in Clovis.

The book is available from amazon.com, bn.com or at Barnes and Noble Bookseller.