Month: January 2017

Sorry for not posting this last night, but working twelve hours on your day off doesn’t really get the creative juices flowing. Especially when those twelve hours involve sitting in front of a computer screen. Had to give my eyes a rest. However, I hope you enjoy this post.

I looked on Flickr this afternoon and found a perfect photo of a house of one of my characters. Unfortunately, the photo is copyrighted so I couldn’t use it. However, this one below is not.

This is from Houston in 1890. Think of the stories this building holds. Such beauty and grandeur. Unlike today’s hotels which are fairly square buildings, this hotel has character. At least I believe it is a hotel. In fact, it could be a character in your story. Who knows, I may use it one day for a story myself. In fact, maybe a good writing prompt would be to create a story for this hotel. Then write the same story but use a modern hotel in your hometown instead of this fine specimen. How does your story change?
History doesn’t write itself, but what a wonderful story this hotel has. It has to be told.

 

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what I’m reading. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read. I’ve reached chapter three of  Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by St. Pope John Paul II. 46 more pages to go. Should be able to finish up this week. I’ve previous read Theology of the Body Explained by Christopher West, but now I get to experience the actual words of the great Pope. I encourage you to read a variety of topics.

A historical day in the US as we inaugurated our 45^th president. I watched the ceremony, and it is unique. Every four years a peaceful transition of power in one of the most powerful nations on the planet. Although history happens every day, it doesn’t write itself.

In my forthcoming book, I reflect briefly on the Kennedy assassination. It was a sad day in America. My characters explored how his death affected the average working person, who just happens to visit a bordello on a regular basis. This may be a bit of a stretch, but it could be like visiting Walt Disney World on the day of his funeral. Probably not the same level of happiness as the day the park opened. My characters experienced death, unplanned pregnancies, and racial issues with a bit of humor thrown in. I pray you’re eagerly awaiting to read in May 2018 the answers to all these mysteries I’m posting.

There’s more to say about today’s happenings. I’m content to leave things as they currently are. Let those who want to talk, talk. Let those who want to protest, protest peacefully. And let those who want to pray for the fastest four years ever to pass, pray. Wherever you fall, respect the difference of opinions. Be supportive of your opponent, like Hillary Clinton was today. America will change in the next four years. Whether for the good or bad, we don’t know. But one-day it will be recorded that the presidency of Donald J. Trump did __________.  After all, history doesn’t write itself.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what I’m reading. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read. I’m up to Purity as “Sacrament and Mystery,” section 2 of chapter 1 of part 2 of  Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by St. Pope John Paul II. 171 more pages to go. I’ll be reading this probably for the next month. I’ve previous read Theology of the Body Explained by Christopher West, but now I get to experience the actual words of the great Pope. I encourage you to read a variety of topics.

On a cold winter night, writers huddle by the glow of their screen, tapping out their masterpieces in fingerless gloves with a cup of coffee steaming nearby. Some do, at least. Others venture further south and sit on their ocean facing balcony and create by starlight. Tonight, I’m in the former group, sans coffee.

The next character I want to introduce you to is Ariel. I mentioned her earlier in my “The Sky’s the Limit” post. She is one of the soiled swamp doves working for Eustace at his shotgun house of ill repute. Even if he does claim it has a good reputation of being clean. Ariel is ten years older than Bill, my main character, and smokes. Bill tells Ariel how things are going with his girlfriend, Anne Marie Laveau. She offers some advice to him, but what she prefers is to work for Bill instead of his foul-mouth uncle.

After World War II, Ariel meets up with Bill in Amsterdam, and they run a successful adult entertainment club. They stay in Amsterdam until the summer of 1950. During their time together, Ariel manipulates Bill into getting what she wants. She’s very good at it. I hope she comes across that way when you read the book, which comes out in May 2018.

I truly enjoyed my time with Ariel. She pushes Bill to where he needs to be to do what he needs to do. She loves Bill, but it is her nature to stack the deck in her favor. There may be other Ariel’s out there, but I was lucky to get this one. After all, history doesn’t write itself.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what I’m reading. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read. I’m up to Purity as “Life According to the Spirit,” section 6 of chapter 2 of part 1 of  Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by St. Pope John Paul II. 329 more pages to go. I’ll be reading this probably for the next two months. I’ve previous read Theology of the Body Explained by Christopher West, but now I get to experience the actual words of the great Pope. I encourage you to read a variety of topics.