That whooshing sound is coming, but I am not worried about it. I’m just going to relegate Tribal to a weekend project after I’ve done my words for Unbroken, or maybe a Sunday only project. I did pay for the cover, so I should do something. I’m also getting a cover done for The Agonizing Alibi Day, so look for that in the New Year.

It’s hard to believe that the year is almost over. Where did it go? I can remember when a year seemed to never end. Now, I blink and half the year goes by. Is this what getting old is like, I don’t like it. I want to have a longer autumn.

The Christmas season has started, so I get to do some Christmas shopping. You should be, too – and what would be a better gift than any of my books? Comedy, horror and fantasy-romance is well represented in what I have written. Grab then now!

And we leave the shilling behind. It’s something that I am neither proficient at, nor really feel good about doing. I know that I must sell myself since I am an indie author, but…I’m the stereotypical quiet wallflower writer. I don’t feel comfortable trying to sell things. If I could, I would be selling cars or houses. A note to any indie authors that might be reading this – drop me a line and tell me how you manage to get the word out, especially if you’re an introvert like me.

Given that I am writing fantasy for the next year, don’t think I am abandoning horror. I’ve got an idea for a World War I novel, but I’m afraid that I am re-treading well-worn ground by me again. I can’t seem to keep away from the whole notion of cannibalism and mayhem. Valentina’s Feast has it. Serve Me Now has it. Tribal has it. I think I am becoming a one very, very gory trick pony. I don’t want to do vampires because I have a novel idea that uses vampires. I think I’ll get these novels out of me and take a break from cannibalism for a while.

Well – I am looking forward to 2026. Seriously continuing Unbroken, outlining several other books and trying to get more books sold. Wish me luck for this year and the next! Ta-ta for now!

I’m going to say this statement and let the comments rain down from Heaven: Horror films aren’t scaring me anymore.

Before you point out the obvious two films that come up in this conversation – yes, I’ve seen Weapons and I’ve seen Sinners. I’m not saying they’re bad films. They’re great films, but they’re not horror films in my eyes. The last film that scared me – I mean made me afraid to close my eyes – was The Ring, and that’s a film that I watch during my Christmas Horror Movie Marathon.

Is this going to void my warranty?

I don’t know if I am getting cynical in my old age, but movies now are getting ridiculously over-hyped. Yes, I grew up in the Eighties during the height of the slasher genre, and I loved the blood, guts and gore of it all. Now, my tastes are more to the pondering sort. A good horror movie for me now promotes thought. I liked The Substance, even if I’m not a huge fan of body horror.

I also think the trailers have more to do with it. Trailers now show you everything but what was on the Craft Services table. That and YouTube will show videos like this. It’s getting harder and harder for me to come into a movie without knowing anything about it ahead of time. Honestly – you could take two or three trailers for a film, cut them up and have the whole film there in front of you.

Speaking of horror: Tribal is coming along. I like the new twist I put in, and I might work a little more on it today. I also think I’ve got a decent way to end it, so I’ve got that going for me. I’m also working on the outline for Unbroken. I’m liking the idea of taking a situation and saying to myself ‘what’s the worst thing that can happen right now?’ and seeing the characters react to the results. This is taking the book in directions I didn’t really think about, but it’s not wandering away from the grand plan I have in my head.

That’s all I got for now. What’s your take on my horror movie opinion? I’ve love to read it in the comments. Ta-ta for now!

For the most part, I’ve followed the advice of W.C. Fields when it comes to working with kids and animals when I write. I don’t count werewolves as animals because for the most part, they’re still human. A technicality, but one I am going to cling to for all I have.

Father of the Year!

Of course, I had to break this rule when writing Tribal in that the main character has to make another werewolf for the pack he’s gotten himself tangled up in. Lycanthropy is transmitted by bite in this book, and Edgar is told up front he needs to bite someone.

So, he bites a young man because that’s what you do, among other horrible things. I really didn’t have this in my original outline, but I had no idea how to get along with the story. When in doubt, think of what’s the most likely outcome to cause chaos and go with it. I don’t think it’s one of Pixar’s rules for writing, but it works.

I also have the feeling that Tribal may not get finished by the end of the year, and I am okay with that. I can still fiddle around with it when Unbroken is at a standstill. Since I haven’t finished the outline to that yet, that is almost a certainty. I probably should work on it tonight, rather than paint minis. I can do minis later in the week, or next week when I have more days off.

On a lark, I got myself a dip pen. It’s neat to write with it. The ink flows very nicely, it’s smooth – not a smooth as my best fountain pen – but it’s neat. I recommend getting a dip pen and writing with it for your journal or notes. Obviously, it’s not for every day, common use. It’s good for me because the pen writes much drier than my fountain pens, and I have a problem with smearing because I write with my left hand. There are problematic notebooks that I like to use, but smearing is prevalent unless I use a particular brand of ink, which really limits my color choices.

Yes, I am one of those weird people that write in different colors. I’m not organized about a lot of things, but my writing and my notes are a different matter.

I did manage to see Netflix’s Frankenstein, and it is well worth the viewing. It follows the book very closely and has some very good performances in it. If you have the chance, I would see it. There are a couple of jump scares, but all in all it’s a rather interesting metaphor on hubris and childhood.

That’s all for now – living this exciting life and all. I need to go get to some laundry and finish putting Tyro through her paces. Ta-ta for now!

I’m starting to hate Tribal. I’ve been told that pregnant women close to the end of the third trimester just want the baby out and done. I don’t know, I’ve never been pregnant. I do however empathize with those women. I want Tribal to be done so I can move on to the next book. A new idea popped into my head, and I think it might help me tie the book together in the end – which we all know I have problems with.

I’ve also restarted the Kyklos Saga – a cringeworthy name – and I am thinking that I am going to dip my toes into progression fantasy, since it seems to be still popular. Progression fantasy is a genre that tracks the advancement of a character, watching them become stronger and more capable book after book. The series I’m writing fits this nicely. It also has cute bunny people. Can’t go wrong with that. I’ve started outlining that when I’m not outlining Tyro’s series.

At least when the New Year begins, I can go to Tyro – speaking of her — and maybe that will get me back into it. Lately, I’ve been avoiding writing (*gasp*) anything on Tribal for the reasons outlined above. Is this common? Do other writers get to the point where they’re just done with the characters and want to shove the whole kit-and-kaboodle off a cliff? If I didn’t have this deadline, I would actually set it aside and work on something else long term, but I’ve got to have something published for this year and The Show Must Go On is not ready for that yet.

Might as well bear down and try to get it finished before December. I am going to take a break from it while I work out how this new idea is going to lead to the end.

Other than that – everything is going well. I’ve taken up light jogging and I feel a little better for it. With the weather turning away from summer, I am ready for the crisp fall air, soup for dinner and the crunch of leaves underfoot. I love fall.

Well – ta-ta for now. I should get back to work on something.

If you know, you know…

I am so close to finishing Tribal! I did the math (or rather, I let the website calculator do it for me for accuracy’s sake). If I do at least 600 words a day, every day – I can have the second draft of this novel done by the end of November. Which is good because I have not gotten very far in the outline. I want to have all of December to write the outline nd get it done, because January 1^st, I am dropping everything to work on Tyro’s novel, with an eye on getting it done in three to six months. That’s me being very optimistic.

Six hundred words is about an hour’s worth of quick work – maybe a little bit more if the stars aren’t in alignment. I think for Tyro’s novel, I might have to stretch it to 1700 – which means I’ll get it done in March if I really apply myself. Which is 850 during my lunch break, and another 850 after work. The time after work is going to be the hard part. I do have other things to do when I get home: laundry, dishes, lunches and spending time with the wife. I can cut one of these things. Lunch isn’t an important meal, is it? No – I don’t think it is. There! A few extra minutes gained!

I briefly considered handwriting this, then a realized I wanted to be productive. Maybe I’ll hand write one that’s not a major project. Perhaps Pleasure to Burn or one of the other ones I’ve got in my head. I watch a vlog about a very cozy looking writer who wrote a couple of chapters by long hand and seemed to like it. I’ve got all these pens and inks, I should do something substantial with them.

Other than all of this – nothing new is happening. I am buying more pens because I certainly don’t have a problem. Nope. Not me. Who’s got forty-five fountain pens, no money and two thumbs? Not me – I don’t have forty-five but thank you for the challenge. I won’t let you down.

On a personal note, my wife and I have just celebrated our 31^st wedding anniversary. She still won’t get matching tattoos, but I am willing to overlook that slight. Our marriage is made of sterner stuff.

I think that is going to be all for now. I need to get the rest of the daily word count finished and help out in the kitchen. Ta-ta for now!