Akiri : The Scepter of Xarbaal

Coming Oct 21st for Kindle, Paperback, and on Audible! And in celebration Steven Savile and I will be giving away prizes which will include signed books, posters, Amazon gift certificates, and much more - as well as a grand prize - The actual sword used during the photo shoot for the cover! 
So stay tuned in for ways to enter!

Dragonvein - Book Four on Audible!

At long last! Available for pre-order!

Audio version

Father's Day

Today is Father’s Day. But I’ve never been one to get excited about what I have always considered a trivial holiday. Hell, should my family forget to mention it, I doubt I would make a fuss. In fact, I’m sure I wouldn’t. But this year is different. This year is one in a series of holidays which I am without my father.

We had been estranged for many years - only in the last five or six having reconnected. Though we did our best to make the most of the time we had, there were still numerous unresolved issues between us when he died. But they were unresolved because we agreed to let those particular sleeping dogs lie. So I suppose I should say that our issues were unresolved by design -  a wound which had closed enough to ignore. But after he died, I had to ask myself if that had been the right thing to do. Should we have talked about what had happened? Should we have revisited those painful events? Did my father die still needing closure? These questions plagued my thoughts for weeks. In the end, I came to the conclusion that closure is not necessarily reliving old issues; it doesn’t mean picking at the past until it hurts. It means having the ability to move on. And that is what we had done – started a new chapter and closed the old.

Just before I sat down to write this, I took a long look around and the house felt as if it was missing something. At first I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. The day had been quiet and uneventful. Being Father’s Day, I chose to relax and spend my time sitting on the back porch. I was alone for the most part. But I didn’t mind. There are times when I need to be alone; no voices other than the one inside my head demanding my attention. Luckily, today even that voice remained quiet. The scenarios I play out in my inner theater can be irritating when all I want is to have some peace of mind; even if that peace is not to last. But today I had no problem emptying my thoughts.

The sun set and the crickets and cicadas began kicking up a racket, telling me I had better get inside before the mosquitoes realized I was there. So I headed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Yeah, I know. But I have always enjoyed coffee at night. It was then I realized what was out of place. It was barely 8PM and the countertops were clean, the dishes put away, and the lights were out. That may not sound as if things were out of place, but they were. Over the past few years, though I have held on to my apathetic attitude toward Father’s Day, it has been customary for my father to come over and visit for a while. I’d buy him some small trinket – nothing extravagant -  and we’d sit around and chat until it was time to eat. Afterward, he was usually tired and didn’t linger for more than another hour before going home; typically, around 8PM.

My wife and I would wait a few minutes and chill out for a bit before cleaning up. But tonight there was no need. What little cleaning there was had been done hours before. And the spotless kitchen was a stark reminder that he was gone. Once again, I wondered if I had done right by not talking with him about what had caused our estrangement. But then, that would be looking back, wouldn’t it? If I have learned one thing from the short time I had him back in my life was that life can only be lived in one direction at a time. Choosing to move backward only forces you to cover the same ground twice. As for me…I would rather explore new ground.

A New adventure

Some of you may remember me telling you that I have an upcoming series entitled Akiri. Well, good news. My friend and NYT best selling author Steven Savile will be joining me. This year we will be releasing the first book - The Scepter of Xarbaal . We were already working on a new trilogy entitled The Genesis Chain and decided to continue our collaboration. 
But never fear. The final book in the Dragonvein saga is in the works and should be ready by the Fall.

Dragonvein Book Four

After months of toil, it's ready! Huzzah!

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Dragonvein (Book Three)

It's finally here!

 

 

 

 

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It's been a while since I've written on my blog. As much as I know I should do so more often, lately it's been hard to find the time. Between finishing Book Three in the Dragonvein series, starting Book One in a new series, and co-authoring a trilogy, I'm not left with much spare time. But now that things are calming down a bit, I've had time to sit and reflect of what's been going on in my life.

Since my heart attack a few years back I have come to realize that I must do a better job prioritizing my time. I have neglected to spend as much time with my son as I should. I wish I could chalk it down to fatigue, but in truth I simply get caught up in myself and ignore my responsibilities. I have been trying to do better, but I still have to work on it.

The one thing I haven't ignored is my career. This year has been my most productive year so far. Before the month is out I will have released four novels in 2015. And though this is stellar, I think I can do better. 

There are two Dragonvein books remaining. So those are a given. The first Akiri book will be finished by the end of this Dec. (though being that they are to be marketed to the publishers I have no idea when they'll be released) and I hope to have two more written by the Fall. The other three I'm writing with Steven Savile should be done this year as well, barring unforeseen circumstances. So that's eight in total. If I can do it, I'll be extremely happy.

I've also taken the time to weed out things in my life (as well as keep things out) that hinder or upset me. This I have found to be important in order to maintain a balance. The negative gunk can clog up the gears. And I've found that less negativity has allowed me to accomplish more. It has made it easier for me to better myself. Not only professionally, but also personally.

So in the end I must say that 2015 has been kind to me. I can only hope I can maintain focus and make 2016 even better.