Genus or madness?

Genius or madness?

I’m sitting at my keyboard and contemplating that question. Why? Because I decided to rewrite my title Rockin’ the ’Nog.  Complete revision of the story. Why? Because I’m either a screaming genius or corkheaded and mad.

So, what happened when I first wrote ’Nog—way back when—was a small story placed in the Christmas time of Portland, OR while I was in a time of transition in my life. No, not a cancer scare specifically (as mentioned in the book) but drowning in loneliness due to the alienation I’m forced to endure in order to escape the PTSD delivered by the childhood I’ve endured, survived, and continue to process in my fiction. It’s been hard, but I’m now out of “survival” mode and into “thriving” mode.

But, back to the book. As I’ve done in the past, and will probably do in the future, I used my fiction to help me process things that are happening in my life. More, I did receive a mistaken “c*ck shot” from a buddy, who thought he was texting someone for a hook-up. HILARIOUS!! Then I put it into a book and we all laughed. (The trouble of being buddies with a fiction author. Anything interesting that crosses my plate could, and probably would, end up in a book.)

But now, four years later, ’Nog has something else to say because I have something else on my plate. That plate is full of concerns for my audience who follows my Portland Men stories and characters. Specifically, my publisher’s murmurings for a “sequel” to Ascend. (The thriller about the knife-wielding serial killer?)

Well, okay. I’ll produce a sequel but, in truth, a sequel isn’t simply “picking up where the other left off.” There is usually more, at least when I produce a sequel, because for me a story must be larger before it can encompass more time and space. So, to produce a requested sequel I needed to produce MORE.

“Backstory is dead story” so, no, I wasn’t happy to lump it into the one manuscript. (I mean, why? I’m a fiction author. When I make a story I usually put it to paper. (Why do all the work and not get paid? #justsaying.) So, I decided to sacrifice my peace of mind—and more than a bit of my sanity—to restructure and revise Rockin’ the ’Nog, now to my m/m brand with Loose ID Publishing.

Yes, there will be a romance between two characters—one who just happens to be the attorney prosecuting the criminal who tried to kill the starring characters of my Ascend—and the guy he’s been lusting after but…well, you know.

Aside that romance, please pluck a bit of the criminal’s story from ’Nog. That would have been the “backstory” of a sequel but, like I said, I loathe backstory dumps so…yeah. Anyway, enjoy the new ROCKIN’ THE ’NOG and Merry (Upcoming) Christmas! And look for the Ides of March, my St. Patrick’s Day story which is getting the same revision treatment.

After that, Ascend’s sequel. Also, btw, I’ve working on upgrades of Catching Her Balance and, also, something new. My first try at serial-type detective fiction.

I expect 2017 to be GREAT!!