A quick update on book sales:  There isn't anything to report, because sales have been extremely slow.  I've only sold about fifteen books, total, and I haven't broken even on my investment.  It hardly seems worth the effort to publish anything, except that I keep getting encouragement.  The real "encouragement" will come from people who think enough of my writing to pay for it!  Lord knows, I don't need the money.  My salary as an engineer keeps us comfortable, but it would be nice to justify my writing by having it pay for itself.  Otherwise, it's just a nice hobby. 

I've written almost enough to have another book of short stories and have enough material for two or three full length novels.  Should I complete them?  Let me know!

Okay, so the sales of my first two books aren't coming along as quickly as I'd hoped, but that won't stop me from writing other books as well.  I've identified a publisher that does much better marketing, so I'll see if they'll publish my next book. 

Louis and I will be leaving early tomorrow morning for a sorely needed vacation.  We'll be spending the next two weeks at Davis Mountains State Park, our favorite Texas haunt!  My birthday will be coming up, so we'll have dinner at a nice restaurant in Marfa (Yes, there's a nice restaurant there!), then we'll go see if we can see a flying saucer land at the Marfa Lights Viewing Area. 

If you try to contact me, I'll be out of touch while I'm on vacation.  It's not so much from choice; there's just not much of a way of finding a hot spot in the Big Bend area of Texas.  That's both it's charm and it's flaw. 

Until I return, here's HUGS!   - Lance

Chapter 35 of "Nudist Camp Vacation" is now posted.  I've already received several private emails from fans, and I'm looking for more!  Everything I've read recently says that writers very rarely make any money from their work (most of the cost of a book goes to the printer and publisher), so feedback is that much more important!  If you really want me to keep writing, please let me know!  Thanks to all who write! 

Several people have asked me how I come up with the ideas for my writing, specifically, for some of the stuff in NCV.  Well, a lot comes from personal experience, or is related to personal experience, but most of it just happens!  It's as if the characters take over and write it.  I've heard the same story from other writers, too.  There have been many times that I can't stand to interrupt my writing, because I want to see what happens next!  I know how odd this sounds, but it's true! 

There will be several more chapters of NCV, but I'm not sure how many.  I'm not completely sure how it'll end, but I have several ideas.  If you want to encourage me to write an ending you have in mind, write to me and let me know.  I'll consider any reasonable suggestion! 

Until next time, many warm hugs!     - Lance

I've been talking about it, I've been blogging about it, and I've even been boasting about it, but now it's finally happened! I'm published!It may not be conventional publishing, as by a mainstream publisher, but it took some doing to bring it about on my own. Once I finally got together the stories for "Roses in the Desert," it wasn't difficult to prepare the first 20 chapters of "Nudist Camp Vacation" for publishing as well. A lot of the regular readers of NCV had been asking for it in print, so now it's available! The second part of NCV will be ready for publishing in about a year (if not sooner). Now that I've got two books out, I've got the fever to publish more of my writing. I've said before that writing, like acting,is a narcotic; once you've done it, you want to do it again and again. Well, I'm finding that making your work available for others to read is almost as adictive! I have immediate plans for two more books. Of course, one will be NCV, Part 2, and that will be the focus of my immediate attention, and the second will be another collection of short stories, some of which I've already written. Then, down the road, I'll rework the first book I wrote (yes, it's still unpublished!), then I plan to put to paper a sci fi book that's been floating around in my mind for quite a few years. For now, pray that these books sell. It'll make it a lot easier to keep writing! Love & hugs - Lance

I've just sent Chapter 34 of NCV to post.  The posting contains an announcement of my new website, so I'm hoping that I'll have some visits, here.  If you're visiting my blog for the first time, be sure to sign up for updates.  I'll be posting updates on my writing to my blog on a regular basis, now. 

For now, WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!

     - Lance