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My New Normal: Part One
Now that the holiday season is over and the dust has settled from moving, my new normal has arrived. Routines are still evolving and will change somewhat with the seasons, of course. But the outlines and patterns are clear. Whether I have to work or not, I’m almost always up by 5:30. In the past,…
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Happy New Year!
In the spirit of out with the old and in with the new, I changed the lay-out and design of my blog. The set-up is different. To see the rest of this post, you need to click on “read now” below and to the right of “Happy New Year!” Obviously, this is for folks who…
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My Next Project
As a university employee, I’ve been off the week between Christmas and New Year’s since the mid-1980s. Depending on where the holidays fall, I usually add a few days to one end or the other to extend the break even longer. It’s never enough time off, and it always goes by too fast. In the…
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In My Wildest Dreams
Getting my first novel published was a huge accomplishment. That Dreamspinner Press would publish paperbacks in a genre dominated by e-publishers was an added bonus. I’d never become a household name, but at least I’d have a book to autograph for my friends. To temper my expectations as the release date drew near, I kept…
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The Longest Night
Winter is my least favorite time of year. I hate cold weather, and the shorter days trigger my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Throw in all the holidays that revolve around food and a tendency to carb-load, and the biggest gift I get every year is an extra twenty pounds–or more–that I spend the next twelve months…
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Still Crotchety
Okay, I admit it. People piss me off. Not what you’d expect from the guy who works so hard to stay focused on the positive. But it’s true. Most, if not all, of my anger episodes come about when someone breaks a rule. Some of these are laws. Others are things that, in my opinion,…
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Joining a Writers Group
The start of another year is like Christmas for the resolution industry. The gym will be crowded and meetings at Weight Watchers will be standing room only. January is also when we see a big influx of new members in our local writers group. Seems there are lots of aspiring writers out there. Some have…
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The Next Big Thing
I’ve been tagged in the Next Big Thing—a blog hop that started back in October and has gone viral. To participate, I need to answer questions about the novel I’m currently in the process of writing. Thanks to Charlie Cochet for inviting me. What is the working title of your book? After Christmas Eve. Yes, another…
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Totally Cool
The big day has finally arrived. At midnight tonight, Dreamspinner Press will release my first novel, Until Thanksgiving, as a paperback and in multiple digital formats. I’m walking on air. That the editors at Dreamspinner Press liked my first novel enough to offer me an advance blew me away. But four months ago, I had…
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Home for Christmas
All the change in my life in the last six months will make 2012 a year to remember. To recap, I’ve said goodbye to my father, reconnected with a dear friend I never thought I’d see again, talked to family members I’d never met before, published my first novel, split up with my ex, moved…