The Colorado Kid

Stephen King
I'm currently reading the new noir crime novel from Stephen King titled The Colorado Kid and it's excellent. The publisher is Hard Case Crime who's been publishing some really cool crime novels with eye-catching covers. They're retro looking as if they're the old pulp fiction novels from the 50's.

Re-Write
I'm currently revising and rewriting the sequel to Daisy Daring. It might take me a few months but this is the life of a writer, painstakingly going over each line. I do like the plot and the concept but I had to change a few things. Daisy Daring and the Quest for the Loomis Gang Gold should be out very soon. My first booksigning will be exciting and I have some other neat things lined up as far as Loomis Gang events. I'll keep you posted.

Ed Wood
I stayed up late and watched this movie and I crack up every time. Johnny Depp plays the cross-dressing director in this Tim Burton masterpiece. I like some really weird flicks like Ghost World, Welcome to the Dollhouse, and the Man with the Screaming Brain. I also watched a great werewolf movie titled War Dogs that takes place in a remote cabin in Scotland. The bottom line is I stray all over the map when it comes to my music, movies, books, and television. I could be watching a show on Bigfoot then turn on some classical music. I think it's important to be open to other ideas, views and mediums.

The Battle of Oriskany

The Battle of Oriskany
I'm currently reading a history book on the Battle of Oriskany titled Liberty March The Battle of Oriskany by Allan Foote. I graduated from Oriskany High School and know the story very well but I still like to read about the battle of blood creek. The Oneida Indians fought with General Herkimer and the colonists against the British. It's very fascinating and this battle helped create the United States.

Crash
I watched the movie Crash last night and it was one of the best movies I have ever seen on the race relations in this country. It was thought provoking and I thought Matt Dillon was the standout as the racist LA cop. Sandra Bullock who always plays the sweet and perky was shocking as the pampered and spoiled wife of the LA district attorney.

Book List
I have such a huge list of books I want to buy and read that I could never afford all of them or have the time to read them. I try to stay out of the bookstore because I never leave empty handed. I then have to lie to my wife and tell her that I already had the book. I had it in the basement. I have a huge collection of books in my basement that my wife has no clue what's new and what's old. Most men have love affairs with sports teams, gambling habits, golf fetishes or Goumadas. Me? I love to read books and I love to write. Words are my mistress. I'm a hopeless geek!!

The Loomis Gang

IDEA
People ask me, "Where did you get the idea for your book?" The Loomis Gang was my inspiration because they're a history diamond. There's been two excellent non-fiction books written on the gang, Frontier Justice: The Rise and the Fall of the Loomis Gang by Dr. Torrey and The Loomis Gang by George Walter. There was also an excellent documentary film by Brian Peter Falk titled The Loomis Gang. The Loomis Gang had been the largest crime family in 19th century America and was based in Waterville, NY right in the Mohawk Valley of central New York. Legend tells of Wash Loomis returning from the California gold rush of 1849 with gold he'd robbed from miners. To this day people claim Wash hid his loot in the impassable Nine Mile Swamp. This is the backbone of my story. I created a modern day character to chase the gold. I always liked the name Daisy so the first name was set. I came up with Daring from page 25 of The Loomis Gang. "Grove's natural fearlessness and daring won him the admiration of the gang, but his ready fists often involved him in trouble." The cowardly reporter Lyndon Johnson was based upon the nasty reporter chasing David Banner in the television show The Incredible Hulk. The rest of the story fell into place after many rewrites, revisions and late night dream ideas. I don't know about other writers but my ideas sort of fall together from multiple ideas, dreams, news clippings and any other nugget rattling around in my empty brain.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
I went to visit North Country Books the other day and Zack Steffen was punching my information into the computer for the Library of Congress. I guess I won't believe it's real until I'm holding that first printed copy in my ink-stained paws. Writer's dream of publication and spend years being rejected and scorned. I have to say that the years of being denied makes this all the sweeter. This is something only a published writer can understand with another. It's a fraternity, a brotherhood and sisterhood of the writer's block.

BLOOD MERIDIAN
I'm reading my favorite book again, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I have read this book once a year since 1990 and I still learn something new everytime I'm through. This book is the modern day Moby Dick except much bloodier and violent. I read the excellent book by Stephen King titled On-Writing and he mentions Blood Meridian as being one of his all time favorites. I can write to infinity and I'd never match McCarthy's style. You can taste the dirt of the trail in your mouth and smell the smoke of the burnt game. Take my word for it, this is the best book written by a contemporary writer. I warn you, you'll need a dictionary while you read.