Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Long Night - Short Day

Short Day – Long Night, and Our 48^th Anniversary - December 21, the shortest day and longest night of the year. That means days will start getting longer tomorrow and we can start counting down to spring. As gardening is one of my passions, I need only countdown to February 15 when I start planting inside. Today is our anniversary also, and how could it be better, with half of our six grandkids here to celebrate with us.

Winter Sky

Selling Books - On the seventeenth I started a five-day promotion, selling my book of 14 Christmas tales for .99 cents. Results have been mixed, sold very well the first day, not bad on the second, and then back to normal, still fun.  Still, time to get a copy if you are interested just hit this link.

100-year-old house and three or four-year-old buck (my estimate of years) 

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch -  I am still trying to get a bit of writing done, but with shopping, and lots of time with kids and grandkids it will not be much – but I’m not complaining. Love this time of year. I often read sites where writers talk about locking themselves away to make sure they get their work done, even over the holidays. Not me, love to write but, for me, it's family first.

Winter at Laramie Peak

2017 Resolutions - Now as I have mentioned before it is time to get my writing goals for the next year down on paper. For me, it is never too soon to start giving up or cutting back on my yearly resolutions. Especially the loose weight and exercise more ones!

One year ago Guernsey Lake

Merry Christmas everyone!

Santa's Reindeer Getting ready for trip

Christmas Book Now .99 cents

Under Western Skies, now .99 Cents

Great Christmas Reading – and all set out west

Give yourself a Christmas Present and for less than a buck. That’s right for five days, my book of 14 Western Christmas stories – Under Western Skies - is only .99 cents.

14 stories and 144 pages, plus a bonus chapter at the end from my western novel Commitment, 160+ pages in all and that’s a lot of reading for less than a dollar.

If you like Christmas and you like westerns, this is the book for you.

Take a Look

https://www.amazon.com/Under-Western-Skies-Tales-Christmas-ebook/dp/B0181TQH4E/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

The End of the Year - Goals & Selling Books

Remember the old line from Alice in Wonderland, “The hurrier I go the behinder I get?” When I was a kid, more than a half-century ago, I used to see it quite often, I think we had a napkin holder on the kitchen table with that Lewis Carroll quote. Funny, I saw it often but had no idea what it meant.

Goal Setting - It took a lifetime to understand, but now I do, especially this time of year trying to tie up last year and get into a new one. This time of the year I start thinking about setting goals for next year. My first goal will be to work on them, and actually try to reach my goals. Seems to be much better than just surrendering in the middle of the year.  I fell woefully short this year, I wanted to publish three books. I published one and one short story. I wanted to write 300,000 words, watered down from my original goal of 350,000. I wrote just a bit over 200,000.

I wanted to publish a few more of my photos, I didn’t say how many, so I guess that I may have reached this one, as more than a dozen were picked up by various people/companies.

Dollars & Cents - I also wanted to pick up some paid writing, I also made that one. Maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, but my word count needs to improve. Next week I will be posting my new goals which I hope to work harder at this time around.

Yikes, My Neighbor Is A Vampire - I have, at last, finished the third of my kid’s book series, all I need now is a cover. I am pretty happy with this one, should be fun for 6-11-year-olds. What follows is a cut from page six of the first chapter with the 11-year old me narrating.

I grabbed my winter coat from the peg by the door, scooped up a pair of gloves, and my favorite stocking hat, pulled them all on, and headed outside. This time, I was careful to push it shut tight, I had been reminded enough times the past few weeks. I jogged along the first twenty or so yards, then took a full run and slide on the ice in front of Mike’s house. We were still in trouble for getting out the garden hose and building our little ice rink, but it sure was fun. Maybe leaving the hose out all night and then breaking it, several times, the next morning is what got us into trouble. That must be it because everyone loves a good slide on the ice.

The book, like all my kid's books, runs between 11,000 and 12,000 words. Should be fun.

Selling Books - I mentioned on my Wyoming Blog a couple of days ago how happy I was to see the reception and sales for my latest book, Ghost of the Fawn, it has consistently sold in both eBook and softcover and stayed in the top 100, in its category, on Amazon for several weeks. Gratifying to say the least – oh, how I love readers.

In a few days, my book of Western Christmas stories will be reduced to .99 cents for five days, I will let everyone know when the sale goes live.

Today's photos all taken in the last few days – it's winter outside.

 Keep on Reading and Keep on Writing 

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Put Me In The Book and I Will Keep Reading

“Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen.” Louis L’Amour

Speaking of things I have seen - watched this doe and twins today as we headed out Eagle watching

I have always liked that quote. I guess because it can be taken so many different ways. Until a few years ago I had only read one L’Amour book then I read his, Education of a Wandering Man, and I was hooked. The next year I read twenty or so of his books. Some I liked, some not so much. But he was pretty good at putting the reader inside the book through his description of place.

Seems as I get older I want to slow down and take a look around. I like it when stories do that. I don’t need a description of everyone's clothes, looks, or everything they ate, but I need to feel like I am inside the pages of the book. It seems like each month I will start 10 or so books and finish half that at best. The one thing I find in common with the ones I finish is that I can feel part of it.

 I have been a long time fan of western writers, Tony Hillerman, Elmer Kelton, and Richard S. Wheeler. In the past few years, I have added Lee Child, C. J. Box and Craig Johnson to my list of writers I cannot wait for their next book. I read many other writers as I continue my quest to find more writers that make me feel like I am a character in their story.

Today's photos I snapped late this morning. The last days of November and early December is a great time of the year for eagle watching. They are very wary creatures and require a lot of patience to take a few decent photos. But, because I do not travel too many miles, instead I take my time and stop to look around, I often get lucky. Thankfully I have a patient wife who is willing to go as slow as I am.

Mom showing the little ones how to hunt or maybe fish

Meanwhile keep on reading and keep on writing. 

Help For Writers and Other Fairy Tales

Help for Writers - Seems to me that more and more websites and blogs are tossing around books I classify as, writer helpers. Kind of like hamburger helper but for writers. When I see a new add for plotting, finishing, starting, editing, character development or one of many other writers helps, I look them up. Not what they are offering but them, what have they written and did it sell, often not, or not so much. Makes me think there may be more money in writing books helping others to write books than there is in any other genre. Just an observation.

Dusting off an old book - Years ago I started writing a book on failing in small business. It was a tongue in cheek look at how difficult it is to be one of the lucky ones that work on to make money in a small business. Think I might drag it out, it was fun. But don’t expect me ever to come out with a book on writing, well maybe, if I sell a few million, which seems unlikely. Several years ago vanity presses were all the rage, pay upfront and got your book published. Today buy the book and self-publish, at least the new way is easier. In all likelihood, few books will be sold, but at least by self-publishing, the writer will not finish in the hole.

First Snow of the Year

NANO Writers - As so many writers plug away trying to get sixteen hundred words a day in a quest to reach 50,000 words during November, the National Write a Novel Month, I have been taking it easy.  I could blame my lack of production on hand pain, and swelling brought on by arthritis, but it’s getting better, and I can type again. I don’t believe I have ever written much more than 30,000 words in any given month, guess that is good for me. Each year I think about attempting NANO, but each year I pass. Considering I was out of state the first week of the month and spend three days last week at a school board convention guess November is a bad month for me, writing production wise. Hey, maybe next year.

Too Much Hiking and Not Enough Writing - but that will end when the cold sets in

Progress Report – The books I had hoped to have ready for Christmas are going nowhere, I have done a bit of work on two of them but now hoping for February. Lazy strikes again, I guess.

Christmas Stories – I am considering some type of promotion for my book of western Christmas stories. Take a look here and read the first one, or most of it at least for free. The book, Under Western Skies, sold well last year and I hope to find some new readers this holiday season. 

Meanwhile, put your feet up grab a hot cup of cocoa and read or write a good book. 

Back In The Saddle Again

The End of a Vacation - After a bit over two weeks on the road, we are home. Vacations are always great, and then it is wonderful to be back home. Meanwhile, my writing has been nearly nonexistent. Over the 15 days we were away, I tweeted twice, posted no blogs and wrote only about 1,200 words – not much. The good news is we had fun, a most enjoyable trip. Today's photos are all from our time in Dodge City Kansas where we spent an enjoyable day.

 Part of the Original Boot Hill

Old Town Recreation in Dodge City

A Month of Writing - Last month I wrote a few words less than 10,000 words, even short for me during my slacker writing times. Now here I sit writing my first words in November and it is the 11^th.  Seems time to get started. Recently I read that 70% of published books lose money and that cover designers and editors often are the only one’s to profit from a majority of self-published books – something to think about. I have been able to make a profit, albeit a small one on each of my books. To do this, I limit my expenses. Not preaching to the choir just reminding everyone that spending thousands on a book that will be self-published might not be the best idea.

Watching Gunsmoke on 60+ Year Old TV in the Museum at Dodge City
I  kept my feet off the table, just liked the cool effect. I find it funny.  

NANO Writers - Many years I have thought about joining the NANO writers in trying to write a 50,000-word novel in a month. Guess that is not me, can't or won't push myself that hard. A good month of writing for me seems to be around 20,000 words, but most months fall in the ten or twelve thousand area. Maybe some day.

Thought this old time printing operation fit here nicely.

Works In Progress – My biggest writing problem seems to be that I have too many stories and not enough time. When I complete the first draft, I put it away and often write another novel and several short stories before I go back to finish the first novel. As all of my loyal readers know I have three books completed and in various states of edit and completion. What do I do, you guessed it, start another. Glad novels and short stories are only part, and not my entire writing income.

Black Smith Shop

Keep on reading and keep on writing.

A few days after leaving Dodge City we were in Louisiana

Oh – almost forgot, while away on vacation I was elected to the local school board. Looking forward to serving.