I've estimated that I'll cross the writing finish line for Bloodlust in about a month, or near the end of September. The largest binder clip no longer holds the document together, so now I'm using a rubber band to keep it intact. The book will be more than 400 pages long, so the editing process might take a few weeks as well.

By "editing," I mean reading through the entire book several times before I even send it to my publisher. This includes making a print copy so I can scrutinize it page by page and mark any changes. Then my editor at Club Lighthouse Publishing (Palvi Sharma) will go though the entire book and probably offer even more suggested edits.

To that end, I've pre-armed myself with the typical "tools"  that I use during the editing process: sticky notes, highlighters, pens and more pens (can never have enough of those!), and extra notebooks in case a major re-write is needed (hopefully not) or if new scenes need to be added.

God give me strength, and wish me luck!

As the seemingly endless lockdown continues through the unbearable heat of summer, I've devised other ways to keep myself occupied on the rare occasion when I'm not writing.

I've caught-up on several of my old favorite television programs for free on Tubi, including Dark Shadows, Robin of Sherwood and The Dead Zone.

In addition, a family of ducks began visiting us more than a month ago. The mother is an albino with six ducklings, all of them ravenous at any given time. They love bread, of course, but we're trying to feed them healthier fare, such as kibble and dried corn. But they do love their bread! They usually come by at least three times daily, once in the morning, the late afternoon and early evening, coming out of the canal for their tasty snacks.

Reading is an ongoing activity for me, and always has been. My current stack contains The Tudors by G.J. Meyer, The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (#5 in the Outlander series), and Say Nothing (A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland) by Patrick Radden Keefe. I never leave a bookstore empty-handed, and I'm especially partial to collecting different bookmarks.

Jerry has a habit of rearranging my stuffed animals into a variety of positions, providing a display - usually the current even more bizarre than the last - every time I walk into the computer room. Once, I came upon the stuffed animals playing cards, another time they were surrounding an empty bottle of whisky. Other occurrences included the group watching the iPad, draped over the TV in the bedroom, perched on my computer before I start my day, wearing face masks, riding in the back seat of the truck, or staring at the camera wearing sunglasses. Click on images to view larger size in a new window.

Jerry makes me laugh, each and every day.

And, depending on her mood, Hissy might keep me company during the day, sleeping atop Kiki's favorite blanket. I once found her on the couch with a bottle of whisky and a pack of cigarettes.

Summer is my least favorite time of the year. I'm so longing for the coolness of autumn, and the changes of color during the season.

I should be finished with Bloodlust by then, too. ;)

Tags: Photos & Other Images

Guess what I pack first for a camping trip? My "book bag." It includes pens, paper clips, sticky notes, spiral notebooks, printed material from the current book I'm writing (Bloodlust), research notes, my iPad and the current book I'm reading (not writing). We recently invested in a laptop, so it comes along for the ride as well.

A few weeks ago, we went on another camping trip, this time spending five days at Wolf Creek Pass in the Uinta Mountains. We found the perfect spot to camp, just off the road and down a slight incline. It had its own fire pit and plenty of trees to provide shade. However, because of the season, we were inundated with dust and flies. Jerry put up a flytrap, which filled up rather quickly. We also had a stampede of sheep run through our camp, which I managed to get on film.

We usually spent mornings riding the ATVs through different trails, but I tried to reserve every afternoon for writing.

I'm making steady progress on Bloodlust, thankfully. I'm onto my second notebook of handwritten notes, the first being filled during the camping trip. The storyline is moving along fairly smoothly, just a few bumps here and there, but I'm happy with it for the most part. One of my aims is to make sure it transitions easily into the third and final book of the trilogy, Blood & Soul. So far, I'm succeeding.

I'm still shooting for an autumn completion date for Bloodlust, with editing to begin right after that.

Wish me luck. ;)

Odd as it might sound, a lot of research goes into writing certain fiction novels in order to give locations and events precise, non-fictional aspects. At least, that's how it works in my case. As I'm writing, I tend to mix in doses of reality here and there, which can often include genuine people, accurate street names in real cities (sometimes with calculated distances), and bona fide public establishments (local restaurants specifically, historical landmarks or shops).

For example, the two main characters in Bloodlust (Kate Grady and Kirk Lester), travel to Great Britain for an extended stay before returning to their native Boston. To be exact, they reside in Chester, England for a period of time. Since I've never been to Chester, nor do I have the wherewithal to hop on a plane to go and see it for myself, I rely on travel publications, friends who have been to the city, and internet resources, to give me a general feel for the place.

For story purposes, I've been focusing on the area known as The Rows in Chester. The characters live and work there, so I wanted to provide a sense of authenticity to the scenes involved. That's not to say there is a boatload of information about Chester in the storyline, yet there is just enough to give the place definition and to hopefully provide a genuine visual of the location. Little details that seem inconsequential, such as room ambience or style, are actually crafted on purpose, and well in advance.

The characters Kate and Kirk reside in a cottage on The Rows, staying with Kirk's great-aunt for a spell. I looked at photographs of cottages and businesses in the area, scrutinizing street maps so when Kate takes a casual walk, it seems as if the reader is actually there. At least, that is my aim when combining fiction writing with existing locations.

It strikes me as somewhat comical to present a fictional story while paying close attention to little doses of reality. If it's pure fiction, why not go all the way with the fantasy? However, I've always written with an eye to the tangible and don't know if I could do it any other way.

Research can often send me veering off course for a few days when I'm in the middle of writing. I recently purchased a UK travel guide, and also did hours of perusal about Chester online. This includes images. I'm always inspired by visuals, which give me the wherewithal to paint a picture in words of a particular setting, event or person.

As Bloodlust progresses, I've decided to assign various parts to the storyline as I go forward. The following is the current layout (which can be subject to change):