It came from out of nowhere

In case you missed it: Here is my Sunday column about meeting author Kathy L. Patrick, Pulpwood Queen and "hairdresser to the authors."

So I got a call this a.m. from Kathie Bennett, KLP's publicist, who wants to work with me on literary projects. We discussed some possibilities, including a rewrite of Century that might make it more marketable to a wider audience; marketing the current version harder (though that's probably a losing proposition as most book events only want to host someone with a book that was released in the past 365 days); packaging a new collection of columns; lining me up for writer conferences and selling my books secondary to that; and/or pushing my newer unpublished manuscripts instead.

We'll be thinking. If you have suggestions, drop'em in comments.

Meanwhile, my friend River Jordan has asked me (among many others) to participate in a 30-day experiment in "Praying for Strangers." You can read more about it on her blog. I'll let you know how it goes. AND you could get involved too. Share your stories here and I'll forward them to River.

Peace.

Promises Kept, if Overdue

In recent weeks , I have made promises that I have failed to keep to you, my unknown and perhaps imaginary readers. I will try today to remedy that oversight.

Wednesday, March 17, I promised to tell you more about DC Showcase Presents "House of Secrets" by various writers and artists, and the Showcase collection of "The Warlord" series by Mike Grell. The quick version:

I skipped most of the "Secrets" because every single 4- or 8-page tale was a "twist" ending that either made no sense or you saw coming from a mile off. Those get tiring very quickly. However, there were a few gems, and if you like that sort of thing then this would be the sort of thing you'd like.

As for "Warlord," it's the sort of thing I like: sword & sorcery-meets-high tech, with a test pilot crashing through a hole at the northpole into the hollow earth to become the legendary Warlord. Awesome storytelling, humor, tragedy, adventure. It's the pick of the two.

Also on this date I teased you that I had just watched "The Time Traveler's Wife" on DVD. I loved the book (I'm a sucker for stories that thoughtfully use time travel). The movie touched me too. There were significant differences between the two, however. I would advise you to read the book first and just let the movie carry you along on its alternate universe plot.

Author Audrey Niffenegger has constructed a confounding non-linear novel told from various points of view that eventually ties together its disparate threads into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

NEXT EVENT:
Going to Century, Florida, to celebrate Sawmill Day and meet & greet folks, and sell books (if at all possible) on Saturday, April 24. Find me in the historic district, where I will also be collecting photos and video for a book trailer to promote "Welcome to the Dawning of a New Century."

Peace.

Photos from the Passing Days

Where have I been? There and back again.

Spent an evening last Tuesday listening to Kathy Patrick tell her story at the Bay County Library, then attended a cocktail party at the home of former Panama City Mayor Gerry Clemons in her honor the next evening. Photos:

Kathy Patrick, Linda Macbeth, Debra Simmons, Tony Simmons, and Michael Lister

on the balcony overlooking St. Andrew Bay at sunset.

Bettina Meade from the Library, Kathy Patrick and me outside the Library.

Friday, I attended the opening night of Gulf Coast Community College's spring musical, "Guys & Dolls," and worked the Joy Boots booth with Marisa's dad, Charles. We were joined for part of the evening by Berkely Reeves, Debra and Jessica. Photos:

The cast and crew of Guys and Dolls meet the audience after the show.

Center of attention is Kayla Dibble, who portrayed Adelaide.

Charles and Berkely doing the good work.

Saturday, I found a treasure or two at the Lynn Haven Good Will store, the best being a copy of "X-Men" No. 29 from February 1967 in very good condition, bagged and boarded. It's the pick of the week:

And finally, my friend Brady loaned me a copy of Warren Ellis' "Frankenstein's Womb," which reads like a literary novella, intertwining Mary Wolstoncraft's life and writings with those of her lover and later husband Percy Shelley and Lord Byron, as well as historic records and the works of Mary's parents. Mary finds herself guided through the past and future by the spirit of the Creature, her brainchild, who shows her how her life and imagination brought forth a future of towering skyscrapers and hospitals where the dead are regularly revived by contained bolts of lightning.

A great piece of work, brilliantly written by a master of the comic form and illustrated in moody black and white. It's Today's Pick.

And then...

Today, Michael delivered his newest novel to me in hardback. I already have read the advanced proof, and I've interviewed him for a story about it in this week's Entertainer (I'll link to it later this week). But he wanted me to have it in hardback, which I greatly appreciate, and he wrote a gracious note in the front. Be looking for Thunder Beach soon.

All for now. Peace.

The Book of Gabriel

Last night I finished a long-term writing project to transform "The Traveler," a serialized tale I originally wrote for the "366 Days" project, into a novel that I'm calling "The Book of Gabriel." Admittedly, it is a short novel.

The challenge was to smooth the transitions between the chapters, which were often written days or weeks apart and sometimes had contradictory or redundant information in them. (Each chapter posted was a first draft, per the rules of the original project.)

This afternoon, I plan to print the thing out and get it in the mail for what no doubt will be only the first of many submissions to publishers. Wish me luck.

If you read the Traveler tales, you'll know that luck is something I will definitely need.

Peace.

Agnostics of the World

These folks are open to the concept of healthcare, but aren't sure if they believe in it:

(Sometimes messages can be found even when some of the lights are out.)

Anyway, a couple of links for you today:

>>My Sunday column about the closing of one of my favorite bookstores.

>>A rewritten version of two stories I did some years ago after interviewing Majel Barrett Roddenberry.

>>A rewritten/updated version of an interview I did with Babylon 5 actor Peter Jurasik some years back.

>>My blog today that got at least two people riled up (one of them being me).

And a reminder that I will be in Century on Saturday, April 24, to sign and sell my books, including in the now-in-trade-paperback version of "Welcome to the Dawning of a New Century."

Peace.

No Joke: Save 10 Percent if you buy 'Century' today

My novel, "Welcome to the Dawning of a New Century," was recently reformatted as a trade paperback, and you can get a copy (or many more!) at 10-percent off today only by buying directly from the printer.

Go here and use the code APRILFOOLS at checkout.