No, it wasn’t John Wayne. But yes, I am still being faithful to my western theme this morning. “Rawhide” was the launching TV series for Clint Eastwood back in the 60s. But that’s not what this is about. After my rant yesterday about all the things that come between a writer and his work, I … More Rolling, rolling, rolling
So here I am, sitting in my dark living room at 5 a.m. wondering why I am awake. Actually I woke up before 3:30 and have been trying to sleep since then. I’ve learned, however, that there’s a law of diminishing returns on sleep. After about 45 minutes of sleeplessness, it’s pretty much a lost … More Early Riser
I live with a clock over my head. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. My intention at the beginning of the summer was to come out with three books this summer. Ambitious, but doable. One was a collection of short stories that I had almost completed anyway. The second was a compilation of my counsel on writing … More One Down, Two To Go
I am a product of the Seventh-day Adventist publishing system. For more than 100 years, Adventists have shared their distinctive beliefs and messages through written books and magazines that are published in printing presses around the world and distributed in Adventist Book Centers as well as door to door. My first book, 52 Things to … More Long Time Gone
The phrase “seeing the elephant” or “he saw the elephant” makes me think of old war movies, especially ones with the British Army bivouacked in a remote area, with references to first combat. But as I research it, it actually originates in Georgia (United States) in 1835. The phrase “seeing the elephant” was originally tied … More Seeing the Elephant
I’m a sucker for a good military science fiction story. The best that I have ever read–classics–are Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein (the book, not the movie!) and The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Well, there’s a new storyteller in town. I first came across Terms of Enlistment, the first book in Marko Kloos’ Frontlines … More Review: “Lines of Departure” by Marko Kloos
I am presently reading a book about the Civil War–Gettysburg to be exact. I picked it up on the discount rack at Wal-Mart. I am embarrassed to say that most of the books I buy come from some sort of discount rack, either in a store on online. Because I am one of those who … More Hits and Misses
Like the vast majority of authors out there, I also have a day job that pays most of my bills. In my situation, I am also a professor. Add to that freelance work as an editor for the alumni magazine and serving as the university’s webmaster, and you can see that I wear a lot … More Why Multitasking Is Bad for Authors
Last night I had yet another confirmation as to why I am an indie book author. For those of you who don’t know, I started out as a book and magazine editor and published with two traditional publishing houses, starting in the 1980s and continuing until about 2000. Two of my six books in those … More Twenty Seven Dollars
A few years ago, I can’t remember how many, I wrote a blog about visiting my daughter’s high school in east Texas, where I was the guest of their creative writing club. Seven girls and one boy grilled me about the harsh reality of being a freelance author. Finally, one of them asked me, “How … More Getting Paid
The Great Adventure 