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df

Everyone has a story and it's always worth listening to.

Interests: good stories, the craft of writing, theology, singing, church softball, Durham Bulls, San Francisco Giants, farmers' markets, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, cooking, breadbaking, eating, wine.

Recent Activity

Saints alive in Borschland

The second novel of the Borschland Hockey Chronicles is titled "The Skater and the Saint," and I'm hard at work on it and bursting to tell everyone what's in it. But I'll keep it under wraps until the book comes out, hopefully in December. In the meantime, I can tell... Continue reading

Posted 4 days ago at Skater in a Strange Land

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Solve puzzle, win fortune

In the mythical country of Borschland, newspapers carry a word puzzle that is as popular as a crossword puzzle in the United States. Try your hand at it! Unscramble the sentence to make a grammatically correct Latin sentence. Translate the sentence accurately. The sentence may refer to an ancient story.... Continue reading

Posted Apr 27, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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A new Borschland short, with Latin

When people find out that I am a Latin teacher as well as an author, they usually react in one of two ways: a) "You mean they still teach Latin? Amazing!" b) "My Latin teacher gave it to me in the neck." Fortunately, my own Latin teacher never gave it... Continue reading

Posted Apr 13, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Kid reads a lot, adult writes better

As a kid, I loved to read. I got my first library card in the third grade, at the desk of a gorgeous old pile of bricks on the corner of Hopkins Street and The Alameda in Berkeley, California. It was an ivy-twined Spanish Revival building that looked like the... Continue reading

Posted Apr 6, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Oz and good stories

"It's steampunk." "No, it isn't." "It's pretty steampunk." "No, it's not." "You have to admit, it has steampunk elements." "Well, it's not steampunk." A discussion about my novel, Skater in a Strange Land, which can be categorized as "steampunk lite"? No, an exchange with me and stepson, who is apparently... Continue reading

Posted Mar 28, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Goodreads Giveaways, oh my!

If you are a member of goodreads.com and interested in a chance at a free (personally inscribed) copy of Skater in a Strange Land, get on over to the Giveaways page and search. The Giveaway ends on March 11, and there are two books available, so you double your chances.... Continue reading

Posted Mar 7, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Vermeer's Woman in Blue and Borschland

On NPR this morning, much speculation about the subject of the letter that the "Woman in Blue" is reading in Vermeer's famous painting. The beloved, who is a painter herself, harumphed and said, "I'm sure Vermeer was concerned more with the color of the dress than with the subject of... Continue reading

Posted Mar 1, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Indie publishing, still a gold rush?

Recently I left a comment on Dean Wesley Smith's blog reiterating in a tongue-in-cheek way that indie (self-) publishing is a gold rush. In his next post, Smith wrote this: So I have a few start-of-the-year suggestions for indie publishers: 1... Stop thinking of this as a gold rush. We... Continue reading

Posted Jan 26, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Skater: the cover

Big thanks to the Haddixes and Streetlight Graphics for doing the work on Skater's cover. I asked for a cover that had some Steampunk elements but would go light on corsets, blimps, and gears. The metal frame around the blue background really did the trick. Then the classic buildings with... Continue reading

Posted Jan 20, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Sherm Reinhardt and good literature

Very proud to announce my appearance on the Phil Naessens Writers Showcase Podcast. Besides reading from Skater in a Strange Land, I had a blast telling Phil, among other things, what three books I'd take to a desert island. Phil also asked what authors influence me today, and I regret... Continue reading

Posted Jan 13, 2013 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Here's your hockey story, Mr. Deford

On NPR this morning, commentator Frank Deford laments that the entertainment industry is giving us only "sex, Justin Bieber and boxing" while ignoring an important part of our sports culture: hockey. Deford laments: "But most important, right now, I wish the entertainment moguls would do a play or a film... Continue reading

Posted Dec 12, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Phase shifts not affected by climate change, experts say

A perceived spike in short-term phase shifts on the Continent is not due to climate change, scientists at the Borschland Institute for Continental Ontotropology (Onderzujksinstituut fvoor Faaseverschijving, or OfF) reported yesterday. Klejmejns van ter Brejgcht, lead scientist for the Project on Climate Change and Continental Phase Shifts (Project over klimaatverandering... Continue reading

Posted Dec 7, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Skater's got a book trailer

Check out this video book trailer for Skater in a Strange Land. To purchase the book, go to Amazon. Enjoy and tell me what you think. Continue reading

Posted Nov 25, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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What is Steampunk Lite?

"Skater in a Strange Land" is not Steampunk. Not exactly. I spent a long time trying to figure out into what genre "Skater" fits. According to indie publishing guru Dean Wesley Smith, to sell your book, you need to know the category. I did a lot of research. But when... Continue reading

Posted Nov 18, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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"Skater" launches

"Skater in a Strange Land" is now available as an e-book on Kindle. The print version will be available soon. If you've come here after reading the book, welcome. Click on the link that says "Some facts about Borschland" if you'd like to learn more. I hope to update and... Continue reading

Posted Nov 5, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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BHL season begins

Bjaward 3, Bevinlunz 1: Yesterday, Bevinlunz lost their first game of the season at home 3-1 to Bjaward. But they lost something even more important in that game. Center Sikke Pfelward went down with what team doctors later diagnosed as a high ankle sprain after trying to keep up with... Continue reading

Posted Sep 27, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Sherm Reinhardt, American hero

by Kadmus Greningen columnist, "Brandy and Pucks" Te Borscher Sportteelegraaf Cashoth Pernoth, the normally taciturn, Zimrothian goalminder who backs up our beloved Norbert Grimm, had several words to describe our foreigner Sherman Reinhardt's performance on Saturday night. "So good, as if, an arrow from Bannar's quiver," he said, the corners... Continue reading

Posted Sep 25, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Borschland Hockey League: predicted finishes

While the 2012-13 NHL season is on hold, fans can follow the mythical Borschland Hockey League. This is a continuation of the season preview from the last post. In this portion, we will predict the teams finishes and tell you why. Note: There is no such thing as a playoff... Continue reading

Posted Sep 23, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Follow BHL during NHL lockout

The NHL lockout has put the 2012-13 season on hold-- briefly, hockey fans hope. So for now, if you want to follow ice hockey, you have to look elsewhere. That's where this blog comes to the rescue. The mythical Borschland Hockey League is entering its 75th season with a full... Continue reading

Posted Sep 22, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Skater in a strange land, Amazon synopsis

I invite readers to submit even shorter synopses. Short is good. 24-year old Sherman Reinhardt dreams of playing ice hockey professionally, but his career at a backwater Minnesota college disappoints-- until his doctored resume convinces a team owner that he's good enough to play in the mythical Borschland Hockey League.... Continue reading

Posted Jul 31, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Three first pages

Once upon a time a published novelist told me he had revised the first page of his most current novel over one hundred times. That seemed excessive to me at the time-- I was nineteen and very impatient-- and today it still does. But first pages are devilish difficult to... Continue reading

Posted Apr 28, 2012 at Skater in a Strange Land

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Intermission post: on success and "sticking" with it

This is a nice commentary on a hockey player who succeeded through very hard work for a lot of years. Maybe Sherm Reinhardt will at some time go to the NHL and have the same said about him. But in any case, the commentary is great inspiration for all of... Continue reading

Posted Jun 20, 2011 at Skater in a Strange Land

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I love the rejection sentence, "This was useless, worthless, and terrible, but at least it was long-winded."

Commented Apr 25, 2011 on Those Rejections at Gridley Fires

Really going back: The myth of the ages

The Greeks had a lot of stories about the beginnings of the world or how the world got to be the way it was. One of them described a series of ages: the Gold, the Silver, the Bronze, the Heroes,... Continue reading

Posted Oct 22, 2010 at Real Greek Mythology

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Where did Helen really go?

In real Greek mythology there is almost never one telling of a particular story. The story of the Trojan War is no exception. According to most poets, the prince of Troy, Paris, fell in love with the most beautiful woman... Continue reading

Posted Oct 20, 2010 at Real Greek Mythology

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