Whoops!

I’m so sorry, but I seem to have punted my brain, and I had the wrong date for the publication date of The Thucydides Trap, the fifth and final book of the Imperials series. It will be released tomorrow, January 17th, not the 15th as I had originally posted. I’m so sorry, but you can read the first chapter if you go to Prince of Cats Literary Productions on either Facebook or Twitter. Anyway, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. It’s all happening tomorrow.

So Many Ways to Outline

I’ve always been a writer who outlines. I got a lot better at it once I worked in Hollywood and learned how to “break a story”. For an in-depth look at how that works check out my blog post called How I Plot. Point being, I’m a bit of a dinosaur, I like to outline the way I was taught in LaLa Land using either a white board and different colored pens or a cork board 4×6 cards and different colored pens. However, many of the programs I use have added plotting...

Why is Food So Hard?

I seem to be unable to cook with any degree of skill. So rather than actually eat anything sensible I listened to opera. In particular my favorite soprano in all the world, Kathleen Battle. So now all of you get to listen to opera too if you are so...

Imperials Update!

Okay, I have definitive news, the fifth and final book in the Imperials series will be published on January 15, 2023. It’s been a long journey with an unfortunate hiccup in the middle when my first publisher decided to cancel the series after the third book. I was committed to these characters and this universe I had created, and thanks to the terrific people at Prince of Cats Literary Productions I was able to complete the series. I also want to thank the unbelievably talented Elizabeth...

Voting: Yeah, It Matters.

I keep seeing Tweets about how voting doesn’t matter. Voting doesn’t cut it. What’s the point? Look, the system is rigged, no doubt about that, allowing for minority rule, but it can be overcome with sheer numbers & there are more of us than there are of them. And I never see a suggestion about what to do in lieu of voting. So, what’s the alternative? Guns? Blood in the streets? Stars forbid we end up there, and there is still a chance to avoid that outcome —...

Apologies… Maybe?

So for months I have been inundated by these emails through my website with random people offering to up the traffic to my site. (yeah, I know I’ve been terrible about updating this site, all the other social media is eating me alive) Anyway, they all have this little “What’s Up?” tag so I have taken to just deleting them as spam. And then today I actually looked at one of them and it turned out to be an actual question. So if anyone has sent me an email and I...

Imperials 5 — Thucydides Trap — Update

Hi, Folks, We really, really wanted to have this book come out in the spring, but life has a way of intruding. While I finished and delivered the book we’ve had struggles with Covid and other issues that have left the publisher upon occasion a bit short staffed. Which has meant a delay in the editing process. So while it is painful for all of us the decision was made not to rush this essential step in producing a book we can all be proud of, and you will all enjoy reading, so the...

Writing About War

I was answering a question from my friend Juhan over on Facebook, and realized it was worth putting up here too. He asked how these events in Ukraine affect me as a writer. And here was my answer. It has made me ever more aware of the cost of war. Yes, on the soldiers who fight, but especially on the innocents — civilians in particular, especially the children, and yes, these families beloved pets. If you are fleeing for your life what do you do about your pets? Abandon them? Try to take...

A Sad Loss

As one ages this becomes a depressingly more common activity. Writing up your memories of a friend and colleague who has passed away. It is my sad task to have to do it again. It took me a long time to process this one. I think the suddenness of the loss of John Jos Miller knocked me back for days. And John’s passing sent me right back to thinking about how we lost Victor Milan just a few years ago because I first met John and Gail when Vic invited them to join our role playing group. John...

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas 2021

Forgive me for the long absence. Life has been challenging and I tend to spend more time on Facebook and Twitter than minding this blog. But I wanted to post today. I hope all of you are safe, warm and secure surrounded by people who love and care for you. I know this has been another hard year, but things are better. Thanks to brilliant scientists we have vaccines and medicines that hold so much promise even beyond Covid. I know climate change is a true threat, but now more and more people,...

My Batshit Crazy Loki Conspiracy Theory

So a week or so ago I posed on Twitter that I could not understand why Sylvie’s hair had changed so drastically when we see her in flashbacks as a little girl in Asgard to the grown up Sylvie we see in the show. People made the argument that she was on the run from the TVA so that’s why she changed her looks, and while that’s logical it ultimately didn’t satisfy me. Seriously the TVA can move through time, and while the headquarters is pretty retro they seem to be technologically pretty damn...

Loki : Or What Makes A Fascinating Villain

I watched the first episode of Disney and Marvel’s new TV series Loki last night, and I loved it. It continues the really exciting trend of innovative and daring shows on this streaming network. Also, I have a giant crush on Tom Hiddleston and on Loki. Honestly, I’m a bit schizophrenic in my crushes when it comes to Marvel. Favorite Avenger — Captain America, but for a fun and undoubtably crazy time on a date — Loki. But enough of my fantasy romances. I was musing about...

How I Plot

I mentioned on Twitter that I was getting ready to outline or break two new novels, and a follower asked if I could describe my process. It ended up being a really looong Tweet thread so I thought I would pull it all together here for folks who might not be on Twitter. I always outlined from the time I first started writing, I think it was a function of having been a lawyer and knowing that a brief has to take a judge or a jury to a certain conclusion so structure is important. I’m also...

The Ideals We Espouse, but Fail to Achieve

I do have to go serious today. Yesterday my Ex and I spent the day in Santa Fe enjoying great New Mexican cuisine and wandering through the art galleries both on the Plaza and up on Canyon Road. As we were driving into town we noticed that Old Santa Fe Trail past the legislature was blocked off and there was a large police presence and the Round House itself is surrounded by tall fencing. I am certain this is because of January 6th when a lot of deluded people who had been lied to for months...

Currency of War Is Live!

To everyone who has been so patiently waiting for the fourth book in the Imperials Saga — the wait is finally over. Currency of War went live today. I completed this book so many years ago, and it’s really sort of overwhelming to finally have it in the hands of readers. There is still one more volume that will complete Tracy and Mercedes’ story, but I’m certainly not done writing in the universe. I created a big canvas and I want to keep playing there so I’ll keep...