Continuing my tradition of writing books and stories with really long titles, as well as taking occasional right-angle turns in my choice of projects,  I’m pleased to announce that my latest book is available for sale site in paperback and ebook: The Castle on the Hill at the Edge of the World. 

While full details about the book are listed below, as well as links to various retailers, let me just say in short that while this middle grade book is aimed at younger readers, I hope adults might give it a shot, too. For me, after I had to temporarily put aside a very ambitious epic I’d been working on for the better part of a year, just to get some perspective on it, I wanted to take on a shorter, more intimate story as a change of pace. I’m hoping some of my adult fans might find it to be a pleasant change of pace, too. I think of it as a mix of Bridge to Terabithia and Coraline, so if you like either of those books, you might like this one, too. If you enjoy it, please say so on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever you bought it. Those online reviews really make a huge difference and are the best way you can show an author you appreciate their work (other than buying their books, that is!).

As for what’s next on tap? Well, you Garrison Gage fans hopefully won’t have to wait too much longer, because I’m closing in on the end of the sixth Gage book now. Nope, can’t tell you exactly when it will be out, but soon. After that? Well, as far as books are concerned, we’ll have to see (that Big Epic is starting to call me back to take another crack at the idea), but speaking of right angle turns, I have another very different kind of project I plan to launch next month:

I’m starting a comic strip.

What? Huh? Come again?

I imagine that’s the reaction of almost everyone except those who’ve known me a very long time. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I grew up loving Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, Bloom County, The Far Side, and many others, and continue to love strips like Stone Soup, Get Fuzzy, Dilbert, and Luann. One of my first dreams, around the age of eight or nine, was to be a cartoonist. As I got older, I focused more and more on fiction, letting my drawing skills go a bit dormant, but as I started to get back into drawing the past few years (partly as a way to focus on something other than the Nonsense Factory taking over Washington D.C.), the old dream to create a cartoon strip came roaring back.

And I thought, why not now? Sure, my drawing skills may always need more practice and improvement, but I figure I might as well practice in public. Otherwise, I may never quite get over the hump of getting this project off the ground, and I’m fine with people seeing me get better (hopefully) as I go.

No, I’m not going to say anything more about the comic strip at this point except that I’m publishing it independently online, and that the start date will be April 22, 2019. So check back here for more information next month. I’ll have a lot more to say about my plans. Other than that, I’ll just tease you with the little cat named Lily pictured on the right, who will be one of the stars of the show. No, I’m not stopping writing fiction. I’m not exactly sure how I’ll fit it all in, especially with the day job at the university and the family, but I’ll find a way. In fact, lately, as I’ve worked on both the writing and the cartoon strip, I’ve found that switching back and forth has actually energized me and made me more productive overall. Strange, eh?  It never ceases to amaze me how you can always find time to do the work you love (even when you don’t always love it — especially then) as long as you really commit to doing the daily work and let the rest sort itself out.

What else is going on? Well, I’m finishing up teaching WR 464: Writing for Publication again. While I enjoy teaching, and do plenty of short term training and presenting in both my university and creative life, I find teaching a four-credit college course like this one both rewarding and exhausting. I always come away glad I did it but also glad I don’t teach college courses full-time.

More soon.

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The Castle on the Hill at the Edge of the World