I have signed my name in my books before,  don't get me wrong, but I went to my first official-ish book  signing in Buffalo, MN. I had a table and everything! I wanted to share that with all of you. 
Okay... so to start with I had four different people walk by me and tell me that they've "read all of that guy already" and "I already read his newest book." Can I just say, that was the funniest thing ever! I had only just gotten my hands on 2:05 a.m. yet somehow they'd already read it. I decided not to correct them. I mean they sorta made me feel famous. I was already "old hat" to them like a seasoned author... then again, I started to feel bad for seasoned authors who get these people giving them the brush off. 
Anyway, then I had lunch. I feel like the cake I had was the highlight of the event. Just saying... 
After the cake, I met this lady who was a hardcore hockey mom. She and I talked about the Wild and the North-stars for at least twenty minutes. Did she buy a book, you ask?
No.
And then I went home. 
Actually, I'd do it again. In fact, I'm planning to be at an event called "Girls Just wanna have fun!" on November 10th. It's a hunter's widow kinda thing.  If you don't know what a "hunter's widow" is, I'll tell you. It's when all the man-folk go off after deer opener and all the women are left to their own amusement. I think it normally involves wine. 
Anyway, one thing I hope for...
​I hope there's cake. 

It is alive! 2:05 a.m. An Ice Era Chronicle (Book 2) is out in the world! I am so excited. Last night (for my book-birthday) my wonderful better-half took me out to celebrate! 
Now... If you are part of the Read For Review Launch, you can still do a review and sign up for prizes! I put a button down below for you to check it out! If you are just discovering my books, then may I just say you might want to read 1:05 a.m. first! 
So far, I have had a chance to check out the bloggers who have put my information up on their pages! One of my favorite bloggers is Digital Dirty Girl! That blog is great, as well as her Facebook page is always full of fun reads and giveaways! I put up a button for her and that will whisk you away to her Facebook page! 
Anyway, reviews of any of my books are always welcome and they really help authors! If you liked what you read, please consider giving me a review! For now, I will spend a day or two basking in the glow of happiness that another book was born... then I will start writing once again! 

So... HERE IT IS! This is the cover for 2:05 a.m. An Ice Era Chronicle!  Ta-Da! I love it! I think the artist did a great job capturing just what I wanted!
Right now we are doing our Read For Review Event! After you sign up, you receive a free copy of 2:05 a.m. in exchange for a review! You also get a chance to win some awesome prizes!  
2:05 a.m. is available on pre-order too! 
The book will be out September 30th and I can't wait to share it with all of you! At the button below, you can go to our YouTube channel and watch the trailer for 2:05 a.m. An Ice Era Chronicle! 

YAY! So I have been busy... 2:05 a.m. is now done and will be out at the end of September. I have just chosen a cover artist, and the editor and I are busy doing some polishing to the book! I can't wait to share this story with you! 
Here is a blurb...

     After spending all her life trying to be normal, Nova gives up. She isn’t like everyone else. When a recent break-up highlights her limitations, the crushing realization drives her deeper into work. Content in her private world and with no desire to change, she finds herself pulled into a mission that takes her away from her safe and secluded life.
     Arrow has been trapped in a cage for, well, he can’t recall, but he is ready to be free. As the water base crumbles around him, he fears his chances of getting out alive.  When his “Angel” appears, she’s what he’s been searching for all his life, and his soul knows her. But his angel doesn’t know who he is, nor does she care, and she resists helping him.
     This unlikely pair starts an alliance, and a train ride alters them forever. Before long they will uncover the dark past that hunts Arrow, and the even darker future that awaits them both. Life for Arrow is about to become real, and for someone as crazy as Nova, this one man turns out to be the stability in her unpredictable world.

For anyone who read Grinding My Gears...
Yes, this is the baby that Gears and Luna were given at the end of the book.
She's all grown up now! 
2:05 a.m. is on Pre-Order on Amazon. Press the button and it will whisk you right to the page! 
Thanks for reading! I am soooo EXCITED! 

I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July!
I have not slept in days. Part of that reason is that my other half isn't next to me and the other part is because the fireworks kept me up for days. I am supper happy the holiday is over! Sometimes when I can smell the smoke of the fireworks, I wake in a panic. PTSD is a bitch. After days of jumpy insomnia, I finally got some rest last night. 
So, last night I thought I was in a deep sleep. I might have been, but I wasn't sure. I was out and then a man wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I work up with a start. His head was close to mine and his lips were next to my ear. I tried to rise and pull away from his grip. When I pushed on his shoulders, he spoke to me in a low deep voice. 
"Hi. My name is Glenn," he said. 
At first, I tired to process why a man was hugging me. I was in a sleep fog and I went with my natural reaction. 
"I don't fucking care. Get off of me, Glenn." 
I pried my eyes opened and sat up. I was alone. To the general silence I simply said, "No means no, Glenn." 
If that was a ghost, that guy bugs me. If not, I think I need to get some real sleep. I can't wait until I am curled happily around my better half. Two more days...

So here it is! It's up for sale! (Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble)
​YAY!!!!
I had one Critique Partner who told me my heart wasn't in this book and it wasn't as good as some of my other work. I have thought long and hard about that. I will be honest, I wrote this faster, so maybe that's what is missing, but it still holds a place in my heart. I had passion for this work. Chen-Ning (A secondary character) especially amused me. I hope he gets under your skin. Also, the character Luna that meets Gears is based loosely on someone very special in my life. She is full of mysterious wisdom that sometimes dumbfounds you, but always lifts your spirit. 
If you get a chance to read this... please share with me your thoughts and as always, I love the reviews! They mean the world to me. Thanks! 

I love to write. When I first started, this was simply a project that my spouse and I shared as a hobby. We wrote, laughed, made up endings, and talked about a different world then the one in which we live 

But some days the fear of what I'm doing is almost paralyzing. 

You see, every so often, I question if I'm good enough to keep up at this complicated endeavor of creating a world and getting it down on paper. My wife eats books like locus, and I see all the other talented and amazing writing out there. When I stare at the shelves of books that surround me. I wonder why did I toss my hat into the ring? The answer to that question came to me from a random conversation I had not to long ago.

My sister-in-law, Sarah, was sharing a story about a friend she works with in Atlanta. (Side note: Sarah is an amazing massage therapist. If you're ever in Atlanta, go get a massage.) Anyway, Sarah was telling her friend about how, when faced with a big problem on what to do, you have to ask yourself "Will it matter in ten years?" 

That thought struck me hard. Every day that I struggle with learning to write, with improving my craft, and not becoming discouraged, I remind myself of this very idea. 

You know what? In ten years this will matter to me. What will mean something is the fact that no matter the path I am on (I might never make a million dollars or be on the New York Times Bestsellers list) writing gives me a feeling I don't have words for. I love the irony in that. All the words I put down can never describe the warmth in my chest when I finish the last edit or type the last word on the page. 

Dreams are a funny beast, but they're worth chasing. Today I will dust myself off and slip on my running shoes. 

     My wife has a therapist at the V.A. I was complaining of pain and she went and told on me. That's right she TOLD on me. 
     Anyway, so I end up in Urgent Care at the V.A. Now, for those of you who have never been to a V.A hospital I will try to describe it a tad. Keep in mind, all are different and I can only tell you what the one is like near me. 
     So, in the V.A, it is filled with old men, nurses, and a handful of us younger veterans. I think there is something that kind of gets me about being surrounded by all those shuffling old men. I just want to screw around the minute I get in there. I don't know why exactly, but I think it's just this feeling that everyone is so dreary, and I desperately don't want the place to bring me down. 
     As I get admitted to Urgent Care (because my wife is making me) I get introduced to this very young, "Handsome", male doctor. I'm not into men but I feel this is the best description. After I go over my health issues, which my wife is chiming in on, the doc says "I would like to check your prostate."
     I'm of the mind set that whatever I have to do to help me feel better is fine, so I start to loosen my belt. The doctor then says "I know you younger men don't like to do this."  At which point I reply "It's fine with me, but I warn you I had chilly last night." Then I promptly drop my pants. 
      My wife laughed for like ten minutes. There is something about making a young doctor stutter and stammer while giving you a rectal exam that is a little funny. 
     After he finished, my wife looks to the doctor with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and pipes up.      "So when can I have sex with my husband again?"
     Our doc had almost gained his composure, but not quite. I think he wasn't expecting that, and to be honest, I wasn't either. I held in my smile.
     The doc says "Well, it's up to you, Connor, but right now if you want."
     My wife says without missing a beat. "We cant right now.... you're in the room."
      The look on the doctor's face was priceless. Yeah, if you get a chance to tease a doctor it's kind of fun. I am fairly sure that even once I'm an old man, I will still want to joke with those hardworking nurses and doctors at the V.A. I appreciate them. Truly, I do. 

I have been pondering a George Orwell quote for the past few days. It was in the Notable & Quotable section of the Wall Street Journal and shared with me by a family member.  (Thank  you Matt.)

Here is the quote: "All writers are vain, selfish, and lazy, and at the bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand."

I have mediated on this for days now and no matter how I go over it, I still end up feeling like I equally disagree with George Orwell, and also agree at the same time. 
You see, I have met writers now in the Troll River Publishing house and I would describe none of them as vain or lazy or selfish. They are all generous, hardworking and... If they are vain I've never seen it. However, I have considered the aspect of writing (Especially editing as I am editing Grinding My Gears right now.) and I would agree that there is some demon inside of me that is a mystery. I can not resists the lure of my keyboard or the constant babble of the characters in my head. 

As for writing being like a painful illness, I don't know what George Orwell was doing but I don't find it painful. I say that now, but I guess it might hurt once I see my first edits come back from the publishing house. Maybe he just had a mean editor?

He should have met my favorite Troll Stephanie then maybe he wouldn't have considered it quite so bad.