Latest Update

I have been in contact with the artist I've commissioned to paint the cover for My Brother's Keeper. As I've mentioned before he is, to put it very mildly, of quite some renown in his field and remains in high demand. In other words, he is very busy and he hasn't gotten to my cover yet.

He thought his schedule would be opening up during the summer, but now it looks like he's pretty well booked with his biggest client through the end of the year. I was hoping I'd have the book ready for Christmas, but that doesn't seem likely at this point. Right now, I'm hoping for March.

This doesn't really bother me at all, to you the truth. It's a blessing in a couple of different ways. First, I've recently revisited my manuscript after not looking at it for five or six months. This fresh perspective has given me an opportunity to make corrections and revisions that otherwise would have not been done. I see it as a luxury to be able to do this.

Secondly, with the first book not coming out until next year, I will have plenty of time to get a good head start on the second book and therefore greatly reduce the gap between the two. This is definitely a good thing since I've made so little headway on the second book this year.

I always assumed I'd be looking at about a year between books, but this delay will certainly change that.

So that's good news. The bad news is this blog continues to just tease at the book and I didn't anticipate that. But in the weeks and months to come I'll look at posting more artwork giving some glimpses of more characters. And also if anyone reading this has any questions at all either about my story or just my approach or technique in writing, please email me or leave a comment.

In the meantime, I'll keep looking for time to write and any updates I get on the art will surely be posted here.

Problems Solved, Pondered and Helpless.

Yay! At long last, I have written an opening to my second book, Marching As To War, that I am happy with.

It took two false starts and a lot of head-scratchin', but I finally figured it out. I have found a way to introduce a bit more dramatic tension to the opening chapter that adds some early action and yet still accomplishes plot-wise what I need it to.

I feel like I've finally gotten the characters out of the starting gate and it should be easier to write from this point forward.

A problem solved.

As I undertake this book, especially the opening chapters, I have a decision to make. Do I write this as a second stand-alone novel that may be read by people that have not read the first book? Or do I treat this as the second Act of the same book?

In other words: while I am releasing three books separately, I do plan on compiling them into one edition later. And that's really the story's true form, one complete work. So, when I re-introduce characters, locations and concepts for the first time in the second book, should I include enough description and explanation to help readers jumping into the series late, even if this means it will seem redundant in the final collected edition?

A problem to ponder.

The good news is I have now knocked out roughly the first 14,000 words of Book 2, and I'm ready to push forward, satisfied with what I have planned. The bad news is I don't have any time in my life to set aside for writing.

The one piece of advice I see from professional writers the most often is to keep writing, keep writing and keep writing. A pro must have the discipline to write a certain number of words per day. I get that. But I have other concerns.

I have a day job as a producer of documentaries. We are currently very busy with three projects going on simultaneously. And in addition to covering high school football on a weekly basis, I also have a fledging side business of producing wedding videos. That business has required a lot of my time and money these past few months and I am already seeing fruit from that so I expect to be kept busy with that enterprise from this point forward.

And, of course, I must make time for my wife and son, both of whom wish I could make twice as much money as I do now yet stay at home and never have to work. I promise they're not Democrats. Suffice it to say I am blessed to have a family that desires to have me spend time with them, I'd sure hate the alternative.

So I am left with a huge novel to write and no time to dedicate to the task, other than what I sneak in on airplanes and in hotels when I'm away on business. Which isn't often enough for this book to get finished in the next five years.

A helpless problem.

Yet somehow it must be solved. Maybe the wedding business will take off so successfully that I can pay other people to work for me. Or maybe my first book will be so loved by publishing houses that I will be offered a huge sum to give up everything else and write the sequel full time.

...uh-huh... and maybe pigs will grow wings, Obama really was born in America and college football will adopt a playoff system...