If you’ve finished The Encanto and and looking for what to what to read while you’re waiting for LA FOG part two, Wayob’s Revenge, here are my top thirteen scary stories: 13. NOS482 – Joe Hill. A little wakeup call for the child inside us who wishes every day could be like Christmas. 12. Game […]
Speaking of Magic
The Encanto, LA FOG part 1, is finally available! Order your copy today! While researching the novel, I had the privilege of interviewing Matt Marcy, a real, honest-to-god professional magician, who has performed more than 4,000 shows. Matt’s love of magic began with his first magic kit at age five. “A lot of kids go […]
Insomnia
Sleep is a universal human experience. It’s essential to life—but why? Why must we spend a third of our lives sleeping? Medical science still struggles to answer these questions. When I was younger, I could sleep until noon, if I wanted, but now when the birds start chirping, there’s no more sleep to be had. […]
Four Fall Reads
Dear Readers, It’s October. Of course, I’m obligated to shamelessly plug The Encanto which comes out on the fourteenth. So there, now that that’s out of the way, I want to share four recommendations for the fall that have carried me away. 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami. Fall is for daydreaming, and if you’ve clocked much […]
The Secret to Writing in Two Simple Steps
How do you write? It’s a question often asked of writers and one we love to answer because we each have our different opinions. Many swear by an outline while some write beginning to end one page at a time. Stephen King once said, “Outlines are the last resource of bad fiction writers who wish […]
What Happened to the Ancient Mayans?
In grade school, I was taught that the ancient Mayans had vanished. A whole civilization, with temples that rose into the sky, with vast networks of roads, many of which can still be seen from space, more than nineteen million people—suddenly disappeared. The truth is they never disappeared. Six million of their descendants live on, […]
The Encanto, Available for Pre-order
Dear Readers, Years of writing in the pre-dawn hours as fog drifted over the city has finally gelled into something I hope you’ll enjoy. I am excited to announce that The Encanto, LA FOG part 1, is available for pre-order now! An ancient Mayan artifact, smuggled into Los Angeles, unexpectedly alters three lives in bizarre […]
Strange Cravings
It’s amazing how much has changed in the weeks since my last article in which I wrote about how fast COVID-19 was spreading and how policy makers weren’t taking it seriously. Since then, the number of deaths doubled every week. The problem became impossible to ignore. Government officials reacted, thankfully, better late than never. But […]
Why I’m Afraid of COVID-19, and Why I Go On Living
Skimming through recent headlines, COVID-19 sounds like the beginning of the end, the apocalypse approaching. It feels like we’re on the precipice of a pandemic that will shape human history, for those who survive. But our president says it’s no big deal, and then to reassure us, he put his top man on the case, […]
Before the Sun Hits Audiobook
Good morning Readers, The audiobook for Before the Sun Hits has hit! Check it out on iTunes or Amazon/Audible Want a free copy? I’ll email a gift link to the first five responses! So if you haven’t read it yet, or you want to experience it again, listening will provide more entertainment than reading the book, if you’re into audio, because […]