If I seem a bit preoccupied these days, it’s because we are entering the last week of classes. Finals start next Monday and run through Wednesday. Then on Sunday, May 5, I will march with the other professors to graduate our seniors who have earned their right to a diploma. One or two won’t march, … More Making Grades
I’m not proud. It’s been sixteen months since I made the decision to go into independent book publishing after three decades of traditional publishing. I have already gone into the reasons why I did so, and I still think it was the right decision. And I knew from the very beginning that I was going … More The Biggest Mistake I’ve Made (so far) In Indie Book Publishing
The Twelve by Justin Cronin. Ballentine Books, New York, 2012. It may seem odd to some for me to be reviewing this book a day after I reviewed the devotional Hearing God by Dallas Willard. After all, if you are familiar with the first book in this series, The Passage, you might have the idea … More Review: The Twelve by Justin Cronin
It’s a gorgeous day in north Texas, and we have a winner on the first day of the Infinity’s Reach Escape Clause Contest. Monica Espinar wins a first edition, autographed copy of Infinity’s Reach, which is scheduled to come out April 1. Monica emailed me her photo in her office, and writes that “My boss … More Day One, and We Have a Winner!
It wasn’t life. I had given up on life a long time ago. It was existence—barely. I took no notice of my gray, pallid, flaking skin, my putrefied face and hair, my black nails or the thick, black fluid that oozed from the sores that covered my thin body. I was only dimly aware of … More “Pinocchio”
Sunday I finally got to a plateau with my #NaNoWriMo project. I had a short-term goal that kept motivating me to write–the point where the protagonist in my Pilgrim’s Project story finally makes it across the Mississippi River. Now she’s across, and…I am having a hard time getting going again. Novels are best written in … More Plateau
Well, I got a good chunk–2,500 words–written yesterday, and I haven’t given up on my NaNoWriMo project. In fact, finally it’s starting to get fun. My weakling, whiny main character just went through survival training and was faced with the realization that she would be alone for much of her trip across post-apocalyptic America. In … More A Good Chunk
I have a young friend who sees himself as a writer of screenplays. He has education along those lines, with some of it coming from me. He’s currently working on a short film that he has high hopes for. I’ve read the script, and I also believe that it shows some promise. I’ve actually read … More Give a Man a Fish
I am making progress on my NaNoWriMo project, “Infinity’s Reach.” Today I am working on chapter 13. On one hand, I am eager to share it with people who have been cheering me on. On the other hand, as I write quickly, I realize there are many things I want to fix and change. So … More Progress
From a marketing standpoint, success in any endeavor where you’re selling a commodity is primarily a matter of linking the right audience or customer with the right product. There are two ways to do this. One way is to develop a product and then find someone to buy it. The plus of this is that … More Finding Your Audience
The Great Adventure 