Monthly Archives: July 2020

Writing-Tip Wednesday: Befriend Your Characters…And Be-Character Your Friends

This will be a relatively brief Writing-Tip Wednesday post. It’s a lazy, hot, stormy day and I’m feeling, well, lazy and hot… So far this year, I have used my Wednesday posts to offer advice about any number of things, … Continue reading

Posted in Character, Family, Friendship, kids, Novels, parenting, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Writing-Tip Wednesday: Befriend Your Characters…And Be-Character Your Friends

Monday Musings: The Day I Fell In Love With Baseball

I was seven years old, the youngest child by far in a household that revered baseball. I didn’t remember the exact date, but today we live in an age of marvels, and all I had to do was Google a … Continue reading

Posted in Family, History, kids, parenting, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Monday Musings: The Day I Fell In Love With Baseball

Photo Friday: Who Is That In the Cloud?

Good morning! Another week is ending, which means it’s Photo Friday here at the blog. Today’s photo was taken during an early morning walk a week or so ago. I had only my phone with me, but the image came … Continue reading

Posted in nature, photography | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Photo Friday: Who Is That In the Cloud?

Writing-Tip Wednesday: World Building Lessons I’d Forgotten

Back in early March, I posted about creating magic systems, and said then that I expected I would post about world building at least once more over the course of the year. And so here I am, making myself a … Continue reading

Posted in Fantasy, History, Islevale Cycle, Novels, Research, Thieftaker, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Writing-Tip Wednesday: World Building Lessons I’d Forgotten

Monday Musings: Covid-19 and America’s Character Flaw

Many of you know that I have a Ph.D. in U.S. History. My years of studying America’s past have taught me a lot and left me fully aware of the dangers inherent in making broad, sweeping generalizations. And yet… I … Continue reading

Posted in History, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Monday Musings: Covid-19 and America’s Character Flaw

Photo Friday: A Butterfly Fly-By

Another hot, lazy summer week has sped by here on the Cumberland Plateau. Nancy’s garden is in full glory, though I’m sad to say that butterflies have been far less numerous this year than in years past. I’m not sure … Continue reading

Posted in Family, nature, photography | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Photo Friday: A Butterfly Fly-By

Writing-Tip Wednesday: The Allure of the New Shiny

All of us who write have felt it. Many of us have given into it. Others have resisted. Personally, I’ve done both — with different projects and also within a single one. We loves it and we hates it, but … Continue reading

Posted in Business of publishing, Novels, Publishing, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Writing-Tip Wednesday: The Allure of the New Shiny

Monday Musings: Covid-19 Anger Redux

Back in mid-April, I wrote a post about the pandemic that drew a bit of attention. In it I expressed a good deal of anger. Anger at claims that the virus was not as bad as some were making it … Continue reading

Posted in Family, kids, parenting, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Monday Musings: Covid-19 Anger Redux

Photo Friday: Nancy’s Garden

Once again, the weekend is upon us. Here on the Cumberland Plateau, we have moved decisively into the hot, humid days of summer. Warm nights, steamy days, afternoon thunderstorms, the rise and fall of cicada trill, the nighttime drone of … Continue reading

Posted in Family, nature, photography | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Photo Friday: Nancy’s Garden

Writing-Tip Wednesday: Self-Defining Success

As you know at this point, we are in the midst of release week for Time’s Assassin, the third book in my epic fantasy/time travel series, The Islevale Cycle. For today’s writing tip, I am going to address a matter … Continue reading

Posted in Angry Robot Books, Business of publishing, Falstaff Books, Islevale Cycle, Novels, Publishing, Time's Assassin, Time's Children, Time's Demon, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Writing-Tip Wednesday: Self-Defining Success