( vaɪˈsɛniəl ) adjective – lasting twenty years 2025 marks my twentieth year in the band Kilrush. Now, right up front I will concede that there were times where I thought I was done with it and I wasn’t out playing with them. But even during those periods of what I call “my hiatus” I…
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Summertime Memories
Working in the world of education, even on the fringe like I do, has its advantages, one of them being summer vacation. While we have the option to work during the summer, this year finds me taking the time off instead. And it finds me thinking of things to do for the next two months…
The Little Barbershop On The Corner
I don’t think I have ever mentioned it, but in “real life” I am a school bus driver. It’s a great gig that not only allows me to help pay the bills around here but also allows for plenty of free time for other endeavors such as writing, music, etc. It also allows for me…
June 2, 2025
Today, June 2nd, marks five years since I released my first book, In Times of Trouble. The world was definitely a different place back in 2020. We were living in the shadow of a pandemic that would not only prove to be a great challenge to us as individuals, but also as a nation. Although…
Audrey Finds The Light
When the last of the community had finally left, Audrey locked up the church and made the short trip home. Though the two buildings stood within shouting distance, today the walk felt like a Tolkien-esque journey. Where the roadside met their sidewalk, she paused a moment and glanced down the road. Before they’d left, Jen…
The Old Man Told Me
Once upon a time, when I was still a paramedic and we’d just finished a particularly unusual call, I remarked to the E.R. doctor that someday I was going to write a book about what it’s like in that world. “Honey, they’ll never believe it,” she said. And I know now that she was right.…
New ITOT Themed Merchandise Available!
“On the other side of them, at the end of the table, sat Gary and Rachel. Gary made a good living producing and selling his home brews and other spirits, building up a family-run business that kept them all busy.” – Excerpt from In Times of Trouble: Crossroads ****** Please enjoy this recent news story…
A Cast Of Characters: The Women
Perhaps one of the bigger challenges for a writer is developing characters of the opposite sex and making them convincing. In the first book, this wasn’t too difficult because many of the secondary characters, both male and female, are kinda one-dimensional. They serve more in a supportive role. One exception would be Ruby Fisher, who…
“What Is Chris Doing Now?!?”
As my third and final book in the In Times of Trouble series was being released, my plans for the days and weeks after was to be focused on promoting the book to current readers as well as reaching a broader audience. For this I’d set aside a budget to work with, and had several…
A Cast Of Characters
One of the challenges of any story is to create characters that make the reader feel something. For the good guys, you want the reader to be invested enough to cheer them on when they win or perhaps shed a tear when they die. For the bad guys, you want someone who is despicable enough…