The Crotchety Old Man

Category: Updates

  • Cool Running

    Weather has long determined if I go for a run or not. Preferred conditions include sunny skies with a temperature from 65- to 7degrees and a light breeze. There’s a little wiggle room, but anything beyond that is a deal breaker. An aversion to sweat is the issue. I don’t mind sweating so much these […]

  • Time on My Hands

    Teaching has kept me busy since before Andy passed last year. I’ve grieved plenty, but drowning in sorrow wasn’t an option. Between teaching, my regular day job duties, and taking care of myself and Toodles, I’ve had too much to do. I’m grateful, and not just for the distraction. Teaching a basic consumer course, while […]

  • Winter Garden Update

    Mild weather has been the norm in Athens this winter. My garden experiment has turned out better than expected. We’ve had a few cold spells with below-freezing temperatures, but the polar vortex stayed well north of here. The coldest weather is behind us. Lows two or three degrees below freezing won’t hurt anything I planted. […]

  • My Favorite Story

    Friends often ask which of my novels is the best. I never know what to say. Best what? Technically speaking, my newest release at any given time is the best. Each novel is better than the one before. Every trip through the publication process is a learning experience. Whippersnapper is my favorite story. It is NOT […]

  • My Next Project

    A lot of thought goes into selecting my next project. Writing a novel is a HUGE commitment. Unless I’m head over heels in love with the idea, I’ll never make it to “the end” of the story. No amount of love can save a flawed idea. I’ve wasted hours and hours trying. All I got […]

  • Reviews: Case of the Missing Drag Queen

    Several reviews have come out in the weeks since DSP Publications released The Case of the Missing Drag Queen. Some authors ignore reviews of their stories or only read the good ones. Not me. I read all I can find. A number of web sites provide reviews for gay fiction. Romance is often the focus […]

  • Release Day Eve

    Shortly after midnight, DSP Publications will release The Case of the Missing Drag Queen. Readers who preordered the e-book will wake up tomorrow to find a copy in his or her inbox. Paperbacks should reach readers in the next week or two. As release day nears, I’m like a child awaiting Christmas. Imagining happy endings […]

  • New Release Anxiety

    The Case of the Missing Drag Queen comes out on June 19th: exactly one year after I started working on the story. It’s my first new release since Whippersnapper came out in 2016. As always, I’m anxious to see what happens. Click Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or DSP Publications to preorder. The quick turnaround to release […]

  • Luke Tanner’s Lexington KY

    The Case of the Missing Drag Queen is the first story I’ve written that takes place in Lexington, KY. The thoroughbred horse farms that nearly surround the city set it apart from other places. Ocala FL be damned. Everybody knows Lexington is the Horse Capital of the World. I love Lexington. My family has been in […]

  • Cover Reveal: The Case of the Missing Drag Queen

    I’m thrilled to present the cover for The Case of the Missing Drag Queen, now available for preorder from DSP Publications. Broke, saddled with a mountain of debt, and dependent on his Aunt Callie’s support, aspiring writer Luke Tanner has returned to Kentucky to put his life back together after a failed five-year relationship. On […]