Greetings to all, and Happy New Year 2022!!!
If we’ve learned nothing else over the past two years, it’s that the world keeps spinning around despite unprecedented circumstances and challenges that just…keep…coming… But what an excellent opportunity to look inward, consider alternatives to old patterns, and develop new skills and better habits. We all must accept the fact that things have changed and, in many ways, will never be the same again. On the other hand, as I’ve come to realize and often now preach, ‘You can’t stop living your life under the illusion of safety – because there is no such thing.’ So, what CAN you do? In my opinion, it’s pretty straightforward. Get vaccinated. Wear a mask whenever you’re indoors and in public places. Keep your distance from those you don’t know. Eat well, exercise, get sufficient rest and reduce stress to keep your immune system strong. Treasure the day and the moment because that’s all we’ve ever had anyway. Ok – rant #1 complete!
Over the past three years, I have labored and struggled to complete a massive project. Revising my first book, Brotherly Love, finishing my second book, Nathan’s Nickel, endless editing, cover designs, and website design and development were the major components, but as you all know, there is so much work in the minutia that defines the finished product. I enjoyed the ride but there was a lot of cursing involved.
I want to thank Maddee and Riley at xuni.com for designing my website – they do fabulous work and were patient with my endless requests and ramblings! Seriously, they should get a pair of bronze busts. My friend and book cover designer, Charles Gregory, also did a great job and deserves accommodation for managing my often-manic state.
I have many people to thank for their wise counsel and recommendations. To name a few, we have – Jesse Winter, Chris Angulo, and my dear old friend, Ricky Applebaum. And there were several initial readers who I would like to thank – you know who you are. As usual, I did not take as much of their sound advice as I perhaps should have – but that for me is another part of this learning process toward becoming a better writer and delivering quality work.
My new novel, Nathan’s Nickel, is about to debut and will be available for sale on Amazon! This was another tricky story to write… Why do I insist on making things so difficult!? I’ve always considered Brotherly Love a unique or unlikely Love Story – Nathan’s Nickel is more about accountability and fate VS luck, but both books are in that difficult to define Bildungsroman genre. I’d never even heard of the genre until about a year ago, but for those of you unfamiliar with the term, there are generally four stages to these stories – loss, journey, conflict and personal growth, and maturity. But it’s more than that. It’s about moral growth fueled by bumps in the road. That which does not kill us… These stories don’t fit the format of traditional genres – romance, crime thriller, mystery, etc. My truth is that I never really fit either. And having always been at odds with the status quo, this Bildungsroman concept feels familiar – comfortable – like an old, favorite pair of shoes. There is often a more philosophical undertone and vibe to these tales rather than just being clear and straightforward – A to Z (by the way, a wiser way to write if you intend on selling any books), but, again, I like rocky roads.
So, back to Nathan’s Nickel. Among other things, both complimentary and not so flattering, my editor commented, ‘This immediately reminded me of the Coen brothers’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.’ I’ll take it!! This is my second book with multiple layers, and it weaves a complex path toward the payoff at the end. I hope you enjoy the ride and find yourself moved to examine and reflect upon your own life – to consider the choices you have made and how charting a new course might just be the adventure your journey was meant to be. Besides entertaining my readers – that was my goal.
I have two projects I’m focused on for 2022 and 2023. The first is to complete my new novel Guillotine Squad. The second is to tackle a project I’ve obsessed about for 15 years which is to write the Screen Play for Brotherly Love. Future posts on this Blog will delve into these two endeavors in more detail.
Thank you for reading, and please feel free to contact me!
COMING SOON… Post #2 – STRUCTURE!