"I knew the histories well enough to know that folks who pounded desks and yelled “Unity” a lot usually just wanted everyone else to shut up and do what they were told." - A Kiss for Damocles, from chapter 18, by Kenton Pierce.

I just finished reading that Prometheus Award winning book today. You can find it here. You might like it.

I just started Rick Cutler's Colt Ostergaard. If you've read about my experience at Writers Cantina this year, you know why I picked it up. Besides, he gave me an autographed book mark.

I did get my short story submitted for an upcoming anthology, and I'm on chapter 18 of book 3 of my boys' adventure series. I also got a text today from a fan who's "impatiently waiting" for book 2 Accidental Wizard, which is scheduled for release in September. Here's an AI sketch of one of the characters the boys meet in that story.

Here's another scene:

I've tremendously enjoyed reviewing this story as it gets closer to publication. I'm looking forward to seeing what Raconteur Press comes up with for a cover. The great clash of arms, armies, and magic near the end would make a fabulous cover, but I'm afraid it would give away too much. Nevertheless, here's a little taste:

In the meantime, I'm savoring the creation of book 3.

In my area, the world is in flames. There's a big fire near the place I went hiking last week with my wife. There's another fire or two in the area and fire encroaches on my old place across the state. A few days ago, the morning was so smoky that I thought for a moment that it was overcast and foggy until I smelled the air. I think fire rages in every surrounding state as well.

In music, I rediscovered L'Arlesienne Suite no.1 by George Bizet. I don't know if we played this in band in high school or if I had it on a cassette. I think I prefer the rendition on my Big French Music Box album (digital) to this performance. It's possible that I came across it in my advanced French class where we had to learn about the French writers, painters, sculptors and composers. The only composer I actually remembered from that class was Claude Debussy. I don't think that's where I first heard it. Had to be band or a personal cassette.

Since I've started reading Colt Ostergaard, a space western, let me say a few words about Victor McBride, the hero of my westerns Justice in Season and Justice Resurgent. He was the first character I created for a novel that I actually completed. I started writing the first book about 2002, although it was another ten years before I published it. He's based on a historical character who became governor of Idaho. The fictional character came to Idaho to escape a difficult past, but events forced him to take a leadership role for justice in leading vigilantes against bandits, thieves, and corruption. Readers I know have told me how much they like the character. He does make a great speech or two along the way, but he tends to be result oriented, without the impetuousness of Shorty (every western must have a character named Shorty; Slim is optional) or the philosophical and poetic nature of his friend Vaughn. If I remember correctly, Vaughn dismisses any criticism of his poetry with the remark that one must create a lot of tailings to get to the gold. Anyway, if you like the western setting with horses, saloons, saloon girls, miners, cowboys, crooks, and gun play, you'll want to check it out. I remind you that all my novels are currently available on knp.

For my California friends: