R G Schmidt was born in Canada where he studied literature and became an educator (B.A. English and B.Ed. Sport). In his early years he dedicated himself primarily to Athletics. He is a renowned five time Olympic Coach (Russia, USA, Italy) in the sport of curling, and as an athlete has medaled gold and silver in each of World, European and Canadian Men’s Championships.
After a few years teaching in Canada he relocated to Europe, where he became engaged in a variety of compelling ventures. He lived mostly in Germany and Switzerland, with extended periods of time on projects in France, Malta, Italy, Czechoslovakia and Russia. Through it all he continued to write. However, it is only in recent years that his art has found it’s way in to the light. First as singer-songwriter Slyd Blvd, releasing an acclaimed album of all original material, “Bridges From Both Sides.”
This is his first novel, he has previously written and published a successful Manual in cooperation with US Curling entitled “The Five Elements of Curling Technique,” and a collection of original poetry, “Poetic Expanse - A Compilation.”
He lives at Lake Lucerne in Switzerland and in Athens, Greece with his wife Katerina. He continues to write fiction novels, poetry and songs.
When two bodies end up in the Danube River in
Budapest Jon Mantler, a quiet and resourceful man
from rural North America, finds himself drawn into
the shadowy intrigues of Cold War intelligence in
Europe.
Jon’s unusual childhood—his mother’s disappearance, his father’s sudden death, and
years of loneliness—linger, shaping the person he
has become and the circumstances he cannot escape.
His journey unfolds in chapters alternating between
that troublesome past marked by abandonment
and this perilous present in a divided Europe, where he must navigate the line between self-preservation and self-discovery.
Thank you for reading Mantler’s Shack, and for the complimentary feedback. Reviews I have received to date have been most gratifying.
I am working on a new novel (not a Mantler sequel)
- and would like to focus more on that however I am forced by powers greater than I to spend time promoting and publicizing Mantler.
Any help you could provide by encouraging friends and family to read Mantler’s Shack is greatly appreciated.
Word of mouth and direct contact is still the most effective form of selling a book.
What my publisher tells me we most need is reviews on Amazon and Goodreads,
HOW TO LEAVE AN AMAZON REVIEW
STEP 1 - Log in to your Amazon account
STEP 2 - Search for “Mantler’s Shack” and select book
STEP 3 - Scroll down to “Customer Reviews” and click “Write a customer review”
STEP 4 - Click on the appropriate number of stars to rate the book (5 = I loved it)
STEP 5 - In the text box, paste your review. Add a headline. Click “Submit”
STEP 6 - Check email for a message from Amazon confirming your submission
HOW TO LEAVE A GOODREADS REVIEW
Navigate to the book you want to rate or review.
Under the book cover image, specify your star rating by tapping or hovering over and selecting the number of stars.
On the iOS or Android app, the book automatically moves to your Read shelf (if not there already).
Select Write a review and type your review in the text box.
Select Post or the checkmark to publish your review to the book’s page.
Keep in mind: New reviews automatically save as a draft if you leave the page before posting your review, while updates to posted reviews are not saved as draft.
Here are some reviews I have received:
“Really captures the honest angst of the human condition..” GS
“I really enjoyed it! - I thought the character development of Jon was excellent. The
relationships with all the important people in his life- his mother father and his best friend
were all excellent. I really felt his struggle after the loss of his father and how he carried on.
Good writing style easy to follow.” AB
“Death - of loved ones and Mantler’s experience with his parents was brilliant.” KG
“I enjoyed finding out the details of their relationship. Knowing his parents helped me to
understand the character better.” KG
“how you value relationships as the basics of heart healing, moving on to PEACE within....
applies to humanity in general....the struggle to get to PEACE or mostly getting closure we
all desire at times….” GS
“loved the part where Will describes his friendship with Jon’s father and his experience in
the war, it resonated with me quite a bit. Got a little teary.” FM
POETIC EXPANSE / A COMPILATION
This is a unique Poetry Book!
The poets themes embody a variety of styles and
subject matter.
Fifty six selected literary pieces from the author’s
work over the last fifty plus years, presented in
concert with his own colorful artwork and
photographs. The use of Color and artistic
imagination enriches the connection between
author and reader. Placing the poetic pieces
within original paintings and photographs,
augments the human experience. Look deep in to
the page, feel the depth of the words in concert or
even in contrast to the images.
There is love, there is life, there is precise pure
sensitivity, and there is year on year of poetry.
Gritty and sensitive, often humorous and
entertaining.
It has been stated that, the most acute rendering of an era’s sensibility is its
poetry. In the world of today often it seems that there is little to truly connect
to. In this collection the intention is that the reader would be able to relate to
the characters, the themes and the various portrayals of humanity.
THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF CURLING TECHNIQUE
The Five Elements of Curling Technique is a
Curling Training Manual written by Rodger
Schmidt and published in cooperation with US
Curling.
It is available in print from Amazon and/or
directly
from the Author in digital form.
POEMS / ARTICLES / SONGS
Articles / Publications
Poetry
Songs
R G Schmidt has been Publishing Articles on Substack,com since 2021.
rgschmidt.substack.com For our readers I am positioning some of them in this section.
Below is a the 100th post, from January 2026.
Poetic Expanse Episodes
NOTHING TO PONDER
Episode #100 - a Poetic Expanse milestone
my 100th post on this platform!
The Ponder Point . . . . .
There is nothing to ponder here. Under no circumstance is it okay, in no way can it be justified, to shoot an unarmed woman
in the head. Not ever!
How can there even be a discussion on this? How can a President and a Vice President even try and find justification for such an
abysmal action?
Yet, statistically in the US indicate that 30% of the population deems it justifiable! I am talking to our friends and neighbors now.
You can see the problem here right? It is you.
About 3 of 10 of you think it is justifiable to shoot an unarmed woman in the face.
And, to seek justification you compare a woman being shot by authorities in Minnesota; to a woman being shot by authorities at
the capitol in Washington DC. Both are dead, and there is only one thing to compare in these incidents.
Both would be alive today if Donald Trump wasn’t the President of the United States!
The Human Hum . . . . .
“This is not the blue that I wish to be. Not a blue that we should seek to see. But, borders block and shock the free,”
- R G
The Political Piece . . . . .
Here are the people you should know. These are the ones that run Trump and funnel the most out of the US government
coffers. Worse still by handling Trump and exploiting the might of the US military they intend to run the whole World.
Some of these people and their organizations you probably know, they are well inter-connected. By the end of this Trump term
they will likely be unstoppable. These are the ones that really want Canada, Greenland, Mexico and South America.
They are in no particular order: David Sacks, Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, Elon Musk, Alex Karp, J.D. Vance, Russ Vogt, and
Palmer Luckey. They control companies like Space X, Oculus, Anduril, Palantir, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. Their concept of
the world order is not likely what ours is!
TESTIFY
(069.01)
I was to be a witness,
I was called to Testify,
another body there was, to identify,
to determine in the eyes of the Court,
if she was to be The One.
Would she be the one?
Did I have the Right Story to tell?
Judge appointed and Jury selected,
Now my testimony would be Injected.
I was sworn to Abide by the Truth,
Agreed to be quizzed by a Man named Ruth.
Who dearly wanted me to Fail at my Task.
Which might have been to reveal and unmask.
Yet, Unknown to Me was what would come next.
I a collaborator, an Aider and Abettor,
of all it entailed
Not Guilty I,
said The One,
who did Testify.
The Poetry Portion 1. . . . .
. . . . here is something quite new and hopeful too!
SPACE
(055-1.0)
There are so many spaces - that we will never see.
So what do we really want - from this World, to be.
Whose dream can we hope to live in?
Who decides upon which axis we spin?
What pot, what end, what rainbow?
Follow the light,
and it moves further from you.
Touch the night,
and it may devour you.
But,
The land of least content,
is not heaven sent.
The land of last content,
is not spent.
There must be a place to hide, where!
There must be life inside, here!
A place to be,
a space for you and me.
But,
It's not the whimper – it’s the sigh.
and it's not the color – it's the sky.
It's not the laugh – it's the cry.
It's not the touch – it's the try.
The Poetry Portion 2. . . . .
. . . . and here a testy work in progress!
Coming soon!
Some Music Events in the new year too!
Some Music Events in the new year too!
A little bit of Slyd Blvd fun, doing Tom Waits's - "Get Behind The Mule"
Time for some summer days!
Book signing events coming up!
Book signing events coming up!
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