Author Archive

MAIDEN OF DEATH RELEASE CELEBRATION

I am pleased to announce that ‘Maiden of Death, Book 2 of the Forgotten Gods Trilogy’ is now available! In celebration of the release, I’m having my biggest prize give-away ever! The eBook is available exclusively from Amazon. In a few weeks, the trade paperback edition will be available from Amazon and CreateSpace. Please help spread the word, and Thank You, for your continued support. Now, on with the contest.

What are the prizes? I’m glad you asked!

The Grand Prize is a $200 USD Visa gift card.

Second place prize is a Kindle Fire HD (7” Display, 16 GB, Wi-Fi, Dolby Sound).

Third place prize is a $100 USD Visa gift card.

Fourth place prize is a $50 USD Visa gift card.

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Sixth through Eighth place prizes are $10 USD Amazon gift cards.

How do you enter the Book Release Give-Away? All you have to do is leave a comment below at the end of THIS blog. (There is a word that says comments after the blog “tags” below.) It’s that simple. The comment can be anything from wishing me luck with the release to saying, “Please enter me to win.” Another way to enter is to leave a comment on my Facebook Author Page underneath the Book Celebration notice pinned to the top (click on the hyper-link or the dark-blue Facebook banner in the upper right corner of this page). You only need to enter one place or the other. I will combine the entrants from both places into one list. Winners will be chosen by random selection, which brings us to the rules.

Rules: Must be at least 14 years of age to enter. One entry per person! No purchase necessary to enter. International entries are welcome, though no guarantee can be made regarding the compatibility of the e-reader — in particular, the wi-fi component — in countries outside the US. Any and all claims for non-operation of the e-reader will be addressed with Amazon Kindle services. Author’s obligation ends with mailing of prizes. No claims may be filed with or against the author for replacement cost, repairs, or postage for return/replacement of e-reader. Damage incurred during shipping must be addressed with USPS. Insurance and Delivery Confirmation will be provided by Author upon shipment. Contest runs from time and date of posting until 11:00pm EST 11/7/2014. Winners will be chosen at random using the widget “And the Winner Is…” Emails and/or private messages will be sent to the winners no later than Sunday, November 9, 2014, no later than 8:00 p.m. EST. No information gathered on this site will ever be shared or sold, nor will it be used for any form of solicitation, mass mailing or involuntary registry (i.e. newsletter mailings). Author cannot be held responsible for damages of any type resulting from this contest. By entering, you agree to these rules and its terms and conditions. Winners will be required to provide proper shipping address for mailing of prizes. This contest is in no way affiliated with Facebook. Odds of winning are based on the number of entrants.

And now, with great pleasure, I present the guest of honor!

Buy links: Amazon (US) Amazon (UK)

Best of luck to everyone, and I hope you enjoy the story as Indigo’s quest to save the gods and all mankind continues. (If you enjoy the story, please leave a favorable review on Amazon and/or Goodreads and/or everywhere else!).

PRACTICE MAKES BETTER

This is my first blog in a LONG time. Why? I don’t really know. Well, actually I do know, but I’m not going to tell you. <grin> Let’s just say I’ve experienced blogus interruptus, and leave it at that. But I’m here now, and if you are reading this that means so are you, so we are here together and life is good.

For those of you who haven’t stopped by my Facebook fan page, I’m getting ready to release Maiden of Death, Book 2 of the Forgotten Gods Trilogy in the fall. It took much longer than anticipated, and I apologize for that, but life got in the way. Contrary to popular belief, there are some things more important than writing. Not many, I agree, but a potential life or death illness in the family does have priority. Thankfully, the pendulum swung to the life side and all is now good.

I can’t believe it’s been three years since I published my debut novel, Maiden of Destiny, Book 1 of the Forgotten Gods Trilogy. This included a one year sabbatical due to said illness mentioned above. I’m pleased with the number of copies sold from my debut novel. The count has exceeded my expectations, and continues to grow little by little each month. More importantly, the feedback and reviews I’ve received from readers have been encouraging. I can’t thank you enough for your kind words and inspiration. They mean so much more to me than any amount of royalties. As a writer, all I want is to tell the story that is inside me, and hope that it brings joy and entertainment to others. Based on your comments, it appears I’ve succeeded.

Now that volume 2 is written and in the editing stage, I can honestly say I’m amazed at how much I’ve learned and progressed since writing volume 1. Like everything in life, writing has rules, and the more one writes, the more one learns the rules. Subtle things really, like including more details, using all the senses, omitting unnecessary adverbs, having a good balance between action and dialogue tags, no “head hopping,” tightening up sentence structure by using good action verbs, and the list goes on and on. Of course, one should always use good grammar, punctuation, and check for spelling errors. As you can see, there are many things a writer must be aware of as they pound out words on the keyboard besides creating the story itself. All things purchasing viagra australia great site considered, admission of this medication means profiting an ease medicate with a force to let the male perform his best in bed. The ancient remedy that is readily available in warm, tropical and sub-tropical climates are one of discount levitra purchased this the most beneficial fruits available on earth, with rich nutritional value. Erectile dysfunction in young men can be a cialis online deeprootsmag.org serious matter of concern as there are plenty of impotence cures available to treat the disease. Specialty Pharmacy Services Specialty Pharmacy Services involve professionals who handle the organization and dispersion of specialty drugs that cheap levitra uk need extra care. Simply put, the more one writes, the better one becomes. In time, the rules become easier until eventually, the writer doesn’t have to think about them anymore. S/he just writes and all these things are dealt with subconsciously in the writer’s mind and words. This is what I meant when I said how amazed I was by how much I’ve progressed since publishing my last novel. Once Maiden of Death is published and you read it (and you ARE going to read it…aren’t you?) I think you’ll agree with me.

I can only hope as I begin writing book 3 of the series, Maiden of Dreams, my writing skill will continue to improve. I firmly believe that a writer, whether they have published one book or 50 books, will never know all there is to know about writing. Writing is a dynamic and creative art. There will always be something new, some creative way of bending or breaking the rules that result in a wonderful and unexpected plethora of possibilities.

We’ve all heard the old adage: Practice makes perfect. However, when it comes to writing, my philosophy is: Practice makes better. Perfection is the golden apple all writers strive to pluck, but always dangles just out of reach.

3rd ANNUAL HOLIDAY GIVE-A-WAY

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The Holiday Season always puts me in a good mood. After all, it is better to give than to receive. So this year, Santa Lenny is once again reaching into his bag of goodies and giving you a chance to win some nice prizes. Why? Consider it a small token of my appreciation for the support everyone has shown me. Maiden of Destiny – Book 1 of the Forgotten Gods Trilogy, has done well, and I know many of you are anxiously awaiting Book 2, Maiden of Death. I apologize that Book 2 is taking longer than anticipated to finish, but this has been one of those years where life got in the way. I’m working hard on Book 2 and hope to have it published in the near future. If you have already read Maiden of Destiny, you have my heartfelt thanks. If you enjoyed the story thus far, please recommend it to a friend or family member. The eBook is only 99 cents for Kindle and Nook, and there are buy links over on the side that will take you directly to whichever format you prefer. Searching for that last minute gift? Send them a story that will provide many hours of excitement, magic and adventure. If you haven’t read Maiden of Destiny, now would be a great time to obtain a copy and share in the adventure.

Okay, back to the contest. What are the prizes? I’m glad you asked! The Grand Prize is a Kindle Fire HD from Amazon.

Second place prize is a $25 Visa gift card.

Third place prize is an autographed Trade Paperback of Maiden of Destiny. (Someday, with luck, this could be a valuable, signed, first print limited edition.)

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Fourth through Sixth place prizes are $10 Amazon gift cards.

How do you enter the Holiday Give-A-Way? All you have to do is leave a comment below for THIS blog. (There is a button below that says comments after the blog “tags.”) It’s that simple. The comment can be anything from wishing me Happy Holidays to saying “Please enter me to win.” Winner will be chosen by random selection, which brings us to the rules.

Rules: Must be at least 14 years of age to enter. One entry per person! No purchase necessary to enter. International entries are welcome, though no guarantee can be made regarding the compatibility of the e-reader — in particular, the wi-fi component — in countries outside the US. Any and all claims for non-operation of the e-reader will be addressed with Amazon Kindle services. Author’s obligation ends with mailing of prizes. No claims may be filed with or against the author for replacement cost, repairs, or postage for return/replacement of e-reader. Damage incurred during shipping must be addressed with USPS. Insurance and Delivery Confirmation will be provided by Author upon shipment. Contest runs from time and date of posting until 11:00pm EST 1/3/2014. Winners will be chosen at random using the widget “And the Winner Is…” Emails to the winners will be sent no later than Sunday, January 5, 2014, no later than 8:00 p.m. EST. No information gathered on this site will ever be shared or sold, nor will it be used for any form of solicitation, mass mailing or involuntary registry (i.e. newsletter mailings). Author cannot be held responsible for damages of any type resulting from this contest. By entering, you agree to these rules and its terms and conditions. Winners will be required to provide proper shipping address for mailing of prizes. Odds of winning are based on the number of entrants.

Best of luck to everyone, and may you all have a wonderful Holiday Season!

The Why Behind the Words

I’m a writer. I write a lot. A lot, a lot. No, that’s not proper English. Sometimes it’s best to say what you need to say without the who vs. whom debate because, really, who talks that way?

One of the questions I get asked most—preceded by “Where do you get your story ideas?” and followed by “How do I get published?”— is, “Why do you write?” I’m always a bit confounded at this question. Why? My immediate answer is, “Why not?” The last time I was asked, I decided it was time to really delve into the why of things. What emerged was an introspective look into how a writer’s mind works.

A very dear friend of mine had the great honor of peripherally knowing Katherine Hepburn. My friend wanted to act, and the fact was relayed to Ms. Hepburn, informally known to friends and family as “Kate.” She approached my friend and, in a nutshell, told her that she should abandon the idea of acting unless she could do nothing but act. Unless it was the air she breathed, it would consume her and drive her to the brink of madness.

Writing is my air.

It didn’t used to be this way. In fact, I can distinctly remember when writing was a pipe dream I didn’t have time to pursue. There were a thousand reasons stacked upon a thousand more why I simply didn’t have time to sit in front of the computer every day: work, laundry, meal prep, TV time, books to read, weeds to pull, managing the household, paying bills. All of it was put in front of my writing, prioritized as more important than acknowledging the stories literally begging to be told. Eventually, like all neglected things, the stories grew silent, smothered by the weight of my perceived responsibilities.

What I failed to realize was that, in not writing, I was dishonoring my creativity. I let it stagnate, relegated to a position less important than macaroni and cheese in the daily scheme of things.

Then fate intervened.

The details are highly personal and generally irrelevant, but let me just say I found a great deal of time on my hands. Because I had failed to nurture my creativity for so long, it lay silent. If there were such a thing as fictional life support, my imagination was on it. I literally thank God for my team of caregivers, the ICU (Imagination Caregivers United) team who stepped in and put the charged paddles to my proverbial chest and screamed, “Clear!”

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I started to write. It hurt. Man, did it hurt. Every word was like pulling teeth…without anesthetic. Every POV change was awkward. Every scene was awful. Every chapter sucked.

I didn’t quit.

I pushed hard, then harder. I refused to believe I wouldn’t get better. Words began to come easier, ideas flowed, the voices in my head got louder. And somewhere in there, in between the late nights and scrapped pages and cut files, I became a writer. It wasn’t about what I did. It was all about who I had become.

As I pondered the best way to put this into words for this post, I realized the answer lay there, in those words. Why do I write?

It’s who I am.

Note from Lenny: I want to thank Denise for stopping in and sharing her incredible talent with us. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. I encourage each of you to stop by Denise’s website and read some of her other blogs. She has an amazing way of explaining things with humor, while being serious at the same time. While you’re there, be sure to check out her novels. You’ll be glad you did!

If I was a Sculptor

If I was a sculptor, the first thing I’d do is search for a slab of stone. Not just any chunk of rock mind you, but a perfect slab of pure white marble previously unseen and untouched by human hands. I’d claw my way through every quarry and field, digging in the deepest, darkest crevices where no one had ever dared go. That’s where the best slabs come from…dug up from the deepest crevices of one’s own mind.

Once I found that perfect slab I’d place it in my studio on a pedestal so I could study it. I’d look at it from every angle, with and without light, checking for how the shadows moved as the lights changed. I’d take my calloused hands and run them gently over the surface, reassuring the stone there was no need to be frightened. The metamorphosis that awaited would not be painless, but in the end the marble slab would be molded into something beautiful, something worthy of being shared. I’d continue to comfort the slab while my fingers patiently sought out every nook, chip and crevice. I’d wait patiently, even if it took an eternity, until the slab spoke to me, telling me what it would like to become.

I’d lay out my tools in preparation: hammers, chisels, sandpaper, and polish. I’d hold the familiar tools in my hand, inspect the worn grips, and sharpen the chisels. And when the slab shivered, frightened at the prospect at what lie ahead, I’d whisper soft words of encouragement until the stone once again calmed.

Satisfied, I’d select the proper hammer and chisel and hold them in my sturdy embrace. Like an artist putting brush to canvas, or a writer putting pen to paper, I’d delicately align the chisel to rock and raise the hammer in anticipation of the first blow.

And then, as I swing the hammer, I hear a voice inside my head. It is the marble slab talking to me. I’m barely able to stop the blow in time, but I succeed, skinning my knuckles in the process. I listen to the voice as it pleads its case. When the voice stops, I put down my tools and put them away.

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A tear rolls down my cheek as I move the white marble rock to its new location among the other slabs of granite, marble and limestone. All of the slabs are in their original condition. Some are round, some square, most a variation of the two. They all have random dings and cracks and chips, but they all have one thing in common. They are perfect.

That is what the voice explained to me. The marble slab thanked me for the opportunity to become something different, something beautiful, but it also explained that if I stared at it long enough I would eventually realize it was already all those things and more. It was everything I could imagine rolled into one. As long as it was whole it could be anything I wanted it to be—anything everyone wanted it to be. But the moment my hammer connected, spilled its powdered life dust all over my hands, it would forever more cease to be everything and become only that one thing.

Who am I to make that kind of decision?

Now when I look at the slab all I see is perfection. For it is everything and everyone and will stay that way until the end of time. If I was a sculptor.

You Might Be A Writer If—

I hope Jeff Foxworthy doesn’t mind if I steal his “You might be a redneck” concept for a humorous look at writing. Without further ado, I present: You might be a writer if…

1) If you spend more money on books than you do on groceries, you might be a writer.

2) If conversations take place inside your mind with imaginary characters, you might be a writer.

3) If you’ve ever left a movie theater and said, “The book was better,” you might be a writer.

4) If someone has ever said something mean to you and your first thought was, “How I can put this person in a story so I can kill them off,” you might be a writer.

5) If you’ve ever stayed up till three in the morning so you could finish writing “just one more paragraph,” you might be a writer.

6) If every time you read a book, magazine, or news item and your mind subconsciously corrects all the grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, you might be a writer.

7) If someone says, “Let’s go look at the stars,” and the first thing you do is check your reviews on Amazon, you might be a writer.

8) If your body goes into convulsions every time you hear the word “edit,” you might be a writer.

9) If the people you admire most have last names such as: Tolkien, Rowling, Feist, Patterson, James, Steel, Evanovich, Grisham, Kinney, Roberts, Kuntz, Meyer, or Martin, you might be a writer.

10) If you own more library cards than credit cards, you might be a writer.

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11) If you’ve spent more money on give-away swag than you’ve earned in royalty checks, you might be a writer.

12) If you can’t walk across the room without stepping on a book, you might be a writer.

13) If you can operate a Kindle, Nook, or iPad, but don’t know how to use the television remote, you might be a writer.

14) If you’re afraid to leave the house without a pencil and pad because you never know when “inspiration may strike,” you might be a writer.

15) If you’ve spent more than an hour thumbing through a Thesaurus looking for that one perfect word, you might be a writer.

16) If you find yourself correcting the graffiti on public restroom walls, you might be a writer.

17) If you start each prayer before a meal with, “Once upon a time,” you might be a writer.

18) If you’ve ever said, “Who should I make this out to,” when a restaurant server handed you the menu, you might be a writer.

And finally:

19) If you can look at a blank page and see an infinite number of interesting characters, magical creatures, twisting plots, and undiscovered worlds, you ARE a writer!

I hope I made you smile. Until next time, thanks for believing!

You Like Me! You Really Like Me!

Okay, so I’m not Sally Field. I’m a writer. But her famous line does apply to my latest “event”—August LIKE Month. What exactly is August LIKE Month? I’m glad you asked. Let me explain.

In this day and age, the biggest key to success for any author is networking. It doesn’t matter if you’re an independent or traditionally published author, getting the word out means the difference between reveling in success or wallowing in the lonely pit of anonymity. In simpler terms it means selling books or not, receiving royalty checks or having to rob the piggy bank for enough change to buy coffee.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t write for the money. I write for two reasons. First, I write for the pure joy of writing. It’s my escape from the mundane. Writing allows me to enter worlds where anything is possible with a thought and the clickety-clack of the keyboard. Second, I like to make people smile. There is no greater joy than when a reader tells me they enjoyed my story. If my words made you forget your sorrows, your surroundings, your pain, your stress or your whatever, even if only for a brief time, then I’ve accomplished my goal. Your joy is my inspiration, my payment as it were. However, you won’t know I exist and I’ll never get the chance to hear your words of encouragement without networking. And that brings us back to the topic at hand.

For most of us, there are four major network resources: Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and a personal website. If used correctly, these social sites can be an instrumental part of a writer’s success. In many cases, they are intertwined and any one of them can be used to help promote you on the other sites. Obviously, you’ve found my website or you wouldn’t be reading this blog right now. But how did you get here? Maybe you already knew about my website and just happened to be checking in, or maybe you saw one of my promotions on Twitter or Facebook that linked you here. Either way, welcome to the world of networking.

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On Facebook, I have an Author Fan Page. I use this page to inform my readers, fans, and friends about…well, about me! And, of course, my writing, I can relay information about new releases, give progress reports, talk about upcoming book signings, promote fellow writers, and post whimsical musings, pictures and sayings about writing in general. But unless you go to my Author Fan Page and “LIKE” the page (click the little button where it says “LIKE”), you won’t always be kept up to date. So, August LIKE Month is simply a “push” to get as many new “LIKES” as possible. As a little incentive, and a small token of my appreciation, if we reach my goal of new “LIKES” I’ll have a contest and give away some signed trade paperbacks and Amazon.com gift cards. If you haven’t already done so, please go to my Facebook Fan Page and “LIKE” the page. I’ve made it real easy for you. There’s a dark blue banner at the top of this page with an “f” on it. Click that banner and it will take you directly to my Facebook Fan Page and once there, please click the “LIKE” button. It’s that simple! For those of you who are about to push the “LIKE” button, I salute you! Welcome to the fold.

Before I sign off I’d like to tell you about a couple of things that happened to me recently. First, one of the greatest things in my reading/writing career happened. Raymond E. Feist is now following me on Twitter! I’m not going to go into the details of how this came about, but suffice it to say that I was shocked, amazed, and down right tickled to death. “I’m not worthy!” A big “Thank You” to Mr. Feist for a wonderful “random act of kindness.” He knows what I mean.

Finally, my youngest daughter and her newlywed spouse (thank you – yes, I’m very proud) were in town for a visit a couple of weeks ago. We went to a local, prestigious outdoor theater to see the play Hair. The play was advertised to contain nudity, but we didn’t think too much about it really since one of the main characters took their pants off at the beginning and had on a jockstrap. No biggie. It looked a bit stormy that night, and the first half of the play seemed to be going on for a long time, so we thought maybe they were dispensing with the intermission and doing the entire play to get it finished due to the weather. My wife needed to use the ladies room, but waited as long as she could hoping for intermission, but since it seemed like there would be no intermission, she finally gave up and made her way through the weeds and the dark to use the facilities. Remember, this was outdoors in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere. As it turned out, while my wife was away, the entire cast gathered around and sang a song. The lights were dim (a soft dark blue glow) and while the cast sang, most of them stripped down to nothing! As I said, the lights were dim, but not so much that you couldn’t tell the exact anatomy of each of the cast members. As it turned out, the song ended with the long-anticipated intermission. The cast members grabbed their clothes and ran off down the same weedy path my wife had taken to find the local outdoor facilities. No sooner had they left when she returned by the same path with an odd look on her face. She said it was a good thing she had been using the light on her phone to navigate because she nearly got run over by a group of naked actors running by. We laughed until we had tears in our eyes. I could see the local headlines: Local woman trampled to death by a group of naked actors. Some memories will never be forgotten.

I would be honored if you checked out my Facebook Author Fan Page and all “LIKES” are appreciated. Until next time, my friends, thanks for believing.

Will Write For Food

I have a confession to make.

As I sit down to write this blog I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to say. Nada. So, I’m just going to let my mind roam and see where it leads. This could be a mistake since my thoughts have a tendency to slither and wander through the deepest, darkest crevices of my cerebrum and come up with some of the weirdest crap, I mean ideas, humanly imaginable. To put it bluntly, I don’t think like normal people—that’s why I’m a fantasy writer.

Of course, staring at a blank page is a familiar sight for a writer. You see, every story begins with a blank page. As words create sentences and sentences become paragraphs, pages are formed. Ideas, plots, characters, and worlds take shape and before you know it, you’ve got a story. It may be good or bad, a short story or a full length novel, but it’s a story none the less.

I’ve always enjoyed staring at a blank page. Staring at a blank page reminds me of a book I once read titled: “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert M. Pirsig. I read this book over thirty years ago, so I might be a little fuzzy on the details. As I recall, there was a section in the book where a motorcycle had been completely disassembled until there was nothing left but piles of nuts, bolts, handlebars, and all the other assorted parts. Mr. Pirsig went on to explain how people see things differently. Some would look at this miscellaneous pile of parts and see nothing but scrap, while others would look at this same pile of parts and see a beautiful motorcycle. I think the point of Mr. Pirsig’s example was that some individuals possess the enlightenment to see beyond the obvious and find the potential buried within. One man’s scrap is another man’s motorcycle. That’s how I feel when I stare at a blank page. The page may be blank but the story possibilities are endless. All it takes is assembling a few nuts and bolts…um…words.

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The thought of a blank page made an old grade school joke come to mind. During art class (remember art class? Some of my favorite school memories revolve around art class. We used to come up with some of the craziest ideas. It’s a shame many schools have been forced to drop art from their curriculum. Art is like writing. Both require creativity. Both involve making something from nothing. Whether it’s turning a blank page into the next best-seller or turning a blank canvas into a masterpiece. But I digress.) Oh, yes, back to the grade school joke. One day in art class I handed in a blank page. The teacher took one look at my paper and asked why I’d handed in a blank page. I gave her a puzzled look and said, “What do you mean blank? That’s a picture of a cow eating grass.” The teacher raised a single eyebrow, cleared her throat, and asked in a tone filled with suspicion, “Well, if that’s a picture of a cow eating grass—where’s the grass?” “The cow ate it all,” I said calmly. My art teacher frowned. “Then where is the cow?” I looked her right in the eyes and said, “It went to look for more grass.” Enlightenment. I think Mr. Pirsig would be proud.

I don’t know why, but I woke up this morning feeling pretty good. God has been good to me. He’s blessed me with a wonderful family, a good job, a nice home, a full belly, and at least a small amount of talent. Add in popcorn, beef jerky, and Diet Dr. Pepper and you’ve got the makings of a wonderful world.

Many of you have asked about the second book in the Forgotten Gods trilogy. I’m not going to lie, I should have finished the story by now but life got in the way. Illness, stress, doubts: they’ve all affected my motivation, but I’m putting all of that behind me now. Maybe that’s why I woke up in such a good mood today. Today is the first day of the rest of my writing career. And I plan on making the most of it. I’m working on finishing book two. It’s about 80% finished. Then the editing begins. Ugh! I hope to publish book two in the fall. Unfortunately, writing is not my main job. I have a day job that keeps me busy and pays the bills. That’s probably a good thing or I’d be living under a bridge somewhere holding a sign that read: Will write for food.

Well, I just realized I’m not staring at a blank page anymore. It’s amazing what can happen when I stop thinking and just let my fingers do what comes natural. I hope I brought a smile to your face or at least made you grin. As they say, laughter is the best medicine. Until next time, thanks for believing!

Hope Springs Eternal

Spring is in the air, and I mean that literally. Anyone who lives in the south knows exactly what I’m talking about. Pollen. Pine pollen to be precise. All you have to do is peer out the window and everything looks covered in lime Jello. Not the delicious gelatin made with hot water (though I find the thought amusing) but the powder itself that comes in the box.

Growing up in the Midwest, I’m used to trees that have leaves, not needles and pine cones, but real leaves that eventually turn color in autumn and flutter to the ground leaving bare limbs that stand out in winter like giant plant people from some horror movie directed by Tim Burton.

The other day I happened to catch the local weather. Our pollen count was over 8,000! In case you don’t know, anything above 90 is considered high. I’ve driven through pollen “dust storms” so thick you’d of thought you were traipsing across the Sahara. Fortunately, I’m not one who suffers from hay fever, but there are those around me who snort Benadryl from late February to June, consume more tissues than a stood up bride and stumble around like the Walking Dead viewing the world through red, teary orbs some might call eyes. But that’s not really the side of spring I wanted to talk about.

Spring is also a time of renewal. A rebirth if you will of hope and better things to come. Spring is lovely in the south, at least on the days you can see through the green haze. The Bradford Pear trees bloom so white they make me think of popcorn balls. Our double knockout rose bushes are loaded with buds begging to burst open at a moment’s notice. I think they’re going to be especially nice this year. Carpets of Bermuda grass are greening nicely and I’ve already had to mow my lawn…twice. The Crepe Myrtles have sprouted and the Dogwoods are in full bloom. Add in the colorful azaleas and the long, lavender blooms of wisteria and you’ve got a palette of colors and aromas that only the Supreme Being could have imagined. Now that’s the spring I wanted to talk about.

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I can’t believe it’s spring already. It seems like yesterday that our first Great Granddaughter was born. That was December 10^th. She’ll be 5 months old in a couple of weeks. Sadly, we lost our cat, Ty, last fall. He was 16 and lived a long, happy life. It took a few months for us to heal up, but in mid-January we adopted a new kitten named Truffles. Truffles has been part of our family for 3 months now. We’ve watched him triple in size during that time. Like all kittens, he loves to play and he gets into everything! I think he’s part Maine Coon and part mountain lion. At least HE thinks so as he jumps from couch to couch with the finesse of a circus acrobat.

Time changed. “Spring forward, fall back.” We were invaded by leprechauns, arrow shooting cherubs, and the Easter bunny. We celebrated March 4^th, the only day of the year that is a command. March Madness came and went. We did our spring cleaning and threw out things I’m sure I never knew I owned.

The only thing I didn’t do this spring was meet my second book deadline. I had hoped to release Maiden of Death by mid-spring, but life got in the way. Family medical issues caused me to lose momentum until I gradually came to a stop. The laws of physics say a writer at rest tends to stay at rest. So basically, it’s Sir Isaac Newton’s fault I haven’t finished the story yet. However, I AM back to writing now and by the same token, a writer typing tends to stay typing. So, I’ll forgive Sir Isaac Newton this time and say that I hope to release Maiden of Death, Book 2 of the Forgotten Gods trilogy, later this summer. I’ll have more details as they develop. Needless to say, there will be a contest and other good stuff to kick off the release.

In the meantime, enjoy the spring pollen…um…sunshine and fresh air. Keep reading and support your favorite authors. Until next time, thanks for believing.

THOUGHTS FROM A BIRHTDAY BOY

Today is my birthday. To me it’s just another day, but last night I hosted a party with some friends and family to celebrate. We played games, laughed, and had a wonderful time. We even had ice cream and cake to celebrate the occasion. I’m at the age where you don’t put that many lit candles on a cake for fear of burning down the house. The same age when people start saying, “You’re not getting older, you’re getting better.” Yeah. That age.

Traditionally, on my birthday I like to think back over my life, especially the last year, and think about how blessed I am for making it to another year older. While I may have very well crested the hill, the path before me is still quite long and hopefully it will be many years before I see the end of the trail.

The last year has been full of ups and downs, thankfully more ups than downs. I became a great grandfather for the first time. As my dad always says, “The only problem with being a Great Grandpa is being married to a Great Grandma.” (Sorry, Hon, you know I love you!) My Great Granddaughter, Kodie, is such a delight. I envy her for the wondrous discoveries she will experience long after I’m gone, for time and technology wait for no one. In the meantime, I get to spoil her rotten then send her home to her parents. I celebrated my 32^nd wedding anniversary this year. I got to watch my parents turn another year older and celebrate their 57^th wedding anniversary. I saw a lot of great movies, ate enough popcorn for ten people, dined in some nice restaurants, made some new friends, and sadly, lost a few. We also lost our beloved cat, Ty. He was 16 and lived a long and happy, spoiled life. Once the emptiness of his passing healed, two weeks ago we adopted a new kitten. We call him Truffles, and like all kittens, he is into everything! He already has us wrapped around his tiny paw just the way he wants us.

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I reached a mile marker in book sales this last year. To some, it might not be that impressive, but for a Midwestern boy from a small town, it’s more than I ever thought possible. And I’m not done yet. My second book will publish this spring. I’ve had so many wonderful comments about my first book and I know many of you are anxious for Book 2. My hope is that you’ll find Book 2 worth the wait.

As I continue to reminisce about my life, I’ve discovered three things I’d like to share with you all. 1) No matter how bad life might seem, things could always be worse. 2) What a difference a day can make. Tomorrow, a new day will dawn and with it the hope and promise of better things to come. I’ve been down so low I didn’t know where my next meal would come from, and I’ve bought food for complete strangers. Your whole life can change in the blink of an eye—sometimes for the better or sometimes for the worse. 3) There’s nothing like a good book when you’re feeling sad. We all need to escape at one time or another. What better way than to pick up a book and go to another time and place. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons why I write. If you come to read one of my stories and it makes you smile, then I’ve done my job. If it makes you forget about your problems, if only for a short time, then I’ve earned a far greater reward than any amount of money could ever offer. That’s why I write. That’s why I’ll continue to write.

In closing, I want to share a smile with you. As I write this blog, Truffles is lying on my mouse pad sleeping in the sunshine. He’s worn out from chasing the cursor across the screen and stepping on the keyboard. If this were the old days of quill and ink, my manuscript would be covered in smears and tiny paw prints. And I can’t help but laugh. After all, that’s what life is all about. That’s what growing older does to you. It makes you look for the good in things. I don’t know what the coming year holds in store for me, but I’ll make a deal with you. Good Lord willing, if you meet me here same time next year I’ll tell you all about it.

Lenny Fultz

Lenny Fultz, Young Adult Fantasy Author and Weaver of Tales