Book review and updates

My article, "Marriage and the moon: Both have phases," is now published at the familyshare.com website. "Don't let car trouble leave you stranded on the side of the road" is done in editing and is waiting publication. "Prepare for your marriage and not your wedding" is in editing. I'm working on a few more articles and will update you when they are on paper and no longer in my head.

I've finished reading "The Drylands" by Mary Rosenblum. Here's my promised review.

There has not been rain for years and the world has dried up. Crops raised on freshwater, fed by soaker hoses, struggle to remain alive each day along with their human caretakers. Crops raised on saltwater provide a food source at a cost that destroys the land and damages their custodians. Freshwater is piped and micro managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Voltaire, a young Corp officer is transferred to The Dallas and is given charge of the Columbia Riverbed Pipeline. He’s thrown in the middle of a struggle between the people of The Dallas and the Corp. Having been through the water war in Chicago, Voltaire is not interested in a repeat. The Coalition, a group of farmers which includes Dan Greely, is accused of sabotaging the pipeline and killing members of the Corp including the previous CO Colonel Hastings.

Nita Montoya and Jeremy Barlow, mutants of the times or the next generation of humans, fear discovery and try to remain at the outskirts of the struggle only to find themselves deeply involved.

Rosenblum weaves these unlikely partners and the damaged Earth into a spellbinding story that is difficult to put down. I really wanted to read this straight through, but life got in the way. Her vivid descriptions and credible characters makes “The Drylands” a must read.

I will be starting "The Ghost Man" by Roger Hobbs and "Beyonders: A World Without Heroes" by Brandon Mull soon.

I know I'm supposed to be writing a short story with you but I'm not as fast as I thought I would be with all the assignments for familyshare.com and my writing course. I'm working on Assignment 7. It is due the end of this month. I really want to get it out and on it's way. Then I'll put greater efforts on the short story.

 Happy reading, writing, submitting, researching and getting published.

Wow, talk about busy and writer's block

I haven't had time, nor the desire, to write for a couple of weeks. Puts a damper on my writing for familyshare.com and for our story we're writing together.

Here's an update:

Received a rejection letter from Peachtree Publishers. Good news is I don't have to wait until August for their response as they responded quickly. Also the submission to Albert Whitman & Company has expired, so I'm considering it a no as well. I think I'm going to find my own illustrator and self-publish. "Ten Little Gator Eggs" is publishable and I'm not finding it a home nor an agent.

My second article, "Marriage and the Moon: Both have phases" has been accepted at the familyshare.com website. I'll let you know when it's published. "Don't get stuck on the side of the road" has been submitted and is waiting approval. I'm almost done and ready to submit "Prepare for your marriage, not your wedding."

Let's write a story

My research indicates the character I've chosen isn't considered an alien from outer space, but I think I can still swing it. There's no proof it's not either. I'm working up it's character profile and will have it here soon.

How are you doing with your story? Keep at it and it'll fall in line on the paper or in your computer.

Stealing paragraphs and chapters with the book "The Drylands" by Mary Rosenblum. Will review here as soon as I'm done. Not much reading time, but this book is really hard to put down.

Happy reading, writing, submitting, researching and getting published.