Fixing a taillight to avoid jail

A few updates before I regale you with the story of my past week or so: L.L. Press has accepted a manuscript submission and signed its author, whose book is tentatively scheduled to be released in October. I'll withhold details for now but will say the manuscript is very good, incorporates elements of Southwestern folklore …

L.L. Press is open for business

As promised last month, I have opened a small publishing company. L.L. Press has incorporated as an LLC with the New Mexico Secretary of State, has been issued an EIN by the Internal Revenue Service, and a business bank account has been opened for it. In short, we are live! Check the site for upcoming …

Movie review: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

In middle, high school, and a bit in college, I did quite a number of movie reviews and of my journalism career, they stand out as my favorite aspect. So on occasion I'll do a movie review, more likely than not of a movie that was released several years, if not decades, ago, for what …

Don’t get stuck in the past

Occasionally I like to take inventory of my life, where I am, where I've come from, and overall just be all introspective and shit. One thing I'm struck by is the amount of bullshit in my past, none of which I will reproduce here (the savvy reader may be able to discern these events in …

My writing process

I have a close friend who likes to write but rarely finishes anything. Recently he asked me about my writing process and suggested I do a blog entry about it. On the chance that it may help others, or may interest some (I like to hear about other writers' processes), I'll explain it as best …

“Days of Fury” coming

On Feb. 10 I will publish my third novel, "Days of Fury." It's a murder-mystery set in Minnesota/South Dakota in the mid-1980s. Nine-year-old Ryan Strand disappears one winter day and Det. Tom Losnedahl is called in to investigate. He finds a number of plausible suspects, including Ryan's parents, aunt, uncle, and his best friend's parents. …

Looking toward the future

Since this past August, I've been neck-deep in various writing projects--from researching an upcoming true-crime novel, writing, editing, and formatting manuscripts, designing covers, arranging and managing marketing and advertising efforts. I've learned a lot, much that I never thought would appeal to me but all of these efforts have been aimed at a single end …

“Most Unnatural” thoughts

You may have seen that my next novel, Most Unnatural, will be published this Friday. Like Effusion, it'll be available on Amazon in both eBook (99 cents) and paperback ($10). But it won't be anything like Effusion. First of all, it'll be quite a bit longer (hence the increased paperback price). Secondly, it's not an adventure story. In fact I …

My name’s Liam and I’m a conspiracy theorist

I consider myself a very inquisitive person. When I come across a word I don't recognize, I immediately look up its definition. When a song or a movie is popular, I look it up to determine if it's something I may enjoy. I don't let public opinion have much bearing on my own decisions, opinions, …

Examining the concept of the Great American Novel

The other day in writing about how the publishing industry has marginalized the value of the novella, I mentioned two books as being the seminal American books: Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song and John Steinbeck's East of Eden. I stand by that claim but I want to elaborate on the idea of the Great American Novel, a concept long discussed …