Meandering Monday About Paradigms

So this dinosaur walks into a bar (don’t worry – it’s a clean bar.) “Hey Rex, what’ll you have?” Bronto the barkeep asks. “Make it just two yards of stout,” Rex says. “I’m trying to watch my figure.“ “Coming up,” Bronto says. While Rex is waiting, he notices some movement in the mirror. He looks … Continue reading →

Selling Saturday: Smashwords Coupon for “Purr Mission” and Other Promotions

This week’s Smashwords coupon is for “Purr Mission”: Major Tom’s dander is up. His cub is dying of the Morient Virus, and he knows their sworn enemies are responsible (the Baastards!), but bureaucats order him not to go to their planet to recover the antidote. Well, it’s easier to beg forgiveness than to ask purrmission. … Continue reading →

Writing Wednesday: This Crazy Little Thing Called…

Do you have to be crazy to write? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result; something like: I write. I revise. I send it to market. It gets rejected. Write. Revise. Send to market. Rejection. Write. Revise. Market. Rejection. It does seem a bit … Continue reading →

Meandering Monday and Leaping To…

It feels like 2016 is going to be a long year. Why do I feel this way, like it’s going to take longer for next month to get here than it usually does? The last time I felt this way about a year was 2012; maybe those two years have something in common? Oh, yeah … Continue reading →

Selling Saturday: Smashwords Coupon for “Through Her Eyes” and Other Promotions

This week’s Smashwords coupon is for “Through Her Eyes”: They say that we’re blinded by love, but sometimes it’s the only thing that can light the darkness. Jennie had a surprise planned for Pete, but Pete had one for her, too. Things aren’t always what they seem. “Through Her Eyes” is a Paranormal-Fantasy-Romance short story, … Continue reading →

Writing Wednesday: Writing Strengths and… Not So Much

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer? I think that as writers (especially as beginners), we are particularly good at noting our failings (we know we have them – why else would we be getting so many form letter rejections?) We’re not so good at noting our strengths, but if you’re going to … Continue reading →

Short-Term Thinking

My writing is subject to the effects of short-term thinking. It’s particularly obvious in writing LONG FICTION. While I was working on Swordsmaster, I would make a choice that seemed good at the time and then a thousand or more words down the road realize what a mess my decision had led me to. Things … Continue reading →

“The Pipes” Now Available On Preorder

My next ePublication will be the speculative short story “The Pipes”: Sometimes it’s the little things… An unexpected extraterrestrial visitation has an adverse effect on a Texas farmer’s well. Think twice before you drink the water – there’s something in the pipes. (This story actually started while I was driving around and the opening monologue suddenly came … Continue reading →

Selling Saturday: Smashwords Coupon for “A Dish Best Served” and Other Promotions

This week’s Smashwords coupon is for “A Dish Best Served”: A self-aggrandizing faux-French intergalactic food critic runs afoul of a prideful chef, and gets an unexpected lesson in alien cuisine, living, and manners. If you can’t say something nice… One of my favorite short stories is Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”, which had an influence … Continue reading →

Writing Wednesday: Does Your Writing Have a Mind of It’s Own (or am I the only one)?

When I start writing I usually have a specific destination in mind – I REALLY THINK I know where the story is going. I. Know. Nothing! Take “Therefore I Am” (working title of my current work-in-progress); let’s call it TIA for short… (hey wait, that’s the acronym for Transient Ischemic Attack – I’ve had one … Continue reading →