Coaster2: Blog

As I enter my tenth year of contributing my various scribblings, I can see a big change in the type of stories I write and the quality of my grammar. All that, of course, thanks to my editors. I suppose you could describe most of my work as romance stories. I can live with that. Once in a while I get off the track and write something different, but usually I revert to my tried and true formula. One of my reviewers suggested I very often write stories that are business based. No surprise there, I was a businessman for over forty years. It's what I know.
I do try hard to vary my themes and characters, but I suppose my male protagonists are much of a kind. I think I write about them based on who I am, and how I think. One of my editors thinks that many of my main male characters just let "life" happen to them and then react to it. Could be so.
I passed the three quarter century mark recently and my long-suffering wife of nearly 54 years still steadfastly refuses to read my stories. There's a message in there somewhere. However, she doesn't begrudge me my hobby, so I carry on.
Lately, I've been much slower at producing new work. There's a reason, of course. I'm running out of new ideas and new settings. I'm currently working on a "saga" that started out as a simple idea, then got out of hand. It's still out of hand and I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to rein it in. I'll just keep on keepin' on. Thanks for all your support and encouragement along the way. I genuinely appreciate it.
Coaster2 (Steve)

To J:
I am unable to respond to your email re Street Find as I cannot find your address in my files. If you read this, please let me know and I can restore your address.
Cheers and Merry Christmas.
Coaster2 (Steve)

I don't watch "The Soaps" and never have. I'm referring to Days of our Lives, All My Children, etc, featured on the US television networks ... and ... Coronation Street, East Enders, etc on the English system. They don't interest me and never have. That doesn't mean they are poor, it just means they don't interest me.

But the truth is, I am easily hooked on top quality sequential stories, usually found on English, Scottish, or Australian TV. For the most part, the ones that hook me easily are the period pieces. I've never gotten into Downton Abbey, possibly because I picked it up too late to catch on. But lately, two series have me hooked ... I simply won't miss them if at all possible.

An English WWII and post-war drama about a former policemen and now MI5 agent, Foyle's War, is superb. Not just the acting, but the scenes and writing about the destruction and deprivation of the people of Britain. I don't know how long it will continue, but I'm hoping for quite a while.

The second series that has just begun showing up on US PBS this spring is A Place to Call Home, an Australian production set in post WWII New South Wales. What caught my immediate attention was the first scene that my wife talked me into watching. It featured a beautiful MG TF (1949 likely)in traditional green, and a silver Mark VII Jaguar saloon (same era). Okay, so I'm a car nut, but it immediately clued me in that this was going to be different, and it is.

Now, it may be that this and Foyle's War might be turned into something less and possibly cheapen the quality, but I truly hope not. Quality television is so hard to come by, and I can count on one hand the number of programs each week I'm prepared to sacrifice my time to watch.

Here endeth the editorial.

Coaster2

I've reposted Chapters 3 & 4 for Street Find. They were riddled with errors and other issues. I have a hunch I posted the unedited version by mistake, but whatever the reason, I'm embarrassed at the poor quality I presented. I'll be much more careful with the following chapters.

Coaster2

Many thanks to my readers for the kind words and handsome scores for Accidental Hero. It was a fun story to write and I won't apologize for the happy ending.
Tomorrow I start something completely new. For the first time I have worked in collaboration with another author, Mostera1. He cooked up the idea and approached me for a work we've titled Street Find. I was a demanding project, but now that it's ready to post, I'm really going to be interested in how it's received. We've already decided we're going to develop a second story, one very different from this one. If you take the time to send an email to me on Street Find, please send a copy to K zapardo <mostera1@att.net> as well. I know he wants to hear how you feel about our effort.
Cheers,
Coaster2