I’m reading a novel called “A Gentleman in Moscow.” It’s a gentle book, a little slow-going, but that’s not the point. The point is—egads!—the author uses the em-dash. Maybe you’ve seen the breathless posts around the literary social media sphere, decrying the use of the em-dash as a red flag that a text has been…… Continue reading Em & em
Tag: Writing
A coin flip at the Memphis Zoo
It’s holiday treat time. Here’s an brief excerpt (and fun visualization) from the novel, LAST BRIDGE TO MEMPHIS: Danny dug into his pants pocket, producing a well-worn silver dollar. “I’m gonna toss this here coin. Heads we throw you into a cage for tiger food. Tails, we let you slither on outta here, snake that…… Continue reading A coin flip at the Memphis Zoo
She drives me crazy
Been a while since I’ve posted, and there are so many reasons for that. For one, I’ve been head-to-the-grindstone writing the next book in the “Last Bridge to Memphis” thriller series. I had hoped to get the draft finished in 2025 and may still do so, but you know … life. For another reason, this…… Continue reading She drives me crazy
Of crossings and comebacks (or life imitating art)
Coincidences happen. Yes, they do. But sometimes it goes beyond coincidence into the realm of serendipity. And when it happens twice in the same summer, you realize you just might be onto something. For example, just the other day, the Tennessee and Arkansas departments of transportation announced the naming of the southernmost bridge across the…… Continue reading Of crossings and comebacks (or life imitating art)
Trying to get to you
It’s a juggling act these days: Playing book marketer slash promoter while at the same time knuckling down at the keyboard banging out a sequel. With apologies to The Shirelles, Mama never said there’d be days like this. A month into the world of being published and let’s just say the learning curve is steep.…… Continue reading Trying to get to you
Welcome to my world
Two weeks ago I launched my debut novel, Last Bridge to Memphis. What a two weeks! Thanks to some of you who are reading this post, initial sales on Amazon.com shot the book into top tier rankings — for a hot minute. I suppose that’s how those algorithms work. But once the initial sales tapered…… Continue reading Welcome to my world
We’re doin’ this
There’s so much opportunity today for a writer to get their work published. They call it “self-publishing.” It’s now possible for virtually anyone with a decent story to tell to be an author. Still, I tried and I tried to go the traditional route (visions of my book stacked high on a front table at…… Continue reading We’re doin’ this
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”
Caught in a (thirst) trap
I’m not gonna lie. By the time you make it to the end of this TL;DR screed, you’ll be calling me cheugy. But IMHO, collectively, we’re suffering from a vocabulary deficit. Since a new year calls for new things, or conversely, putting away old things, let’s retire some nonsense language. I mean, thirst trap. Really?…… Continue reading Caught in a (thirst) trap
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?