RAZORED ZEN

Travis Erwin is right in what he says about vegetables. They are the devil's food. I decided to cut back on fattening snacks and repla...

In the early 1990s I found some 25 books in the “Edge” series of westerns at a used book sale. They cost a little over a buck all together ...

How much sex do you need? In your reading? I just finished reading book 279 in The Trailsman series, which is an example of an “Adult Weste...

Growing up, I read everything I could get my hands on by Jim Kjelgaard (pronounced Kyell’-gard). I’ve already reviewed his Desert Dog here...

Many of you know that I’m a big fan of Robert E. Howard, who is best known for creating the character of Conan the Cimmerian. Seeing as how...

Work has been kicking my butt this week, and that'll probably continue through next week. Then we'll have a little break for Mardi ...

I love when writers talk about their influences. I find it endlessly fascinating and have done it myself. Some of my major influences woul...

David McMahon did his Sunday Roast interview with me this week. I appreciate David taking the time to run it. I enjoyed answering his ques...

First, I forgot to mention this earlier in the week. One of my Halloween Horror flash stories has been published in slightly altered form o...

A month or so back, as I was going into Borders one Monday evening, a woman approached me with: “Sir. I wonder if you could help me? I ha...

High Noon. Or thereabouts. The stage arrives from Abita Springs, the horses lathered from a hard run. Josh Gramlich is driving; Arkansas ...

I’ve never wanted to be an actor. Except… I’ve always secretly harbored a desire to appear in a western movie, preferably as a gunfighter....

Thanks to everyone who has managed to stay with me through this series, and who have thrown in their two cents. I do think my points have b...

I’ve had folks tell me over the years that they write just for themselves. Some of these individuals have even been in writing groups with ...

Last post, I argued that some writers strive to impress the critics. Other writers write primarily to impress their peers. In practice, I ...

This is the first of a short series of posts concerning the question “Who are You Trying to Impress,” which I’m addressing primarily to writ...

Well, some very good stuff is happening around the web for me today. And I just have to share. Sidney Williams , one of my longest running ...

A week or so ago I posted about Donald Wollheim’s wonderful juvenile SF novel called The Secret of the Martian Moons (Moons), a favorite of...

I’m teaching three classes this semester, Learning, Historical and Applied Perspectives, and Writing in Psychology. I developed that last c...

Here's a reminder that the always exciting Book Roast Team: Blogless Troll, Christine Eldin, Dee, Diesel, Jason Evans, Sarah Laurenson,...