I started this blog on August 21, 2012, with the release of my first book, Titan Encounter. Most of those posts are now in what I call the “Early Blog.” I’m gradually updating their format and bringing them into this new journal. Back then the sole purpose of the blog was to promote my books, but gradually that changed.
That’s how it started but, over the years, I’ve mused about other things that are important to me, such as my family, my farm, rural life, and occasionally about politics and country. However, I try to limit the politics in this journal. If you want to know more about my political leaning go to The Conservative Alternative.
Yesterday, Through Many Fires reached number one on the Kindle Science Fiction Military, Post-Apocalyptic, and Dystopian bestseller lists.
During that time, the novel was the number 28th bestselling book on Amazon Kindle. As I write this it is hovering around number 33. This has been the best week of sales since I began publishing my writing.
Read MoreThrough Many Fires is again a bestseller, reaching #5 on the Amazon War Bestseller list.
What sparked the return to those lofty ranks is the upcoming release of the sequel, A Time to Endure. As part of the promotion we’ve lowered the ebook price of Through Many Fires to 99 cents…
Read MoreI usually avoid gatherings where writers read from their work.
I believe in my writing ability. I can draw the reader into the text and soon they hardly notice the words as they flow with the story, but when I read my own words I get nervous and often stumble. So, I avoid those kinds of get-togethers.
Read MoreI wrote the last words of A Time to Endure this morning.
Except for improving some word choices or clearing up a few sentences, the writing of the book is done and it is now in the editing process.
Read MoreMy wife received this from Amazon the other day.
Even though she is not a big fan of the military science fiction genre, as my first editor, Lorraine has read every line of these books—multiple times. That’s why it was amusing when she received the email from Amazon.
Read MoreBeta readers are already working over most of the manuscript.
The majority of the writing is done. Now it is just tweaking the plot and editing. But there is still much to be done before the release of A Time to Endure, Strengthen What Remains, book two.
Read MoreThe exciting saga of Major Caden Westmore continues!
We announced the release date for A Time to Endure on August 12th, and now just over a month later, it is available for Kindle preorder.
Read MoreThrough Many Fires earned review number 200 on Amazon.
A reader named David left review number 200 on Sunday. The 5-star review for Through Many Fires said the book was “very entertaining” and the characters were likable. He also hoped that the book was not our future. Well, that is exactly the reaction I was hoping to achieve.
Read MoreI imagined the story as more than an audiobook with at least a female and male voice actor and even some sound effects. It would then be a hybrid, or as it is called in the industry, a multi-cast, more than an audiobook, but less than a full radio play.
Read MoreIt’s nearly ready. The next book in the Strengthen What Remains series, A Time to Endure, is in the hands of beta-readers.
In the picture on the right I’m about to mail the first sixteen chapters of A Time to Endure to one of the beta-readers. In the upcoming novel, the exciting saga of Major Caden Westmore continues
Read MoreThe digital age continues to change the creative arts.
The film is an excellent example of the new avenues opening for creative artists and fans. I am certain we will see more films like this as cameras, sound systems and special effects, become cheaper and the internet provides more avenues of distribution.
Read MoreThe release date for my next novel, A Time to Endure, has been set.
The exciting saga of Major Caden Westmore continues. In the first book of the Strengthen What Remains series, Through Many Fires, nuclear terrorism destroys six American cities, leaving the nation in chaos. In the second novel, A Time to Endure, the economy teeters on collapse. The dollar plunges, inflation runs rampant, and the next civil war threatens to decimate the wounded country.
Read MoreI’m the kind of person who looks forward, not back, and the next occasion before me is the Southwest Washington Writers Conference. This one day event is scheduled for September 13th, at Centralia College. I will be there listening to great speakers, and also conducting a workshop.
Read MoreI should have kept a list—with pictures.
I mentioned earlier that one of my goals for this conference is to meet people and network. I’ve continued my practice of sitting at different tables for lunch and dinner. For today’s lunch, I sat with Jeff Gerke at a table of speculative fiction writers, including a teen working on his first novel.
Read MoreJust before the meal was served, only the seat directly across from me remained available. Moments later, a gentleman sat there. I thought he looked familiar so, I glanced at his nametag. It was Frank Peretti, one of the best-known contemporary Christian authors.
Read MoreDinner was the most interesting part of the first day of the conference.
When I say it that way it sounds like a bad thing, that the first day of the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference was a bust, but that isn’t so. Sometimes you meet the most interesting people around the dinner table.
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