Origins, Part II

Continuing the history of how my books and stories came about…

My thoughts centered on a private investigator for my main character. I thought of using the Sam P. Peterson character from years before, but I’d attended a lot of tournaments and camps and classes and saw all of these talented and beautiful women in the sport of taekwondo and I knew I had to have a woman as the protagonist. The name Mallory Petersen, again, came easily to mind. I changed the spelling of the surname to match the last name of a guy I worked with in Illinois.

Mallory was a Fourth Degree Black Belt who lived in Pleasant Hill, owned a martial arts school on the south side of Des Moines (I can show you the strip mall where her office is-at least until the next book), and had a private investigator’s office in downtown Des Moines along Locust Avenue. The actual building where I put her office is no more. I think it was renovated to be another business. I can still picture the outside. I put her on the second floor with an art gallery run by an elderly Jewish man on the first. The office manager/secretary/friend was an enigmatic man a few years younger than Mallory’s 29.

I created a character outline listing all of her likes and dislikes, many of them based on mine. Doesn’t drink coffee but enjoys Dr Pepper. She’s blonde, blue-eyed, 6’, gorgeous. Basically, she’s me except better looking and a better martial artist.

So, I wrote a story where she finds the body of her murdered boyfriend and discovers his secrets. I wanted the book to be the first in a series with a hook title. You know, like Grafton did with hers. A is for…, B is for…. I thought I stick with the Greek alphabet, so the first one was called Alpha. I figured I could include alpha references throughout. Ditto with the other titles.

I wanted Mallory to be quirky, with the main case being serious, but having her take on goofy cases. Following cheating spouses and boyfriends/girlfriends with those being unique in their crazy situations.

In the original Alpha, I had her well-known by many of the nation’s other fictional investigators and they all meet at the end for her birthday.

With the story complete, I didn’t know what to do with it. I was going along well with my martial arts, gained my second and third degrees. By the end of the century the club in Grinnell was about to begin its downhill slide to closing because the landlord neglected to inform me he had rented out the spacious third floor to a bunch of college kids…as a residence. I was able to have the second floor, about half the size, but still functional…until the landlord neglected to tell me that he had rented most of the floor to a plumbing and heating company. I didn’t know anything was going on until I walked in and saw doors installed in the walls. I was reduced again to a space where five people would have been cramped, let alone previous numbers. By then, too, many students had quit, and I closed the club sometime in 2003 or ‘04. By then I was already running the Osky club.

Anyway, let me back up. In 2000, or ’01 a Des Moines author visited the Oskaloosa library promoting his recently published book. After the event, I introduced myself and after we talked for a bit he mentioned a writers’ critique group at the Barnes and Noble in West Des Moines that met every Tuesday.

I was about to begin the next phase of my writing journey.

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Origins, Part I

I’ve thought about where I want to go with this blog and I’m still arranging things. However, I enjoyed the idea of delving into the characters in my stories because I think doing that might give a little insight to my thinking. It probably will also give me a chance to share some personal experiences.

Before I go into the individual characters, I thought I’d give a history of how the two books, Alpha and Beta came about. I also want to give a history of how my short stories came to be included in the Iowa Original Writers Anthology, Death of the Demon Machine, The Light Won’t Go Out, and Chills Down Your Spine anthologies Except for the last anthology, each of the others have short stories featuring Mallory Petersen, the protagonist in both Alpha and Beta. Also, upcoming books

I’d like to start at the beginning, appropriately, with Alpha. Actually, this story begins long before I started writing it in the mid 90s. It goes back to before I was in martial arts. It starts with my love of reading mysteries. Hardy Boys, Ellery Queen, Rex Stout, etc. I have been an avid reader since I was a child. I loved going to the bookstore and seeing if anything new from favorite authors or series was on the shelves. Somewhere along the line, I thought I could write some of these stories. I could create a character, provide some clues, and write a short story mystery.

The name of the character was Sam P. Peterson. I’ve always liked the name Sam and the name seemed to flow. He was a cop in the East Moline Police Department and worked out of the Blue Building. The actual building is along 23^rd Avenue, but it’s gray and it’s not the East Moline PD, but creative licensing, right?

I wrote off and on for a while, a few short stories, even a poem or two (I know, so don’t gasp. I don’t write poetry and I’ll keep saying it). I started what I planned to be a series of fantasy or paranormal stories using my high school classmates. I completed the first and had started on the second and then it petered out.

I wrote comic book stories but a friend of mine never was able to complete the illustrations. I thought about putting those comics stories into book form, but it never came about.

When I moved to Oskaloosa, in 1990, I worked as a radio salesman for a couple years but didn’t like the job. I moved onto motel work, graphic design, and back to motel work.

One summer in 1991, I was walking on one side of the square and I saw a sign advertising two weeks free martial arts classes. I’d been a bit interested in martial arts, so I checked it out. Two weeks later, after the free period was over, I joined. I earned my next belt, Orange, in September of that year. I went on to earn my black belt, help open a club in New Sharon and later Grinnell and since 2003 have owned the Oskaloosa club.

I think it was about 1995 when the writing bug hit me hard. The story idea I conceived is the next chapter and can be read next week.

Directions

At the end of another month and almost to the end of another year.

I’ve had a blog for many years. I started it because my first publisher recommended I start one. I didn’t know what to do with it. What topics do I discuss? I thought about posting writing related tips, but realized there was a plethora of those, and as one of my critique group’s moderator has said, there’s nothing new in that field, only different ways of presenting it. I could discuss characters, outlines, editing, etc., but look over the blogs out there and you’ll find almost endless writing craft posts.

I thought of having fun and writing restaurant reviews using some of my characters and that lasted a while but became tedious and I ran into more eateries I didn’t care for than those I’d patronize. In addition, the creating of a ‘fictional’ story with an actual place became difficult.

I’ve gone through several series of similar posts, including Chapters, where I take actual humorous complaints and relate them to my personal writing. That was fun for a time, but again coming up with the varying topics became a chore.

I’ve done fitness posts and student essay posts. I may still do the essays from time to time because they’re easy. Recently I started listing the books I have by various authors and those are okay, but looking back on them, I guess it’s not all that fun.

My U & I posts are interesting and when more Uber experiences arise, I may write more. I enjoy those because they spark creativity and may spark a scene in one of my books.

So, the question is, what topics do I write about? With the post from 11/2, I went in another direction, only because it affected me so deeply and this blog, in part, has become an extension of my personal journal I started back in college. I have felt like exploring that area, becoming more personal. I will consider it because while, at first, it may not seem related to my writing, it does tend to affect it. My main character since the middle 90s has been a 6’, beautiful blonde named Mallory Petersen. Throughout the years, I have seen and met many real life versions of Mallory, at least they were in appearance. With the woman about whom I wrote about at the beginning of the month, while she isn’t the woman I see when I think of Mallory, she still influences how I write about Mallory. The romantic prose. So, I might consider doing a few posts in that direction, maybe how past relationships and non-relationships have influenced how I write.

I’ve thought about writing about my characters, giving an in depth look at them. A character profile, some background information, tidbits on the different people in the stories. There are many from which I could choose: Mallory, Harry Reznik, Darren, Gunther, Tamara Witmer, Lori Campisi. While many may not be familiar with Campisi, she was in the first of a series of paranormal stories. She partnered with Reznik. Night Shadows was the title and it was published as an eBook by my first publisher. It is no longer available, but I hope to release it again soon along with its sequel, Night of Wine and Ghosts. For those of you who were lucky enough to purchase Night Shadows before the publisher closed, you know Campisi an character worth exploring.

Years ago, I attended a seminar at the Killer Nashville conference on branding. I had heard about branding for years, but this seminar helped me to understand it. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ve found my niche in my blogging. I sample different areas and see if they’re interesting and work, but I haven’t chosen a well-defined path.

I’ll think on it. Let me ask you, my readers, what you would like to learn about. Characters? Writing craft? More personal experiences?

I’ve gone many directions in the years with my employment: from radio to motel to graphic design. I’ve enjoyed the martial arts journey, which spurred my writing and brought me new experiences. I’ve lived most of my life in either Illinois or Iowa but have ventured out to places like South Dakota for a summer, and have travelled from Washington, D.C. to Florida, west to Colorado and south to Mexico.

So, let me know what you think. I’ll do some thinking, too, and jot down some possibilities, maybe an outline of a plan, a narrower path to, but one with expanding opportunities.

I hope it’ll be fun.

Black Belt Journey

I’d like to take a few paragraphs to discuss my journey in martial arts because another step upward has been taken.

I started taekwondo back in ’91 on a whim after seeing the local club had two weeks of free classes. I joined and never looked back or regretted it. I’ve met so many wonderful people and it spurred a series of books either published or one day to be published.

I trained hard for almost two years to reach the rank of First Degree Black Belt. I joined the instructor program and after more time, became certified. In ’96, I took over the New Sharon club and moved it to Grinnell. In ’03, took over the Oskaloosa club and because of circumstances beyond my control, had to close the Grinnell branch. By then I was a Fourth Degree Black Belt.

I tested for 5th back in ’06. I was eligible, timewise, to test for 6th back in ’11, but other circumstances interfered, and it took me a while to pass the three required midterm testings. I had passed one, but couldn’t get the other two done. I had a chance to have an alternative midterm passed in two instances but didn’t have the funds.

A couple years ago, I passed the second midterm at a regional camp. This previous July, I decided I wanted to get that last one done. Unfortunately, I missed it by one point.

I thought, because of some changes in testing requirements, I’d have to wait until February. To get the last one done. But, a week before a tournament in Sioux Falls, which included a testing, I learned the new rules were temporarily suspended so I tested. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the testing. I thought the form went okay, sparring was mostly fine, but I hurried on the board breaking and ended up missing two of them. I broke on the second attempt. I pushed hard through the after testing fitness test and hoped for the best.

I didn’t learn the result of that effort until six days later…on my birthday. My instructor messaged me with a happy birthday wish and the fact I’d passed.

What does this mean? Well, I can now train even more to get ready to test for the rank of 6th Degree Black Belt next July in Little Rock. That’s been the goal for a while and I’m one step closer.

I remember when I started one of the questions every instructor asked was, “Who wants to be a black belt?” Everybody would answer, “I do.” I did, but that wasn’t the answer I wanted to give. From the start, I always wanted to be whatever came next. If I was a blue belt, then I wanted to be the next rank which was brown belt. Only when I earned Recommended Black Belt did I want that full First Degree.

So, when I reached 5th, I wanted to be 6th…

…and I’m one step closer.

Authors: Doctor Who, Part IV

The last section of Doctor Who titles I have:

Transmissions, R. Salter

Frayed, T. Samms

The Suns Of Caresh, P. Saint

Destination Prague, S. Savile

Spore, A. Scarrow

Feast Of The Stone, C. Scott & M. Wright

The Ghosts Of Christmas, C. Scott

Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Collection Doctor 02-The Nameless City, M. Scott

Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Collection Doctor 03-The Spear Of Destiny, M. Sedgwick

Attack Of The Cybermen – No. 138, E. Seward

Slipback, E. Seward

The Twin Dilemma – No. 103, E. Seward

Heritage, D. Smith

The Many Hands, D. Smith

Blue Moon, O. Smith

Nuclear Time, O. Smith

The Runaway Train, O. Smith

Decalog 1, Edited by M. Stammers & S. J. Walker

Who Killed Kennedy, J. Stevens & D. Bishop

Burning Heart, D. Stone

Citadel Of Dreams, D. Stone

Death And Diplomacy, D. Stone

Heart Of Tardis, D. Stone

Ship Of Fools, D. Stone

Sky Pirates, D. Stone

The Slow Empire, D. Stone

Doctor Who And The Zarbi, B. Strutton

Peacemaker, J. Swallow

Byzantium!, K. Topping

The Devil Goblins From Neptune, K. Topping

Ghost Ship, K. Topping

The Hollow Men, K. Topping

The King Of Terror, K. Topping

The Art Of War, M. Tucker

Companion Piece, M. Tucker & R. Perry

Illegal Alien, M. Tucker & R. Perry

Loving The Alien, M. Tucker & R. Perry

The Nightmare Of Black Island, M. Tucker

Prime Time, M. Tucker

Snowglobe 7, M. Tucker

Storm Harvest, M. Tucker & R. Perry

Fear Itself, N. Wallace

Dominion, N. Walters

The Fall Of Yquatine, N. Walters

Reckless Engineering, N. Walters

Superior Beings, N. Walters
The Nightmare Fair (2), G. Williams

Space In Dimension Relative And Time, R. Williams
Paradise Towers – No. 134, S. Wyatt
The Dalek Invasion Of Earth – No. 17/The Crusaders –
No. 12

The Face Of Evil – No. 25/The Sunmakers – No. 60

The Seeds Of Doom – No. 53/The Deadly Assassin – No.
19

The Doctors – 30 Years Of Time Travel

Doctor Who The Guide 2008 Edition, Anonymous

Travel Without The Tardis, J. Airey & L. Halderman

The Early Years, J. Bentham

Journey Through Time, Crescent

The Making Of Doctor Who, T. Dicks & M. Hulke

Monster Book, T. Dicks

25 Glorious Years, P. Haining
A Celebration, P. Haining

The Doctor Who File, P. Haining

The Key To Time, P. Haining

The Time Traveller’s Guide, P. Haining

Technical Manual, M. Harris

Doctor Who Handbook 1-6, J. Howe, M. Stammers, S. J. Walker
Doctor Who The Sixties, D. J. Howe, M. Stammers, S. J. Walker
Doctor Who And Philosophy-Bigger On The Inside, Edited by C. Lewis & P. Smithka

Programme Guide Volume I The Programmes, J. Loffilier
Programme Guide Volume 2 What’s What And Who’s Who, J. Loffilier

Illustrated A-Z, L. Standring

The Companion, J. N. Turner
The Tardis Inside-Out, J. R. Turner

Authors: Doctor Who, Part III

More Doctor Who titles I have:

Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Collection Doctor 05-Tip Of TheTongue, P. Ness

Time And Relative, K. Newman

The Cabinet Of Light, D. O’Mahoney

Falls The Shadow, D. O’Mahoney

The Man In The Velvet Mask, D. O’Mahoney

The Advent Of Fear, M. B. Oliver

Attack Of The Snowmen, M. B. Oliver

The Night After Halloween, M. B. Oliver

Snowfall, G. Collinson & M. B. Oliver

Blue Box, K. Orman

The Left-Handed Hummingbird, K. Orman

Return Of The Living Dad, K. Orman

The Room With No Doors, K. Orman

Set Piece, K. Orman

Sleepy, K. Orman

The Year Of Intelligent Tigers, K. Orman

Cold Fusion, L. Parkin

Dying Day (from online), L. Parkin

The Eyeless, L. Parkin

Father Time, L. Parkin

The Gallifrey Chronicles, L. Parkin

The Infinity Doctors, L. Parkin

Just War, L. Parkin

Trading Futures, L. Parkin

The Chase – No. 140, J. Peel

Evil Of The Daleks, J. Peel

Evolution, J. Peel

Legacy Of The Daleks, J. Peel

Mission To The Unknown – No. 141, J. Peel

The Mutation Of Time – No. 142, J. Peel

Timewyrm: Genesys, J. Peel

War Of The Daleks, J. Peel

The Pescatons – No. 153, V. Pemberton (2)

Fury From The Deep – No. 110, V. Pemberton

Pit, N. Penswick

Matrix, R. Perry & M. Tucker

Battlefield – No. 152, M. Platt

Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible, M. Platt

Downtime, M. Platt

Lungbarrow (from online), M. Platt

Companions, J. Rayner

Earthworld, J. Rayner

The Last Dodo, J. Rayner

Magic In The Angels, J. Rayner

The Muses, J. Rayner

The Pictures Of Emptiness, J. Rayner

The Sontaran Games, J. Rayner

The Stone Rose, J. Rayner

A Universe Of Terrors, J. Rayner

Winner Takes All, J. Rayner

Wolfsbane, J. Rayner

Zodiac, J. Rayner

Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Collection Doctor 06-Something Borrowed, M. Read

Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Collection Doctor 04-The Roots Of Evil, P. Reeves

The Angel’s Kiss, J. Richards

Apollo 23, J. Richards

The Burning, J. Richards

Clockwise Man, J. Richards

Code Of The Krillitanes, J. Richards

Demontage, J. Richards

The Deviant Strain, J. Richards

The Depths Of Despair, J. Richards

Dragon’s Wrath, J. Richards

Dreams Of Empire, J. Richards

The Dust Of Ages, J. Richards

End Of Time, J. Richards

Grave Matter, J. Richards

Martha In The Mirror, J. Richards

Millennium Shock, J. Richards

Option Lock, J. Richards

Plague Of The Cybermen, J. Richards

The Planet Of Oblivion, J. Richards

The Resurrection Casket, J. Richards

The Sands Of Time (online), J. Richards

Shadow In The Glass, J. Richards

Sometime Never, J. Richards

System Shock J. Richards

Theatre Of War, J. Richards

Time Zero, J. Richards
Doctor Who And The Well-Mannered War (from online), G. Roberts

The English Way Of Death, G. Roberts

The Highest Science, G. Roberts

I Am A Dalek, G. Roberts

Only Human, G. Roberts

The Plotters, G. Roberts

The Romance Of Crime, G. Roberts

Tragedy Day, G. Roberts

Zamper, G. Roberts

Birthright, N. Robinson

The Edge Of Destruction – No. 132, N. Robinson

Timewyrm 3: Apocalypse, N. Robinson

The Underwater Menace – No. 129, N. Robinson

The Nemonite Invasion, D. Roden

Algebra Of Ice, L. Rose

Camera Obscura, L. Rose

The City Of The Dead, L. Rose

Beautiful Chaos, G. Russell

Business Unusual, G. Russell

Divided Loyalties, G. Russell

Doctor Who And The Scales Of Injustice (from online), G. Russell

The Glamour Chase, G. Russell

Instrument Of Darkness, G. Russell

Invasion Of the Cat People, G. Russell

Legacy, G. Russell

Peladon 3: Legacy, G. Russell

The Placebo Effect, G. Russell

Repercussiona, G. Russell

The Solar System, G. Russell

Spiral Catch, G. Russell

To: A.M.

This was written on October 28.

I’m sad today.

Not long after I started with Gannett over a bit over three years ago, I saw this stunning amazingly beautiful tall blonde. For weeks, I’d see her in the cafe or in the hall. I didn’t know who she was or what position she held. I do know I was instantly smitten.  I couldn’t look at her for more than half a second, otherwise I’d end up staring, and you know, that wouldn’t be appropriate. I couldn’t talk to her without becoming tongue-tied. Even when we discussed business it was difficult. Of course, with my being the biggest chicken when it comes to women, I knew I’d never be able to psyche myself up to approach her to offer a dinner invitation.

We worked together, briefly, on a project that never concluded, in part, because she left the company that next September. I was sad then, because I thought I’d never see her again.

Later, I discovered she had found other employment and was staying around Des Moines. Didn’t matter, our paths didn’t cross. I’d check her Facebook page once in a while, but she rarely posted. Updates were on her LinkedIn profile. No, I wasn’t stalking her, I just checked in every now and then to see the latest.

A couple of years have passed since she left Gannett. On a whim, I checked both social media outlets today and discovered a post back in August that she was helping her landlord by advertising her apartment. She had found a position in Oregon and started back in September.

So, she’s truly gone.

I don’t know why I’m so sad. I knew her and worked with her less than a year, saw her rarely, and talked to her fewer times than that. After she no longer worked for Gannett, I thought maybe, one day, I’d see her at a restaurant or at the mall, or give her an Uber ride. And you know what they say about absence makes the heart grow fonder? Well, I’m an emotional individual and an incurable romantic, and I’ve thought about her a lot in the last two years, so…

There are people who pass through our lives who make an impact. Sometimes the effect isn’t realized until later. For me, sometimes, those effects dug deep. I imagined evenings spent in her company, dining and talking and laughing and taking her dancing at society functions. I’m a writer, so I created scenes and waxed romantic in my head.

I know it may sound silly, but she got to me…or I let her get to me. Can’t control what the heart wants, right? I know, I know, I didn’t know her all that long, so yeah, it sounds silly, but…some people, you know?

Since this will be posted the first Friday in November, and November is the month of giving thanks, I guess I can be thankful I had the honor of meeting her and knowing her for a short time. I wish our acquaintance had lasted longer.

Maybe that’s why I’m sad, because it’s unlikely I will meet her again. Not with her 1800 miles away, right? I miss her, though, and I wish her health and happiness.

She was the classiest, most professional, most beautiful woman I have ever worked with.

I will miss you A.M. and will never forget you.

U & I: The Next Car

THE OLD CAR:

So, when I started driving for Uber a bit over three years ago, I was driving a 2010 Ford Escape. A year later the car had some mechanical problems that were going to be too expensive to repair. So, I purchased a 2011 Dodge Caliber. A little smaller, but a litter better gas mileage.

Now, let me be fair in saying the car was fine. Yes, there were some issues right from the start. But when it ran, it was fine and dependable. The dimmer light switch for the cockpit lights didn’t work. In time I developed problems with the radio not being able to get a lot of FM stations and no AM. The vent adjuster on the driver’s side was pushed in. The passenger window control from the driver’s side would make it go down but not up (and eventually not up, either). Over the winter I had a crack in the windshield at the bottom from banging a cold wiper against a warm window. Repairs included a brake job and oil changes, a rear turn signal.

Last fall I ran over a raccoon coming home from Oskaloosa and it tore off the plastic shielding under the driver’s tire that protects the engine from the elements off the road. I didn’t know I had lost it, but had gone back to move the animal off the road and saw a large plastic sheet in the middle of the road. A new one would have cost $200. I wish I had purchased one because I would probably still be driving the car today.

I didn’t, and water got up under the engine and made a fuse box go bad. Didn’t experience problems until. This last February. I was forced to drive a rental for several weeks while looking for a fuse box because a new one was over $1000. Anyway, after some work-arounds, I thought the problem was solved.

A couple weeks after I got the car back the check engine light went on and off, then stayed on. I didn’t think anything of it because I didn’t detect anything wrong…until I had to idle for long periods of time or move in stop and go traffic. The engine started overheating. Then the air conditioner died. And you remember the kind of summer we had.

Yes, this was all due to the fuse box again. Again, another rental car. After a mechanic couldn’t find the problem, I decided to live with it but started looking for another car. Circumstances prevented me from purchasing one, so I thought I’d live with it through the winter then look again next spring.

That idea last about two weeks when the same problem that occurred in February occurred again. The car wouldn’t get spark. Another rental car and the mechanic said the car needed rewiring from scratch and quoted me a price that was just a starter because the work he wanted to do didn’t guarantee the problem would be solved.

So, now I have to be serious about getting another car. Circumstances changed a bit and one of the cars I was interested in back in August was still for sale so…

Say hello to my new car.

A 2014 Dodge Dart.

I’m actually carrying on a family tradition. The first car I remember my parents having was a Dodge Dart Swinger, blue with white hardtop. It also happens to be the car my heroine Mallory Petersen drives in Alpha. Okay, our family’s wasn’t as souped up as the one pictured.

One of the problems I had with my Caliber didn’t concern the operation of the car, but the color. The official color was Mango Tango. For the layperson, that’s orange. One of the requirements for Uber is that I upload pictures of my car from various angles. That way the rider can identify the car. I took the pictures as the sun was waning and, on a phone, it looks red. So, I’d drive up to park in front of the rider, who’d look around, see my car and look around some more until they figured it out.

With the Dart…there shouldn’t be a color confusion. Red it is.

So, another chapter in my driving has started. This is a 6 speed manual. I’ve driven stick before. I had a 1975 blue Fiat box that I loved. I had a Chevette that broke a quarter mile down the road after I bought it.

Well, I’m off to do some driving…

Book Release

You’re all invited!

I wanted to make the announcement that I’m going to be published again in another anthology.

This anthology of horror stories will be promoted on October 26^th at 2100 Saylor Road in Des Moines starting at 5. Yes, it’ll be a Halloween party so come in costume. Come here authors read from the anthology.

I have four stories that were accepted for inclusion in the anthology.

The Butter Knife

Wow, I wrote this a long time ago. I had just joined the Barnes and Noble writers’ group and was driving almost 90 minutes each way every week. I was scrambling to write short stories to be able to read. I don’t know when this story was written but I know it was one of the first. I’ve tweaked it a few times over the years and it’s been a favorite of writer friends. It’s about a husband’s rant against his wife. It’s the shortest of the stories and has some humor and a creepy ending…that takes you back to the beginning.

No Matter The Distance

I’m thinking of reading this one at the event. This one brings back some classic horror and while it has been determined by some to be too predictable, I’ve received some praise for it. It also won a prize at the annual Camp Write event of the Marion County Writers Workshop. This concerns a man in love who will go to desperate measures to have the girl of his dreams.

The Guest

Simple title, but it is about what happens when a strange visitor checks in for the night in a rural motel. It’s another winner of the Camp Write contest.

The Hinks

The longest of the stories about a guy taking a load of ice cream to a rural Nevada café, only to discover there’s more out in the desert than sand. It was another winner of the Camp Write contest.

So, stop by on the 26^th to hear me and other authors and receive more information on the anthology.

I’m looking forward to the event.

Authors – Doctor Who, Part II

Part 2 of the collection of Doctor Who Books. Do you have any of these?

Casualties Of War, S. Emerson

Dark Progeny, S. Emerson

Galaxy Four – No. 104, W. Emms

The Ark – No. 114, P. Erickson

Independence Day, P. Darvill-Evans

A Day In The Life, I. Farrington

Defining Patterns, I. Farrington

Monsters, I. Farrington

Past Tense, I. Farrington

Hunter’s Moon, P. Finch

The Creature From The Pit – No. 11, D. Fisher

Drift, S. A. Forward

Emotional Chemistry, A. Forward

Equilibrium, A. Forward

Shell Shock, A. Forward

Nothing O’Clock, N. Gaiman

Last Of The Gaderene, M. Gatiss

Nightshade, M. Gatiss

The Roundheads, M. Gatiss

St. Anthony’s Fire, M. Gatiss

Dead Air, J. Goss

Dead Of Winter, J. Goss

The Hounds Of Artemis, J. Goss

How The Doctor Changed My Life, S. Guerrier

The Pirate Loop, S. Guerrier

The Slitheen Excursion, S. Guerrier

The Time Travellers, S. Guerrier

Target: Mike Shayne, B. Halliday

The Rising Night, S. Handcock

The Curse Of Peladon – No. 13, B. Hayes

The Essential Doctor Who, Issue 1 – Cybermen, Edited By M. Hearn

The Essential Doctor Who, Issue 2 – The Tardis, Edited By M. Hearn

The Essential Doctor Who, Issue 3 – Weird Worlds, Edited By M. Hearn

The Beast Of Babylon, C. Higson

The Crystal Brucephalus, C. Hinton

Godengine, C. Hinton

Millennial Rites, C. Hinton

The Quantum Archangel, C. Hinton

Synthespians, C. Hinton

The Dinosaur Invasion – No. 3 Pinnacle (No. 22
Target), M. Hulke

The Doomsday Weapon – No. 2 Pinnacle (N. 23 Target),
M. Hulke

The Green Death – No. 29, M. Hulke

The War Games – No. 70, M. Hulke

Cat’s Cradle: Witch Mark, A. Hunt

The Eye Of The Jungle, D. Jones

The Space Museum – No. 117, G. Jones

Bad Therapy, M. Jones

Beyond The Sun, M. Jones

The Mystery Of The Haunted Cottage, D. Landy

All-Consuming Fire, A. Lane

The Banquo Legacy, A. Lane & J. Richards

Decalog 2, Edited by A. Lane & J. Richards

Empire Of Glass (from online), A. Lane

Original Sin, A. Lane

Dancing The Code, P. Leonard

Dreamstone Moon, P. Leonard

Genocide, P. Leonard

The Last Resort, P. Leonard

Revolution Man, P. Leonard

Speed Of Flight, P. Leonard

Toy Soldiers, P. Leonard

The Turing Test, P. Leonard

The Daemons – No. 15, B. Letts

The Paradise Of Death, – No. 156, B. Letts

And Philosophy, C. Lewis

Combat Rock, M. Lewis

Rags, M. Lewis

Snapshot, J. Lidster

Night Of The Humans, D. Llewellyn

The Taking Of Chelsea 426, D. Llewellyn

The Story, R. & S. Lockley, P. Lewis, & R. Shearman

Marco Polo – No. 94, J. Lucarotti

The Massacre – No. 122, J. Lucarotti

Conundrum, S. Lyons

The Crooked World, S. Lyons

The Final Sanction, S. Lyons

Head Games, S. Lyons

Killing Ground, S. Lyons

The Murder Game, S. Lyons

Salvation, S. Lyons

The Space Age, S. Lyons

The Stealers Of Dreams, S. Lyons

Time Of Your Life, S. Lyons

The Witch Hunters, S. Lyons

The Blue Angel, P Magrs & J. Hoad

Mad Dogs And Englishmen, P. Magrs

The Scarlet Empress, P. Magrs

Sick Building, P. Magrs

Verdigris, P. Magrs

Managra, S. Marley

The Dominators – No. 86, I. Marter

The Enemy Of The World – No. 24, I. Marter

Harry Sullivan’s War. I. Marter

K9 And The Beasts Of Vega, D. Martin

K9 And The Missing Planet, D. Martin

K9 And The Time Trap, D. Martin

K9 And The Zeta Rescue, D. Martin

Mission To Magnus, P. Martin

Vengeance On Varos – No. 106, P. Martin

The Eye Of The Tyger, P. McAuley

The King’s Dragon, U. McCormack

Autumn Mist, D. A. McIntee

Bullet Time, D. A. McIntee

Dark Path, D. A. McIntee

The Eleventh Tiger, D. A. McIntee

The Face Of The Enemy, D. A. McIntee

First Frontier, D. A. McIntee

Lords Of The Storm, D. A. McIntee

Mission Impractical, D. A. McIntee

Sanctuary, D. A. McIntee

The Shadow Of Weng-Chiang, D. A. McIntee

The Wages Of Sin, D. A. McIntee

White Darkness, D. A. McIntee

The Way Through The Woods, U. McCormack

Blood And Hope, I. McLaughlin

The Day Of The Troll, S. Messingham

The Doctor Trap, S. Messingham

Face-Eater, S. Messingham

The Indestructible Man, S. Messingham

Infinity Race, S. Messingham

Strange England, S. Messingham

The Tomb Of Valdemar, S. Messingham

Zeta Major, S. Messingham

Halflife, M. Michalowski

Relative Dementias, M. Michalowski

Shining Darkness, M. Michalowski

Wetworld, M. Mchalowski

The Adventures Of Henrietta Street, L. Miles

Alien Bodies, L. Miles

Christmas On A Rational Planet, L. Miles

Interference I, L. Miles

Interference II, L. Miles

Dying In The Sun, J. D. B. Miller

The Forgotten Army, B. Minchin

Continuity Errors, S. Moffat

What I Did On My Holidays, S. Moffat

The Coming Of The Terraphiles, M. Moorcock

Anachrophobia, J. Morris

Festival Of Death, J. Morris

The Tomorrow Windows, J. Morris

Touched By An Angel, J. Morris

The Body Snatchers, M. Morris

Deep Blue, M. Morris

Forever Autumn, M. Morris

Ghosts Of India, M. Morris

Beltempest, J. Mortimore

Blood Heat, J. Mortimore

Campaign, J. Mortimore

Eternity Weeps, J. Mortimore

Eye Of Heaven, J. Mortimore

Parasite, J. Mortimore