The Outsider: Blog

This morning I uploaded the original version of A Charmed Life to Bookapy. Thank you to those who have already found it there.

I have already caught one formatting correction I need to make in this book. Other than fixing some old Markdown which didn’t get properly converted to HTML, the text is as posted back in 2016.

Following a suggestion from a longtime reader, I am planning to also upload an edited version. That will take longer as there are close to fifty chapters to review and reformat. Hopefully within the next few months, though I want to also keep writing the new stuff so stand by on that.

Again, thanks, everyone.

Thanks to all who have purchased A Glass, and Darkly on Bookapy in the past week.

After I posted the book there, I discovered some edits I made hadn't made it to either FS or Bookapy. As of this blog entry, minor updates for all chapters have been submitted to the moderators for posting here.

Updated versions of EPUB, AZW3, and PDF files have also been uploaded to Bookapy. Anyone who has already purchased copies from Bookapy can download an updated version from the "Bookshelf" on that site.

A minor update to Skyscrapers is also available there.

I do hope to also post A Charmed Life on Bookapy. I am trying to decide which version to publish there, however. I still have the story as originally posted here in 2016 available, and there exist edited versions of most (if not all) chapters. Some of the edits change the feel of the story (at least in my view), and I'm not sure how far down that road I want to go. I'll have to think about that.

I am writing again, though not on Knox Family Story #3. This new story is in the Enfield Undrowned universe, but like Skyscrapers I don't plan on any overlap. This one should also be around the same length as Skyscrapers.

Knox #3 (and #4) still tickle the back of my mind almost daily.

Trying my hand at flash comedy today. It's in the queue and should post later this afternoon.

This story was an achievable goal compared to the third Knox tale, which I may wind up splitting for manageability's sake. We'll see.

Anyway, bonus points* for those who can tell me what sparked this new story.

(* Please consult the scoring rules from "Who's Line is it Anyway?" to understand how many points you could earn...)

I found ninety minutes to write last week..! Small victories, right?

Still plodding along on Story Three in the Knox series, still having ideas pop into my head for it (along with a fourth I want to get to), but the pace of life has caught up to me. I no longer feel I can dedicate large chunks of time in front of my keyboard. I have to steal small slices where I can, and I don’t get those often.

I know, I’m whining. I want to finish Story Three and post it, especially for those here who have read and reread my other efforts. Writing also used to be my escape, my refuge from the daily grind, and I enjoy(ed) it.

One foot in front of the other, and I’ll get there eventually…

Something I've been lucky to experience since I started posting is the interaction with readers. Many readers have sent along their comments, suggestions, corrections and other thoughts over the last years. For that I am very thankful.

I've also been lucky to make closer connections to a few readers, to the point where we email each other outside of FS. Graybyrd, of course, was one of the very first to message me. A gentleman from the United Kingdom was not far behind. A little later came a connection with a retired Army sergeant major who was once stationed at Fort Devens.

The most incredible blessing I have yet received is the chance to meet the sergeant major and his wife. We had dinner together last night and breakfast this morning. They adjusted their New England vacation driving routes to allow us the chance to do so.

While our emails allowed the sergeant major and I the opportunity to know a bit about each other, I hadn't had any correspondence with his wife. Didn't matter. Like the gracious Lady of the South she is, she welcomed me with open arms and made our meals together a true pleasure.

I look forward to more connections with folks here.