Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Blowing Bubbles....

Photo Courtesy of Superior Trips
I don't do as much cold water diving as I used to. I guess I've gotten a bit lazy as I've grown older - it's a lot easier rolling off a boat into 80 degree water than it is 39 degree water and I'm sure that has something to do with it. But I'm in the middle of writing the follow-up to "Wrecked" and there is, of course, some diving going on in this one too. And this time, some of the diving is done in the Great Lakes.
I've made many a dive in Lake Superior and I'm looking back on those dives as inspiration for these scenes. Some of the best diving I've ever done was around Isle Royale out in middle of Lake Superior. And one of my favorite dives is on the wreck of the Emperor. It's a spooky feeling dropping through that green haze and having that big ship open up before your eyes. She's a bit banged up now, but there is still a significant amount to see on her - especially if you poke around in the engine room.
All this reminiscing has got me wondering where my dry suit is and whether Ken's got an empty spot on a spring charter.....

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

This is war

I live in a neighborhood where everyone takes pretty good care of their lawn - and I like to think they think the same of my yard. Yeah, we've got a couple guys with the fancy auto sprinklers and their yards are neon green all summer long. Not me. I'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to watering in particular and lawn care in general. I'm not one of those wacky reel mower guys - I like a nice internal combustion engine - but I kinda like hauling the hoses around the yard. It's therapeutic watching that pulsing sprinkler do its magic dance that I choreographed by adjusting those little silver pins.
But I think I'm up against it this year. I've been invaded by pests! I've got these unsightly yellow spots scattered across the yard - and in particular the front yard for all to see. This simply won't do. The shame of it makes me leave the house before dawn so I don't have to face my neighbors derisive laughs. So, through rigourous investigation - and a quick question to one of the auto sprinkler guys - I've determined that I've got "lawn pests." Off to the lawn and garden store I go and buy a big ass bag of insecticide. I've only got a modest "city lot" so I think I purchased enough to do the whole block. But in this case I figure more is better. One must have reinforcements when one goes into battle, yes? I've got the 101st Airborne in reserve - figurativley speaking. I will win this battle and I will win this war and I will have the respect of my neighbors once again. Just don't let you kids play in my yard for a few months.....

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Dreams of sailboats dance in my head....


Yup. I know it's springtime when I start to dream about getting a sailboat. My current love is the J80 by J Boats. I've been lucky enough to sail a couple and they are fast, maneuverable and stable. A truly fine sailboat. But I've got a basement (oh sorry, "lower level") to finish and furnish so this dream may have to stay a dream for the time being. I hate it when reality gets in the way of my dreams....

Monday, May 7, 2007

So Cruel....


As I've mentioned before, music plays a significant role in my life and my writing. And because my tastes in music run the spectrum from crooners like Tony Bennett to fun loving troubadors like Jimmy Buffett I have a lot of music to draw from for various moods that I might be in - or be writing about.

I'm currently writing the follow-up to my first novel Running Wrecked and I'm finding myself exploring the darker side of human nature. So for musical inspiration, I wandered over to the CD rack and started from the bottom looking for those albums that I haven't listened to in some time. The ones that slowly got rotated to the bottom as the new stuff came in. And there, on the bottom, I came across an all-time favorite that I hadn't listened to in some time - Achtung Baby by the Irish group U2. And on this album is a tune called "So Cruel." The first stanza goes:

We crossed the line
Who pushed who over?
It doesn't matter to you
It matters to me

The song is about a personal relationship gone bad - but it means more to me. It speaks to the cruelty we can inflict on each other without realizing the consequences of our actions. We cross the line everyday - and do we realize it? Who pushed who? Does it matter? It matters to me.


Thursday, May 3, 2007

The first print review....


The other day my publicist showed me my first review of "Wrecked." I was a little nervous when he said he had a review for me - you never know how people are going to react to your work. I've had several people read my writing before - and they've never been shy with their comments - but this was different. Having someone outside your circle commenting on your writing is completely different than the people you know and hand pick to read your work. This is putting it out there.
But this is why writers write. To see the reactions of others when they read the words you put on the page. It's actually a great honor - having someone take their valuable time to read something that you cooked up. You hope you've done a decent enough job not to have completely wasted their time. Because in the end, I'm a story teller. And if I've bored you - if I've not entertained you - then I've done you a great disservice. I have failed you.
So in the end, reviews aren't really about me. They are about the reader. Because as a storyteller, it's the reader I serve.