Only the Good Die Young

As I approach one of those milestone birthdays I've started thinking of all the stories still stuck in my skull and whether I'll ever get around to writing and publishing them. Not to depress anyone, but our time on this big, blue marble is finite and as I listened to Billy Joel's Greatest Hits album the other day I was at least encouraged by his song, Only the Good Die Young. I've already passed that "Young" marker, which probably says a lot about me as a Good person.

My mood wasn't improved by the passing of Simba a few weeks back. Simba was a big teddy
bear of a cat who totally fell in love with my wife. Believe it or not, he was a feral when we "rescued" him, had him neutered and added him to the DiGenti herd of cats. It took a while, but he soon became the neediest of them all. Simba followed Evanne around like she left tuna juice in her tracks.

If we were fixing lunch he was underfoot. When we sat on the couch to watch TV in the evening, Simba bulldozed other cats away and claimed the place of honor next to my dear wife. Not only next to her, but all over her. He'd stretch his big body out and push his head against her shoulder, burying it in her neck. And they'd stay like that while we waited for Hiro to save the cheerleader and the world.

It was the same thing when we went to bed. There was this humongous gray tabby purring away, pawing my wife. If I were a jealous man, I'd have dispatched him myself.

In the end Simba's big heart betrayed him. We found him fast asleep on the porch, or so it seemed. He had apparently passed quietly away in his sleep, probably while dreaming of my wife. I buried Simba in the backyard and a neighbor brought us a small cherub statue which now marks the site of his grave. Each time I pass that way I give the big guy a nod and swear I hear him purring in reply.

We estimate that Simba was only 6 or 7 years old, probably double the lifespan of a feral cat, but only half the average of an indoor domesticated cat. Still, he had a good life while he was with us and surely added some spice to our household.

If you're following my morbid train of thought you already know where it leads. We never know how much time is allotted to us, and to paraphrase Carl Sandburg who said "Time is the coin of your life," be careful how you spend it. Which brings me back to writing. It's so easy to be distracted from the work of writing. Sometimes when the words aren’t flowing, my mind will drift away and my eyes will track the spindly periwinkles blowing in the breeze outside my office window. Soon I’m fixated on my overgrown lawn and worried what the neighbors must think. The next thing I know I'm outside cranking up the mower.

Or I'll take a quick break from my writing to check my email. Lord knows I've only checked it twelve times already but, hey, you never know when you'll get an important message from the head of the Nigerian Bank wanting to deposit a million dollars in your account as soon as you send him the account number.

As I wrote in my column for the Spring issue of The Florida Writer, "your mind will constantly throw roadblocks in your path if you let it, so keep those blinders on and concentrate on the writing. Taking time out to nibble on chocolate now and then, of course."

That's enough time-talk for now, except for this final quote from the great philosopher, Groucho Marx who said, "Time flies like an Arrow, fruit flies like a banana."

Adios until next time.

Summer of 2007

It's been a while since I've sent out one of my E-Newsletters, and proving that even old dogs (or cats) can learn new tricks, I've decided to add a Blog to my site. This will take the place of a newsletter, and will force me to update it more frequently. You won't have to wait (as though you've been holding your breath) until you receive one of my periodic emails but can now check my website and see the latest update.

I resisted joining the blog trend since it seemed pretentious to think people were interested in reading another writer's deep, deep thoughts. Particularly since I've never been accused of having deep, deep thoughts. I still feel that way, plus the thought of adding another task to my time-challenged day bordered on the masochistic.

Change comes to all of us, though. I've been writing a monthly blog for the Florida Writers Association, and found it a handy way to communicate with writers in the NE Florida area where I'm a regional director for FWA. If you're interested in reading it, go to www.fwapontevedra.blogspot.com. So using Blogger.com I've decided to start another for my WINDRUSHER readers and those of you who may be looking forward to my new mystery.

MATANZAS BAY is my unpublished mystery. Yes, it's still unpublished, but an exciting thing happened recently when my book was honored with the Josiah W. Bancroft, Sr. Award for best novel at the First Coast Writers Festival.

The final judge in the competition was David Poyer, a writer with 28 published novels including THE MED, THE GULF, THE THREAT, BLACK STORM and many more. So, when David Poyer plucked my book out of the stack of 85 entries and said it's the best of the bunch, I tend to think it's a big deal. David also gave me a valuable critque which sent me back to my computer for another rewrite. Then he wanted me to send it to Robert Bailey, a past winner of the compettion, author of three published mysteries, and a former private investigator. Since my protagonist is a PI, I had to agree this would be valuable.

After I receive Bob's critique, it will proably need another rewrite. Then, possibly, it will find a home with a publisher. If you're wondering what MATANZAS BAY is all about, here's the nifty one-sentence synopsis Poyer wrote after judging the manuscript: "Guilt-ridden private detective Quint Mitchell stumbles into a Chinatown-like hall of mirrors of murder, conspiracy, and land development politics in St. Augustine."

Those of you who read my second novel, WINDRUSHER AND THE CAVE OF THO-HOTH, will recognize Quint Mitchell as the PI the Trembles hire to locate Windrusher after he's catnapped from his back yard in Crystal River, Florida. Yep, Quint's got his own book now, and hopefully it's the start of a new series.

I've been promising readers another installment in the WINDRUSHER series, and now that I've completed MATANZAS BAY, at least for now, I've begun book three. My publisher, Ocean Publishing, has set a publication date of Spring 2008. That's less than a year until my wandering feline finds his way into your home.

I can't give away too much of the plot, but I'll tell you this one will be totally different from the other two, and hopefully just as entertaining. Our peripatetic cat doesn't travel too far from home, but he's faced with another unique challenge. More to come later.

On the home front, I have a few book signings scheduled for June and July, including a couple of library talks. Be sure to check the Appearances page on my website for the most current list —

http://www.windrusher.com/Appearances.html

Until next time, enjoy your summer, be nice to your cats, and keep reading. If you're a would-be writer, you'll enjoy these final words from novelist Lawrence Block:

“If you want to write fiction, the best thing you can do is take two aspirins, lie down in a dark room, and wait for the feeling to pass. If it persists, you probably ought to write a novel."