The Laptop is a-buzz with activity for the new year. There are 4 stories done for the upcoming horror anthology "Nyctophobia". Done so far are "Mr. Matthews Checks Out", "Lights in the sky", "Back Roads", "Lucifer's Parade". It's been hard because each one of these stories is begging to be at least a novella instead of a short story. Then i think to myself am i going to say too much with my writing...or am i just being lazy? i guess we'll find out when i'm ready to publish.
Also, the new novel for 2014, "The Land of Nod" has been outlined, the characters developed, and the possible ending is worked out. I actually had this book half written, but then i decided to change the back story, the sex of two of the characters, and changed the plot. Same concept, just a different way of telling the story. Hopefully made it richer.
Outside of writing, a bit excited for the auditions to begin for Blue Earth Town and Country Players who are presenting "Damn Yankees". Not sure if I will be auditioning or not, but i do love acting so much and i love the folks in Blue Earth.

I've started several novels but being the scatter mind that i am, i never finish hardly anything. The poetry books were easy, there was no plot, just poems which i had already written, it was a matter of organization and BAM...publish.
"Midnight Snacks: a horror anthology" was pretty much the same way, except i did need to tweak a few stories and characters.
"Zechariah 14:12-humanity's last stand" was my first full length novel and it was tough for me to know when to stop. when i thought i was done, a character would tell me they weren't done yet...so click and clack...4 chapters later i'm frustrated as to whether i was done yet. 
I've asked some of my readers what they'd like to see out of me next. I gave the the choice of these ideas from projects i've started:
-The Painting: a historical/drama/fiction/love story. in the 1950's an artist from east berlin falls in love with the daughter of a west berlin gallery owner. they fall in love and the night before he plans to propose to her, the wall goes up. they are separated and the story follows their trials and tribulations to find each other. This follows both the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall.

-The Land of Nod: a young adult fantasy novel. After the death of a minnesota family's matriarch, they soon find out after digging through some of gramma Elorah's things that their family has a legacy to guard the border between our world and others.

-growing fonda kerouac: a road story about a young graduate who tries to live out his dream to find the ghost of jack kerouac and the spirit of "easy rider" on his motorbike across america.

-love and insanity: a semi-autobiographical story about a suicide attempt and his inner-quest to find love in a dysfunctional world.

So far, "The Land of Nod" is winning out....though i have had requests for a sequel to "Zechariah"...hmmmm...

My attempt at a young adult book. Geared for the "Hunger Games"/"Harry Potter" crowd. The idea for the story came from a poem i had written titled "The Bridge" which is found in my second book of poetry "Another Sliver of Madness":

 Beyond the land of nod

to the borderlands of reality

a million children wait

to the other side a dream awaits

a nightmare pulled

from the inky soup of id

a forgotten sea boils below

accepting the gift of hopes

it is upon this bridge

adults walk wearily

some cast themselves

on the jagged rocks under

others drag themselves forward

some walk back

yet more run head long willingly

into the unknown depths

of imaginary bliss

the children only wait and stare

into the void that reflects back

there is laughter over there

there are screams

there are horses that take flight

and werewolves and vampires

they never cross over

as there are enough monsters

here...in the land of reality

The plot of the story begins with the death of a grandmother. when her surviving family comes to clean out her cabin in the northwoods of Minnesota, they uncover a family secret that has been passed down from one generation to the next.
There is a bridge that connects the land of dreams to reality, and it has been the duty of every woman in the family line to protect that bridge from letting any evil get to this side of reality. With grandma Hezbah gone, evil is seeping into our world unless she can reach her grand daughters from the otherside and "influence" her son to help them along.
This book will be dedicated to my two darling step-daughters.