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Vacation Days 1, 2, and 3!

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The fam and I are taking a little break. We drove down to Virginia on Saturday. Let my daughter drive for about an hour. White-knuckling the arm rests sure does take a lot out of ya. After we caught our breath and got our blood pressure back down to normal, the rest of the trip went off without a hitch.

The hotel we’re staying at is really nice. It’s a two bedroom suite in Herndon, VA, with its own kitchenette and three TV’s so everyone can pretty much watch what they want. It’s nice. Two bathrooms makes it easier, too.

On Sunday we took a trip over to Arlington to visit my father-in-law’s grave. I never met the man – he died before my wife and I connected – but it was still humbling. Just driving through the cemetery is a humbling experience. Endless fields of grave markers clearly demonstrate the cost of freedom.

Afterwards, we drove over and parked by the paddle boats near the Jefferson Memorial. Spent a little time reading some of the words etched in stone around that monument, and thinking how little our current government seems to be operating by the principles Jefferson espoused. I particularly liked this one:

I have sworn before the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.

Consider that one in the context of political correctness! And then there’s this one:

Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens . . . are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion . . . No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively.

I particularly like that one, especially in context of the Left’s fascination with all things Islamic these days. Does anyone really believe that Jefferson would have submitted to paying the jizya? Or that he would have supported the blasphemy laws found under Shariah?

And just in case people take the above quote to suggest atheism is better, consider this one:

God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.

After seeing Jefferson and reading his quotes, honestly, the rest of the monuments we saw were a bit of a let down. FDR’s memorial is, frankly, tainted by his progressivism. Hurray for Social Security – ’cause that’s just done so many wonderful things for our country. People forget that churches, charities and religious institutions were getting the job done of feeding the poor during the Great Depression. It was governmental interference in the market that both caused the problem (the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act), as well as prolonged it. Not that I want to get into a lengthy debate here. Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial was okay, except that he looked so grim-faced. And nowhere in the memorial are any of his immortal words from the “I have a dream” speech. Is it because we really do want to judge people by the color of their skin and not the content of their character? Or are any judgments on a person’s character due to the color of their skin? I think not. Given that our current President is half-black, half-white, would it be appropriate to say I don’t like the white half of him because it’s plagued by liberal cultural Marxism?

I’ll take tongue out of cheek now. 🙂

We also climbed the steps to the Lincoln Memorial. He didn’t have nearly as much as Jefferson had, but I did like this quote from his second inaugural:

Fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray— that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ‘the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether.’

After that, we wandered around the World War II Memorial (still under construction) and the Washington Monument (still under repair), and then headed back–footsore and weary. Spent the rest of our evening ensconced in our room, cozy and warm, reading or enjoying some shows on TV.

This morning I woke to eight inches of snow on the ground and closings everywhere. Felt right at home. Fortunately, though, not all the museums are shut down, so I’m hoping we can hop over to Air and Space and maybe another one and not lose the day just ’cause these poor southerners don’t know how to handle a little precipitation.

Yeah, that tongue’s found its way back to my cheek again.

And I hope we’ll actually get a chance – probably in the next two days – to get up to the Old Post Office tower. I’ll leave you fans of Jefferson’s Road to guess why… 🙂

A Rant

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I don’t typically write reviews (not exactly the purpose of this blog, y’know?), but I want to make an exception. Sort of. Okay, not really a review. More of a rant, actually.

The other day I just finished reading Raymond Feist’s Magician’s End, the final volume of his Riftwar Cycle. This series has spanned twenty-nine books and taken over thirty years to write. I remember reading the first novel, Magician, while in college and introducing the series to my best friend, Greg (or was it the other way ’round?). Now, reading the end of the series, I find myself in a bit of a reflective mood.

To start off with, let me just assert that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Cycle, though I confess I haven’t read all the books, and the final volume is no exception. Feist delivers. The end is satisfying but sad, because it is, after all, an end.

I guess what’s niggling at me is the fact that it took almost three decades for this story to unfold. This is essentially Feist’s entire writing career. He’s neither done nor dead, of course, even though he’s pushing seventy (who says retirement is a good thing, anyway?).

But to spend thirty years crafting thirty novels (there’s one stand alone amidst the Riftwar Cycle, and ironically, it’s my favorite Feist: Faerie Tale) just seems a bit… I don’t know…

weak?

No disparagement meant to Mr. Feist. He’s a fine writer. A bestselling author, in fact, and one of my favorites. But what it draws my mind to is the fact that he’s still following the traditional path of publishing, which is cranking out one book a year. And why not? It’s worked well for him.

Why not? I’ll tell you why not: because one book a year doesn’t cut it anymore. Not in today’s rapid fire culture. Not when there are too many voices clamoring for the attention of highly distracted readers. And not for Indie publishers like me, who’ve largely eschewed the traditional route and chosen to “go it alone.” It certainly cannot cut it in my case: not when I’ve got so many stories to tell. I don’t know how any author could be content to simply crank out one book a year. Is it really a quality thing? Is it that some people can only hold so many stories in their heads at a given time? I don’t really trust conclusions that paint me in some kind of exceptional light, because I’ve never seen sufficient evidence that I’m all that exceptional.

I’m grateful to Feist for the Cycle, and for what I’ve learned from his stories and technique, but I think it would have been wonderful to have more of him to read over the last thirty years than a shelf-full of novels.

Then again, I’ve only really been at this for nine years now, and it’s only recently that I’ve dramatically increased my output. I have eleven novels published (or will, as soon as The Elixir of Life gets released), so I’m doing better than a book a year, but just barely. Ask me in another twenty years – I hope to have a hundred done by then.

And no, I won’t be retiring, either.

An Effective Writing Day

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Now this has been a satisfying day. I worked on three different projects today, starting off with 458 words on The Blood-Eater Coven, Book 2 of The Dragon’s Eye Cycle. That doesn’t seem like much, but the story is progressing nicely. I’m nearly fifty percent done.

Next, I spent a considerable bit of time working on Anarchy, Book 2 of the New World Order series. I cranked out  2358 words on this one, finishing chapter five and at least half of chapter six. I’m sure to get comments from my youngest, Rachel, who is my BETA reader for the book when I see her in the morning.

And after enjoying an episode of Sleepy Hollow, I concluded the evening with another 550 words on Descent, wrapping up chapter thirty-one and starting chapter thirty-two.

All told, I’ve written 3,366 words today. Not too shabby. I’m still way off pace for the month, but it felt good to get back into the swing of things and churn out some content.

In the meantime, books are continuing to sell from the promotions I’ve been doing. This next week there will be three running. One on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and a final on Friday. I’m looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

Eye of Darkness Taking Off?!

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I know, I know: I keep bragging about how well these books are doing. But seriously, this is pretty stinking cool:

 

 

 

I’ve barely promoted this book! But it’s taking on a life of it’s own. Special thirst for fantasy? Or is it just that the rock is starting to move a bit. I guess we’ll see how things play out in the next couple of weeks.

So, here are the stats as these promos have played out now for the past two weeks:

2-Jan Topheth 166
3-Jan Turning 181
9-Jan Spilled Milk 299
10-Jan Eye of Darkness 682

And that’s only as of this afternoon!

Not sure what this means long term, but I’m gaining some hope.

UPDATE:

Still climbing! It’s now almost 5:30. I’m starting to think we might break the Top 100 overall, or maybe even higher!

 

Topheth is FREE today

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I’ve started my 2014 book selling campaign with a FREEBIE – Topheth, the sequel to The Coppersmith, is free today only at Amazon.
Topheth
Janelle Becker is back. This time she’s assigned to Rochester, New York, where a serial arsonist is burning churches. His targets pass racial and religious boundaries, and his message of judgment becomes peculiarly focused on Janelle herself in this dark thriller.

Can Janelle and Curtis find this arsonist before he traps them both, or will their new-found passion for each other leave them burned?

Feel free to grab a copy and leave a kind word if you like it. 🙂

New Gadget!

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Ooh, shiny new things for the website! Check out the side bar – I now have a “Works in Progress” O-Meter to track how the various projects are coming along. This is courtesy of languageisavirus.com, and my thanks to them for providing the code.

Very cool. I’ll endeavor to keep this up to date. Right now, I’ve got to recharge my laptop battery and grab a shower. 🙂

Jefferson’s Road: A More Perfect Union

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Well, the cover is mostly ready, at least. I chose an “angry sky at morn,” along with a Cover reconstructed Capitol building ensconced in shadow to signify some of the challenges that yet lie ahead for Peter Baird and the nation. It may receive some “tinkering” before the book is finally published, of course.

But for those of you eagerly awaiting the next “mile,” be assured that I have started the book. I haven’t gotten very far, sad to say, but it is begun at least. I do plan to work on it a bit this evening, so we’ll see whether or not I can get chapter one finished.

In the meantime, I’m still giving some attention to Anarchy, moving toward the completion of chapter four, as well as The Blood-Eater Coven, advancing through chapter 18.

Sad to say, I’m at an impasse with both A Glass Half-Empty and Descent, so I don’t know how long it will be until I can get those books done. I hope to make some progress on them, because I do want to work on other projects as well in 2014, and I’d like to avoid leaving them to languish for so long when they’re both easily half-done.

Nevertheless, I’m at the mercy of inspiration. Perspiration will get projects done to a certain point, but it still requires that little spark to fan something into flame when the heat of it has begun to wane.

Other than that, have a happy Christmas!

 

New books before the end of the year?

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So I’ve got about twenty-six days left before the end of the year, and I’m sitting on about 53K words on A Glass Half-Empty and a little more than 47K words on Descent. If I work daily to get to 2K words a day, that’s about 52K words to divvy up between the two of them. Given the difficulty in writing EVERY STINKING DAY INCLUDING CHRISTMAS, it’s unlikely I’ll get both of them finished. That being said, it’s more than likely that I’ll get at least one of them done. Probably A Glass Half-Empty, all things being equal.

That is, of course, if I can keep my hands of writing Anarchy. My youngest daughter, of course, is pushing for it. I’ve composed a chapter and a half on it so far, about 5K words, give or take. Naturally, it’s more fun to start a story than it is to stick with it long enough to finish one. That’s how I wind up with so many works in progress.

At any rate, I’ve put together a pair of new covers (visible on the front page, of course) for both A Glass Half-Empty and Anarchy. Love to get your thoughts on them!

And yes, I will be starting book five of Jefferson’s Road before too long. I know many of you are anxious to find out what happens to Peter (so am I, actually!).

Here are the covers:

A Glass Half-Empty   Anarchy Cover

Cheers!

… And Published!

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Yes, Jefferson’s Road: God And Country is now available on the Amazon Kindle (the paperback version is also available through Createspace).

From the back cover:

“It is important you learn this,” Haytham oozed. “You must learn the ways of Allah. His justice is perfect.”

A City Under Siege 

Abandoned in Detroit, Peter Baird finds himself in a city no longer recognizably American. He is soon captured by the jihadist forces of the evil Caliph who rules with an Islamic iron fist. Horrified by what he finds, Peter engineers his escape and begins a resistance movement.

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” – Patrick Henry 
 
A Clash of Biblical Proportions 

Can Peter convince the citizens of this besieged city to reclaim their rightful inheritance? Or will the new god hold greater sway?

Enjoy!