Bravest Thing (He Ever Did)

One year ago I was sitting at Tim Hortons writing my adventure/survival novel: Escape to the Wild. Good memories. To celebrate this anniversary, pick up a FREE eBook copy. July 11th and 12th only. Don't forget to leave a stunning review when finished! 😁 https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BJW14M7T - Canada https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJW14M7T - USA

Here is an evergreen list of a few things I’ve learned about self-publishing. By the way…there’ll be more books coming out later this fall! -         When plotting a story, really nail down the 5 milestones.       -           The M.C. must be active. Readers hate passivity. -           The M.C. should have some personal issues/struggles to deal with. -           Always have a punchable villain. Even if the villain is a concept or a horrible disaster. -           Write it all out. As quickly as possible. Your brain’s storytelling, when let loose, is far superior if allowed to go with the flow. Only edit after you are finished. The first time I started a novel I made the mistake of editing all my previous day’s work the next morning. Disaster! I essentially had to go ba...

One year ago, on the feast of St. Joseph, I hit publish on my first book. What a thrill that was! And what a ride it's been. Since then I've learned more than I ever thought possible, which is to say, I've probably learned 1% of what there is to know about book writing and publishing. A few takeaways:      - Writing a book is harder than it looks.       - Writing a book is one of the most enjoyable things I know.       - The formatting/cover aspect is like slamming your head against the wall until you pass out. But when you do finally come back to sanity...you slam your head against the wall again until you pass out.      - Selling a book is the hardest thing to do on the face of the planet.      - Local is best.      - It's all addicting. When July rolled around and I finally had more free time, I jumped into writing a second book. The entire process repeated. More time to immerse myself...

The moment has finally arrived. It's out there. Yes, my latest book just went live on Amazon. I'm excited for Escape to the Wild. The adventure has been amped up. So too the humour and action. It's Count of Monte Cristo meets Hatchet meets Ma and Pa Kettle meets... Ok, enough chatting. Please consider purchasing a copy (and leaving a stunning review!). Even downloading an e-copy (just 99 cents this week) would be fantastic. Thank you all for the tremendous support! It means the world to me. Some helpful links: Canadian Paperback: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778052533 Canadian eBook: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BJW14M7T American Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1778052533 American eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJW14M7T

Escape to the Wild Ages 10 and Up. 166 pages. Available on Amazon, mid October, 2022. Influences: Wendell Berry, Wilson Rawls, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gary Paulsen, Alexandre Dumas, Ma and Pa Kettle.   The process of writing a book is difficult to explain. I've heard author's use analogies such as "giving birth" to a book. This "bears" some truth. Being pregnant for nine months is difficult, or so I see. When the baby is born, there is much joy. And yet...the work, difficult as it has been for nine months, is really just beginning. There are many blessings and sorrows that follow. It is charming. It is chaos. It is sweet. It is stressful. Let's be honest, babies are louder on the outside versus the inside. And then, when life seems to settle down, guess what? Another baby is on the way. If you can overlook the weirdness of where this analogy is leading, then carry on. This is where I am at right now. I wrote my first book and "gave birth" to it in Mar...