Here's the weird thing about writing a novel.

With grandson, Silas (last year)

The hardest part about writing a book has nothing to do with writing.

The hardest part involves going up to strangers—or friends—saying, "hey, I carved a year out of my life and I sweated bullets to write this great book. Wanna buy it?"

Most writers are so severely introverted they would rather lop off a body part.

Writers used to be able to just write ... I'm told. Some big publisher would sign up a writer who would then hole up and work. Period. The big publisher would do the rest.

I missed that bus.

The best way to get your book reviewed.

Prayer.

But seriously, reviews are my friends. Reviews are  others telling readers how good my books are with no loss of body parts.

When you read a book and tell your friends, "hey, I liked this book, you should look at it," ... that's word of mouth advertising, the best kind. The only kind that really works. We trust our friends.

And I'm not just talking about my writing and my books. I'm talking about any book and any writer. Your reviews are the rocket fuel that helps those books and writers rise into orbit.

What about magazine reviews? Turns out magazines like "Library Review," and "School Library Review," don't review self-published books ... those not published by the so-called big five publishers in New York, even though only 16% of recent e-books were published by those folks.

Read my book, write a review ... tell your librarian!

It's that simple. And if you're facing a long summer with kids or grandkids, check out my Cheechako series for middle grades. There are three books, not expensive. Each is an exciting Alaska adventure, with books two and three also featuring strong female characters. So not just for boys.

If you do read or have read any of my four published books (these three plus an adult mystery,) I'd love to see you post your review on Amazon or Goodreads, whether you liked a book or didn't. Just write a couple of lines of what you think. And thanks in advance.

So what do you say? Want to buy a book? Cheechako


  

Why you NEED to read

(Takes place in and near Sitka, AK)

I believe in reading and have been a reader from early. Do I believe in reading because I hope people will buy and read my books? No, I just believe in reading, though I don't mind if you read my books.

Readers think differently

Two of the most powerful words in any language are these: "What if ...?" Put simply, people who read are more likely to say them. Reading lets them become other people, live other lives, feel other feelings, solve other problems. Reading—and writing—is a muscle you build. And it's not like the basketball muscle, or the video game muscle, where you enjoy a thing and can do it when you want. 

Reading is like the swimming muscle. You can do it when you NEED to—in your life, on the job, wherever—for as long as you need to do it. You have endurance. 

In any business, in any situation, "what if?" makes a person the problem solver, the solution finder, often the person who gets ahead in life. 

Why writing for children is important

Tomorrow I drive to Seattle to appear in a video produced by boysread.org. The truth is, they're also concerned about girls reading, but it's the boys whose reading numbers have fallen so drastically. 

They'll ask why my work is important. But you won't have to wait to see the video, I'll tell you now. When 8th grade boys in Vermont, known to be reluctant readers, were assigned my book, "Cheechako," they not only read it, they sneaked to read ahead. Of all the comments I've had about my work, that one makes me happiest.

Read aloud for real results

Small children who are read to, reach school with bigger vocabularies. They can understand more and communicate more than those around them. So yes, they go to the head of the class. And studies indicate that the benefit of being read to continues, at least through 8th grade ... so keep reading!

Small children being read to, actually develop new brains cells, that they'll keep all their lives. And there's some evidence that reading when old, helps to retain brain cells, never a bad idea.

Importance of living by your wits. 

When I'm visiting in schools, kids often ask why my stories are all in the past. Clever kids! I'm currently writing my 8th book, and I do write in the past deliberately. A cell phone or a computer changes everything—so I don't write them. In my books, everybody has to live by their ideas and energy—by their wits. 

As readers we get to participate. 

So here's the bottom line, literally. If you want to change a life—really change it—find a child today and start reading. Yes, it's good for them, and you'll always look back fondly at the quality time you spent together.

Check out "Cheechako" here, and happy reading. 

"But I'm too old to start writing ... painting ... photography ... and other bits of silliness."

Although I started selling short fiction in my thirties, I didn't publish a novel until after age sixty. Why not? All the usual reasons: no time, no energy, no idea I could commit to, a long line of more-pressing chores.

And one more thing—a big thing—probably the sense that I somehow didn't deserve to do this. Yes, I know it doesn't make sense, but it seemed to at the time.

So two things happened: I gave myself permission to "waste" the time, and I started getting up early at least six days a week, working on writing FIRST in my day, instead of dead last when I was exhausted. Yes, instead of waiting until I finished all the other trivial things I put in front of what I really had wanted to do MY WHOLE LIFE.

Colonel Sanders started late. 

By now we've all heard the Col. Sanders and Grandma Moses stories of old codgers who started late and were vastly successful. I love those stories but they don't really matter. 

It's not about being vastly successful. It's about the minutes or hours you spend being true to yourself and to your dreams. For me, it's about looking up from the laptop, knowing I'm spending time doing what I want to do and what I've dreamed of doing and that I've just written something I really, really like. If it never goes any further, that's okay.

Bottom Line. 

We're gonna die, all of us. Nobody gets out of here alive. NOW is when you get to shape your final thoughts. Will they be, "darn, I shoulda ..." 

Or ... "well, that was kind of fun." 

Questions or concerns about starting late? I'm happy to try to answer.