Why My Eighth Book is Different

DesertGodssmallYup. Eight. It’s been three years since I started writing full-time. During the first year I worked exclusively on my first book, Fistful of Reefer. The next year I hammered out The Austin Job, Twitch and Die! and a compilation of Lost DMB File shorts.

Over the last twelve months, I’ve written De Novo Syndrome, Desert Gods, The Green Ones: Season One, and now I’m polishing up First Relic. And you know what? I’m starting to learn the ropes as a professional writer.

The reason I’m most confident of this fact? My eighth book has been nothing but pure product. The kind of product you dip your pinky finger into and dab on your tongue. You smear it across the front of your teeth, turn to your peers and say, “It’s pure. Break it down, boys.”

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Top 5 Conspiracy Theories in Literature

Conspiracy Theories. What would the world be without them? While some ring hollow and others are petty or cruel, many have made our world a better place. Some of the best conspiracies out there were originally constructed for the sake of great literature. Since researching how to create a top notch conspiracy theory for the sake of my next novel, I’ve developed my top 5 list of most impactful literary conspiracies (created first within literature rather than the other way around) that have changed our world for the better–or have they?

Most Impactful Conspiracy Novels

Dreadful SanctuaryDreadful Sanctuary by Eric Frank Russell

While not popular by any means, Dreadful Sanctuary blazed the path of the alien conspiracy. Blending science fiction and political thriller, this mostly forgotten novel laid the groundwork for many of our favorite contemporary conspiracy theories. The moon landing? Area 51? Alien invasion of popular figures?

The Da Vinci Code: A Novel (Robert Langdon) by Dan Brown

On the opposite end of popularity, Dan Brown’s religious conspiracy thriller has spurred countless other publications debating the “truthiness” of his fictional novel. This is of course the true test of the effectiveness of a literary conspiracy. When an author can write a fictional novel (which by the way means it’s not factual) and generate scads of argument, then he/she has done the job well!

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Open Letter to Film Producers

cruise as sleazy producerProduction companies, studios, producers (sleazy or otherwise), look no further. The story for your next production can be found among the Lost DMB Files. How can I be so confident? Simple.

I’m a writer who is barely literate. My strongest influences are film. I write every scene of my novels and shorts as a transcription from the images playing across my mind’s eye. Hell, now that I’ve got kids I write stuff the same way I chug down Jerry Bruckheimer episodes from Hulu, in digestible 43 minute chunks.

My books are made for the silver screen and the consumers who would rather watch a human explode than read a human drama.

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