I'll Be Back

But it might be a while.

I've decided to take an extended sabbatical from the internet to do a crazy little thing called writing a book. I'll still be checking my email on a regular basis, of course, so don't hesitate to drop me a line.

To all who have taken the time to comment here: Thank you. I appreciate your support and help and kind words.

Peace.

Nothing New Under The Sun

My mystery, the one that got me an agent, is currently on submission to several New York publishing houses. Yays or nays are forthcoming, probably around the first of July.

So what's a writer to do while waiting?

The advice I've gotten--and I think it's sound--is to start working on something new. I don't want to start a second book in the mystery series, because if book #1 doesn't sell there won't be a book #2 in that series.

So I'm brainstorming.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a friend at my "day" job. She's a big Survivor fan (the only remaining one, I think), and I said, "They should make a show where they play for real. "

She said, "Ooh! Yeah. You should write a book about that."

So I wrote up a brief synopsis:


Twelve select death row inmates. A tiny remote land mass. Dozens of cameras mounted on electrically-charged towers.

The last man living wins.

In 2019, reality TV is back. This time they’re playing for keeps.

Broadcasted live, 24/7, Survival Island is a big hit. Ratings are through the roof.

Then one day the channel goes black.

A law enforcement crew, sent to investigate, discovers that the finalists--two of the most notorious serial killers in history--have somehow escaped.

Bodies of identical twins start showing up in north Florida, with the contestants’ unmistakable signatures. Have the killers joined forces? Have they, in essence, become one maniacal bloodthirsty mind?

The hunt is on--with a five million dollar reward--but Dr. Michael Caldwell isn’t in it for the money.

His daughters are missing.


I showed it to a writer friend, and he sent me this link.

I'd never heard of the movie, and it amazed me that someone had stolen my idea. :)

It just goes to show, with so many creative minds in the universe, it's not unusual for two or more people to come up with the same premise.

Long before The Da Vinci Code became a publishing phenomenon, an author named Lewis Perdue wrote this. Dan Brown claims he never heard of Perdue or his work, and I believe him. At any rate, Brown and his publisher beat the plagiarism charges in court.

That's the thing. You can't really copyright an idea. If I wanted to go ahead and write Survival Island, I could. But what would be the point?

I have another thriller idea, but I'm keeping it to myself for now. I think it's pretty original, but who knows? Another author or screenwriter might be working on the same thing. Or, maybe it has already been written and just not become well-known, Like Lewis Perdue's book.

I need to hurry up and write it before the movie comes out. :)

Acquainted With The Night

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
O luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

--Robert Frost


I’ve been having trouble sleeping at night. I guess you could call it insomnia, except I sleep fine in the daytime. I have become truly nocturnal, due to my work schedule and some other things going on. I don’t mind it, other than I’m out of sync with the rest of the world.

Perhaps it has something to do with the bite marks near my jugular. ;)

Actually, darkness intrigues me, literally and metaphorically.

I love bats, shrieking through the air, navigating by sonar. Owls with their watchful saucer eyes. Foxes slinking stealthily about. Wolves howling, their blood stirred by forces unknown.

What is it about the night, the darkness, that fascinates and frightens? Is it the unknown? The possibility that something unseen is waiting for a chance to get us?

The night is full of creepy things: Devils. Bad guys. Strange creatures. Monsters in the closet…

But it’s also full of nice things: Romance. The moon and stars. Quiet coolness. The Max Weinberg Seven…

How about you? Have you ever been acquainted with the night? Can you embrace it?