Writing Plans for 2013

Writing Plans for 2013

1. I now describe 'what I do' in retirement as "Reading and Writing" - I read to write; I write for personal satisfaction. My writing takes many forms, it changes from time to time in order to maintain satisfaction levels.

2. During 2012 I added the commitment to be a monthly columnist for the digi-mag "The In-Depth Genealogist," as The Heritage Tourist. I will continue this in 2013 with one monthly column and one monthly blog post there.

3. I became an active 'lensmaster' on Squidoo.com during 2012 by creating/writing 126 new lenses (webpages) on a variety of topics, with Heritage Tourism and Family History leading the way. I will continue this activity in 2013 at a measured pace. My lenses about books I read have been popular; I will continue to write them. I also write reviews, have guest posts and interviews, and participate in Virtual Book Tours on my blogs, listed below.

4. It seems I need to have each of my five blogs to have the necessary outlets for what I want to write. Each has its own content and focus, and I've noticed the priority among them shifts a bit, month by month. That is fine as it seems to keep me from getting bored.
Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories
Dr. Bill on Retirement
Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar
The Homeplace Series Blog
The KINNICK Project

4. I will continue to write articles each month for Examiner.com on my three topic areas: Springfield Genealogy Examiner, Ozarks Cultural Heritage Examiner, and (added in 2012) Springfield Heritage Tourism Examiner; two or three articles in each topic, each month.

5. 2012 was a year of research (reading), writing and shifting priorities in my fiction priorities. My only publication was another short story in the OWL Anthology (second in two years). It was the next 'episode' in the 1833 background research for "The Homeplace Series." These two short stories are now being shared on the blog "serialized" over a few months. This will continue as I move toward the publication of a "background" book on the family history of the characters in my "Back to the Homeplace" and "The Homeplace Revisited" novels (working title: "American Centennial at the Homeplace"). This book is anchored by an Extended Short Story about  the Homeplace during the Civil War. In 2013 I also hope to publish my first Mystery: "Murder by the Homeplace" set immediately following the end of "Back to the Homeplace" with characters from that novel having secondary roles in the Mystery novel. Finally, looking the future, I will continue to develop content for "The Homeplace Series" as it moves to a transmedia platform, starting with the existing wiki which will continue to be developed in association with my daughter, Dr. Annette Lamb, and her eduscapes.com and Lamb Learning Group activities. We are also considering an affiliation with an app developer (in the future) to provide multiple transmedia entry points to "The Homeplace Series" content that will continue to be expanded and developed on multiple platforms. ["The Homeplace Forever" - the third in the original trilogy - set in 2006, continues in development, along with stories across all the years from 1833 to the present, and into the future.]

6. Work will continue, off and on, on the non-fiction family history on our Revolutionary War ancestor, Sergeant Major William KINNICK. He is my 5th great-grandfather as well as the 3rd great-grandfather of 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile KINNICK, for whom KINNICK Stadium at the University of Iowa is named. There is surely some promotion value there to exploit. I will also continue to research and write on issues related to a non-fiction family history book on my great-grandfather Michael Smith. I am still developing alternative approaches to making this project most effective. These two are unlikely to be finished 2013; but they are still active projects.

7. My actual genealogy work, other that writing for my blogs and elsewhere, largely revolves around projects that come up from time to time from 1) contacts from and with cousins, 2) cooperatively assisting my wife on her several projects, and 3) providing support to our youngest daughter, Arrion, on her family history projects - primarily related to her annual trips to Europe. Arrion visited our Smith family ancestral ground of Alsace (Colmer, France - my paternal line) and Black Forest area in 2012 and a possible visit to Denmark (my maternal grandmother was born in Denmark) in 2013.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Note: This will be posted to each of the five blogs linked above, this year, on January 1.

It's Monday, What are You Reading? American Lion: Andrew Jackson

It's Monday, What are You Reading? 

American Lion: Andrew Jackson


American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, by Jon Meacham


This is the forty-forth entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at  the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]


I had felt this book to big and thick to read, when it came out. My wife got it for me on my Kindle, and it is now my Kindle reading book. Going very well. As I've said before, some books are better on Kindle, some books better in print; for me, at least!  ;-)

I really liked the way Meacham treated Thomas Jefferson - the same seems to apply to Jackson! ;-)


Book Description of American Lion on Amazon:

Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Andrew Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy. Jackson’s election in 1828 ushered in a new and lasting era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. Democracy made its stand in the Jackson years, and he gave voice to the hopes and the fears of a restless, changing nation facing challenging times at home and threats abroad. To tell the saga of Jackson’s presidency, acclaimed author Jon Meacham goes inside the Jackson White House. Drawing on newly discovered family letters and papers, he details the human drama–the family, the women, and the inner circle of advisers–that shaped Jackson’s private world through years of storm and victory.

One of our most significant yet dimly recalled presidents, Jackson was a battle-hardened warrior, the founder of the Democratic Party, and the architect of the presidency as we know it. His story is one of violence, sex, courage, and tragedy. With his powerful persona, his evident bravery, and his mystical connection to the people, Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, articulating a vision of change that challenged entrenched interests to heed the popular will–or face his formidable wrath. The greatest of the presidents who have followed Jackson in the White House–from Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to FDR to Truman–have found inspiration in his example, and virtue in his vision.

Jackson was the most contradictory of men. The architect of the removal of Indians from their native lands, he was warmly sentimental and risked everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. He was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind; and a man who fought a lifelong war to keep the republic safe–no matter what it took.

Jon Meacham in American Lion has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency–and America itself.




Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill  ;-)

Book Review: "One Moment In Time" by Glenn Snyder

Book Review: "One Moment In Time" by Glenn Snyder

This Book Review post is part of the Premier Virtual Author Book Tours on behalf of Mr. Snyder's book. Click on the Tour image, above, to visit the other stops on the rest of this Tour.


Description of One Moment In Time:

Publisher: Bear Moose Press, February 23, 2012

Category: Literary Fiction, Political, Suspense/Thriller

Tour Dates: November, 2012

Available in: Print, 270 pages

 On a stormy November evening, Jack Barrett had plans to treat his best friend Travis to a night of fine dining and jazz. As they neared their destination, a truck ran a red light, plowing through Jack's car, and changing his life forever. Jack found a new outlook on life, and took on adventures that made him one of the world's most admired people. With each step, Jack grew as a person and a leader; piecing together a family from different corners of the world, while risking himself and his family to save others. Jack's impact on the world was like no other, but in the end, when the lights and the cameras were gone, Jack was about to die, or was he? Prepare yourself for a surprising ending that questions the very nature between life and death, reality and dream.


 Dr. Bill says:

This book was an enjoyable read. The descriptions were well constructed and I wanted to keep reading to see where this story was really going. As an author, myself, I clearly understand the concept of "suspended disbelief" that an author expects of his reader in many situations. As I continued to read the story told by Jack later in his life, this concept kept coming to my mind. Each new episode was so smooth, Jack's actions were so incredibly positive, I had difficulty suspending my disbelief. Now, I'm a very positive guy, I tend to write only about positive activities and events. I have trouble building drama into my fiction sometimes because I tend to avoid conflict. Even with this background, I found the story of Jack so continuously positive to be hard to take… but I continued on, because I wanted to know how he got to the interview at age seventy five (I'm nearly there, myself).

Then, I came to the surprise ending of the story. I cannot give away the ending, except to say I was shocked. Personally, I felt it was totally inappropriate and unnecessary - but, I can see how others might find it exciting and even 'neat!' You'll need to read the book in order to form your own opinion.


Note: I did receive an advance pdf copy of the book from the author from which to write this review. My review was not affected by receiving the copy from the author.


Note from Glenn:

For copies of One Moment in Time:
Paperback:  $2 off when purchased through www.OneMomentInTimeNovel.com - coupon code WL5W3K6Y
E-book (any format):  25% off when purchased through Smashwords (www.smashwords.com/books/view/62532) - coupon code WQ79X

About Glenn Snyder:

Glenn Snyder grew up in Marin County, a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. After graduating from UCLA, Glenn worked as a finance professional. In 2001, Glenn earned his MBA from the University of San Francisco.  Shortly after his MBA, Glenn pursued two of his dreams, teaching and writing, while still working full time. For five years, Glenn taught Finance at San Francisco State University, while he also wrote the first draft of One Moment in Time. In May of 2011, Glenn published his first novel, One Moment in Time. Glenn is currently a Finance Director and is working on his second novel.

Visit www.OneMomentInTimeNovel.com to find out more.

One Moment In Time on Facebook Glenn Snyder on Twitter

Happy Reading,

Dr. Bill  ;-)

The Homeplace Series continues...

The Homeplace Series continues...

For those of you who have followed my fiction writing, The Homeplace Series, things have been fairly quiet for awhile. Here is an update of what has been going on as well as some hints at what is upcoming. Stop over and check it out. Love to get comments, as well! 

Happy Reading,

Dr. Bill  ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Roger Williams

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Roger Williams

Roger Williams and The Creation of The American Soul: 

Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty


This is the forty-third entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at  the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

I am reading this book from the collection of my daughter, Annette, while visiting in Utah. It is really filling in some gaps in my knowledge of the early foundlings of some key American colonies.


Book Description of Roger Williams on Amazon:

For four hundred years, Americans have wrestled with and fought over two concepts that define the nature of the nation: the proper relation between church and state and between a free individual and the state. These debates began with the extraordinary thought and struggles of Roger Williams, who had an unparalleled understanding of the conflict between a government that justified itself by "reason of state"-i.e. national security-and its perceived "will of God" and the "ancient rights and liberties" of individuals.
This is a story of power, set against Puritan America and the English Civil War. Williams' interactions with King James, Francis Bacon, Oliver Cromwell, and his mentor Edward Coke set his course, but his fundamental ideas came to fruition in America, as Williams, though a Puritan, collided with John Winthrop's vision of his "City upon a Hill."
Acclaimed historian John M. Barry explores the development of these fundamental ideas through the story of the man who was the first to link religious freedom to individual liberty, and who created in America the first government and society on earth informed by those beliefs. The story is essential to the continuing debate over how we define the role of religion and political power in modern American life.





Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill  ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Makers

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Makers

Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson


This is the forty-second entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at  the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

I bought this book at Barnes & Noble in Austin on October 2!  ;-)
I am a fan of Chris Anderson based on his book, The Long Tail - it impressed me.




Book Description  of Makers on Amazon:

Wired magazine editor and bestselling author Chris Anderson takes you to the front lines of a new industrial revolution as today’s entrepreneurs, using open source design and 3-D printing, bring manufacturing to the desktop.  In an age of custom-fabricated, do-it-yourself product design and creation, the collective potential of a million garage tinkerers and enthusiasts is about to be unleashed, driving a resurgence of American manufacturing.  A generation of “Makers” using the Web’s innovation model will help drive the next big wave in the global economy, as the new technologies of digital design and rapid prototyping gives everyone the power to invent -- creating “the long tail of things”.

Makers is listed as book #625 as I extracted this on Oct 2 (the official release date):




Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill  ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? One Moment in Time

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

One Moment in Time by Glenn Snyder


This is the forty-first entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at  the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

I am reading a copy provided by the author in exchange for a review to be published on this blog on November 20, 2012, as one stop on the Author's Virtual Book Tour.

Book Description on Amazon:

On a stormy November evening, Jack Barrett had plans to treat his best friend Travis to a night of fine dining and jazz. As they neared their destination, a truck ran a red light, plowing through Jack's car, and changing his life forever. Jack found a new outlook on life, and took on adventures that made him one of the world's most admired people. With each step, Jack grew as a person and a leader; piecing together a family from different corners of the world, while risking himself and his family to save others. Jack's impact on the world was like no other, but in the end, when the lights and the cameras were gone, what was the most important moment in his time here?

Prepare yourself for a surprising ending that questions the very nature between life and death, reality and dream.





Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill  ;-)