Hello Reader,

Don't miss the free short story embedded below. I'm giving away the milk, the cow, the whole shebang! Stories, novels, entertainment and advice. All yours for just cracking open this email...

Success! Local Author Day

By any measure, my first tabling event was a success. First of all, I followed through and did it! This may not seem worthy of measure to some readers, but for me, it matters. Second, I had a crack team of helpers including my wife and daughter. My wife ran the cash box and held down the table when I (often) got the urge to go visit with other authors. My tablemate, Kenneth Buff, was also instrumental in my table's set up, and he was a great guy to share with. Third, I gained four new followers for this here newsletter, and I am grateful for them signing up. Finally, the measure you would have expected as an indication of success: I sold some books! Huzzah.

My next scheduled table will be at the Kansas Association of Teachers of English in November. Meanwhile, I am scrambling in the background to see what else I might be able to arrange. Know of an eager audience? an organization needing a guest speaker in the Wichita, KS, area?

Success! Productivity

I must admit my 2000 words per day is still not happening, has not happened for a month now, consistently, for my other (paying) obligations have overshadowed. However, I have been crafting short stories and having a great time with that. One I finished last night may be my best yet. Premise: What if you could dream things into being?

Now that my other commitments are leveling out, I will be back at 2000 words this-coming week, and I am very eager to hit it!

Success! This one's for you...

Future Fugitives, my new full-length novel you've been hearing about, is still set to roll out on September 9th. As a loyal reader of the newsletter and website, I'm selling it to you at a 20% discount through September. Sign up for that bargain here.

News on writing

Interested in my writing or in me lately?

Here's what's up:

Short stories were once the bread and butter of the fiction author. This died with the passing of pulp publications in the 1950's. Short stories aren't what I'd call profitable, but they do have unconventional rewards.

I'm reaping those rewards every day, honing my best mechanics on pace, conflict, and other elements of craft that are fun to tweak in the tighter confines of a few thousand words (compared to a full-on novel).

Other rewards will be yours, like the regular short story give-aways in this newsletter, and on the event horizon, an anthology of short stories, possibly with newfound friends. Stay tuned for that.

I'm going to teach journaling again.

I have benefited more from writing in journals than anything else. At the start of this newsletter two years ago, I used to issue regular how-to installments in the craft of journaling. Maybe I'll revisit those, and the courses I've taught previously, and if it all comes along like I want it to, I'll offer one for work, another variation for my newsletter crowd, likely through Teachable or Crowdcast. Of course, you all will get a special discount. Look for it here.

Let me know if you're interested.

More, you say?

You know where to go: my website, particularly the blog. There, you will find posts on being tongue-tied, on imposter syndrome, on time capsules and many other obscure topics. I can go on/on over yonder, where here, I try to keep it all under a thousand words.

FREEBIE

Meanwhile, here's the latest short short I'm working on:

​Handel (working title...maybe I should have a title contest!) is about a Texan who learns his dog can talk. Yes, it's another dog story, but it's consistent with my world build (the guy works for WWW's airship building branch) and it's just odd enough I liked it enough to stick it out. ..Let me know what you think of it.

FREE EBOOK?

Sign on as a behind-the-scenes, first-look, pre-pub critic. No editing, no line by line grammar, spelling, punctuation...just read it, answer some questions and help me improve the book before the public gets a view.

Nothing's really free, now is it? If, however, like Katie and two others, you would like to be a Beta reader and provide ample feedback on the book I finished most recently, Sackerson, then let's visit. I sincerely need help. Fresh eyes. Insights.

Drop me an email and I'll spell it out for you, but essentially Beta readers give the book a bit more than a pleasure read, then answer questions like, "Where was the book losing your interest?" "What chapters kept you spellbound?"

In return, you get earnest thanks and a mention any time/place I can sing your praises.

PS: a curiosity. Last night I was having a dream in which I was trying to be heard. I was crying, weeping...and attempting to do so loudly. I recall trying very hard, straining to cry so that others might notice. * Then I woke up *

Here's the amazing thing: my wife was awake and had recorded my creepy careening cry, a thin wail that didn't even sound like my own voice. Somehow I crossed over from the dream world to make noise in the real world. Wild. What's your story?