Plodding Through Plot Problems

Cover Concept Art

My last book came out on Valentine's Day this year (2017). I've been working on and off on another novella, but a few other things have taken from my book writing time AND, when I have been writing, it's been a struggle with my present work. There have been plot perplexities, which I am now working out...when I have the time.

It's not that I'm not writing.

This year I've done a lot of work for local news services and a magazine, not to mention editing and other business writing work. So, I have my excuses, I guess. (Don't we all?) We've been running Harbor House Writing Center this year and we opened Harbor BOOKs & Gifts in September, too.

I wanted to get the new Bayou Boys Adventure, Alien Ambush, out for Thanksgiving 2017 (because the story takes place over the holiday and addresses timely matters).

That may still be possible, but it will be a challenge. I have about fifteen writing days to write half the work (that's 15K words) and then it still has to go through editing and polishing and formatting within the three weeks following.

I may yet do it, but some days I just have too many other things on my mind and on my plate. And honestly, I'm pretty lazy, too. So, please, bear with me. Maybe say a little prayer for me as well.

"What are you working on?"

What am I working on? I'm glad you asked. :)

These days I'm writing a lot of articles for print and the web. I've also had a few pieces in our local daily news. This includes several pieces for GraysHarborTalk.com, a couple for thekickerblog.wordpress.com, and a couple for Washington Coast magazine.

I am also working on a few books, too.

1) I have recently squeezed in time to write a couple bits for an upcoming anthology. I'm mostly collecting others' work for this project, but contributing as well as co-editing with my wife Ruth. It's called Another Load of Chicken Poop on My Sole as the follow-up to our Chicken Poop on My Sole. I have several pieces that I've edited in preparation for inclusion, but I need more stories, so if you've got something that's true; touching and/or funny; about farm life, country living, gardening or pets and can be told in 300 to 1,200 words (give or take) let me know. You could be published, too! (We hope to publish this in September.)

2) I'm working on and off on a book called If It Was a Snake It Would Have Bit You (and other things my father said and what I think he meant), too. It may take me a while as I consider it a side project.

3) I also have significant work done on the fourth Bayou Boys Adventure: Alien Ambush. It's been a couple years in the works due to some plot problems (as well as other projects), but I believe I have those worked through and I have scheduled to complete the work this fall for a Thanksgiving Release (as the story takes place during that time).

4) Finally (for now), I will be doing research in late June on what I hope will be my first full-length adult novel* titled Dead Men DO Tell Tales and writing (feverishly) over the summer. I plan to complete the first draft by November and redraft for NanoWriMo (Nov.) completing the work by the end of 2017 and publishing some time in 2018. (Yay, it be a modern pirate forensic-mystery novel, indeed. I'll say no more, fer the time bein'.)

Meanwhile, I'm at work on other projects as well including our writing center, opening a bookstore and more. I have a few signing events coming up over the summer and into the fall, too (watch for those on my Facebook page).

*I've previously written two adult novellas, The Amish vs. the Zombies and Hell, Heaven and Back.

A Writer's New Year's Revolution, well, ya know...

I hope y'all had a great Christmas and a good start to the New Year. What are YOUR plans for 2017?

Me? Oh, I thought I'd do a little writing and publishing. (BTW: Christmas was great.)

I've got a new book titled Beyond Insanity (the sequel to Rocketman) coming out in February, so I'm in the thick of putting that together for print.

The wife and I are editing Another Load of Chicken Poop (the sequel to Chicken Poop on My Sole), due out in the spring. Get your short story submissions in for that ASAP if you'd like to be included. Email me for details.

And, hopefully, I'll have the fourth Bayou Boys Adventure, Alien Ambush, out for Halloween. I'll be finishing that this summer if all goes well.

I've been recently published in the winter edition of Washington Coast Magazine and in December I had three front page stories for The Daily News (Aberdeen, Wash. newspaper). I've also begun writing for Grays Harbor Talk.com.

Meanwhile, I'm at work working for other writers with Harbor House Center for Writing and the Arts. Lots of good teaching and activities coming up there. Check it out.

Drop me a comment or email and let me know what you're up to.

Pending Penning and Publishing Plans

I'm not sure what I'll be working on for NaNoWriMo, but, rest-assured, I'll be working on something (plenty of story ideas in my files). It may not be a novel though. (It may be finishing the novella, Alien Ambush; maybe not. I've not decided.)

I actually plan to do  LOT of writing over the next three months (working six hours a day at Harbor House). I'll be taking a two week break the latter part of December, then back at it for the new year.

My publishing plans are as follows:

Beyond Infinity (the sequel to Rocketman), March 2017
Another Load of Chicken Poop (editing), April 2017
Alien Ambush (a Bayou Boys Adventure), October 2017
and maybe something for summer 2017?

Stay tuned.

A New Year of Hopeful Writing

Happy New Year fellow writers and readers!

It is with great anticipation that I begin 2016. I plan to have three books published this year, beginning with the novel Hell, Heaven and Back which releases on Leap Day (Feb. 29). A new cookbook (Southwest BBQ & Tex Mex) should be out in time for summer and Bayou Boys Adventure #4 (Alien Ambush) out in time for Thanksgiving.

What might you have up your sleeve?

My hope is that more writing this year will present a more hopeful future. I am quite tired, as I'm sure many are, of post-apocalyptic distopian fare. Also I am tired of angel and demon fights--especially with swords (how about some imagination folks).

Here's to a productive New Year for all. Oh, and sales, too. :)

BIG SALE on the Bayou Boys Adventure Series AND Pre-Orders on ALIEN AMBUSH, BBA Book #4

Did You Know...?

The fourth book in The Bayou Boys Adventures, ALIEN AMBUSH, comes out this spring? April 21, 2015 to be exact. Though the story (like all the BBAs) stands alone it picks up where PLAYHOUSE PHANTOM left off.

That means that...

The current trilogy would make an exceptional Christmas gift for readers 10 to 16 years of age. The first book can be read in January, the second in February, and the third in March leading up to the April release of the fourth.

And now through December 15, 2014 all three books, VOODOO VIRUS, MARSHMONSTER and PLAYHOUSE PHANTOM (a $24.97 value) are on sale for only $21. That's right all three books for just twenty-one bucks.

But that's not all...

The price includes FREE gift wrapping and a personalized signing!

This offer is limited to supplies on hand and exclusively through this website. Shipping costs ($4 per set) apply. Or get FREE POSTAGE when you pre-pay for ALIEN AMBUSH (discount priced at $9 post paid) and be among the first to have it.

That's $25 (postage incl.) for the first three books or $30 for the set of four (three now, and the fourth in April 2015). That is such a deal and will NOT be offered again.

ORDER NOW BEFORE THIS DEAL DISAPPEARS!

ALIEN AMBUSH releases April 21, 2015. UFO sightings and a missing crew of roughnecks (oil platform workers) have Peter and Bart curious and on the case. This time they bring along their paranormal pal Reed and skeptic friend Dallas.

The rough concept art to the right shows the proposed cover layout for ALIEN AMBUSH.>

My NaNoWriMo Plan

I will draft the fourth Bayou Boys Adventure, titled ALIEN AMBUSH.

I'm planning to write every day except Sundays and a three day Thanksgiving holiday off . I will write 1,600 words a day.

Thus, Nov.1: 1,600 words; Nov. 3: 3,200 words; Nov. 4: 4,800; 5:6,400; 6: 8,000... etc. By

November 30: 36,000 words total*.

The longest BBA (Playhouse Phantom) to date is 30,000 (also drafted in a month). The Amish vs. The Zombies is 40,000 (a month to draft).

*the finished product could be longer or shorter, depending upon editing, redraft and the needs of the story.

I could use some prayer for perseverance, discipline, and sanity.

YOU can Help Write the Next Bayou Boys Adventure

I got this great idea from Ridley Pearson, author of the "Kingdom Keepers" series. It worked well for him (but then he sells millions of copies and has as many fans), anyway, I thought I'd give it a try and see what happens.

Here's what Pearson did: "About 200 pages of [his last novel in the series] were 'crowdsourced,' with Pearson’s fans reading serial chapters and outlines once a week for about six months and voting for the next direction in which the novel should move. Pearson would then take the results under consideration while writing the next chapter, which would be posted the following weekend. Several dozen people who wrote fan fiction inspired by Pearson’s novels also had paragraphs they’d written included the new book."

I'm going to do it a bit different, but if you'd like to contribute to the fourth and final "Bayou Boys Adventure" book, titled "Alien Ambush," and you have read the previous books by October 31st, 2014 you may do so. I may include your actual words (or ideas) in the book and, if I do, I will include your name as a contributor in the acknowledgements.

You may contribute at any time and there is no age restriction. By submitting you are agreeing to the use of your contribution in whole or in part without compensation; and understand there is no obligation stated or implied by the author other than as listed above.

The final book will be drafted in November of 2014 and be released in the spring of 2015.

You can get an idea where the story is going by reading the last chapter of "Playhouse Phantom" and the opening lines from the coming title as follows:

Alien Ambush 

(A Bayou Boys Adventure #4)

It’s glorious day when you finally get your driver’s license. Sure, Bart had had his for a couple months now. He was older, so, in reality we both received our right to drive at the same age—sixteen years and four months—though he’d had that ‘freedom behind the wheel’ for four months longer. Now we argued about who would provide the transportation whenever we wanted to go somewhere together. The solution? A road trip where we would share the driving responsibilities.

“So, Dad, it’s like this: Bart and I want to drive ourselves to Gram’s for Thanksgiving. His dad gave him permission to come with us; they aren’t doing anything until Saturday. Their extended family will be coming in late Friday night so they aren’t celebrating until Saturday. And you know Bart, he can easily do two Thanksgivings.”

My dad laughed, “Fo Troo, that boy knows how to put away the groceries.”

“We thought we could, maybe, like, leave on Monday, and do a bit of a road trip on the way. If that’s okay.”

“Are you willing to get ahead in your studies by then?”

“We already are. By two weeks.”

“I’m impressed. Where are you going…besides Gram’s?”

“And Reed wants to come long.”

“Oh, I see! This doesn’t have anything to do with tracking down UFO’s does it?”

“Busted.”

Catching Up With What I'm Up To

After a couple of redrafts and proofs PLAYHOUSE PHANTOM is now in the hands of my able-bodied editor. After she goes through it I will do one more revision and then proceed to formatting. After that I'll work on the cover art. It should be ready for the printer well in advance of the deadline to make the October release date.

I have also begun writing ALIEN AMBUSH and begun to formulate the story, but probably won't actively write more until next year. In the meantime I have begun another novel--a sci-fi, adult novel (not a Bayou Boys Adventure) called TO HELL, HEAVEN AND BACK AGAIN--which I plan to fully tackle for NaNoWriMo (in November) though I am writing on it somewhat now.

I am also revising and updating my 2005 text LIGHTS, CAMERA, WORSHIP! for re-release later this year. The book continues to be used as a college text at Mid-America Christian University and I'd like to see it used more widely--in schools and churches. But it needed an overhaul.

I'm also doing some slight revisions to MARSH MONSTER for its next printing. And, finally, I am waiting to hear back from three publishers about my novel THE AMISH vs. THE ZOMBIES (so far, out of five submissions, I have two rejections).

Meanwhile, I have an author appearance at the Battle Ground Library tomorrow, another on the 4th of August and another on August 18th.

New Writing Projects in the Works

I am so excited to write my next projects. Yes, two of them! I was going to write a work of non-fiction next, but I think I can better express what I have to say (what I feel called to say) through fiction...for now.

I plan to write yet another Bayou Boys Adventure called ALIEN AMBUSH. lol And a Christian Adult Sci-Fi novel called TO HELL, HEAVEN, AND BACK AGAIN involving inter-dimensional travel. The later is totally going to blow your mind!

Although I have begun both stories and will likely write on them from time to time over the summer I won't be attacking them full-bore until fall (once I have the editing and production work on PLAYHOUSE PHANTOM completed). I'll probably tackled one of them for NANOWRIMO.