The Wizard Next Door (Book Cover Revealed)

So I've been kind of keeping this under wraps but I'm just too excited to keep it a secret any longer.  I'm planning on self publishing my 2nd novel, "The Wizard Next Door" and I hired a Seattle-based graphic designer who previously did some work for us in the past (us being CKE Restaurants).  Anjl Rodee is her name and while she didn't charge me for the work (the lil stinker), I'm very pleased with the finished product.

Anyway, I'm hoping on having the story available for Kindle and Nook soon.  I'm still doing final edits and have the story out with some beta readers right now.  If anyone would like a free copy, please let me know and I'd be happy to send you one (when it's finished).  The only thing I ask is after you've read the story, I'd sure appreciate a review of the book regardless if it's positive or negative.

Thanks!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (A Long Lost Friend Rediscovered)

My wife and I went to see STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS last night.  There is this Bistro Theater in Belleville that we love to go to because you can sit in a comfortable chair, not a bad seat in the house and you can get actual food (and BEER)!  Anyway, the movie started and those famous yellow credits started scrolling across a starry night, black background with the brassy, orchestral harmony of John Williams filling the void. 

I won’t give away any spoilers if anyone hasn’t seen it but it was like seeing a long lost old friend again.   And just like seeing a long lost friend there were moments of awkwardness, especially since we had some previous bad blood (the PREQUELS) and I honestly thought I would never see this friend after our fond farewell (RETURN OF THE JEDI).  But we overcame the awkwardness (KYLO REN) and rehashed the past a bit while looking forward to the future (REY).   We laughed, we cried, we almost had a heart attack during some of the action sequences but eventually we knew we were friends once again.  At the end of our little excursion, we promised to keep in touch a little better but secretly knew we probably wouldn’t see each other again until next year (or until the DVD comes out).

So if STAR WARS is an old friend for you like it is for me, I’d say give that friend another chance.  It’s worth the effort to rekindle this particular relationship. 

Beer helps too.

The Art Of Losing

I have another short story that is set to appear in an upcoming anthology.  This time it's called "The Art of Losing" and it features a story about a character called Jasper Kennedy.  Jasper has the ability to see a connecting light between people and he can even tell certain things about their lives by looking into that light.  This story is about a woman who recalls the death of her grandmother and how Jasper uses this knowledge to his advantage.  But in the end, it is to her benefit and to the benefit of the man who is wooing her.

Look for "Daisies For Maude" in this anthology which goes on sale December 2nd.

The Art of Losing

Just in time for Halloween

Vampire Savant is back and available to read on Kindle and Nook!

Get your copy while supplies last...or until I decide to pull it again for another year.

Update: Anthologies x 2

To say that I need to clean the dust around this place would be a bit of an understatement.  I haven't had much writing news to share and then *wham* two anthologies with two short stories are coming out (or already out).  So if you have an urge to read some fiction from yours truly, here you go!

Dancing For The Ruby Eye in Game Fiction: Volume One (available on Smashwords)

and

Elysia in A Bleak New World (coming soon)

I also expanded the short story, Elysia, into a full novel.  I'm currently shopping it around among literary agents.  But if you would just like to read the short story, it's scheduled to come out on October 30th!