Category: Update
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For Free
Standing On a Noisy Corner Some people wonder why, after publishing two companion novels, I bother posting here on my website, Substack, Medium, & elsewhere. You know, rah-rah, sis-boom-bah, focus on your current project, yada, yada. As you no doubt can guess, the lion’s share of those well-intentioned souls don’t write more than they feel…
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The Joy of Detours
Not long ago while taking a quick break from writing to check on the business side of things, one email among the morning stampede caught my eye. Usually a random announcement of a deadline for even a respectable screenwriting competition would’ve resulted in a summary deletion on my part. However, for some unknown reason, I…
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A Request for Advice from Editors & Writers Alike
How Do I Write Dialogue in the Age of AI? Author’s Note: Although I’ve written various snarky comments in the past about the crackdown on em dashes due to the adoption of AI by some writers (certainly not yours truly), this post is my honest request for help in figuring out how to move forward…
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I Write My Fiction; I Revise My Work
Author’s Note: Please be advised that the two em dashes, two colons, two semicolons, & one ellipsis in the following piece were generated by this all-too-human author without the assistance of AI or even another human, for that matter. Oh yeah, and the hyphens, commas, periods, apostrophes, ampersands, & sentence fragments as well. I’d toss…
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Side Trip
A Cinematic Two-Step In my last newsletter a fortnight ago, I wrote about some decisions I made concerning the wider distribution of my two Oregon Meltdown companion novels and my presence on social media going forward (Balancing Act, v 516, 5/16/26). Two weeks later, I feel much more comfortable with those decisions, as well as…
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Balancing Act, v. 516
In my last newsletter a fortnight ago, I wrote about a few decisions I was in the process of making regarding my author’s journey (Inflection Point, Take 518, 5/2/26). This week’s installment centers on a couple significant changes I’ve since implemented & some decisions still residing in the penciled-in column. The first major update has…
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Inflection Point, Take 518
So another fortnight has come & gone since my last post (see Stepping Back for a reference). And yes, two sets of forks in the road await me on this next leg of my author journey. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you might remember some of the struggles I’ve been experiencing while…
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Stepping Back
Even though I’ve been posting weekly for the past eight months or so, I decided to take last week off as part of a shift in my writing regimen. After more than a year of revising, formatting, promoting, & whatnot, I’m finally coming to terms with being burned out. And not just mildly so. I’m…
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Balancing Act v. 131
I wonder how many times I’ve made some comment about the notion of balance or choice point over the past year. At the top of more than one post, I’ve included images of forks in the road, plates spinning on sticks, & tree branches. Yet here I am, addressing the concept once again as I…
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Shout-out
This isn’t the first time I’ve given a shout-out to Lee Hall for the various & sundry ways he supports indie authors. I mean, the guy not only blogs, publishes his own novels, writes reviews of other indie books on his website, & shares snippets of wisdom & support on social media, but also maintains…
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Social Media Triage
At the end of my post from two weeks ago (Dialing Back, 1-3-26), I wrote the following about my independent author’s journey: Meanwhile, I’m happy to be at a point where I can take on the second front of reassessing my current situation—lowering my presence on social media, dialing back on promoting, & enjoying the…
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Book Club Q & A
I know you’ve been waiting with bated breath for the follow-up post to my last one about my strategy for cutting back on my social media presence, so I apologize for making you wait till next time. Seriously though, I did receive a request to answer some excellent reader questions gathered during what the facilitator…
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Dialing Back
And so my writing journey continues. Since wrapping up an intense promotional run a week or so ago, I’ve been reassessing my situation on a couple different fronts. One has to do with my new novel that’s been gnashing at the bit to take the lead. I’ve been slowly working on it around the edges,…
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A Boatload
In my last post, I wrote about some loose ends to tie up now that the promo stack for my latest novel Core Haven: Hope Amid the Ruins has run its course. I wish I could report that I’ve made significant progress working my way through that mound of to-dos…or a decent amount of progress…
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Loose Ends
Nothing takes the wind out of my sails like getting ready to celebrate reaching a milestone (in this case, finishing the promo stack for Core Haven: Hope Amid the Ruins), only to realize how many loose ends are still fluttering in the breeze, so to speak. I actually find my reaction comical since I knew…
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Truth Be Told
Well, I have to admit, I’m glad the promo stack week for Core Haven: Hope Amid the Ruins is now in the record book. I put more time, energy, & money into promoting that second Oregon Meltdown companion novel of mine than I care to admit. No doubt a more rational person might ask if…
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The Countdown Begins
What can I say? My one-week promo stacking/Kindle Countdown Deal has officially launched & the sense of relief I have is enough to prompt an exuberant happy dance. Fortunately for you, I’m not the type to film myself doing anything like that & posting it on my various social media platforms. Instead, I’ll let your…
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A Week Away
🎶Here comes the promo, doo-doo-doo-doo, here comes the promo, & I say— Help! I need somebody, Help!🎶 Actually, I may not have every last piece of this crazy promo stacking adventure lined out, but I feel confident enough to actually sing, 🎶It’s all right.🎶 (That’s in honor of my late Uncle Fab, as in Fab…
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Latest Shout-outs
As my upcoming promotion weekend for Core Haven: Hope Amid the Ruins approaches (Dec 5th through the 8th), I’m happy to report that some of the pieces are fitting together nicely. I’ve gotten quite a few more reviews, a free interview for a magazine article, a free press release written by a professional PR firm,…
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Press Release Surprise
OK, I gotta admit, the last time I had an adrenaline rush even close to what I have going right now was when I was about a hundred feet from summiting Mt Jefferson. That’s why I’m posting this unscheduled blog the day before my usual newsletter goes out. Do me a favor & take a…