Tag Archives: librarything

You Didn’t Come This Far Only to Come This Far

Despite recent bouts of COVID, depression, and elevated stress, I had occasion over this holiday season to reflect on everything for which I’m grateful, and the list is long.

Yes, 2023 was a challenging year. I struggled with severe anxiety attacks that began in September 2022 and continued until mid-August 2023. They left me debilitated for the first hour or two every morning and were often accompanied by bouts of depression, some lasting weeks. There were days when I thought they would end me, but I live by two mottos: “life might knock me down, but it can’t keep me down” and “you didn’t come this far only to come this far.”

Dido I’ve been grappling with the demons of depression and anxiety for over 45 years. For most of that time, I’ve been alone in my fight, but on this occasion, I had the help of three amazing women—my wife, my therapist, and my favorite singer on the planet, Dido (never say music doesn’t heal a broken soul). They are all my heroes.

‌‌My wife planned and booked every step of our June trip to Niagara Falls and the Thousand Islands, culminating in a visit to Boldt Castle on my birthday. It was a fantastic week. Travel does wonders for mental health.

Canadian Horseshoe Falls and Table Rock      Evon and Phil at Niagara Falls

Phil at "Famous Boldt Castle on Heart Island" sign   Boldt Castle

It was also in June when my detective tale, “Pearl of Great Price,” was published in Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin by Hawkshaw Press. That also helped loosen anxiety’s grip on me.

Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin Book Cover

Testing the Prisoner Front Cover

At the same time, plans to release the second edition of Testing the Prisoner were coming to fruition. By early June, the book was fully re-edited by yours truly and two months later, artist pal Scott Barnett produced a cover that not only popped but exploded.

The book was released on September 18th. What happened next was nothing short of amazing.

First, I ran an Early Reviewers giveaway on LibraryThing, which resulted in five stellar reviews from the happy winners.

Best Book Award Finalist LogoIn October, after purchasing a copy of Testing the Prisoner from my table at the Easton Book Festival, writer and publisher Angel Ackerman—current president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group—praised the book on her blog as well as Amazon and Goodreads. By this time, Testing the Prisoner had been named as one of five finalists in American Book Fest’s 2023 Best Book Awards (Horror Category).  Wow!

I was then contacted by horror writer Carson Buckingham who offered to review the book for Hellnotes.com. I sent a paperback to her in mid-November and shortly after Thanksgiving, she posted her effusive review, giving Testing the Prisoner six out of five stars!

As of this writing, I’m on the final round of re-edits to By Your Side, the second edition of which is slated for release on February 5, 2024 with a new cover by the aforementioned brilliant artist, Scott Barnett. The official launch will happen at Farpoint SF Convention in Pikesville, MD.

As I sit here on December 23rd, the house decked out for Christmas, anticipating a glorious week off from work and all of the writing and editing ahead of me, I do indeed have plenty to be grateful for. I hope you do as well. If you’re struggling, remember that you didn’t come this far, only to come this far. Life will knock you down at times, but problems and setback are temporary. Please don’t let them keep you down.

I wish you peace, love, and joy this holiday season and throughout the new year!

About This Writing Stuff…

This month, writer pal Kathryn Craft shows us how to use weddings and funerals in our stories to explore characters and heighten emotions. Over at Mythcreants, Oren Ashkenazi examines the ever-popular literary device known as unreliable narrator.

Kristen Overman offers advice on self-editing and developing strong characters while Meredith Lyons talks about keepin’ it real in paranormal fiction. Do you feel pressured to sacrifice your social time for your writing? John Gilstrap reminds us not to feel guilty for living our lives.

Kelsey McConnell discusses the need for trigger warnings in horror novels. This is a timely topic given that I just released the second edition of Testing the Prisoner, my first paranormal mystery novel from 2009 that deals with child abuse and domestic violence.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Writing Believable Characters by Michal Leah

There’s Always a Choice: Revision Techniques to Make Your Writing Stronger by Kristen Overman

How Subplots and Plot Filaments Lend Texture and Depth to Any Novel by Michael Craft

Why Is Strong Character Development Important? by Kristen Overman

Marry ’em and Bury ’em: Weddings, Funerals, and Your Novel by Kathryn Craft

Is There a Place For Trigger Warnings in Horror Books? by Kelsey Christine McConnell

How to Write a Realistic Paranormal by Meredith R. Lyons

How to Point Readers’ Attention in the Right Direction by Jami Gold

How to Increase Your Productivity When You Don’t Feel Productive by James Scott Bell

Writer’s Guilt by John Gilstrap

Unreliable Narration: A Useful Tool or Just Hype? by Oren Ashkenazi

Atmosphere Literary Definition: Genre Examples that Evoke Emotion by Joslyn Chase


If you’re a LibraryThing member, I’m running a giveaway for Testing the Prisoner! Six winners will receive a signed copy. Check it out here. Ends October 25th.

Testing the Prisoner is available now in ebook ($2.99) and paperback ($18.99)!

Testing the Prisoner print promo