Snoopy's World

What a ride it has been.  When I started blogging here I had nothing but free time and I was made to feel welcomed.  Fox will ALWAYS be my News source.  I have been watching since day one and I am not about to stop now.

Sadly, I have overstayed my welcome so I will bow out gracefully.  Bridges have been burned, some of my own accord, some not.  Friends made but in the balance of things, enemies were forged as well.  Each knows who they are.

I am grateful for all the opportunities I have had here on Fox and will never forget the bloggers.  When a stone is thrown into a pond ripples flow out but then the waters are calm once again.  The pond is, however, changed forever, with each new stone tossed in the pond continues to change.  All I can do is continue on this journey, so again, thanks for the ride.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day I had an idea, a booklet of poetry for lovers.  I am titling it: HOW DO I LOVE THEE, POEMS FOR LOVERS.  I know, I know, not much thought went into the title but hey, what do you except while I’m driving around at night fighting “crime” in the streets.  Hahaha, couldn’t resist.

Anywoo, I thought I would hold a contest to see what you poetry readers like.  You have read my poems, the good and the bad, so now is your chance to pick your favorite.  This booklet is going to have at least 25 love poems.  Tell me which love poem is your favorite and why.  If I agree it should go into the booklet it shall be done.

Oh, please hurry, contest ends January 10th so that I can start printing the booklets and passing them out before Valentine’s.  They make great gifts so place your order today, I am making them available for $2 apiece, I think that’s a steal don’t you? 

Orders are taken via email only, writingwithpower@gmail.com

It’s a valid question, what do you believe?  It’s a question that can take a lifetime to answer.  God gave us all FREE WILL and with that our minds are open to countless possibilities.

There are literally thousands of topics that this question, these four little words, can apply to.  You have the three deadliest topics; Sex, Religion, and Politics, there’s a bomb just waiting to go off.  But there are others that can really blow your mind: The Supernatural, The Unknown, The Paranormal, Ghost, Shadow People, and The After Life.

Do you believe in Vampires?  I do.  I know they exist because I am one.  I’m not the kind that you’re most likely thinking of, I do not like blood.  I’m an Energy Vampire.  Look it up, you might be surprised in what you find.

What about aliens?  Well, yea, of course they exist.  Just because I have not personally seen one myself, I do believe they exist, sorry but the Goobly Goos are a story I made up.  If they are not real then it seems like a very bad waist of space.

Ghost?  I would not be an amateur ghost hunter if I didn’t.  I have had my own experiences all my life with ghost, even having a ghost attached to me for a few years.  Now that my ghost is gone I actually miss her playfulness.

So now I ask you, what do you believe?

Max M. Power

Written December 10, 2008

What is up with this game?  I can’t stop playing it but I am going bald from pulling my hair out.  I think this computer is cheating.  Dang, I just lost another game.  I mean it’s a simple game, one that I can play anywhere with a deck of cards but I have to play this game here on the computer.

Then there are different versions of this game.  Draw one card, draw three cards.  Auto jump to the ACES.  It’s enough to drive you batty.  Dang, lost another game.  I’m hooked, I just can’t stop.  Then again, I can’t get any work done either because I’m playing this game.  Wow, that was a fast game.  I swear this computer is cheating.  I really hate this game, I wish I could stop playing it.  I… I... I won!  I LOVE THIS GAME!!!

Max M. Power

Written December 15, 2008

I received this email from my publisher today.  I need help in choosing which books stores to go to.  I know you readers are well aware of good book stores so if you could provide me with a store location I will do the rest.  I am so excited and still shell shocked that this was offered to me.  What do you think???

If you would like to participate in a book signing event, please provide me with no more than 5 of your local book stores and include the store manager's name and phone number.  Please be sure to mention your local ties to the area, community involvement, or any other information that may benefit this process. Once I have this information in hand, I will be on the phone to the manager. If your local bookstore manager is interested in discussing and/or hosting such an event with you, I will re-contact you with the information on which store(s) to visit. We want your signing to be a resounding success!

Okay I hit a little snag and I need the help of my blogger friends.  I wrote a story that is based here in Houston.  There is a reporter that gets a package that will break a story that has been on the news wide open.  The reporter works for Fox 26 News.  The reporter needs a name and a face so this is where you come in.  Who would you like to be in this story?  Any Fox 26 Reporter is open for grabs.  The one with the most votes by Christmas day wins.  So post your vote and help me out.

Wealtheow Her Telling of Beowulf by Ashley Crownover

Turner Publishing Company

www.turnerpublishing.com

Nashville, Tennessee

When you say the name Beowulf the first thing to come to mind is the creature Grendel and how the two had a great battle.  It’s a story that has captured the imagination for generations.  While it is a great story, for me anyways, it is hard to follow due to the style in is written in.  Also, it is one sided and I believe there is always more than one side of the story.  Ashley Crownover has captured another side of the story beautifully.

In Wealtheow Her Telling of Beowulf you get the back story of Heorot, the great mead hall in Denmark, where the battle took place.  It’s not a story of warriors telling tales of conquest but of pain and joy.  The emotions of a queen trying to save her people.

The story, written in modern English, flows easily and captures your attention.  You feel like you are there in the mead hall itself, feeling the fears of the people, and wanting the monster Grendel destroyed.  The joy as Beowulf comes to the rescue.  All and all a very good read and highly recommend by a Beowulf fan for those who long to visit times of old.

Max M. Power

Written November 30, 2008

Four A.M.

Growing up I kind of felt like a Gypsy, traveling back and forth across this vast country of ours.  Like most of my family I was born in the beautiful state of California.  When I was five I was taken to Texas, where I now live.  I was taught the importance of family but at a great distance.  While 95% of my family was still in California, we were all spread apart, living in other cities and opposite ends of the state.

One thing remanded the same, no matter where ANY of us were, we all longed for the affection of one person, my grandmother.  She was the glue that kept our family together, or at the very least, kept us in line.  We learned quickly, do NOT let this little lady fool you, after all dynamite comes in small packages and my grandmother was the ultimate firecracker.

My grandmother taught me that there is a huge difference between hearing and listening.  Listening to her for five minutes, you knew she had a life time of stories to tell.  The wonderful thing though, even in silence, she could speak volumes.

With everyone pawing for attention and we being half way across the country, my time was limited to short visits.  A week, a month, a summer.  It really did not matter; we always made the best of it.  In 1989 the visit lasted a year, and when school started, I got four a.m.

It started with a summer visit, grandma taking my brother, my cousins, and myself to our huge family reunion at the largest park in Stockton, California.  At the park we were allowed to go to the pool.  Throughout the summer we went to the pool on our own, taking the city bus, but when grandma took us, there was no silence.   Oh no, not my grandma, she taught us how to talk smack to the players.

The Stockton Ports was a minor league baseball team but they were OUR team and grandma said they needed OUR support.  So to the game we went, buying a Coke and a hotdog or popcorn.  It was un-American to go to a baseball game and NOT get a Coke and hotdog, a lesson I passed on to my own child.

Screaming at the other team, telling the ump he needed glasses, those were good times, and the ONLY time we were allowed to say things like that without getting our butts tanned.

Soon summer came to an end and it was time for school.  Over ten people living under one roof, with three bedrooms and one shower, fighting for time was a big issue.  I had to be out the door at six in the morning to catch the city bus to school.  I took my showers in the morning before anyone else was awake.  Four a.m. was my time to wake up.

With sleep in my eyes I stumbled into the shower with my school clothes, having to dress quickly in the bathroom.  Wet towel in hand, I walked back to my room to put it into the hamper and grab my backpack.  As I closed the door to the room I looked over to the kitchen to see the newspaper floating over the table, my grandmother hidden behind the pages.

Breakfast was sitting on the table waiting for me.  Grandma made what she made and there was no complaining allowed.  I could complain but it would result in getting slapped in the face, breakfast taken away, and having to wait until lunch for my next meal.  Like I said, no complaining allowed.

I would sit down, good mornings were exchanged and I would begin to eat.  No other words were spoken except an occasional, “Will you look at that…”  “I can’t believe they did that…” or “Well, I’ll be…”  Grandma never treated us like fragile children but more like young adults so she would read certain articles and ask my opinion.

We never had “conversations” per say but I learned a lot from grandma.  At five a.m. the rest of the house would begin to wake up and I would have to clear my place from the table and finish getting ready for school back in my room.  It was everyone else’s turn to spend the morning with grandma before she went to work.  We all had to share this wonderful woman but at least I had her all to myself at four a.m.

Max M. Power

Written November 24, 2008

The Strongest Woman I Know

Up at four am,

Newspaper in hand.

She was wide awake,

When I could barely stand.

Breakfast she would make,

It was the most important meal of the day.

After my shower

I would sit and stay.

No words were spoken,

Except, “Eat everything on your plate.

Hurry up

Or you will be late.”

Late for the bus

Meant one thing.

I would have to walk

Otherwise there would be a sting.

She was never afraid

To tear up my behind.

Spankings were plentiful

Only question, what kind.

A short little lady

One that knew how to fight.

Rick Flare being her favorite

The Nature Boy was alright.

Hard to imagine

Getting locked into a figure four.

But she did it

Never hesitating to take us to the floor.

Tough but fair,

That’s who she is.

Never spoiling us,

Teaching us with a quiz.

In her eyes

Children we were not.

Young adults,

Life lessons she taught.

Nothing came easy,

Everything we had to earn.

Working hard,

Was the first lesson to learn.

Picking fruit, cutting grass,

Chores we had to do.

Making good grades

Was what she expected of you.

You could not whine,

You could not complain.

A slap to the face,

Is all you would gain.

Tending to her garden,

And reading her books.

Two things she loved to do,

Messing with them got you THE LOOK.

The look was cold,

And you knew what was to come.

A shoe, a belt, or a switch,

Is where your whooping came from.

She was not all mean,

There was a soft side.

Rewarding good behavior,

That too was a ride.

Money was never short,

For books you wanted to read.

She was a firm believer,

That your mind you should feed.

I am what I am,

Because of the things I was taught.

My grandma was the strongest woman I know,

Especially when she fought.

Max M. Power

No I'm not talking about your groceries.  I'm talking about shopping.  In this age of electronics, where almost everything can be done on a hand held device that fits in your pocket, more and more people are turning to the internet to get their entertainment.  In fact I am writing this article on a hand held Palm Pilot PDA.

Things are more convenient online.  Stores are going out of business while their website counterparts are thriving.  People don't have to fight for parking, stand in long lines, or deal with rude people.  Your purchase can be delivered to your address so you never have to leave the house.  If you know where to look most times you can get what you want for cheaper than you can in the store.

Want to see a movie?  Going to a movie can cost over $20 per person when you add in popcorn and a drink.  That same movie can be downloaded for less than $3 depending on who you use.  Makes you wonder how long DVDs will last at $15 to $20 a movie.

Books?  Average paperback will not cost less than $8 while a hardback is closer to $22.  An e-book can range from $0.50 to $7 depending on the book.  Depending on the handheld device an e-readers can be a fairly cheap add on.  A paper book can be bulky; especially if it’s a Stephen King novel, and is can not fit in most pockets.

Amozon.com has The Kindle, other websites offer E-Reader Machines, Palm has a downloadable program that can turn any Palm Pilot into an e-reader, and even cell phones can be turned into e-readers.  The great thing about any e-reader is that depending on your memory size you can store anywhere from a hundred files or books on up into the thousands.  No more looking for a dictionary, they can be downloaded too.

With this age of technology the question still stands, paper or plastic?  While plastic may be more convenient nothing beat good old fashion rough paper.  The sound of a newspaper rustling as you turn the pages.  The smell of a brand new book as you open it for the first time and let the ink breath.  The feel of a crisp new dollar bill between your finger tips.

The best thing about paper that outweighs plastic, no power needed to operate.  If you live in an area where a strong story can knock out power for days or weeks at a time you know how wonderful paper can be.  So what will it be, paper or plastic?

Written November 15, 2008

Here is my second book, I am excited about its release.  Let me know what you think of the cover.

Historic Photos of Houston by Betty Trapp Chapman

Turner Publishing Company

www.turnerpublishing.com

Nashville, Tennessee

The energy capital of North America, a major oil town, and the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston, Texas is a town all its own.  In recent history Houston was the host of few scandals.  ENRON brought the national spot light to our town.  Janet Jackson showed us the importance of making sure your wardrobe is in proper working order.

If a picture is worth a thousand words it is safe to call Historic Photos of Houston a large volume history book, but a history book unlike any other.  Being a history buff myself, and a photographer I was drawn to the story this book has to offer.  Looking through the pages one word continued to escape my lips more than any other, WOW!

Taking a drive through certain areas you can see there is more than oil in this town, there is history.  A church, a department store, and a street clock, all over a hundred years old, can still be found in the downtown area.  The largest park in the city was once a training ground for the Army in WWI.  During the Great Depression Houston fared better than most in the country and continued to grow.  The Democratic Convention of 1928 was the cause of a major boost in population.  During WWII Houston did its part to support the war effort by building machine parts and ships.

Driving anywhere in Houston and you will see traffic, traffic, and yes, more traffic.  From the moment Houston embraced automobiles in the 1910’s there has been traffic jams in the city.  Our rail system is also something that has been around for over a hundred years, something I thought was only recent.

Historic Photos of Houston is a wonderful addition to any library, making learning about our city’s history fun and exciting.

Max M. Power

Written November 05, 2008

When I took creative writing in college one of the assignments I was given was to conduct an interview with myself.  An interesting idea but one I never did, until now.  The following is an interview I did with myself.

Sitting down with Max one of the first things you notice is a bookshelf that is so full it is overflowing.  A very good mixture of books and DVDs.  Seems like that bookcase holds a lot of value to Max.  It seemed like a good place to start the interview.

You have just as many books as you do DVDs, is there a reason for that?  Yes.  I love to read.  I have collecting books since the days of SEE SPOT RUN.  RUN SPOT RUN.  Ha, ha I can still see that little panda running. 

So you have books from your childhood?  Not anymore.  The closet thing I have to a book from my childhood is a book that I bought for my daughter that I use to love as a kid.

I see you have a wild range of books. What is your favorite?  I have two but for different reasons.  My favorite book for the story is Cracker Jackson by Betsy Byars.  That was a book I read over and over.  You can tell which books I have read more than once, the front cover is torn apart and the back cover is missing completely. 

Star Wars, without a doubt is the second.  I am a huge Star Wars fan.  My favorite book is a gift I received.  Even though I had the original Star Wars trilogy in paperback my nephew bought me a hard back copy while he was out of town for a medical conference.  For some reason he kind of ambushed George Lucas at a book store and asked him for his autograph, for me.  That is my prize possession. 

I bought my first Star Wars book for a quarter when I was fourteen at a garage sale.  The cover was torn and falling apart but I loved it.  I read it over and over so much I broke the spine and held it together with tape.  That was the first of many Star Wars books to come. 

But I only see three Star Wars books.  I have some comic books in the back but that’s all I have left. 

Have left?  At one time I had almost had every book printed of Star Wars from the time I was fourteen till I was twenty.  Then I started working two jobs and going to school and I did not have the time or money to keep up.  I actually had over thirty books then Tropical Storm Allison hit Houston and I lost most of my books. 

So you had more than what you have now?  Yes.  I only have a third of the books I had as a teenager. 

Okay, so you like books.  Where did you first get started?  My grandmother, my mom’s mom.  She got me started reading.  I remember in elementary the teachers use to order books from a placed called TROLL.  My parents would order a book or two every three months.  Grandma came for a visit and then started sending my mom money so my brother and I could buy books to read, even if it was just comic books.  As long as I was reading that’s all that mattered. 

Is there anyone that you are currently reading now?  Yes.  I read an interview in Writer’s Digest with Laurell K. Hamilton.  Afterwards I just I had to read her Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series.  I am getting ready to start book number three. 

What about all the movies you have?  What can I say; I’m a big movie buff.  Movies are nothing but stories told the old fashion way, with passion that makes people talk, sometimes for years to come. 

Speaking of stories being told, you call yourself a story teller, what do you mean by that?  Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong time period.  In medieval times the common people could not read or write.  History and basic entertainment was passed down by telling stories.  These story tellers kept the attention of any who would listen. 

I firmly believe that the art of being able to tell a story and hold someone’s attention is dying.  True, some writers can write a book that is over five hundred pages and have every little detail present but they can not hold someone’s attention, well at least not mine.  I hear it all the time, people have to force themselves to read through something that is boring just to get to what is said to be the juicy part of the books.  I, myself, am guilty of having to force read through something because I do not want to just give up the book.  My goal and hope is that my readers do not feel that way about my work.

Let’s talk about your writing career.  In your author bio you say you wrote your first poem for a girl.  Tell us about that.  I am a shy person.  I can hear the moans now about how out spoken I am but it’s true, sometimes I am very shy, to the point of blushing.  Her name was Anita and she lived in my neighborhood, on the opposite side of the neighborhood but still within walking distance.  We went to middle school together.  I had the biggest crush on her and when we went to high school we separated.  I went to one magnet school and she went to another. 

At the end of summer before school started I went over to her house and we hung out for the day.  I gave her the poem that I wrote while I was walking to her house and she hugged me and told me that I was sweet but she liked girls.  I was crushed, my young heart was broken, and I wrote another poem.  I hated her for breaking my heart.  Two years later I saw her at the grocery store and we talked.  We stayed friends until our senior year. 

After you wrote those first two poems, is that when you knew you would become a writer?  God no.  To be honest I hated to write.  I wrote poetry to girls because I wanted to be liked and I knew girls liked poetry.  If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach then the way to a woman’s heart is through poetry.  But FATE was not so kind to me.  It never worked.  Sure girls wanted me to write poems for them and guys asked me to write poems for their girlfriends but it never brought love to me.  It was kind of like a double edge sword, I hated to write but it’s what was asked of me. 

So when did you want to become a writer?  Actually I never wanted to be a writer; I wanted to be a pilot.  I had an English teacher my junior year that pushed me to write, in turn making me hate it more.  In class we had to write an essay a week but I had to write three.  With my father being a school teacher himself I was not allowed to challenge a teacher giving extra school work. 

One day after class I pleaded the teacher to stop.  I felt like she had been picking on me all year, giving me extra assignments and then always reading them out loud in class.  She sat me down and told me that I was a writer and I should not fight it.  I told her I wanted to be a pilot and that was my life goal.  She did not want to push so she agreed to stop.  Before she let me go she told me that someday I would embrace my writing.  Something would happen to me and the flood gates would open up and my story would come out.  She was right. 

So you owe your writing career to this teacher?  Yes and no.  I feel I owe my writing career to two people actually.  Mrs. Jones, my English teacher, for planting the seed in my head.  The second is Tyra Banks. 

Tyra Banks the supermodel?  Yes

How do you owe your writing career to Tyra Banks?  Well it’s an interesting story.  Mrs. Jones said something would happen to me and that something was the attacks of 9/11.  I was working at the airport as a ramp rat on the private terminal and remember how hectic that day was.  I started writing a story and it was very rough getting started.  I was starting to get discouraged and was about to stop writing. 

One day I saw a commercial for the upcoming Tyra Banks show.  Tyra was standing in front of her childhood home and telling her story.  At the end of the commercial Tyra said, “That’s my story.  What’s yours?”  Those five words hit me hard.  No one had ever asked ME what my story was.  Granted, Tyra was not talking to me directly but those five words woke something up inside of me and the flood gates opened up inside me.  I found my story and it poured out of me. 

I have some questions from people your fans.  Are you up to answering some fan fair questions?  Sure. I’m up for it.

First question, where do you plan on taking your life over the next ten to twenty years?  That’s really hard for me to answer.  When I was in high school I did not think I would make it to graduation.  When I graduated I did not think I would make it to the year 2000.  Y2K, what a scare.  There is always something that is suppose to end life as we know it so I don’t tend to plan that far in advance. 

What would be nice is if ten years I no longer have to work full time.  Writing can be my full time job and I can make enough money to get a good home and take care of my family. 

You mentioned your full time job.  Security is a big leap from writer, why did you choose security as your profession?  I didn’t choose security as my profession, it chose me.  Right out of high school I joined the AmeriCorps that President Clinton set up.  After one year in the Corps I was given money for college so I started flight school at San Jacinto College and flew out of Ellington Field.  While in flight school I needed a job that was not demanding so I got a job working nights as security.  I was at an apartment complex and was shot at so I quit. 

Four years later I lost my job and no one was really hiring.  I had two choices, flip burgers or go back to security.  I figured if I was going to get shot at then I need to be able to shoot back so I went to school to get my commission.  I became a natural at it.  I worked to pay the bills but soon I was wanted and requested.  I was good at my job or I should say I am good at my job.  Now I have job security, no pun intended. 

Speaking of job security, what do you think of the current political/economic crisis in our country?  I try not to.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand the argument of if you don’t vote you have no right to complain but if I really felt my vote counted then I might vote.  Politics is a topic I don’t get into much because I am very passionate about it and passion has a way of becoming heated.  

We are in a bad fix right now and all I can do is try to take care of my family.  Economics has never been my strong suit but then again, economy has always been a roller coaster that none of us can get off of.  Every roller coaster has its ups and downs so I am along for the ride. 

So will anything change in the way you spend money or vote?  Actually it has.  My spending in a way has increased, not decreased.  We are on this planet for a short time and whatever we gather here we can not take it with us.  I firmly believe that good deeds will be rewarded.  I am trying to do good now while things are bad so when they are good again I know they will stay good. 

As far as voting, I will not be voting this time around either.  I have my reasons and before anyone says anything negative about voting, I know all the arguments.  I have the right not to cast my vote just as others have the right to cast their vote.  Now if Jessie “The Body” Ventura was to run for president that is someone I would actually go out and vote for.  That man has been more level headed and honest then most people I have ever seen running for any office. 

Let’s get back to your writing.  Why do you write?  I write primarily because I am a passionate person.  Writing is a good way to channel that passion.  I have an active imagination and it’s kind of like seeing a mini movie in my mind.  I write down what I see and that is how I get my stories. 

Some of your writing can get pretty dark.  What goes on in your mind when you write about your dark topics?  Does writing about dark topics lighten or darken your mood?  Yes I can get pretty dark.  I even scare myself sometimes.  Growing up I always struggled with depression, not knowing what it was.  Later on in life I found out that depression runs in my family and that demons I had been battling all my life, I was not alone.  Sometimes those demons can come on pretty strong, writing what I’m feeling helps me to deal with it.  I guess you can say the darker I write the lighter my mood gets.  Don’t worry though, the truly dark stuff I keep to myself. 

Okay, writing dark materials makes your mood lighter.  How do you create your characters?  What is your inspiration?  My inspiration can come from anywhere.  A show, a movie, kids playing, the rain, the zoo, nature.  Sometimes I hear a story and try to put my own spin or twist on it.  The one thing that is consistent in my inspiration is passion.  No matter what I do, it is done with passion and conviction. 

As far as creating characters, they create themselves.  I know that may not make sense but like I said before I watch their story unfold and write it down.  People ask me all the time what is going to happen next in the story and the funny thing is, I don’t know. I look at it this way, if I want my stories to sell then my characters need to live and breathe.  They need to be someone others can love or love to hate.  They need to be real and like real people things can change at a whim. 

Do you still have anything from your early high school days?  If you do, what is the earliest you have?  Yes I do.  I still have a lot of my poems from high school.  You can tell they are my early work because they are very raw and rough. 

So you have been writing for a long time now, how do you write?  What are your rituals?  Haha, ritual, that’s good.  I have no rituals say for one, I have to write everything down on paper first.  A notepad and pen go with me everywhere cause you never know when an idea can strike and if I don’t write it down right away I could lose it.  After I have written it down on paper I type it on the computer. 

So what do you do with your drafts after you type them?  I destroy them.  I know a lot of writers keep that stuff around or keep a journal but I honestly do not see the need.  Whatever notes and changes I make they are my own.  The final draft is my gift to my readers.  I want people to talk about my work, not what did not go into it what I was thinking when I wrote it.  To me, that takes away from the story and I don’t want to take that away from my readers. 

Speaking of journals, do you keep one or recommend keeping one for others?  I use to write in a journal for school.  I was forced to write in it.  I have tried writing in one before a bunch of times but I just can not do it.  When I write it has to flow out of me.  If I feel forced then I can not write, I can even develop a block and I hate those.  Everyone has different things that helps them to write and if keeping a journal helps you to write then I encourage that.  Me personally, I can not. 

You mentioned blocks, a writer’s worse nightmare, how often do you get them?  I don’t know, they come and go.  The bad thing is when I get one it can last a few hours or it can last months.  I had a block that lasted eight months. 

So when these blocks end how long does it usually take you to write your short stories or novels?  That question is a very tough one to answer.  I have written a short story, for example, THE PILLOW FIGHT, in ten minutes while HELL’S PLAYGROUND took me over a year to write.  One book took a month to write while another is not complete and it’s been two years since I started it. 

When I have a story idea I write and I write till the story stops speaking to me.  I might get hit all of a sudden by another story and I have to start writing that story till it stops speaking to me.  I have been known to work on three to four stories at once. 

To date, just how many novels do you have completed?  I have a total of ten short novels that I have completed.  I just need to transfer them from paper to computer. 

Ten books on paper?  Aren’t you worried about losing them?  Not really.  I know it sounds bad but I do believe everything happens for a reason.  If these books are meant to be read then they will be, if not then at least I had fun writing them.  Publishing them is important to me but not so important that I have to give up time with my family to get them printed. 

Well you have one book that has been published and another due out around Christmas.  When did you know you were ready to be published?  Honestly I’m not sure that I’m ready to be published even now.  I’m my own worst critic.  Others like my work and that gives me something to look forward to.  I know I have to do my best so that I do not disappoint anyone with my work.

This interview was written on October 17, 2008.

I have a new assignment and while working on it I thought about making it more unique.  I am working on an interview with myself.  I will be asking myself questions I thought I would give my fans a chance to ask me whatever they want.  No subject is off limits.  I will answer any question in one way or another.  So if you have any questions you would like to know, now is the time to ask.  I have to put a deadline on this though; I need these questions by Friday October 17, 2008.

Okay just wondering about the upcoming picnic.  I know we were talking Kema or Discovery Green and most picked Kema.  SInce Kema is not up and running I think we can still have it at Discovery Green.  I think it is just the thing we need after IKE.  Something positive to think about.  Something good in all this negative.  What does everyone think???