Spicy Piña Colada: Your Weekend Tiki Cocktail, and Cocktail Nation

Spicy Piña Colada: Your Weekend Tiki Cocktail, and Cocktail Nation

Recipe for Spicy Pina Colada from Shag's Tiki Drink Deck, and info on Tiki Chris' interview with Koop Kooper of Cocktail Nation.

-Christopher Pinto, author of
Murder Behind The Closet Door
Murder on Tiki Island
Tiki Lounge Talk

Murder, Sex, Ghosts, and the Jersey Shore: Murder Behind the Closet Door

 New post on my book, Murder Behind the Closet Door
at Tiki Lounge Talk



-Christopher Pinto, author of
Murder Behind The Closet Door
Murder on Tiki Island
Tiki Lounge Talk

Good article on how to promote your book

Found this article on the web about how to promote your book. The author offers some very good suggestions, including information on helpful sites.

http://www.essortment.com/market-promote-book-34433.html

-Christopher Pinto, author of
Murder Behind The Closet Door
Murder on Tiki Island
Tiki Lounge Talk

Kindle vs. Paperback: You can't collect kindle books

Ebooks are taking over (quickly) as the medium of choice for many readers. Amazon eBook sales reportedly surpassed US print sales this year, and show no signs of slowing down. Indeed, my Kindle versions of Murder Behind the Closet Door and Murder on Tiki Island are outselling the paperback versions 4 to 1.

Certainly eBooks are great: Convenient, inexpensive, and instantly available. You can store hundreds of ebooks in less space than a single traditional paperback. There's only one catch...

You can't show off your collection of eBooks.

It just can't be done. There's no bookshelf to keep them on, no way of having an author-signed copy or first edition. There's no "special dustjacket" or hardback edition available with eBooks. You can't even write a dedication in the flap when you give one as a gift.

I say eBooks have their place. They really are convenient, especially when traveling. But there's nothing, nor will there ever be, anything like the look and feel of a real book.

-Christopher Pinto, Author

http://wildwoodmurdermystery.com/
http://keywestmurdermystery.com/

Chrysler PT Cruiser: Saying Goodbye to the Retro Icon

In today's market, ten years is a solid run for any model vehicle. With only a minor facelift on exterior design and interior trim, the Chrysler PT Cruiser ends its reign as the number one retro-styled vehicle in America this year.

Introduced for the 2000 model-year, the PT Cruiser was Chrysler's answer to the popularity of the retro-styled Ford Mustang. Taking design cues from Art Deco-inspired Plymouths and Chrysler Air Flows of the 1930s, the PT stood apart from the generic, bubble-ish cars of the late 90s with accentuated fenders, a waterfall grill, and a rounded "Touring Sedan" profile common in the pre-war era. The raked-back look, Frenched-in head and tail lights, old-school chrome door handles and five-spoke alloy wheels gave the car a custom, hot rod style that became an immediate hit with retro design lovers. This also led very quickly to a large aftermarket of custom and performance parts, making the PT Cruiser one of the most easily and extensively customizable vehicles on the market. Chrysler marketed this vehicle to both the retro crowd and everyday people, calling it "the small car alternative".

The first PTs had a four cylinder, 2.4 liter engine that topped out at about 150 horsepower. That was the major complaint for many buyers who dreaded the zero-to-sixty time of nearly ten seconds in a car that looked like a hot rod. The fact that the vehicle got less than twenty miles per gallon city didn't help. Even though the public loved the styling, that wimpy engine was responsible for the first couple of years of soccer moms and rental companies buying the car...until 2003, when the GT Turbo version was released.

The 2003 PT Cruiser GT Turbo (sometimes referred to as the GT Cruiser or PT Bruiser) boosted the horsepower to 215, giving the retro-rod the fast kick it needed. Combined with the "Four on the Floor" manual transmission, the little car could now rocket from zero to sixty in around 6 1/2 seconds from the factory. An AutoStick automatic transmission was also available, allowing the driver to choose between manual (clutchless) mode or auto. A lowered, stiffer suspension, wide performance tires and traction control added to the GT's handling and hot rod looks.

2005 saw the next, and probably most important step in the PT's evolution. Designed by Daimler-Benz, the PT Cruiser convertible debuted to a much appreciative public. The car was reinforced to accommodate the convertible top, and a stylish yet functional roll bar was incorporated to add stability and rollover protection. The top-of-the-line model was the GT Turbo High-Output, a car capable of reaching horsepower in the 215 to 225 range stock. A sporty leather interior with chrome accents, factory navigation, chrome grill and special GT Turbo High-Output badging distinguished it from the flock. Unfortunately the car carried a hefty price tag - over $30k for a decked-out GT-HO version - which prohibited sales, making the GT ragtop a rare bird.

2006 saw the first and only design change for the Cruiser. A slightly modified front end and back bumper, along with a newly designed dash and center console was all that was done to update the PT's appearance. The engine was modified to give a little better performance. The Turbo could now churn out 230 horses, but the gas mileage remained woefully low at a time when gas prices were climbing to $4.00 per gallon, and competitive small cars were getting upwards of 35 mpg. By 2007, the novelty was wearing off, and Chrysler found themselves selling a lot of Cruisers as fleet vehicles for rental car agencies. The recession and Chrysler's merge with Fiat doomed the PT Cruiser from evolving any further, and in 2008 it was announced that production of the then-dated car would cease by 2010, to be replaced with a Fiat-based, more economical vehicle.

Today, a handful of 2010 Sedans are still available from Chrysler as "classic" PT Cruisers, but when they're gone, they're gone. Remaining vehicles are basically base models, without an option for the turbo or the convertible. An optional "Couture Edition" features a two-tone paint job, red leather seats and a much higher price tag. The Couture production is limited to 500, meaning a few die-hard PT lovers will buy them and store them as future classic investments. But without that Turbo, there's little hope for much interest by the future collector market. If anything, the 2005 PT Cruiser Convertible stands out as the first PT ragtop, and the only year with the original styling. The '05 GT-HO Turbo version should be the one to watch.

So we say goodbye to ten years of the much-loved retro rod, just as retro-styled vehicles like the Chevy Camaro and HHR are gaining popularity, along with the Dodge Challenger and continuation of the Ford Mustang. Today, even vehicles like the Cadillac CTS, Chrysler 300 and Infiniti G37 are utilizing a considerable amount of classic retro styling. Designers are incorporating some of the greatest styling elements of the 1920s, '30s, '40s and '50s into today's vehicle...And so though the little PT Cruiser may be gone, it's certain its influence will be around for a very long time.

Christopher Pinto, Creative Director
StarDustMysteries.com
TikiLoungeTalk.com
WildwoodMurderMystery.com

Nearing completion of "Murder on Tiki Island"

"Murder on Tiki Island" is my latest novel, featuring Detective Bill Riggins (from Murder Behind The Closet Door). Only this time Riggins is only 28 years old, as the action takes place in New York City and the Florida Keys in 1956. More of a true gumshoe detective story in the traditional Noir style, Murder on Tiki Island will surely appeal to anyone who enjoys the stories of Mike Hammer, Phillip Marlow, or Sam Spade.

The story centers around Riggins who is forced to take a 'vacation' after getting caught doing some not-so-politically correct interrogating at his New York precinct. A friend turns him on to Tiki Island, a private resort in the Florida Keys, where he is treated like a celebrity. Tropical breezes, strong cocktails, and fast women promise to make this vacation one to remember, until a skeleton is uncovered on the resort's grounds...and Riggins is asked to help solve the mystery. His lighthearted investigation turns dark when his life is threatened, and one of the Island's top managers is murdered. Riggins' investigation begins to uncover more than just a few skeletons...including wild sex parties, drugs, prostitution, and corruption. And through it all are unexplained phenomena, where the paranormal collides with the ordinary.

Projected final of the first draft is late February, 2011, with the final edited version to be on sale by April.

-Christopher Pinto

25 years since the Challenger Tragedy

I'll never forget that day. Star Dust was playing on the radio.

I remember it now as if it had just happened. I was a senior in high school...I stayed home from school that day, sick. I was in bed resting with the oldies station on, and Star Dust by Artie Shaw started playing on the radio. Since it was always one of my favorite songs, I sat listening, enjoying. Half-way through they cut the song short for a news announcement. I remember how mad I was that they cut it off before the end, steamed that they'd chop off a great song in the middle for some stupid news story, especially when it was rare for them to play that special tune. Then I heard them say the Space Shuttle Challenger had just exploded in mid-air, seconds after take-off.

My heart sank. Like millions of other kids, I loved the shuttles and the whole glamorous idea of space travel. Yet the shuttle launches had become so common, it seemed, that I didn't even bother to watch the launch on TV, and that made me sadder yet.

After the shock wore off I turned on the tube and found the video of the ship exploding in mid-air, 73 seconds after take-off. My God, all those poor people, including that pretty teacher, gone in an instant; and I somehow knew the hopes and dreams of someday traveling in space myself were gone too. So God damned sad, it still hurts to think about it 25 years later. 25 years, and it still seems like it just happened.

Star Dust was playing on the radio. I'll never forget that day.