Writing for Children
I’ve never been so excited about introducing a new book, of my creation, to the world. There’s something really special about a children’s book—or is it… magical? (Actually, the feeling does rival—or surpass—the excitement of publication day for a first novel…!) Is it the tiny…
The New Novel Unveiled!
My debut novel has arrived… The epic science fantasy saga, The One Apart, is now available for pre-order at your local Amazon site, and the shiny new ebook will be silently delivered to your favorite e-reading device promptly on December 4th. Mark your calendars! And be sure to reserve your…
Just Released! Earth Inherited
“Nothing sets the tone for the day like learning your home planet has just changed ownership.” It’s true… and it could happen to you. Isn’t that what science fiction is all about?? Sometimes—most times, for me—you never know what a story is about until it writes itself, until it…
New Findings on the Origin of Your Family Name
What is the true meaning/origination of your surname/last name? If yours is one of the 45,602—it probably is—now in the updated Oxford English Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, you’ll soon be enlightened. The University of the West of England heads the four-year…
All the Untold Stories
It’s enough to make you go mad… as a writer, a reader, the artist, the creative, the audience missing out. It’s the realization that for every story or artwork written, performed, illustrated, or otherwise documented and shared, there are infinite others never to be known—never to be. The…
The Life—and Art—of Writing
When invited to serve as guest writer for indieBRAG (Book Readers Appreciation Group for independently published books), I was enticed by the opportunity to share my own experience and adventures in writing with fellow writers, book reviewers, and readers alike. One suggested topic for my…
In Defense of Libraries
You hear of one library, that people loved and commended, being closed down, the building repurposed (I imagine)... you hear of some group or budget or person threatening to close down a library, and folks are in an uproar… you hear of libraries, across the globe, experiencing diminishing…
Can You Speak English Better Than 90% of Native Speakers?
There’s a particular poem, written by Gerard Nolst Trenité in 1922, designed as the ultimate test of your English language pronunciation and vocab skills. According to the UK’s The Poke e-mag, “a Frenchman said he’d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud”. We’ll…
How Wonderful It Is to Return to Reading
One week ago, something amazing happened. I read nearly an entire book in one afternoon. The book was V for Vendetta, and the date was the 2nd of November… just three days before Guy Fawkes Day. Wasn’t planned; coincidence is weird that way. I even read the hardback edition, no less, straight…