Box of Disappointment

 

The refit of Xanadu continues without help from Rush, Olivia, ELO, or Coleridge. A box of disappointment arrived today. I ordered it last week. I should've known better than to order through P. Andora Co. How did I come to request this delivery of dismay?

It's not a long story, but it goes back to before we closed on the new digs. When male offspring came to have a look at the place, we happened to look at the furnace filter. It looked like a bad and fatal case of black lung. Fortunately, there was a new filter sitting by the unit and we swapped in the clean one. After closing and move in, I thought it would be prudent to acquire an additional filter for change in the future. I noted the size on the old filter and went to the local hardware store to procure the ready replacement. 

I thought it would also be prudent to make sure the standby filter fit properly. <Morgan Freeman voice begin> It did not fit. <Morgan Freeman voice end> I compared the sizes as printed on the filters. They were the same. However, small print indicated the new filter was several millimeters bigger in the troublesome dimension. The local store gladly took the return of the filter, and I went online to find filters that matched down to the millimeter. Not-the-Nile store made the order easy and the delivery arrived within an entirely acceptable time frame. It's a box of six, because the filters are much cheaper by the half-dozen.

Once again, I decided to check the fit. It did not fit.

What?! The measurements all corresponded precisely--I had ordered the same exact size--but the fit was off by more than an inch, not mere millimeters. I had a big box of regret, failure in a six-pack.

There was a mystery here. A little investigation and a tape measure provided the clues I needed. Both the original black lung filter and the handy spare had been cut down from the size printed on them to remove a couple inches, and then reassembled, still bearing the now-false printed size. I suppose that if the previous owner could resize the filters, so can I. However, I would have preferred to have ordered the correct size and avoided the manual resizing.

By the way, I know where you can get a good deal on some furnace filters. 

I've saved the best for last.

There is good news. Out of the blue--even though I had been hoping for a response for many weeks--came a thunderbolt of fortuity. Raconteur Press has informed me that my sequel to Accidental Pirates has been accepted for publication. Of course, there will be rounds of editing and cover creation and all the tedious stuff in between the conditional acceptance and the final product, but I've already heard words of joy from happy readers who have fallen in love with Chris and Kenny and their adventures. Get Accidental Pirates here.

Wait! There's more! I was on the Blasters & Blades podcast with JR Handley and Jana Brown this week. I don't know how long before it goes live, but I'll post a link when it does.

Books for Boys

I've got Accidental Pirates on my mind because I dropped in on Les Freres Corses this week. They're not bookworms by any stretch of the imagination. I don't think they've ever even read a chapter book from beginning to end. Accidental Pirates has changed that. When I stopped in for a short visit. Chris, the brother upon whom the character telling the story in the book is based, immediately grabbed the book and showed me that he was reading it, pointing out that he only had one chapter to go. "They should make this into a movie!" he exclaimed.

That response makes all the time I spent writing Accidental Pirates a complete success. Getting even one boy to read is a victory. Most of the boys I know--arguably, not that many--don't read much at all. Many boys do read, but young male readership has dropped off steadily over the last decade or two. In fact, some report (by which I mean the standard search engine) that reading for pleasure among 11-16 year old boys has dropped steeply in the last 20 years. Only 12% of Gen Z boys read books. Why? 

I suppose there is no single reason. Casting around for suspects, I know that video games provide immediate feedback for less effort invested than reading. Video games require less imagination and often channel non-stop excitement--a steady stream of mind crack that rapidly addicts the player to the immediate rush feedback. The digital rush leaves the mind in a state of decay with nothing to show for the time spent. I liked video games as kid, but I couldn't play them continuously. I had to go to the arcade and the quarters or nickels soon came to an end. Video games were a rare delight. Now many players spend fewer hours at a full-time job that they do with their eyes glued to the gaming screen. I still like video games, but they can't hold my interest like they did when I was a kid. At any rate, getting boys to read faces direct competition from video games.

Suspect number two is the short video. Boys can watch an endless scroll of short videos on youtube and other sites. Watching short videos requires even less effort than playing video games. There's a lot to be learned on these videos, but mostly they absorb time and brain cells with little long-term benefit. Don't ask me how I know.

We should look at another suspect in this crime against boys: Publishers. Who runs the publishing companies and decides what books get published? It's not men. Women and girls read more than men and boys, so it's natural to expect that more books directed to women and girls would be published--but boys suffer for it. It's a truism that most girls will read books with boys as the main characters. The opposite is not true. Boys rarely read and enjoy books with girls as the main characters. Boys want action and adventure. They want to be able to imagine themselves as the heroes who save the day, solve the crime, and vanquish the foe. Tea parties, frilly dresses, girls engaged in long conversations, and even tomboys doing fun and weird things (I'm talking about you, Pippi) don't hold much appeal for boys. Put a girl with red pigtails on the cover and you turn away 90% of boys who would be interested if a boy were featured. Maybe boys are sexist. Maybe I'm sexist. I don't think I am, but I do know that I can usually tell after reading a paragraph or a page whether a man or a woman wrote the story. Most women tell stories with a different tone and emphasize different aspects that do men. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I came to recognize the difference at an early age and realized that I usually preferred the male tone, even though I continue to enjoy stories written by talented women.

I'm happy to report that Raconteur Press has taken up arms against this sea of suspects. Raconteur Press continues to publish adventure books for boys to promote the dreams that come by exploring the undiscovered country of an exciting tale. RP has already published several great adventures for boys in a variety of genres:

Dreams of Fire and Gold by Fred Philips

Meteor Men by Scott Schad

Boy's Own Starship by Christopher Nuttal

I've Got This by Frederick Key

Fossil Force by Graham Bradley

Accidental Pirates by Stanley Wheeler 

I've probably missed a couple titles, but if you have a boy who reads, or who would read if he had the books before him, you can't go wrong with any of these titles. 

 

 

 

 

Hard Time in Kharput

 

The sequel to Accidental Pirates has been sent to the publisher for consideration. Chris and Kenny are thrown into a kingdom in turmoil facing treachery within and enemies without. Chris has been drafted to replace the blood mage - and he finds the job has a serious downside. Kenny wields enchanted steel against a host of enemies. Together they are the kingdom's only hope against a new evil.

I've been doing a lot of reading about Enoch - Genesis 6, Moses 7 & 8, as well as The Book of Enoch, a long with A Brief History of Time and an Alan Dean Foster novel. I may post about these at some point, but at I haven't yet finished any of the books, so I'll post a fun fact from something I did finish - or at least I think I did. This is condensed from chapter 11 of Crusaders by Dan Jones:

Fun Fact:

During an expedition to Egypt, King Baldwin I died after eating a breakfast of fresh fish. His body was salted, spiced, and transported back to Jerusalem to be buried beside his brother Godrey at The Holy Sepulchre. Baldwin of Bourcq raced to Jerusalem, beating the other contenders, to be anointed king and was later crowned in Bethlehem. Nearly sixty, he had been Count of Edessa for almost twenty years. Frankish power and Crusader confidence had been dealt a severe blow at the Field of Blood. The fate of the Crusader kingdoms depended on European help.

Ilghazi, the victor of the Field of Blood, died in 1122--his death probably wasn't from the fish--and the Franks looked to Aleppo again with greedy eyes. September 13, 1122, Joscelin, Count of Edessa, was captured by Balak, Ilghazi's nephew who had stepped in to fill his uncle's slippers. After being transported, sew inside a camel skin, Joscelin was locked up in the fortress of Kharput. Then Baldwin himself was also captured and locked up with Joscelin. The Crusader fortunes seemed fated never to recover from the defeat at the Field of Blood.

A year later, Ilghazi's son Timurtash succeeded Balak after the latter's death in May 1124. Baldwin arranged to pay Timurtash a ransom for his release. However, Baldwin had built up some ill will about his capture; he failed to pay the ransom as agreed, preparing to attack Timurtash instead. The other good news for the Crusaders was the capture of Tyre.

Baldwin II arrived at the walls of Aleppo in October with his Timurtash tax in the form of an army at his back. Additionally, he had among his forces the troops of a Muslim ally, Dubays Ibn Sadaqa, whom he had promised to install as the commander of Aleppo in place of Timurtash. Baldwin laid siege to the city until January 1125, when Muslim forces began raiding Antiochene territory. Baldwin returned to Jerusalem. A stalemate between the Franks and the Muslims had developed and could only be broken by an influx of new warriors from the west or a uniting of Islamic forces.

 

Next week I'm scheduled for a podcast interview. I'll post a link when it's available. 

 

 

Ardneh's Sword

I finished reading Fred Saberhagen's Ardneh's Sword a few days ago. As with the earlier work in the series, Empire of the East, I stopped about 75 percent of the way through to read another book. I needed the palate cleansed before I could go on, because the pacing was off for me. The slow build to the conclusion was a steady diet of the same bland questions. I did give it 4 stars because it began and ended well--sort of. The story takes place a thousand years after the events of EotE. Chance, Rolf's heir is off with an expedition to find the titular item. Under the direction of a scholar, he cares for an owl that may have the capacity for speech, but the speech is a dialect of gibberish. The owl is wounded mysteriously while bringing Chance Ardneh's Key; this item comes and goes from around Chance's neck at will. Chance meets a young, redheaded boy and as well as a girl, the boy's twin, and a grandmotherly figure. Turns out that these three are the same entity, a djinn named Zalmoxis, or is it the mighty demon Avenarius? That question persists until near the end of the book.

Meanwhile, the scholarly wagon train is threatened by bandits and attempts to take refuge at a sanctuary of healers--although what they're doing way out there in the blasted lands, or whatever the desolation is call, I never quite understood. There, Chance meets Abigail, who has some magic sense and takes the items left by the dead sorceress who was part of the scholarly wagon train to the treasure. The healers do take them to a cave. The bandits attack; there's some magic; Draffut returns to route the bandits for a time.The Beast Lord then goes off on some other errand--like Reverend Tim Tom--taking part of the caravan with him while Chance, Abigail, Zalmoxis, and others take another way looking for Ardneh's workshop.

As you might expect, the bandits follow with an eye toward the prize. The prize at last becomes revealed. Ardneh's sword isn't one item, but many--spandex suits that turn the wearers into pagan gods with no recollection of their former life. One of these dispatches Avenarius. The many gods go their ways. Abigail and Chance elect not to don this armor of the gods and go make marriage plans. The end.

I was most disappointed by the fact that the big battle at the end of EoftE promised a better and different world. However, a thousand years later, the world appeared to be pretty much the same as before, albeit with fewer demons. The owl's role never amounted to much. Avenarius as an antagonist turned out to be a dud; his demise wasn't attributable to any heroics by Chance. The matter of who was spying for the bandits, and the suspicious activity of one of the minor characters was never resolved, as near as I can remember. I'm not a fan of the resolution, but donning the armor of the gods was a completely unexpected twist that was intriguing. One must wonder whether the humans were worse off with the demons or the new gods that were Ardneh's cure for that affliction. I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been shorter. Again, I gave it 4 stars, so my criticisms should be considered in that light.

The sequel to Accidental Pirates has been written and received a round of editing. I'll make one more complete read/edit pass and send it in for consideration for publication. I'll be the first to admit that Accidental Pirates has a slower start than I prefer. The sequel, on the other hand, hits the afterburners at the end of the first short chapter. Although it does gear down for the curves, it never hits the brakes. The last several chapters are a white hot burn to the finish with no shortage of casualties along the way as the boys face danger from the blood pack, turncoats, magical beasts, treachery, and the Dragon Queen herself. It's a glorious charge into peril to help good prevail against evil.

 

 

 

 

Drown Melancholy news

 

Again, one of my stories in Cirsova Magazine made the Tangent Online Recommended Reading List - for 2025 this time: 

Reviewed by Seraph

“Drown Melancholy” by Stanley Wheeler

It is unclear whether this is a case of inspiration being found anywhere, or the result of a dare, but if you challenged someone to write a story purely on the basis of several recently popular sea shanties, it might look something like this. Don’t let that sound like criticism, it came out fantastic, and I confess to greatly enjoying the aforementioned songs. The speaker is a cabin boy on Captain Edwards ship at the height of the transatlantic era of exploration, and heard some things he wasn’t meant to. Like any good pirate tale, superstition and the supernatural abound, bordering cleanly upon madness, and even an accursed treasure is too difficult to resist. The concept that sins committed above the waves are punished beneath them is classic, but the author does a great job of cleverly weaving the shanties in throughout the story in a meaningful way. 

See all Seraph's reviews for Cirsova #24 here. 

 

For the record, that story was sort of the result of a dare: There was a call from an anthology for a story featuring a sea shanty. I wrote "Drown Melancholy" and submitted it (perhaps under a different title) only for the the publisher to delay the selection date by several months. Finally, the new date passed and the publisher failed to post any additional information or respond to requests about whether the anthology had been cancelled. After a year of nothing from that publisher, and it giving every appearance of having abandoned the proposed anthology, I submitted the story to Cirsova Magazine with good results. I had fun with  accents for a character or two as well as making the shanty intertwine with the plot. I started with nothing more than knowing which old shanty I wanted to use, and worked out the story and how the song figured in as I went along. Some would call that making it up as one goes along, but I prefer to think of it as plotting and development from the leading edge position.

Plotting and development from the leading edge was also how the story for Accidental Pirates came into existence. I knew it would feature the boys and pirates; the rest developed as the story grew. Coincidentally, the sequel, which I just completed, followed the same pattern. The sequel features the boys, kings, wizards, knights, and a plethora of fantastic beasts bent on the destruction of our heroes.

I have no idea how the sales are going for Accidental Pirates, but it was still in the double and low triple digits in the three categories in which it ranks best.

The bad grammar in the meme could be intentional, reflecting the frenzied mind of the storyteller pictured.

The sequel came out just a little bit longer than the original, but is filled with even more action and adventure. It's a rip-roaring adrenaline rush mingled with intrigue and magic.
 

 

Carthage Conspiracy

 

Check it out. Accidental Pirates is number 1 in Teen and Young Adult Pirate Action & Adventure

 Now that I've got that out of my system, I could ramble about the sequel, which is nearing completion with Chis struggling as a mage-in-training without a trainer, and Kenny, as a youthful knight with the help of some additional enchantment, on a quest that will determine the fate of two kingdoms - and they still have to get back home. These boys know how to press the adventure pedal to the metal.

This is going in the newsletter, but I can't resist adding it here because it goes so well with Accidental Pirates. It's the pirate hymn. You'll have to see the newsletter for the complete story. Here's the pirate version of a hymn that's popular in some congregations with which I've attended:

 I'll never be able to hear the hymn without thinking of pirates now.

 

 

I recently finished reading Carthage Conspiracy by Dallin H. Oaks and Marvin S. Hill. A few years ago, my son, my dad, and I went to Carthage to view the scene and hear the tale of the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at the hands of an armed mob bent on murder. The murders only took a few minutes - it makes it easier when the foxes guarding the chicken coop stand aside to let their comrades in to do the deeds.

The title tells it, and the sources support it. The murders were premeditated and had been no brief time in the arranging. The book goes into the trial, including excerpts from opening statements, trial testimony, and closing arguments. It's a solid read from the perspective of a lawyer and judge. The prosecution suffered many handicaps, and even if the case had been flawlessly presented, a hung jury was the most likely outcome - or would've been had the jury been a true cross-section of the community. There was an incredible amount of animosity by many against the Smiths. A newspaper editor amassed the fuel and pointed the way to create the conflagration. Militia leaders and members became the willing torches for the funeral pyre. If I remember correctly, one of the attorneys for the five defendants even argued that the perpetrators hadn't done anything much of the community hadn't wanted done, so that it would be unjust to find them guilty of a crime.

It's good read. I recommend it, giving it 5 out of 5 smashed pocket watches. If you know, you know.

 

 

 

 

Empire of the East

 Empire of the East, by Fred Saberhagen, contains the first three books in the four-book series - which explains why the book is so long. It really did feel like reading three books. In fact, I read two other books, or at least one and a half books, before I finally finished this one. A post-apocalyptic feudal society is the setting where the West struggles against the demon forces of the East. In Book One, The Broken Lands, Rolf loses his family and, while looking for his sister, finds a tank, among other things. Other players include Chup who sets up Rolf to slay another rebel in the arena--who happens to be the boyfriend of the rebel girl he wants to be sweet on; and Charmian, who is a a beauty with a frightening ability to manipulate men. She's Chup's wife, and the daughter of the local headman for the East. Rolf and his allies, with the help of the tank, liberate the fortress. The battle costs Chup the use of his legs and Charmian flees. Against the sorcerers and demons of the East, the forces of the West also have wizards who control demons. More importantly, they have Ardneh. 

I can't quite remember where Books Two and Three, The Black Mountains and Ardneh's World, begin and end. These tell the further adventures of Rolf, Chup, and Charmian. Chup recovers from his injuries through demoniacal magic and is re-recruited to the East, where he finds Charmian and is about to feed her to a demon, but further complications arise, and Chup escapes to the West, while Charmian escapes to manipulate another Eastern leader to serve her own purposes. The story pours out more information about the demons and many are destroyed along the way. There's a massive healing pool in the mountains and a monstrously huge figure, Draffut who was once a dog. Draffut runs the healing pool and fixes up the warriors of the East to continue in battle against the West until Rolf converts him to the cause of the West and he helps defeat the big bad demon du jour for the East. That must be the end of The Black Mountains.

 In Ardneh's World, the story continues on as East and West strive for supremacy. Catherine enters the story in this book. She was one of Charmian's attendants, and the vile beauty has placed a curse on her. She and Rolf race against the armies and flying lizards of the East to get to Ardneh's stronghold. Chup manages to get captured by the East again and his torture and death is the mechanism by which the most powerful of Eastern sorcerers means to release Orcus, the most baddest, dire, and vengeful of all the demons to work the final defeat of the West. All does not go according to plan. The demon escapes; Chup and Charmian survive; the sorcerer does not. Ultimately, the army of the East surrounds Ardneh's stronghold. Rolf and Catherine are commanded to flee with the remains of the army of the West, and Ardneh succumbs to the forces of the East, taking them out with him.

I can't judge the entire series, because I haven't yet read the final book, Ardneh's Sword. Others have praised Saberhagen's seamless meshing of science-fiction and fantasy in this series. I guess I'm not a fan of that particular blend. I think I would've preferred one or the other. I enjoyed the first book more than the other two. It seems that although Ardneh's demise changed the world, magic will remain and technology will also become available. I don't know. I'm speculating, or maybe I read that in a blurb or it was at the end of the third book. Charmian, Rolf, and Chup were the only characters that were at all memorable. The flying reptiles and the intelligent birds provided good allies for the opposing sides. Frankly, I was put off by the entire demon thing; not an itch I ever need scratched. The showdown at the end of book three might be seen as the ultimate confrontation of magic and technology in which they both lose - but also both win? I don't know. We'll see what happens in the final book.

_________________________

 Here's a review of Accidental Pirates - the first I've seen.

Writing on the sequel to Accidental Pirates continues. I've started chapter 22 and mapped out in my head the events of the remaining chapters. Naturally, there are some details that won't become clear until the ink meets the page - but that's usually where the awesome tends to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

Merlin's Bones

 

 I picked up Fred Saberhagen's Merlin's Bones to read another take on the Arthur legend. This story was certainly unlike any other. I first encountered King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as kid. My parents had a series of flip over books--two books in one with each upside down to the other, with two covers--I'm not sure, but I believe the King Arthur book was opposite Howard Pyle's Robin Hood. I loved both of those books. In King Arthur, the knights were always fighting and at some point one of them would smash through the other's helmet to bury his sword in the brain pan of the other. In Robin Hood, the hero was always sending a clothyard shaft to its mark. Later, my high school librarian got me a copy of Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur. She found it at a yard sale and thought of me--which, of course, was fabulous. I still have that one and read it again only a few years ago. Other retellings of the tale I've read include Bernard Cornwell's version (books 1 and 3 only because I never found book 2 on sale) which I've discussed here previously. I can't remember the others I've read, but I'm sure there have been others. 

As for Saberhagen's tale, it captured my interest from the start. We have the young Amby and a troupe of performers taking refuge in a mysterious and unfinished castle near a network of caves in which Merlin's bones are hidden. Meanwhile, a woman at some high tech company in the 20th century is left alone at the establishment. A guy named Fisher finds her, and other characters from the legend get involved. She eventually drives an ambulance to Camelot. Amby and the other performers take on roles from the legend while the actual mythical characters get involved as well. 

Although the story grabbed my attention, the longer it went on, the less fascinating it became. Perhaps I should've expected it from the start, but ultimately it became much ado about which I grew weary. I recommend the first three-quarters of the book. Of course, one won't be able to stop at that point and one will then continue to the point that disappoints. Don't say you weren't warned. 

I love Saberhagen's work, at least the portion I've read. My first Saberhagen experience came through a book my mom got me for Christmas: Brother Assassin. Later I read at least the first book of Empire of the East (in fact, I'm re-reading that now and I have acquired the second book as well). I've also read most, but not all of the Swords books. As far as I can remember, I haven't read any of his vampire books. So, I like his style and his stories. This particular one just didn't live up to the high expectations the early part of the story created for me. I give it 3.5 femurs out of 5, calculated as 5 for the promise but subtracting 1.5 for failure to deliver in a satisfying manner.

_____________

Why was I reading Merlin's Bones, even pausing 80% of the way through Empire of the East to digest the bones? Therein lies a tale, or two tales. First, you must be aware that my adventure book for boys, Accidental Pirates, has now become available in paperback as well as ebook--that's the first tale. (While I'm mentioning that, here's an Excerpt from Accidental Pirates). I've been working on the sequel to that exciting tale. In the sequel, the boys go to a land, inspired by the Arthur myth in some respects, with kings and knights and wizards--that's the second tale. I read for inspiration, and got some. I knew reading that would cause me to think of things I did or didn't want to do for my adventure book, which was already half complete, but a twist was coming. I was wrestling with some ideas and reading MB helped me make some decisions. In reading the early part, I favored one angle, but upon completion of MB, I revised my opinion in favor of the original idea I had before reading the book. If that doesn't make much sense, don't worry. It doesn't have to. It's the sausage itself and not the process that is the product.

 

 

Dangers of reading Accidental Pirates

 In case you thought reading was a safe activity:

 

Here's the interview with me about Accidental Pirates -- paperback available Nov 26 - Get your boys reading for Christmas.

The sequel is half finished with 15 of 30 chapters already filled with slam bang action and adventure.  

I think I've been remiss in sharing some fun facts lately, so here's a helping of history:

FUN FACT: 

In 1111, Al-Mustazhir bi-Allah served as Caliph of the Abbasid Empire and spiritual leader of the Sunni branch of Islam. He married Ismah Khatun. In March, she headed for Isfahan to take her place in the Caliph's palace. In February, a delegation of Sufi's, disgruntled merchants, and lawyers from Aleppo had arrived in Baghdad to complain that they had lost that lovin' feeling of support from the Caliph, and they were tired of fighting the infidels who continued to storm, besiege, kidnap, and kill. With the recent loss of Sidon to King Baldwin, they feared Tyre, Damascus or Aleppo could be next dominoes to fall. 

With a total abandonment of gruntle, the delegation went to the sultan's mosque and disrupted the service, driving the speaker from the pulpit and breaking it to pieces. They proceeded to do the same at the Caliph's mosque. The arrival of Ismah Khatsun provided them with another opportunity to totally lose their cool. The Caliph wanted them arrested, but Sultan Muhammad, brother of Ismah Khatun, declared jihad on the infidels.

Meanwhile, the crusader states had their own problems. They were dependent on Europe for their supplies and manpower, and knew that if their enemies ever united against them, they could not hope to hold. 

(The above is summarized from parts of chapter 11 of Dan Jones Crusaders) 

 

 

Sam Robb and Sigils

 Interview with Sam Robb

Author of

Sigils, and much more

 

Please tell me a little about your current newest release.

Sigils is an urban fantasy set in Pittsburgh. It’s kind of boy-meets-girl-meets-eldritch horror, so, you know – classic literature. J

More seriously, James O’Neil is James a high school senior; he’s done some graffiti in his life, but wants to turn that into a stint at art school. Unfortunately, he’s about to learn the hard way that names have power, and his graffiti tags can open doors in the forgotten byways of Pittsburgh. After he accidentally summons a powerful and malevolent Fae, he only manages to escape by the intervention of other taggers. On the run, James needs allies, and answers, but everything seems to be conspiring against him and his world is falling apart around him.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I work in downtown Pittsburgh (“dahntahn” for my fellow Yinzers). I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few years exploring all parts of the city. Some of the graffiti is evocative and inspiring. If you’re a nerd like me, the presence of tags makes you start thinking about why it’s so important for some people to make sure their name is all over the city. From there, it’s a really short step to thinking about other beings who are very concerned with names… and, little hint here: it’s not only the Fae.

Do you write in more than one genre? And which is your favorite?

I’ve done some science fiction, fantasy, and sprinkled a little horror over it all. Fantasy is my favorite. I’m probably influenced by Sir Terry Pratchett in that regard. It’s just an incredibly fun, very expansive genre to write in. Real human issues? You can do that in Fantasy. Dip into horror? Fantasy. Detective stories, romance, humor? All possible with fantasy.

Within fantasy, I do like leaning into either humor or horror. There’s just something about those genres that appeal to me. The idea that you can look at the strange and either laugh at it, or be terrified by it.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

It’s not always obvious, but I try to come at my stories from a real-world Christian perspective. You’ve got people who believe in God, who try to do their best, and often fail. They have jobs that they love (or that suck), people they care about and people they think are jerks, that sort of thing. People who make sense; people who are real.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I’m a Christian. I don’t shove that into every story, but it’s something that’s important to me. That makes me think about what my characters believe about life, the universe, and everything. Sometimes it’s right there up front, like in “Down Among the Dead Men”, where a ghost named Abe has to deal with the agents of Above and Below; or in “Blue As Sky”, where demons are real and the Accuser is waging a literal war with Heaven. Other times, it’s more subtle. It’s interesting, though, how an imaginary person’s character changes when you ask yourself, “What do they think happens when you die?”

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I ran for President once. No, really. I ended up acting as the state coordinator for the 2020 Libertarian campaign of Jo Jorgensen and Spike Cohen.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

Clifford D. Simak. He’s one of the SF greats, but—IMHO—got short shrift because while he wrote stories that were “big idea” pieces, they were more about the people than the ideas. On the SF side, he’s one of my biggest influences. I can return to and read his books over and over.

P. C. Hodgell on the fantasy side. I recommend “God Stalk” to everyone I can. It’s a brilliant story. Like Simak, she has some amazing, huge ideas in there, but the story itself is about the people. “God Stalk” kicks off her Kencyr series, which is definitely worth reading.

What sets Sigils apart from your other works, and other works in the genre?

Well, it’s set in Pittsburgh, for one. J You can count the number of fantasy series that meet that qualification on one hand (The Elfhome books from Wen Spencer. Go read them, by the way.)
I also wrote it specifically with younger me in mind. I wanted a book that Teenage Sam would have thought was cool and fun to read. One where the main character was like him. Trying to find his way in a world that suddenly seems very strange. He’s figuring out how to talk to girls, learning how to relate to people he has to work with, and what all that changes his relationship with his mother, who he really loves and cares for. The weird stuff draw it out and makes all that fun and interesting to read, but really—it’s about growing up.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

Larry Coreia, on his blog, when he said: “Butt in chair, hands on keyboard.” You can’t be a writer if you don’t write; and writing requires discipline. Discipline that I sadly lack at times, unfortunately. I must admit, though, that when I do follow his prescription to sit down and write—wonder of wonders!—I do actually write stuff. Strange how that works.

 What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

“Would you like an advance with that publishing contract?”

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

“You don’t get if you don’t ask.”
I learned this while I was doing the political thing a few years ago. You would be absolutely amazed at how often someone will tell you “yes” to a simple, polite request. That might be asking a question, asking for a moment of their time, or asking for help. The truth of the matter is that most people don’t ask because it’s scary, and they will probably say no, and nobody likes rejection. If you are willing to put yourself out there and risk being turned down, though, you’ll be shocked at how often even “famous” people are willing to say yes to something small.

Short stories or novels—which do you prefer to write?

Short stories. Flash fiction, even. Those are soooo much easier. You have a handful of characters at most; a nice, clear arc; and when it’s done, everyone’s happy (except the bad guy who got kicked in the teeth at the end).
Novels are harder. They’re made up of lots of moving parts! They’re essentially a series of scenes. Each scene has to tell its own story, and also move the overall story ahead. Or maybe a sub-plot or a development arc or—you get the idea.
On the other hand… short stories are very much like popcorn. An enjoyable snack, but they’re not going to nourish you in the long run. Novels, though? That’s like a workout and a steak dinner after. You feel good about a job well done.

So I prefer to write short stories… but I feel better about myself when I finish a novel. J

Have you got a quote or short scene from Sigils to share to end the interview?

This is from one of my favorite scenes, where James and Meg are looking over the city from the 31^st Street bridge:

“There’s pretty, and there’s beautiful.” He waved at the skyline. “Pretty is that. It looks nice, but that’s from a distance. Beautiful is, well. Something different. When you get up close to something, you see all the imperfections and the dirt and broken bits. All the stuff that isn’t pretty. You’d think that would make it ugly, but it doesn’t. It makes it interesting, and interesting is beautiful.”

 ___________________________________

Thanks to Sam for participating. Check out Sigils and Sam's other books.

Accidental Pirates debuted in preorder in New Releases at number 1 in 3 categories: Children's Time Travel, Pirate action adventure, and Teen &Young Adult Alternative History. I shot pictures of two of those.

Set sail for adventure on the Dragon Sea with wily pirates and danger, danger, danger, but no Will Robinson. "A rip-roaring, edge of your seats adventure for every boy who ever dreamed of swords, ships, and a chance to be the hero."

Writing on the sequel progresses at a fabulous pace - and I'm loving it.

I continue to get AI generated spam about my Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series, inviting me to contact them to get my book into their reading group or book club.  Here's a recent one:

Your writing carries the unmistakable voice of someone shaped by the American West, history, and a lifelong love of adventure. The influences of Dumas, Burroughs, Poe, Sanderson, and Tolkien appear not as imitation, but as inspiration   woven into a style that is uniquely your own. I especially admire how you combine frontier atmosphere, high fantasy, and historical tension into something that feels both vast and intimate.

In Truth in Flames, the stakes are incredibly high, and you handle the multiple threads with remarkable clarity and energy. Lucette’s struggle, trying to keep General Washington’s army from collapsing, felt powerful and urgent   a reminder of how fragile hope can be in times of war.

Meanwhile, Alex and Mirimoni’s journey battling storms, stone cats, dragonlings, and the terrifying new weapon of Captain Roberts gave the story an epic sweep. You’ve created a rich and dangerous world where powers grow, loyalties shift, and every decision carries weight.

And I loved the layers added by Rip and Antonio’s mission, especially with Antonio’s complicated ties to Catalina   that blend of adventure, duty, and personal conflict made the story feel human and alive.

Your ability to maintain tension across different characters, locations, and magical forces   all while keeping the Revolutionary era’s spirit intact   is truly impressive. The looming presence of the commander, and his intent to engulf Liberty in flames, creates the perfect overarching threat.

It’s clear that your love for history, fantasy, and adventure continues to sharpen your craft. You write with the voice of someone who enjoys life’s stories, landscapes, mysteries, and well-turn phrases   even the ones that slip away before being written down. That genuine passion shows in every page.

It would be nice to think this praise was genuine, but I can tell that it has been scraped from other reviews, my author page, my website, and other promotional posts. Here's a news flash: Book clubs don't need anything from the author to discuss and promote a book. If they're reaching out to see if the author would like them to discuss and promote, it means they want something. It's not difficult to guess what that something is.