https://youtu.be/FTIKGD4hwJA Dick and Jane had an event in June 2018 that changed them in a big way. Oh, they didn’t realize the change at first. It settled in slow like how the day turns into night. It was subtle. A whisper of doubt that didn’t subside but grew in volume until Dick had to ask... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/VApjfpq1Z5M Boy, oh, boy. Jane’s perimeter road project is going to take a ton of time. Dick and Jane spent an hour pulling up weed trees using the John Deere Gator’s winch. Don’t get me wrong, the before and after picture showed progress, but there’s no road. Hold on. Dick’s got a plan. Oh, My... Continue Reading →
February’s a really special month for Dick and Jane. It’s when they said, “I do,” thirty-eight years ago. The day was sunny and warm, wedding-perfect. That old adage must be true about time flying when you’re having the time of your life; years melt away, and leave behind cherished memories. 2020 has already been a... Continue Reading →
Thank you, Writing Community on Twitter. It was through you that I discovered Shirley Gilmore and then her book, Bucky and the Lukefahr Ladies: Walking the Labyrinth. It didn’t take long to know I wanted to devour the story to discover what was up with Simon Carter and his dogged determination to keep his daughter,... Continue Reading →
In honor of Indie April, I’ve asked self-published author Andrew McDowell, a fellow member of the Maryland Writers’ Association, questions about his debut novel Mystical Greenwood and lessons learned. We’re both writing our second novels. And so, I wanted to take time out to consider what we are doing differently the second time around. M.J.... Continue Reading →
Some time ago, in the twenty-first century, Dick and Jane received a desperate phone call from their propane company. “Have you seen the size of our trucks? You need to trim back your trees. Branches are brushing against the sides, and top of our vehicles.” Well, if Dick and Jane wanted hot water and to... Continue Reading →
February is short on days, and I’m short on time. Instead of the blog I’ve pondered on throughout the week, Sawmills and Sappy Characters. I’ve decided to go with MJ’s Mismatched Month. Mismatched, in what way? Well, my to-do list has expanded past February’s 28 days, allowing mayhem to trample, twist, and tug my schedule... Continue Reading →
Welcome to the third and final installment of the False Gods cover reveals. For those of you tuning in for the first time, I’ll recap or you can go to the first blog. While participating in a Self-Publishing panel with L. R. Trovillion, she brought her first novel, False Gods, with three different covers. It... Continue Reading →
Author L. R. Trovillion brought her book, False Gods, in three different covers, to the Maryland Writer's Association's Howard County's January chapter meeting as an example of a hard lesson learned. It was such a striking visual demonstration I asked if I could share it with you. In last week's blog, Are You Covered for... Continue Reading →
Do you judge a book by its cover? Answer truthfully. It's a trick question; we all do. Whether the book sits on a library shelf, a bookstore display shelf, or the digital shelf. It’s the cover that grabs our attention, that compels us to examine it further, that makes us wonder what point in the... Continue Reading →
M.J. Patrick
Author M.J. Patrick 