Norway is incredibly beautiful.  We had a wonderful time on our vacation, but of course are glad to be home.  The picture above is one of over a hundred, this one was taken in Olden, a beautiful village of about 300 or so people.  We were privileged to visit Olden, Skjolden, Molde, Alesund, Bergen, Geiranger, and Stavenger.  Each stop was an absolute wonder of beautiful scenery and wonderful people.

DOG ISLAND continues to do well, thanks to all of you.  It would be great to see a few more reviews, so if you feel so inclined, stop by either Amazon or Barnes and Noble and post your review.  And the blog has now exceeded 1000 visitors, but no one offered a comment.  Don't be shy, let me know you have stopped by.

Coming soon to a bookstore near you

What's in the hopper

Working on two manuscripts, they're both coming along nicely. The first is a follow-up to DOG ISLAND. It picks up the unresolved conflict, and carries the story into another arena. It is way too early to let you in on any details, but the working title is DEAD MAN'S KEY. That title may not stick, but it's okay for now.

The second is a Southern Gothic, titled IT WAS AUGUST. Inspired by a short story I wrote and got published in WORDSMITH, the Tampa Writers' Alliance annual anthology, it expands the story and delves a little deeper into the psychological pathology of a killer's mind and the people who refuse to believe he could kill.

Another story line is running through my brain, screaming for attention. This one will be more or less true, and could be the most powerful of all. But it will have to wait until I finish the other two.

What's coming out of your word processor? Do tell!

Dog Island - A great place to get away from it all until it all comes looking for you.

For me, writing is an obsession.  My job requires occasional travel, so a lot of writing happens on airplanes, which incidentally is a great place to cultivate fans.  Unless the seat next to you is empty, your neighbor's eyes inevitably travel to your computer screen.  Then they get hooked.  When I mention I'm a writer, the first question they ask is "What are you working on," followed by, "what's it about?"

To answer both questions, my current project is honing DOG ISLAND, a mystery/thriller novel.

It starts on Dog Island, which is a real place off the Florida Panhandle town of Carabelle.  Dog Island's west end is developed with some pretty expensive vacation houses.  The east end is nearly deserted, with only three homes sharing a mile or more of unspoiled beach.

One of those homes is owned by Cornelius "Corney" Graham, the story's main character.  His wife, unable to adapt to Dog Island's isolated life style, leaves him.  Corney wanders to the beach where he sits alone, feeling sorry for himself.  Then the sound of a boat engine catches his attention.

The engine noise grows steadily louder, but Corney can't spot the boat in the darkness.  Without warning, the boat runs straight into the beach where Corney is sitting.  The pilot of the boat is dead.  Lisa Cataldo, the boat's lone passenger, is wounded.  Unable to call for help, Corney treats Lisa's wounds.

With Lisa tended to, Corney searches the boat.  Aboard is a cargo of cocaine and a large stash of cash.

What would you do in this situation?  Corney's choices, for good or ill, form the basis of DOG ISLAND. 

Introductions

A little about me.  First, I'm not one who opens up a lot, so this is a growth experience for me. 

For starters, I am a veteran of the US Army - Vietnam Era.  Didn't spend any time in 'Nam, the Army saw fit to send me to Europe - the Netherlands to be specific.  In retrospect, that was one of the formative experiences of my life.

Married my high school sweetheart in 1972.  She's still my high school sweetheart, and still my wife.  We have two beautiful daughters.  The oldest is in PR, the youngest is married and teaches second grade in a nearby school along with her husband.

I have a terrific job, and work with wonderful people.  But this blog isn't about my job, it's about my passion for writing.

I've written two novels, as yet unpublished, and am working on a third (and a fourth and a fifth).  I also am one of the poetry editors for Conclave: A Journal of Character.  We published two editions, both available on Amazon, but am afraid there may not be a third.  Readership hasn't been what we've hoped.

My first novel took first place in the Florida Writers Association's Royal Palm Literary Award competition.  I submitted it to the first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition, and it was ranked 9th by readers but didn't make the finals.

So I spent some time honing my craft, and voraciously read other mystery writers, primarily Florida based.  Really enjoy Randy Wayne White, Carl Hiassen (of course), and Tim Dorsey.  And John D. MacDonald, author of the timeless Travis McGee series, remains an all time favorite.

Then I tackled my second novel, titled DOG ISLAND, which could well become (like JDM and RWW) a series.  The novel is being considered by Oak Tree Press.  Sunny Frazier has been very helpful in sharing her experience in the publishing business.

I'd love to hear from readers and writers, especially those interested in the mystery/suspense/thriller genres.