Talk about the dog days of summer.  Florida has tested my endurance this year. We had a dozen days in a row of 95 degrees or higher before the temp dipped to 87 degrees yesterday. It was a wonderful relief. Before that, there were dozens of sweltering days in what I’m calling our hottest summer in twenty years of Florida living. We will have fifty or more before Autumn arrives.

I had a bit of outpatient surgery this month. So, I have hovered inside for the past couple of weeks. It gave me time to start the next McIntyre Adventure. I’m quite excited about it. Right now, I’m calling it Diablo’s Secret.

In this newest rendition of the western series, Chief Tatonga presents Gus and Naomi with a mysterious bundle that contains an ancient journal penned by a Spanish soldier from the 16th century. It points them toward a secret that is hidden within the shadowy Sierra Diablo Mountains of Texas. 

I’m halfway into it and hope it continues to attract readership. I don’t sell thousands of books, but enough to get a small royalty check each month. I have most of you to thank for that.

I realize I’ve been swamping readers with titles this year as I returned to my independent roots. I’ve had two stints with publishing companies that were less than satisfying. So, in 2026, I have self-published: 

Mountain Hostage      February
Deadly Tangles           March
Born to Lead               May
Fighting Back             July
Depraved Injustice    August
Diablo’s Secret           October

I don’t know if there will be a seventh release this year, but I wouldn’t count it out. 

Friends and readers often ask me how I can be so prolific. The simple answer is that once I get a story idea, my creative energy takes over. I’m frequently heard saying, “I’m not yet ready for a rocking chair. I prefer the one in my office.”

 My writing style might be a little odd. I generally know the beginning and the end when I start a novel. If I do an outline, it is very sketchy because the rest seems to fall into place as I write.  I often awaken in the morning with Gus McIntyre on my mind. The morning hours are when I do most of my writing. I work in the yard in the afternoon, and then commit a couple of hours to writing/editing after supper and the evening news. By eight or nine o’clock, like most Baby Boomers, I plant myself in front of the television. 

I don’t watch a lot of network programming, but I find myself frequently surfing the Discovery Channel, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. I never miss reality shows like Survivor, Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing, and The Voice. 

Those who know me well are aware that I am an avid college football fan, Ohio State and Central Florida in particular. I am excited about the 2026 collegiate football campaign, and I leave you with this thought: “Go Buckeyes!”

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