As Luck Would Have It

As luck would have it, I had internet issues this weekend. It had the downside of delaying me from posting. On the upside, I got a lot of work done. It means there will be two stories posted today. The first is already up in the Flash Fiction section of this site. The other will be up as soon as I finish editing it.

In other news, I’m making plans to visit Boston near the end of October. That’s assuming things continue to improve in the northeast. Also, I’m tentatively scheduled to attend a convention early next year as a guest. I’ll post more details if and when things are finalized. A lot is up in the air right now.

That’s it for now. As always, stay safe and take care.

Flash Fiction: With a Whisper

It began with a whisper. The words were barely audible but there was no denying their truth or the power they held. That didn’t stop some from trying or refusing to listen. They ran the gamut from the truly to the willfully ignorant. The latter, motivated by fear and self interest, tried to drown out the words and silence the victims. They failed. Hearing the words, others spoke out. Soon, there were too many speaking the truth. The lies and excuses were no longer a defense as evidence emerged to support the words being spoken. They were no longer whispered. They became a call for justice and equality, inspiring people to act. In time, things changed for the better. The words no longer needed to be said until the next time someone tried to hide the truth.

 

The Work Continues

The title says it all. I am continuing to update this site with more information. I had to delete or archive a few more posts that were no longer relevant. The changes have cut down a lot of the spam I was getting and made the site a bit more streamlined.

This weekend, I’ll post a new piece of flash fiction featuring Count Albritton. That’s assuming the power and internet holds out. There were some issues in my area due to the storm.

Okay, that’s it for the time being. I need to run some errands and do a little shopping. Tonight, it’s my turn to cook and there are a few ingredients I need to pick up.

Stay safe and take care.

 

Site Overhaul

It’s been almost a year since I last posted here. A lot had been going on in the world, and a lot of it not good. As you can see, the site has undergone a major renovation. Hopefully, things will be much easier to read and find. I also updated information about myself and my books as well as adding a few new features.

As part of the overhaul, I removed the links to other websites. Many of them were inactive or out of date. I plan to create a page with useful links for kindle owners and authors instead of cluttering up the landing page with them.

I also removed posts dealing with older generations of Kindles. All of the tips and tricks no longer apply to the current generation. I originally archived those posts but a large number of bots and spammers frequently commented on them. It was easier to just remove those posts instead of disabling the comments on each them.

Finally, I added a contact form so people can reach me without having to post my email address for all to see.

I hope everyone likes the new look and content. Enjoy.

Another Year Older

First off, a special thanks to everyone who brought one of my books these last few months. It’s appreciated. If you enjoy reading them, leave a review or spread the word. Every little bit helps.

This month, I got Destiny 2 Shadowkeep as an early birthday present. I started with the Red War campaign. It gave me a chance to experience the story from the beginning and learn the game mechanics. All in all, I had a lot of fun playing it though I am a bit of a spazz when it comes to platforming and pvp. Now that the game is free to play, there is no reason not to give it a try. If you like it, then pick up the Shadowkeep expansion.

When I haven’t been playing Destiny 2, I worked on a new Count Albritton story. There are still a few truck sized plot holes and continuity issues to fix but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made. I’ve worked on a few shorter stories which might see the light of day before the month is out.

Finally, over the weekend I celebrated my birthday. Friday night, I had dinner at Edo Japanese Steakhouse. The hibachi steak and lobster were great though I probably ate too much. The next day, I skipped my morning workout to sleep in. For Saturday night, I went to the Pyramid Club for some 80s music and their Halloween themed night. I kept my costume simple and got a lot of compliments for it. It was a fun time though I probably overdid things a bit. It’s a miracle I made it home in one piece. Sunday was spent recovering.

The plan for the rest of this month is to do some more writing and jump back into Final Fantasy XIV for the new update. Next month, I’m going to have some extra free time so I might make a few extra posts spotlighting friends and other writers. Until then, take care and Happy Halloween.

Flash Fiction: The Three Words

Under faraway stars, we speak the words. They flow freely, deep and heartfelt. Their power turns the night and conversation into something magical. Secrets and laughter are shared. The problems of the day are forgotten, replaced by simple pleasures. Time passes. Passion flows. The morning comes all too soon. Will the dawn rob the words of their power? Will what we had be forgotten or chalked up to a moment of weakness? The words are spoken again. The question is answered.

 

September Update

DragonCon has come and gone. Yeah, I know DragonCon was two weeks ago but I was a little too busy to post sooner.

As you can tell from my Instagram posts, I had a lot of fun. This year, I changed things up. I didn’t attend any writing panels and I had fewer costumes than years before. It gave me more time to check out the other tracks available at the con. The Trek Track was my favorite. Not only did I learn a lot, I also made some new friends.

Immediately after the con, I focused on recovering all my files from my old computer. Instead of taking it to a specialist and spending money I didn’t have, I went the do-it-yourself route and it was surprisingly easy. I brought two hard drive enclosures from Amazon and popped the hard drives from my laptop into the enclosures. Now, my new computer could access the drives via the usb port. Not only was I able to recover all of my files, I got two external ssd drives out of the deal. All in all, that’s not a bad deal considering the cost. It did take some time to go through all of the files and organize them especially my music library.

The following week was the anniversary of 9/11. I wasn’t in a very good mood or place so I took things easy. It wasn’t all bad. I managed to find out what paperwork I needed to file with the court to clear up some pressing issues. With any luck, I can spend the rest of the month focusing on my writing. Depending on what I put to paper, I might post some of it here. We’ll see how it goes. Until next time, take care.

Alive and Kicking

I’ll make this brief and to the point. I’m still alive and kicking. I had to put writing and this blog to the side to deal with more than my share of personal trouble. The last two years have felt like I’ve been fighting a losing battle against the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Things still aren’t in a great place but they’re a lot better now. I’m back to writing and doing some of the things I love.

When it comes to this blog, I’m not going to have any kind of set schedule when it comes to posting here. Most of the posts will be reserved to updates, important announcements, and short stories as well as occasional flashes of insight or madness. For more frequent posts, feel free to follow me on Instagram or use the sidebar to see what I’m up to.

At the end of this month, I’ll be in Atlanta for DragonCon. I have two new costumes planned for the event and a meeting with some people about a writing project. If things work out on that front, I’ll have more news.

Until next time, take care and stay safe.

Flash Fiction – Whispered Words

The words were whispered. There was no denying their truth. That didn’t stop people from trying. Some didn’t think their fellow man was capable of doing such evil. Others, motivated by fear and self interest, sought to silence their victims. They failed. They couldn’t rob them of their voices. There were too many people willing to speak. The lies and excuses of the past were no defense. Always listen to the whispers with an open mind and heart. Heed their power and the courage it takes to speak them. Be ready to act and help those in need. Only then can justice and equality prevail.

 

Author’s Note: This is something short I wrote for a friend who was going though a bad time. I decided to post it here as well.

It’s a New Year

I hope everyone is doing well so far this year. I had to take a break from the blog due to holiday stuff and my spotty internet service. In a way, that was a good thing. I’ve been spending way too much time gaming when I should be writing or dealing with other stuff. Most of the holidays were spent with family and doing chores so the house wasn’t a complete mess.

With the new year, I got back to working out. I prefer walking outdoors to running on a treadmill or using an exercise bike. I also invested in a set of weights and new resistance bands. The goal isn’t six pack abs or looking like a cover model for Men’s Fitness. My goal is to just feel better about myself and be a little healthier.

The other thing I did was take a long look at the stories that have been giving me trouble. My first instinct was that the stories weren’t good enough to publish. Maybe I was being a little too critical? It took me a while to put my finger on what was exactly the problem. I like to revisit certain themes and ideas in my stories. If you’ve read any of my books, you already have an idea what some of those themes are. I’m also attracted to certain types of characters. The trap I fell into was that I was retelling stories, not telling new stories. I could have tossed them into the round file or published them as is. Both would have been easy to do. It was even easier to decide against those two courses of actions. Instead, I’ll be spending the next few months reworking the stories. As for which story will be first, it’s a toss up. When I have an update, I’ll let you know.

Finally, you’ll still be seeing posts, short stories, and flash fiction. I can’t tell you how often that will me. I have a lot going on these next few months. As always, take care and catch you later.