Pardon The Dust: A Collection Of Essays

There are changes in the air and plenty to share. 

Late last year, I successfully launched a new author site, byRichardRBecker, which has even more focus on my books than I sometimes share here or a Copywrite, Ink. The new author site included a blog, but I was very leery about starting one (given that it meant starting another one). Until, well, today. 

I've been playing with an idea my son and daughter gave me a few months ago. They wanted me to write something for them, specifically related to life lessons, memories, and things of that sort. 

So I've been thinking about the request, on and off, since then. I mean, it made perfect sense, given that Screen Door, the Wisconsin story in "50 States," is closer to real life than fiction. A few others do, too, maybe. Except, which ones at what times and how much will always be the mystery. 

Anyway, just this morning, I took a break from WIP (work in progress) to pen the first one. Sometimes writers have to write when inspiration strikes. It certainly struck me this morning. And then, shortly after I was finished, I had no idea what to do with the essay because it didn't really fit here. But it was the kind of thing that might fit over there. 

So that's what I did. The first lesson, aptly titled "The First Lesson," is about the first real lesson I learned in school as a poor kid struggling to read in the third grade and about to be failed forward into fourth. That's what they did back then. And sometimes some people tell me they still do today, too. 

Interestingly enough, as much as I love it, I almost didn't publish it. But then the universe sent me a little message. The essay I wrote contained a reference to Bass Reeves. And right after lunch, while I was debating whether to publish the essay, I picked up the book I was reading only to discover that the next chapter opened with a reference to Bass Reeves.

Message received. This new collection of essays can be found on my author site as I write them, even if a few people might remember that the first couple of sentences were originally penned on this one almost 20 years ago. I had shared a piece of my life to open for a promotion, but never really paid the story off. 

There were blue tickets, and there were red tickets.

Blue tickets for the kids whose families could afford a 30-cent lunch. Red for those who could not.

[read more]

The new essay pays it off. At least I like to think so. Maybe you can tell me. 

As for the rest of the news, please pardon the dust as I make changes. I've been slowly realigning my online presence to match the scope of my work — as a communicator and as a literary author. Mostly, that means you'll find more posts about writing and communication here, and more author-related things like  short essays there, and short parts and pieces of fiction if you subscribe to my author newsletter, which may also be undergoing some changes, too. 

Good night and good luck! 

Lasting Impressions: 5 Memorable Books in 2025

Many writers are readers, and I am no exception. I read 56 books this year, which was eight more than my modest 48-book goal. Collectively, they totaled 20,082 pages read, with the shortest being "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine at 104 pages and the longest "The Guns of August" by Barbara W. Tuchman at 710 pages. Head over to Goodreads, BookBub, or TheStoryGraph if you are interested in seeing them all. 

So, like I do every year, I decided to call out five titles (plus one indie book) that surprised me this year. This was no small feat, given long favorites like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Chapterhouse: Dune" were in the mix. (Interesting side note: "The Return of the King" was the highest rated of all the books I read this year on Goodreads while "Fourth Wing" was the most shelved.) I also added in a few classics like I do every year: "Winesburg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson, "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, "This Side of Paradise" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and "Nostromo" by Joseph Conrad, among them. And I also made sure to include a few favorite authors, like Peter Heller, James Slater, and S.A. Cosby. 

My admiration for many of those titles will never change (I've read Lord of the Rings at least five times), but the measure I set forth today was which titles were memorable — those I've been reflecting on long after the book was finished. And these were the ones I've settled on for that reason.

American Spirits by Russel Banks. This collection of three shorts is a work of emotional and intellectual heft, solidifying Banks as one of my favorite authors. He has a profound influence on my own journey as an author, despite discovering him late.

What makes “American Spirits” exceptional is Banks’ refusal to lean on stereotypes or easy characterizations. His characters are not caricatures of rural America, nor are they reduced to simplistic archetypes of struggle or redemption. Instead, Banks dismantles preconceived notions, presenting individuals who are complex, flawed, and achingly human. In the three stories discussed here, Banks explores themes of loss, identity, and the collision of personal and societal forces, all while peeling back the layers of American mythology to reveal the messy truths beneath. There are no heroes.

At the same time, Banks’ ability to capture the human condition with honesty and compassion is unmatched, and his commitment to dismantling stereotypes ensures that his characters feel like people we might know, or even be. In every case, he sets us up to expect something but then delivers something different, perhaps challenging our own stereotypes in the process.

Being And Time by Martin Heidegger. Martin Heidegger’s Time and Being stands the test of time. While originally published in 1927, it is nothing less than a monumental work in existential phenomenology, reshaping how we understand existence, time, and the human condition.

At the heart of Time and Being lies Heidegger’s notion of living an authentic life, a concept that resonates deeply in a world often dulled by routine and conformity. Heidegger argues that most people live in a state of “everydayness,” a mode of existence where people live out their lives as part of the anonymous, collective norms of society. In this state, we drift, distracted by mundane tasks and social expectations, losing sight of our individuality and the deeper question of Being.

To live authentically, Heidegger urges us to break free from this inauthentic mode through a process of self-realization. This awakening is not a one-time event but a continuous effort to reclaim one’s existence as uniquely one’s own. Add to this idea that, according to Heidegger, we exist temporally (meaning our existence is shaped by our relationship to the past, present, and future) and this state is existential (and not merely chronological), and you'll begin to understand why it's hard to let some of his concepts go. I will never see the world the same way.

The Man Who Lived Underground by Richard Wright. The bleak opening chapters of police brutality will make anyone uncomfortable, especially those of us who have been unfairly accused or treated at one time or another. In this case, the illustration is extreme, so one feels it as if it is an alien planet where the novel takes place and not merely an alternative reality where it takes place.

Even so, there is no question Wright borrows from his own experiences of being falsely accused in painting a vivid portrait of race and injustice, as well as his grandmother's worldview as a Seventh-day Adventist. In Wright's reflective essay about his grandmother (which was included in the version of the book I read), Wright describes her as a woman “in this world but not of it." It was her religious fervor creating a psychological withdrawal from reality that fascinated and repelled him.

This novel is a masterclass in concise storytelling and offers profound insights into truth, justice, and humanity. It's the kind of book, in fact, that, despite how uncomfortable it can make you feel at times, deserves a second or third read.

Flesh by David Szalay. Despite surface readings that claim it is about masculinity, it's really a portrait of a man trapped in everydayness. István's simple, straightforward path veers upward toward success and then toward quiet tragedy.

Everyone else in the novel, and I mean everybody, writes his story. Without these outside narrators telling him what to do, István could barely be classified as human. He is so caught up in the everydayness of being, he trods along in a clipped, nonjudgmental prose that mirrors his emotional flatness. As a result, it's impossible to like him, given that he gives readers nothing to hope for or any reason to root for him. The best we can do is feel pity. Yet, the story is strangely compelling, even hypnotic, even if its deliberateness won't suit many readers.

In a late confession, he admits as much, saying that Helen, the Englishwoman he marries after a fleeting affair, was "the most important person" in his life. These words crystallize the void: he has no core identity, only borrowed fragments that expand his world briefly before collapsing into the insulation that bore him in the first few pages. It's the opposite of any character I might like, and somehow, I still find myself thinking about the absence it contained. It is a perfect expansion and contraction, attuned to the undercurrents of being ordinary.

The Winners by Fredrik Backman. This is a beautiful book that explores community — how small and big events ripple through our lives even when we don't know it. And, it is in this macro view that it differs from the original novel Beartown, which was much more grounded in its plot.

Told over roughly two weeks (although it will feel so much longer), Backman dashes headlong into several themes tied together by an overarching premise about the trajectory of many lives, how they nearly miss each other or collide, and the aftermath of those collisions and near misses. In the process, Backman convinces you to think about your own life and all those consequences, great and small, once a chain of cause and effect is set in motion.

At its heart, some will have you believe the entire Beartown series is about hockey and the love of a sport. It could also be that The Winners reminded me of my small-town experiences, growing up part-time in northern Wisconsin until I was ten: How everyone knows everyone or at least thinks they do. And how different one lake community could be from the next, despite looking the same to anyone on the outside.

Indie Pick Bonus: Club Contango by Eliane Boey. Eliane Boey's cyberpunk sci-fi story, Club Contango, is a fast-paced, character-driven tale that is sometimes too immersive for its own good. It's easy to get lost and drift along, taking in the imagery and stylistic prose. Yet, it's the writing and a few clever twists that set a high bar among indie books this year. 

I loved several indie books this year, but I kept thinking back to Boey's talent as a writer and unique perspective as a Singaporean novelist every time I finished one. She is someone to watch, especially if you enjoy compelling characters in a vivid, dense world. For true cyberpunk fans, Club Contango is a must-read for its craft and originality.

Born on Monday by Richard R. Becker. This isn't a pick as much as a nod to the book I undoubtedly spent the most time with this year — finishing it, editing it, and polishing it until it was a ready for the publisher. And its inclusion in this post gives me a place to answer a common question: Why do I consider it a "literary" thriller? In part, it's because the themes I tackle within tend to transcend the genre, like the cost of secrets, the cycle of abuse and redemption, small-town insularity, and reliance amid trauma. Exploring these topics was as important to me as delivering a thriller with an effective twist. And to do it, I believe I've effectively created three characters who travel very different paths to find answers — a reckless, grief-stricken man who has sentenced himself to the everydayness of life, a trauma victim silenced by shame despite her foundation of strength, and an investigative journalist's passion for the truth in the town where the truth is as malleable as the people within it. 

Those were my five most memorable this year, though there were many more favorites that I won't mention here. You can find a running list of favorites listed on The Eclectic Shelf by Copywrite, Ink. at Bookshop.org or scroll down for The Second Shelf, Knowledge Shelf (non-fiction), and Writers Shelf. Feel free to drop some of yours in the comments or wherever we run into each other online. Enjoy! 

Writing Author Notes: Born On Monday

In Augusta, Maine, a historic nor’easter and something more sinister unearth secrets buried deep in the town’s past. With time running out, three lives collide in a desperate fight for survival, where truth becomes a casualty and redemption comes at a cost.

Billy Stevens, a quarry worker haunted by loss, is drawn into a web of betrayal when a brutal crime pins him as a suspect. Jessica Michaud returns to care for her ailing mother, only to find herself hunted by a vengeful ex whose chilling threats awaken old wounds. And journalist Andrea Kearney digs into a local dynasty’s corruption as the storm’s fury mirrors the rising tide of violence.

“Born On Monday” is a gripping tale of resilience, moral ambiguity, and small-town sins — a literary thriller that will keep readers breathless until its haunting conclusion. Award-winning author Richard R. Becker delivers a gritty thriller that digs into identity, perception, and the human condition.

***

Perhaps I will one day, but I have never included author notes or acknowledgements in my books. The closest I’ve come to doing so was including one in “Born On Monday.” Ultimately, I decided not to add any more pages and let the story stand on its own.

It wasn’t until I was midway through the first few book interviews ahead of my release that some people might appreciate some insights into how this book came together. And, along with that, a brief explanation of my brand of fiction that sometimes bends and blends history and reality to create as authentic an atmosphere as possible, even if the Augusta, Maine, in my book is merely an imperfect reflection of the real one.

The Bear Paw, for example, doesn’t exist in downtown Augusta just off the Kennebec River, even if it feels like such a bar should exist there. Neither does Windsor High School, attended by many principal characters. Their rival school, Cony High, does exist, but it’s only mentioned in passing. Conversely, there has never been a Pine Bluff Village trailer park, even if it is a commingling of trailer parks in the area. Yet, the storm, the 2017 October nor’easter, really was the worst windstorm in Maine’s history. 

Interestingly enough, the storm becomes yet another antagonist in the book, but it wasn’t the reason I chose Maine for “Born on Monday.” The storm, like so many things that happen for authors, was a happy accident. I was looking up weather to help ground the story’s sense of realism and stumbled into what can only be called a happy accident. It went on to inform so much of the book’s climactic ending. 

So why Augusta in the first place? The most straightforward answer is that it is the setting of the initial spark — a short story called Time Capsule, first published in my short story collection, “50 States,” in 2021. It was the thirty-seventh short story in the collection, and I needed a location in Maine. Augusta fit the nature of the story, which initially began as an exploration of how people who stay in a town after high school tend to feel the same as compared to those who change after they leave for parts unknown. 

In the story, Billy Stevens is the one who stayed. Jessica Michaud is the one who left. We never learn the reasons behind the why in the short story, but it’s well established that, much like his physical presence, Billy’s feelings for Jessica are as fresh as the day she left. Her feelings for him, however, aren’t much more than a distant memory and maybe an annoyance.

The details of why they broke up didn’t even occur to me until I wrote a follow-up short story called Fallen Idols, which was first published in a digital companion to “50 States.” It featured ten stories that carried a few of those in “50 States” forward, including Time Capsule. 

By that time, I already knew “Born on Monday” would be my second novel (but not its name), even while I was tied up with my debut novel, “Third Wheel.” I had even told a friend of mine, mentioning that I would find it interesting if someone followed Jessica back from New York City, giving Billy a shot at redemption, if not reconciliation. This friend surprised me by openly sharing her stalker experience and it eventually became interwoven into several months of my own research into stalker psychology. 

As it turns out, stalkers are exceptionally frightening not only because of the threat they pose, but also because of the general indifference of law enforcement despite their pervasiveness. Stalking happens to an estimated four percent of women and two percent of men every year, but only 30 to 50 percent of those cases are ever reported. Of those reported, fewer still ever result in outcomes favorable to the victims. Weak evidence, credibility issues, policy gaps, bias, resource strain, and legal barriers all contribute to the startlingly low rates of intervention, let alone protective action or arrests. As many survivors point out, few people take it seriously until it’s too late.

It was from this plot line correction that I began to build something that touched on several literary themes: identity and the impact of trauma, the cost of silence and complicity, isolation despite interconnectedness, and redemption through truth and action, to name a few. And it was in interweaving these themes over the top of small-town dynamics, that I was able to develop something so special.

Unlike my first novel, which was a labor of love in exploring my own experiences as much as the fictional tale I created, “Born On Monday” was a labor of love born out of the craft. This novel, more than any other work, surprised me so often, from journalist Andrea Kearney becoming a principal player to the twist at the end. (I didn’t see that one coming either.) 

But isn’t that what makes writing so incredibly breathtaking? We begin with a spark and fan the flames until they warm us, our spouses, our editors, and beta readers (of whom I am all forever grateful). 

I hope you have the chance to let “Born on Monday” warm you, too. It is available on October 21, wherever books are sold. Good night and good luck.

Walking Tall: Chance, Fate, or Intervention

It felt surreal yesterday, as I was supposed to be picking up a car rental. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a mid-sized SUV that could take my daughter and me cross-country, from Nevada to Illinois. 

The route would have been spectacular, a little more rural and remote than some of our previous trips. This would have taken us from Vegas to Flagstaff, Durango, Pueblo, Dodge City, Wichita, Columbia, and Galesburg before landing in Rock Island, where she goes to school. Five of the stops included book signings.

We both love traveling, and we would have loved this trip all the more because we knew it might be the last. Traveling cross-country like this was becoming cost-prohibitive, so we decided we might try flying her back and forth in the future. This would also free me up to plan smaller book tours in other parts of the country, like New England or the South.

All our plans changed a few weeks ago. I was exiting our primary bedroom bath and clipped my foot on the door frame. To prevent a fall, I immediately shifted all my weight to my right leg. Under normal circumstances, this would have saved me. But my circumstances were anything but normal.

My right leg had been bothering me since April. I initially suspected the Vastus Lateralis, until I injured my foot on the last cross-country book tour. Given the exercises I could and couldn’t do, it became clear the issue was more likely the IT band and Gluteus Medius. Turns out, it was and it wasn’t.

When all my weight landed on my right leg, there was no leg to catch me. It folded up and inward in an odd pretzel-like shape that was accompanied by the most pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. It was an 11 on the scale from 1-10. So I rolled to reduce the pain to more of a seven, and somewhere between that roll and the collapse, I broke my femur just below the ball in my hip. 

It would take six medics to carry me downstairs and out on a large tarp they frequently refer to as a mega mover. They did a fantastic job, considering I had to give up my position for something significantly less comfortable. At the time, all of us guessed I had dislocated my hip. 

One of the ironies about this accident was that it happened two hours after I had just received a battery of X-rays and an MRI in an effort to discover why I could no longer perform a simple leg scissors exercise on my right side (but had no problem squatting with an extra 100 pounds). Of course, breaking my femur made all speculation moot. With the next twenty-four hours, I was destined for surgery, until I almost wasn’t.

MRIs generally take about three days to receive results, but mine came in about an hour before surgery. It turned out I had some lesions on my femur, which explained the pain radiating from my IT band and Gluteus Medius. These muscles and connectors were stressed out from compensating for a more sinister issue, which is likely why my femur snapped when I asked too much of it.

After careful consideration, my surgeon decided to press forward with the surgery despite the lesions. It was the right call, given breaks like mine require surgery within forty-eight hours. From his perspective, the only thing that changed was that he intended to grab a couple of bone biopsies while fixing the more immediate problem.

Knowing all this now, compounded with one of my major clients putting their account on hold just two days ago, made me grateful for the break. The alternative could have been a disaster.

Without the break, I would have likely delayed getting bone biopsies until after driving my daughter to Illinois. And combined with the disappointing client news, the trip would have had a shadow looming over it. At least, that was the best case. The worst case was my leg snapping somewhere between Vegas and Rock Island.

Despite everything, there was a moment we considered continuing on with the trip as planned, but without me as a driver. My wife would join us. A few optimistic physical therapists even suggested I give it a few days before making a decision. Ultimately, car transfers and rides up to four hours seemed more painful than the trip was worth, let alone trying to navigate the flight back.

All of the bookshops on this tour were remarkably gracious when they received the news, and three of them went a little further. Since Barnes & Noble in Pueblo, Colorado, ordered books for the event, we decided to try a virtual signing event of sorts. I signed some bookplates and sent them along with bookmarks.

I’ll also go live on Facebook at 2 p.m. MT (1 p.m. PT) and on TikTok at 4 p.m. MT (3 p.m. PT) on the day of the originally scheduled event, Aug. 27. While I’m hoping to answer questions that any book buyers from the Pueblo area may have, anyone can join. These will be my first live appearances.

Wordsmith Bookshoppe in Galesburg, Illinois, came up with another solution. Instead of a virtual event, we’ll be hosting a preorder promotion for my upcoming novel, “Born on Monday.” They’ll be one of a few stores that will receive signed copies (personalized copies on request) direct from me, arriving shortly after the release date, October 21. “Born on Monday” is a literary thriller and will make for a great holiday gift!

Barnes & Noble Flagstaff opted to accommodate a new signing date that corresponds with another Flagstaff visit on the weekend of Nov. 7. I’ll sign books as part of First Friday with Bright Side Bookshop from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 7; and then from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Flagstaff on Sat., Nov. 8. I’ll be bringing copies of all three books: “50 States,” “Third Wheel,” and “Born on Monday.”

In the interim, my focus is mainly on recovery. I work out four times a day in an effort to reduce the swelling and regain my range of motion. It isn’t always easy, but I want to walk unassisted again, as soon as possible. My leg is designed for it. The surgeon placed a titanium nail down the entire length of the femur, and then screwed it in at the hip and above the knee. 

As the recovery continues, there will be more announcements to follow. If you want to keep up with them all, consider subscribing to my newsletter, Scraps by Rich Becker. Along with book news, I always include short story sneak peeks, sometimes in parts and sometimes as a standalone. Good day and good luck. 

Touring With Books: Late Summer Book Tour ’25

I’m less than one month away from my next cross-country book tour. This will be my fourth trip between Illinois and Nevada, with each tour introducing me to the majesty and diversity of America. 

Last year, I travelled north through Utah to I-80 and over the Rocky Mountains and across the rolling farmlands of Nebraska and Iowa. My return trip followed the historic Route 66 across the Ozark Plateau and through the American Southwest. Earlier this year, I traveled north from Illinois to Wisconsin, then cutting west on I-90 through the central lowlands and Black Hills before turning southwest through Wyoming and Utah. There were many amazing stops and sights along the way, some of which were chronicled on Instagram (@RichBecker) and TikTok (@RichardRBecker). 

In addition to historic and quirky landmarks, I visited more than twenty bookstores, leaving signed copies of 50 States and Third Wheel behind any time I could. I met some amazing readers and bookstore sellers along the way. Some have become lifelong friends.

One of my favorite moments on the last tour included someone who came to the Rapid City Books-A-Million signing just to purchase "50 States" based on a friend’s recommendation. It’s always an amazing feeling to meet someone who has been referred as well as people who bring in copies they’ve purchased and read months earlier. Authors dream about these moments. I’m so grateful to have had some. 

In a few weeks, I’ll be doing it all over again, carving out a route through Arizona, lower Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri before heading north to the Quad Cities. I haven’t mapped out the sights, but I am happy to share the bookstores. I really appreciate them taking me in for a few hours. Book signings and meet and greets with "50 States" and "Third Wheel" are the highlight of being an author. 

Late Summer Book Tour ’25

Aug. 25 - Barnes & Noble in Flagstaff, Arizona

Aug. 27 - Barnes & Noble in Pueblo, Colorado

Aug. 29 - Watermark Books in Wichita, Kansas

Aug. 30 - Barnes & Noble in Columbia, Missouri

Aug. 31 - Wordsmith Bookshoppe in Galesburg, Illinois

Tentative Post-Tour Date 

Oct. 18 - Las Vegas Book Festival 

In addition to the Las Vegas Book Festival, I’m considering a few other destinations later this year. I might have an opportunity to return to Flagstaff and Reno. We’ll see how that plays out. 

The biggest news, of course, will be the release of my next book. “Born on Monday” is tentatively scheduled for release on Oct. 21, but I’m hopeful to have advanced copies in time for the Las Vegas Book Festival. 

“Born on Monday” is a gripping tale of resilience, moral ambiguity, and small-town sins — a literary thriller that will keep readers breathless until its haunting conclusion. The novel is set in Augusta, Maine, building off the short story Time Capsule in "50 States."

Since I didn’t have a chance to visit Maine before its release, I’m hoping to plan a New England book tour in 2026. What would that look like? I don’t have details yet, but visiting Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and maybe Vermont. 

There are more announcements coming up, including some free audiobook drawings for anyone attending an upcoming book signing. If you are interested, make sure you sign up for my free newsletter, Scraps by Rich Becker. Along with announcements, I often include a free peek at an upcoming short story, and I should have some tour landmarks picked out before the next newsletter drops. And follow my adventures on Instagram, YouTube (@RichardBecker), or TikTok!

Signing Books: Early Summer Book Tour '25

Yesterday was a breezy Saturday in Las Vegas, but it still made for a beautiful day for a book signing. I had set up an Authors & Artists tent at the Art in the Park event at Bruce Trent Park to gauge interest in some new prints of Jenna Becker's artwork. (We still need to set up an online store for her.) 

This was the second time I attended the event. The first time was in 2021 to show her what it might be like to meet people and sell her work as a high school sophomore. This time I was on my own (with my wife's help) because Jenna is studying art and psychology at Augustana College in Illinois. Her presence was missed, but it was nice to do this for her. We'll send a check of her proceeds in a few weeks.

Book signings and author events.

One of the vendors sitting across from me thought I was doing it wrong, introducing myself and then my daughter's work as I gauged which might interest them more. I usually steered the conversation to whichever side of the table they leaned toward. The vendor, a Russian immigrant selling handmade Italian clothing, would say: "No, like this! Here is an award-winning author. Look, look! Here he is. Signing books. Today only!" 

I had to laugh because inevitably someone would gravitate to my tent and buy a book when she did this. It's the kind of thing someone can do for you, but you can't do it on your own for yourself as an author. Of course, it's a little different at bookstores. Book lovers always seem interested in authors, even if you don't write their genre. If you greet them at the door, many will come and say hello. I had a virtual sellout in Reno last March, so I had to add inventory to what the store had ordered.

The Reno signing coincided with visiting my son. The early summer signing coincides with driving my daughter home from school for the summer. I'll fly into Chicago, drive to Rock Island, and start the tour. 

Pretour Warmups

March 1: Barnes & Noble in Reno, Nevada 

April 5: Art in the Park in Las Vegas, Nevada

Early Summer Book Tour '25

May 24: The Atlas Collective in Moline, Illinois 

May 25: Lion's Tooth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

May 27: Paperbacks and Pieces in Winona, Minnesota 

May 28: B&N Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls, South Dakota 

May 29: Books A Million in Rapid City, South Dakota 

May 30: Bookin' IT in Casper, Wyoming 

May 31: Barnes & Noble - Sandy in Salt Lake City, Utah 

Late Summer Book Tour '25 

Stay tuned! 

The second book tour will take place toward the end of August and the beginning of September when my daughter returns to school. Just like the early summer tour, it will follow a different route than last year's cross-country adventure or the one I am sharing above. Several people have asked me to visit Kansas, so I'd like to draw a route through Arizona, southern Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. 

We'll see. Bookstores sometimes influence my route. I'm more apt to stay in and highlight communities where I sign books. This worked very well last year, when I chronicled the trip with my daughter on the first half and my wife on the second half of the tour on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, and elsewhere. 

It was a lot of fun, leading me back to this post's beginning. I didn't sell many books at Art in the Park, and that's okay, as I also don't expect every signing to be like Reno (more than 40 in two hours). While it's always nice to sell well or out, I measure success with every connection I make—the readers, managers, and owners—and every experience it affords me with my son and/or daughter. 

I will continue doing it, too, as long as giving her rides back and forth across the country makes sense. (I may even duplicate the first leg of the '24 Book Tour in 2026 as I'll have a new book out by then!) And when it doesn't? Then, I'll likely set up some New England and southern state tours with my wife. 

We'll see. The point is that in-person events aren't just about sales. They're about enjoying a life well lived. You can't ask for more than that, except maybe Book Tour T-shirts. Ha. 

Signing Books: Late Summer Book Tour

My daughter played her last travel softball game a few weeks ago. It's surreal to think, given I once wrote about her in the context of overcoming hurdles. Yet, here we are: Weeks away from taking a road trip to her college, where her next game will be at the collegiate level. 

Along the way, I'm hoping she learns a few things, too. Some of what I hope she learns comes full circle to that column I wrote ten years ago. The overemphasis on image, popularity, and crowd thinking in social media life has a long history of undermining good ideas, worthwhile efforts, and individual actions.  

Ten years ago, I wasn't a novelist. I'm on a book tour this summer. 

People tend to ask authors two common questions. First, what advice would you give to any aspiring writers? Second, what was the worst advice you ever received? 

I have a variety of answers to the first question in interviews but the one that stands out the most hit me today. Don't wait. We spend far too much time fretting over reasons not to pursue our passions. 

The second goes hand in hand with the first. Don't start because you'll never finish it is the worst advice I ever received. And if you finish it, they cotninued, no one will ever read it. It doesn't even matter if we hear this bad advice from someone else or that little voice in the back of our head that prefers practicality over aspiration. Don't believe it. I've sold thousands of books.

I've also lined up a book tour that coincides with the trip. We'll take in some sights and stop at bookstores along the way. You can follow us on TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, and elsewhere. Or, even better, drop by if I am in your area (or afterward to snap up a signed copy left behind). Event times will be posted on Facebook as they are finalized. 

Pretour Warmup

July 16: The Book Haven in Prescott Valley, Arizona

Summer Book Tour

August 26: Barnes & Noble Grand Junction (signing) in Grand Junction, Colorado 

August 27: Old Firehouse Books (visit) in Fort Collins, Colorado

August 28: Barnes & Noble SouthPointe (signing) in Lincoln, Nebraska 

August 29: Bumble Books (signing/reading) in Amana, Iowa 

August 31: The Atlas Collective (visit) in Moline, Illinois 

September 2: Wordsmith Bookshoppe (signing) in Galesburg, Illinois

September 3: Spine Indie Bookstore (author showcase) in St. Louis, Missouri 

September 5: Commonplace Books (signing) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

September 6: Barnes & Noble Coronado (signing) in Albuquerque, New Mexico

September 7: Page 1 Books (signing) in Albuquerque, New Mexico 

Posttour Wrapup 

October 19: Las Vegas Book Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada

Stay tuned. I might be adding another mini-book tour in early October. My sights are set on Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. The trip is still tentative, but I hope it will help move my next WIP forward. It's set in Maine and will become my second novel, and fourth or fifth book (depending on what happens in the next few months). Pretty exciting — stuff I would have done sooner had I already carved out time to write fiction alongside client work. And that's the point. 

I've never been happier writing fiction. In fact, doing so has elevated my commercial work too. And that's what I want my daughter to learn before I drop her off at her new home away from home. Don't wait. Be happy. 

Writing Romance: What’s Love Got To Do With It?

I met my first girlfriend in the third grade. She thought I was a rebel of sorts — a transfer from the public school system, repeating third grade. I wasn’t a rebel. I still couldn’t read.

We were “boyfriend and girlfriend” for three short months. I moved away after the school year ended. 

We might have been “together” longer, but she didn’t know I liked her. I always liked her. 

I finally worked up the courage to let her know how I felt on Valentine’s Day. I wrote it in the Valentine’s Day card I gave her — the biggest one in the box. They always came like that in a class pack. There were 23 or 29 regular Valentine’s Day cards in the box and one (sometimes two) super special ones. I gave her THAT one. 

The only problem was my writing. Because I didn’t read well, I didn’t write well either. So when she opened my card, she wrinkled her nose and joked about how she couldn’t read it. I made a joke about it, too. I didn’t want her to know it came from me. So she didn’t think I liked her because I didn’t give her a card. Or, so she thought. 

My second chance came a month later. We had an auction at the school, and she had donated a tapestry with a Native American on it. She thought it was cool because she was Native American, too. But nobody bid on it. So I did. I bid everything I had, which I didn’t have to do. She got the message. I liked her as much as anybody likes somebody in third grade. 

Love makes you do crazy things, even when you don’t understand it. It’s one part anticipation and two parts relief. There really is someone out there for you, at least until you move away. 

Young love in the novel Third Wheel.

While my novel Third Wheel is often described as a coming-of-age thriller that follows Brady Wilks along the fringe of the 1980s suburban drug scene in Las Vegas, it’s not without heart. In between the tension, Brady pursues two love interests in the book. 

The first is with an 18-year-old named Cheryl. The relationship is immediately problematic because Brady lies about his age, fearing she will lose interest, knowing this is the summer before his sophomore year. Brady won’t celebrate his 15th birthday until late fall.

He meets Cheryl early in the book. She is one of several satellites orbiting the parties hosted by his older friend group. Cheryl has every reason to believe he was in her ballpark — a soon-to-be junior or senior — until his adolescent awkwardness gives him away.

For Brady, he is drawn to the impossibility of the relationship and the promise of emotional stability, filling a void that can’t be found in his unstable life. Cheryl puts his troubles on pause, even if he never understands her interest in him. 

Because the story is told entirely from Brady’s self-centered point of view, most readers don’t either. Everybody’s best guess is that dating someone younger might even the playing field for a recent high school grad in the 1980s. Sure, while the 70s may have moved the needle on gender equality, the 80s dating scene didn’t know it. 

Brady’s perceived rivals drive this point home. They always appear more confident in winning over her attention and affection. With Brady, it’s an internal tug of war. She pulls him toward her and pushes him away at the same time.

She wants it to work but knows it will never work. Maybe Brady feels that way, which is why he leaves himself open for two alcohol- and drug-infused flirtations during the book. One doesn’t amount to anything, but the second one leads to the start of something, even if we never see what exactly that might be. 

Brady meets this second girl, Sandy, in a Mob-owned strip club. Despite working as a server and part-time stripper, Sandy is an underage runaway from California, much closer in age to Brady than the lie she tells him. 

“Twenty-one, hun.” “Beat you by a year,” he lies in return. 

The contrast in these two relationships has more to do with the girls than the boy. When Sandy looks at Brady, she sees a reflection of herself. Despite a facade of self-confidence that initially attracts Brady’s attention, Sandy is just as out of her league as he is out of his. 

Broken people tend to attract broken people, and Sandy is empathetic enough to see he’s broken. Together, being broken feels safe and normal. It leads to something much more casual, comfortable, and accidental. 

Each relationship is different but somehow gives Brady what he needs most when he needs it. That’s how stories go sometimes. 

Love is desperation, anticipation, and infatuation on the front end. It’s affection, acceptance, and attachment on the back end if it lasts long enough. But it rarely lasts long enough because the strongest thing in the world is also the most fragile; hard to find and easy to lose. Cherish every minute before you move away. Happy Valentine’s Day.