Hey Ken, I just got back from the annual writer’s conference that I go to at St. Pete Beach and had a blast as usual. It was great seeing so many familiar faces. I got so much out of the break out sessions, too. But I’ve learned over the years that where you learn the most is in the side conversations… in the lobby, at the tiki bar, at dinner. Tips and tricks we share with each other on how to take our writing to the next level. Things that I know are going to transform my writing and my author business.
One of my good friends, R.J. Patterson (pictured above, left) writes thrillers similar to mine. This photo was taken before dinner on the last nite. While I like to tout that I’ve written eleven novels, R.J. likes to remind me that he’s written 100. If you’ve never read one of R.J.’s novels, give one a try. Click here to check out his books on Amazon.com.
I left St. Pete Beach with so much inspiration, so many memories, and so many ideas—I can’t wait to work my to do list and get started to see what I can do in the next year.
A quick update on my writing: I got started on a new series centered around Jami Davis, a prequel of sorts, set in the Blake Jordan universe a few years before the events of THE SENATOR. As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, I’m going to try writing in a different genre for this story, writing this one as a psychological thriller. While I’m a little nervous about it, I think writing a different kind of story is going to help me grow as a writer after close to ten years of only writing political thrillers.
And because I still love that series, I’m also planning a new Blake Jordan next year, alternating between the two whenever I get stuck. I’m excited to see how it goes!
I’ll share an update on my progress next month. I hope you have a great October! -Ken