Wednesday, November 6, 2019

NaNoWriMo

Just a quick check-in. This month, I am participating in National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel during one month...a daunting task, yes, but I want the challenge. Really, I need it to kick-start my creative juices. Anyway, wish me luck!

Saturday, October 12, 2019

"The Widows Greer" now available on Kindle

My short story "The Widows Greer" is now available on Kindle for $0.99!

Glenn Sanders is not only the editor of the Crayton Chronicle--he is also been anointed as the Watchman of Crayton, a sentinel charged with watching out for evil and confronting it. When a wealthy citizen dies, his widow begins acting strangely, drawing Glenn's suspicions. Soon he learns that her behavior is a sign of a greater threat than he could have imagined....

This story was originally published in the August 2010 issue of Residential Aliens. It is actually a sequel to "The Watchman," which appeared in my "Zero Hour" anthology. I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to your feedback!

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Happy 60th Anniversary to "The Twilight Zone"

Birthdays and anniversaries are, of course, important. They are the landmark events that help define who we are. Why else would we got so upset when someone forgets "our" day?

With that said, I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to recognize the anniversary of one of my greatest influences as a writer. On October 2, 1959, The Twilight Zone premiered on CBS with an episode entitled "Where Is Everybody?"

The rest is history. Suspenseful tales, twist endings, and a strong sense of morality that, if not an explicitly Christian worldview, was at least was compatible with it. There were some episodes where Rod Serling could have easily used Galatians 6:7 as his closing narration:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

That is the vibe that I go for in my stories...a worldview where evil gets it's just desserts in the end.

"The Siege of Peter Marak" now available on Kindle


My short story, "The Siege of Peter Marak," is now available for purchase and download on Kindle for $0.99!

What is your greatest fear? What if someone else's life depended upon you facing that fear? 

After losing his wife to pneumonia, Peter Marak becomes extremely mysophobic (fear of germs and contamination) and sequesters himself in his home to avoid germs as much as possible. One night, a coughing woman knocks on his door, begging him to open it because a dangerous man is on the loose. Peter is forced to make a terrible choice: Does he face his fear of germs by opening the door, or does he stay safe and leave the woman to fend for herself? 

Originally published in "Fear and Trembling" (issue 43, Nov. 2011), this story is reminiscent of a classic "Twilight Zone" episode. It focuses on a man who finds himself in a situation any of us would dread: forced to choose between his conviction and his phobia, with the stakes higher than he could ever imagine. 

This ebook also includes a "Backstory" section that reveals "behind-the-scenes" information into the creation of this story.