When the diagnosis first comes it’s a shock. Like an unseen punch to the face that leaves your head feeling waterlogged and spinning, at least there’s hope to reach for. Not unlike a fall while rock climbing, the thin crevices and fissures that seemed too narrow to be viable suddenly seem like solid outposts of…
What? How many times a day do you say that? When I started my business in the late 90s I worked from home, alone in a condo in Fairfax Virginia. And having come from the loud and hectic world of an Internet company, having been the head of education with classrooms only feet away from…
I never believed in soulmates. I thought that was romantic nonsense and anyone who ached to meet theirs was in for a long and lonely wait with lots of really bad relationships strewn on the path behind them. I always believed that a good relationship, a fulfilling relationship, was nothing more than lots of hard…
fiction / Publishing / Writing
Hi, I’m S.L. and I’m a reBrander. I had a soft release at the end of September for a novel called “Broken Betties”. The purpose of a soft release is to drive enthusiasm, gain reviews, and test the book to a broader audience than just beta readers. The book read well, and aside from a…
There is a theory that at death, not only does your energy return to the universe, but it returns with personality intact–or alternately, you return as part of the whole consciousness of the universe, aware not only of yourself, but also of every coherent personality. I find this comforting. And though there is nothing in…
I received my Christmas present early this year… Oculus Rift. I have to say I’ve been quite taken by the tool. I’m not what one would call a young man (Unless you’re knocking on the door of your 60th decade or older), but I’ve found the experience very comfortable with the exception of the roller…
It’s been a while since I posted last. I apologize. I’ve been elbows deep in a new series, trying to write while there’s a moment of peace in my life between Gretel’s treatments. And I’m sorry it’s our current state of affairs that moved me to write today… I’d much rather be talking about Don…
Merriam-Webster says of the word “Conservative” conservative adjective con·ser·va·tive \ kən-ˈsər-və-tiv \ 1 a : of or relating to a philosophy of conservatism b capitalized : of or constituting a political party professing the principles of conservatism: such as (1) : of or constituting a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established institutions…
I’ve been asked a number of times if I listen to music when I write. Yes…but only when I’m actually typing the story. I have a process. It’s called all or nothing. I build a story concept in my head, then pull out a trusty yellow pad to sketch an outline. Nothing more than a…
Who proudly releases the long awaited conclusion to a bestselling series while the world burns? Literally burning in some places… (raises hand, with sheepish look on face). My timing is shit. I know it. No one is excited about books at the moment—-particularly books that are more than a year overdue for release. It’s okay. Honestly, a…
I know…you’ve been waiting a long time. To your credit, you’ve been patient as we navigated Gretel’s cancer treatments and have shown great support for us both. But I heard you asking for the next book. 🙂 For this release, the last in the Scott Wolfe Series, I had the largest ARC group if any…
I once served under an Ops Sergeant named Smitty—SFC D. Smith—who I always looked up to as the type of soldier I wanted be. Smitty fearlessly grabbed satchels full of explosives and tossed them over his shoulder. He walked toward the sound of gunfire, no matter the context. We could be in the middle of…
We’re getting closer every day. Splinter Self is being edited for release—developmental edits, line edits, and proofing in progress—and in the interim, the cover and first teaser book-trailer have hit the street. The momentum for this release is building slowly (“slowly” owed in large part to my long hiatus from publishing), but the excitement from…
I slept well last night. It was a hard sleep, as is evidenced by the deep, red, swollen, imprints of pillow seam across my face. Even as I drink my second cup of coffee I can still see the red stripe. I started writing Splinter Self before I’d even finished Predator’s Game. The plan had…
It was an ideal day, that day. The temperature hovered around the mid seventies throughout with a mild breeze approaching from the southwest. It had stormed the night before, so the oft rutted dirt roads approaching the then-capitol splashed as horses and carriages moved into the city for the final debate. Of those who had…
When your mind is filled with information, worry, and emotion, it’s easy to get to the end of the day and feel the time just evaporated behind you. As you get older you begin to feel the same way about weeks, months and years. I remember as if it were yesterday, the time I stood…
Scared, as we all would be, you joked with your brothers, ate a meal and prayed your enemy wouldn’t take the time to aim true. You fell in a trench, in the rain, in mud so deep your last thought was that you hoped you wouldn’t drown in it. You could hear nothing over the…
So it will be 20 days tomorrow. When I woke up on the morning of May 6th, I couldn’t stand, my chest was tight, my head was spinning and nausea rolled over me, wave after wave. The Urgent Care center thought it might be a stroke so I spent the night in the hospital. After…
I thought it was a stroke. Hell, even the ER doc thought it might be a stroke, thus checking me into progressive care overnight. I was the youngest person on the floor other than the nurses and doctors–I was definitely the youngest patient. With my eyes unable to fix on anything for more than a…
Around the age of 31, I started a new ritual; waking up and announcing my gratitude aloud. It seemed silly and I didn’t even say it aloud at first, worried my bedroom furniture would judge me as some new-age, hippy-dippy, crystal worshiping doofus. The improvement was immediate though not significant. I in fact, didn’t realize…
I’m breaking up with you, GOP. It’s not you… It’s me. No. Screw that. It’s totally you. Last Week, Congressman Devin Nunes, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee “received” information showing FISA court authorized surveillance on Russian Intelligence Officials. That classified information revealed intercepted communications between Russia and Trump, Trump aides and surrogates. As Chairman…
Just as I did with the Crime Novel “Hedged”, I’m making the first raw chapter of Splinter Self available to Mail List subscribers. Don’t worry, If you’re already a subscriber, a message will arrive shortly with the Subscriber page link if you’ve misplaced it. If you haven’t signed up for my mail list yet, just…
So, it’s been a year since my dad died and I wrote my own sharp edged memorial to him. I can’t say I’ve done a whole lot of work in resolving anything with him. It’s been a little quiet from his side, and I’ve been fairly busy myself since my beautiful wife (who was ill…
