The Dairyman and the Gentleman
It was a rainy day in Seattle when I first saw him. I’d planned on reading that day, but my aunt’s dog had chewed up one of my favorite books and I was in a rather foul mood. So I turned on the TV and a man walking with a lame horse appeared on the screen. He was talking to me about his town of Anatevka and the traditions there. Soon I got to meet his wife Golda and his five daughters: Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Sphrintze and Bielke. I watched the movie Fiddler on the Roof transfixed. I was ten, but I knew these people. I knew this man. I…
Artists are Weird, but Writers are Crazy: Tortoise versus Hare
Please note that this series is written in fun. If you don’t like hints of sarcasm and hyperbole don’t read this series. If you find the title offensive, don’t read this series. However, if you understand that this is a great time to be a writer of fiction and feel like a lone happy person in a tsunami of fear, read on. In a previous post I described how many writers have been brainwashed into thinking that the pace in which they produce their work matters. Today I’ll talk about a different type of pace: Sales! Many writers have been brainwashed into thinking that fast sales mean a book is…
Worry Revisited
In celebration of Shel Silverstein’s newest release Every Thing On It I thought I’d take out and dust off this poem I wrote back in 2006. It was inspired by Silverstein’s Whatif poem. I wrote it early in my career and made some tweaks to update it a bit, but overall not much has changed. I called it Worry because that’s something that writers do well. Worry: A Writer’s Whatif Before I sit down at my desk My heart starts racing in my chest Some whatifs begin to dance in my ears And their questions reveal all my fears: Whatif I can’t finish my next book? Whatif no…
Interview with Writer/Cover Artist Kimberly Van Meter
Don’t judge a book by its cover, the old saying goes, but of course we all do. Attractive book covers help sell books. I’ve had the privilege of working with and interviewing many cover artists over the years, however, I was especially thrilled to have the chance to talk to Kimberly Van Meter who’s the designer of my upcoming re-release GAINING INTEREST and upcoming new release THE DAUGHTERS OF WINSTON BARNETT plus a host of others. You can read her interview here. You can find out more about her here.
Comments Off
I didn’t want to have to do this, but I have no choice. I’m turning off the ‘comments’ feature. Unfortunately, I’m being slammed by spam comments. They’re clogging up my inbox and I have better things to do with my time than review and delete a bunch of ‘cyber junk.’ Hopefully in the future I’ll get it under control but for now you can reach me through email or post on Facebook. Now back to the regularly scheduled program.