When Basilone Thompson’s fight manager died suddenly of a drug overdose, it came as a surprise. The Big Bass had never known his manager to indulge in so much as a marijuana cigarette. When a new manager showed up unannounced at his apartment in the Bronx one day, he was grateful, but skeptical. He answered the light knock on the door. The man in the hallway was dressed neatly in a suit and tie, with a … Read more
Hi Folks, Note: This post was originally scheduled for 8/20/2013. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. I’ve revised the original post so it’s up to date. I started to call this “Dueling Respondents” but that wouldn’t have been quite accurate. After all, as far as I know, the two writers who served as the catalyst for this post don’t even know each other. One of those writers, upon reading my “Top … Read more
Pete walked along the ancient perimeter road, heading home at the end of a long day. Ahead on the left, a rocky hillside sloped steeply away from the road. Aside from the shale and lava rock surface, it was strewn with occasional boulders. About two-thirds of the way up, a sandstone ledge traversed the face, angled slightly up toward the far end. A scrub juniper tree balanced in one broad crack in the ledge. Yuccas and … Read more
Hi Folks, Note: This post was originally scheduled for 7/30/2013. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. I’ve revised the original post so it’s up to date. There’s been a great deal of talk in the past few months (when I wrote this) about a “new” technique called “deep point of view.” The truth is, deep POV is nothing new. Most sources define it as a way to enable the reader to … Read more
Well, an episode of Gunsmoke. That’s exactly what it sounded like. And funny thing was, I was watchin’ a Gunsmoke marathon. It was prob’ly the sixth show, maybe the seventh. Just as ol’ Matt took his place in the street and kind’a settled in, a gun went off. I thought it was on the screen at first. You know, ‘cause the other guy in the showdown, the one that’s not in the shot, he always shoots … Read more
Note: This story was originally scheduled to post here way back on May 30. It didn’t. This story also serves as the first chapter of The Right Cut, the 10th and final novel in the Wes Crowley series of novels. Enjoy! Western Z Crowley gripped the sides of the podium so hard his knuckles turned white. In his left hand, between his fingers and that side of the podium, he clenched the brim of his hat. … Read more
Hi Folks, More and more often recently, I’m being asked about ghostwriters. Why to hire one, and why not to hire one. So I put together this handy list for you. When folks ask me why I recommend hiring a ghostwriter, my first answer is always this: First and foremost, a professional ghostwriter is a professional writer. When we want something done right, we employ someone who’s already mastered the learning curve. Hiring a professional always … Read more
When the shot went off and the red brick next to his head sang a whiny song of ricochet, Dexter Mancuso ran out of his sandals. At a dead run, he rounded the corner of a long, dark alley. Had his pursuer seen? Not quite halfway into the alley but certain the guy was about to come around the corner, he grabbed the rusted edge of a dumpster and vaulted himself into it. His left knee … Read more