_ Those who know me, know I like to bend an arm with friends. Nothing like finding a nice pub, buying the first round, tellin’ a few lies and havin’ a few laughs. Hey, I used to be a heavy metal guitarist, that’s what we did for a living (I really think the music took 2nd place). 

Well, now, in the words of my loving wife, I’m a friggin’ author, so I really look forward to getting together with writer/friends of mine, but let me tell you … the conversations we have border on ones lunatics would have with each other, who’ve escaped from the local nut house. 

Pour a few pints into each and here’s a sample of my last meet-up with three other authors – one writes vampire/zombie novels; one writes erotica; and one writes fantasy. I made the mistake of asking them for help with a sub-plot …


For sake of anonymity, I’ll call them “Vamp" (vampire/zombie), "Eros" (erotica), and "Fanny" (fantasy):

Me: <sigh> “I screwed up … one of my characters is in Europe at the end of chapter 10 and I need him to be in the U.S. an hour later, in chapter 11.”

Fanny: “That’s easy … he could sprout wings and fly there.”

Eros: “Sprout … I like that. How about … out-jut or stimulate to full length?”

Vamp: “Why not kill him in Europe? Or even better, have him kill someone?”

Me: “Wha—“

Fanny: “You don’t ‘out-jut’ wings, they sprout, trust me, I know about such things. I’m just not sure he could fly from Europe to the U.S. in an hour with just wings sprouting from his back … wait, I got it … time needs to stop too!”

Eros: “You’re the expert, huh? Then what else can you do with wings ... stroke ... caress ... pinch?"

Vamp: “Let me rethink this … if he kills someone, he still needs to get to the U.S. in an hour. <tapping her chin> yeah … probably better to kill him, then you can take your time flying his body home.
"

Eros: "Wibble ... bounce ... spank ...?"

Me: “Wait a second, the character is a former delta forces officer and my novel has to be as … realistic as possible—”

Fanny: “That’s why I think stopping time is a better idea – at least that’s possible.”

Me: “Huh?”

Eros: “Do you know it’s a proven fact that at the height of sexual satisfaction, time really does stop!”

Vamp: “Time also stops when you’re dead!”

Me: “LADIES!” <Exhaling audibly> “Hasn’t any of you even read my novels?”

Fanny: “We have g … just my opinion … you lost me with all that r-e-a-l-i-t-y—”

Eros: “Yeah, and no one so much as undressed … I mean totally—”

Vamp: “And all your dead people stayed dead … b-o-r-i-n-g!”

Me: “Bartender … <sigh> another round for my friends.”


I finally did finish that novel … it’s titled, _Signs of War_ and I’d really appreciate it if you’d check it out and if you feel the urge … buy a copy … at least, so I can continue to afford buying rounds for my friends.  c”,)

Peace all! (I really would appreciate it if you checked _Signs of War_ out. You can, here at Amazon, where it’s available in Kindle and paper editions. Barnes & Noble and Smashwords too for other eBook formats!)


p.s. Please hit the "Tweet' and 'Like' buttons below this and help me spread the word about _Signs of War_ ... Thanks! g
 
 
The will to go on … when calamity comes upon us, where do we find it?

When we think of the term, many think of warriors engaged in battle or we often hear it applied to athletes competing against one another. Yet, there are times in all of our lives where we each have to find the will to go on …

You’re diagnosed with a terminal illness.

A loved one dies or becomes very ill, your dad or mom, or husband or wife … or the worst of all, your child.

You lose your job with little hope of finding another one soon. The bills quickly pile up. Your phone never stops ringing from bill collectors and law offices. You can feel the stress building inside of you.

You lose your house. The shame from it affects your marriage and your relationships with family and friends.

People lose confidence in you. You lose confidence in yourself.

Some decisions you make inevitably affect the course of your life and the lives of others. As humans, we know we can’t go back and change the decisions that turned out badly. All we can do is go on from here, but finding the will to do so can be the greatest challenge.

In my new novel, Signs of War, Cris De Niro starts out wondering if he should continue to go on with his mandate to protect American citizens. In Book I, The Watchman of Ephraim, after losing his wife and unborn son in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11 - from an epiphany of faith, De Niro decides to focus all of his energies into protecting Americans from enemies domestic and abroad. He and his team are successful and his cause seemed righteous and honorable, until he lost men in his employ, one in the line of duty, another sacrificing himself to save the city of Las Vegas.

Now he must make a decision, but first he must find the will to go on.

We each have our reasons for being. Mine is my Faith, my family, and my friends. I’d be willing to sacrifice my own life for all three, but would I be willing to sacrifice the lives of others?

De Niro is convinced that he must go on with his mission and with the mandate of The Watchman Agency, if the deaths of his men are to have any purpose.

De Niro discovers something that I believe is a universal truth. Sometimes our will to go on has less to do with ourselves and more to do with our love for others.

I’d like you to take a free look at my new novel, Signs of War. Here’s the link, I hope you’ll pick up a copy: Signs of War. I dedicated the book to Seal Team Six, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)