Here's how I did it. I worked my ass off for a year and a half and I had a lot of help. That I got everything together and submitted them on the same day was a total coincidence. So there. The rest of this article is about those two books. Sorry if I didn't offer any inspirational secrets. If I can't toot my own horn on my own blog, then it's not safe to do so anywhere, right? Yesterday, I submitted two new books for publication. One is fiction, my second novel. The other is … [Read more...] about How I Published Two Books on the Same Day
My Daughter, The Dragonslayer
This article was originally titled 'That Voice in Your Head Though.' While an equally good title, the new one is a better fit in my view.We all have voices in our head. It's our subconscious talking to us. What happens when that voice gets loud and won't leave you alone? Some would call it our conscience, others might call it a demon. It doesn't matter, because it's there. A year and a half ago, my then 24 year old daughter began a journey toward sobriety. It wasn't her first try -- she had … [Read more...] about My Daughter, The Dragonslayer
Good Reasons to Lie
I'm occasionally confronted with the conflict of when it is okay to lie. Some suggest it is never okay. In general, I don't believe it's okay, but there are, on rare occasions when I think it's acceptable. Here are some rare, but somewhat realistic examples that meet that criteria for me:You've just lost a loved one to an accident. You have to call siblings, children, or parents to tell them. Some children are more capable of dealing with such things than others in the immediate shock. … [Read more...] about Good Reasons to Lie
Vows
I went to a wedding last weekend. I'm a stereotypical man. I don't like weddings and I only go to make my wife happy. This time something happened that made me reflect on my own marriage. Instead of zoning out during the ceremony, I actually listened. When they got to the vows, which included the standard "in sickness and in health," it reminded me of the depth of those vows. I'll share why by relaying a personal anecdote.About six or seven years ago, I decided to undergo a rather … [Read more...] about Vows
A Story-Book Ending and an Idiot Dad
(REPUBLISHED FROM AUGUST, 2012)I learned something very important from my youngest daughter yesterday. Probably a lot more than she would think.She is 18 and moved away to college last week. Her passion in life has always been riding horses and showing them. She began showing horses when she was 7 years old. Every year, she has competed in numerous horse shows. Each year, the World’s Championship Horse Show is held in Louisville, Kentucky, near our home. She has entered … [Read more...] about A Story-Book Ending and an Idiot Dad