Doodles

Posted by on May 15, 2014 in Fun Stuff | 5 comments

With the release of The Blood Alchemist fast approaching (only two days to go!), I thought I’d share a few doodles from my sketch book.  I’m not much of an artist, but sometimes I do some sketches to get the creative juices flowing.  When I admitted as much to my Twitter buddy Jenn (who’s an awesome artist–check out her stuff!), she encouraged me to share.  So, here we go.  Yet another glimpse into my mind.  (Scary place, I know.  :P) These three sketches are scenes you might recognize from the three chapters I posted earlier in the week. This final sketch is from a scene a bit later in the book.  The images are a little on the small side here, but if you click on them, you can check them out in all their sloppy glory. And no, I haven’t had a single art class.  (Astonishing, huh?) But I do enjoy drawing.  There’s a certain satisfaction to getting close to capturing on paper what I see in my head.  I just wish I could draw people.  🙂 Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you found my doodles entertaining.  Be on the look out for The Blood Alchemist this Friday! Now back to work on the next...

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The Blood Alchemist – Cover Reveal and Release Date

Posted by on May 10, 2014 in My Books | 7 comments

Update!  I’ve added a blurb and the first three chapters of The Blood Alchemist here.  Just scroll down to read the blurb, then click the link for the excerpt. I’ve got a cover and a release date for the next book in my Final Formula Series!  The Blood Alchemist (aka FF2) is a full length novel told from Addie’s POV.  It takes place just six weeks after The Final Formula ended. In case you missed them, there are some snippets over on my Facebook page.  This is my favorite place to add snippets while working on a new project, so be sure to like my page if you want to be notified of new additions. For blurbs, excerpts, and retailer links on the previous books in the series, just click on my BOOKS tab above. Release date: Friday, May 16, 2014....

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Novella Cover Reveal

Posted by on Feb 16, 2014 in My Books | 1 comment

New addition to the Final Formula Series! Update!  The Element of Death is available everywhere ebooks are sold–or it will be shortly.  Some sites are a little slower than others, so keep checking.  If you’d like to read an excerpt, visit my books page. The Element of Death is a short novella told from James’s point of view that fills a gap of time within the first novel, The Final Formula. This story is more of a buddy flick between the guys, and offers some insight into how they became friends. Addie and her sharp tongue will return in the (as yet untitled) second novel, due to release later this spring.  From time to time, I share snippets from that one on my Facebook page. The stories in my Final Formula Series are intended to be read in order.  If you haven’t had a chance to check out The Final Formula, read the first three chapters here.  Or pick up a copy anywhere ebooks are sold.  It’s only $0.99!...

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The Rock Cycle – A Story

Posted by on Jan 31, 2014 in Fun Stuff | 32 comments

I mentioned on Twitter a few weeks ago that my son had written a story for his sixth grade science class.  The assignment was to write a narrative and do character sketches to illustrate the rock cycle.  You know, when an igneous rock becomes a sedimentary rock, etc.  Some readers expressed an interest in seeing his story, so here it is. This tale is my son’s, but I might have helped with sentence structure and punctuation. 😉  Also, if you enjoyed the story, please leave a comment.  He’ll be thrilled. (The picture of “Maggie” was done by my daughter.  Both kids really got into this assignment.  We had a blast!) The Rock Cycle Iggy Obsidian was president of the Extrusive Igneous Rock Club. He’d been president for tens of thousands of years, and to be honest, he was tired of it. His fellow rock club members were so smooth and polished. Never a mineral out of place. They sat on their mountain and watched the world change around them. “I’m bored,” Iggy complained to Grandpa Granite one day. Grandpa Grant was president of the Intrusive Igneous Rock Club. He’d been around so long that he now lived on the surface instead of where he was born inside the mountain. “You need to go on a rock cycle,” Grandpa Grant said. “What’s a rock cycle?” Iggy asked. “It’s like a tour of the rock world. You see how the other rocks live.” “Sound like fun!” “Start at Cousin Bobby Sandstone’s. He runs the Country Brothers’ Sedimentary Rock Spa.” So Iggy went to visit Cousin Bobby. “Hi, Cousin Bobby. I want to see how sedimentary rocks live.” “It’s all about spa treatment, little bro. Erosion, deposition, compaction and cementation.” “Sounds complicated.” “Not at all, little bro.” So Iggy hung out at the spa for tens of thousands of years. His hard edges wore away and he relaxed in the riverbed, his minerals settling into layers. It was relaxing, but nothing ever happened. “I’m bored,” Iggy complained. “Have you tried the glacier rub?” Cousin Bobby asked. “It’s a great way to chill, little bro.” “I’m tired of just laying around. I want change.” “Change?” a new voice...

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Zombie Girl

Posted by on Nov 1, 2013 in Writing | 4 comments

Contrary to common belief, I don’t like zombies.  Really.  I mean, what’s to like?  They’re mindless, rotting hunks of nastiness.  But if you throw a few in your novel, or sit up all night slaying them on the Xbox, suddenly everyone thinks you like them. I blame my son. From a young age, the boy has always gravitated toward the spooky and the creepy.  I can’t fault him there; I enjoy those things myself.  But he takes it a step further into the gross.  (Judging by the interests of his friends, I suspect it’s a boy thing.) It’s his fault I ended up an Xbox addict.  When he bought a copy of Left For Dead, I had to do the parental guidance thing and play along.  (I guided him to the safe house and he kept the zombies off my back.)  After that, we moved on to Call of Duty Zombies, then Dead Island.  We’ve even played the zombie modes on games such as Red Dead Redemption and Borderlands.  If the undead ever shuffle our way, the boy and I are ready! So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that zombies ended up in my story.  They were just what I was looking for.  Not only are they nasty, but dead things creep me out.  Perfect, right?  Story wise, sure.  In real life?  Well, I do seem to get quite a lot of zombie-themed goodies from friends and family.  (Now I’m glad I didn’t go with spiders. *shiver*) In the end, I’m left laughing at the irony.  But I have no regrets—it’s not everyday a 12-year-old boy brags to his buddies that his mom just had the most kills.  Speaking of…anyone up for game?  I haven’t played in awhile, so I’m a little rusty.  I might need you to watch my...

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