I have to tell you about Booker. He’s my cat. He didn’t start off being my cat. My daughter Melissa rescued him 13 years ago on the street when he was just a scrawny worm-ridden kitten. She almost ran over him and immediately fell in love with him. She brought him home, and he immediately … More A Writer’s Cat
Hey Gang: I’ve been pretty mum lately, but that’s just because I’ve been hard at work on my latest book. It’s called The Key of Solomon, and it’s the sequel to Salome’s Charger, the Christian suspense novel that Celeste Walker and I had an opportunity to work on back in 2015. This one sends Dr. … More Sneak Peek: “The Key of Solomon”
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson. Crown Books. 448 pages. I picked this book up while Shelly and I were on a weekend in Texas Hill Country, started reading it and couldn’t put it down. It’s the true story of the family of William … More Review: “In the Garden of Beasts” by Erik Larson
Sir Johnathan de Armes, first Captain of the White Guard, recipient of the Golden Medal for Valor, keeper of the second knights crown with double ivy clusters, and royal bodyguard to the Queen, sweated profusely in his bent, burned, and broken armor. He leaned heavily against the blackened stones on the walkway leading up to … More Short Story: “Paladin”
Tomorrow marks the twentieth time I will have sat through colloquium at Southwestern Adventist University. For those of you who don’t know, colloquium are the meetings that mark the beginning of another school year for the faculty of our university. Last night was our opening “banquet” (hot dogs and beans at the local ballpark), tomorrow … More Colloquium X 20 and My Latest Project
Abaddon’s Gate (Book 3 in The Expanse Series) by James S.A. Corey. Orbit Books. 566 pages. Before I go any further, here’s the Amazon description: For generations, the solar system — Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt — was humanity’s great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of … More Review: “Abaddon’s Gate” by James S.A. Corey
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. Little, Brown. 310 pages. This is not just a good book. This is an important book. One of the first things I realized in reading this book by Malcolm Gladwell is that his position is diametrically opposite from that of Dr. Ben Carson, who through his campaign … More Review: “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell
My wife says that I’m a very productive person. But I know the truth. I’m just as much a procrastinator as everyone else. Take, for example, my latest project. It’s been on the drawing board for at least two years, if not more. We live in Texas, which means the ground moves, and our foundation … More Getting Things Done
The One In Light: The Prime Insurgency Series, Volume 1 by J.D. Stonebridge. First the good news. This is an interesting concept. I was asked to review a book by a fellow indie author, which I agreed to, and ended up reading what amounts to an episode of a series, rather than an actual book. … More Review: “The One In Light” by J.D. Stonebridge
Don’t get me wrong. Criticism hurts. It probably hurts me more than most people. I have always had a need to seek approval from other people, to feel that people like me. But I also know that I will never improve as a writer unless I know where I make mistakes. After 40 years in … More In Search of Criticism
The Great Adventure 