point of view

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Point of View: Indie or Bust?

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Yes I Can typewriter page - deposit photos

“Self publishing” has been around for a long time. Before the days of the internet (yes, I am that old), it used to mean using a “vanity press”—derogatory slang for a company that would print the books for you, and then leave a pallet of them on your doorstep. After that, the rest was up to you. Some of these companies would provide marketing and other services, often at an exorbitant cost, offering dubious value for the work. The enterprising self-published author would then schlep their book around to local bookstores, events, and anywhere else they might make a sale, … Read more

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Point of View: Something Old, Something new

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model from Love & Limitations cover

Hey all… this week, I thought it would be fun to share a few excerpts from my fourth annual short story collection. This one’s entirely contemporary – four MM romances and one found-family tale. There’s something old (the four MM romance stories) and something new (The Boy in the Band) here for you to enjoy. Three of them take place around Christmas, and three have transgender characters. And just for kicks, I’ve thrown in the original source image for the cover above. 🙂 Here’s the final: If you’re so inclined, you can pre-order a copy here (all buy links). So … Read more

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Point of View: Holidays Past

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Grandma and Granpa Coatsworth's House

The holidays are almost upon us. These days, they are so much different than they were when I was younger. I was a child and grandchuild of divorce, which did have some benefits. At one point, I had – and I counted them – 10 grandparents, and one year I had five different Christmas celebrations, with all the attendant presents. I cleaned up that year. The main event, though, was always at my grandparents’ house – my dad‘s parents. Grandpa John was a minister in the Disciples of Christ church. He was a good man – a bit closed off … Read more

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Point of View: Broken Again

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broken arm

Well, I am broken again. For those of you who didn’t see the news on Facebook, I was riding my bike (yes, I know) and managed to run into a parked car. I still don’t know how I did it, other than to say that I glanced over my shoulder, and when I looked back, the car was there. I want to think that it was a magical car, and that it just appeared out of nowhere. But my friends have assured me that this was probably not the case. I managed to break my wrist, and it’s not clear … Read more

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Point of View: Meet the Author

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Hey all… in the midst of all the angst in the world, I wanted to counter-program for a week, so I thought I’d do one of those “meet the author” things, and share a few bits you may not know about me. So strap in and enjoy! 1) I Speak (Kinda) Fluent Italian Back in 2005, when Mark and I were planning our first trip to Italy, we decided we needed to learn a little of the language so we could get by on the basics – you know, “We’d like a table for two.” “Ice, please.” And “Where’s the … Read more

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Point of View: You Can Go Back (But Should You?)

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Back in Time - Deposit Photos

Frasier is back. We saw the previews a month or two ago, and were convinced that it was going to be a total train wreck. But we’ve watched the first three episodes now, and it’s actually not bad. The show’s tone picks up pretty adroitly where the original series left off, and if it’s not quite as fresh as it once was, it’s still fun to settle back into Frasier’s world, as comfy as Martin Crane’s chair. And last Friday we watched Beverly Hills Cop and Flashdance back-to-back, and it was fun to travel back the 80’s again, my formative … Read more

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Point of View: Letting in the Light

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Light and ladder - deposit photos

Not since the depths of the pandemic have things seemed so dark. And at least then, there was a brief (these things are always brief) feeling of unity as we faced the viral invader together. Now there are wars breaking out, senseless and savage slaughter, rapidly escalating climate change, political chaos, and, as if nature had a sense of humor, a fiery eclipse. It’s enough to throw even the strongest of us into despair. I’m not immune, either. Though I have a generally optimistic mindset, one that usually springs back quickly, even I find myself dragged down by the seemingly … Read more

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Point of View: Becoming Italian

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Italian Heart - Deposit Photos

I’m not Italian. Not even a little bit. And yet I speak the language (almost fluently!) and love almost all things Italian (y’all can keep your Timpano). The food, the culture, the history and the people all fascinate me, and some of our best friends are actual Italians living in Italy, whom we talk to on Zoom on a weekly basis. So how did I become (almost) Italian? And why? Back in elementary school, I was fascinated by other cultures, especially Native American ones. I grew up in Tucson, in the heart of the southern Arizona desert, steeped in both … Read more

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Point of View: You’re Only as Thick as Your Skin

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man in full armor - deposit photos

“The truth is, publishing will break your heart, but you can’t let that stop you. You need to be tough. Really tough, or take your scribbles and go home. Becoming a writer isn’t a stroll through the park, with bluebirds singing and cute animals running by your side. It’s the freaking Thunderdome. Bring armor.” —Jamie Lee Moyer, Author and Editor Publishing is famously called the lowest paid profession for a reason. And writers, especially newbie ones, are at the bottom of the barrel. There are literally millions of us, many quite talented, and with the ease of indie publishing these … Read more

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Point of View: There Are No New Ideas. Or Are There?

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boring - deposit photos

I sometimes pine for the Golden Age era of sci-fi, when everything was new. Each story idea shone with fresh brilliance, and many of the tropes we still use today were just being invented by Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury and others. Sure, it was pretty much a white-men-only club (with a few notable exceptions). Yes, you had to write everything on a typewriter (they didn’t even have correction fluid until the late fifties), and there was no such thing as self publishing, or home computers, or Amazon, or the web in general. Still, as a sci-fi writer in the late Thirties … Read more