Here 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!
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As 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.
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My 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.
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Happy 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.
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I 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.
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A 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!
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Sammy 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.
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Writing 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.
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The 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.
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Here'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.
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Here’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.
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This is Desert Steve’s Gas ’N Go. Okay, not really.
But it was in the first Flip-Flop Detective novel, STRAIT TO HELL.
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As 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.
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Writers 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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Leavenworth, Washington, may not be on the top of ’s travel list, but for those seeking a taste of European charm without leaving the country, this small town nestled in the Cascade Mountains is a must-visit destination
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The Vacant Lot movie trailer is out, and its website is up!
Vacant Lot is a movie written by Bill Bancroft. If you don’t know, I helped Bill write Tales from the Road, a rock and roll biography (more on this at the bottom of the post).
Cozy mysteries captivate readers and viewers alike with their intriguing blend of crime and comfort. They are a sub-genre of mystery novels that typically feature an amateur sleuth solving crimes in a small, tightly knit community, often with a touch of humor.
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Let’s be honest: we are a violent society. Crime is our national story and birthright. The colonist went west and became the cowboy; the cowboy became the gangster, who became the politician. Machiavellian principles of power prevailed.
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For law enforcement, the use of force is often necessary to maintain order and ensure the safety of both officers and civilians.
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