I Do Not Like Cats - In A Podcast

 

Chicken Soup for the Soul have released, Lessons Learned From My Cat. It includes my story of how a cat-detesting  guy from Australia ended up with two feline companions while living in the United States of America.

And now it's on a podcast. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul with Amy Newmark: When the Cat Is Meant to Be on Apple Podcasts

I Do Not Like Cats

 

On February 14, 2023,  Chicken Soup for the Soul will release the next book in their series, Lessons Learned From My Cat. It includes my story of how a cat-detesting  guy from Australia ended up with two feline companions while living in the United States of America. 

    I Do Not Like Cats  was written during the pandemic while I was the carer for my wife's mother. On the day that I put the final touches on it, Jasper (kitty cat) sat in my lap one last time. Days later, his job caring for my mother in law was done, and shortly thereafter, he succumbed to a known medical condition.

    As for #Jacob...well, he still lives with me, still has the same routine, but now has the run of the entire house. 

    Which is just as well, cause I Do Not Like Cats. 

My Wifes Ex Husband

    

 

 

 

 

    On November 1, 2022,  Chicken Soup for the Soul will release the next book in their series, My Wonderful Wacky Family.

    Almost four years, to the day, since I was last published within the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, I have returned to their publications with my next story, My Wifes Ex Husband.  This is the story of Joe and I - two divorced men trying to make sence of the relationship when I marry into the family.

    It is, in my mind, one the two most difficulty pieces of literature that I have written, and conicdently, the piece prior to this, was the previous most difficult.

    My Wifes Ex Husband was written during the pandemic while I was the in house carer for my wifes mother. It was written of the most significant man in my life, outside of my own father.

    It was an honor to write of Jeanette's son, Jillian and Janeva's Dad, and Everley's Grandpa.

 

 

 

 

You Snooze, You Loose

 

 

    In 2009 I started working on a second major body of work. That piece was a factional account of global sporting event.  The work was started in what was known as National Novel Writting Month. Participants would write their story, upload the title and synopsis, and as they proceed, enter a word count for their body of work.

    My progress in that after completing the event, resulted in about 120,000 words written - but it was missing something. So, I set it aside.

    Last week I returned to the body of work having sourced some information that would add the details I needed to complete the work. While researching that, by chance, I just happened to enter the parameters of my work into Amazon.

    Son of a bitch. The exact same piece of work using the same title and a slight varient of my work was published in April this year, by someone I do not know.

    Coincidence? Probably. Liable? Probably not.

    You snooze, you loose.

News News News News

 New. News. News. News.

But I can't tell you.

Not till November 1.

Then, I can tell you the news.

But you will be second to know.

Film Maker

 

  The new version of Blogger is coming.

  Wonderful.

  Another new platform that was fully functional, now has to be relearned.

  As a writer I occasionally am asked to take my "words" into another arena. This time it's into film. By the first week of August I have been asked to produced three short films based on an article that I wrote last year.  The films will be in the Imovie format for distribution to the entity that requested the service.

  Not a big deal, but I guess now I am a film maker.

A Blog of Choice

  It was announced in September 2019 of a new web site that was coming.

  Since 2007, I have maintained a writing presence on the web on the matters affecting my writing. From 2007 - 2014 those writings were "housed" by one entity, until they suddenly closed. The web pages which captured the moments of writing for that era were lost, and exist only in a cached state.

  After the closure of that site, I then moved across to Blogger to continue the writing. At times, the writing has been sparse, as those who know of the personal life walk with me through the darkness. But it has sustained the writing since 2014 for the moment when my writing reaches a larger audience, and they become interested in from whence did I come from.

  The new web site is fundamentally the same as the existing web site, but it now offers the option to include a blog.

  Being a little "gunshy" about the prospect of losing years of bloggings - again, or having to start a new blog - again, I am unsure if I should "trust" that aspect of the new web site.

  For the time being, Blogger will remain the blog of choice. 

When is a Writer, Writting?

When is a writer, writing?

When they're not publishing?

When they're not writing?

For several weeks - actually since March - I no longer reside at my desk. My writing is done on a television dinner tray, pen and paper. At the weekends, if I'm lucky, I transfer the writings over to laptop. It is a duplicate process, however, it is the only writing process that I have now.

I am writing in the car, in snippets of time.

Maybe one day I'll have a desk again, to write at.

Porta Potty Notice at San Diego Airport

  Feature story at the San Diego Reader.


  I imagine that the silence from the San Diego Airport Authority is because they got caught with their pants down...and the portable toilet door open. 

First Publication for 2019

  First publication for 2019.

  The San Diego Reader accepts my story on the San Diego Ridesharing Lot closure at the San Diego airport.

 

Not All Bad - Part III

Recall two prior posts when I commented that not all was bad?

Earlier this week the publisher of the article scheduled a photo shoot. While the Reader may not recognize the significance of that invitation, First Fans will understand given the track record that has been accomplished in the past few years.

It seems that almost everything that I have written about has been accepted and published.

I have to work on my own self image to accommodate that I may in fact be a rising writer.

Not All Bad - Part II

Recall I said that it wasn't all bad after I submitted a feature article, the first in three years?

Look for the article to be published in the coming months.  Submission accepted.

Writer's Lament for 2017

At this time in December,  most people look back on their accomplishments and make resolutions for the next year

As a writer, 2017 was the first year I did not have a major publication. How did this happen?

In December 2016 I received a new assignment at my employment. That task was a lot of creation and documentation. I was just getting the place secure when in July I received another assignment. That, my current assignment, has blacked out my writing time as I grapple with sixteen hours days seven days a week.

Not that it's an excuse, but it robbed my writing time. Lesson learned: protect my writing time.

T'was not as though I did not write, I wrote in the moments that I could, in the arenas I am comfortable with, in the genres I tried. I just didn't "follow through" and spec enough to have a major publication.

2018 will need several major publications.

Happy New Year.

In Memorium

But for the stroke of a pen, there go I.

Vale,  Constable Mark Goodwin.

It took twenty five years before I could write about him.

Some Days Are Harder Than Others

Some days are harder than others.

The writers copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels and Miracles arrived today.

I cannot even look at the cover without crying.

My first copies usually go out to community organizations, libraries, and my Alma Mater Villanova College.

Not this time. They'll be going out to those who carried me through the story.

Anthony, Dave Parker, Judith, and one other.

One copy will be held back for his children,  to read of their father impact.

One copy will be held back for my children, to read of the impact of their father.

Vale Mark Goodwin.

My Friend, My Partner.

In Australia, the last Thursday in September is National Police Remembrance Day.

My personal list is...heart breaking.

Tony Greaves.
Lenny Hoooper.
Dave Shean.
Perry Irwin,

and my friend, my partner, Mark Goodwin.








His story comes out in the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, Angels and Miracles, on 2 November 2016.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels and Miracles

A story twenty five years waiting to be written, represents the second appearance this year and the fifth overall.

For Alyse and Meghan, who never knew their Father.

Geocaching With Murphy

This 4th of July weekend, Murphy has given me the opportunity to have two Amazon best sellers in a month.

Presenting, Geocaching GPS: Stories of Geocaching First, Geocaching With Murphy, now available on Kindle and in hardback starting 4th of July.

Thank you to my geocaching buddy.

The Spirit Of America Goes Out to First Fans

International copies have gone out to the First Fans.

Domestic copies go out next week.

It's a wonderful day to be Straight out of El Cajon.

Chicken Soup for the Soul #Stand4Heroes

Chalk up another appearance within the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise.

On 7 June 2016,  the next in their series of books will be released, titled Chicken Soul for the Soul: The Spirit of America.

My story, "Straight out of El Cajon" highlights the discussions I still  have, ten years after arriving in the "new country" The irony of an Australian writing about the Spirit of America, has not been lost.

Royalties form the book will benefit the Bob Woodruff Foundation's #Stand4Heroes program for veterans.