My wife and I love spending time with our grandson, Logan, who turned two years old in March, and one of our favorite activities is reading books to him. No surprise, right? Well, one thing I have found surprising is how much he enjoys it as well. One of the first things he does after we arrive is to go to his bookshelf and remove one or more books, which he then carries over to one [...]
I didn't discover the joys of reading for fun until the summer before entering the fourth grade. Just think of all the reading time I missed. (Click Here to read how the Universe intervened with the help of my next-door neighbor, Ms. Crabtree.) When it comes to getting kids excited about reading, there are a few tried and true methods that parents can use to help. From making reading time fun to finding the right books [...]
It's happened again. One of my stories has insisted on growing beyond itself or to say it more accurately, it's insisting on growing beyond my original expectation for it. I know this may sound odd to you, especially if you've never attempted to write a story, so let me try to explain, but hold onto your seat as I go a bit woo-woo on you. As an author, I believe I am a channel to a [...]
For many people, the life of a writer seems like a dream come true. They imagine a life spent in coffee shops, writing the great American novel. While that may be part of a writer's life, it is certainly not the whole story. A writer's life is full of ups and downs, just like any other life. But, what makes a writer's life unique is the way that they use their experiences, both good and bad, [...]
I'm fascinated by A.I. (and since I'm a former veterinarian, let me clarify, I mean the artificial intelligence variety, not the artificial insemination kind.) First, it was MidJourney and now it's QuickWrite. I bit the bullet earlier this week and purchased a lifetime subscription (with a 30-day guarantee to try it out.) Thanks, Skye MacKinnon for posting about it. My first experiment - create a character description. I entered: Nathan Whitehall Oil Rig Boss (Nathan is a [...]
Fantasy is one of the most widely-read genres of literature, and for good reason. Fantasy offers readers the chance to escape into new and exciting worlds, where anything is possible. For young readers, this can be especially beneficial. Fantasy can help young readers develop their imaginations, increase their empathy, and teach them important life lessons. Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and supernatural concepts such as dragons, wizards, magic, and [...]
First, I need to provide a little context and background on why I'm sharing this on my blog, lest you think I've gone over the deep end, ie crazy. I've been deeply engaged for the past few months in an extraordinary online program, the Game Changers Intensive. It was created by the Pachamama Alliance which is the same organization that sponsored my recent trip to the Ecuadorian rainforest. The GCI is all about bringing forth the [...]
A more comprehensive set of links to my TikTok (Booktok) book reviews will be posted here soon so stay tuned. Visionary Fiction Books The Overstory by Richard Powers: TikTok Review Here. Bewilderment by Richard Powers - TikTok Review Here. Science Fiction Fantasy Nonfiction The Spontaneous Healing of Belief by Greg Bredon: TikTok Review Here. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: TikTok Review Here. The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham: TikTok Review [...]
As you can no doubt tell from this picture of me in one of my favorite t-shirts, I am not only a science nerd, but I am also a science fiction fanatic which is why I also love to write sci-fi stories. It also accounts for why The Big Bang Theory is one of my all-time favorite TVsitcoms. Luckily my wife is also a science fiction nerd as well as my daughter and son-in-law are avid [...]
Shortly after discovering that my “clan of cats” that will appear in my upcoming novel, Junkyard Dogs, reside in the abandoned Renwick Smallpox Hospital on Kennedy Island, I shared this research with my wife, Ann, who’s always ready to share her own ideas, many of which appear in my stories as well. As I finished sharing my research with her, she added, “And the cats that now live on Kennedy Island migrated from the Island of [...]
