Writing Update - May 2020

Here we are, almost through May, and for most of us, nothing has changed. We all look forward to a more normal life sometime soon, and I am sure it will eventually get here. 

Wyoming's Snowy Range last weekend.

So What Have I Been Doing?  Some wiring, a bit of hiking, lots of gardening, and quite a bit of reading.

Writing - I have completed everything for my latest non-fiction books. What does that mean? I have the back matter completed (stuff on the back cover), and I have a cover. Release date - still not sure, but sometime in the next 60, or so, days.

The Next Blade Holmes Novel - Nothing for sure yet as my work production is slow, but it looks like I can make it (Book 3) by September 1. Fingers crossed!

Book 5 of My Kids Chapter Book Series - Hoping before Christmas. 

Wyoming State Bird in Guernsey State Park

Anything Else? I am doing a bit of work on a mystery I started seven or eight years ago. This one is fun, it combines two of my passions, a good murder mystery, and golf. It will be fun if I ever complete it. 

Osprey looking for dinner in the North Plate River

Writing & Editing

This is a short week for most American’s – When I was a teacher I always liked Thanksgiving break. It was long enough for me to relax but short enough for the kids not to forget too much before coming back.

Writing can be hard work – Today, I am cleaning up some computer files, as in, changing names so that I actually know what each one is. What a mess.

Selling Books – I went through a downtime a couple of weeks ago but now, for unknown reasons, I am again selling quite a few books and my KDP pages read is also back up.

From the Old West – An old-timer is someone who has had a lot of interesting experiences – some of them true.

What I Am Working On – Most of my week has been spent being lazy. The working part of my week (not nearly enough hours) I have been editing (still) my kid's chapter book. I am also spending time reworking the opening of the third of my Blade Holmes western mysteries.

I have great hopes that I will someday get back to a normal writing routine.

“Maybe – someday,” he says, fading away.

 Photo of the Week – 

As always, you can find all my books here on Amazon

 Or

Follow me here on twitter at @wyohistoryguy

Keep on Reading and keep on Writing

& 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I Write What I Feel

I Write What I Feel

So many times writers are told to pick a genre and stick with it. Pretty good advice, but I never follow it. Why, because I write what I feel, as my mood or life changes, my writing seems to change with it. Not a great way to get rich writing, but a nice way to keep my sanity, or what I have left of it.

I have published three non-fiction books, one a serious look at the Civilian Conservation Corps and the building of Wyoming’s beautiful Guernsey State Park, the other two are more of what I call, just for fun.  I am in the process – likely before Thanksgiving, of publishing my fourth in the - Mike and Moose and Me, series of kids chapter books.

When I am in the mood to write something longer, or more serious I write western mysteries, I have two Blade Holmes books, my best selling books, and a stand-alone novel set in central Wyoming that revolves around an ancient people’s mystery, and a modern-day murder. I also just published, only the eBook is available so far, the second of two collections of Christmas short stories.

There you have it – my eclectic writing collection.

From the Old West – Lonesome creates diseases that friendship cures.

What Am I Working On? – Nothing the next eight or nine days – we are heading on our annual trek to Branson, Missouri. That means I may miss a post or two, but I will be back, rested and ready.

 Photo of the Week –

Nice looking young couple

As always, you can find all my books here on Amazon

 Or

Follow me here on twitter at @wyohistoryguy

 

What a history and story this place must have

Keep on Reading and keep on Writing

Don’t forget - next weekend we get an hour back as Daylight Savings fades away for another year.

Best Selling November

It’s almost the end of another month, not sure I am looking forward to cold weather, but with December, we know it is coming. I can still remember as a kid what fun it was to play in the snow. We skated, sledded, played our own version of hockey, fox and goose, snow forts and so much more. Now, I stay inside mostly. 

No snow here yet, but like a movie promo - It's coming soon

Remembering back - That's why I am still working on the fourth of my Mike and Moose and Me, series. Books for kids and about kids growing up. I have been pleasantly surprised to have found an older readership for this series also. Seems that lots of people who grew up in the 50s, 60s, and 70s have found a kinship for these books.

Winter - The third book was set in the winter, and I wrote it in the winter, remembering the fun those times were. The others in the series are set in the summer, the best time, out of school time.

Dinner time

Free Read - Take a look and read a free sample from the first of my three kids, Mike and Moose and Me, books HERE.

For a peek at all of my work CLICK HERE to go to my Amazon Author Site.

Meanwhile - Yesterday was a picture perfect day in our little part of Wyoming

Book Sales - Thanks, for making November my best month ever! It is both fun and rewarding to watch my sales continue on an upward trend.

Keep on reading and keep on writing.

Still Working and Enjoying the Fantastic Fall Weather

Spoke at a very nice Rotary Club luncheon today in Cheyenne. Gave me a chance to talk about my Civilian Conservation Corps book and tell a few stories about Guernsey State Park. Great crowd and I sold a few books too.

In other news, I have finished the re-write of my historical western, Commitment.

Is available now as an Ebook and should go live as a book Friday. Pretty excited as this was a long project, glad to see it over and the book, well the book, is a really good read, even if I am a bit prejudiced.

I still plan to have my western shorts  collection of Christmas stories out by the first week in November, and I have a title - Under Western Skies - 12 Tales of Christmas.

Also hard at work on the third of my Mike and Moose and Me chapter book,

and researching my next non-fiction. Life is good when you keep working, but not too much. I accompany my wife for a nice hike in the park several times a week. Walking in the park is great exercise and most therapeutic.

Taking a break hiking a CCC trail in Guernsey State park a few days ago

Crazy .99 Ghost Book - Now That's a Good Deal

I now have one of my kids chapter books up for .99 cents on
Kindle. The book, Melvin the E Street Ghost, is the first of a series that will run to five or six books, two are for sale here now.

For those of you who have been with me for a few years you already know I write historicals and for kids. Well, This one could be a bit of each. It is the story of three buddies bumbling their way through a  wonderful summer  in the 1950s. Melvin the ghost, real or not, becomes the central figure in this fun and adventuresome read. Loosly based on some of the crazy stuff kids, including myself, did back before the days of video games and too much TV.

See all four of my books here.