Thoughts

Many times I am asked where do the ideas come from, and I have been known to give a number of answers.  The truth is the chore is creating a group of characters who then come alive and tend to write the story themselves.

I know this sounds strange but any fiction writer will tell you that once a writer creates na group of people for his/her book thew come alive.  I can interview them, get answers, event elicite comments on world affairs.  They are very articulate sometimes..

My latest is "The Last Dawn of Reckoning" and is now available in paperback and kindle.

Speaking

I will be at the public library at San Luis Obispo on Saturday Nov.12. If yoou are in the area drop on by and we can talk.

A New Dawn

Morgan and Darcie who you met in "ICE". are now hot on the investigation of a crash of an aircraft where the only person found alive at the crash site can not remember how he got there or who he is. Senators, millionaires, and street gangs all come together to make an exciting new novel "Meltdown". Coming soon.

The entire business of publishing, and reading for that matter, is in a state of transition. Where we will end up is not clear but for sure change is coming. People do not read as much as in the day. There is TV, all kinds of "Pods" and cell phones to distract and entertain. The out come is uncertain but I am happy that I got into e-books with "The Last Dawn of Creation" which is still available on Amazon as is "ICE" and "Scattered Hearts".

Who knows what technology lurks in the mind of some fourteen year old out there just waiting to spring forth.

Now I am in a mess. I am working on two novels at the same time. Not only is that a mess it is plain stupid.

In defense I must say that I had this idea that had to get out and get itself on the page. I have never been without an idea it is only laziness that slows me down

Summer Daze

This is a time when my life was formed and I find I often refer to these days in my writing. History is important but not necessarily of interest to everyone. A writer has to work hard to remain neutral. We are the product of all we do.

Book Signing

One of the great things about being an author is when I get out speak to a group of readers. The feed back can be like fuel to a jet engine. I have an event coming up at the Morro Bay Library on June 29th (10 - to noon) If you are in the area come on in join us.

Sellling Books

I have been so busy with "Ice" that I have neglected this blog but I am now back to working on "Meltdown" and it is moving right along.

Morgan Garret is sitting here with me now so I will ask him what "Meltdown" is about?

"Meltdown is looking to be easily as good as "Ice". Darcie and I are working out some of our problems. I've been off the booze for a while and, well that's good. I'm working for Senator Scarsdale and we have an interesting thing going on. This guy has crashed a plane or maybe not, and he has no memory of th....Okay i'll let them read the book."

Good Morgan, well good luck to you on this one.

Now there goes a special kind of guy.

Excitement on ICE

The response to Ice has been phenomenal and my writing partner and I are really hyped about it. If you haven't read it yet, you should. It is available on Amazon, Smashwords, and at your favorite book store. If they don't have it they can order from Books We Love Publishing Partners www.bwlpp.com

My new work is tentatively titled Meltdown where we find Morgan Garrett and Darcie Devonshire and the Santa Maria police, along with the FBI dealing with a mysterious aircraft crash where a unidentified man is found in the wreckage. With no memory, and the manifest showing he was not on the airplane at it's departure the are....well there you go.

Ice is out

There is a certain sense of achomplishment that goes with finally completing a book. When it is all finished, the writing, the editing (Ugh), the blub, and the acknowledgement, it's over. Now all you have to do is sell it!

And that my friends is the kicker. Just getting it published is only the start. Whether you self publish, or the biggest house in the country takes you on you still have to work at selling your work.

Even with a great book like "ICE" you have to sell. You use your "Ole Boy Network" you lean on friends and relatives and finally....

You sit down in front of the computer and start on the next one. It proves you are crazy and a writer.

Ice, a very exciting novel will be available soon on e-book and shortly after it will be out in print. You don't want to miss this one. My writing partner Barbara M. Hodges and I are very proud of this work.

Sad Story

The Lockheed Vega was quite an airplane. They looked pretty standard for airplanes of the 1930's but that was decieving. They out performed everything around during their day. Wiley Post set altitude and performance records in this airplane and eventually he and Will Rogers died in a Vega at Point Barrow Alaska.

The sad part. The airplane was such a great performer that they were bought up and lost during the Spanish Civil War. The last Vega was being flown by General Electric testing radar sites (The Vega being all wood had a very low radar profile.) The airplane. sold to a privite party for restoration, ground looped, crashed and burned in Florida during delivery. The last Vega.

Out of the long list of airplanes I have flown I never had the pleasure of flying this one.

Publishing Ice

Ice...A great thriller is being published by Books We Love Publishing Partners (BWLPP). So far a great publisher to work with.

You'll meet Morgan Garret, a former CIA operative, and Darcie Devonshire, a police detective. These two former lovers are thrown together after five years when the serial killer comes to their small central coast town.

There is Wes, Darcie's partner and Senator(Soon to be) Scarsdale and there is Darcie's basset hound.

The excitement builds as these flawed humans struggle to live their lives and hunt dawn a deadly killer.

Ice

Ice is a thriller about a female serial killer that we are expecting to be out in print and as a e-book before May. You want to read this one. It grabs you on page one and you won't want to put it down.

Dreary Daze

Winter, as rare as it is, has settled upon us here on the Central Coast. Normally this only lasts for a few days but it has stayed with us for more than a week and it is having a a bad effect on my creative juices. Shake it off boy!

"Ice" the novel I am joint writing with Barbara M. Hodges is now in revise status after a run thru by the publisher. Rewrite is a gang of fun. Ha! Well I must admit that the Editors suggestions were valid and the changes will make a better novel.

Speaking

I met a really nice group of people last Wednesday. They were interested in the written word, and they were a joy to spend time with. Thanks folks for giving us the time.

Selling the Word

In most cases writing the words down is far easier than selling the finished product. Part of the problem comes from the type of personality involved. A writer is by necessity a loner. A salesperson is outgoing and open. For most of most writers putting these two things together is the challenge.

Do I have a simple answer. No. The days when and agent did this for you are gone. So the only solution I have is keep on trying.

Moods

Having reached the age where I have to pay attention to what I do and what I eat I have recently modified my diet. The results of this modification seems to be an increase in creativity. Now that is not a bad thing. In fact it is good but troublesome. I have numerous story ideas running through my head when I need to be concentrating on the novel "Meltdown" which I am co-authoring with Barbara M. Hodges.

I have never suffered from a lack of story ideas; they seem to come easy to me. Some are based on past experiences, and some come from observed situations. Having a heavy background in action related events certainly helps.

Writting Drivel

Drivel in writing is the stringing of an endless chain of meaningless words in a manner that appears to have significance, when in fact no real pertinence exists.

Taking one, two, or three pages to describe a cactus in the morning sunrise is an example. Always remember your reader is not stupid. If they were would they be reading your book?

The Last Dawn of Reckoning

Jake is a man living on the edge. Every thing hinges on how he survives this rainy day trapped on a small rubber life raft in the Caribean. When this day is over Jake McCauly's life will be determined.

Partners

Writing with a partner is an experience. Barbara M. Hodges and I enjoyed it so much we have started the sequel to "ICE" even though we have not found a home for it yet. Our sequel "Meltdown" is going well and we are very sure it will be as good a read as "ICE"

Don't forget "The Last Dawn of Reckoning" my novel with Jake McCauly is available on Amazon.