Yes, it took a really long time to get Book 2 published, but it is finally ready. Check it out at Amazon.com. If you buy the paper version you will get the Kindle version for free!

Thanks for sticking with me!

Happy All Saints Day!  For those of you who aren't quite ready to put away your Halloween decorations and are still craving something spooky, here is a short story.  After you read it, check out Ben Hare's podcast where he will read it to you, along with three other scary stories from the Here Be Dragons writers.  That website is http://www.herebedragonspodcast.com/.  There is a link to it on my links page.  If you go there and Ben doesn't have the stories up yet, be faithful and try back later!
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Trying to write, work at a demanding job, and spend quality time with your family is no easy task.  Ultimately, putting new content on this site is what got cut, in case you did not notice.  I assure you, I have been working on Book 2 of the Lifestream Trilogy.  

Before I head over to Old Firehouse Books for my guest author appearance, I thought it was high time I posted another short story.  Thanks for sticking with me during the dearth of new material.  By the way, I had 401 downloads of "A Song for Eventide"!  To celebrate, here is a tale from Saerna.

I just wanted to say a quick "thank you" to any of you who have downloaded the e-book version of Song.  If you haven't yet, you still have plenty of time!  "A Song for Eventide" is available absolutely free (on Kindle) through Tuesday.  

I have really enjoyed watching the number of downloads rise.  If I knew all I had to do to get people to pick up my book was to give it away, I'd have done so sooner!  Now, I just need them to read it and give me feedback.  

Please keep spreading the word.  I want to get as many downloads as one of my writing buddies had for his book, "Risking the Rune Sword", (he had over 600).  While J. Andrew Killian's book is awesome, it does not have a kick ass goat man who spits death at his enemies and life into his allies!

Don't forget to download my book from Amazon.com for free!  Starting Halloween and until November 4, 2014, I am offering the Kindle version of "A Song for Eventide" absolutely free.  No strings attached.  I am not even going to plead with you to leave a kind review after you read it.  

Don't have a Kindle, you say?  Well, tell your all your friends about it.  One of them is bound to have one, and I bet they'd let you borrow it.  You can't bring yourself to read an e-book as you love the feel of the real thing far too much?  Call me up on your rotary phone, you know the one with the cord, and I'll do my best to convince you to get with the times.  Although maybe you'll convince me to record myself reading my book onto a tape cassette so can listen to it on your Walkman.  Either way it is a win, as I just want people to read my story.

If you want to talk about it, come see me at Old Firehouse Books in Old Town Fort Collins on Friday, November 7, from 6 to 7 PM.  I'll have a good old fashioned hard copy waiting for you!  (But you will have to buy that one.)

Seriously though, tell everyone.  I really want to see a bunch of downloads.

Thanks for reading,
JBL

I like to think that my lack of new material lately is simply my mind's way to relax itself before the madness that is NaNoWriMo.  November is almost upon us and I have once again decided to take up the challenge.  It won't be easy, November is already a busy month for our household.  I have a daughter turning three, a guest author appearance at Old Firehouse Books, a house to sell, a move to make, and a wife to dote on.

My plan is to write at night and in the early morning, while said wife and daughter are still sleeping.  We will see how that goes.  If that doesn't work out, I will have to bail on our weekly Netflix fix.  I love Grey's Anatomy and Nashville just as much as the next guy, but sacrifices have to be made.

I want to assure you that despite my absence from the Scriptorium, I have been doing some writing.  I just don't have anything to throw up here that can stand on its own.  But I feel James Ratabaugh knocking around in my head, Alyssa Lattimer is going stir crazy, and the denizens of Saerna have many stories to be told.  

Did you notice that I mentioned a guest author appearance?  You should come.  Friday, November 7, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, I will be hawking my wares and answering questions from all my fans (that's right, my mom and dad are making the trip) at Old Firehouse Books in Old Town Fort Collins.  

Oh yeah, to celebrate my guest author appearance, I will be offering free downloads of "A Song for Eventide" at Amazon.com. starting on Halloween and continuing through November 4.  So please, download the e-book and give it a read.  If you want to seek me out afterwards to give me accolades or raspberries, you know where to find me on the 7th.  Maybe you'll want to buy a hard copy and ask me to sign it.  I'll be thinking of witty inscriptions until then.

Thanks for reading,
JBL

This week's writing was devoted to that lout, James Ratabaugh, and his path to becoming a Seeder Ship pilot for The Fellowship of Man.  This is my attempt to throw a little more meat on the bones.  

I focused this week on writing the sequel to "A Song for Eventide".  I am getting very close to finishing my first draft.  Since I don't have a stand alone story to put up this week, I am posting a chapter from Dirge.  This scene is from the perspective of one of the Mountain Wolves, whose kind made a devastating appearance in Song.  

If you have not read Song, I believe you can still enjoy this excerpt.  Actually, I hope it makes you want to go out and buy Song!