Husband, father, communication professor, frustrated writer and novelist. I love Jesus, my wife and kids (and grandson), kayaking, football and science fiction.
I picked up a magazine the other day and was surprised to see an article by a friend that I knew in college a long time ago. At the end of the article, the bio said that this friend was now retired after a successful career as a professor and had recently published a book … More Wrestling with the Green Monster
The Dragon Reborn: Book 3 of the Wheel of Time Series. Robert Jordan. 704 Pages. Tor Fantasy. I don’t read a lot of fantasy books. Don’t get me wrong; my most favorite book series in the world is The Lord of the Rings. But most fantasy series can’t live up to J.R.R. Tolkien and LOTR. … More Review: “The Dragon Reborn” by Robert Jordan
Don’t get me wrong. I believe National Novel Writing Month–lovingly referred to as NaNoWriMo by the tens of thousands of its participants–is a great thing. I have participated seven times and have completed writing the required 50,000-word novel during the month of November five of those times. In fact, the first time I participated, I … More Why I Won’t Be at #NaNoWriMo This Year
There’s a term I picked up in my writing career–I’m not sure if it comes out of creative writing or newswriting. We refer to a writer “covering the waterfront” when he or she tries to write about too much at the same time. It’s a bad habit that many beginning writers–including myself–have to learn to … More Looking through that One Inch Window
I write a lot of books. And many of those are indie published. And indie books don’t have the best reputation when it comes to editing. So I try to do a lot of research on my books. The book I just finished–Never Say Die–involved a lot (a lot) of historical research having to do … More Hey, I’m not perfect. (But I try to be.)
I just sent in an email. It was addressed to our person in charge of HR, our university president, our academic dean, and my department chair. In it, I officially announced my retirement as of June 30, 2021. I know it’s still early, but I hate leaving things unresolved. And the indecision has been driving … More The E-mail
Ethereal: The Complete Trilogy by K.R. Queen. 693 pages. Independently published. A savior has come to Res Mysticum, but no one knows who it is. Doran Kane wants to be the savior, but he will first have to put his analytical mind to good use and learn some things. For instance, if he wants to … More Review: “Ethereal” by K.R. Queen
May, 1996, Nampa, Idaho: Randy Maxwell and I, co-editors watch as the first issue of ParentTalk magazine rolls off the webpress at Pacific Press Publishing Association. The glee and awe is apparent in Randy’s eyes, but I have been here before. It’s our baby, and we are seeing it being born. “Enjoy it,” I tell … More A Writer’s Favorite Moment
First of all, I’m pretty smart, but I don’t assume that I’m smarter than my readers. I don’t want to give that impression. Well, actually, I DO want to give that impression. That’s the point of writing books. You know something that the reader doesn’t know. They come to you for your knowledge and you … More How To Know More Than Your Readers
The Lazarus Chain by J.R. Baude. 407 pages. Amazon Services. As I get older and read more books–and let’s face it, write them as well–I get more and more particular about the books I read, and what I like. I’ve got a Kindle reader full of books that I started and never finished, as well … More Review: “The Lazarus Chain” by J. R. Baude
