Month: June 2017

Time for a(nother) quick writer’s block rant. There is a fair amount of wisdom in Finding Nemo, believe it or not. As a new father confronting the world of hyper-protective parenting and we-don’t-keep-score-at-games-so-nobody-ever-has-to-lose mentality, etc, I’ve given a little thought to Dory: Marlin: I promised I’d never let anything...

There is nothing funnier on the internet than bad independent book covers. Here's an example:Really? NYT Best-selling author? The prevailing advice for anyone going the self-publishing route is to get a professional to do it for you. I don't neces......

I'm currently thinking ahead for Unnatural Causes and coming to the realization that I need beta readers.  I've been asking my writer friends for some tips and advice in that department, but there's one barrier:Critiques dial my nerves up to ......

Wildfire by Jo ClaytonMy rating: 3 of 5 starsThis is the second episode of Faan's story, as she searches for her mother, control of her powers, and her own agency separate from the gods that toy with her. It suffers from a problem common to many a Book......

So ... I did it again.Another few months, another set of car CDs, one of which is themed on word association.  I always enjoy following a chain of thought via song.Glassheart - Leona LewisNothing Broken But My Heart - Celine DionBreaking Dishes - ......

I recently read a post (linked here) that discussed the differences in realism between old school painting and modern artists - the former of whom generally worked from live models, and the latter of whom had photographs to work with.  I encourage......

Happy Father's Day!Here's to all the dads, granddads, stepdads, foster dads, potential dads, like-a-dads, and any other paternal figures I may have forgotten, including the doggie dads.When I got my first dog, Nimi (short for Nimue), my Dad was telecom......

It's been a while since I've posted any excerpts, so I thought it was about time.  This is sometimes tricky, because the further I get into writing a novel, the harder it is to find a segment that makes sense without a lot of context and/or doesn't give away...

Surely, there is no excuse for Fantasy authors in the UK. We live in an ancient country, full of mystical stone circles and haunted houses. You only have to turn a corner to see the spot where some thousand-year-old monarch had their head lopped off. Battles? Don’t come over...

I didn't post last Sunday because, on top of working, I had a lengthy meeting with two fellow harpers.  We run the Cincinnati Harpers' Robin together:  a group of traditional lever harp players who perform a few times a year, with a specialty......