Husband, father, communication professor, frustrated writer and novelist. I love Jesus, my wife and kids (and grandson), kayaking, football and science fiction.
Book reviews are tricky. Every author looks for them, wants them, needs them, because they give them credibility. I have had many people tell me how much they like my books, but when I ask them to write a review, it’s like pulling teeth to get anything out of them. I don’t know if they … More How to Write a Decent Review
I’m currently reading a great book by Wilbur Smith about the siege of Khartoum and the battle of Omdurman in 1884 entitled The Triumph of the Sun. When I finish it, I will be sure to include a review here. But the reason I mention it today is because of the topic of location. Where … More Have You Ever Been to….?
One of the dangers of writing a series where the heroes of your stories go after Biblical artifacts is that you have to make sure the artifacts are known to the reader. In the Foundation series that we are working on, we started off with Salome’s Charger. It told a story of the charger–platter–that held … More So…What’s a Urim? What’s a Thummim?
It’s been several years since glenchen.com has seen any major changes. It’s done what it was intended to do: draw attention to my blog, to my books, and to my manifesto. But I have decided to kick over a few rocks and in the process see if there is a better way to present myself … More Time for a FACELIFT
There are several phases I go through when I am writing–actually writing–my rough draft of a book. The first is the honeymoon phase. That’s when you have this “brilliant” idea that is burning a hole in your mind and you can’t wait to share it with the world. It usually last for about the length … More Getting Rid of an Ugly Stepchild
One of the best things about writing a book is that you are your own boss. You sit in a room–or a coffee shop, or outside on a patio, or wherever–and come up with the words and sentences that help others reconstruct the ideas that are festering in your mind. It’s a challenge, but it’s … More The Joys and Travails of Collaboration
I’ve mentioned here before that early on as a writer I was stymied by those “pros” who insisted that unless you write every day–every single day of your life–you couldn’t consider yourself a serious writer. It depressed me for a long time until I came to the conclusion that the only the real thing that … More The Pros and Cons of Immersive Writing
A few days ago, I went to the dentist. I was sitting in the lobby, waiting my turn, with two other men and a woman probably in her 40s. She started talking about her brother being in prison. He was in year seven of a ten-year sentence for shooting a girlfriend in the eye with … More Out of My League
“Only a fool writes for anything but money.” –Samuel Johnson I’ve been writing a long time, and although I’ve never gotten rich from it, I’ve been able to make a career out of it. But if I had a chance to go back and advise my 17-year-old college freshman self on the fine points of … More Money and Writing
The Mercy of Gods: Captives War, Book 1. Orbit Books, 2024, 448 pages. Voted Best Book of 2024. I am a lover of science fiction, and if you haven’t read or seen on TV the classic series The Expanse, you have missed a lot. I picked this book up because (1) it is written by … More Review: “The Mercy of Gods” by James S.A. Corey
