Café Journals-One Person at a Time
The Waiter has thousands—possibly millions—of journals.
Some are bound in leather, some in papyrus, some in materials that hum if you stare at them too long. His records go back farther than anyone should reasonably remember, including him (though he’ll never admit that).
And long before he ever served coffee—back in the dark ages when coffee didn’t exist (a truly barbaric era)—he ran whatever the world needed: a Café, a Tavern, a Pub, a Tea House, once even something called “The Refreshment Hut,” which he denies to this day.
He eventually learned that serving alcoholic beverages made it harder for his invited guests to trust the visions he showed them. Turns out, when you present someone with a glimpse of their possible future, it helps if they’re not three ales in.
So in our current age, he sticks with coffee.
It’s warm, reliable, and—most importantly—keeps his customers sober long enough to realize he’s not kidding.
So far, I’ve managed to turn four of his journals into published books.
That’s 24 stories—and that’s not even counting the odd encounters, side quests, and “Ron, write this down before you forget it” moments he drags me into.
Some stories are warm, hopeful, happily-ever-after affairs.
Some—are absolutely not.
You can judge for yourself.
In my first “Café” book—The Time Merchant Café – Now Open—the one the Waiter generously called “adequate”—most of the stories lean kind.
Sue Franklin, a self-proclaimed baseball guru, discovers her real path in life. There’s also a side story with José, a gigolo, that the Waiter said turned out “better than expected.” That was his opinion. Not José’s.
Along her journey, Sue works at an antique shop run by Harry Johnson and his wife. Harry was also saved by a visit to the Waiter’s Café. The Waiter even gave me the address of that shop in Hillsdale. I stopped in—nice guy, very fond of the Waiter—and he gave me a good price on an end table I needed for the base of my stairs.
If you prefer a little action, the Gary Christenson story is your stop. Gary gets his happily-ever-after, but the barber, John Harrison… let’s just say he’s not your typical barber. It’s a good one. Gary and John even have a TV show now on the local cable channel.
Then there’s Frank Woodworth, the businessman with a very different ending—one that begins the ongoing debate about the Waiter’s moral compass. Read it, and decide for yourself.
In the next Café book—The Time Merchant Café – Still Open—the tone shifts a little.
There’s the story of Tommy, a six-year-old boy who wanders into the Café and ends up on a journey that drifts—well, a bit out of this world.
Then there’s George the Thief, who finds a future that doesn’t include prison. Good for him. For once, everyone gets a happy ending.
Because I love technology, I couldn’t resist including a story about Mary, a young hacker who uses her skills to help a woman who’s been scammed. It turns out well for Mary and the victim… but not so much for Howard, who probably should have chosen a different line of work.
In “The Archeologist,” I openly question the Waiter’s motives. The story threads through multiple eras, leading Freddie Langhorne on a time-spanning quest to find his answer—whether he wants that answer or not.
And then there’s Chris Montez, the Musician. His story grabbed me immediately. It’s a happy ending, one of my favorites. When I talked to the Waiter about it, he took me to a concert with Chris.
Well, not with Chris—long story, it’s in the book.
Chris truly has a remarkable voice. The Waiter even took me backstage after the show. We talked music until the crowd cleared, and then Chris spent a couple of hours telling me about his path—the one the Waiter put him on.
It was such a cool story that I ended up writing an entire novel about him: Just Walk Away.
Great story. You’ll love it. Everybody lives.
The third book—The Time Merchant Café – Dark Brew—leans into a darker tone.
The Street Racer, Bobby Franks, meets Sally McGuiren and falls in love. The Waiter steps in to redirect Bobby’s future… and let’s just say it’s not the direction anyone expects.
The Young Architect, William Stugers, has big dreams and the talent to achieve them. That’s all I’ll say. It’s another ending where I tracked down the Waiter afterward and asked, “Really?”
To brighten the mix, I added a couple of happier ones.
If you like trains—or at least don’t mind them—Punctuality might interest you.
Spoiler: Samuel Preston does not die at the end. (You’re welcome.)
The Pharmacist is almost a short romantic novel. A little romance, a little action, a little of… well, you’ll see.
And then there’s The Old Man. I’ve had a good life, and sometimes I question the path that brought me here. I couldn’t help slipping that story into this book—it gave me a way to balance out some of the darker themes.
The last of the Café books—The Time Merchant Café – The Waiter’s End Game—finally answers, at least partially, the big question: what does the Waiter get out of all this?
The Gang Leader story includes one of my all-time favorite scenes—the moment a gang leader storms into the Café intending to rob the Waiter. I love that scene. If I had to pick a single moment from all my books, this one would be near the top of the list. A gangster points a gun at the Waiter, you can’t imagine how that ends, well, maybe you can, you’re getting to know the Waiter.
The rest of the stories holds up too: the good people get their happy ending, and the Waiter—just as the title promises—makes money and adds years to his life.
The Pool Hustler takes a wonderfully winding road to get everything into place. If you like complicated setups where every piece matters, this is your story.
Then there’s The Doctor. Interesting one. It adds years to the Waiter’s life, gives the good people a happy ending, and… well, you’ll have to read the story.
Finally, The Bartender. Another “let’s make this as complicated as possible” entry. Follow the thread—it becomes a very cool mini-novel all on its own.
I mentioned the Musician earlier. His standalone novel, Just Walk Away, follows his journey from fame—a stadium packed with over 100,000 screaming fans—to the quiet path that becomes his true destiny. It’s quite a ride, and it absolutely deserved its own book.
And—without spoiling anything—yes, someone does get shot.
I managed to track down a few of Chris’s early albums, thanks to one of the Waiter’s friends who owns a record shop. (That’s another story we’re not getting into here.) Listening to Chris’s early work, it’s easy to hear how he ended up on that massive stage—and after reading the Waiter’s journal about him, it’s even easier to understand why he walked away from it all.
Check it out.
Better yet, give it to your girlfriend or wife—they’ll love it.
Saving the World Journals
For now, those earlier stories are where the Waiter saves civilization one person at a time.
My first exposure to him saving the entire world was—well, terrifying. Truly.
He mentioned this particular threat once, almost casually, and I didn’t think much of it—until I read the journal.
Civilization on the edge of total destruction.
Not a new idea in fiction—but this wasn’t fiction.
And knowing it was real? That’s a different kind of fear.
I usually read books over a week or two.
I read this journal in one day. I couldn’t put it down.
I knew the ending—I mean, I’m here writing this—but it still didn’t let me stop until I was done.
Earth’s Salvation is a full-throttle thrill ride.
It also reveals surprising depth about Helen, especially her life as Helen of Troy. Her then-boyfriend Paris is—well, read the book.
And remember: we’re all safe.
This book chronicles what already happened.
Not that something like it can’t happen again—but fortunately, the Waiter is always there.
I was around during the moon-landing era. I remember staying up late to watch Neil Armstrong take those first steps on the lunar surface. Exciting times.
But it almost didn’t happen.
Destiny’s Shadow: The Moon Landing Conspiracy reveals how certain very evil forces tried to stop Apollo 11—not for ideology, not for politics, but for personal gain. And by “personal,” I mean the kind of ambition that puts the entire civilization at risk.
This book offers a behind-the-scenes look at circumstances you won’t find anywhere else— not in documentaries, not in history books, not in those late-night conspiracy shows.
Read it, and you’ll have something to tell your friends the next time the moon landing comes up.
The Future Journals
I once asked the Waiter about the future.
He didn’t answer—he just handed me two journals.
The first one takes place about 200 years from now, Galaxy’s Threat.
I asked how he knew what would happen that far ahead.
He said, “I know a lot of things.”
I didn’t push it.
I did ask for some stock tips a year or two in advance.
He smiled and told me to live my life as it is—I’d be happier that way.
So, in the year 2203, things have changed. A lot.
Earth, it turns out, is an annoyance to interstellar travel. We’re in the way.
Some alien species are friendly.
Some are—really not.
Aliens eventually help us because we’re too far behind technologically.
AI becomes sentient—or at least, the Waiter finally admits it is.
He and a particular AI become close friends and, together, they end up saving the galaxy.
That’s the story of Future Science (Galaxy’s Threat).
And yes—if you enjoy sci-fi or long-term thinking, this is absolutely the book for you. Especially knowing this will happen.
The Follow-Up: End of All Life
I wrote this as the independent story it is. But…it follows characters introduced in Earth’s Salvation. So, it would be helpful to read that book first.
The next journal, End of All Life, raises the stakes beyond anything I expected.
Something appears that threatens everything—every planet, every species, every living thing.
It’s the Waiter’s one weakness. You may have guessed it, it has to do with Helen.
And for once, reading a journal set in the future, I didn’t know the ending.
I had to read the whole thing in one sitting to see whether civilization actually survives.
These two future books include some incredible alien civilizations.
Not surprisingly, most of them know the Waiter.
Just like on Earth—some like him, some hate him.
In that era he’s known as the Trader, famous for moving goods across the stars.
I’ve always believed aliens exist. Reading these journals was—well, very cool.
If you love science fiction, read these stories knowing this isn’t guesswork—
these are events that will someday really happen.
The Ron Journals
(The ones where I’m actually in danger)
I’m not entirely sure how the Café works, but I’m increasingly convinced it has a life of its own. Whether that’s good or bad remains unclear. What is clear is that it seems to like me.
The Café usually appears where other buildings once stood—a donut shop, a shoe store, a warehouse, almost anything. So when it appeared in my front room, inside my house, I was more than a little concerned. I was standing there in my pajamas when the Waiter opened the door.
What worried me most was that he didn’t know why he was there either.
It turns out the Café wanted me to help the Waiter save the world—this time from an evil immortal who had recruited Morgana (yes, that Morgana from Camelot) to assist him. To ensure my cooperation, the Café made a small adjustment to the rules: the door would no longer open for the Waiter. Only for me.
I briefly congratulated myself on expanding my horizons to include doorman.
From that point on, wherever the Waiter went, I had to go. This was deeply troubling. I’ve read his journals. I know where he goes. I do not want to go there. I made this very clear.
The Waiter explained that if I didn’t go, he couldn’t go. If he couldn’t go, the world would end.
Good incentive.
I got dressed, opened the Café door, and we were on our way.
Despite the near-death experiences, end-of-the-world stakes, time travel, and villains operating well beyond the standard “I want to control the world” level of ambition, I can say—now, safely, since I’m still alive—that it was interesting.
Along the way, I met Cleopatra and Merlin (The Author’s Destiny – Ron and the Immortal Waiter). I became friends with Hercules (The Immortal, the Demigod, and the Guy with a Notebook). And I learned that aliens are very real, very old, and very much not what you’d expect (The Immortal Waiter and Ron, One More Time).
Which is how I ended up here—writing all of this down, trying not to annoy the Café, and doing my best to stay on the Waiter’s good side.
At this point, I’ve written several stories drawn from the Waiter’s journals. He has congratulated me on producing perfectly adequate books. He’s pleased—he doesn’t expect a large readership. Helen is pleased. His journals are out in the world. I’m pleased, because I’ve ended up with some very good stories to write—even if only my two fans down in Florida ever read them.