Post Apocalyptic #newbook

Time for another post about “Once Upon a Time in the Swamp.” This time I want to give you some insight into the Post Apocalyptic part of this story. This is a peek behind the scenes of this tale.

At the time I started writing this one, America was in the process of tearing herself to shreds. People were protesting everything from vaccines to elections. We tore down public monuments and went on a tirade of rewriting history. Entire sections of some cities were occupied by those who would defund the police. It was a grim time and it hasn’t improved all that much.

Obviously, this had some influence on me, and I took it out on this story. I projected what was happening into the future, and amped it up a little. It all started as special interest groups throwing tantrums. This accelerated to a point of police involvement, followed shortly by National Guard involvement. Groups paired up until we had dozens of small armies fighting each other all over the continent.

I was kind of happy with one section where a character talks about other countries sending “advisors” to America. This is a thinly veiled concept of getting military boots on the ground, and we pioneered it here. It was fun to look at other countries doing the same thing to us.

Ultimately, this led to global warfare and damned near destroyed us all. As readers you will get glimpses of this from comments the elderly make along Mari’s journey. Mari wasn’t born when all this went down.

Mari’s world is one of foraging, scrounging for things to sell, and I even came up with an odd form of currency to use. Weapons are expensive, and she doesn’t have anything suitable for her task. When she finally finds one, it’s what she can afford and nothing like a modern assault weapon.

I hope you’re all enjoying this look behind the scenes, and I think those who take a chance on the book are going to have a good time. I welcome any social media sharing, reblogs, or word of mouth you can pass along on my behalf.

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Get your copy right here https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

Why First Person? #newbook

Hi, gang. It’s time for another promo for my newest book, “Once Upon a Time in the Swamp.” I’m trying to give everyone some behind the scenes looks at the creation of the story. I think those make better posts than the old cover and blurb only. It also gains me a few comments and I love interacting with you guys. Today’s topic is first person point of view.

One of the first things an author has to decide is how to present the story to readers. I’ve used about every method you can imagine, even second person for some of the entries in “The Enhanced League.” I always really liked first person, but it has a couple of annoying things we all have to accept. Writing this way leads to a lot of repetition of the words “I, me, my, mine, etc.” Once you wrap your mind around that, the story just flows.

This is Mari’s story, and she spends a lot of her time completely alone. That was the deciding factor for me. First person allows me to get inside her head and stay there. It isn’t the only option, I could have gone for third person with a lot of internal dialog and it might have worked. I like the first person POV and it’s not the first time I’ve used it.

Writing this way allows Mari to relay her story directly to the reader. It’s a little more intimate. I’m not big on excerpts, but here is an example I liked from the story. For context, Mari has just been injured and is taking it out on her ox.

***

“You son-of-a-bitch! What were you thinking? I saw it, too. It was a bobcat. A bobcat! What? Was he going to eat you? You take a bigger shit than that.” I went around the stopper trees to yell at him some more.

He let out the most mournful bawl I’d ever heard an animal make. That’s when it hit me. Dirt was what’s known as the “off” ox. Sunshine decided when to eat, roll in the grass, when to go to water, and when to be frightened. I wasn’t the only one who’d lost everything that day.

He stared at me down the length of his nose with his eyes flashing white. I tentatively ducked under those horns, then hugged him around the neck. “It’s okay, amigo,” I whispered. “We’ll have to look out for each other. I’m here for you now.”

He leaned into me and nearly crushed me between his horn and shoulder. When I managed to slip out, I saw blood for the first time.

***

I enjoyed Mari’s little epiphany with the oxen. He lost his entire family, too. Readers get to be in the moment a bit more with this point of view. Having Mari talk to a dumb animal feels completely natural, and I talk to animals just like she does.

If you’ve been tempted to check this story out, I’ll put all the important information down below. I’d appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word. Social media posts, reblogs, word of mouth, even just a mention on your own sites.

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Get your copy right here https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

Another road trip

Work is sending me for some training on Monday. I’m going to be squeezed a little for time while I’m on the road. I mention this, because I’m expecting blog comments.

I have two new promotional posts scheduled for everyone. I went with Tuesday and Thursdays for these. My hope is that I can sneak off to my hotel during lunch and respond to everyone then. I hope you’ll be a little patient with me, but I will get to everyone.

Monday is a travel day, as is Friday. I’m going to Savannah, Georgia for the week. I’ve googled the images and it looks beautiful. Of course, I’ll spend most of my time locked up in a conference room, but the evenings are mine.

Two of my travel companions are way excited and already booked us into some restaurants. One has a pirate theme, so there could be rum involved. They also talked us into a ghost tour as a group. You know they didn’t have to twist my arm. I already bought my ticket online.

My hope is that my Muse will walk a few blocks with me. I’m a couple of years out on stories, but a seed or two for the future is fine by me.

I’m actually excited about the training this time, too. It’s been a long time since I got to dabble in something new and am looking forward to it.

I was thinking about writing tomorrow, but there is a lot going on. I’m torn between The Kentucky Derby and the coronation of King Charles. One comes along yearly, but the other one is once in a lifetime.

I kind of want to party like I’m on the infield and look at girls in hats while I view the roads each horse took to the big race.

On the other hand, the coronation is history happening… and there could be girls in hats.

Drinks are on me either way, since I’m not physically at either event.

What to do? What to do? I have a story coming up soon that involves horse racing and an opportunity to bring back the headless horseman. Lizzie and the Pythons could get a party gig in Louisville fairly easily for this story. I’m certain to start writing it this year.

I have no royalty stories planned at all, but maybe I need one. Could be some temptation for Lorelei the Muse to watch the coronation.

Tonight, I’m watching the residue from May the Fourth. Right now Yoda is kicking some butt on television. I may be out of commission again this weekend. There are some decent distractions going on and that’s okay sometimes, too.

Have a good weekend everyone. Tell me what you would choose. Maybe you’d just stick with Yoda. Stick with me, there are some interesting things coming about Once Upon a Time in the Swamp next week. I really appreciate all the sharing and reblogging you’ve put out there on my behalf.

Mentors, animals, and ghosts #Newbook

Welcome to another post about “Once Upon a Time in the Swamp.” These are promotional in nature, but I want to make each of them unique. Today, we’re going to talk about mentors, animals, and ghosts.

Mari and her husband were tobacco farmers before the first chapter. It was a good life and they were making something for themselves and their young son. At one time she and her husband needed draft animals to help with the work.

Mari’s husband told her all a farm needs is sunshine and dirt. When they sold their crop, they went to the auction, but could not afford all the horses and mules. They wound up with a pair of young steers that would become oxen when they completed their second year. They named the pair Sunshine and Dirt.

Poor Sunshine is one of the tragedies in the first chapter, Leaving Mari with Dirt. Dirt was the “off” oxen of the pair and never was as level-headed as Sunshine. If anything, he’s downright dangerous. This cantankerous animal becomes Mari’s primary source of travel. He’s a ton of hooves, horns, and snot with a bad attitude to be wary of.

There is another fun animal in the tale named Worthless. She is a gangly pup of a Black & Tan Coonhound. Worthless is as sweet as she can be and provides something for Mari to hang on to. She becomes like a second child, and offers some bright spots to a dismal situation.

Mari needs to acquire a few skills to pull off her mission. This comes in the form of some veterans of the previous war. One is a female recluse who saves Mari’s life after yet another tragedy. Kelilah was a scout, and her regimental badge is a huge knife known as an Arkansas Toothpick. She trains Mari in its use and gives her one from her personal collection.

She also comes across a trader named Vance Dunham. His store has many handguns and longer weapons, but Mari is priced out of that market. He consents to sell her an older revolver and more importantly trains her in how to use it. The deck is stacked against her when all her enemies have semi-automatic weapons, but it’s the best she can do.

If you’re getting the idea I was unkind to Mari, you’re right. This character has to face some huge obstacles along the way. She doesn’t always fare well, and this has an effect upon her. She’s haunted by some creepy and crazy dreams. These are filled with dead people, a skeleton, and one creepy rattlesnake she refers to as La Serpiente, who talks to her.

Towards the end, Mari is on her last nerve. There isn’t much left but her drive to avenge her family.

If this sounds like a story you’d like to dive into, I would appreciate the opportunity. Tell your friends, share the post on social media, tell your enemies if they’ll drop a couple of bucks on a copy.

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Get your copy right here https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

April #BookReviews @JenMcMurrain @dlfinnauthor @Virgilante Elizabeth Gauffrau Leona Nichole Black

I don’t have anything scheduled today, but there is a great review of Once Upon a Time in the Swamp over at Jan Sikes’ place today. After work, I’ll follow up for any comments it gets.

Writing and Music

Welcome to my April book reviews! I hope you find something here you can’t live without. 🙂

PURCHASE LINK

MY REVIEW:

As a long-time student of Tarot, this book caught my eye. What I found between the pages is a fresh new look at the practical everyday use of tarot cards presented in a truly profound way. I love that the book is divided into eight sections.
Starting with Love, the author shares a deeply personal story and journey. The following sections, Purpose, Healing, Change, Truth, and Hope, give the reader a detailed look at ways to utilize the major arcana in a tarot deck to help flesh out the answers to these universal questions. I found the writing to be superb and easy to read and follow.
The final section, The Modern World of Tarot, takes everything shared earlier in the book and gives practical applications that anyone could…

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Spaghetti Westerns #newbook

Time for another post about my newest publication. This one is a solo title, and was inspired by the Spaghetti Westerns of my youth. Inspired by, because it can’t actually be a western in the swamps of the American South. It’s also a post apocalyptic environment, so it was inspired by the spirit of these films.

To be honest with you, my elders all hated these films. They weren’t big on plot, spent an inordinate amount of time on long stares and minutia, and a lot of the dialog was a sequence of grunts. My family were more the John Wayne side of things than the Clint Eastwood side of things. I kind of enjoyed both versions, but tended to keep that quiet.

Spaghetti Westerns were full of stupid things, too. Things like who might have insulted a mule. You guys know I love my stupid things. Making a suit of plate armor to head into a gunfight was stupid, unless it actually worked.

I plunked my story into a post apocalyptic world. If there’s a little armor going on, it’s perfectly acceptable. People do stupid things, like a man who’s obsessed with improving the pipe organ at his church, or a kid who just wants to cruise for chicks if he only had a car.

Mine is a story of vengeance, a vendetta to be fulfilled, vigilante justice if you like. I admit to rewatching things like Hannie Caulder, and yes, Once Upon a Time in the West as I wrote it. I listened to Ennio Morricone on my headphones as I typed. I hope I did them justice, but also told my own tale in the spirit of what’s come before.

How about you guys? Do you ever look for inspiration in the work of others? Maybe you’re more Spielberg or Hitchcock in your stories. I find inspiration in everything and everywhere. You never know what I’m going to be motivated by.

I hope some of you (all of you) are tempted to check out Once Upon a Time in the Swamp. I’d appreciate anything you can do to spread the word, and even reviews help the world go ’round.

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Get your copy right here https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

Transitions are hard

It’s Saturday, so I thought I might accomplish some writing of some kind. You all know I’ve been promoting my new story, but I felt like I deserved to get some words down. If you’re a writer, you know the feeling.

It’s been a rough stretch for me, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to end until June. It all started with my mom being hospitalized in Salt Lake. I was neck deep in a project at work that involved live presentations and could not get down there to see her. I had to live through the telephone for updates.

I was involved every day of the presentations, sometimes peripherally and once as the presenter. Mom went home with a diagnosis and some medications. I still haven’t been to visit her, but it’s on my list for May.

I had to get my daughter moved here from Twin Falls, then move her from Boise to New Hampshire. That took a week and I shared a few of the interesting places we stopped.

Immediately after getting home I had to report for jury duty. It was scheduled for eleven days of medical malpractice fun. They settled after six and I know more about being a rat scientist than I ever wanted to know. Also gained an education about gestation and birth that I never needed.

Since they settled, it allowed me to freak out for half a week about being so behind at work. At one point I threw up my hands and said, “Oh my God! I need a weighted blanket and a Ding Dong.” I don’t think my cubicle mates are going to let me live that one down.

After next week, work is sending me to Savannah for a week. I am looking forward to this training, and will probably try to share something from the trip with all of you. Then I can be behind at work again.

Somewhere along the way, I published a new book that you’ve been getting teasers for. Why not? It’s not like I have anything else going on.

Today was all about getting a few words down. Unfortunately, I’m at a transition phase in the story. I read back every word of this story. I want it to be a slow burn with a lot of mystery boxes to open. I’ve never done a tale like this, and there is a learning curve. I stared at my open word processor and never wrote a single word.

Jenny is my main character and needs to chat with her adult son, Cody. This is how they piece things together and figure out the next steps. I need to include Jenny’s new training, discover something to chase, and hint at the gyrations of the bad guy in this conversation. Then they’ll chase the next item in the plot.

I’m a big fan of the double conversation, and use it quite a bit. Jenny and Cody can use that trick to get information to the reader. This is where the characters have dialog about more than one thing at once. One example is from my new publication where the topic is about throwing knives, but also includes a history lesson at the same time. Jenny and Cody might need a triple conversation, so I’m trying to figure that out.

It might be a good idea to plot this section of dialog out. That way I won’t forget anything.

Honestly, I might just have too much going on right now. The urge is there, but the brain cells are tasked with other things. I have a bunch of things happening after Savannah, and still want to go see Mom. Writing might have to take a back seat for a little longer.

I discovered the first review for Once Upon a Time in the Swamp this morning. If you’re so inclined, D. Wallace Peach had some nice things to say https://mythsofthemirror.com/2023/04/29/april-book-reviews-4/

Mari White on Lisa Burton Radio #newbook

Don’t touch that — Look at all this dust. I’m embarrassed to invite anyone into the studio since we haven’t used it for a few years. Don’t touch that dial, I’m your hostess with the mostest, Lisa the robot girl, and you’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio. My special guest today is the main character in Craig’s newest book. “Welcome to the show, Mari. Why don’t you start out by introducing yourself.”

“Mariposa Rivas-White. I’m just an American girl for multiple generations, but some might call me a Cubana.”

“I get it. We all have our heritage, but some might call mine IBM if you know what I mean. We’ve spent a lot of time at the cabin, so I know your story pretty well. Why don’t you tell our guests something about it.”

“Derek and I got married, then started a small tobacco farm in Florida. It was a lot of work, but we made progress with every new crop. We even managed to buy a pair of oxen, but we had to train them from a young age. I helped as much as he did, until I got pregnant with Brian.”

“I’ll bet that changed things.”

“It did, but we were both happy. Brian was so cute. He was walking and talking and kept me pretty busy. One of my chores was to hunt for the table. Derek said he would take it over, but I love the forest and early mornings. It was my brief escape for a few moments before Brian demanded all my time.

“The forest and swamp were beautiful, but it was the last time I could truly enjoy it. When I returned to the farm…”

“Take your time, Mari.”

“When I returned to the farm, Derek and Brian were dead. A group of criminals came through and murdered them. They took everything and even killed one of the oxen in their murderous rampage. I walked to town and that son-of-a-bitch Sheriff Trask wouldn’t lift a finger to help me.”

“Doesn’t sound like much of a sheriff.”

“He was busy looking into the murder of someone else. Someone with important connections. I buried my dead, then tried to find the killers myself.”

“You face a lot of obstacles along the way. What can you tell me about those?”

“The wilderness is an unforgiving place, and there are people you need to be wary of. Fortunately, there are some good people out there, too. I would have died if not for one of them. Maybe I was unprepared, or just unlucky, but I learned to take care of myself.”

“It seems like you’re still facing a lot of personal demons.”

“Some things we never get over, Lisa. I will never get my family back. It fades with time, but never goes completely away.”

“Let me add all the details to the website, then maybe we can go out back and practice our shooting. Then I have to clean this place up. We might not use the broadcast studio that often, but I’ve kind of ignored it.”

“How about I help you first. Maybe it will warm up a little by the time we finish.”

“Groovy! For Lisa Burton Radio, I’m Lisa Burton. Don’t forget to check out Craig’s new book and learn about everything Mari went through.”

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Get your copy right here https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

Research #newbook

Time for another look behind the scenes of “Once Upon a Time in the Swamp.” These are promotional posts, but all the authors out their might get a kick out of how this story came about. Today, the topic is research.

Every author has to do research. I write some pretty weird stuff and I still have to do research. I swear, if the government ever looks at my search history, they’re going to haul me away. Here are some of the things I dove into for this story:

• How to make black powder. (The original gunpowder.)

• What exotic species are loose in Florida. (My book needed even more.)

• How to make soap.

• How to make buckskin.

• How far are various points in the American South from each other, and how many days would it take by oxcart.

• Non exotic species in the American South, including the venomous ones. (So many fire ants. Makes me shudder to think about it.)

• Voodoo visage known as Papa Legba, and what he likes.

• PTSD dreams.

• Naming conventions for nuclear submarines.

• How to make a pipe organ.

• Knife throwing, and fighting.

• Plants, both native and exotic.

Not everything here made it into the book with any depth. Some was just for my knowledge, but you authors out there know what I’m talking about. For those of you who are readers, I hope I’m whetting your appetites.

I’m also a pretty visual guy. There is an entire Post Apocalyptic esthetic. I really only dove deep on this with Mari, but glanced off it for a few other characters. What I did here was create a Pinterest Board to help me. If any of you would like to check this out, here is the link https://pin.it/61mEyC1

Writing is a labor of love for all who do it. We research, create environments for everything to happen in, then try to piece it all together in a way the reader won’t notice all the work that went into it.

I hope I’m encouraging some of you to take a chance on Mari’s story. I think it’s a good one, and that you’re going to have some fun. Any help you can offer to spread the word is appreciated. I’ll also include a link in case I’ve tempted you.

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Get your copy right here https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

Oops, I did it again #NewBook

Well, I’ve gone and done it again. This has been a weird year for me. We had a small family emergency, and my workplace kind of went crazy, along with the need to dedicate some time to my daughter. There hasn’t been much time for writing in the mix. Fortunately, for me, I had three finished manuscripts to deal with.

One of these is book-one of an intended trilogy, so I’m holding it back for now. One is a new story about Lizzie and the hat, that might come out near Halloween. This brings me to one of my solo titles. This book is called “Once Upon a Time in the Swamp.”

It’s about a farm wife trying to live her best life. Mari is performing one of her regular chores when the book opens, and I tried to allow her to find some joy in it. Great place to develop setting and her normal world. When she returns to the farm, tragedy hits her hard. Someone has massacred her entire family.

She has to walk to town to get the authorities on the trail, but it seems they have more politically important things to deal with.

This leads Mari on a personal vendetta to get some kind of justice for her family. She has limited skills, and is a little out of her element.

I’m not ashamed to tell you it was inspired by the Spaghetti Westerns of old. However, I still want it to be somewhat unique, and to be one of “my” books. It needed a certain something that I provided in the form of a post apocalyptic setting. I also added a little bit of Voodoo that gives Mari a very small edge.

Sean Harrington did a wonderful job on the cover. The ox and pickup-bed wagon feature prominently in the story. I love the decayed satellite dishes in the background to help sell the setting.

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

***

I’m also suffering from tour burnout. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve published quite a bit over the last few years, and I’m sure my regular hosts are getting tired, too. I always try to keep my posts unique, and that won’t change. This time, I’m going to post them all here. I hope you’ll swing by to see what I have next, and tell your friends about it. Reblogs are wonderful, and any sharing you can do on social media are all appreciated. If anyone does a review post, I’ll try to share it here and drive you some traffic.

As far as the book goes, you can pick up a copy right here: https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

You can also click on the cover in my sidebar.

For the subsequent posts, I’ll clean them up by putting the cover, blurb, and purchase link at the bottom. This was the announcement post, so I made the cover a little bigger and more prominent.