The Crotchety Old Man

Tag: genre fiction

  • Novel Experience

    Lots of people tell me they hope to write a book. Many say they’ve written the first few chapters — often for several stories. Starting a book is easy. Finishing is the hard part. Writing a novel is a HUGE challenge — especially the first time around. Getting to “the end” takes hours and hours…

  • No More Romance for Me

    Since my first novel was published in 2012, finding the right shelf in the bookstore for my stories has been a challenge. I’m talking, of course, about genre. Turns out, my stories don’t fit in any particular genre. Genre is a handy label to give readers an idea of the kind of story they’re about…

  • A Golden Opportunity

    In the first six months of 2016, I’m scheduled to release three novels. My fourth novel (Whippersnapper) is scheduled for release in January or February, with re-releases of my second and third novels in April or May and June or July. Shepherding them through the production process will keep me busy for the rest of the year.…

  • An Historical Disappointment

    Based on absolutely nothing, I expected each of my novels to sell at least a few more copies than the one before. That hasn’t been the case. Despite my disappointment at the time about the lack of digits on my first royalty checks, Until Thanksgiving has done well — much better than After Christmas Eve and…

  • Birth of a Catch Phrase

    For the first fifty years of my life, becoming a published author wasn’t something I dreamed about. In truth, I never even considered the possibility. To younger me, authors were like movie stars, professional athletes, and rock stars — ethereal creatures blessed with a sublime talent. Aspiring to something so lofty just wasn’t practical. Now…

  • Writers Read

    I’ve been a voracious reader for most of my life. Name a genre, and I’ve read it. Mystery, horror, romance, adventure, fantasy, erotica, historical, science fiction…   Whatever I could find was just fine. My favorite? All of the above and more. I like variety. Story is what matters to me. Give me a good…