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.
Every year we lose a few hens to illness, hawks, or raccoons and need replacements. In years past we had a rooster named Colonel and he took care of that for me. I slept right through Colonel’s predawn crowing, but it drove my wife to distraction. One day she told me that the rooster had disappeared. Yeah, sure, Colonel just decided to move. I think she had him killed.
Read MoreThis has been an exciting weekend!
Even before it was released, Race to Refuge, my latest 16,000-word short story, had climbed onto the Amazon short story bestseller lists. On Friday morning, March fifteenth, when Amazon released the story I checked and was thrilled to see it at number seven on the Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Story List. But, it kept climbing all day. By evening it had reached the number two slot on the bestseller list.
Read MoreI enjoy singing 10,000 Reasons.
I’ve sung the hymn in church for several years, but other than enjoying the music and lyrics, I’ve never given the song much thought. Then my wife found this video of it being sung in a packed Royal Albert Hall in London. For me, the performance, setting, music, and words all blended together to create a spectacular event
Read MoreOn February 23rd I had the pleasure of speaking at the Oregon Christian Writers one-day winter conference in Salem, Oregon.
I arrived about thirty minutes late due to an accident on the freeway but, after checking in, I entered the main auditorium and listened to the keynote speaker, Carrie Stuart Parks.
Read MoreI’m giving away five signed copies of Through Many Fires!
You could be one of the winners. Just click on the Rafflecopter graphic to enter and win. Enter your email address to open even more chances to win. It's all FREE!
Read MoreMy first book of 2019 is available now!
Pundits say that the second-best promotion an author can have is finishing their next book. Well, the graphic design and editing of Race to Refuge flew by and my first release of 2019 is now available for pre-order for only 99 cents.
Read MoreRace to Refuge will be released in March.
I received the cover back from the graphic designer, Domi, of Inspired Cover Designs, yesterday and I’m showing it here first.
In this story, University of Washington students Ryan Palmer and Amy decide to bugout of Seattle when world tensions threaten to boil over into world war.
Read MoreI believe in setting goals at the beginning of the year.
The SMART method of goal setting works for me. I make my goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. I also believe in making goals public so that friends can hold me accountable and motivate me toward achieving them. I admit that sometimes when they do this I think of their encouragement more as nagging, but it does help. So, with that in mind here are my goals for 2019 and a look back at how I did on my goals for 2018.
Read MoreDuring this time of year, there is a great deal of talk about the reason for the season. I often hear people say Christmas is about family and friends, love, peace, sharing, or hope. All those things are good and should be a part of this time of year, but they are not the reason for Christmas.
Read MoreThey say if you want something done ask a busy person.
One of my friends, Amy, works at the Chehalis Library near my home. She writes in her free time and has been the local liaison for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the last few years. She also serves on the board of the Lewis County Writers Guild which, among other things,
Read MoreI was sitting in my living room this morning when I heard a thud.
I felt confident that I’d find a heavy box just outside the door, and I did. The delivery service had dropped off a package containing thirty-five copies of Christmas in Time. Both my oldest son and I have stories in the anthology. My
Read MoreI’ve never won NaNoWriMo.
I’ve taken part in National Novel Writing Month several times but never written the 50,000 words needed to win. There isn’t a prize. Everyone who writes the required amount gets to call themselves a winner. My friend, and local coordinator for the event, Amy Flugel, encouraged me to take part but … maybe next year.
Read MoreTime is on my mind
I should have posted this earlier, but got busy and time slipped away from me, but Christmas in Time deserves to be mentioned.
Yesterday Amazon released the ebook version of this Christmas anthology. My story in the collection is titled, What Will You Do? If you pre-ordered book it’s already on your Kindle. The paperback version will be released soon.
Read MoreI’m late, but the book isn’t!
I’m late writing this blogpost, but I got the book out on time! The Storm Rises, book 0 in the Solar Storms Saga was released on September 21st and is available now exclusively on Amazon in both ebook and paperback versions. So far the novella has all five-star reviews and none of the reviewers are related to me by blood or marriage.
Read MoreFor many years the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference was the only conference that I attended.
These last few years I regularly attend more events, but OCW is the one where I feel most at home. I have friends here. Don’t misunderstand me; this is not some small gathering of casual writers. A few years ago I was eating lunch in the main hall and Frank Peretti asked to sit at my table. I can’t remember what I ate, but I’ll never forget our conversation about his books and writing in general.
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