One of the best things my father ever did was to do nothing. I grew up one of those kids who was always asking questions. Instead of continually answering, “Why can some birds fly and others can’t?” and “Why don’t earthworms have a face?” he invested in a set of encyclopedias. This was long before … More Searching for [Your Own] Answers
Well, technically, I think it’s already summer, but you get the idea. Talking about our new book (see the last entry) and posting a countdown to its launch got me thinking how long it’s been since I gave this site a facelift. It’s my plan to feature my books at the top of the pages … More Spring Cleaning
Just in case you haven’t understood the message behind my spluttering for the past few months, I am writing a book! Let me correct myself: WE are writing a book. Famed Christian fiction writer Celeste Perrino-Walker and I are down to the last few days of writing our latest endeavor–a first in co-authoring for me–entitled … More Announcing: 60 Days of Giveaways!
Our vacation is winding down. The first half was full of visiting family. We don’t make it to California all that often from Texas, and so we tried to see everyone we could in northern California and Oregon. It was good. The second week was better. We hit Monterey last Sunday, and when we rolled … More Goodbye, Monterey
One of the most annoying things I say in my writing classes–and believe me, there are many–is this statement: “Writing is easy. All you have to know is where to start, where to stop, and what to include in the middle.” My students don’t seem to like my simplistic answer, and I am currently becoming … More Writing Is Easy….
Angles of Attack (Frontlines Book 3) by Marko Kloos. 350 pages. 47North Books. Buying books in the same series is always a gamble. I have had some series that have started off promising and just petered out after a book or two (see any of my reviews on books by David Weber), and occasionally find … More Review: “Angles of Attack” by Marko Kloos
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.–Ecclesiastes 7:2 (NIV) Day 6 of the Great American Vacation. Shelly and I have escaped from relatives and are chillin’ in the Mug Shots … More Lessons from a Cemetery
Day Three of vacation. At home in Texas, the rain continues to fall. Here in Lodi, California, the drought continues. For us visitors, the weather has been very kind. Yesterday was 91 degrees. The locals were complaining about the heat, but for us who are used to humidity, it felt like 80. Feels pretty nice here. … More And Then There Was Confetti
Tonight’s the calm before the…calm. Tomorrow marks the beginning of vacation. Shelly and I are headed off to California to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. Yeah, I know; that’s how we roll. Other professors–and even some of my students–are in Greece this summer, or Italy, or maybe the Holy Land. But Shelly and I are sticking … More A Rocking Chair in a Room Full of Cats
Defenders by Will McIntosh. 512 pages. Orbit Books. It’s hard to write an alien invasion story that hasn’t been already written. They’re like westerns. It would seem that so many variations have already been tried that there’s nothing new under the sun. That’s why it’s always good when you can find one that is fresh, … More Review: “Defenders” by Will McIntosh
The Great Adventure 