Demicon is an amazing Science Fiction and Fantasy convention hosted in Des Moines, IA every spring. We’ve had a vendor table at the con since 2014. This year we wanted to do something different and put in a request to host a room party. When Demicon announced they had to go virtual, they offered [...]
Occasionally, a reader will reach out and thank me for my books. Sometimes it’s a generous review, or they will stop by my booth at a con and say some kind words. Once, I even received a handwritten letter. More often, it’s a private email. Last week I received an email that was so profound [...]
It Started As One Of Those Weeks The great Midwest deepfreeze of 2021 thawed overnight. It was suddenly a balmy 65 and warm enough to pull my car out of the garage. After a frustrating day of tech consultant troubleshooting I needed the distraction of a small project. All I wanted [...]
I’ve given away plenty of books over the years to friends, co-workers I like, or kind people who deserve something more than a high-five. I consider it a personal way to say thank you. Sure, I hope they are hooked into reading my stuff. While always appreciated, I rarely hear anything and am convinced [...]
Over the last few months, I’ve been promoting my Indiegogo for the upcoming Angst audiobook. I’m pleased with the results, it was a learning experience. I’m hoping that others wanting to do the same can gleam something from my time and improve on what I’ve done. For my readers, some of this may be [...]
I remember. I remember meeting my first Marching Band director in 2nd grade. I was at a restaurant with my parents and Mr. Shaffer was at dinner with his wife, my 2nd grade teacher. He was a kind man, and so very encouraging. Even 40 years ago, I remember. At the end of my [...]
As a writer, there are moments that stand out since I published my first fantasy book, Angst. That first five-star review from someone other than my mom. A handwritten letter thanking me for my books. A reader coming to a con and saying, “You’re the reason I’m here.” I have a new one to add [...]
I wrote Clod Makes A Friend for a lot of reasons. Mostly because I, too, was bullied. Just before 2nd grade, my family moved from Omaha, NE to Kansas City, MO. Our Omaha neighborhood was pretty tight knit. I had friends, had even “married” another six-year-old (yeah, never went through that scared-of-girls stage) and I [...]
I tend to be a glass-is-half-full (of vodka) kinda guy, but I’ve got to admit that 2017 kicked me in a few places that I only show to my wife. I do have a lot to be grateful for, and the universe seemed to take its time punishing me for that. As an exercise, [...]
Home can mean a lot of things. For me, first and always, it’s where my family is. My wife and kids, my parents, sister and in-laws, and, of course, the close friends who put up with me on a daily basis. Home is, indeed, where the heart is. I had almost forgotten that I left [...]
