Hey there. I haven’t been posting like I used to, mainly because I am retired now. But let it be known that I’m not dead yet. I’m still writing books, teaching an occasional class, and babysitting our three-year-old grandson a great deal. I was just mowing the backyard, which is where I do most of … More Right brain vs. left brain writing
The Black Company by Glen Cook. Tor Essentials. 274 pages. I first came upon this book when I was looking for the sequel to The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes. As I have mentioned many times here before, I loves me some military science fiction. And the review on Amazon said, well if you like … More Review: “The Black Company” by Glen Cook
The Last Watch: A novel of the Divide by J. S. Dewes. Tor Books. 477 pages. A lot of times when I have picked up a science fiction novel, I find that it excels in one or two areas, such as story or characterization, but lacks in something else, such as science. I was pleased … More Review: “The Last Watch” by J. S. Dewes
There are some writers who believe you have to write every day. If you don’t, you’re not a writer. I know: I heard that a lot in my early years writing. And it depressed me because I’m not that type of writer. I can’t sit down and just start writing if I don’t have a … More Between Projects: When I’m Not Writing
Who is the best writer in the world? If you are one of my former students, you would probably recognize this as a trick question, which I am notorious for. Because at one time or another, every writer–when things are going well, and the kudos are coming hard and fast–on occasion, feels that they are … More The Best Writer In the World
I wasn’t really sure how to title this particular blog posting. It’s true I am going to talk about the end of a book series, but it’s more than that. I have a larger story to tell. I’m in the process of completing/publishing book four of The Heretic Series, my Christian suspense novels that deal … More How to End a Book Series
This morning I read through the last few chapters of my latest book project. What at one time was a pipe dream, then a half-cocked dream, then a cobbled-together concept, then an ugly step-child is now almost ready to meet the world. Funny how that works. Sometimes it doesn’t, but boy, when it does, I … More The Miracle of Creation
I’m sitting here in my easy chair, nursing my wounds after a tree got back at me yesterday for cutting off one of its branches. I thought I had positioned myself safely, but when the branch broke free, it smacked me square in the face and broke my nose. I ended up going into the … More A Little Cake, A Little Humble Pie
Writing is a solitary pastime, or so I’ve been told. You spend a lot of time staring at either a blank page or a blinking cursor, wishing words onto a page. “Writing is easy,” said journalist Red Smith in 1949. “All you do is open a vein and bleed.” From my experience, writing can be … More Why You Should Never Write Alone
The hard thing about writing Christian novels–and this is a self-imposed standard, mind you–is that for the novel to be good, it has to (1) have a good story, and (2) have a spiritual message. That’s not always easy to manage, and one finds many Christian novels out there that are good in one or … More Shuffling the Cards
The Great Adventure 