Three Months Since My Last Blog

Mt. Olive Cemetery, Coffee County, AL. 2024

First, I would like to thank everyone who took advantage of the January book promotion. I set some personal records on that one. Also, thank you to everyone who left a review or rating in the weeks that followed. A special "thank you" goes out to readers in the UK, especially those who left ratings & reviews. Proportionally, my novels have always performed far better across the pond than they have here.  Since the year began, my novels have enjoyed a slight uptick in sales and some good ratings and even a review or two. It's heartening. Of that note, I have a favor to ask. My novel Black Sea Gods currently has 98 ratings on Goodreads. If you read the novel and enjoyed it (which might be why you're here) but have not rated or reviewed it, could you please go to the Goodreads page and leave a rating or review. If you're feeling exceptionally generous, a rating or review on Amazon US or Amazon UK helps tremendously with the algorithm, which in turn increases book visibility and furthers sales. 

Yes, its been three months since I blogged. When time gets crunched, blogging always suffers. In fact, everything except work , family, and much-needed home projects, has suffered recently, that includes photography and writing. Priorities have to be priorities. I hope to turn that around. Actually, it's already turning around.  Since December, I've added about 10000 words to the final installment of the Chronicles of Fu Xi. I know it's not a lot, but the project is still moving forward.  I've also reengaged in my photography.  What I really want to do more than anything is finish the last novel in my series. I'm not sure that will happen unless I can get away for a while. 

In years previous, I would escape to the North Georgia mountains for a week every autumn to write. That didn't happen this year. I didn't realize just how important that writer's retreat was to successfully completing The Bastard Gods. Looking back, I realize a significant portion of Black Sea Gods and Tears of the Dead were written at my old hunting club. I never was able to shoot a deer there, but I did a lot of writing in an old camper trailer into the wee hours of the morning.  Its starting to dawn on me that if I want to finish this novel, I need to get away again. 

​I'm not sure that's going to happen any time soon. All that really matters is the here and now. Things are good here in the Redneck Shire and for that I am thankful. Deeply thankful. The older I get the more thankful I get. Gratitude centers me.  Time is short, and life is precious. It's meant to be spent with those we love, in places we love, doing the things we love. That's it. Nothing is more precious than time and love. 

Until next time. Thanks for stopping by.