March 3, 2021 – I wrote something! I wrote something! Hot damn, I finally wrote something! It’s been ages. In the interest of full disclosure, I have written things in recent months. But they have mostly been things related to my publishing business to help authors create, market, and sell their books. While it may... Continue Reading →
October 2020 newsletter: Fall is the time for Pizza, Flu Shots, and Voting Early
October 1, 2020 – Hey there. I’ve been eating a lot of bacon and eggs lately, which is something I knew you'd be interested in knowing. Bacon on the side of the eggs. Bacon in the eggs, sometimes wrapped in a tortilla or on a bagel with cheese. But we’re out of bacon right now.... Continue Reading →
Undoing Evil: True crime podcast’s initial episode features me, ‘Murder in Wauwatosa’
Well, we finally did it. A few months after being asked to be interviewed for a podcast centering on true crime, Undoing Evil's first episode went live last night (Aug. 13) featuring me and my first book, Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher. That book tells the story of an 8-year-old boy... Continue Reading →
August 2020 Newsletter: Don’t Get Me Anything for My Birthday
August 2020 Monday (Aug. 3) is my birthday. You don’t have to get me anything. It’s OK. I understand. You’re busy. The whole mask thing has you upside down and inside out. I’m not that important. All of that is totally understandable. But, since it’s my special day. I’m going to treat myself. After my... Continue Reading →
Writing Tip: How to conduct an in-person interview
Many of us writers are good at researching topics in books or online or coming up with cool stuff in our own heads. But there are some instances where we can only get the kind of information we want from talking to an actual human being. This is especially true if we want to know... Continue Reading →
So, I Bought a Publishing Company …
It’s official. I am now the proud owner of a well-established publishing company. Yeh, I know. I started 18% Gray Publishing a few months back and published two books. But, this is different. This is bigger ... much bigger. On May 11, I purchased PathBinder Publishing from Heather Hummel Gallagher, who founded it nearly 15... Continue Reading →
A new direction? Or just another role?
I've been doing this publishing thing for just over a week now, and already it's led to some opportunities I hadn't expected. On March 30, I published a book of memoirs, essays and song lyrics by a longtime musician with my 18% Gray Publishing arm of creative genius. "Shut Up and Listen: Me vs. Me:... Continue Reading →
Promoting Local Authors (We’re in the Newspaper!)
One of the author events that my wife and I were scheduled to go to but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic was one at a library not far from us. The authors fair at the Clark-Pleasant Branch of the Johnson County (Ind.) Public Library was to feature several area authors on March 21.... Continue Reading →
March 2020 newsletter: Pails of action figures, piles of ailments, and pools of Coronavirus antidotes
March 3, 2020 Well hello there, faithful followers, inquisitive types, and those who accidentally stumbled in thinking this was going to give you guidance on dealing with the coronavirus or election ads. Coronavirus (not anything to do with beer) Let us get right to the coronavirus. In order to prevent the spread of this thing... Continue Reading →
Talking to middle-schoolers about writing
My wife, Kimberly, and I enjoyed talking to middle-schoolers about writing books on Monday (Feb. 10). We visited Columbus Signature Academy - Central Middle School, Columbus, Indiana, that morning to speak with students who are in the midst of working on historical fiction stories set in the U.S. Civil War. Below is a sketch one... Continue Reading →