John Hartig

Coffee Break Reading involves two short stories: Who Killed Jean-Marie Leclair? a murder mystery] and Battle of the Violins a time travel yarn with Captain James T. Kirk] The first short story is an 18th century murder mystery not yet definitively solved. Jean-Marie Leclair was one of the greatest Baroque Era violinists and composers living in France, when in 1764, he was found in the vestibule of his own home in a seedy part of Paris, stabbed to death. The culprit could have been his envious 40 year old nephew, Guillaume-Fran ois Vial, who wanted his uncle to promote his career before King Louis XV's court. Vial was a second rate violinist compared to his uncle. It could have been the ex-wife, Louise Roussel, who owned an engraving business and who made money out of Leclair's music compositions. It could have been a conspiracy between the two, nephew and ex-wife. Who knows for sure? Lieutenant Antoine-Gabriel de Sartine was frustrated in the police investigation. There simply was not enough evidence to arrest anybody Introduce Captain James T. Kirk n the second short story. His mission is not to solve the Leclair murder, but rather to bring back to the future some of the top violinists for a fiddle contest in the year 2328 at the Hollywood Bowl. You guessed it, Jean-Marie Leclair is one of these contestents who will compete in the Battle of the Violins. The Admiral in Star Fleet who assigned Kirk the mission had a vested interest. Admiral Fritz Kreisler Jr. Jr. wanted to see who was the best of the best. Captain Kirk thought it was a whimsical idea, a waste of Star Fleet energy...and time But then admirals had certain perks in their position. One of the other competitors in this fiddle fest was, of course, the Admiral's great, great however many] grand-sons, Fritz Kreisler Sr. Sr. The strategy was for Captain Kirk, with Mister Spok, Scotty and Bones to slingshot the Enterprise around the sun, using its gravitational pull, to end up in the year 1901, so they could knock on Mr. H. G. Wells' door and ask to borrow his Time Machine...and then, well...you'd have to read the rest of the story to see who won.

Short Stories don't seem to be popular anymore. But if you have a coffee, or a tea, and a little bit of time, that would be perfect for this Collection of Short Stories by John Hartig. Give you something to laugh about, or think about, as you page through the Table of Contents:1.Saint Peter Needs Help2.Leonardo and Michelangelo at the Pearly Gates3.Coffee Break with Harry Rittenhouse4.Mom Passed Away5.The Passing of Wilma de Jager6.Winning the Lottery7.Novella on Jean-Marie Leclair, Composer8.Battle of the Violins - Time Travel9.Biography John Hartig

Love and Faith Trilogy: Book Three takes over in October 2014 with the last two months of Symon Schr der's life. He is dying of pancreatic cancer. ISIS is still a thriving entity in the overall scheme of things, alive and doing quite well in the Middle East and other parts of the world where they radicalize young people, often disillusioned with jobs and politics in the West. While Symon dies in Book Three, there is a lighter side, as individual romances are developed among the two main couples: fictional author, Christopher Unger, and his old flame, Lenya; and then, the other couple, Detective Spencer and Fahm, who fall in love. By Book Three, the relationship between Spencer and Fahm has blossomed. They court, become Christian, get married and decide to go to Paris France of course] on their honeymoon. Going to Paris on a honeymoon is a romantic notion, but not at the time they choose It is Wednesday January 7th, 2014 Sa d and Ch rif Kouachi break into the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices with assault rifles. They shoot anybody in sight in revenge for their Prophet, Muhammad, being satirized in a cartoon. In total, the brothers kill 12 people that day, and then get away in a stolen car. They are on the loose for three days Spencer and Fahm could have wished for a better honeymoon. But not all is lost...

Symon Schr der, a scenery photographer, stumbles across a dead woman in the woods off The Bruce Trail, near Ball's Falls, Ontario. Khalisa is the victim of an honor killing committed by her own brother, Ahmad, because neither he nor the parents wanted her to date Christopher, a "white infidel". Ahmad gets away with the crime for almost 2 years. He takes computer classes at Mohawk College in Hamilton. During this time, he kills an older lady, Carmen, who was getting better marks than him in a class and who gets hired instead of him for a job. Symon, in the meantime, is also registered in a web design class at Mohawk College and gets to know Carmen at coffee breaks. At one point, Symon plucks up enough courage to go back to the scene of the crime at Ball's Falls where he pokes around in the dirt and digs up a silver necklace which belonged to Khalisa. The inscription reads, "To Khalisa, Love Christopher". This is enough of a clue which eventually leads to Ahmad as the killer. The parents empty their bank account and Ahmad escapes to Turkey where he crosses the border to join ISIS.

Saint Peter has a time keeping "The Roll up yonder." He gets flustered when several violinists pop up in front of his Pearly Gates. He hopes it's not a repeat of what he experienced previously with a bunch of Popes and painters who got into a heated argument. There is also a Novella of Jean-Marie Leclair who was a violinist of the 18th century and who got stabbed to death in front of his house. Nobody was ever arrested. This is a collection of short stories, not just about Saint Peter and his crowd control up there, but recalls the aging and death of several people close to me, my mother, Rosa Hartig, my neighbour, Wilma de Jager, and an aging friend, Harry Rittenhouse. And oh yes, I threw in a novella about Jean-Marie Leclair who was stabbed to death in front of his door in 1764. There goes all the hours he put into violin practice I mixed this old murder mystery up with Battle of the Violins where Captain James T, Kirk of the Enterprise is assigned to bring 6 top violinists back to the future in the year 2328 for a fiddle contest at the Hollywood Bowl.

Jean-Marie Leclair was an unsolved murder mystery of the 18th century. He should not have been known for that. He founded the French school of violin. But he was stabbed in the back and neck 3 times, killed in the vestibule of his own home in 1764. He was a great violinist and composer for King Louis XV of France. No one was ever arrested, not Louise Roussel, his ex-wife, who did the engraving of his compositions for him, and not the envious nephew, Guillaume-Fran ois Vial, who wanted his uncle to promote him to the KIng. Nobody was ever brought to justice. In the meantime, fast forward to the year 2328, and the task which Captain James T. Kirk has been assigned to bring back to the future 6 of the best violinists of all time to have a fiddle contest at the Hollywood Bowl. The slight hitch is that the Captain with Montgomery Scott's help needs to go back to 1901 and borrow H. G. Wells' Time Machine. One of the contenders in the Battle of the Violins is, of course, Jean-Marie Leclair

Jean-Marie Leclair was an 18th century murder mystery. He should have been known more for being a super Baroque violinist and composer. He founded the school of French violin. He composed numerous sonatas and concerti, and one opera, "Scylla et Glaucus." At the age of 67, in 1764, he was found dead in the vestibule of his own home, stabbed in the neck and back 3 times. The culprit could have been the gardener, Jacques Paysant, which was dismissed. The most likely suspect was, Leclair's own 40 year old nephew, Guillaume-Fran ois Vial, son of Leclair's sister. Vial was insanely envious of his uncle for being a better violinist. He wanted his uncle to promote his career, a good word to King Louis XV, or a seat in the "Concert Spirituel," which never happened. The last suspect was the ex-wife, Louise Roussel, an engraver who made money out of Leclair's compositions. Lieutenant Antoine-Gabriel de Sartine did not have enough evidence to pin the crime on any one of his suspects...so nobody was ever accused or arrested. But do not worry dear reader, the author of this novella has solved the case

Crooked Bay is a quiet little town on the west coast of Newfoundland. It has a bunch of little houses, two churches, "The Reserve" and an RCMP outpost. Since the Lucky Strike Mining Company found gold north-east of town, Crooked Bay has been going through an economic boom, bringing in lots of people looking for work. Sgt. Brett Wilson thinks that an economic boom is not necessarily a good thing for a small town. The police department, manned by three officers, has its hands full already, trying to keep up with abuse at the seniors' home, poachers on The Reserve, teenage drunkenness, a car theft and the usual break and entry. What they don't need now is the town's first murder A teenager, recently released from juvenile detention, is accused...except he did not do it The real killer hides behind a mask of status and respectability. How will the RCMP bring him to justice?

Saint Peter has his hands full with "the Roll up yonder." He doesn't want to be there; he'd rather go fishing. But he's got a job to do. As if moody painters aren't enough, like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, there's also demanding violinists like Jean-Marie Leclair and Rameau, and throw in a bunch of Popes into the mix...and you guessed it, Saint Peter would rather go fishing These are good stories to enjoy over a coffee. Then there is the rest of the list of short stories: 3. Coffee Break with Harry Rittenhouse 4. My Mom Passed Away 5. The Passing of Wilma de Jager, a neighbour, 6.Winning the Lottery, as if that would cure anything, 7. A Novella on Jean-Marie Leclair, Composer and finally, 8. Battle of the Violins - Time Travel with Captain Kirk. If you have enough time and coffee, you can also look up the author's biography, John Hartig, and oh yes, ask for another refill.