You stand outside in the cruel, late winter chill. Your heart races. Your blood pressure boils. Sweaty hands clutch like death on the handle of the four-wheeled conveyance in front of you. The doors slide apart. Open your wallet and prepare to bleed out. You’ve entered the field of battle. Your neighborhood supermarket. https://youtu.be/k_hiSGmzVUM?si=_qY7JjKVg1FchSGZ Like…… Continue reading Too much monkey business
Category: Blog
Always an Elvis angle
King Kong and the Empire State Building. Abe Lincoln and Illinois. Stephen King and Maine. Some personalities and places are just synonymous with each other. It’s like that with Elvis Presley and Las Vegas.And now we have the bombastic Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs to further memorialize this connection at the end of…… Continue reading Always an Elvis angle
Another King and “Fairy Tale”
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll plays a big part in my unpublished novel, but today I want to talk a little about another King. Stephen King. I’ve read lots of Stephen King novels going all the way back to The Stand. If I had to choose, I’d say he’s among my favorite reads. Those…… Continue reading Another King and “Fairy Tale”
Agent Elvis
This post is about agents. About Elvis. About a tasteless Netflix show called Agent Elvis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McHgb1_6UNw One and done on Netflix and for good reason. Let’s start with the agent part. Specifically, literary agents. Agent Admittedly, I’m a novice at all this author stuff. Until last spring I’d never submitted a novel for consideration to…… Continue reading Agent Elvis
Not a kid at fifty-three
Let’s travel back a few decades. It’s 1988. Memphis, Tennessee. The year begins cold and dreary. So cold and so snowy, in fact, many folks, unprepared for driving in it, simply stay home. But in the alternate timeline of my manuscript, on January 8 of that year, Elvis Presley has just turned 53 years old…… Continue reading Not a kid at fifty-three
If every day was like Christmas
It’s the season of cheer. Okay, I’ll grant you that. I know Elvis Presley loved this season. And if you ask Spotify, folks still love Elvis at Christmas. But do we really wish every day was like Christmas, as the song goes?
Write what you know, no?
You’ve probably heard it said, write what you know. Supposedly Mark Twain coined the phrase. Personally, I connect more with another of his quotes: “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” But what about that first adage? I’ve seen lots of beginners gripe about it. If I’m supposed…… Continue reading Write what you know, no?
Blue Christmas
This time of year you can’t escape it. Everywhere you go you’re hearing that legendary voice emerging from your Airpods or Bluetooth speaker, from your car radio or at the mall.
It can only mean one thing. If the King is singing about those blue snowflakes and those decorations of red, it’s definitely time to have a Blue Christmas with Elvis.
Memphis, Tennessee
The city of Memphis is a character in its own right in the novel, LAST BRIDGE TO MEMPHIS. Even though I only spent a couple of years of my TV news career there, the town leaves an indelible image on your soul long after you’re gone. So it’s no surprise I’ve painted Memphis with romantic,…… Continue reading Memphis, Tennessee
Blue suede news and other tales
Writing a novel is a unique challenge, especially your first time around. Now throw in an attempt at quasi-historical fiction, set in late 1980s Memphis, and for good measure, try to match up the plot with the actual timeline of those days, weeks, and months.