I have been a self publisher my entire writing career. It started with my first release back in 2013, and snowballed from there, with a few releases here and there, what I could fit around my day job, until finally I decided to leave that job and become a full time writer. Only once did I submit to a publisher, and that was not accepted. The only things I have ever done that were not self published were audiobooks, which…
As I have said before, I’m not a huge fan of current musical trends. Call me old and crotchety, but I prefer music with some depth to it and, as far as I’m concerned, there is not much of that to be found today, in any genre. So why not explore one of the greatest and most influential recordings of all time? I’m referring, of course, to Pink Floyd’s 1973 release, “The Dark Side of the Moon”. Rather than boring…
Today, I’m supposed to do a glimmer-of-gold post. Looking back, I have already done one on kids, so I had to search for a different topic. I decided to go with writing! Writing is like a moving target. When you write something that you think is pretty good, you feel proud, right? Well, then you come back years later to it with the intent to make a few touch-ups here and there, and you end up completely rewriting each paragraph….
Those familiar with my work know that I have spent the last seven or eight months writing the Elizabeth Said, Darcy Said series. I have finally come to book six, which is the dramatic finish to this saga. As a reward to those who have read these stories, I offer an excerpt, where Darcy and his companions have arrived at Longbourn to find the manor in turmoil because Lydia has run off with Wickham in the middle of the night. Mr….
I thought I’d do an AGOG (“A Glimmer of Gold”) post about children. First off, I must say that whoever thinks having children is easy must not be the one taking care of them. In addition to basics like cleaning laundry, changing diapers, and picking up toys, here are some things you have to worry about: Babies choking on anything from tiny doll shoes to overlarge sprinkles. Babies suffocating from blankets, toys, and overeager siblings. Toddlers jumping on and falling…
The New Year is upon us and I’m sure a lot of people indulged in the time honored tradition of coming up with, then announcing to the world what they resolved to change, improve, quit, etc. in 2023. I might be a little bit late exploring this subject, but there is a method to my madness. The practice of making promises at the beginning of the new year is not a recent invention, unless one considers four thousand years in…
I have been thinking about changes I’ve gone through since I decided to follow (far, far behind) in my brother Jann’s footsteps and become a published writer. Part of the impetus was my move to Calgary to help care for my mother, but a larger consideration was the fact that I was fast approaching retirement and wanted something that would keep me busy and generate extra income. Jann had been writing for a few years and his choice had…
For this Tuesday Tunes post, I thought I would enlighten you somewhat regarding my musical interests and maybe introduce you to something you might not be familiar with. I am a music lover. I don’t consider myself a connoisseur, as I am nowhere near an expert on the subject, but my interests are wide and varied. Like my brother, Jann, I think classical music is some of the most beautiful written. My tastes run from Mozart, to Bach, to Beethoven….
Christmas 2022 is a matter of history and with New Year’s celebrations coming in a few days, I decided not to tax anyone with anything that might be construed as thought provoking. If you’re like me, the post Christmas let-down has you in cruise control right now and you almost recoil at any task that requires more than a few brain cells to complete. In that vein I present an excerpt from book 5 of my Elizabeth Said, Darcy Said…
With Christmas mere days from now, I thought I’d mix the holiday with some trivia about the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City. This might be the most recognizable Christmas tree in the world and, based on the time, effort, and money that goes into creating this magnificent display every year, the title is well deserved. Every one of these trees is massive, ranging in height from 69 to 100 feet. Decorating takes almost two weeks and the lighting…