One of the coolest aspects of being a self-published author is the direct contact I have with my audience. Some readers are family members and friends that I’ve known for years, but many are people I have never met personally who have picked up a copy of my books through Amazon and have left feedback in the form of a review, a comment here on my website, or one of the various social media platforms on which I am active. And since I just released the third installment in the Blackout Series, Zero Hour, I thought this might be a good time to address a few of the more common questions I get from readers about the books and the series in general. Continue reading
IT’S HERE!!!
I am extremely happy to announce that Zero Hour, the third installment in the Blackout series, is available for purchase on Kindle and download through Kindle Unlimited. I submitted the files Saturday, and as of yesterday evening everything seemed to be working on the Kindle page. Continue reading
UPDATE: Zero Hour: Blackout Vol. 3
I have some very good news for my readers who have been patiently (for the most part) waiting for Zero Hour, the 3rd installment my Blackout series. The editing is almost complete, and the cover design is coming along nicely as well. The manuscript has been through multiple round of editing at this point, and it is in the final stages of proofing. This is the last major step needed before it will be ready for publication!! Continue reading
Update: Zero Hour, vol. 3 of the Blackout Series
It’s been far too long since I posted here, I know. My fingers have limited me to a few thousand words a night, and those have been reserved for the manuscript I’ve been working on for the past sixteen months. Well, the rough draft of the manuscript for Zero Hour is now finished! Continue reading
A Grateful Heart
For most of us, Christmas is over by now. The presents have all been unwrapped, the stockings have been emptied, and now we face the task of returning to the day-to-day routine that, for a brief time every year, gets suspended in lieu of the holiday season. Many of us, myself included, have returned to our day jobs, albeit reluctantly, and soon the kids will be returning to school. It’s sad how fast the spirit of love and generosity that is at the heart of the Christmas season fades into the background as daily life begins once again to take over our thoughts and our conscience. But before that warm fuzziness of Christmas gives way to the cold reality of going to work before sunrise in January, I want to take a minute to talk about the difference between “thankful” and “grateful.” Continue reading
When Protecting Free Speech Isn’t Easy, It’s Still Right
The Constitution of the United States is one of the most truly revolutionary documents of political theory ever penned by mankind. It grants an enormous amount of power, authority, and autonomy to the individual citizen and makes each American a sovereign power unto ourselves. A big part of this empowerment comes from the recognition in the Bill of Rights that there are certain powers, rights, and privileges that are beyond the power of the government. The BoR does not “grant” citizens these rights, it merely recognizes them and places them off-limits to the interference and control of the government. It’s worth pointing out that in the First Amendment, several of these rights are laid out, including the right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the freedom to assemble and protest the government. These rights were placed first in the list, grouped together under the umbrellas of the First Amendment because they were considered to be among the most important and necessary to the preservation of freedom and liberty of the individual.
Today at least one of those rights is under a direct assault that is coming from an unlikely source: the newly elected President. Continue reading
Happy Cyber Monday
I am not a person who typically enjoys being in a large crowd. There are, of course, exceptions to that rule, but they are few and far between. I can tolerate large audiences outside at events like concerts, fairs, or the occasional NC State football game, but a lot of that tolerance is dependent on who I’m enjoying these events and venues with. One crowd that I absolutely refuse to throw myself into is the so-called “Black Friday” shopping craze. Continue reading
Nov. 9th, 1989
I sat in my grandparents’ family room, my eyes glued to the television. There were crowds gathered at the base of a concrete wall covered with graffiti in a language I couldn’t read. Camera flashes were going off so much that it looked like the worst lightning storm in the earth’s history. The peoples’ breath fogged in the cold air as they sang songs, wept, and hugged each other.
Some of the men swung sledge hammers, the heavy metal heads bouncing off the concrete face and sending chips flying in all directions. The people around them scrambled on the ground and scooped up fragments and chips wherever they landed. Whenever one of the men grew weary, his arms too heavy to lift the mallet, another stepped in to take his place.
The hammers never stopped swinging.
Book Signing Event!
I am pleased and very excited to announce my first official event as an author….an upcoming book signing and meet the author event here in Charlotte. On October 15th I will be at Hyatt Coin and Gun store in Charlotte, NC to sign copies of both installments in the Blackout series as well as get the chance to meet some of my awesome readers and fans. I love reading the comments and feedback that I have received on Amazon, Goodreads, and other venues, but there’s nothing like getting a good face to face conversation with a reader. Continue reading
Storm Tide Rising at 6 months…
Hello faithful readers!! I realize I have been horribly slack in posting new articles to this page, and for that I sincerely apologize. This past summer was one for the record books, and things got so crazy that not only did I have to put the website on the back burner, so to speak, but also my book projects. We took in a stray dog at the end of the spring and were surprised to find a few weeks later that she was pregnant. Next thing I know we have nine (yes, that’s right…. NINE) puppies to take care of!!
Long story short, between the unexpected puppies and complications with my Rheumatoid Arthritis, this summer was considerably less productive than I had hoped. Continue reading