Ken Fite

August 2020

“I wake up every day, right here, right in Punxsutawney, and it’s always February 2nd. And there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Hello from Orlando! One of my favorite people in the world is Bill Murray. Not just because he’s a fellow Chicago Cubs fan, but because I grew up watching him in some of my favorite movies. I was a huge Ghostbusters fan as a kid. I must’ve watched it a hundred times. I don’t remember how old I was when Groundhog Day came out, maybe sixteen or so, but I didn’t come to appreciate it as much until I got a little older.

Groundhog Day is a movie I watch at least once a year now. And it’s one of my favorites. As a student of story structure, I just love how the movie was put together.

If you’re the one person who’s never seen it, Bill Murray portrays Phil Connors, a cynical TV weatherman who is covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for the fourth year in a row. And he’s not happy about the assignment. Phil gets stuck in a time loop and wakes up every day to Sonny and Cher’s I Got You Babe playing on the clock radio, during Sonny’s excruciating-to-listen-to solo, and is forced to relive February 2nd over and over again for the rest of the film.

“Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.”

So I’m sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that when I think about the last six months, where virtually every day seems exactly like the day before, and the hundred and eighty days that came before that, I think of Groundhog Day. I know I’m not alone.

I’ve aways wondered… how long did Phil actually relive February 2nd in the story?

This morning, I went to find out. According to the late Harold Ramis, probably 30 years. That makes sense, when you think about everything Phil was able to do by the end of the movie… becoming a master ice sculptor, learning the piano, learning French, learning about the townspeople and about Rita, what she likes and what she doesn’t.

“Let me ask you a question. What if there were no tomorrow?”

Back to our situation over what has been six months now, I think about our days at home and how we’ve finally gained more of something we’ve always wanted: time.

But time, which looks like a gift on the surface, can also be a curse, without structure. That was one of the lessons Phil had to learn in Groundhog Day. Without structure, he was rudderless. The film became darker and darker as it played on. Driving on railroad tracks, becoming more desperate by the day, finally realizing there was no way out.

What’s interesting to me is how Phil Connors ultimately escaped Groundhog Day.

He made a decision to make good use of his time. He embraced it. And he changed.

Every story has a theme. Every story is about something more than the story’s plot.

What I think Groundhog Day is really about, the theme of the tale… is perspective.

“Today is tomorrow. It happened.”

In the end, Groundhog Day is a comedy. Phil Connors ultimately chooses to use his newfound time to become a better version of himself. He learns from his past, he cares about the present, and he finally breaks the curse. After being rudderless for what must’ve felt like forever, Phil decided to make the most out of his situation and grow.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt rudderless for a while.

They say if you don’t like something, change it.

And if you can’t change it, then change the way you think about it.

I think I’m finally ready to embrace it… to use the time to try and become a better version of myself. To make the most out of the situation. To learn… and to grow…

To not postpone joy until we’ve learned all of the lessons we’re supposed to learn.

Joy, itself, is the lesson.

Because if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

And because, as Phil Connors had to learn in Groundhog Day, when we’re no longer able to change our situation, then the only thing left that we can change is ourselves.

July 2020

Hello from Orlando!

I’m finally back to writing and I’m making great progress on Blake Jordan #7. These last few months have been really tough, having just come off a sixty day hiatus from writing. I have to admit that watching those blank calendar days add up on the large wall calendar I use to track my writing was really tough. Being stuck was even tougher.

Because, knowing I can write about a chapter a day if I really push myself, and knowing my books are sixty chapters long, seeing those sixty blank days was painful. They say, Hey Ken, you could’ve written a whole new novel in sixty days. And, At the very least you should’ve finished #7 during that time! What’s your problem, anyway?

My problem, as it turns out, was me…

***

I happened to take a personality test a few weeks back. The results were eye-opening. It explained a lot about how I approach my work. So I thought I’d share what I learned:

It said I’m a perfectionist. No, worse than a perfectionist… the kind of person who won’t even start on a project or continue working on one unless I’m 100% sure it can be 100% perfect. For someone who does creative work, this can really work against you!

So what’s the solution? Not write for two months? Not make any progress whatsoever?

Of course not. I need to realize my tendency is to not work on things I’m not sure can be perfect, so I need to get better at short-circuiting this urge whenever it comes up.

As I read through the rest of the kinds of things my personality type does, I couldn’t stop smiling and at times, laughing out loud. It was spot on and explained so much…

It said I’m terrified of making mistakes and this creates analysis paralysis, so I’ll put off working on something because… why work on it if I’m not sure if it’ll be any good?

Which is funny because how can I judge something until it exists?

We worry a lot. Not out of fear of a worst case scenario, but out of a need for things to be perfect and good and right the first time. Because we hate rework and fixing things.

My type spends a lot of time thinking about the consequences of our actions and about what could happen. Not because we’re afraid. Because we want to be prepared.

My worst fear, by the way, is being the last person to walk into a meeting and there not be any open chairs left for me. It’s happened. It sucked. And it’ll never happen again!

And we don’t want to have regrets, so we agonize over decisions, even if they’re small.

We’re rigid in our planning and in our decisions (when we finally make them).

We notice when things are out of place. Or crooked. And if we can’t straighten it, omg!

It said I fixate on small imperfections. It reminded me of the TV hanging on the wall in my living room… how it’s slightly crooked and it annoys me every single day and will continue to until someone more handy than me can fix it. And I remembered the huge whiteboard in my office that I still haven’t hung yet because I’m worried it’ll be crooked!

I think I bought it last fall! LOL!

It said I see the world in black and white. Things are either right or wrong. I’m either a great writer or I’m terrible, there’s no in between. I remember my friend Tony telling me in college that I needed to start thinking in ‘zebra.’ I think he was onto something…

We’re critical of others, but our secret is we’re even more critical of ouselves. We think, I should’ve woken up earlier today. I should be farther along on this project by now. These are the kinds of thoughts we have which are not really helpful thoughts at all.

Our past is examined in excruciating detail. Did I say the wrong thing? Did I lock the door? Or leave the stove on? Which explains why I compulsively check the stove every night before bed. Not once have I ever left anything on. I know this. I check it anyway.

***

Those were all of the negatives. But there was some light at the end of the tunnel:

My type often leaves a comfortable profession to do something extraordinary, if we feel there’s a higher calling prompting us.

And if we’re brave enough to answer the call…

We need to feel like we’re making a difference in the world, which I think is mostly why I write (and why I love reading emails that my readers send me every day).

We’re diligent and take pride in doing things well.

We constantly strive to improve in our chosen profession and try to outdo ourselves.

We take action from our heart. Because, besides Jesus, our hearts are the only other thing that’s perfect.

We’re dependable. If we say it, we’ll do it. People can count on us.

We’re imaginative, highly focused on details, and caring.

We make good managers, special agents (lol), private detectives, and yes, writers.

***

Learning more about yourself isn’t helpful unless you do something with what you learn. I need to stop trying to be perfect and know that nothing I’ve ever done the first time ever was. Aside from writing, much of life is a first draft. A first attempt that may or may not go well. But things don’t have to be perfect and most decisions are reversible. 

Last week, I ignored the calendar. I started writing anyway. As I mentioned, I’ve made great progress. Six more chapters done. That’s ten percent. Better than zero percent. You can’t make a second draft until the first one is done. I’m trying to remember that.

I have a lot to learn about myself and I know I haven’t even scratched the surface, but taking that test was a good starting point for me. At the very least, I learned that I need to ignore my inner critic. Because the past is in my head, but the future is in my hands.

***

June 2020

Hello from Orlando!

Every year I like to take the last week in June leading up to the 4th of July holiday to take a step back and look at what I’ve done so far with my current work in progress. This year I’m also reviewing how I’m managing my time with my many business goals.

I’ve spent a lot of time this year focusing on advertising. Facebook ads, Amazon ads… it’s important to spread the word and find new readers looking for a new author to try. And managing my ads can be lots of fun. I geek out over the numbers. I reinvest what I’ve earned and I try new things. I watch the sales and subscribers grow beyond belief.

But the truth is, it’s not good for my soul. I always feel guilty. Because I know, while advertising is important, it’s not where my passion lies. I’m a writer, first and foremost.

If I’m honest with you, I haven’t written a word of Blake Jordan #7 in the last 6 weeks. Claiming to be a writer, having not written a single thing in 45 days, is painful to admit. But it’s where I am right now as I wrap up a few weeks of major advertising campaigns.

It’s a classic catch-22, if you think about it. If I only focus on advertising, I’m not writing and adding more books to my series. Readers finish #6 and move on to someone else. Maybe they’ll come back when I finish the next book in the series. Maybe they won’t…

But if I only focus on my writing, I lose the momentum I’ve built up through advertising.

I know what you’re thinking: split your time. Write in the morning, then advertise at night. Or maybe write during the week and focus on the business on the weekends. The problem is, my brain doesn’t work that way… I can get totally engrossed with one or the other, but not both. It’s hard to separate the two. Like I said, a classic catch-22…

The last week of June and the days leading up to the July 4th holiday always seems to put things in perspective for me. Maybe it’s because of the clarity that comes from finding a dedicated week every year to step back and make sure I’m on the right track. Maybe it’s because the year is halfway over and the realization that I’m either going to hit my personal writing goals or I won’t. It’s a sobering experience to step back, stop lying to yourself, and take a good, hard look at the wall calendar and see how much time you have left to do all of the things you promised yourself you would do this year.

When I was younger, my dad used to be the one who put things in perspective for me. Usually it was said in a way that came across as a challenge. When I was struggling in college, barely passing, he asked me if I could finish what I’d started. He honestly wasn’t sure. That was the swift kick to the derrière I needed. I finished with As and Bs and went on to grad school and finished that, too. Something he and I were proud of.

The answer to my dad, but more so to myself, was: Yes, I’m someone who can finish. I’m someone who will put in the time and work to see it through. You can count on me.

But more importantly, I realized that I could count on myself to finish whatever I start.

The reality is, if I want to have the best chance at an author career, I must do both. I must write the books. And I must also advertise the books. Too much focus on one or the other is not healthy and will hurt the other. I understand this. I accept this truth…

But I also know there are ebbs and flows to everything. Just like there’s no such thing as work life balance because either work or life will always take priority over the other at some point, I realize there’s no perfect solution here. And I know I must keep the plates spinning so I don’t lose my momentum. I just need to figure out how I’ll do it all…

The year is halfway over. There’s still time to catch my dream, if I still want to catch it. And I do. I’ve made great progress on book #7. A third of it is written. It’s a great story and I can’t wait to write the rest of it. But I have to refocus. I have to get back to basics.

I’ve started it.

Now I have to finish it.

I’m going to put in the time and the work to see it through. You can count on me.

Because I’ve learned, when I put my mind to something, I do it. If I start it, I’ll finish it.

And because I know, besides writing, keeping a promise to myself is good for my soul.

May 2020

Hello from Orlando!

This isn’t the newsletter I was supposed to send you today.

I was supposed to write about how strange the last few months have been.

I was supposed to tell you how we were now in week 12 of quarantine. About how it’s been twelve weeks since we’ve had haircuts. Twelve weeks of social distancing. Twelve weeks without driving around doing things parents of two young boys would do.

I was supposed to tell you about my oldest son graduating from elementary school. About the drive-by graduation that his teachers put together which he absolutely loved.

I was supposed to tell you about my youngest son and how strange it is watching him do Zoom calls at seven years old, something his daddy, at 42, does on a regular basis.

I was supposed to tell you all about my progress with the new Blake Jordan novel. About a new writing technique I came up with and how it’s helping me write faster.

In fact, I finished the newsletter early this morning. It was done and all ready to go.

But I felt it was the wrong message. And I’ve been learning to trust my gut more lately.

It’s been almost a week since the death of George Floyd. We’ve all seen the video by now. We’ve all been watching the news and we’ve seen how the protesters have reacted. There’s a lot of sadness over what has happened. And it’s understandable.

But what bothers me the most, I think, is how someone should’ve done something.

There were other police officers standing by, doing nothing. There were onlookers, yelling and pleading for someone to step in, but they too ultimately did nothing. For eight minutes and forty-six seconds, a man waited for a hero to show up. No one did.

Every time I watch the video I wonder, What would I have done if I had been there? Would I have helped? Would I have done something? Or just recorded it on my phone?

I was a communications major at UCF. I studied Robert Cialdini and I learned all about how what the crowd does tends to influence how we ourselves act. I learned about how difficult it can be to do something different, even when we know it’s the right thing, when we see everyone around us doing what we know deep down is the wrong thing…

It can be hard to know when we’re in our “moment of truth.” Sometimes because it’s too surreal in the moment. Or maybe because we downplay what we see happening.

It’s easy to stand with the crowd.

But It takes courage to stand alone.

I think that’s why we enjoy reading stories. They’re almost always done the same way. The person least likely to become the hero is ultimately the one who becomes one. It goes all the way back to heroes in the Bible and how the least likely person to bring about change was used, in one way or another, to help make the world a better place.

Gideon thought he was a coward, but he was really a conquerer.

Moses thought he couldn’t speak in front of others, yet he became a great leader.

The crowd thought David was small and insignificant, but he defeated a mighty giant.

Whenever I’m reading a page-turner or watching a good movie, I know to keep an eye on the underdog. I know that, if the story is going to be a good one, I’ll be watching a transformation of some kind. And when they ultimately do create change or change themselves in the end, I know it’ll be a story that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

And I try to remember the lesson of the story, its theme, so I can grow as a person.

Because I like to think, if others can change and rise to the occasion, maybe I can, too.

April 2020

Hello from Orlando!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve tried to fill the silence.

When I’d write my books, I’d listen to music to help inspire my writing.

When I’d drive to work, sixty miles a day, I’d listen to the sports station.

When I’d take a shower or go for a run, I’d listen to podcasts. Many, many podcasts.

Same thing when at the grocery store. And at the gym. And with just about anything.

And it wasn’t just with music, the radio, and podcasts. It was checking the news when I woke up instead of writing my books. It was checking Facebook while watching a show on TV. I wasted a lot of time filling the silence. But the biggest time suck was podcasts.

For the longest time, I chalked it up to being productive. To wanting to use every minute of every day to the fullest. Whether it was catching up on the news or learning how to be a better writer or learning how to advertise. Always be learning, I’d think, believing I was super productive and making good use of time. No harm in that. Right?

But that changed last week when I went for a walk and I forgot my phone at home.

I didn’t notice it at first. About ten minutes in, I realized something was off. I debated going back home for it. It doesn’t feel natural to not be listening and learning something. The silence was deafening and uncomfortable. I’d endured 10 minutes of it.

But instead of turning back, I kept going. And after a while, something happened.

I felt the early morning wind blowing through my street which I hadn’t noticed before.

I heard the sound of my shoes as I walked over the grit on the sidewalk. Birds chirped. Cars with loud engines motored by in the distance. Kids laughed in their yards, playing.

I was able to hear my own thoughts for a change and was finally able to figure out the best way to start my next novel, something I’d been struggling with for a very long time.

I’m sharing this with you because we’re in week six of quarantine. Day 46. And one thing I keep hearing over and over again is how we need to take advantage of the newfound downtime most of us have now and be productive. To learn something new.

And it is a great time to learn and work on new things, like a new story in my case.

But the answer isn’t always to keep trying to do more to be productive.

Sometimes we can do more by doing less. By turning off the constant noise in life and allowing ourselves to be bored for once. To go for a walk and just listen to the rhythm of our own breathing. To go for a drive and listen to the air rushing past as you move, not the radio. To learn by listening to your own thoughts instead of everybody else’s.

We all want to be better.

Better writers. Better parents. Better informed. Better connected. Better everything.

And the things we use to fill the silence aren’t bad.

But it doesn’t hurt to turn it all off and stop trying to be something and instead, just be.

Every once in a while, at least.

You might find the silence isn’t so bad after all. -Ken

March 2020

Hello from Orlando…

What a difference a month makes. In my last newsletter, my focus was on starting Blake Jordan #7. Thirty days later, my focus has changed. I’m sure yours has, too.

We went on lockdown sometime last week, only allowed to leave the house to go to the grocery store where most of the things you’d want to buy are out of stock, anyway, and a few others places.

It’s an unsettling time. That’s for sure. Every day I check the news and I think, It can’t possibly get any worse, can it? I get my answer the next morning when I check again…

I’ve been reading a lot more lately. Not just the news… I’ve been reading fiction to try and escape for a while. I’ve noticed more of my books are being downloaded, too.

So I must not be alone.

I think one of the reasons why people read fiction is that while the stories and heroics of the characters might not reflect real life, the nature of a story does.

In the end, the good guys win, one way or another. Always have. Always will.

What else can we do while we all wait this out?

Pray. Slow down. Pay attention to the things that really matter in life.

In the Fite house, a lot has changed. My boys, who are 7 and 11, went on spring break two weeks ago and are now going to school virtually from our home.

We’ve taken late afternoon walks around our neighborhood after dinner, which we never really seemed to find time to do before all of this happened (why is that?).

We learned how to order grocery deliveries through instacart (mind blown).

We hid Easter eggs around the house for the boys to find.

We played pinball, the game of life, and wrestled in the living room.

We worshipped from home on Sundays using our church’s Facebook live broadcasts.

I taught my oldest how to mow the lawn (again).

We had a teacher parade, where the kids’ teachers drove by area neighborhoods, waving hello to the kids they miss while giving the kids something to look forward to.

We finally have the time now to spend with the family. But the truth is, we’ve always had the time. Maybe we just never prioritized our lives the way we are now…

The number of American lives lost from COVID-19 has now surpassed 9/11. Even more in other countries. If reports are true, things will get worse before they get better, but we’ll get through this. Because we’ve come together before and we can do it again.

Just from a distance this time…

And because we know how stories, fictional or not, end when all is said and done.

The good guys may get bruised and banged up, but they always get to the other side.

We will, too.

Stay positive and stay safe out there. We’ll get through this. -Ken

February 2020

Hello from Orlando!

Every time I start working on a new story, the same thing happens. I plan. I daydream. I think about where my characters left off in the last book. I wonder where they could go in the next book. What unfinished business do they have? What open loops from stories earlier in the series haven’t been addressed yet? Where do we go from here?

So I plan. I brainstorm. I go for walks. I pace. I use my whiteboard. I map it all out. Then I erase the whole thing and I start over. I repeat this process a hundred times.

Then I throw it all away and I sit down at my MacBook and stare at the screen.

Starting a new project is the hardest part. When it comes to writing, authors try to find the next logical step in their hero’s journey. We look for the perfect idea to write about.

There are a million directions the next story could go in. And any of them would probably work, because there is no perfect idea. I know this. But I stare at the screen a little longer because one must be better than the others and I need to find True North.

So I plan, I daydream, and I think some more…

This period of time is called a lot of things. Research. Brainstorming. Writer’s block. Waiting for the muse to show up. Waiting on lightning to strike. Waiting for inspiration.

There’s a quote about planning from Dwight D. Eisenhower that I’ve always liked: “Before a battle, planning is everything. Once the fighting has begun, it’s useless.”

I know this to be true. My finished stories never look exactly like the plans I had made. But without planning, I never would’ve started. The stories wouldn’t have been written.

My goal for the next 30 days is to figure out my destination, where my hero is headed, knowing full well that once I start writing, that plan will be useless. Because things change. I’ll make different decisions. I’ll have better ideas. And that’s okay. Because without a plan, I never would’ve had any better ideas. That’s what’s fun about writing.

This is how I start working on a new story. I’m starting to realize that writing ‘into the dark,’ taking a step into the unknown, is just part of my process. But it works every time.

January 2020

Hello from Orlando!

I love calendars. I’ve used a monthly and weekly planner for years now along with a big “Seinfeld calendar,” as I call it, on the wall in my home office where I track my writing.

To bring you up to speed if you’re new to the newsletter, when comedian Jerry Seinfeld first started out, he realized that if he wanted to get better at writing jokes, he needed to commit to spending time writing at least one good joke every day. He went out and bought a big wall calendar and put an “X” on the calendar dates when he did his work.

Seinfeld’s goal was simple: Don’t break the chain. He used his calendar to keep him accountable by seeing how many Xs he could put on the calendar in a row. I’ve used a big wall calendar for a few years now to track my daily writing goal the same way.

Today is January 31st. This is around the time the gyms start being less busy. By now most of the people who made New Year’s resolutions have gone back to their old habits. If I’m honest with you, I have a bad habit of not starting things when I need to.

I haven’t started writing the next novel yet. I hadn’t started this time last January, either, as you can see in the picture below, and I think the January before that was the same.

It’s easy to get frustrated with ourselves when we repeat the past. We think, What’s wrong with me? And I should’ve started by now and I’m never going to reach my goals.

We give up on our dreams. We cancel our gym membership. We say it’s too late now. We convince ourselves we’ll try again next year. We lie to ourselves so we’ll feel better.

Today is the day every year when most people’s dreams die…

January 31st…

A date I always seem to notice on the calendar…

And as much as I love calendars, I also hate them… because calendars never lie.

Last year on January 31st, I hadn’t really started on my goal yet, either. Sure, I was “planning,” but let’s be honest–thriller writers “plan” by reading good books and watching movies. I hadn’t put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) until February 1st.

I love using calendars to track my progress toward my big goals and dreams.

Because they reflect reality. You can see where I had days and even weeks where I was stuck. I wanted to write a first draft in four months… it took six. I wanted to finish the final draft two months later… it took five. Calendars are good at telling the truth.

And the truth calendars tell us is this: If you’re intentional and work on your dream consistently, you will finish. It might not be as fast as you want, but YOU WILL FINISH.

So I’m sharing my calendar with you again this year to show you what 2019 was like. How it kept me accountable. How it gave me confidence whenever I placed a large “X” on a day for doing my writing that day… or a number for the chapter I went over again… or the blank spaces that kicked me back into gear because I really wanted one more X.

And I share it because tomorrow is February 1st.

The gyms will be empty. Resolutions, long forgotten.

The amateurs will have given up, deciding to try again next year.

But I, with my calendar, will just be getting started.

Because I have big goals for this year. But I know a goal without a plan is just a dream.

December 2019

Hello from Orlando!

I love New Year’s Eve… not only is it my wife Missy’s birthday, it also marks the end of the year and the start of something new. For the last couple years, December has been a down month for me. It’s where I take time off from writing and I focus on other things I’ve neglected during the year. I also rest and recharge. I watch countless episodes of FRIENDS with Missy. I watch college football and I play with my sons.

But it’s also the time I like to reach out to my readers to ask them a few questions.

My favorite TV shows (24, Lost) always did one thing I loved: They listened to their fans and took what they liked (and didn’t like) into account to make their shows better.

Around this time, I like to poll my readers to ask the same kinds of questions…

What do you love about the Blake Jordan series? What do you want to see more of?

Last year’s poll was so helpful to me. You said you liked the Parker character and wanted to see him come back, so I brought him back. Like shows that listen to their fans, your feedback told me if I was on the right track or if I needed to course-correct.

It helped me write a story you’d love to read.

Would you please take a moment to complete this year’s reader survey? It will really help me to understand what you like so I can write the best stories possible in 2020… and you will enjoy many hours of reading in return. It’ll be quick, I promise!

Just click here and give me your thoughts. Thank you so much! -Ken

November 2019

Hello from Orlando!

In case you missed it, I released my new thriller THE SHIELD last week. It’s a story I worked on for most of the year, started in January and finished earlier this month. And it’s a story I loved writing. I always get a kick out of reading the reviews that come in and the emails asking when the next one will be out (trust me, I wish it was that easy).

Because what the reader reads is the finished product. They never truly know the story behind the story. Whenever I read a book from one of my favorite authors, whenever I get lost in the story, I have to remind myself that there’s more there between the lines…

Because when you read a book, you’re not just reading a bunch of words…

You’re reading countless hours of errors and rewrites and plotting… second-guessing yourself and trying to find how to tell the best possible story for the reader to enjoy.

You’re reading moments of complete frustration.

And you’re reading moments of pure joy.

You’re reading a book the author is so proud to share with you.

And you’re reading a book the author is terrified to share with you.

You’re reading a piece of their heart, something that took them away from doing other things they deemed to be less important than putting this new story out into the world.

You’re reading a piece of their soul, a part of their life they decided to share.

Accomplishing any big goal you have for yourself is risky. Because when you say you’re done, when you put what you spent time creating out into the world, you realize something you may have never thought about before: it no longer belongs to you.

The story belongs to them now. The reader. It’s theirs to read and live with.

They say stories are never finished, just abandoned. At some point in the writing process, you have to say to yourself, This is the best I’m capable of doing–for now.

Then you have to put it out in the world and see what happens.

Can you be a writer without someone else reading your words?

Yes, of course. But to share what you’ve spent a piece of your life working on with someone else is the ultimate trust building exercise any writer could ever take on.

To trust yourself enough to let it go, to put it out into the world, and then to start again.

Below are some of the amazing reviews I’ve read on Amazon (thank you so much!). I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and I’m grateful to call you one of my readers. -Ken

Here’s what readers are saying about THE SHIELD…

★★★★★ “…outstanding new novel in this series.”
★★★★★ “…you won’t want to put it down.”
★★★★★ “…don’t miss this book, it was fantastic.”
★★★★★ “…I loved the storyline, it kept me reading late into the night.”
★★★★★ “…another great read!”
★★★★★ “…Blake Jordan doesn’t disappoint.”
★★★★★ “…the plot twists make it a page-turner.”
★★★★★ “…another amazing book in this series.”
★★★★★ “…lots of twists and turns, very smooth reading.”
★★★★★ “…the best of the Blake Jordan novels.”

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