Last weekend, the in-laws from both sides met. It is always a fun albeit stressful interaction. They don’t speak the same language, but somehow, they communicate with a mixture of smiles and gestures (and with my wife and I selectively translating). They give each other awkward hugs and tell us how good the other pairContinue reading “Wonton Diplomacy”
Author Archives: scottatirrell
My Chinese In-laws and San Juan
Our first adventure with my Chinese in-laws was a success. We wanted to offer them a taste of Europe without the hassle of obtaining a European Visa, so we chose San Juan’s old town as our destination. This trip, coinciding with my wife’s birthday, blended cultural exploration and family bonding. We spent four nights andContinue reading “My Chinese In-laws and San Juan”
Hot pot #1
My in-laws have arrived from China, and they’re settling in nicely. It takes some time for four adults to ease into a routine, but we’ll get there—we always do. I’ve been able to make my word count these days, so that is a success! Yesterday’s mission was to buy shorts for my father-in-law and plantContinue reading “Hot pot #1”
Busy, busy, busy
A blog post on a Tuesday—I know, it is not my typical schedule. I’ve been busy—I mean, really busy. As a higher education administrator, this is a crazy time in my day job as we close out the academic and fiscal years. Yesterday was a 13-hour day. Also, my inlaws are coming from China andContinue reading “Busy, busy, busy”
So much to write, so little time.
The Order of Thanatos has surpassed 50,000 words! I am currently working on chapter 13. I plan to complete the book at a tight 100-120k (a more marketable range), so we are around halfway. The first draft will be complete in July (barring any significant setbacks), and the book will be ready to publish byContinue reading “So much to write, so little time.”
Looking back
In my quest for content, I decided to look back at my first blog posts from four years ago (the very first is here if you’re interested). It was a month after I started working from home due to the pandemic. Thinking this situation would be temporary, I posted daily to build up some content.Continue reading “Looking back”
Are KDP free book promotions worth it?
Reflecting on my past journies with free book promotions, I must admit the results were never as hoped. I remember the first one I ran soon after I had released The Island of Stone four years ago as a newbie self-published author. I gave away 104 copies before selling a single one and was soContinue reading “Are KDP free book promotions worth it?”
Sample chapter- Order of Thanatos
It has been a very busy posting week for me, but as I promised last week, I wanted to offer a sample of my new project, The Order of Thanatos. I continue to work on it with gusto, and as of this post, it is at 28,359 words. Below is a very rough draft ofContinue reading “Sample chapter- Order of Thanatos”
Four year anniversary!
Wow, it’s been four years since I re-started my writing journey by publishing Island of Stone on Amazon after a ten-year hiatus from writing. At the same time, I created this website and blog. The Slaying of the Bull soon followed the Island of Stone (both reworked drafts from my youth), and then I embarkedContinue reading “Four year anniversary!”
Order of Thanatos = 25,000
I don’t usually post blogs on Mondays, but I didn’t have a chance this weekend. Better late than never! I had set a goal to reach 25,000 words by the end of the month for The Order of Thanatos, which meant I had to use that time as judiciously as possible, considering it was alsoContinue reading “Order of Thanatos = 25,000”
