This post is arriving just as I'm making my way to Las Vegas.
According to the weather forecast, there won’t be much sun this week. That’s okay, though. It’ll still be warmer than Eastern Washington, which is expected to be 43°F today, which is about where the temperature will stay all week. Las Vegas is supposed to be 71° this afternoon. Quite a bump!
Read MoreTomorrow is the release day for Cutler’s Legacy, the sixth novel in the John Cutler Mysteries. It’s taken a while but I’m so excited for this book to be in the world. Cutler holds a special place in my heart. Not only was he the first novel-length character I created, but there are also a lot of elements of my personality in that guy (as embarrassing as that is to admit). Cutler’s a guy who seems to stub his toe whenever things go well for him.
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, I dreamed of being an author. I did little about it while in school, but that’s when the dream started. While in the Army, I noodled around with a few short pieces, not doing much with them, but taking way too much pride in the few words I wrote. Youthful hubris, I guess.
Read MoreWhat happens when a publisher wants all author rights?
In February 2022, I submitted an essay for a Cozy anthology with a neat premise. The editor asked cozy authors to discuss their approach to the genre. As a guy who writes tough-guy cozies, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to share how I created Beau Smith, the protagonist for my Cozy Up series.
Read MoreBelow is my old About Page. I updated it recently but didn't want to get rid of this information. I figured the blog was a perfect place for it. 😊 Here we go.
Read MoreHere is some interesting news from a recent YouGov poll which proves how awesome my readers are!
46% of American adults read no books in 2023. Zero. Nada. Yipes!
Read MoreAs I write this, it’s currently 4° F. 🥶 We don’t have any snow in Spokane right now. I consider that a blessing. I haven’t skied in years and was never any good when I did. In fact, my first attempt at downhill ended up with me in a hospital and a several-inch scar under my knee.
Read MoreMy favorite movie is Rocky.
There are so many things I love about it. Rocky overcomes great odds to go fifteen rounds with the heavyweight champion of the world, something no one else has ever done. In doing so, he proves to himself and the world that he’s worth something. Also, the movie is a love story between Rocky and Adrian, the shy woman he meets in the local pet store.
Read MoreHappy New Year!
Well, the day after the new year. I figured you were busy yesterday and didn’t want to hear from me. Hopefully, you spent January 1st hangover free. I stopped drinking about a year and a half ago. I never drank a lot, but I was getting so many migraines that I was hoping to find a link.
Read MoreI had plans to email my newsletter subscribers yesterday. Unfortunately, I had a migraine that knocked me off my game. The headache started Sunday morning, came in waves throughout the day, and was still with me the next morning. It stayed in full force until I went to bed on Monday evening at 7:30 p.m., sleeping for almost ten hours. The migraine broke during the night.
Read MoreA couple years ago, my girlfriend and I bought a camper van we named Vanessa. We've taken some fun trips including many visits to national parks. I even drove Vanessa to a writing conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That was a blast!
Read MoreSammy Hagar is my favorite singer. I loved his work with Montrose and Van Halen, as well as his solo career. In fact, I paid homage to the Red Rocker by naming the Flip-Flop Detective after him.
Read MoreWriting a book doesn’t always look like a straight line or a race to the finish. Sometimes it’s like hiking up a steep mountain—a slow, steady pace with the hopes you’ll eventually make it to the peak.
Read MoreThe difference between failure and feedback is a willingness to continue.
As an independently published author, I spend a fair amount of time marketing myself and my books. This process includes a newsletter, social media, my blog, and paid advertising. Marketing is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to most folks—me included.
Read MoreHere's a little weird history.
I discovered Stephen King's "The Raft" last year while on a trip back to Ohio. It was in this super cool booklet format. I've read a few of King's books, but I'm not well-versed in his works. I enjoyed the short story.
Here’s a story from yesterday’s Bloomsday. I’m with my daughters, Emma and Sarah, my granddaughter, A.J., and son-in-law, Ty.
Read MoreHere’s something cool.
I recently finished reading Ross Macdonald’s THE WAY SOME PEOPLE DIE. It’s a Lew Archer novel written in 1951. I loved the book. It’s pace was quick and it had some excellent banter in it.
Read MoreThis is Desert Steve’s Gas ’N Go. Okay, not really.
But it was in the first Flip-Flop Detective novel, STRAIT TO HELL.
Read MoreAs the White Rabbit said in Alice in Wonderland, “I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date!” I should have mailed out this newsletter on Monday, but it’s getting to you today. Four days late.
Read MoreWriters all have their inspirations. Some come from our own genres—Joseph Wambaugh, Lawrence Block, and others are among my crime fiction influences—while others come from all across the writing spectrum.
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