Upcoming Book Signing Events

 
Hey Folks,

I have to upcoming book signing events!

On May 30th, from 9am to 4pm at the Champaign County Library. I'll be there with at least 11 other authors.

Stop in, talk reading, writing and maybe pick up a few of our books.

Then, on June 7th from 10am until 4pm, I'll be participating at the Piqua Comic Con!

It's always been a fun event with authors, artists and many vendors (toys, games, comics, etc.).

Hope to see you there!

We said Goodbye to Penny this Past Week

 

Penny in her Prime

This past week we said goodbye to our 13 year old loyal dog, Penny. Although she soldiered on, being the happy, fun-loving dog we'd known for over a decade, debilitating arthritis and the appearance of cancer finally proved too much for even her.

Penny had many nicknames, each of which she loved. Her favorite bedtime litany of them, told to her in the bedroom before going to sleep: "You're Penny, P-Dawg, the Bone Yard. Squirrel's Bane and 'Possum's woe, with your Jaws-o-Death," told to her as she got her ears scratched while on her cushion bed, Penny's tail would wag, often peeking out beneath the towel to "cover up her dupa" on winter nights as age crept up on her. She also loved to be called "Big Girl" and "Good Girl." Being called those just perked her up.

Myself and my family and all who visit our home will miss Penny's greeting, wagging tail and showing everyone her toy or bone. Another of her nicknames was the Guardian Houndie because she was always paying attention, often sleeping with one ear up.

Sleeping, One Ear Up

Penny was especially protective of the side yard, which was her territory. She'd ignore our cats, in the house or in the backyard. But, if they were in her side yard? The chase was on. Penny guarded it against squirrels (she came within inches of catching one once) and 'possums (she caught two, giving then good chew-toy shakes). And every time she was at the door, you could see the anticipation on her face, her tail and ears perked--reliving those memories in her head and anticipating a new addition.

Observing her Side Yard Territory

Penny loved being petted and playing tug of war with her ropes and toys. She loved her bones and wearing sweater outfits. When the weather got warm, and the outfits were removed, you could see that he made her unhappy, the opposite of when she got one put on.

 

Penny with her Favorite Outfit

Every Christmas and birthday, and several other random days in the year, Penny would get a new bone. Some from the store filled with goodies, or cooked soup bones. Each would provide weeks of chewing entertainment, extending into months.

Speaking of her side yard, she looked forward to sniffing the trails of all the birds, cats and other critters that had passed through in her absence. Stand and bark to warn others away, bark at cats or dogs or persons beyond her yard, run alongside the fence barking at vehicles traversing the alley alongside. Then she would find her spot and lay down, and observe her territory and the area just beyond the fence. 

Penny always looked forward to dinner, and sometimes a special treat when Kathy, (her mom), would place a pan or other cooking dish on the floor so Penny could lick out the grease. Penny kindly thought of it as helping by "pre-washing" to help me out. And Penny appreciated the few peanuts or other treats Kathy or our daughters would share in the living room with her as they watched TV or played video games. She'd spend time "killing" her toys, joyfully making them squeak with her Jaws-o-Death.

Penny with her Bone

Penny really hated baths. According to the animal shelter where we got Penny, she was found down by a river as a puppy, the rest of her littermates downed. But somehow she escaped that fate. Her dislike of the bathtub was well founded, and she normally got cleaned out in the yard with soap and a garden hose. Well, she didn't like that, but tolerated it.

Penny as a Puppy

Puppy Penny with her Pal Maddy
showing her the ropes

Penny had a pal, Maddy, who passed a few years earlier, and it was obvious she missed canine friend. Her companion and backup outside in the yard.

 

Penny and Maddy Hanging Together

 

Penny barking for a treat
with the more timid Maddy
not so sure that's the way to go.

Penny also had to put up with two of our cats, who eventually became sometimes indoor cats, especially on bitterly cold winter nights. For the most part, Penny would ignore them. When the cats would lay down on her bed cushion, P-Dawg would go curl up in the cat's bed. Sometimes the stare-down would begin. On rare occasion, Penny would let one of the cats onto her cushion bed, and they would nap, back to back. While she generally ignored the cats, Patches always kept out of her way, while Jigsaw, initially darting past or around, finally just pretended she wasn't there, and visa versa.

 

Penny sleeping in lost Pal, Maddy's bed

The Bone Yard loved getting petted, and returning kisses, and sometimes playfully snorting. Sometimes she'd stand, barking in front of the TV or the couch, announcing she wanted to play. And every time someone came home, Penny would greet them, and then head to the side door to go outside.

We enjoyed wonderful years as Penny as part of our "Pack." That said, they were far too few. Such is the experience of taking in a shelter dog as part of your family.

 

Penny Hearing Someone Coming in the Door

Although I am an author, it is difficult to find the words to express how much Penny, P-Dawg, the Bone Yard will be missed.

Penny hanging out in her later years
with toys and bone 

Classic Plastic Toy Expo Returns!

 
It's back!

I'll be there. Hope to see you there as well!

Said Goodbye to a Friend and Fellow Author, William O. Weldy

 

Bill/William O. Weldy at the Art Affair on the Square

This past weekend I said goodbye to William O. Weldy (Bill).

He was longtime friend. Always sharp and full of humor.

I met Bill as a coworker at the JVS where he taught Law Enforcement for about a decade. He also was a writer and had some darn good books published.

We shared our writing projects with each other and made recommendations for improvement, and were members of a crit group for years.

I have several of his books on my classroom shelves. Several are picked up and read each year, but Chase consistently garners the most interest.

I (like so many) am really going to miss Bill.

Book Signing on Nov. 8 in Sidney, Ohio

 
I and other authors will be there, 11/8/25.

An array of genres.

Stop by, chat a bit and see what's available.

Successful Re-Election bid for Village Council

 
I am thankful for the confidence the citizens showed in re-electing me to Village Council. 

As one of seven candidates, I came in 2nd, earning one of the four open seats on council, to serve another four year term.

Review of Guild (Audiobook) by Casia's Corner

 
Hey Folks,

Check out this review of Monsters, Maces and Magic: Guild over at Casia's Corner!

Relic Shield's 1st Draft is Finished

Typed "The End" to the first draft of Relic Shield, the third novel in the Crax War Chronicles.

It came in at 145,379 words, about the same length as Relic Hunted.

This one took a long time to complete. Now on to revision/editing.

Mike Rowe, Happy 4th of July

Hey Folks,

I enjoy listening to Mike Rowe's podcast. I find him interesting, insightful and usually funny.

Happy 4th of July!

Piqua Comic-Con 2026 (July 6th)

Hey Folks,

This is where I'll be July 6th!

Free Admission :)

Hope to see you there.

World Building Discussion at Montpelier Public Library

Hey Folks,

I have this event upcoming:

Hope to see you there!

Upstart Boardgamer

 

Folks,

If you enjoy games, there's a good company with a wide array of games. Not your standard fare found at the big box stores.

Check out the website and see if there might be something there for you, or possibly a gift for someone you know.

Link: Upstart Gamer Website

Below is a fraction of what's available:

Upcoming Event (April 19th) at Gallery 2:ten

 
Hey Folks,

I will be here with several other authors, talking reading, writing and (for me) especially fantasy and SF.

Hope to see you there!

From Pirated to Fodder for AI Training

On the author scale of things I am a small fish swimming in Lake Erie. Stirred up recently is use of pirated novels (and other copywritten work), used for AI training. Obviously without permission in either case.

Still, it appears that at least ten of my novels have been scooped up. This concern is already in court, but whatever the settlement, if any, it is highly unlikely to benefit me.

Such is life.

Here is a link to an article on the topic, if you might be interested: The Unbelievable Scale of AI's Pirated-Books Problem  

Fandemonium 2024 in Bryan, Ohio

Folks,

A quick note that I will be at the Fountain City Fandemonium this Saturday. 

I will also be participating in a panel at Noon discussing Writing and Publishing.

More information can be found HERE

Parkersburg PopCon on Sept. 14th

 

Hey Folks,

I'll be participating as an author at the Parkersburg PopCon this Saturday!

I'll be there, ready to talk about fantasy, SF and writing, and signing copies of my novels.

If you're in the Parkersburg, WV area, it'd be great to cross paths with you.

For more details visit the website: Parkersburg PopCon Website

My 15 Seconds of TV Fame...

 
So, I get my 15 seconds of TV fame...

Link to Interview: Here

(I am interviewed, one of several, on the local news about St. Paris and Paris France--an Olympic topic).

The reporter was genuinely interested and engaging. And yes, she is quite tall-especially in heels. And, while you don't see him, the cameraman was a fun and hilarious guy. Maybe he was surprised that I included him in the background discussion before the interview portion began. The reporter (Kelly King) was all for it. Not a "focus on me" sort of person. I spent about 12-15 minutes with them, and they obviously cut down a lot of what was discussed (certainly for the better!)

I was walking to the post office and saw the cameraman taking shots of the gas station across the street. That doesn't happen every day in the village of St. Paris, so I asked him what was going on. He said they were doing a piece about a Paris--St. Paris connection and asked if I wanted to be interviewed.

Piqua ComicCon 2024

 

Hey Folks,

I'll be at the Piqua ComicCon this upcoming weekend!

Will be there talking about fantasy, SF, writing, publishing, movies and just about anything else.

Will also have copies of my novels available.

For more information follow this link:
Piqua ComicCon Website

Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Signing Event (May 11th)

 

Hey Folks,

I will be here with five other authors. If you're in the area, stop by. Check out the authors, the art and the wine at the wine-tasting event.

Hope to see you there!

Knights of the Pageless Library's Review of Outpost

 
Hey Folks,

The Knights of the Pageless Library reviewed Outpost!

It's a pretty neat review site, if you enjoy audiobooks. They review and discuss a wide variety.

What I particularly enjoy is that they discuss the novel in general terms (and recommendation--or not) before moving on to discussing the novel in more detail, allowing listeners to stop and listen to the book without any spoilers.

You can find the review here on:

Review of Outpost on Spotify

Review of Outpost on Apple Podcasts

Review of Outpost on YouTube

Do you agree with their opinion of Outpost, and the narration by Jonathan Waters?