Category Archives: Books

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Introducing “Embers of the Dead” – A New Post-Apocalyptic Adventure

I’m excited to share the title of my upcoming novel set to release this fall: “Embers of the Dead.”

My fascination with post-apocalyptic fiction ignited at a young age when I first watched the film “Red Dawn.” It has been my desire to write captivating adventures not only for young boys, but also in the realm of men’s adventure, particularly within the apocalyptic landscape.

After encountering a few false starts over the years and a number of stories that fizzled out, I’m delighted to say that “Embers of the Dead” has made it through the creative journey and is now complete.

To bring this exciting story to life, I have a special treat planned. For the first month, “Embers of the Dead” will be exclusively available as a free serial on my website. This way, you can dive into the tale without any barriers. Following that, the novel will be available as an ebook and paperback on all platforms.

In the coming months I’ll share more details and sneak peeks about “Embers of the Dead.”

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First Time Reading Tolkien

My introduction to Fantasy was the Belgariad by David Eddings and The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. It may surprise some that I’ve never been into Tolkien much. I’ve enjoyed the films, but I’ve never made much progress reading his work. I skipped right over Tolkien, and anytime I would try to go back and dive into his stories, I struggled to get into his voice. I would get about fifty pages in and stop. It was probably a bad idea to make my first time reading Tolkien be The Silmarillion. But I set a goal to try and get into his work this year. So here I am.

book on wooden surface near a candlelight- First time reading tolkien
Photo by Vincent M.A. Janssen on Pexels.com

My approach to reading Tolkien was to come at it from a student’s perspective, as if I’m studying the history of Fantasy.

One thing I didn’t realize, getting into this was that “The Silmarillion” is only a portion of the book. There are two Prologues, Ainulindalë, then the Valaquenta, and then you finally make it to the Quenta Silmarillion, which winds up being the bulk of the book. This story is “an account of the Elder Days or the First Age of the World.” I’ve learned that The Lord of the Rings takes place at the end of the Third Age, (I honestly didn’t know this) so basically this is the genesis story of how that land came to be. (I can hear a million Tolkien fans quietly laughing at my lack of knowledge.)

So far, I’m enjoying it. Although several podcasts and commentaries have helped. It makes me appreciate Tolkien a bit more, and gives me the desire to dive into more of his works. I’m only on Chapter Nine, but the story is unfolding fantastically.

In a few weeks, I’ll be recording a podcast with a friend of the Show, David Wright, for Geeky Dad’s Talk About Geeky Things. We will not be able to cover everything there is to discuss during that one episode. So, I’ll blog a few of my thoughts occasionally. Like I said, this is my first time reading Tolkien, and I’m enjoying it so far.

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Episode 28: Geeking Out Over Middle-Grade Fiction with Amanda Trumpower

Today is Episode 28, and joining me is Geek Mom and Middle-Grade Author Amanda Trumpower! Amanda and I spend this show geeking out over our love of middle-grade fiction and chatting about her books. You can learn more about Amanda at: https://amandatrumpower.com/

Episode 28 Link

Amanda Trumpower Geeky Dads
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I’m a Slow Reader

Here is a little confession: I’m a Slow Reader. 

I always have been. I used to envy people who read quickly, devouring books in a single day or thick epic fantasy stories over a weekend. But it’s okay that I’m slow, and there are many reasons why. 

eyeglasses on opened book beside cup of coffee on table
Photo by Oziel Gómez on Pexels.com

1) Time. With ADHD, I struggle to sit and stay focused for long periods. I get distracted easily, and the slightest thing can pull my mind away. 

2) I’m just slow. My average reading pace with proper comprehension is about 171 words per minute. Most people come in at around 250 words. That means if I read for a full hour, I can get through about 10,260 words. So a typical 100,000-word novel will take me about ten dedicated hours of reading time. 

3) Priority. I have a lot going on in life and wear many different hats. So sitting down to read is much more complicated than it was fifteen years ago. 

However, I’ve learned a few tricks to help me read more. 

1) I’ve learned to read in ten-minute chunks, which has helped. If I can carve about ten minutes here and ten minutes there, I’ve seen a vast improvement in the number of books I can consume. 

2) Audiobooks. I had to learn to listen to books. It didn’t come naturally. A great narrator can hold me for hours if need be. But I stress the “Great Narrator” part. I can consume more through audio than I used to. So I tend to devour them more now. I want publishing to get it together and learn to bundle ebooks and audio at a discounted price. They would make a fortune.  

3) Stop worrying about how much everyone else is reading. Reading isn’t a sport, it’s entertainment, it’s for enjoyment, it’s for disconnecting from an already chaotic world. I don’t need to keep up with everyone else. So, I don’t care if so and so has read ten more books than me this year. Good for them. 

I’m a slow reader. Maybe you are too. Guess what? That’s okay. Just dive in and learn to enjoy. 

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Steve Rzasa: Remains!

Steve Rzasa is releasing “Remains” and has the book up for pre-order. This story is a prequel to Steve’s Mercury Hale universe and is marketed as: “From Procyon’s Historic Vault.” I’m excited about this one.

I’m partial to the Mercury books because Steve and I have crossed over characters in our work and because Mercury is just a fun, energetic, kick-butt type of character. Plus, if you know Steve the way I do, it’s safe to say there is a little bit of Steve in Mercury.

You can pre-order the book for $1.99 right here! PREORDER REMAINS

Steve Rzasa Remains