I Write Things
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The Weight

Short story from my writer's group on Goodreads. The man who speaks to the dead.

Reality—for the living—is a fragile thing, and those bent toward belief fiercely protect their version of it. It feels wrong of me to intercede. It feels wrong to leave it in a kaleidoscope of shards by speaking the truth. People want to view death as they view life—within their own frameworks. If I were to convey to them something different, I would be attacked. ... more »

Trump Card

This is a semi-true story. The question is, where do you find the truth?

In the meantime, I walked down to DJT to get a bite to eat. I was underdressed but fortunately I had found my t-shirt with the flag on it in the bottom of my bag. That shirt had always bailed me out in a tight situation before. Nobody can question your loyalty when you wear the flag. ... more »

It All Adds Up

That’s a starving slave talking. You walking too fast. We need a good set of eyes on the place before we march on up. You see freedom but they might see fugitive. —I decided to take a break from writing my next novel to participate in my writer's group. This is a story from it.

Rosa plays the numbers, punching invisible digits on the tabletop with a pinkish fingertip. A grin stretches across her face, eyes wide like she is conjuring dark magic. ... more »

Review: The reMarkable 2

I replaced my old notebooks over a year ago now with the reMarkable 1 e-ink tablet. As someone who has used a notebook for a long time, it was a big leap.

I finally received the new reMarkable 2 a week ago and I have been using it ever since. I was in the October production batch and received it on October 24, a week after it was supposed to be delivered. DHL couldn’t find my house for some reason and delayed delivery a week. ... more »

Goodreads Giveaway

100 copies of Purple Hearted Man are being given away at Goodreads. See below.

100 copies of Purple Hearted Man are being given away at Goodreads. ... more »

Audible Version Of Purple Hearted Man Available

Justin Sewall did a great job with the narration of Purple Hearted Man

Justin does a great job with the narration. The book is just under 5 hours long. The audio version of Purple Hearted Man, narrated by Justin Sewall, is available now at Audible.

I Did It: Remarkable 2 Ordered

So, I put my money down and pre-ordered a ReMarkable 2 for the July shipment window

I reviewed The ReMarkable tablet here last year. For those who don't know, the ReMarkable is a tablet made for writing and taking note or doing sketches. It works on eInk technology. The ReMarkable has won a bazillion awards and I have loved using it. ... more »

Wahoo

After Desert Storm we met in a small town in Kentucky. I realized afterward just how proud I was of my brother and the person he had become. In fact, over the years I have told parts of his story many times to people I’ve met and I always felt a great sense of pride doing so.

I never served in the military. One of my brothers was Special Forces and then worked for Homeland Security. My father served stateside before I was born. My uncle was in the first ever Green Beret team in Korea. I’ve been around people who served their country but I wouldn’t pretend to understand what that meant to them. I am an artist and writer and I created this website for Hey, 19 - Country First Challenge, that is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of first-responders, military veterans and the homeless. ... more »

The Fabulistas

A group of old liars tell tall tales

The old liars weren’t fazed by his story. They’d heard it all in their time. They examined the details and tried to smithy out something passable in it while the iron was hot. They knew Peet, knew him well. He’d peter out and lose interest before long, a lack of concentration, they reasoned. Lying, they told all who inquired, required stamina, experience and an intimate relationship with the lubricant Jose Cuervo. ... more »

Book Signing: Books Are Awesome

I will be signing copies of my new novel at Books Are Awesome in Parker, Colorado

I will be signing copies of my new novel at Books Are Awesome in Parker, Colorado, on February 8, 2020 from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. Come out and see me and pick up a hardcover copy of the book. It's the Grand Opening for Books Are awesome in Parker. There are lots of activities throughout the day. ... more »

Kindle and eBook Sale: Purple Hearted Man

Purple Hearted Man is on sale at Amazon and Barnes and Noble in digital format. This is a chance to get the book at a discounted price—$.99! Get a copy now before the runs out.

Purple Hearted Man is on sale at Amazon and Barnes and Noble in digital format. This is a chance to get the book at a discounted price—$.99! Get a copy now before the runs out. ... more »

Quick Review Of Knives Out

Let’s get this out of the way right at the start: go see this movie. Knives Out is fun and worth the time. It’s an old-fashioned mystery. Think Ellery Queen, Columbo and Clue, even Murder On The Orient Express. It’s filled with completely unlikeable and eccentric characters—none of whom would cause you to be upset if they were guilty. Except, of course, the one person who seems guilty is the outsider, and wholly likable.

Congrats To The Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the Goodreads Giveaway of Purple Hearted Man.

Only Two Days Remaining

Register to win one of 4 signed hardcover editions of Purple Hearted Man

An Event

Writer's Group story. The parameters: Observing a developing civilization and a near-death experience

Movie Review: Ford v Ferrari

Sitting in a packed theater I found it difficult to find anything I didn't like about the movie Ford v Ferrari

Wow! What a good movie. Ford v Ferrari was strong all the way through. The pacing was great and the acting fantastic throughout the entire movie. Matt Damon and Christian Bale were excellent. Even the race scenes felt realistic. It should be noted, if you aren't a big race car fan you'll still enjoy this movie. There was a great deal of excitement around LeMans when I was young, which reminds me how quickly and much things have changed and shifted. Back then, the '60s and even the '70s, racing, and cars in general, were still relatively new and exciting. Reaching the limits of what would be possible was still well into the future and in some ways it was a golden era for pushing the limits beyond anything known. ... more »

Terminator: Dark Fate - Impressions

When the new movie came out and the critical reviews weren’t horrible (71% on Rotten Tomatoes) and I learned it had Linda Hamilton in a lead role, I decided to see it.

Win a Signed Hardcover of Purple Hearted Man

Enter now to win a one of four free hardcover copies of the book! The contest is over at Goodreads.

Jeffrey Keeten Review Of Purple Hearted Man

Jeffrey Keeten has written a nice review of Purple Hearted Man. Jeffrey is considered one of the best reviewers on Goodreads and one of the most followed.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking about Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, which I read, frankly, another lifetime ago. There is a fairy tale aspect to the way this book is presented that allows Jack McDaniel to talk about serious issues without coming across as moralizing. Purple just wants us all to take a step back and consider that all the things we find to be most important are actually fabricated constructs that should be treated with skepticism instead of veneration. ... more »

Purple Hearted Man On NetGalley

Purple Hearted Man is now available on NetGalley. For those of you who are members, this is a chance to get a free copy and leave me a review.

Purple Hearted Man is now available on NetGalley. For those of you who are members, this is a chance to get a free copy and leave me a review.

Purple Hearted Man Audio - First Chapter

As I have noted before, professional voiceover artist Justin Sewall is narrating Purple Hearted Man. Below is a brief excerpt of the first chapter. Enjoy! And don't forget to pre-order the book.

Joker, The Movie

I’m tired of several things with all of the comic book movies. One is the multi-movie format.

Pre-Order Purple Hearted Man

Early reviews for the book are fantastic!

First Impressions - The reMarkable Tablet

I recently purchased a ReMarkable tablet. There was a great deal on refurbished models so I decided it was time to try one.

Addiction

Writer's group story. The prompts were: Bored AI and something about garbage. 750 word limit.

Filipino Honey

Thoughts of my Filipino honey buoy my sinking morale. Short fiction.

Change Of Gard

The last days of a dying empire.

The Lepidopteran Nuisance

Another writer's group short story. 750 words.