My last post was July 3!!!!!! That's crazy. Okay, it's summer, things are slowing and I've got lots of other things going on, rather than writing blog posts. I've had Brewmaster of Arabia, my fictional tome about how the Arab Spring might have happened, critiqued on a couple different levels and....and...I lost a lot of my babies. The book has gone from roughly 110,000 words to 48,700 words. Now I need to figure out how to insert another 1500 into the mix so I can be listed on the premier stuff on Smashwords. I'll admit, it's a lot cleaner than it was, but that's torture to see all my hard story line hacked out like like an appendectomy with a machete. Until next time. Check out the surgeon that did the hacking.

Egypt Again

On February 1, 2011, I made up a story about changing leadership in Egypt. It was called, Egypt's New Leader, Cleopatra's Great, Great, Great, Great... It was meant to be funny, but here we are, roughly two years later and another leadership change is on the horizon. I still say it's not to late to proxy some of Cleopatra's kin into the mix. Go back and read it again. Just as pertinent to day as it was then.

P & J Sandwiches at Red Fez

What a month. I got a cold or allergies or whatever the hell you want to call them and it knocked me down for a week. I get better and start my routine all over again and BAM!!!! my Achilles tendon strains and I'm hobbled. I got a chance to read quite a bit more, but.... Then, I'm helping someone I know resolve a problem with their computer hardware and I screw up my own computer. I've removed the hard drive that has my website on it, KentLJohnson, and I can't update the site until I reinstall it. I'm scared because when I screwed it up, I was without computer for about five hours while I tried to fix it. NOoooooo. In better news, two things this month, I submitted to National Public Radio's, Three Minute Fiction contest. I never did flash fiction before, and, we'll see. They will start judging soon. Also, got my story, P & J Sandwiches, published at Red Fez. Enjoy.

Where in the hell does the time go?

It's seems like forever since I've been on here, and maybe it has. I've been busy. Moved from my rented apartment to a rented room...yes the economy just keeps getting better. Haven't had time to write hardly at all with the exception of The Weekenders Magazine, Issue 8, where my story, Times Are Different, was recently published. It's been a slow day at the shop so I finished editing one of my Novel Writers Group's novel called Following the Sun, by Dana Artis. Excellent book and a quick read. She's got the writing and her worlds down to a T. I've also read a few books since I last was on here including Bud Smith's book, Or Somthing Like That, Dennis Lehane's book, A Drink Before the War, Niel Gaiman's, American Gods, and a few more. That's it for now. Got a customer.

I screwed up Issue 6 The weekenders magazine

I forgot and it's all my fault. Been screwing around trying to get things done instead of promote one of my favorite publications, of which I am published in.

The Weekenders Magazine Issue 6

I'm really getting this out late, since Issue 7 is due out in just about a week. Enjoy the whole magazine or just check out what I wrote if you are a fan of mine.

The Weekenders Magazine Vol 5 is out

Guess who is published once again in The Weekenders Magazine, Volume 5?  Yes, that's right, I'm there with a Christmas tale of urban grist yet tenderness.

Many thanks again to +Ryan Swofford for putting the magazine together. Really good artwork in this issue also from Serge Gay Jr.

I might also mention that since the last time I updated on this blog, I have another story waiting to be published, Double Entendre, in a print anthology Love at First Bite, by Static Movement Publishing. When it gets in Print, I'll update.

Tonight I have a sit down session with a serious novel writers I belong to. They are going to critic as well as edit my book, Bear Justice. It is getting close to being polished enough to think about getting an agent soon.

I picked up my first novel, Mendel's Release, in the last few days and do you know what? Damn good story and the writing isn't bad. I wrote it in 2002 and it needs some polish, so I have another project on my plate. Mendel's Release is a humorous story with a lot of the elements of theme that Bear Justice has.

I've got a couple things submitted to publishers at the present time and are awaiting an up or down nod. Kind of like waiting for a Roman Emperor to let you live or have you executed, like in the movies. Gladiator comes to mind.

That's January's update.

New Published Stories

My piece Beat of the Alley, was published in the anthology Desolation Blues last month. The entire thing is a great read and shouldn't be missed. The stories are reminiscent of the Beat era of the '60's. The character in this piece is used in a number of short stories I try to do in Beat, but tend to end up more like a Dark Urban Fiction genre. I like the character, who as of yet remains unnamed after four stories. I think maybe it will be interesting to have an entire collection of stories all with the same character that doesn't have a name?

Here is another piece. You can read the entire zine, The Weekenders Magazine, Issue 4, right from this blog by using the flash tool below.  I have a piece, Reading Doughnut Danny, published in this online magazine. Special thanks to +Ryan Swofford for putting all the issues of this magazine together. I've been fortunate to be published in all the issues so far.

Open publication - Free publishing - More 4