Phil Brown: Blog

That word always reminds me of when the preacher got to that point in his sermon where he said, "...and finally,"

We learned early on that it didn't mean church was over, but just to wake up and get our shoes back on.

Well, we've finally reached the end of Book III. But it's not the end of the story. I already have the first couple of chapters written for Book IV. I hope to start posting it soon.

I can't say enough good things about Cassie, Jack, LaToya, and Greg, and all the hard work they put into making the story a better read. Any mistakes are solely my fault, usually due to me changing things after they've done their job.

Your help is also appreciated. Whenever you spot something, just go to the feedback button at the bottom of that chapter and let me know what it is. I'll go back and change it in most cases.

Your questions, comments, and concerns are also appreciated. Frankly, it's the only recompense we receive. And there has been more than one occasion that your encouragement has helped me over a difficult time. Thank you.

While I don't always answer every e-mail, I do try to answer any questions you might have about what has happened in the story, so far. I don't mind clearing up confusing plot lines or story lines, or questions about characters; however, I won't tell you what is going to happen in the future. Sorry.

For those of you who have asked, I have submitted a "Cast" or "Character" list for Book III. I hope it helps.

I also hope to hear from you and how you honestly feel about the story.

And as always, Thank You for reading "Second Time Through".

Phil Brown

I recently was forced to take a brief sabbatical from writing when my laptop was broken. I finally managed to get a new one, and thanks to the suggestions and guidance of several readers, I was able to salvage the hard drive (and the story) from the broken one. I also learned the hard way, the value of backing up my work, often!

Thankfully, my editors, Cassie, Jack, Greg, and LaToya were still there, and they were still willing to help. I am now back to harassing them regularly. Trust me, you wouldn't want to read the story before they get it. But after they work their respective magic, the story just seems to come to life.

On another note, when I was able to get back online, I was sad to learn that Roger, my main editor on Book II, was no longer online. I know that he was having health issues, and since he hasn't responded for six months now, I'm assuming the worst. If anyone happens to know what happened to 'dragonres', please drop me a note... I miss him.

Just a reminder, I really appreciate your emails regarding the story. I try to respond to as many as I can. And if you have a question I can answer, I will.

And as always, thank you for reading my story,

Phil

Thank you for all the notes ad e-mails. Contrary to popular belief, I have not gone back in time again. I am still here.

Unfortunately, my laptop passed away, taking all my notes and manuscripts with it. I am in the process of getting a new job and then, when I get paid, I will buy a new laptop and find a way to salvage the old laptop's hard drive.

Thanks for your patience and understanding. I hope it will not be much longer as I am going through serious withdrawal myself.

Phil Brown

Tonight was my last class, and I am sad that it is over. Back around Christmas, I noticed that the local university was offering a five week (ten sessions), non-credit class in 'Creative Non-Fiction Writing', so I signed up.

I know, you're wondering, what in the world are you doing in a non-fiction class, Phil? You write erotic fiction, for god's sake. That's about as far from poetry, travel guides, and magazine articles as you can get.

The idea of attending an on-campus class (albeit, in the evenings) was part of the attraction. I can tell you that it was both exciting and just a little scary. At least until I walked into the classroom the first time. There sat those same student desks I hated in high school, several decades ago. Low and ill-fitting for my larger sized frame, it was even worse because I've added a considerable number of pounds since my high school days, and my joints are not as limber.

There wasn't a lot of new information, but each session seemed to produce a gem or two. I wish there had been more discussion on how to develop a story, POV, pacing, or scene construction, though.

The most delightful surprise, was that I found my own creativity stimulated as I listened to my classmates' works. There were so many good story ideas. Like the young woman who won the Pillsbury Bake-Off a few years ago, then found out she had cancer. Or the guy who wrote a long and entertaining, rhyming poem about a family vacation to Myrtle Beach. I learned things about gardening, bird-watching, and even thimbles.

Over all, I have to chalk it up as a successful adventure, and would encourage anyone thinking about trying their hand at writing to find a class in their area.

Hopefully, you'll get to benefit from the results of my class as I endeavor to make my stories better for you.

As always, thanks for reading,

Phil Brown.

Finally!

Just a quick note to let you know that I just posted the first chapters of Book III.

Sorry for the delay, but I had to complete the re-edits of Books I & II (and take care of a few other matters).

A special thanks to Roger, Cassie, Jack, & LaToya for all their efforts and assistance on making it happen. I hope that you will find the first two books much more enjoyable to read now. I didn't change the storyline; however, we cleaned up hundreds of mistakes.

To each of you who e-mailed me. I kept all your e-mails and noted the errors. Hopefully, we got them. I wanted to tell you thanks as well.

Book III takes up hours after Book II ends, so there are no gaps. But there are some surprises. I don't know how long the story will be, but my goal is a chapter or two each week. Book II took 26 weeks and had over one hundred chapters (before I combined some chapters in the re-edit). I can't promise four chapters a week now, but I don't typically hold chapters. As soon as my editors can do their magic and I can get everything ready, I post it.

I look forward to hearing from you. It is the only form of compensation we get. If you ask a question, I will try to answer it.

As always, thanks for reading my story. I hope you enjoy it,

Phil