Skip to content

Any gift that includes murder, blood, and betrayal is perfect in my book

I never expect a holiday gift from my students, and when asked what I want, my reply is always the same: “Word hard. Be kind. That would be more than enough for me.” Despite these protestations, I often receive gifts.  This year the class was kind enough to give me my very first pair of…

Read More

A man shouted at me. Swore at me. My response was not appropriate. Unfortunately.

I pulled alongside the gas pump and shifted my car into park. There was another gas pump just ahead of me, but there was a yellow plastic bag around the pump handle, indicating that the pump was not functioning. I began pumping gas. The man in the pickup truck parked behind me had pulled into…

Read More

Small boy. Big words. Enormous inspiration.

There have been many inspirational speeches throughout history. Knute Rockne’s “One for the Gipper” speech. The Saint Crispin’s Day speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V (which sounds surprisingly like the speech that the President gives before the final battle against the aliens on Independence Day). Winston Churchill’s address to the House of Commons following the evacuation…

Read More

Children swallowing poisoned beads was not my original plan. I swear.

In 2012 I participated in the Books on the Nightstand Booktopia event in Santa Cruz, California. The culmination of the weekend is an event called the Celebration of Author, wherein each author speaks for about ten minutes. My talk, as well as that of author Cara Black, was broadcast on the Books on the Nightstand…

Read More

My book launch included three very special people

Last night’s book launch at Barnes & Noble was wonderful, and I thank all of my friends and family and fans for their support. We had about one hundred people in attendance to hear me read a smidgen from MEMOIRS OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND, tell some stories related to the book, recommend some of my…

Read More