Glen Hines - Crossroads

Selected Works and Reviews

Anthology

Of Time and Rivers (Published November, 2021)

"After reading an advance copy, I can safely say that Hines has written another very good, wide-ranging, and thought-provoking collection. As usual, he covers a broad group of topics and subjects. There are some very affecting pieces dealing with loss; the author lost his father, a former NFL player, to CTE around the time he was starting the manuscript, and these experiences are the basis for a few of the pieces. But the majority of this book covers ground on which he is very strong: fiction, military service, sports, and the dark and bright side of our unique American culture. Although this volume runs to over 400 pages, the pages glide by once you become absorbed in the prose. Highly recommended." -Goodreads review

"I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of the author's fifth book. Once again, he has written an outstanding collection of fiction, short stories, and essays on familiar subject matter. Reading a Hines book is like getting that magazine or periodical in the mail once a month that you wished came on a weekly basis. Everything is engaging from cover to cover, even subjects you didn't think you were interested in before. This is the hardcover version, but it will be available in an e-book for Kindle readers." -Goodreads review

"Great fifth book by Glen Hines. As usual, he mixes in stories from military operations, sports, American culture, history, and the outdoors. A quick read and a perfect book for travel." -Goodreads review

Crossroads (Published February, 2019)

"Hines lives a wide-ranging life, Division I Football Player, Marine Officer, combat veteran, trial attorney, judge, father, husband, and bourbon aficionado. It turns out that life from that vantage point has just as many frustrations, triumphs, strange events, failures, mysteries, and unknowns as those lives lived by the rest of us. This book is a page turner. It's written in such a fast paced and compelling style that there's just no good place to stop. In addition to being entertaining, educational, and thought-provoking, what's best about it is that it shows us that the real questions about life are universal and that maybe the hero in all of us is the one who dares to keep asking those questions and searching for their answers, even if society judges us as having already "made it." -Amazon reader

"Hines has produced another collection of essays and stories that capture you. Thought-provoking and poignant, Hines explores sport, football, travel, and military-related themes in a way that is fresh and deep. The work is made more immediate and more powerful by a section of memoir pieces reflecting personal experiences that influence his character, world-view, and writing. In a world of quick and easy beach reads, Crossroads gives us a chance to sit down and know the author as it pushes us to consider our own values and judgments. A powerful and compelling read. Highly recommended." -Amazon reader

Cloudbreak (Published April, 2017)

"Following up on his wonderful debut Document, Glen is back with a whole new set of adventures, both fiction and real-life, as well as insightful commentary on the state of everything from war, sports, and the criminal justice system. The unique part of Glen's perspective is that he does not just write about these topics - he has lived every one. A veteran of the Marine Corps, a former Division I football and baseball player, a former federal prosecutor - Glen has walked the walk and gone back for more. As opposed to the many writers today who theorize on these topics without ever having worn a uniform, stepped foot on a ballfield, or tried a high-profile case, Glen has done them all. Adding in a multitude of fictional short stories and tales from Glen's travels, Cloudbreak takes its readers on a ride all over the world and, like its predecessor Document, leaves each and every reader wanting more." -Amazon reader

"This is an excellent collection of short stories and essays by Glen Hines. It follows his initial effort, Document, which is also worth seeking out. Hemingway, who knew a thing or two about writing, once said "a writer's job is to tell the truth." Hines succeeds in truth-telling because he mines first-hand experience as a Marine officer with combat deployments, an attorney, a division one athlete, and a husband and father; these are his stories. Hines writes with the warmth and fluidity of a natural story-teller that makes you sad when you reach the last page. More please." -Amazon reader

"Cloudbreak is an excellent collection of short stories from a brilliant up and coming author. Whether driving through the east coast low-country or in a courtroom aboard Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Glen's talent as an American storyteller is axiomatic. Do yourself a favor, fill a glass with your favorite single-malt, settle into a shaded hammock and read this book cover to cover." -Amazon reader

Document (Published February, 2016)

"A well read, experienced man with a knowledge on a wide array of subjects. Outstanding, reality based writing.....I immediately got my wife into the same book....will hit nerve, strike a chord with many segments of American society, the veteran and contemporary sporting communities amongst them....a collection of shorter pieces, stories and exposes makes for easy reading and digestion in smaller, nutritious and fulfilling bites....highly recommended....outstanding effort by this well established contemporary writer with a wide and rich array of experiences to draw from....one feels fulfilled and better off for his readings, many with truths which came the hard way...." -Amazon reader

"Do you ever wonder what separates you from a Superguy like Glen Hines, Div I NCAA athlete in BOTH football and baseball, Marine Officer, author, federal prosecutor, etc? Maybe not much. It turns out that Glen Hines is a real-life living, breathing, dad and family man faced with life's dilemmas, experiences and tough choices - just like the rest of us. "Document" is a remarkably candid, revealing, unpretentious, and, at times, critical look at sports, life, politics, and ultimately, one's own self. See if you can read just one page!" -Amazon reader

Poetry

Cathedrals in the Twilight (Published December, 2020)

"The author's fourth book shows his range with 46 pieces of poetry and verse with the outdoors as the primary setting. But my favorite is a long one near the end called "Empty Colosseum," in which he appears to look back over his and his father's athletic career with conflicting emotions, then walks away, leaving it all behind. The visit to the empty stadium and the trajectory of his thoughts are metaphors for his journey to freedom and life beyond the game and its culture. Overall, this little book is a great read." -Goodreads review

"The author branches out into a new genre and shows us that the outdoors and even the craft of creating art can be havens of renewal, regeneration, and reflection. He takes us on a trip from the Mesopotamian night as viewed from a combat veteran, to the fall woods of Quantico, Virginia, to one of the most famous rivers in the history of Texas, to the shattered streets of the Yugoslavian civil wars, to the Rocky Mountains, to surfing a dangerous wave along the pristine Oregon coast, to watching the sunset in Yosemite Valley, and many places in between. But he saves the most powerful work for the end of the book. In "Empty Colosseum," he returns to visit the cavernous and empty stadium where he and his father played football decades prior. As he moves across the field's expanse, he ponders the victories and losses and then asks why it was so important to both of them at one finite point in each of their lives. He ends by concluding that whatever temporary benefit it may have provided, it was nevertheless not worth the eventual costs. He then leaves the stadium without looking back, and walks back up the darkened tunnel into the ever-brightening light of the future. Cathedrals in the Twilight is powerful prose condensed into the medium of poetry and verse. if you're fan of those genres, put it on your list." -Goodreads review

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Crossroads

The author of the popular books Document and Cloudbreak returns with a diverse new collection of fiction, perspectives, memoir and verse. The wide array of subject matter cuts a wide path through public service, the criminal justice system, military service, sports, travel, outdoor pursuits, national security, self-awareness, and - appropriately enough - the craft of writing. The third and final installment of a trilogy, Crossroads is another bold effort by an up-and-coming contemporary writer that covers a wide variety of current issues and is an engrossing read that will draw you in until you finish the final page.