More and More Surreal

--That happened!

Still Falling Hit Number 1

My novel, Still Falling,  hit the Number 1 spot today in the Hard Science Fiction category on Amazon for FREE!

I am also number 14 in the Dystopian category!

--Thanks to everyone! I know, I know... Type faster, monkey!

The Grey Man Series Book 3: Changes

Summer reading has arrived:

When Texas Deputy Sheriff John Cronin thwarts the Cartel’s plan to get paid to smuggle Muslims across the border, he becomes the target of the Cartel once again. One try fails, but the cartel isn’t about to give up. With his granddaughter, Jesse, still recovering from her last run-in with the Cartel and now far away with her Marine husband on a military base, Cronin only has to worry about the innocents around him. One way or another, this old school law man plans to end this cat and mouse game for good. But, this time, the Cartel is playing for keeps; ending this war might just cost the old man his life. Either way Cronin plans to go out on his feet, fighting tooth and nail.

--Buy it here! On Amazon!

Uncommon Threads

I am a member of the Loudoun Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers group and our first anthology has just been published!

I am very lucky to work with this group of writers and friends. I recommend everyone join a group!

I have a short story in this book that I liked writing so much it may turn into the next novel I write.

The title of my short story is:

   Doctor Clark Loves Pizza

Do you remember Delio's Pizza in Batavia NY back in the late 1970's?

I do...

So does Doctor Clark.

--Available on Amazon!

Happy Fathers Day!

Writing Dialog

I am in the edit phase of  Book 2 of the Solstice 31 Saga: The Broken Cage.

I have a lot more dialog in this book than in the first book. There are more characters. It's fun to write the dialog with a different voice for each  character. I always make sure to use a natural language voice. To do this I say it out loud. Yes, my cat looks at me funny. My wife sometimes thinks I am speaking to her. It's worth it!

Grammar does not have to be right in dialog. I find that when people actually speak grammar is forgotten quickly.

I found another weirdness when editing dialog.

I write using the tool Scrivener (I love this tool!). It turns out that when Scrivener exports to MSWord format all the quote marks are inch marks, not open/close quotes.

To be honest, when I wrote Still Falling, I didn't even know there was a difference. There is a difference. 

( " ) vs  ( “ and ” )

--Say it out loud! Do it! Do it now!!

The Daily News - Paper Edition

So I got in a car wreck...

A few days ago I got rear ended in my car. Apparently I was not as uninjured as I thought.

I spent today in various doctors offices. It turns out I have a ruptured bicep tendon.

Joy.

Basically, When I clenched the wheel and stiffened up just prior to impact I broke a main cable in my arm.

My wife says I now have a Popeye arm!

--Good thing I can still type!

Damn Autocorrect

-- Actual error fixed in Book 2: The Broken Cage. Too funny...

My Home Town News Paper

There is an article about Still Falling in the newspaper from my home town Batavia NY.

The Daily News Posted the article today, both in the print edition and online.

It is kind of a classic local boy realizes dream story.

Check it out here!

--Sometimes dreams do come true.

Mark Your Calendars - July 11

I will be signing copies of Still Falling at Noon, on Saturday July 11th, at my favorite bookstore in Old-town Manassas, Prospero's Books!

Stop in and I will sign your copy! Bring yours if you have one already. I will have copies for purchase as well.

Hang out and chat. I will be announcing exciting news! I might even give you a few clues to what the hell is going to happen next in the Solstice 31 Saga!

Sign up for my email list and you might be selected to be a named character in Book 3: Blood of the Scarecrow!

--See you there!

Backups! Do it NOW!

How would you feel is your computer was stolen TODAY? What if it died. Remember it is not IF it will die, it's WHEN will it die.

How screwed would you be if you are an author like me?

For me, It doesn't matter because I keep cloud copies and backups. Automatic and manual.

Here is a little list of things you can do right now:

1. Turn ON autosave. NOW!
2. Email copies of your work to a Gmail.com account.
3. Set up a cloud drive that syncs automatically

My daughter lost years of photos, and papers and music collected when a skylight failed in her townhouse right over her desk.

You will also have the added benefit of being able to work from any computer or location.

--Be serious about your IT duties. You can thank me later.

Cats and Bombs

A FREE Solstice 31 Short Story!

There is a FREE eBook short story from the Solstice 31 Saga available!

The Outer Ring

This story details the the events that occurred the day before the Ventura Incident.

--Enjoy!

Cutting

The best advice I received that helped me actually finish my novel was just hammer though the first draft all the way to the end without stopping and no looking back. Besides writing a lot of run on sentences I ended up with a novel that was over 1000 pages.

The second best advice I received was, cut the shit out of that thing. With a chainsaw.

That is very important advice for me. I put a lot of science in my science fiction. But it turned out the extra 600 pages of data dumps that explained how my FTLs worked, or the anti-gravity, or the AIs worked didn't forward the lot or develop character.

Start with a chainsaw, then a butcher knife, then a scalpel. (Then write more to sew up the wounds)

--I had to be brutal. But in the end, the story is way better for it.