He Cleans Up Nicely

That title is, of course, not referring to myself. When I clean up I look sort of like a hobo. It was a reference to my Fiction page. That would be the page you visit to purchase books from my fiction collection. Just as a side note, that's a great Christmas gift idea for your friends who are readers.

The Fiction page had gotten a bit messy and was in need of some housekeeping. In truth, I had done about 95% of the clean up in July, but that was all behind the scene.  I have been so busy at my day-job that I have not had time to finish it and make it public.

Well, that all changed this morning! I have the day off. I slept in till five. And when I rolled out of bed, I was recharged and ready to get things done.

So, check it out.  

23 Seconds of Awe

Some people get their minute of fame. I think having 23 seconds of awe is a far better deal!
Check out Shawna's video. I think you will agree with me.

My Decimated Dream of Being a Super Villain

I just want to say, in my own defense, that I have worked for years perfecting my evil laugh. And I must say, it's pretty good. That audible texture that permeates a room and stands every neck hair on edge, is the kind of laugh I'm talking about.  It seems to be the most desirable and notable trait of super villains. I mastered it, and it was all for naught!

Super villains have all the best roles in movies. With the possible exceptions of James Bond and Shrek, they get to have all the coolest lines. Everyone really wants to be that guy. Not to mention that the chicks go crazy for them. So it was natural that I would aspire to such a phenomenal role on the, somewhat long-shot, chance that I would be discovered by some highly paid Hollywood scout.

But, alas, that dream has now come crashing to the ground in flames. I have been informed that people think it is incongruous that I could be taken seriously as a villain after creating the book series, The Adventures of Boathouse Mouse.

Are you kidding me? That hardly seems fair!

All I did was write a series of stories about a guileless little mouse who was a diligent boat builder. He got the name, Boathouse Mouse, quite by accident. And when the ship that he built sailed, he went with it. Boathouse ends up adventuring around the world, meeting new friends, trying new foods, and experiencing the wonders of different cultures. Each adventure enhances his character. And he develops traits such as loyalty, determination, and forbearance.

That hardly seems like condemning evidence. And it wasn't even leaked by a foreign spy!

Well, you know what they say: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

So, I may still pull out my evil laugh on occasion, but otherwise I will embrace my new found status as a non-villain. I can even admit in public that I get a big kick out of kids laughing and having a good time. I have a blast when my turn comes up to work in the nursery at church. I think I may be as much of a kid as some of the kids are! I might even buy some candy and … no, that would be taking it too far.

If you are wondering what all the hoopla is about, you can check it out here.  Boathouse Mouse

A Handful of Golden Rings

Today is the eleventh day of October. Which means tomorrow is the twelfth day of October. Which reminds me of the 12 Days of Christmas.

But, before I break out in song about lords-a-leaping, and pipers-piping, or even a handful of golden rings (Did you see what I did there?), we need to discuss the merits of ordering unique Christmas gifts early.

Around our house, we love to give gifts, but we want them to be meaningful. The actual dollar amount is irrelevant, as long as it is within the budget. Often, for our family, we make gifts or purchase unique items that are handmade by artisans. We have thrifted gifts, and even regifted gifts to someone in the family that had a greater need or more use for the item in question.

By way of confession, one of the categories of gifts that has always been high on our family's priority list is books. I know that may come as a surprise to everyone who reads this. But it is true. And I hope you have people in your life that love to read too.

Which brings us back to the opening commentary. If you have someone on your Christmas list for whom you are intending to purchase books written by me, it would be a great idea to make your purchases earlier rather than later.

It would break my heart if a child was left weeping on Christmas morning because their book was not ordered in time. Imagine how embarrassing it would be for the young man who would have to postpone the proposal because the books that were supposed to hold the engagement ring were out of stock.

Take my advice, avoid all those awkward scenarios by ordering early.

That's my hard sell. And they wonder why we're called starving artists.

Kingdom of The Falcon Series

The Adventures of Boathouse Mouse Series

The Perfect Storm

When I said I would really like to have a whole weekend to write without other chores to do, I didn't mean this. Maybe I should be more specific.

There are two good things about storms for me. First, I sleep well. In fact, storms are so soothing to me that I get my best sleep during a storm. They have the exact opposite effect on my poor wife. The second benefit is, there is nothing else that I can do, so I am free to write.

It looks like Hurricane Matthew is going to be the perfect storm for that. It will begin during the day and land on a weekend, so I don't feel like I'm missing work. And, it will be strong enough that I will feel completely released from all other responsibilities during the blow.

There is a down side, of course. There is always a huge mess afterward and we will be without electricity for days. Naturally, there is the risk of damage to our home and other possessions as well. There is nothing I can do about those problems in advance. I've made a ramp and have the mower safely sequestered in the shop. It will take about twenty minutes on Friday for the hanging plants and trash cans to join the mower.

Just like that, we're prepared.

Well, almost prepared. We still need to fill containers with water and get some extra ice. Then we're prepared.

Now my question is: Which book do I work on? I am well into Book 5 in the Kingdom of the Falcon Series. I am well into Book 4 in the Adventures of Boathouse Mouse. I need to do a final edit on The Valley of the Ten Gatekeepers. And, I was thinking of writing the next section of Time Zone, of which I shared the first section with the family last year on Christmas Eve.

I could go on with many more titles that are started, but you get my dilemma. I probably need a six-month storm. However, for numerous reasons, that would be unsustainable.

Ironically, I am left with having to schedule my spare time among the books. It will require some well-thought-out strategy as well as some tough love decisions. I might even have to resort to a rock-paper-scissors contest for those really difficult choices. This could actually warrant a written pros and cons spread sheet!

Yikes! Who knew a silly hurricane could be so stressful? I may need to reassess my definition of the perfect storm.