Memories

I haven't written because I've not felt up to it.  There are times when words just won't come, and even if some did, they would be too weak to write.

I have been thinking about memories.  You never run out of them.  When you make new ones, you don't have to forget the old ones.  Sometimes, the slightest thing will pull a memory off a dusty shelf that you haven't looked at in years.  My memory is not as good as it used to be because I'm getting older partly, but it also has to do with some other stuff that's not important enough for me to get into in a blog.  Still, you are never too old to make memories, so I urge everyone to go out and make some.

Again, if you want to order Lancelot, you can go here:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/lancelot-and-the-tides-of-time?r=1

http://www.amazon.com/Lancelot-Tides-Time-ebook/dp/B005IDNASS/ref=sr_1_5?
ie=UTF8&qid=1314228494&sr=8-5

http://www.buckscountypublishing.com/portal/BookStore/LancelotandtheTidesofTime.aspx

Have a good evening.

Mad Cow, Take a Walk, Clear writing

Today, I feel very lazy and sleepy.  I see a nap in my future.  Ah, the simple joys of life.
Did you know this is a complete sentence?  Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.  Sorry.  Don't know why I thought that.  If you think about it, it makes sense.

I tell my students that when they hand in their writing make sure they hand in writing that is clear, concise, correct, and creative.  Here's a writing exercise for you.  Leave your answers in the comment section if you want.

Think of the number of synonyms there are for walk.  If you want your meaning to be precise, don't say walk, say "Strut".  Don't look at someone; glare at them.  Words have so many connotations, and good writers make use of them.  When you write, you can't rely on vocal tone and nonverbal communication. You have to rely on precise words.  What are the synonyms that you can think of for walk.  I bet, if you try, you can come up with at least fifteen to twenty.

While I'm at it, I'd like to recommend a book.  There is a really interesting novel called Going Bovine, by Libba Bray.  It's about a boy who gets mad cows disease.  In it, reality and fantasy become mixed.  The novel I'm working on has a similar motif.  I would post a picture of the novel cover, but I think that's illegal.  Be careful though; it's not for young, young adults.  It has some mature themes in it.

I'm always looking for young adult novels to read.  My favorite genre is fantasy or psychological drama.  If anyone knows some good stuff, let me know and I'll pass the word along.

These are the links to order my book.  You can get it on Kindle, Nook, or in paperback.  I will make arrangements to autograph -- if at all possible -- copies of any paperback bought.  Of course, if you would like for me to leave you alone, buy Lancelot on Kindle or Nook.  Seriously, I'm not trying to be pushy.  I'm just excited.

http://www.amazon.com/Lancelot-Tides-Time-ebook/dp/B005IDNASS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1314228494&sr=8-5

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/lancelot-and-the-tides-of-time?r=1

Lancelot on Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/lancelot-and-the-tides-of-time?r=1

Here is the link to buy Lancelot and the Tides of Time on Barnes and Noble in paperback and Nook ebook.  Once again, to all my friends, I thank you.

I haven't mentioned this to anyone, but I have another book finished called Tongue Tied that I plan to make into a two part series.  If I can amass enough sales of Lancelot, I may venture forward and try to get it out.

This is all the news that's fit to print.

Some Gripes

I was going to gripe, but I think I got a divine message to just suck it up and not complain.  I was typing on my blog, and I somehow managed to erase the entire thing.  To sum, I'll just say that I get tired of news networks reporting and editorializing the news when they broadcast.  It used to be that newscasters were professionals who didn't throw in their pithy little comments.  They reported the news, and the newscast ended with, "And that's the way it is."  If there was an editorial, it was clearly marked as such.

I'm sitting here trying to watch the football game, but they are having technical difficulties, and it's no longer on.  It's a shame.  The Rams are running over the Chiefs.  I could watch the baseball game, but lately, I have been so disappointed in the Cardinals that I would rather watch a screen that has the Rams' and Chiefs' logos on it and the words Technical Difficulties on it rather than the Cardinals.  I need to be writing anyway.  I have fallen so far out of the dream world of my novel that I was ensconsced in that it is going to take a while to get back into it.

What do I do ...about salaciousness.

What do I do to make this blog something people want to read every day?  Make their hearts palpitate until they open the link and gaze at the words and then breathe a sigh of relief?  I'm not salacious (I'm not entirely sure what that word means, but I like the sound of it), and I'm not famous.  I'm just a common joe and I think I believe the way a lot of other common joes believe about a lot of common joe things.  (There is that tendency to rant about grammar issues at times. Can't help that.  I AM an English teacher.)  I am not vulgar either.  I could mark "adult content" on the descriptor of this blog, but that would be a lie unless you think about the fact that I am an adult and this is my content.  Still, that would be cheating, and I want to build a readership, not alienate readers.

I do fancy myself a writer, and my name is Steven.  Steven Cross is close to Stephen King, but my writing isn't, either in quality or in content.  He sometimes writes salaciously.  (It even sounds good as an adverb.) I know I have readers, but I would like to have hundreds of readers, thousands even.  Can a common person rise above his commonness and resonate with a vast horde of people?  I guess we'll see as I continue this experiment.

I'm going to post my links again.  Remember Sir Lancelot and the Tides of Times is available for preorder now, and you can have it immediately on your Kindle.  It's a fast read.  Some action, suspense, a bit of violence, but it's not too salacious.

Oh, by the way, I'm really tired tonight.  The last two nights I have taught night classes in addition to my day classes.  So if this sounds a bit trippy, it's because my brain is tired.  At my age it doesn't take much to overtax the poor thing.
http://www.buckscountypublishing.com/portal/BookStore/LancelotandtheTidesofTime.aspx

For your Kindle  http://www.amazon.com/Lancelot-Tides-Time-ebook/dp/B005IDNASS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1314228494&sr=8-5

Lancelot for Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/Lancelot-Tides-Time-ebook/dp/B005IDNASS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1314228494&sr=8-5

Lancelot and the Tides of Time is now available for your Kindle.  Follow the link above.  Thank you in advance for your support.
Steve Cross

A wise person knows that intelligence is not even half the story.
http://www.buckscountypublishing.com/portal/BookStore/LancelotandtheTidesofTime.aspx
Lancelot book preorder link.

Just a short entry here.  I'm in the middle of something and can't write much.

Grammar problem:  A common error people make is to use the wrong form of the verb with the helper has, have, had.  I don't know how many times I have heard things like had ran, have came, has saw.  Have we become so frightened of bruising kids egos by telling them that they have grammar errors that grammar is not taught anymore?  When I was in school, I always spent half a year on grammar and half a year on literature. We even -- gasp -- diagrammed sentences.  I'm all for inspiring creativity and giving kids an opportunity to write freely without worrying about grammar at times, but grammar has to be taught eventually as well.  It matters not how creative you are if you can not write a coherent sentence.

More tidbits: neat website, grammar goblin, crossbyte

Crossbyte: Hugs are doubly healing because they touch two people at one time.

http://www.buckscountypublishing.com/portal/BookStore/LancelotandtheTidesofTime.aspx

I am sure you have noticed a trend.  I'm beginning my blogs with the link you can use to preorder Lancelot and the Tides of Time.  I hope you don't think this is obnoxious of me.  When the book goes on Amazon and other places, I will also post those links here.  I will really be obnoxious then.

Grammar Goblin: Lay and laid.  Sit and set.  Remember this and this will help you immensely.  The word laid never means "to recline" or "Take a nap".  He has not "laid down" for a nap; he has lain down for a nap.  Remember ... laid never EVER means to recline.  In the same way, set never EVER means to park your rear in a chair.  He set down for a rest is not correct.  He sat down for a rest is the correct way of saying this.

So, how many earthquakes rattled the country?  It doesn't necessarily mean the world is about to end.  However, I look around me and see everything that is happening and I wonder.  Libya, what a mess. My only hope is that something worse doesn't arise out of the ashes of that country.

I like my classes so far.  Today after school, I went for my weekly chiropractic appointment.  My night classes are the next two evenings, and I have a feeling I will wish that my chiropractic appointment was Friday.  Gosh, I feel old sometimes.

Finally, for all of my friends in education.  Here is a wonderful website you may or may not have heard of.

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/content/#q=writing&page=1&per_page=20

Good day.

Tidbits -- short bits of news you can ignore if you wish

Crossbyte: Loving the one you're with is just an empty feeling if you aren't with the one you love.
(My apologies to Crosby, Stills, and Nash.)

http://www.buckscountypublishing.com/portal/BookStore/LancelotandtheTidesofTime.aspx

Just in case you missed it, this is the link to go to to pre-order Lancelot and the Tides of Times.  The official release date is September 1.

Grammar pet peeve: People getting then and than mixed up.  "Then" is used as a transition to mean
next.  The word "than" is used for comparison.  I think lazy diction is to blame for this one.  To say that ...
He is smarter then his brother ... is incorrect because we are comparing brothers.  He is smarter than his brother.  It seems to me as if people use then more often when they mean than, than they use than when they mean then. But than again -- I mean, then again.  Oh forget it.  Just keep this in mind.  Than and then are not to be used interchangeably.

Then, there's this tidbit.  Check out the following web page if you are a writer:
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/
Hope has three free newsletters with markets listed for writers.  The site itself has some helpful information.

I have decided I should not go on political rants anymore.  Arguing politics doesn't accomplish anything except make people mad.  I'm just going to vote my conscious and express my opinion that way.

My prayers go out to anyone in the path of Irene.

Bummer, mostly

Bummer of a day for the most part. We took Megan back to college today.  It isn't far away, but she isn't here, and that makes all the difference.  She's getting married in May, so we really don't have anymore summer time together.  Taking her back to school isn't so bad.  I know she likes school and she's rooming with a good friend.  It's just that she's grown up, and I wonder if we did a good enough job with her, or will she be one of those people who talk about how horrible her parents were?

I am also tired from the school week -- just three days.  A full week and two night classes this week.  I'll be exhausted next weekend.

The only good thing that happened today was that my novel, Lancelot and The Tides of Time, has become available for preordering.  I hope it sells well.  We have Megan's college and her wedding to pay for.  Anyway, once again, here's the link.

http://www.buckscountypublishing.com/portal/BookStore/LancelotandtheTidesofTime.aspx

Lancelot preorder link

http://www.buckscountypublishing.com/portal/BookStore/LancelotandtheTidesofTime.aspx

You can now preorder Lancelot and the Tides of Time.  I appreciate any and all support I can get.
Thanks in advance.

Steve Cross

Only in Arcadia

Only in Arcadia...  Yesterday, I was driving home from work, and I nearly had a head-on collision -- with a guy on a riding lawnmower.  He was cruising down the road when something caught his eye.  As he was looking at whatever it was, his mower started coming into my lane.  I had to honk my horn to get his attention.  I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that if a Camry and a lawnmower collided, the lawnmower would get the worst of the situation.

Tomorrow, we are taking my daughter back to college. I'm not too happy about that.  Next summer she's getting married, so today is one of our last summer vacation days ever.  At the moment, we're watching Batman -- Heath Ledger is so creepy in this film.  Earlier, we took her to Applebee's for dinner.  I had their stuffed meatballs, Alfredo dinner.  It was good.

I'm getting used to the new school year though I am incredibly tired today.  I like my classes.  They have personality.

Question for my loyal readers

Crossbyte: Words of Wisdom
It is easy to go your own way when a lot of other people are taking the same path.  The question is, do you have the courage to walk alone when your path is not popular?

I have been reading an article on blog writing.  Apparently I'm doing everything wrong.  According to the article blogs should be focused on just a few topics of interest to you.  They should NOT focus on you all the time.  Blogs should not be self centered, and they should also be useful.  I don't know if I know anything useful or not.  I teach, I write, I make up words of wisdom, and do a few other things.  Overall, however, my blog is a rambling morass of mixed thoughts.  It reflects the way I think.  Many people think logically.  I jump.  Basically, for me, one image suggests another and that suggests another and so on.  I don't think one, two, and three.  I jump -- like I'm doing now.  I apologize for digressing.  Does anyone have any suggestions on what they'd like to see from my blog?

I am going to pass on a useful link.  If you want a lot of the course materials from MIT for free, click on the link below.  The college makes the materials for many of their classes available for free download.  I mean, you can't get a degree or a certificate or anything, but if you are content to self teach, you might find the material useful.  I came upon it by accident when I searched for free playwriting classes just to see what I would come up with. If I come across anything else that is useful, I'll post it.

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/

So, what should I write?

P.S. Tomorrow, the kids come back to class.  I'm a bit stressed.  I must think relaxing thoughts.

Dunno what to say

I dunno.  Have you ever heard that expression?  Does it make you want to choke someone?  Perhaps that's a bit extreme, but it is annoying, like a lot of other pat expressions people use.  How about "Whatever"?

This is one of those nights I don't have a lot to say, but I can always talk about nothing at a great deal of length.  Nothing is a pronoun, by the way; a lot of people don't know that.  In fact, a lot of people don't know what a pronoun is anyway.  Do schools teach the parts of speech anymore?  I intend to give my composition students a diagnostic test to see what they know about basic grammar and writing terminology.  I mean, it's not going to do me much good if I tell them their pronoun and antecedent don't agree if they don't know what those are. Grammar is the ugly duckling of English classes, but if one learns to master it, he or she can create beautiful swan-like prose. (My pronoun one and antecedent he or she agree; did you notice that?)

I am a bit tired tonight, but I plan on working on my novel for a few minutes.  Ah, I just thought of something else I need to do.  This is a paying gig not just one that I hope to be paid for one of these days.  I guess it should get priority.

Just a couple of weeks until my novel comes out.  Stay tuned for more excerpts.

Lancelot's Smack Down

     “You have ten flights of stairs to climb. Can you
handle it?”
     “I can handle anything you can handle.”
     Nine flights later he was not so sure. He breathed
heavily, and a stitch in his side cried out. When they reached
the tenth floor, he sat down.
     Ahna smiled at him.
     “Not bad for a boy.”
     “I can do without your sarcasm.”
     “It’s not sarcasm. The Lady of the Lake enchanted
these steps as a further test. Not many males have managed
to walk up them.”
     “How many tests do I have to take before I pass?”
     “As many as necessary.”
     She walked into a short corridor. Two doors were on
each side. Several suits of armor lined the two walls.
“Your room is on the left. Mabuz sleeps on the
right.”
     “Why are we up here in the middle of nowhere?”
     “So you’ll stay out of trouble. Tomorrow, you begin
your advance fighting training.”
     “I don’t need any –“
     Ahna slapped him in the face.
     “What was that for?”
     “Your reflexes are bad.”
     “You didn’t give me any warning.”
     “Do you think someone bent on killing you will give
you any warning?”
     She slapped him again. “You’re slow, Lancelot.”
     “I am not—“
     She slapped him again. Infuriated, Lancelot lunged
for her. Ahna grabbed his arm and flipped him over her hip.
“You also let your anger overrule your common
sense.”
     Lancelot glared at her. “Who will be my teacher?”
     “Until further notice, I will.”

Thoughts on the Macarena and other items

I don't remember when this was, but I'm guessing the mid 90's, when the Macarena became popular.  Everyone was doing the Macarena.  Even I knew how to do it -- sort of.  I don't remember where I was teaching, but I volunteered to help chaperon a school dance.  Why I would do that is beyond me, but never mind, the reason, I did.  The DJ played that song, and it stunned me when nearly every kid at the dance stood in lines and did the Macarena.  Now, granted, this was not a large city school, but there were at least a couple hundred kids there.  I remember thinking how cool that was to see.  For four minutes there were no cliques.  For four minutes, it didn't matter whom they stood next to.  I think we should make Congress, the cabinet, and the President all do the Macarena together.  Then, all the governors have to do it together, and we work our work up from there to the United Nations.  How can you fight with someone that you just did the Macarena with?

We went to Walmart today.  Ugh. Some lady grabbed my cart and started to walk away with it.  I'm happy to report she wasn't actually trying to steal it.  She had just gotten distracted talking to her children or grandchildren and wasn't watching what she was doing.  I said, "Um, pardon, ma'am, but that's my cart."  A lot of people were out shopping for school.

School. Ugh.  If you were here, you'd see me shudder.  Honestly though, I don't hate the idea of going back to school.  I think I'm going to be just too busy for this old body and even older mind.  I don't like to be too busy.  I have this lazy streak in me.  I'm going to have about 100 composition students.  If I spend ten minutes on average grading each paper, that is 1,000 minutes, or if my math is correct, 16 or 17 hours of grading.

I am rethinking my grading philosophy a bit.  A composition teacher can get so caught up in editing students' papers he or she doesn't actually grade them.  I think I am going to spend more time this year than ever before on reviewing grammar -- not the "name the parts of speech" level, but higher level grammar.  One of these days, I will see one too many comma splices or one too many it's instead of its, and I will go stark raving mad.  There is a snapping point.

I worked on Shadowlands Diary today.  I wrote the last five pages of the novel.  I want to work backwards for a little while.

I have to go right now, but I would like to leave you this thought.
Wisdom is a state of mind, not a measure of intelligence.

Smell/tell

It's interesting to me that the most evocative sense is the sense of smell.  Supposedly, smells create strong emotional reactions.  There is actually a scientific explanation -- sort of -- for that, but I can't remember it all. Think about it; it's true.

I was thinking about the smell of rain.  How crisp, clean, and pure it smells!  I don't know if anyone else has ever had this experience, but I have been outside when I've suddenly gotten a whiff of rain even though it wasn't raining at the moment.  Sometimes, when I tell my wife that I smell rain, she looks at me as if I'm a little odd.  I don't know if I am sensitive to smells or maybe I'm having olfactory hallucinations.  We just got a really great shower by the way.  We needed it.  I'm glad I finished cutting my grass yesterday.

Also, think of the smell of honeysuckle.  One of the most wonderful smells in the world.  It makes me thing of my grandma.  Did I dream this or did we actually eat the honey -- I guess, you'd call it -- out of the honeysuckle blossoms?  I seem to remember doing that.

Another smell that I will never forget is a perfume called Charlie.  If it was even made today, I think I would recognize it instantly.

I could list many more smells that have memories tied up with them, but I will move on to the next subject.

I skipped ahead and wrote the very last scene of my novel today.  I was a bit blocked, and since I've known for a long time how I was going to end it, I just went ahead and wrote it.  I wrote three or four pages.  I think I'm going to go write the next to the last chapter next.  It will be the toughest one to write in the entire book.

Otherwise, I did some real work today, some stuff for the ACT people that I will actually get paid for eventually.  I enjoy writing for them.  It's satisfying even if I never get a byline in a national magazine.  It's also good practice for me as there is a strict word count and I have to be very careful with the subject matter. So far they have been happy with my work. I think I've had three rejections from them and at least ten acceptances. Plus, I write questions for what other people write.  I would tell you more but then I'd have to kill you.  Just kidding.  I do have to sign a non disclosure agreement whenever I write something for them.  I really enjoy doing it and I am also providing a valuable service.  Someone has to write for the ACT test.

I don't want to keep on and on because I would like for people to read my blog and they won't if it's too long and boring.

Random

The Cardinals are losing 5 to 1 to the Brewers.  I watched the game last night until the tenth inning, and I felt like kicking myself.  I had watched about 4 hours of television which had no real importance whatsoever. The time was gone, never to return to me.  I have been a Cardinal fan for years, but it seems like lately the management does just enough to keep the team in contention so that they will draw fans but won't do what it really takes to win.  I know why I like baseball so much -- it's a family thing -- but I'm thinking this fan may move on to other things until they become more serious about winning.  If the Cardinals lose tonight they will be five games out of first place.

I found out that there is going to be a new movie made of  Stephen King's book, The Stand, my personal favorite.  There was a t.v. movie series years ago that was good, but the film team putting this together might make something wonderful happen.  I hope so.  Speaking of movies, I plan on going to see Captain America tomorrow (In 3D.)  My daughter goes back to school next weekend, so we are trying to do a couple of things before she leaves.  My wife had to go back to work this week, but I still have another week.

I cut most of the grass this evening but then it got dark on me.  We're down to one push mower, and it takes me a good 2 and a half hours to cut the grass, and that doesn't include weed eating.  The one bright spot is that since I've been going to the chiropractor, I can actually cut the grass and not be so sore afterwards that I can't move.  My body is like the government, a sad state of affairs.

I didn't write much today.  I am waiting before I write too much more because I am expecting my instructor to send me some comments on the first half of the book.  I'm hoping that she likes the direction I've taken and will tell me that I just need to power on.

I am going to sign off, but I would like to leave you all with a thought.

There's really no reason to carry a grudge.  With each passing year, it just gets heavier, and chances are the person with whom you have a grudge doesn't even think about it.  And even if he or she does, the best way you can get to that person is to not let it get to you.  I hope that makes sense.

Lancelot Teaser: Just a short scene to give you a feel for the book.

Below is the scene in Lancelot and the Tides of Time in which Lancelot meets Merlin for the first time. Remember, the book comes out in September. Help me put my daughter through college. :-)

“You can change things, Lancelot.” Her body relaxed in death.

Someone grabbed him by his hair and jerked him backwards so suddenly he dropped his sword and shield. He struggled to break free, expecting a sword or a dagger to slash through him. He almost wished one would. His attacker pulled him to the ground and pressed the point of a sword against his chest.

“Go ahead and kill me.”

“I don’t think so,” his captor said.

Lancelot looked into the face of a stranger with dark hair and a thick beard. The man held him to the ground not with a sword but with a long wood staff.

An invader raised a sword over his head. Lancelot thought he would surely die, but the stranger cracked the invader right across the face with his staff. Lancelot jumped up.

“You idiot,” He then knocked Lancelot back to the ground and stuck the staff against his chest. The silence returned. Lancelot saw the battle raging all around him, but he heard nothing. "Magic," he muttered.

"One day you will learn to respect magic."

“Who are you?” Lancelot struggled to rise.

“The man who’s saving your life.”

“Let me die with my people.”

“Don’t be stupid. You’re not meant to die. Now, we must do something.”

“Let me up.”

The man pressed down even harder with his staff. Lancelot went rigid.

“We can do this easy or we can do this hard. If I have to take you out, it will take you weeks to recover. If you cooperate, you can start fulfilling your destiny now.”

“My destiny is here.”

“Have you forgotten what your mother just told you?”

Anger surged through Lancelot as he knocked the staff aside.

Facebook Addict or Feeling Special

I am writing today. My goal is to get ten pages of my novel finished. I have two only because I have wasted the last half hour on Facebook. Why is Facebook so addicting? I have a theory that it is a subtle attempt we have at establishing some self worth. We want people to read our Facebook statuses because we want to be noticed. We want people to authenticate our worthiness. Have you honestly taken time to think about why you write so much on Facebook or twitter or whatever social site you prefer? We have all kinds of ways to become addicts. Is it possible we do most anything to fritter away the hours rather than think about the possibility that our lives don't have much meaning? People don't want to stop and think, so they busy themselves by doing things that seem important and worthwhile. By the way, I don't think our lives have no meaning; I do believe, however, that none of us are special which creates a problem because we really want to be. We want to stand out from the hordes of people that share this planet with us. I'm talking in circles, and I do apologize for that. I am feeling philosophical. I think the answer to this desire we have is to focus on our own families, our own lives, our own pursuits etc. If we realize we are special to a few people, we could concentrate on making them feel special.

Weekend R and R

Well, I have another thing to cross off my bucket list although this was not a really big one like ziplining. I had never been to Meramec Caverns, so we took a little trip, went to Meramec caverns, ate at Cowen's Restaurant in Washington, Mo, and then spent the night in a B and B in Marthasville. Today we went to the Daniel Boone home in Defiance, MO. It was a nice trip, kind of a short anniversary trip for us. It was nice to get away here right before school starts again. Not much else to report. I would have to say though that Meramec Caverns is just amazing. Whenever I see such wonderful places of beauty, my faith is strengthened.

One of the most incredible things to me, and I don't know why it fascinated me so much, was the water. It was crystal clear and worked the way a mirror does. It gave a perfect reflection of the cave's ceilings and formations, and there were parts of the cave where you looked into the water and it looked as if you were standing on top of a huge canyon and the water was hundreds of feet deep, when in all actuality it was only about 3 feet deep. It was such a strange illusion. I can just see a character in one of my fantasy novels jump off a high cliff thinking he was jumping into a huge pool of water only to find it a few feet deep. I know that's a bit morbid, but you have to admit it's interesting. I can also envision a comic scene where one character threatens to sink a character into a three hundred foot pool of water and then shove him in only to have him discover it's three feet deep. I guess that's a bit morbid too. At any rate a cavern like Meramec caverns would be a great setting for a fantasy novel.

I guess this week I'll actually have to think about going back to school and preparing myself. I won't do this year the same way as I did last year. I never teach the same way from year to year. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it's just the way it is. I am not organized well enough to do something exactly the same all the time. Besides, I think it can get kind of boring that way. I teach so many ways; one is bound to work.

If anyone wishes to become a follower of my blog or my tweet, please feel free to do so. I'm just experimenting with it now, but my hope is to make it something you will want to read all the time. One can hope.

The birth of Lancelot and the Tides of Time

No one's asked me how I got the idea for my book, but I don't have to be asked to talk. I had always heard the stories of Lancelot du Lac. I knew that du Lac meant "of the lake" but I never knew what Lancelot had to do with the lake until I did some research. Now you have to understand that I first started researching for this book five years ago at least, so I may have forgotten some of this. I read that Lancelot was raised by the Lady of the Lake to serve as a bodyguard to her son.

One day, I was messing around with this voice recognition software, and I had this scene in my mind. It all started with an important question that writers ask all the time, "What if ..."

My question was, "What if a knight wound up in the future in the middle of a large city?" I stated using this software and dictating the scene. Lancelot, the knight, is in a pitch-black city street and he sees flames. Being the knight he is, he assumes this flame is a dragon and he decides to slay it. Well, it's not a dragon. But anyway, that scene become a section of the third major part of the novel when Lancelot has been transported hundreds of years into the future. Did I mention that Lancelot is possessed by the spirits of a feisty female warrior, not unlike Xena for those of you who remember that show, and a grumpy warrior who is just a bit over the hill but still pretty vicious. I won't tell you how their spirits wound up possessing Lancelot except to say that it was all Merlin's idea.

At any rate, the history of my book has been interesting. It took me a couple of years to write it. At that time, I wrote everything except for one or two scenes out with ink and paper. (Turns out the voice recognition software wasn't all that accurate, and I had to retype almost all of it anyway.) I put it all on the computer and submitted. It was accepted immediately, but unfortunately, the company that accepted it went bankrupt, so Lancelot faded away somewhere on the outskirts of Camelot. One of the writers who also published with this company started an independent publishing house. I talked to him about Lancelot, and when he saw it, he chose to publish it. Now, that's been about a year ago.

Today, I wrote the acknowledgments for it and the dedication. That's always cool. I'm just waiting for the digital edit, so I can give it a final proofing. I'll post a teaser or two in here for you.

Work on my other novel goes well. I'm 25,000 words into it. About 40% finished.

Sticking my toe in the waters of technology

I nagged my wife and nagged my wife until she gave me permission to get a tablet for a combination birthday and father's day gift. I would recommend them, but I would caution you to get one that is well known. I went onto ebay and got an off brand. For what it is, I'm sure it's fine, but I thought I would get a little more. Well, anyway. I downloaded the Kindle App on it, and I have read a couple of Kindle books. Honestly, I like it. Of course, the app doesn't have all the bells and whistles that a Kindle does, but it is still cool to have. I have six books on my tablet p.c. and on my laptop. I can take them with me wherever I go.

The one thing I don't like about my tablet is that the wireless signal is not as strong as it should be. But I have found that when I use the wireless mouse it gets a better signal for some reason. You'll have to figure that one out because I can't.

Ebooks are generally less expensive than the regular books. I hope that my new novel, Lancelot and the Tides of Time will have strong ebook sales. Of course, another obvious advantage is that you get your books on Kindle instantly. I can foresee a time, and it is already happening in some areas, where you can check out ebooks from a library. That will really be cool.

Now, I'm not about to let my kindle and ebook reader take over for the real thing. I have purchased many used books online for a little bit of nothing. I don't know how many times I've bought a used book that was less than a dollar, but the shipping and handling was four dollars. Oh, well, that is still cheaper than buying a book new.

If I think of anything interesting to say later, I will, but for right now, this is the common Joe signing off.