 Cave Hollow Park - a mix of winter and spring “I begin to speak only when I’m certain what I’ll say isn’t better left unsaid.” – Cato Dear Reader, Thank you for joining me on my writing adventures. To offer my deepest appreciation those subscribing to my brief updates, I offered them a sneak preview of The Blighter's Shadow. To receive the next update, which will have the second sneak peak, then head over to my homepage and sign up for the update. The image subscribers received is the first of three reveals. With each of the next two subsequent updates (May and July), if you've subscribed, you'll see the full cover come to life. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until closer to October to see the full cover. Why October, you might be thinking? Because that is the scheduled release timeframe for The Blighter’s Shadow! I’ve not chosen the final date yet, as there are still numerous moving parts involved: writing and editing must be finalized, advanced readers’ input must be pored over, the text formatted, and then published. An exciting process, to say the least. Writing Highlights:
I have now finished several drafts (ten drafts so far, at least two more to go) of the short story The Undying Schism of Ana Kane. The story is scheduled for inclusion in an anthology that will be released in mid-late 2024. This will be the second anthology I’m assisting with, and I am excited to work with an awesome group of authors. I have a few Beta Readers committed to assisting with reading the entire book prior to its final publication. There is still time to assist. If you are interested, please let me know via email. I’ll get you details on the next steps as soon as I finish the first full draft. As with any profession, learning never ends, which is why I will be attending an upcoming workshop in Kansas City. I know I’ll gain useful information to help me grow as an author. I’ll offer some information about the workshop in future updates. Inspiration: gaming Gaming can be inspiring? Yes. What types? All kinds. Gaming has been bringing people together for millennia. To test our skills, brainpower, cleverness, ability to interact well with other people, and to strive to become better. Board games, sporting games, role-playing games, the Olympic games, and card games are just a few potential sources of inspiration. While I do not particularly pay much attention to sports, I can see how they inspire people to seek out greatness, especially related to athletic prowess. Sports require quick-thinking decision-making, collaboration, and a push to better oneself and one’s teammates. That alone is inspiring. And believe it or not, board gaming itself is now a big industry. It has helped push a new wave of gaming that would have amazed my 12-year-old self. The industry has inspired excellent companies to reach newer audiences. One newer company is Stonemaier Games, and its high-quality games have become a favorite in my home. Check out https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wyrmspan/ for their newest game about dragons. An old favorite that is a bridge from the older games, such as Monopoly and Scrabble, to the newer generation of gaming, is called Catan. https://www.catan.com/ offers a view of their cool games. Scrabble is still one of my favorites, though – what is more inspiring than creating words from a bag of random letters? What am I reading, watching, and listening to? Slow Productivity by Cal Newport This book just came out this week, and I’m enjoying it already. Newport offers readers a glimpse of slowing down. Productivity for productivity’s sake is not a virtue, nor is filling up 40 hours for the sake of a now-arbitrary guideline. The negative implications of the extra work created during the COVID era is something we are still grappling with. https://calnewport.com/slow/ Freud’s Last Session Anthony Hopkins plays Dr. Freud toward the end of his life. He has a “last session” with C.S. Lewis about death and Christianity. Phenomenal film. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20420628/ Shogun (2024) This show started recently, and it is an updated film version of James Clavell’s novel. After the first three episodes, I can offer a strong recommendation if you like historical dramas, especially about Japan. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2788316/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Challenge for March and April Spring officially starts on Tuesday, March 19. What adventures will you take to enjoy nature's annual resurgence. Until next time, take care of yourself. May the next month bring you solace.  Painted silos along the Katy Trail.
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