ROTHMAN'S QUARTERLY UPDATE

Every quarter, Mike updates his readers on the status of what he’s doing and where he’s going.

WHERE TO START?

Mike writes in several genres. If you are interested in where to start check out this article. 

UPCOMING BOOKS

The Prismatist (Plainswalker 3)
25%
New Arcadia (Standalone)
10%
Untitled (Exodus 3)
10%
Untitled (Time Trials 2)
10%

BLOG & UPDATES

Rothman’s Quarterly Update Q1 2024

Hi everyone, I feel guilty, since I don't reach out nearly as much as I should. That's my failing, and I apologize. I do however try to keep up with e-mail and have responded to many of you who have sent questions. Let's get cracking and talk about what's happened in the last Lord-knows-how-long... New [...]

Rothman’s Quarterly Update Q4 2022

Hi everyone, I truly hope everyone's new year (2023) is off to a reasonable start. As always, oddities abound while I write this: the US is blanketed with some of the coldest weather we've seen in many years, a strange "weather" balloon is crossing over the continent, and I've personally found some things to chuckle [...]

Rothman’s Quarterly Update Q3 2022

Hi everyone, As you guys know I don't send e-mail too often, some of it is sheer laziness on my part (sorry) and honestly the rest of the excuse is because I'm pretty swamped. However, I do want to start putting more rigor to the frequency folks can expect communication from me. From here on [...]

Rothman’s Quarterly Update Q2 2022

Hi everyone, I plan on creating a quarterly update that should give a comprehensive view of what’s happened in the last quarter and what I expect to be happening in the foreseeable future. For now, this will be a quick communication, although I always seem to say that and it's never quite as terse as [...]

A long overdue update!

Hello everyone, I've been very very delinquent in posting to the web site, mostly because I absolutely need to make a habit of updates, but in my head I'd had several things I wanted to happen before I "announced" anything--and they finally did. So, without further ado, here's a list of things that are cooking [...]

More dust & Primordial Press

I am now focusing on upgrading the site. Bear with me, but some changes will occur.Also, Primordial Press is now a thing. A new publishing house, focused on books within a select set of genres, but all of them key in on elements of "wonder" and will incorporate elements of science and history. A separate [...]

Excuse the dust…

I am starting to do some updates to the website, and will be posting a bit more regularly (Estimate 1-2 times a month).And yes, everything is getting updated with fresh information, sorry about that - I've just been busy putting out content and at the moment, I'm a one-man shop. I need some minions. 🙂 [...]

Publishing in the Indie Zone

This will be an unusual post for me... I'll use two terms that aren't necessarily in everyone's vocabulary: Indie and Tradpub.By using the term Indie, I mean a book written by an Independent publisher (over self-published). Tradpub is shorthand for Traditionally Published, meaning published by a traditional publisher with on-hand editing staff and all the [...]

Status update and an offering

All proceeds from the sales of this bestselling novel will go to the American Cancer Societyto help fund cancer research. Please share this offer widely, because the publisher will add $10,000 to the donation if the book lands on this week’s New York Times bestseller’s list. For that to happen, we’d need lots of eyes […]

A Status Update

I really try not to spam people on here with constant updates, because let's face it, this author thing evolves slowly. I prefer to give updates when there's something substantive going on. Well, it is 2020, we're all undergoing a very unusual situation with this pandemic, and I hope you are all doing as well [...]

Primordial Threat – on sale

I'm going to be offline a lot this week, heavy heavy work week, and putting finishing touches on next book. In the meantime, I've put on sale the first book I put out. It's been fairly well received and has lots of kudos from folks you may recognize. Share it with whoever you think may [...]

Pre-order of “Never Again” is now available

Just letting you guys know that a new Levi novel is available for pre-order. And during the pre-order phase, it's being offered at a discounted price.Below is a brief synopsis and I hope you enjoy it!Levi is a fixer for one of the New York Mafia families.However, when Rivka Cohen walks into his life asserting [...]

Another USA Today bestseller.

Well, isn’t that a nice surprise? Someone just pointed out to me that I hit the USA Today list again with last week’s sale of The Inside Man. #122 top selling book in the country. Pretty cool.

The sale of my book for charity is showing results.

As I'd mentioned in a prior post, I have The Inside Man on sale, with all proceeds during the sale going to a charity whose sole mission is to help combat child trafficking and exploitation.Well, we're seeing some results, and for that, I am thankful. In the US of A, we are currently #25 in [...]

DragonCon Award Nominations – closing July 19th.

Nominations for dragon awards? Well, I suppose I have one qualified item, which is Primordial Threat. Free to vote, anyone can vote (uhh, preferably a reader who liked something). ???? FYI: About the only way I’ll end up at dragon will be if I end up as a finalist – I don’t have hotel reservations […]

Book Sale – $0.99 (for charity)

I haven’t spoken much about why I write certain books, because it varies widely. Sometimes it’s a moment of inspiration, but with The Inside Man, things were very different. This particular book was in the back of my mind for decades. When I was in college I had a friend whose younger sister was kidnapped […]

My first video tutorial

For many would-be authors, it’s daunting writing a book, but I’ve recently learned that for many, the task of writing a book pales in comparison to the obscure nature of publishing itself. How do I get my book to the places that people can read it? There are many services that provide (for a percentage) […]

Sale on Primordial Threat

I know I’m fairly pathetic when it comes to marketing my own stuff, so I probably should mention that there’s a brief sale on one of my e-books right now if you shop in Australia, Canada, UK, or India. Sales should be there on the country store page for the following retailers: Amazon, Kobo, GooglePlay/GoogleBooks, […]

Beta Readers

*** Opportunity to get named in acknowledgements *** Are you a reader of thrillers with a flavor of 007 tossed in? I may have a handful of openings for a beta read. It will require you to give feedback on a per chapter basis and such, but if willing and interested – contact me through […]

Some updates…

It’s been a while, so let me fill you in on a few things I’m working on as well as some things that have transpired. I sold the audio rights for Primordial Threat, Darwin’s Cipher, Perimeter, and The Inside Man to Tantor. This is good news. This means it’s one less thing for me to […]

What does it take to get a “time out” on Facebook?

Well, I was on Facebook for 8 years without ever running into anything weird. But evidently I crossed a line that their algorithms hated when I posted a joke about a shotgun and someone with gnarly feet. Got the timeout seconds after posting it. Was pure algorithm. This post gave me a three day time […]

So far so good….

Last few hours of the sale and how are things? See for yourselves.

Perimeter – A Special Offer

With my debut novel, Primordial Threat, I managed to gain a pretty healthy following with Science Fiction readers. So much so, that I managed to hit the USA TODAY bestseller’s list. That only happened because of a fantastic set of readers and word of mouth. My goal with this post is to try and get […]

A peek at the next book, Darwin’s Cipher

Jon LaForce scrambled down the steep path leading into Tikaboo Valley and took a swig from the cheap red wine he’d bought from a nearby gas station. Almost immediately a flush crept up his neck and warmed his cheeks. He’d just been fired for the second time this month.

A Bestseller?!? How could that be?

Well, that’s good news…. (My book is coming out on the USA TODAY bestseller list tomorrow) #128 – I’ll take it. Thanks to everyone who helped! Okay, I might be smiling – but don’t tell anyone. Ugh – now I have to update my book covers to reflect that. 🙂

Latest update on Primordial Threat

Well, it’s been a whirlwind of a promotion. So much so, that I’ve gotten literally thousands of new readers this week, for which I’m very grateful. On Amazon, I’ve hit pretty much all of the #1 categories my book is listed in, both for Kindle and the Audiobook. In fact, I’m currently sitting at #9 […]

Primordial Threat – it’s an odd story….

As you might have seen from my prior post, I have my debut Science Fiction novel on sale for $0.99. So far, it has been really well received. I hit #1 in Amazon’s Hard Science Fiction category, along with Military Science Fiction and a couple others. Heck, while this was happening, I received a long-awaited […]

Primordial Threat – special offer

Novel? What novel? Well, let me introduce you to a simple trailer I’d created. It’s not nearly as cheesy as you might suspect.  😉 It does have some audio and it is perfectly safe for work, content-wise. PRIMORDIAL THREAT has been released, but one of the biggest challenges for a new author is to make […]

Rothman’s Meatless Pasta Carbonara

It’s been a while since I posted one of my recipes, so here’s one I literally just made tonight for the family. This is a recipe that mimics pasta carbonara, which is basically spaghetti with a creamy sauce composed of eggs and cheese and some pasta water. Traditionally, people sautee and chop up guanciale (a […]

Two books are now in preorder….

I apologize for not posting in a while, but I prefer to use this blog to post actual news versus my normal blather, which can be found on Facebook. For a long time I’ve been holding back on some of the titles I’ve had in a “done” state – no more. Here are their covers […]

Covers for two upcoming books

Here are two example covers for upcoming novels. I’m still waiting to hear back from publishers, but in the meantime, here is what I envisioned. I’d be curious what you guys thought.

Test – Can you see this post?

I’m trying to figure out whether or not Facebook blocks/filters posts from my web site. Do you guys see this? I’d like to start posting from my site (for book-related things) because it allows me to multi-cast to various social media venues at once.

I have been goofing around with some visual art stuff…

As you all likely know (see above on web site), I have some titles on submission to publishers. To maintain sanity between submissions, most would-be authors should be writing, and that’s largely what I’ve been doing–except recently–I worked with an artist to mock up what a book cover might look like for one of the […]

Reminder

Follow this blog via the subscriber mechanism on the site (or click here) if you want access to some subscriber-only information such as giveaways of unpublished material or early access to some works-in-progress. And yes, I actually have a complete never-published novel in the subscriber’s area for you to read online, free of charge. Also, […]

Free novel – share with others.

Hello all, I’m at the stage now with my writing where I’m looking at some of my old (unpublished novels) and know that I’m never going to submit them for publication for one reason or another. Usually, it’s because they twist genres a bit and it ends up not being as strongly viable in a […]

A sneak peek of NO CHOICES – first two chapters

Sneak peek of NO CHOICES – first two chapters….. [first draft] – let me know what you think:

Something I’m Working On – Sample First Chapter

Chapter One   “Mister Yoder, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you have stage-4 pancreatic cancer.” That was certainly not how Levi had expected his 9:00 a.m. follow-up visit with the doctor to go.

A taste of an upcoming story….

Here is a sample of an upcoming story – I’ll let you know what happens with it soon enough.

A sample scene … introducing Nate Carrington

While other stories wend their way through the editing/pitch/publishing process, I am working on a medical thriller and figured I’d share a short scene I’d literally just written. I’m introducing one of the characters in the story, he’s an FBI forensic examiner, 48, and the first scene you encounter him is this one:

Recipe: ICE CREAM BREAD (Two ingredients! No, not a joke)

I posted this same recipe on Facebook and it went viral (110,000+ shares), and since it has been a while since I posted a recipe on my blog, here you go. ICE CREAM BREAD (Two ingredients! No, not a joke) (Perfect for making with the kids and infinite varieties) Makes One 8 x 4 loaf 2 […]

Something I’m Working On….

Sample of something I’m working on. Haven’t even self-edited so don’t look at grammar or other silly things – will get that later. This is chapter one – would it entice you to read more?

A Sample of an upcoming novel – first chapter.

And no, it hasn’t been through editing or proofing. I hope you enjoy it.

People Have Lost Their Minds

So many people have lost their mind and those of you who are rabble-rousing need a time out. People sometimes see what they want to see in anyone’s message. I’m not here to debate politics, I try to leave this blog to literary things and whimsy, however, if you believe that the only way to […]

Rothman’s Writing Axiom

Writing is like an onion. Most who start are just barely peeling the paper-thin outer skin and learning the basics. As you learn more, another layer is peeled. Keep peeling, it’s the only way to get better. Oh by the way, this is a special onion. It has an infinite number of layers.

Do what you know – is that it?

As many of you know, most of my books have been in what could easily be categorized as a middle grade (MG) or young adult (YA) fantasy genre. My bio makes it pretty clear that I started writing mostly because I wanted to entertain my boys (who are now both voracious teenage readers). So as […]

Hello Darkness

Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to drink you again, When your grounds are steeping, Aroma drifts to me while I’m sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my brain, Still remains. Within the sound of brewing.

Prime Rib Recipe

Tonight was Prime Rib night, so below is the plate I’d put together. Cooking a prime rib isn’t very difficult, but if you’re the type who don’t like meat pink and must kill the meat, just do me and all true meat-eaters a favor … don’t make a prime rib. Ingredients: 1 3-4 bone prime […]

Recipe: Noodle Kugel Recipe

One of my family’s favorite things that I make is a noodle kugel. Many non-Jews don’t even know what a kugel is, so in this case, let me simply describe it as a sort of a baked noodle custard of sorts. Trust me – its yummy and simple to make. The recipe is as follows:

I Don’t Like Labels – They’re Usually Wrong

  Whenever people ask me what my politics are, that’s always a loaded question. People typically ask these things to determine if another person is in their tribe or not.

The Fallacy of the Media

The Fallacy Of the Media For everyone who believes they are well-educated regarding the current state of affairs by watching the American media, let me point something out.

WorldCon and the Aftermath

My boys (ages 12 and 14) and I did attend Sasquan (the WorldCon located in Spokane) this year and it was a first for all of us. I’ll freely admit that we are new to this convention circuit, so it was with very little preconceived notions that we arrived. Let’s suffice it to say that […]

With Today’s Political Climate Being What It Is….

In today’s society, I find that many people inevitably exist in three states of awareness when it comes to ideology/politics. 1) They are completely oblivious [low-information] 2) They are somewhat in tune with an ideology, but their information comes from hearsay [oftentimes friends and social circles] 3) They are engrossed in ideology/politics and oftentimes this […]

Recipe: Introducing the Cap of the Ribeye – Meat Lover’s Nirvana

If you’re a vegetarian, you might want to look away. We’re about to talk meat.

In memory of my grandfather.

My grandfather has passed. He was a Holocaust survivor and died at the age of 94. .סבא, אני מקווה שאתה נח בשלום. אני אוהב אותך ואני אתגעגע אליך. He is the best man I ever knew, and will ever know. He goes to join his wife, my grandmother. http://youtu.be/ARR78S1sjYU

Why Diversity In Literature Is Such a Hot Button, and What To Do?

  Diversity in Literature? The word “diversity” is a hot button in today’s society, and it is so for several reasons. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum you’re on, I think the vast majority of people have no issues with differing cultures, religions, and racial profiles of people. Given that, why is diversity […]

A Short Story from yours truly

    I don’t ever write short stories, my mind normally doesn’t work that way, but I woke up one morning and this is what happened.   Waiting For Love The last of the bodies sank into the quicksand, releasing a stream of bubbles as Anna watched, breathed in the fetid swamp gas as if […]

Checking a Steak’s Doneness

With summer approaching and many of us dusting off the backyard grills, I figured I’d share what seems to be common knowledge amongst a few of us grill aficionados. How to tell that your steak is done the way you want it without slicing it open to “check” it. For the many who aren’t “experts” […]

Fantasy is unexplained Science Fiction: Blasphemy or Not?

I’m about to swim upstream for many people in the literary world by positing that there is practically no difference between most Science Fiction and Fantasy. Before I go into more of that hypothesis, let me note a few things about myself. I have a very deep background in the sciences. They span the disciplines of physics, […]

There’s a Tremor In the Force – It’s Called, “The Sad Puppies”

I’d always (always being since the late 70’s) been a reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy novels. I’d also always considered myself a fan of the genre and enjoyed reading as much as watching movies steeped in the nostrum of SF/Fantasy. I’d never considered the word “Fan” that much of a controversial thing, but evidently […]

ComicCon Debrief

My boys and I attended the ComicCon in Seattle and I can say it was a great event. My boys thoroughly enjoyed the gaming and cosplay watching. I enjoyed watching them have fun and finally met (face-to-face) a few of the authors that I’d otherwise talked to a lot over the years. Tip o’ the […]

Are you Right Brain or Left Brain dominant?

For those who missed the last time I posted this. Evidently, this is an optical test which helps to indicate if you perceive things predominantly with the right side of your brain or the left side of your brain.

Under Construction

The site will be under some construction. If you see weird things, ignore them for now.   Updated 03/13/2015: Almost done with the fixes on the web site. Just a few touchups remaining, but if there are any issues, let me know.

Vegetarians Are Cruel Demons!

Vegetarians are evil! You people who rip vegetables out of Mother Earth, their hairy tendrils grasping for nutrition that they’ll never have…

Homemade Dressings

Enjoy!

A new year….

I hope that everyone had a good 2014. I’ve been rather silent lately, but that doesn’t meant I haven’t been busy. In fact, I hope to be able to announce something fairly exciting in the next couple months. In the meantime I hope everyone has a productive 2015 and realize that there will be a […]

For those librarians going back to school….

And for those who enjoy them!

Some Book-related fun – June 5th, 2014

He’s annoying like that…

Some Book-related fun – June 4th, 2014

I think my editor might cut a scene or two from my upcoming book….  😉

Some Book-related fun – June 3rd, 2014

The jedi groundhog!

Some Book-related fun – June 2nd, 2014

It’s good to think of the future…

Some Book-related fun – June 1st, 2014

Couldn’t say it better myself…

Some Book-related fun – May 31st, 2014

So do YOU know how a semicolon is used aside from emoticons?  😉

Some Book-related fun – May 30th, 2014

Inspiration comes from the strangest places…

Some Book-related fun – May 29th, 2014

This is true of many fine authors….

Some Book-related fun – May 28th, 2014

Awesome T-shirt!

Some Book-related fun – May 27th, 2014

For the Dr. Who fans out there…

Some Book-related fun – May 26th, 2014

Ya – pretty typical. 😉

Some Book-related fun – May 25th, 2014

For the librarians in your lives!

Some Book-related fun – May 24th, 2014

You know, this doesn’t shock me at all….  😉

First Book in a Four-Book Series is free on Kindle May 23rd-25th

Just in time for the summer, the first book of the Prophecies series is free on Kindle May 23rd – 25th only. Spread the word by sharing this with others. Especially if you or they have school-age readers that are ready to start on a fantasy series that is complete and available now. (Then again, most […]

Some Book-related fun – May 22nd, 2014

Oh yes – this picture has stirred up many a fantasy writer’s juices.

Some Book-related fun – May 21st, 2014

What a good girl!

Some Book-related fun – May 20th, 2014

Somehow I don’t think writing that will clear it…

Some Book-related fun – May 19th, 2014

Hah!

Some Book-related fun – May 18th, 2014

Don’t listen to him! That’s why I write all those things down….99% junk 1% genius. 😉

Some Book-related fun – May 17th, 2014

Now that might be interesting – if I liked scented candles…

Some Book-related fun – May 16th, 2014

What a heavenly sight!

Some Book-related fun – May 15th, 2014

Muahahahaha

Some Book-related fun – May 14th, 2014

Where have I heard that before?

Some Book-related fun – May 23rd, 2014

Yup – I have one of these scenes… 🙂

Some Book-related fun – May 13th, 2014

Agreed.

Some Book-related fun – May 12th, 2014

My wife (the reluctant reader) will certainly never own this ring….

Some Book-related fun – May 11th, 2014

  Amaretto Sour please….

Some Book-related fun – May 10th, 2014

  Amen…

Some Book-related fun – May 9th, 2014

  My kind of place…

Some Book-related fun – May 8th, 2014

Hah!  Too funny…

Some Book-related fun – May 7th, 2014

I’m trying to remember this…

Some Book-related fun – May 6th, 2014

      One day, kids may not know what one really is…

Some Book-related fun – May 5th, 2014

  If it weren’t for the editors, you might not want to see some of the work that’s out there.

Some Book-related fun – May 4th, 2014

    Smart gift choice.  🙂

News Update as of May 3rd – two more novels completed…

(2014-05-03) Believe it or not, I have two novels sitting in the wings RUNNING FROM DESTINY and THE CODE BREAKER. They’re both looking for a publishing home and I’m working the logistics for that. I’m also working on a third, called THE UNDYING.To tease you folks, here are the descriptions for the two completed novels.RUNNING FROM […]

A few illustrations for an upcoming project – hope you enjoy…

(Thanks to Paul Pederson, the man with the artistic touches…)

Some Book-related fun – May 3rd, 2014

Some Book-related fun – May 2nd, 2014

    Grammar is important folks…  😉

Some Book-related fun – May 1st, 2014

    Where have I heard this before?

Some Book-related fun – April 30th, 2014

    Both in writing and cooking – I hate folks watching…  😉

Some Book-related fun – April 29th, 2014

    Brown bear brown bear…

Some Book-related fun – April 28th, 2014

  Something you don’t want to hear from your agent…

Some Book-related fun – April 27th, 2014

    I love it…

Some Book-related fun – April 26th, 2014

    Book Clubs – it’s a tough environment…

Some Book-related fun – April 25th, 2014

  Too funny…

Some Book-related fun – April 24th, 2014

    Hah!

Some Book-related fun – April 23rd, 2014

    Darn critics!

Some Book-related fun – April 22nd, 2014

    Ya, okay Yoda – whatever say you…

Some Book-related fun – April 21st, 2014

    I might be guilty of this…

Some Book-related fun – April 20th, 2014

  Hey! I hear those same voices – maybe it’s contagious?

Some Book-related fun – April 19th, 2014

    Is this really necessary?  Maybe like the “Do not eat” messages on the silica packs.

Some Book-related fun – April 18th, 2014

  The good ole days…

Some Book-related fun – April 17th, 2014

  Aww – how sweet.  😉

Some Book-related fun – April 16th, 2014

      Hahahahaha – too funny!

Some Book-related fun – April 15th, 2014

      Reading at the throne – ahh!

Some Book-related fun – April 14th, 2014

    Pretty – but is it practical?

Some Book-related fun – April 13th, 2014

    Okay, now that’s pretty darn sexy… look at all of those books! 🙂

Some Book-related fun – April 12th, 2014

    That’s why covers are so important…  😉

Some Book-related fun – April 11th, 2014

    Typical….

Free Kindle book for limited time! Share with others!

Free Kindle book for limited time! Share with others… Heirs of Prophecy

Some Book-related fun – April 10th, 2014

    That’s my girl….

Some Book-related fun – April 9th, 2014

    An ode to the Seuss and the Trek…

Some Book-related fun – April 8th, 2014

    Poor pups….but the books are sometimes more engrossing…

Some Book-related fun – April 7th, 2014

    Hah!

Some Book-related fun – April 6th, 2014

    I want this bench!

Some Book-related fun – April 5th, 2014

      Oh the pain of surgery…..

Some Book-related fun – April 4th, 2014

    <Face-palm>

Some Book-related fun – April 3rd, 2014

    Typical conversation – where have I heard that before?

Recipe: Smoked Brisket Recipe (with great spice rub recipe too!)

Look what I am cooking this weekend!  Yum…. I literally made this within the last week. I adopted this recipe from something I had at a restaurant in the south, and there are many similar variations floating around. This one I can tell you is the best smoked brisket I’ve ever made. Well, it is […]

Some Book-related fun – April 2nd, 2014

    Beware of Books!

Some Book-related fun – April 1st, 2014

    Hmm….

Some Book-related fun – March 31st, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 30th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 29th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 28th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 27th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 26th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 25th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 24th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 23rd, 2014

    Now this is a serious book club. 🙂

Some Book-related fun – March 22nd, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 21st, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 20th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 19th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 18th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 17th, 2014

For one day only…

Free kindle copy of HEIRS OF PROPHECY. Click here.

Some Book-related fun – March 16th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 15th, 2014

    A table of contents… 

Some Book-related fun – March 14th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 13th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 12th, 2014

Recipe: Adventures in Cheese – Biohazard Discovered!

I made the mistake not too long ago of getting into a mood to taste some cheeses I had not had before.  Well, for whatever reason, being somewhat of a gastronomical adventurer, I did pick up a couple of the blue-veined types, a couple of other somewhat unfamiliar cow and goat cheeses, and some of […]

Some Book-related fun – March 11th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 10th, 2014

    Poor little hobbits…

Some Book-related fun – March 9th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 8th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 7th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 6th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 5th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 4th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 3rd, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 2nd, 2014

Paper Versus E-version Books are made of paper – or at least some of them are. Here is something that caught my eye that I thought was hilarious.

Some Book-related fun – March 1st, 2014

I was howling on twitter about a news anchor who used the term “I could care less” – (if you don’t see anything wrong with that – have your head examined) – one of my readers forwarded this video clip that I found hilarious (and totally appropriate!) Okay – this isn’t exactly book related, but […]

Some Book-related Fun – February 28th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 27th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 26th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 25th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 24th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 23rd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 22nd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 21st, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 20th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 19th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 18th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 17th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 16th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 15th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 14th, 2014

  This is why editors and beta readers are mandatory!

Some Book-related Fun – February 13th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 12th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 11th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 10th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 9th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 8th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 7th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 6th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 5th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 4th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 3rd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 2nd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 1st, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 31st, 2014

  And that’s why I love my editor.

Some Book-related Fun – January 30th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 29th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 28th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 27th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 26th, 2014

  Some people just can’t be helped.

Some Book-related Fun – January 25th, 2014

  Good girl!

Some Book-related Fun – January 24th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 23rd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 22nd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 21st, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 20th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 19th, 2014

  Makes me want to weep for the youth…

Some Book-related Fun – January 18th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 17th, 2014

    Reading Glasses… 🙂

Some Book-related Fun – January 16th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 15th, 2014

    This is the look I give my kids on a frequent basis.

Some Book-related Fun – January 14th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 13th, 2014

  Of course it was!

Some Book-related Fun – January 12th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 11th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 10th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 9th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 8th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 7th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 6th, 2014

  I love this kind of textbook!

Some Book-related Fun – January 5th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 4th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 3rd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 2nd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 1st, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – December 31st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 30th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 29th, 2013

Kitty just learned what happened to the main Kitty character in Princess Interrupted!

Some Book-related Fun – December 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 26th, 2013

  Now that’s just cruel. (Probably true in some cases – but oh so cruel.)

Some Book-related Fun – December 25th, 2013

  Authors hold the pen for revenge. Anyone who says otherwise might be on the receiving end of such revenge. 😉

Some Book-related Fun – December 24th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 22nd, 2013

  Looking for Trimoria? Simply follow the sign.

Some Book-related Fun – December 21st, 2013

  Ryan and Aaron Riverton a few years before they left for Trimoria.

Some Book-related Fun – December 20th, 2013

  Her pants are a map of Middle Earth. Awesome!

Some Book-related Fun – December 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 18th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 17th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 15th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 13th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 11th, 2013

Recipe: Chicken Marsala Recipe

1 Cup of all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons of italian seasoning 2 tablespoons of paprika 2 tablespoons of garlic powder 2 lbs of chicken breast 3 tablespoons of olive oil 3 tablespoons of shortening (all vegetable or butter) 1lb of sliced mushrooms (button works fine, but can be crimini or shiitake) 1.5C of Marsala wine (I [...]

Recipe: Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe

Okay, let’s admit it. Many of us Americans eat “Chinese” food. (I won’t belabor the fact that what we see here in the US isn’t really Chinese food – that’s for another post).

Some Book-related Fun – December 10th, 2013

Recipe: Romesco Sauce Recipe

This is a Spanish sauce (as in from Spain, not south of the US border) that is amazing on many things, and has very familiar ingredients mixed in unexpected ways. Trust me – once you’ve had it, you’ll come up with excuses to make it again and again.

Some Book-related Fun – December 9th, 2013

Recipe: Remoulade Recipe

This is a great dipping sauce (non-dairy) or sandwich spread alternative you can use instead of the typical sauces you’re familiar with. I love this with roast beef sandwiches, but it’s great for dipping things into as well.

Some Book-related Fun – December 8th, 2013

Recipe: Sweet Tartar Sauce Recipe

So many people go out and buy tartar sauce, yet they don’t realize they probably have all the ingredients to make it themselves. Below is a common recipe served at many restaurants all over the US.

Some Book-related Fun – December 7th, 2013

Recipe: Chocolate Lasagna Recipe

Evidently a clone of Olive Garden’s dessert (which I’ll admit to not having had before.) We had this and really enjoyed it. INGREDIENTS: For the Cake: 6 cups cake flour 5 1/4 cups sugar 2 1/4 cups baking cocoa 2 tablespoons baking soda 4 1/2 cups milk 1 1/2 cup butter 12 large eggs 1 [...]

Some Book-related Fun – December 6th, 2013

Recipe: Ultimate Wings recipe

Chicken wings are definitely a popular food in the U.S. as well as other parts of the world.

Some Book-related Fun – December 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 4th, 2013

Recipe: Apple Bread Pudding Recipe

Ok, here is that recipe people keep pestering me about.  If you like bread pudding, and are willing to throw the diet out the window for a bit, here is what many people have said is probably the best bread pudding they ever had.  I hope you enjoy.

Some Book-related Fun – December 3rd, 2013

Recipe: Caramel Sauce Recipe

What is caramel?  Most people create bizarre concoctions of ingredients to create caramel when in reality caramel is simply burnt(browned) sugar.  All you need to do is…

Some Book-related Fun – December 2nd, 2013

Recipe: Japanese Steakhouse Dipping Sauce

This is a dipping sauce that I make which tastes identical to the one made famous by Benihana Japanese Steakhouse and often-times used for shrimp but lots of people like to put it on everything.  😉

Some Book-related Fun – December 1st, 2013

Recipe: Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

Ok, this is about as easy as it gets, and is very popular with those who like this type of dressing.  Also I would note it contains no dairy, so it is fairly friendly for those with certain dietary restrictions.

Recipe: Puffy Fritter Recipe (savory or sweet)

Most people love those wonderful fritters that are like little pillows of corn goodness, but in fact the same recipe can be made for any number of different treats. INGREDIENTS: 1 c. flour 3/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 c. milk 1 egg, beaten 1 1/2 c. drained kernel corn [[ or apple, [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 30th, 2013

Recipe: Perfect Guacamole Recipe

I’ve had lots of terrible guacamole. What is sad is that it is really easy to make great guacamole. This is what I do.

Some Book-related Fun – November 29th, 2013

Recipe: Cutest Recipe Ever!

Now that is the cutest food ever… Especially since the family just watched the movie.  Got this from: http://rock-ur-party.tablespoon.com/2013/07/01/despicable-me-mini-minions/?nicam4=SocialMedia&nichn4=Pinterest&niseg4=Tablespoon&nicreatID4=Post

Some Book-related Fun – November 28th, 2013

Recipe: Cashew Brittle Recipe

This recipe works well for most any kind of nut brittle you want to make. A family favorite!

Some Book-related Fun – November 27th, 2013

Recipe: Brisket Taco Recipe

Swap out for your favorite brisket recipe if you have differing preferences… but family is on a burrito/taco kick lately. This works very well.

Some Book-related Fun – November 26th, 2013

Recipe: Beef Empanada Recipe

A very tasty treat – think of it as little fried meat pies. INGREDIENTS: Filling: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, minced 1/2 cup sofrito (garlic, cilantro, sweet peppers) 1 red bell pepper, minced 4 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons adobo (salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Dominican oregano) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 […]

Some Book-related Fun – November 25th, 2013

Recipe: Fried Yellow Squash Recipe

One of my favorite squashes – even my kids love it when I make these.

Some Book-related Fun – November 24th, 2013

Recipe: Cantaloupe Salsa Recipe

Yes, we are all familiar with tomato salsa. Despite what your next door neighbor might say, tomatoes are fruits. Salsa can be made from any kind of fruit with similar textures. My oldest absolutely loves cantaloupes, so this was something that ended up a favorite. The firm fruit can be replaced with other similar texture […]

Some Book-related Fun – November 23rd, 2013

Recipe: Blooming Onion Recipe

Yes – it’s the same treat we’re used to seeing in a popular chain restaurant in the US (Outback). I found this clone recipe a long time ago, jotted it down, and has been in my favorites ever since…

Some Book-related Fun – November 22nd, 2013

Recipe: Braised Beef With Mushrooms Recipe

Tender, succulent, and very yummy.

Some Book-related Fun – November 21st, 2013

  Ok, maybe not me – but some of you out there probably do. Right?

Recipe: Crispy Jalapeño Mozzarella Stick Recipe

Crispy and crunchy on the outside. Creamy, melt-y and spicy on the inside. A personal favorite… (Thanks to Life’s Ambrosia for this one…blog URL below) INGREDIENTS: 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 8 sticks of mozzarella string cheese, cut in half 8 small jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise, [...]

A Philosophy I Live By

Here is some “wisdom” from yours truly.  (Shared as closing remarks in a commencement speech to kids)

Some Book-related Fun – November 20th, 2013

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Hummus Recipe

Many of us like to eat healthy, and let me tell you – I grew up on this stuff and <look at self> – okay, despite my condition, this stuff is really tasty and good for you. 

Seeking Orphans in MG/YA Literature – Or Are We?

The orphaned hobbit. The orphaned and abused young wizard. The disgruntled teen girl of divorced parents with a penchant for vampires.

Some Book-related Fun – November 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – November 18th, 2013

Recipe: Chili Recipe – Cincinnati & Tex-Mex Style variations

This recipe includes both a cincinnati and a more traditional tex-mex variety.  Both varieties of this Chili are very popular (I’ve been known to call the chili-crazed folks vultures as they circle while the smell permeates the kitchen during the cooking process).  Believe it or not, even the kids will eat it.  Well….ok, maybe if you add […]

Recipe: Simple Beef and Broccoli Recipe

This is a recipe my wife loves, and my kids (who aren’t fans of broccoli) sometimes struggle with. Clearly the vegetable can be replaced with anything else, and same goes with the protein. The recipe could be called PROTEIN & VEGETABLE stir fry – but somehow it doesn’t quite sound as good.

The stark reality for aspiring authors

I continuously stumble into blogs where aspiring authors are lamenting the cruel nature of the publishing industry and how their efforts are unrecognized. If the aspiring author could only get the attention of X or if Y would simply read the first couple chapters of their manuscript – then they’d of course understand the author’s […]

Some Book-related Fun – November 17th, 2013

Recipe: Lasagna Cup Recipe

If you have the type of family that fights over the corners of the pan because of the crispy and chewy texture. With these cupcakes, every single one has all the yummy qualities of those corner pieces.

Some Book-related Fun – November 16th, 2013

Recipe: Banana Pudding Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk (NOT skim) 4 or 5 ripe bananas, sliced thin (cover with plastic wrap or sprinkle with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown) 1 box vanilla wafers 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Butter (not margarine) 4 Egg yolks (Large [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 15th, 2013

Recipe: Onion/Hamburger Bomb Recipe

I learned to make this when I camped as a teenager. It is the perfect summertime/camping meal for a campfire or grill.

Some Book-related Fun – November 14th, 2013

Recipe: Blueberry French Toast Recipe

For those who like french toast and love blueberries – you simply can’t go wrong with this one…

Some Book-related Fun – November 13th, 2013

Recipe: Blueberry/Banana Muffin Recipe

All I can say is – YUM! INGREDIENTS: Vegetable oil cooking spray 1 large egg 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream 2 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk 1/2 cup oat bran 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 medium) 2 tablespoons brown sugar […]

Some Book-related Fun – November 12th, 2013

New illustration inside upcoming book….

Imagine a person has walked into a dark cave, notices the imprint of a glowing hand on the wall and places his hand on it. Below is the results…

Recipe: Very Berry Smoothie Recipe

Refreshing and tasty drink for the summertime - and an awesome color too. 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 cup strawberries 1/2 blackberries 1 cup low-fat yogurt (some type of berry yogurt would be best, but plain is fine too) 1/4 cup low-fat milk or 1/2 cup fat-free milk 2 cups of ice While this smoothie is [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 11th, 2013

Recipe: Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe

I rarely ever use pre-mixed anything, but since this is so much easier and just as tasty as doing it the hard way, I wanted to share a recipe that I could devour the entire batch if I let myself go. Hope you enjoy… Ingredients (makes one dozen biscuits): 2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 10th, 2013

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

One of my wife’s favorites…. 4 tablespoons butter, melted (or equiv. non-dairy melted) 3/4 c. ketchup 1/2 c. white vinegar 3/4 c. brown sugar 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper, to taste dash red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper 1 1/2 c. chicken broth 6 boneless chicken breast halves, [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 9th, 2013

Recipe: Cookie Dough Cheesecake Recipe

Cookie Dough:  ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup sugar ½ cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup mini chocolate chips Set aside an additional 1 cup mini chocolate chips to fold into the batter with the cookie dough balls Crust:  4 [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 8th, 2013

Recipe: Banana Bundt Cake Recipe stuffed with Cheesecake – yes – I said stuffed with cheesecake

We love Banana bread. We love Cheesecake. In this dessert, I’ve combined these two loves into a wonderfully sinful treat that oddly enough reminds me of a cheese danish on steroids, but with banana bread goodness.

Some Book-related Fun – November 7th, 2013

Recipe: ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE DUTCH BABY MADE AT HOME – Recipe for you

Several of you asked if I had the “other” massive pancake recipe from the aforementioned restaurant. Of course I do. Definitely one of my family’s other favorites. It’s almost like a giant wonderful eggy crepe in bizarre pancake form. INGREDIENTS: 4 eggs 1/2 cup of powdered sugar 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 6th, 2013

Recipe: The Ultimate Apple Pancake Recipe

My family absolutely loves this larger-than-life pancake that I make. Its utterly sinful, and a shameless clone of the apple pancake you’ll find also at the Original Pancake House. INGREDIENTS: 5 tablespoons butter 2 granny smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced thin) 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 cup flour 1 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 5th, 2013

Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 8 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, or about 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.) 1 large onion, diced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced 1 (29 oz.) can of tomato puree 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (or coconut milk for dairy-free) 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. Garam masala [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 4th, 2013

Recipe: Simple Baked Salmon Recipe

We actually had this last night. We started with a large 2.5lb salmon filet, and between the wife, two kids, and myself, we devoured it. Yup - kids eating their fish (not in stick form) and asking for seconds. INGREDIENTS: As much salmon as you want that can fit on a cookie sheet, slice it [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 3rd, 2013

Recipe: Ice Cream Bread Recipe – (2 ingredients – no joke!)

Makes One 8 x 4 loaf 2 Cups Ice Cream, any flavor, softened 1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour Preheat your oven to 350 fahrenheit. Spray and flour a 8 x 4 loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix the ice cream and flour together until just combined. Scoop into [...]

Recipe: FRESH LEMON JUICE SQUARES Recipe

These are very simple and very refreshing. (Can you tell I like lemon?) INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 1/2 cup(s) confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt 1 cup(s) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) 4 large egg yolks 1 can(s) sweetened condensed milk 3/4 cup(s) fresh lemon [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 2nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – November 1st, 2013

Optical Illusions

With my prior post I had a series of people comment about the optical illusion, and I am still convinced that anyone who sees the girl spinning counter-clockwise is insane. Ok – maybe not insane, but I still stare at it and can’t fathom how someone can see it differently. With the interest in such […]

Some Book-related Fun – October 31st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 30th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 26th, 2013

What an awesome-looking library!

Some Book-related Fun – October 25th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 24th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 22nd, 2013

Yup, guilty as charged!

Some Book-related Fun – October 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 20th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 18th, 2013

This is what happened when I brought home one too many books…

Some Book-related Fun – October 17th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 15th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 13th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 11th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 10th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 9th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 8th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 7th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 6th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 4th, 2013

A new crop of Jedis are being trained!

Some Book-related Fun – October 3rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 2nd, 2013

Great word!

Some Book-related Fun – October 1st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 30th, 2013

And to think my editor said that I might need to cut the size down a tad. How disappointing!  I was trying to emulate Tad Williams and Brandon Sanderson.

Some Book-related Fun – September 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 26th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 25th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 24th, 2013

I like books – but this place has some issues…..

Some Book-related Fun – September 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 22nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 20th, 2013

Awesome 3d Chalk Art

Some Book-related Fun – September 19th, 2013

Sir Purrs-a-lot!

Some Book-related Fun – September 18th, 2013

  For those of you who don’t “get” this – I feel bad for you. 🙂

Some Book-related Fun – September 17th, 2013

I’m so confused!

Some Book-related Fun – September 16th, 2013

  Nicnevin hidden deep in her forest

Some Book-related Fun – September 15th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 13th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 12th, 2013

For my fellow science nerds….  F=MA!  Go science!

Some Book-related Fun – September 11th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 10th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 9th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 8th, 2013

  A baby dragon has been discovered – here is proof!

Some Book-related Fun – September 7th, 2013

    I want one of these!

Some Book-related Fun – September 6th, 2013

            NEVER Give up!

Some Book-related Fun – September 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 4th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 3rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 2nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 1st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 31st, 2013

There goes the phrase “Page-turner” into the dustbin of history…

Some Book-related Fun – August 30th, 2013

  Another great set of book ends.

Some Book-related Fun – August 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 28th, 2013

  Sir Hops-a-lot!

Some Book-related Fun – August 27th, 2013

  Sir Poops-a-lot!

Some Book-related Fun – August 26th, 2013

  Sir Chomps-a-lot!

Some Book-related Fun – August 25th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 24th, 2013

  Another Ent!

Some Book-related Fun – August 23rd, 2013

    Ents!

Some Book-related Fun – August 22nd, 2013

  A baby dragon has been discovered!

Some Book-related Fun – August 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 20th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 18th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 17th, 2013

  This is the truth for most authors…

Some Book-related Fun – August 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 15th, 2013

    Don’t you love punctuation?

Some Book-related Fun – August 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 13th, 2013

  Now that’s a good sense of humor at Costco!

Some Book-related Fun – August 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 11th, 2013

  I love my editors…

Some Book-related Fun – August 10th, 2013

  It’s getting hot in here….

A great new review of Heirs of Prophecy

Check this blog out. Lots of reviews/activity.

Some Book-related Fun – August 9th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 8th, 2013

  I gotta find these sheets!

Some Book-related Fun – August 7th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 6th, 2013

    An utterly amazing quote…

Some Book-related Fun – August 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 4th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 3rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 2nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 1st, 2013

    Some books just shouldn’t be…

Some Book-related Fun – July 31st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 30th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 26th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 25th, 2013

  Groucho was a very funny guy…

Some Book-related Fun – July 24th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 22nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 20th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 18th, 2013

Stories want to be read. Banning is a sad thing…  (Also – happy birthday to my wife.)

Some Book-related Fun – July 17th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 15th, 2013

  Bilbo was a very wise hobbit.

Some Book-related Fun – July 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 13th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 11th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 10th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 9th, 2013

  I’m convinced that there’s a book for every reader.

Some Book-related Fun – July 8th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 7th, 2013

  Awesome bookends, don’t you think?

Some Book-related Fun – July 6th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 4th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 3rd, 2013

      An amazing library, isn’t it?

Some Book-related Fun – July 2nd, 2013

    Jenga Anyone?

Some Book-related Fun – July 1st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 30th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 26th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 25th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 24th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 22nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 20th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 18th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 17th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 15th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 13th, 2013

Oh my! Ents! They do exist….

Some Book-related Fun – June 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 11th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 10th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 9th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 8th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 7th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 6th, 2013

This is for the editors in my life.

Some Book-related Fun – June 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 4th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 3rd, 2013

This is definitely something that I do on a regular basis!

Blog Tour for the Prophecies series….

Looks like the new book (Kindle Version, Nook Version) is on a review tour through the book blogs. Here is the schedule and locations to keep your eyes out for: Monday, March 18th: Journey of a Bookseller Tuesday, March 19th: Straight from the Library Wednesday, March 20th: Brenda Maxfield’s Blog Thursday, March 21st: Books in […]

Heirs of Prophecy – Free on Kindle 28th-30th!

Just notified that Heirs of Prophecy (Book #1 of the Prophecies series) is available for free on Kindle. See this link to download it. I hope you enjoy!

As reviews come out for Lords of Prophecy…

Look here for the ongoing list of reviews: Some Reviews for Lords of Prophecy.

Accelerated Reader (AR) Data for Lords of Prophecy

Here is the data for the AR test that will be associated with Lords of Prophecy: TOS Book Level: 6.4 AR Points: 17 Word Count: 103887

For prospective authors….

Words of advice – pray for good editors. The good ones will inevitably teach you a lot (even though you’ll hate their guts when they critique your perfect manuscript. The bad ones will lead you astray and cause you lots of undue grief. With experience, you’ll be able to know the difference and filter editor […]

Just a sneak peek…..

Remember I said I was working on the new book…. here’s some evidence/sneak peek…. for you conspiracy theorists out there….. you might notice that I am using resources that might give you spasms of delight…. Chapter 1 is just the beginning (of course). Hope that whets your appetite…

Quick Update from my writing desk…

I know, I’m guilty of not updating the blog with the frequency some of you might have gotten used to.  Apologies and excuses all around. The dog ate my homework.  Alright, now that we have that over and done with. Let me give you an idea of what I’ve been doing. Needless to say, there […]

E-Book versions released for Lords of Prophecy

I wanted everyone to know that Lords of Prophecy is now available in E-Book format, and hardcopies are supposed to be available sometime in April. For Kindle, see this link. For Nook, see this link. Also, there will be a blog tour for the new title starting this month, and continuing through April and May.  Twenty-five […]

I rarely post on this subject, but…

The current US administration is patting themselves on their back for “trillions” in spending cuts. They are actually cuts in future spending increases. That’s the same as me going to a car mall with the Toyota dealership next to the BMW one. Let’s say I can only afford a Camry. Though I’d really fantasize about […]

It’s a new year…

I hope everyone had a good holiday season. I wanted everyone to know that I’ve finally put the finishing touches on Book 4 of the prophecies series (Lords of Prophecy), and it is off to the editor. That being said, I noticed some of my BIO data was stale, so in the next couple days, […]

Tools of Prophecy – refreshed cover

I just got some copy of the proposed book cover update for the titled novel Tools of Prophecy. It is strictly a draft, and rumor has it that the buxom elf on the front cover might end up getting a less revealing outfit.  <sigh>  🙂 Let me know what you think…..this is actually the paperback […]

Some interior art….it happens

The novel am working on Lords of Prophecy will have some pieces of interior art that I think are nice. Remember, these are vastly different than cover pictures. They must be in B&W and high contrast. That way the printing press can support the interior quality necessary for a clear image on the chosen paper […]

Update on my writing…

Princess Interrupted (the prequel to the Prophecies series) has been done, am waiting for the business end of the book guys to actually get it out to others.  Beta Readers have unanimously said that it was my best stuff to-date. That in and of itself is a bit unusual, since most readers tend to have […]

Lords of Prophecy – Draft Book Cover

Yes, it is still being tweaked – but here is a sneak peek into the pending book cover.  

Synopsis for Princess Interrupted…..short [2 pages]

Synopsis for Princess Interrupted Fourteen-year-old Arabelle is the daughter of a merchant king in the land of Trimoria. Her mother died giving birth, so her father dotes on her. Being the only child of the king, she’s been afforded a life of leisure. However, with such a position, come burdens. Her father is quite protective, […]

Lords of Prophecy Book Cover – Coming this weekend?

Artist sent me an e-mail that I should be getting something to share this weekend for the upcoming novel Lord of Prophecy. Crossing my fingers (it would keep with his estimate of “by the end of the month”).  🙂

A FREE giveaway of first novel!

Keep looking at the blog tour post.  Here. This week will continue the blog tour of the first two books in the Prophecies series and I will update the review pages with the resulting reviews. [Reviews for Heirs of Prophecy] [Reviews for Tools of Prophecy] Also check this link to grab a FREE copy of […]

Just so you know…

You folks should also check my Facebook page since I will occasionally post tidbits there that might not show up here, and vice-versa. Toss me a ‘like’ over there. For instance, today I posted this news: Book cover for Lords of Prophecy should be done by end of the month….. Am 25% done with text….. time […]

Funny piece of trivia for my British friends…..

Did you know that the Bank of England was founded by a Scot, and the Bank of Scotland was founded by an Englishman? 🙂

New novel – a “Mind Blowing” experience?

Evidently, one of my beta readers told my publicist that mid-way through reading the yet-to-be-released Princess Interrupted, their mind was blown. They wanted to commemorate it visually. Clearly I have some folks with a real sense of humor. 🙂

What’s happening?

Some of you have asked about what I am doing now. Princess Interrupted, a sequel to my already released novels is in final stages of editing. I haven’t squeezed a release date out of publicist yet. Am busily writing the third novel in the Prophecies series, Lords of Prophecy. Working with artist on that book […]

New illustration within “Lords of Prophecy”

Any guesses about what is on his wrist? 🙂

Lords of Prophecy – Very early pencil sketch of book cover

A very early rough pencil sketch of “Lords of Prophecy” book cover….. Front cover [right portion] with Ryan and Aaron clasping arms just prior to the “final” battle.  Behind them is a portal being opened up by some dragons that are discovered in Tools of Prophecy. Within the portal – you see the flaming pathway that leads […]

A sneak peek at a prequel novel…

I should be dead.

Need another name for Princess Interrupted – updated

August 12th – I need yet another name for a character in Princess Interrupted.  So keep submitting your favorite or least favorite parts of my currently released novels. August 12th – Roselle Lefferts, your name was selected to be included, and in this case – the name “Roselle” works perfectly.

Writing material appropriate for kids…

Reading material for kids fall into a couple of major categories as the ages increase:

Let me introduce you to my editor…..a harsh critic!

Hard to please this one…..

Picture sent from a reader…

Figured I would share….Jessica reading the latest edition of the Prophecies series.

Reading Levels for my books – publisher providing free AR tests

I have received lots of queries about whether my books are part of the Accelerated Reader program in schools, and if I knew how many “AR points” they were worth.

Book 2 (Tools of Prophecy) is out….

Instead of August 1st, it seems like its all there for purchase now.  Amazon & Barnes and Noble at a minimum.  Both books listed below…

Blog Tour Continuing through July/August/September – Updated July 22nd

Yes, I too was a bit confused when the publicist mentioned it.  I had a conversation with her that went something like this:

Two winners announced in Blog Tour

Mary Preston and Catherine Lee were both randomly selected as part of one of the Blog tours my books are a part of. Mary and Catherine, you should each be receiving something that looks like (check your e-mail!): If there are any questions, just let me know.

Preference – first or third person writing?

First person or third person? Which do you prefer?

What real life is about – commencement speech for HS

There are some things they likely didn’t learn in school.

Final images we’ll see for the hardcovers of TOOLS OF PROPHECY

Aha….so this is the image for the paperback they slapped together for the upcoming novel (any day now….) And this is the image for the hardcover in the final form. Note – the stuff on the far left and far right are the inside cover flaps that fold into the book.

Who has visited in the last 90 days?

I find these stats interesting: In the last 90 days, this blog had visitors from the following locations:

The Princess for the prequel novel – before/after

I figured you folks might like to see how the artist took a live model and adapted her for the cover of the prequel.  

Writing young MG/YA characters – what is a child?

I suppose there are two schools of thought regarding how to represent children as characters in a novel.

The Nook version of Tools of Prophecy is now out…

Looks like Barnes & Noble has finally released the title: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tools-of-prophecy-michael-a-rothman/1110070720?ean=2940014681063

One more name was just added to Prequel

Shakeena, You are now a cook named Keena. Yup – even in editing phase, sometimes a name might come out when least expected. 🙂

Names have been chosen for the prequel novel!

First, I want to thank those who contributed your names.

I have not forgotten!

I am going to be sorting through the names submitted for inclusion in the prequel novel and will later today post the results. Thanks, Mike

Tools of Prophecy – Live on Amazon

Next novel (Tools of Prophecy) released to Amazon/B&N

I’ve been told that TOOLS OF PROPHECY (book 2 in the Prophecies series) was released to Amazon/B&N. So within 12-48 hours, should be on sale. Evidently in the US, Amazon releases earlier, and UK/Germany/etc takes a little longer – Dunno why. I will post links as soon as I am aware of them. 🙂

Publisher just lowered price of EBook to $3.99!

Just letting you guys know (caught me by surprise). HEIRS OF PROPHECY in Kindle/Nook format is now $3.99 in celebration of the upcoming release of the second book in the series.

Wow…some nice reviews starting to show up….

The blog tour is rolling along…  as a reference, see here for the full list I will keep updated. I wanted to give an example of one of the reviews I received today. Thanks to ReviewsByMolly for the kind words.  

The author disease…

I just watched the movie Battleship.

Yes, this author is crazy…

You’d think that once I finished the text and self-edits and handed it to the publisher’s editor I’d sit back and relax a little. That IS what a sane person would do isn’t it?

Timelines WITHIN the prophecies series

Those who have been following the novels might notice a flurry of activity recently.

Prequel novel book cover – isn’t it pretty?

Commencement Speech – Closing Remarks

Here is some “wisdom” from yours truly.

Prequel novel is now at 100%

Time to start the editing process. This is going to be a very good tale if I do say so myself. The question that remains – what is the best order to read it in? Book 1, 2, then prequel?  Prequel first then 1 and 2? I know that many of the folks who read […]

Manuscript Security in the Digital Age

This post is for other would-be authors and those curious about keeping people from getting access to your precious documents. I wrote this a while ago in slideshow format to illustrate simply some issues that are inherent to our digital age and many take for granted. Nobody would ever steal from you, right? Nonetheless, I […]

How did THAT happen?!?

What are people saying about HEIRS OF PROPHECY?

Inevitably there are lots of reviews that occur for any given book. Even for the best and most timeless books, there will always be fans and there will be detractors.

Opportunity for your name to show up in next novel!

I am in the editing stage of my prequel Novel, PRINCESS INTERRUPTED and I need to convert my “Assassin1” or “Dwarf3” or “Girl2” references to some kind of names. Here is your opportunity to get your name (your exact name or modified – per my discretion) immortalized in print.

Updated pencil sketch for prequel

Interesting observation – Kindle vs Nook title sales

This is something authors rarely talk about….

Shanghai – more pics

Here are a few more pictures. They include pictures of dubious cans of beverage in my taxi cab driver’s car (btw the taxi smelled like a Grateful Dead concert), giant ferris wheel, some examples of bamboo being used in construction, and the moment I satisfied my cheesecake craving at the hotel (yes – even in […]

Recent trip to Shanghai

I am struggling through some lovely jetlag, but I did make lots of progress on my next title, about 80% complete on the first draft now.

Book publishing timelines – what does it take?

A lot of people wonder how long it takes to write a novel that is 80,000 words or more.

The engineer’s influence on magic…

Let’s face it – I am an engineer first. At least today that can be said. However, in my fantasy genre writing, I do focus quite a bit on the magic systems. I

Blog Tours coming this summer…

Those that read book blogs, you might see both of my novels start showing up there.  A series of blog reviews, author interviews, and musings from yours truly will start showing up randomly in those locations. Also, the publisher told me to expect some industry reviews on TOOLS OF PROPHECY to start rolling in during […]

Sneak peek Book Trailer for novel being released this summer!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIKD-c3uTX4?rel=0&w=640&h=480]

Some interesting excerpts from this summer’s new release TOOLS OF PROPHECY.

I’ve gotten lots of e-mail asking for more hints about the next novel, so let me send out a couple short teasers. These are somewhat random excerpts that might be a bit dark in some cases, but I didn’t want to give away too much.

HEIRS OF PROPHECY video trailer

There is now a video for Heirs of Prophecy. The studio is now doing narration for it….I personally think it came out nicely…. [youtube http://youtu.be/UVvdi-gMgl0?rel=0&w=640&h=480]

Publisher Put Up a Promo for your school

It looks like the publisher just posted a book promotion. I’ll quote from their site: You will notice that we have a promotion that highlights one of our newly released novels, but we wanted to note that our philosophy at M & S is to give back to our reader’s community. With that in mind, […]

A recent interview question….

Some folks have asked about certain aspects of the first book’s story line and in fact I was interviewed by a blog recently who asked, “I am fascinated by some of the hints you’ve given at the odd wild life in Trimoria, but you barely touch on it in your first book. Could you comment?”

New Book Cover – TOOLS OF PROPHECY

The artist just sent me the first color galley for book #2 in the Prophecies series along with the update map. And yes, this is a scene from within the book…..warriors, wizards, elves, and dwarves – OH MY! This is the one slated for release in the summer guys….looking forward to seeing what you folks […]

A Father’s Tale of Magic and Adventure

Many people have asked me how I came up with the ideas I write about.  I suppose you have caught me in a moment where my response isn’t a touch snarky and tongue-in-cheek.

Some of my goals on why I write….

I have always admired truly epic tales. You know the ones I mean. The ones you get immersed and lost in. The story takes you on twists and turns you never expected, run into dead-ends that make you wheel your arms backward to prevent you from falling into an endless abyss. By the time you […]

Why write HEIRS OF PROPHECY

Even though HEIRS OF PROPHECY includes a lot of action and adventure, I did write this to be a somewhat unusual epic fantasy. What makes it so unusual you ask?

New pencil sketch for Book 2’s cover

Looks like Ebooks are out for HEIRS OF PROPHECY

It seems that books are out for purchase in Kindle and Nook form, and they are preorderable in paperback and hardcover form – available April 3rd. See Amazon for kindle version. See Barnes and Noble for Nook version. I would strongly suggest you keep your Amazon or B&NOBLE order number. The publisher will be putting […]

The Testimonials on the Book Cover so far…

Some example testimonial text for this book: “Rothman’s language and description are precise and well-tuned to an adolescent readership…a fair, heroic fantasy for the school-age demographic.” – Kirkus Reviews “There is a sweetness and light to this novel that often seems missing in modern fantasy. I think that a wise reader will recognize that this […]

I placed an EPUB teaser of HEIRS OF PROPHECY version online

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13548943-heirs-of-prophecy

HEIRS OF PROPHECY – Cover with testimonials

Vocabulary List – Week 11

amble – verb to go at a slow, easy pace; stroll; saunter I ambled down the path looking for leprechauns!

Internal world map for HEIRS OF PROPHECY

Here is a copy of the internal world map

Book Cover for HEIRS OF PROPHECY

Here is the book cover for Book 1 in the series….(reduced quality version versus the huge one) – With some of the front text….

Vocabulary List – Week 10

transfer – verb to convey or remove from one place, person, etc., to another I transferred the plate from the dishwasher to the cabinet.

Outlining a story – heresy you say?

Let me state up front – this is MY approach. It works swimmingly well for me, but others might think I am bonkers.

Storyline inspiration / sneak peek into current book

I’ve been asked several times, “Where do you get the ideas for a story?”

Kirkus Review for Heirs of Prophecy

Was given an excerpt from a Kirkus Review done on my first book. Altogether not bad as reviews go. Especially for the review company that has the tag line “The World’s Toughest Book Critics” (TM) since 1933. Rothman’s language and description are precise and well-tuned to an adolescent readership, even if much of the mid-portion […]

Rough Pencil sketch of first book cover

Below is the first rough pencil sketch of the first book cover. The right hand side of the image is the front of the book and the left side wraps around to encompass the back of the book.

Heirs of Prophecy – Description text

Below is the text which likely will show up in Amazon/Barnes & Noble/etc.

For my next book, which do you think you prefer? Hardcover / Paperback / EBook? Please respond to the poll.

[polldaddy poll=5930053]

Vocabulary List – Week 9

constellations -noun any of various groups of stars to which definite names have been given, as Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, etc. I sat back and watched the constellations appear in the night sky.

Vocabulary List – Week 8

latent adjective present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential There had to be some latent fingerprints, it was a matter of finding them.

Book 1 Description…

Let me know what you think…. This story has been described as “Swiss Family Robinson meets Middle Earth.”

First Chapter to my first Book in a series

No – I am not publishing the entire book for free, I am just putting it out for folks to see some of the beginning material.

Prologue to my first book – YA/Fantasy genre

Let me know what you think.  This prologue gives you a view into a scene of the primary “Bad Guy”…. Prologue “Attend the throne room immediately!”

Vocabulary List – Week 7

scowl verb  to draw down or contract the brows in a sullen, displeased, or angry manner. Ryan scowled at his brother as he entered the room.

Kids/Schools – the saviors of the paperback?

I, like the rest of you, have been watching the trends of the publishing industry. From all indications, you might wonder if in the future, printed copies of books will become what a VHS tape or a vinyl record is today.

Vocabulary List – Week 6

surreptitious  – adjective obtained/done/made by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine I surreptitiously stuck something in my pocket while my mom wasn’t looking.

Smartphones – an author’s friend

The old adage of “I get my best ideas for a story in my dreams” has never been true for me. Nor have I ever been so inspired for a storyline in the shower.

Vocabulary List – Week 5

tar·dy /ˈtärdē/Adjective: Delaying or delayed beyond the right or expected time; late. Slow in action or response; sluggish. I was tardy getting to my class. 

Vocabulary List – Week 4

dec·adeNoun/ˈdekād/ A period of ten years. My older brother is a decade old.

Vocabulary Lists – Pacing of publication

I will be dribbling out in the next couple days a series of vocabulary lists that my kids have worked through already. So even though you will suddenly see several week’s worth of work come out in a few days, you can pace yourselves at whatever works for your kids.

Vocabulary List – Week 3

Below is this week’s vocabulary list: nu·ance  n. A subtle or slight degree of difference, as in meaning, feeling, or tone; a gradation. The nuances of red in her hair glistened in the sun. I could tell he was lying by studying the nuances of how he acted and the tone of his voice.

Vocabulary List – Week 2

Below is this week’s vocabulary list: deliberate carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional I think she deliberately found an excuse to argue with me.

Happy Somethingday!

Hope everyone has a happy holiday.  Whether it is Channukah, Christmas, Guadalupe Day, Jamhuri, Laylat al-Qadr, Victory Day,

Some issues I found in my writing…and how I fixed them

As any of you who have read some of my entries on the topic of writing a novel know, I’ve had a somewhat strange ride. Suffice it to say that I have learned a tremendous amount about creative writing through this effort and especially about my crutch words and weaknesses. I wanted to touch briefly […]

When traveling in China – testing web accessibility

For those who occasionally travel to locations within China, you all have experienced the blocking of certain web sites from within the country. I recently stumbled into a web site which allows you to test whether your favorite site is accessible from within the PRC’s firewall.

Vocabulary List – Week 1

I plan on putting out a weekly vocabulary list that I provide to my children for them to study. Below is this week’s vocabulary list as promised:

Fighting Illiteracy – Is Our Society’s Ability to Communicate Eroding?

I won’t claim to be one of those literary types who relish the idea of analyzing the differences between existentialist philosophers like Sartre, Nietzsche, and Dostoevsky. Literacy isn’t a PhD in philosophy, nor does it require an elite education. I feel I am a literate person and prior to University, was a product of public […]

Stamp out language abuse…

Anyone else despise it when people say, “I could care less”? The phrase is “I couldn’t care less” folks! Sorry – my vent for the day….

Writing for a mass audience

Successful authors who sell many books are business people. If you aren’t, you should be thinking like one.

(#6) The logistics of writing a novel

When someone first sits down to write something your first instinct in an email might not be to plan out what you are writing. Let’s face it, a novel is not an email. I find it difficult to understand how someone can put “pen to paper” without a blueprint or idea of what they are […]

(#5) Acting on received feedback – improving the manuscript

We now understand the basic complaints our beta readers had. Let’s take those items and use them to improve our manuscript.

Writing related joke – sort of

Hear about the pregnant woman who went into labor & yelled,”Couldn’t! Wouldn’t! Shouldn’t! Didn’t! Can’t!”? She was having contractions.

Recipe: Who stole my wooden spoons?!?

I took a moment away from writing about literary things and wanted to finger a thief in action.

(#4) Manuscript feedback – getting it and sorting through it – my thoughts

I did share (in a secure manner) my manuscript with a good variety of people and learned a series of useful tidbits. It did require separating a lot of wheat from chaff in that feedback.

Don’t listen to me! Or should you?

Nothing annoys me more than people who profess knowledge in something when in fact they are clueless. Be that as it may, this seems to be prevalent in writing. How many people, who are otherwise unpublished or have no writing credentials whatsoever, wax professorial when giving advice to other would-be authors.

(#3) Getting feedback on the manuscript….Now What!?!

Ok, so I wrote something, and I carved it into the rough form that fits the norms for my genre. Time to have people give feedback.

(#2) I wrote something – now what?!

Ok, I have 110,000 words written, now what?

(#1) Writing in Bulk….

When I decided to write my first non-technical (I.e. YA Fantasy) book, I didn’t have any idea what to expect of myself.

Recipe: Grilling Steaks – the debate begins…

Ok, lots of people will freak out because when you talk about the grilling of meats, this is like talking about religion.  People have really strong opinions, and they are always right. With that in mind, let’s skip all the fancy discussion and get right to it.  I think this might be the simplest set […]

Recipe: Jello Recipe

This is more of a joke, but if you REALLY wanted to make Jello from scratch, here it is.

Recipe: Braised Beef Recipe

This is an excellent recipe for roasts/ribs/brisket.  It takes time, but is definitely worth the wait. 

How to make Aerogel – only for crazy science people…

Aerogel starts as a silica dioxide gel, similar to the gelatine dessert you might make at home.  Then the liquid in the gel is removed without collapsing the gel (normal evaporation causes the gel to collapse).  Reference picture of Aerogel (Care of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

Traveling – It’s Not Always Great…..

Anyone who has traveled to a family function with kids might appreciate this….this was a trip report I actually filed at work. Just arrived back home.  I figure I can avail myself this opportunity to entertain you a bit with some of the trials and tribulations of this little trip for my sister’s wedding.  I […]

A case-study in traditional publication

You’ll find that I am in the midst of an experiment. Can I as a technologist bridge the chasm between non-literary type to a veritable published author through the normal publishing route. The odds are severely stacked against me. This blog will begin to document that process along with some of my thoughts on the […]

BLOG & UPDATES

Rothman’s Quarterly Update Q1 2024

Hi everyone, I feel guilty, since I don't reach out nearly as much as I should. That's my failing, and I apologize. I do however try to keep up with e-mail and have responded to many of you who have sent questions. Let's get cracking and talk about what's happened in the last Lord-knows-how-long... New [...]

Rothman’s Quarterly Update Q4 2022

Hi everyone, I truly hope everyone's new year (2023) is off to a reasonable start. As always, oddities abound while I write this: the US is blanketed with some of the coldest weather we've seen in many years, a strange "weather" balloon is crossing over the continent, and I've personally found some things to chuckle [...]

Rothman’s Quarterly Update Q3 2022

Hi everyone, As you guys know I don't send e-mail too often, some of it is sheer laziness on my part (sorry) and honestly the rest of the excuse is because I'm pretty swamped. However, I do want to start putting more rigor to the frequency folks can expect communication from me. From here on [...]

Rothman’s Quarterly Update Q2 2022

Hi everyone, I plan on creating a quarterly update that should give a comprehensive view of what’s happened in the last quarter and what I expect to be happening in the foreseeable future. For now, this will be a quick communication, although I always seem to say that and it's never quite as terse as [...]

A long overdue update!

Hello everyone, I've been very very delinquent in posting to the web site, mostly because I absolutely need to make a habit of updates, but in my head I'd had several things I wanted to happen before I "announced" anything--and they finally did. So, without further ado, here's a list of things that are cooking [...]

More dust & Primordial Press

I am now focusing on upgrading the site. Bear with me, but some changes will occur.Also, Primordial Press is now a thing. A new publishing house, focused on books within a select set of genres, but all of them key in on elements of "wonder" and will incorporate elements of science and history. A separate [...]

Excuse the dust…

I am starting to do some updates to the website, and will be posting a bit more regularly (Estimate 1-2 times a month).And yes, everything is getting updated with fresh information, sorry about that - I've just been busy putting out content and at the moment, I'm a one-man shop. I need some minions. 🙂 [...]

Publishing in the Indie Zone

This will be an unusual post for me... I'll use two terms that aren't necessarily in everyone's vocabulary: Indie and Tradpub.By using the term Indie, I mean a book written by an Independent publisher (over self-published). Tradpub is shorthand for Traditionally Published, meaning published by a traditional publisher with on-hand editing staff and all the [...]

Status update and an offering

All proceeds from the sales of this bestselling novel will go to the American Cancer Societyto help fund cancer research. Please share this offer widely, because the publisher will add $10,000 to the donation if the book lands on this week’s New York Times bestseller’s list. For that to happen, we’d need lots of eyes […]

A Status Update

I really try not to spam people on here with constant updates, because let's face it, this author thing evolves slowly. I prefer to give updates when there's something substantive going on. Well, it is 2020, we're all undergoing a very unusual situation with this pandemic, and I hope you are all doing as well [...]

Primordial Threat – on sale

I'm going to be offline a lot this week, heavy heavy work week, and putting finishing touches on next book. In the meantime, I've put on sale the first book I put out. It's been fairly well received and has lots of kudos from folks you may recognize. Share it with whoever you think may [...]

Pre-order of “Never Again” is now available

Just letting you guys know that a new Levi novel is available for pre-order. And during the pre-order phase, it's being offered at a discounted price.Below is a brief synopsis and I hope you enjoy it!Levi is a fixer for one of the New York Mafia families.However, when Rivka Cohen walks into his life asserting [...]

Another USA Today bestseller.

Well, isn’t that a nice surprise? Someone just pointed out to me that I hit the USA Today list again with last week’s sale of The Inside Man. #122 top selling book in the country. Pretty cool.

The sale of my book for charity is showing results.

As I'd mentioned in a prior post, I have The Inside Man on sale, with all proceeds during the sale going to a charity whose sole mission is to help combat child trafficking and exploitation.Well, we're seeing some results, and for that, I am thankful. In the US of A, we are currently #25 in [...]

DragonCon Award Nominations – closing July 19th.

Nominations for dragon awards? Well, I suppose I have one qualified item, which is Primordial Threat. Free to vote, anyone can vote (uhh, preferably a reader who liked something). ???? FYI: About the only way I’ll end up at dragon will be if I end up as a finalist – I don’t have hotel reservations […]

Book Sale – $0.99 (for charity)

I haven’t spoken much about why I write certain books, because it varies widely. Sometimes it’s a moment of inspiration, but with The Inside Man, things were very different. This particular book was in the back of my mind for decades. When I was in college I had a friend whose younger sister was kidnapped […]

My first video tutorial

For many would-be authors, it’s daunting writing a book, but I’ve recently learned that for many, the task of writing a book pales in comparison to the obscure nature of publishing itself. How do I get my book to the places that people can read it? There are many services that provide (for a percentage) […]

Sale on Primordial Threat

I know I’m fairly pathetic when it comes to marketing my own stuff, so I probably should mention that there’s a brief sale on one of my e-books right now if you shop in Australia, Canada, UK, or India. Sales should be there on the country store page for the following retailers: Amazon, Kobo, GooglePlay/GoogleBooks, […]

Beta Readers

*** Opportunity to get named in acknowledgements *** Are you a reader of thrillers with a flavor of 007 tossed in? I may have a handful of openings for a beta read. It will require you to give feedback on a per chapter basis and such, but if willing and interested – contact me through […]

Some updates…

It’s been a while, so let me fill you in on a few things I’m working on as well as some things that have transpired. I sold the audio rights for Primordial Threat, Darwin’s Cipher, Perimeter, and The Inside Man to Tantor. This is good news. This means it’s one less thing for me to […]

What does it take to get a “time out” on Facebook?

Well, I was on Facebook for 8 years without ever running into anything weird. But evidently I crossed a line that their algorithms hated when I posted a joke about a shotgun and someone with gnarly feet. Got the timeout seconds after posting it. Was pure algorithm. This post gave me a three day time […]

So far so good….

Last few hours of the sale and how are things? See for yourselves.

Perimeter – A Special Offer

With my debut novel, Primordial Threat, I managed to gain a pretty healthy following with Science Fiction readers. So much so, that I managed to hit the USA TODAY bestseller’s list. That only happened because of a fantastic set of readers and word of mouth. My goal with this post is to try and get […]

A peek at the next book, Darwin’s Cipher

Jon LaForce scrambled down the steep path leading into Tikaboo Valley and took a swig from the cheap red wine he’d bought from a nearby gas station. Almost immediately a flush crept up his neck and warmed his cheeks. He’d just been fired for the second time this month.

A Bestseller?!? How could that be?

Well, that’s good news…. (My book is coming out on the USA TODAY bestseller list tomorrow) #128 – I’ll take it. Thanks to everyone who helped! Okay, I might be smiling – but don’t tell anyone. Ugh – now I have to update my book covers to reflect that. 🙂

Latest update on Primordial Threat

Well, it’s been a whirlwind of a promotion. So much so, that I’ve gotten literally thousands of new readers this week, for which I’m very grateful. On Amazon, I’ve hit pretty much all of the #1 categories my book is listed in, both for Kindle and the Audiobook. In fact, I’m currently sitting at #9 […]

Primordial Threat – it’s an odd story….

As you might have seen from my prior post, I have my debut Science Fiction novel on sale for $0.99. So far, it has been really well received. I hit #1 in Amazon’s Hard Science Fiction category, along with Military Science Fiction and a couple others. Heck, while this was happening, I received a long-awaited […]

Primordial Threat – special offer

Novel? What novel? Well, let me introduce you to a simple trailer I’d created. It’s not nearly as cheesy as you might suspect.  😉 It does have some audio and it is perfectly safe for work, content-wise. PRIMORDIAL THREAT has been released, but one of the biggest challenges for a new author is to make […]

Rothman’s Meatless Pasta Carbonara

It’s been a while since I posted one of my recipes, so here’s one I literally just made tonight for the family. This is a recipe that mimics pasta carbonara, which is basically spaghetti with a creamy sauce composed of eggs and cheese and some pasta water. Traditionally, people sautee and chop up guanciale (a […]

Two books are now in preorder….

I apologize for not posting in a while, but I prefer to use this blog to post actual news versus my normal blather, which can be found on Facebook. For a long time I’ve been holding back on some of the titles I’ve had in a “done” state – no more. Here are their covers […]

Covers for two upcoming books

Here are two example covers for upcoming novels. I’m still waiting to hear back from publishers, but in the meantime, here is what I envisioned. I’d be curious what you guys thought.

Test – Can you see this post?

I’m trying to figure out whether or not Facebook blocks/filters posts from my web site. Do you guys see this? I’d like to start posting from my site (for book-related things) because it allows me to multi-cast to various social media venues at once.

I have been goofing around with some visual art stuff…

As you all likely know (see above on web site), I have some titles on submission to publishers. To maintain sanity between submissions, most would-be authors should be writing, and that’s largely what I’ve been doing–except recently–I worked with an artist to mock up what a book cover might look like for one of the […]

Reminder

Follow this blog via the subscriber mechanism on the site (or click here) if you want access to some subscriber-only information such as giveaways of unpublished material or early access to some works-in-progress. And yes, I actually have a complete never-published novel in the subscriber’s area for you to read online, free of charge. Also, […]

Free novel – share with others.

Hello all, I’m at the stage now with my writing where I’m looking at some of my old (unpublished novels) and know that I’m never going to submit them for publication for one reason or another. Usually, it’s because they twist genres a bit and it ends up not being as strongly viable in a […]

A sneak peek of NO CHOICES – first two chapters

Sneak peek of NO CHOICES – first two chapters….. [first draft] – let me know what you think:

Something I’m Working On – Sample First Chapter

Chapter One   “Mister Yoder, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you have stage-4 pancreatic cancer.” That was certainly not how Levi had expected his 9:00 a.m. follow-up visit with the doctor to go.

A taste of an upcoming story….

Here is a sample of an upcoming story – I’ll let you know what happens with it soon enough.

A sample scene … introducing Nate Carrington

While other stories wend their way through the editing/pitch/publishing process, I am working on a medical thriller and figured I’d share a short scene I’d literally just written. I’m introducing one of the characters in the story, he’s an FBI forensic examiner, 48, and the first scene you encounter him is this one:

Recipe: ICE CREAM BREAD (Two ingredients! No, not a joke)

I posted this same recipe on Facebook and it went viral (110,000+ shares), and since it has been a while since I posted a recipe on my blog, here you go. ICE CREAM BREAD (Two ingredients! No, not a joke) (Perfect for making with the kids and infinite varieties) Makes One 8 x 4 loaf 2 […]

Something I’m Working On….

Sample of something I’m working on. Haven’t even self-edited so don’t look at grammar or other silly things – will get that later. This is chapter one – would it entice you to read more?

A Sample of an upcoming novel – first chapter.

And no, it hasn’t been through editing or proofing. I hope you enjoy it.

People Have Lost Their Minds

So many people have lost their mind and those of you who are rabble-rousing need a time out. People sometimes see what they want to see in anyone’s message. I’m not here to debate politics, I try to leave this blog to literary things and whimsy, however, if you believe that the only way to […]

Rothman’s Writing Axiom

Writing is like an onion. Most who start are just barely peeling the paper-thin outer skin and learning the basics. As you learn more, another layer is peeled. Keep peeling, it’s the only way to get better. Oh by the way, this is a special onion. It has an infinite number of layers.

Do what you know – is that it?

As many of you know, most of my books have been in what could easily be categorized as a middle grade (MG) or young adult (YA) fantasy genre. My bio makes it pretty clear that I started writing mostly because I wanted to entertain my boys (who are now both voracious teenage readers). So as […]

Hello Darkness

Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to drink you again, When your grounds are steeping, Aroma drifts to me while I’m sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my brain, Still remains. Within the sound of brewing.

Prime Rib Recipe

Tonight was Prime Rib night, so below is the plate I’d put together. Cooking a prime rib isn’t very difficult, but if you’re the type who don’t like meat pink and must kill the meat, just do me and all true meat-eaters a favor … don’t make a prime rib. Ingredients: 1 3-4 bone prime […]

Recipe: Noodle Kugel Recipe

One of my family’s favorite things that I make is a noodle kugel. Many non-Jews don’t even know what a kugel is, so in this case, let me simply describe it as a sort of a baked noodle custard of sorts. Trust me – its yummy and simple to make. The recipe is as follows:

I Don’t Like Labels – They’re Usually Wrong

  Whenever people ask me what my politics are, that’s always a loaded question. People typically ask these things to determine if another person is in their tribe or not.

The Fallacy of the Media

The Fallacy Of the Media For everyone who believes they are well-educated regarding the current state of affairs by watching the American media, let me point something out.

WorldCon and the Aftermath

My boys (ages 12 and 14) and I did attend Sasquan (the WorldCon located in Spokane) this year and it was a first for all of us. I’ll freely admit that we are new to this convention circuit, so it was with very little preconceived notions that we arrived. Let’s suffice it to say that […]

With Today’s Political Climate Being What It Is….

In today’s society, I find that many people inevitably exist in three states of awareness when it comes to ideology/politics. 1) They are completely oblivious [low-information] 2) They are somewhat in tune with an ideology, but their information comes from hearsay [oftentimes friends and social circles] 3) They are engrossed in ideology/politics and oftentimes this […]

Recipe: Introducing the Cap of the Ribeye – Meat Lover’s Nirvana

If you’re a vegetarian, you might want to look away. We’re about to talk meat.

In memory of my grandfather.

My grandfather has passed. He was a Holocaust survivor and died at the age of 94. .סבא, אני מקווה שאתה נח בשלום. אני אוהב אותך ואני אתגעגע אליך. He is the best man I ever knew, and will ever know. He goes to join his wife, my grandmother. http://youtu.be/ARR78S1sjYU

Why Diversity In Literature Is Such a Hot Button, and What To Do?

  Diversity in Literature? The word “diversity” is a hot button in today’s society, and it is so for several reasons. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum you’re on, I think the vast majority of people have no issues with differing cultures, religions, and racial profiles of people. Given that, why is diversity […]

A Short Story from yours truly

    I don’t ever write short stories, my mind normally doesn’t work that way, but I woke up one morning and this is what happened.   Waiting For Love The last of the bodies sank into the quicksand, releasing a stream of bubbles as Anna watched, breathed in the fetid swamp gas as if […]

Checking a Steak’s Doneness

With summer approaching and many of us dusting off the backyard grills, I figured I’d share what seems to be common knowledge amongst a few of us grill aficionados. How to tell that your steak is done the way you want it without slicing it open to “check” it. For the many who aren’t “experts” […]

Fantasy is unexplained Science Fiction: Blasphemy or Not?

I’m about to swim upstream for many people in the literary world by positing that there is practically no difference between most Science Fiction and Fantasy. Before I go into more of that hypothesis, let me note a few things about myself. I have a very deep background in the sciences. They span the disciplines of physics, […]

There’s a Tremor In the Force – It’s Called, “The Sad Puppies”

I’d always (always being since the late 70’s) been a reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy novels. I’d also always considered myself a fan of the genre and enjoyed reading as much as watching movies steeped in the nostrum of SF/Fantasy. I’d never considered the word “Fan” that much of a controversial thing, but evidently […]

ComicCon Debrief

My boys and I attended the ComicCon in Seattle and I can say it was a great event. My boys thoroughly enjoyed the gaming and cosplay watching. I enjoyed watching them have fun and finally met (face-to-face) a few of the authors that I’d otherwise talked to a lot over the years. Tip o’ the […]

Are you Right Brain or Left Brain dominant?

For those who missed the last time I posted this. Evidently, this is an optical test which helps to indicate if you perceive things predominantly with the right side of your brain or the left side of your brain.

Under Construction

The site will be under some construction. If you see weird things, ignore them for now.   Updated 03/13/2015: Almost done with the fixes on the web site. Just a few touchups remaining, but if there are any issues, let me know.

Vegetarians Are Cruel Demons!

Vegetarians are evil! You people who rip vegetables out of Mother Earth, their hairy tendrils grasping for nutrition that they’ll never have…

Homemade Dressings

Enjoy!

A new year….

I hope that everyone had a good 2014. I’ve been rather silent lately, but that doesn’t meant I haven’t been busy. In fact, I hope to be able to announce something fairly exciting in the next couple months. In the meantime I hope everyone has a productive 2015 and realize that there will be a […]

For those librarians going back to school….

And for those who enjoy them!

Some Book-related fun – June 5th, 2014

He’s annoying like that…

Some Book-related fun – June 4th, 2014

I think my editor might cut a scene or two from my upcoming book….  😉

Some Book-related fun – June 3rd, 2014

The jedi groundhog!

Some Book-related fun – June 2nd, 2014

It’s good to think of the future…

Some Book-related fun – June 1st, 2014

Couldn’t say it better myself…

Some Book-related fun – May 31st, 2014

So do YOU know how a semicolon is used aside from emoticons?  😉

Some Book-related fun – May 30th, 2014

Inspiration comes from the strangest places…

Some Book-related fun – May 29th, 2014

This is true of many fine authors….

Some Book-related fun – May 28th, 2014

Awesome T-shirt!

Some Book-related fun – May 27th, 2014

For the Dr. Who fans out there…

Some Book-related fun – May 26th, 2014

Ya – pretty typical. 😉

Some Book-related fun – May 25th, 2014

For the librarians in your lives!

Some Book-related fun – May 24th, 2014

You know, this doesn’t shock me at all….  😉

First Book in a Four-Book Series is free on Kindle May 23rd-25th

Just in time for the summer, the first book of the Prophecies series is free on Kindle May 23rd – 25th only. Spread the word by sharing this with others. Especially if you or they have school-age readers that are ready to start on a fantasy series that is complete and available now. (Then again, most […]

Some Book-related fun – May 22nd, 2014

Oh yes – this picture has stirred up many a fantasy writer’s juices.

Some Book-related fun – May 21st, 2014

What a good girl!

Some Book-related fun – May 20th, 2014

Somehow I don’t think writing that will clear it…

Some Book-related fun – May 19th, 2014

Hah!

Some Book-related fun – May 18th, 2014

Don’t listen to him! That’s why I write all those things down….99% junk 1% genius. 😉

Some Book-related fun – May 17th, 2014

Now that might be interesting – if I liked scented candles…

Some Book-related fun – May 16th, 2014

What a heavenly sight!

Some Book-related fun – May 15th, 2014

Muahahahaha

Some Book-related fun – May 14th, 2014

Where have I heard that before?

Some Book-related fun – May 23rd, 2014

Yup – I have one of these scenes… 🙂

Some Book-related fun – May 13th, 2014

Agreed.

Some Book-related fun – May 12th, 2014

My wife (the reluctant reader) will certainly never own this ring….

Some Book-related fun – May 11th, 2014

  Amaretto Sour please….

Some Book-related fun – May 10th, 2014

  Amen…

Some Book-related fun – May 9th, 2014

  My kind of place…

Some Book-related fun – May 8th, 2014

Hah!  Too funny…

Some Book-related fun – May 7th, 2014

I’m trying to remember this…

Some Book-related fun – May 6th, 2014

      One day, kids may not know what one really is…

Some Book-related fun – May 5th, 2014

  If it weren’t for the editors, you might not want to see some of the work that’s out there.

Some Book-related fun – May 4th, 2014

    Smart gift choice.  🙂

News Update as of May 3rd – two more novels completed…

(2014-05-03) Believe it or not, I have two novels sitting in the wings RUNNING FROM DESTINY and THE CODE BREAKER. They’re both looking for a publishing home and I’m working the logistics for that. I’m also working on a third, called THE UNDYING.To tease you folks, here are the descriptions for the two completed novels.RUNNING FROM […]

A few illustrations for an upcoming project – hope you enjoy…

(Thanks to Paul Pederson, the man with the artistic touches…)

Some Book-related fun – May 3rd, 2014

Some Book-related fun – May 2nd, 2014

    Grammar is important folks…  😉

Some Book-related fun – May 1st, 2014

    Where have I heard this before?

Some Book-related fun – April 30th, 2014

    Both in writing and cooking – I hate folks watching…  😉

Some Book-related fun – April 29th, 2014

    Brown bear brown bear…

Some Book-related fun – April 28th, 2014

  Something you don’t want to hear from your agent…

Some Book-related fun – April 27th, 2014

    I love it…

Some Book-related fun – April 26th, 2014

    Book Clubs – it’s a tough environment…

Some Book-related fun – April 25th, 2014

  Too funny…

Some Book-related fun – April 24th, 2014

    Hah!

Some Book-related fun – April 23rd, 2014

    Darn critics!

Some Book-related fun – April 22nd, 2014

    Ya, okay Yoda – whatever say you…

Some Book-related fun – April 21st, 2014

    I might be guilty of this…

Some Book-related fun – April 20th, 2014

  Hey! I hear those same voices – maybe it’s contagious?

Some Book-related fun – April 19th, 2014

    Is this really necessary?  Maybe like the “Do not eat” messages on the silica packs.

Some Book-related fun – April 18th, 2014

  The good ole days…

Some Book-related fun – April 17th, 2014

  Aww – how sweet.  😉

Some Book-related fun – April 16th, 2014

      Hahahahaha – too funny!

Some Book-related fun – April 15th, 2014

      Reading at the throne – ahh!

Some Book-related fun – April 14th, 2014

    Pretty – but is it practical?

Some Book-related fun – April 13th, 2014

    Okay, now that’s pretty darn sexy… look at all of those books! 🙂

Some Book-related fun – April 12th, 2014

    That’s why covers are so important…  😉

Some Book-related fun – April 11th, 2014

    Typical….

Free Kindle book for limited time! Share with others!

Free Kindle book for limited time! Share with others… Heirs of Prophecy

Some Book-related fun – April 10th, 2014

    That’s my girl….

Some Book-related fun – April 9th, 2014

    An ode to the Seuss and the Trek…

Some Book-related fun – April 8th, 2014

    Poor pups….but the books are sometimes more engrossing…

Some Book-related fun – April 7th, 2014

    Hah!

Some Book-related fun – April 6th, 2014

    I want this bench!

Some Book-related fun – April 5th, 2014

      Oh the pain of surgery…..

Some Book-related fun – April 4th, 2014

    <Face-palm>

Some Book-related fun – April 3rd, 2014

    Typical conversation – where have I heard that before?

Recipe: Smoked Brisket Recipe (with great spice rub recipe too!)

Look what I am cooking this weekend!  Yum…. I literally made this within the last week. I adopted this recipe from something I had at a restaurant in the south, and there are many similar variations floating around. This one I can tell you is the best smoked brisket I’ve ever made. Well, it is […]

Some Book-related fun – April 2nd, 2014

    Beware of Books!

Some Book-related fun – April 1st, 2014

    Hmm….

Some Book-related fun – March 31st, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 30th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 29th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 28th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 27th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 26th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 25th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 24th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 23rd, 2014

    Now this is a serious book club. 🙂

Some Book-related fun – March 22nd, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 21st, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 20th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 19th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 18th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 17th, 2014

For one day only…

Free kindle copy of HEIRS OF PROPHECY. Click here.

Some Book-related fun – March 16th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 15th, 2014

    A table of contents… 

Some Book-related fun – March 14th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 13th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 12th, 2014

Recipe: Adventures in Cheese – Biohazard Discovered!

I made the mistake not too long ago of getting into a mood to taste some cheeses I had not had before.  Well, for whatever reason, being somewhat of a gastronomical adventurer, I did pick up a couple of the blue-veined types, a couple of other somewhat unfamiliar cow and goat cheeses, and some of […]

Some Book-related fun – March 11th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 10th, 2014

    Poor little hobbits…

Some Book-related fun – March 9th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 8th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 7th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 6th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 5th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 4th, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 3rd, 2014

Some Book-related fun – March 2nd, 2014

Paper Versus E-version Books are made of paper – or at least some of them are. Here is something that caught my eye that I thought was hilarious.

Some Book-related fun – March 1st, 2014

I was howling on twitter about a news anchor who used the term “I could care less” – (if you don’t see anything wrong with that – have your head examined) – one of my readers forwarded this video clip that I found hilarious (and totally appropriate!) Okay – this isn’t exactly book related, but […]

Some Book-related Fun – February 28th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 27th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 26th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 25th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 24th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 23rd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 22nd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 21st, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 20th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 19th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 18th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 17th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 16th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 15th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 14th, 2014

  This is why editors and beta readers are mandatory!

Some Book-related Fun – February 13th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 12th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 11th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 10th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 9th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 8th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 7th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 6th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 5th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 4th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 3rd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 2nd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – February 1st, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 31st, 2014

  And that’s why I love my editor.

Some Book-related Fun – January 30th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 29th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 28th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 27th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 26th, 2014

  Some people just can’t be helped.

Some Book-related Fun – January 25th, 2014

  Good girl!

Some Book-related Fun – January 24th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 23rd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 22nd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 21st, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 20th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 19th, 2014

  Makes me want to weep for the youth…

Some Book-related Fun – January 18th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 17th, 2014

    Reading Glasses… 🙂

Some Book-related Fun – January 16th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 15th, 2014

    This is the look I give my kids on a frequent basis.

Some Book-related Fun – January 14th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 13th, 2014

  Of course it was!

Some Book-related Fun – January 12th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 11th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 10th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 9th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 8th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 7th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 6th, 2014

  I love this kind of textbook!

Some Book-related Fun – January 5th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 4th, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 3rd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 2nd, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – January 1st, 2014

Some Book-related Fun – December 31st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 30th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 29th, 2013

Kitty just learned what happened to the main Kitty character in Princess Interrupted!

Some Book-related Fun – December 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 26th, 2013

  Now that’s just cruel. (Probably true in some cases – but oh so cruel.)

Some Book-related Fun – December 25th, 2013

  Authors hold the pen for revenge. Anyone who says otherwise might be on the receiving end of such revenge. 😉

Some Book-related Fun – December 24th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 22nd, 2013

  Looking for Trimoria? Simply follow the sign.

Some Book-related Fun – December 21st, 2013

  Ryan and Aaron Riverton a few years before they left for Trimoria.

Some Book-related Fun – December 20th, 2013

  Her pants are a map of Middle Earth. Awesome!

Some Book-related Fun – December 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 18th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 17th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 15th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 13th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 11th, 2013

Recipe: Chicken Marsala Recipe

1 Cup of all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons of italian seasoning 2 tablespoons of paprika 2 tablespoons of garlic powder 2 lbs of chicken breast 3 tablespoons of olive oil 3 tablespoons of shortening (all vegetable or butter) 1lb of sliced mushrooms (button works fine, but can be crimini or shiitake) 1.5C of Marsala wine (I [...]

Recipe: Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe

Okay, let’s admit it. Many of us Americans eat “Chinese” food. (I won’t belabor the fact that what we see here in the US isn’t really Chinese food – that’s for another post).

Some Book-related Fun – December 10th, 2013

Recipe: Romesco Sauce Recipe

This is a Spanish sauce (as in from Spain, not south of the US border) that is amazing on many things, and has very familiar ingredients mixed in unexpected ways. Trust me – once you’ve had it, you’ll come up with excuses to make it again and again.

Some Book-related Fun – December 9th, 2013

Recipe: Remoulade Recipe

This is a great dipping sauce (non-dairy) or sandwich spread alternative you can use instead of the typical sauces you’re familiar with. I love this with roast beef sandwiches, but it’s great for dipping things into as well.

Some Book-related Fun – December 8th, 2013

Recipe: Sweet Tartar Sauce Recipe

So many people go out and buy tartar sauce, yet they don’t realize they probably have all the ingredients to make it themselves. Below is a common recipe served at many restaurants all over the US.

Some Book-related Fun – December 7th, 2013

Recipe: Chocolate Lasagna Recipe

Evidently a clone of Olive Garden’s dessert (which I’ll admit to not having had before.) We had this and really enjoyed it. INGREDIENTS: For the Cake: 6 cups cake flour 5 1/4 cups sugar 2 1/4 cups baking cocoa 2 tablespoons baking soda 4 1/2 cups milk 1 1/2 cup butter 12 large eggs 1 [...]

Some Book-related Fun – December 6th, 2013

Recipe: Ultimate Wings recipe

Chicken wings are definitely a popular food in the U.S. as well as other parts of the world.

Some Book-related Fun – December 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – December 4th, 2013

Recipe: Apple Bread Pudding Recipe

Ok, here is that recipe people keep pestering me about.  If you like bread pudding, and are willing to throw the diet out the window for a bit, here is what many people have said is probably the best bread pudding they ever had.  I hope you enjoy.

Some Book-related Fun – December 3rd, 2013

Recipe: Caramel Sauce Recipe

What is caramel?  Most people create bizarre concoctions of ingredients to create caramel when in reality caramel is simply burnt(browned) sugar.  All you need to do is…

Some Book-related Fun – December 2nd, 2013

Recipe: Japanese Steakhouse Dipping Sauce

This is a dipping sauce that I make which tastes identical to the one made famous by Benihana Japanese Steakhouse and often-times used for shrimp but lots of people like to put it on everything.  😉

Some Book-related Fun – December 1st, 2013

Recipe: Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

Ok, this is about as easy as it gets, and is very popular with those who like this type of dressing.  Also I would note it contains no dairy, so it is fairly friendly for those with certain dietary restrictions.

Recipe: Puffy Fritter Recipe (savory or sweet)

Most people love those wonderful fritters that are like little pillows of corn goodness, but in fact the same recipe can be made for any number of different treats. INGREDIENTS: 1 c. flour 3/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 c. milk 1 egg, beaten 1 1/2 c. drained kernel corn [[ or apple, [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 30th, 2013

Recipe: Perfect Guacamole Recipe

I’ve had lots of terrible guacamole. What is sad is that it is really easy to make great guacamole. This is what I do.

Some Book-related Fun – November 29th, 2013

Recipe: Cutest Recipe Ever!

Now that is the cutest food ever… Especially since the family just watched the movie.  Got this from: http://rock-ur-party.tablespoon.com/2013/07/01/despicable-me-mini-minions/?nicam4=SocialMedia&nichn4=Pinterest&niseg4=Tablespoon&nicreatID4=Post

Some Book-related Fun – November 28th, 2013

Recipe: Cashew Brittle Recipe

This recipe works well for most any kind of nut brittle you want to make. A family favorite!

Some Book-related Fun – November 27th, 2013

Recipe: Brisket Taco Recipe

Swap out for your favorite brisket recipe if you have differing preferences… but family is on a burrito/taco kick lately. This works very well.

Some Book-related Fun – November 26th, 2013

Recipe: Beef Empanada Recipe

A very tasty treat – think of it as little fried meat pies. INGREDIENTS: Filling: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, minced 1/2 cup sofrito (garlic, cilantro, sweet peppers) 1 red bell pepper, minced 4 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons adobo (salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Dominican oregano) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 […]

Some Book-related Fun – November 25th, 2013

Recipe: Fried Yellow Squash Recipe

One of my favorite squashes – even my kids love it when I make these.

Some Book-related Fun – November 24th, 2013

Recipe: Cantaloupe Salsa Recipe

Yes, we are all familiar with tomato salsa. Despite what your next door neighbor might say, tomatoes are fruits. Salsa can be made from any kind of fruit with similar textures. My oldest absolutely loves cantaloupes, so this was something that ended up a favorite. The firm fruit can be replaced with other similar texture […]

Some Book-related Fun – November 23rd, 2013

Recipe: Blooming Onion Recipe

Yes – it’s the same treat we’re used to seeing in a popular chain restaurant in the US (Outback). I found this clone recipe a long time ago, jotted it down, and has been in my favorites ever since…

Some Book-related Fun – November 22nd, 2013

Recipe: Braised Beef With Mushrooms Recipe

Tender, succulent, and very yummy.

Some Book-related Fun – November 21st, 2013

  Ok, maybe not me – but some of you out there probably do. Right?

Recipe: Crispy Jalapeño Mozzarella Stick Recipe

Crispy and crunchy on the outside. Creamy, melt-y and spicy on the inside. A personal favorite… (Thanks to Life’s Ambrosia for this one…blog URL below) INGREDIENTS: 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 8 sticks of mozzarella string cheese, cut in half 8 small jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise, [...]

A Philosophy I Live By

Here is some “wisdom” from yours truly.  (Shared as closing remarks in a commencement speech to kids)

Some Book-related Fun – November 20th, 2013

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Hummus Recipe

Many of us like to eat healthy, and let me tell you – I grew up on this stuff and <look at self> – okay, despite my condition, this stuff is really tasty and good for you. 

Seeking Orphans in MG/YA Literature – Or Are We?

The orphaned hobbit. The orphaned and abused young wizard. The disgruntled teen girl of divorced parents with a penchant for vampires.

Some Book-related Fun – November 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – November 18th, 2013

Recipe: Chili Recipe – Cincinnati & Tex-Mex Style variations

This recipe includes both a cincinnati and a more traditional tex-mex variety.  Both varieties of this Chili are very popular (I’ve been known to call the chili-crazed folks vultures as they circle while the smell permeates the kitchen during the cooking process).  Believe it or not, even the kids will eat it.  Well….ok, maybe if you add […]

Recipe: Simple Beef and Broccoli Recipe

This is a recipe my wife loves, and my kids (who aren’t fans of broccoli) sometimes struggle with. Clearly the vegetable can be replaced with anything else, and same goes with the protein. The recipe could be called PROTEIN & VEGETABLE stir fry – but somehow it doesn’t quite sound as good.

The stark reality for aspiring authors

I continuously stumble into blogs where aspiring authors are lamenting the cruel nature of the publishing industry and how their efforts are unrecognized. If the aspiring author could only get the attention of X or if Y would simply read the first couple chapters of their manuscript – then they’d of course understand the author’s […]

Some Book-related Fun – November 17th, 2013

Recipe: Lasagna Cup Recipe

If you have the type of family that fights over the corners of the pan because of the crispy and chewy texture. With these cupcakes, every single one has all the yummy qualities of those corner pieces.

Some Book-related Fun – November 16th, 2013

Recipe: Banana Pudding Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk (NOT skim) 4 or 5 ripe bananas, sliced thin (cover with plastic wrap or sprinkle with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown) 1 box vanilla wafers 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Butter (not margarine) 4 Egg yolks (Large [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 15th, 2013

Recipe: Onion/Hamburger Bomb Recipe

I learned to make this when I camped as a teenager. It is the perfect summertime/camping meal for a campfire or grill.

Some Book-related Fun – November 14th, 2013

Recipe: Blueberry French Toast Recipe

For those who like french toast and love blueberries – you simply can’t go wrong with this one…

Some Book-related Fun – November 13th, 2013

Recipe: Blueberry/Banana Muffin Recipe

All I can say is – YUM! INGREDIENTS: Vegetable oil cooking spray 1 large egg 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream 2 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk 1/2 cup oat bran 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 medium) 2 tablespoons brown sugar […]

Some Book-related Fun – November 12th, 2013

New illustration inside upcoming book….

Imagine a person has walked into a dark cave, notices the imprint of a glowing hand on the wall and places his hand on it. Below is the results…

Recipe: Very Berry Smoothie Recipe

Refreshing and tasty drink for the summertime - and an awesome color too. 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 cup strawberries 1/2 blackberries 1 cup low-fat yogurt (some type of berry yogurt would be best, but plain is fine too) 1/4 cup low-fat milk or 1/2 cup fat-free milk 2 cups of ice While this smoothie is [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 11th, 2013

Recipe: Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe

I rarely ever use pre-mixed anything, but since this is so much easier and just as tasty as doing it the hard way, I wanted to share a recipe that I could devour the entire batch if I let myself go. Hope you enjoy… Ingredients (makes one dozen biscuits): 2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 10th, 2013

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

One of my wife’s favorites…. 4 tablespoons butter, melted (or equiv. non-dairy melted) 3/4 c. ketchup 1/2 c. white vinegar 3/4 c. brown sugar 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper, to taste dash red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper 1 1/2 c. chicken broth 6 boneless chicken breast halves, [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 9th, 2013

Recipe: Cookie Dough Cheesecake Recipe

Cookie Dough:  ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup sugar ½ cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup mini chocolate chips Set aside an additional 1 cup mini chocolate chips to fold into the batter with the cookie dough balls Crust:  4 [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 8th, 2013

Recipe: Banana Bundt Cake Recipe stuffed with Cheesecake – yes – I said stuffed with cheesecake

We love Banana bread. We love Cheesecake. In this dessert, I’ve combined these two loves into a wonderfully sinful treat that oddly enough reminds me of a cheese danish on steroids, but with banana bread goodness.

Some Book-related Fun – November 7th, 2013

Recipe: ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE DUTCH BABY MADE AT HOME – Recipe for you

Several of you asked if I had the “other” massive pancake recipe from the aforementioned restaurant. Of course I do. Definitely one of my family’s other favorites. It’s almost like a giant wonderful eggy crepe in bizarre pancake form. INGREDIENTS: 4 eggs 1/2 cup of powdered sugar 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 6th, 2013

Recipe: The Ultimate Apple Pancake Recipe

My family absolutely loves this larger-than-life pancake that I make. Its utterly sinful, and a shameless clone of the apple pancake you’ll find also at the Original Pancake House. INGREDIENTS: 5 tablespoons butter 2 granny smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced thin) 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 cup flour 1 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 5th, 2013

Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 8 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, or about 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.) 1 large onion, diced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced 1 (29 oz.) can of tomato puree 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (or coconut milk for dairy-free) 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. Garam masala [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 4th, 2013

Recipe: Simple Baked Salmon Recipe

We actually had this last night. We started with a large 2.5lb salmon filet, and between the wife, two kids, and myself, we devoured it. Yup - kids eating their fish (not in stick form) and asking for seconds. INGREDIENTS: As much salmon as you want that can fit on a cookie sheet, slice it [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 3rd, 2013

Recipe: Ice Cream Bread Recipe – (2 ingredients – no joke!)

Makes One 8 x 4 loaf 2 Cups Ice Cream, any flavor, softened 1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour Preheat your oven to 350 fahrenheit. Spray and flour a 8 x 4 loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix the ice cream and flour together until just combined. Scoop into [...]

Recipe: FRESH LEMON JUICE SQUARES Recipe

These are very simple and very refreshing. (Can you tell I like lemon?) INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 1/2 cup(s) confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt 1 cup(s) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) 4 large egg yolks 1 can(s) sweetened condensed milk 3/4 cup(s) fresh lemon [...]

Some Book-related Fun – November 2nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – November 1st, 2013

Optical Illusions

With my prior post I had a series of people comment about the optical illusion, and I am still convinced that anyone who sees the girl spinning counter-clockwise is insane. Ok – maybe not insane, but I still stare at it and can’t fathom how someone can see it differently. With the interest in such […]

Some Book-related Fun – October 31st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 30th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 26th, 2013

What an awesome-looking library!

Some Book-related Fun – October 25th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 24th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 22nd, 2013

Yup, guilty as charged!

Some Book-related Fun – October 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 20th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 18th, 2013

This is what happened when I brought home one too many books…

Some Book-related Fun – October 17th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 15th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 13th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 11th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 10th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 9th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 8th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 7th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 6th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 4th, 2013

A new crop of Jedis are being trained!

Some Book-related Fun – October 3rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – October 2nd, 2013

Great word!

Some Book-related Fun – October 1st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 30th, 2013

And to think my editor said that I might need to cut the size down a tad. How disappointing!  I was trying to emulate Tad Williams and Brandon Sanderson.

Some Book-related Fun – September 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 26th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 25th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 24th, 2013

I like books – but this place has some issues…..

Some Book-related Fun – September 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 22nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 20th, 2013

Awesome 3d Chalk Art

Some Book-related Fun – September 19th, 2013

Sir Purrs-a-lot!

Some Book-related Fun – September 18th, 2013

  For those of you who don’t “get” this – I feel bad for you. 🙂

Some Book-related Fun – September 17th, 2013

I’m so confused!

Some Book-related Fun – September 16th, 2013

  Nicnevin hidden deep in her forest

Some Book-related Fun – September 15th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 13th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 12th, 2013

For my fellow science nerds….  F=MA!  Go science!

Some Book-related Fun – September 11th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 10th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 9th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 8th, 2013

  A baby dragon has been discovered – here is proof!

Some Book-related Fun – September 7th, 2013

    I want one of these!

Some Book-related Fun – September 6th, 2013

            NEVER Give up!

Some Book-related Fun – September 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 4th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 3rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 2nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – September 1st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 31st, 2013

There goes the phrase “Page-turner” into the dustbin of history…

Some Book-related Fun – August 30th, 2013

  Another great set of book ends.

Some Book-related Fun – August 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 28th, 2013

  Sir Hops-a-lot!

Some Book-related Fun – August 27th, 2013

  Sir Poops-a-lot!

Some Book-related Fun – August 26th, 2013

  Sir Chomps-a-lot!

Some Book-related Fun – August 25th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 24th, 2013

  Another Ent!

Some Book-related Fun – August 23rd, 2013

    Ents!

Some Book-related Fun – August 22nd, 2013

  A baby dragon has been discovered!

Some Book-related Fun – August 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 20th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 18th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 17th, 2013

  This is the truth for most authors…

Some Book-related Fun – August 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 15th, 2013

    Don’t you love punctuation?

Some Book-related Fun – August 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 13th, 2013

  Now that’s a good sense of humor at Costco!

Some Book-related Fun – August 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 11th, 2013

  I love my editors…

Some Book-related Fun – August 10th, 2013

  It’s getting hot in here….

A great new review of Heirs of Prophecy

Check this blog out. Lots of reviews/activity.

Some Book-related Fun – August 9th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 8th, 2013

  I gotta find these sheets!

Some Book-related Fun – August 7th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 6th, 2013

    An utterly amazing quote…

Some Book-related Fun – August 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 4th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 3rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 2nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – August 1st, 2013

    Some books just shouldn’t be…

Some Book-related Fun – July 31st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 30th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 26th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 25th, 2013

  Groucho was a very funny guy…

Some Book-related Fun – July 24th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 22nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 20th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 18th, 2013

Stories want to be read. Banning is a sad thing…  (Also – happy birthday to my wife.)

Some Book-related Fun – July 17th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 15th, 2013

  Bilbo was a very wise hobbit.

Some Book-related Fun – July 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 13th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 11th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 10th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 9th, 2013

  I’m convinced that there’s a book for every reader.

Some Book-related Fun – July 8th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 7th, 2013

  Awesome bookends, don’t you think?

Some Book-related Fun – July 6th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 4th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – July 3rd, 2013

      An amazing library, isn’t it?

Some Book-related Fun – July 2nd, 2013

    Jenga Anyone?

Some Book-related Fun – July 1st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 30th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 29th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 28th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 27th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 26th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 25th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 24th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 23rd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 22nd, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 21st, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 20th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 19th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 18th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 17th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 16th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 15th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 14th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 13th, 2013

Oh my! Ents! They do exist….

Some Book-related Fun – June 12th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 11th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 10th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 9th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 8th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 7th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 6th, 2013

This is for the editors in my life.

Some Book-related Fun – June 5th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 4th, 2013

Some Book-related Fun – June 3rd, 2013

This is definitely something that I do on a regular basis!

Blog Tour for the Prophecies series….

Looks like the new book (Kindle Version, Nook Version) is on a review tour through the book blogs. Here is the schedule and locations to keep your eyes out for: Monday, March 18th: Journey of a Bookseller Tuesday, March 19th: Straight from the Library Wednesday, March 20th: Brenda Maxfield’s Blog Thursday, March 21st: Books in […]

Heirs of Prophecy – Free on Kindle 28th-30th!

Just notified that Heirs of Prophecy (Book #1 of the Prophecies series) is available for free on Kindle. See this link to download it. I hope you enjoy!

As reviews come out for Lords of Prophecy…

Look here for the ongoing list of reviews: Some Reviews for Lords of Prophecy.

Accelerated Reader (AR) Data for Lords of Prophecy

Here is the data for the AR test that will be associated with Lords of Prophecy: TOS Book Level: 6.4 AR Points: 17 Word Count: 103887

For prospective authors….

Words of advice – pray for good editors. The good ones will inevitably teach you a lot (even though you’ll hate their guts when they critique your perfect manuscript. The bad ones will lead you astray and cause you lots of undue grief. With experience, you’ll be able to know the difference and filter editor […]

Just a sneak peek…..

Remember I said I was working on the new book…. here’s some evidence/sneak peek…. for you conspiracy theorists out there….. you might notice that I am using resources that might give you spasms of delight…. Chapter 1 is just the beginning (of course). Hope that whets your appetite…

Quick Update from my writing desk…

I know, I’m guilty of not updating the blog with the frequency some of you might have gotten used to.  Apologies and excuses all around. The dog ate my homework.  Alright, now that we have that over and done with. Let me give you an idea of what I’ve been doing. Needless to say, there […]

E-Book versions released for Lords of Prophecy

I wanted everyone to know that Lords of Prophecy is now available in E-Book format, and hardcopies are supposed to be available sometime in April. For Kindle, see this link. For Nook, see this link. Also, there will be a blog tour for the new title starting this month, and continuing through April and May.  Twenty-five […]

I rarely post on this subject, but…

The current US administration is patting themselves on their back for “trillions” in spending cuts. They are actually cuts in future spending increases. That’s the same as me going to a car mall with the Toyota dealership next to the BMW one. Let’s say I can only afford a Camry. Though I’d really fantasize about […]

It’s a new year…

I hope everyone had a good holiday season. I wanted everyone to know that I’ve finally put the finishing touches on Book 4 of the prophecies series (Lords of Prophecy), and it is off to the editor. That being said, I noticed some of my BIO data was stale, so in the next couple days, […]

Tools of Prophecy – refreshed cover

I just got some copy of the proposed book cover update for the titled novel Tools of Prophecy. It is strictly a draft, and rumor has it that the buxom elf on the front cover might end up getting a less revealing outfit.  <sigh>  🙂 Let me know what you think…..this is actually the paperback […]

Some interior art….it happens

The novel am working on Lords of Prophecy will have some pieces of interior art that I think are nice. Remember, these are vastly different than cover pictures. They must be in B&W and high contrast. That way the printing press can support the interior quality necessary for a clear image on the chosen paper […]

Update on my writing…

Princess Interrupted (the prequel to the Prophecies series) has been done, am waiting for the business end of the book guys to actually get it out to others.  Beta Readers have unanimously said that it was my best stuff to-date. That in and of itself is a bit unusual, since most readers tend to have […]

Lords of Prophecy – Draft Book Cover

Yes, it is still being tweaked – but here is a sneak peek into the pending book cover.  

Synopsis for Princess Interrupted…..short [2 pages]

Synopsis for Princess Interrupted Fourteen-year-old Arabelle is the daughter of a merchant king in the land of Trimoria. Her mother died giving birth, so her father dotes on her. Being the only child of the king, she’s been afforded a life of leisure. However, with such a position, come burdens. Her father is quite protective, […]

Lords of Prophecy Book Cover – Coming this weekend?

Artist sent me an e-mail that I should be getting something to share this weekend for the upcoming novel Lord of Prophecy. Crossing my fingers (it would keep with his estimate of “by the end of the month”).  🙂

A FREE giveaway of first novel!

Keep looking at the blog tour post.  Here. This week will continue the blog tour of the first two books in the Prophecies series and I will update the review pages with the resulting reviews. [Reviews for Heirs of Prophecy] [Reviews for Tools of Prophecy] Also check this link to grab a FREE copy of […]

Just so you know…

You folks should also check my Facebook page since I will occasionally post tidbits there that might not show up here, and vice-versa. Toss me a ‘like’ over there. For instance, today I posted this news: Book cover for Lords of Prophecy should be done by end of the month….. Am 25% done with text….. time […]

Funny piece of trivia for my British friends…..

Did you know that the Bank of England was founded by a Scot, and the Bank of Scotland was founded by an Englishman? 🙂

New novel – a “Mind Blowing” experience?

Evidently, one of my beta readers told my publicist that mid-way through reading the yet-to-be-released Princess Interrupted, their mind was blown. They wanted to commemorate it visually. Clearly I have some folks with a real sense of humor. 🙂

What’s happening?

Some of you have asked about what I am doing now. Princess Interrupted, a sequel to my already released novels is in final stages of editing. I haven’t squeezed a release date out of publicist yet. Am busily writing the third novel in the Prophecies series, Lords of Prophecy. Working with artist on that book […]

New illustration within “Lords of Prophecy”

Any guesses about what is on his wrist? 🙂

Lords of Prophecy – Very early pencil sketch of book cover

A very early rough pencil sketch of “Lords of Prophecy” book cover….. Front cover [right portion] with Ryan and Aaron clasping arms just prior to the “final” battle.  Behind them is a portal being opened up by some dragons that are discovered in Tools of Prophecy. Within the portal – you see the flaming pathway that leads […]

A sneak peek at a prequel novel…

I should be dead.

Need another name for Princess Interrupted – updated

August 12th – I need yet another name for a character in Princess Interrupted.  So keep submitting your favorite or least favorite parts of my currently released novels. August 12th – Roselle Lefferts, your name was selected to be included, and in this case – the name “Roselle” works perfectly.

Writing material appropriate for kids…

Reading material for kids fall into a couple of major categories as the ages increase:

Let me introduce you to my editor…..a harsh critic!

Hard to please this one…..

Picture sent from a reader…

Figured I would share….Jessica reading the latest edition of the Prophecies series.

Reading Levels for my books – publisher providing free AR tests

I have received lots of queries about whether my books are part of the Accelerated Reader program in schools, and if I knew how many “AR points” they were worth.

Book 2 (Tools of Prophecy) is out….

Instead of August 1st, it seems like its all there for purchase now.  Amazon & Barnes and Noble at a minimum.  Both books listed below…

Blog Tour Continuing through July/August/September – Updated July 22nd

Yes, I too was a bit confused when the publicist mentioned it.  I had a conversation with her that went something like this:

Two winners announced in Blog Tour

Mary Preston and Catherine Lee were both randomly selected as part of one of the Blog tours my books are a part of. Mary and Catherine, you should each be receiving something that looks like (check your e-mail!): If there are any questions, just let me know.

Preference – first or third person writing?

First person or third person? Which do you prefer?

What real life is about – commencement speech for HS

There are some things they likely didn’t learn in school.

Final images we’ll see for the hardcovers of TOOLS OF PROPHECY

Aha….so this is the image for the paperback they slapped together for the upcoming novel (any day now….) And this is the image for the hardcover in the final form. Note – the stuff on the far left and far right are the inside cover flaps that fold into the book.

Who has visited in the last 90 days?

I find these stats interesting: In the last 90 days, this blog had visitors from the following locations:

The Princess for the prequel novel – before/after

I figured you folks might like to see how the artist took a live model and adapted her for the cover of the prequel.  

Writing young MG/YA characters – what is a child?

I suppose there are two schools of thought regarding how to represent children as characters in a novel.

The Nook version of Tools of Prophecy is now out…

Looks like Barnes & Noble has finally released the title: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tools-of-prophecy-michael-a-rothman/1110070720?ean=2940014681063

One more name was just added to Prequel

Shakeena, You are now a cook named Keena. Yup – even in editing phase, sometimes a name might come out when least expected. 🙂

Names have been chosen for the prequel novel!

First, I want to thank those who contributed your names.

I have not forgotten!

I am going to be sorting through the names submitted for inclusion in the prequel novel and will later today post the results. Thanks, Mike

Tools of Prophecy – Live on Amazon

Next novel (Tools of Prophecy) released to Amazon/B&N

I’ve been told that TOOLS OF PROPHECY (book 2 in the Prophecies series) was released to Amazon/B&N. So within 12-48 hours, should be on sale. Evidently in the US, Amazon releases earlier, and UK/Germany/etc takes a little longer – Dunno why. I will post links as soon as I am aware of them. 🙂

Publisher just lowered price of EBook to $3.99!

Just letting you guys know (caught me by surprise). HEIRS OF PROPHECY in Kindle/Nook format is now $3.99 in celebration of the upcoming release of the second book in the series.

Wow…some nice reviews starting to show up….

The blog tour is rolling along…  as a reference, see here for the full list I will keep updated. I wanted to give an example of one of the reviews I received today. Thanks to ReviewsByMolly for the kind words.  

The author disease…

I just watched the movie Battleship.

Yes, this author is crazy…

You’d think that once I finished the text and self-edits and handed it to the publisher’s editor I’d sit back and relax a little. That IS what a sane person would do isn’t it?

Timelines WITHIN the prophecies series

Those who have been following the novels might notice a flurry of activity recently.

Prequel novel book cover – isn’t it pretty?

Commencement Speech – Closing Remarks

Here is some “wisdom” from yours truly.

Prequel novel is now at 100%

Time to start the editing process. This is going to be a very good tale if I do say so myself. The question that remains – what is the best order to read it in? Book 1, 2, then prequel?  Prequel first then 1 and 2? I know that many of the folks who read […]

Manuscript Security in the Digital Age

This post is for other would-be authors and those curious about keeping people from getting access to your precious documents. I wrote this a while ago in slideshow format to illustrate simply some issues that are inherent to our digital age and many take for granted. Nobody would ever steal from you, right? Nonetheless, I […]

How did THAT happen?!?

What are people saying about HEIRS OF PROPHECY?

Inevitably there are lots of reviews that occur for any given book. Even for the best and most timeless books, there will always be fans and there will be detractors.

Opportunity for your name to show up in next novel!

I am in the editing stage of my prequel Novel, PRINCESS INTERRUPTED and I need to convert my “Assassin1” or “Dwarf3” or “Girl2” references to some kind of names. Here is your opportunity to get your name (your exact name or modified – per my discretion) immortalized in print.

Updated pencil sketch for prequel

Interesting observation – Kindle vs Nook title sales

This is something authors rarely talk about….

Shanghai – more pics

Here are a few more pictures. They include pictures of dubious cans of beverage in my taxi cab driver’s car (btw the taxi smelled like a Grateful Dead concert), giant ferris wheel, some examples of bamboo being used in construction, and the moment I satisfied my cheesecake craving at the hotel (yes – even in […]

Recent trip to Shanghai

I am struggling through some lovely jetlag, but I did make lots of progress on my next title, about 80% complete on the first draft now.

Book publishing timelines – what does it take?

A lot of people wonder how long it takes to write a novel that is 80,000 words or more.

The engineer’s influence on magic…

Let’s face it – I am an engineer first. At least today that can be said. However, in my fantasy genre writing, I do focus quite a bit on the magic systems. I

Blog Tours coming this summer…

Those that read book blogs, you might see both of my novels start showing up there.  A series of blog reviews, author interviews, and musings from yours truly will start showing up randomly in those locations. Also, the publisher told me to expect some industry reviews on TOOLS OF PROPHECY to start rolling in during […]

Sneak peek Book Trailer for novel being released this summer!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIKD-c3uTX4?rel=0&w=640&h=480]

Some interesting excerpts from this summer’s new release TOOLS OF PROPHECY.

I’ve gotten lots of e-mail asking for more hints about the next novel, so let me send out a couple short teasers. These are somewhat random excerpts that might be a bit dark in some cases, but I didn’t want to give away too much.

HEIRS OF PROPHECY video trailer

There is now a video for Heirs of Prophecy. The studio is now doing narration for it….I personally think it came out nicely…. [youtube http://youtu.be/UVvdi-gMgl0?rel=0&w=640&h=480]

Publisher Put Up a Promo for your school

It looks like the publisher just posted a book promotion. I’ll quote from their site: You will notice that we have a promotion that highlights one of our newly released novels, but we wanted to note that our philosophy at M & S is to give back to our reader’s community. With that in mind, […]

A recent interview question….

Some folks have asked about certain aspects of the first book’s story line and in fact I was interviewed by a blog recently who asked, “I am fascinated by some of the hints you’ve given at the odd wild life in Trimoria, but you barely touch on it in your first book. Could you comment?”

New Book Cover – TOOLS OF PROPHECY

The artist just sent me the first color galley for book #2 in the Prophecies series along with the update map. And yes, this is a scene from within the book…..warriors, wizards, elves, and dwarves – OH MY! This is the one slated for release in the summer guys….looking forward to seeing what you folks […]

A Father’s Tale of Magic and Adventure

Many people have asked me how I came up with the ideas I write about.  I suppose you have caught me in a moment where my response isn’t a touch snarky and tongue-in-cheek.

Some of my goals on why I write….

I have always admired truly epic tales. You know the ones I mean. The ones you get immersed and lost in. The story takes you on twists and turns you never expected, run into dead-ends that make you wheel your arms backward to prevent you from falling into an endless abyss. By the time you […]

Why write HEIRS OF PROPHECY

Even though HEIRS OF PROPHECY includes a lot of action and adventure, I did write this to be a somewhat unusual epic fantasy. What makes it so unusual you ask?

New pencil sketch for Book 2’s cover

Looks like Ebooks are out for HEIRS OF PROPHECY

It seems that books are out for purchase in Kindle and Nook form, and they are preorderable in paperback and hardcover form – available April 3rd. See Amazon for kindle version. See Barnes and Noble for Nook version. I would strongly suggest you keep your Amazon or B&NOBLE order number. The publisher will be putting […]

The Testimonials on the Book Cover so far…

Some example testimonial text for this book: “Rothman’s language and description are precise and well-tuned to an adolescent readership…a fair, heroic fantasy for the school-age demographic.” – Kirkus Reviews “There is a sweetness and light to this novel that often seems missing in modern fantasy. I think that a wise reader will recognize that this […]

I placed an EPUB teaser of HEIRS OF PROPHECY version online

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13548943-heirs-of-prophecy

HEIRS OF PROPHECY – Cover with testimonials

Vocabulary List – Week 11

amble – verb to go at a slow, easy pace; stroll; saunter I ambled down the path looking for leprechauns!

Internal world map for HEIRS OF PROPHECY

Here is a copy of the internal world map

Book Cover for HEIRS OF PROPHECY

Here is the book cover for Book 1 in the series….(reduced quality version versus the huge one) – With some of the front text….

Vocabulary List – Week 10

transfer – verb to convey or remove from one place, person, etc., to another I transferred the plate from the dishwasher to the cabinet.

Outlining a story – heresy you say?

Let me state up front – this is MY approach. It works swimmingly well for me, but others might think I am bonkers.

Storyline inspiration / sneak peek into current book

I’ve been asked several times, “Where do you get the ideas for a story?”

Kirkus Review for Heirs of Prophecy

Was given an excerpt from a Kirkus Review done on my first book. Altogether not bad as reviews go. Especially for the review company that has the tag line “The World’s Toughest Book Critics” (TM) since 1933. Rothman’s language and description are precise and well-tuned to an adolescent readership, even if much of the mid-portion […]

Rough Pencil sketch of first book cover

Below is the first rough pencil sketch of the first book cover. The right hand side of the image is the front of the book and the left side wraps around to encompass the back of the book.

Heirs of Prophecy – Description text

Below is the text which likely will show up in Amazon/Barnes & Noble/etc.

For my next book, which do you think you prefer? Hardcover / Paperback / EBook? Please respond to the poll.

[polldaddy poll=5930053]

Vocabulary List – Week 9

constellations -noun any of various groups of stars to which definite names have been given, as Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, etc. I sat back and watched the constellations appear in the night sky.

Vocabulary List – Week 8

latent adjective present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential There had to be some latent fingerprints, it was a matter of finding them.

Book 1 Description…

Let me know what you think…. This story has been described as “Swiss Family Robinson meets Middle Earth.”

First Chapter to my first Book in a series

No – I am not publishing the entire book for free, I am just putting it out for folks to see some of the beginning material.

Prologue to my first book – YA/Fantasy genre

Let me know what you think.  This prologue gives you a view into a scene of the primary “Bad Guy”…. Prologue “Attend the throne room immediately!”

Vocabulary List – Week 7

scowl verb  to draw down or contract the brows in a sullen, displeased, or angry manner. Ryan scowled at his brother as he entered the room.

Kids/Schools – the saviors of the paperback?

I, like the rest of you, have been watching the trends of the publishing industry. From all indications, you might wonder if in the future, printed copies of books will become what a VHS tape or a vinyl record is today.

Vocabulary List – Week 6

surreptitious  – adjective obtained/done/made by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine I surreptitiously stuck something in my pocket while my mom wasn’t looking.

Smartphones – an author’s friend

The old adage of “I get my best ideas for a story in my dreams” has never been true for me. Nor have I ever been so inspired for a storyline in the shower.

Vocabulary List – Week 5

tar·dy /ˈtärdē/Adjective: Delaying or delayed beyond the right or expected time; late. Slow in action or response; sluggish. I was tardy getting to my class. 

Vocabulary List – Week 4

dec·adeNoun/ˈdekād/ A period of ten years. My older brother is a decade old.

Vocabulary Lists – Pacing of publication

I will be dribbling out in the next couple days a series of vocabulary lists that my kids have worked through already. So even though you will suddenly see several week’s worth of work come out in a few days, you can pace yourselves at whatever works for your kids.

Vocabulary List – Week 3

Below is this week’s vocabulary list: nu·ance  n. A subtle or slight degree of difference, as in meaning, feeling, or tone; a gradation. The nuances of red in her hair glistened in the sun. I could tell he was lying by studying the nuances of how he acted and the tone of his voice.

Vocabulary List – Week 2

Below is this week’s vocabulary list: deliberate carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional I think she deliberately found an excuse to argue with me.

Happy Somethingday!

Hope everyone has a happy holiday.  Whether it is Channukah, Christmas, Guadalupe Day, Jamhuri, Laylat al-Qadr, Victory Day,

Some issues I found in my writing…and how I fixed them

As any of you who have read some of my entries on the topic of writing a novel know, I’ve had a somewhat strange ride. Suffice it to say that I have learned a tremendous amount about creative writing through this effort and especially about my crutch words and weaknesses. I wanted to touch briefly […]

When traveling in China – testing web accessibility

For those who occasionally travel to locations within China, you all have experienced the blocking of certain web sites from within the country. I recently stumbled into a web site which allows you to test whether your favorite site is accessible from within the PRC’s firewall.

Vocabulary List – Week 1

I plan on putting out a weekly vocabulary list that I provide to my children for them to study. Below is this week’s vocabulary list as promised:

Fighting Illiteracy – Is Our Society’s Ability to Communicate Eroding?

I won’t claim to be one of those literary types who relish the idea of analyzing the differences between existentialist philosophers like Sartre, Nietzsche, and Dostoevsky. Literacy isn’t a PhD in philosophy, nor does it require an elite education. I feel I am a literate person and prior to University, was a product of public […]

Stamp out language abuse…

Anyone else despise it when people say, “I could care less”? The phrase is “I couldn’t care less” folks! Sorry – my vent for the day….

Writing for a mass audience

Successful authors who sell many books are business people. If you aren’t, you should be thinking like one.

(#6) The logistics of writing a novel

When someone first sits down to write something your first instinct in an email might not be to plan out what you are writing. Let’s face it, a novel is not an email. I find it difficult to understand how someone can put “pen to paper” without a blueprint or idea of what they are […]

(#5) Acting on received feedback – improving the manuscript

We now understand the basic complaints our beta readers had. Let’s take those items and use them to improve our manuscript.

Writing related joke – sort of

Hear about the pregnant woman who went into labor & yelled,”Couldn’t! Wouldn’t! Shouldn’t! Didn’t! Can’t!”? She was having contractions.

Recipe: Who stole my wooden spoons?!?

I took a moment away from writing about literary things and wanted to finger a thief in action.

(#4) Manuscript feedback – getting it and sorting through it – my thoughts

I did share (in a secure manner) my manuscript with a good variety of people and learned a series of useful tidbits. It did require separating a lot of wheat from chaff in that feedback.

Don’t listen to me! Or should you?

Nothing annoys me more than people who profess knowledge in something when in fact they are clueless. Be that as it may, this seems to be prevalent in writing. How many people, who are otherwise unpublished or have no writing credentials whatsoever, wax professorial when giving advice to other would-be authors.

(#3) Getting feedback on the manuscript….Now What!?!

Ok, so I wrote something, and I carved it into the rough form that fits the norms for my genre. Time to have people give feedback.

(#2) I wrote something – now what?!

Ok, I have 110,000 words written, now what?

(#1) Writing in Bulk….

When I decided to write my first non-technical (I.e. YA Fantasy) book, I didn’t have any idea what to expect of myself.

Recipe: Grilling Steaks – the debate begins…

Ok, lots of people will freak out because when you talk about the grilling of meats, this is like talking about religion.  People have really strong opinions, and they are always right. With that in mind, let’s skip all the fancy discussion and get right to it.  I think this might be the simplest set […]

Recipe: Jello Recipe

This is more of a joke, but if you REALLY wanted to make Jello from scratch, here it is.

Recipe: Braised Beef Recipe

This is an excellent recipe for roasts/ribs/brisket.  It takes time, but is definitely worth the wait. 

How to make Aerogel – only for crazy science people…

Aerogel starts as a silica dioxide gel, similar to the gelatine dessert you might make at home.  Then the liquid in the gel is removed without collapsing the gel (normal evaporation causes the gel to collapse).  Reference picture of Aerogel (Care of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

Traveling – It’s Not Always Great…..

Anyone who has traveled to a family function with kids might appreciate this….this was a trip report I actually filed at work. Just arrived back home.  I figure I can avail myself this opportunity to entertain you a bit with some of the trials and tribulations of this little trip for my sister’s wedding.  I […]

A case-study in traditional publication

You’ll find that I am in the midst of an experiment. Can I as a technologist bridge the chasm between non-literary type to a veritable published author through the normal publishing route. The odds are severely stacked against me. This blog will begin to document that process along with some of my thoughts on the […]