I’ve sold my novel Breaking the Ice to WestSide Books! Breaking the Ice is a Young Adult sports novel set in 1968. Although it’s technically in the Young Adult category, it’s really age appropriate for anyone. And though it’s also technically in the sports category, it’s even more about the tumultuous American society of 1968. […]
Music for Another World Reviews
The reviews have been coming in and they’ve been strong. In Interzone #231, Andy Hedgecock writes: One of the most exciting and original [anthologies] I’ve read in years…. The collection offers a host of absorbing, entertaining and thought provoking stories…. An exceptional anthology. Ten of the nineteen stories are astonishing; eight are simply impressive. Meredith Wiggins […]
August & September 2010 Recommended Reading List
I’d planned to make this a monthly post, but this is the busiest time of the year for me so it didn’t happen. Maybe next month. Maybe next year. In any case, here’s the best of what I’ve been reading. Cabot, Meg, Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, William Morrow, 2008. Meg Cabot is more famous for her Princess series […]
The Power of Inertia
inertia – the tendency of a body to preserve its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. Man, does this apply to writers! The more you write, the easier it is to keep writing. The more you don’t write, the harder it is to get started. Before I go […]
Music For Another World
I just got my author’s copies of Music For Another World, an anthology of “strange fiction” short stories with a common theme of music. My story “Blue Note Heaven” leads off Act I. I hope you’ll read it. If you live in the USA, however, you’ll need to do a little more work to get a copy. It’s a British anthology […]
June & July 2010 Recommended Reading List
Yes, I know it’s late August, but I’ve either had other writing projects I’ve been focused on or had other topics I wanted to get to first. In September, I expect to begin posting this list on a monthly basis and also be more punctual. That’s the plan, at least. There are a few books I enjoyed but won’t be […]
White Noise for Writers (and Readers)
Certain types of noise distract me to the point where writing and most forms of reading become impossible for me. Conversations, TV shows, music with spoken words. All are killers for my concentration. Or I should say have been killers for my concentration. Ever since getting an iPod a few years ago and filling it with a couple choice […]
Check the Freaking Map
I’m working on a project I feel very good about. I’m hitting a few potholes, but for the most part things are moving along nicely. Unlike its predecessor. That project took about five times as long as it should have and much of the time felt like I was slamming my head against the wall. Every time I […]
Hitting the Lottery
Today’s the anniversary of the day I hit the lottery. A whole lot of years ago, I married the woman who remains my best friend to this day. I still can’t believe how lucky I got. Since this website is focused on writing and the creative life, let me connect the dots. If you’re pursuing […]
Author Photos: Going with “The Big Goofy”
Some people seem to have been born in front of a camera. In every photograph, they look flawless. Perfect smiles. Hair never out of place. An illustrated dictionary would include a shot of them under the entry for photogenic. Not me. If I adopt a serious pose, I look like a serial killer. And unless I’m flat out […]