Hope everyone is having an enjoyable autumn. I most certainly am, and that’s in no small part due to the amount of writing I’m getting done. The story I was working on (it pains me to say this) for years, just wasn’t progressing the way I wanted. After talking with some friends, I decided it was time to set it aside and try something new. I had an idea for a fantasy series that I first formulated many years ago that for reasons I can’t entirely remember I set aside. I started going through my old notes and the more I read the more intrigued I became. The end result is that I’m writing again every day.

As for Shifting Gears the TV show, I like it. It’s a basic network comedy, but it features three actors I enjoy watching – Kat Dennings, Tim Allen and Jenna Elfman, not to mention Daryl Mitchell of Galaxy Quest and Fear The Walking Dead. Tim Allen, of course, starred in Galaxy Quest, and Jenna Elfman was in Fear The Walking Dead. I can’t recall if she shared screen time with Mitchell on the show, but I think it’s likely.

I can’t recall when I entered my first library, but I imagine it was in grade school. To this day I always have a feeling of awe when I start to walk the shelves. The world is there to be discovered. It’s a similar feeling when I’m at an airport. From there I can go anywhere. The same with libraries.

Living in New York City I have access to one of the largest library systems in the world. It’s one of the perks of living here. Another is that there’s also a private library. The New York Society Library http://nysoclib.org was created in the 1700s and is going stronger than ever. As I don’t have an actual office to go to I use the library. Unlike the public library there is a membership fee. In addition to a massive collection of books, they have a beautiful reading room plus several work areas throughout the building. An added bonus are the individual study rooms you can request.

If you’re ever visiting the city stop by for a visit. They offer tours of the building.

At the risk of repeating myself because it’s quite likely I say this every year, I (like millions/billions) like fall. It’s not just that. I am not a fan of summer or even spring really. Winter I’m fine with, but it’s the autumn that has my undying love. I was born in the fall, so there’s that. My favorite color (it does vary) is often gray, and 99 times out of 100 I’ll take a chilly day with gray skies and wind over a ‘nice’ summer one.

In other news, the next novel is coming…

In another plug for a series of books I’ve worked on, The Spirit of the Bayonet by Ted Russ is now out on Amazon. This is hard science, hard action, and a surprisingly touching amount of heart. It is a great mix. Book One, Betrayal, is currently 99 cents so if you take my two cents into account, it’s a steal. Take a look –

Spirit of the Bayonet (3 book series) Kindle Edition

As many/some/few/maybe none of you know, when not writing (which, frustratingly, has been a challenge for some time now) I’m an editor. 2025 marks my 25th year in publishing (and living in the US, legally I hasten to add!) I’ve lost count of the number of books I’ve acquired/edited and even a few I’ve ghost written in addition to my own novels, but I’m always happy to make note of a new publication that I had some small hand in.

A book I recently worked on is now on sale and I wanted to give it some props. Rescue Run is the second book in the adventures of Captain Jake Rogers in WWII and for the next few days, both it and the first book in the series, The Hunt For The Peggy C, are available for .99 cents as ebooks.

Amazon.com: Rescue Run: Capt. Jake Rogers’ Daring Return to Occupied Europe (Peggy C Saga Book 2) eBook : Miller, John Winn: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: The Hunt for the Peggy C eBook : Miller, John Winn: Kindle Store

Captain Jake Rogers is in the mold of Indiana Jones, but even more grounded…while also often at sea…which is not the contradiction it seems at first blush. For the price of a thimble’s worth of a Starbuck’s coffee you might want to check it out.

Cheers,

Chris