Thinking Cookies!

I've decided my first post of the year is going to be a sweet one!  

This definitely is not the healthiest of posts, but I’m going to level with the both of you on how I keep my focus.  When I sit down to write, I tend to have a package of a certain sweet snack by my side.  I call them, “Thinking Cookies.”  Don’t laugh.  We all have that snack that we really believe helps up think and work, mine just happens to be a cookie.  Why is this I wonder?  Why do we tend to think better while we are nibbling (or sometimes scarfing) away on a treat?  Maybe it’s a comfort thing.  Luckily, science has shown us that it’s really just the sugars and fats increasing the dopamine levels in my brain, thus making it easier for me to focus on the characters in my stories, and all of their secrets.  So, do I really like cookies, or do I just like the dopamine?  It’s probably not worth thinking about—Nah, I like cookies, and they make me happy.  I function better, and I write better, when I’m happy.  Simple as that!    

And by the way, it really doesn’t matter what kind cookie.  My go-to is usually the Oreo, but I can get by with just about any kind of cookie—chocolate chip, no-bake, peanut butter, sugar, or those butter cookies that come in the tin can—the list goes on and on.  As I’m writing this post, the thinking cookie of choice happens to be my wife’s homemade oatmeal cookie.

So, as I said at the beginning, I know this isn't the healthiest of tips, so please save any shame you might want to throw my way.  I know this is not a great habit, and I promise it is not a regular habit either.  Either way, I face the consequences of it often and have to work hard to burn off all the extra calories I put into my body, and even then it still doesn't feel like enough.  

Do you have a favorite snack when you’re trying to concentrate?  I’d love to hear all about it, as well as what you do to cut yourself off when you know you’re about to over do it. 

Keep Reading!

2023, That's A Wrap!

Well, that’s another year in the books.  Another twelve months have come and gone.  Where did it go so fast, and what have we to show for it? 

It’s been a challenging year.  And judging by the number of posts I’ve made to this blog this year (only 11), it doesn’t look like I’ve been very productive either.  Well, I promise you, I’ve been doing my best.  The year started off very positive.  The Blue Hole had been out for a month or so, and it was gaining traction.  The promotions I had chosen to run were working well, and the few reviews that were trickling in were just the kind of positive reinforcement I needed to push forward on my third book.  All was looking very good.  Then I got the urge to throw the book away my work in progress and start over, and about mid-year, that’s exactly what I did.  Trying to sort out if this book was even worth taking a second stab distracted me from continuing to promote The Blue Hole and The Gouge.  It also kept me from checking in on my social media accounts, and so they too seemed to lose relevance too—add to that the fact that social media went through a few changes this year too.  Nevertheless, slowly, and surely, I am trying to regain my footing and training myself to post daily just like I did when I started this writing venture. 

Now, about that third book—it’s coming!  I’m going to keep “quiet” on most of the details right now, but I will let you know that I’m much happier with the characters and the story this time around. I’m really looking forward to a title and book cover reveal in the first quarter of 2024 and a release date in the summer.  So, keep your eyes open for that!

 

2023 has not been bad but I am really looking forward to 2024 as yet another page in my journey!  I hope that your 2024 will be amazing as well!  See you there!

BOOK REVIEW: Abandoned, By Vicky Ball

Vicky Ball’s second book, much like her first, tackles some challenging and unfortunate situations that we tend to overlook, or ignore.  

Using her main character, Maddie, as a vessel, the author masterfully captured the feeling of growing up in an alcoholic home and feeling like there is nowhere turn and nowhere to run.  Then, a small glimmer of hope, something to grasp onto and fight for is dropped into Maddie’s life in the form of a family she never knew she had.  But when Maddie goes in search for this hope, she doesn't find exactly what she expected.  

I really enjoyed the way the story moved fast and the way that the characters spoke with one another in a very real way.  I did have some trouble resonating with the characters at the beginning, but I attribute that mostly to the fact that the target audience is more teen/young adult, which I am not.  However, once the majority of introductions were completed, I was completely drawn in and could not put it down.  Well done!

Abandoned is available in paperback and ebook format, and it is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, so if you are a subscriber, you can download it for Free right HERE!

Exciting News!

Well, it is officially happening!  You will soon be able to enjoy The Gouge in audio book format!  I just finished a zoom meeting with a wonderful audio book producer, Raymond Holdridge II, and we've worked out all the expected kinks, as well as a plan to work with unforeseen circumstances.  Right now, our plan is to have to file available on Amazon and Audible by the end of the year, shortly followed by availability on I-tunes!

Obviously, I am completely stoked about this news and that this step is finally being taken.  If you follow me at all, you probably know I've been looking into ways to convert my book into audio for some time, but I have been running into one road block after another.  I feel truly blessed to have been able to fall into contact with great people with similar goals!  

I'll share more information about the progression, and availability of this product as I have it!  Just wanted to share the news!  Have a great day!  Keep reading...and listening!

Book Review: The Perfect Kill Club, By: Martin McGregor

The Perfect Kill Club, By:  Martin McGregor

This was an interesting short read with a great premise.  In my opinion, time travel is a tricky topic to write since it’s almost always going to have at least one plot hole, but McGregor did a stand-up job.  My only complaint would be that the ending felt a little rushed, and I wasn’t convinced of some of the characters motives.  Still a fun read with a good mix of science fiction and slasher/gore based horror.

The Perfect Kill Club is enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited Program, so you can download it and read it for free if you have subscription.  Check it out here:  The Perfect Kill Club on Amazon.

Happy reading!

An Unfortunate Situation...

Well, I’m not really sure how it happened, but regret to say that my current work in progress has lost its drive with me.  I can’t keep writing scenes that don’t have the impact I’m reaching for.  I believe the story still has merit, and the twist is still going to be great, but something is not meshing well with me, and it just may not be the right time.  I’ve tried everything I can to salvage this thing, but it just isn’t coming together.  It’s a shame to come to this conclusion after nearly twenty thousand words are already on the page, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to scratch this project and start new.  Maybe I’ll rewrite this entire book with a different approach, or maybe I’ll start something new, I haven’t decided yet.  One thing is for sure, even though this is a crappy situation for a writer to come into (and often all too common), I’m happy to have made the decision and to be moving on instead trying to force something from a story that would only later disappoint me.  Chin up.  Moving on.  Keep reading!

A Writer is Born...

My oldest son and I recently attended a Writer’s Workshop together.  We’d never attended one before, so we weren't exactly sure what to expect.  It turned out to be a small gathering in a local library.  During the workshop, we were asked to write a few things, one of which being what our expectations for our writing were.  Was it for fame?  Was it for fortune?  Why do we write?  The following is what I came up with.  I'm not sure I stayed on topic, but it’s what I felt!  Keep writing everyone!

A Writer Is Born

He grew up on a farm in a small insignificant town that would be lost on any map.  His life felt misplaced from the beginning—constantly caught up in expectations that were not his own—there was no space for him to have dreams of his own.  He was always tied down with chores and what was expected of him.  With no stars to reach for, there were few opportunities for him to prove himself.  

He read books and watched movies.  He listened to people talk but kept quiet—because that’s how he was raised to behave.  Soon, he was eighteen.  One day, after suffering another day of feeling as if he didn’t reach what was expected of him, he felt lost, and hopeless.  Somewhere inside those tears, lighting struck.  A story—a character—a plot—it was all laid out in his mind.  Inspiration from something he read, or seen, or heard?  Maybe, but it felt real.  It felt original.  A beginning, middle and end were all there.  He didn’t know where it came from, but it meant something to him.  It was something to reach for.  It was his.

Outside of school essays and short stories in a high school creative writing class, the task was nothing he had ever attempted.  He grabbed some sheets of paper and a pen and he began the harrowing task of writing the story down.  The ink scratched across the page, and the story was scribbling to life.  Suddenly, the idea inside his mind grew to be a much larger story on the page—it was a whole world.  As the world grew, he grew a voice—one that would put his misplaced life on hold, at least for a little while.  He wrote and wrote and wrote, blacking out the world with his ink.  He felt free in the words he wrote.

Finally, he had finished the story.  Now, what to do?  As nerve racking as it was, he needed to share his work with others—he needed to show his value, and why he had scathed off from what was expected of him.  There were some who said the story needed work, and there were still others who said it was good, but no one saw what the freedom he saw in those words.  How could he make them see it?  How could he introduce them to the world he had created the same way he had been introduced?  How else, but to write another story?  Learn from what he had heard.  Would anyone continue to read?  After careful consideration, he realized it didn’t matter to him.  The writer had found the joy he was looking for.  He had found his freedom, and he wasn’t going to let it go no matter the nay-sayers.  A writer was born, and he was ready to grow.